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Duenner's World. Artwork by Seyorrol by SiriusDF

Duenner's World. Artwork by Seyorrol

SiriusDF

Commission artwork by the great Seyorrol of Furaffinity

https://www.furaffinity.net/user/seyorrol

Edit 9/20/2019: Uploaded a color corrected file. Prior version was for cmyk printing and too saturated for RGB viewing.

Duenner resting in the Pampas of his adopted home world. The exomoon Kopno. Accompanying short tale by me.

Duenner's world

Is this for the University? For what? How will you manage all alone out in the Pampas? You're not carrying much and it's so far out there.

Swaying to the sliding jig of a power boat running through eddies in the Tempest river, Duenner listened patiently to the flurry of questions by the junior deckhand about his trip to a region of the Pampas called the Splash Hills.

The slim bodied, white and brown sight hound answered that yes, this was for Kupina University. Survey rainfall totals. For it was now the end of the spring equinox. This was not his first solo trip. He had been out in the Pampas for more than two decades; knew where to find water and sustenance to supplement the several day provisions tied to his travois.

As for the being out there. Duenner delayed answering till the boat cut power and laid anchor in front of low, sandy cliffs lining the Tempest's south bank.

"Being out in the Pampas. It's a state of mind."

He waded ashore carrying the travois like a ladder overhead, then dragged it up the steep embankment. He waved and set the metal beacon on the cliff's edge to guide the boat's return in three weeks.

The boat left, assuming he'd be isolated and alone.

Crossing southward in the mid afternoon sun, Duenner strode forth upon open terrain, leaning forward, shoulders bearing a portion of the load as he dragged the A-frame travois lashed with equipment and supplies through a field of feather grass. Recent rains had stimulated the grass to grow colored, feathery frills looking like art print motifs swaying in the wind. Kite bushes shone bright grayish green from waxy four sided leaves.

A late afternoon pause to nibble on evening rations. Snare setting would be done on the 'morrow. A silent economical pace threading a course in the undulating land between the distance line of hills called the Splash Hills and the far off foothills of the Vremenski. Clouds billowed above.

Early evening brought him to where the complex of channels called the Bitter took a lazy gyre towards the Splash hills. Dry most of the year. Rains had given the channels gleaming wetness and bore short lived shallow ponds. He chose a hillock over looking the ponds, turned westwards, then laid the travois down and sat, resting against it.

The setting sun edged behind the distant peaks, coloring a herd of cumulonimbus clouds orange, slowly darkening to red. A full faced Kurjak rose from the East, looming behind the clouds with her closest satellites following. Adding Gas Giant light to the Splash hills and the shimmering wet complex of Bitter Arroyo, side channels and ponds. Behind, migratory Dactyls glided towards evening perches by the ponds.

Arms folded, Duenner rested. Then his ears snapped forwards. Several meters ahead, shapes of light emitting green and yellow flickered above the feather grass. Four winged and tiny bodies shaped like flitters. Bodies flickering in luminescent flashes that turned almost unseen wings translucent yellow!

A species of insect like Flitter he had never observed before! Yet, for a good part of the evening, he suppressed his researcher instincts to document the creatures, just to stare in wonder.

One was never alone in the Pampas.

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