10th of Searing, 120
As the shadows grew to stretch longer and longer in the later parts of the day, the uncomfortable humidity of the air that the Giantess breathed began to cool. She scarcely realized the difference while she trudged through the heat as she had for the entirety of that day. Her skin felt as though it were on fire despite being glazed in sweat, her head ached in her dehydration, and the weight of her legs had grown to a point that she could barely move. Even though her calloused feet were worn and sore, she continued her tiring march through the country, following her companion's trail. Each step brought dread and misery, ad the majority of her body called to rest. Her mind continued its push. Pacheco was close, she could feel it.
Earlier that morning, she'd woken to find that Pacheco, her companion, was missing. His lead had been ripped through and blood had pooled where he stood. A short run from her camp followed the trail to its end; at the edge of a river. Though she'd been uncertain on whether or not her dear companion had managed to cross or not, she still braved the voyage across which had nearly cost her her life. Since she'd rediscovered the trail, she'd only stopped once to dry her gear and gather some food. The nourishment hadn't lasted long, but it was good that she'd found the time to eat before resuming the pursuit of her friend.
The only thing that worried her was the bleeding. Pacheco appeared to be wounded, as he'd bled up to the river, and even continued to bleed further into the trail on the opposite side of the river. He was moving fine, all four of his hoofprints were accounted for in his tracks, but he was walking, he had been for the entire voyage. She'd alternated between running and jogging to catch up to him, but now she walked... Quite miserably at that. Every fiber of her being ached and her mind wasn't far behind it. Through it all, she pushed, reminding herself that she'd not come this far to give up and that she wasn't resting until she found him.
Besides, she had come to a point where the blood she found was still wet. She was close, and every broad stride brought her closer to finding him. One thing was certain, the noble steed still lived... But why had he walked so far from her? Her unanswered questions wouldn't remain that way for too much longer, for she soon reached the top of a ridge. Wearily, she looked down upon the planes as they rolled on before her, and her silver, tired eyes settled on a dark shape below, walking on all fours. Pacheco! He was just half a mile away, all downhill! Less, even! The half giant's eyes widened, and her heart began to beat hard in her just as adrenaline coursed through her veins. A second wind took her, and she broke into a sprint. "PACHECOOOOOOO!" She screamed as she barreled downhill.
Part of her had begun to think that she might not see the horse again; there had been a doubt in her heart. Atinaw was a big place, she knew. How could she possibly track a lone horse across the country? Still, she'd done it. The fruits of her labor walked just ahead of her, a stretch away from the bottom of the hill that she practically flew down. It was as though the weight in her legs was gone, the aches through her body, she could ignore. Seeing her horse again had revitalized her. Still, running downhill wasn't as easy as it sounded. Gravity pulled on her form and threatened to topple her as she sprinted without relent, only to slow to a halt part-way through her descent. Her ankles were weak, she couldn't risk injury, not now. After a moment of catching her breath, she continued a jog down the hill, taking broad yet controlled strides during her descent.
"Pacheco!" She called again as she drew near, and the horse paused and turned to look at her with his shape breaking the glare of the setting sun. That was when she saw it; an unfamiliar shape on Pacheco's back. Something... Someone was riding him! They were slumped over, face pressed against the horse's neck as though they were on the cusp of consciousness.
Magna again halted at the bottom of the hill, just a couple hundred feet from the beast she'd spent the entire day searching for. Uncertainty took her expression as she gazed upon the two. Pacheco stared back, then turned fully before he took a calm step toward her, then proceeded to close the distance between them with his usual happy canter. Her heart fluttered at the sight, and tears welled in her eyes before she sniffled. A glide of her arm wiped her eyes into her forearm, and she too broke into a run toward the beast, arms outstretched. She didn't know who was on Pacheco's back, but she didn't care. Everything within her was simply glad to see him again.
When she finally closed the gap, she towered over him, of course. With great self-restraint, she managed to not wrap her arms around his neck in a hug, and instead took the beast's head into her arms petted over his long face affectionately. The stallion whinnied in delight, but the person on his back didn't stir. It was only then that the giantess got a good look at the person, and they weren't a person at all! it wasn't a man or a woman that had perched themself on her horse, but a lizard of some sort. They bared the features of a chameleon, with bright green and aqua blue scales, large lidded eyes, and a distinct frill atop their head. They even had a curled tail, which poked out from beneath their armor at the base of their torso. While she inspected them, she realized that the lizard was the one that had been bleeding, leaving a trail across the country.
In place of his left arm was a jagged, torn stump; the entire thing was gone, up to a few inches below their shoulder. Magna simply stared at the creature with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. "Hello?" She asked in common. The chameleon didn't reply. Uncertain, she reached forward and held the back of her meaty hand to their nostrils. there, she felt a very brief exhale; the chameleon was breathing, still.
Her gaze returned to Pacheco, who snorted as she took hold of the broken lead again. She'd regained her companion, but... Who was this? Why were they on her horse? How did they lose their arm? The half-giant had expected to have all the answers when she found the horse, but instead, she had more questions. Was the chameleon the one who'd stolen Pacheco? The thought stirred distinct anger in her lungs. Still, she couldn't be sure. Where were they going? She wondered as her gaze lifted to the horizon. Was civilization nearby? Yet another thing she was uncertain of. The only reasonable solution to this encounter was to attempt to wake the chameleon after establishing a camp. So, with a nod, she affirmed her plan with herself and guided Pacheco to a nearby tree, where she tied his lead down.
Carefully she stepped around the horse to inspect the chameleon further. On his hip, she found a sheathed sword. The thought of what the chameleon might do to her with such a thing brought her teeth to bare in an uncomfortable cringe. So, for the sake of her safety, she carefully reached forward and unclipped the blade. With great care, she pulled the weapon from his hip and put it on the ground beside her. Next was to remove the chameleon, who appeared completely unconscious. Still, her heart began to beat a little faster at the thought of manhandling someone. Was that impolite? She wasn't sure. Perhaps she'd best wait until he woke...? No. the chameleon would freeze in the night. She had to move him, for his own sake.
So, with a careful hold, she gently eased the chameleon into her arms and took their weight with something of a huff. They were heavy, for sure. Heavier than the tree she'd broken down earlier that day. She took small steps toward the tree before gently lowering the lizard thing to the roots, where she laid them out carefully with the trunk to support their back. The Chameleon's arm worried her, but the bleeding had slowed so much that it must have coagulated on the way, right? That was her hope, but a nagging fear suggested that perhaps they'd bled all they had to bleed. Once she'd gotten the lizard settled, she returned to Pacheco and pet down at his mane, which drew another whinny from his lips. She smiled gently, then reached into the saddlebag to draw her blanket, then draped it over the lizard so that they would not be cold in the night.
With the last few embers of the evening's sun, she began to set up camp with her tent and bedroll both.
As the shadows grew to stretch longer and longer in the later parts of the day, the uncomfortable humidity of the air that the Giantess breathed began to cool. She scarcely realized the difference while she trudged through the heat as she had for the entirety of that day. Her skin felt as though it were on fire despite being glazed in sweat, her head ached in her dehydration, and the weight of her legs had grown to a point that she could barely move. Even though her calloused feet were worn and sore, she continued her tiring march through the country, following her companion's trail. Each step brought dread and misery, ad the majority of her body called to rest. Her mind continued its push. Pacheco was close, she could feel it.
Earlier that morning, she'd woken to find that Pacheco, her companion, was missing. His lead had been ripped through and blood had pooled where he stood. A short run from her camp followed the trail to its end; at the edge of a river. Though she'd been uncertain on whether or not her dear companion had managed to cross or not, she still braved the voyage across which had nearly cost her her life. Since she'd rediscovered the trail, she'd only stopped once to dry her gear and gather some food. The nourishment hadn't lasted long, but it was good that she'd found the time to eat before resuming the pursuit of her friend.
The only thing that worried her was the bleeding. Pacheco appeared to be wounded, as he'd bled up to the river, and even continued to bleed further into the trail on the opposite side of the river. He was moving fine, all four of his hoofprints were accounted for in his tracks, but he was walking, he had been for the entire voyage. She'd alternated between running and jogging to catch up to him, but now she walked... Quite miserably at that. Every fiber of her being ached and her mind wasn't far behind it. Through it all, she pushed, reminding herself that she'd not come this far to give up and that she wasn't resting until she found him.
Besides, she had come to a point where the blood she found was still wet. She was close, and every broad stride brought her closer to finding him. One thing was certain, the noble steed still lived... But why had he walked so far from her? Her unanswered questions wouldn't remain that way for too much longer, for she soon reached the top of a ridge. Wearily, she looked down upon the planes as they rolled on before her, and her silver, tired eyes settled on a dark shape below, walking on all fours. Pacheco! He was just half a mile away, all downhill! Less, even! The half giant's eyes widened, and her heart began to beat hard in her just as adrenaline coursed through her veins. A second wind took her, and she broke into a sprint. "PACHECOOOOOOO!" She screamed as she barreled downhill.
Part of her had begun to think that she might not see the horse again; there had been a doubt in her heart. Atinaw was a big place, she knew. How could she possibly track a lone horse across the country? Still, she'd done it. The fruits of her labor walked just ahead of her, a stretch away from the bottom of the hill that she practically flew down. It was as though the weight in her legs was gone, the aches through her body, she could ignore. Seeing her horse again had revitalized her. Still, running downhill wasn't as easy as it sounded. Gravity pulled on her form and threatened to topple her as she sprinted without relent, only to slow to a halt part-way through her descent. Her ankles were weak, she couldn't risk injury, not now. After a moment of catching her breath, she continued a jog down the hill, taking broad yet controlled strides during her descent.
"Pacheco!" She called again as she drew near, and the horse paused and turned to look at her with his shape breaking the glare of the setting sun. That was when she saw it; an unfamiliar shape on Pacheco's back. Something... Someone was riding him! They were slumped over, face pressed against the horse's neck as though they were on the cusp of consciousness.
Magna again halted at the bottom of the hill, just a couple hundred feet from the beast she'd spent the entire day searching for. Uncertainty took her expression as she gazed upon the two. Pacheco stared back, then turned fully before he took a calm step toward her, then proceeded to close the distance between them with his usual happy canter. Her heart fluttered at the sight, and tears welled in her eyes before she sniffled. A glide of her arm wiped her eyes into her forearm, and she too broke into a run toward the beast, arms outstretched. She didn't know who was on Pacheco's back, but she didn't care. Everything within her was simply glad to see him again.
When she finally closed the gap, she towered over him, of course. With great self-restraint, she managed to not wrap her arms around his neck in a hug, and instead took the beast's head into her arms petted over his long face affectionately. The stallion whinnied in delight, but the person on his back didn't stir. It was only then that the giantess got a good look at the person, and they weren't a person at all! it wasn't a man or a woman that had perched themself on her horse, but a lizard of some sort. They bared the features of a chameleon, with bright green and aqua blue scales, large lidded eyes, and a distinct frill atop their head. They even had a curled tail, which poked out from beneath their armor at the base of their torso. While she inspected them, she realized that the lizard was the one that had been bleeding, leaving a trail across the country.
In place of his left arm was a jagged, torn stump; the entire thing was gone, up to a few inches below their shoulder. Magna simply stared at the creature with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. "Hello?" She asked in common. The chameleon didn't reply. Uncertain, she reached forward and held the back of her meaty hand to their nostrils. there, she felt a very brief exhale; the chameleon was breathing, still.
Her gaze returned to Pacheco, who snorted as she took hold of the broken lead again. She'd regained her companion, but... Who was this? Why were they on her horse? How did they lose their arm? The half-giant had expected to have all the answers when she found the horse, but instead, she had more questions. Was the chameleon the one who'd stolen Pacheco? The thought stirred distinct anger in her lungs. Still, she couldn't be sure. Where were they going? She wondered as her gaze lifted to the horizon. Was civilization nearby? Yet another thing she was uncertain of. The only reasonable solution to this encounter was to attempt to wake the chameleon after establishing a camp. So, with a nod, she affirmed her plan with herself and guided Pacheco to a nearby tree, where she tied his lead down.
Carefully she stepped around the horse to inspect the chameleon further. On his hip, she found a sheathed sword. The thought of what the chameleon might do to her with such a thing brought her teeth to bare in an uncomfortable cringe. So, for the sake of her safety, she carefully reached forward and unclipped the blade. With great care, she pulled the weapon from his hip and put it on the ground beside her. Next was to remove the chameleon, who appeared completely unconscious. Still, her heart began to beat a little faster at the thought of manhandling someone. Was that impolite? She wasn't sure. Perhaps she'd best wait until he woke...? No. the chameleon would freeze in the night. She had to move him, for his own sake.
So, with a careful hold, she gently eased the chameleon into her arms and took their weight with something of a huff. They were heavy, for sure. Heavier than the tree she'd broken down earlier that day. She took small steps toward the tree before gently lowering the lizard thing to the roots, where she laid them out carefully with the trunk to support their back. The Chameleon's arm worried her, but the bleeding had slowed so much that it must have coagulated on the way, right? That was her hope, but a nagging fear suggested that perhaps they'd bled all they had to bleed. Once she'd gotten the lizard settled, she returned to Pacheco and pet down at his mane, which drew another whinny from his lips. She smiled gently, then reached into the saddlebag to draw her blanket, then draped it over the lizard so that they would not be cold in the night.
With the last few embers of the evening's sun, she began to set up camp with her tent and bedroll both.
