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Post by Jack on May 2, 2020 21:39:50 GMT -6
A piece of amber clattered to the ground as a buzzing noise filled the air. Something thumped onto the floor in front of the pair, an injured wing making it clack and tick as it writhed in pain.
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Post by Fanged on May 2, 2020 21:50:35 GMT -6
Her attention was dragged out of her silly game by a strange noise. She heard buzzing, like a giant insect was trapped down here with them. But that low buzzing was also accompanied by an oddly rhythmic tic-tic-thunk noise. Phi allowed Fanged to move ahead of her. The woman didn’t think it was out of fear, but rather a deferral of judgement.
“Oh, is that some sort of bird? Or is it a bug? I suppose in the labs it’s likely to be both.”
She didn’t quite know what to do. As the creature came into view, Fanged could tell that it was injured. Injured creatures didn’t tend to be trusting, but this creature might not have a choice. It needed help, that was certainly evident. Fanged wanted to offer her help even if she didn’t know exactly how to convey that message. She crouched down, trying to appear non-threatening. She held out her hand.
“It’s okay sweetie. You shouldn’t try to fly when you’re hurt.” She spoke in soothing tones.
(Phi 15 1/5, 17 1/5)
76
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Post by Jack on May 2, 2020 21:58:10 GMT -6
The large insect stared with multi faceted eyes for a moment before hopping forward, the buzzing sound desperate as it tried to fly. The wing was injured too badly, however, and so it dropped instantly and it clicked unhappily as it tried to make it's way over to the woman to see what could happen. It had no choice but to trust her, if it didn't, it would already be dead.
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Post by Fanged on May 2, 2020 22:08:33 GMT -6
Fanged felt her heart clench as the creature tried to make its way over to her. Phi read the situation well, hanging back like a shadow. She was carefully observing but wouldn’t interfere. It was clear this creature was no threat.
“Poor baby. Here I’ll come to you. Did you hurt this wing flying? Or were you attacked?” Fanged frowned as she thought of the possibilities. If the creature had been attacked, they’d need to be prepared.
She slowly inched herself forward. She didn’t want to frighten the creature, but she also needed to act quickly. If the injury was bad, it would need treatment right away. She didn’t have any experience in veterinary care, but she did know a thing or two about injuries. After all, she had endured many in her lifetime. The creature collapsed against the ground. Its wings seemed especially important for its ability to move. When she reached the creature, she stretched her hand out slowly, testing to see how frightened it was of her.
(Phi 15 2/5, 17 2/5)
77
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Post by Jack on May 2, 2020 22:12:48 GMT -6
It flinched when the hand came too close, but then it leaned forward and sniffed at her before reaching out with a clawed foot and tapping her hand. It then yanked it's foot away and hopped back a step, buzzing again with it's one good wing, though the sound was muted instead of deafening as it usually was. If it had the capacity to whimper, it would, but it had no choice but to trust this woman, and for a moment, all might be well, it just had to jump that last long hurdle and nuzzle up to her, if only she could prove she meant to help.
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Post by Fanged on May 2, 2020 22:22:56 GMT -6
Fanged felt herself relax at the creature’s reaction. It was frightened, but it wasn’t going to lash out at her. Phi had her gaze fixed on the dropped amber stone. For now, she wouldn’t disturb Fanged and the injured being. The creature was nervous. Fanged needed to do something to calm its fears.
“That’s it. Easy there, easy.” She kept her hand held out, even after the creature had hopped back from her.
She inched a slight bit closer, knowing that the creature would need to be the one to fully approach her first. From where she was, she could clearly see the area where the wing was injured. If she could get closer, she’d be able to help support the wing, but that would take a lot of trust. She needed to build that trust first. A way to start would be to reunite the creature with the amber it had dropped. She reached her foot over and nudged the amber closer to the creature, much to Phi’s dismay.
(Phi 15 3/5, 17 3/5)
78
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Post by Jack on May 2, 2020 23:21:15 GMT -6
It stared at the amber and clacked for a moment before nudging it back over to the woman and nuzzling up to her hand a little. This was interesting, but it would have to trust her in order to do better. It buzzed it's bad wing again for a moment before bobbing it's head
[Congratulations, you've tamed the Karzik!]
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Post by Fanged on May 25, 2020 15:47:22 GMT -6
The injured Karzik appeared to finally trust her. There was now a matter of helping it out of the mines and getting it some medical attention. She held the Karzik securely in her arms, grateful that she hadn’t found a heavier creature. Phi moved closer now. The Karzik regarded her warily, but it was ultimately fine with her presence. It would be up to her and Phi to lead them out of here. Fanged didn’t exactly know where the exit was, so she would need to retrace her steps. She had a vague idea of where they had been, but one could never be too certain about these things.
She was forced to move slowly, not wanting to jostle the Karzik too much by moving quickly. Phi glanced at the creature with a look of concern. She settled after a moment, recognizing that the injured creature would be no threat to them.
(Phi 15 4/5, 17 4/5)
79
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Post by Fanged on May 25, 2020 23:08:59 GMT -6
They walked for a long while. Almost long enough that Fanged thought that they had lost their way. Phi walked confidently and as they walked past various land markings that she recognized, Fanged felt her confidence grow as well. The Karzik had fallen asleep in her arms. The fact that she was trusted so much made her feel a slight bit better about the situation. Now she was certain that she’d be able to help this injured creature.
“I promise that I’ll keep you safe.” She told the strange creature.
Fanged hadn’t expected to find any creatures down in the mines, but she was glad that she had. The walk back was tense, but Phi helped keep Fanged calm. Usually, the woman was pretty good with dealing with emergencies. But the added danger of the mines had her more on edge than usual. Before long, they had finally reached the exit and could return home.
(Phi 16, 18)
80
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Post by Fiera Ferella on May 26, 2020 9:31:41 GMT -6
You managed to find one extra gem on your way out!
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Post by Fanged on Jun 1, 2020 18:37:07 GMT -6
Harper had taken a while to fully recover. Fanged had taken the Karzik back to her kennel where the creature had been able to rest. As her injury healed, the creature had shown no signs of wanting to ever leave her side. However, with her injury no longer being an issue, the Karzik had wanted to return to the mines, at least for a daytrip. Without question, she hadn’t wanted to leave Fanged so the woman had decided to make an expedition of it. “I hope I’m not pressuring you to stay with me.” She muttered to herself. She still felt a bit bad removing the creature from its natural home, but she seemed fine with it. Fanged wouldn’t get mad if she wanted to return, however. They hadn’t exactly known each other a long time. The woman had simply done a good deed. “I’ll let you pick the direction we head in.” (Harper 0 1/5, 0 1/5) 1
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Post by Fanged on Jun 1, 2020 20:33:59 GMT -6
Today, the mines felt almost darker than usual. At first thought, Fanged thought she had forgotten something. However, she soon realized that Phi and her natural bioluminescence were missing from the equation. She grabbed her flashlight, fumbling to switch it on and grant both her and Harper with its bright light. She nodded to Harper and the creature took the lead, heading to the left of the entrance. It was a bit strange to watch the Karzik hop along the passage. She was quite different than the graceful Phi, tending to make her movements purposeful and oddly rhythmic.
“I guess you won’t mind mud as much as Phi. Maybe that will make things go a little faster. They entered down a side tunnel, one that Fanged likely would have missed if she had been alone. It wasn’t that it was small, it had simply been hidden in the wall. It required a careful eye to see.
(Harper 0 2/5, 0 2/5)
2
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Post by Fanged on Jun 1, 2020 20:40:10 GMT -6
Fanged held the flashlight steady as they navigated through the smaller tunnel. She wasn’t sure how well Harper was at navigating, but she knew she needed to extra light for her own peace of mind. There was no chance of being ambushed if she could see her attackers first. Not that she expected there to be anyone nefarious down here. She kept the flashlight angled downwards, lighting up the path by their feet. If there were any gems to find she was sure to spot them! Harper stopped suddenly.
“Did you find something?” Fanged asked with a hint of worry laced in her tone.
On closer inspection, the Karzik was busy rearranging a group of rocks. She presumed that her companion was checking for gems, but the whole ordeal appeared a little ritualistic. Perhaps there was an extra purpose here? She watched in fascination until Harper had deemed the rocks adequately arranged.
(Harper 0 3/5, 0 3/5)
3
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Post by Fanged on Jun 1, 2020 21:02:09 GMT -6
Harper looked up expectantly at her. After a few moments of confusion, Fanged decided to grab her shovel. Did Harper need help with something? The shovel seemed like the most useful tool to use at the moment. She began to dig a hole next to the strange pile of rocks. Fanged wasn’t quite sure what she was meant to be doing, but the Karzik seemed pleased with her efforts. Harper jumped back, snatching up a small twig and placing it on top of the rock pile. A strange action, but Fanged didn’t feel like it was her place to question it.
“If whatever this is brings us good luck, well then I certainly won’t complain.” She commented.
She stuck the shovel back into the dirt, digging until she had a fairly sizable hole within the ground. The movement was repetitive and she tried to keep herself from pushing too hard in order to conserve her energy.
(Harper 0 4/5, 0 4/5)
4
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Post by Fanged on Jun 1, 2020 21:11:21 GMT -6
As Fanged grew more confident in her movements, her work began to automatically go faster. She still kept herself from exerting too much energy, but her motions were much more efficient. Harper watched with an intent gaze. The creature could be a little odd, but she found that Harper’s odd quirks were becoming endearing to her.
“We’ll keep going for a little while longer, but if there’s nothing here we’ll have to move on.” She told the Karzik.
Fanged didn’t mind menial work too much. It gave her a chance to think and, in this case, it gave her a chance to make a plan. The mines were vast and she wanted to see as much of them as she could. Of course, Harper had disrupted her last journey with her unfortunate injury. Fanged didn’t blame her. It gave her a chance to make a new friend and if the opportunity presented itself again, Fanged would be happy to make another.
(Harper 1, 1)
5
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