PA Quests

Pestilence- PA Quest (Salem)

A large mist coated the island's swamps and the small pools of green murky water bubbled, Letting out popping sounds as they met the surface. A large canopy of trees made the swamp area thick and hidden, the air had a green tint to it. Salem made his way through the murky water leaning down to munch on the long grass as it provided a great food source for the styracosaurus. Salem paid no attention to his surroundings as he munched away at the reeds that peaked from the water, snorting and sniffing every so often, his tail flicked behind him. The swamps had been fairly peaceful and quiet during this time of day and it was a great foraging spot for herbivores. A green haze began to flow around Salem and his vision became blurred as he kept walking further into the swampy area “ Huh that's weird” he said stopping before looking around.

Salem stopped swinging his head around scanning the swamp around him, the green haze getting thicker. He shook the feeling of continuing to forage leaning down to eat more lily pads before looking up to finish chewing. Once he was finished he leant down to take a much needed drink, feeling the water going down his throat but something tasted off. Salem snorted before letting out a cough due to the waters off taste, before feeling a little light headed but shook the feeling. The haze had gotten worse as kept his pace passing by the large trees that were growing out of the green murky water. Salem shook his head in discomfort as he walked , his throat feeling dry even after drinking water. Being thirsty was one thing but this felt a bit different, Salem let out a cough as his throat became dryer.

Salem stopped in the middle of the swamp trying to shake the uneasy feeling off, along with the chills that ran through his scales. The haze was now thick and everywhere within the swamp , it was never hazed over this thick in the past this was new and unnatural. The large herbivore's stomach began to twist and turn uncomfortably, Salem was now beginning to not feel very well. He had made his way to a muddy bank within the swamp, he slumped to the ground laying in the mud. Salem could hear the grumbling from his now upset stomach and he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on with him, he was fine but the water seemed to have messed with his stomach. “ whoa what is with the water” he grumbled trying to find a better position to ease the pain. He began to roll over soon after seeing a small dark figure floating at the top of the swampy , Salem sat up before poking it at it. The small figure slowly bobbed up and down, soon revealing a dead toad and lots of them, but why so many dead in one spot? 

“ What the?” Salem looked puzzled and then washed with concern over his face. Did the swamp water do this, a lot of wildlife who lived in the water dying in one spot was always a concerning matter. The styracosaurus looked puzzled before feeling the sharp pain in his stomach come back, he flinched before standing up trying to shake off the feeling. He wanted to know why and what was happening with all these dead toads, as he got up he noticed the haze was a lot thicker before he had started his trek into the swamp. Salem continued to follow the trail of dead toads everywhere trying not to step on the bodies, his side still in pain from drinking the contaminated water.

“ This isn’t normal, why are there so many?” he mumbled to himself as he kept looking around watching his steps every time he moved. Without noticing he was beginning to sway as he walked through the now thick mud that hid below the water. The large herbivore seemed to be getting affected by a sickness that could possibly be the same that caused problems for the toads.

The large herbivore soon felt his vision blur in and out , shaking his head trying to refocus. His limbs started to feel wobbly. The heat of the swamp now getting to him, he began to pant slightly. Panic was begging to set into Salem’s head And something was wrong, it definitely was caused by the water that he had drank.

Salem began to slow down but panic was running rampant through his panicked state. The large herbivore soon began to rush through the mud shaking his head trying to get his vision focused but it wasn’t returning, he slammed into trees breaking them as he smashed through them. He wanted out of this swamp and the danger it held, “gotta keep going , don't stop” he thought as he ran at max speed.

A loud slam was heard as Salem tripped over a metal barrel that was stuck in the mud, the large styracosaurus also had smacked into a tree when he went flying after tripping due to his speed. Salem's vision soon blurred once more before going pitch black, a little after he soon came to his eyes slowly opening his vision slowly coming back to him. The pain in his stomach had subsided after he passed out, seeing he had coughed water out when he tripped over the object. Salem shook the mud that was caked on his feet off, he got to his feet before seeing clearly again. The dull shine from the metal barrel that was stuck in the mud caught Salem’s eye, approaching it slowly as it was ripped open a strange smell coming from it.

“ Phew what is that smell?” Salem said plugging his beak, the barrel looked ripped open , and the contents inside spilled over the side. A green color seeping into the swamp water. Salem pushed on it slightly before taking a sniff and backing up, seeing the water an unusual green color, this must be what caused him to feel ill earlier.

“This must be what is affecting the water and killing the toads” Salem let out a snort before turning around. Whatever was in that barrel seemed to be dangerous and causing issues for the environment. It seemed to alter the state of the water and the wildlife was not able to handle it, it explained the symptoms Salem was experiencing earlier. 

“ I better not stay here, this haze also seems to have something to do with this green stuff” Salem said to himself before turning around to leave. He looked back at the barrel once more , he felt uneasy leaving it behind but he didn’t want to be anywhere near it. And if it's in the water it is not safe to be in here any longer. The large herbivore soon started his journey back through the green hazed swamp, shaking his head at the stench it admitted. 

As the styracosaurus made his way out, it was a lot worse than he found it. Hiding behind large trees more wildlife lay still or floating on the swamp waters surface, all having succumbed to the illness that came with the unknown barrel and the contents within it. Finally seeing the treeline and the haze calming down, Salem took a deep breath of fresh air as he exited the swamp, his throat still dried out from the thick haze he was forced to breathe in. Another problem Salem noticed was the plant life seemed to be wilted in places which was not normal as the swamp was usually lush and never wilted.

“even the plants are being affected” he said looking worried , walking up to the plants that looked like life was sucked out of them. He sniffed the wilted plant and snorted it still had the smell of the green haze and was clearly not doing well. Salem looked at the entrance of the swamp and sighed before lifting his foot as roads flooded out of the area, looking to get away from their home. It wasn’t just one, it was thousands and they usually never left the swamp, there was something brewing in the swamp and it had everything to do with the barrel Salem had stumbled upon. Black lettering also covered the barrel but he didn’t get time to clearly read it throughout all the panic, but he could remember making out big blocky letters but he couldn’t recall what it said.

Back in the swamp bubbles soon began to rise letting out large popping noises, surrounding the rusted metal barrel. The lettering that read across the barrel was “ TOXIC DO NOT OPEN”. This was not a normal abandoned item that was usually found on Isla Kela. Salem looked puzzled before turning to be on his way and got far away from the sickness caused by the green haze that choked the swamp. “ This place isn’t safe anymore” he mumbled before being on his way still dealing with the side effects from the sickness.