It was the second night of sneaking out to explore the lava tunnels. This time, Garnet was showing Blueberry, Marin, and Spatter the route. As Garnet entered the tunnel with a showy flare of xir wings, indicating the dimly lit smooth walls, Marin and Spatter made appreciative 'ooo' noises and shone their flashlights around. Blueberry was more uncertain, creeping in and flicking xer tail warily.

"Isn't it cool?"

Marin nodded, wide eyed, then shone his flashlight to where the tunnel sloped up. "What's up there, do you think?"

Garnet considered. "We didn't get that far last time."

Spatter slithered up beside them, flashlight held in their tail. "We can find out now!"

In agreement, the three started forwards, Blueberry again trailing behind, ears flicking back every so often to see if anything was creeping up on them from behind.

The tunnel sloped up, Garnet making sure to mark the turns they made, until xe sniffed the air and frowned, spreading xir wings slightly.

"Does anyone else feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"There's a breeze," Blueberry spoke up quietly.

Garnet, after giving xem a surprised look, nodded. "I feel a breeze… and the air smells fresher."

"Do you think this leads to the surface?" Spatter asked curiously.

"Let's find out!" Garnet lead them further up the tunnel, towards whatever awaited them at the top. As they climbed, the feel of the breeze grew stronger, and soon enough the group emerged out onto a cliff overlooking the desert below.

The moons hung above them, lighting the sand with an almost magical soft light, and stars shone in the depths of the sky. They were high up on the mesa inside of which the tribe lived, and there were some odd formations scattered along the top.

The youngsters all oohed and ahhed, even Blueberry staring with wonder at the sky and the beauty of xir surroundings. Marin and Spatter went over to look over the edge of the mesa, while Garnet tilted xir head at the strange formations and wandered over, curious.

There were some strange markings - almost letters but not quite - on what appeared to be… ruins? Xe tilted xir head, reaching out to place a hand on the weathered stone and feel the wind-rounded edges of the carvings. Blueberry wandered over, tilting xir head as well.

"What do you think those are from?" xe asked quietly.

"Why, the nomads, of course!"

At the unexpected voice, Garnet about jumped a foot in the air, Blueberry flatted xirself to the ground, and Spatter yelled in fright, wrapping around Marin like a scarf.

"I can't SEE!" Marin squawked, but Spatter only held on tighter.

"Who are you!"

The pink draconic blinked slowly and tilted his head. "Me? I'm Norm. And you all are the youngsters from Skyward, aren't you?"

Garnet puffed up. "Maybe!"

Norm only laughed gently. "Don't worry. You won't be in trouble, I know what it's like to be young and restless."

Blueberry slowly unflattened xirself from the ground, and Spatter let Marin shove them off his face. Garnet, however, remained skeptical. "You could just be saying that."

"I could, yes. But what are you going to do about it?"

Garnet opened xir mouth a few times, then settled for a disgruntled huff. Blueberry, meanwhile, peered up at Norm.

"Who are the nomads?"

Norm smiled widely, but gently down at the nervous youngster. "Why, those who walked these lands before us, little one. Would you like to hear our tales of them?"

Garnet's eyes went round, all indignation forgotten. "Tales?"

Even Spatter and Marin crowded in closer, looking from the strange carvings on the wall to Norm and back again.

"Yes, tales. While we never met them in our living memory, we carry stories about them and their deeds. While it appears they wandered this land widely, living on the move, they also built monuments like these for some reason we're not sure of yet. We may never know…"

Norm trailed off, eyes distant, while Garnet, Blueberry, Spatter and Marin listened with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"That's sad," Blueberry said softly, then shuffled as the others looked at xem. "That we'll never know."

"It is indeed. But, we know some other things. Now let me tell you the tale of when the desert was young and not so set in its ways…"