ACT III
THE PARVIAN MESS
Sitting by the small fire, chugging a few more of aged Isota juice, she finally had returned to her top-notch state. As she marvelled the inner lining of the makeshift cave once again, she inquired about their next course of action.
Hans pondered, thinking of how much Rudolf could allow him to help her as he knew that Delimira was inexperienced in this matter. Looking at himself he thought, if worse comes to shove, he could live off with only vegetation conjured through 'Sprout'. However, Rudolf might accuse him of exploiting loopholes. He scratched his head in a bit of annoyance and concluded, that Rudolf not interfering with his 'Isota' conjuring was probably his last limit.
"We can’t depend on this cave forever, we need to find a real shelter, possibly made by some beast." He answered.
Delimira narrowed her eyes and responded,
"So, a hostile takeover?"
"That sounds particularly pleasant coming from you, Delimira Winters," Hans replied with sarcasm and continued, " It's a matter of survival: either it's you or them. Choose wisely."
Delimira, questioned quickly,
"Why can't we stay here for a month?"
"We don't know the terrain here very well." Hans spoke like a veteran, explaining, "If an avalanche happens, we could get buried alive, even Gramps would have trouble finding us." He turned to her and extended his hand, summoning some vine-like threads resembling yarn to wrap around her and his limbs. Hans thought, It wasn't ideal, but it would at least help them retain some warmth. However, if they planned to survive here for an extended period, they would need thick fur or hide from the same beasts that could provide them with shelter in this area.
So he suggested,
"We need to go hunting. It will provide us with food, shelter, and clothing."
Delimira quietly followed him out of the cave. His tone implied that he knew what he was doing, and she didn't want to question someone who had more experience than her. As they stepped out of the cave, the bitter wind greeted them once again.
Hans and Delimira debated whether to wait for the weather to improve or to descend the mountain immediately. Hans was uncomfortable with unknown factors, so he insisted on trekking down the mountain. Although the layered, coiled vines were slightly uncomfortable, they were doing the job, keeping them warm to some extent.
They descended the mountain without any hitch, arriving at the base in silence. Hans had instructed Delimira to conserve her energy, but in truth, he wanted her to remain quiet. To his surprise, she followed his instructions to the letter. And upon entering the snowy forest, Hans asked her, "Can you use your AquaBullets?" She nodded wordlessly, and Hans instructed her once again, "Get ready to attack when I give the command."
Delimira assumed a fighting stance, and two faint circles appeared on her hand. With Hans's simple nod, she could fire her AquaBullets and Hans acknowledged her readiness. He signalled with a gesture to look beyond the bush in front of them.
With her attuned senses, Delimira quickly spotted movement in the bush, she readied herself for an attack. Hans gave the signal, and she fired a volley of AquaBullets, taking out whatever was lurking there in silence. Using his ManaVision, Hans confirmed the kill and ensured that they weren't stealing someone else's prey and rather than venturing out to collect their target, Hans used his vines to drag the kill back to them. It was a class one herbivore, the Kapi Rat, similar in size to a calf, with a thick hide and lots of fat. Delimira experienced conflicting emotions - the thrill of success in her first kill, mixed with the guilt of taking a life.
Hans had experienced similar doubts in the past, so he reminded Delimira of the words of his hunting teacher, Rudolf: “Killing without a cause is wrong”. She looked at him and then he added, "You kill because it's necessary, and we don't have the luxury to starve Winters, so get your sh... Snap out of it." Hans might have learned those words but he never followed them, if a beast so much as glared at him then his death certificate already got ready in his mind.
But it was a necessary thing for her to listen at this point. Suppressing her guilt, she asked in a whisper,
"How long will this last us?"
Hans replied, "It's not enough to sustain us for long. We can't kill too many, we need to find a single beast that can provide us with everything we need - food, shelter, and clothing." He followed Rudolf's advice and reiterated his words, "Always target what can satisfy your maximum needs." And using his orca vines, he ravaged the still-warm corpse, spreading its blood everywhere as he explained, "This is the bait for checking who is at the top of the food chain here, the predators will come swarming for the kill and we can determine if this place is safe for us to idle around."
Hiding in a recently dug hole and blending in with the surroundings, Hans was only worried about the single possibility of them being on the hunting grounds of the aggressive Evil Monkeys, known for their territorial nature. However, as Hans and Delimira huddled together in their hiding spot, his fears were unfounded as the bait attracted a bipedal beast of the second class, Ursa. Hans let out a sigh of relief on seeing the ferocious beast in front. Delimira, curious, whispered to him, "Why do you seem relieved?"
"These Weaklings are not fools to stay in Evil Monkeys’ territory," he explained.
Delimira found it hard to feel relieved facing a beast capable of using Origin power (mana attacks of beasts), but Hans assured her that they could handle it as long as she followed his instructions precisely. She nodded, agreeing with his words as she saw Ursa beast, lifting the carcass while scanning the area for ambushes, but Hans and Delimira had hidden perfectly, making it impossible for the beast to sense them. The Ursa started to drag the carcass away, and Hans instructed Delimira to tail the target from a safe distance. He had already masked their smell with the makeshift winter wear he had made from the vines, so they blended in with the environment as they move.
Hans constantly was on the lookout, this was the place where having ManaVision was the most advantageous thing, but fortunately, he found nothing out of the ordinary. They followed the Ursa until they arrived at a well-hidden cave and he signalled her to halt, warning her of the danger ahead.
He shared his knowledge about the Ursa, explaining that if the beast brought the carcass to its home, it was most likely a male providing food for a female. The females usually consumed their food on the spot, indicating that there could be a family of Ursas inside.
As she heard those words, her heart sank, contemplating the thought of killing innocent beasts with families. She hesitated, and her doubts were not lost on Hans. He prodded her, reminding her of their situation." Think about it, Winters." he pressed "How are we going to survive out here? We've found food, shelter, and clothing. We can't afford to give that up now."
Delimira was torn between her conscience and her survival. She couldn't possibly fight off three Ursa on her own, let alone one. "Are you crazy? How can I fight them all? They're all second-class beasts," she muttered to Hans.
"That's why I don't like how they teach." Hans shook his head as he expressed his discontent with the teaching system of Concordia. "They only show you the pretty side of fighting, but in the real world, you have to kill to survive. But listen, I'm not telling you to confront them head-on. Use your head. I've already given you some hints." he remarked.
Delimira racked her brain, but she couldn't find a solution and seeing her struggle, Hans offered another hint,
"Isolate them and take care of them one at a time, Winters."
"But how can I do that?" Delimira asked.
Hans clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"That was the first hint. It may sound heartless, but Ursa values family. Do you understand now?"
"You don't mean.." she hesitated, "no, not that - "
Hans nodded, interrupting
"Yes. If you trap one, his screams will call his family out, and you can take care of them one by one."
"That's very...inhuman, Hans," she said appalling.
Hans replied coolly,
"You are not human, and you are not an elf either. Forget your morals and focus on survival. It's everyone for him..herself here."
She disappointingly confirmed,
So we need another bait to lure one out, don't we?
"Good, you are learning". commended Hans for her quick thinking.
Delimira, too, possessed the power of Ground elemental mana, enabling her to excavate holes and set traps like Hans. She discovered a ravine, a narrow passageway near, and ingeniously devised not one but many traps with protruding spikes of hard rock inside deep holes. She then covered it with a fragile layer of ice sheet frozen in instant from the water she conjured.
Upon seeing her handiwork, Hans acknowledged her abilities but informed her that they did not need to kill another creature to lure the Ursa out which made her happy for some reason only to regret it later. Hans explained that the male Ursa is extremely protective of their abode, and attacking it would surely cause it to erupt in a fit of fury, thus exposing itself to them.
Having spent the majority of the day recuperating and descending the terrain, nightfall was imminent, and the temperature would plummet once the sun vanished beyond the horizon. Hans grew more anxious since Delimira required time to tackle the beasts individually but despite his concerns, he hoped that their plan would proceed without a hitch. He scratched his head as he recalled the advice of his grandfather, which shredded his hope.
"You must be prepared to improvise, as things rarely go as planned in such places." he shared the word of wisdom with her and as she understood, she nodded and advanced towards the concealed entrance of the hole. Upon arrival, she detected the presence of three Ursa but breathed a sigh of relief at not finding any young ones. Regardless of the situation, she couldn't bring herself to harm a defenceless cub, even for survival.
She took a deep breath and the cold wind entered her body, jolting her once again, and reminding her where she was. With a barrage of AquaBullets, she started, targeting the Ursa that brought food for the family. But Ursa sensed the incoming attack as she wanted and defended itself, turning, he charged at her with an alarming speed.
Panicking at the sight of the charging beast, Delimira swiftly pivoted towards the ravine, running as fast as she could and the Ursa chased her relentlessly, nearly catching up, and almost clawing once but she skillfully evaded it and leapt over the trap.
Drunk in rage, Ursa fell victim to the trap, as his weight shattered the thin ice sheet covering the hole, causing the beast to plummet onto the razor-sharp stone spikes that impaled him without resistance. The creature bellowed in agony, and though Hans and Delimira were waiting for it, hiding in the shadows, the Ursa continued to cry out until its final breath, succumbing to its injuries. But No other Ursa emerged from the cave as they wanted, and their plan went along with the sun, which vanished from the frigid sky.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : THE URSA MAJOR
ACT III
THE PARVIAN MESS
Sitting by the small fire, chugging a few more of aged Isota juice, she finally had returned to her top-notch state. As she marvelled the inner lining of the makeshift cave once again, she inquired about their next course of action.
Hans pondered, thinking of how much Rudolf could allow him to help her as he knew that Delimira was inexperienced in this matter. Looking at himself he thought, if worse comes to shove, he could live off with only vegetation conjured through 'Sprout'. However, Rudolf might accuse him of exploiting loopholes. He scratched his head in a bit of annoyance and concluded, that Rudolf not interfering with his 'Isota' conjuring was probably his last limit.
"We can’t depend on this cave forever, we need to find a real shelter, possibly made by some beast." He answered.
Delimira narrowed her eyes and responded,
"So, a hostile takeover?"
"That sounds particularly pleasant coming from you, Delimira Winters," Hans replied with sarcasm and continued, " It's a matter of survival: either it's you or them. Choose wisely."
Delimira, questioned quickly,
"Why can't we stay here for a month?"
"We don't know the terrain here very well." Hans spoke like a veteran, explaining, "If an avalanche happens, we could get buried alive, even Gramps would have trouble finding us." He turned to her and extended his hand, summoning some vine-like threads resembling yarn to wrap around her and his limbs. Hans thought, It wasn't ideal, but it would at least help them retain some warmth. However, if they planned to survive here for an extended period, they would need thick fur or hide from the same beasts that could provide them with shelter in this area.
So he suggested,
"We need to go hunting. It will provide us with food, shelter, and clothing."
Delimira quietly followed him out of the cave. His tone implied that he knew what he was doing, and she didn't want to question someone who had more experience than her. As they stepped out of the cave, the bitter wind greeted them once again.
Hans and Delimira debated whether to wait for the weather to improve or to descend the mountain immediately. Hans was uncomfortable with unknown factors, so he insisted on trekking down the mountain. Although the layered, coiled vines were slightly uncomfortable, they were doing the job, keeping them warm to some extent.
They descended the mountain without any hitch, arriving at the base in silence. Hans had instructed Delimira to conserve her energy, but in truth, he wanted her to remain quiet. To his surprise, she followed his instructions to the letter. And upon entering the snowy forest, Hans asked her, "Can you use your AquaBullets?" She nodded wordlessly, and Hans instructed her once again, "Get ready to attack when I give the command."
Delimira assumed a fighting stance, and two faint circles appeared on her hand. With Hans's simple nod, she could fire her AquaBullets and Hans acknowledged her readiness. He signalled with a gesture to look beyond the bush in front of them.
With her attuned senses, Delimira quickly spotted movement in the bush, she readied herself for an attack. Hans gave the signal, and she fired a volley of AquaBullets, taking out whatever was lurking there in silence. Using his ManaVision, Hans confirmed the kill and ensured that they weren't stealing someone else's prey and rather than venturing out to collect their target, Hans used his vines to drag the kill back to them. It was a class one herbivore, the Kapi Rat, similar in size to a calf, with a thick hide and lots of fat. Delimira experienced conflicting emotions - the thrill of success in her first kill, mixed with the guilt of taking a life.
Hans had experienced similar doubts in the past, so he reminded Delimira of the words of his hunting teacher, Rudolf: “Killing without a cause is wrong”. She looked at him and then he added, "You kill because it's necessary, and we don't have the luxury to starve Winters, so get your sh... Snap out of it." Hans might have learned those words but he never followed them, if a beast so much as glared at him then his death certificate already got ready in his mind.
But it was a necessary thing for her to listen at this point. Suppressing her guilt, she asked in a whisper,
"How long will this last us?"
Hans replied, "It's not enough to sustain us for long. We can't kill too many, we need to find a single beast that can provide us with everything we need - food, shelter, and clothing." He followed Rudolf's advice and reiterated his words, "Always target what can satisfy your maximum needs." And using his orca vines, he ravaged the still-warm corpse, spreading its blood everywhere as he explained, "This is the bait for checking who is at the top of the food chain here, the predators will come swarming for the kill and we can determine if this place is safe for us to idle around."
Hiding in a recently dug hole and blending in with the surroundings, Hans was only worried about the single possibility of them being on the hunting grounds of the aggressive Evil Monkeys, known for their territorial nature. However, as Hans and Delimira huddled together in their hiding spot, his fears were unfounded as the bait attracted a bipedal beast of the second class, Ursa. Hans let out a sigh of relief on seeing the ferocious beast in front. Delimira, curious, whispered to him, "Why do you seem relieved?"
"These Weaklings are not fools to stay in Evil Monkeys’ territory," he explained.
Delimira found it hard to feel relieved facing a beast capable of using Origin power (mana attacks of beasts), but Hans assured her that they could handle it as long as she followed his instructions precisely. She nodded, agreeing with his words as she saw Ursa beast, lifting the carcass while scanning the area for ambushes, but Hans and Delimira had hidden perfectly, making it impossible for the beast to sense them. The Ursa started to drag the carcass away, and Hans instructed Delimira to tail the target from a safe distance. He had already masked their smell with the makeshift winter wear he had made from the vines, so they blended in with the environment as they move.
Hans constantly was on the lookout, this was the place where having ManaVision was the most advantageous thing, but fortunately, he found nothing out of the ordinary. They followed the Ursa until they arrived at a well-hidden cave and he signalled her to halt, warning her of the danger ahead.
He shared his knowledge about the Ursa, explaining that if the beast brought the carcass to its home, it was most likely a male providing food for a female. The females usually consumed their food on the spot, indicating that there could be a family of Ursas inside.
As she heard those words, her heart sank, contemplating the thought of killing innocent beasts with families. She hesitated, and her doubts were not lost on Hans. He prodded her, reminding her of their situation." Think about it, Winters." he pressed "How are we going to survive out here? We've found food, shelter, and clothing. We can't afford to give that up now."
Delimira was torn between her conscience and her survival. She couldn't possibly fight off three Ursa on her own, let alone one. "Are you crazy? How can I fight them all? They're all second-class beasts," she muttered to Hans.
"That's why I don't like how they teach." Hans shook his head as he expressed his discontent with the teaching system of Concordia. "They only show you the pretty side of fighting, but in the real world, you have to kill to survive. But listen, I'm not telling you to confront them head-on. Use your head. I've already given you some hints." he remarked.
Delimira racked her brain, but she couldn't find a solution and seeing her struggle, Hans offered another hint,
"Isolate them and take care of them one at a time, Winters."
"But how can I do that?" Delimira asked.
Hans clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"That was the first hint. It may sound heartless, but Ursa values family. Do you understand now?"
"You don't mean.." she hesitated, "no, not that - "
Hans nodded, interrupting
"Yes. If you trap one, his screams will call his family out, and you can take care of them one by one."
"That's very...inhuman, Hans," she said appalling.
Hans replied coolly,
"You are not human, and you are not an elf either. Forget your morals and focus on survival. It's everyone for him..herself here."
She disappointingly confirmed,
So we need another bait to lure one out, don't we?
"Good, you are learning". commended Hans for her quick thinking.
Delimira, too, possessed the power of Ground elemental mana, enabling her to excavate holes and set traps like Hans. She discovered a ravine, a narrow passageway near, and ingeniously devised not one but many traps with protruding spikes of hard rock inside deep holes. She then covered it with a fragile layer of ice sheet frozen in instant from the water she conjured.
Upon seeing her handiwork, Hans acknowledged her abilities but informed her that they did not need to kill another creature to lure the Ursa out which made her happy for some reason only to regret it later. Hans explained that the male Ursa is extremely protective of their abode, and attacking it would surely cause it to erupt in a fit of fury, thus exposing itself to them.
Having spent the majority of the day recuperating and descending the terrain, nightfall was imminent, and the temperature would plummet once the sun vanished beyond the horizon. Hans grew more anxious since Delimira required time to tackle the beasts individually but despite his concerns, he hoped that their plan would proceed without a hitch. He scratched his head as he recalled the advice of his grandfather, which shredded his hope.
"You must be prepared to improvise, as things rarely go as planned in such places." he shared the word of wisdom with her and as she understood, she nodded and advanced towards the concealed entrance of the hole. Upon arrival, she detected the presence of three Ursa but breathed a sigh of relief at not finding any young ones. Regardless of the situation, she couldn't bring herself to harm a defenceless cub, even for survival.
She took a deep breath and the cold wind entered her body, jolting her once again, and reminding her where she was. With a barrage of AquaBullets, she started, targeting the Ursa that brought food for the family. But Ursa sensed the incoming attack as she wanted and defended itself, turning, he charged at her with an alarming speed.
Panicking at the sight of the charging beast, Delimira swiftly pivoted towards the ravine, running as fast as she could and the Ursa chased her relentlessly, nearly catching up, and almost clawing once but she skillfully evaded it and leapt over the trap.
Drunk in rage, Ursa fell victim to the trap, as his weight shattered the thin ice sheet covering the hole, causing the beast to plummet onto the razor-sharp stone spikes that impaled him without resistance. The creature bellowed in agony, and though Hans and Delimira were waiting for it, hiding in the shadows, the Ursa continued to cry out until its final breath, succumbing to its injuries. But No other Ursa emerged from the cave as they wanted, and their plan went along with the sun, which vanished from the frigid sky.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : THE URSA MAJOR
