Underfed (part 10)

GAME: Asmli rolls fortitude: (3)+7: 10

GAME: Victor rolls fort: (8)+6: 14

GAME: Soup rolls fortitude: (10)+6: 16

...this is exhausting. For you, for K'nap... and hgopefully the mantis men.

Their raiding parties may or may not be connected to the Diamond Emperor, but frankly, it's not like you have the time to stop and ask them. After a while, it just gets to be too much. The evening cool air is better than the sun beating down on you, but its the up and down and uncertain footing that takes its toll more than anything else.

Eventually, everyone has to slow down and heave.

Asmli is among the first to decide this is too much and slow down, shorter legs working harder than those of the humans. When they finally do, he drops to all fours to heave, breathing hard, skin soaked in sweat and heedless of anything and anyone around him. He does not bother to try to speak.

Victor doesn't grow tired the way normal living creatures might. But there's definately a sluggishness to his movement. His steps drag on the ground, kicking up small plumes of sand with each step, where before he was striding more easily. When the other slow he does as well. Then Victor peers up and then in various other directions. "I don't see any defensible position nearby," he says, voice tinged with warning.

The little knight pants in the depths of his armor, though it's enchantments refuse to let him look anything other than comfortable. For it's part, the giant Dire Corgi bounces back and forth, able to cover massive amounts of ground compared to the limited two legged movement. "I think, I think, I will have to pick jobs that are closer to home." Soup says finally.

K'nap just pants a while longer himself. "I was made to /fly/. This is riduclous." He tugs his wounded wings with his clawed fingers before letting go and sighing.

"We'll need to stop someplace soon to rest, but we need to keep going a while longer. Give me a moment to orient..."

He's taking some time to scan the horizon.

Asmli finally, ever so slowly, gets to his feet, still panting heavily, sweat beading his brow. He isn't running any further for a while, it looks like, his fair skin already sporting a sunburn as well. He looks around, wiping sweat away from his eyes as he scans the horizon for any aignof these mantis men - or anything else.

Victor looks at K'nap for a long while. It's difficult for most Golems to understand emotion, but Victor's been having doubts about their guide solely based on their experiences with him so far. So many mishaps, so many failed attempts to save time, or use the terrain to their advantage, that only seem to set them back. But he supposes at this point they have little choice but to continue. "Can we be of any assistance?" he finally offers to K'nap.

GAME: Soup rolls 1d20+5: (13)+5: 18

Hauling himself into the saddle, Soup shields his eyes as he scans about. "Very well then. I shall drift ahead a bit and see if I can find something secluded enough to serve as a camp." Leaning forward he looks down into the Dire Corgi's face. "Mal! Find hidey hole!" Then he settles back into the saddle as the massive canine bounds off. After a few moments it returns, the dog holding a branch in it's mouth. "He did it! He found a little defile we can probably hide in!" Soup reaches forward and fluffs the dog's cheeks. "Oooosagooboy OoggieBoy! OoogieOogie!"

"...or that can work. Do you suppose the dog knows where it's going?" He stares after the dog in question, watching it hurry off into the dunes of sand as he glances at the other two. "Well, I guess we follow? Animals are usualyl good enough at finding dens and we've not lost so much time we can't afford to rest. Hopefully, the Mantis Men won't find us."

"Yes," Victor says in a neutral voice. "Yes, I think it knows where it's going." He turns to follow, stopping occasionally to run his gaze over the other party members to make sure they're also keeping up, and over the surroundings to make sure they're not being swarmed by mantis men.

Asmli isn't about to argue, simply nods, his usual boundless energy and good humor very much absent, his blonde hair sweat-soaked against reddened skin. "Good. Khazad were not made to be in the desert." So pronouncing, he stumps off in the direction the dog went.

"Go Mal! Take us to the camp!" The little Gnome, lets the reigns slack and the dog to make it's own way as he turns and watches to make sure everyone is in caravan as they push onwards to hopeful safety.

Welp, the giant corgi is definitely not made for the desert, but at leat he knows how to find shade.

It is not terribly long, a couple more hours of marching, before the dog reaches a dune and climbs it and, there, beghins to dig. And dig a bit more. Soon, he's uncovered a series of stone rings and what appears to've been a firepit.

Not too old, too. Seems like someone camped here and kicked sand over it to cover it up, having moved osme stones to sit on into place, amongst other things. It looks fairly defensible, too, given its a little higher than the rest of the area.

By the time the group reaches the dunes, Asmli is pretty well spent, and unslings his pack, dropping it wearily. "Thank the gods for that dog of yers," he nods to Soup, giving the entire place a once-over look around, and then scannin the horizon again for anything that might be after them.

Victor kneels and examines the stone rings. Then he turns in a cirle and surveys the seating stones and other points of interest. "This would seem a good place to rest," he offers. "I can prepare my spells to help us endure the desert once more."

"Better than some, that's for sure. We're a little off target but the road the engine is on is only a few days away now."

"We should be able to get in close and then figure out how you can get whatever it is."

Victor sits on one of the seating stones and produces a small book which he places on his lap. "Is there some way to turn the challenges of the desert against the caravan? If we were to lead the mantis mean to them, for example..."

"Possible. Remember, they're meeting with the Diamond Emperor's men. He runs bandits, but he also has ties with SOME mantis men tribes. I don't know whether that's those specifically or not. I may be a guide in the area, but I don't know /all/ there is to know about the different mantis-peoples. They call themselves the Thri-Kreen, I know that much."