Ash 46th, 4621
Traphole was where they were headed, a setting Arkash was not familiar with. He had only been through the badlands once before and didn't know the lay of the land very well. His journey, without one of the chariots that his temporary keepers commanded, was something of a nightmare. His time was far more enjoyable through the dunes and the scorched earth with Miki and Izul, despite the deafening roar of those smog-billowing engines.
Arkash, once again, rode with Miki. He held her shoulder with one hand while he tried to shelter himself with the other. Any shade he could get was vital for staving off the sun, preserving his hydration, and staying alive. If he trusted his own balance on the machine, he would have let Miki go and fought the sun with both arms, but he'd almost fallen off once before and didn't trust his heat-beaten mind to guard himself from certain death by the strength of his core alone.
In a strange way, he'd grown accustomed to the dryness of his lips and the unending hunger in his stomach. He wasn't well, but it was a weakness and discomfort he'd grown accustomed to... But for how much longer he could stand to remain sunburnt in his Humanoid form, he wasn't sure. His torn burlap rags provided little to no protection from the sun, and only burned where they rested as he shifted and occasionally rolled his shoulder to loosen the muscle.
He paid little attention to the rolling sea of sand, the rubble of past wreckages, and sporadic desert flora. His focus was on balance, the will to survive and preserve himself, and not taking a bite out of the driver.
Mice and impala could only keep him sated so long, he knew he had to feed in Traphole, but how he'd break away and identify someone that wouldn't be missed was beyond him. He hadn't the energy to think of such, and he doubted Miki and Izul were better for wear considering he'd drank all their water. Indeed, they were in deep need of some provisions. That was the point of heading there, wasn't it?
For a moment, he cast his pale brown eyes to the horizon, and spied some misshapen colors among the mirage of the dunes. They were an off-color to the rest of the sand, more matte and slightly green in hue. It was only as they got closer and the effect of the heat wore down that Arkash realized a series of tarpaulin tents were gathered ahead of them, all circling what he assumed to be Traphole.
"Issat it?!" he called over the roar of the engine, but it was unlikely his keeper heard him. Whenever they came to a stop, kicking up sand on the sudden break, Arkash accepted his question as answered. They were there. A deep sigh flared his nostrils, but it was muffled over the ringing in his ears.
The sudden silence of the engines left a void in his senses that the rustling wind and rush of sand did not so easily fill. Arkash stretched his jaw by rolling it side to side, then let go of his keeper and stepped off the chariot. He massaged his temples and rubbed at his eyes while he adjusted. An uncertain squint set his eyes on those tents, and he looked back at Miki before he quickly stepped into the shade one of the tarps provided, and waited for both the red-skinned ladies.
"What are we doing here?" Arkash asked once they were ready. "Just getting stuff for the hunt, right?" And obviously, replacing the water he'd used up. When his questions were answered or not, he peered over the corner of the tent, and notice a significant dip in the ground. Arkash furrowed his brow, it sounded like some sort of pit, lots of activity going on inside. Arkash looked over at Miki and Izul, then. If they were ready, he turned the corner and proceeded through the gaps between the tents, and wandered to the edge of the pit. The hole just got deeper and deeper as he drew closer. Arkash's eyes widened as he drew maybe a foot away from the edge.
He stared in wonder at what he saw; an enormous hole, layered with different levels with all sorts of men and women of different species and sizes on every level. Arkash was wide-eyed at first, then furrowed his brow while he focused. "...Rabe's beak..." He hazarded just a single bare-footed step closer to the edge, then leaned forward. Could he see the bottom?
Traphole was where they were headed, a setting Arkash was not familiar with. He had only been through the badlands once before and didn't know the lay of the land very well. His journey, without one of the chariots that his temporary keepers commanded, was something of a nightmare. His time was far more enjoyable through the dunes and the scorched earth with Miki and Izul, despite the deafening roar of those smog-billowing engines.
Arkash, once again, rode with Miki. He held her shoulder with one hand while he tried to shelter himself with the other. Any shade he could get was vital for staving off the sun, preserving his hydration, and staying alive. If he trusted his own balance on the machine, he would have let Miki go and fought the sun with both arms, but he'd almost fallen off once before and didn't trust his heat-beaten mind to guard himself from certain death by the strength of his core alone.
In a strange way, he'd grown accustomed to the dryness of his lips and the unending hunger in his stomach. He wasn't well, but it was a weakness and discomfort he'd grown accustomed to... But for how much longer he could stand to remain sunburnt in his Humanoid form, he wasn't sure. His torn burlap rags provided little to no protection from the sun, and only burned where they rested as he shifted and occasionally rolled his shoulder to loosen the muscle.
He paid little attention to the rolling sea of sand, the rubble of past wreckages, and sporadic desert flora. His focus was on balance, the will to survive and preserve himself, and not taking a bite out of the driver.
Mice and impala could only keep him sated so long, he knew he had to feed in Traphole, but how he'd break away and identify someone that wouldn't be missed was beyond him. He hadn't the energy to think of such, and he doubted Miki and Izul were better for wear considering he'd drank all their water. Indeed, they were in deep need of some provisions. That was the point of heading there, wasn't it?
For a moment, he cast his pale brown eyes to the horizon, and spied some misshapen colors among the mirage of the dunes. They were an off-color to the rest of the sand, more matte and slightly green in hue. It was only as they got closer and the effect of the heat wore down that Arkash realized a series of tarpaulin tents were gathered ahead of them, all circling what he assumed to be Traphole.
"Issat it?!" he called over the roar of the engine, but it was unlikely his keeper heard him. Whenever they came to a stop, kicking up sand on the sudden break, Arkash accepted his question as answered. They were there. A deep sigh flared his nostrils, but it was muffled over the ringing in his ears.
The sudden silence of the engines left a void in his senses that the rustling wind and rush of sand did not so easily fill. Arkash stretched his jaw by rolling it side to side, then let go of his keeper and stepped off the chariot. He massaged his temples and rubbed at his eyes while he adjusted. An uncertain squint set his eyes on those tents, and he looked back at Miki before he quickly stepped into the shade one of the tarps provided, and waited for both the red-skinned ladies.
"What are we doing here?" Arkash asked once they were ready. "Just getting stuff for the hunt, right?" And obviously, replacing the water he'd used up. When his questions were answered or not, he peered over the corner of the tent, and notice a significant dip in the ground. Arkash furrowed his brow, it sounded like some sort of pit, lots of activity going on inside. Arkash looked over at Miki and Izul, then. If they were ready, he turned the corner and proceeded through the gaps between the tents, and wandered to the edge of the pit. The hole just got deeper and deeper as he drew closer. Arkash's eyes widened as he drew maybe a foot away from the edge.
He stared in wonder at what he saw; an enormous hole, layered with different levels with all sorts of men and women of different species and sizes on every level. Arkash was wide-eyed at first, then furrowed his brow while he focused. "...Rabe's beak..." He hazarded just a single bare-footed step closer to the edge, then leaned forward. Could he see the bottom?
Image source.
