The Longest Road (Shade)

Don't get discouraged by the title, in this place roads aren't too long.

I think I'll use Usaka. He hasn't been to active.
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There is a place where plants and animals shrivel in the sun. It is a place of death and destruction, where men drop like flies and their beasts of burden sweat themselves to death. And yet, life manages to find it's ways into the nooks and crannies of the rocks, finding refuge in the life-saving shade.

It is the Lamakan Desert.

Usaka had wanted to face this challenge for quite a while now. He needed to best this wasteland ravaged by Sol, and reclaim his supiriority as an Earth Elementalist. Most of all, though, he wanted to see what was left of his town.

There was one road leading in and out of the desert. This one road spanned for many miles, and some dubbed it "The Longest Road." Although it wasn't really the longest, it just seemed that way due to the pure heat that slowed down travelers.

So far, only a few have managed to survive this journey. Usaka is determined to be one.

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Damn, it's hot, Usaka thought, wiping his brow. It had been at most two minutes, and already the sun was burning him to a crisp. The magic that had been started those years ago by the volcano was still active, like a lingering evil. He needed only to go one more mile, and then, he would be safe. There was an oasis there, with fruit and water unnaturally refreshing, due to the heat.

In one hour, the goal was in sight. The Earth Elementalist's mouth twisted into a tired grin, like one of an old soldier coming home. He tried to run to the spring, but his armor and fatigue slowed him down to a snail's pase. Yet, that would not stop him.

He managed to slip out of his armor, and crawled the rest of the way into the water. The liquid was extremely cool to his sweaty skin. He let himself sink several feet to the bottom before even attempting to come up for air. When he did, all the agony and toil of crossing the desert seemed to melt away for a few seconds.

And yet, he still had miles upon miles to go.
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Meh, come into this story any way you want. I couldn't think of any way myself.

OoC: Zolf, you're up. Don't let me down, buddy. Give us a good show.

BiC: Pacing along the corridors of the Dome, that enigmatic structure that is limitless in terms of time, place or space, the chemist called Zolf Kadreen was bored. Typically, he was busily plotting his students' lessons, but he had found enough downtime to catch his breath. Although, now, he regretted it. Releasing a restless sigh, he stopped when a rusty yellow door caught his eye. He had never seen a door of the Dome that was different from all of the others, which as far as he knew were plain black with white knobs. That was, except for this door.

Cupping his palm around the unpleasantly grimy knob, he prepared himself for what he might see. After he felt he was ready, he twisted the spherical knob, only to feel it dissolve into sand that slid between the gaps of his fingers. As his white eyes grew wide with shock, the door collapsed as well, and he gazed curiously into a heated desert.

Prudish in his need for cleanliness and guilty for his creation of a mess that the Domerii would have to clean, Zolf pointed at the sand, commanding it. With a whisk of force, the elements sprayed into the doorway, leaving not a grain to taint the polished floor. With that, the fearless Pseudo humanoid flexed his only flesh arm, and ventured into whatever hazard might await him in the sandy wastes.

For a while, Zolf walked in the sandstorm that was growing around him, but he found it annoying. Channeling the air, he forged a whirlwind around himself.

All right, this is the best I can do at the moment. And, yes, he did do all the things it says he did. >>
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Usaka could feel the sandstorm coming. He felt it in his very bones, the wind rattling them like a wind chime. Years in the desert had taught the man all sorts of lessons about this harsh landscape and the unforgiving circumstances of living in it. It didn’t trouble him much, though. Just the effort of channeling the sand around himself wouldn’t be too bad. I may not be very skilled, but at least I can do such a simple task, he thought, grinning. But there was a nagging fear in the back of his head, like a ringing in his ear.

It was several minutes before the desert winds really began to blow. The first bits of sand were wayward enough to not be much of a worry. But soon it began coming across the dunes in greater volume, like a great golden tidal wave. It was here that Usaka perked up, his attention gained by the tan tsunami. He held one hand up, and the wave parted mere inches in front of his face. A little pocket of clean air he had around his head, keeping him alive.

This was the first time he had ever done such a feat. He had moved mudslides, closed a small canyon, and even managed to build a shield harder than steel from mere coal, and yet his own power astonished him. The giant was in awe of himself, but not in the proud way. He was awed at what a little stone hitting his back had done.

Soon enough, though, the sandstorm intensified. The sheer weight of all of the tiny grains of rock was enough that he needed both hands, as well as all his concentration, just hold on to the little pocket. He could feel his strength slipping away slowly, ever so slowly, like water slipping between his fingers.

And then something showed itself among the sand. A dark figure was walking along, completely nonchalant, surrounded by the tan maelstrom. Usaka yelled at him, trying to get him out of the danger. “Get over here!”
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Not very bright, now is he?

As he trekked the sweltering wasteland, through the deafening noise of the sandstorm, Zolf was rather enjoying himself. This in itself was odd, but that didn't come much of a surprise to those who knew the Chemist, and his wild ways. The awesome vortex of wind that vacuously spun and riccocheted sand away from him was working solidly, as expected, and the resulting cool breeze from the cyclone cooperated nicely with the feeling of warm grain between his toes. He carried on like this for a while, until a voice reached his ear.

"GET OVER HERE!"

The surprise that anyone else would be here at all, in the dangerous phenomenon, was enough to wake Zolf from the serene trance of his walk. Remembering the direction of the voice, the Pseudo Human caught view of a warrior with red hair.

"Blitz?" He asked in a inquisitive tone, as he squinted through the whirling sand and held a hand to his brow to block the sun. However, it wasn't Blitz. But, he couldn't actually tell at this point that it wasn't the Fire Innate. In the mood for a spar, Zolf touched his hand to the gritty earth, and his organic arm turned to sand, a solid representation of the whirling substance all around them.

"Blitz?! Who's Blitz?"

"Nice try, buddy. I can tell that red hair anywhere."

With that, the sands below their feet arose at Zolf's willing, and a battle of misunderstanding was soon underway.

Even though in Zolf's profile it says that he defends most of the time, I don't really know his fighting style. Please excuse/inform me of any errors so that I may change them.
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Usaka lost his balance on the rising sand, staggering around until he managed to gain tentative balance. The very earth that he once commanded swirled around him until it was a tornado, ripping at his un-armored skin. Focusing, he commanded the torrent to stop, sapping much of the precious energy he had so little of. The elementalist pulled up a stance and commanded the Earth to bring him his blade. It slid on the grit towards him, and he plucked it from the raging sea of sand. Indeed, the desert no longer looked as such; it looked as a storming ocean of gold.

Usaka rushed forward at the man, sword bent back for a strike, and mind bent on blood. The figure sidestepped easily, allowing Usaka to get his blade fixed in the silt. The energy required to pry it loose was too much, and he merely left it be. The Earth adept was now at an even larger disadvantage. I’ll wing it, he thought, focusing for what would be the last time that day.

With what drive he had left, Usaka bent the very sandstorm to his will, as well as the ground. Huge slabs of rock, which had been previously confined underground, breeched the soil like whales. He sent it all at the man, passing out at the effort needed to do so. As his vision went dark, his last thought was My… could this be Isaac?
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Went a little too far with the Thesaurus. ^_^'