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content/writing/meppa-2/index.md

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+date = '2026-05-28T06:00:00-06:00'
+draft = false
+title = "Those Who are Underfoot, Chapter Two"
+summary = "Meppa's journey continues, she learns first hand to be wary of the tall creatures."
+tags = ['story', 'meppa the kobold']
+showTableOfContents = false
+showPagination = false
+showZenMode = true
++++
+
+## Chapter Two
+
+The journey was slow and arduous. **Meppa** had never walked so far in her entire life. Her travel party avoided the 
+main paths, which was the custom to avoid the **Tall Creatures** as they were considered dangerous. This did mean that 
+they had to travel through the wilds, which brought their own perils to the small group. Thankfully, they had **Kip**, 
+the navigator.
+
+This was not **Kip’s** first pilgrimage, his first journey was during the cold months, and he still has never talked 
+about the journey. All that is known is of the 7 that set out for **Kaelrath**, only 4 returned. Since then **Kip** had 
+become a bit of a loner, preferring the wilds to the warm safety of **Yipton**. Supposedly, the eldest council even 
+requested to speak with him in **Fathomsreach** but **Kip** never talked much of that if it did happen. All **Meppa** 
+knew was she was thankful **Kip** was there now. No one knew the wilds like he did.
+
+Their camp was outside the settlement **Holey Town**. The **Tall Creatures** built this town in a foolish location as it
+seemed to be constantly under barrage of falling stars. The name, however, did elicit a humorous reaction from many in 
+**Meppa’s** party, and it was often joked about back in **Yipton**. Honestly, **Meppa** was a bit curious about the 
+settlement. She had never seen how the **Tall Creatures** lived, only heard of it. It was hard to object to **Dekkara** 
+when she suggested going and checking it out. The lights of the town were within sight of their camp, and they shone as 
+tantalizing beacons, beckoning her to delight in their presence.
+
+Her willpower caved when the stars began to fall, and she and **Ekkard** left in the middle of the night.
+
+Outside Holey Town**, the two sisters found themselves before an ocean of wheat. **Dekkara** reassured **Meppa** that it 
+was safe, any of the **Tall Creatures** would be asleep at this time. They both crawled cautiously through the seemingly 
+endless field of wheat until they finally found the end. **Meppa’s** heart sank, before them stood another wall of 
+wheat. They cautiously started to travel through the next endless forest of wheat until they exited, facing yet another 
+wall of wheat.
+
+“Where is the town?” Meppa asked nervously.
+
+“It can't be much farther.” Dekkara replied.
+
+They slowly ventured into the next field of wheat, and **Meppa** could have sworn she heard rustling. She tugged on 
+**Dekkara’s** tail and whispered in her ear.
+
+“I think I heard something, be still”
+
+Both sisters froze in place and listened carefully. They could hear the wind, and a gentle crash in the distance as a 
+star came crashing down to earth. What could only have been a few moments felt like an age, as they listened and waited 
+in fear. **Meppa** could swear she heard something, she cautiously turned to her sister, ready to whisper that perhaps 
+it was nothing when in a blink of an eye, her sister vanished.
+
+**Meppa** could feel the wheat whipping by her and a bizarre pain in her tail as if a trap had snared her. She tried in 
+desperation to grab anything to stop her unplanned abduction. Whatever had her whipped her around with ease, threatening 
+to snap her neck with force. For only a moment whatever had taken her let go before a mouth of fangs and stinging pain 
+gripped her by her neck. This was it, this was how **Meppa** would die.
+
+Snarling, pain, the taste of blood, the burning of her neck, the sound of the breeze blowing through the wheat. 
+**Meppa** could feel her body failing her. The beast had her, she was nothing, she was weak.
+
+A sudden howl of pain followed by a guttural screeching suddenly ceased the pain of daggers digging into **Meppa’s** 
+neck, she tried to look and see, but her body refused to respond. Soon all she could hear was the sound of a blade 
+stabbing a corpse repeatedly. The world went black.
+
+**Meppa** awoke, being pulled by her tail once again; the creature still had her, where was her sister? She tried to 
+look, tried to do anything to escape her fate, to find **Dekkara**.
+
+“Please don’t struggle.” Came **Dekkara’s** voice.
+
+“You are wounded, I must get you to camp”
+
+**Meppa** relaxed and felt herself losing consciousness. The embrace of the earth under her and the incessant itching 
+sensation in her neck was the only thing keeping her awake. She would later learn that **Dekkara** had drugged her all 
+the way back to camp, stopping several times to try and staunch her bleeding. **Meppa** and **Dekkara** were both spared
+the lectures due to **Meppa’s** condition, but they could feel the disapproval of the group. Such mistakes could not be 
+made again, for both their sakes.
+
+## Continue reading
+{{< article link="/writing/meppa-3/" showSummary=true compactSummary=true >}}