~♢~ There was a buzz about the night air. Not because there was a growing excitement about the Great Lazulite Dragon’s appearance at the upcoming Gathering of Storms. Nor was it because there was a titillating rumor going about how darling Princess Wilting And Yet Somehow Also Thriving Flower eloped with that dastardly despot, Mr. Wanted for Way Too Much Gold. NOT EVEN because the legendary artist, Gaia Von Tussel of Castle Eldenayes was due to unveil their plans for the creation of a College of Arts within the capital city of Iffilian. No, those buzzes were much too far away. Those things were found in the oases of lights and colors dotted across the monotonous sands that made the wondrous cities of Bazel. Rather, this was a physical kind of buzz that knocked your knees, and rattled your ribs. Junko was quite used to this kind of violent buzz, even liked it really. You almost had to if you were a chitin farmer like him. Lanky, with too many points, a wide-brimmed sun hat, and long staff in one hand, he sat atop a rather rotund Goliathus scarab beetle. Who had striking black and white stripes racing down its back, originating from a bright mandarin orange head. From his saddled position, Junko looked out at the source of the buzz; hundreds and hundreds of similarly overgrown beetles of varying sizes, shapes, and species. Some had painted shells with bright marks as identifiers: sky blue for leaders, dark green for elders, and maroon for the young. Junko could also see the long trail the herd had trampled behind them. So dense were their tracks that their path carved straight through the sweeping dunes. He looked up at the cloudless sky, the crescent moon descending from its zenith. Still a long way to go, he thought. He held the staff over his head, which had a hollow chamber with a handful of seed pods and a helping of sand within it. He rocked it from side to side to create a gentle and rhythmic hush. The buzz gradually became a low hum as the beetles’ received their message. Diligently, they started northward to a sandstone outcropping where they will rest when the sun's rays become too intense to travel. ~♢~