Curator POV

Watching Poppit as they heads out, it's almost concerning how they just...vanish into the sands. If it weren't for my link to the furry noodle there'd be no way for me to know where they went. Honestly it's kinda spooky how they can just...poof under the sand like that. Either way, good to know they have that sneaky capability though could come in handy. Babe seems all tuckered out though, so we'll just let her rest and sleep for now. Looks like I'm back down to less than a ring of 'mana' again. Doesn't seem to be by much though just that the ring which was there is fuzzy edged and wobbly now so, only a small experiment then.

Since putting 'mana' into animals while giving them a name awakens them for lack of a better way to put it, what about just putting some of this 'mana' into something? Lucky me, I have a prime candidate to test that out with, and visualizing things out may help me also control how much 'mana' gets put into it. With how it's used, the best way to look at the mana would be as...yeah, lets go with a loaf of nice, soft, bread. Carefully slicing off a slice of that loaf similar to the thickness of some Texas toast. Putting the rest of the 'loaf' away to hold onto it that proverbial slice would then be pushed into the pruned Yucca from earlier, to, hopefully, get it to grow that flowering stalk back.

Giving the plant some time to act on that influx of energy, it's time for some work once more. Scooping and storing sand, that little wet pit would be expanded and deepened to increase the amount of water available from that underground spring to fill. Digging up some of the to help the spring flow more freely would be quite the pleasant surprise. The rich red of high clay content soil greeting my sight, quite the little boon for all the things I have planed for down the road.

'I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, diggy diggy hole, diggy diggy hole~'

Singing to myself while working makes it much more enjoyable. It also helps me focus on what needs to be done. Expansion of the watering hole done, it's time to move on to the start of the first true building on my check list. We'll start by digging down to, hopefully, bedrock to see how much sand needs to be moved.

Poppit POV

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

-Curator wants us to look around and be sneaky! It's like they know exactly what we're good at!-

With a bounding leap, the strange fur noodle would slide beneath the sands and start slithering his way through the loose ground. Heading in a random direction and moving quickly, yet not so quickly as to disturb the surface of the sand, they'd reach the edge of the dungeon's territory in but a few quick minutes. Continuing on that, meandering, path a small stop would be made. After all, Curator did give them permission to grab a snack if they can do it safely. With a violent bursting up from the sand, before dragging their unfortunate snack back below the grains as it squawks and struggles. After a few short moments, the only indicator of the violence that befell that patch of sand would be the blood soaked into a tiny pit, and some lost feathers.

Normally not part of Poppit's normal diet, they can very much so appreciate the meatiness of the fowl that ran a foul of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That extra intelligence and knowledge already paying off for the predatory fur slinky, as they know the right way to cripple those tasty birds to make a meal of them now. With a contented belch they'd continue on, continuing, leaving only that minor trace of their passing through the area, and well outside the dungeon's bounds.

Vahlu POV

Standing in absolute shock with a few of his hunters at what they'd all just seen. If not for others to back up what they'd all just seen, he'd turn to look at his compatriots. Greeted by the same look of shocked horror as they turn to face him, he'd gesture for a silent retreat. Making good use of sandboards, the group would practically flee from the site of the carnage they'd just been privy too. Waiting until easily an hour of fast flight from the area, a simple question would be spoken.

"You all saw that too, right?"

"Yeah boss. Yeah we did."

A communal shiver would run through the group. The lot of them just glad to be using sand boards to travel in, relatively, safety from the dangers under the sands. Sandtrap Ferrets are dangerous enough. One either hungry, or audacious enough to make a meal out of a greater sand-runner, a bird that normally puts the furry thins on it's own dinner plate, would be scary enough. Seeing it do so that effortlessly, and intelligently, unlike their normal approach methods for a meal, combined with it easily being longer than his people were tall was just...this needed to be reported to the chief as soon as possible.

"How old are they when their mandibles turn blue any way?" came the question from the apprentice hunter with the group, causing Vahlu to stop, almost making the hunter behind him to crash into himself.

"They don't, sandtrap ferrets only have sand colored mandibles. Are you sure it had blue mandibles. Like, really, REALLY sure?"

The edge to his voice wouldn't be missed, even by the novice who responds quickly.

"As sure as sand in my scales after a dust up boss"

With that Vahlu would turn toward the direction they'd left before cursing, heavily for some time and picking up the pace.

"Double time it back to the camp. This is bad, very, very very, VERY bad."

With that the entire group would leave caution to the wind, pulling up close too, and around, the biggest of the group who pulled out a hand held sail as the rest grabbed on, acting as steering and stability while catching the wind to move as quickly as possible.

Unbeknownst to them though, they hadn't gone unnoticed, and had an extra traveler with them....