Not many Gembound would dare to make Hydra their home.
But Jasiri was one of those few who did. He hadn't known otherwise, had lived his short three cycles in the dangerous desert-cave. But the danger you know is better than you danger you don't, so why should he risk wandering into the tunnel he could see? How was he to know that there wasn't something worse, there? That the air wasn't made solely of poison, where here they were only pockets? That there wasn't something worse than sandworms beneath his feet, that he wouldn't be greeted with teeth tearing at his face?
So in Hydra he stayed.
The lion crouched, nearly full grown, awkward in the way only an adolescent could be, ears and eyes twitching warily as he lapped at one of the few creeks that his home offered.
[Backdated as I missed his 3rd Cycle thread]
The Sand Spiders of Hydra were generally relatively harmless to larger Gembound, but disturbing one at close range was never a good idea.
Almost from underfoot, as Jasiri took his place to drink, one sprang up--lost, perhaps, in the ravines; starving without food or simply defending itself. It launched itself for the lion's face, hissing, spider-fangs flashing with venom and hairy front legs reaching for him.
It was swift in its spring, despite its very small size--hardly bigger than a human palm--leaping for Jasiri's eyes.
Perched high above, a malnourished vulture stared down in baleful silence.
Jasiri will need to roll a barely successful+ to avoid being badly bitten by the Sand Spider.
@Jasiri
Its target had been chosen poorly.
The massive paw whapped it powerfully away before it could even get close, fangs stabbing at nothing but air, and in a surprisingly graceful arc the Sand Spider sailed through the air and slapped to the dirt beside the river.
Jasiri could choose to finish it off, perhaps, and pick past the bristly carapace for a tiny meal--or leave it to recover and scurry away, rethinking its questionable life choices.
Above, the sickly vulture watched, eyes narrowing; it would have to look for another chance to finally claim its prize.
Jasiri is safe, for now.
@Jasiri