You think I'm gonna fall for an illusion

There was a great deal happening in Flowerbirth this year, and little of it was good. But Safrin's quest, for all that the impetus behind it was deadly serious, still brought Hadama a quiet pride. It was a pride he reached out to his friend and fellow Safrinite to share, teleporting to Halo to request Sah's assistance and then bringing the Wild Thunder with him to Hak Etme in a series of short hops across the continent.

He had heard of the illusions of the desert. A mirage would be a good way to complete the first task, but he had heard of creatures who could create traps of such magic. Mirage Crabs, they were called. And studying how they could create the effect he sought would be even better.

And to hunt one down, he needed Sah's nose.

"Have you found a scent yet?" he inquired politely of his furry friend, adjusting his broad-brimmed hat as the sun beat down on the trackless sand around them. It was only Flowerbirth, but the desert was already uncomfortably warm an hour after sunrise, and it would become a furnace if they were forced to linger much longer.

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Mirage Crab (uncommon) - The mirage crab has a large, flat body, over 5 ft in diameter. It has six legs, and two 10-ft long tentacles. It can be found on beaches and in desert regions, where it burrows under the sand to wait for its prey. The mirage crab can create a minor illusion around itself, making itself appear like any naturally occurring creature or object. lts preferred mirage is that of a small oasis, with the appearance of a pool of water over its mouth, and its tentacles appearing like two tall Palm Trees. When potential pray comes over to investigate or drink the water, the illusion fades away and the mirage crab latches on with its tentacles and consumes its prey with its sharp mandibles.

Sah was grateful that Hadama had teleportation abilities as he was unable to bring others along with his own. The hybrid had been happy to set the day aside to help the Demi-god with his quest. All that Sah had left for his own was to lay the necklaces out in the starlight tonight. A productive day leading into a productive night suited him just fine.

When they reached Hak Etme, Sah smoothly shifted, shaking out his fur and lifting his nose to the air. Circling a few times he finallly caught the familiar scent. I've got it. Taking off at a jog, careful to not go too far ahead, he led the Demi-god across the dunes. After a few minutes, the wolf slowed down, It's just head of us, on the other side of this dune.

Stalking forward, Sah peered over the edge, eyes scanning as he tracked the scent. He spotted a small pool of water with a pair of palms. Confusion flickered in the bond, I think... I think it's that small oasis. That's where the smell is coming from. Were the mirage crab's illusions really that powerful?

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

Hadama followed in the wolf's proverbial pawprints, though neither of them left more than a trace of their passage and even that was swiftly erased behind them by the hot breeze. For all that he only had two legs, his stride was long and he moved with an unhurried grace that ate up the distance even on the soft and unstable sand.

He paused at the trough of the dune that Sah indicated and then made his way towards the crest more stealthily. Strange, these slow moving waves of earth, both solid and shifting in a geologic echo of the ocean...

A contemplation for another time, and Hadama tucked it away accordingly. For today, he turned his thoughts entirely on the nearby oasis. The water appeared cool and inviting, and the pair of palm trees offered welcome shade from the fierce sun. It was truly a small pocket of paradise here in the midst of what the outlanders might call 'hell.'

But the more he looked at it, the more... off it seemed. Not that he would have known if Sah had not warned him, but now that they were taking the time to study it small details began to emerge. "There is no scent of water," he noted slowly, emerald eyes narrowing. "And the fronds do not move with the breeze."

He looked over to his friend, raising a steely brow in slow and innocent inquiry. "I have never eaten a desert crab before. Have you?"

Sah nodded, The scent of salt is also stronger there than the rest of the sand. There was also the tang of fish in the air, nearly undetectable, even in his canine form. The crab had done a fine job in hiding itself. Childishly, the wolf almost wanted to pounce straight onto its back.

Mischief that perhaps Hadama shared given the question he posed. I have not. Would you like to try one today? Not waiting on an answer, Sah lowered himself down into a crouch and began to stalk the crab, sticking to the shadows of the taller dunes. When he got close enough, he sprang, aiming for the center of the crab with the full force of his weight to prevent it from fleeing.

The crab dropped its illusion, legs going wild to try and pinch at the hybrid on its head. Dodging the claws, Sah knocked the crab onto its back and made one quick, deep bite where the joints met. The creature fell still.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

Indeed, he concurred with a sly tilt of his head as to the sudden addition of breakfast to their itinerary.

He had intended to help, but Sah had the hunt well in hand. Hadama settled back to watch the wolf stalk its prey with curiosity, continuing to study the crab as well. The mirage crab could not have missed the wolf's approach if it sensed tremors in the sand, and yet it did not seem to realize that its illusion had been pierced. It waited in perfect stillness, continuing to allow its fellow predator closer...

Closer...

Too close.

It was not the claws that worried Hadama so much as the tentacles, but Sah was too experience to allow them into play. It was a small specimen, as far as that went, but still a danger to a human who would have approached unknowingly into its trap, and it was impressive to see how easily the Wild Thunder dispatched it. True, the crab had its place in the ecology of the desert that Hadama did not begrudge.

But today at least part of that place was in his stomach.

"Well done," he called to his friend as he made his way down the other side of the dune to rejoin him. "I will prepare a quick meal and then we can move on." And what they did not eat, the buzzards and echo sharks would quickly take care of.

~Fin