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“So then, Theo, are you ready for your first day on the job?” The boss asked the young boy. The rugged “office” they sat in was nothing more than a reinforced shack. It was furnished well enough, confirming the boss’s wealth and success. However, there was only so much one could expect from a structure so far on the frontier.
“Of course,” Theo affirmed, “don’t worry, this isn’t my first caravan. I’ve worked on a couple back home.” The blonde’s blue eyes twinkled in the way only youth could. He’d waited so long to get a real job on the frontier, now he’d finally become a man.
“That’s what they all say,” the boss chuckled as he stroked his long, brown beard. “Now I’m gonna warn you, this ain’t like the horses and bison you got back home. Our pack beasts are quite a bit bigger and much more troublesome.”
“Don’t worry, boss, I can handle it. I’m ready for anything,” Theo beamed, which only made the boss laugh more.
“Alright then, kid, you should be able to hear them coming now,” the boss stated. “Your first job is to help us unload the cargo from our last trip. Tomorrow we’ll move you on to something more. If you haven’t lost your nerve, that is.”
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Theo raised an eyebrow. Before he could consider the boss’s words any further, he could hear the caravan coming. Or rather, he felt them coming. The boy had often heard the beasts on the frontier were much larger than he was used to. But, the way the ground shook as the caravan approached made him start to realize just how big they were talking.
Theo and the boss stepped outside to witness the caravan crossing over a nearby hill. Theo’s eyes widened as he saw the first beast come over, a bulky reptile with three horns and a shield-shaped head. A member of the caravan slowly guided it with a length of rope. The beast had a couple hundred pounds of precious cargo strapped to its back. The reptile towered over any horse or pack animal the blonde had ever seen before, and each of its steps made the ground shudder.
“It’s massive. I’ve never seen such a beast in my life,” Theo was awestruck.
“Don’t freak out yet, kid. That’s one of the smaller ones,” the boss grinned. Theo looked back at the older man incredulously, at least until he felt the ground shake even harder. The boy looked around to see another reptile’s head pop up from below the ridge, followed by its neck. Theo watched with interest as he waited for the rest of the creature to come over. His patience was tested as the animal’s neck went on and on until finally, the massive beast crossed over the hill.
“Impossible, how could such a thing exist!” Theo was dumbfounded. The last beast was bigger than any animal he had seen before, but this one dwarfed most buildings. Every step of the long-necked monster was like a small earthquake to the blonde. It even had cargo and seating strapped to its back, making Theo wonder how anyone managed to get up there. Let alone load and unload its passengers and cargo regularly.
“Haven’t lost your nerve already, have you, boy?” The boss snorted.
“Of course not,” Theo asserted as his voice cracked. Although his composure faltered as he witnessed more of the long-necked reptiles cross over the hill. They were closely followed by many other strange, giant reptiles. “So this is the frontier? Such fearsome creatures,” Theo tried to change the subject.
“Ah, this is nothing. These are the gentle ones,” the boss began to walk towards the caravan. “Wait till we have you with us in those untamed wilds. You’ll see the real nasty ones out there.”
“I see,” Theo gulped as the caravan flooded into the area. He watched in shock as those guiding the beast casually strode alongside the monsters that could easily crush them underfoot. His first day was about to begin, the blonde had told himself he was ready for anything, but now he had never felt so small.
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Sometimes you'll never be prepared enough for big, new jobs.
Until next time, Read, Comment, Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Whatever you prefer.
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