Snippet #2762903

They followed the tracks that bordered the Narrows from the Bright, the usual scouting route of the north-west, all four of them atop of ants - huge black and red beasts that were native to the Rock – scuttling across the sand and kicking up clouds of dust while four pairs of squinting eyes scanned the horizon. None of them were particularly enthused to be on scouting duty today. Gusts of harsh wind blew grit into their mouths and the sun made a torrid, inescapable heat, both of which were unpleasant on the best of days. Three of them were hungover and looking awfully grim under their wide brimmed hats. Khada, on the other hand, didn't drink the 'garbage' they brewed in Cobran but was always grim. The old woman had gaze that would make a man wet himself and a weathered face from years of living on the Rock. Eren rode beside her, a large burly man with an even larger beard and a single arm that gripped the reins of his straining ant. Lagging behind them was Bones, who never shut up and slacked off constantly, but he was good for a laugh and deadly with a rifle. Last of all was Seru, younger than them all by at least a decade and the only non-Phoenix in their party. She chewed on Kajo tobac, trying to mask the taste of stale beer at the back of her throat and cursing Bones for convincing her to join them last night.

The scouting party of four passed a single sandstone ruin which probably belonged to a house from a village long gone. Sweat and dirt stuck to their skins and they focused on staying on their ants instead of sparking conversation. It was a while before anyone said anything, but of course Bones started humming a merry tune which Eren couldn't resist, and it wasn't long before the two of them were singing the lyrics to an age-old classic:

“Sweet Hor-e-nor with 'er whores galore,
Spend money on wine and ta hav' a good time,
Go empty ya load in their humble abode,
Sweet Hor-e-nor, Sweet Hor-e-nor,”

Even Khada corrected them on one of the verses which was the most participation they were ever likely to get from her. Seru simply smirked and spat out the tobac she was chewing, feeling too sorry for herself to join in. It was too fucking hot and bright and she wanted more than anything to get back home to Cobran and sleep her hangover away. She made a lazy attempt to peer at the dunes in the distance but eventually her mind wondered off and she began thinking about how miserable she felt and how she would kill for a good juice. Which is why it came as a surprise to her when she noticed something dropping from the sky off in the distance.

At first Seru thought it was a starship descending into one of the towns up in the north, but the more she looked at it the more she realized how quickly it was falling and how big it actually was. She looked over to the others where Khada was scolding them about chanting so loud the Naraat could hear them, “Oi, are you seeing that?”

The three of them spared her a glance and then their eyes followed to where she was pointing. “Look like a ship, donnit?” Bones shrugged, leaning back in his saddle.

“Dreamin' of better places, Roo?” Eren laughed. Khada was still glaring at the UFO in the distance.

“Ya it's a ship, but it's not alive, right?” Seru looked to the old woman for support, “Like it's falling too fast.”

As if on cue the ship landed far, far away, but even from there they could see the cloud of sand and smoke that went up into the sky from the crash. The four of them gave each other wary glances. Eren's tone was serious, “We should go see, hm? Before the fucks up north get to it.”

“Yes. It looks like it landed near Schittle.” Khada nodded. Bones seemed hesitant, “Nah, let's go back and tell Cobran. Not worth goin' to see without some backup.”

Seru bit her lip. She seemed hesitant as well, “It was big. Like very big. I dunno if it's a good idea to go to Schittle right now...”

“C'mon it wont take long. We'll just getta quick peak and see if it's worth our time,” Eren suggested, “If we go back now we might not later, yeah?”

“We should tell Tamil,” Bones frowned. None of them were sure if this was coming from a place of genuine concern or if he was just being lazy again. At the mention of Cobran's Commander however, Seru had made up her mind.

“Neh, ya right, let's go,” she grinned at Eren and Khada, ignoring Bones' protests, “It'll only be a peak.”