'First things first I need to figure out where the fuck I am.' I thought after my disguise was set in place.
To achieve this I jumped up and cast [levitate] for a brief instant under my foot to get leverage before jumping again. I repeated this loop until I was high up above the ground getting stared at by the desert vultures riding the thermals next to me like the anomaly I must have been to them. I ignored this to peer across the rolling sands of the land until I spotted something that would serve as a landmark.-
'Is that a caravan? That'll do nicely.' I thought as I saw the two wagons and the five guards escorting them across the desert.
I allowed gravity to pull me back to the earth while using [telekinesis] to slow my fall periodically so I didn't straight up crash into the sand at terminal velocity. My landing was certainly not a gentle one but I didn't take any damage from it so that was something. I used [shape stone] after that to rub sand into the fabric of my pants and robes because caravans aren't idiots. If I showed up out of nowhere in pristine clothes and said I had gotten lost in the desert they'd probably turn me away without blinking.-
The only flaw was the dehydration that you'd expect from someone lost in the desert being missing. I could explain away the starvation since I had my hat that I could literally pull food from but the water issue was a different issue. I took off my hat and tried to pull a thin soup from it. The warm bowl of pea soup that came out gave me my alibi. Being able to produce soup from my hat meant I could explain away my water problem by saying I had only eaten soup for the last few days for it's water content.-
As for sweating? I had that well covered as my body was roasting under the sun. By the time I got anywhere near them I'd be drenched and covered in residue. Moving across a desert is a pain in the ass, go figure. It was so annoying I flat out started to cast [levitate] with each footstep so I didn't actually touch the sand until I was about to crest the dune I had calculated the caravan would be arriving at about now.-
As I stepped over the dune the sand shifted and I let out a scream of surprise as I tumbled down it awkwardly but not in a way that hurt so much as disoriented and left sand in uncomfortable places.
"Pu, pu! Hey! Hey wait!" I called as I scrambled up and spat out sand.
I also retrieved my hat that had come off and emptied it of sand before replacing it atop my head. -
The caravans stopped but the whole company of seven people looked at me warily. The five Redguard mercenaries guarding the caravan rested their hands at the ready on their weapons. The other two were the ones driving the wagons. Surprisingly enough an Orcish woman and a Bosmer woman.
"Speak plainly stranger! Why do you hail us down in this place?" the Orcish woman demanded with narrowed eyes.
I went to approach closer but stopped as the mercenaries and tensed and even drew out the start of their weapons in warning.
"Cergio Belantris, adventuring mage." I say with a bow. "I got lost in this accursed desert some days ago and I was hoping you might spare some water and give directions for the nearest town or city. I have gold if that helps." I say with my most sincere expression and tone.
"What's wrong with your voice?" the Bosmer woman asked curiously.
"I had an accident as a child that altered my voice. Alas by the time I could afford treatment the change had set permanently." I said feigning helplessness.
"Water and directions? That's it?" the Orc woman asked suspiciously.
"Admittedly I would prefer to accompany your caravan to the next town but I am not so foolish as to expect such charity given the circumstances." I admitted honestly.
"Hmph, at least you aren't as stupid as you look in that hat. What even is that thing?" the orc woman said eyeing my hat that was snapping it's pincers idly.
"A relic of the Madgod I found on my adventures. It's also the reason I have survived. It lets me pull food out of it so i've been drinking soup to sustain myself these past few days." I explain as I pull a bowl of plain chicken soup out of the hat.
She didn't look impressed by that ability but the mercenaries certainly did. It made sense too as unlike someone who was part of a caravan that likely stocked up on food and water well in advance and didn't need to worry about it mercenaries didn't always have that luxury. A hat that could produce food at will would be an absolute prize for those situations. I stood there awkwardly for a good minute as the woman stared at me before she grunted.
"Toss over your water skin and don't make any sudden movements if you know what's good for you." she eventually said gruffly as she got down from the wagons seat.
"May Malacath smile upon your endeavors." I said with a grateful smile as I reached into my robe and produced a leather water skin that I tossed over.
"There's a town called Karghistan in the direction we came from. It's a two day trip so that's as much water as you get." the woman said as she grabbed the skin and went to the back of her wagon and started filling it from the wooden barrel there.
"I simply can't thank you enough. Please take the some gold, it's the least I can do to repay this kindness." I said laying it on thick as I set down a handful of gold and back away from it so one of the mercenaries could get it.
"Try not to get lost in the desert again. The next group you meet may not be so kind." she said in a rough but well intended warning as she tossed over the skin.
I hurriedly retrieved it and took a few shallow gulps to play the part of parched as the caravan left. I started following the tracks they made while noting the direction as north west-ish in case the sands covered the tracks.