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Character: Jijikko
Stage: Khehora
Luck: 20 (+3 LUK)
Creature: Dalak x 3
Success Rate: 6 - 100

Win x 3: exp
Total: exp

Word Count Required: 900
Final Word Count: -

Jijikko stretched, yawning deeply and pulling his long neck out to its full length as his talons kneaded the warm earth beneath them. After it was decided upon that Mirela would spend some time in his company for the present while, at least long enough to gain her bearings, get a feel for the location, and build up her wing strength — and strength in general — they had weathered a sandstorm together, and in the aftermath shared a nook for the night in the cliffside, Jijikko’s preferred perch. The following morning was crisp and bright, dawn a beacon of a new day over the rolling dunes, and Jiji felt like breakfast.

It was only after glancing back, though, to where he expected to find his smaller companion, that he noticed her space curiously vacant. Huffing curiously, he trotted back in and around, sniffing the area. It did seem as though he had slept in a bit, and she did seem the independent sort, so it didn’t surprise him a great deal that she had wandered off, but it still worried him. Even for a precocious youngling like herself, the desert was dangerous. He raised his snout, stepping out and scenting the area again more carefully. Very, very—

He made a garbled, rumbling sound as she staggered up over the lip and to the cave. “Mirela.” Jijikko snorted, starting over and immediately beginning an inspection of the clearly injured youngling. He, unfortunately, knew nothing of healing, but set to work cleaning the affected area anyway with his tongue, wanting to get at least that done to better assess the wound. The poison and wound-type he recognized, at least, having been a native of the desert all his life, and he kept some stores of plant life with him which served as a workable antidote. “Not too bad,” he assessed, “though if you would like to hunt and train more, I would recommend letting me know so that we can do it together. I’m happy to help.”

Jijikko made a huffing, rumbling sound — half amusement and half a snort — and he shook his head, trotting back toward the cave and stomping to unearth some of his buried herbs before bringing them over towards his temporary charge. “Don’t be silly,” he said. “You did surprise me, after all. You accomplished half of what you wanted, and you aren’t a burden. I like having someone around. It makes life more interesting!” Catching some of the leaves in his teeth, he chewed before working to apply what he could to the wound. “It’s just a linkrept bite, in any case. Very small, very weak poison. The bite will last longer than the toxin and you should heal up after giving your body a day of rest or so. In the meantime, wait here a bit and I’ll fetch us breakfast. Apply more of that…” He nosed at the appropriate pile of herbs, “…to help numb the pain.”

And with that, he was off for the moment. Not wanting to travel far with his companion in her given state, he made quick work of it, retrieving several desert bouken that would have to do for now before returning to her. If she was feeling better by evening or the next day, he reasoned, they could perhaps hunt for something larger then.

“Surviving?” he asked, peeking around as he came to a land and deposited his hunting’s worth.

“Anything for a little lady,” Jijikko asserted cheerfully, prancing around to her side before starting in on the caught snack. “It looks, though, like you could use a real hunting lesson, mm? We could go together. Take on something bigger and prepare you for the wilds.” He gave a muted, satisfied trill at the thought as he gnawed on the meat before him. At least as a young one — and still today, for that matter — adventure always appealed to him, and to get the chance to participate in passing a little of his learnings on to another youngling was a prize indeed.

It also, of course, meant more food, and there was never anything wrong with that so far as Jiji could tell. Not to mention, there was plenty enough time left in the day.

“We couldn’t take on anything too fierce with you healing up…” Jijikko lifted his snout, sniffing the desert winds. “But a prey animal, like a dalak, couldn’t do too much damage, and with me there, I’d see you were safe. They live nearer to the mountains, though…” He tilted his head back, eyeing her inquisitively. “How are your wings feeling?”

“Good,” Jijikko asserted with a happy rumble, “then hunt we shall!” He gave a pause, then settled back down, rumbling as he ate. “After food.”

And, as the case may be, after a break in between also to give her body some time to recuperate and the salve to do its work. They waited, in fact, until fairly well later into the day to begin their trip, testing Mirela’s wings again and heading out over the desert winds and dunes towards the outer rim of the great rocky, rising stretches of the Terra Expanse. It was solidly into midday by the time they arrived, the sun at its peak and burning hot down over them.

Jijikko gave a pleased sound, stretching his wings as he came to a land and shutting his eyes. The sun always did feel good on his scales. And, it was always a pleasure to hunt. Glancing back towards his companion, he tossed her a toothy, khehora equivalent of a grin, golden scales rippling with anticipation.

“Feeling strong?”