Nazmi's legs ached, all of her muscles completely exhausted. She had walked for days, resting at every small puddle and hugging her succulents the entire way.
The young woman had started to question her decision to leave at all. Maybe she could have tried harder and convinced her father to teach her something, anything, or maybe she could have learned from sorcerers after all.
Her lips were chapped and her hair was becoming brittle at the ends. One of the most discouraging things was that the map she had didn't seem to be accurate at all. According to the map, she should have arrived at a small settlement yesterday.
Where was it? There wasn't even a single sign of life, save for the vultures that circled in the sky and the cacti that appeared in large intervals. She had gone miles farther than what was portrayed on the paper in her hands.
Due to her body giving off earthly energy, rather than a human or animal, the vultures and other carnivorous birds of prey didn't target her at all on her journey. That was essentially the only upside to the trip so far.
It wasn't until after nearly a week straight of walking, that she left the desert. The scenery very slowly shifted and her surroundings changed to something greener. The land was decorated with hills, and even occasionally other plants and shrubbery.
To her surprise, after a little longer, she actually came across a small grove. The wildlife started to seep into her body, replenishing her expended energy and easing her troubled mind. Since she was finally somewhere that she felt comfortable, Nazmi decided to take a long break. She chose the largest tree in the grove to sit underneath.
Though sunshine was good for nymphs, too much would also make them sick. The shade from the leaves was a welcome respite from the burning rays she had been experiencing for most of her trip.
After sitting for a while with one of her flasks of water, she was startled by a strange feeling coming from deep inside her body.
She could sense the presence of deceased dryad and nymph spirits.
The young woman knelt on her knees and placed her hands on the dry grass. She closed her eyes and tried to form a connection with them.
"Hello? Please, I need help…" she pleaded prayerfully. "I know nothing about myself…"
A few minutes passed, and there was no reply. She prayed again, and again. Then ten minutes went by, leading to twenty minutes. No matter how hard she tried, and how long she waited, there was no answer from any of the souls she could feel.
"Please," she begged. Her heart started to sink.
She could feel her people, they were nearly tangible – just out of her grasp. It felt as though they were running from her, slipping through her fingers. Frustration boiled deep in Nazmi's stomach.
The only thing she could extract from her attempt was an overwhelming sense of sadness. It ran through her body in slow waves. She felt love and loss, followed by a very faint feeling of peace after.
Useless.
It was all useless to her.
The young nymph hit the earth in frustration before standing up.
"There's no reason to stay if none of you are willing to return my intention. Suit yourselves. All I want to do is help all of you, whose lives were taken, but I guess that's not a good enough reason to talk to me."
She gathered her things from beneath the tree. Her hand gripped the strap of her bag in a white-knuckled grip. The clothes she was wearing were covered in sand and soil, completely dirty. Her entire outfit summarized was a short sage-colored dress, a wide straw sunhat, and no shoes.
Most nymphs preferred to walk with their feet directly on the ground, since it allowed them more contact with the earth. It was overall a better experience for them, and wearing shoes made them all feel strange.
She had packed extra clothes, like a more formal dress and fancy slippers to match, just in case she found herself in a position to use them. Humans had ridiculous customs, so there was no telling when she might get dragged into some kind of event in which it was necessary.
Better to be safe than sorry.
She took in a deep breath and sighed.
The smell of water, a tiny stream, was only a few miles away. Nazmi looked begrudgingly at the small grove of trees before marching off in the direction of the water.
She would wash her dirty clothes and go on her way. Surely there would be spirits in another location that would be willing to help her, even if these particular ones seemed to be mute.
Her feet dragged as she made her way. Nothing was going the way she had wanted it to and it was discouraging her again.
It took almost an hour for her to arrive at the stream. The water traveled lazily down its course, the sounds of it moving and splashing very quiet. It wasn't deep enough for her to swim in, but it was more than enough to wash her clothes and feet. Nazmi undressed herself and started dipping the dress into the water.
Rinsing them of the dirt and sand didn't take long, but she did need to wait for them to dry before setting off again. She was very sensitive to temperature, and traveling in wet clothes would be really uncomfortable.
Nazmi hung them over a small bush that sat next to the stream and sighed. She didn't bother wearing a different set of clothes, so when she returned to her spot next to the water she was able to absorb more of the earth's energy. The girl laid on her back and stared at the sky, her mind wandering.
She wasn't sure how long she had been laying there when she felt a shiver down her spine. It was the unmistakable feeling that someone was watching her.
Nazmi was just glad that she had kept her human disguise on the entire time, otherwise there could have been even more serious trouble than just being spied on by a pervert.
"Who's there?" she called, voice cold. She wasn't sure how the person had gotten so close without her sensing them first.
To Nazmi's surprise, though, a human woman who seemed roughly the same age as her stepped out from behind the trees. She had a short blonde bob, and was wearing a normal, black peasant dress. Her eyes were a gentle blue, and they held no malice in them.
"I'm sorry!" the girl said awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact or stare at Nazmi directly. "I didn't mean to catch you like this. T-there's not usually anyone in this forest…"
Nazmi stood up, not really worried about being naked when it was just another woman. "I was waiting for my clothes to dry, I'm a traveler."
The girl's eyes softened, and she pointed to the bush that had Nazmi's clothes. "Are these yours? They look like they're still wet. I can help you!"
She took the clothes into her small hands and muttered a few words under her breath. Nazmi watched in amazement as the girl's hands started to glow orange.
'A sorcerer!' Nazmi thought, getting excited. 'Maybe the goddesses haven't abandoned me after all!'
It only took a few moments before she was done, and she approached Nazmi.
"Here," she said with a shy smile. The girl handed the clothes to Nazmi. "I'm Shea, it's nice to meet you."