Hayate: A Shadow Lurking

In the deserts of Northern Hayate on the Eastern Island of Sobetsu, Sakamoto was meditating for the day after travelling 3 days to find Makato Yoshida, the Master of Capricorn, an Air Elemental that Sakamoto has befriended. There was an instant connection between them when he entered the arena like setting of the Master's Council. Regardless of his failure to advance in rank, he had gained a new mentor that was much like himself.

Sakamoto had been training with him for several days beforehand and was on a training mission to cross the desert and find a cove with a rare gem in it. The Crystal is all he called the artifact and never specified the purpose it held for Makato to be in possession of it, however there was no air of suspicion. He ordered Sakamoto to cross on foot, a test of patience, something Sakamoto had an abundance of.

He knew it was nearby for he was sitting in front of the misshapen whole that led into the earth in front of the ebbing waves. It was the late afternoon by now and he could feel the energies of the sun dissipating. There was also a slight breeze that tickled his nose as it brushed up against his scraggly cheek to find its way up his nostril. His concentration was flawless, though, and soon all he could feel was the heat energies swirling and twisting around him as he manipulated the flow before absorbing it effectively.

After he noticed the lack of heat and absorbed all the surrounding energy, his eyes shifted open gracefully to reveal violet rock against dark blue sand. The sun had set long before he was done playing with the energy and exercising his control. There was a New Moon tonight. He exhaled to perform something he wasn't expecting, production of steam from his skin. His knowledge of the region was well enough to know the temperatures dropped significantly during the night with average temperatures during the day with regards to how far north they were. His inability to feel heat allowed him to embark on his journey with the thin clothes on his back, but he did not figure to become a spectacle. Under normal circumstances, he would be embarrassed of his "disfigurement," but no one was around. He released a sigh of reassurance.

The exhalation produced a large puff of steam before he continued to enter the cave. He waited until the adjustment of his eyesight failed to allow him to effectively navigate though the cave to produce a yellow Sun Shard that forced him to squint from its brightness. It was a long straight path with its fair share of bumps and obstacles. There seemed to be no end in sight after traveling ten full minutes into the cavern. He wasn't very fond of darkness even with his makeshift torch. This must be the real test of patience. It's more like a test of nerves than anything.