Droplets On Heliotropes [Wanderer x Reader]

II

It took a lot of work from all of you finally stumble upon a name for the suspect. After hours of investigation you finally concluded that the cases were all connected. And in Caravan Ribat, he had interacted with the inhabitants, with it being necessary for restocking his supplies. The market was lively, but you were still able to pinpoint the people he had interacted with. He. Illium was the name he had dropped. He was the one who had abducted the young girls and boys, and the tracks lead right into the heart of the desert. You continued your journey, always following the culprit. You still had no idea who he was exactly, not even Lesser Lord Kusanali was of any help. She often connected to your mind to get briefed on your situation and help you out as much as she could, but this time she just wasn't able to find any information in Irminsul. Apparently, Illium had managed to conceal his identity extremely well. All you could do was try and catch up to him.

It was incredibly difficult for Rana to find any tracks in the sand, but in time, with trial and error, you managed to find other signs to follow - a helpful tip from a person witnessing the carriage, the remnants of a campfire, plucked Henna Berries, items left in the sand. Not entirely sure if you were traveling in the right direction, but still confident, you moved onwards as fast as you could. The desert demanded a lot from you. Scorching heat during the day and piercing cold during the night plagued your group, no matter how well prepared you might've been. The one who fared the best was Safiyya, her dark skin being used to the burning rays of sunlight at least. Farid, Gulabgir and you wrapped yourself with light cloths of fabric, shielding your skin from heat and sand, with only mild success.

Wanderer was a complete exception, though. He did not seem to mind neither the heat nor the cold. He did not change his clothes at all, not at any time of the day. At night, when the five of you scooted your tents as close to the fire as possible without the risk of burning them, he built his away from the others and sat in front of it instead of joining in on your conversations. Joined in a circle around the campfire with your subordinates, you watched him and wondered how he did not shiver one bit with the skin his outfit exposed, while you, like the others, were already wrapped in a thick blanket.

"Seriously, he should just work alone."
"Yeah, he truly is utterly incapable of cooperation."
"I swear that I have never heard even one friendly word from him!"

As you were observing him sitting in the sand, one arm propped on the knee of the leg pulled towards his body, staring up into the sky, the conversation next to you faded from your attention. For some inexplicable reason, the scene looked incredibly sad. You wanted nothing more than to pull Wanderer to the campfire and include him in the conversation, but he had made clear that he had no interest in that. Still, you decided to at least talk to him.

"This might be our fault as well as his," you interrupted the string of complaints. "Have you ever truly tried to extend your hand to him? In situations like these, it is not as simple as only one person to blame."

After scolding the others for not including him enough and looking into their faces filled with guilt, you informed them that you'd take the first watch, and they retreated into their tents to get some well-deserved rest. With your blanket, you made your way over to Wanderer. He paid you no mind, except for a sigh when you sat down next to him.

"What do you want?" His tone was unfriendly, but you ignored it and scooted closer to him.

"How are you not cold?" you asked to start a conversation with him, but he didn't give you a kind response.

"I just don't mind temperature much. What do you want?"

"Hmm...," you pulled the blanket closer around you as you pondered. "I want to talk to you, actually."

A small, sarcastic laugh erupted from Wanderer, as he mockingly replied to you. "What kind of topic could possibly be of interest to both me and you?"

His laugh vibrated inside of you, even though it wasn't meant in a friendly way at all. Your stare was left unanswered, as he still preferred to watch the stars. Mimicking him, you too turned your face up and marveled at the sight. The sky was the same, no matter where you were and what you had been through. Truly unchanging, and you were glad for it.