M.J. Saulnier
Semi-Retired User
High dunes crawled across the horizon as Ana and her company navigated the desert following Juakeem's lead. The sun was now below the horizon, leaving a rich glow of red, orange and purple. It lingered in the western sky behind them. Ahead, the aura from the lights of Odessa had become brighter in the night sky.
Juakeem's pace drew to a stop as he saw a massive tread in the sand. The distinct, wide, shallow trench accompanied by small, circular tracks on either side. He drew a long, wide scimitar from Shae'elle's saddle. Stryker pulled a small sub machine gun from Boko's saddle bags. "You're full of surprises, Juakeem," he said nervously, unaware of what was afoot, only that something was afoot.
"What's the plan, buddy?" he asked, scanning the sands wearily. He hated the desert. It was a deadly, unpredictable place full of dangerous things both known and unknown to him.
"These tracks were made by an emperor scorpion. A very large, efficient predator," Juakeem explained calmly. "If we are lucky, we can reach our destination without encountering it."
"Luck hasn't exactly been on our side," Stryker mumbled, handing Ana a pistol. "Take this. Any sign of trouble, just point and shoot."
"I can't use a gun!" Ana explained nervously.
"You have to learn how to defend yourself, Ana."
"I won't use it, Stryker. Violence is never the answer."
"So you'd die sooner than protect yourself?" She didn't answer. "This should be fun," he uttered under his breath. He didn't know it, but she heard him, and it hurt her.
"It would be best to keep moving. So long as we stay within the tracks, we should be fine," Juakeem said as he set Shae'elle moving again. The group slowly followed the track, weapons at the ready.
"The emperor scorpion seeks its prey by submerging itself in the sand. As prey passes by, the emperor senses the movement above and strikes at the opportune moment," Juakeem explained intensely.
"So, where the tracks end, the thing is probably buried?" Stryker asked.
"Indeed."
"What do we do when we find it?" Ana asked.
"Everything we can to avoid it," Stryker answered in deep thought, ever vigilant.
"Why can't we just circle around?" Ana asked with a growing fear and anxiety. "We're going straight for it!"
"The emperor could be anywhere. Right now we are safe," Juakeem explained. "If it has dug deep enough, it could have changed it's position from beneath the sand."
They followed the tracks for a short while before they came to a stop, fading out. A disturbance in the sand beyond the trail was visible.
"I'm afraid we have no choice," Juakeem said gravely.
"What does that mean?" Stryker asked with uncertainty.
Juakeem removed a water skin from Shae'elle's saddle bags, giving it a few quick tosses in the palm of his right hand before heaving it toward the disturbance in the sand. As it landed in the sand, rolling several times before coming to a stop, a massive black scorpion erupted from beneath the sand. Its tail came first, extending high for only a moment before lashing downward, puncturing the water skin with blinding speed and deadly precision. The body followed, popping out of the sand as the grains poured off its durable exoskeleton. Its claws were menacing, capable of cutting a chocobo in half with ease. It shifted its focus to the chocobos and their riders as it realized it had been cheated out of a good meal. It prepared it's lethal tail for another strike, snapping it's powerful claws several times.
Juakeem and Shae'elle wasted no time in pursuing the ominous creature. She charged forward with valiant resolve, pushing the limits of her land speed, lowering her head as she gained quarter on the emperor scorpion's right side.
Boko also sprung into action. This was his moment to prove his worth in battle, and he would not let it pass him by. He lowered his head, rushing forward as fast as his stubby legs could carry him with two passengers aboard.
"Oh shit!" Stryker shouted as Boko's momentum startled him, forcing him to tighten his grip on the reigns, and apply more pressure around Boko's torso using his legs. "Hang on, Ana!"
Ana held Stryker as tight as she could, closing her eyes.
Shae'elle and Juakeem had gained quarter on the scorpion, who welcomed their advancement openly. It cocked its tail back, swinging its right claw toward Shae'elle legs so as to cut them clean off and leave her defenceless.
She jumped in the air with all her might and a single flap of her wings, narrowly avoiding the path of its claw. As she tucked her wings back in to her body, Juakeem raised his scimitar, and with a vertical slice, cut the right claw off at the joint.
At the same time, it struck with its tail. Stryker took careful aim as Boko came in behind Shae'lle. He squeezed the trigger, and round after round cut through the hard armour of its tail just below the stinger. It disrupted the scorpions aim enough to miss Shae'elle all together.
She landed hard in the sand, merging into a full sprint. She ran past the scorpion's right side, arcing wide to circle around.
The scorpion staggered to its right, keeping an eye on Shae'elle's movements.
Boko had broken off to the left, allowing Stryker to take aim yet again, pumping more rounds into the body this time.
With one claw in working order and a severely damaged tail, it was now in desperation mode. It brandished its claw, lashing its tail frantically. But all the posturing wouldn't stop Shae'elle, who again charged the scorpion, lunging high in the air to the right. The tail positioned for a desperate, savage strike, but Juakeem severed it with one precise swing of his scimitar. The stinger soared over his right shoulder and into the sand.
Boko came around its left side, getting close enough to grab its rear left leg in his beak. He yanked with all his might. It wasn't very effective, but threw the scorpion's footing off, forcing him to turn around (a slow, clumsy creature on its feet), when Stryker let off a small burst from his SMG directly between the eyes.
The scorpion's entire body went limp, its tail flopping over its body. It collapsed lifeless into the sand from which it had came.
"Well done, my comrades!" Juakeem shouted cheerfully.
Ana opened her eyes slowly. "Is it dead?"
"Indeed, Ana," Juakeem answered her as he and Shae'elle approached the remains. "You have the heart of a warrior, Boko!"
"Wark!" Boko cried out with pride.
"Wark!" Shae'elle joined him, hovering over the fallen emperor scorpion.
Juakeem's pace drew to a stop as he saw a massive tread in the sand. The distinct, wide, shallow trench accompanied by small, circular tracks on either side. He drew a long, wide scimitar from Shae'elle's saddle. Stryker pulled a small sub machine gun from Boko's saddle bags. "You're full of surprises, Juakeem," he said nervously, unaware of what was afoot, only that something was afoot.
"What's the plan, buddy?" he asked, scanning the sands wearily. He hated the desert. It was a deadly, unpredictable place full of dangerous things both known and unknown to him.
"These tracks were made by an emperor scorpion. A very large, efficient predator," Juakeem explained calmly. "If we are lucky, we can reach our destination without encountering it."
"Luck hasn't exactly been on our side," Stryker mumbled, handing Ana a pistol. "Take this. Any sign of trouble, just point and shoot."
"I can't use a gun!" Ana explained nervously.
"You have to learn how to defend yourself, Ana."
"I won't use it, Stryker. Violence is never the answer."
"So you'd die sooner than protect yourself?" She didn't answer. "This should be fun," he uttered under his breath. He didn't know it, but she heard him, and it hurt her.
"It would be best to keep moving. So long as we stay within the tracks, we should be fine," Juakeem said as he set Shae'elle moving again. The group slowly followed the track, weapons at the ready.
"The emperor scorpion seeks its prey by submerging itself in the sand. As prey passes by, the emperor senses the movement above and strikes at the opportune moment," Juakeem explained intensely.
"So, where the tracks end, the thing is probably buried?" Stryker asked.
"Indeed."
"What do we do when we find it?" Ana asked.
"Everything we can to avoid it," Stryker answered in deep thought, ever vigilant.
"Why can't we just circle around?" Ana asked with a growing fear and anxiety. "We're going straight for it!"
"The emperor could be anywhere. Right now we are safe," Juakeem explained. "If it has dug deep enough, it could have changed it's position from beneath the sand."
They followed the tracks for a short while before they came to a stop, fading out. A disturbance in the sand beyond the trail was visible.
"I'm afraid we have no choice," Juakeem said gravely.
"What does that mean?" Stryker asked with uncertainty.
Juakeem removed a water skin from Shae'elle's saddle bags, giving it a few quick tosses in the palm of his right hand before heaving it toward the disturbance in the sand. As it landed in the sand, rolling several times before coming to a stop, a massive black scorpion erupted from beneath the sand. Its tail came first, extending high for only a moment before lashing downward, puncturing the water skin with blinding speed and deadly precision. The body followed, popping out of the sand as the grains poured off its durable exoskeleton. Its claws were menacing, capable of cutting a chocobo in half with ease. It shifted its focus to the chocobos and their riders as it realized it had been cheated out of a good meal. It prepared it's lethal tail for another strike, snapping it's powerful claws several times.
Juakeem and Shae'elle wasted no time in pursuing the ominous creature. She charged forward with valiant resolve, pushing the limits of her land speed, lowering her head as she gained quarter on the emperor scorpion's right side.
Boko also sprung into action. This was his moment to prove his worth in battle, and he would not let it pass him by. He lowered his head, rushing forward as fast as his stubby legs could carry him with two passengers aboard.
"Oh shit!" Stryker shouted as Boko's momentum startled him, forcing him to tighten his grip on the reigns, and apply more pressure around Boko's torso using his legs. "Hang on, Ana!"
Ana held Stryker as tight as she could, closing her eyes.
Shae'elle and Juakeem had gained quarter on the scorpion, who welcomed their advancement openly. It cocked its tail back, swinging its right claw toward Shae'elle legs so as to cut them clean off and leave her defenceless.
She jumped in the air with all her might and a single flap of her wings, narrowly avoiding the path of its claw. As she tucked her wings back in to her body, Juakeem raised his scimitar, and with a vertical slice, cut the right claw off at the joint.
At the same time, it struck with its tail. Stryker took careful aim as Boko came in behind Shae'lle. He squeezed the trigger, and round after round cut through the hard armour of its tail just below the stinger. It disrupted the scorpions aim enough to miss Shae'elle all together.
She landed hard in the sand, merging into a full sprint. She ran past the scorpion's right side, arcing wide to circle around.
The scorpion staggered to its right, keeping an eye on Shae'elle's movements.
Boko had broken off to the left, allowing Stryker to take aim yet again, pumping more rounds into the body this time.
With one claw in working order and a severely damaged tail, it was now in desperation mode. It brandished its claw, lashing its tail frantically. But all the posturing wouldn't stop Shae'elle, who again charged the scorpion, lunging high in the air to the right. The tail positioned for a desperate, savage strike, but Juakeem severed it with one precise swing of his scimitar. The stinger soared over his right shoulder and into the sand.
Boko came around its left side, getting close enough to grab its rear left leg in his beak. He yanked with all his might. It wasn't very effective, but threw the scorpion's footing off, forcing him to turn around (a slow, clumsy creature on its feet), when Stryker let off a small burst from his SMG directly between the eyes.
The scorpion's entire body went limp, its tail flopping over its body. It collapsed lifeless into the sand from which it had came.
"Well done, my comrades!" Juakeem shouted cheerfully.
Ana opened her eyes slowly. "Is it dead?"
"Indeed, Ana," Juakeem answered her as he and Shae'elle approached the remains. "You have the heart of a warrior, Boko!"
"Wark!" Boko cried out with pride.
"Wark!" Shae'elle joined him, hovering over the fallen emperor scorpion.
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