Running through the forest. Rhea hopped from tree to tree. Holding her Bow close.
It's been two hours since she started running. Covering great distance.
She realized that Daichi might be up. And looking for her. But this isn't new. She runs further and further into the forest every day.
To follow the tags more efficiently. And to hopefully find a source of water.
But in a forest like this. She doesn't know how likely that is.
She sighed. Stopping as she stood on a tree branch. Looking down at the root of the tree. Where she saw another tag tied to it.
"Just how far away is Nervaal."
Looking ahead. She sensed another tag. Which felt closer. But off track to the initial direction of the rest.
"Hm..."
She leaped off the branch. Trying to move even faster through the trees.
Only four minutes later. She stopped. Seeing a wide opening. Infested with red-tusks.
Bending down on the branch. She observed the unfathomable amount of the same creature gathered together. Which wasn't a regular sign. Or a good one.
Then she saw it.
A much bigger one. Not even sure what to call it due to its unusual appearances compared to the rest.
It had Blue tusks. Not the regular orange or red. Its skin wasn't the natural, dark burgundy as the others were. It had fur. Fur that matched the color of ash. Which was greyish-white.
She stood up. Her bow already charged and ready to kill.
But before she shot. The blue-tusk looked at her. Through everything in the way.
A shiver ran up her spine.
"Tch."
"Damn you."
FOOSH!!
BOOM!!
She shot.
Dust erupting from the impact. All of the smaller red-tusk who weren't killed were immediately alerted. But none of them moved.
From the dust. Greenish-blue life-fog flowed to Rhea.
She sighed. Closing her eyes for a brief moment as she absorbed it. Feeling a wave of satisfaction. But she refocused.
Her eyes opened. And they were...gone?.
Thump-a-thump
Thump-a-thump
Thump-a-thump
She heard them running through the forest. And the tree she stood on shaking wildly as she struggled to keep her balance.
CRACKLE
CRACKLE
CRACKLE
She could hear the base of the tree getting ripped apart.
"Shit!"
Jumping from tree to tree. She's forced to stay on the high grounds. Knowing that going any lower would almost certainly result in her death.
The blue-tusk was standing in the opening. Watching everything unfold.
It looked up at Rhea. Steam puffed from it's nostrils slowly.
Rhea noticed this. And it only made her angrier.
"OH SCREW THIS!"
She hopped from tree to tree until she was several meters away. But the red-tusks were relentless. They were coming fast.
The blue-tusk looked at her from out in the opening. As a ring of blue flames slowly formed above her head. Making a perfect, blue halo. Then
FOOSH!!
BOOM!!
It saw a bright flash of light. Streamed through the forest followed by an explosion.
Shattering the ground. Incinerating trees. Leaving a trail of death in it's path. She looked. Realizing that there were about a hundred more red-tusks.
The blue-tusk's eyes went back to Rhea. As it's eyes found her in the tree. Another attack plowed through the forest.
FOOSH!
BOOM!!!
Greenish-blue Life-fog flowed to Rhea. Who kept maneuvering through the trees.
"I'm burning through my Vhis way too fast..."
"And they don't seem to be getting any fewer."
"I'll keep killing them. Their life-fog replenish enough for several more attacks."
Rhea spoke to herself. Hopping from tree to tree. But also noticing how the blue-tusk wasn't attacking.
"Ah...I see what's going on."
She laughed to herself. She could feel the blue-tusk's gaze. Never wavering from her every move.
Rhea was moving fast. But it's eyes followed. From tree to tree.
She disappeared behind a tree. It's eyes fixed. But something moved.
On the right side a rope like vine was thrown out. Imbued with Vhis. And the blue-tusk's eyes followed it quickly.
That...wasn't Rhea. It's head turned fast to the left side of the tree it last saw her.
FOOSH!!
It saw a blue. Fierce arrow. Only mere inches away from it's eye.
BOOM!!!
A massive wall of dust and heat erupted.
Sighing. Rhea looked toward the impact. Noticing the Red-tusks all stopped.
"Got yah."
She said with a little laugh. Knowing that if that didn't work. She'd need to get physical. As she'd use way more Vhis to power a blue arrow.
Sitting on the branch. she waited for her reward. Hoping it was something really good. Like purple life-fog. Or even better. A purple mixed with orange.
But as the dust settled. It was illuminated with a soft hint of blue.
"It's..."
"IT'S NOT DEAD!?"
The dust settled. And what she saw made a shiver run up her spine.
It was...regenerating. She saw the muscle fibers of it's face slowly reconstructing. Then it's skin.
The blue-tusk eye finally opened again.
FOOSH!!
BOOM!!!!
Another attack landed. Weaker. Orange flames.
But this made it regenerate even slower. A moment passed while it regenerated.
And it could hear the high pitch of red-tusks screaming in pain. Several at once.
Opening it's eyes again. It saw Rhea. Shredding through the immobile red-tusks. Covered in their bloody as she's farming life-fog for another attack.
She stopped. Noticing the blue-tusk is gone. She doesn't hear it.
But her eyes scanned the forest. And as she does. The red-tusks started moving again. Running at her.
Their red hot horns tearing her flesh and burning it. Making regeneration much slower.
She jumped back to the trees. Losing focus for a single second.
The blue-tusk tore through the back of the tree. taking a chunk from her side as it fell to the ground.
NGNNN!!
Blood spilled from her mouth. Bracing herself on whatever's left of the tree.
Her breath became rigid. Her halo burst into wild blue flames. And her eyes were fixed on the blue-tusk.
"You're dead..."
Her tone low and dark. She grabbed her bow and started tunning through the trees. Back the way she came.
The Red-tusks followed. Reduced to only a few dozen.
She ran for an hour and several minutes. She's tired. But completely healed.
The blue-tusk on the other hand. Seems to be getting progressively faster.
Rhea finally stopped. Looking down at them. The red-tusks kept running. But the blue-tusk stopped. Looking up at her.
She had an idea. Now that she's completely regenerated. She started climbing the towering tree.
Her plan was risky. But worth it.
The blue-tusk lost sight of her. But it kept looking up.
A moment passed. And the temperature of the whole area slowly increased.
A soft. Blue hue peered through the shriveled, grey leaves.
And it saw it. Rhea's figure Hopping to another tree. Faster. And faster.
It ran after her. And all of the red-tusks followed in it's direction.
But it heard the sound of trees violently snapping. Fast.
CRACKLE
CRACKLE
CRACKLE
Looking up. To the direction of the sound.
The trees ahead gave way. Breaking and incinerating. As the Blue-tusk's face is met with a Larger. Blue flaming arrow.
BOOM!!!
The forest around was dismantled by the explosion. And the nearby trees caught flames.
Rhea feel through the leaves. Crashing against branches as she fell.
THUD!
She landed on the ground. Several hundred meters away from the explosion.
Dizzy from using all the Vhis she had. And slowly losing consciousness from the fall as her vision blurred.
The birds of the forest took to the sky. Startling Daichi. Who was already alerted from the massive explosion he heard.
Hm...
She'd usually be back by now.
He thought to himself. Looking into the forest.
A gush of steaming breeze flew by. As Daichi staggered back.
That can't be good...
I know you always tell me to stay here until you're back but...
You're running a lot later than usual.
He jumped slightly. And without a beat later. He dashed into the forest.
Running in the same direction he'd saw Rhea run in every morning.
Using his Vhis enhancement to cover more and more distance.
The more he ran. The hotter the forest got.
And only five minutes of running. He stumbled across an unnatural, massive crater. The ground battered. and covered with ash, burnt wood, and flame embers.
He stepped inside. Seeing lots and lots of horn like structures burnt black to a crisp.
Walking through it. He noticed something pulling itself. closer and closer in a single direction.
It had white fur. And a dismantled, burnt body. Which slowly healed.
Daichi walked over to it. Noticing it's fixation to a go forward.
"The hell is this thing..."
"Not really fierce. No red or orange tusk. This can't be a red-tusk."
"Hm..."
He looked forward. Walking ahead of the weird creature.
And the more he does. He noticed a small figure on the ground.
he stopped. Looking ahead. Shock was plastered across his face.
"RHEA!!"
He ran over to her. Lifting her slightly as he looked at her.
"C'mon. C'mon. C'mon."
"Wake up Rhea..."
He shook her. Trying to wake her. But all she did was breathe slowly.
Huff...
He heard behind him. A strong exhale.
Turning around. He saw the same. Dismantled creature. it was almost completely regenerated.
That's when he noticed it had blue, vibrant tusks.
He sat there. Looking up at this...horrific creature. Trembling.
It charged. It's blue. Hot tusks sweeping against the ground.
"SHIT!"
Daichi grabbed Rhea and lunged out of it's path.
CRACKLE!!
It crashed into a tree. Rooting it as it refocused on Daichi. Who was already running with Rhea in his arms.
Running and dodging. He narrowly avoids fatal wounds. He ran until he got to the opening where they set up camp.
He stopped. Looking back into the forest. His eyes fixed on the faint. Blue glow of hot tusks. Slowly walking forward.
Daichi puts Rhea to rest by a tree. And took his phone from his pocket. Putting it next to her as he stepped forward.
Sighing as he looked at the blue-tusk.
"Let's do this..."
It charged at him. Not wasting any time.
Daichi dodged. Jumping aside.
But as he looked up. There it was. Full charge. Coming at him.
He couldn't dodge this one...It was already too close.
It's hot. Blue tusks pierced him through the gut. Lifting him from the ground as it looked up at him. Ledged on it's tusks.
Blood spilled from his mouth. Coating it's white fur. His eyes widened from the pain. And he could feel the slight vibration of his insides sizzling.
It threw him aside.
THUD.
Daichi's blood on it's tusk sizzled and burned. As he fell next to Rhea. Blood spilling from his mouth. His voice muffled by the blood. And his hand covered the wounds on his stomach desperately.
Trying not to lose too much blood.
Shit...
What did I think was gonna happen...
He thought to himself. His heart was pumping fast. He felt on edge. As a wave of déjà vu hit him.
This very moment reminding him of when he was nearly killed in the village by the gift hunter. Turning his head. He looked at Rhea's unconscious form.
Realizing...she won't be able to save him this time.
Trying to sit up. He looked at the Blue-tusk. Slowly approaching.
A tear ran down his cheek.
"Screw you..." He said. Chocking on his blood slightly. "SCREW YOU!!"
"YOU DAMN MONSTER!"
He was afraid. There wasn't a thing he could do...
"screw you..." His tone low. His hands squeezed his wounds. "Screw you..."
"SCREW YOU DAMNIT!" He yelled. Looking up at it.
He saw lines all around. With most of them connected to different parts of the blue-tusk's body.
"Die..."
Daichi said as he collapsed against the tree next to Rhea. Barely breathing. His eyes never leaving the blue-tusk.
He heard slight humming. Like bees slowly coming from a distant.
Zzzzzzz.
And suddenly.
BOOM!
ZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!
The blue-tusk was pressed into the ground. And it continued to get pressed even harder as the loud humming continued.
Daichi could see it. He saw the force. Pressing against the blue-tusk.
It's whole body pressed.
And pressed.
And pressed.
SPLAT!
It exploded under the force.
Daichi looked at it's purple-ish blue life-fog slowly gather above it.
And as it does. Daichi's body went limp.
"Really?..."
He said softly. Mind and eyes going hazy as he Lost consciousness due to blood loss.