Kano was eating breakfast all alone and feeling glum. His father was still in bed and probably still hungover judging by how late he got home last night and his little brother was already off on his first day of his apprenticeship. Kano was glad for Nosal yet he was also slightly envious of his brother.
Am I jealous of Nosal? Or do I miss him more? Kano wondered to himself tidied up before automatically heading out for the Rottwood-worm bins with Dittat in tow.
Surprisingly the healing that the scamp had received a few days prior also had the effect of regrowing his lost limb. Kano couldn’t tell if it was the work of the Healer or his brother, but nevertheless he was glad that his partner was whole again.
What did surprise him the most, was how his silly partner was able to go through a whole day before he even realized that he had regrown a whole divine-kissed limb. It was absolutely mind-boggling how simple and stupid his partner can be at times but then become so clever and mischievous when it came to food or pranking.
His mind then unbiddenly and traitorously wandered back towards the unfairness of how his brother was hand-fed an apprenticeship out of the blue. Meanwhile he didn’t even have a Tamer as candidate for a Master in Pancreedy and thus, was stuck leveling on his own with no guidance and a silly larval Feqnal Woodwurm for a partner.
Divines I’m sure Dittat is more of a character than any of his kind could ever hope to be, he thought to himself as he aligned before the shed. But then he quickly snapped out of his musings as a faint but familiar humming sound reached his ears along with the worrying sight of the inconspicuous blur in the corner of his vision. He quickly turned towards the haybarn for slowly fading into sight, was the local Gildronfly that was sunning it’s wings as it sat perched on the top of the barn roof.
Kano was well familiar with this particular specimen, with the large black and green Beast constantly frequenting the air space in the Ranch. It could normally be seen swooping about as it hunted the Mentorsparrows that in turn, fed on the flies that bothered the Kaholins in the fields.
Dittat stick come close to me, he quickly commanded mentally to his partner who was scuttling about around him and still unaware of the danger nearby. The silly little scamp ignored him at first as he continued to wandered about. He then sternly shot the name of the nearby predator through the link with immediate effect from his partner.
The little Woodwurm was but a slick of green as he bolted for Kano’s legs as he slimed heavily at the same time in fear. The little guy then quickly scampered up onto Kano’s shoulder and leaving a green trail up the side of Kano’s work suspenders before looking about and chirping in fear and alarm.
Kano knew that the possibility of the large Gildronfly aiming for his partner was low, for it would be impossible for the Gildronfly that was the size of his forearm to fly off with Dittat that was now the size of a kick-ball. For his partner had shot up in size, weight and levels after his near-neath experience with those mysterious snake/leeches a few days ago. But the simple little Dittat was unaware of these facts and therefore still felt terror at the sight of the adult form of the creature that had already resoundingly handed his ass to him as a larva by the riverside a few years prior.
He’s probably still upset about losing his leg the first time to one of them, Kano reasoned as he pointed out Gildronfly to his partner. Dittat who was squinting all over the place before as he sought to pinpoint the location of the giant insect, now hid behind his partner’s shoulder as he attempted to break his line of sight with the creature. But center of all this attention, wasn’t even paying the pair any attention as it lazily cleaned its compound eyes with its second pair of hairy forelegs.
Deciding that it was best to just get inside the shed and calm down his partner who was in distress, Kano then pulled upon the door and entered the building. The usual horrid stink assaulted his olfactory senses, but safety of the shed helped to alleviate Dittat from his panicked state.
The boy constantly reassured his partner as they waited in the dark with his partner’s chirping slowly dying down. Then when the small green creature was positively sure that there was no more danger to his wellbeing, he slowly climbed down but still stuck by Kano’s side.
I’m going to open the door to let in some light ok? Kano asked his partner after he realized that he wouldn’t be able to see anything in the dark shed.
No! No! Big fly outside! It’s gonna get me! Shouted back Dittat in Kano’s voice but more shrill and child-like as his panic resurfaced.
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It’s ok, look I’m just going to open the door a little… not enough for the GIldronfly to get in, ok? Kano gently coaxed his partner even as he pushed open the shed door a fraction of a crack that enabled a small sliver of morning light to permeate the gloomy shed.
Then the Capyban boy realized that he had forgotten to grab the seed bucket first and was tempted to grab it before collecting some worms. For if he buried the worms under the seed then they could be squashed and killed, and less appealing to the Chitpulkas who much preferred wriggling worms.
Then the fear hit Kano like a frozen brick, how can I be so foolish? How did I forget that I have to face Chopeck all over again! Especially after what happened yesterday, I should have woken up father!
He then started to pace about in the fetid shed as he tried to come up with ways to avoid the Chitpulka compound with his worried partner followed him around on the wooden floor. He was tempted to just not go at all and waited till his father woke up, but then the Chitpulkas and the Sowigans would go hungry as long as his father rested through his self-inflicted alchohol poisoning that the adults enjoyed so much for some reason.
So in the end he decided to just get it done and over with, because it wasn’t very likely that Chopeck was going to whoop his ass as resoundingly as it did to him and Dornmit yesterday. His reasoning being that the Mood had never displayed such aggressive behavior before, and only did so because his friend acted in a threatening manner first and therefor he should be safe on his own today. But the throbbing welt on his face that slightly obscured the vision from one eye, was a sore reminder of what could possibly be in store for him.
So with the seed then worm protocol forgotten as he now worried for his own safety, he found himself a spare metal bucket in the worm shed. He then walked over towards the next bin in rotation cycle, for it had the most worms out of all the available containers. But as he placed down his bucket beside the metal tub and was just about to lift the handle of the mesh basket inside, a surprising sight greeted him from inside the tub.
For inside the tub and squirming about amongst it’s kin and the rotting wood was the biggest Rottworm worm he had ever seen. With the pale worms normally being tiny little things the size of grains, this pinky sized specimen was an absolute goliath that dwarfed its kin.
Kano could not help but wonder at the absolute giant. He then raised out the basket and poured out the rest of the worms into his bucket before singling out the leviathan and returning it to the bin.
“Holy fruitflys are you a big’un,” Kano commented in wonder even as he totally forgot about the upcoming danger of feeding the Chitpulkas. He had never seen a Rottwood worm grow so large and he was sure that his father and brother were the same.
He knew that it would be a waste to just feed such a impressive specimen to the Chitpulkas. But then again he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with such a large worm.
I’ll ask father what we should do with it, or else I’l just show it to him and Nosal… WHO CAN SPEAK WITH IT! AND FIND OUT HOW IT GOT SO BIG! Kano thought to himself excitedly as he felt the elation that followed a great idea. He then grabbed onto his bucket and was about to leave the shed with Dittat in tow, but then it occurred to him. What if I forget about it and someone picks it up without seeing and accidentally feeds it to the Chitpulkas? Wait I know! I ‘l just separate it into a bucket on it’s own and leave it some food!
So he dropped his worm-filled bucket before running out to fetch another in the nearby shed and leaving Dittat scared and confused on his own. He then quickly returned with his partner angrily shouting at him telepathically for abandoning him with the Gildronfly outside nearby, but Kano ignored him as he was wholly focused on the giant worm.
He then fished out the squirming worm from the bin with his hand, with the worm madly squirming in his hands at it sought to escape from its presumedly mortal danger it was in. Kano fully ignored the protesting creature as he quickly deposited it into it’s new solitary confinement before he was slightly worried about the stink that would stick to the fur of his hands.
I’m going to have to soap my hand so hard to wash that off… wait I need something for it to eat, he thought to himself absentmindedly even as Dittat chirped with annoyance as he attempted to peer over the edge of the bucket that was taller than his outstretched antennae. The Capyban boy then looked around the shed for some rotting wood or leaves, only to realized that there was none. For he nor his brother had not gone to the nearby woods to forage so that they can top up the Rottwood worm feed in nearly a week.
Where else can I get some rotting vegetables or wood?.... The compost heap! Thought the boy excitedly before he shot out of the shed once more. He then quickly returned with some rotting Stopnips and various decomposing plant matter before depositing it on the floor next to the bucket.
Reaching inside, he then grabbed ahold of the gargantuan worm once more and lifted it out of its prison before he started to gently pile the compost into the bucket. Once completed, he returned the worm into the bucket atop the pile of rotting vegetables.
“Enjoy your feast, this must be the best thing you ever had!” joked Kano even as he got up to leave. “I can’t wait to show you to brother later when he comes home!” he added to himself as Dittat climbed up his trouser leg before the pair exited the shed
But just a few scant moments later, Kano could be heard outside the shed shouting, “Fruitflys!” The boy then bursted into the shed once more, before quickly rushing in and grabbing onto the original feed bucket that was filled with the Rottwood worms before exiting once again.
The inside of the shed was once more cast into a gloomy dark that was filled with the stink of rotting vegetation and the faint slithering of the worms.