Luneshale Pass si una vez

@Samirseti already had this one open :p

The afternoon sun hung high over, its pale light muted by a thin haze of desert dust. The land glowed with an unnatural brightness, as though the light refracting minerals in the white shale refused to let the shadows linger. Even now, with the sun blazing down, the badlands held a strange, ethereal quality—vast and exposed, yet brimming with hidden life.  

Ximena moved through the arid scrub with measured ease, her paws brushing over patches of cracked earth and scattered tufts of hardy vegetation. The chollah cacti stood like sentinels in the stillness, their spiny arms reaching for the endless sky, while night-blooming opuntia remained closed, waiting for dusk.  

The river was little more than a pale ribbon of water threading its way through the flatlands, and as Ximena neared its bank, the faintest hint of a breeze stirred the sparse chaparral. She paused to take in the landscape, her golden eyes narrowing as they swept over the ivory sandstone formations.

She dipped her muzzle to drink from the river. Above her, a hawk circled lazily in the pale sky, its sharp cry slicing through the silence. Ximena smirked at the sight. The hawk’s hunt was its own, but she understood the thrill of it—the chase, the patience, the satisfaction of claiming what was hers.  

Her gaze shifted to the horizon, where the white shale seemed to shimmer unnaturally under the sunlight. Ximena’s tail flicked behind her as she straightened, her silhouette sharp against the bright, barren land. Her instincts pulled her forward, past the river and deeper into the shimmering expanse.

it shall do! :D

He had come to survey the neighboring lands, the edges of Vahanet’s reach, to see what this desolate expanse could yield.

It was then his eyes caught her.

The hawk’s cry above sounded like the toll of a bell. Samir’s eyes followed the woman as she dipped to drink, quenching what could surely be a strong thirst. As he watched from his vantage, a thin sneer snagged at his lips; he stepped closer, dark shadow of his body a monument, a statue.

When he was near enough to be noticed, he did not hesitate to speak. His voice came forth silken and smooth, unyielding. “The river quenches thirst, but it does little to satisfy,”

Ximena’s ears swiveled at the sound of the voice, her golden eyes flicking upward to meet his. She straightened slowly, water still clinging to the fur around her muzzle, and took him in—the dark figure standing bold against the shimmering expanse. Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, the kind that held both charm and warning.  

Qué poético, she drawled, her voice light but edged with intrigue. She licked a stray droplet from her lips and tipped her head, as though appraising him. Pero satisfaction, cariño, is not something you’ll find simply standing there.

She stepped closer, her movements smooth, deliberate, like a shadow rolling over the earth. The sunlight danced on her dark coat, and her eyes gleamed with mischief as she regarded him.  

What is it you’re searching for, hmm? Or do you always appear like a ghost to deliver cryptic remarks to strangers? Her tone was playful, but there was an undercurrent of sharpness—an unspoken warning that she was not easily toyed with.

A twitch accompanied Samir's lips, feigning the less than pure intentions beneath his mask of indifference. Cool, calm, collected like the river stream that flowed before them, the Pharaoh strode forth.

A soft, serpentine smile played on his lips.

The sun gleamed against the gilded accents of his coat as his head tilted. “Satisfaction,” he spoke with voice of silk and honey, “must be claimed.”

He steps forth, looking down upon the woman past a long, etched black muzzle. "I search for many things. You have merely touched my vision." He hums.

Warm.

He turns, movements much like a large cat's, languid and feline. His long frame willowy as he goes, shrouded in lean, honed muscle beneath an inky coat. "Are you alone, hemet?"

Ximena watched him with a sharp gaze, the curve of her lips deepening into a bemused smirk as he moved. There was something theatrical about him, this self-assured stranger cloaked in silk and shadows. She could almost hear the rhythm of a drum, low and steady, in the measured way he spoke, the deliberate way he moved.  

Hemet, she echoed softly, the foreign word rolling off her tongue with curiosity and just a hint of mockery. A title, is it? You don’t seem the sort to throw words around carelessly.

She took a step forward, her posture loose but her eyes locked on his every motion. The way he prowled like a cat, so sure of his dominion—it both intrigued and irritated her. She tilted her head, letting a soft chuckle slip free.  

Alone? she mused, her voice carrying a lilt of playfulness. Yes but my demons love to keep me company. she continued, her tone both teasing and sharp as a blade. But lucky me to have been able to catch your eye.

Ximena’s tail flicked lazily behind her as she stood her ground, her expression one of cool confidence. She’d play this game—for now.

The midnight sun laughed, a humbling noise that spawned within his chest and rolled forth from his chattering bridgework. Hemet, he says smoothly, means woman. It is no title, maet. A correction. A firm one.

He is gilded gold and honey as he moves to circle the woman. A shark surrounding its quarry. His teeth unveiled, a cruel, wicked smile upon his handsome muzzle.

He stopped before her, his tall, willowy frame brushing just close enough to graze her chin with the gentle sweep of his tail. A gesture intimate. He whisks his nose close to inhale her scent, but careful to not invade her space anymore than necessary.

But a title may be earned... with time. There is an oasis. My oasis. Home to my Kingdom. Vahanet. He muses, curling forth. You may join us, hemet. Walk beside me, endure with me, and perhaps the sun will cast its light upon you as it has upon me.

Ximena’s ears flicked at his laugh, sharp and low, vibrating like distant thunder. His correction earned a faint arch of her brow, the edges of her smirk sharpening. Maet, she echoed silently, tucking the unfamiliar word away for later.  

Her body remained still as he circled, though her golden eyes followed his every move. She felt the sweep of his tail against her chin, fleeting but deliberate, and for a moment, her lips parted as if to respond—but no sound came. Instead, her gaze narrowed, curiosity kindling like an ember within her.  

Vahanet, she murmured, tasting the name on her tongue. Your kingdom, hmm? Sounds like quite the place, rey. Her tone was light, but there was a thread of intrigue beneath it, woven into the way she tilted her head ever so slightly toward him.  

She paused, as though weighing his offer in the stillness between heartbeats. Finally, her smirk returned, softer this time, like the curve of a crescent moon. Bien, she said simply, a hint of playfulness threading her voice. I’ll walk beside you—for now.

Her tail flicked behind her, matching the casual ease of her words. But tell me more about this… Vahanet. If I’m going to endure with you, I think I deserve a glimpse of the sun’s blessings, no?

samirseti moves like the shadow of a serpent, the gleam of gold catching on his fur as he walks. his voice hums, low, steady, a hymn to the gods.

maat watches over vahanet. her feather tips the scales, her truth carves the path. only the balanced survive. his gaze shifts, sharp and unreadable. sekhmet tempers the worthy, her flame both a weapon and a cure. the sands are hers. the blood, hers too.

he stops briefly, letting his tail sweep the sand in idle thought. ra burns brightest. his gaze does not waver, his light does not forgive. only those who rise beneath it are blessed.

his golden eyes turn to ximena, glinting like molten metal. and you, maet—what will you give them? his voice drops, a whisper wrapped in heat. will you burn?

Ximena let his words settle over her like the shifting desert heat, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement and something darker—something calculating. She tilted her head, the faintest smirk curling at her lips as she stepped forward, close enough that the golden hues of his fur danced in her vision.  

Burn? she echoed, her voice a soft purr, laced with intrigue. Ay, hermoso I don’t burn... I incinerate.

Her tail flicked behind her as she circled him slowly, mimicking his earlier movements, her paws barely disturbing the sands. Maat, Sekhmet, Ra... they’re powerful, no doubt, she mused, her tone light, teasing. But power isn’t just brute strength, or who survives the heat. Sometimes it’s in knowing where to strike. Or how to whisper the right words.

She stopped before him, her gaze locking onto his, unflinching. A lie can shatter alliances, sí? A truth, whispered in the right ear, can bring empires to their knees. Persuasión, she drawled, letting the word roll like a melody from her tongue, is its own kind of flame. And I know how to wield it. Her smirk deepened, her tone dropping to match the heat of his own whisper.

the journey to the oasis is short. as they crest the final dune, the oasis reveals itself in all its splendor—a shimmering pool of crystalline water, encircled by lush greenery and swaying palms. the air here is cooler, the scent of life a stark contrast to the barren desert.

samir steps to the edge of the water, his reflection rippling beneath the surface. he turns to face ximena, the golden accents of his coat glowing in the dappled light. kneel, he commands softly, his voice carrying the weight of the gods.

as she obeys, he steps closer, lowering his head until his muzzle brushes lightly against her crown. by the grace of maat, the strength of sekhmet, and the light of ra, i welcome you to vahanet. may you rise with the sun and stand unyielding as the sands beneath your paws.

with that, samir turns. he does not look back as he ascends the dune, his silhouette framed against the golden light of ra’s sun.

exit samir! welcome to vahanet :3