[color=bfbfbf][sub][table= //////= POST DESIGN v1=\\\\\\][row][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][img]https://i.imgur.com/QB3E6kd.png[/img][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/row][row][cell][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/Yl768nr.png[/img][/sup]

[color=2e2c2c]_______________________________[sub]........[/sub][/color]
[/cell][cell][color=white][center][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][img]https://i.imgur.com/DHKvx27.png[/img][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][center][color=2e2c2c]Morning   ·   A TLA Collaboration[/color]Morning   ·   A TLA Collaboration[/center][/sub][/center][/color][quote][color=2e2c2c]____________________________________________________________________________.[/color]
[color=9f9f9f][sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=white]”Uuuuhh…[/color] Sumire began, adjusting her aim for the shadows standing on the ridge ahead. [color=white]”...More?! Am I… am I shooting them?”[/color]

[color=white]”Reman is thirsty.”[/color] Came Mova who was still floating behind them. On Reman’s order, the drone was simply hovering slightly higher.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=d5a6bd]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
Chu Hua looked at Weiyuan for a moment, considering, and then turned to the others. His voice was so quiet, but she had heard him. An ominous feeling spread through her. [i]Something else[/i]. Could it be so bad as what they were already facing? Just then, before she was about to shout out, she heard Sumire’s voice and turned her head to the horizon, where she saw two things: the worm writhing about with its throat blown open and five human-shaped silhouettes on the ridge beyond. Well… her strategy had worked! She nearly cheered, but stopped when she noticed it wasn’t dead quite yet. Unfortunately, she was no use at a range. 

She climbed onto the rock, completely ignoring Vasra’s hand (truth be told she didn’t trust the little woman to be able to help her up). Chu turned to Weiyuan once more. [color=firebrick]“Those people- they’re what you meant, right? “[/color] She was pretty confident, just wanted to make sure. [color=firebrick]“How could you feel people walking? Or was it more than that?”[/color] 

[color=firebrick]“Let’s see what they do first,”[/color] she said to Sumire. Her body was coiled with tension. [i]This[/i]- this is what I live for, she thought. Despite the mortal danger, she was almost excited. [color=firebrick] “I’m curious.”[/color]
[sub][sub][u][b][color=f5cbcc]Theyra   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=yellow]“I…I am not sure Sumire,”[/color] he said as he turned to face the new shadows on the ridge. Thinking are these new sandworms or something else? And Mova is not helping with the situation and is acting odd. Raising his voice to Mova. [color=yellow] “Mova what are you talking about and do you know what these shadows are?”[/color] Still looking concerned and uneasy, one sandworm is one thing but now there are unknowns to deal with. He should have studied the area more when he had the chance but that is hindsight and does not help now. For now, they were stuck between a sandworm and five unknowns. But, the sandworm is the current threat and so Reman spoke. [color=yellow] “Sumire, keep firing at the sandworm. Me and Vasra will watch the shadows on the ridge in case they attack.”[/color] Once again offering his spare pistol to Vasra and carefully watching the shadows’ next moves. Please not be a threat please not be a threat, Reman thought as he waited to see what these shadows will do.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=white]”The shadows are a friend.”[/color] Mova replied.

One of the silhouettes started descending the hill. As their form caught the light of the sun from a different angle, the silhouette became a human, cloaked in brown, riding an ostrich horse. They pulled a rifle from over their shoulder and began firing upon the worm. The bullets kept it pinned as they began to punch more cracks into the soft armor. The others behind the rider joined in, keeping a loose formation like that of a circle as three more riders appeared from over the ridge. In total, eight strangers began approaching the worm. Two more pulled out rifles while another pulled out a spear.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=c9daf8]vietmyke   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=steelblue]”Just one thing after another.”[/color] Jin grumbled as he found purchase on the stiff rock formation, watching what appeared to be human riders on giant birds coming to their supposed rescue. Whether or not these folk would actually turn on them and shoot them afterwards remained to be seen, but for the moment they could be content in the fact that they weren’t actively shooting at them. [color=steelblue]”How would you know if they’re friends or not?”[/color] Jin questioned the small drone- not entirely sure if it would answer him.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=d5a6bd]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
Chu squatted down on the rock, gaze fixed on the horizon- at the people below. Who [i]were[/i] they? She watched them defeat the worm with fascination. She had feared they were RSF or military, people following them, but no officer or soldier carried those kinds of primitive weapons. No soldier rode an [i]ostrich horse[/i].
[sub][sub][u][b][color=c9daf8]vietmyke   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=steelblue]”At least they’re shooting at the worm.”[/color] He sighed. He held an arm to stop Sumire from aiming or firing the rifle, [color=steelblue]”They seem like they have it handled. Best not waste ammo- or accidentally hit one of them while they’re running around this thing.”[/color]
[sub][sub][u][b][color=d5a6bd]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=firebrick] “Agreed,”[/color] she said, answering Jin Wei. They were focused on the worm for the time being, and Chu felt they shouldn’t get in their way. Besides, the little robot had said they were friends. Hopefully it was right.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=02ffff]Abstract Proxy   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
“Is everyone alright?” Vasra interjected, taking advantage of the fresh help and welcome chance to breathe in between hurling rocks. She kept an eye on Chu, well aware that the outlawed athlete had taken the brunt of the damage from the monstrous desert worm.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=d5a6bd]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
[color=firebrick]“I’m fine,”[/color] she told Vasra. Many injuries throughout her lifetime had conditioned her to both minor and major aches and pains, and she felt being slammed into the sand created a pain that was solidly in the middle. [color=firebrick]“No broken ribs or anything. Just some sand in my mouth. Blegh.”[/color] Truth be told, her hands, although bandaged and rubbed in salve courtesy of Vasra, had likely been rubbed raw from gripping the worm. They didn’t need to worry about that now, though.
[sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub]
One of the riders broke away from the others and began to approach the main group, letting the rifle hang loosely to their side as they put their hands up in surrender. They kept them in the air until they were within talking distance and with one hand, pulled down the mask covering their nose and mouth and pulled back the hood revealing a woman underneath.

Mahogany hair, freed from the dark brown denim, fell loosely around her softer face framing her round lips and slender nose. An odd portrait of perfection against the backdrop of a desert worm being anchored in place with ropes before being run through with a spear. Her piercing blue eyes fixed on Reman as Feyi smiled playfully.

[color=white]"I found you."[/color]
[/color][/quote]
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