Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The City Town And The hunt Part two
As the people around the city town of arenian were actively roaming the streets of the clear and sunny day, in town the clamorous sounds and voices of the townspeople themselves were as happy as they had always been during the day when the festival fair would come to be.
People from the different kingdoms would often visit and small villages would come over to share their wealth in food wine and more as even the wanderers would come and go whenever.
Multiple market owners were loving it as this was one of the many times they would have a lot of customers to buy their goods and earn a considerable amount of coins such as silver and copper while the lucky few get the gold coins, and whenever shop owners run out of foods they would have either a son daughter or have someone else hired to go and hunt beasts and animals to bring them the substance they need which they were glad that those of the town hunters were happy to do the job for they were the primary ones who did the job for them that is unless money was involved and if it wasn't the shopkeepers would be doing the hunting themselves...
All as that was going on a lone figure can be seen standing up on top of a building. This person did not need the sun blinding her for she can look pretty fine without the bright light. She was covered mostly in a long hooded cloak so she wasn't worried about the sun getting in her way. Her only weapons of source were two fifteen-inch long daggers both strapped in her right thigh and one short sword hanging in her back and a hidden shield gauntlet in her right forearm. These weapons, it wasn't meant for a front-on attack but mainly used as a quick call to defend herself and an assassin for which of course she wasn't for her only task right now was to spy on a certain newcomer.
She was commissioned by her leader to keep a watchful eye on the spartan ever since he had entered the city with a family of four. At first, she didn't know who he was but took the job anyway as not to anger her boss, when once she set out to find the latest location of her suspect she couldn't know who he was for her boss had said that he was a stranger dressed in armor, she gave a thought on it thinking that a lot of people wore armor, especially that of the town's-guardsmen and some of the nobles guards as well as ones from the ally kingdoms.
For a couple of moments, she started doubting herself seeing that it would be pointless for her to find a person wearing a strange armor when everyone single one she sees wore strange-looking armor, however, that changed when she saw one of the most well-known people in the city of arenian, Ms. Randas, daughter of lady Doranda who was one of the best guardswomen in arenian.
Doranda was famous for being a strong guardswoman in the rank all thanks to her hard work and in training other guardswomen and guardsmen in her platoon.
But that wasn't what she had her mind on, cause once the large figure of the spartan was caught sight by her she knew right then and there that this was who her boss had wanted her to keep an eye on.
She was about to head down to get a good look at her suspect until Randas led two of her friends inside along with the spartan who she laughed at when he was seen trying to walk carefully up the wooden stairs. The girl thought that the giant was probably too fat with all that heavy armor he wore.
For the time being, she chose to wait outside up top of the building for the past sixteen minutes until she saw one of the known guardsmen, kyro and his group had just arrived at the tavern with their kill, it was a boar about the size of a white bear, she shuddered at the thought of those northern beasts, they were large beasts, very large. She once saw a small cub of a white bear and boy was she surprised, the newborn cub was as big as an average adult dog, and when it grows into an adult size it would be at the height of ten feet tall on all fours but on two feet it's about twelve foot.
Yet it was no surprise to her that Kyro and his crew had killed this white bear for it was slow yet with its strengths it could've killed at least one person if it gets the chance but to the looks of it they'd probably set a trap for the beast and killed it while it was weakened.
She watches as Kyro and his group entered the tavern and let out a sigh of disparity, she knew that patience can sometimes be the key but having to wait for a few more minutes she was willing to hop down there and watch the spartan from the window till eventually randas along with her two friends and the spartan and that of kyro and his crew exited the tavern.
She watches as the whole group of people and the spartan went with them, as she was about to trek after them when she heard the sound of a boot hitting the ground from behind, and instantly she rolled to her left as a foot hit the nearby fence.
As she slowly gets up the young woman saw that her attacker was a woman as well based on her figure and her hair.
The attacker had about the same outfit as her yet it was colored in a dark red cloak and black leather pants, her face was wrapped in white bandages, which the woman thought that the attacker was using as a way to cover conceal her face.
"Hello, black star," Said the attacker.
The woman or Bela was surprised by the utterances of her attacker. On the inside, she was trying to think why and how her attacker knew of the black star which was the name of the group she is a part of.
"How do you know of that name?" Bela questioned.
"Oh please, you and your guild of black stars witches aren't the only ones with magic abilities that can sense the newcomer," Replied the girl.
Bela was readying herself as she reached for her daggers but noticed that the girl wasn't going to attack her once more as she just put both hands up as a sign of peace.
"Truce," Says the hooded girl.
Bela was reconsidering the girl's words but seeing that her main objective the spartan was getting farther and farther she had no option but to nod her head and retracted her daggers into their sheaths.
"How do you know of the black stars?"
"Because a friend of your boss happens to order me to keep an eye on her daughter, but seeing that she's safe I reckoned she'll be just fine," Responded the girl.
Something in her head lit up like it was a light bulb to which Bela looked at the girl in slight stupefaction. "You mean lady doranda is a friend of my mistress!"
"Yes, and my guess is your mistress has sent you to keep an eye on the stranger?" Asked the girl.
Bela was reluctant to respond to her but did so anyway seeing as she wasn't a threat no more yet she had to ask her something. "If you knew of who I work for then why attack me?"
"Just to see how good you so-called black stars witches are... Are you not one?" Asked the girl.
"The black stars do not only roomed people with magic, for the boss also fetches those worthy of her power and preservation," Says bela.
"As you say so lady, shall we?" The girl says mockingly.
"Fine, as you wish service girl, lead the way," Bela said countering with her own words of tease.
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It has been quite some time since the group of hunters and the spartan had left the city town, and withal they had entered the forest not long ago.
The forest was shrouded by very large trees ones that people would lay eyes on as they are hiking. All around the province, the places where the spartan scouring was pretty much enough to tell him that not many people had been here in these forests that is unless they were wise enough to not touch a poisonous plant. The spartan knew full well no matter the beauty of the plants he's seen that either one of them could be alive and some having enough poison to kill a single adult.
Heck he had seen one resembling that of a fly trap plant, it was the size of a biker helmet but once an insect landed on it five saw what he thought was its whole body was instead just a mouth, roles of teeth about nine of them to which then extended out and caught the insect securing it in its mouth like it was a prison.
On his far right five saw birds of different kinds chirping out in the wilderness. Particularly one feathery bird caught his attention, this one was black, and its eyes looked as if it twinkled with a slight of color brown light. To the spartan, he was certain that this kind of bird was what some would call a raven, it was one of Earth's creatures, from what he learned from Randall, sierra-zero-three-seven a spartan who was of Nordic descent, Randall told him that his ancestors used ravens as employed messengers, now it may have been ineffective in the field of modern times or whether his times the ravens were as valuable to the Vikings as the communication relays were to the people of the unsc.
As the groups were walking a hand belonging to that of the spartan suddenly popped up into a fist as a way for everyone to come to a stop.
Randas walked next to Five's right and asked him. "What is it five?"
"We are being followed," Replied the spartan.
Both Kyro and randas as well as their companies took a look around the area in search of who it is that the spartan spoke of and yet they've seen nothing.
Randas looked up at the spartan in question of his inaccurate proclamation. "There's nothing around us five,"
"I do so agree with the lady, perhaps you ser-five are seeing things," Added kyro.
"Move," Five said to randas as he trudged her aside.
He came to a halt and knelt to pick up a rock, it wasn't large but was in decent size almost the same size as that of a baseball. Those of the hunters along with randas and Kyro watched in eerie as their eyes follows the spartan who walked past Elrand and Escavan.
The spartan stopped on foot and looked out at the forest. He wasn't sure of these people's insight of their surroundings but seeing as how they were being followed without being mindful enough to know of their adherent follower five was considering turning around and taking him or her out, but the respite of the circumstances he chose to refrain from going to his pistol and waited to see if this follower was a hostile or not.
Despite being new to this world five was slowly getting a slight understanding that there are people in this world of fantasy who has this so-called magic, at first he thought that this follower was just taking their chances of staying clear of the hunter's view to keep themselves hidden or that is unless they are using some sort of invisibility power magic to cloak themselves.
At the mention of the word cloak five was very much aware of it, he's had a fair share of experience with people using invisibility. The Sangheili or more commonly known by unsc personals as the Elites. The elites were mainly the ones who uses cloaking tech to turn themselves invisible during the human covenant war, so it wasn't hard for the spartan to locate whoever it is that was using invisibility for the person following them left tracks of their footprints till he or she had stopped moving when they have noticed the spartan looking right at them.
Without warning five threw the piece of rock at the person and everyone behind him was in utter shock when multiple voices of screaming people arose.
Randas and the others watched in pure shock to see a myriad of people suddenly appearing out of thin air, one person who was probably the magic user responsible for the invisibility mysticism held onto her forehead where a red mark caused by the rock that the spartan threw had hit her. To the girl's left and right sides were the company of those who she knew very well.
"Skylar!... What are you and your lackeys doing here, Ya bastards!"
Wincing in discomfort kyro covered both of his ears from the loud voice of randas," By the light, keep your voice down will ya!"
Ignoring his plead randas trudged towards the groups of people as they were trying to wipe the dirt off of their clothes and armor.
A young man around the same age as randas stepped forth with both hands up as he tried to calm Randa down. "Heed yourself lady randas, me and my companions did not come here looking for trouble,"
"Oh really, because the last trouble I've been in with you was when ya asked me to assist you in a little help of breaking into a building to steal a stash of cash only to find out that ya fled when the guards were alerted," Randa said with a hint of incense in her voice.
"Funny that you said that because that is one of the reasons why I came to see you," Responded the girl as she trekked toward Randa.
"Then please do so explain yourself," Says randa as she crossed her arms and began tapping her right index finger.
"Remember that time when you were just entering the second floor,"
"Yes, what of it?" Randa let out as she thought of where this was going.
"Well apparently after you entered it a guard was strolling by while I was practicing my sword skills, why I was doing so I made a mistake and hit a pipe to which it caused the guard attention, I tried to my best to stay as quiet as I can be but it seems like the guard hadn't given up, so he continued to still continue towards the gate entrance so-"
"So what!" Randa said slightly letting out a bit more of her irritation.
"So I did what was the best idea at the moment, or probably what I thought was a good idea, I grabbed a shadow smoke and threw it in a different direction away from the building only for it to hit the ceiling above me, from there on the guard partner came running to his call, and from there I ran," Said Skylar.
"So that's what you did, Ya ran instead of trying to warn me!" Said Randa.
"Look Randa, I thought they were the only ones around at the moment, I didn't know more of them were going to show up," Skylar said trying to rectify her mistake.
Now that her old friend Skylar had explained her end of the story Randa wanted to be mad at her but knowing how her mother raised her to be a better understanding of those she deemed as friends Randa let out a sigh of heavy breathing and turned towards the others.
She supposes that Skylar was telling the truth after all she had been trying to speak with her for a whole week since the incident had happened, without even answering back to her old friend Randa merely strolled back to Kyro and Five who were waiting patiently for her.
Skylar sees this shot up as she catches up with Randa on her right as her three other companions followed behind. "So does that mean you forgive me?"
"I don't know, but after we've dealt with hunting down this beast ill give it a thought," Randa replied.
"Excellent, I take that over you being mad at me,"
"Doesn't mean we'll be buddy buddies again that quick," Randa said.
"So Skylar, what made you think that it was a good idea for you wanting to join us on the hunt? you know other than trying to apologize to Hotrock over here,"
When after Kyro had said that he has gotten an elbow in the ribs.
"Keep it up and you'll be the last one running away from the basilisk," Said Randa.
Skylar's eyes widened at the mention of that name as she glanced at Randa and spoke. "A basilisk! Are you nuts Randa, you know that we've never gotten that much of a price unless you're either a really good hunter, no offense but it's just that not many people have come across those beasts unless they are dead,"
"She seems to be exaggerating a bit much," Says deha.
"I don't blame her, besides, we don't know what kind of creature that is or the size of it especially if it's dangerous," The spartan said responding to his partner's comment.
"Oh what's that koa, it sounded like to me that you are nervous about hunting your first basilisk," Remarked deha.
"I'm not, nor am I disturbed by it for you've already provided me some assorted versions of this basilisk monster," Said five.
"Yeah, that's right thanks to me im always here to provide you with the details about these basilisks,"
Apparently, five wasn't new to what this world's creatures would be looking like for he had been in countless colony worlds back in the unsc space. One world he had resided in for a mission was called Onyx, in that particular planet lives one of its native creatures so large that it was about the size of a small house standing at sixteen feet tall while some who live in the snowy sect of the planet had furs as white as snow and can move fast sufficiently enough to the point where it can catch up to a ground vehicle.
So for this so-called basilisk, five was inclined to see just how it would look like. The pic that deha had shown him corresponded to that of a very large snake making it look like a titanaboa, a prehistoric snake that lived during the time of the dinosaurs.
As the groups were sauntering forth they stopped on foot when the spartan put up a fist in an indication for them to halt as to which they at first wondered what's gotten his attention.
"What is it?" Asked Kyro.
With a finger five pointed at the line of narrowing footprints, as he came closer five could see that the footprint approximately corresponded with that of a three-legged creature.
"I believe that we might be getting closer to our target, we should get moving," Spoke five.
"Are you sure of that five, for all we know is that we might be going after the wrong beast," Randa said unsure of him.
As he stood back up the spartan turned and with his right hand he reached forth and motioned for Randa to take what was on his palm.
"I assume that this basilisk has some sort of scaly skin on it?" Five said to her as she took the single scales from him.
"Yes, the basilisk, or at least the ones that reside in this forest are said to bear in the same green color as its home," Said Randa still eyeing the triangular scale in her hand.
"Then that settles it, if the beast is closer then we can't waste any time," Proclaimed kyro.
Sighing to herself and had no other choice but to agree with Kyro for she too wanted to get this done quickly and head back to watch her mother in the joust fair or moreover her going up against a nobleman who so desperately wanted to regain his honor after the embarrassment that was handed to him.
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Elrand kicked aside a piece of the leaf that came flying her way, if there's one of the many things that she abhors was that it was having to listen to Kyro sing a song of melodies for the past couple of minutes, at first she didn't mind it but shortly after having been roaming the forest for the basilisk his song had spun into a humming of quiet something she appreciated.
Elrand was walking along the way not paying attention to a small root of a tree bent upward, she was keeping her eyes forward while walking till with one more step her foot got caught beneath the root and she yelped in surprise and as she was about to face fall into the dirt an armored hand caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back up.
"Are you alright?" Asked the Spartan.
"Yes, thanks to you stranger!" Elrand said replying to him as she steadied herself
"We should get going then," Said five as he handed the woman her satchel of coins that had fallen off of her.
"Yes we should," elrand said as she followed after him.
Minutes or more had passed since elrand along with her crew had been trekking this god-forsaken forest for the past couple of minutes, heck give it fifty or more, specifically, had she been with this many people since she was used to being partnered up with Kyro and two of her other companions Gallard and olarn. Those two weren't quite the best when it comes to forbearance but for today she at least thanked them for their patience in joining her in bearing with Kyro's humming of music.
Elrand's ears picked up the sounds of rustling. As she halted in her steps she went toward the direction where it came from until the spartan puts a hand in front of her as an indication to stop.
Attempting to move his arm away elrand couldn't do it and was going to go around it till the spartan trekked towards the bushes as everyone readied themselves.
Five moved forth and stopped just inches away from the bushes, he knelt on one knee and moves the bushes off In one go, and just as he was about to continue to elrand came from behind him and let out a slight gasp at what she was seeing.
"I'm guessing you are familiar with this creature?" Uttered the spartan curious about what kind of animal it was.
"Yes, this here is an owlbear!" Responded elrand.
"An owlbear, the little thing looks like a cross between a bear and an owl, I wonder how it's pare-"
"Let's not go there," Five knew where his partner was heading with her assertion on the matter of this owlbear thing and didn't want to know how it was made.
"An owlbear cub!" Says kyro as he came next to elrand.
"It's weird," Uttered Gallard.
Olarn's brow raised at that comment. "What's weird about it?"
"Either of the owl bear parents wouldn't let their cubs wander off on their own," Responded kyro.
As the group was chatting with one another deha and Five picked up on something else on his motion sensor. The spartan turned to look in a different direction scrutinizing at a red dot, at first the red dot had slowed down but once it halted in a moment it immediately began moving at a quick paste towards his and the hunter's location.
Elrand noticing what the Spartan was doing walked up to him and spoke wondering what was going on in his head, with the way he was acting she deduced that he might've caught something she and the others hasn't.
"Five, what's got you all caught up?" Says elrand as she crossed her arms.
"Something heading our way! I suggest that we prepare for a fight!" Spoke the spartan in alarm.
Everyone was wondering what it is that caused the spartan to turn into a defensive mode when he had reached back and grabbed for one of his many strange muskets, they too draw out their weapons while watching as the giant switched off the safety of his MA40 ASSAULT RIFLE and aimed to point it at front.
Inside his helmet hud, five contrasted that the dot was suddenly changing its course as it went zigzagging from side to side, with this the spartan couldn't make out what it was doing. From the dirt ground, he was standing on five could feel that it stopped shaking, that is until he finally figured it out, the creature or whatever it is was using the trees jumping from one to another, how did he know of this well it was due to the birds fleeing away from where they once were, then the sudden roar of a creature caused almost everyone to take a subtle step back out of the instinct of worry.
"What is that?" Five asked as he took a few steps forth ahead of everyone.
"That's an owlbear and a very big one at that!" Randa said answering him.
Glancing her way for a moment five then asked her. "Any idea that maybe it is the parent of that thing," Five said referring to the owlbear cub.
Randa let out a slight sigh conforming to the spartan mention of the little cub that Xalla was holding in her hand. "Maybe you are right about that five. Xalla, hand me the cub,"
The girl nodded her head and walked towards her friend as she handed over the owlbear cub.
Thanking her friend Randa carefully held the fluffy owlbear in her arms, she toiled for a little bit due to the weight of the cub seeing as she assumed that it weighed roughly around an average child of ninety pounds.
"Elrand move!" Said five in alarm as he surged forth and shoved the woman aside.
Elrand was about to upbraid the spartan into keeping his hand to himself but stopped for a moment when the spot she stood in just a moment ago had a large log the size of a basketball pole impaled right into the ground.
"What! Thanks five," Spoke elrand grateful for his quick act in saving her.
The large owlbear stood there right in the front of the spartan, just about fifteen yards away from him five was a bit overawed by the owlbear's size, from what he had read up on earth animals during his cadet year this creature dwarfs the grizzly bear with it's size, just with how big it is on all fours it beats the spartan in height at around eight feet tall, five could assess that if the owlbear stood up on it's two back legs it would've certainly passed even kurt-051 and Samuel-034 in height seeing as he stands at eight-foot-four and kurt who was standing eight-foot-two in armor.
"I got to say, that creature, what is it?... Oh right! An owlbear! It sure is kind of beautiful to look at," Commented deha.
"I don't think I would call it that," Responded five noticing that the creature wasn't actually in a good mood nor was it shown to be in such a beautifully good mood.
The owlbear was scouring right passed each of the hunters till its eyes landed on Xalla. Then as it stood on its two hind legs the beast let out a lowly screeching roar so loud that caused mainly every one of the groups to back off slightly except for that of five Randa who stood their ground and the addition of both Kyro and elrand who appears to be squinting as they were readying themselves for a fight with the owlbear.
Meanwhile, the spartan still kept the head of his MA40-AR on the owlbear as he diverts it right to its forehead, he slowly brings his index finger to the trigger getting ready to put as many bullets as he can on the beast though he'd refrained from doing so when xalla trekked passed him as she then slowly lowers herself down with the cub in her hands.
Deha catching sight of this act of bravery from the girl couldn't help but be impressed by her show of grit for she wasn't acting out of foray but was immediate in quelling anyone from making a first mistake in attacking the large owlbear who seems to have at least start to calm down when the cub trudged towards it.
As for the spartan, he'd moved his finger away from the trigger although while keeping a sharp lock for the owlbear's head, but for what he was seeing right now he too had to acknowledge Xalla's valor for she had let herself walked backward slowly and carefully without causing the big furball to attack either her or them.
As xalla came near them she walked by the spartan who stepped aside and let her passed by. Xalla heard her friend randa talking to her in a attentive way and breathe a sigh of relief as she thanked the light for helping in keeping her wits together.
"Xalla! What were you thinking girl," Randa said speaking to her friend quietly as to not have the owlbear mother to face them.
"Just saving our asses, oh and you're welcome," Replied xalla who seems to be breathing harder then before.
"You could've had gotten killed," Responded randa she had wanted to be mad at her friend but couldn't bring herself to be doing that to her.
"I've saved us some time from being mincemeat, you can berate me all you want later when we're far away from this owlbear mother and her cub!" Replied Xalla in a quietude voice.
"Alright, everyone, let's slowly step out and away from here," Randa said.
Rather then listening to her Gallard who was part of kyro's crew halted in his steps and spoke to her. "What, but it's only one owlbear and its cub, we outnumber it ten to one, we can kill it,"
"Yeah bud, but instead you forgot one thing, an owlbear isn't our target, and you know the rules, we kill those that we hunt for, not this," Olarn said speaking to his friend.
"Hate to say break it to you olarn, but we also care for our lives, and im not willing to just let the owlbear attack us," Uttered Elrand who had her right hand to a black round glass as on the inside of it was a could of blacken grey smoke swirling in all over the glass when the woman had moved it by slowly bringing it off of her pocket holder.
Catching sight of what she had on her hand randa asked learns if that was exactly what she think that elrand had on her hand. "Is that what I think it is?"
Escavan witnessing something else with the others spoke up. "Umm, guys I don't think that would be a problem!"
"And why's that?" Replied elrand.
"That's why," Said xalla who pointed at something glowing underneath them.
"Deha, any idea what this is?" Five said to his partner as he was staring down at a circle that had materialized around him and everyone else.
Before this strange phenomenon had transpired five picked up on something else or in other words an unearthly feeling. From the dirt ground he could sense that weird feeling once again and further from that it unexpectedly caught him off guard slightly more then he thought. A green circle had materialized surrounding he and the others in a moment without them noticing it.
While he tried to warned the others the others spoke out to him in alarm. Catching up on what they were calling randa's name out for the spartan turned his head to look up and he saw that the owlbear mother rushes at randa with incredible speed.
Randa was too in shock of what she was looking at right now for she couldn't have the time to react in time to move out of the way when she had at least made an effort to bring her sword up to strike the in coming owlbear but all it had done was knocked her sword off of her hand easily.
"Randaaa!" Yelled out both xalla and kyro who ran towards her.
Slowly she closes her eyes preparing for her impending end to come and greet her for one last time. Randa waited for the sharp claws of the owlbear mother to strike her down, thinking it was over randa hadn't felt anything for the next few moments, as she slowly opens her right eye in a peek she was surprised to see the large figure of the spartan.
Five held one of the owlbear's arm by it forearm, he couldn't wrap his hands around it all the way for it was far to large and so he digged his fingers in a little tighter only to receive a roar from the owlbear, the beast with it's right paw went to strike the spartan but he with his other arm caught it as well.
"Koa we got a problem!" Deha said as she was watching the spartan and the owlbear struggling to keep each other off balance.
"Little busy deha!" Replied five.
The owlbear having a hard time to get at least one swipe at the spartan was still determined in attacking five as it went to take a quick bite at the head of the spartan, five seeing it coming leaned his head left as he avoided the many attempts of the owlbear from biting his helmet off. He wasn't sure if the creature could crush his helmet in a single bite but that doesn't mean he was willing to find out about it.
Both the owlbear and and the spartan began to put one another in a full on hand to hand as they tried to push against each other, five could see that the owlbear was at least getting it's shoot at him seeing as how he was being pushed back slightly by the larger animal, so without wanting to kill the owlbear five quickly ducks his head from a right paw swipe and dashes forth and responded with his own attack by giving two right hooks to the owlbear's right side of its stomach where it's ribcage would be, with his right elbow five had redirected a left paw strike away from his head and launches himself up, as he came up high enough he grabs the owlbear by the back of it's head brings it down low enough and drove his armored knee into the owlbear's chin.
All the while as the spartan was busy holding the owlbear mother off of their back for the moment randa and the others felt as if their body was reacting differently then it usually was, randa held onto her head as it was dizzying for a short time, her stomach felt as if the insides were only floating for the moment. All this sensation made her feel disoriented, that is when her head turned to a tree as she glance at its way a little further, in it she saw that a figure covered in red cloak was holding it's right arm out pointing it at where they are at.
She had finally realized what this was, it was a spell, and that whoever the red cloak figure was she figured it was either a mage or which for she was aware of the magics ability that either one of them harbored.
Glancing at the sound of the owlbear roaring randa turned and saw that elrand xalla and kyro had jumped in to assist the spartan in dealing with the owlbear. She also saw that the owlbear's cub was standing a few feet away from the fight just inches away from the green circle that surrounds them.
"Wait, you fools! Don't-"
Before she could have even utter another word out randa all of a sudden disappeared altogether with the hunters along with the spartan who went to punch the owlbear but only vanishes with them as well...
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In the middle of nowhere in the forest, the green light of a circle materialized just nine feet from the ground, shortly after the circle had appeared the sounds of screaming can be heard as one after another bodies were being shooted out of the portal.
The last body who none other then escavan came falling, he screamed out only to gagged when he had bit'd on a bushes of grass on accident. In a hurry he spitted out the grasses and rolled onto his back.
On his right the body belonging to that of one of kyro's guys named Gallard was laid spread only his head facing down, excavan nudged at him with his right arm a couple time and gotten no response from the man, he went to do it a few more times and still no response from him, deciding on a different way escavan went and nudged gallard a little harder but this time by shaking him even harder, seconds later as he was about to refrained himself from doing it once more escavan heard the sound of gallard gasping out for air when he had popped his head up for some air.
"What the hell was that!" Spoke splattered out olarn.
"Dunno, all I ever know was keeping clear from the owlbear!" Muttered gallard.
"How's everybody doing?" Spoke escavan.
"Better, if that's what your wondering," Olarn said replying to him.
As escavan stood up he patted the extra dirts that were left sticking on his clothes followed by those who were near him as they did the same thing as he does.
Escavan called out to his sister and yet there were no answer from her for he knew well the sound of her voice. He then took a look around and saw those among him weren't that of his sister.
"Has anyone seen xalla?" Escavan said speaking to olarn and the others.
"I don't know, I can't seem to find her," Answered olarn.
"Kyro!" Yelled out gallard. "Strange, I can't even find that of our leader?"
Escavan took a look around and saw that there were a couple people amongst them who were missing. "I don't see lady randa and that of some of our companions amongst us all,"
"To where might you think they are stable boy?" gallard said teasingly.
Ignoring the nickname that was shooting his way escavan spoke to him. "I don't know, but it looks like they aren't here, but wherever lady randa is, im certain the others are with her as well,"
"How can you be so sure of that?" Commented gallard.
"Because you fool, the girl is not around here at all," Said skylar who hadn't spoken during the time of their conversation.
Gallard shoots her a weird look. "And who might you be again little girl?"
Skylar hadn't replied yet as she knelt down and picked up the satchel she had dropped. "A friend of lady randa," After she said that skylar walked towards gallard and slapped a hard palm into gallard's chest.
"Skylar, i'd say it's good to see you and your two friends but-"
Skylar cut him off before he could finish speaking as she walked up and kissed him on the lips. "You and I have some unfinished business. But right now you and I, including them, we need to find the others and regroup with them,"
Both gallard and olarn were surprised by what they've seen as they hadn't expected the new girl to kiss escavan. "So, when did this happened?"
"Very long time, but, that isn't the matter, what matters is that we find lady randa and the others," Escavan said answering both of them as he and skylar along with two of her companions walked right past the two man.
"Well alright then, the quicker we find them the quicker we get back home," Said olarn.
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Other part of the forest the same outcome that had happened to escavan and his group arose as the exact same portal opened out into a circle. Out of that circle were falling bodies of five who fell and hit the ground.
From uptop of him he heard the yell of randa. As he tilt his head to look up he saw that she was about to hit the floor, so without thinking twice he briskly caught the girl and heard another scream belonging to that of xalla.
Neatly setting a surprise randa on her feet he went to catch xalla and a screaming kyro followed by elrand. Thinking that was all the spartan heard a familiar sound, he turned to look up and saw the body of the owlbear.
"Move!" Spoke out five who grabbed a whole of the others and shoves them a little to hard aside.
"Hey!" Said an angry yet thankful elrand.
About a few yards from them the owlbear came down hard and hits the ground as causing dusts and debris to fly all over the place where as the others had to cover their faces from getting dusts in their eyes and mouths, well except for a few of them.
"What do we do five?" Randa said walking up next to the spartan.
"If I were either of you, i'd take this chance to kill the creature! Before it decides to attack us all once more," Says elrand as she and kyro came next to randa.
"No," Randa spoke out before xalla and the other two could've taken two steps forth.
"What! What do you mean no randa?" Sputtered out kyro who shot her a disputeful look.
"The owlbear only attacked us out of instinct, and aside from that it was just protecting it's cub" Randa said in aspire for him to understand the rationale reason in her words.
"And how will you suppose that it won't choose to attack us again?" Elrand added in doubtful of her assertion.
"I'm with them lady randa, are you certain that you've got a better idea for this?" Spoke xalla.
"I've got a better idea for you all, watch and learn," Randa said to them as she walked past kyro who was hesitant at first but eventually stepped aside and let her pass.
Randa had expected the spartan to stop her and except he just lets her through without a word and gave out a nod out of credence from him to her.
"For a second there, I thought you were going to stop her," Said deha.
"If the girl can handle herself as a hunter then I doubt she'll vault herself into an easy surrender to this mix owl of a bear," Commented five.
"It's an owlbear," Deha said correcting him jokingly.
"Yeah, whatever you say," replied the spartan.
Randa who was holding the cub in her arms trekked towards the mother owlbear slowly with her head tilted down slightly with her eyes on the mother as it growled lowly at her. As she came close randa raises the cub in her arms and knelt down on one knee, then after that she lowered her arms down to the ground and let's the cub walked off of her hands as the little creature who was twice the size of an average house cat ran towards it's mother.
"Okay, I think it's about time you come back randa, before that thing decides to eat you!" Xalla said worrying for her.
Five saw the owlbear dropping down on it's four legs and he immediately cocked his rifle preparing himself to jump in and save randa but halted once the owlbear nuzzled its head on Randa's head.
"What is that?" Commented deha.
"Don't know? some sort of a way of how animals say thanks, but im glad she isn't meat food for that thing," Said five replying to her.
"Oh, ummm five, you might want to take a look?" Spoke xalla as she poked the spartan by the side of his left armored forearm.
Randa stood up and then bowed her head in thanks to the owlbear as it bowed its head back in response to her. Subsequently after that she walked back to the groups.
"What is it?" Randa said as she saw that five xalla and half of her group were still staring at the direction where the owlbear is.
"I think the owlbear has some undone grudge against big five here," Answered xalla.
Randa turns her head around glancing at the owlbear, she saw the look on it's face, it is certain to her that the animal held some deep sense of malice toward the spartan for obvious reasons, but she hoped that it wouldn't come down to another brawl between the two of them.
After waiting to see what would happened as they had expected the owlbear to attack them for what momentarily was going through their heads but unfortunately, the owlbear instead turns it's back on them and left off with the cub walking after her.
Every one of the hunters watches as the owlbear and it's cub left their eye view as the two were so far to the point where they can't be seen.
Soon afterwards they loosened up for they had thought of the worst outcome as after having to take some times to pick up where they are at, the spartan and rest of the hunters began picking up on where they had left, the hunt for the basilisk.
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Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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