Living wasteland

The sweltering heat beat down on Uruk’s gray hide, the sun relentless in its assault as it scorched the barren hills around him. His breath came in slow, measured puffs as he surveyed the cracked, broken earth beneath his hooves. The terrain was unforgiving, constantly shifting due to the frequent tremors that plagued the region. Trees were scarce here, most of them reduced to splintered trunks scattered like bones across the landscape. Even the air seemed dry, lacking the moisture that Uruk’s body craved after days of wandering.

He lowered his head, eyes narrowing as he watched the ground carefully. The insects - the bugs and worms that had begun to emerge - skittered across the dirt in frantic motion, burrowing into cracks and crevices with unnatural speed. Uruk snorted, the idea forming in his mind. These tiny creatures, useless as they seemed, must have a reason for their frantic behavior. They were seeking something, or perhaps, avoiding something - could it be the presence of water, hidden deep within the earth?

Uruk shifted his weight, his large frame casting a shadow over the ground. He had heard tales of creatures sensing water long before others could find it, their instincts sharper than any beast’s. If there was any hope of finding the precious resource in this forsaken place, it might lie with these tiny critters.

The ground beneath him trembled slightly, a low rumble echoing through the hills as the earth groaned with a minor quake. Uruk stood firm, his muscles rippling as he maintained his balance, knowing full well the danger of the caverns below. One wrong move could send him tumbling into the labyrinth of tunnels that wound beneath the surface. His rhino horn gleamed in the harsh sunlight, and his sharp gaze locked onto a patch of disturbed soil where the bugs seemed to gather in greater numbers. Perhaps there was more to this swarming than met the eye.

With a determined grunt, Uruk began to move, slowly following the critters’ erratic paths as he ventured deeper into the hills.

"Speech"