Chapter 13
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"DODGE!"
Screaming so the girl tries to redirect her kick. Sadly she was prepared for a hard fight, so her giving it her all made it impossible to completely miss Idans body. Idan himself was petrified for a short second. He did not expect an attack but as a beast that survived among countless predators in different surroundings his instincts kicked in and utilizing his small and agile body, he nimbly dodged her kick while taking a safe distance, intending to clear this up.
"Am I that annoying?" asking so Idan is unsure about what to think. He personally doesn't think she would want to attack him.
Still, under slight shock, the girl hurries to answer
"I'm sorry! I meditated and had my focus elsewhere when I noticed something sneaking up on me. My first response was to fight."
"What do you mean sneaking up I even called you!" Idan was obviously upset. He called for her and when she didn't respond he went and wanted to nudge her only to get attacked.
"...I..." The girl was struggling on how to explain herself. She did not want to tell him everything.
"I...can enhance my senses to the extreme. Including my ears. I tried it and wanted to filter out sounds. Like footsteps and similar sounds. I think my ears simply didn't pick up your call."
Still being slightly skeptical he simply accepted it. It is not like he hadn't seen weirder stuff. He once had the misfortune of witnessing a giant lion flying in the sky while breathing fire on the forest he lived in. This was what forced him to move into the caves. The lion would not want to go into such a place. Hopefully...
"I want an extra portion of whatever we catch today."
Trying to gain some profit from the situation he tries to ease the situation with a joke.
"Sure. No Problem." answers the girl instantly, obviously not picking up the joke.
"You are too stiff..." murmured Idan before remembering what he actually wanted to report.
"Before I forget it. I checked the gorge. You can easily jump down and climb back up so no worries there. I did not find any traces of predators but there were footprints from quadruped animals. Should be harmless. Stage 1 or 2 at most."
"Then let us go. We will need the energy."
Both turn and start walking towards the gorge, the previous incident completely forgotten.
Nearing it the girl jumps down and after one and a half seconds of free fall safely lands on the ground. Looking around she sees that the walls are covered by moss, making this one of the better-illuminated places in the cave.
Looking up towards the edge of the gorge, there is a distance of 8 or 9 meters to the top. A distance she'll be able to climb, considering her strength and the rocky surface of the walls.
"Where did you find the traces?" asking so the girl is attentively watching the river. The water is crystal clear and she can even see the bottom. The water streams through a zigzag-shaped path, closely resembling a lightning bolt.
Idan stares at the river and replies
"Up ahead. If we follow the stream we will get there in a minute and you should be careful. The river is a common meeting place for every beast, as it is the only water source in the cave."
"I'll be careful."
They set into motion and, after a minute of following the stream, arrive at a place where the ground is scarred by the hooves of some quadrupled animals or beasts.
Getting on her knees the girl checks the traces and concludes that the animals who went through her must have been around Stage 2.
"The ground has very deep imprints and very shallow ones. The deep ones are from around 3 Stage 2 beasts. The light ones are from 4 to 5 Stage 1 beasts. I think we should wait up on the cliff for the beasts to come. Once they arrive we'll ambush one of the Stage 2's and the others should be scared of through that."
The girl is quite sure that easily killing a Stage 2 will make it less likely for the other beasts to stay and fight.
Idan on the other site doesn't seem to agree. He looks at the girl and tells her about the behavior of beasts, at least in this cave.
"You should not compare the beasts with animals. They are much smarter and because of that, they won't let you run. If you kill one of them then it makes it clear that you can kill them as well. They would want to kill you to eliminate a future threat. But of course, I cannot guarantee this. I just want you to be careful."
Pondering over what Idan told her the girl seems to hesitate in her decision. At the same time, she thought about how else she might hunt her prey.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a blaring noise blasting into her eardrums.
*Warning!!!*
Unknown entities 20 meters towards the back
*2x Stage 3 and 4x Stage 1 beasts detected*
"We got company. 6 beasts behind us." the girl appears a bit distressed. She did not expect to be surprised like this. Idan readied himself and ran towards the wall, climbing a few meters he pressed his body flat against the wall. Hoping the beasts wouldn't notice him until it is too late for them.
The girl did not have much of a choice. She could run, following the stream but she would not be as fast as those beasts. Furthermore, she did not know what type of beast they were. Showing her back to predators would be a foolish decision.
Frantically looking around she decides to take advantage of the zigzag path to eradicate a few possible angles of attack.
Now her right side and back are safe. The only way to attack her is from the front and left.
Now in position, she closely listens for noises and she can hear the clicking sound of hooves striking on the stone path.
After a few seconds, the body of a deer appears at the corner. Standing 1.6 meters tall the deer is taller than the girl. Its head is crowned by a proud pair of crystalline antlers glistering under the bluish light of the cave. Its hide appears thick and rough. Very unlike the hide of normal deer which seems smooth and soft.
The animal is stunned. It did not expect another being at their spot. Stopping in its tracks the other beasts notice that there is something wrong.
Turning around the corner they to spot the girl occupying their place. Lowering their heads they ready themselves for a fight.
"Stop!"
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"DODGE!"
Screaming so the girl tries to redirect her kick. Sadly she was prepared for a hard fight, so her giving it her all made it impossible to completely miss Idans body. Idan himself was petrified for a short second. He did not expect an attack but as a beast that survived among countless predators in different surroundings his instincts kicked in and utilizing his small and agile body, he nimbly dodged her kick while taking a safe distance, intending to clear this up.
"Am I that annoying?" asking so Idan is unsure about what to think. He personally doesn't think she would want to attack him.
Still, under slight shock, the girl hurries to answer
"I'm sorry! I meditated and had my focus elsewhere when I noticed something sneaking up on me. My first response was to fight."
"What do you mean sneaking up I even called you!" Idan was obviously upset. He called for her and when she didn't respond he went and wanted to nudge her only to get attacked.
"...I..." The girl was struggling on how to explain herself. She did not want to tell him everything.
"I...can enhance my senses to the extreme. Including my ears. I tried it and wanted to filter out sounds. Like footsteps and similar sounds. I think my ears simply didn't pick up your call."
Still being slightly skeptical he simply accepted it. It is not like he hadn't seen weirder stuff. He once had the misfortune of witnessing a giant lion flying in the sky while breathing fire on the forest he lived in. This was what forced him to move into the caves. The lion would not want to go into such a place. Hopefully...
"I want an extra portion of whatever we catch today."
Trying to gain some profit from the situation he tries to ease the situation with a joke.
"Sure. No Problem." answers the girl instantly, obviously not picking up the joke.
"You are too stiff..." murmured Idan before remembering what he actually wanted to report.
"Before I forget it. I checked the gorge. You can easily jump down and climb back up so no worries there. I did not find any traces of predators but there were footprints from quadruped animals. Should be harmless. Stage 1 or 2 at most."
"Then let us go. We will need the energy."
Both turn and start walking towards the gorge, the previous incident completely forgotten.
Nearing it the girl jumps down and after one and a half seconds of free fall safely lands on the ground. Looking around she sees that the walls are covered by moss, making this one of the better-illuminated places in the cave.
Looking up towards the edge of the gorge, there is a distance of 8 or 9 meters to the top. A distance she'll be able to climb, considering her strength and the rocky surface of the walls.
"Where did you find the traces?" asking so the girl is attentively watching the river. The water is crystal clear and she can even see the bottom. The water streams through a zigzag-shaped path, closely resembling a lightning bolt.
Idan stares at the river and replies
"Up ahead. If we follow the stream we will get there in a minute and you should be careful. The river is a common meeting place for every beast, as it is the only water source in the cave."
"I'll be careful."
They set into motion and, after a minute of following the stream, arrive at a place where the ground is scarred by the hooves of some quadrupled animals or beasts.
Getting on her knees the girl checks the traces and concludes that the animals who went through her must have been around Stage 2.
"The ground has very deep imprints and very shallow ones. The deep ones are from around 3 Stage 2 beasts. The light ones are from 4 to 5 Stage 1 beasts. I think we should wait up on the cliff for the beasts to come. Once they arrive we'll ambush one of the Stage 2's and the others should be scared of through that."
The girl is quite sure that easily killing a Stage 2 will make it less likely for the other beasts to stay and fight.
Idan on the other site doesn't seem to agree. He looks at the girl and tells her about the behavior of beasts, at least in this cave.
"You should not compare the beasts with animals. They are much smarter and because of that, they won't let you run. If you kill one of them then it makes it clear that you can kill them as well. They would want to kill you to eliminate a future threat. But of course, I cannot guarantee this. I just want you to be careful."
Pondering over what Idan told her the girl seems to hesitate in her decision. At the same time, she thought about how else she might hunt her prey.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a blaring noise blasting into her eardrums.
*Warning!!!*
Unknown entities 20 meters towards the back
*2x Stage 3 and 4x Stage 1 beasts detected*
"We got company. 6 beasts behind us." the girl appears a bit distressed. She did not expect to be surprised like this. Idan readied himself and ran towards the wall, climbing a few meters he pressed his body flat against the wall. Hoping the beasts wouldn't notice him until it is too late for them.
The girl did not have much of a choice. She could run, following the stream but she would not be as fast as those beasts. Furthermore, she did not know what type of beast they were. Showing her back to predators would be a foolish decision.
Frantically looking around she decides to take advantage of the zigzag path to eradicate a few possible angles of attack.
Now her right side and back are safe. The only way to attack her is from the front and left.
Now in position, she closely listens for noises and she can hear the clicking sound of hooves striking on the stone path.
After a few seconds, the body of a deer appears at the corner. Standing 1.6 meters tall the deer is taller than the girl. Its head is crowned by a proud pair of crystalline antlers glistering under the bluish light of the cave. Its hide appears thick and rough. Very unlike the hide of normal deer which seems smooth and soft.
The animal is stunned. It did not expect another being at their spot. Stopping in its tracks the other beasts notice that there is something wrong.
Turning around the corner they to spot the girl occupying their place. Lowering their heads they ready themselves for a fight.
"Stop!"
"DODGE!"Screaming so the girl tries to redirect her kick. Sadly she was prepared for a hard fight, so her giving it her all made it impossible to completely miss Idans body. Idan himself was petrified for a short second. He did not expect an attack but as a beast that survived among countless predators in different surroundings his instincts kicked in and utilizing his small and agile body, he nimbly dodged her kick while taking a safe distance, intending to clear this up."Am I that annoying?" asking so Idan is unsure about what to think. He personally doesn't think she would want to attack him.Still, under slight shock, the girl hurries to answer"I'm sorry! I meditated and had my focus elsewhere when I noticed something sneaking up on me. My first response was to fight.""What do you mean sneaking up I even called you!" Idan was obviously upset. He called for her and when she didn't respond he went and wanted to nudge her only to get attacked."...I..." The girl was struggling on how to explain herself. She did not want to tell him everything."I...can enhance my senses to the extreme. Including my ears. I tried it and wanted to filter out sounds. Like footsteps and similar sounds. I think my ears simply didn't pick up your call."Still being slightly skeptical he simply accepted it. It is not like he hadn't seen weirder stuff. He once had the misfortune of witnessing a giant lion flying in the sky while breathing fire on the forest he lived in. This was what forced him to move into the caves. The lion would not want to go into such a place. Hopefully..."I want an extra portion of whatever we catch today."Trying to gain some profit from the situation he tries to ease the situation with a joke."Sure. No Problem." answers the girl instantly, obviously not picking up the joke."You are too stiff..." murmured Idan before remembering what he actually wanted to report."Before I forget it. I checked the gorge. You can easily jump down and climb back up so no worries there. I did not find any traces of predators but there were footprints from quadruped animals. Should be harmless. Stage 1 or 2 at most.""Then let us go. We will need the energy."Both turn and start walking towards the gorge, the previous incident completely forgotten.Nearing it the girl jumps down and after one and a half seconds of free fall safely lands on the ground. Looking around she sees that the walls are covered by moss, making this one of the better-illuminated places in the cave.Looking up towards the edge of the gorge, there is a distance of 8 or 9 meters to the top. A distance she'll be able to climb, considering her strength and the rocky surface of the walls."Where did you find the traces?" asking so the girl is attentively watching the river. The water is crystal clear and she can even see the bottom. The water streams through a zigzag-shaped path, closely resembling a lightning bolt.Idan stares at the river and replies"Up ahead. If we follow the stream we will get there in a minute and you should be careful. The river is a common meeting place for every beast, as it is the only water source in the cave.""I'll be careful."They set into motion and, after a minute of following the stream, arrive at a place where the ground is scarred by the hooves of some quadrupled animals or beasts.Getting on her knees the girl checks the traces and concludes that the animals who went through her must have been around Stage 2."The ground has very deep imprints and very shallow ones. The deep ones are from around 3 Stage 2 beasts. The light ones are from 4 to 5 Stage 1 beasts. I think we should wait up on the cliff for the beasts to come. Once they arrive we'll ambush one of the Stage 2's and the others should be scared of through that."The girl is quite sure that easily killing a Stage 2 will make it less likely for the other beasts to stay and fight.Idan on the other site doesn't seem to agree. He looks at the girl and tells her about the behavior of beasts, at least in this cave."You should not compare the beasts with animals. They are much smarter and because of that, they won't let you run. If you kill one of them then it makes it clear that you can kill them as well. They would want to kill you to eliminate a future threat. But of course, I cannot guarantee this. I just want you to be careful."Pondering over what Idan told her the girl seems to hesitate in her decision. At the same time, she thought about how else she might hunt her prey.Her thoughts were interrupted by a blaring noise blasting into her eardrums.*Warning!!!*Unknown entities 20 meters towards the back*2x Stage 3 and 4x Stage 1 beasts detected*"We got company. 6 beasts behind us." the girl appears a bit distressed. She did not expect to be surprised like this. Idan readied himself and ran towards the wall, climbing a few meters he pressed his body flat against the wall. Hoping the beasts wouldn't notice him until it is too late for them.The girl did not have much of a choice. She could run, following the stream but she would not be as fast as those beasts. Furthermore, she did not know what type of beast they were. Showing her back to predators would be a foolish decision.Frantically looking around she decides to take advantage of the zigzag path to eradicate a few possible angles of attack.Now her right side and back are safe. The only way to attack her is from the front and left.Now in position, she closely listens for noises and she can hear the clicking sound of hooves striking on the stone path.After a few seconds, the body of a deer appears at the corner. Standing 1.6 meters tall the deer is taller than the girl. Its head is crowned by a proud pair of crystalline antlers glistering under the bluish light of the cave. Its hide appears thick and rough. Very unlike the hide of normal deer which seems smooth and soft.The animal is stunned. It did not expect another being at their spot. Stopping in its tracks the other beasts notice that there is something wrong.Turning around the corner they to spot the girl occupying their place. Lowering their heads they ready themselves for a fight."Stop!"
