Ruined for Life

[Anonymous]

Just like any natural day in the Moraki Desert, the sun glares down on the vast reaches of sand. In short, it's very hot. Even most of the wildlife of the wasteland try to take refuge from the heat. However, there is one creature, one individual that would rather brave the scorching sun. Evasto Amiculum is forever on the move in the desert reaches, forever searching. Searching for whatever reason concerns his own being.
The man himself is somewhat hidden from the sun, even in the wide open desert. The dark brown garb he wears protects him from the sun, as well as the black wrap he wear around his head and face. His eerily red eyes peer out into the sand dunes as he makes his way across them. A kopesh could be easily spotted on his left hip, but the jagged dagger on his right hip is somewhat hidden under folds of his garments.
A blood-piercing screech of a hawk catches Evasto's attention, causing him to look up and block the sun from his eyes with his dark skinned hand. He lets out a whistle to attract the circling hawk's attention, causing the bird to dive bomb in his direction. The man hold out an arm, allowing the red-tailed hawk to land on it. He then pulls the perched hawk closer to his face before rubbing the back of its head with a single index finger.
Once the desert traveler reaches the top of the next sand dune before him, he would have a perfect visual of long since ruined village.

[Anonymous]

Golden eyes saw the hawk fly over the near dune and shifted to follow its path until it vanished behind the sand. Reptilian eyes went back to scanning then, looking over what remained. Upon breaking the peak of the dune and looking down into what was a town of sorts, the desert man would spy some soft colors in the distance, belonging to a frilly and unclothed creature. At first glance it could be considered a beast, but a closer look would reveal a very ladylike posture on the soft-scaled creature, large clawed hands holding up what looked like an umbrella, decorative and of the same color as the creature. Layered with matching scales, the umbrella was fabricated from her own equally frilled body.

Soft purple and light blue colors contrasted the sand as the woman strolled daintily through the remnants, exploring with cool composure and a steady gaze. Her scales ranged from short to long, decorating only parts of her body and not all, and slightly resembled what could be called a dress of sorts. Against the light blue scales, her demon-like skin was a darker faded purple, smooth and firm, her figure lithe yet curvy with her animal-like features. It appeared she did not see nor sense the man who looked down upon her, and continued her walk from place to place, long forked tail sifting through the sand as she looked for artifacts of sorts.

From this distance, her face could not be seen entirely, but it was flat and mostly noseless, eyes lined in black, and decorated with two curving horns, each layered with more frilly scales. Her scalp would be considered bald if her long scales didn't resemble spiky hair running down her back, long and almost elegant in a feral way. Long legs stride smoothly, with each shift of her hips as she continued her searching, finally coming to something of more significant importance that caused her to stop and look more intently, leaning down femininely and picking up a piece she unburied with her free hand as she rested the twisted-scales pole of her umbrella against her shoulder and leaned to one side, showing off a lot more human traits than animal ones.

[Anonymous]

Evasto did, in fact, reach the pinnacle of the sand dune that blocked his view of ruins he had been looking for. He did also spot the reptilian humanoid that seemed to be looking about the ruins. He paid little heed to her presence though. Unfortunately, the lithe lady-like lizard was between him and his destination further into the ruined village. He would have to proceed past her and hope to not draw her attention.
The desert traveler let out a different toned whistle as he made his way down the sand dune. An average sized jackal peeks its head up over the sand dune before it scampers up to the top of it. It then proceeded to follow the man as he held out his arm to allow the hawk to fly off.
When he began to approach what appeared to be the entryway to the now lost village, he eyed the archway he passed under warily. It was as if he were expecting the archway to crumble down on him at any moment. Once passed that dreaded moment, he continued passed the scaled excavator and deeper into the ruins. The jackal slowed a bit to pass the stranger, only to dash after the garbed man once it was passed.

[Anonymous]

True she did not notice the man, but she hadn't gone out of her way to sense him yet. She was not on her guard out in the middle of nowhere. After looking over the piece, she placed it in one of the satchels she carried that were strapped to her hip and thigh and continued rummaging quite contently. Successfully, he had made it past her with his canine companion, and she continued walking down one of the paths between rubble, enjoying herself leisurely. Home free, he possibly was, that is until the next partial building he passed anyway. There he would stumble upon something a little more unexpected.  

Upon spotting the man, a snort was made, a groan in acknowledgement of someone nearby and a large flat earthen reptilian creature rumbled, turning its head to face the man with its lazy stare. It was a burly creature, with four upper arms and a snakelike lower half, resting nestled in the warm sand. The beast bore reins, a saddle, and satchels down its sides. It was a riding creature, and clearly belonged to somebody. It snorted and made soft clicks and hisses as it watched the man and his dog, large claws shifting as it rose up from the sand. What probably wasn't obvious was that the noises it was making wasn't for its own display, it was communicating. It opened its mouth then and a lazy growl rumbled out as it stepped closer to the man.

Hearing the soft clicks and hisses, and some other almost inaudible noises, the woman stopped and turned slowly, looking behind her in her companion's direction, returning the sounds with her own which she was able to mimic with her natural abilities. She replied with much more silent noises, not giving away she was aware of their presence yet. Someone was here? One, with a companion? She grinned softly, curious to see who stumbled upon her intelligent pet. Swiftly, but casually, she made her way back, her companion informing her what the intruders were doing and if they would leave or run, or even engage. Depending on what was communicated, she would step in to protect her belongings.

[Anonymous]

Two unexpected occurrences in one moment. First, Evasto had not expected to meet any bipedal lifeforms out in the middle of the desert. Seeing the reptilian femme was the first surprise. The rather large reptilian with a saddle that communicated with its master was the second surprise. Once the corner was rounded and the creature was in view, the jackal that pursued the garbed man immediately tucked its tail between its legs and dashed away in the opposite direction. It even sped passed the femtilian without a worry.
Evasto didn't even notice his canine companion hightailing it out of the immediate area, but he wouldn't blame him for being startled like that. It's not everyday that you come across an enormous creature. Sure, there's the occasional sand-worm attacks, but they tend to learn to keep their distance from the man after witnessing what happens when Evasto is antagonized.
"Whoa there!" A deep voice came from the garbed man as he held a single hand high in attempt to calm the creature down. He dare not approach it, but at least fortune favors the fact that the beast is not in the middle of his path. With that in mind, the man continued to slowly move in the direction that would eventually lead him passed the riding beat and out of sight.

[Anonymous]

Golden eyes blinked when she saw the Jackal dart past her and she turned to watch it run off out of fright. Oh my. How unusual. That must have been said companion of the person. Not too long after, she came upon the corner and waited patiently before showing herself, listening to what was being said. A grunt and a snort exited the beast and it faced the man fully now, seeing his hand held out and stretching and shaking itself off. Contrary to its appearance, it wasn't very aggressive as of right now, and just stared at the man, sniffing his hand and rumbling softly. The man was trying to slip away and this was communicated in vague simple words to his mistress around the corner.

Receiving this, she peeked around the corner slyly with her long neck and flat face, golden orbs looking over the garb of the desert man from head to toe silently. When she deemed the situation mild problem rather than severe, she let out an audible side and stepped out, leaning against the crumbled wall with a wonderfully alluring posture, a grin slid upon her sleek face as she held that umbrella daintily, twirling it softly. Unmistakably covered in only skin and scales, making her curves and bosom accentuated, she was a strange, and yet exotic creature from horn to claw.

"Mmn...Hhelloh..." she greeted him, her tone cool and slick, a mix between the hiss of a lizard and an elegant thick accent. "Yu hev buhsesss weth me?" continued with a question as her sharp eyes looked into his. "Juhsss tureveleng thru?" she purred quite literally, the sound rising up in her throat, giving off a playful nature. She had sharp teeth and a long forked tongue behind her thin black-lined lips which still grinned at him. "...ohr yu looken fur trouble?" she asked, making slight conversation as she stood there bold and smug.

[Anonymous]

She spoke. Barely understandable, but the femtilian spoke. Evasto's red eye wandered in her direction for a moment before he lowered his hand. He glanced back at the large beast, then back to the bipedal lizard.
"My business is with these ruins and nothing more." The deep voice sounded once more from under the face wrap the garbed man wore. With that, he simply turned in the direction he was previously heading that continued forward. His hopes were that she wouldn't follow him deeper into the lost village, but there's nothing that he could do otherwise.
Rounding the corner of the next building, Evasto finds himself at the mouth of what was formally the town square. It was a wide open area with a dried up well in the center. Directly across from him was what looked like it used to be a temple of some sort. It appeared that the temple was the destination that he was heading for, considering that he was moving towards it.

[Anonymous]

What a gloomy gloom. Such a droll man he was. Another sigh escaped her, this one obviously a huff. "...Men..." she commented simply. "They relly are de ssem..." she rolled her free hand idly as she made her point. As he walked off, she shook her head and cooed her companion who made much more hearty noises of fondness as she babied him. He leaned into her and she ran her claws down his side as he made her way to the saddlebags where she deposited her findings. The scratching caused him to lift and curl his tail contently, slowly lowering himself when she stopped. She pat and petted him, giving him a good rub behind the shoulders before coming back to his face where she gave him some close affection, kissing his snout and nuzzling it as she pressed her forehead against his, sharing a bond.

When she was done, she looked back at the direction the stranger went and began walking in his direction, curious about what little he had to say. She beckoned her companion, who promptly followed after, slow and steady. She too rounded the corner to spot him heading for the temple. She hadn't gotten that far yet. It was on her list though. She hadn't said anything, but she felt something odd about him, some unnatural magic that itched at her curiosity. It felt like something ancient she had learned about from her homeworld. Intriguing. So, with little else to do, she made her way after him like she had nothing better to do, making it apparent she was following without a care.

She hummed softly as she came within a decent distance behind him, within earshot. "Sso...yu familyur weth thesss pless...?" she asked in her exotic tone as her eyes roamed from place to place along the way, scanning for anything that stood out. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she darted back and forth with almost a childlike passion for anything that was her kind of 'shiny', umbrella still in tow, keeping the sun off of her figure. Even though the behaved with such tendencies, she still maintained a proper upbringing in certain aspects, showing that she had some form of manners.

Along the way, she had made a few stops and picked up things of her liking, packing them away and catching up to him, this time, close behind him, almost beside him even, peeking her long neck outward and trying to look past the side of his hood at his wrapped face with discernable curiosity. "Yu...from here?" she boldly suggested, that little smirk on her lips as she got so close, yet made sure not to touch him and kept herself just out of reach if her were to lash out at her with anything.

[Anonymous]

"No. Just know where to go." Evasto answered the femtilian's first question without even looking in her direction. At least he acknowledged her presence. He continued towards the ruined temple without removing his gaze from it. Even when the bipedal lizard went about to gather some excavated trinkets. When she returned to his side and asked her second question is when he glanced in her direction. If but briefly.
"If by here, you mean the desert, then yes. Otherwise, not this village." The man's deep voice sounded out one last time before he proceeded over the threshold into the crumbling temple. The interior of the temple was enormous. The sun still poured through the large holes in the walls and the frames where stained-glass windows used to stand. Piles of sand engulf just about every corner within the ruined temple. On the opposite end from the entry still stands an alter. On the ground, before the alter in a wide area is a mosaic that's difficult to tell what was there, given the weathered conditions. It was to the mosaic where the man was headed.

[Anonymous]

"Yu 'know' where tu go?" she purred slyly, liking the sound of that mildly. Maybe that meant something was here. Maybe it meant more. This got her attention a little more now. "I ssee...." she nodded. "Wull, contrary tu my appearanccce...I em not from the dessurt myself...." she confessed, making a little more conversation while she examined his aura discreetly. She and her companion followed him into the temple and she looked ahead of them, examining with her eyes once more, the altar and the mosaic. "...yu....ssseeem tu know whot yu are looking fur..." she pointed out as she walked with him, her beastly pet linger further back to give them some space.

She too slipped back, letting him lead while she watched, eyes eager to explore once more. And explore they did, roaming the floor and the walls and the ceiling for anything valuable, every so often returning her gaze to him to watch what he was up to. Strange that he didn't seem to mind her presence and that only made her more curious about what he was up to. "Now whot? Hmm? Whotss spessshul en dess pless...?" She asked, forked tail rising and curling as she probed him with more questions, wondering what he might do, since he seemed so bland.

[Anonymous]

Evasto stopped walking just before the mosaic on the ground. He didn't respond to femtilian's yammering. Instead, he held a hand out in front of himself with the palm facing the ground. After closing his eyes to focus, the mosaic begins to crumble and fall apart. Eventually the whole mosaic would be gone and there would be a hole in its place.
Still without a word, the garbed man lowered his arm and took a few steps forward before dropping down into the hole. The distance to the next solid surface was a good forty to fifty feet down the hole but it didn't seem to phase him when he landed. To the left was a cave wall, just about five feet away. The cave wall wrapped around behind the garbed man and had a ladder embedded into the wall and leading up to the hole he just made. To his immediate right was a drop-off where the bottom could not be seen.
Evasto proceeded forward along the only path that was available. As he walked, he held a hand out in front of himself and spark flickered over his palm before it turned into a flame. It seemed to be a resourceful magic he used to light his way in the cave.

[Anonymous]

Interesting...seems he knew some of the secrets of this place. She grinned at the thought and her expression showed her excitement through her sly cool aura. The man jumped down into the hole, and her partner came up to her, giving her a nudge and groan. She turned to him and cooed him, making familiar noises and nuzzling noses before returning her attention to the pit. The beast grunted and backed off, finding a spot in the building to role around and rest, lying down its heavy self.

With a small dispel, her frilly umbrella dispersed, the scales returning to her and she leaned for the edge. For just a moment, she lost her ladylike behavior as she gripped into the sides and crawled her way down swiftly. Before the man could get a good look, she was down and standing upright once more, grinning and straightening herself out with a limber stretch. He didn't seem to mind her so why not invade his space some more? Although she was a very curious creature, keeping the gap between them small, she was still on her guard, able to slip away from any contact if necessary while she followed him.

"Yu ssure know a lot about zisss plesss..." she purred in a small whisper beside his ear as her reptilian eyes glowed softly, taking in anything that looked like an important artifact. Her darkness body granted her darkvision, which came in very handy for her profession.