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Post by Xentus on Jun 29, 2021 14:32:09 GMT -6
Current Quest - #25
> Xentus, accompanied by...
Was.. He overqualified for this job? The leopard was well aware of the trope of cats being rather good at catching mice.. And he wouldn't say he was some kind of exception. If all one could catch when surviving out in the wilderness was mice, then they'd hope to grow very good at cooking them. It took only a gentle mental prod from his companion to snap away from his mind contemplating the flavor of fire-roasted rodent. A sheepish smile spread over the man's muzzle as he glanced over to the glass golem.
{There is work}, Astraea calmly reminded him.
Work, right. He'd come to the farm to help deal with the rodent infestation. The large barn was relatively well-kept, though the open sources of animal feed was the main concern. Where there's food, hungry mouths follow. The plan was to better seal the grain and feed while Astraea hunted down the pesky rodents scurrying about.
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Post by Xentus on Jun 29, 2021 14:40:41 GMT -6
If everything went according to plan, the farmer would have.. Well, most likely only substantially less of a rodent problem. Mice were an inevitability when living the more rural live. After all, there was free food, a warm place to live, and only the threat of stomping hooves to worry about. If methods like pesticides weren't employed, the mice would eventually return. He could only advise the farmer look into more permanent means of maintaining the population - the amount Xentus could help alone on a single day would be minimal. Hopefully his propositions would have some long-lasting effects. The leopard had already scoped out a better place to store the animal feed and began working on patching the nibbled grain bags.
[Remember your lessons, Astraea?], the leopard asked through their mental link, casting a quick glance to his companion. The golem hadn't much combative practice, much less on living targets. Yet there was an air of certainty about the creature. She gave him a quiet affirmative and took aim.
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Post by Xentus on Jun 29, 2021 19:05:54 GMT -6
A pore opened on the golem's body, radiating a prismatic glow. Then without warning, a mirage of color and warped space ejected from the opening - and struck the unsuspecting rodent the creature was aiming for. It barely had time to utter a squeal of pain before falling limp where it stood. Astraea stared at it for a moment, contemplatively. In the end, it was decided that she felt no satisfaction for this.
{Does it hurt to die?}
The question took the leopard aback, making him stumble over the heavy bag of grain he was carrying. Oh.. How did he even answer that? A frown spread across his muzzle before he responded, [Pain ends with death, Astraea. However, those around they who have died may hurt instead]. Perhaps his answer might not apply too well to the rodents which infested the barn, but he was considering more than them. He could only assume they sparked the question in the first place.
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Post by Xentus on Jun 29, 2021 19:20:15 GMT -6
The golem wandered off to cull more mice and contemplate her bonded's words. If he died, would she feel pain? It was a feeling which she hardly understood - felt only once when that twisted ring was thrust into her heart. That time was.. An overwhelming mix of emotions. So sudden and pure that it was nearly traumatic. The golem allowed thoughts to come and go, chaining into a winding mental soup. This must have been what it was like for her bonded. Always thinking, he was.
The skittish squeaking of a scared mouse refocused the creature on the task at hand. Its last sights were of a looming beast and a dazzling, confusing light. Astraea made quick work of the mice she saw as she roamed the barn. Xentus occasionally took a break from tidying up to collect the bodies strewn about, wondering if he'd need to show proof to the farmer of the work they'd done.
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Post by Xentus on Jun 29, 2021 19:29:52 GMT -6
There were... 13 dead mice total so far. Not bad, but not good either. If these were the ones that failed to hide, then there must have been at least ten others per dead that managed to evade detection. Or something about that. The leopard wasn't quite sure how many pesky rodents were actually around. But, if it was enough for the farmer to call for help, there had to be quite a few. The sun was looming low on the horizon, which was a good sign. Mice were crepuscular, and preferred to scurry under the cover of low light. More were sure to come out of hiding now. So, it was time to set the traps. The easiest was a simple tightrope over a bin, with peanut butter as a lure. And for Astraea, he scattered nuts about her patrol path to hopefully give her something to aim at.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 2, 2021 11:16:39 GMT -6
The golem took some time to trail after the man as he set the bait, seeming to consider every peanut's potential to lure a mouse. Not that she had any experience with luring out prey from hiding. But perhaps this would be the time to experiment and learn. {Can I try?}, the golem asked after a moment of deep thought. Her bonded one let out a surprised, gentle hum before turning around and offering her a shelled nut. A smile lifted his lips as he watched the golem take the offering in her serrated head-shell. Astraea gave the man a passing thanks, then went to scope out a spot to bait. The mice would likely try their best to infiltrate the reinforced grain bags, she figured. Their nest had to be somewhere around here too though.. Waiting to see where one pops out from might be worth the time. The golem's pondering lead her to do both - bait near the grain and see where the pest scurried off with it.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 2, 2021 11:35:46 GMT -6
Meanwhile, Xentus finished placing the last of the bait-nuts and stood for a moment to examine his work. It wasn't anything impressive.. And now that his companion had their own plans, he was left to catch and kill mice by his own hand. Not something he was opposed to, though he did wish he had a weapon other than his claws. His eyes scanned the barn, seeking anything remotely weapon-like, and eventually his gaze stopped on a pitchfork. A melee weapon with a bit of reach, great for piercing and prodding. It would have to do. Perhaps it was a little unwieldy, but he felt that he favored it over trying to pounce on any little rodent that went scurrying on by. He kept watch while causally patrolling the baited path, stepping carefully in an attempt to mask his presence. The path took him past the golem, who was now intently staring at a lonesome little peanut next to a sealed bag of grain.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 16, 2021 6:39:00 GMT -6
Curious, curious. He refrained from asking what the golem was up to, and instead opted to stand by and observe. Neither of the bonded pair had much to say - both busy watching and waiting for any potential event to unfold. This would be about when the leopard would loose a curious hum, but he didn't want to break the gentle lull of quiet dusk noise. Bugs and birds both stirred and chirped, and even bats were beginning to add themselves to the mix - as well as the squeaks of barn mice. The golem's patient waiting paid off. The first brave soul finally arrived to inspect the grain bag, finding it out of service. Ah, but lucky for it, there was a bit of food that slipped past the barrier and waited there for it on the floor. The bait was taken, chewed on slightly for a quick flavor inspection, then hoisted off.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 16, 2021 6:45:04 GMT -6
Astraea made her move a short moment after the mouse scampered off, her eye-seed locked onto the trail. The odd creature moved surprisingly swiftly, it's limbs gliding across the ground as it chased in pursuit. Xentus tilted his head in wonderment, trying to decide whether or not he should follow as well. By now he did understand what the golem was up to - she was going to strike the problem at its heart. And as much as he didn't want to interfere, he was spurred on enough by her ingenuity to follow along and lend a hand. The rodent scurried swiftly, yet it was seemingly oblivious to the glassy figure trailing after it. A turn here, squeeze between the wooden beam and the plastic barrel, keep straight, another turn, down a crack and.. Home safe! Or so it seemed for the quiet moments it took the golem to catch up.
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Post by Xentus on Jul 16, 2021 7:04:54 GMT -6
{They nest here}, the golem told the leopard, finally breaking the silence between them. The question now was, what to do about this.. It was tucked away under some rotting wood and likely channeled underground to other nesting sites. There was value in culling as many mice that popped out of the nest as they could when they ventured out. But they could take a more destructive path and force their way in. By the looks of it, Astraea was bent on destruction. Pores opened on her body, exuding that strange 'glassy' element of hers. Xentus, on the other hand, figured he would need to set more traps around here in the meantime.. The golem tensed for a moment, then charged forward with her hard shell, bashing through the weak wood with ease. Mice scattered around her, but to no avail. Their tiny bodies were charged with a power that instantly killed by proximity - a power that warded the leopard away from trying to help directly. The air was filled with the death squeals of rodents and the zaps of element that surged.
The chaos which ensued was far more than what he anticipated.. But effective, he supposed. Dead mice littered the ground, some still twitching. [Impressive, Astraea], he told, giving her a gentle pat once her work was done, [This one will gather these up, then he thinks we'll be finished here]. The farmer would be presented with a batch of dead pests, and they would hopefully have earned their reward. It was quite the venture for one night's worth of work.
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Post by NPC on Aug 1, 2021 19:00:25 GMT -6
Congratulations, you've successfully completed the quest! Your QP will be added to your bank shortly.
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