As the group looks about, the small figure to the east disappears into the
woods. The dead in the clearing look to be almost entirely the smallish
goblin tribe whose bodies were found in the southern yard of the
settlement. Each (whose face remains, in any case) bears a tatto of a snake
on their left cheek. They look to have been stripped of anything
worthwhile. There are some two dozen goblin corpses, but three of them
appear to be of the wolfskin wearing tribe. This is confirmed by the fact
that they lie with one of of the wolves also, but it is clear that the
preponderance of casualties were the snake goblins and, sadly, the white
horses. Seventeen of them lie dead in the clearing, which brings a visible
tear to Taras' eye.
However, he does not lose all pallor. "That leaves two dozen horses that
must still be alive!" He seems desperate for this to be true. He begins
searching about for traces of them.
Xania turns her horse and canters toward the figure disappearing to the
east. She is not really trying to catch him or her. Just to see what the
figure is and where it is going.
"Taras I saw someone heading off in that direction. He or she may know
where the horses are," Rhune calls in a tight whisper. She sheathes her
sword and waits for just a moment to see if anyone finds any other traces
that the horses may have gone in a different direction. As no one picks up
the horse trail immediately, she heads in the direction of the fleeing
person. She is alert as to what is going on her around her.
Seeing Rhune informing Taras about the figure and Xania heading of that
direction, Ullar holds. He is fascinated by the beetles, for he has never
seen such a large insects before.
"Hmm..." he mutters to himself. "I might be a warrior and know not
anything about magic, but this is not normal. He puts his two-handed
sword back in his scabbard and slowly approaches the beetles, trying to
assure them to his best abilities that he is not going to harm them nor
interfere with their meal.
The beetles have other thoughts, though, and when Ullar draws close, two of
them turn and chitter at him and begin scuttling toward him. They back off
when Ullar does, though, and slowly return to the feast.
Marika breathes a sigh of relief and sends her thanks to Minerva that
the overgrown beetles seem content with carrion rather than fresh meat.
She glances after Xania, wondering whether she should accompany the mage in
case of ambush, but she's none too eager to get back on her horse
just yet. Instead, Marika walks over to stand beside Ullar and observe
the giant insects' feeding habits.
She is repulsed but at the same time fascinated. Marika is no
naturalist, but she understands enough physiology to know that bugs this
large should not be able to live. By all rights, they should collapse
under their own weight...to say nothing of how an insect's rudimentary
respiratory and circulatory systems could support a body that size.
Clearly there is magic at work here...so she gives Ullar only the
briefest odd look when he begins talking to the creatures. The
warrior's intuition about the beetles has already proven correct once,
and perhaps the magic which created these impossible beasts permeates
their brains as well as their bodies...
Asif too is most interested in these strange creatures. Only once before
had he seen such a large insect. That being a giant scorpian near the Al -
Naquash Oasis three years ago, a life time ago it seemed a time when the
prince and he had been one, like brothers.....By Aten what foul water had
flown beneath his most unworthy feet since then...Asif shakes his head to
dismiss the memory and then calls out to Ullar,
"Ullar my friend be careful. One knows not the pallet of these
creatures..., we wish not your flesh to be their next course to wash the
taste of those foul greenskins from there mouths. By Aten such creatures
amaze me, but once before in the desert upon a hunt did I see an insect of
such size. It was an giant aqraba (scorpian) with a huge stinger not only
capable of cutting a man in too, but pumping enough venom to kill huge
creatures, like? like? ahh, what good example.. ahh creature from afar you
call elephants I think in italian"
"Don't worry Asif, I will not come any closer to this creatures than I
think it's safe! But they are surely impressive! And I guess that they are
satisfied with their current meals!" A glance sidewards show the position
of Marika. Ullar raises his brow. "They are really astonishing, are they
not?" Again the warrior focuses his eyes on the animals, watching every
move of them.
"Oddest things I've ever seen," agrees the priestess. "I wish Brother
Linneas were here. If anyone could figure out how these creatures came
to exist, it would be him."
She frowns suddenly. "Would have been, anyway, before he joined the
damned Church. I doubt he cares much for zoology now. They burned his
own books along with the rest of the library, and he just stood there
and smiled."
Marika gives a snort of disgust, then shakes off the bitter memories to
concentrate once more on the odd sight before her. "Asif, when we find
time to rest, you'll have to tell us more about the giant aqraba." She
speaks the word slowly and carefully, trying to get the unfamiliar
sounds right. "Are such creatures native to your land, or was yours the
first anyone had seen?"
"Efendi the creatures are most rare in my land. They are the minions of the
Jackal lord Set. He the brother slayer of Osiris. The Aqraba I pray I may
not see again. It is one thing of my homeland that I do not miss. A most valued
slave of the prince fell victim to the foul creature before we could slay
it sending it back to its creator. I shudder at the memory of that day.
Aten did indeed smile upon us, for despite our young age the prince and I
where able to kill the creature without harm."
With a highly interested look Ullar watches how the beetles eat from the
remains of the goblin bodies. As soon as he get the suspicion that
they might have had enough he starts talking to them.
"Beetles, where is your boss or master or Queen?" Feeling rather stupid
about the fact that he is talking to beetles, Ullar speaks softly, not
approaching the beetles anymore. "Could you fly in the direction your
boss, master or Queen left?"
The beetles seem to have grown quite tired of Ullar bothering them, and
they turn and rush at him. He wheels back awkwardly, attempting to redraw
his sword. Unfortunately, they are quick little beasts, about the size of a
small dog, and they are upon him quickly. Asif has his weapons drawn,
however, always alert to danger, and sends one of the blades crashing into
(and off of) one of their chitinous hides. One of them bites into his right
leg with it's strong mandibles. The wound is deep and very painful, and
Asif cries out in pain.
As Rhune (with the unusually quiet Sam in tow) and Xania have wandered off
after the small figure, and Taras, who is searching about for horse tracks)
are elsewhere, Marika gathers up her staff and Jacobus draws his sword
while Ullar manages to draw his huge blade and assist Asif, who is bleeding
badly. However, he is still strong enough to wield his flashing blades,
chopping through the midsection of his aggressor cleanly. The creature
continues to twitter for a moment and then ceases. The others have no luck,
though, in penetrating the hard black exoskeletons of the bugs. However, it
appears they have little taste for fighting once one has died, though, and
they turn and dash away from you all. You see that it would be easy to
pursue them, but looking at Asif's gaping wound, you are rather unsure that
it is worth it.
Upon the retreat of the creatures Asif sheaths his scimitars and grabs the
gaping wound in his leg trying to hold the wound closed. His teeth grit
with pain as he lowers himself to sit down upon a rock, he then turns to
those nearby..
"Efendi, Much apology, forgive me my foolishness! Alas unlike my fight
against the Aqraba, great harm have I experienced. Lazy it appears have
this mortal child of Aten been in practice of his sword play. Most foolish
be my actions, now bleed much, help may I have?"
"It was my fault Asif!" It is Ullar first to reply to his comrade. "I think
we can bandage you, could you help me out Marika?"
Marika reaches Asif's side only a moment after Ullar, and begins
applying pressure to the nasty wound to slow the bleeding. "You have
nothing to feel foolish about, Asif," she says as she works. "You
warned Ullar and me not to get too close to the beetles; we should have
taken your advice."
Marika grimaces as the dressing she was applying quickly soaks through.
She reaches for her pack, them realizes that she's not wearing it.
"Ullar, could you hold this bandage in place for a moment?" she asks.
"My horse has most of my supples, the reprobate!"
Drawn by Asif's cry of pain, Taras wheels his horse around (he did not
dismount) and comes back toward you all. However, the bugs are gone
quickly. Ignoring Asif's wound as he does his own limp arm, he speaks
excitedly, "It appears that some of the foul little creatures survived, or
the wolfskins sent some of their tribe to take the horses to the southeast.
I have seen many goblin tracks heading in all directions, but there is a
clear trail of the horses. Wounded, surely we can catch them within hours!"
Seeing Marika project her healing skills on Asif, Ullar turns to Taras.
"I agree with you that we should head after them as soon as
possible. We can always search this place later! The less far they get,
the less danger there is to your horses!"
The priestess heads off to raid her horse's saddlebags, and quickly
returns carrying one of her small clay jars sealed with wax. When she
breaks the seal, everyone nearby feels their eyes and nostrils begin to
burn. "This is going to sting, Asif," she warns him. From the look on
Asif's face as Marika rubs the salve into the wound, it doesn't sting,
but rather hurts like hell. "Sorry about that," she winces in sympathy,
"but I've got to use the strong stuff...that bug's mandibles weren't
exactly clean when he bit you." She glances toward a partially eaten
goblin, her skin going slightly green at the sight of ruptured
intestines trailing from its body.
Seeing that the wound is still gaping and raw, though her salve did manage
to disinfect it, Marika casts one of her two remaining healing spells upon
the wound. The effects are excellent, as the wound completely closes,
leaving only a sore muscle for Asif to contemplate. The spell also cures
the remaining injuries that Asif received during the long night. All in
all, he feels quite good, even better than he did upon mounting up for the
expedition in the first place.
Taras seems quite pleased that the party is still in good health, and he
gestures to the east, "Gather your wayward companions in the woods and we
shall be off. If we do not return by sunset, I fear for the safety of the
settlement." He then turns and begins riding at a leisurely pace toward the
thicker woods to the east, impatiently looking back to make sure that you
all are accompanying him.