Kai surveyed the the area as he headed out of the village. He has talked it over with the village officials, and gotten approval. No one with half a wit went desert camping and training without telling someone where they would be. Sure fire way to never make it back if anything happened. This way if he broke his leg and couldn’t make it back, the village would know where he was, and would go find him if he wasn’t back in a week. That was just common sense. Kai wasn’t particularly looking forward to this. It wasn’t going to be a pleasure excursion. Rather, desert survival training on his own.

He Had food and water stored away in his scroll, what he was coming to refer to as his camping scroll. It help the basics and more. This included 2 large tents, 10 gallons of water, water purification tablets, sleeping bags, lanterns and fuel, rope to secure things, like a tent if a sandstorm was to come, a whole 40 mre packets, a mirror, for signalling, a flint and steel, and a compass. Most things you might need for this. So his goal was to get to get camping site, and from there set up camp and try to NOT user his food and water where possible. It would test his discipline, and he’d half to learn ways to hunt and gather for food. Why bring food and water if you don’t plan to use? For one simple reason, without these he would die if he was injured. Even if you didn’t plan to use them, only an idiot brought none just incase. It takes a special kind of stupid to do that.

Kai walked along, the light wind ruffling his sandy Brown cloak, which had some dark brown accents and trim. On his head he wore a matching hat, with his long black-blue hair poking through the back in a ponytail. His mouth and nose were covered by a matching sandy brown and darker brown color schemed bandana, to keep sand out of his mouth and nose. Under all this, he wore sturdy pants and a sleeveless shirt, his shoulders, arms, and face all protected with some pretty strong sunscreen. Over his shoulder and cloak he had a messenger bag of sorts, containing some spare closes, and the somewhat large scroll containing his camping supplies, which wasn’t huge, but too big to fit in his pockets, and even if it would, it would be clunky and impractical to store it there. In short he looked like someone who was prepared for some desert traveling. Perhaps the only thing that might stick out about him was his black hair that shone blue respectively when in the light from certain angles, and his eyes. His eyes creeped some people out. He had black sclera, and bright, luminescent blue irises. These were from a type of hyperpigmentation.

Kai walked on until he came to the meeting cactus. He would be setting out from here. As a result he sat down on a large rock near the huge cactus, and took out a bottle of water. He didn’t want to dehydrate before he even got there. He took a short swig and looked around. Might as well be rested up before the trek or the campsite. It wasn’t horribly far away, but… still. Kai set his bottle of water down and pulled out a small compass. Sure he had one in the scroll, but It was always good to have spare. His destination was due northwest, almost exactly. If he went a little off it was okay, there was a large rock formation as his landmark. He’s set up camp against it as a windbreak. It was large enough to see from a ways off. So unless he went due north or due west instead of going roughly northwest, he’d see it.

Word Count: 650

Kai smiled slightly and stood, reading to begin the long trek toward his camping site. This was certainly going to be fairly interesting. Sure he has spent time in the desert. No village ninja hadn’t. Desert survival was a critical field of study for any ninja or warrior who wanted to serve this county. Heck, they had been out on field trips to some sections of the desert. Everyone learned the very basics at the very least, of you payed any attention. But there was a difference in learning and actually using a skill, polishing a skill. He needed first-hand experience of what desert survival really meant, get on the obvious things like don’t leave too much skin exposed because dry desert winds tended to suck the moisture out of the skin, and of course the hugely problematic sunburn that could give. That was why Kai wore this flowing outfit, it provides it’s own cooling shade to His skin, was loose enough to allow evaporation of sweat without drenching his clothes, and shielded his skin from the dry winds. But, clothing wouldn’t keep him fed and we'll watered. He needed to actually practice and refine the skills that would help with that. Perhaps some future Kai(ya) would be glad be had done this.

His thoughts were somewhat erratic, going over what he must do and how he was supposed to, reminding himself of things he had learned, and how to use them. Things like fire starting, making water catchers using condensation, what insects he could eat and which were poisonous, and more. There was so much to work on and refine. As he was walking he spotted a creosote Bush nearby, one of the plants that were made for surviving the desert. Their leaves had a resin that prevented water loss. Kai grabbed a hand full and crushed up the leaves, rubbing them on his hand. Sure the sun was waning, but it was still hot, and she didn’t want her hands sticky with sweat.

As she stepped into a dun not far from the meeting cactus an interesting sight met her eye. A traveler, one with a very different desert philosophy. He had left his chest exposed and wore what, from a distance,she guessed were shorts. His feet seemed, at her best guess, to be wrapped in bandages. His tan was sunbleached and he seemed rather makes for desert travel. Heck he might freeze when it came to true nightfall. What to do… his slightly gaunt appearance worried her, had he not eaten? Kai made a brisk pace towards him, somewhat worried I for the man. She could only imagine the horrifying sunburn he must have been through.

”Heeey! You okay?” or was a simple question, but she worried I for him a bit. But fortunately, the nearby meeting cactus was close enough to the village, and he might get help there. As she closed the distance somewhat she stopped and didn’t just barge into his personal space. Still, what was he to do here? He did seem a bit gaunt. Was he hungry, thirsty? Best not to look particularly putting. He could be from some clan who simply looked that way, there were wearer clans. ”How are you? Wasn’t expecting to see another person traveling here. Anything I can do for you?” Kai stood in a rather masculine, confident enough way he supposed, but if one saw beneath the claim his androgynous body would make one wonder. A guy shouldn’t have small breasts, let alone in Kai’s shape. But, he was intersexed after all, not that you’d know it.

Word Count: 609
Total Word Count: 650+609=1,259