A tiny, lopsided hut of wattle and daub sat a midst a marshy terrain in the North of Iuk-'u, a foundation of irregular, reclaimed stones rising out of the waters around it. Nearby were several rows of freshly planted sprouts poking out of the shallow water. On the roof of the hut was a thin, middle aged man, who seemed to be repairing the patchy thatch roof. As the afternoon sun beat down on him, the sun scorched homesteader slid off onto a small foot hold just in front of the entrance to his home. With a wipe of his brow, he reached for a clay jug of water, never noticing the shape in the water.
Along one of the many branches of the River Iuk, an olive colored, rodent sized lizard with a large head cautiously approached the water. It stopped once, looking about, before moving a bit more and stopping again. Finally, the cautious reptile crept to the rivers edge and sipped of its waters. Within the next ten seconds, these waters erupted as the maw of a six foot long river-drake launched onto shore. Before it could let out more than a squeal, the lizard was consumed by the lean snake-like amphibian. After choking down its meal, the drake paused a moment to rest, shortly before a small stone knocked it unconscious.
As if to complete the chain of predation, a white-haired human came out of hiding and approached, tying his sling around his neck again. "Not a bad haul," the Swamp Rat muttered as he jammed his knife into the back of its neck. "Certainly an improvement on a spade-head." After retrieving the stone from before, he waisted no time gutting the beast and returning to the skiff he'd left nearby. It had been about a month since he'd seen old Mikael and it would help to have an offering. Delta homesteaders like him were usually a pain to deal with, but if anything happens out in the far reaches of the region, they were the ones to know. And failing that, the'd often have food or supplies to trade. Given he was in the area anyway, the Rat saw no reason not stop by and keep up relations.
The river soon opened up into a larger marshland, Mikael's hut visible in the distance. Yet the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Suppressing his apprehension, the traveler rowed his skiff into the shallows where the hut sat. When he ran aground of the soft, barely submerged soil beneath, Swamp Rat disembarked and waded over to the abode. "Micky? You there you whiny old bastard?" He called out, billhook in hand as he grew more wary. "I, uh...brought dinner." A chill slowly came over him, an building sense that something was very wrong. His fears were soon vindicated as he spotted blood along the entrance and partially spattered on the stones. Now sweating, the Rat turned about, looking around the area as he removed a mask from his belt. It resembled the face of a mosquito or fly, but with the proboscis removed and the eyes replaced with glass lenses. After donning it, he untied his sling and loaded it with a cloth pouch. Holding the bill in his left hand, he slung the pouch into the hut with the right. A burst of brown gas soon followed, flowing out of the entrance and flooding the immediate area. Swamp Rat watched the hut carefully and waited.
Kaige Severos
Along one of the many branches of the River Iuk, an olive colored, rodent sized lizard with a large head cautiously approached the water. It stopped once, looking about, before moving a bit more and stopping again. Finally, the cautious reptile crept to the rivers edge and sipped of its waters. Within the next ten seconds, these waters erupted as the maw of a six foot long river-drake launched onto shore. Before it could let out more than a squeal, the lizard was consumed by the lean snake-like amphibian. After choking down its meal, the drake paused a moment to rest, shortly before a small stone knocked it unconscious.
As if to complete the chain of predation, a white-haired human came out of hiding and approached, tying his sling around his neck again. "Not a bad haul," the Swamp Rat muttered as he jammed his knife into the back of its neck. "Certainly an improvement on a spade-head." After retrieving the stone from before, he waisted no time gutting the beast and returning to the skiff he'd left nearby. It had been about a month since he'd seen old Mikael and it would help to have an offering. Delta homesteaders like him were usually a pain to deal with, but if anything happens out in the far reaches of the region, they were the ones to know. And failing that, the'd often have food or supplies to trade. Given he was in the area anyway, the Rat saw no reason not stop by and keep up relations.
The river soon opened up into a larger marshland, Mikael's hut visible in the distance. Yet the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Suppressing his apprehension, the traveler rowed his skiff into the shallows where the hut sat. When he ran aground of the soft, barely submerged soil beneath, Swamp Rat disembarked and waded over to the abode. "Micky? You there you whiny old bastard?" He called out, billhook in hand as he grew more wary. "I, uh...brought dinner." A chill slowly came over him, an building sense that something was very wrong. His fears were soon vindicated as he spotted blood along the entrance and partially spattered on the stones. Now sweating, the Rat turned about, looking around the area as he removed a mask from his belt. It resembled the face of a mosquito or fly, but with the proboscis removed and the eyes replaced with glass lenses. After donning it, he untied his sling and loaded it with a cloth pouch. Holding the bill in his left hand, he slung the pouch into the hut with the right. A burst of brown gas soon followed, flowing out of the entrance and flooding the immediate area. Swamp Rat watched the hut carefully and waited.
Kaige Severos
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