She wandered alone, but without fear.
Twenty-two cycles of acid rain, dense fog and dust storms had passed beneath the forsaken Sun of her world. Those who had accompanied her in this life were now diminished by a life of constant struggle after the cursed pillars of darkness had fallen from the sky. These pillars of death stood looming and ominous against the perilous skies throughout the once lush and lively terrain that had been her peoples’ home for eons.
Everything was different now. Her entire world had changed in less than a cycle. Those that had survived the apocalyptic event now struggled together in the last known refuge. That place was called Iris, an oasis hidden within a deep crater left by a calamity long ago.
She had left Iris in search for something.
What was it? Lost survivors? Another refuge? Or was it something more? Perhaps she wanted answers to a problem she could not fathom.
She didn’t know. Though, the urge to find something lost within her spirit haunted her sleep, and what little sleep could she find.
She covered her face with a loose end of a cloth that was wrapped around her neck to protect from the sand that was carried by relentless windstorms. Several strands of long hair that were darker than a moonless night broke free from her hood, and she quickly tucked them away before they could whip and sting her eyes. Those eyes, violet and silvery starbursts, held a reflection of pain and loss that echoed the expansive wastelands sprawled out before her. The tan complexion of the exposed parts of her face and fingers was reddened from the biting winds. Her garments were stained and frayed by the harshness of the elements. Even still, she stood courageous against the odds, fighting back the tears that yearned to spring forth from the maelstrom of emotions churning in her heart.
The only relief from the dust storms were the rainstorms that came periodically. However, these rainstorms were just as harsh, with torrents of acid rain and bursts of lightning that struck with little warning. The building pressure in her ears let her know to seek shelter soon.
~~~
In the distance she could see mesas standing tall against the horizon, their tops shrouded by a layer of mist. She new it would be a great risk to take shelter there, as it was the only shelter from the storms that could be seen for miles, other than the foothills of the mountains from where she had recently departed.
She wasted no more time considering what or whom may be sheltering there, and began moving toward them with graceful strides. Before the world had changed, she loved to run through the valleys that surrounded the villages where she had spent most of her life. The valleys were dense with foliage then and it took great dexterity to maneuver through them when trying to keep up with the wolves that hunted there. She would often scavenge their kills to take back to her family. Never had she taken the life of a living being, that was, until after the pillars fell from the sky.
Even now she only took life when it was necessary. She left the hunting to her companion; a wolf that she had raised from a pup when it became separated from its family during the cold cycles. Her companion was nowhere to be seen now. He rarely traveled with her, often scouting the lands around for food or danger. When he did return, she could always tell which he had found.