34th of Fall, 515AV "It's no Kenash, but it'll do." Ssenislin decided about the waterways around Endrykas. The water wasn't quite as murky, and the supply of blissfully ignorant beasts somewhat smaller, but he could still ambush the occasional moose and find a relatively sheltered nook to digest the thing in peace. Still, there were certain things that Kenash had that this horse town just didn't, and that was flavor. The Drykas barely wore any gold at all outside the comfort of their homes, survival demanding they dress practically (and, in the Dhani's opinion, dully) and the supply of drink just lying around was tragically low. Really, these horsemen seemed to constantly flirt with total savagery, and it made Ssenislin a touch frustrated. It had been weeks since he'd been able to enjoy what he considered the finer things in life, and it left him in a sour mood. It was while he was brooding over his tragic lack of vice that he felt the sustained rumble of a nearby wagon vibrating through the water. Curious, he struck a path in its rough direction, occasionally popping his serpentine head out of the water to scan the bank. After a few chimes, his efforts was rewarded. He tasted the sweat of men and oxen on the air. Men, oxen... And the acrid scent of booze. The anaconda moved swifter, tongue flicking frequently to draw a bead on the wagon. Soon it came into view. The man drawing it didn't seem to be Drykas, sun-parched and bronzed with a bleached cotton shirt, overalls, and a floppy wide-brimmed hat. His wagon was modestly sized, and loaded with barrels of what smelled like liquor. He was attempting to ford a narrower section of a river with mixed success. His oxen appeared to be having trouble walking through the silty riverbed. Perfect. Ssenislin ducked underwater and swam low until he was a mere yard from his glorious prize, then reared up and began to shift. The man heard the sound of pouring water to his left and turned with a frown on his face before turning pale at the sight of the noise's source. He stared wide-eyed at a gargantuan scaly beast larger than the entire wagon, heavyset and muscular with a set of gleaming triangular teeth on display through a wicked grin. "Well. What's this delectable morsel trespassin' on my river?" it purred in a voice more crocodile than man. The driver sat there in dumb shock for a full three ticks, then promptly threw himself off the wagon and splashed frantically towards the nearest shore, screaming in terror as he fled. Ssenislin cackled in delight as he watched the human escape, pleased that the fleshbag understood its place. The oxen lowed in fear and strained against their bonds, but the wagon was quite stuck now, particularly without a driver to direct the poor beasts in a productive direction. Ssenislin could kill them now and have a nice meal, but then one of them would get cold, and that was just wasteful. Besides, they weren't going anywhere. A bounty like this, the Dhani thought as he sighed happily and floated on his back, reaching lazily for the first of the barrels, deserved to be savored. |