I grinned as the rolling desert undulated before me….and there, far in the distance was the Red Crest mountains.
“I’m getting close!” I crowed out and took another swig of water. “Just like the map said! Travel a day to the Red Crest Mountains, and the mineral rich outcrop should be….due west!”
I eased my magical wagon to go a little faster, glad I didn’t have to take care of oxen or horses. It was almost too much to have enough supplies for myself! I heard a pitiful squealing and looked over the wagon and saw a desert hare screaming as it struggled against a fleshy tendril that was dragging it down to a small hole.
“Poor thing.” I muttered and looked about my wagon and grabbed one of the small stones I had for just this occasion.
I lobbed the stone over the side and had it land near the hole the fleshy tendril was pulling the rabbit towards. Immediately the tendril let go and grabbed the stone and pulled it under….only to have it be tossed out a few seconds later.
“You owe me one!” I called out to the desert, hoping the hare would hear me.
I held up my canteen and toasted the second chance I gave the little guy and was all the more grateful I had a magical wagon. There would be no way I would have made it on a wagon pulled by beasts of burden.
“Speaking of….” I muttered and felt my heart sink. “Good heavens, it must be the desert migration for those beasts!” I said, feeling a strange cross between fear and sorrow at seeing several tendrils flail towards a herd of passing desert buffalo. I sighed a bit sadly as one of them was grabbed by several fleshy tendrils at the same time.
The buffalo screamed as the tendrils would wrap around its body, pull, slip, wrap again, and continue to pull. I sighed, knowing a simple rock wouldn’t fool six….no wait, seven desert worms at the same time. I kept my eyes away as I eventually heard a sick, wet, ripping sound followed by gurgling screams.
I sighed as I adjusted my course and retreated into the canvas covered part of my wagon as the sun beat down upon it. “That Wanda is quite the artisan!” I said with a happy smirk, swigging a little more water and ate a pickled egg. “Worth every gold piece! Right along with her earthquake sticks!”
The sun soon dipped below the horizon, and I eased my wagon to a stop and looked about. “There it is!” I cried out and saw a craggly rock outcropping.
“According to the resource report, there should be a yield of three pounds of gold per week of mining!” I set my preparations and bedded down for the night, grinning at the stars. “Tomorrow…..tomorrow I will make my fortune!”
I woke up with a grin and sat up...yep! There it was! First things first! I held out the detection crystal ball and tossed it in a visible spot and grinned as it stayed dark and inert….no sign of other life underground.
“Good! On to business!” I looked at the dried and sun bleached bones of oxen, horses, and a few unfortunate humans with their dry-rotted wagons.
“Poor souls.” I whispered. “You should never stay even a day longer than your planned supplies! And that goes for your beasts of burden!”
I searched their desiccated camps and wagon and crowed for my good fortune that I found about six pounds of gold already in their supplies!
“Tell you what, boys. I will spend today giving you a proper send off.” I muttered and picked up my shovel and made a large shallow grave where I placed all the bones of the men and their unfortunate beasts. I used a large plank of wood and set a marker and lit a candle for them as the sun set.
“At least some of you had something to identify yourselves with!” I said, as I drank my evening coffee and looked once more at the gold nuggets already dug for me. “I promise I will send word far and wide where I can.”
(later)
“Okay! The charges are set….my wagon is a good yarbeth away to ensure it isn’t affected by the blast…...and here we go!” I cried out and pointed the wand, Wanda the Witch gave me to activate the Earthquake sticks.
KA-WHAPP!
The entire ground and sky seemed to shake, raining down rock, debris, and dust.
I coughed and whooped as I rushed close and looked at all the loose ore.
“I can just smell the gold!” I cheered as I got the ore ready for smelting. I summoned my wagon and quickly assembled the portable forge and started the process of breaking the ore down and melting whatever gold could be had from the rubble. Suddenly, the ground shook and I quickly grabbed the wand, wondering if it activated more of the Earthquake sticks….no….it was deactivated...then what was……
I felt my bladder fill as I watched a gigantic sand dune grow, grow, plume….and a gigantic sandworm burst through with an ear splitting roar, and crashed upon the sand with a shockwave that put me on my ass.
“Oh crap!” I moaned and quickly scrabbled on what was left of the ridge and watched the massive beast come closer.
The thing was over four hundred beths in length, and could probably swallow a small house with ease! It seemed to reach the edge of the deeper sand and gritted on top of the shallow sand just above the shattered rock outcropping. I noticed the creature's eyes looked milky white! Ah ha! It was blind! No wonder it hadn’t swallowed me whole yet! I looked at the rocky outcropping and how far my wagon was. I looked for the wand that could remotely bring it to me, but….I must have dropped it.
“Crap…..” I whispered as the enormous sandworm started to sift about, almost as if it was looking around.
The tense moment passed and I almost blew a sigh of relief as it burrowed back into the sand…..but for some reason….I had to know…
I threw a large rock as far into the sand as I could.
The moment the stone landed, a fleshy tendril wrapped around it, hesitated and let go without pulling it under.
“Crud!” I breathed, the thing was learning, and I just revealed that there was someone nearby.
I looked at the boiling sun. The sand reflecting the heat would finish me before the day was out….I had to do something!
I held out one of the earthquake sticks and threw it as far as I could away from my wagon….it was a certainty that the thing would not go after it….but perhaps it’s blast could mask my steps to the next outcropping closer to my wagon!
“Here goes nothing!” I mumbled, and pointed the wand.
KA-WHAPP!
I immediately took off and reached the outcropping…..nothing, no stir and no fleshy tendrils….good! I looked at my wagon and licked my lips...that water was going to taste so good, and I could live with having 6 pounds of gold from the entire ordeal! I only had one more stick left….it wasn’t going to be enough without a running start. I looked and noticed some stone debris, and decided to hop as far as I could.
I gauged my distance and-
“Yes!” I hissed, landing on the stone.
“Wait! What? NO!” I cried out as a fleshy tendril wrapped around my leg.
I screamed as I tried to activate the last stick, but it slipped from my grasp and I clung to the stone I landed on, only to find it was being dragged right along with me into the maw of the giant sandworm.
THE REST OF THE STORY CAN BE FOUND AT THIS BLOG POST
https://monstergirlencyclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Ore-samma/My_Sandworm_(prospector)_(blind)