Chapter 35 - Cutting meat (1)

When they arrived, they saw Anya's group facing the colossal Crotalus Desertignis. This surprised them and put fear in their thoughts. There was no way those women could survive, especially when they fought in such a disorganized manner.

They all thought the same thing...

The Crotalus is one of the most dangerous beings in this desert, it comes and goes completely silently in the desert sand. It is a treacherous predator that prefers easy or weakened prey.

But that does not mean that it is weak in combat. On the contrary, it is considered the most intelligent among the most dangerous beasts in the Turt Desert. Only 2 beings are stronger than it and have the ability to prey on it with relative ease.

And even at the same level, there are less than 6 that can fight and come out alive against it. It is the worst nightmare of hunters who venture into the desert. Every time she is mentioned, she evokes an instinctive fear in those who know the dangers she poses…

Even so, they intended to intervene with the help of their skills and their special suppression artifacts. They could not let their strong companions fall while they stood by.

They had a tacit agreement, but an unknown voice echoed in their minds, forbidding them to interfere.

To their surprise, this same voice was the same one that had just presented them with the remaining carcasses of the defeated serpent and a rock scorpion…

"The Dragon Lady said that this is a gift from Dragon Lady Crimmont's companion Nexus," the tiefling commented as she ran with enviable skill across the sands towards the carcass. "So the rumors were true…"

They were all running skillfully, because when they stepped on the sand, an aura shone on their feet that made the sand harden on the surface and did not allow their feet to sink into the sand. Something very efficient and that, combined with the wide and spaced jumps, made them move at a very high running speed.

"I thought it was another lie from that bard. It seems I'm going to have to reconsider my opinion," muttered the woman with feline ears as she tightened the belt of the bag on her back, which was loose and hindering her running.

It took no more than two minutes of running until they reached the place.

When they arrived, they remained silent for a few seconds while admiring the colossal carcass, a creature that stretched for almost thirty meters in length, imposing even in death.

Shortly after, the group began to prepare for a task that they mastered masterfully. The backpacks were quickly thrown on the ground, and large canvas cloths were spread around the carcass to protect the tools from the scalding sand.

On the cloths, they organized an impressive variety of equipment, all essential for the meticulous work that was about to begin.

There were heavy-duty axes, bone saws with reinforced blades, precision surgical scalpels, machetes for dismemberment, long pincers for removing small fragments, steel hooks for holding and tensing flesh, curved blades for scaling, cleavers for separating joints, and hammers for breaking denser bones.

Every item had its place, arranged with military precision, reflecting the experience accumulated over years of dangerous expeditions. Once everything was ready, they exchanged quick, determined glances. It was time to begin dismembering the creature.

Sharp knives and tools went to work, cutting through the dense flesh and peeling away the tough skin. Thick bones were broken into smaller sections, while everything was arranged in neat piles on top of specific tarps and separated according to type of material.

"I have heard that Lady Lightbright no longer lives in Lightbright Palace since Dragon Lady Crimmont came out of seclusion. Rumor has it that she has moved to Nenvia. Was that her up there?" asked the red-haired, gray-skinned woman, frowning as she swung her axe hard, severing one of the serpent's thinner vertebrae.

"Definitely not. Have you seen those portals? I've heard a lot of rumors about portals like that lately, and they all mention only the Great Dragon Lady Nala Diguard," the tiefling replied, concentrating as she meticulously removed the meat from the ribs, leaving the bones ready to be dismembered.

"I heard something similar too… Anyway, she mentioned it was a gift from Lady Crimmont's Nexus mate. Last year, I heard that Lady Lightvelo herself called a meeting with the great landowners of the Aurohervas farms to present a human boy who must have been around eight or nine years old. That must be the Edgar Crimmont," the red-haired woman commented, cutting the meat with precision.

"I've heard of that too," the cat-eared woman added, deftly sliding a sharp knife to peel away the creature's skin. "But it seems it wasn't exactly a formal meeting. Lady Lightvelo was accompanied by Lady Crimmont herself. They wanted to introduce the boy to the greenhouse farms… And apparently he entered the greenhouses without showing any difficulty."

"Oh, you believe those stories too?" scoffed the taller woman with blue hair, imposing horns, and gray skin as she folded a piece of the snake's tough leather. Her voice was thick with skepticism. "There's no way a human child could withstand the Aura frequency of an AZL2, even in a controlled environment like a greenhouse!"

"True or not," the feline continued thoughtfully, "what I've heard today suggests that this boy really does exist. That flying Aura Beast clearly seemed to belong to someone. And by elimination, it didn't belong to any of the women who fought Crotalus. The creature remained completely indifferent as they were nearly devoured. But as far as I know, I have never heard of a Dragon Lady training an Aura Beast, much less a Great Dragon Lady."

"She took the creature with her," the horned woman mused, adjusting another piece of the serpent's skin.

"Yes, but she wasn't alone up there," the feline argued, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "If it really is someone important, as it seems, my bet is on this Edgar Crimmont."

"Enough gossip and get to work," the tiefling snapped, her voice as firm as steel. "Cut the meat, dismember the bones, and prepare everything. We have no time to waste."

"Will the carriage hold that much cargo, Edith?" the feline woman asked.

"The wagon can hold up to 40 thousand liters. It will be more than enough, since we won't be taking the entrails. We will probably also discard some parts of the rock scorpion, but only after we have checked the carcass," the tiefling replied, without taking her eyes off the work.

After almost an hour of exhausting work, they were finally finished. Piles and piles of meat were separated on tarps and covered. While the bones were separated and kept intact, the skin was cut and divided into sections of up to 10 square meters.

All the most valuable parts were separated and very well stored. A huge venom gland was in an equally huge glass jar, the two horns of the snake were in another jar and the countless teeth were in a kind of metal box.

"The neutralizer is running out," warned the blue-haired woman, using a 10-liter spray bottle to spread a green aqueous solution around the place. The container was almost empty.

"Save the rest to mask the place where the scorpion is. Mary, tell Peter to undo the hiding place and come as soon as possible," ordered Edith, the tiefling.

"Understood," Mary replied, pulling a rudimentary Auvox from her pocket and making a quick call. After a few exchanges, she put the device away. "All right. It will be ready in two minutes, and I will send out the signal."

"Perfect. As soon as you give the signal, the two of us will go look for the rock scorpion carcass at the bottom of the canyon. In the meantime, Billie and Millie will stay here to load the carriage," Edith explained, as she adjusted her backpack and tools. "Do you have the ropes, Mary?"

"Yes," the feline replied, putting her tools in her backpack. "Hand me the neutralizer, Millie."

They grabbed ropes, pulleys, hooks, and other tools. Everything was neatly organized for easy access in their backpacks. Finally, the two were ready and with their backpacks on their backs, ready to go.

"When we find the carcass, we will call Peter. Whether or not you are finished loading, stay close to him. We will send out another signal to locate us later," Edith instructed. "Now, Mary, give the signal and let's go."

Mary raised her hand, concentrating her Aura until it formed a bright sphere of fire. She shot it into the sky, where it remained floating, burning for almost thirty seconds before disappearing.

As soon as the signal dissipated, Mary and Edith set off towards the canyon, following the edge in search of the carcass of the rock scorpion.

"Millie..." Billie, the woman with blue hair and long horns, called out in a drawling voice.

"What's wrong, Billie?" Millie replied, her eyes still fixed on the silhouettes of the two as they disappeared into the distance.

"I'm hungry..." Billie lamented, rubbing her stomach and making a desolate expression.

"When Peter arrives, we'll eat. He always has something stored in the carriage," Millie replied in a calm voice, although she herself could feel her stomach growling.

"Will he be long?" Billie asked, casting a hungry eye at the chunks of succulent meat they had just separated.

"Billie, for the love of everything... Just be quiet and wait. The more you complain, the slower time seems to pass," Millie replied, closing her eyes and crossing her arms, trying to ignore the growling of her own stomach.

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