"And so, the adventurers proceeded onwards with their trek
through the cracked, dry stretch of land, searching for any sign of their
destination. With the unrelenting assault of the sun eroding his very psyche,
Siquioce found it increasingly difficult to stay focused on the task at hand, with
both his movements and eyesight decreasing in quality and sharpness as time
went on. Eventually, though, just when the Samanian thought that he could go no
further, a hint of a tall, dark green frond appeared in the corner of his eye. Feeling
his heart skip a beat, he spun in the direction of that object, finding that it
did, indeed, belong to a healthy, flourishing fern.
"There it is!" he gasped, "We're, cough, we're here!"
Seeing that his friend was struggling to speak, Yuchauzch
swiftly scooped him up into his arms and ran in the direction of the fern,
where a wide variety of larger plants were waiting.
"Yeah, and you're not supposed to be here!
C'mon, we've gotta find some water, pronto!"
As Yuchauzch carried the struggling Siquioce to safety, Kantuta
followed after him, walking at a brisk yet calm pace as she witnessed the
change in terrain. While she was worried about whether or not Siquioce would be
okay, this uncertainty of hers was overshadowed by her interest in the flora
surrounding her.
"Hm," she mused, "I wonder if there might be anything else
other than the Talonroot Daisy that is present here..."
Thankfully for Siquioce, Yuchauzch's general skill in
traversing grassy terrain led to him reaching a small pool of water located
within the borders of a large tree's roots. Letting out a breath of relief, the
orc dumped his ally in the liquid, allowing him to rehydrate. After a few
seconds of soaking, Siquioce exhaled a sigh of contentment, leaning against one
of the roots with his eyes closed.
"Ah..." he breathed, "Much better."
As Siquioce relaxed, Kantuta entered the scene, making for a
nearby stump, placing her rear on it, and folding her hands across her lap.
"Kudos to you for holding out for so long, Siquioce." she
said, "And...you did well, too, Yuchauzch...I suppose. Erm...anywho, now that
we're all here, shall we get to work searching for the daisy?"
"Hah...yeah, I guess." Siquioce responded, swishing his
limbs around in the water for a bit longer, "Hopefully this thing isn't too hard
to find..."
As this was being said, Siquioce and the others heard the sound
of heavy feet stomping through the thick leaves and vines. Speaking in a
language that Siquioce could not understand, the newcomers walked and talked
for a bit in the group's direction. Feeling a sense of danger in his gut,
Siquioce dived deeper into his pool, leaving his chick to float by himself.
Coming to a stop in front of Kantuta and Yuchauzch, the
visitors revealed their identities as heavyset, stout lizardfolk wearing simple,
dirty green tunics and wielding spears. Standing there for what felt like a
century, the creatures simply stared right at the two remaining adventurers,
observing them with an analytical eye. After a few seconds of direct gazing,
the reptiles assumed hostile stances and pointed their spears straight at the
two quest-goers.
"Strangers." the one on the right said, "Why here?"
Kantuta froze, holding up her hands as she locked eyes with
the tip of one of the spears. "Oh, crud," she said in a strained voice, "We're
on their territory, aren't we?" She retreated a bit, pleading, "We do not mean
any harm, I promise! We're just here to find a flower that's supposed to be in
bloom!"
"Lies." the same lizard retorted, "How Moaco know you not
lie?"
"Listen, scaly butt," Yuchauzch stated, stepping forward,
"This elf may be kooky sometimes, but she's tellin' the truth now. We're just
here for some collection duty. Really."
The Urosite on the left squinted his yellow eyes and
inspected the elf and the orc for a moment, gauging their trustworthiness.
After what felt like an hour, the lizard nudged his partner's shoulder,
lowering his weapon slightly.
"Iare thinks we can trust them." the guard stated, "Can read
their aura. Are not enemies."
The other lizard hesitated, still casting a wary eye on the
two travelers for a bit longer before grunting and slamming his spear on the
green ground.
"Fine," he huffed, "No apprehend intruders. But make
business quick. No time for treating newcomers..."
As his coworker crossed his arms, Iare started sniffing the
air, moving his wide head in a curious fashion as he searched around for
something.
"Mm...Iare smells something. Something...fishy."
He continued sniffing the air, scouring the area for any sign
of whatever was amiss. Eventually, he walked over to the pool that Siquioce was
in, plunging a strong hand into the water and pulling the Samanian out.
"Aha! Fresh fish meat!"
Moaco gasped, staring right at the flailing Siquioce before
letting out a cruel chuckle.
"Little fish think he can hide," he laughed, "He not know
how good smell of Urosite is?"
As Siquioce cried for help in his native tongue, Yuchauzch stomped his foot on
the ground, saying, "Hey, leave him alone! That guy's our friend!"
The lizards stiffened, turning slowly towards Yuchauzch
while wearing irritated, unpleasant scowls.
"You interfere with hunt?" Moaco asked.
Knowing that her accomplice had messed up, Kantuta stepped
forward, waving her hands frantically as she stammered, "N-no, of course not!
Please excuse my, ahem, 'friend' here, he can be a bit--"
"I'm not a bit nothin'." Yuchauzch interjected, clamping one hand over
Kantuta's mouth, "You're NOT makin' Samanian fillet outta my buddy, and there
ain't a thing you can--"
Immediately, Moaco used both of his thick hands as a club to
knock Yuchauzch out cold, causing him to fall flat on the ground with no
resistance. Iare did the same to Kantuta, knocking her into submission before
quickly hauling her over his shoulder. Smiling a small-toothed grin, he nodded
his partner over into the grove of trees ahead, leading to the two reptiles
carrying their prey into their arboreal abode.