[SHOP EVENT] The Basilisk

[Kellswolves]

Only people who posted in The Wild Hunt, The Kraken and The Roc can post here!

…Traveling from one end of the continent to the other you find yourself, once again, in the grips of a wasteland only this time, the dryness comes with an unbearable amount of heat. How does anything survive here? Unless you are from this region, you are hotter than you’ve ever been and it might very well make travel an incredible challenge. Regardless, you will persevere, for this is what you signed up for... right? Of course you’ll keep going… right?

Eventually you come across an oasis where a small pool of water gathers. Here, you are reminded of your direction… Kale’s voice, the familiar gravely tone, echoes between your ears:

“A serpent lies to the south, burrowing deep beneath the soil of Kells. I've felt the tremor of its movement myself, peered down into one of its tunnels, and likely escaped the jaws of its poison-riddled maw more times than I can count. Or well... more times than I can *assume* to count, for I have never quite bore witness to its majesty, not for want of trying. Be weary. Although it has been known to dwell beneath the forests, you are headed to the desert -- where last I felt its movement and, where I would assume, it traveled to for warmth. It is as long as a river, armored by scales, equipped with rows of jagged fangs (with which it might paralyze its prey), and... more alarmingly... it is said that, with but a single look into its hypnotizing gaze, could petrify a beast in seconds. If you ever come across a strange stone figure, the monster might also be near..."

So you will find it. Somewhere here in this 'Badlands' lies a proof of a beast you've never seen before. Who knows... this time, you might find the monster itself.

------

How to Play:
Generate a random number between 1 - 2. Find the corresponding item to match your number and then respond by 'finding it'. How and where do you locate it? What are your thoughts on the item? And then, make it clear that you leave the Waylands in search of Kale once more.

Rules:
• Only generate one random number, and then edit your responses into that post.
• Please do not hint at seeing any of the other objects. What you roll is what you find.
• This response should be at least 500 words.

Object List:
1. A spiraling crystal horn shattered at one end and chipping in your grasp. It is a deep green color and only slightly opaque. Light filters faintly through it. If you are not careful, it will break and all you will be left with is shards…
2. Four dull blue/green reptilian spines severed from their source. Each spine is about a foot long, three inches thick, the ridges are covered in sharp needle-like points, and it has dried substantially in the sun. You’ll need to get creative to carry these back.

The finale will be posted on: 4/20/2020

 

[Kellswolves]

Remaining Participants:

Lunar Mirage
DavyJnah
Bugghnrahk
RozeyBear
MiddyGlow
FrostyPeaches
SilverLutz
oo DeD
Krysin
medigel
-Ghastly Demise-
RuIerr
Erina_Nobara
chelseylee__z
Fea Line
Rein_Carnation
Nikkichomp

 

[RozeyBear]

Rolling~  

[DavyJnah]

Dark Skies Bloodmoon in all honesty after all this was nearly glowing with pride. Even with the uncomfortable silence that had brewed between them as they looked at the talon left behind by what they assumed was the Roc, she no longer felt as tripped up as before. How this amazing happenstance of events had come together the reddish brown female didn't know but in the end she was very happy with the results. The first task had been a bust, the second task aced, and now for the final task at hand. The female nodded eagerly to the question. Of course she had time for another. How could she not at this point? Giving up now? The disappointment that she would endure was too much, especially from the esteemed Kale Greenleaf, it would be crushing. "Count me in." A no nonsense answer before listening intently to the next mission.

To the south across the water to the desert. A place she did not know well at all but had heard many a tale of how dreadful it was. If the Waylands were terrible, this was a place that was as bad. Not in the same way but things were just as scarce from what she heard. Scarce and sweltering. So she began her preparations. Sleep was essential and she would need to find places to hold up in case it was too hot. She had remembered about stories of ways to find water if need be but the going was going to be tough and she had to steel herself for that. Why did it have to be the desert?

So she set out, down the mountains, to the shores, and across the water to the desert region. It was hot. The shade from the palm trees at the oasis gave no relief and the water, though surprisingly more cool than she would have originally thought, did not stop the heat from causing her distress. How could anything at all survive out here? In the skies she could see birds, or at least she believed them to be birds circling above, probably waiting for her to pass on so they might eat. Shaking her head she trudged along, following the path she had been set. Nights were far cooler than the days and sometimes gave her a chill, a reprieve from the sun that burned her. Her paws sore from the hot sands that stung her. She had managed, with some time and effort to make a very makeshift type of bag. Water leaked from it and it didn't hold it well but it was at least something to give her access to the precious resource.

When the morning light started over the desert and she was on the move the female had noticed something in the sands. Carefully she made her way to the four dull spines. She sniffed them carefully and touched it even more gently as she noticed them starting to crack. Was this was she was looking for? If it wasn't well she was going to put it away anyway. A heavy sigh escaped her when thinking about transporting them with nothing to actually transport with.

Dark Skies chuckled to herself, remembering what she was carrying. Of course she had something to carry these with, but that meant dumping the resource. Water or her trophy. Unfortunately the trophy won out and hopefully would stay somewhat more preserved on her return trip back to the oasis where she made a slightly smaller makeshift palm bag. Returning she had been very careful with the bags and the items inside, but she had managed to get them. This was going to surprised Kale Greenleaf for sure.

[618]  

[RuIerr]

Kale Greenleaf had been pleased with the bloodied feathers Blurred Vision had found in the Waylands, and had taken them only to immediately send Blurred Vision out on yet another quest. The smaller wolf - only small next to the great monster hunter - could see a light at the end of the tunnel. He was doing great work, it seemed by Kale's muffled reactions, and he was determined to see this through to the end.

That is why, at current, he found himself in the sweltering, dry heat of the Badlands. Good gods, why did anyone live here? It was hard for him to imagine that anyone lived here, very much including lesser pray. It was hot and uncomfortable, Blurred Vision's fur more adapted to colder weather than the unabashed heat of the sun. But soon, he spotted something in the distance - an oasis, though he didn't know it was called that - a pool of water amidst the dry desert.

This finding - the water - made Kale's instructions echo in Vision's head. He was to find a serpent - greater than the span of a river - that dwelled underground. Most recently, Kale said that he had felt the tremors of the monster's movement last in the desert, which is why he had send the dire wolf out here in search of evidence. Or, you know - the monster itself.

Taking some time to himself, Blurred Vision stepped forward and bent his neck, allowing himself to lap up some of the water. It was unpleasantly warm, thanks to the unique and direct way the sun beat down on the Badlands, but it wasn't all bad. Stepped back from the water, the wolf looked around, hoping that the evidence would be obvious as it had seemed to be before.

It took a while of wandering around, systematically sweeping the area, but eventually, far away, Blurred Vision saw the glint of something that didn't quite belong. His paws moved quickly, trotting towards the shine. Heart pounding with excitement, he slowed as he neared them, a massive smile placing itself upon his maw. Before him were four dull (how he had seen them shine in the light from so far, he had no clue)... what appeared to be scales. That would make the most sense, considering he was here searching for evidence of a great serpent. "Got ya," he said to himself, inspecting them. They were thick, large, and a little bit heavy. Vision started out his endeavor by picking them up in his teeth and dragged them, but they too easily slipped out from his jaws. Instead, he took the time to place them by the oasis, then run off to find materials to craft a sack of sorts to carry the scales in.

Quite a while after, Blurred Vision returned, a haphazard bag in his teeth. He dropped it next to the scales, taking one last opportunity to lap up more water, before maneuvering the evidence into the sack. Once successful, he took a deep, heaving breath to ground himself before grabbing the handle of the bag and walking forward, once again in search of his new friend Kale.

(wc: 523)

 

[oo Ded]

Journey had descended the Bluestone Mountains with the sun on her face. Throughout the entirety of her meeting with Kale and the time that had followed, a smile seemed to have been plastered to her face. Her newfound focus had made a pointed difference in results. Her chest puffed out in pride as Kale remarked at her find, and she imagined she was probably literally beaming at the statement that followed.

’Apprentice.’

That word would ring in her head on repeat all the way from the mountains into the desert, like the tune of a songbird in spring. She was on her way! But she couldn’t lose focus while she was ahead. That would have been a classic Journey move. There were important things as stage, though. More stories. More adventure. Monsters.

She crossed the warm waters of the River Run and continued southward. When the she felt the solid earth beneath her paws transition to shifting sands, she paused. Journey thought back onto Kale’s description of the creature. A serpent as long as a river, covered with scales. A beast with paralyzing fangs and a gaze that turned its prey to stone.

Journey took a deep breath into her chest. Every single bone in her body believed in Kale’s words. She had no doubt that these creatures were real. Though she might not have found evidence of the monster hunter’s sea creature, seeing the cleanly snapped leg in the Waylands was enough. And besides, strange creatures were roaming Kells these days. Wolves that grew fur the color of the twilight sky. Enormous birds with feathers of flame roosting in the peaks of the tallest mountains.

The wolf was certain that, somewhere in the endless sea of sand, a serpent was lurking. Waiting.

The adventurer remembered that Kale had described less the look of the creature than he did its feel. He said that he had felt it. The ground when it passed near. As she moved through the desert, then, she honed much of her sense into her paws. She felt each time the sand slipped away from beneath her. Every time it became a bit more firm as she reached a clump of plant life.

If she felt the earth start to quake, she decided, she would shut her eyes and rely solely on feel. In order to succeed, then, she had to see through her feet.

Journey was in the midst of contemplating how exactly to accomplish such a feat when her eyes came to rest on an unfamiliar, sharp object. The color and the shape of the spines stuck out from the sands like a fish out of water. The sharp points poked out just above the sand.

She unburied them carefully, Kale’s warnings of paralyzing fangs ringing clear in her eyes. They were covered in points, all sharp as a snake’s fang. Her nose wrinkled at them, four in total tucked neatly in the sand.

After moments of contemplation, the wolf undid the scarf from around her neck. She wrapped the spines as well as she could, taking care in covering as many as the spines are possible.

She grasped the ends of the scarf and, ends of the bundle hanging carefully away from her, she turned back. Could she even see the peaks of the Bluestones from here? How long of a trek back would it be? How soon could she make it back to Kale to show him her new discovery?

Not soon enough.

(WC: 591)
 

[Krysin]

He called her 'apprentice', and the word resonated deeply within her heart. Kale Greenleaf's reaction to her prize had been wholly unexpected - she had thought it too far fetched to believe that the Roc had snapped the leg in one clean bite, but it was the only explanation she could come up with at the time. Her instincts were apparently better than she had even thought, her natural talent for being a Monster Hunter shining through that even Kale recognized her potential. Her ego, along with her infatuation, swelled to levels that her family would surely be inconvenienced by. "Never doubt that there is always time for me to find the next monster!"

With that promise made, she set out south towards the Badlands. Lady had no idea what she would actually do if she encountered a monster - every single one that Kale had set her off after sounded threatening enough. They were certainly capable enough of swallowing her whole in one bite, and yet she found herself still chasing after every single one of them. Fear no longer was a factor for her, not with the confidence boost from Kale Greenleaf himself. She could do it, because she had been doing it. If she was smart and kept her wits about her, she would be fine. Kale wouldn't send her somewhere dangerous if he did not think she were capable of handling it.

Lady's family likely would have a plethora of questions as to why she had grown so invested in the words of a near-stranger. She would have no answers for them, nothing beyond the truth that she was young and self-assured (and Kale was everything a girl could ask for in a potential suitor - she wasn't going to tell her family that).

Her crush in full bloom, she spent days travelling south to her destination. The area was desolate and unwelcoming, but she could see how a giant serpent could hide underneath the expanse of sand. As harsh winds blew across sand dunes, she could almost imagine the long spine of the serpent rolling underneath them. She swallowed down the brief bout of anxiety the thought caused and pushed herself forward into the desert. It would be hard to spot any proof of the creature's existence among an unending and plain landscape.

Lady was not one to give up - she had committed to this role without hesitation, determined to become a Monster Hunter herself who's name became common knowledge. She combed through the desert for anything that seemed out of place. Her eyes landed upon something blue, the first thing she had seen in a while that wasn't a dull tan color. Lady gasped and trotted over to the object with anticipation coiling in her stomach. Yes! This was what she had been looking for, four spine-like objects, clearly organic. Did a basilisk shed them naturally? The spines were sharp, and clearly not meant to be handled. Besides, they could be poisonous. If the basilisk's teeth were, it could be the same for whatever else its body produced.

She had to get these back to Kale without injuring herself. Lady's mind whirled with an idea, and though it took her some time to gather the required matierals, it was worth it to get the pieces of spine transported safely back to Kale. The young wolf had fashioned a makeshift sled that did not look nearly as sturdy or impressive as it appeared in her mind. Pieces of dried wood had been tied together by some old foliage, and by grabbing the end of a vine she was able to drag it with her mouth.

It fell apart multiple times on her way back, but once out of the desert it was easier to find materials to repair the half-assed structure. Lady was too determined to get her prizes back to Kale to let anything get in her way.

(wc: 653)  

[Erina_Nobara]

Sparrow’s Song found himself curious when Kale mentioned something about an extinct creature but then shrugged it off. Sparrow wanted to ask the berserker more, but was cut off when Greenleaf asked him to go on one more adventure. It didn’t take him long to decide. He would definitely try again! And so Sparrow set off, willing to go the distance; not wanting to give up and disappoint his new friend. If he could call Kale a friend that is. Maybe he could even consider him his Mentor? His eyes sparkled at the thought.

So once again Sparrow set off on his journey; heading South in search of the Basilisk. When he reached his target destination, the heat was unbearable though. His throat was parched, and he found himself panting quite a lot to keep himself cool. He silently wished he had come better prepared. If only he had brought water with him. But he had never traveled this far before. This area of Kells was entirely new to him.

He walked along. Part of him was waiting to feel the trembling of the ground beneath his paws. But so far, he hadn’t felt a thing. He had to be prepared. He knew he couldn’t look into the eyes of the mysterious creature. He didn’t want to become a statue. So he squinted at the horizon, assuming if he did so, it would keep him from turning to stone. But the area in front him seemed to waver right before his eyes; almost like an illusion. What was real? Sparrow almost couldn’t tell.

The ground was cracked and dry, and a tumbleweed rolled by. Under better circumstances, Sparrow might have chased after it, but he felt so tired, he just couldn’t bring himself to bother. But in the distance, Sparrow noticed a glint of blue. The tumbleweed was heading towards something. Was it?! Could it be?! A pool of water here in the desert?! A sweet oasis in his trying time?! That thought got Sparrow moving again. He ran towards the sweet delicious water, attempting to dive face first into it. But he was met with dry sand in his mouth, and he immediately spit it out, with a confused look on his face. “What?! But how?!”

‘Am I really that delusional?’ he wondered to himself, taking another look down at the dirt before him. Something stuck out of the sand. It was a blue and green reptilian spine jutting out of the ground. And in such a peculiar spot too. There were even more of them nearby. They were enormous in size, and had obviously baked in the sun for a while. Upon closer inspection, he found that they were 3 inches thick, and about a foot long. They were even covered in sharp points that ran down the ridges! What could these possibly be from? He could only wonder, his imagination running wild.

Sparrow would have to think of some special way to carry these spines back to Kale. This would be tricky. He’d have to get creative. But he figured he could manage. And the sooner the better, as the heat was really getting to him.

And so he would then begin his journey back.  

[SilverLutz]

Kale's excitement at her find had rejuvenated Hel's enthusiasm when she returned to the Berserker with the severed leg. She'd eaten most of the meat off the main bone but had kept it otherwise intact and it paid off, it seemed. The word 'apprentice' rang in her mind and shook off any weariness or boredom that might have clung to her on her journey back. Who would have thought that she, a small wolfdog, would become an apprentice monster hunter? Not her, that was for sure! So far things weren't even terribly dangerous in terms of running into the beasts she was seeking, more in the long, exhausting journey with little food or water the further she got into the places the creatures called home.

But no matter! Kale sent her off again with a spring in her step, her fluffy tail wagging behind her as she began her next quest. This time the journey took quite a few days, though there was plenty to eat and drink along the way. The weather began to grow hot, almost unbearably so, but the delight and misty eyes of Kale kept Hel hot on the path, focused and ready to bring that spark of joy back to him once again. The closer she got to her destination the more scare food and water became once again, but this time Hel knew that she could withstand the elements.

Reaching an oasis, Hel took the opportunity to drink while remaining alert, her eyes searching for any stone animals, her paws almost straining to sense any vibrations beneath her. Nothing caught her eye, however, and as she lifted her head to glance about nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Perhaps she'd have to put her nose to work again, it had worked for her the other two times!

Snuffing about in the sand was a hot, long process. She was about to call it a day when something caught her eye as it protruded from the sand. Moving carefully to it, Hel inspected the strange spines curiously, sniffing them carefully. While whatever they were were dried out and clearly old, Hel eyed the wicked barbs that decorated each spine. If this had at one point been venomous she didn't want to risk there still being some of the dangerous liquid within those barbs.

An idea struck Hel and she bounded back to the oasis and began pulling up some of the broad, leafy greens that were sprouting near the water. One of the leaves was more sturdy than the rest so she carried that over to the spines first and laid it down beside them. With some finagling she managed to use the more flimsy leaves to act as a barrier between her mouth and the spines and she pulled them carefully from the sand to lay them on the broad, strong leaf. Once all four were carefully placed on the leaf Hel took her time in wrapping them carefully up, folding the leaf over and over so she could pick all of the spines up without risking being poked or breaking them.

Clearly pleased with herself, Hel trotted off back the way she'd come, leaving the hot, dry sands behind her once more. Kale was going to love these!  

[MiddyGlow]

This adventure had taken Holly further than she ever thought she would go, the ocean, the waylands and now the desert. She listened to Kale's tale of the basilisk a snake like that sounded out of this world and she wished she could see one even thou it was dangerous she wondered if seeing its reflection in water would be safe or seeing it from a distance. She decided to go directly south till she found herself in heat that she wasn't used to then she was forced to slow down. She didn't know how to find water in this place and she worried if she traveled too much during the day she would die.

Wild Holly did her best to hide under the few plants she could find during the day or find a den during the day and at night she sought the evidence she had come for. She found some very interesting plants. Huge cactuses that had large sharp spines on them and huge plants that looked well she didn't have the words for what the agave plant looked like. The next day she got lucky and found an oasis. There she stopped for a drink and also saw something by the water that caught her eye. It was dull blue-green in color which stood out where they lay. She went over to see what it was and saw that they were huge spine pieces. She saw that like just about everything else in this harsh place the spine pieces had sharp points on them. She would never be able to carry them back to Kale in her mouth. She frowned thinking about how she could solve her problem.

Then she remembered the huge strange plant she had seen recently, she made her way back to the agave plant and she started to paw and claw at the base of the plant so she could break off one of the leaves to use to carry the spine pieces. She had a lot of work to do since the plant was mature and therefor bigger than she was. She worked as long as she could and then went back to the oasis to rest and drink before returning to her work. Once she was finished she went back to her prize. She found a branch at the oasis and she pushed the spine pieces onto the agave leaf. Holding the leaf in her mouth was not very comfortable but it was far more comfortable than if she had tried to put the spine species in her mouth.

She hurried back to Kale to give him the spine species she was rather proud of herself and her idea on how to solve this problem. She was proud of everything she had done and how hard she had worked on these quests. She wondered what Kale would tell them next. She was so excited and she hoped he would tell them about the veil, she was pretty sure that was where all these creatures came from. She finally made her way back to Kale tired but happy to have finished her quests.

2. Four dull blue/green reptilian spines severed from their source. Each spine is about a foot long, three inches thick, the ridges are covered in sharp needle-like points, and it has dried substantially in the sun. You’ll need to get creative to carry these back.

(522)  

[-Ghastly Demise-]

He wondered just how many of these 'hunts'. he would go on it was beginning to feel more like an errand to him, he was searching for and receive what kale wanted rather than actually hunting for a creature of sorts, maybe their views on hunting where kale enjoyed a hunt to search for proof of creatures, nightingale amused that they would be actually hunting down the creatures, maybe he just had to give this a better go, he was being a bit close minded about the whole situation. he was going to play along however, holding hope for more.

After receiving the instructions he began to head south as instructed. he began his trek south towards the badlands. he was somewhat uses to the heat due to visiting the other half of his family who lived in the run he often had to go far threw the desert just to get to them. When he arrived on the boarders of the badlands it was mild but as he went further the heat slowly became more unbearable, " how can anything live here" he said as he already felt his body overheating. he didn't know if he could survive this heat.

It was a struggle, but he found a place to rest for the time being, he waited a while till he was cool and began his journey threw the badlands once again, he began to speculate what he might find. The heat was nauseating, he felt his head become dizzy, his long fur didn't help much either but he kept going, eventually his body began to give in to the heat, he collapsed, and struggled to move apart of him preferred the cold rather than the heat, but he didn't want to just lay there and let the heat take him, he had family back home he wished to return to, he also didn't want to be weak in hope he would one day be better than the weak wolf he was at this time. he felt useless back at home, like he didn't belong, like he couldn't do anything right.

though the thought of being useless and unneeded filled his mind he remembered those he loved and cared about pulling himself to his paws and continued on his way for as long as his feet would carry him, occasionally he would see things like and oasis, but as he drew closer it would vanish, his eyes where beginning to play tricks on him and so was his mind.

However he soon came across what he felt would be right, a pair of blueish green spines they looked fragile. he mulled it over for a while but he had to give it a go, he hunted around till he found a watering hole with lush greens he pulled a leaf from a tree that he could in fact reach, before stopping to drink from the water, taking his time even submerging himself. after that he warped the spines and carefully began to carry them back to kale, he made sure to gather a few, in case some broke on the way back, from there he returned to kale.  

[Lunar Mirage]

Back on the trail again, Bloodlust had a bit of pep in his step. While he still wasn’t sure the kind of feathers he’d found, the possibility that they belonged to something else that was believed to be extinct was exhilarating…and that blood had been relatively fresh when he’d found them. Well, maybe a day or two old? Might be something he’d have to look into himself a bit later on. Living in the Waylands was not a place that most would survive physically or mentally. Had to be a special sort of breed of person to do so.

While he loped on his way, these thoughts circled into his head – the feathers, the image on the weird piece of wood – the entire idea that monsters had existed this entire time under his very nose. Would he ever see one? These things kept him happily occupied on his journey towards the desert, however, once he started feeling the heat? He was panting before he knew it, the sun beating down on his dark coat. It felt like it just sucked all the heat in. He did manage to find some water before he hit the actual sands and rolling in it to soak as much as he could into his coat helped some. His paw pads were going to be screaming at him later though. Realizing this was a horrible idea to adventure out into the sands in the middle of the day, he retreated to the small watering hole and remained there until night descended. He hoped the sands would be cooler at that point.

That night, as the temperature dropped precipitously, Bloodlust made his way from the water onto the sands. The air felt much cooler, but the sand still had soaked up an incredible amount of heat and it was still enough to make him think only of water for a time. He loped his way, panting heavily, just going wherever his paws took him, hoping he wouldn’t have to stay here long. After what felt like hours, he finally found an oasis, and happily settled into the cool waters of the underground spring that came up there. Soaking in the sensation, and his belly full of water, the Old One’s words came back to mind. He pondered how to go about searching for evidence when all he could see was sand, but he’d signed up for this, right? Had to be other things that liked to call this place home.

After a short nap to build up his reserves once more, he set out in a spiraling pattern from the oasis as the morning began to break, making plans to come back when it became too hot to bear. He would continue this way, expanding his search as the time passed, returning to the oasis in the heat of the day and lay in the water to cool off for a time. This was not an easy search to do, and the movement of the sand beneath his paws was not only unsettling at times, but he was surprised how sore it made his muscles feel to move about in. And the heat? Well, he wasn’t about to think about that more than he had to. It took about two days of this routine before he finally found four blueish green reptilian spines with needle like points on the ridges, each about a foot long and three inches thick. Taking each by the base, he carried them one at a time back to the oasis careful to hold them only in his teeth and keep his lips bared. He was a bit worried those points might have poison for all he knew.

Finally, having brought back all four, he contemplated options. This was not something he could simply carry as he had the plank, or could put between two pieces of bark as he had the feathers. He was going to have to become even more creative. Pondering this dilemma, he was doing another swim when he saw a tumbleweed tumbling by. In a flash, he got an idea, and burst out of the water after it. Carrying it back, he came up with a plan to break it into a smaller piece, use the needle like serrations to hold themselves in the bit of bush (which took very careful planning and meticulous moving and much swearing on his part). Finally he got it into somewhat of a manageable position so that he could carry the spines without fear of poisoning himself any more…after all, anything with pointy parts was worth avoiding – they never tended to leave you feeling too good after the experience, as the young wolf had found out through various accidents and incidents. Confident in his plan, he slept in the water once more before heading back to the Old One with his prize in tow once the sun had retreated and the stars show the way before.  

[Fea Line]

Piranha roll

2. Four dull blue/green reptilian spines severed from their source. Each spine is about a foot long, three inches thick, the ridges are covered in sharp needle-like points, and it has dried substantially in the sun. You’ll need to get creative to carry these back.

He was denied the leg after all.

Sighing, Piranha shook his head. All they had learned was it took a pretty powerful bite to chomp that leg off so cleanly. To him that wasn't enough to prove a giant bird like creature soared through the skies. Though maybe he was just that stubborn. Still he was already in so deep he could only see this play to the end now. Maybe he'd get something after this was all done? Like...a nice nap after all this trucking to random places.

When he finally arrived at the dessert however, it was just as miserable as he thought it would be. Or he was being a big pup, both were quite possibly true. He was raised alongside a river after all so abundant dryness didn't settle on his coat.

But a giant serpent now? What would this Kale send him to hunt for next? A pony with wings and a single horn that leaked rainbows? Piranha stared bluntly as Kale went on about this supposed serpent. One that burrows underground, large enough it could easily swallow a wolf and cause the ground to tremble. It seems to have set up in a desert now. Piranha snorted. "Great, more areas lacking in water." he groaned, having felt way more comfortable back down by the beach. He wasn't excited about having to be in this sweltering place just because this giant serpent was a little cold. At least the Oasis offered some comfort as he paused to lap the cooling waters to cleanse his parched throat.

What sparked his interest the most however was when Kale mentioned that one look into its eyes could turn something to stone. Petrified. That peeked his interest. Not that he wanted to become a fishpup statue mind you, just that..that was a pretty neat thing to be able to do. It would be so easy to catch prey that way....assuming this serpent could also turn them back that is. "Alright alright, I'll go find you proof." Piranha finally said as he bid the strange berserker farewell for a third time, turning his journey towards the desert.

As he pressed on he noticed something shimmering in the sand and he moved closer....however slowly. As he got closer he noticed they seemed to be reptile spines of some sort, but larger, dull and obviously now eaten by the sun. He wasn't an expert but a big part of him said if he tried to pick them up like normal they'd crumble. Which meant there was no way he was getting these back intact...unless he could come up with some kind of idea.

Making his way back to the oasis he nosed around for anything he could use to fashion some sort of 'raft' to drag the spines back without damaging them. He found a couple large palm leaves that had started to dry in the sun, making them somewhat sturdy. He stacked them together into a sort of bowl shape, using any sort of vine like material he could find to tie them together. After that he took several smaller leaves and pressed them inside, lining the bottom. When he was satisfied he carefully drug it back to the spot with the spines, setting it down and staring.

A container of sorts was made but...now how to get them in. With only one thought in mind, Piranha groaned, setting out to dig a hole in which he could lower the leaf carrier into the dirt, level with the spines. He went slow as to not disturb the spot the spines were in until he was ready. Once he had his makeshift container in place he began to slowly paw at the sands around the spines, doing his best to direct the flow so that the sand acted as more cushion for them to slide right in. It took a long time and a lot of panic digging and pausing and praying. Possibly even cursing. Finally, he had got them in there and he started digging backwards to slowly drag the whole thing out and back to the oasis, a process that was taking much longer than he originally wanted but he knew he had to get these things back in one piece.

Groaning, he mentally repeated to himself that when he got these back to Kale the other was getting an ear full of what Piranha thought about all this..... after he dove into the oasis waters and slept there for 600 years that is....