[AW] Desert Tempest

[Jarek]

JAREK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are the frayed, we are the torn We are the beaten and the scorned And now you’ve forced the beast to bare its teeth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grains of sand were lifted by the breeze whipping the dry earth. The plains had been dealing with the grasp of winter. The liquid and life of the vegetation had been stripped out. As such it crunched beneath enormous hooves.  Squeezing his eyes closed tightly to prevent the whirling sand from invading his crevices. There was evidence of life in this plain. Hoofprints, and scents wild and enticing.  He had finally arrived. These were the lands that the olden gods had whispered to him about before the firelight.  Their shadows had danced and shivered promising power and elevation to the stars. Their excitement and hunger was palpable. A hunger that had seeded itself in his flesh, he could feel it gnawing and brewing within. It was all motivation for a greater cause, they would require his strength to gain hold in this new world. Their hunger had been rolling deep within, but their voices had been frighteningly absent on his long walk.  They were merely sleeping, biding their time. He knew this discovery should please them; stir them from their slumber.  He took massive lungfuls of the air, tasting it in its purity. There were bound to be resources here that were not present within the city. Evidence of wildlife flourishing and tracks of all kinds could be seen in the dirt.  He could see their paths intertwining in places and diverting in others. The other burning need within him was for water. Traveling had not been kind to his hydration with the scarcity of the precious liquid.  He was a large beast who burnt a lot of resources with movement.  The scent of rain on the horizon and a cool change drew a soft and relieved sigh from his lips.  Cool drops of water soon pelted his back. He opened his mouth accepting the life nourishing liquid, following the trails of the animals in hopes of finding a larger water source. He needed to cool off and he needed a lot more water than a few drops on his tongue.  Even appropriately prepared for war and travel his mane and tail felt gritty with sand and perspiration. It would all need redoing.  His tail had been docked short, with a small thick growth of hair at the end. His mane had been bundled up into small tight buns that lined his large arching neck. He was an intimidating sight to be sure. Small drops of rain settled in the rock formations that littered his pelt. Scattered rock fragments glistened against his deep midnight coloured coat like stars in the night sky.