She could have sworn she'd heard a twig snap and her heart automatically began to race. Instinctively, she slid closer to Kai, feeling the heat of his sleeping body. He barely twitched at her touch and continued in his dreams.
Kelizya listened intently for a few more long seconds before laying back down. She did not sleep, and remained awake alone for a rather long time before Kai awoke. "Are you ready?" She said anxiously as soon as she saw his eyes open. "If we go now, we could possibly reach Moneka within the next two days."
Kai's irritation was clearly evident on his face. "You want to continue riding through the night? Good grief, Kezelia, I haven't even gotten up yet."
"My name is Kelizya." She corrected him automatically. She then busied herself with gathering up their camp. "We've got to go."
"Can I not even eat?"
"Can you not eat and rid simultaneously?" Kelizya said tersely, her frustration on the rise.
Kai found it illogical to continue arguing with her and set about helping her. The farther they traveled, the warmer it got. The vegetation began to grow sparse, by sundown of the following day, the were going downhill. The landscape steepened, the air grew more humid, and soon, Kai could smell salt and sea. It was a scent unlike anything he'd witnessed before. It held the faint smell of fish, but so completely different from than the fishiness of rivers.
It was twilight as they half-slid down the mountain side. Before he knew it, Kai's heels dug into soft, unconsolidated sand. An excitement rose within him. This adventure was at last becoming a thing of reality for him.
No moon shone in the sky that night. The rush of the waves were the only evidence they had that there was an ocean only yards before them. Kelizya looked out across the blackness. Her home was across that sea and beyond. Home was that way. "Let's sleep here." she said.
Kai, in his exhaustion, fell right to sleep. Kelizya lay there, breathing in the salty aroma of the sea.
The sun rose robustly, setting a pink tinge along the eastern horizon. The orange sliver stabbed at Kai's eyelids and he squinted awake. He sat up, brushing the sand from his face and hair. He almost gasped when he finally caught the scene spanning before him.
A vast body of deep blue water rippled, sparkling in the early rays of light.
Kelizya listened intently for a few more long seconds before laying back down. She did not sleep, and remained awake alone for a rather long time before Kai awoke. "Are you ready?" She said anxiously as soon as she saw his eyes open. "If we go now, we could possibly reach Moneka within the next two days."
Kai's irritation was clearly evident on his face. "You want to continue riding through the night? Good grief, Kezelia, I haven't even gotten up yet."
"My name is Kelizya." She corrected him automatically. She then busied herself with gathering up their camp. "We've got to go."
"Can I not even eat?"
"Can you not eat and rid simultaneously?" Kelizya said tersely, her frustration on the rise.
Kai found it illogical to continue arguing with her and set about helping her. The farther they traveled, the warmer it got. The vegetation began to grow sparse, by sundown of the following day, the were going downhill. The landscape steepened, the air grew more humid, and soon, Kai could smell salt and sea. It was a scent unlike anything he'd witnessed before. It held the faint smell of fish, but so completely different from than the fishiness of rivers.
It was twilight as they half-slid down the mountain side. Before he knew it, Kai's heels dug into soft, unconsolidated sand. An excitement rose within him. This adventure was at last becoming a thing of reality for him.
No moon shone in the sky that night. The rush of the waves were the only evidence they had that there was an ocean only yards before them. Kelizya looked out across the blackness. Her home was across that sea and beyond. Home was that way. "Let's sleep here." she said.
Kai, in his exhaustion, fell right to sleep. Kelizya lay there, breathing in the salty aroma of the sea.
The sun rose robustly, setting a pink tinge along the eastern horizon. The orange sliver stabbed at Kai's eyelids and he squinted awake. He sat up, brushing the sand from his face and hair. He almost gasped when he finally caught the scene spanning before him.
A vast body of deep blue water rippled, sparkling in the early rays of light.
