📚WILD BOARS IN YOUR AREA

Sahariel gets a call from some Lunarian tourists, in need of wildlife control.

Characters: Sahariel, Kalika, Tiamat (implied)

Warnings: N/A

Wordcount: 1,881

Vibe: please dont pet the wildlife

my body has been trying so so hard to stop me from finishing this (yahoo chronic illness flareup) but i finished it anyways because im cool and swag. im going to nap for 50 years now

the woarrar’s model filename is THEBEAST.blend btw. im obsessed with it.

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The day had been… uneventful thus far.

After weeks of high-paced bouncing from place to place, Sahariel’s life had finally returned to a calmer speed… but, after everything that’d happened, she did feel like it was a bit boring.

She’d spent most of the day unpacking her new ‘base of operations’, actually. But because she’d called over Kalika, the two got most of the work done in almost no time at all.

It was nice to talk to her, though. Sahariel was happy that she was considering joining her in the Lunar Capital Reintroduction Assembly… which, currently, only consisted of Sahariel herself.

Ever since Sahariel had reconnected with the Lunar Capital and the tie between the surface had been made, the question of how those from Lunaires would integrate and interact with the surface after so long was up in the air.

Considering the only portal between the surface and the Lunar Capital was in some pub in a marsh, though… Sahariel figured it’d be best to start small.

Small groups of Lunarian tourists were to arrive shortly, being the first civilian contact. But considering how quiet it’d been all day, Sahariel figured that no news was good news – and the Lunarian tourists were fine.

Sahariel put away and last of her writing supplies, and was keen on heading over to the couch to flop down and take a rest… when the phone rang.

“Have you even given anyone this place’s number yet?” Kalika piped up from the couch, her voice a tad confused.

“Well… only the first round of tourists. I only really told them to call if they needed any assistance, though…”

There was a pause as Sahariel and Kalika exchanged looks. After a mutual nod of understanding, Sahariel reached for the phone.

“Hello, you’re calling the Lunar Capital Reintroduction Assem-” Sahariel started, but was abruptly cut off by the voice on the other end.

“I’m aware. Am I speaking to Sahariel?”

Sahariel recognized the voice – she didn’t quite remember her name, but it was the owner of the pub who’s basement the connecting portal was located in. She always spoke calmly, but Sahariel could feel some kind of edge of frustration in her voice.

“Sorry, yes! You are! What did you need from me?”

“I think your presence is needed right now. To give a lesson on wildlife.” The voice of the other side sighed.

“I have to open in a little over an hour, my wife is bedbound today and can’t deal with it themselves.”

“A lesson on… wildlife?” Sahariel asked.

But it seemed she was too hesitant with her words – the barkeep on the other end hung up after getting to her point.

Sahariel just gave a deep sigh.

“Is everything good, babe?” Kalika said, tilting her head a bit as she looked to Sahariel.

“I still need to get used to all the different ways of bluntness here, haha…” Sahariel sighed.

“I think there’s some kind of… wildlife issue? She was very to the point about it and didn’t really elaborate.”

“Hmm…” Kalika mumbled.

“I guess I’m just not super familiar with that marsh, I wasn’t super aware of any dangerous wildlife there?”

“Well… knowing the difference between the natural elements of the Lunar Capital and there… I almost feel like any wildlife would cause an issue for the tourists.”

Kalika snorted, and got up from the couch.

“Well, they got some nasty-ass wild critters where I grew up. I can tag along, and if I gotta tackle something, so be it!”

“That would be… really nice, if you don’t mind.” Sahariel said with a smile.

Since the Assembly’s office was established inside the seemingly randomly chosen office complex where the portal between the Lunar Capital and the surface had spawned, it was only a hallway down to go through.

Sahariel and Kalika emerged on the other side – a dark, humid basement – though it appeared that the owners of the pub it was attached to had added some ‘decorations’ after being informed the basement was now a link between worlds.

Up the creaky staircase, and Sahariel was quick to spot the tourists sitting idly in the adjacent living room area.

“Oh! Sahariel dear, there you are! It’s quite a conundrum, really… while the barkeep has been very kind thus far, she just doesn’t seem to understand this in particular!” one of the tourists exclaimed upon seeing Sahariel.

“What’s the problem? She called and mentioned it had to do with… the wildlife here?”

“It’s absolutely dreadful! There’s this… beast patrolling around outside the bar, and it even chased and lunged at us when we tried to leave!” the tourist lamented.

“Despite this, all the barkeep has said was to just ‘wait for it to leave’… but it’s been an hour!”

Sahariel cocked her head.

“That’s… interesting. It’s just outside?”

“Yes, but… oh, be careful!” the tourist responded.

“Well, suppose I’ll go take a look, then.” Kalika chimed in, as she went from behind Sahariel to make her way to the pub’s front entrance.

As Kalika and Sahariel made their way through the pub area of the building, they were able to spot the barkeep working on setting up for the night. She looked busy, so Sahariel just gave her a friendly wave – which she returned with a smile.

Upon exiting the building, Sahariel and Kalika were met with a blast of heavy humid air – though they’d both experienced it before, it was definitely still jarring.

They both did some preliminary scanning on the immediate surroundings, trying to find the alleged ‘beast’ that the tourists were terrified of, but…

“Hmm… all I can see is that lil guy.” Sahariel mentioned, pointing towards a small and unassuming-looking creature.

It was tiny, with its front feet looking hand-like while remaining quadrupedal – and had a wide paddle-like tail. It had huge, beady eyes and a distinctly ‘fresh’ looking fluffiness to it, seeming to indicate it must’ve been a baby of its kind.

“Holy shit.” Kalika muttered.

“That’s adorable! What is it?”

From the back, the barkeep called out.

“It’s called a woarrar. They’re more common deeper in the swamps here.”

“Hmm… I see.” Sahariel mumbled, as she was pondering to herself.

Meanwhile, Kalika seemed to be a bit too enticed by the woarrar’s cuteness – as she began to approach it in a crouched posture, making a ‘pspsps’ noise and extending her hand towards the baby.

The baby woarrar scuttled towards Kalika’s hand to give it a sniff, moving in an almost bobbling manner.

Sahariel thought it was adorable, seeing Kalika giggle as the baby curiously investigated its new visitor.

But… the moment was a bit short lived. Because while Sahariel didn’t have much confidence in the constitutions of the tourists, them being terrified of a baby seemed just too outrageous… because it was.

With only a deep, echoed squeal as a warning, Sahariel’s attention jolted to the blur that was… some kind of large creature bolting towards Kalika. She cried out for Kalika to watch out, and Kalika was able to do a side dive out of the way just in time.

…It’d only make sense that a baby animal wouldn’t be alone.

Kalika quickly scuffled to a standing stance, and was able to get a better look at the beast that was standing firm in her opposition.

It had the same definite features as the baby, but its fur seemed bristly and smooth – and it was much, much larger. It also had imposing and sharp-looking tusks, that certainly wouldn’t have felt good, had Kalika not dodged its charge so smoothly.

“D’awhh shit, man.” Kalika huffed.

“Looks like I made mommy angry.”

“Kali!! Be careful!” Sahariel shouted.

It was all she could really do, considering she was nowhere near as athletic as Kalika was.

Given only a few seconds for a breather, Kalika quickly found herself having to get to her feet again – as the mother woarrar made its choice to charge her a second time.

This time, Kalika had no choice but to dive into the marsh’s waters in order to get out of the way.

Luckily, it would seem that some distance into the swamp was enough to hold the enraged woarrar, who was stamping its hoof at a sopping wet Kalika.

“Are you okay?!” Sahariel yelled over to Kalika.

“Ugh, yeah.” Kalika groaned.

“I can already tell that I’m gonna have to take a long-ass shower after this, though…”

Sahariel just let out a deep sigh. She had no idea how to get Kalika and herself out of this one.

She just had to think…

Suddenly, it felt like some kind of lightbulb went off.

“Excuse me! Do you, uhm… happen to have any chips behind the bar at all?” Sahariel asked, leaning back past the doorframe and into the pub to ask the barkeep.

The woman nodded, and with one of her long tentacles, reached behind the bar and extended it all the way to hand a moderately-sized bag of salt and vinegar chips to Sahariel.

Sahariel popped the bag open, and the noise appeared to alert the raging woarrar to her presence.

She was scared, but… Sahariel didn’t really have much of a choice otherwise. She had to trust herself.

After shaking a few chips out onto the palm of her open hand, Sahariel took a deep breath in and closed her eyes to the sound of the woarrar charging.

She wasn’t sure what to expect, but Sahariel was partially bracing for impact… which never came. Instead, she could feel the beast’s wet snout sniffing at the chips in her hands, before it gently snorfed them out of her palms.

While Sahariel was cautious to open her eyes to get a better look, she was filled with a pleasant sense of surprise to see the massive beast so calm up close.

She let out a deep sigh of relief, and used her free hand to cautiously try and pet the creature – its fur had a very wiry texture to it.

After the woarrar had finished scuffling up the chips in her hand, it seemed to look at her with adorable eyes of pleading for more – and Sahariel enthusiastically obliged, fully opening the bag of chips and letting the woarrar feast directly from it.

It was… cute, in it’s own way – the way it wagged its paddle-tail was particularly adorable.

After the chips had been finished off, Sahariel was able to give the woarrar a few more firm pets before standing up and proceeding to lead it off to a safe distance. At the edge of the swamp’s deep underbrush off the path, it gave Sahariel one last friendly nuzzle before it scurried away, along with its baby.

Sahariel made her way back to the pub, and had intended to help Kalika… but it seemed she had already helped herself, and ran up to Sahariel – still completely soaked in swampwater.

“That was pretty slick, wow!” she said as she ran up to Sahariel’s side.

“You’re like a natural with animals! I thought you said the Lunar Capital didn’t really have any ‘real’ wildlife?”

“Haha, well…” Sahariel stammered in a bit of a flustered manner.

“It’s not much! I was just told that sometimes, even in the face of anger, that everyone could use a little kindness.”