A Flare for Adventure!
The dusty expanse of the western edge
of the Kalimaris Desert stretched out before Flare. As she crested the ridge up which she had scrambled,
the orange furred fox halted, booted feet sinking shallowly into the fine sand
as she steadied her footing. Flare
shaded her piercingly emerald eyes from the harsh glare of the sun, squinting at
the distant horizon as she caught her breath.
Keen vulpine eyes picked out the hazy outlines of familiar landmarks in
the distance, the mind of the seasoned traveller instinctively calculating a
mental estimate at how many days travel lay ahead of her. Two...no, maybe three...The fox nodded to herself. She did not have to check the canteens
clipped securely to her belt to know that she had sufficient water remaining to
make it across the bowl-like depression.
Water discipline was one of the harshest lessons learned by all
travellers who traversed the inhospitable reaches between the trade
cities. With what she felt was
practiced care, Flare began to descend, and cursed as she almost immediately lost
her footing as the sands shifted beneath her, sending the fox sliding down the
slope. The loose long coat she wore
flapped about behind her as she flailed for balance, catching on the tip of the
swaying sheathe in which her prized TrueSteel Katana was securely nestled. She closed her eyes; sucking in a meditative
breath as she held out her arms to her sides and bent her knees, grasping at
her inner balance, and breathed a sigh of relief as her unsteady descent drew
to a halt. As she found her footing
again, the fox rolled her eyes skywards at the quickened beat of her
heart. She knew there was a measure of
logic to her anxious state. More than
one unlucky traveller had lost their footing traversing the dunes of the Kalimaris,
and slipped into a hidden sinkhole, perishing within the suffocating
depths. Dusting herself off, Flare began
her descent again, shifting her balance and gritting her teeth each time the
slope threatened to send her tumbling down.
Twenty minutes later, she stood at the base of the slope, taking a few
sips of revitalising fluid from her canteen, eyes closed in a pleasurable
moment of relaxation as she savoured the cooler temperature within the
depression. The rising natural walls
that enclosed it granted some measure of protection from the merciless glare of
Nova Terra's primary, and made it the most popular trade route to Oasis City. Flare carefully stopped the canteen and
clipped it to her belt, adjusted the backpack which she carried over one
shoulder and set off once more. Shhhhhssh...Flare's ears twitched as they
picked up the muffled noise. She paused
in her steady march, ears tilting as they sought its origin. Shhhh...shhhhsshhh...The fox's eyes widened as the
sand beneath her feet suddenly began to bulge upwards and she reflexively leapt
back, handpaw instinctively grasping the pommel of her katana. From within the spot where moments earlier
she had stood, a desert predator burst upwards, sand tumbling from its chitinous
skin, the maniples that surmounted its beetle-like head already snapping
furiously in her direction. With
surprising speed, it boiled forth from its burrow, chest-height stubby
worm-like body propelled forth by a battery of pumping legs, catching Flare by
surprise. She hastily backed away,
letting out a panicked curse as she lost her footing and stumbled. Only unconscious instinct and muscle-memory
saved her from greater injury as the creature lunged at her and she twisted at
the last second. She winced as the
flanks of its head smashed into her side, driving the wind from her lungs and
snagging and tearing into her long-jacket on its leftmost maniple. She landed heavily; gasping in a mixture of
fright and pain as it dragged her along in its wake. Flare wriggled frantically, fighting to
dislodge herself and remove the jacket that threatened to render her easy prey
for the worm. With a triumphant cry she
broke free and scrambled to her feet, fur and tail puffed out in an aggressive
display as adrenaline surged through her veins.
With a metallic ching she drew
her katana; its keen blade catching the light as the fox assumed a battle
posture, muscles tensing as she readied herself to dodge another incoming
attack. As the worm halted its charge
and wheeled to face her again, she raised the katana and pointed its tip in the
creatures' direction, lips drawing back in a snarl as she shouted a challenge,
ignoring the throbbing pain and warmth spreading through her bruised side. "C'mon, bring it on, worm!"An inhuman screech rewarded her
bravado, and again it surged forward, eager to devour its prey. This time, Flare was ready. The vulpine explorer spread her booted feet
as if to meet its charge head on, drawing it in closer, and closer. She wrinkled her nose as its reeking stench
assaulted her senses as the predator bore down upon her, its insect-like
features unlovely and alien to her eyes.
It lunged for her, razor-sharp maniples snapping eagerly and Flare leapt
aside as the moment she had awaited arrived, pivoting in the air as she brought
her katana down, muscles taut as she gripped it tightly in a double-handed
hold. The deadly-sharp killing edge
smashed and tore through the lightly armoured chitin of its upper braincase,
and the mortally wounded insect screeched in sudden panic, oily black blood
bubbling up through the mangled remains of its skull. Flare snarled defiantly as she fought to
keep her grip as the dying predator dragged and desperately tried to snap at
her, booted feet scrabbling for purchase on the desert floor and she used every
thrashing motion to drive and saw at the mortal wound with her blade. With a final bubbling, mournful wail as the
killing edge ripped through its diminutive brain, the predator fell silent and
collapsed to the ground in a plume of erupting sand. Silence, as deafening as the cries of the
insect, suddenly fell upon the bloody scene.
Flare had released her grip and lay prone against the desert floor,
chest heaving as she fought to control her wildly beating heart and catch her
breath. She suddenly grinned; a fierce,
triumphant smile and she howled her jubilation at having survived another
encounter with death. It was over. Night had fallen in the
desert. Overhead, the silvery moon,
Luna, waxed full, bathing Flare in its pale, white light, as she sat before her
campfire. The fire burned merrily; the
dry kindling from her backpack had taken easily as the fox had worked her
lighter to ignite it. Needle and thread
were now the fox's weapons, as she worked to repair the ragged tears in her
jacket, pawfingers deftly sewing and stitching patches where required. Roasting upon skewers above her fire were prepared
slivers of the flesh of the insect she had slain. The meat of the predator had proven to be
both edible and somewhat tasty, and choice cuts would supplement her remaining
trail rations. Her katana lay within
easy reach, and true to its name, its killing edge had remained unblemished and
keen as she had tugged it free from its deadly embrace and critically examined
it. TrueSteel was a rare commodity upon
Nova Terra, and weapons forged from the material were prized beyond measure for
their durability. Her work completed, Flare
carefully stowed her sewing kit and lay back across the blanket she had thrown
down, stretching out her legs as she reclined and stared up at the
star-speckled sky. A contented sigh left
the fox's lips as she arched her back, working out the tension that had built
up in her shoulder muscles, and easing the pain in her side. Her nostrils flared as the clear scent of the
desert, mixed with the sweet aroma of the cooking meat, tugged at her senses,
revitalising the weary wanderer. There
was an exotic beauty to the desert; unlike many who clung to the familiar
safety of the Trade Cities and bustling numbers, Flare did not fear or despise
it. She had learned to appreciate the
natural beauty that Nova Terra had to offer.
A sardonic smile tugged up at the corner of her mouth as rolled over
onto her front, turning to a hiss of indrawn breath and a wince as her bruised
ribs pinched and twinged uncomfortably from the glancing blow that the insect
now providing her dinner had inflicted upon her. Pushing thoughts of the battle from her mind,
Flare fluffed out her tail to swish lazily back and forth, as she let her mind
wander, staring out at the desert landscape that stretched out for many miles
ahead of her.Now, if only its inhabitants didn't occasionally try to kill me...Flare set off again the next
morning at first light, leaving the corpse of the monstrous insect far behind
to the sands and desert scavengers. Her
pace was slow and steady, hampered by her discomfort, but she also more wary
now, ever watchful for another surprise attack by the predator's brethren. Her remaining journey proved though to be
uneventful, and late on the third day, upon catching sight of the sprawling
walls and the singularly towering bulk of Oasis City' s Central Tower, brought
a smile to the lips of the weary, travel-stained fox. Home. "Ho, Flare!"Keeinar's amplified shout greeted
her as she approached the central Southern gate. High up on the sandstone wall that formed
Oasis City's primary defence against the depreciations of bandits and the
rampaging swarms of Tungan Worms that seasonally assaulted the city, a
grey-furred wolf guard waved down at her, clutching a megaphone in one
handpaw. With a weary grin, Flare cupped
her hands and returned the greeting as loud as she could."Ho, Keeinar! Open up!" "What's the password?"Flare snorted at the
tongue-in-cheek challenge, and yelled back with a good-natured retort. "Your den-mother was a Tungan Worm, and your
sire was a Vrax Bug!""Good enough! Welcome home,
wanderer!"Chuckling at the exchange with
her oldest friend, she adjusted her pack and marched on, as the mechanisms that
opened the settlement southern gate engaged and the solid TrueSteel gate began
to grind upwards. Flare flashed her
friend a quick thumbs up as she marched through the gate and into the bustling
hub of civilisation that was Oasis City.
Almost immediately, an orchestra
of smells and sounds clamoured at her senses, distractingly so after three
weeks of solitude in the desert. A
tree-lined avenue stretched out before her, bustling with activity and bordered
with a multitude of colourful stalls, their owners jostling newly arrived
travellers with their wares. Flare
nodded politely to several as she made her way past, exchanging pleasantries
and smiles with familiar city residents and merchants, taking in the sights,
smells and sounds of her home. Largest
of the Trade Cities, the genesis of what had eventually been christened 'Oasis
City' had arisen in the chaotic years following the Twilight Impact. When the dust had settled, and the sky had
begun to clear and lighten again, the surviving scientists and engineers of Restoration
Project Station Prime had squared their shoulders and begun the long process of
fulfilling their purpose - restoring life to the broken world around them. Linked by buried networks and spottier pulse
radio communication, the sub-stations of the Restoration Project together
weathered the worst of the Twilight Aftermath.
Not all were successful; two had fallen silent, their losses
mourned. The stations became fortresses of civilisation
as the deserts spread across the face of Nova Terra; shining beacons that even
as other survivors struggled to rebuild their own forms of civilisation, would
assume a central focus in the new societies that arose. As
trade and the exchange of knowledge and technology was re-established, a
settlement arose around the Prime Complex, that over the following decades grew
into the largest in the region, the first city of the new age, and as the
terraforming efforts of the Project proved fruitful, truly lived up to its
name. As she walked through the paved
streets towards her destination, she stopped at several of the stalls, handing
over trade chits for choice pieces of fruit with which to sate her growing
appetite. She relished sinking her
teeth into the juicy flesh of the swollen Jumja Pears and Mangoons grown in the
hydroponics gardens that Oasis City was renowned for, wiping juice from her
muzzle carelessly with her sleeve as she devoured the purchases eagerly. After several weeks of dried trail rations and
then insect flesh, the heady, rich flavours of the fruit made her head
swim. She made a mental note to purchase
several more to devour before she left on her next assignment.The sky had darkened to an inky
twilight when Flare reached the Wayrest Pub.
The watering hole, famed for its exotically brewed beers and 'The
Softest Beds This Side of the Kalimaris', was already beginning to fill with a
mix of regular patrons and new arrivals to the city. Flare politely excused herself through the
crowds, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with familiar faces as she sought
her regular place next to the bar. "What'd be, Flare?" The question came from Jinza, the
landlord of the Wayrest, a stout and grim-faced, but kind-hearted rat who had
become rather quite fond of the fox that regularly patronised his establishment,
and caused him no trouble. Wincing as
she sat down and let her tail droop down off the end, Flare flashed him a wan,
tired smile as she spoke. "Just a
Clearwater, thanks.""Comin' right up."Thick worm-like tail swishing
behind him, Jinza waddled off, leaving Flare alone with her thoughts. She was not alone with them for long, as she
twisted in her seat as a handpaw fell on and gripped her shoulder. A flash of irritation at having been
disturbed cooled rapidly as she saw Keeinar's grey-furred face and grin, and
she returned it, as she nodded to the seat next to her. "So, how was the journey to Ho-"
he began without preamble, halting as he saw her wince and clutch her side as
tried to adjust her position upon her stool to something a little more
comfortable, "Ooh, that looks painful!" he commented sympathetically, also
noticing the raggedly patched nature of her signature jacket. "How'd that happen?"Flare shrugged in a dismissive
fashion, as she nodded at Jinza as she returned with her drink and she slid
over a trade chit. "One of the worms tried to take a
bite of me; in the end, I took a bite out of it." She flashed him a predatory
grin, licking her lips theatrically, and Keeinar chuckled at her performance,
and waved a hand towards the barkeep, signalling he wanted the same as
Flare. Jinza returned with moments with
another flagon of the filtered and lightly flavoured water, sliding it across
the bar. Keeinar's deft pawfingers
caught it and with the same smooth dexterity, raised it up in salute to his
friend, lips quirked up in a crooked grin."To your swift recovery and
victory in battle, and the first of many nights that we shall spend celebrating
your return home, for I have missed you dearly."Flare stifled a laugh at his
theatrics, but was inwardly touched by his kind words none-the-less. Shaking her head in an amused fashion, she
gripped her flagon, raised it, flashing him an eager grin, and touched the rim
of her cup to his own."Cheers!"