The sun glared high in the sky, adding a brightness and haziness to the sand and scrub of the roads. In the distance to the north one could just make out shapes on the horizon, small though they were, but shadow, the Teeth of the world. South, the sandy scrubland would eventually give way to dunes and fractured ground, parched, as one entered the Great Bala. Yet in the immediate area, though no lush, it was far from dead. Bits of thorny cacti and brush offered small areas of respite amidst the sandy and gravelly soil where life found a a way. Small nik-nik antelope, barely as large as a pony, could be seen clustered around some of these larger patches, their teeth and gullets specially suited for partaking in such dangerous foliage. One might see evidence of a pride of lions, or perhaps a cheetah and her cubs closer to any of the oases in the area. Even this late in the dry season the eastern regions held some water. It was rare for the various oases across Susma to drain completely dry during a dry season, though these bodies of water could be very dangerous, as they both attracted predators, and often were home to some themselves.
Yet, traveling under the mid-day sun, sweating, feeling the heat and sweltering temperature, seeing vultures flitting high above them, clearly keeping an eye on their procession in hopes of an eventual easy meal, the four friends were right at home, truly in their element. They talked little now, given the heat, but all had full water skins, all carefully sipping on them as they traveled, keeping themselves hydrated and focused. Despite the harshness of it all, Coris and company were all smiles. Progression was a bit slower due to Silvius, as it always was, as she needed aid in drinking from a water-skin, and also needed regular water breaks. However in spite of that they were still making good time.
Coris glanced over to his wife, admiring her form lovingly. She among them seemed unburdened more than any, sweat clinging to her, but merely glistening, as if the sun itself blessed her visage. Her clothing clung, but did not bunch, seeming to merely hug her form, flowing with her body despite the perspiration. Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, Coris thanked the Ascended above, all of them, for his good fortune in marrying such a woman.
Vondiras' sharp eyes saw it first, a bird on wing that was no vulture, and he grinned, quite happy. It was a palm hawk, a mid-sized predatory bird that generally lived amongst oases and hunted afield from it for mice, small lizards and snakes, and other such small creatures. He followed its descent, to see in the distance, the tell-tale shape of palm trees. Taking a bigger swig of water from his skin to help wet his parched lips and throat so that he could speak clearly, the elf spoke up. "As promised, I know the route well. There," he pointed once he had his companions attention, towards the trees, seeming to shimmer and waver in the distance. "Likely a half mile, maybe a bit more. A perfect place for lunch, and to seek shelter for a few hours rest through the hottest part of the day. We can refill our water-skins as well."
Coris grinned, feeling the sweat in his beard, and chuckled, a dry rasping sound, as he drained the last of his second skin. "Ach that's good, Von, ye never disappoint. We still gots plenty o' water but it nae hurt ta 'ave extra in case we come upon someone in need." he told his friend as he moved to the camel, patting her flank, putting the empty skin in one of the pouches and taking another. The dwarf did a quick count, and called out "We gots nine o' 'em left, I just grabbed me third."
Coris matched pace with Vondiras, glancing at the elf. "Ye sure it be safe ta drink from though?" he asked the elf.
Vondiras chuckled, shaking his head. "No water is safe to drink form Coris, not even Kalesh's, in such a land. Heat and standing water don't mix. But you need not worry, that is why we shall rest through the hottest part of the afternoon at the oasis. Have you noticed how cool and refreshing the water from those skins seems to taste, even at the end, when you've been carrying it in hand for an hour or more under the sun?" Vondiras inquired, smirking, quite proud of his little trick.
"Aye, that do be a thing I noticed, 'ow ye accomplish t'at nae?"
"Simply put, I boil the water first, to insure it is clean of any contamination. Then whilst it cools away from the fire for an hour or two, I crush up fresh mint leaves. I've taken to growing wild grovemint in the guild's gardens. Its difficult, but I've got a good hang of it. Was able to harvest some leaves but a week ago, and more this morning. I then crush and mash them, separating out the pulp and keeping the liquid remains. I add three drops to every water-skin I fill at the end of filling it, and make sure I shake well to mix. It adds little to no noticeable flavor, but does add the pungency of the mint just enough to give you a bit of that 'cooling' sensation that people often associate with any plant in the mint family." Vondiras explained, thoroughly pleased with himself.
Coris chuckled, a wide smile showing through his beard. "Ye be a cheeky 'un elf, got a brain ta go wit' yer archery talents, I'll grant ye that. Tis a damn good trick, works plenty well!" Coris clapped Vondiras on the back, as he moved past the elf. "Keep yer wits 'bout ye Vondiras. We saw lion tracks nae very far back, small pride only bout five or six animals, but still. Might be we nae be the only ones seeking shade an' water." Vondiras understood well Coris' point, silently handing the dwarf the reins, retrieving his bow, lashing his spear to the the camel in its place. He adjusted his belt quiver, insuring it was aligned just right, and finally split the last of the water in the skin he was holding between himself and Silvius, before retrieving a new one, hooking it to a clip on his left hip. Then he stalked off, Silvius in tow, moving swiftly ahead of his companions towards the oasis.
Within a quarter of an hour, Vondiras and Silvius were picking their way around the small oasis with care. As they'd approached they'd found further sign of a pride, and before they could see the lions, they could hear them, the sounds of them feeding. Picking his way slowly around the south side of the small oasis and grove, eventually Vondiras was able to visually locate the predators. They'd brought down a wild camel, quite a hefty adult, and were feeding on the north bank of the pool. The pride were lounging about, still feeding, but very much resting, the camel carcass already well torn into. The male of the pride was lounging under the shade of a palm tree up the bank a bit, clearly having already eaten his fill. Lions were dangerous this time of year, with meals few and far between, and a pride of them were a threat to any small group, no matter how armed or competent. However it was preferable to not even consider fighting them. They'd made a kill and were clearly not starving, nor did this pride have any cubs, at least none that Vondiras or Silvius could see. Vondiras considered his options carefully, trying to decide the best course of action. He was reasonably sure, so long as he and his friends were vigilant and kept to the south side of the rock pool, displaying no intentions of challenging the pride for their kill or their chosen resting spot, that they could still stop here safely. The lions had just eaten, and a meal that size would feed the pride for both today and likely a day or even two longer. They'd have no reason to hunt again, and thus would likely not act aggressively unless made to feel they must.
However a pride on a kill was tricky at the best of times to get a read on, and one never knew how far from their kill they'd start seeing the presence of humanoids or other predators, such as a canine like Silvius, as a direct challenge. After weighing his options, Vondiras knelt down beside Silvius, deciding their best course of action was to carefully test where the limits were. He whispered into her ear for a few moments, making sure she understood, then with his bow still in hand, but not raised, they both calmly stepped into view, giving the pride a moment to catch sight of them.
One of the lionesses, the largest, likely the dominant female amongst the bunch, was the first to see them, and she did rise, a low growl just audible from across the rock pool. Her hackles were up, but she was not showing teeth nor was she pinning ears or tensing leg muscles, Von noted. That was a good sign. She wasn't threatening aggression, she was establishing presence. Carefully he and Silvius moved towards the water's edge. The lioness watched them like a hawk, her eyes never leaving them, and the male had partially roused as well, standing to insure they could see his full splendor, his mane and bulk. But none of the lions made any aggressive moves, seeming content to watch, and issue the occassional low growl. Silvius lapped up some water, though did so in short bursts, bringing her head up on instinct to constantly scan the water, and to visually confirm the lions had not moved. Von got down on one knee, laying his bow down, and splashed some water on his face to help him cool down.
After a few moments, once the cats realized the pair seemed to intend no challenge and threat, and they were comfortable with their scents, the lions started to pay them less attention. The male went back to lounging, the females back to eating or cleaning themselves and resting in the shade. They still checked on the pair regularly, keeping awareness of fellow predators in their domain, but seemed content to let the pair be. Vondiras took this as a good sign, and once he was sure of his read of the situation, he and Silvius left the way they came, beginning the trek back to his companions. It would be a tense lunch to be sure, but the elven hunter was confident that they could share the shade and shelter from the hottest part of the day with this pride, so long as they respected their desire to have the northern side of the rock pool to themselves.
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As one moved through the sand and scrubland east of Kalesh, passing by but one or two small patches of growth, and only one oasis near the Leshar Byway itself on this stretch, about twenty miles from the city's gate the terrain and scenery would begin to change. It would be subtle at first, the soil a little less sandy, having more clay and a layer, though thin, of darker earth right beneath the thin sand and pebbles that covered the surface. The occasional Acacia tree, thin needle like trees, with spindly branches and needle like leaves become visible, their stunted and dark forms breaking up the landscape. As the road begins to turn a little more north, moving further from the Bala, eventually the scrubland gives way to fences and fields of row upon row of towering purplish-green cacti. These Leshe Cacti lent the region part of its name, and such sweeping communities of Leshe farms dotted the Kaleshin region in every direction, radiating out from Kalesh anywhere a deep enough oasis and aquifer was present.
Moving into the region with the setting sun lining up with their left shoulders, Beliana soaked in the sight, enjoying greatly the way the cacti looked under the sky streaking with purples, reds and oranges with the sunset, the natural bluish-green brightness of the sky fading away with the setting of the sun. With dusk approaching, as the friends moved closer and closer to the central village, they began sharing the road way with traffic, as various day laborers were leaving the fields and plantations, those whom were not family or permanent year around staff of the two dozen or so large family farms they passed by. In total Lems had a population of some two thousand, though that number was somewhat deceiving, with fully half of them living outside the walled settlement by the Lemoss oasis, living on the farmsteads, be they family, or year round staffers. Some of the families here also raised burrowing owls, sand grouse, and there were two at least two families that Beliana knew of around this village that also raised small herds of Silic Oxen, a breed of cattle that specialized in surviving in water deprived environments, smaller and leaner than most other relatives.
It was still at least two hours until it would be completely dark, and as such, many of the fields and farmyards they passed still had plentiful activity, even as day laborers started the nearly hour long trek back to the central village and their homes on foot. Knowing well their roles Beliana and Belle immediately started moving to match pace with some of the small groups, introducing themselves and getting the lay of the land in regards to the situation and garnering what knowledge and information they could, as they moved closer to the actual village proper.
The sun was properly kissing the horizon, almost halfway down below it now, as they arrived at the village's humble earthworks and gate. Sandstone blocks made up the foundation, two solid layers, with palm and acacia timber and brickwork of river clay finishing the wall around the village proper. It was a low wall, only about fifteen feet in height, but a defensive structure none the less. The gate into the village was a simple wood and bronze construction, hinged and but barred with two iron sliders from the inside. A few volunteer watchmen could be seen on the wall, a small village such as this having to operate with volunteer militia for such tasks. Most of the homesteads here were similarly a mix of sandstone block foundations for stability, with clay bricking and stick framing of acacia and palm. Most dwellings were simple, with only sleeping areas having enclosed roofs, with many dwellings merely having walled enclosures where, as was common, families would eat, cook and have small gardens and other amenities. As they entered the village proper, Beliana guided her companions up the main roadway towards the town square.
Lems was a typical larger farming community, having a few amenities. Though not nearly the selection or open bazaars of Kalesh, twice a week, once on Lunai it seemed, and likely again on Vorni or Freya closer to the end of the week, there was what looked to be an open air bazaar/farmers market. As they moved into the town square it was still busy, folks dismantling simple stalls, repacking small carts and wagons, packing up goods and signs. The square was built around a large church like building, the double doors adorned with two silver dice showing the number seven on each of them. Varis Tomain was the most popular of the Ascended in Susman culture, unsurprisingly so given he was said to have been of the halfmen people, from this region of the world in life. A god of luck, fate, gambling and trickery, his churches were so strange to Beliana, for they were were always gambling houses as well, with games of chance being seen as a form of prayer and worship. There was blacksmith in town, a small forge and shop at the north-east corner of the square, though clearly they were closed up for night, forge out, and metal gates and doors locked. A general store and grocer, a butcher, as well as two buildings that looked like guild-halls. Likely one just for farmhands and field workers, and the other being a shared general office, if she had to guess. There was what was likely an apothecary or herbalist's store on the eastern end of the square, judging by the sign above the door, and the two terraced balcony gardens she could see. Finally, the place they were seeking the Copper Needle, one of the two inns and bunkhouses in Lems.
Coris gave her a quick kiss, then gestured for Belle to join her. "Me and Von will 'ead 'round back ta t'e stable and get ol' Ambrosia 'ere bunked up for t'e night, before she starts gettin' more o' an attitude. Get us a table, and somewheres ta sleep, an' we'll join the pair o' ye shortly."
Beliana and Belle moved through the doors of the establishment, Belle needing to duck a little, the doorframe not built for her height, suggesting Tantur were rare around here. She was quite relieved once inside to find that the ceiling of the commons and dining area, whilst cozy for her, even at their lowest points still had at least half a head of clearance. Flickering lanterns lit the space, as well as one fireplace, which was currently being stoked by a barmen. The inside of the Copper Needle had a rustic feel, whilst living up to part of its name, with decorative copper and bronze finish and trim along the walls and edging the tables and corners. Not polished however, allowed to develop patina to give it a less bold and shocking coloration compared to the fire-blackened palm timber slats and dark clay brickwork that made up the walls of the place. Overall the place was homey, with a simple and inviting aesthetic, lacking perhaps the grandeur or decorative art pieces and items about the walls of some establishments in larger cities. However the name sake was front and center, atop the common area fireplace mantle. A sculpture of sandstone, lacquered and painted to look like a leshe cactus, the needles of it made from copper, each needle having been painstakingly tapped and drilled by hand, by the looks of it. Belle admired it for a few moments as they moved past, impressed with the patience and time it must have taken the sculptor.
Beliana moved towards the bar, noting the exit opened out into the darkening evening, the kitchen staff cooking outside over open fires and stone stoves as was common practice across much of the country. She also noted the various wines and liquors, many of them obviously local vintages, as a variety of the plantations here did not just grow Leshe cacti, but would grow small batches of other fruit and flower bearing cacti to distill into spirits, though the Leshe cactus was the staple here in Lems and across most of Kaleshin. One of the serving staff, of which there seemed to be four, counting the barman, made their way to the counter, a short halfling woman, middle aged, having that sort of look and demeanor that could only be described as motherly. "Ahh aren't you two just a delight, what can I do for you two ladies?"
Beliana nodded to her, "Good evening, we are actually four, not two, my husband and our other companion have gone around back to the stable, for we came with a camel, so I'm sure they will join us presently. We are looking for accommodation for two nights, two rooms preferably, though we'll make due with a shared room and cots if that's what you have available."
"We aren't that busy as you can see." she gestured to the common area, where, though there was a healthy patronage drinking and having filed in for a meal and the social atmosphere, there were only about twenty to thirty people. "Most of these are local, merely stopping off for a drink or two and a meal, and to gossip with other field hands from other farmsteads before heading home to their families. So yes we absolutely have two rooms. Two nights you said, and I presume you'll be wanting an evening meal and a morning meal for both yes?" Beliana nodded in acknowledgement. "Well in that case, we'd be looking at four gold and eight silvers."
Beliana smiled, reaching down and freeing her coin purse from her belt. As she counted out the coin, she realized her halberd leaning against her and chuckled. "I'm guessing that you must have an idea who we are, or at the very least whom we represent, given the lack of reaction to my obvious and quite large polearm."
"Merigold is my name, I realize I had not introduced myself and that was unprofessional of me, so I apologize. And I have been in business for nearly thirty years my dear. You aren't the first of the Sickles I've seen and you won't be the last I'm sure. I would imagine your here about them damned antlions correct? We weren't sure we'd get such a swift response but its a good thing though. Two workers were injured in the Rondfels fields about two miles south of here." the woman responded, as she moved back with the coin, opening a lockbox of sorts, and locked away the coin, before coming back with two brass keys hefty, each with numbers on them in black. "You'll find a simple bed, straw and linens. They aren't the comfiest but better than the ground I'm sure. Now I've got to get out to the back, we are going to start serving food shortly, and I'm guessing your companions just walked through the doors. Now I know who you are, which explains why your well armed, however I will request that you all take a few minutes to go to your rooms, and lock up your larger weapons in your rooms for the evening, if that would not be too much to ask?"
"Not at all!" Beliana replied, "We did intend to do just that before taking evening meal. Also we are looking for a halfman by the name of Aden Harrowfelds, he's supposed to be a regular here and he's the one who is named as our liason for the contract, though the contract is in the name of a Mahti Rondfels. I would presume that is the same Rondfels you refer to in regards to the injured workers?" Merigold nodded, confirming her words, so Beliana continued. "Good, my paperwork and the writ say he'll be able to give us further details of the situation tonight. He is a lead hand, according to my paperwork. Can you point him out if he's here please, and whilst we divulge ourselves of our weapons, maybe even insure we have a table big enough for five?"
"Absolutely, worry not dear, I'll take care and pass it along."
"Thank you, oh and one other thing, if its not to much trouble?" Beliana inquired. She proceeded to ask about raw meat for Silvius, coming to an agreement about a small additional fee to provide this amenity, Beliana felt her husband's hand on the small of her back, alerting her to his presence. She handed Belle one of the keys, keeping the other for herself. "We've been requested to go up to the second floor, and lock our larger weapons in our rooms for the evening, and when we come back down for a bite to eat, and to meet with Master Harrowfelds. Vondiras, are you going to be bunking with Belle or are the stable hands comfortable with yourself and Silvius taking up residence for the night in the stables?
Von tipped his head to her, "You know me well, yes myself and Silvius will bunk in the stables. Though they have no lockable office or cabinets so if you don't mind Belle, I'll lock my spear and bow up in your room?"
"That's not a problem Von, come on then." Belle told the elf, gesturing to the stairs."
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In short order, they were sitting at a table with a portly halfman, dressed in simple flaxen and linen work clothes, smoking a bit of leshi from an acacia wood pipe. He looked to be in his later years, skin sunbaked, a bit leathery, with soft amber eyes, and shoulder length salt and pepper hair. A face normally suited for smiles by its shape had a bit of a dour and stern expression now, as he inhaled off his freshly lit pipe. "This is foul business, foul indeed. The two farmhands are a late development, which is why the contract doesn't mention them." Aden told them once introductions were out of the way. "I mean it is not that uncommon a problem, however the ill luck this time is foul business. Jahmeli and Yhevanis were good lads, hard workers, only on their second season with me. They'll live, and thankfully Jahmeli was quick to club the one when it got a hold of Yhevanis' in its mandibles, or he likely would have lost a leg. Jahmeli himself nearly lost an eye, getting some of that damned acidic spittle on his face, but the two lads managed to tear away and the creatures didn't chase them, thank goodness." he explained to the four of them. "So you lot are here to help us with this bit of pest removal, that's well and good. As I'd hope you understand from the contract and what I've just told you, this isn't simple pest removal like chasing off skivels or the like?"
Coris chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Ach ol' timer, this be pretty run o' the mill pest removal ta us. We understands though, antlions be ornery beasts at the best o' times, an' once a worker group settles on a place ta harvest from, naught short o' killin' or runnin' 'em off heavily an' aggressively will work."
Beliana seconded this, adding her voice to the discussion, remembering everything Vondiras had told her a few minutes ago upstairs. "However we would like to know a bit more about the two men whom were attacked. What exactly happened to them. Workers, that is the most common culprits amongst the hierarchy and type in an antlion colony, are not forwardly aggressive. Whilst yes they do not just eat cacti and other plant matter, they will harvest carrion, they do not hunt. Generally workers will only act aggressively if they perceive a threat to themselves or food they are trying to bring back to the colony. Now from what you've told us it sounds like this is exactly what potentially happened. However if they were directly attacked, and did not simply accidentally stumble upon and startle the creatures, that might suggest soldiers were present. In which case, that suggests a colony nearby, instead of a far flung worker group, meaning dissuading future incursions becomes infinitely more difficult without wiping out the entire colony. Should that be the case, we will still vanquish this bunch, however a contract to remove an antlion nest is simply a separate and much more expensive matter that would need to be taken up with the guild." She glanced to Von, and was pleased to see the elf subtly tilt his head in approval.
Aden shrugged his shoulders. "Well it is as you say by their own words. They got to the field, saw damage, heard noises and thought they saw movement amidst the cacti. Instead of doing as they were bid, which was to simply go and get two or three leshey gourds for the lady of the farmstead so that she could make some honeyed leshey slices for desert for the workers lunch, they decided to try and get closer, to investigate. They moved into the field, startling the creatures and ended up in the state I described. Of course, I informed Khall Feneren of what you say when he discussed the idea of doing this with me, however she made a good point in that the only way we'll know for sure would be if we hired some professionals. We don't expect you to clear a nest if one is too close to the village, not at this time nor for the paltry contract offered. However if you could back track the creatures at least some distance and confirm one way or another if that is the case, given you are something of the experts compared to us or any in our militia. At least then we would know what we're dealing with."
Beliana leaned back in her chair here, glancing between her companions, reading their expressions. Leaning forwards, she flashed Aden a small smile. "We will do this. We won't track them to far, no more than four or five miles, but if its that far and we haven't found a nest, then you shouldn't need to worry about more aggressive incursions in response. Generally antlions will range no more than ten, maybe fifteen miles if they are desperate, when searching for food. But they generally don't start mounting aggressive defenses and having a notably aggressive presence until you get within three, maybe four miles of their colony, and even then that isn't really a guarantee at that distance, merely a possibility."
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Morning came soon enough, and the four friends were up before the sun, driven and focused, moving out of town towards the Rondfels farm, a moderate farmstead, but a respected halfmen family whom had been farming the fields and property for four generations now. Beliana was pleased once they were free of the confines of the village proper, and she was able to begin limbering up, her companions understanding the importance of her daily ritual. They stood vigil for her as she found a small corner just by the road side at a property line, and stripped down, facing the east. Worship of the sun goddess was not unheard of, so even as the sun began to rise and the scene was passed along by a few farm-hands heading back out for another day of work, they gave a respectful nod to the likes of the Coris, Belle and Von. Any whom saw Belle and Von's brands might only make eye contact with Coris, such was the nature of those marks, but they kept respectful, which was all that could be asked.
Once Beliana was done with her prayers, she rose, dressing and armoring herself in but a few moments, with practiced skill and familiarity with the process. Halberd once again in hand, and feeling the sparking and heat of her goddess' gifts, she felt far more confident. The friends moved off at a steady pace now, making for the Rondfels farmstead. They arrived with the full break of day, the sun giving the horizon its last little kiss to the east, ascending fully above it. The farmhouse and barn was bustling with activity already, and Coris called out to the various people. "Apologies, I'm sure yer all eager ta get yer work day underway. But which o' ye would be Mahti Rondfels?" the dwarf called out loudly. "We be the mercenaries from the Sickles t'at were contracted, we 'ear ye have a wee pest problem."
A short but burly halfman, looking in the elder years of his life, walked up. Boots, britches despite the heat, and with thick gloves to match. His hair a dusty brown, with bits of grey and silver present. He looked up at all of them, making eye contact with each of them, though he really had to crane his neck to do so with Belle and Vondiras. "Timely response at least, that's better than I hoped. I still don't know why the Khall wouldn't just get the militia to run them off. Either way, glad someone's come to run the beasts off."
"Ach, I understands, master Rondfels, them governing types all the same, nae matter if'n a city or a village. 'owever on ta matters at hand. Nae we was told it be yer southernmost field o' yer male plants that the beasts be favoring. We'll need ye ta tell us which work path ta take ta get there. As well we goin' ta 'ave ta request ye nary 'ave any workers out workin' in t'at field until we confirm t'e job is done. Ye understand? We nae want anyone gettin' 'urt on our account."
"Yes yes, its why we'll be working the fields close to the farmhouse today, but I would appreciate if some of my hands and me can get into that field before the day is done, to see if we can salvage any of the harvest. That field was on dry season rotation this year. Head down that center path past the first three fields, then take a right, follow that path a ways, and you'll come to a field at the edge of my property on your left. That's the one. You'll likely get there a fair bit before the beasts, they normally arrive a little bit before mid-day, which was how my two staff got caught, they'd gone down to get me a couple fruit for the lunch break."
"Aye we 'eard the story, poor lads, though from what we 'eard they're goin' ta be alright. We'll 'ead off t'en an' get set up. Once its done, we'll come find ye. Likely we'll need ya to show us where ye wants us to dispose o' the bodies, perhaps if ye got a patch o' land or a field ye ain't usin' this season. Oh forgive, us, a bit unprofessional o' me." He stretched out his arm, offering the farmer his hand. "I'm Coris, the woman wit' t'e halberd is me wife Beliana, an' the elf is Vondiras, the wolf is Silvius, and the mountain o' a woman there be Belle."
Mahti accepted the grip. "Welcome then, and you have my thanks for coming. Once its done, we'll get the lot of you fed to, I'll run up to the house and make sure my wife makes enough of her sand quail stew to keep a bit for you all for when your done. Now off with you, you need to get going and I need to get this bunch to work before that sun gets any higher."
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Once they were out amongst the Leshe cacti, Vondiras took over leading the group, as they combed over the field, gauging and garnering what information they could from the damage and any sign the antlions had left from their previous visits. Vondiras moved through the rows of cacti, examining the damage, noting a few things immediately. The creatures were seeking the ripest cacti, ripping them out, well tearing them out to carry. Based on the number missing, they'd made four excursions into this field, keeping mostly to the outer edges. Their only excursion deeper in is where they found the evidence of the confrontation that had occurred, including scorching and melted sand from acid spittle that these creatures were capable of producing. Von did some quick counting as he noted the mutilated and snapped off cacti, trying to roughly establish how many had been whole sale taken. "Its most likely four, maybe five of the beasts, I'd be shocked if its any more than that, the damage to the field isn't extensive enough, and we know they'd been taking from the field before those workers got hurt, because finding the damaged cacti on the eastern edge of the field is what lead them into the field and into conflict with the beasts in the first place. A group of four or five of the creatures coming here every day for the last four days would fit with what we see here." he explained. "I can't tell exactly which areas they've been focusing on in what order however judging by which cacti they have left behind beside some they've taken, my guess is they are taking the ones with the ripest fruits."
Beliana voiced her agreement. "That would make a lot of sense, this late into the dry season I'm sure water is just as big a concern as food. Alright so to me when we've moved about this field, I noted a couple at the southwest corner of the field that were very ripe indeed, looking almost ready to fall off."
Belle pointed towards the southern border of the field "I noted another three or four right at the edge with similarly swollen and ripened fruit. So shall we partner up? Myself, Von and Silvius will hunker down along this southern edge, back a row or two, trying to keep hidden. Beliana you and Coris take that southwest corner. If they all come up on the same area of the field, whichever group isn't in the right position won't have to far to go to get involved."
Seeing no reason to disagree, Beliana and Coris wasted no time, moving off to the southeast corner of the field, navigating carefully amongst the larger cacti, until they could fine two large enough to use to provide a visual barrier to their presence for anything approaching from the south, as Belle, Von and Silvius moved back further into the field, keeping amongst the center but along the southern border of it, staying a few rows back to try and help hide Belle's height, as she did stand taller than some of the cacti. All in position, there was nothing left to do but wait.
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Skittering along the sandy ground they came, shapes not unlike that ants, though far to large. They moved efficiently, swiftly, but in a cautious fashion, advancing in pairs, circling, their antennae active, bobbing. Their sandy red tone carapace and segmented bodies, as well as their six legs, head shapes and their unique mandibles and mouths gave them away. Antlions, a not uncommon megafauna of sorts in the nation of Susma, in particular the regions around the Great Bala.
The name antlion came from the unique oddity of this creature's mandibles and mouth. Though small, its mouth did in fact contain teeth, which is abnormal for members of the insect family, even those as large as antlions. However, though much smaller comparatively, antlions jaws, their actual like inner jaw, not the grabbing mandibles that extend from their faces some two feet, have teeth. These teeth seem most comparable at first to that of a moderate sized hunting cat or other predator, hence the name, however this is only true for the front few teeth. The further back in the jaw you get on such a specimen, the flatter, more robust and shorter these teeth become. The pinching mandibles are oft compared to shears or similar tools for their capabilities, yet are also able to crack, fracture and even crush small to moderate size rocks. This, naturally, makes them adept harvesters of all sorts of plant material, particularly cacti, as well as making them formidable weapons, given they are sharp, but also robust and strong. Furthermore antlions seemed to lack sensitivity to the needles of cacti or similar vegetation, unbothered by them, either in mouth or against their bodies. They were heavy, armored and yet could move with a surprising nimbleness when cornered or feeling threatened.
The four creatures moved up along the edges of the field, clearly taking precautions in their advance, likely due to their previous encounter with the two field hands, seeking not to be so caught off guard and surprised again. Their mandibles clicked together, as they moved along the southern edges, their antennae bobbing as they moved one way then the other. Beliana and Coris watched them patiently, unsure if they were going to try and penetrate further into the fields or simply take the easy and obviously ripe cacti that the friends had identified at the edges of the field only but two hours previous. She glanced over her shoulder, a bit further back to where Belle, Vondiras and Silvius were waiting as well, just barely able to pinpoint their positions due to Belle's height. Thankfully antlions did not have the strongest eyesight, relying far more on other senses, and thus they had not noticed the tall tantur woman yet. However they were known to have a sensitivity to movement, a sort of sensitivity to vibrations, seeming able to sense movements of creatures near them almost like a sixth sense, due in part to their antennae, as well as a the thin almost translucent hair like structures known to line their carapaces. All this in combination with their natural sensitivity to motion of the sandy soil upon which they walked and through which they tunneled meant they were tough creatures to get the jump on, the window of time to surprise them generally quite small once you started to move in any way.
The creatures moved about the edges of the fields for two more passes, clearly very cautious, but then they moved into the field's edges, and split off, pairing up, each heading for the ripest cacti that Beliana and her companions had noted. Beliana began muttering a brief litany, calling upon her knowledge of various scriptures, and one passage in particular known as a passage of power. "Blessed lady of the Sun, Mistress of tactics, please let your fire and prowess touch me and grace my steel. Let this humble priestess be blessed with the touch of the warrior goddess." As she released her grip on her holy symbol, she felt her temperature rise, feeling heat bubble across her body, feeling her focus tighten, her muscles tense. She felt the divine touch of Vosana guiding her. Beside her, Coris, whom had already shrugged his harness off and had been waiting with his claymore in hand, was similarly preparing, tapping into his natural fury, that eldritch power he seemed to possess that could only be described as battle-fever. She could feel the anger and anticipation bubbling forth from him, it was like a wave, strong, furious, violent, and excited.
The dwarf locked eyes with his wife then, nodding to her. "Front 'un first love, we'll get one shot at droppin' the beast afore they can fight back an' given their size, I'd rather us have the numbers advantage if'n we can take it. Go when I go, I'll go head on, ye flank ta t'e left or right, keep away from them damned jaws." Beliana nodded subtly, readying her halberd, waiting for her husband to make his move.
The creatures moved alongside the cactus in question, positioning themselves on opposite sides, readying to both snip it and then likely to swiftly and efficiently cut into two halves with their mandibles to carry. As one moved within perhaps fifteen feet of their hiding place, Coris noted Vondiras, Belle and Silvius engaging the pair near them, seeing his elven companion fire off an arrow, and he needed no further invitation.
"Blood an' Death!!!" the dwarf roared, throwing himself into a fury as he rushed from cover. He slammed into the closest antlion, his blade arcing across its body, splitting the carapace, tearing a vicious cleaving injury in the front third of the creature's body. Before it could pivot to face that threat, Beliana's halberd lanced out like a viper, the spear tip tearing deep into the side of its facial structure, just behind the mandible. The beast hissed and clacked in fury and pain, but the pair were efficient, moving and striking together. Even as it tried to pull loose of Beliana's blow, Coris rammed his blade through its middle third, tearing it across, opening up its whole underside. As he struck that vicious blow, Beliana yanked free her halberd, pivoting to meet the charge of the second creature, getting the haft of her halberd up and angled to stop the mandibles from latching onto her properly, as she also stepped back and out, moving to try and force a more favorable fighting angle.
The first beast fell heavily, kicking up some dust and dirt, as Coris tore free his blade savagely, moving around its dying mass as fast as his legs would allow, trying to get to his wife's aid. However the dwarf recklessly forgot his own advice, moving the wrong way around, passing by the mandibles of the dying, but not dead, monster. Suddenly searing white hot pain tore up his right leg, as he felt the mandibles snap closed on it. Thankfully the creature's swiftly weakening body did not have the energy to truly snap down on his leg, so it wasn't immediately severed. He felt no bones break, but knew immediately his lower leg muscles, the calf in particular, had been at least partially severed, as he felt the leg buckle, almost collapsing under his weight. He snarled, pushing through the pain, dragging his leg loose, ripping a strip of flesh from his own leg to get loose of the creature's death grab. and threw himself at the second one.
Beliana had heard the clacking snap, and had heard Coris snarl out in pain, but she couldn't see, nor could she afford to break her focus on defending herself and keeping out of the way of the second antlion's mandibles. She needed to create space, use her halberd's reach, but the beast was bound and determined not to let her. She got a rough gash on her left arm, but managed to escape before getting properly grabbed onto, or losing the arm. It was painful but not crippling, though the blood soaking her forearm and hand would quickly become problematic. She stepped back again, giving a bit more ground, trying to create space, and it was at this moment that Coris slammed into the beast's side, his blade viciously tearing into its middle third, a massive cleaving gash.
Beliana did not press the attack, seeing how Coris' leg was dragging, instead tapping into her own small well of divinity, focusing on her faith, reciting a simple hymn, one wishing and praying for good health, willing it into existence. She felt her own injury mending, the blood flow slowing, the wound shrinking, as the outer edges of the tearing gash healed. Coris too felt the bit of divine energy, his calf mending itself, his leg regaining more stability. Blood still soaked his leg, he still had a vicious injury, but his leg no longer felt weak and was not buckling with each stride. He powered forward, a second powerful cut catching the monster as it pivoted trying to face him, tearing open a vicious line from its midsection to nearly ripping out one mandible.
Beliana stepped back in, halberd raised, letting the blade drop like a pendulum, the axe blade leaving a massive cleaving injury atop the beast's head, driving it to the ground, where it twitched and rapidly died. The pair turned to rush across the field to help their friends, however...
Vondiras felt Silvius becoming agitated, tensing up by his leg. The arrow he had nocked became his only focus, as he felt Belle step by him, ready to rush forward. Raising his bow he took half a second to judge its angle, then loosed. The shaft flew in an arc, coming down on the second creature, the one further back, embedding itself deep in its back, which had it clattering and clacking viciously, displaying obvious fear, panic and discomfort. He nocked another arrow just as swiftly, sending it up to hammer down again, the shaft quivering in the antlion's back less than a foot from the first. A third arrow flew, this one sinking deep further back along the creature's body.
The whole time he was shooting, Vondiras was on the move, shifting position, using the creature's senses against them, keeping them scrambled with how dynamic their foes were, trying to keep them from being able to focus on any one target. A gob of acidic spittle narrowly missed him from the first before Belle slammed into it, but he ignored it. Silvius, like a silvery arrow herself, sped headlong into danger, catching the second antlion as it spun and pivoted trying to track the motions of all three targets, unsure where the danger would come from next. The wolf leapt onto the massive insectoid's back, her jaws clamping down on the top of its head, again and again, bite after bite, cracking and tearing at the exoskeleton and ripping loose bits and pieces of the creature beneath. Another arrow thudded home, this one clean through an eye, a fifth narrowly missing, landing in the field beside the creature's head, as it collapsed under the combined assault.
Belle rushed forward, leaving Von and Silvius to the target they'd chosen. She moved her bulk into melee, unafraid of the clamping mandibles, catching and pinning one against her side, feeling it slash deep, feeling the blood begin flowing. She gripped it in her hand, grinning down at the creature. "My turn." She proclaimed, as she forced the mandible back and open with her right hand and arm, against the creature's will, cracking and tearing the structure, twisting it. She kicked it viciously in the head, her foot sinking into its unprotected underside. She felt the stickiness of its bodily fluids, its lifeblood as she wrenched her foot loose. Both feet under her again, she leaned into it with her right side now, committing her whole muscular structure to the effort, and twisted her right arm, tearing free completely the mandible from that side, eliciting panicked clicked and hissing noises from the antlion's mouth.
She hoisted her prize high, as if showing off for a crowd that was not present, before flipping it in hand, and bringing it down with all her strength, hacking into the creature's middle third with its own mandible. It bit so deep she could just let go and it did not come loose. Then she brought her knee into its lower jaw, feeling that give way, as she raised both hands, fingers interlocked and dropped her hammer fist atop its head with such force she felt the top of its head divot and sink from her strength, as she drove the twitching and dying monster to the ground with a triumphant shout, "That's what you get for fighting Belle the Boulder!" smiling, enjoying the rush of victory, the thrill of it, even as she felt her side bleeding profusely. It was a deep but hadn't hit ribs or the like, so she would be fine, she knew from experience. Surveying her surroundings, Belle smiled, happy with the sights. "Another job well handled then. Seems they were just workers. We'll need to track 'em out, though first we should take a moment to clean these wounds and bandage them up. Then lets take an afternoon stroll."
Vondiras shook his head as the group regathered at the edge of the field, admiring their handiwork. "Silvius and myself are uninjured. Pool the water we all have left into two water-skins. I have a spare one, I brought two, so that will make three. We'll leave one full one with you three, and I'll take the other two. Myself and Silvius will take a stroll, we can cover ground faster than you all can anyway. We'll go a couple miles, confirm what we already know, that there isn't a nest close by, and then return."
Beliana considered it, feeling the throbbing in her arm, noting her husband's still quite bloody leg and Belle's blood-drenched side. None of them were in any danger of bleeding to death or expiring, but walking miles in this heat could see any one of them pass out. Besides properly cleaning and stitching them all up and bandaging them would take her at least an hour. On top of which to be honest, none of them were in the best of condition to fight, their armor at least. Herself and Belle's damage was mostly superficial, she would need to get links repaired the mail of her sleeve back in Kalesh. Belle simply needed some time, needle and thread. Coris however, his greaves were more or less ruined, the iron shin guard dented and misshapen, the layered gambeson shredded and torn clean off. She looked to Coris, her husband, for his agreement of her assessment, and could see in his eyes he'd come to the same conclusion. They were injured and scouting was Vondiras' speciality, may as well let him do it. So she spoke. "Be safe, be well, don't get killed, either of you." She told Vondiras and Silvius.
Silvius nuzzled her leg briefly in acknowledgement, whereas Vondiras flashed his thin lipped grin, as normal, never showing teeth, acknowledging the 'order' for what he knew it was. "We love you lot too, we'll be careful. Now get yourselves cleaned and stitched up. We'll be back."
Beliana, being the one with any degree of both medical training and healing capability at all, dealt first with her own cut, cleaning it out with a bit of the strong alcohol she kept in her pack with her medical kit. She was thankful she'd insisted on bringing her pack, though the others had traveled lighter. It meant she had the necessary equipment to tend to everyone's wounds. Thankfully her own injury was less vicious than it had first looked, still deep, but only took her eight stitches to close up once she'd gotten it clean and the stinging had subsided enough to work with it. Next she moved to her husband, and her face scrunched up when she saw his leg. Though the muscle was not severed any longer, thanks to her own efforts and the will of her goddess, the whole lower leg was mangled. He'd basically stripped his flesh nearly down to the muscular structure pulling loose from the grip, though thankfully not all the way. There was still skin or flesh, some sort of thin layer, bright and blood drenched. She poured most of the medicinal alcohol onto the leg, eliciting a not unexpected visceral reaction. Coris white knuckled, biting down hard on the haft of a dagger he had in his mouth as he squirmed and tensed, growling curses through the dagger handle. Beliana swore she heard cracking, as if the handle were giving way under his teeth, which wouldn't fully surprise her.
Once she was satisfied with how clean the injury was, she took the knife out of his mouth. "Fuckin' blazes, that 'urt worse t'an when the bastard thing bit me!" he snarled, shaking his head.
Beliana laughed then, shaking her head at him. "No my love, it didn't. You just got to hit it back so you convinced yourself it hurt less. Now hold still, this is going to take me a little bit." Beliana went to her task with practiced skill, first taking small steel pins, sterilizing each with the bit of the alcohol, carefully keeping an eye on how much she had left. There was a flap of his skin that had survived, a layer that had not been entirely ripped away, and she carefully, now that it and the wound were clean and sterile, brought it back up, pinning it properly in place first with those small sterile pins, five of them. Then she stitched the rest with a specialized thread she carried, woven from the silk of the medanic silk worm, they would breakdown harmlessly and be consumed by the body over time. She stitched the whole flap back on carefully, with tight, concise stitching. The whole process took her nearly three quarters of an hour, from cleaning to bandaging, and it had been nearly forty stitches, by the time it was all said and done. As she tied off the bandage, she leaned down, kissing her husband deeply. "There you go, now I will be checking that and likely applying new wrappings to it at least every other day. You'll likely need bandages for a week, perhaps two, then I'll remove the pins. It'll likely be almost a month until it fully heals and scars over completely however. So much for avoiding the mandibles, right lover?"
Coris' eyes flashed with a bit of passion, and he playfully swatted her behind as she rose from where she'd been sitting, eliciting a brief hip swaying tease and glance back from her as he replied. "Ach nae o' that, ye knows full well I was referrin' ta yerself, nae me. Its me job ta be where the danger is. Better me o'er any o' ye lot. Nae go patch up Belle, she's been waitin' patiently."
Beliana did exactly that, moving to the big tantur woman. At first Beliana was quite worried given the amount of blood on her gambeson, tunic and vest, all of which she had peeled off for the moment to let Beliana have access. Beliana had to remind herself that whilst it looked like a lot of blood to her, for someone more than twice her body size, height and weight, it was not nearly as much. The wound was deep, still oozing, but not so deep to be of concern. The last bit of alcohol cleaned it well enough, Belle grunting with discomfort briefly, but otherwise not really reacting. It took about twenty stitches to close the tear up on Belle, and then most of the linens Beliana had left to wrap her torso appropriately. The gash had been on her right side, about eight inches above her hips, and had started on her stomach, rounded her body and ripped open her side. Beliana finished tying and pinning the bandage, and then looked up at Belle. "I'll want to take a look at that in about a week, I'll likely remove the bandages when we get back to Kalesh though. I should be able to take the stitches out in about a week, but it might need two."
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Vondiras and Silvius, good as their word, returned nearly two hours later, and once they were in sight, Vondiras raised one hand, fist closed, signaling success. There wasn't a nest within four miles that these creatures had come from. Once the elf got closer he explained further. "There wasn't a nest within at least four or five miles, we made good time. It looks like they came in from a bit further, basically into the edge of the Bala. If I had to guess, based on the evidence we found of other worker groups, and bits of cacti and sand bramble being stripped, they likely just running a bit low on food sources close to home to harvest as the dry season comes to an end. I think its unlikely they should have this problem again, given the rains should not be far away and then comes the swift recovery of much of the hardy plant life in the region should give them plentiful food elsewhere." Vondiras pulled the mandible loose from the one Belle had killed as he walked by, addressing it simply "Proof of contract being completed, as well as good Rondfels' signature of course, as our writ dictates, he's the farmer in who's name the town issued the bounty."
The four friends set about joining the Rondfels' for a late lunch, explaining the situation to Mahti Rondfels. With his guidance they then returned to the field, Belle and Coris dragging and otherwise moving the four bodies where the halfman farmer indicated, into holes Vondiras and Beliana, and two farmhands, dug. Once they were dead and buried, they were walked back to the farmhouse, where Mahti presented them with a small bit of parchment, signed and dated. "You have the thanks of myself and my wife. We have not much, and know you are to be paid, however we do have a small gift for you, a token of thanks." he told them, reaching behind the door to his home and producing a small box. He opened it and inside were a pair of small vials. "My eldest son, he has a bit of a hand for alchemy, nothing wildly impressive, however he made these but four days ago, I'd like you to take them. One of them is a small healing concoction, I know not the science or magicks involved, its all a bit beyond me, but he always brings us gifts when he visits from Kalesh. I've got five others like this, and have used one in the past, its pretty potent stuff. The other is a sort of volatile combustible oil flask you can throw. Always kept it in case any beast like one of those antlions got to close to the house, though it no occurs to me the risk of throwing something like that near or in structure. So perhaps you can find better use for them."
Beliana curtsied gracefully, and accepted the small iron case, "We thank you for the generosity and were happy to help. Farewell Mahti."
The four of them then returned to the Copper Needle, taking the rest of the afternoon to simply relax. They shared a meal, before turning in quite early, with every intention of being on the road an hour or so before dawn.
