With temperatures rising over 143°C (289.40°F) in most areas, the only relief is during the nights when it is much cooler. All travelers are advised to keep to the local towns on the desert's outskirts and avoid traveling too far from civilization. (+3 Endurance, +2 Defense)

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A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:39 PM

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It was, to be sure, an unusual request.

“The desert?” said Rhodes, flicking an ear. He had been sitting on the table, grooming himself. Their situation had improved considerably since they had slain the monster and come to the attention of the generals, and there had been some pressure to serve in a less disordered capacity, but thus far Sivain had resisted. He still wasn’t certain that conventional soldiering was something he wanted to commit to, even if he would be commanding. No, especially if he was commanding. He didn't trust himself to be in charge of anyone else, even now.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:39 PM

Thus, the only thing to come out of it so far was that they had lodgings in town, rather than camping out near the front as they had been doing. Some innkeeper or another had offered them a discount, and the bounty on the beast had been nothing to sniff at, to be sure.

Rhodes had been glad for it. Rhodes had never wanted to leave the comforts of home, and had only come along because he hadn’t trusted Sivain not to do anything foolish. Rhodes certainly had not enjoyed camping whatsoever, and was glad to have some measure of that comfort again.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:40 PM

The day they had arrived, he had taken a quick survey of the room, hopped up onto the bed, and declared, “Well, it is not the estate, but this will do, I suppose.” From the cat, this was high praise.

Now he turned to fix Sivain with a questioning gaze. Wordlessly, Sivain slid him the flyer.

“A missing child? The reward is well enough,” said Rhodes, his attention immediately caught by the line at the bottom, written in bold. He was still an accountant by trade, at least by his own reckoning, and Sivain supposed old habits died hard. “But really, you want to go look for a missing child?”
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:46 PM

"I've been personally propositioned for the favor," said Sivain, smiling a little. He wasn't so much amused as baffled that someone would seek him out for such a mundane task, when thus far he'd only really displayed a talent for killing. He'd served as a bounty hunter, and then as a monster slayer. What possessed the poor man to look upon him and decide that he was a good candidate to find a child, he could not imagine.

Rhodes' sentiments seemed to be similar. "You?" said the cat, eyes widening slightly. The tip of his tail flicked back and forth. "Really. Was it someone we knew?"
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:50 PM

Someone they knew. Sivain really did want to laugh now. Instead, he shook his head. "We hardly know anyone," he pointed out. "And no one who would willingly come here, I imagine." Even if the war had settled into a lull, it was still dangerous to be here. Surprise attacks could happen at any time.

"I suppose that's true," said Rhodes. "Perhaps the child is in some danger, then. I would expect that at this point your reputation has certainly preceded you."

Sivain sobered at the thought. It hadn't quite occurred to him, which was a little foolish, in retrospect. Of course that was a possibility. It made more sense than any of his conjecture thus far.

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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/18/2017 7:53 PM

"So you're determined to take it?" said Rhodes. Sivain did not immediately reply, but whatever Rhodes read in his silence, it was enough for the cat. "Very well. I will come with you, of course, and it's true enough that I'm tiring of this place." Foundry City was not known for its beauty, nor for the cordiality of its people, and lately the weather had also been unpleasant. "Were there any leads?"

"A few," said Sivain. "Nothing very promising. He's been missing for some time now. He is a little... unusual, is what his caretaker said."

"Unusual?" said Rhodes. "What do you mean?"
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:30 AM

Sivain gave a slight shrug. "It wasn't very clear. His guardians seemed reluctant to tell me the full extent of his circumstances. I was told he needs to eat considerably more than a normal child his size."

"A glutton. Wonderful," said Rhodes. Sivain couldn't entirely tell whether the cat was being sarcastic about that. "If that's all we have to go on, we may as well begin canvasing the local eateries. He must be feeding himself somehow."

Wordlessly, Sivain turned to the door. He hadn't even taken his coat off, having come in only to pass the information on to Rhodes.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:32 AM

The cat sighed. "You would want to go immediately, wouldn't you?" he said crossly, but a moment later, Sivain felt the familiar weight land and settle onto his shoulder. He smiled a little; much as Rhodes liked to gripe about things, perhaps he was concerned too. The cat never did bear any ill will against children, and it was possible that he was thinking of Suvi at home.

"How is she? Suvi," said Sivain.

"Doing perfectly well. Not at all missing," said Rhodes, guessing at his line of thought. "I have the help send regular reports, you know. We wouldn't be here if anything had happened."
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:35 AM

Sivain nodded, trusting the cat's judgement, and made his way out the door. This was... definitely a departure from what he had been doing, but perhaps it would do him some good. He might need a break from the fighting at this point.


Funnily enough, their search brought them to the desert. Of all the places Sivain might have guessed he would have to go, this hadn't been one of them.

He could tell Rhodes wasn't looking forward to the sand. The cat didn't say so in as many words, but he'd been getting more cross and restless than usual.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:38 AM

Still, best they could tell, the trail had led them here. The boy was more adept at concealing himself than the two of them had anticipated at first. Several times, Rhodes voiced his doubts about whether they were in fact looking for a child at all, if he was managing to so thoroughly elude them.

Privately, Sivain had his reservations. He remembered the nervous look of the doctor who had asked him to take the job. He hadn't said it in so many words either, but Sivain had reason enough to believe that the child had other, less benign pursuers that he was aware of.

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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:41 AM

"I suspect you will find he's been careful," the man had said. Careful of what, Sivain hadn't asked. Now he wished he had, though thus far they hadn't encountered any problems, and Sivain doubted the man would have told him, come to that. Whatever else was pursuing the boy either didn't know about Sivain and Rhodes, or figured they were after the boy for the same unpleasant purpose.

They were now situated in the last major town at the desert's edge. There were plenty of caravans offering their services, and camels for the renting, though Sivain was interested only in supplies and a map.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:42 AM

It had been unanimously decided that land travel was going to be too slow, and moreover, too much trouble when they had other options available to them. Sivain did, after all, boast a draconic form that was capable of flight. It would be faster and more straightforward, so long as they knew where they were going.

... And so long as they had food and water. Sivain could carry a great deal with him, but he didn't know how long they would be out there, and water in particular would be a problem without sources to replenish their supplies if they were in the desert for any length of time.
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:45 AM

To that end, Sivain was hoping to secure some sort of deal with the desert people, to allow him to stop at their oases and wells. And it was probably good form to give them some warning, lest they mistake him for a wild beast and a threat to their livestock.

The problem was finding a willing taker. The nomads were used to selling their services, not just the rights to their water. "No," said Sivain for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "I don't have need of a guide or a camel. I simply need something to show the other caravans if they think I'm stealing their water."
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:47 AM

"Well, that wouldn't be a problem if you came with us," said the guide, smiling. His smile had gotten progressively more tight-lipped as the discussion dragged on. Evidently he wasn't enjoying this any more than Sivain was, and yet here they were, still at an impasse.

At least he had managed to secure a map. It wasn't thoroughly reliable, but it was something. Even that had been more of a challenge than Sivain had first anticipated.

The guide, perhaps reading something of Sivain's frustration in his face, dropped the smile and said, "Look, we need to make a living, alright? And we can hardly have some outsider traipsing through the desert on their own, on foot."
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Re: A Needle in the Desert [self]

Postby crow » 10/19/2017 3:50 AM

"It wouldn't be right," said the guide. "That's as good as leaving you to die."

"I promise you, death is not an issue for us," said Sivain. He'd already died--- what, twice? Three times? He'd lost count. It wasn't a novelty, though perhaps the slowness of this particular way of dying would be. "We are perfectly capable of covering the distance. We are travelling alone for the sake of speed."

"Oh yeah?" said the guide, leaning back and giving Sivain a once-over. Now that he had dropped his pretenses, apparently all his reservations about appearing rude were gone. Sivain knew from his expression that the guide thought he was a fool.

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