Set directly before: The Great Hunt

It didn't take much for anybody with two eyeballs and the sense Mkodi gave a rock to notice that things were going on. Freak storms, the sky doing strange things, earthquakes... And gods flung from the Haven. Xavier watched from his safe place on the ground... Or, at least, safe enough. The wind was whipping strongly today, blowing sand from the distant desert along everything. Would it spread the sands, bring the fire giants out? Or would they hunker down? "Vunde."

Lifting his head from under his wing, the green vulture glared into the sand and wind. He let out a huff, carefully stepping along the god's back. The short black mane, stretching down his spine, provided a wonderful grip, allowing the large bird to get right up to his shoulder and lean to reach one long ear, even as it flapped in the wind. "Yes, sir?" He wasn't enjoying this chaos, not at all. His bones were getting a bit too old, something he wasn't fond of, and he was starting to lose some of the coloration of his feathers. He'd soon have to stop flying for the god, passing the job to one of his offspring. Probably Ba, she was a good egg.

The god lifted his head, eyes closing as it started to rain. The burst of showers weren't unwelcome, a thing he loved. How long had he had an affinity for water, how many lifetimes? It was one of the few things he didn't often remember, only his natural gravitation to it. He flicked one long ear, before turning back to the vulture. "How long has it been..." He paused, moving his mouth. He'd been in this life so long, his accent was beginning to lessen. It was almost... Comforting. He started again, "How long has it been since the four siblings were last seen in the desert?" He didn't mean just any siblings, though - He specifically meant Mau-ri, Dhi-ji, Rhin-yi, and Finar-si. For as long as he remembered, they had maintained dominion together over the desert. But he hadn't heard about them in some time. Had they all left?

The lessened accent hadn't been missed, but the aging vulture didn't comment on it. He shifted where he sat, blinking rain water from his face. As quickly as it had started, the rain stopped, the sun returning near-instantly. "I'm not sure... Surely Mau-ri is out in the open lands, though, because I feel his presence in my bones." Or, rather, his domain. "That or he's still asleep. But I don't think they've been around the desert in a very long time now." Vunde spread his wings out, shaking the water from the feathers. He then settled with them wide open, allowing the sun to dry and warm them. "Why, are you planning on going in there? The lions are damn near as big as you are."

Starting to walk, Xavier slowly grinned, the smile eerily taking up most of his face. "I plan on having some fun, Vunde." He thought on what he could do, glancing at things he passed. He spied a snake, thinking about that, only to shrug it off. "What would scare desert lions the most, do you think?" Surely not JUST a snake, they'd expect snakes in the desert. A giant bird was also out of the question, he was about as flight-capable as a rock. Somebody would have to throw him to achieve even some modicum of flight. Of course there was always working with his large ears as an option, but did he really want to be the world's largest hare?

Thoughtfully, Vunde asked, "What about a fish of some kind?" He shifted, finally folding his wings back up. "There's no fish in the desert, after all. Though I suppose a giant monstrous scorpion would also be fun! Or a spider!" Though what kind of a meal would a giant spider make? Vunde'd eaten his share of large insects in his life and they were all quite tasty. Not his preference, but they were a good little snack! The vulture leaned around the god's neck, practically grinning himself. Then he saw the teeth the god was now sporting. "What kind of teeth are those?"

Chuckling darkly, Xavier said, "Shark teeth." He then began to walk toward the desert, tail elongating into a shark's as two fins sprouted along his back and his mane receded back in. If Vunde shifted just right, though, he'd know it for the illusion it was. Perhaps... This would be more fruitful than going up to the land of the black sands, where he had found nothing. The horde, as it had turned out, had long moved on, and he wasn't happy with missing them, missing out on toying with them. But the Firekin... Oh, they would be fun to toy with.

The vulture let out a displeased sound, but didn't launch into the air. "I still hate it when you do that under me." He shifted to accommodate the fins, clacking his beak for a moment, then settled. "Be careful while you're in there, they're not like other lions."

Xavier only scoffed, before he began to trot, and then his strides elongated into a long-bodied run, the closest sensation he got to flight, as he streaked toward the desert. When he reached the vast sands, he shook the vulture off, "I will be back. Wait 'ere for me." He then stepped back, charged forward, and dove into the sand, completing the change to shark.

Clacking his beak again, Vunde settled on an old tree that had clearly seen much better days. It was wind-swept, looked gnarled by the desert it managed to grow near... Or had the desert grown onto it? He rustled his feathers a bit, watching the god go, then stepped so he pressed in close to the tree. "Please be careful..." Worry tinged at his words, though he knew the god wouldn't hear it. Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned and hid his face under his wing, prepared to wait as long as he had to for Xavier to return... Hopefully not as a cub, though