Baashin Breakout

Zipper kept a brisk trot with a cage on its back, even though Venni and Shork were feeling the weight of the journey. 

[Will you wait up?!] Shork gasped and stumbled. [Oww, my foot caught on a branch!]

[Why did I let that little...] Venni groaned out loud. [why didn't I just stay HOME today?!]

[Because you're a very good oxin, and we very much appreciate your company.] Bucci replied, adjusting the cage on his own back. 

Most of the adventurers were returning empty handed, one or two clutching the odd wound or carrying a weapon with a new battle notch in it. They flanked the ones who actually had cargo to carry, or were coming as prisoners. 

"How much longer?" Nor wheezed, finally managing to catch up with Bucci. The cyphon spared him a glance; the little aphex didn't have a cage with him, but he did have welts in his back in the shape of iron bars fitting into wood. 

"I was just wondering the same thing." Bucci turned and called back. "Has anyone scouted ahead to tell the camp we're on our way?" 

"I think that guy with the antlers ran ahead?" Ghighi replied. He was just too agonizingly slow to be carrying a cage, but he was perfect to flank the prisoners to dissuade them from running into the forest. "I'd ask my oxin to fly, but they're already, uh, preoccupied." 

[I'll preoccupy YOU with my TALONS next time you sign me up for something like this, tater tot!] Venni flapped their wings, just about useless in a situation like this.

[Ugghhhh, stop it!] Shork lashed its tail. [I'm tired, I'm thirsty, you're all annoying, and I just wanna go home and eat fish snacks!]

[You and me both.] Blahaj let his companion pass the cage onto his back instead. [I miss Woomy.]

Shork's head suddenly snapped up, the syron's whiskers trembling. It elbowed its way to the front of the pack, running down the path like someone had rung the dinner bell. 

"We're close!" Blahaj's excitement cut across the grumblings of the adventurers who had been elbowed, even though he was saddled with the weight of one of the heavier cages. He wasn't able to start running, but the excitement to be home was beginning to ripple through the traveling party. 

The one armed poacher's posture slouched down a little more. The other prisoners were looking nervous and antsy as well. 

"HEY! Hey, what do you lot think you're doing!" Ghighi barked at them. "Nobody else run ahead, we've got precious cargo, you know!"

Unfortunately, Ghighi had been barking all day, and everyone was a little hesitant to take him seriously. Just enough hesitation for one of the smaller poachers to wriggle out of his bindings and make a break for the forest. 

"STOP!" Ghighi let out a blast of ice, but he'd been at it all day and his tank had just run out. The runaway got a blast of ice-cold wind to his behind as he fled into the undergrowth and disappeared into the trees. 

One or two of the other adventurers gave chase, and the whole caravan had to come to a stop to re-tie all the prisoners ropes. The poachers didn't seem to be all that pleased that one of their own had managed to break away, from the looks of their bindings he had given away the escape plan to get everyone out just for the chance to get out on his own. 

"What're you looking at?" The one-armed poacher asked a tail-less bhasin in its cage. It cocked its head to get a look at the aphex's missing limb, as if satisfied with the retribution. 

The adventurers returned with the poacher, who had a bloody nose from a bad trip on a tree root. The adventurers didn't look much more graceful, picking twigs and burrs out of their fur and clothes.

"Welcome back, idiot." The haggard adventurer threw him on the ground to get tied up again, then turned to Bucci. "He sent off some kinda messenger bird. I guess whatever they were saying about an 'HQ' was true." 

The poachers seemed a little more smug about that, but they didn't have long to gloat.

The chopping sound in the air could no longer be mistaken for anything but the blades of a familiar news helicopter, which hovered above as the camp got up to continue on their way. 

"Almost there," Bucci muttered like a mantra, flipping his ears down against the noise. He rolled his shoulders and prepared to load the cage back on.

"Hey, Bucci?" Nor tugged on his arm and pointed at a small crowd down the trail, spearheaded by a gray strong carrying an orange speckled toto on its back.

"WOOMY!" Blahaj screamed for joy and took off in a sprint. The two Toto embraced.

The rest of the reserve adventurers were close behind with companions who were hitched up to wagons for the heavy load, and a proper veterinarian to get a good look at the bhasin. The adventure was at its end, as far as this group of meltdowns was concerned.