Our New Reality
Morten just stood there shocked. Why would he not? Two lesser beings just escaped him, and what made it worse was that those two bested him, a powerful mage in combat. His stunned silence turned into a violent rage. “FUCKING DAMMIT!” he shouted blasting a side wall with a thunderously explosive fireball that left him panting on all fours with blood still pouring out of his face. This was not like him at all. Usually, he was calm and calculating. Perhaps thousands of years of life have dulled that part of him. “I will find them, and make them pay.” Morten said panting and pounding a fist onto the floor once more. What he saw next not only flared his anger to new heights, but gave him cause for panic. “NOOO!” He screamed. The relic was gone. It was his connection to the source. Without it, he would not be able to regenerate his mana. Morten was not completely without mana. Floating in the center of the altars where the relic once floated was a dark purple gem the size of his fist. It radiated a power that rivaled that of the relic. This was the way of soul magic. The difference between his creation and the relic was that the relic refined dark matter into mana which once used turned back into dark matter thus giving him unlimited mana. His creation on the other hand was known as a soul well, which took the victims souls and trapped them in a gem made from their collective bodies. Souls were a powerful source of mana. When using souls to fuel spells, The caster uses the residual soul energy produced by the souls, and once it's used up, then the soul passes on to the next life. Regardless how great the mana was in his soul well, it was finite. He stood up and shakily walked over to it with a smile slowly spreading across Morten's face. He may have lost the relic to those pests, but he was not powerless, and with his creation could regain his spent mana. All this meant, was that his plans were slightly delayed. He would just have to make 100 more soul wells, and he knew were to get the souls, and they left him a way to get there. “I'll reclaim all that is mine, and I will make sure you know your place.” Morten said transfixed by his creation, and the doors it would help him open. If someone had seen him at that moment with blood congealing on his face, they would have sworn they saw a demon.
Ross woke up in a very comfortable patch of grass. he yawned looking around at the strange and large flora from the odd-looking ferns to the gargantuan trees in confusion. There were even strange blue and green humanlike creatures with pixie wings a quarter his size. Wait! PIXIES!? Ross thought. Ross started to panic and began to take a mental inventory starting with what he remembered last. The last thing he remembered was being in a blood rage and feeling powerful. Blood rage: At the cost of your lifeblood, you gain bonuses to strength, speed and dexterity with physical damage resistance where X equals 20+your skill level. Ross remembered his vision turning red and somehow breaking free from his restraints after biting into his tongue. He charged the wizard and began beating and choking the life out of the man that had taken the life of his friends and tried robbing his only family of theirs. That's when he was being dragged away and hurting, and itchy all over. Ross felt a slight itch behind his ear and went to scratch it only to find himself falling awkwardly onto his face. He tried to stand up like normal, but found himself on his back. Ross let out a scream in frustration. Well, tried to. It was more like a cross between a yowl and a guttural growl. A greenish blue pixie landed near him on a flower, and began to laugh “HAHAHA. That's not going to work.” Ross looked up at the pixie and wanted to ask why not, but all that came out were meows and various cat noises. The pixie laughed again. “Because you are a cat.” the pixie replied now seated on the flowers edge. That made no sense, but perhaps it did. He got up and looked down at his hand only to see that his hands were not hands at all, but in fact grey paws belonging to a feline variety. That wasn't all. Ross stretched out his fingers now toes to reveal a set of glowing blue claws that extended out beyond his paws. He repeated the action several times. Despite knowing nothing of how cats moved, he tried again and again with trial and error. All species of feline on earth went extincted 300 years ago to a virulent disease. That's all he got out of his animal studies classes. “Should have paid more attention.” he chastised himself.
The Pixie who was watching Ross try to learn how to walk was doubled over in fits of laughter. This caught the attention of some of the other pixies who had come over to see what was so funny. His display also caused them to laugh as well. Finally, figuring it out, he walked away feeling imbarest. He began to feel thirsty and on instinct began smelling the air. Ross's senses were flooded with a myriad of smells. One of those smells was Danny. He didn't know how he had known this, but being a cat, this must have been an instinctual thing. How could he have forgotten about Danny. With that in mind Ross awkwardly rushed over to where the scent had come from and found another cat lying on the water’s edge. “The bastard got him to.” Ross growled unhappily at what happened, but happy that Danny was alive. Ross drank from the pond seeing a reflection of himself that only confirmed what the Pixie had told him, and something that he had come to know as notifications were blinking angrily at him. No matter how many times he opened them, he couldn't get used to them.
Congratulations! Perception Skill increase from level 2 to level 3. Intelligence +2. You have gained +400 EXP. Perception is 5+skill level. Your ability to see and detect that which is hidden along with what is happening around you. Skills Level determines effectiveness.
Congratulation! You have achieved a new race, Divine Beast. You have been touched by the lady of the forest making you a beast without a core. You are favored.
Congratulations! You have performed an unusual action. By transforming into a beast, you gained the ability Steal Claw Strength +2, Dexterity +1, +300 EXP. Steal Claws: Your claws glow with the metal element and when unleashed, you send blades of metal to slice through your enemies. Damage is 10+X where X equals skill level.
Congratulations! Level up! You have reached level 3. Your attributes have increased.
Ross lay down next to Danny and opened his player sheet. It was funny really. This was reality, and yet they had a player sheet.
Name: Ross Reynolds Race: Divine Beast/Human Level: 3
Mana: 10/10 Regen from Stamina
Stamina: 100/100 Re gen +1.5
Skills--
Abilities--
Spells--
Ross closed his stat sheet and felt something eating at his identity. He thought this might happen. He had no degree in magic, but if there was one, he just got a crash course. He was turned into a cat after all. So, it would make sense that his sense of self would be in conflict with his new nature. He closed his eyes. This alarming thought kept him awake as he felt his grip slipping.
A black cat with white stripes woke up yawning not noticing the other cat, then began stretching its front and then it’s back legs. It was the oddest dream full of weird metal things. There were humans as well, and he was one of them. He even had a human friend with a funny name. This caused the cat to snort at the funny name. “But wait! Didn't I have one as well?” the cat thought. The cat thought hard on what that name was. After minutes of thinking, the only name that the cat could remember was Danny, and yet somehow the name felt right. “My name is Danny” the cat purred as it leaned over the ponds edge to sate his thirst. The aroma of water was overpowering. He couldn't remember his sense of smell being this strong, but whatever. He had water. It flowed down his throat with each gulp filled with a sweet taste unlike anything tasted before. His thirst now sated, Danny felt like something was missing, or more like someone? Being alone felt natural, however there was a feeling that this other creature was somehow important. Danny looked around not sure if he would find this other creature only to be met with a pair of glowing blue eyes belonging to a gray cat with white stripes. The other cat reached out with a playful swipe that sent Danny in a backward spring into the water. The other cat snorted in laughter as Danny floundered in the water doing all that was in his power to get away from the wet stuff.
Pixies could be seen fluttering and flitting about the area taking the time to laugh at the miserable cat making its way onto land. If a cat could look unhappy, Danny was pulling it off. He growled in frustration at the other cat's antics, and was about to swipe at it when a feeling of familiarity followed by a bond so strong even the most stuborn of creatures couldn't ignore it came over him. Danny lowered his paw and retracted his claws. They stared at one another. The other cat plopped down on the ground and began to purr while Danny sat on his haunches and tried to remember why it was that this creature was so familiar. A name came to the front of his mind. The name was the same funny name from his dream. It was Ross. He felt that this cat that he knew as Ross was like family similar to that of siblings. It felt right. A strange noise could be heard coming from Ross's stomach, and then the same noise echo from his own. They were hungry. Ross got up and trotted off away from the pond, stopped, and looked back with a meow. Danny not wanting to be left behind followed. The forest was teeming with plant life so thick it took all of their sense to navigate it. The one thing they did however was keep the scent of the pond fresh in their minds as well as the direction it was in. Their instincts told them that losing that could lead to death. It had also felt safe and oddly calming. Ross, the cat that was in front of Danny abruptly stopped and lowered itself. Danny saw and did the same. He looked where Ross was looking and saw movement. The smell was rancid, but mixed in was a smell that if not for the other would have made him salivate. The source of the movement and the foul odor soon made itself known. A humanoid creature as tall as Danny's leg holding a spear stopped silently, looked in their direction and with precision, moved past them with little fear. It did move as though it was running from something. Was that something the tasty they were after? His question was answered when the tasty smell could be heard coming their way. Ross snuck off in a direction taking cover in some thick foliage. Danny did the same. Whatever it was, they were going to eat well, however as it got closer, Danny started to feel uneasy. This creature gave a sense of danger. Danny began to feel fear. Had it not been for the pains of hunger driving them, both Ross and Danny would have moved on, however they needed to eat and this creature smelled delicious.
Ross got into a crouch, and Danny did as well to maximize their stealth. This was going to be an ambush. The creature was louder now, and the smell was even more potent driving Danny's need to eat and survive like alcohol gave courage. A shadowy outline could be seen moving toward them. Their claws dug into the dirt for traction when that fatal moment came. Now the creature could be seen. It was two and a half times their size. With 6 legs and was a cross between a wolf and a
scorpion with the back half resembling a scorpion and the front half being that of a wolf. The front and back legs were that of a wolf but the middle legs where multi jointed with armored deadly claws at the end that could grab and crush. Danny could see where patches of fur in the back end gave way to armor plating. The creature was in striking range of their impromptu ambush. They launched themselves from their hiding places with claws extended and glowing with an unnatural light. The creature saw them coming, and swung a clawed arm out to grab them, but because of its surprise, it missed and instead knocked Ross away with a jab of its claw. With the Claw missing Danny, he continued in his trajectory and latched onto what he thought was the neck. The creature had swiveled its head toward them when it had attempted to grab Ross. This caused Danny to land on its face. He dug his claws into its face digging and scratching with his back feet. He knew that if he let go, that they would die. The creature lashed out wildly with his tail and shaking its head side to side, howling in pain. Ross got up after being knocked away by a claw. Jumping to its feet he saw Danny rending and raking its face. Claws meeting flesh ripping and tearing at its eyes and snout which now resembled mashed hamburger with bone in it. This was life or death for them. One slip and they were dead. On the other hand, if they didn't eat than they still dead. It was the circle of life. Ross jumped back into the fray with claws extended, and was met with a grasping claw. A pair of eye stalks popped out of the creature’s backside and glared at its caught assailant. It tried to crush Ross, but Ross was too small, so it instead began to lift him towards its stinger. Danny seeing the other cat struggling unlatched from the creatures ruined face and jumped its claw arm. Glowing metal claws dug into the creatures plated arm with considerable effort. He had to stop it. He felt that the sting was fatal, but what could he do? Instinct hit Danny like a ton of bricks, his claws. Sure, he could rend and rake with them, but instinctually he knew he could do more. He felt an energy flowing into them, so Danny focused it all into his caws. He lifted his paw and went for a swipe with brilliantly glowing claws arching through the air creating blades of a metallic color almost as if they were drawn onto the air by the claws themselves raced to meet the armored and clawed arm cleaving through it and preventing Ross's imminent demise, but Danny had over expended himself, and placed all he had into one move. He lost consciousness and passed out due to fatigue caused by the sudden loss of all his mana. The creature turned and shrieking in pain and rage as it spewed a red viscous liquid onto the ground. Ross saw what Danny did and attempted the same. It did not work, but he knew that was because he didn't have the mana for it. So, Ross went into a blood rage. The creature made to grip the unconscious Danny with its remaining claw. The creature was now distracted. It had just lost its arm to Danny which placed Danny in the sights of this dangerous creature as the most dangerous threat to its existence. As it lifted Danny up, Ross leapt and latched onto its neck like he had intended to the first time. The creature turning its attention towards Danny proved to be a fatal mistake. With the added boost in stats and resistance temporarily gifted by his blood rage came a new threat in the form of Ross. He clamped down digging his claws and teeth into the other creature’s neck. Hot blood and meat filled his mouth. He took bite after bite eating a hole into the creature’s neck. Each bite bringing the creature one step closer to its demise. The creatures tail whipped wildly forward trying to sting the cat that was killing it to no avail. Danny awoke slightly recovered from his mana fatigue remembering what had happened, and looked to see Ross burrowing into the neck of a bucking and wildly shaking creature. Danny took advantage of the fact that the creature was distracted. He went into stealth stealthily moving around to the other side and launched himself at the creature’s neck opposite of Ross mimicking his actions of digging and chewing into its neck. Danny was still fatigued which made the maneuver difficult to pull off. The creature struggled against the pair, but with their combined efforts they had both severed an artery killing their prey. The creature fell onto the ground after bleeding out. Both Ross and Danny were exhausted. That did not however stop the two from gorging themselves stupid. The meal was satisfying, and what was even more satisfying were the notifications that followed.
Stolen story; please report.
Congratulations! You have gained 2500EXP. 3100/3500EXP until next level.
Congratulations! Steal claws is at level 1 Novice STR +1 CON +2.
Instinct demanded that they eat. They didn't have the mental faculties too puzzle it out, but for some reason they were driven to continue. It was like the meat was half of the equation, and that there was something more. Something else that they needed that this beast could give them, and that if they consumed it, would give them more power. Danny and Ross, after eating their fill tore through the creature until they both met in the middle of the corpse biting down on a hard crystalline stone at the same time. It was a clear oval stone the size of Danny's tongue. Both of them wished to consume this stone and both greedily bit hard breaking it in half. The stone dissolved in their mouths into a combination of pure power and life experiences. Power and memories flooded their bodies. Danny could feel his muscles become stronger, his mind becomes a bit sharper, and his body overall become better.
You have consumed half of a lesser creature spirit stone, all stats +2.
To a creature of this world spirit stones meant power. The stronger you were the more likely you were to survive, and survival meant everything.
Name: Danny Anderson Race: Divine Beast Level: 2
Mana: 100/100 Regen from Stamina
Stamina: 70/70 Re gen +1.5
Skills--
Abilities--
Spells--
Danny and Ross plopped down next to each other's by the beast and started cleaning their paws. Each of them licking clean the delicious blood and gore. Carnivorous creatures began to appear next to the dead creature some just appearing out of thin air to the more mundane all looking to get their share. The cat known to Danny as Ross slinking lazily over to a tree plopped down and watched as all different manner of creature feasted on the corps, and in some cases fought for a piece of meat. As less and less of the body remained more fights broke out over dominance of the precious food. In the end it was a 6 tailed fox that walked away the victor after zapping the other combatants with arcs of lightning. The two cats looked at one another in surprise as if to ask a silent question “Should we go?” Danny thought he saw something calculating behind those eyes. Wait! Calculating? But Danny had reached the end of what his mind was capable of in the regards to higher thinking, and when Ross got up and meowed a soft meow, he trudged off silently into the underbrush. Danny was not far behind.
The way back was uneventful. Well, mostly uneventful. They had stumbled across a cave that had seemed empty but was home to a large snake with multiple heads. This was acompanied by a feeling of panic followed by a sense of getting the hell out of there. One hour later they found a set of strange prints in the ground near the pond of pixies they woke up at that gave off a pungent smell. The word that came to mind was human. Then he thought back to when he first woke up and met Ross. Somehow human and Ross seemed synonymous. Were they human? Ross began to growl snapping Danny out of his nonsensical thoughts. The two of them were at the tree line that surrounded the Pixie pound that was not only the home of the Pixies, but their home as well. This was where they had felt the safest in their brief existence here in this unfamiliar place. It was their home.
Faint voices could be heard. Danny realized that these voices were unfamiliar, and none of them belonging to the pixies. He felt his fur stand on end as instincts took over. His tail began to swing in agitation followed with a deep low growl. Come to think of it?! There it was again, and just like before his higher cognitive functions had reached their limits bringing him back to the task at hand. Both of the cats started circling their home in unasyn trying to catch a glimps of the invaders who dared invade their territory. Half way around the pond little voices could be heard screaming in defiance with a voice that started as commanding become furious saying “Don't let it get away. YOU FOOL!” They caught a glimpse of a scruffy looking human man several paces from a human women carrying a cage. The scruffy looking man had a pixie gripped firmly in his grasp when the pixie bit his hand, and began to fly away. The pixie wasn't defenseless. The Pixie turned and threw a ball of glitter like dust at the man and a second at the women. The first caught the man by surprise hitting him in the face and dispersing into a cloud that enveloped his head. The man fell to the ground. The woman covered her nose and mouth with a mask managing to avoid the attack and admonished the man's failure as stupidity. She pulled out an oversized pistol with one hand, dropped the cage with the other to support it, and fired at the pixie. A metal net nine hands in diameter flew out, snagging the pixie, and wrapping tightly around the tree trapping it high up in the tree line. The women cursed, and yelled out to the many humans loading the cart. She pointed into the tree, then slapped the one who approached her and began pointing at the oversized pistol. She pointed back at the tree, and the human gave her an apologetic look, and explained his inability to climb the tree. They both went back to the wagon. The man cursing for failing and being reprimanded, and the women for not getting the pixie. A minute later a couple of men were sent to collect the unconscious man on the ground, then with a coordinated effort climbed the tree and retrieved the pixie.
Dan and Ross watched all this from the edge of the tree line. The humans looked like they were about to leave when the woman looked directly at them with a grin of greed spreading across her face. At that moment Danny realized that he and Ross were growling with arched backs. It was a loud growl, and because of that they had been noticed. Ross must have realized this because while he was hissing and sputtering, he was also preparing himself for the fight. Danny did as well. The workers who were loading the wagon began looking for the source of the noise locking eyes with the two cats, looking at them like a thief robbing a poppers house and finding the world’s most valuable diamond. The women who was the leader hushed them not making any fast movements, but grabbed a second oversized pistol, and said in a low voice “were going home rich boys.” The other men didn't say a word afraid that they might scare their quarry away, and in sighting their leader’s wrath.
Their leader fired the pistol. A metal net left the barrel flying right at them. Both cats leapt out of the way. The leader cursed and pulled out a third. Danny channeled energy into his claws that began to glow and swiped the air. Like before, his claws sent a glowing metal scythe like slash of energy for each claw, flying at the woman. He must have hit someone or a bunch of somethings, because Danny heard her scream “NOOO!” as one, no four thuds and a wet squelching noise could be heard as one of the workers heads was cleaved clean off and smashed cages caused the other cages to unbalance and spill off the cart. Danny had missed the leader, but the chaos that in sued allowed them a chance to escape. Seven Pixies rushed out the busted cage, casting what little magics they had left putting humans to sleep and changing one into a toad. This caused the leader to miss her shot which missed Danny by a hair. She cursed a loud “OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!” The leader of the human group pulled out an object that felt dangerous. They bolted off into the forest. Danny could not help but feel that this was not over. Ross let off a loud growl changing his directions. Danny followed Ross who lead them to a cave. This cave was like the one they had found earlier, but unlike that cave this one was empty. They both took shelter for the night hiding from the invaders that took their home from them.
Rayna had only heard of these rare and exotic creatures, and was lucky to see two. Most beings go their whole lives and never see one. She knew that if she caught one, her days poaching for the Zoo would be over. Kings paid enough gold for these creatures to buy kingdoms with enough gold left over to live comfortable for the rest of your life. What she saw were divine beasts. The man who died meant nothing to her of course. He was just a tool to Rayna. Come to think of it none of these men really knew one another. The only reason his death upset her was because that beast had the audacity to break said tool and tools cost money. This mused a thought as well as a memory of her dad's teachings. Rayna's thought was how she would catch this legendary beast, but was reminded of something her dad had taught her. He taught her that tools break even in the best of circumstances, and that if they do break, they are easily replaced, and even broken tools can still serve a purpose. This comforted Rayna a little. She knew these pixies would only fetch 100 gold. That was a fair amount in its own right, but she wanted the big prize. She could tell the others did as well so Rayna would use them to get it. She knew the zoo would never give her what a divine beast was worth, but if she caught one, she would still be very wealthy even if she paid the others per contracted agreement. She looked at the body of the dead worker and then at smashed cages trying to figure out how to make good use of her losses, but nothing really came to mind. Rayna thought back to the things she read and heard about these legendary creatures. Despite Rayna's high knowledge, very little had come to mind except one thing, and that was of a story about king Airista and his rise to power. King Airista was a stable boy who had got lost in the mountains. It was getting dark out with the air becoming cold. Airista found a cave and took shelter in it only to find that the owner of the cave belonged to a returning wolf scorpion. He was not prepared for that fight. The wolf scorpion was about to kill him when a divine beast leapt from the darkness killing the monstrosity saving the stable boy. He returned home with the guidance of the beast who from that point on stayed with the boy. The noble of the region heard about the boy and his rare pet and plotted to take the beast from him and invited him to the noble's estate. At the time the land was without a king, and if the noble could get his hands on such a rare prize, then he could buy his candidacy. The boy arrived at the noble's home by request. Rayna was hazy on the next part but it somehow led to Airista being king. Then it hit Rayna. The cave! If these creatures were in fact devine beasts, then they would seek out a cave. She motioned for her crew to gather round and issued instructions.
The two bolted through the underbrush like hell hounds running from Christ himself. Those humans that had invaded their home and attacked them had not given chase, but instinct drove them deeper and deeper into the forest. They stopped once by a stream to quench their thirst and check for any pursuers constantly sniffing the air, listening to sounds both near and far and gazing intently at their surroundings only to find peace and security in the form of a small burrow like cave big enough for the 2 homeless once human catlike beasts. The only flaw with this plan was there was already something living there. It was an adolescent beast but it felt dangerous. Ross meowed nervously looking across the stream, but Danny arched his back letting a warning growl swiping the air. The beast in the burrow like cave snapped back with a small bolt of controlled lightning frying the ground in front of them. Danny looked at Ross for backup but Ross just meowed nervously not wanting to engage. After a minuet of the two cats silently protesting moved on. If someone who spoke the beast’s tongue was listening, they would have heard this. Danny spotting the thunder fox” We need shelter.” The thunder fox responding with finality “no.” Ross interjected “Let’s find shelter across the river. I smell humans from earlier.” Danny digging in his heals making a threatening swipe and the thunder fox giving a warning. Dan and Ross agree they should find shelter across the river. The two felines only stopped to kill a wolf scorpion and eat. This one was weaker than the other one they killed earlier in the day. They were meticulous in getting the creatures crystalline stone that was its' beast core. Like the last time the two felines took a half and it dissolved into their mouths filling them with power, and at that moment Danny felt something crack in his mind like a dam about to burst followed by more notifications telling him that he had gotten stronger.
Rayna's orders were issued and people obeyed. That should have been enough to quell the rage within, but it was not. How could it? She wasted 2 capture nets; three cages were destroyed with some of her people in comas due in part to the now captured and two dead pixies. She didn't like breaking tools if she did not have to. So, she ordered them to bring the pixies back to the Zoo. “I had better report in” Rayna thought. She found her tent, giving the men nearby a fake smile to put them at ease and told them she needed privacy. No doubt they were thinking she was doing something lewd. Given the way one of them so brazenly smirked at the other guy. She'd have to do something about that later. She waited until the voices outside died down, indicating that there was absolute privacy. She pulled out a stained and patch riddled bag and pulled out a comms crystal feeding it some of her mana. She paused before activating it. Was it really a good idea to report what she found? Rayna was supposed to notify the Zoo that the pixies had been procured, and being transported back to be smuggled into various cities and sold. How else was she going to get paid? She no longer had the connections she once had so selling some of them on the side was out of the question, but that wasn't the dilemma. Rayna sat on a plush floor mat setting the crystal next to her letting an exhale full of rage and frustration slip past her lips. No, the dilemma was how publicized it would become within the Zoo if her find got reported. She would have to lie about her hunting grounds, and no one lied to the Zoo, and lived long enough to brag about it. On top of that every hunter employed by the Zoo would be contracted semiyearly until the creatures were caught. Then it hit her. “How could I be so stupid.” She said with renewed frustration. Those men she sent with the goods are going to talk. Rayna grimaced at that thought. The common folk might not believe them let alone finance an expedition, but it would get back to the Zoo, and they would. This meant She had a finite amount of time to act on. She picked up the crystal and activated it. A raspy voice spoke through the crystal “Pixie dust?” This was a challenge often given to a hunter, and was always related to the hunt. The crystals had an identifier, but crystals could be stolen and used by others. Rayna replied with the answer “Only kind of in a moonlit candle.” The Raspy voice went silent then spoke after a moment. “What of the hunt?” the voice inquired. “Dusted jars with fewer lids” she replied. Rayna's response was code for success with casualties. It's on its way. The raspy voice didn't seem at all phased “Good! Expect payment in the usual spot.” Rayna's comm crystal went dead. She heard a chirping at the tents window and opened the flap. A miniature dragon with blue and green swirling scales flew into the tent with a venomous beetle snake in its clutches. She'd milked it for its venom, and let Rue eat it. Rayna could think of a hundred different uses for the stuff. Then it hit her. She could use the paralyzing properties of the venom to render her quarry helpless. She scratched Rue under the chin affectionately, but more over thankfully, as she tossed her pet dragon a dead pixie. “Waist not want not.” she mused. Rayna's team returned. It had been three days since his team set out. Gerald who lead that team was motioned into the tent and said “We found the divine beasts from earlier” He took her in with lust in his eye. “Report!” Rayna barked snapping the lusty man out of what would have been his last mistake. Gerald scowled at his error and reported “The two creatures have been tracked to a cave 5 miles south from here near the great wrymes territory.” She began searching unfazed for the venom she had just acquired, and handed it to him. “Good work! Take some provisions and go. Time is of the essence. I'M heading back to town to meet up with the men to divide payment. I'll meet you 6 days from now at the abandoned windmill outside Dauntless Village to collect our catch” Gerald took the half-filled vile with confusion on his face. “What is this for?” he asked. Rayna sighed “It's a paralytic. 1 drop of this will give even the fattest of men no control over their bodies.” Understanding dawned on the man's face and nodded. She dismissed him, and he and his men departed. What he didn't know was that his payment would not be what he expected. After all some tools are disposable.
It had been several days since the duo had settled on this specific cave. It felt safe but dangerous. Not many of the larger creatures hung around for long no doubt due in part to the large aura that covered the area. Danny's instincts screamed danger, but Ross would not leave, and because of their bond Danny would not abandon Ross. So that was that, and they settled for the deeper of the two caves. A day and a half later after settling, the duo had returned from hunting to find the stench of more humans. Ross growled which halted Danny. This drove Danny's senses into overdrive. He picked up on the smell which seemed fresh. They both hid nearby for a day only for the intruders' absence to loll them into a sense of safety.
That night Ross was awakened by a familiar scent. It was the intruder. He looked over at Danny, and if a cat could grimace Ross surely was. He had managed to regain his human mind shortly after re-awaking, but Danny had not. He could feel that his friend was close to breaking through the beast within, however this made them vulnerable. Ross growled a guttural growl which woke Danny. He knew this would raise awareness of an enemy. After all, the two shared the same instincts. The next few moments played out like a slow-motion nightmare when a smoke grenade was tossed into their home causing Danny to bolt out of the cave. Ross activated his blood rage thinking “no no no no” as he heard a SNAP, and his friend howl in pain. Ross bolted out of the cave channeling his mana into claws unleashing scythes of red energy shredding a net that was sent his way as well as taking off one of the intruders’ arms. The human grabbed his bleeding stump and fell to the ground in what looked like unimaginable pain. Ross's attention was diverted back to his friend and to his horror, another of the strange men stuck three needles into his friend. Danny went limp, tossed in a caged, and clipped onto a saddled beast some paces down wind. Three other men opened fire on Ross, but he was able to dodge thanks to his blood rage. Each of the three humans began loading needles with a strange scent into pipes which after a glance looked like blow dart guns, but before they could fire a loud roar echoed across his home turned battlefield as a large shadow rose into the sky and lumbered there way. Ross used the confusion to his advantage and ripped out the throats of 2 of the men, but was unable to release his red scythes of death in time to stop the beast and its rider from taking the limp and unconscious Danny away to who knows ware. The beast dodged his attacks with ease and was gone. Ross fell into the black abyss with his final thoughts “I'll save you Danny. So, this is what mana fatigue feels like.”
