It didn't take long for Beist to give in to the desert heat and down one of his transmutation tonics to change into a much less fuzzy form. If he stayed the giant, far too insulated to have any business surviving the desert beast man he usually was, he would have collapsed from heat stroke long ago. His companions were so lucky to be able to just hide away from the scorching sands and blazing sunlight in their cozy pocket dimension, but Beist couldn't. The only one who didn't mind the heat was Calzone, but he was also in his pocket dimension taking a nap after running around in the sand so much. Even Dora had left him alone to pull his own wagon.

Now, a fifteen and a half feett tall, greenish blue Draconyhn with a dark grey beard and mustache, green eyes, pointed quills down the length of his spine, a second pair of arms, and a long, and serpentine tail with splotches of white down its length tipped with a bouquet of gold colored feathers was walking through the desert, a veiled sunhat protecting his eyes from the sun and sand while he pulled an large, wooden wagon behind him.

This wasn't the first time he'd resorted to the tonic to survive a trek through the desert, though the last time had had some unwanted side effects. Namely, it had somehow made him grow even taller, which hadn't gone away once the tonic wore off. At least that didn't happen this time.

"Hmm. It should be about here... Did I take a wrong turn at that cactus? Maybe it was the wrong cactus..." Beist muttered to himself as he double checked the map he was following. Not that a map helped much in a huge, featureless stretch of white sand.

Was he lost? There was supposed to be an oasis around here with a unique specimen of cactus, but he didn't see anything except sand dunes. Maybe he should have hired a guide. It would be quite unexpected to run into anyone else out here in this big, empty desert by chance.

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Surprises in the Sand
Participants: Two or more
Location: Zeinav
Post Requirements: 6 posts per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Renown, Choice of 2 Common crafting materials

Description: The increase in seismic activity over the last year has caused all kinds of subterranean creatures to stir, increasing both sightings and attacks by monsters from beneath. One such creature is the wild Kruthik, which bores beneath the surface of the sands, pouncing on their prey and pulling them below to die. Travelers through the desert are being warned to be cautious and stay on the look out. However, they have gotten the best of you and your traveling party. Instead of a helpless civilian, it is you they have set their eyes on, and while traveling through Zeinav, you find yourself ambushed by the sand dwelling tunnelers. Take care of the threat before they can drag you down below.

---

Bringing Pets:
Griffon (Sleigh Bell) in pet pocket
Woolful (Stables) in space pocket
Light Elemental (My Best Friend) in space pocket
Lightning Elemental in space pocket
Obsidian Wyrm in pet pocket

Beist's Transmutation Tonic- Draconyhn
-Frozen Solid
-Drake Gland (ice)

The blistering heat of the White Sand Sea makes for one of the most inhospitable places in all of Charon. Why anyone would traverse these arid lands time and time again is a mystery to most sensible folks in the rest of the world. Zeinavians, on the other hand, are just built differently. 

"Gods. It is sweltering," huffs Eameia from beneath the shade created by a drake acting as a tent. 

Or not. 

The fellblood and the teenage drake rider she's traveling with have gotten themselves stopped during the heat of the day due to the drake's exhaustion. They've been traveling for days and are eager to return home, but crossing Zeinav Desert even on the back of a drake is not a single day's journey. To stand a chance at survival in the harsh conditions, they've had to stop and rest during the peak hours of the day, burying Indra the drake under the sand as much as possible to avoid her getting overheated and wait for the coolness of night. 

Of course, there's only so much that can be done to keep cool in the middle of the rolling dunes. At the very least they've managed to avoid running into any bandits or troublesome wildlife.

For now. 

Shael, the drake rider, sits atop her sand-blanketed drake, keeping watch for any signs of trouble approaching. Chances of them running into anyone else out here is slim to none, but its when you least expect it that disaster comes knocking. They couldn't afford to not be careful. 

The teenager huffs and wipes the sweat from her brow before fixing the shawl wrapped around her face and head to protect her skin from being burned. As she pulls her hand back, she spots something out of place crest a nearby dune and start to approach their location. At first she thinks it might just be a trick of the light, the heatwaves causing plenty of mirages too fool anyone desperate for a source of fresh water, but then she realizes it's getting closer. 

She squints into the sunlight, remaining still and quiet in case she hasn't been noticed yet at her slight vantage point. Then she furrows her brow when she sees a large individual hand-pulling a large cart. 

That's...odd. Usually people use mounts to pull their wagons, especially across these lands. 

Standing up, she dusts the sand from her pants and then raises a hand into the air and waves. 

"Hold up there, fella!"

She slides down the side of the buried drake, and it's not long after she starts approaching Beist that the drake begins to rise from the sand. The large silver drake emerges from under the dune and shakes loose a shower of sand as she stands to her full height. Eameia, who was hiding beneath the drake's wing, also emerges from the shadows beneath the large creature.

Shael imposes herself between Beist's wagon and the drake, eyeing him up and down suspiciously. "You lose your mount?"

Eameia keeps her distance but does try to get a better look at who Shael is speaking with. After a moment, she jogs up to join Shael. 

"Mister Beistmild!" Eameia exclaims, only barely recognizing the man. She pulls a veil away from her face, hoping he'll recognize her by her ebon-skinned and glossy golden eyes despite all the flowy layers of travel garb she's wearing. There's a look of genuine surprise on her face. She was not expecting to see someone she recognizes out in the middle of nowhere. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

---

Bringing NPCs
Shael and Indra (warlord)

Beist was surprised to see he wasn't alone out in the sands. As he crested a dune, two figures came into view ahead of him, both tucked underneath some cave in the sand, staying out of the sun. It was apparent that they had also quickly noticed him, and he was almost immediately confronted by one of them who rushed forward to hold a hand out and call for him to stop. He stood still as requested, his wagon coming to a stop behind him.

He took a few moments to watch what he had thought was some sand-covered rocky cave was actually the wing of a drake covered in the desert sands. He almost forgot he was in the middle of being interrogated as he appreciated the majestic creature. He cleared his throat as he forced his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Ehem, lost my mount?" Beist repeated, before looking back over his shoulder at his wagon, his lower pair of hands clutching the yoke at the front of it. "Oh! Oh, no! Actually, she just couldn't take this heat anymore, so I put her away so she could rest and cool off." He replied with a smile, finding the misunderstanding a bit humorous. He supposed it was a bit odd for him to be pulling his own wagon, but he could handle it. There were some advantages to being so large sometimes.

His ears perked up as he heard his name called out to him by a familiar voice, and he looked past the elven woman who had questioned him to see a grey-skinned Fellblood. He used one hand to part the veil slightly covering his face and gave a cheerful smile.

"Oh! Eameia! You are the real Eameia, and not an illusion again, right? I could ask you the same thing. I wasn't expecting to see anyone out here in the sands. I was just searching for a rare cactus that was supposed to be around here, but it's quite difficult to navigate without any landmarks to go by..." He said, holding up his map and shrugging.

Shael raises her eyebrow. "You put your mount away?" Was this guy seriously insinuating that he put his horse or whatever in the back of the wagon and was pulling it along single-handedly? Sure the guy was big but was he really strong enough to haul a creature powerful enough to haul that heavy wagon?

She doesn't really get a chance to get an answer before Eameia and Beist strike up a conversation. 

Oh. They know each other...okay.

Shael shrugs, weirder things have happened.

Eameia smiles and chuckles. “Yes, I am not an illusion this time. We were just making our way back to the Ash Lands after being away for some business.”

She doesn't think to give Beist more details unless prompted, and even then, she's sure that the man is not someone who was necessarily in on her brother's more illicit activities. Beist at least is trusted on a surface level, but it's probably best to keep their alliance merely that. 

“Hm, we have not come across any cacti nearby. Perhaps you will have better luck closer to the oasis or the coast?”

It's the best suggestion she can come up with given there isn't much stable ground anywhere nearby for something to even try to take root. The shifting sands do not lend themselves well to holding any moisture or ensuring plants aren't blown away in the winds.

That said, local Zeinavian flora is not exactly her strong suit to begin with. Her mother would likely know better. The one book she knows of in their family's collection that would have been useful as a reference in this situation was given to Kvasir by her brother quite a while ago. Not that she would be carrying such a thing while traveling by drake-back. 

"We would not mind helping you in your endeavors. Perhaps we could have Indra pull your wagon for a bit."

"Wait a minute," Shael interjects. "Indra's a racing drake, she doesn't pull wagons." 

"Do you suggest we spend an hour in the sun shoveling sand again?"

The drake rider huffs and looks at the storm drake. Overall, the drake doesn't look too bothered by the heat for the time being. They probably could make some good distance, maybe even find some other shade somewhere. 

"Fine. What you say, big guy?" Shael asks Beist, her body language a lot less confrontational than before. "Name's Shael, by the way." 

Beist didn't have any reason to question what kind of business Eameia might have been away for. He knew very little about Zarius or his family, and that certainly didn't include anything incriminating. The deepest aspect of their relationship was that Zarius owed Beist for restoring his arm, though Beist never tried to collect that debt.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet in person." Beist chuckled, offering Eameia a hand to shake that was big enough to completely envelop hers. The usually furry mitt was now a clawed reptilian hand, matching the rest of his scaley, draconic appearance.

Beist looked at the map one last time before rolling it up and slipping it into a large pouch at his waist.

"I think I've gotten rather lost. I might not even be anywhere on this map anymore. No, I think the best thing to do now would be to reorient myself by going somewhere familiar. Would you mind me tagging along with you back to the Ash Lands?" He asked hopefully. He might be fine just going straight north until he reached there alone, but travelling with some company would be much more preferrable.

Beist looked toward the drake and listened to Eameia and the Elven woman's back and forth, thinking over the proposal.

"A pleasure to meet you, Shael, and Indra. My name is Beistmild, but please call me Beist." He introduced himself, also offering a hand to Shael in greeting.

"Well, if Indra doesn't mind it, I wouldn't say no. It is a bit heavy though. Will they be alright? I can just keep pulling it myself." Beist said, not sure if it was a good or bad idea.

Hauling the wagon was tiring him out. He was strong, but he wasn't built for pulling a wagon continuously like something on four legs was. The drake also wasn't exactly built for it though, but he could use a break at least. He regretted bringing the wagon along. Wheels and sand didn't mix well.

"If you're going to help me, I should at least offer something in exchange. I can give you some food and water, and you can at least use my wagon for shade." Beist offered, motioning a hand toward the side of the wagon that was casting a decently wide shadow across the sand.

Eameia smiles. Though she doesn’t know a whole lot about Beist, she can tell he’s a good soul. It’s refreshing compared to all the scumbags and liars she’s used to being surrounded by back in Darkveil.

“We do not mind at all.”

Shael makes a bit of a face at that, but doesn’t argue. It’s not like having Beist tag along would slow them down any, but more than that she holds her tongue because of the look on Eameia’s face. It’s been a long time since she’s seen what she’s pretty sure is a genuine smile on ANYONE’s face, especially the fellblood’s. This past year has been a pain in the neck all thanks to one dumb idiot going and getting himself killed. Just one more reason for the elf to resent him.

Shael nods in response to Beist’s introduction then shuffles off through the sand to start hooking Indra’s harness up to the pull straps of Beist’s wagon. The drake obeys her gestures and orders but does flare her nostrils at the cart, scenting all sorts of new unfamiliar smells from it.

“She’ll be okay,” the teenager assures Beist since he voices concern about the wagon’s weight. “She’s gotten stronger from carrying more people in the past year.”

It’s true that since she was essentially kidnapped by Zarius and Caedes after that mess of a rigged race that the drake has had to carry many folks all across Charon. The racing drake didn’t struggle too much due to her size, but it did take a while for her to adjust her balance to compensate for the different weights.

Eameia waves her hand a bit. “Ah, no need to offer us food or water. We have our own. The shade is appreciated though.”

“I’ll take some food,” Shael chimes in.

The fellblood shoots her a bit of a side-eye, but Shael doesn’t care. The whole paranoia about food and drink is stupid in her opinion, but so were a lot of the overly wary behaviors Eameia’s whole family practices regularly. How these people save face while in the presence of normal people is beyond the elf’s understanding.

Once Indra is hooked up, Eameia and Shael walk alongside the wagon on the shaded side while the drake pulls the wagon forward through the sand.

“I think it would be best to head closer towards the coast,” Eameia suggests while pulling out a map of her own to show Beist. “If we can get onto some more solid footing then travel will be easier.”

“More likely to run into others though,” Shael points out.

“That is alright. We are less likely to be bothered as a larger group.”

The elf scoffs. “A single wagon is a real tempting target for bandits if you ask me.”

“Yes, but one being pulled by a drake might make them more wary.”

“I think you expect way too much rational thought from people desperate for supplies. People don’t think about those kinds of things when they’re staring death in the face.”

Eameia falls silent for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Aaaaaaah, shit, Shael thinks. The fellblood is probably all up in her head again now. The elf looks to Beist. “Hey, big guy. Tell us more about this weird cactus you’re looking for.”

Beist was happy to have some company he could talk to as he travelled now, and a more solid destination ahead. It was reassuring to just not be alone out in the desert.

When Beist offered up some food and water as thanks for letting him join them, he wasn't expecting the offer to be simultaneously rejected and then taken up so immediately. He thought they might share a meal during a break from their walking or when they grew hungry, but he didn't mind. He assumed Eameia was just trying to be polite by refusing his offer to share his resources, and Shael was just hungry already.

"Alright, just a moment. Let me see... The sand might make this a little more difficult than usual." Beist mumbled to himself as he looked out at the sand and held a hand up with a look of concentration. He usually summoned food out of soil that had plenty of water and nutrients in it, but this was magic, so it should be fine, right? Even if it looked like he was growing plants in an instant, he was really using his own magic to fuel that and not the ground. Probably.

Some sand a few feet away began to shift as green, spherical shapes popped up out of them. What looked like cacti with shorter spines than usual, with wide round bodies that almost made them resemble circular pillows. Once they reached the size of a wagon wheel, they began to sprout a variety of different colored cactus flowers on top of them that swiftly lost their petals as the centers began to expand into fruits of different kinds. Unexpected fruits to be coming from a cactus. Oranges, apples, peaches, and what looked to be fist-sized strawberries and raspberries.

Beist stepped forward and began to pluck all of the fruits with his upper pair of arms, gathering them into his lower pair of arms until he had grabbed all of them. He then went to the back of his wagon and opened the doors to grab some baskets to unload all the fruits into.

"I hope you like fruit. Have whatever you'd like." Beist said as he offered one of the baskets to Shael, the basket filled with a few of everything. "If you'd like some too, just let me know. I'll keep the rest in the wagon." Beist told Eameia reassuringly. He hoped she would have some later and not feel like she was being impolite now that she'd seen he can conjure food up. She wouldn't be causing him any problems by taking some of his food.

Beist had a few fruits himself while they were fresh and they hadn't started walking yet. He tossed a whole orange in his mouth without even peeling it. It tasted just as he'd hoped. It looked like none of the flavors had been affected by growing from a cactus instead of their usual plants. He was glad for that.

Once they finished eating, Beist smiled as he helped Shael with the harness, the tip of his tail up in the air and swaying side to side. The drake was larger than Dora, the one who usually was hooked up to his wagon, but with a little adjusting and some spare rope, they made it work. It was secure enough to last at least the trip through the desert without causing Indra too much discomfort.

Beist walked along with the other two, beside the wagon. He was a bit too tall to fit into the shadow like them, but with his sunhat and his robes, he was alright. That, and his current form of an ice Draconynh that was icy cold to the touch even in this heat. Now that, he was grateful for.

He grew a bit worried as he listened to the banter between Shael and Earmeia.

"You think we'll encounter bandits out here?" He asked, his worry audible in his voice. "Maybe if they're desperate for supplies, I can just offer them some food and water and they'll leave us alone." He added hopefully, trying to sound reassuring. He was really trying to reassure himself more than the other two. Of everyone here, between the two women and the giant draconynh man, he was clearly the most easily frightened.

He looked to Shael when she asked him about the cactus he was searching for, glad to take his mind off of the topic of bandits and to break the awkward silence.

"Oh! Uh, yes, it's a very interesting cactus with properties that might be useful in my alchemical research..." He began, and then realized that Shael had no idea who he was as this was their first time meeting. "I'm an alchemist and a member of the Golden Consortium. Anyways, this cactus is known as a star cactus and it's flesh is supposed to have very similar properties to star berries, but its spines actually have entirely different properties! The spines supposedly have healing properties as its said some people take these spines and use them in a type of therapy called acupuncture where they stick the spines into specific spots in a person's body, and this causes their muscles to relax similarly to a massage. They also apparently helps improve blood flow and repair nerve damage. I'd like to see if these spines have some kind of excretion on them, like a porcupine quill. Did you know porcupine quills have a coating of antibiotic oil on them? This apparently is so the porcupine doesn't hurt itself if it accidentally sticks itself with its own spines. It's interesting to see something like that in a cactus though, which use their spines to prevent themselves from being eaten. Perhaps the improvement to blood flow these spines are supposed to cause is actually meant to cause whatever is trying to eat the cactus to bleed out! Interesting, isn't it? You know, many plants have defense mechanisms that people have managed to actually turn into something we find useful. Like coffee, and spicy peppers. I grow some spicy peppers myself, in my greenhouse...."

Beist would ramble on until someone or something stopped him, going on so many tangents that the original question was forgotten.

---

Create Food

“Thanks!” Shael isn’t shy about accepting the fruit from Beist. It’d been a while since she last ate something and the fruit is perfect for the heat. That said, she’s not so hungry as to eat a whole orange - rind and all - like Beist. No, she’d at least peel it first.

During their walk and talk, the teenaged dark elf looks over her shoulder at Beist when he voices his concerns about bandits, and a possible solution should they encounter then.

She shrugs. “Never know. Better to expect to get jumped than be caught unawares. If you want to try playing nice you can, but don’t be shocked when they rob you blind or shank you.”

The chances of them getting jumped out in the open aren’t nothing. Zeinav might not have the same reputation as King’s Valley when it comes to roving groups of bandits out to raid caravans, but it still has it’s own flavor of bandit types who prey on those lost amongst the towering dunes and shifting sands. Some make a living out of it, while others are just doing whatever they can to survive their own unfortunate circumstances. Either way, they’d be dangerous and quick to violence, but equally quick to run to save their own skins should things not go their way. No honor amongst thieves after all.

As they walk, Eameia’s interest is easily held by Beist’s emphatic speech about the cactus he’s in search of and other tangential information. It's a welcome distraction not only for Beist, but for the troubled fellblood as well. On the other hand, Shael starts to dissociate a few moments into it. Ironic given the teen was the one to start the conversation in the first place.

After a while, it’s not either of the girls who stop Beist’s ramble, but rather a rumble beneath their feet. Indra stops in her tracks at the sensation and starts to snarl. Her lips pull back to reveal her sharp teeth as her nostrils flare.

Something was close.

Too close.

There’s a sudden burst of sand that erupts from beneath the drake’s belly and around the sides of the wagon including where the group is walking. Leaping out from underground is a pack of creatures that look like a cross between an insect and a lizard. They have mouths full of sharp teeth and each appendage of their body ends in a sharpened point.

Indra lets out a threatening roar and snaps at one that takes a swipe at her chest. The lines tethering her to the wagon pull tight and keep her from being able to dodge away from the creatures latching on to her hind legs.

“Shit! Hold on, girl!” Shael shouts as she tries to aid her drake. Her dash is cut short when the sand under her feet gives away and she sinks into a hole up to her waist. “Oof! Dumb ho-AH!” Something has her hooked, and it pulls her deeper into the hole.

Eameia whirls around, quickly casting a ward to protect herself as the pack of creatures surrounds them.[1] She then casts another spell, manifesting three floating orbs of elemental energy that fly into the faces of three of the attacking creatures.[2] Two are slammed in the face with fire and water, but the third dodges to the side before taking a running leap at her with its sharpened appendages raised. 

---

[1] Mage Armor
[2] Tri-beam

Beist gasped an looked around frantically, a bit of panic overtaking him. He wasn't a fighter. He had no battle instincts to let kick in and start to fight back. But, he did have knowledge. He recognized these creatures burrowing up out of the sand. He had seen them in his books, seen illustrations of them and read about them.

"Kruthiks! But, what are they doing all the way down here? They're supposed to live in the Ash Lands, around volcanoes." He questioned aloud for the others to hear as he pulled himself together enough to start taking action. They needed his help.

He saw Indra struggling to escape the blows of her attackers while harnessed to the wagon. Shael was being pulled under the ground, and Eameia was also under assault.

Beist moved to help Indra, tapping a pair of charms on a leather cord around his neck as he went. The crystals on the two golden charms suddenly drained of color as two of his companions suddenly materialized beside him.

"Moe! Pretzels!"

A massive fox with purple and yellow fur and seven large, fluffy tails behind it as well as a giant winged serpent made of golden metallic scales and feathers with a slight glow to it. Both of them immediately could tell they hadn't been brough out to play, seeing the action around them. They didn't wait for orders to start helping.

The fox's fur crackled with electricity as a lightning bolt arced from the tip of one of its tails, but the bolt didn't connect with anything. Instead, it suddenly flexed and moved as if it was a whip, which swung to smack away the kruthik that leapt toward Eameia. The whip coiled around and threw it at another Kruthik, the one Eameia had hit with a ball of fire. It looked like it had only been dazed for a moment as the fire did barely harm at all, and was about to leap at her as well before taking its own thrown companion to the face.

The winged serpent slithered over to Shael and shot the feathered tip of its tail into the hole she was being dragged down, wrapping around her waist and trying to pull her back up. With thirty feet of magichanical muscle, the Elf began to rise back out of the hole as the Kruthik trying to pull her down was overpowered.

Beist ran toward Indra. He wanted to take the harness off of her, but in the middle of combat, it would take too long. He needed to do something right now to help. With a deep breath, he blew a cone of freezing cold at the Kruthiks on one side of the drake, being careful not to accidentally hit Indra as well. He knew Kruthiks liked heat, so hopefully the freezing cold would make them back off.

---

Moe- Chain Lightning
Beist- Drake Gland (Ice)

Eameia flinches as the Kruthik lunging towards her gets slammed into by another one whipped into it. She glances over at Moe and waves her hand in the air to cast a spell on the pet. Moe would feel the air warp around them and every looks like things are moving in slow motion from the fox's perspective. From everyone else's perspective, the fox is much quicker and agile.^[1]

She then twists her wrist and twists the formulae arcanum into a new form. Catching sight of Beist's use of ice against the creatures and seeing its effectiveness against the creatures, she pulls magic from the air itself and converts it into an icy beam.[2] She unleashes the beam into one of the freshly opened holes the Kruthik's emerged from, hoping to deter any more from popping up from below. 

There's an awful screech from a few of the holes. Well, seems that might have at least slowed them down. Which is good for Shael who was close to being made into a midday snack. 

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" The teenage dark elf exclaims as Pretzels pulls her free from the Kruthik's grasp.

Her leg is a bit torn up and bloodied from the jagged edges of the insect-lizard-thing's limbs, but it could have been a lot worse if she had been pulled down into the labyrinth of tunnels. Unfortunately, the Kruthik did make off with one of the knives tucked into one of the sheathes on the outside of her riding boots.

Still.

Could have been worse. It could have made off with her whole leg. 

Meanwhile, Indra snaps and claws at any Kruthiks that are within her reach. She manages to catch the one Beist slows down with ice by the tail and is quick to flip it into the air before blasting it with her lightning breath. The Kruthik explodes into pieces that rain down onto the sand in gooey piles. 

The remaining Kruthiks on the surface hiss and look around for the easiest target to pick off, but that choice isn't as easy to make considering the spells flying around and the choice between three large and aggressive creatures. 

---

[1] Quicken
[2] Chromatic Blast

Beist was glad to see everyone was mostly unharmed after that attack, but how long that would last was anyone's guess as the standoff between them and the Kruthiks began. The monsters were biding their time, trying to choose a target after being driven back by a flurry of spells and breath attacks. That was plain to see.

Beist wondered though, how the attack had begun. The Kruthiks had come up out of the ground suddenly. They probably sensed the vibrations in the sand from them walking, but if that was the case, why had none of them targeted Beist? Thinking of that, they also hadn't targeted the wagon at all. Were they avoiding prey they thought was too large? But they had attacked Indra, the drake. She was quite large.

No, that probably wasn't it. Looking down, Beist saw the holes in the sand they had jumped out of. One was partially coated in ice. Aw, that was it. Their tunneling was slow. They couldn't burrow through the sand that fast and these holes had been dug out earlier, with the kruthiks lying in wait inside. Beist just happened to be more in the center of the group and hadn't had a hole that close to him when they had sprung their trap.

Beist waved a hand and used a magic similar to what he had used earlier to summon some food, but this time, instead of cacti with fruits sprouting from them, a dense field of greens and pinks began to blossom as succulents of different types formed a wall between the group and the kruthiks, spreading down into the tunnels.

The kruthiks began to screech and slash at the plants, but found that with every slash, more of the thick green leaves blossomed out from the gouges they left, only making the wall grow thicker.

"That should give us a moment to breathe and come up with a plan." Beist said as he stepped over to Shael. With a quick tap on another charm, a large green-wooled woolful appeared with a happy baa, but then looked at Beist and let out a quick, sad bleet.

"I know, it's far too hot. I'm sorry, Leon. But, could you heal her, and then you can go right back in the pocket space." Beist said as he motioned at Shael's injured leg. The woolful tapped his curly horns against the Elf and a pleasant warmth, even in the desert, spread over the wounds which closed quickly.

Beist thanked the woolful and tapped the charm again, the woolful vanishing as the gem in the middle of the golden ram horn turned green again as it went back into the comfortable temperature of the pocket space inside the charm. After that, Beist placed a hand on Indra and used his own healing magic to treat the drake's more serious wounds. The magic was a bit much for these wounds, being powerful enough to regrow severed limbs, but he really only had the one healing spell and his potions would only be about the same as Leon's abilities. He should start carrying some healing potions that were in between his and Leon's healing magic at some point, but there was nothing to do about that now.

After he finished healing Indra, Beist looked at Eameia, hoping she had some kind of plan for how to get out of this as the sounds of hissing came from beyond the wall of succulents.

---

Harvest of Plenty
Woolful- Minor Healing
Massive Healing.

"Wait, what is that wooly thing doing??"

Shael recoils from Leon initially, she doesn't have a lot of experience with them other than one incident when she was traveling with Zarius. Indra had spooked some penned ones and caused them to break a fence and escape into the forest and then she had to go try and round them up while the fellblood and some tall dog-guy fixed the fences. 

After the woolful gives her a gentle headbutt, the wounds on her leg stop bleeding and close, leaving her bloodied and shredded pant leg as the only evidence that she had even been injured. Shael looks at her leg, a bit surprised. 

"Huh...thanks." 

Wait. Her brow furrows as a thought occurs to her. If these damn sheep can just heal you then why the fuck was Zarius so made at her after he go a little roughed up by one? Gods, that guy was such a drama queen. She huffs, looking annoyed but it's not directed at Beist. 

Indra snorts and makes a rattling noise deep in her throat after Beist mends her wounds. It can be assumed the drake is grateful for the man's help. 

Eameia also hurries over to Indra's side as Beist's spell holds back the kruthiks for the time being. She casts the same spell that she cast on Moe on Indra.^[1]

"We should get clear of this area quickly." 

"Don't have to tell me twice. Let's go big guy." Shael gives Beist a pat on the arm and then gets up onto Indra's back. The drake snorts and leans into the harness to get the wagon moving again. 

---

[1] Quicken

Beist didn't need a lot of convincing to get away from the gnashing beasts trying their best to tear through the wall of plant matter like a succulent Zeinavian meal. He hurried along with them, Indra able to move much faster thanks to the help of Eameia's magic even with the load of Beist's wagon weighing her down. He returned Moe to the pocket space as he ran.

For good measure before they left, just to try and slow the kruthiks down a little more to help them get away, Beist waved a hand and summoned a field of some spiny cacti among the creatures behind the wall. With their chitinous armor, the spines didn't do that much damage, but they did manage to poke into the gaps and joints enough to make the kruthiks slow down their assault. Beist could feel a small trickle of energy from each tiny pinprick, the cacti feeding him to heal any wounds he had. He appreciated it even if he wasn't currently injured.

Moving over the sand wasn't very easy, but they put plenty of distance between them and the kruthiks before the spells faded and the wall of green shriveled and vanished. They were far out of sight, behind the rising dunes, and hopefully well away from any more of the kruthiks' burrowed tunnels.

Beist let out a quick sigh of relief as he felt they'd made it to safety. At least as much safety as one could find in a desert.

"Well, that was unexpected. I'm glad I had you with me. I would have been in a lot of trouble without you." Beist thanked the three, Eameia, Shael, and Indra, with a hand over his heart and a genuine mix of fear and relief on his face. He's not a fighter. Some of his companions could fight, but he was afraid of them getting hurt.

"Do you think here is safe to rest, or should we keep moving? The sun looks like it will set soon." He asked, looking toward the horizon where the sky was beginning to become a deep orange, dying the sand the same color.

---

Stinging Nettles

It's a relief to see the kruthiks and their holes vanish behind them in a cloud of dust as they flee the ambush site. Lingering any longer could have spelled disaster if more of the colony had popped out of the ground like daisies. Eameia sits back with a sigh before looking at Beist when he expresses his gratitude.

"We likely would not have faired as well ourselves without your help, Mister Beistmild." 

"Yeah, thanks for healing up Indra, big fella." Shael gives an appreciative nod while keeping a close eye on the drake as it continues to run through the sand with them in tow. 

At the suggestion of stopping, Eameia doesn't look too thrilled with the suggestion. "I do not think it is a bad idea to keep putting distance between us and those kruthiks." 

Shael gets up and boldly jumps from the wagon onto Indra's back. "How you holding up, girl?"

The drake snorts, huffing and puffing from the exertion and the heat. The drake has definitely slowed down significantly since the spell's duration elapsed, but more than that the amount of weight she's pulling is just too much to pull for much longer at this pace. 

The young drake rider is pretty in tune with her mount and can see she's burning up in the heat. They had to stop. "Indra's pretty tired. Best if we slow it down until things cool off more." 

Eameia frowns a bit but then nods. They couldn't risk losing the drake, so they would have to cater to its needs for the time being. "Very well." 

With that, Indra slows her pace and the wagon slowly comes to a stop in the sand. The drake catches its breath while Shael gives her lots of pats. "Such a good girl. Those nasty bug-lizards got nothing on a mighty drake like you." Indra makes a rumbling sound deep in her throat at the praise. 

Eameia steps back off the wagon and does a quick survey of the area for any signs of more threats hiding in the sand. When things are all clear she circles back around to Beist. "We should make better progress at night. If we can get closer to the coast then the terrain will be more rocky and easier to pull the wagon across than the sands." 

"I'm glad I was able to help." Beist replied to Shael's thanks and tentatively reached a hand out to stroke Indra's back if she let him. "It looks like the injuries healed well. I don't see any scars or signs of problems. I'm glad she didn't lose a limb." He said with a nod, half noting observations and half reassuring the drake and her rider that she'd be fine. He didn't use that healing spell often. He'd only even used it on himself and Zarius. That thought made him look to Eameia.

"Speaking of losing a limb, how is Zarius? I haven't seen him since we met in Sol City. Hasn't stuck any more limbs in an ooze has he?" He asked with a chuckle.

With Indra tired, and sunset fairly soon, Beist started to detach the harness from the drake. If anything happened, he'd rather she be able to move and defend herself instead of being stuck in place. If they needed to flee again, he could grab the wagon and pull it himself.

"Yes, you're right, we can make better progress at night, so now would be a good time to get a bit of a rest in before we continue, don't you think? Getting closer to the coast also sounds like a good idea to me. We can start to make out way northeast. I can set up camp in a moment."

When he finished releasing Indra from the harness, Beist reached into the bag at his waist and fished around in it for a moment before pulling out a small orange pumpkin. With a lazy toss, the pumpkin bounced on the sand a few yards away, suddenly coming to rest with the stem facing up as if it rooted itself in place. After a few seconds, the pumpkin rapidly grew larger until it was absolutely enormous. The gourdgantuan pumpkin stood even taller than Beist with a brown wooden door carved with designs of pumpkin vines and leaves on the front that was likewise sized to let the beastman walk through without even bowing his head. On either side of the door was a circular window that was paned with yellow-tinted glass.

Beist walked over and pulled the door open. To the observant, it was apparent there were no metal hinges on the door, but instead it was as if it was attached to one side of the doorframe organically. On the inside, the walls looked pretty much exactly like the inside of a carved out pumpkin except for the dark wooden floor. Looking closely, there were no grooves to suggest floorboards, but instead one solid piece of wood as the entire floor. The entire inside of the pumpkin was only one room, with three beds lining the back wall separated by curtains of leafy pumpkin vines, a table and chairs in one corner beside the door, and some couches and cushioned chairs in the other corner. The inside of the pumpkin also felt refreshingly cool and comfortable, especially compared to the heat outside. The whole room was lit by a glowing yellow object that looked like another, much smaller pumpkin hanging from a vine connected to the center of the ceiling.

"I hope it's comfortable for you. I'm afraid the curtains are as close to separate bedrooms as I can make." Beist said apologetically.

---

Pumpkin Cottage