The Longest Beach next to the Sea

It had been an hour since Nomi washed up on the sun-bleached sands of this coast. They wished that they could look back and say that they wasted no time in exploring all the bounty this new world had to offer - but in truth, it was quite some time before they pulled themself up from the spot where the sea had deposited them. They greedily dug their hands into the sandy earth beneath them, letting a soft sigh escape their lips, soaking in the rising sun as it rose steadily over the water's horizon. In all, they were simply content to bask in the comforts of solid land once more. With all the waiting I had to do in getting to this blasted place, they thought, this land can manage to wait for me to take a quick nap.

By the time they had risen, loosing stray grains of sand from their unkempt hair, the sun was high in the sky - already, they could feel their wet blue robes hanging heavily off their arms start to dry in the light of day. After retrieving their staff and supplies from the now splintered remains of their makeshift raft, they set out to find... something. Someone? As always it was hard to tell, but it was to be found, they were sure of it! They walked for some time, resting every once in a while to take stock of the land around them. They weren't used to this amount of green, and they found it to be quite beautiful. So lost in the natural splendor was Nomi that they were completely blindsided by the massive winged shadow that suddenly swept over them. Their mouth readied a yelp, but was cut short as Nomi's hand shot up to silence the noise from blowing their cover. In one reactive motion, they flattened themself against the shadow of a nearby boulder, making themself even smaller than usual - which, for someone of their slight frame, was a fairly impressive feat.

Their brow furrowed as they studied the creature that had landed on the beach, with ebon wings sprouting like sails from her spine. Their first thought should have been that they had never seen anything like her before, and yet... they couldn't shake the strange semblance of familiarity that they felt looking at her. "Who... are you...?" They muttered to themself, grip tightening around their staff.

That was that, then. There was no chance that Nomi could outpace her if they tried to run - and glancing down at those talons, they wagered that they wouldn't last long in any form of physical altercation either. The only option left was to hope that she was friendly.

Nomi emerged carefully from the shadows, making every effort to make clear that they weren't looking for a fight. They gingerly laid their staff in the sand, raising their palms up in a gesture that they very much hoped came off as an indication of peace, rather than a threat of some otherworldly magic. "Well, that's good that you can see me." The words came out nervous, but measured. "I was the slightest bit concerned that I had already managed to die, and had since been roaming this beach as a specter. Unless, of course, we're both dead, in which case you have my condolences." They offered a tentative smile and cocked an eyebrow, the look of a skittish animal still present in their golden eyes.

At the avian's soft reassurance, the wanderer felt the tension abandon their tired body. "Nomi." they replied with a soft sigh of relief. "And yes, your suspicions are correct. You are the first of your people i've had the pleasure of meeting."

But there was something else, wasn't there? This woman, Khepri - Now that she had moved in closer to them, they were sure of it. For the time being, they forced the thought aside. Best not to scare her off, they thought to themself. Perhaps later.

At the meeting of their eyes, Nomi noticed the faintest glint of sorrow pass over Khepri's face as she spoke. They wondered what hardships the survivors that came before them had been made to endure - surely nothing good, if their initial reception was any indication. They began absentmindedly fiddling with one of the clasps on their cloak, cocking their head at the woman in curiosity. "From our introduction, I get the impression that there are indeed things in this land to be wary of? Present company excluded, of course." They spoke with a dissonant calm, as though they hadn't bothered to experience the first four stages of grief regarding the passage of their world into murky oblivion. "How long ago did you come to this place?"

Nomi found themself leaning back on their heels as Khepri closed the distance between them, the avian's eyes studying their figure with a calculating glare. They were quite used to spending time in close proximity to others, but that was always within their own community. Friendly or no, Nomi was far from certain about just what to make of this new stranger. When she raised herself on to the front of her talons, Khepri practically towered over Nomi's diminutive form, her face poised to study them with hawk-like precision. Perhaps it was the fact that they had been alone at sea for gods-know-how-long, but Nomi couldn't help but feel a small blush rise into their cheeks as they felt Khepri's gaze on them.

With a soft shake of their head, Nomi removed themself from the reverie. "I come from a land called Komali. It was once a place of beauty, but it was taken by darkness long before the oceans came to steal it away. My people are... oh." Their brow furrowed as they considered their error. "Were. We were nomads, wanderers of its hollow expanse. We never stayed in one place for too long." 

They found themself staring off into the sea, wondering if their tribe was still on the move - breathless bodies born aloft and carried across the ocean's waves. "I only arrived here a short time ago, a few hours at most. Yours is the first face I have seen in... well. Since it happened." They turned back to Khepri, an inquisitive look written across their face. "And what of you? What world did you once call home?"

Despite growing even more flustered at Khepri's advance, Nomi found their eyes widening in awe after hearing her speak of her home. They struggled even to conceptualize living in a single place for one's entire life.

"I can't imagine being expected to live and die in the same soil. Whenever my caravan stayed in one place for too long, I would become restless. I would run away, and keep running until I could look up and see new stars appear from the edge of the night sky." They sighed wistfully, lost in a dream, until a soft chuckle broke the trance. "I'm often surprised that our tribe's elders didn't exile me, with all the nights they ended up having to chase after me as a child."

But Nomi understood all too well that most people weren't wired as they were - and, that the bonds of tradition and community were not so easily broken. They couldn't help but feel impressed at Khepri's choice to leave her home, doubting that it could have been an easy decision to make.

"Well... why haven't you looked for them? These people like you, across the desert." They asked plainly, their head tilted with curiosity. "If I heard rumor of my people walking this island, I would certainly be interested in finding them."

Nomi felt the blush already present in their cheeks deepen to a bright crimson.

"Oh." Nomi said, suddenly becoming wholly interested in the texture of the sand at their feet. "That is - well, I should say, um..." The words began to spill out, accompanied by a series of truly useless hand gestures. "...You are very kind to say so."

So this is how it ends. They had managed to survive being jettisoned into the heart of a world-ending, extra-dimensional storm - Only to die of embarrassment at the expense of a bird with hips.

Time to change the subject. "Well... after my voyage here, I am well and ready to make use of my own two feet again! There is so much of this place that I am meant to see - I can just feel it." They lifted their eyes to gaze endearingly across the vast horizon of this unknown world, before glancing hopefully in Khepri's direction. "Perhaps you would like to travel together? For a time, at least. You seem to know a great deal more about this land than I, and I would certainly enjoy the company."