Hunting the Mongolian Death Wyrm (Success!)

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    The young man's brow furrowed slightly as he remembered how badly Nyght's Ak had been beaten up after their encounter with the sphinx in Luxor, Egypt. Jack still felt a little guilty about pulling the both of them into that particular hunt. She wouldn't have been hurt if it hadn't been for him. He should've just managed on his own rather than putting his friends in harm's way.

    "If she's not better soon then I'll learn a healing spell and fix her up myself," Jack told Nyght, the image of her sobbing form as she huddled over the wounded Aurora still fresh in his mind. He'd never managed anything close to healing, only managing to hurt people. But he could do magic. He was strong. He could learn, right?

    When Nyght asked him what he'd brought, Jack pulled a tarp off of the truck he'd brought and fished some items out of the back, coming up with a handful of javelins and a small pack of explosives. "I wasn't entirely sure what I would need against such creatures so I prepared a few of these-" he hoisted a javelin in the air and indicated the barbed heads "-made of acid resistant materials, of course, figuring I might spear the worms and use the weapons to drag them out of the ground for easy pickings. The pack has explosives. I thought maybe the detonations might attract the creatures."

    The young man dropped the items to the ground. "What do you think?"

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght listened to Jack describing what he brought and what he had planned for it. It all sounded pretty good except for one part. She did however have to tease the man JUST slightly a little bit. She looked at all the stuff intently for a moment, as if she was looking for something she did not see. Which now that she thought about it, she did not see something that was vital to Jack's plan. She guessed her little jest was about to be slightly real anyways.

     "I like the idea of drawing them up, and spearing them. Good thinking on getting something that would be resistant to their acidic mucus. However do you think you will be strong to drag a huge electrical worm of death out from underground? Also, if you are going to do that....don't you need some rope or a chain or something?" He poked him in the side, grinning from ear to ear to show him she was being playful and not entirely serious. She knew that he could get that in almost an instant.

     "We could always pull an Alaska again...fill the vehicle with all your explosives and draw th wyrms to us with a bigger explosion!" She said it with a straight face, but her lips began to twitch and she could not hold the look for very long and she burst out laughing. "Ok ok, I am joking. I do not actually think we should blow up the vehicle. Besides, I will need that to get outta here since I can not teleport like you and Aurora is not here to fly me out. I wonder though, would an explosion actually draw the Wyrms? Or would it scare them away. After all, they are blind underground creatures, or maybe I am confusing or comparing them to some movie I saw once where these giant underground wyrms sensed things by sound."

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    "A ha!" Jack grinned and made his way to the part of the truck that was till covered, pulling the tarp back further and revealing a winch. "I thought you might say something like that! So I prepared this baby," He patted the machine, looking awfully smug. "I mean, I might be strong enough to manage without it, but I brought it because there was no point taking a risk this big when you can have a sure thing, right?"

    "Oh god no, please don't blow us up again." He laughed, remembering the crazy plan she'd come up with to drive away the Akhult pack.

    "Tremors? That's sort of where I got the idea." The young man scratched his chin, thinking about what the explosions might do. He had thought it over a little bit before now. "Well, I was thinking they'd feel the vibrations in the ground and decide to come investigate. They're used to being the hunters, not the hunted, right? As far as I know, they aren't particularly intelligent either, so they probably wouldn't expect a trap."

    "We could always try wandering the desert near recent attack sites until they show up, or maybe just firing off blasts of electricity until we get their attention. That is how they communicate, after all."

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght chuckled when Jack told her about the winch. He did come prepared, but he was still not fully prepared yet. There was still a problem with the winch. "Jack dear...the winch is electrical, do not you think that when you spear a wyrm and drag it to the surface it will attack the winch and thus short circuit it? That will make it good for only one wyrm. Still, I suppose it is worth trying. If worse happens we can always just attach them to the vehicle and try and haul them outta the ground with that." She glanced at the metal rods and grinned. Jack's plan to lure them with explosives sounded plausible, but still not entirely guaranteed to work. Creating a rather pretty firework display and possibly doing nothing else but wasting those explosives.


     "Hmm....why don't we try to lure them with our electricity. Yet, instead of just blasting away at the ground... lets use the metal poles to direct the energy in to the ground. It will probably go deeper, and we would have more control over where it goes. Also, if the wyrms do get curious they will go straight for the poles making them good targets. We could always attempt to attach the explosives to the poles and BOOM!!!" She slapped her hands together and thrust them upwards and outwards simulating an explosion theatrically. "Blow them away when they come outta the ground. Or...something like that."

     She grinned sheepishly. It was not the best plan, but it was a pretty decent one, using both their ideas and trying to maximize their effects and ultimate goals.

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    "Well, I think if we're doing our jobs right the worms' electric blasts shouldn't be too big a deal," Jack began with a shrug. He'd already figured these sorts of things in. "The winch has minimal electronics so it should hopefully be alright. But, again, the winch is just here to supplement our powers. Even if it breaks down, we've still got good ole fashioned magic muscle to get the job done."

    He rubbed his chin as Nyght told him what she thought. All in all, their plan seemed to be coming together pretty well. "I like it. So far, it seems we've got a pretty solid plan for taking out these things. Um, can they leap out of the ground, do you think? If not, we could probably insulate the truck bed and, so long as we don't let it tip over, we should be fairly safe if we can kill the darned things before they bust through the reinforced bottom."

    Jack leaned against the truck, watching Nyght's grinning face. It made him think. He hoped she wouldn't get hurt, like when they'd hunted the Stymphalian bird or like Aurora when they'd gone after the sphinx.

    "So, I asked you about Aurora but, I mean, how've you been since, y'know, Luxor?"

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght contemplated his words, then shrugged her shoulders. She supposed he was right, but she has a feeling that even for the both of them, six of these electricity blasting acid smearing wyrms might be strenuous. Not because of the difficulty they provided, cause Jack was right about them not being the most intelligent of things, but because there where only two of them and possibly a horde of these creatures. They could easily get overwhelmed by numbers if they where not careful about that. She reached up, rubbing her chin thoughtfully and nodded.

     "Hmm, I see what you mean. I do not think they can jump, but they might be able to stretch up and drape over to get at us. Though I guess if they do that, then that would just make them easier targets would it not? How are we going to go about insulating the truck, and how do we keep them from melting or digging it out from underneath of us?"

     She looked at the truck, wondering how well it would hold up. It was already ground, and would survive against electrical attacks with those rubber tires and as long as they where not touching the metal itself they would really be fine even with out having to redirect the majority of the attacks. It would also give them more electricity to absorb and redirect themselves with out having to create it. She was just worried about the wyrms getting smart and thus attempting to attack them from beneath.

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    "Well, the bottom is already pretty corrosion resistant cause otherwise a truck would break down out here, like almost immediately. I did a quick scratch job on it to reinforce it even more but even so their acid will probably take out the tires and suspension. We could throw some rubber padding down, maybe construct a little cage to keep em from worming over the edge and into the bed with us. What do you think?"

    She hadn't answered his last question yet, but that was ok. Jack figured she was probably just thinking about it or something. He climbed into the bed of the truck and leaned back, using his arms like pillows. It would be pretty cramped for the fight but Jack figured it oughtta do.

    The young man sat up and looked at her, smiling. "Do you remember in Luxor, when I kissed you right before we sprung the trap and fought the sphinx?" It had been a quick one and Jack had immediately run for his hiding position afterwards. The embarrassment of it still made him blush, but he also chuckled a little at the memory.

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght contemplated, watching Jack and reaching up to place her chin in her head. Her eyes rested upon him, gazing intently as he spoke. He was saying the truck was pretty good to go, and she nodded with her chin still in her hand as she watched the man. Finally, Jack asked a question for her that made her tilt her head to one side slightly and she looked at him, eyes wide. Jack was just full of surprises today for some reason, and she wondered what could possibly be leading to these sorts of question. She supposed she had better get to the bottom of them before they started this dangerous mission. Otherwise it would be on both of their minds!

     "Yea, I am find after Luxor. A little shaken up that I was not strong enough to protect Aurora. I guess I am doing better now, feeling more confident in myself and everything. After getting her home and patched up. I've been studying and practicing my magic so I could be strong enough now and I feel more confident in my abilities. I just worry about not being strong enough and because of that getting somebody else hurt. Yes, yes I remember that time you gave me a kiss and ran off. What about it Jack?"

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    "That was, bar none I think, probably the lamest thing I've ever done in my entire life. Anyways, I'm sorry, especially if I made you feel uncomfortable around me. It was dumb and you don't have to worry about it happening again." Jack was fairly sincere with his half baked apology. He felt like he'd stepped out of line somewhere and put their friendship at risk based on some ridiculous whim he'd made out of emotions that weren't like him at all. The young man hadn't apologized back then but now that he had, Jack felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. His heart was still heavy, but maybe that would get better eventually, too.

    "I'm glad to hear you've been doing better. Maybe one of these days we should spar," The young man jokingly added that last bit, giving her a small mischievous grin.

    Jack leapt down from the bed of the truck and gave the vehicle a slight pat. "So what'd you think about my cage idea? Wouldn't keep the worms at bay forever but it would keep them from worming their way onto the truck for at least a little bit."

[Nyghtingale]

      Nyght frowned when Jack went on to explain about what he had done was lame, and how he was really sorry about what he had done. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she felt a flash of anger at him. He was sorry for kissing her? So she was not worth kissing, is that what this was about?

     "I think the truck will be fine as it is. We do not need to waste time and energy building a cage. If they get up on the truck a little bit, it will just make them a better target and we can push them back off. No problems there that I for see." She stopped, staring at Jack as if she was done, then suddenly burst out unable to help herself anymore.

     "So that kiss did not mean anything Jack? It was a just sudden, spontaneous thing to steal a kiss from my lips that meant nothing and now you regret it and find it embarrassing? It was lame and dumb, and it does not really matter what I felt about it or anything at all?"

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    The young man rubbed his chin, thinking. He really didn't like the idea of a hungry, giant acid-dripping worm getting within murder distance of him and his friend. It sounded like one of those unnecessary risks he was always trying to nip in the bud with a little trusty prevention and preparation. But Nyght didn't think it was worth their time and energy so Jack simply shrugged. They'd probably be ok, anyways.

    It would seem that he'd done or said something wrong because Nyght wasn't looking too happy with him just then. "Wha-" Jack opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when she burst out with questions about the kiss. Had his apology not been good enough? Was it too casual and deflective? He shrunk just a little bit, staring at the ground.

    "Well," The young man began, looking back up at her. "I don't know. I thought you didn't like it, that it was inappropriate and you don't think of me in that way." Jack looked back to the ground. He wasn't sure why, but the young man was sort of expecting to be slapped or hit for some reason. His face was burning up and he kind of wanted to run away.

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght frowned, staring at Jack as he spoke and attempted to explain himself. She sighed, shaking her head slowly from side to side. Mean where so stupid sometimes, and they just did not even realize it. How was she going to explain this to Jack? How could she explain it to Jack to get him to understand her thoughts and feelings upon the matter? She was not entirely sure, but she supposed She needed to try.

     "Jack....it did not bother me. It would not have changed our relationship anymore then you not have doing it Jack. I guess...well I guess because I like you Jack. I like you a lot and it hurts me when you say it meant nothing to you and was a mistake and lame."

     She spilled it all out quickly and rapidly, as if she was trying to get it all off her shoulders as fast as she could like ripping off a bandaid. She just wanted to get this out, to finish hurting all the time. If Jack really did not care, then she could not care as well but she had to know before she made up her mind about it. She had to find out what he really thought and felt.

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    The physical violence he'd been braced for didn't come, much as Jack had logically realized that it probably wouldn't. Perhaps it hadn't been a physical blow he'd been preparing for, but an emotional one. Anyways, his heart hadn't been torn from his chest and devoured just yet so he looked back up, beginning to feel hopeful that he might escape this encounter alive and more or less in one piece.

    "I didn't mean to hurt you," The young man mumbled, shuffling his feet. Jack was relieved to hear that she liked him and that their friendship was intact. "It didn't mean nothing to me, it just..." He paused for a moment trying to find the right words. Jack wasn't very good at this sort of thing and, to make matters worse, he wasn't even entirely sure how he felt about the kiss or Nyght. A horrible mixture of emotions that he was unfamiliar with were churning in his stomach just then and the young man kind of just wanted them to go away. "I didn't mean to make things awkward between us."

    "I'm not very good at this sort of thing. I'm sorry."

[Nyghtingale]

     Nyght relaxed as Jack finally explained what was upon his mind. Even if he did not explain it very well, at least Nyght now knew the basics of what he was thinking. That was enough to sooth her mild anger and irritation at him and explained his oddities and stuff. She in fact felt almost giddy about all this, about Jack admitting his feelings. At least she knew that she was not the only one who was having these feelings now. In fact it did not feel awkward at all, at least not for her. Not in the way he seemed to think it had become.

     "It is not awkward, Jack. There is nothing awkward about it at all Jack, or at least not unless you want to make it awkward." She winked and nudged his arm playfully with her own, before looking around. She grabbed up six of the metal poles, three in each of her hands and began to walk in to the desert away from the truck. She moved about fifteen feet away from truck they where about to use as their attack platform to the left of one side, and began pushing the metal poles in to the sand using her power to manipulate metal to shove them deep leaving only about a foot sticking up outta the ground. After setting the poles in a half circle, she walked back to the truck and grabbed another six poles, she moved to the right side and stuck another six pokes in the ground spreading them out in a half circle again making the truck the center of the circle.

     She moved to the front of the truck, calling the last six pulls to herself and stabbing them in to the ground finishing with an almost complete circle of metal poles around the truck leaving just the back section behind the bed with out the poles in the ground. She walked back over to the truck and jumped in to the back, boosting herself up with one leg. She looked over at Jack, grinning. "You ready? I set it up so we can sit here in the bed of the truck and use the sides and the hood to rest our weapons upon and shoot from. Despite their acid skin, I highly doubt that those hides are durable enough to with stand a bullet and we put enough in to a wyrm it will go down just like anything else."

[Jacksoπ Flεtchεr]

    Jack smiled, his relief evident. He still wasn't entirely sure what to think, but things were starting to seem like they'd be ok. The young man didn't want to read too much into the things Nyght had said to him but a small flicker of doubt burned in the back of his mind, wondering if by like she meant that she didn't just like him, but she liked him. Him, of all people. Again, it was probably best not to dwell on it.

    The young man watched Nyght set up the poles after aborting an attempt to help when he realized that he wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do with them. So instead, Jack climbed back into the bed of the truck and secured the javelins, making sure the pointy ends were situated away from them so they wouldn't accidentally end up impaling themselves during the fight. Grabbing one of the spears, Jack hooked the wench to it and tested it to make sure it was secure.

    Poking his head inside the cab, Jack retrieved the remote and made sure the wench was working properly. Satisfied that it was, he started the engine and crawled back out to check on what Nyght was doing. She'd made a sort of circle around the truck using the metal poles.

    "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. The worms shall meet the same fate as their gummy kin," Jack produced a bag of gummy worms and offered some to her before eating some himself. "Would you like to do the honors and begin the electrics?"