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Description
Desert land Quest Part 2 - Ride a Magic Carpet

---

There was something enchanting about the desert, Khaalida decided in retrospect. After having created an oasis, she felt a strange sense of harmony with the land. While it was no where near her ideal home, it became less daunting and more beautiful. It was most beautiful at night, with the endless stars above and the cooler air. Perhaps if she was inclined to a nocturnal nature, she could live there in peace.
But the mountains still called her home.

So Khaalida wandered, using what she had learned to survive in the harsh unyielding land. She found a few more oases on her travels, but none as grand as the one she had found while planting her own. Khaalida mused that some day she would return to that little oasis she had planted, and visit. See how it had grown, how it thrived.
Or at least she hoped.

She crested a dune, and let out a breath of wonder. Before her lay a structure. A few steps closer and she noticed it looked old, perhaps abandoned. The sky was getting dark, but the last of the sun's rays illuminated the structure like a beacon. Taking that as a sign, Khaalda headed down the dune toward the structure.
Like all things in the desert, it was further than it seemed. It took a while to get there, and while Khaalida had learned more about the desert she still found herself sweaty and exhausted. Perhaps she had gotten a bit too excited and in her haste overworked herself.

The structure was larger up close, and seemed to be partially crumbling. It seemed like a palace, perhaps long abandoned. Sands had piled up against some of the edges, so Khaalida drifted around looking for an entrance. Eventually on the opposite side of a dune that had made its way against the building, she found where it looked like an archway had once stood. She picked her way over the rocks, careful to hold her tail high to avoid it snagging. The last thing the mare wanted was to become snagged on some rock and stuck until she figured out how to get out.

The hallways went from cramped dark things to wide sprawling pathways. It seemed so strange, this relic of a forgotten past. There were breaks in the roof where the last of the sunlight poured in, and the dust particles she stirred glittered in the light.
She found herself wandering, forgetting her true quest. It was a beautiful place, somewhat haunting. Khaalida could nearly feel the ghosts of the past walking by, and as she peered within herself she watched the place come to life. The memories and presences in this palace were so strong it brought the place back to life around her.
Servants scurried down the hall, dipping around fancier more prominent equines that strode confidently down the hall. Words in a strange language drifted by, and as Khaalida walked she noticed something even stranger. There was a huge distinction between the servants and the more polished nobility. The nobles were lavishly adorned in jewels and fancy drapes and silks. White was everywhere, and Khaalida picked up on the sense it helped reflect some of the heat. She noticed it was cooler on the lower levels, and came to the realization that hot air rises, which is why the towers had such high spiraling domes.
The servants… they were not servants but slaves. They wore collars and heavier black material across them, and several had scars. Were they criminals? Conquered civilians of another nation? Khaalida wasn’t sure. They all wore bells, and the sound of their passing created a strange symphony of sound that echoed in the high chambers.

Thoughts of her quest drifted even further to the back of her mind as she explored this ancient, dead world. As she entered a main hall, cries went up. At first Khaalida thought she had been noticed, but instead the attention was turned to a large set of doors where a beautiful striking white mare entered, adorned with gold and diamonds. Gentle silks swayed from her jewelry, and she moved with an air of purpose. Was she a queen? Given by fact that she climbed the dais and positioned herself upon a large throne, lying while servants attended her, Khaalida figured she was the leader of this place.
Kohl lined eyes drifted lazily over the crowd, but there was one major difference. They widened when they saw Khaalida.

A barked command cleared the room, but sudden words stopped Khaalida in her tracks. “Not you,” the mare said.
The words were heavily accented, and Khaalida noticed something strange. The mare looked… like a Quirlicorn! Granted, her twisted horn was capped with gold, and her tail was wrapped, but the distinctive twist of the horn spoke volumes about the mare's origin.
Khaalida approached, and noticed another strange thing. The mare was still alive… sort of. She was older than Khaalida had thought beneath the makeup, and under the silks and jewellery her body was thin.
Khaalida paused at the foot of the dais, then dipped her head slightly in respect.
“You will be a Queen,” the mare mused.
Khaalida started slightly, studying the mare. “You can see the future,” she assumed.
The mare nodded. “The Future, and the Dead.”
“So you know what brings me here then,” Khaalida said.
The mare gave a dry chuckle. “More than you know, young Queen,” the mare responded. “You come to claim your land, but you also come to learn. And I am to be your teacher.”
Khaalida blinked in confusion. “How do you mean?” she asked.
The mare had a faraway look in her eyes. “You are a child of my soul, and as such, have my power. You have the power of Divination within you, and have also gained the power of Empathy, though you may not have yet realized. Both of these will make you a great Queen. You can help those in both life and death.”
Khaalida blinked in confusion. As far as she knew, the power had come from neither of her parents. Her mother was one of the rare ones, gifted a second life as a Quirlicorn. And her father… she couldn’t help a mental scoff at his childish antics.
“Many many years ago, my child. You shall become greater than I ever was.”
Khaalida took a moment to chew over the words. “What can you teach me then?”

At the mares prompting, Khaalida helped her from the dais and followed the frail older mare through the passageways. Standing beside the Queen, many of the dead noticed her presence this time.
They reached a far away tunnel that led to a great underground trove of treasures.
“Wow,” Khaalida breathed in amazement.
“This is all that is truly left of my kingdom,” the mare said. “I am in truth only half your kind. I got the traits, but my magic differs from yours. But together we will learn.”
Khaalida followed the mare to a large spread out carpet. “Climb on,” the mare prompted as she stepped on to the carpet. Khaalida cautiously followed.
A gasp escaped her as the carpet began to raise in the air. She had found a flying carpet!
“I will show you the world,” the mare said, as they flew higher and exited out of a window.
When Khaalida looked back, there was no window to be seen, only a dune. She could not be certain of the kind of magic at work here, but she knew she was experiencing something special.

They soared high, and the mare occasionally pointed out things of interest in passing. Khaalida found it strange that so many spirits were here, still tied to the land, and pointed it out to the mare.
The mare sighed sadly. “They are tied here because I still live, and I was their queen,” she said with a tone of regret. “I live only because I was waiting for something special. For you.”
Khaalida felt the weight of that sink onto her shoulders. All these dead, held in an eternal repetition of their lives, for her.

The pair landed on a cliff, overlooking the sands. “All of this was mine,” the mare said softly. Khaalida held her silence, letting the mare ponder her life. Who knows when the last time the mare had left her halls was.
“Come now,” the mare finally said. “Let us learn.”

Flying back gave Khaalida a strange perspective. Her mind felt more open, and now that she knew and could tune into her Empathy she felt the mare's sadness as her own. Perhaps it was over her impending death, or perhaps it was for her fallen kingdom. Khaalida wasn’t practiced enough to be sure quite yet.
“What happens now?” Khaalida asked as they landed back within the castle.
“Now I will die,” the mare said matter of factly. “I will turn to dust in the wind, and my kingdom will fall. But within you, my gifts continue, and you will be the rise of a new kingdom. Do better than I did. I was selfish. I held my predictions for myself. You shall create a kingdom to rattle the stars.”
Khaalida was puzzled over the meaning, but nodded.
“Leave now,” the mare cautioned.
“I don't want to leave you alone,” Khaalida said, and realized how true it was. She didn’t want this mare to die alone.
“My magic is the only thing holding this home together. Once I’m gone, it will all come tumbling down. And you have not yet found your wings.”
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
“Take these,” the mare said, taking off her jewelry. As it passed to Khaalida, the metal turned silver and seemed to shift to fit her like a glove. Swathed in silks and gems, Khaalida watched the now unadorned mare walk away.
“Goodbye,” Khaalida called after her.
The mare paused and looked back with a smile.
“We shall meet again,” she predicted.

Khaalida took the flying carpet and made her escape. But she stayed, high in the sky, watching the ground below. She knew the moment the mare had passed, felt her soul enter the void. A spark of recognition and then slight humor drifted between them. It was also a sense of comfort. Despite having physically been alone, Khaalida had not left her. Khaalida called the souls resting with the mare, bringing them together again. Then together, she watched as they passed on, each finding their own peace, winking out like stars in the first rays of dawn. The last to go was the mare, after ensuring her kingdom was all gone. The mare’s spirit materialized next to Khaalida, and bowed before her, before also disappearing.
With her disappearance the castle began to crumble. Khaalida stayed until she was kissed by the rays of the morning light, and nothing remained.

Khaalida flew over the desert, her passing aided by the magic carpet. She pondered all she had learned, and knew deep down the mares words were true. She would meet her again, perhaps in another life.
She felt intense sadness for the kingdom that was now lost to time. She wondered if anyone would ever remember it. But she would. She would remember the mare who ended up sacrificing everything in the end to meet her.
She would remember and make herself better for it.
As Khaalida flew away, she realized she didn’t even know the mare's name. Perhaps it was for the best. She knew deep down there would be no history books for them. And she knew that the kingdom had known it was dead, but had a love so deep for its queen that it kept serving her, even in death.
Khaalida couldn’t understand the devotion, but perhaps someday she would. Her Empathy would make her better than that queen. She could not be selfish, only selfless, especially since she would understand her subjects better for it.
As Khaalida left the desert, she left with a greater understanding of herself, and what it meant to go on the quests she did.

Word Count - 2023 Words (+8 Chimes)
Full Body - +4 Chimes
Detailed Background - +2 Chimes
Total Chimes - 14 Chimes

---

www.deviantart.com/fillyrox/ar…
unsplash.com/photos/8vrFsD6IRR…

Description
Desert land Quest Part 2 - Ride a Magic Carpet

---

There was something enchanting about the desert, Khaalida decided in retrospect. After having created an oasis, she felt a strange sense of harmony with the land. While it was no where near her ideal home, it became less daunting and more beautiful. It was most beautiful at night, with the endless stars above and the cooler air. Perhaps if she was inclined to a nocturnal nature, she could live there in peace.
But the mountains still called her home.

So Khaalida wandered, using what she had learned to survive in the harsh unyielding land. She found a few more oases on her travels, but none as grand as the one she had found while planting her own. Khaalida mused that some day she would return to that little oasis she had planted, and visit. See how it had grown, how it thrived.
Or at least she hoped.

She crested a dune, and let out a breath of wonder. Before her lay a structure. A few steps closer and she noticed it looked old, perhaps abandoned. The sky was getting dark, but the last of the sun's rays illuminated the structure like a beacon. Taking that as a sign, Khaalda headed down the dune toward the structure.
Like all things in the desert, it was further than it seemed. It took a while to get there, and while Khaalida had learned more about the desert she still found herself sweaty and exhausted. Perhaps she had gotten a bit too excited and in her haste overworked herself.

The structure was larger up close, and seemed to be partially crumbling. It seemed like a palace, perhaps long abandoned. Sands had piled up against some of the edges, so Khaalida drifted around looking for an entrance. Eventually on the opposite side of a dune that had made its way against the building, she found where it looked like an archway had once stood. She picked her way over the rocks, careful to hold her tail high to avoid it snagging. The last thing the mare wanted was to become snagged on some rock and stuck until she figured out how to get out.

The hallways went from cramped dark things to wide sprawling pathways. It seemed so strange, this relic of a forgotten past. There were breaks in the roof where the last of the sunlight poured in, and the dust particles she stirred glittered in the light.
She found herself wandering, forgetting her true quest. It was a beautiful place, somewhat haunting. Khaalida could nearly feel the ghosts of the past walking by, and as she peered within herself she watched the place come to life. The memories and presences in this palace were so strong it brought the place back to life around her.
Servants scurried down the hall, dipping around fancier more prominent equines that strode confidently down the hall. Words in a strange language drifted by, and as Khaalida walked she noticed something even stranger. There was a huge distinction between the servants and the more polished nobility. The nobles were lavishly adorned in jewels and fancy drapes and silks. White was everywhere, and Khaalida picked up on the sense it helped reflect some of the heat. She noticed it was cooler on the lower levels, and came to the realization that hot air rises, which is why the towers had such high spiraling domes.
The servants… they were not servants but slaves. They wore collars and heavier black material across them, and several had scars. Were they criminals? Conquered civilians of another nation? Khaalida wasn’t sure. They all wore bells, and the sound of their passing created a strange symphony of sound that echoed in the high chambers.

Thoughts of her quest drifted even further to the back of her mind as she explored this ancient, dead world. As she entered a main hall, cries went up. At first Khaalida thought she had been noticed, but instead the attention was turned to a large set of doors where a beautiful striking white mare entered, adorned with gold and diamonds. Gentle silks swayed from her jewelry, and she moved with an air of purpose. Was she a queen? Given by fact that she climbed the dais and positioned herself upon a large throne, lying while servants attended her, Khaalida figured she was the leader of this place.
Kohl lined eyes drifted lazily over the crowd, but there was one major difference. They widened when they saw Khaalida.

A barked command cleared the room, but sudden words stopped Khaalida in her tracks. “Not you,” the mare said.
The words were heavily accented, and Khaalida noticed something strange. The mare looked… like a Quirlicorn! Granted, her twisted horn was capped with gold, and her tail was wrapped, but the distinctive twist of the horn spoke volumes about the mare's origin.
Khaalida approached, and noticed another strange thing. The mare was still alive… sort of. She was older than Khaalida had thought beneath the makeup, and under the silks and jewellery her body was thin.
Khaalida paused at the foot of the dais, then dipped her head slightly in respect.
“You will be a Queen,” the mare mused.
Khaalida started slightly, studying the mare. “You can see the future,” she assumed.
The mare nodded. “The Future, and the Dead.”
“So you know what brings me here then,” Khaalida said.
The mare gave a dry chuckle. “More than you know, young Queen,” the mare responded. “You come to claim your land, but you also come to learn. And I am to be your teacher.”
Khaalida blinked in confusion. “How do you mean?” she asked.
The mare had a faraway look in her eyes. “You are a child of my soul, and as such, have my power. You have the power of Divination within you, and have also gained the power of Empathy, though you may not have yet realized. Both of these will make you a great Queen. You can help those in both life and death.”
Khaalida blinked in confusion. As far as she knew, the power had come from neither of her parents. Her mother was one of the rare ones, gifted a second life as a Quirlicorn. And her father… she couldn’t help a mental scoff at his childish antics.
“Many many years ago, my child. You shall become greater than I ever was.”
Khaalida took a moment to chew over the words. “What can you teach me then?”

At the mares prompting, Khaalida helped her from the dais and followed the frail older mare through the passageways. Standing beside the Queen, many of the dead noticed her presence this time.
They reached a far away tunnel that led to a great underground trove of treasures.
“Wow,” Khaalida breathed in amazement.
“This is all that is truly left of my kingdom,” the mare said. “I am in truth only half your kind. I got the traits, but my magic differs from yours. But together we will learn.”
Khaalida followed the mare to a large spread out carpet. “Climb on,” the mare prompted as she stepped on to the carpet. Khaalida cautiously followed.
A gasp escaped her as the carpet began to raise in the air. She had found a flying carpet!
“I will show you the world,” the mare said, as they flew higher and exited out of a window.
When Khaalida looked back, there was no window to be seen, only a dune. She could not be certain of the kind of magic at work here, but she knew she was experiencing something special.

They soared high, and the mare occasionally pointed out things of interest in passing. Khaalida found it strange that so many spirits were here, still tied to the land, and pointed it out to the mare.
The mare sighed sadly. “They are tied here because I still live, and I was their queen,” she said with a tone of regret. “I live only because I was waiting for something special. For you.”
Khaalida felt the weight of that sink onto her shoulders. All these dead, held in an eternal repetition of their lives, for her.

The pair landed on a cliff, overlooking the sands. “All of this was mine,” the mare said softly. Khaalida held her silence, letting the mare ponder her life. Who knows when the last time the mare had left her halls was.
“Come now,” the mare finally said. “Let us learn.”

Flying back gave Khaalida a strange perspective. Her mind felt more open, and now that she knew and could tune into her Empathy she felt the mare's sadness as her own. Perhaps it was over her impending death, or perhaps it was for her fallen kingdom. Khaalida wasn’t practiced enough to be sure quite yet.
“What happens now?” Khaalida asked as they landed back within the castle.
“Now I will die,” the mare said matter of factly. “I will turn to dust in the wind, and my kingdom will fall. But within you, my gifts continue, and you will be the rise of a new kingdom. Do better than I did. I was selfish. I held my predictions for myself. You shall create a kingdom to rattle the stars.”
Khaalida was puzzled over the meaning, but nodded.
“Leave now,” the mare cautioned.
“I don't want to leave you alone,” Khaalida said, and realized how true it was. She didn’t want this mare to die alone.
“My magic is the only thing holding this home together. Once I’m gone, it will all come tumbling down. And you have not yet found your wings.”
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
“Take these,” the mare said, taking off her jewelry. As it passed to Khaalida, the metal turned silver and seemed to shift to fit her like a glove. Swathed in silks and gems, Khaalida watched the now unadorned mare walk away.
“Goodbye,” Khaalida called after her.
The mare paused and looked back with a smile.
“We shall meet again,” she predicted.

Khaalida took the flying carpet and made her escape. But she stayed, high in the sky, watching the ground below. She knew the moment the mare had passed, felt her soul enter the void. A spark of recognition and then slight humor drifted between them. It was also a sense of comfort. Despite having physically been alone, Khaalida had not left her. Khaalida called the souls resting with the mare, bringing them together again. Then together, she watched as they passed on, each finding their own peace, winking out like stars in the first rays of dawn. The last to go was the mare, after ensuring her kingdom was all gone. The mare’s spirit materialized next to Khaalida, and bowed before her, before also disappearing.
With her disappearance the castle began to crumble. Khaalida stayed until she was kissed by the rays of the morning light, and nothing remained.

Khaalida flew over the desert, her passing aided by the magic carpet. She pondered all she had learned, and knew deep down the mares words were true. She would meet her again, perhaps in another life.
She felt intense sadness for the kingdom that was now lost to time. She wondered if anyone would ever remember it. But she would. She would remember the mare who ended up sacrificing everything in the end to meet her.
She would remember and make herself better for it.
As Khaalida flew away, she realized she didn’t even know the mare's name. Perhaps it was for the best. She knew deep down there would be no history books for them. And she knew that the kingdom had known it was dead, but had a love so deep for its queen that it kept serving her, even in death.
Khaalida couldn’t understand the devotion, but perhaps someday she would. Her Empathy would make her better than that queen. She could not be selfish, only selfless, especially since she would understand her subjects better for it.
As Khaalida left the desert, she left with a greater understanding of herself, and what it meant to go on the quests she did.

Word Count - 2023 Words (+8 Chimes)
Full Body - +4 Chimes
Detailed Background - +2 Chimes
Total Chimes - 14 Chimes

---

www.deviantart.com/fillyrox/ar…
unsplash.com/photos/8vrFsD6IRR…