[ THREAD NOTES ]
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[ THE TALE OF THE GOLDEN KYRINCHOR ]
A breeze stirred across the distant dunes, the only sign of movement for miles around that Kazu could see. It sent a ripple of sandy dust into the air which hovered over the horizon as a cloud of obscurity. The desert seemed asleep this morning, which was as good of a sign as could be hoped for. 'The more beasties that are asleep, the better,' thought Kazu as he continued to make his way, crouched and doubled-over behind whatever dune or rock he could find, through the dangerous lands he called home. 'The last thing I want is to have to fight to protect my hoard.'
At the thought of such an occurence, Kazu instinctively checked the various pouches he had strapped to his waist with a quick touch. Still there. 'And growing fuller,' he thought, surpressing a smile, 'which is all the more reason to be careful.' Rose Cactus spines. Pink Thimble-Berries. Kali Melon, and Midnight Bloom seeds. Wax fruits, Wax leaves, and Wax roots. Strangle Vine samples — carefully collected and stored to avoid direct contact — and even the occasional Knocksroot. 'Not to mention the odd few pieces of Carmot,' mused Kazu. The list of inventory he'd been able to collect on this excursion was growing long; the longer it got, the more valuable the haul became. 'I'm not going to risk having to abandon any of this in order to make a clean getaway.'
The young boy had been up since well before dawn, setting out from the village perhaps just after 3:00am. The denizens of the desert preferred the cool night, so he couldn't leave too early; but should he have left too late, he would have to contend with the desert sun. To scavenge in this land it had to be at exactly the perfect moment when all the critters were settling down for the day, but before the sun could rise high enough to pose a danger. Kazu was well versed in desert traversal, and knew the dangers of being caught out in the sun quite well.
Cresting the dune in front of him, the young boy pulled the tan headscarf he had wrapped around his neck up a bit to cover his nose and the bottom parts of his eyes. He did not need to shield himself from the sun yet, but the windswept sands were quite the nuisance. 'Perhaps it's time to head back,' considered Kazu. He checked the last remaining stars in the sky, and noted the lightest touch of rosy light peeking over the horizon, to determine that there was, perhaps, another hour before the sun would be upon him. 'Yes, definitely time.' The boy had packed sparsely, and dressed even lighter, carrying with him only enough water for the day and no more clothes than were necessary. The headscarf around his neck was the only extra accessory he wore — his clothing consisted of a white tank top, tan shorts, a pair of running sandals, his belt pouch filled with his haul of scavanged goods, and the one hanging water skin.
He could not afford to be trapped out here waiting for night.
Kazu turned to head back towards the village — he had a very good sense of direction, and a few other tricks up his sleeve in case that sense failed him — when suddenly something caught his eye. A flash, or a glint, of some sort off in the distance. Pausing, Kazu tried to locate the source of that light he'd seen, but saw nothing besides the dusty cloud whipped up by the wind. Then, in the center of it, he saw it again. A bright gleam, sparkling, or perhaps even a brilliant reflection. 'It looks...metallic?' Kazu shook his head. There was no way.
But then it came again! Definitely metallic. 'Almost...golden?' Kazu wasn't sure, but he'd learned to trust his first instincts over time. Hesitantly, he headed closer. Two more dunes passed underneath him. The young boy crested the third and poked his head just over the ridge, peering down cautiously, trying to see what had caught his attention previously. His eyes widened at what he saw.
Below, a small pack of five Hykals — canine animals that looked like smaller, twisted, versions of Sand Wolves which banded together to form packs in order to compensate for their un-enviable strength — were circling around a very large, golden, Kyrinchor. It had to be at least five feet long! Kazu had never heard of such a massive specimen, nor had he ever laid eyes on one with such a lustrous coloration. He had read they tended to be golden colored, but this went beyond anything he'd ever read! The wonder that Kazu felt upon first seeing the scene below wore off, quickly, as he realized the full scope of the situation.
Each of the Hykals was taking turns to nip at the lone Kyrinchor from different angles. One of the pack would distract it, while another would circle around to get a bite in, then flee, while a third took up the attack again. The Kyrinchor's broad tail swung this way, and that, and its massive jaws unhinged and snapped shut wildly in defiance, but the Hykals were too agile, and too numerous. Kazu saw a sheen of red mar those golden scales. 'It's injured,' Kazu realized. Fighting alone, in a losing battle, Kazu couldn't help but feel bad for the creature.
'But what can I do?' His more rational side kicked in. 'This isn't my fight, and I've got to get these supplies back home. Don't risk all your efforts on this!' And yet, something kept tugging at the young boy — he felt rooted in place. Fists clenching, Kazu felt his brow furrow as he kept watching the scene below. 'It's going to die if I don't do something.'
The Hykals began to close in on the Kyrinchor, letting out a terrible snicker. The lizard was getting slower, and more sluggish. It kept fighting, until the bitter end. Something inside Kazu softened. He felt his fists relax; his tensed muscles loosed. The boy sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment.
"There's no other choice, is there?" Opening his eyes again, determination had set in. "Right then. No point in waiting around, now."
[WC: 1042]
[Total WC: 1042 / 1500]
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