That morning, Yiroa woke up with a brilliant idea.
Which meant, of course, that she needed to immediately enact it!
Her scribes and advisers all gave her tired, long-suffering looks when she told them her plans, but they didn't argue, and quickly did as they were told, ink brushes carefully jotting down her instructions. And when that was done, couriers were sent out to all the largest villages, far and wide, each carrying a copy of her pronouncement.
It was a simple thing, really. A call to action--but not for a war, or a battle, or anything violent, though it might be dangerous. It asked for anyone brave, bold, and adventurous enough to come to her at the Temple of Malai, where she resided, so that she could give them supplies and her blessing for an epic quest, a quest for which they would be handsomely rewarded if successful. A quest whose call any might answer, regardless of caste.
In short?
Yiroa wanted a legendary kirin for her own, an elusive beast known to bring luck and prosperity to the land, to be able to suss out lies and truths.
She wanted one. And she would pay dearly to have one.
-----
Days passed since she issued her summons, enough time for couriers to deliver the beautifully penned documents to several villages and cities, enough time for town criers to read them off.
Yiroa was going over legal matters with one of her advisers, updating an old, outdated law, when a Warrior interrupted. Kuan had already signed up for the quest a day ago, but as they had not yet gained enough volunteers, she had taken up lodgings at the temple and used the time to assist the other Warriors stationed there.
Kuan bowed low, and after a pause, Yiroa motioned her to rise and speak. "This better be important. Go on now, hurry up."
"Visitors approach the temple," Kuan said, straightening up. "I believe they may be answering your summons, Your Majesty."
Yiroa made a dismissive gesture. "Then find out what they want and if they are, bring them in," she said, and went back to her discussion with her adviser.
Promptly dismissed, Kuan bowed again and headed out, out of the temple and onto its steps, where she waited to greet any that might arrive.
When Kaye saw the summons posted in the village he lived in, he almost dismissed it as something for the Warriors. But when he read it closer, he was very intrigued to find out that it was a task anyone could do--regardless of caste. Seeing this, he quickly took it up and headed towards the Temple of Malai where it was stated he should go to accept the task. A chance to travel was always welcomed by Kaye, even better he supposed if it should be instigated by Thanatos' ruler. The premise was interesting indeed and it would have been a shame if it were restricted to a certain caste.
As such, he found himself standing outside of the Temple of Malai, just at the moment Kuan began to head out.
It looked like Kuan's timing had been right, for as she exited out the temple doors, she saw that one such visitor had already made it there. There were guards stationed outside the doors, and they had turned their attention on the young man, prepared to address him, but Kuan held up a hand to still them.
Crossing the distance between them, her sword clinking lightly on her back, Kuan gave him a brief once over before cutting straight to the chase. She rarely had the time or patience for small talk and pleasantries.
"You here for the quest?"
(Your open threads will never escape me, Rhi. Never)
Chitin.
Chitin and the never-ceasing song.
Swarm had come to Suna to escape the harsher climates of the winter mainland. They could not survive in the ice, the all-freezer. Thanatos had much potential for bringing new life in. Exotic, poisonous insects, both beautiful and deadly. Swarm adopted them as they passed through the jungles and towards Suna.
Finally, they arrived, and they saw a poster. They must have been quite the sight, a man completely covered in rags and cloths leaning in to read a poster, with no eye holes cut into the cloth over his face.
A Kirin. A reward. Potential for growth.
They decided they would join.
Finding the temple was an easy matter. Man always organized his hives in predictable ways. When Swarm arrived at the temple, they saw a woman standing at the doors, a young man standing in front of her, faced with guards. Swarm crossed their arms, waiting their turn to be addressed.
"You here for the quest?" a female warrior addressed Kaye, her voice blunt and to-the-point. She cut quite the figure with the sword on her back and her imposing stance. Kaye was probably little more than insignificant in comparison, for this warrior was of a higher caste than he was--but hey, the quest had no caste specifications. Anyone could join.
"Indeed I am," he replied after bowing to her politely. "This is where I go to sign up for it, no?" He also assumed she had something to do with the quest as well, for they would need people knowledgeable in the arts of combat if they were going to do this. If not her, then some other warrior would join, he was sure of it.
Gutztomp was always looking for opportunities to acquire more loot. Even though he had no idea what a kirin was, he did know what a reward was and the he liked getting them. It was this knowledge that brought him to Thanatos after significant threatening. The natives were certainly wary of his presence, but it's not like he ever cared. He could break any one of them in half easily if he really wanted to.
Gutztomp approached the Temple of Malai after having to ask some poor frightened soul were it was located. Some human woman and some rag-cover guy were already there, but Gutztomp didn't care about them in the slightest. Shoving his way past the female warrior and the rag-covered guy, he addressed the temple guard.
"Hey you," Gutztomp said to the guard. "Where's your boss? I want in on da hunt."
"That would be here, yes," Kuan told Kaye, and flicked a glance over to the new, covered-up man. Strange, but Kuan wasn't here to judge. She was simply here to follow the Maharani's orders, and participate in this silly quest.
If nothing else, she figured she'd be around to keep some semblance of order.
"You there. If you're here for the Maharani's errand, follow me. I'll be taking you both into the Temple where you'll--oof!"
That was when a green beast of man shoved by her, making her stagger and reach for her sword, before her eyes narrowed and she lowered her hand again. Another one? And a...rather uncivilized one, at that. He would not make it into the Temple if he kept up that sort of behavior! With a long suffering look at Kaye and the covered man, Kuan motioned them to follow.
"Just stick close and don't do anything foolish. Be on your best behavior. You'll be meeting your Maharani, after all. And you."
She passed close to the ork and fixed him with a look. "If you're here for the hunt, come with me. And mind yourself. Better yet, don't speak at all. Come, now."
And with that said, Kuan turned and lead the way into the Temple.
"Don't get snippy with me," Gutztomp growled.
Though he felt like knocking her out, he followed her into the temple as was instructed. This reward better be good.
"We would advise the uncivilized one to watch his tongue. Idiocy is an undesirable quality."
Swarm's completely covered head turned slightly in Gutztomp's direction. Swarm's voice was smooth and clear, since they were making a concerted effort to sound as human as possible. Respectfully, they followed Kuan, walking next to Kaye. As Swarm did so, a large, black spider crawled out from under a furrow in his robe and onto his shoulder, idly sitting there.
"I would advise da puny one to shut his yap," Gutztomp shot back.
Getting attitude from one puny human was bad enough. He would not tolerate two, especially when he could break them in half so easily.
Kuan looked at the both of them, her expression unreadable, but said no more. She had warned the green one once, and would not do so a second time. If he got thrown from the Temple on his ear, he would have no one to blame but himself. In the meantime, it was not her place to judge the character--or appearances--of any of these people.
This was the Maharani's quest, and she was just there to fulfill her will.
She lead the way down the main Temple hall, the air smelling of incense. It was bright inside from the many large windows and doors, and ornately furnished and decorated with many rich reds and golds, their footsteps padded by plush rugs. Above them hung many lanterns, but they were currently unlit with the day providing so much light.
Kuan lead them into the main chamber straight ahead, where Yiroa was currently sitting on a throne and dais. Behind her, elevated above her, was a golden statue depicting Inima Herself.
Hoping to serve as an example, Kuan knelt on the floor with her forehead to the mat.
Kaye followed Kuan into the temple, falling into step next to Swarm. A big, hulking green humanoid had made his very rough way to the temple entrance a moment ago expressing obvious interest in the quest...or 'hunt', as he'd called it. The hooded, swarthed, wrapped man--Kaye didn't know what sort of epithet to give him short of mummified, for he seemed to wrap almost every inch of himself up in cloth--and the big green one had a rather snappy exchange which Kaye listened to with some amusement.
He was silent as they went down the Temple's main hall, the smell of incense very cloudy and powerful, yet counterbalanced by the large windows and sunlight and the rich colors of the furnishings. They came to the main chamber where the Maharani of Thanatos sat on a throne and dais with a golden statue of Inima behind her.
Kuan knelt down on the floor before Yiroa, as did Kaye after her. He wondered then if the other two--for they did not seem like Thanati--knew of this custom to follow through? Hopefully he and Kuan were setting enough of an example.
Swarm found the large green one amusing. There were individual members of Swarm who were smarter than this orc, and it would take Swarm absolutely no effort to kill him and appropriate his corpse for themselves. A brute of his size could sustain many generations, and allow for growth.
Swarm didn't kneel down, but they did bow they head respectfully. Inima was not their god, so they felt it unnecessary to perform an act of devotion. They'd remain with their head bowed until the group moved on.
Gutztomp, unlike the others, showed no sign of respect. Orks obeyed only those who were stronger, which the Maharani obviously was not. Instead, Gutztomp stepped forward past the two others and spoke to the Maharani.
"I want in on da hunt," Gutztomp told her. "Just tell me where ta find one of dem keern fings and I'll get ya one."
Shayal quietly followed the group, hoping no one would question her. The summons *had* said anyone could join, but, well....
She quickly knelt and lowered her head after she entered the main chamber of the temple.
"You may ri--" Yiroa began to say, but that was when the green one barged right up to the front, and her lips twitched in annoyance as she was rudely cut off! And by a foreign barbarian, at that!
"...Rise," she finished, coolly ignoring him, as though he hadn't disrespected her or spoken out of turn. Though she was no fan of foreigners, her edict had said anyone could apply, and she meant it, and would thus uphold that sense of fairness. It also meant she knew she would have to give those unaccustomed to their ways the benefit of the doubt, though she quite doubted the mongrels would behave so before their own leaders! Either way, it was his chance to save face, by her pretending the slight hadn't occurred.
He wouldn't get a second shot.
Kuan almost wanted to stay kneeling, overcome with a sense of secondhand embarrassment. Oh, Inima, please tell her Her Highness would kick out the green one! She didn't want to have to work with the clueless oaf! Still, she rose, and was quite relieved the others had heads on their shoulders, at least!
Yiroa regarded the group, eyes passing over each of them in turn as she spoke.
"As you are all aware, you were summoned here today to serve in a holy mission. It has been centuries since a kirin has been seen on our shores, but I have no reason to believe they don't still exist. They have always been elusive beasts and, as the legends go, many of our nation's great leaders of the past have kept them. The ages in which a kirin existed in the great Temple of Malai are said to have been some of our nation's most prosperous years. Crops flourished, disease all but vanished, people lived longer, happier, and more productive lives, and crime dwindled. So the legends say."
She drummed her nails on the arm of her throne. "We're going to test that theory. Legend has it that the great kirins took refuge in the deepest part of our jungles. I want you to find me one, and bring it here alive and healthy. It will be risky. Our jungles hold many dangers, and are worse the deeper yo go. Most of the animals want to kill you, and the vegetation isn't much different. Kirins themselves are fierce, said to be capable of wielding fire, but not only that. Some of the legends claim they can tell when you're lying, or that they can peer into your soul and see the the darkness inside you. They're intelligent beasts. That's why it's always been so difficult to attain one.
"You'll be handsomely rewarded if you're successful," she continued, and her eyes fell on Kaye and Shayal in particular. "For the Thanati, you and your families will be exalted to the Temple caste with all the honors and privileges that come with it, and given your weight in gold to get you started on that path. For the non-natives, and those already part of that caste, you will have your weight in riches. I assure you, if you are successful, you will never have to worry about money again."
She tilted her head, looking over each in turn. "Now, you may ask whatever questions you might have. I'd also like to hear your names."
Gutztomp was very uninterested in anything that was said. He was an ork. He didn't fear any dangerous animals or some lousy plants. The moment he stepped into that forest he would be the most dangerous thing. Gutztomp did start paying attention when he heard that he would get his weight in gold. This pleased Gutztomp, especially since he knew that he was very heavy. That would be a lot of gold.
"I am Gutztomp," the ork said pounding his chest with his fist. "I ain't afraid of no lousy forest. Just point me in da right direction."
Swarm looked at the ork, amused by its overconfidence. "We are swarm, my lady," they said as they bowed their head once more, taking a step forwards. "We would like to respectully pose a question. Due to our nature, material wealth is of no concern to us. Is the nature of our reward open for negotiation?"
...Gut Stomp? That was charming. Yiroa managed a polite smile. "All in good time," she said. "After I've fielded your companions' questions, I'll tell you where best to start."
Then she turned to Swarm. Swarm? Swarm and Gut Stomp. This was certainly an...interesting crew.
She regarded...him? Them?...curiously. "By all means. If neither of these rewards appeal, I am open to hearing what would be suitable. Your success will be beneficial to an entire nation, and I want to be sure you are properly compensated."
"Thank you, my lady."
How fitting, the brute was named Gut Stomp.
Swarm lifted their head, falling silent, as if in thought. Finally, he spoke up. "We ask for only twenty acres of land as compensation, as far away from this city as possible."
Kaye was amazed to hear of the rewards this quest could offer. An instant rise to the Temple caste, along with gold? Perhaps there was more to be gained in this quest than he had originally imagined! After rising as Yiroa had commanded, he gave his name. "Kaye Kaohi, my lady," he said as respectfully as he could. He was surprised to hear the names of the others--Swarm and Gut-stomp, apparently. But he could bear working with them. He wondered about the female warrior, though? That is, if she was also on the quest.
Shayal's eyes lit up. That was more honor than she could have hoped for.
She rose to her feet, but kept her head bowed. "I am called Shayal, my lady. It is a most generous reward." She hoped they wouldn't ask her family name.
((OOC: I have no idea what Shayal's family name is, only that she's too embarrassed by the shame she perceives herself as having brought down on it to use it. I'm pretty sure she comes from the Skilled Trade Caste))
"Twenty acres...very well. If you're successful, it's yours. Just to be clear, however, as it will on Thanati soil, it will still be under Thanati governance and law. I hope that is agreeable," Yiroa said, and looked to the others as they introduced themselves, committing their names to memory. A servant girl kneeling beside her, however, was also taking furious notes in charcoal so there would be no forgetting, even if it did manage to slip her rather sharp mind.
Her eyes paused on Shayal, having taken note of her omission. But she didn't press the matter. The point of this quest was that titles and status did not matter. Anyone had the chance to rise above their status if they worked hard enough, and this was their opportunity to prove that.
She nodded to Kuan then, who had been silent up to that point. Yiroa already knew her, but the others did not.
"Kuan Ito," Kuan introduced with a polite bow. "It will be a pleasure to work with you all."
With the introductions covered, Yiroa leaned back in her seat, relaxed and at ease. "If there are no more questions or concerns, we'll get started."
"Finally," Gutztomp said. "Let's get goin' already."
Shayal felt the eyes of the Maharani on her. She looked steadfastly at the floor and willed herself not to flee. This was her chance, and she would not dishonor her family again.
Nodding, Swarm spoke. "That is agreeable, my lady. We Thank you."
Swarm took a polite step back, and dropped their hands to their side, waiting to leave.
Kaye was surprised when he heard Shayal say her name. He hadn't exactly noticed her entrance. He smiled in a friendly manner at her and listened as Swarm requested twenty acres of land as far from the city as possible. A strange request, but they probably had their reasons. He was also able to know that the female warrior's name was Kuan Ito, and that she would most definitely be going along with them.
"I have no further questions as well, my lady," Kaye said shortly after Swarm.
Yiroa paused a beat longer, waiting patiently, but this group seemed raring to go. Very well, then! She motioned to a servant boy standing nearby who produced a small scroll set in a protective case. He approached the group with a deep bow, holding the scroll out to the group.
"That scroll is a map of Kunata," Yiroa explained. "I have reason to believe there are kirin residing deep in the heart of the Shaota jungle, which is marked on the map. That is where the last one was found, and the legends all mention that place, though few have gone so deep into that place and returned. Those that did, however, returned bearing wondrous things."
She looked the group over, giving them a look that both weighed and measured them. "It seems few of you have come...prepared for a long trek. But that is why you're here. I can provide you provisions. Just tell me what you need."
Taking the initiative, Swarm stepped up to take the scroll, studying it for a couple seconds before passing it on to the next member of the group. They thought for a few moments, before clesring their throat. It was an odd sound, since Swarm had no throat to clear. Instead, it was a mere mimicry of that sound.
"We," Swarm started, motioning to themselves to clarifiy that it meant only itself and not the group as a whole. "Require no provisions. We can forage for ourselves."
"I got what I need," Gutztomp said hefting the large pack on his back.
Orks might not be the smartest creatures, but he did understand the basic principle of preparedness. He didn't have much in his pack. It was mainly meat, some flint to start fires, and a whetstone to sharpen his weapons. Basic comfort items, such as a blanket, were of no importance to him. Comfort was a foreign concept to orks, so he could do very well without it.
The Maharani made a good point about the provisions. After scanning the map of Kunata briefly, Kaye said in response to her offer, "It would be an honor to receive provisions from you, my lady. I just require several more rations than I have in my pack-"which he hoisted up higher on his shoulder as he said so"-a small knife such as is used for cutting rope or preparing small kill, and perhaps a dagger or some such weapon to protect myself." For it was known in Thanatos that unless one were of the Temple caste, one could not carry a weapon. And Kaye was not part of the Temple caste...yet.
Yiroa raised her eyebrows. This was, by far, the least needy group of people she'd ever had to deal with. Most people, given the opportunity to request things from the Maharani, would ask for far more than those humble provisions!
She snapped her fingers, and the servant boy scuttled off to procure said items. Though Yiroa had to raise a slender eyebrow at the mention of preparing small kill.
"For gutting fish, you mean?" she asked, as the boy returned with a sack in one hand and an ornate, sheathed dagger in the other, which he offered to Kaye while bowed low.
Swarm found some amusement in the human hive queen's surprise. Only one of them needed supplies, and they were relatively humble at that.
Standing silently, he waited for the group to depart.
Gutztomp was growing increasingly impatient, and it showed. He was rocking back and forth with his arms crossed and looked about ready to throw everyone outside so that they could leave already. All of this talking was just sooooooo boring . That forest better be as dangerous as he was told.
Kaye accepted the dagger and sack graciously. In response to the Maharani's question, he said "Yes, that would be exact, my lady," sending occasional sidelong glances Gut Stomp's way when he noticed the big orc fidgeting impatiently.
With the dagger and supplies handed over, and everyone else looking rather impatient to get moving, Yiroa saw no reason to keep them waiting any longer.
"I see you're anxious to begin, so I won't keep you any longer," she said and lifted a hand, signaling that they may leave.
"Inima be with you."
"And with you, Your Highness," Kuan said, bowing deeply. Rising, she looked toward the others before she turned to leave, leading the way out of the temple and into the bright, balmy day.
Gutztomp wasted no time turning and leaving as soon as he was aloud to. It was about time they got moving. They better get to that dangerous forest soon. Gutztomp was really itching to hit something.
Swarm followed Kuan out, walking somewhat close to her, actually. She was the one who was leading, after all, and Swarm had no interest in socializing with anyone here at all.
After getting supplies, Shayal followed the group out modestly at the rear.
Kuan didn't show it on her face, but as she walked out into the bright sun with the others all around her...
She felt well and truly doomed.
What a mismatched group! How in Inima's name did this happen to her?! The green one alone was going to get them all killed doing something foolish and disrespectful!
But she said nothing to that effect. Instead, she raised her voice to be heard and said, "We'll walk until nightfall, and then we'll set up camp. I'm familiar with the first leg of the journey, but past the river, the jungle is all new to me."
Swarm oriented their head towards Kuan.
"We have some members of us who are familiar with some areas beyond the river," Swarm stated. "However, our knowledge is incomplete."
"I can handle anyfing we find in dat stinkin' jungle," Gutztomp stated. "Let's just get moving already."
Kaye bowed to the Maharani and followed Kuan outside. He too noticed the mismatched ensemble that made up the group, although for someone who appreciated variety, he found it amusing and enjoyable. A mysterious wrapped man, a giant green ork, a Temple warrior, a fortuneteller, and a girl of unknown caste--perhaps they weren't the hardiest of adventurers, but who knew what fortune had in store for them?
Kuan then spoke up as they were walking, saying they would go until nightfall and then make up camp. "I'm familiar with the first leg of the journey, but past the river, the jungle is all new to me," she added.
Swarm said some of their members were knowledgeable of areas beyond the river, but it was incomplete knowledge. He sure had a funny way of speaking as if he were more than one person!
And Gut Stomp? Well, he was just as brazenly confident as ever. "I can handle anyfing we find in dat stinkin' jungle. Let's just get moving already." Their pace was apparently not fast enough for him. Kaye had no doubt he'd be one of the hardiest in the group.
And Shayal...Kaye gave her a brief glance. She was the relatively quiet and reserved person of the group. At least, she appeared that way to him. She certainly was determined to go through with the quest. But why? What purpose did she have in coming here? Kaye wanted to see something new, Swarm wanted land, Gut Stomp wanted hunting thrills, Kuan was going on the Maharani's behalf, but Shayal...now she was a mystery.
"Have you ever been traveling before?" Kaye asked Shayal then to see what he could get out of her. He also found conversation a little wanting amongst them. The other three were a little more intimidating to approach (especially Gut Stomp), but Shayal seemed perfectly affable. Not that he wouldn't talk to the others eventually. Shayal just seemed like a good starting point.
Shayal's voice was quiet, just barely above a whisper, but it got stronger as she spoke. "Not beyond a few local villages, no." she said, "but I've heard stories. People... tell me things. You can't always trust what they say, mind you, no more than you can a Bard's Tale, but I've heard some stories from beyond the river. And for myself, I believe them."
Kuan looked at the odd, covered man beside her, her eyebrows raising slowly.
"Is there a reason you speak in of yourself in the plural?" she asked as she lead the group into the jungle that bordered the temple, ignoring Gutztomp's impatient complaints.
Swarm directed their head towards Kuan.
"We understand your question. Swarm is plural. We are many, made one," they said. From the folds of wrappings on their shoulder, a mantis crawled out, sitting there and directing its eyes at Kuan.
"We had hoped to keep this concealed. We did not want to trouble our fellow travelers."
Kuan directed her cool, two-toned gaze to the mantis, and then looked back up at "Swarm's" covered face.
If she was disturbed by the news, it didn't show on her face.
"What are you?"
"We have already answered your question. We are Swarm, one forged from many."
Swarm crossed their arms, a disturbingly human gesture, given the implications.
"Perhaps we will demonstrate later. Not now. We do not want to disturb our traveling partners."
[I don't know if Ahnnie and Pebble are still around so...>_> I guess keep it going? If you guys come back, hop back in if you like! 8D We can just assume your characters have been traveling alongside ours!]
Kuan eyed Swarm, not really liking the implications. But he--it--had been benign thus far.
Didn't mean she wouldn't keep a close eye on him, though, or that she'd trust him. If there was one thing Kuan never trusted, it was the unknown. It was safer to assume something was a potential threat until proven otherwise, rather than the opposite.
"Ah, of course," she said simply, as though he had answered her question, when in reality he'd just created a hundred others. "Honestly, I don't really care what you are, so long as you're not a threat."
[Maybe if the stars align, it'll just be Swarm and Kuan, TRAPPIN' ZE KIRINS. Also, Wow, that's a bit of a coincidence, I just realized. The whole kirin capturing and such.]
"Swarm is not a threat. We are here to complete an objective and receive a reward. It would be detrimental to threaten those that would help us achieve said objective," they explained.
[Two is such a couple. Three is a party.]
Gutztomp was getting bored, which was very dangerous. When ork got bored, he created his own entertainment which entailed punching the face of the individual nearest him with the intention of starting an nice enjoyable brawl. After examining who he was stuck with, the supposed leader of this small group seemed the most capable of putting up a worthwhile fight. She would be the target if he didn't get to hit anything soon.
"How much longer," Gutztomp asked.
[>8D They're sure not gonna be facing a meek Riyarin.]
"To the river?" Kuan said, looking away from Swarm for a moment to eye the big, green brute. "Not much farther. Beyond that? I'm not sure. To catch a kirin?" Her expression was calm as ever, and pointedly blank. She didn't see the point in mentioning that she thought the Maharani was sending them all on a fruitless, pointless quest, all over some legend, to track a creature that hadn't been seen in ages that had supposedly brought the nation luck and prosperity during some ruler's reign.
She might be religious and believe deeply in Inima, but she was still a skeptic about a lot of things.
"I suppose that depends on luck, and how well we work as a team. Are any of you skilled at tracking?"
[Le gasp!]
Swarm held a hand up to the side of their head, nodding as if someone was speaking to them. After a few moments, they spoke up.
"One of our collective claims to have seen a Kirin. Although her account is shaky at best, she claims she knows the scent. We concur that we can use this information to track out target, as long as we find a trail to begin with."
Swarm looked over to Gutztomp.
"We doubt the green one has any substantial knowledge, but we can always be pleasantly surprised."
"What'd you say to me, bugman," Gutztomp challenged.
Swarm didn't budge.
"Are we incorrect in our assessment?"
Kuan rolled her eyes toward the canopy and wedged her body between the two of them, just in case.
"There were more tactful ways to state that, but I don't believe that was an insult. Do you have knowledge of tracking or kirin, Gut Stomp? It would be helpful."
"Well, I don't see any tracks anywhere," Gutztomp observed. "How am I supposed to track somefing without tracks?"
"We'll know the tracks when we find them. Given their nature, we infer Kirins must have quite distinctive tracks."
Swarm lifted a palm, and a few flies fluttered out from between the folds of his fabric, and flew off into the jungle ahead.
"We will send a few scouts ahead, though."
Kuan narrowed her eyes an increment or two, barely enough to be noticed, as the flies buzzed away.
Yeah, she had some guesses as to this one's nature, now.
"Provided they aren't eaten by spiders or lizards," she remarked lightly, before she pushed on ahead, getting some momentum so she could vault over the thick trunk of a fallen tree.
Gutztomp chuckled slightly at the thought of Swarm's bugs being eaten. Unlike Kuan, he didn't vault over the fallen tree. Instead, he wanted to get rid of the problem altogether. Displaying his great strength, Gutztomp moved the tree to the side of the path and out of the way. Now he wouldn't have to bother with it on the way back. Satisfied with his handiwork, the ork continued onward.
Swarm had just gotten over the tree with relatively little effort when Gutztomp moved it.
Making nothing of it, Swarm ignored what they perceived as the lumbering brute's attempts to show off and kept walking.
"If they are eaten, then they die in service of the collective. But they will not be eaten. If they were regular, unenlightened flies, perhaps, but all of us have seen the light of sapience. the webs of spiders, and tongues of lizards, no longer threaten us."
Hm. Now that Kuan thought about it, mismatched though they were, they weren't a bad team.
Gutztomp was strong enough to lift trees. That would surely come in handy. Swarm had scouts and thus eyes everywhere, and could send them on ahead. Very useful. She had knowledge of the area, and knowledge of the legends.
"Enlightened flies," she said. "Those are two words I never thought to hear side by side."
Swarm didn't respond to Kuan's humor (if was humor), preferring to walk along silently. For what was supposed to be a colony of insects living under some robes, Swarm were chillingly quiet. their footsteps didn't even make much noise, considering just how tall they were.
"So wot do these Keern fings even look like," Gutztomp asked.
"They're depicted as a cross between a deer and a dragon," Kuan said, "with fiery manes and the tail of an ox. They usually have antlers like deer, but some have horns sprouting from their foreheads. They breathe fire, and it's even said they can shapeshift."
She looked over at the ork. "They're not overly large, so I've heard. Mayve horse-sized. But they're powerful and fierce and rule over fire, and they're said to be lucky, too. It's hard to catch one, I've heard."
Swarm's head turned at the mention of fire. They all might be intelligent, but as insects, they all shared that primal fear of fire, further amplified by their collective consciousness. They shook off the momentary shock, though, and regained themselves.
"We can leave our cloth trappings and spread ourselves out. A surprise attack can be launched in this way, if we're careful."
"Dragons breathe fire too, but I've killed one of dem before," Gutztomp said. "This shouldn't be too tough. No puny keern is tougher den an ork."
Oh dear.
Kuan shot Gutztomp a warning look. "We're not going to kill the kirin. We're going to capture it. Unharmed," she said firmly, and rubbed at her temple.
"So please, exercise restraint. Now, a surprise attack, that may be useful. But I was thinking we should perhaps try diplomacy first. The legends say they're intelligent creatures. Failing that, of course, and it will be a fight."
"We have a substantial amount of spiders among us. If we get the surprise attack on a kirin, we should be able to paralyze it. The rest of you would have to provide a distraction, of course," Swarm suggested.
"We can set up our ambush while diplomacy is ongoing. Perhaps..."
Swarm paused to look at Gutztomp again.
"Perhaps the green one should refrain from participating in the talking. We fear it may be... detrimental."
"You're detrimental," Gutztomp shot back even though he didn't know what that meant.
He was at the point where he just assumed every big word that Swarm used to describe him was an insult.
Kuan's eyebrow twitched slightly at Gutztomp's remark--
That doesn't even make sense...
--But her expression remained politely neutral. Clearing her throat, she moved some palms out of the way and held them back for the others to pass, even if that wasn't necessary. It was just good manners!
"In any case," she said, "we're in agreement, Swarm. Gutztomp, when the time comes, please be quiet and let Swarm and I talk. You can be in charge knocking heads when we give the signal. How does that sound?"
Gutztomp responded with a wicked smile and loudly cracking his knuckles. He like knocking heads. He knocked heads clean off. The red fountain that occurred afterward was the most entertaining part. Oomans sure had a lot of blood in them.
"It is relieving to us to see that an arrangement has been made," Swarm said.
"We do not doubt the green one's capability for combat. That much is clear."
Kuan watched Gutztomp's face, noting the absolute glee on it. That...made her a little uneasy. She hoped he'd heard what she said about restraint, but she supposed there would be time to reiterate.
The sound of water grew gradually louder as they walked, and as they passed through another clump of trees and bushes, the area ahead opened up--and revealed the river itself. It was wide at this point, and higher than usual from a storm several days ago. It was the current, however, that would be the most problematic.
"We may want to walk up river for a bit before we cross," she said. "It's not deep, but the current's strong."
Swarm shook their head.
"Nonsense. We can hover across. The green one can carry you through the current," Swarm said, and the sound of buzzing came from Swarm as all of the winged insects within them took flight. Swarm lifted up off the ground, as if weightless, and waited for Kuan's say on it.
Gutztomp looked down at the river.
"I can cross dis fing no problem," Gutztomp stated. "It's just water."
...Kuan really didn't like that Swarm had just volunteered her to be carried by "the green one".
"The green one" seemed like the sort that might drown her before he helped her. And not even on purpose!
"I suppose there's no time to lose," she cautiously agreed, before she turned her two-toned gaze onto Gutztomp. "Would you be opposed to carrying me across?"
Though she said it in the same even, calm tones as ever, she was inwardly cringing.
"Do you think I can't," Gutztomp challenged. "I could carry dat damn log across if I wanted to. Carrying a tiny 'ooman will be easy."
Gutztomp then looked back to the river.
"How deep is dat river anyways? I ain't much of a swimmer. I need ta walk across da bottom."
"It's not deep enough to fully submerge you," the hovering Swarm said as they crossed their arms.
"If depth becomes a problem, then we will assist you."
Kuan adjusted her baldric, tightening the buckle just to be safe. "I have no doubts as to your capability here. So long as you don't treat me like a log, we'll be fine."
And then she turned to Gutztomp and looked him over. "Why don't I climb onto your shoulders?"
"Go ahead, if ya can," Gutztomp replied.
While normally he wouldn't go so low as to serve as a mount for a human, he had a point to make. The point being that he could cross some stinking river easily even with extra weight. This human didn't seem very heavy though.
Swarm nodded, glad that an arrangement could be made, and they hovered across the river, touching down gently on the other side and waiting for the rest.
After a moment's pause, Kuan resigned herself to the task at hand and walked behind the ork. She was two feet shorter than him, so it was a bit of an effort to reach his shoulders, but she was strong and fit. With a soft grunt, she hauled herself up and climbed him before, finally, coming to sit atop his massive shoulders.
She felt utterly ridiculous, riding him like a child.
"Alright. Let's move on out."
Without hesitation Gutztomp started forward. Water immediately began wrapping around a swirling behind the massive green obstruction as the ork waded through the current. The farther Gutztomp went, the farther he was submerged. The water was up to his chest once he got toward the middle of the river and he was having a harder time crossing as he was now where the current would have its greatest effect on him.
However, despite the current's strength, the ork held firm. The combined weight of his armor, weapons, supplies, Kuan, and his sheer bulk made him quite difficult to move. After a fair bit of grunting and trudging, Gutztomp made it to the other side of the river. He was soaking wet and his boots were covered with mud, but he was successful.
"Dat wasn't so bad," Gutztomp commented.
[yes, I'm still here, though please don't feel obligated to wait for me. Silent Shayal can catch-up as needed....]
Shayal knew the value of silent intelligence gathering, and had learned a lot while quietly following her companions.
The river, however, posed its own challenge. She could not walk across it like Gutztomp or... do whatever it was Swarm was doing.... she had to admit she didn't quite understand what was going on there... and wasn't quite sure she wanted to.
Shayal herself was not without resources, however. Securing her belongings atop her head, and a vine around her waist just in case she had misjudged the current (though she was pretty sure she hadn't) she dove in.
Kuan fared much better than Gutztomp; only her legs got wet, and her ass and back from water that had splashed up. She didn't mind, though. The jungle was humid, and the water felt nice.
Once on dry land, she hopped down from the ork's shoulders and looked back to see that they were all accounted for. She saw Shayal dive in, a vine about her waist, and turned again to Gutztomp.
"I'm sure an extra dip in the river to grab her would be easy for you, wouldn't it?"
"We are not sure why she didn't come across with Kuan and the green one. We are concerned for her health. Our swarm comprises four members. To lose even one is a numerically catastrophic loss."
Their head slowly turned to look up at Gutztomp.
"The green one would be very wise to retrieve her."
"I can do better den that," Gutztomp said.
He then proceeded to wade all the way back to the other side of the river, grab the vine that Shayal had tied herself down with, waded back over to were Kuan and Swarm were, and then pulled Shayal to shore.
He undoubtedly made it a lot more work than it needed to be, but these humans needed to know that he was not to be messed with and that he was easily stronger than all of them combined.
Kuan wasn't...certain how that was better. She was actually positive Gutztomp had made things more complicated and convoluted than they needed to be! But Gutztomp was proving himself a simple creature, rather like a toddler.
A large, large toddler that could crush human skulls with his fists. And apparently kill dragons with ease.
So Kuan said nothing, even while deep inside she felt exasperated, because he not only made it more complicated, but also ate up more time in doing so! Kuan at least wanted to make some good time and distance before they had to settle in for the night.
"Yes," she said when he made it back to shore with the girl. "Very good. Right. Let's continue on, then."
Shayal was quite surprised by this ... assistance.
"Th-thank you." she stammered out as she climbed onto dry land and rearranged her belongings. Nothing damaged and no more than her clothes wet... she'd live.
"I believe we want to go this way..." she said, starting off.
"You know the way though the jungle?" Kuan asked as she strode after Shayal, kicking a rock from her sandal as she went.
"We hope so."
Swarm fell in besides Kuan, his slender yet tall form towering over her.
"We are approaching unknown territory. We will begin to take on new members soon enough. Members who know the topography. Members who might have witnessed our quarry."
"I know... a story." replied Shayal "It tells of a path through the jungle that leads to mysterious and dangerous beauty. It seems a likely destination for our quarry. Also, it's a path through the jungle, and my experience is that it's easier to navigate the specifics of where you wanted to end up on that side than on this."
"Then it seems that between the two of you, we shall have no issues getting where we need to go," Kuan said. A story that told of some mysterious and beautiful place, and...a creature of plurality that could be in many places, and draw information from the insects around it. Kuan may have had her doubts about this mission and her travel partners, but she was starting to realize her assumptions were unfair.
"We'll walk until nightfall then," she said, "and then we'll make camp, eat, and solidify our plans. We should have a solid plan for if--when we encounter the beast."
Gutztomp was dumping the water out of his boots when Kuan mentioned walking until nightfall. He could do that, after he emptied out his boots that is.
"As long as dare are no more rivers," Gutztomp said. "It'll take ages for me ta dry."
Swarm turned their head over to Gutztomp.
"May we recommend the use of a towel? Or perhaps stripping from your armor to better facilitate evaporation?"
Gutztomp looked at Swarm and blinked. He had no idea what he just said. All he got out of it was stripping off his armor, but why would he do that? He'd have to carry it then.
"You use awfully big words, Bugman," Gutztomp told him. "But just cuz you know some fancy words don't mean a fing."
Gutztomp put his boots back on and resumed walking. He didn't like the Bugman. He used too many big words for Gutztomp's liking.
Kuan snorted softly, the only sign that she'd been listening in on their conversation--and the only sign of the spark of amusement it struck.
"There may be more rivers," she said. "But the jungle gets hot enough in the day, you'll be glad for them."
"On the contrary. We posess a higher vocabulary because we're..."
Swarm trailed off. The hive had come to a decision that continuing the conversation was not the best for its safety. They changed the subject.
"Rivers have always remained an enigma to us. So many potential members make their homes there, but none can survive in our communities, save for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes aren't the most cooperative..."
"Whatever," Gutztomp mumbled putting his boot back on and standing back up. "Let's just go find this damn keern fing already."
Kuan arched an eyebrow at Swarm, because she still hadn't really wrapped her mind around the idea that he was not a thing, but things. Insects. It was, without a doubt, the creepiest, weirdest thing she had encountered, and she somewhat wondered if the Maharani would have granted his request had she known.
While the ork groused, she stepped a bit closer to Swarm. "What is it you'll do with the land given to you, if we're successful?"
Swarm's head turned towards Kuan, an odd mimicry of her movement. He didn't really have any visible emotions, since his head was little more than a head-shaped bundle of rags, but even then, there was a certain degree of reservedness to him.
"We do not yet know. It was a 78 percent consensus among members that having a plot of land would be beneficial to furthering the swarm."
"Furthering the swarm?" Kuan repeated, her eyes narrowing an increment.
"For what purpose?"
"We do not yet know, a consensus has not been reached. Some want to build a hive structure, so that members may be housed without being a part of the mobile Swarm. Others believe such a thing will put us at odds with the human colonies," Swarm buzzed.
"Others believe we should seal the land off as a safe haven for the hive. A small minority wants to construct a giant spiderweb."
"No," Kuan said, grimacing at the mention of a giant spider web. She rubbed at her eyes. "Just...no. No giant spider webs."
Swarm looked at Kuan, something made all the more disturbing by their lack of facial features. Still, she was being watched by millions of little eyes, all hiding beneath his wrappings.
"It is unlikely that proposition will reach fruition."
"Ensure it doesn't. We've had enough problems with...nasties that shouldn't be here," Kuan said, recalling with a twist of her lips a recent case involving a certain murderous plant that had apparently taken out a woman's face--and brain, for that matter.
"In any case, we should be stopping soon. Just a little further, and we'll break for the night."
"Must we?" Swarm said, a somewhat sad tone in their voice.
"We do not require rest. If we can continue moving, we would save mucb time."
"You may not require rest," Kuan said with a look his way. "I, however, do. You could make yourself useful in the meantime by reconnoitering the area. See what you can find out. You say you have connections, correct?"
"I do, and I have been," Swarm answered plainly.
They held out an arm, and one of the flies they'd sent out came back, resting on the palm. It buzzed in place for a few seconds, before crawling back underneath the rags that Swarm was wrapped in.
"The jungle gets thicker ahead, and traces of bears were found as well. If we continue on our current path, we risk altercation."
"Hm. Then what do you suggest?" Kuan asked, looking over at the strange...being...that was Swarm. "Bears aren't generally an issue unless you bother them. And we do need to keep heading that direction."
When Gutztomp overheard them talking about bears he jumped into the conversation.
"Bears are nothing," he said. "I fight dem all the time. They got lots of meat on 'em. A good sized bear will last me all day."
"We did not state that bears were an issue. We were simply stating the possibilities. Our scout detected multiple tracks, all with the same age. Pack bears might be present."
Swarm made it a point to ignore Gutztomp's posturing, and kept focused on Kuan.
"We...are definitely not going to be fighting, or killing, any bears," Kuan said with a sharp look at the ork. "Our path will be one of the least amount of violence--to the land and to other creatures. And we're definitely not to harm the Kirin. Is that clear?"
Gutztomp's shoulders sagged in disappointment.
"But dat's no fun," Gutztomp said. "How 'bout just one. I'll eat da whole fing. None wasted."
Swarm shook their head, and looked to Gutztomp.
"The sounds of conflict might push our quarry to flee. You must reign in your baser instincts."
"Precisely. The point here is to be as unintrusive as possible. If you're hungry, there are plenty of streams. You could fish," Kuan said with a look at the ork.
"Fish," Gutztomp said in disgust. "You can't hunt fish."
"The brute's concept of hunting is rather skewed," Swarm snarked.
"It's true, fish aren't hunted. They're fished. But they provide sustenance all the same. If it comes to it, we will fish for the group. Although many of us have renounced an aquatic life in favor of The Swarm, we would be more than glad to return to it, if only for a moment."
Silence for a few seconds.
"Kuan, your eyes are a different color."
"Your concep is skewed," Gutztomp shot back. "I can hunt much better den you, bugman. My trophy wall is full of things I killed. You bugs just eat da dead fings dat I make."
Kuan was on the verge of sinking her face into her hands, unable to muster up the mental energy it would require to debate with the ork, when Swarm's words caught her attention.
She blinked at him, at first confused before it clicked. After all, she didn't really think about her eye color that often!
"What...? Oh. You mean the blue and violet?" she asked, and shrugged. "I was born like that."
"We find it to be divergent to the norm," Swarm said. They placed their hands together, and returned their sight to the path ahead.
"It is rather interesting to us."
"It's uncommon, yes," Kuan said with a small shrug. Truth be told, few people noticed the difference unless they looked closely.
She looked away from him then and to the stream, then at Gutztomp. "If you can hunt well, then surely fishing should be easy for you?"
"Fish is too slippy," Gutztomp replied. "Dey slip right outta my 'ands."
"The Swarm," Swarm started, and they placed a hand on their chest.
"Will fish for the hunting party. If we hunt, or disturb the environment too much, our prey might take notice. It would make our task... significantly more difficult."
Swarm looked to Gutztomp.
"We realize that this may not play very well to the large one's strength. However, a swarm, no matter how small, must utilize the talents of all members if survival to the next breeding cycle is to be possible."
A pause.
"We are aware our metaphor is not perfect."
Kuan met Swarm's statement with a blank stare.
This was the weirdest goddess-be-damned questing party she had ever been a part of. Hands down. A large angry green man and a bunch of bugs in human clothes. Holy Inima, she was never going to get used to this.
"Yes. Right," she at last, finally breaking her stare with a blink. "That sounds agreeable. Whatever gets fish in our bellies with the least amount of trauma to the surroundings." She ran a hand through her hair and looked to the ork.
"You must be patient. You'll be able to utilize your strength when we encounter the Kirin. I promise you, we will need your power then."
Gutztomp let out a disappointed sigh.
"I make fire den," he said stalking off to get firewood.
Swarm waited until Gutztomp was out of earshot, and then looked to Kuan.
"We sincerely hope he doesn't fell any trees," they said, and then turned to fully face her.
"There is a river, not too far from here. Are we right to assume that you will take up the duty of setting up the campsite?"
Kuan rubbed the bridge of her nose, shaking her hsad. Hopefully no trees were harmed, indeed!
"Well, being I'm no doubt the only one here that even really needs a campsite...yes, I'll tend to that," she said with a nod, before pursing her lips. "Are there...any specific needs you have or...?"
"If you could site the camp near a hollowed tree, or a burrow, we'd appreciate it," Swarm said, and they went off towards the river to gather some food.
That was easy enough to do.
So while Swarm went off to fish, Kuan located a hollow tree and started to unpack her gear with the efficiency that came when you've done this many times before. She staked out the small tent and then assembled it, then went about digging a shallow fire pit. When that was done, she scouted around for dry branches and leaves for kindling, and piled them by the pit before she knelt and brought out her flint.
Soon enough, she had a small, merry fire burning, and she sat beside it carving a few small, extra branches she'd found to make the tips nice and sharp and perfect for roasting fish.
Swarm returned after a short while, definitely getting a decent amount of fish much faster than any normal human could. Around six salmon-sized fish dangled from his hand, tied to the fabric by small loops of spider silk. Each fish looked to be gutted already, and the only sign of damage was that each fish had a single hole right in the head, going all the way through one eye and out the other.
"we have brought fish," Swarm said.
"Has our green-skinned friend returned?"
Kuan looked up and squinted, glancing around the area.
"...Now that you mention it, he hasn't," she said with an arched brow.
"I definitely hope he hasn't gone off to catch the kirin on his own..."
Swarm stood still, for a few moments, before nodding, although the motion was stiff, and looked a bit rehearsed.
"We disagree. We postulate that the orc wandering off in a random direction leaves us with a significantly higher survival rate. If the kirin know we are coming, it will surely be more prepared to fight us."
"We also believe the orc would never have survived the encounter."
Kuan snorted at that.
"No, most likely he would not. Dealing with a kirin requires a little more finesse than brawn. They're powerful beasts."
She drew in a slow breath. "Which reminds me, we should come up with a plan for how to deal with it when we do encounter it. How much do you know about kirin?"
At Kuan's question, Swarm was quiet for a bit.
"We do not know much. We know they are strength and fire. The fire is what concerns us the most," Swarm said.
"We can ward ourselves, and you, and we know magic that can combat the Kirin."
"The fire is what will be most problematic," Kuan said with a nod. "And their luck. They are very lucky creatures, and some say they can actually manipulate it. I'm not sure how true that is."
She poked at the fire, stirring it, and carefully fed it a few more dry sticks. "Fortunately, I too have magic. I can...erode luck, so to speak. My hope is it'll be enough to neutralize whatever the kirin can do."
"We believe it will prove valuable," Swarm said, seemingly transfixed on the crackling fire in front of Kuan.
"For a being such as Kirin, their fortune weaving is intrinsic. It is intangible, and an instinct. It will think like it has the advantage in that regard, and act accordingly."
Kuan blinked. That was true, and she hadn't really thought of it that way.
If the beast just took its skill for granted, and just assumed it would work...oh, yes. That would certainly give them the upper hand. Wouldn't it?
"Hmm...you may be right," she said, and reached for a fish. "Have these been cleaned yet?"
When Kuan picked the fish up, she'd notice that there was an incision in the belly, and the eyes and organs were missing.
"We have already consumed our share of the fish. We will eat whatever meat the group doesn't."
"Consumed your fair share of..." Kuan started to ask, but then she eyed the fish more closely-and did a double take.
It had already been altered. Belly slit, eyes gone.
...that wasn't creepy at all or anything.
"I see," she said, voice calm as ever. It didn't look contaminated, and the fire would surely purify it. With a shrug, she skewered it on a sharpened stick and held it over the fire.
"What ARE you, exactly? How did you come to be?"
At her question, Swarm was still for a few moments before they joined her by the fire, sitting down across the flame from her.
"There was a man. A wizard. His name was Jython," Swarm said, letting a ladybug dance across their fingers.
"He was rather accomplished, until an assistant's error resulted in his untimely death. The first of us, The Maggot Elders, fed upon his shoddily buried flesh, and something within the magic that had killed him sparked life into our collective being. We gained his intelligence, his magical aptitude, but not his personality. The Maggot Elders quickly learned how to bring this magic onto other insects, and we have grown since then," Swarm recalled.
A chill went down Kuan's spine at his words, though her expression didn't change. She was still watching him, eyes looking to where his--its--should have been. This sounded like some sort of devilry, some abomination that shouldn't be allowed to exist. And yet, exist it did, just as alive as her. Killing it would be a sin, wouldn't it? Since it was alive and existed now, even though by Inima it shouldn't? So didn't that mean that it was alive by Inima's will, and thus had just as much a right as her to exist?
Her temple throbbed, and she resisted the urge to rub it. Oh, she was learned in Inima's teachings, but she was no Scholar. She was a Warrior. She decided then that she would have to bring it up to the Temple and let them handle it, whatever their decision would be. But for now, it was too late. They were out in the middle of nowhere on a hunt.
So for now, what would be, would just have to be.
"Interesting," she said plainly. "Well, let us hope that magic aids us in our hunt."
She checked the fish, found it was cooked, and began to eat, taking care not to burn her fingers or tongue.
"There is no hoping required. Our magic will prove useful," Swarm said, and they sat down, crossing their legs. The rags touching the ground unraveled slightly, and soon enough there was a thin bed of insects beneath them. They started crawling about, doings things insects normally did like pick up leaves, pieces of vegetation, and even insects not originally from Swarm and carrying them back under the rags.
"Do not be alarmed. We are merely gathering."
"Gathering," Kuan repeated with raised eyebrows, trying not to show that she was unsettled. "Meaning...?"
"Just that. Food and new minds to add to our collective."
Their head focused more fully on Kuan's face, like millions of eyes had just been turned onto her.
"We understand that we can be rather daunting to your kind."
"It's...unusual," Kuan said, choosing her words carefully. Wouldn't do to insult him. Them. It.
She rolled her shoulders, putting it out of her mind, and finished off her meal. Brushing off her clothes, she rose. "I'm going to catch a few hours of sleep. I assume you'll do whatever it is you do to recuperate?"
There was a ahort moment of quiet, before Swarm bobbed their head down in a stiff, comically morbid way.
"We will."
And just like that they stretched out onto the ground. In an almost dazzling array, the wrappings came undone and Swarm lost their shape. The wrappings changed shape as the insects beneath moved around, and their final shape ended up being a dome, resting there on the ground as if it was a tent.
Ah...huh...
Kuan stared at the dome for a long moment before she shook her head, shrugged, and slipped into her tent. It was warm and humid out, so she hardly needed any blankets, except to spread them out to sleep on, and she kept the tent flap open to let in the air.
She wasn't concerned, though, as she stripped out of her clothes, mopped the sweat from her face and beneath her breasts, and curled up to sleep. Swarm was out there, so anything that decided to cause any harm would have to go through it, first.
As the night settled, the dome shifted slightly. Insects like cockroaches and beetles moved to the exterior of the dome, putting their shells out towards the exterior of the dome and encasing it in chitin. Small holes dotted this "armor," allowing Swarm's denizens to come and go from the dome to forage or keep watch. Swarm never slept. How could a creature comprised of millions ever really "rest"?
Swarm would remain like that, provided that nothing disturbed their stillness.
In the distance, standing in the shadows of the trees, a slender creature watched the camp with eyes like fire and shimmering scales, its tall antlers blending with the branches and leaves wreathing its head. It was quiet for a time, simply observing with still calm. Then those luminous eyes blinked once--and it was gone.
The night went without disturbance, and it was around sunrise when the wrappings on the ground around the dome started to shift and rise to encase it. The insects were recalled and before long the wrappings had regained their humanoid shape, and Swarm sat up.
They stood to their feet and looked around, mostly just standing still as some latecomers who were ranging a bit farther away from the dome crawled and fluttered to the safety of their wrappings.
Morning came, and Kuan rose, dressed, and strapped her sword onto her back. She stepped from the tent and flashed Swarm an uneasy look; they were already up, it seemed, and she couldn't quite look at them without envisioning what lay beneath those wrappings. No matter. Once the job was done, she could wash her hands of the creature as well. For now, she just had to focus on the task at hand, and for all intents and purposes, Swarm was at least useful.
With a nod of acknowledgment, she went about disassembling the camp and packing up her tent, rolling it up neatly before putting it away.
"Rest well?" she said to break the silence as she wrapped up. She didn't know how to really speak to the thing, but not talking felt even more unnatural.
After they were in a more solid shape, Swarm gave a little roll of their shoulders before bending down to grasp their robe and put it on.
"It was good downtime, yes. Many of us were fatigued from our long travel. The hunters and foragers did well," they said as they straightened their robe. They scanned the surrounding area, and then "looked" back to Kuan. They'd finished forming, and once again looked like a man wrapped in bandages.
"We must be honest, we did not expect your hive queen to accept our services, or even our presence. Usually, the human hives are more... unwelcoming."
A few insects were still trickling in from the environment around them, hunters and scouts that ranged farther from the hive.
Kuan bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing down the words that sprang to her tongue: She wouldn't have had she known what you were.
She wouldn't have accepted a mission with them had she known what they were.
But she was in deep now, and she would see this through to the end. She couldn't do this on her own, and this creature was, at the very least, useful. As long as it remained her ally, they wouldn't have a problem.
Kuan nodded. "Catching a kirin is notoriously difficult, and few have managed historically. Only one was caught, and it was kept for centuries, until it broke free. I think she was willing to employ anyone crazy enough for the job."
"You seem perfectly sane to us," came Swarm's reply, and finally, the last few stragglers came trickling in.
"And we are a rational consensus above all, we-"
At that moment, a thick moth came and landed on the side of Swarm's head, crawling under the wrappings. Swarm went still and quiet, before turning to fully face Kuan.
"A forager has returned. She speaks of a new smell."
Swarm pointed away from camp. They didn't know it yet, but it was in the general direction of their nightime observer's peeking spot.
"We know many smells, have kept records. If it is new..."
Swarm snapped their fingers.
"...we should investigate."
Kuan finished her work and grabbed up her belongings. "Does your...forager have anymore information?" she asked, already striding in the direction Swarm had pointed. She didn't want to get her hopes up--she didn't know how reliable the knowledge of insects were, and besides, wouldn't "new" be pretty relative to a creature that only lived a few weeks? But it was something. Better to have a lead at all, even if it turned out to be nothing, than to go in utterly blind.
And besides, she admitted, she really didn't understand how that creature worked at all. Perhaps her assumptions were way, way off.
"I'm sure there are many new smells here, to you, since you're foreign to this land. After all--"
She stopped cold.
Kuan had only just pushed past some bushes and ducked beneath a low-hanging branch when she saw the hoof prints in the soil. Dainty and cloven, they were scorched into the earth as though by fire, some of them pointing in the direction of their camp. There were more, though, showing that the creature had turned and left, the prints fading after several strides.
Breath held, Kuan knelt and touched the earth around one burnt print, and rubbed the ash between her fingers.
"...It was here."
"It would appear so,"
Swarm knelt across the tracks from kuan, and dispatched some flies to the tracks and surrounding area. They watched Kuan rub the ash between her fingers and mimicked the motion once she finished it.
"Last night was a good gathering cycle. We learned much from the area and even managed to find some... "locals", as you humans would say. Their knowledge has been invaluable for our records. But enough about us."
Swarm stood up, glancing around.
"If it already knows we are here, then our task is going to be a lot more complicated. It may be able to hide its footprints, but it cannot hide its scent. One of our observers will no doubt find the trail soon..."
At least that was the plan. There was something about a creature of fury and ancestral fire that set Swarm on edge. None of its members liked the idea of fire all that much...
"If it knows we're here, then it's imperative that we work even faster," Kuan said.
"Kirin are clever beasts. If it's aware of us, we'll have to be even more careful. While I'm not certain of their veracity, I've heard tales of hunters being lured into traps or on wild chases by the things. This could be bad. How soon will your 'foragers' know?"
Just as she was getting done speaking, Swarm snapped their fingers.
"Done."
They lifted an arm and pointed down deeper into the forest, on a bearing that broke off from their original travel route.
"It went that way. The creatures are good at hiding and moving, but they cannot conceal that smell of fire, especially from us."
They "looked" back to Kuan and gave a stiff but meaningful shrug.
"It is smart enough to value its concealment, smart enough to hide a trail and observe from the silence. Even wolves know how to lay traps, so a creature like a Kirin?"
They crossed their arms.
"A creature as smart as you or us? A trap is all but guaranteed."
A creature as smart as they were?
Kuan knew they were intelligent, but she had never before considered that Kirin were that smart. They were powerful beasts, but they were still just beasts. Still just animals. She had always assumed their intelligence was akin to that of a crow or a dog or maybe even a monkey. Bright creatures, creatures capable of using tools and remembering individuals, of working cooperatively, but not human level intelligence.
Was she wrong?
It didn't matter.
"Send scouts ahead to look for traps, then," she said. "We can't risk hesitation. We need to follow the trail while it's still hot." A scowl crossed her face and she sighed at her unintentional pun. She shook it off. "Come. Be ready for a fight."
Her hand rested along the pommel of her sword as she headed into the forest, the path leading off into the darkness.
Swarm curiously watched her expression shift a little irregularly, but apart from that they didn't really recognize the concept of puns.
They dispatched another cadre of small flying insects from their shoulders. They dispersed and buzzed on ahead, and Swarm drew a symbol in front of them with a finger to place strong wards against fire on themselves.
Wordlessly, they followed along behind Kuan, every member of their collective bracing for combat and preparing their battle stations.