Chapter 84: Furia's Xenomorph Hunt
Furia was currently running off into the forest of the hunting ground. The resident xenos fed on the small tribe of Flesh Raiders that were within the large hunting ground. So they were grown and strong.
I am also able to see the xenos too. As the cameras have xeno-vision. Their behavior was somewhat as I expected. They lashed out randomly in aggression. Even if all they hit was air. Their patrol pathing was different too.
Xenos usually move with a method when patrolling an area. These xenos change directions with no obvious reasoning. So Furia would not be to get an accurate prediction on where they could be from her current knowledge of them.
Unlike with the previous batches where most xenos stayed within the underground temple. This patch had most of the xenos outside the temple. Four xenos were on the surface in the forest. Two xenos were in the temple.
Arla was not heading towards the temple though. Instead, she is going in the direction of the Flesh Raider tribe. I had some thoughts about what she is about to do, but I am sure.
"She is going to use a tracking spell.", Arla commented with a grin.
"Oh?", I say.
Arla goes on, "Furia has been learning a lot about tracking using spells. Since she is going to the Flesh Raider tribe, she is trying to find a trace of the xenos. Whether it be some saliva, skin tissue, even poop. She can use it to place a tracker on the xenomorph."
I hum, "That sounds like a useful spell. Did you try to learn it?"
Arla shook her head, "No, I don't have a talent for her witchcraft. I was completely horrible at the most thing she can do. I'm sticking with sensing and the time-tested ways."
When Furia reached the tribe's immediate territory. She began combing for xenomorph traces. When she found some saliva. She cast a spell on it, and green mist flew out into the forest. She did a couple of other times then moved on. Arla was right on what Furia would do.
Furia's spell seemed to have worked. As she was moving towards the location of a lone xenomorph that is out in the forest. The lone xeno Arla was targeting is attacking anything that moves. Even a tree branch that moved with the wind.
Its hyper-aggressiveness did not dull its senses though. As when Furia whipped out her modified energy bow. It tensed up. When Furia fired a killing shot, it fell to the side to dodge. Furia was not perturbed and fired more energy arrows. It hid behind trees as it advance on Furia's location. Although Furia was cloaked, the xenomorph has never been dependent on purely sight.
Furia paid heed to my words to be respectful of the xenomorphs. As the xeno triggered a trap when it got close enough. Two sonic mines went off and concussed the xenomorph. Which was enough for Furia to get an energy arrow to hit its mark. The head of the xenomorph was pierced, and it died quickly.
1 xenomorph down, 5 more to go.
Furia took care of her kill and then moved in another direction. This time, she was heading to two xenos that were moving together.
When she came upon them fighting some jungle cats. She did not fire arrows. Instead, she let them fight it out. The jungle cats were getting ripped apart by the xenos. Despite their similar size, and being in larger number. The xenos were just that much better a lifeform than them.
It was when they had killed the last jungle cat that Furia struck. As the xenos had relaxed a bit. She threw four shuriken at them. The xenos moved just enough to barely dodge. However, Arla seemed to have expected this. As the shuriken were abnormal. As when they missed, they vaporized into a green gas.
Xenos can hold their breath for a long time. It is a part of how they survive in the vacuum of space. The xenos did not stop breathing in time though. They inhaled enough for an effect to happen. Their bodies began to get stiff. They could not move enough to retaliate.
Furia decided to end them up close with daggers. She tossed them after use, as the acid blood ruined them.
3 down, 3 to go.
Furia did not have to go far to find the other xeno in the forest. She didn't even have to go anywhere. As it pounced on her cloaked form frmo behind. She did roll out of the way, but her armor got scratched by a claw.
Out of the roll, she Force pushed the xeno into a tree. It did little harm though.
I comment, "Furia did not have a tracker on this fourth xeno. It would not have taken her by surprise otherwise."
Arla sighs, "It would seem so Bido."
Furia then brought out a large dagger in her left hand. While in her right hand, was nothing. She appears to want to take on the xeno head-on. A tactic only used by more physically powerful of my kind.
The xeno rushes her straight on. Furia doesn't move and the xeno goes right through.
Wait...through her?
The life-like apparition of Furia disappears and her real body appears above the xeno. She had jumped onto the xeno and drove the dagger into its head. The dagger did not corrode when she pulled it out. That dagger must be an enchanted blade.
4 down, 2 to go.
Now there were only two, which were in the temple. Furia spent the rest of the day combing the forest for xenomorphs. When she was sure there no more out in the forest. She went into the temple. Thoroughness is a character trait of hers, but damn was that boring to watch.
The two xenos in the temple were very odd. They stood in one place facing each other without moving a muscle. It was not until Furia entered the temple that they turned their ends exactly towards the entrance to the temple.
I said aloud, "That was fucking creepy."
Arla agrees, "Completely creepy. I guess you get messed up xenos when you breed them with messed up people."
"Indeed...", I lowly say.
The xenomorphs within the temple then moved in tandem with each other. They mirrored one another for every step and advanced towards Furia. Such synchronous movement is not normal among xenos.
Furia was moving through the temple carefully. Yet she wasn't slow. I was impressed with her movement through the temple.
I was unsettled by the movement of the xenos. They were still synced up as they crawled around. I was wondering how they synced in the first place when the others were not like this.
Its got to be a mutation that put them on the same brainwaves or something.
Anyways, they are about to collide with Furia in the next big intersection room. As the next temple change would put them against each other.
The change happened and both parties entered the room. To my great surprise, the xenomorphs de-synced when they entered and spread out. I had zero clue to what they were up to. Furia was sticking to the walls and behind the statues. She stopped, as she had found footprints with her xeno-vision. Before she could think on it, a xeno tackled her into the middle of the room. They tussled on the floor.
Furia got the xeno off of her with a green Force Lightning blast. Which only stunned the xeno. She took out her energy bow and fired off shots.
The xeno dodged and took cover. Arla was then attack from behind by the other xeno. She fended off tail attacks tried to cut off the tail end with her wristblade. She didn't get the chance as the other xeno joined the fray.
When this happened, the xenos synced up again in combat. They started to mirror each other, or just do the same action through a different quadrant of movement. Furia was having great trouble. So she Force-pushed everything around her back. The xenos snuck in one attack to her legs though.
With injured legs from a tail attack, Furia struggle to keep standing. The two xenos got up quickly and tried to attack again. Furia is a smart woman though. She just needed a moment to process. She bought herself that moment.
As when the xenos attack in sync again. She caught the tail ends with her wristblades, cutting them off. Then she cast a spell that afflicted vertigo on them. It was quick, and would affect a xeno for long. As they are evolved for movement on most surfaces in most environments. A little vertigo would only confuse them for a few seconds. Which was enough for Furia to throw two knives into their skulls.
6 down, 0 to go.
Furia has completed her hunt.
I get up from my seat, "The hunt is over. Furia will be returning soon. Let us get ready to leave Arla."
Arla got up with a wide smile, "I knew she would do really well. Only those two creepy xenos gave her a bit of trouble."
I click my mandibles, "I was certain as well. She didn't even rely on her witchcraft as much as she could. She just used enough to be useful. Same thing with Force abilities. She did well."
It took an hour for Furia to walk all the way back to base camp even after tending to her injuries.
Once she walked in, I gave her my unique smile, "Welcome back Furia, you're blooded now. Congratulations, let's go home."
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