Prospecting 1

In the sweltering heart of the sprawling, pitted plains covered with constantly erupting geysers Vice found himself once more scouring the dangerous landscape of the Blasting Moors. With his sleek, earth-toned feathers and keen, sparkling eyes, he was once more on the hunt for a suitable prospecting location. The previous vein he had been harvesting from had long since exhausted its supply and the black ketucari was having difficulties finding a new source. While he wasn’t particularly vain or a seasoned craftsman, but even he knew the benefits of having armor in order to brave the harsh wilderness around him. If he wanted to continue wandering alone in the world he would need adequate protection which meant a steady supply of copper.

With a determined and slightly annoyed flick of his tail, he set out across the rocky slopes keeping an eye both on the constantly erupting geysers and also on any location that might hold what he was searching for. The inky ketucari was alone as he crossed these treacherous plains, not even the local wildlife ventured into this particularly active section of the geyser fields which he hoped meant that there would still be spoils waiting for him to find. The massive ketucari was only able to avoid the constant onslaught of boiling water by feeling the steady pulsing of vibrations through the ground between each eruption and by listening to the unnerving boiling whistle like sound that announced every blast. 

After hours of exploring, he stumbled upon a secluded cave where the rocks and soil underfoot felt different. It was rich and moist with finely rounded pebbles laced within it. The mud sticking to his feet felt silky and unnaturally smooth as Vice paused to examine the change. He hadn’t felt earth like this in this region before, he wasn’t sure if there would be copper here but he had a feeling he’d be able to find something. He sank his claw into the ground, and with each vigorous thrust, he unearthed clumps of rich, reddish soil that shimmered with tiny shiny flecks of something. As he dug he was surprised to realize that the shiny bits were flecks of shale rock that had long since disintegrated into the earth. 

As the sun climbed higher, and his arms began to tire, the ketucari steadily dug into the earth not really finding anything of value, but Vice was undeterred. He dug deeper, the sounds of his labor barely audible over the constant hum of geysers. Suddenly, his claw struck something hard. Vice sat back panting as he eyed what his claws had finally struck. It was covered in thick deep red mud and its bizarre shape was both natural and unnatural at the same time. Intrigued he scraped away more of the concealing earth until he could finally see what had been buried in the moors. A large soggy burlap sack lay partially shredded before him, its old well worn fabric was torn to shreds not only from Vice’s sharp claws but also from who knows how long of being buried in the constantly shifting geyser grounds. Something sparkled through the mud within the bag catching Vice’s eyes. He smiled as he ripped the bag open, excited to claim someone else’s secret stash of treasure.