A rontor. An armored beast which came up to Kira’s waist and was ten times heavier. They walked on four limbs and were covered in so much armor they were very slow but nearly invincible. They were dim witted creatures but extremely powerful. The rontors were more defensive than aggressive, but their stupidity made them dangerous.
Kira was kneeling down with the other two staring at a group nearby. There were three of the beasts lounging around. A nest of rocks and weeds was visible under a dead tree in the middle of them.
“There’s our meal ticket,” said Mekov, gesturing towards the nest.
“How do we want to get it?” asked Kira. She’d fought rontor before, but she wanted to learn whatever these two knew. Sakien grinned at her.
“You’re going to distract them for us.” Kira sighed.
“I thought as much.” She stood up and took a deep breath. “Here I go.”
“Not yet,” said Sakien as he stood up. “You won’t be needing this.” He pulled her sword from its sheath and dropped it in the sand. Kira looked at him dumbfounded.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Yes I am. Now get out there and learn.” Kira stared at him hesitantly.
“How is this a lesson?” she asked.
“Today you’re going to learn the most important thing about hunting,” said Sakien. “How to survive.”
“A sword would be very useful in survival,” said Kira doubtfully.
“Yes, but sometimes you don’t always have one. I want to see how you handle yourself. I don’t expect you to win. I just want you to survive.” These people were insane Kira decided. She could see they were both serious in this venture.
“We’ll jump in if you really need it,” said Mekov as Kira started forward. She just hoped they were honest and not trying to get her murdered in the wild. The only comfort she had was they probably didn’t need the rontor to kill her if they really wanted. She took a deep breath and went down the hill into the nesting area.
The rontor bleated out warnings to her as she came into view. Kira felt her heart pounding as she continued to walk towards them. Her right hand flexed unconsciously for her absent sword. The nearest rontor stamped its foot angrily, and Kira raised her shield. This was not going to be fun.
It lowered its gray armored head and came charging at her. The beasts were slow to start, but after about ten feet, they began to pick up speed. They made the ground shudder when they ran, and Kira watched it come closer. She waited until it was only a few feet away before leaping aside. The rontor turned better than she would’ve guessed in the final feet of its charge. She brought up her shield just in time, and it clipped it instead of her. The creature’s power spun her around and threw her back to the floor.
“Incoming!” shouted Sakien. Kira looked up and saw a second charging her. Its head was down and ready to smash her aside. She rolled away just before it hit her. She came to her feet and kept her shield in front of her. The two rontor were a bit ahead of her and slowly turning to face her. There was one more behind her, but it seemed hesitant to leave the nest unguarded.
“What am I doing out here?” shouted Kira through gritted teeth. What she actually wanted to yell was every curse word she knew. She considered throwing them out anyway when one of the rontor resumed its charge. Kira waited a little longer and then sidestepped it at the last minute.
“Learn your enemy,” said Sakien. His large axe was resting next to Mekov, and he walked across the field with his hands behind his back. “What have you learned so far?”
“That you two are assholes.” Mekov started laughing so hard he held his sides. Sakien just smiled and kept walking. The second rontor charged her, and Kira rolled out of its way clumsily.
“You’ve learned your enemy is too strong to take head on,” said Sakien. One of the rontor charged him and he didn’t even flinch. Seconds before impact Sakien rolled himself out of the way and came up walking as if nothing happened. “These monsters are strong but stupid. They charge straight ahead and are bad at keeping their target in sight.”
Kira dodged another rontor, keeping her eyes on the calm northerner. The way he moved and skipped out of the charging monsters made him look like a dancer. He was unusually coordinated for his size.
“You’re quicker on your feet than anything else,” continued Sakien. “You’re a poor roller, but you’re fast to dodge. You’ll have to learn how to roll better, but in a battle, use what your best with. Stay on your feet unless you can’t help it.”
Sakien spun and moved among the charging animals with ease. Kira watched him and understood what he was saying. The rontor never did pay attention to where they were going. As long as someone was patient, they could get easily out of the way. She stepped aside of one and lined herself up with Sakien.
Sakien ran towards her, and Kira waited patiently. At the last moment, they both jumped to the side, and the two rontor collided with each other and hit the dirt. They mewed in pain and tried to find their feet. Sakien looked at her happily.
“Clever girl.”
“You’re still an asshole.”
“Then you’ll love this,” said Sakien as he walked back to get his axe. Kira scowled and saw with some surprise the rontor guarding the nest was dead. Mekov had snuck up on it and impaled it from behind.
“Grab some eggs, Sakien. Let’s get out of here,” said Mekov. Sakien pulled Kira’s sword off the ground and threw it near her.
“Lesson two,” he said. “How to fight an armored opponent.” Kira groaned and snatched up her sword. The rontor were beginning to look her way again as she ran towards them. This one she had plenty of lessons in.
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“Raaaaaah!” Kira yelled in their faces and waved her sword around. The rontor roared and raised up on their hind legs. She jumped back as they slammed back down and instantly moved to their rear. Kira stabbed her sword in the cracks of their armored plates and went for the weak flesh. They both gave a quick whine before they hit the floor. She held her bloody sword up and grinned.
“Get under the plates and armor is useless,” she said proudly.
“And if you can’t get under the plates?” asked Sakien.
“Then attack an unarmored area. Nothing is completely covered in armor.”
“You have no idea,” said Mekov bitterly.
“She’ll learn in time,” said Sakien. There was a final whine from nearby as another rontor entered the area. Mekov put down an egg and picked up his lance. It charged straight towards the pair, but both northerners slid to the side smoothly. It slowed to turn, but Sakien and Mekov were on it.
Sakien’s wicked axe roared through the air and smashed straight through its back. Armor plates snapped and flew aside as the massive weapon collapsed the creature. Mekov drove the lance in with both hands; the point piercing the thick armor with ease. The rontor was dead before it knew what happened and slumped to the floor.
“The other method is plain old brute force,” said Sakien as he ripped his axe out.
“Now let’s get to work,” said Mekov as he pulled out his carving knife. “You remember what Dezzlin taught you right?”
“Rontor meat and hide doesn’t go for that much though,” said Kira.
“But it does go for something,” said Mekov. “Money is money and no point in leaving it.”
“Think of it as good exercise,” laughed Sakien.
*
A while later they were leaving with three heavy packs. They’d fetched up a good bit of armor, meat, and of course the necessary eggs. Kira looked at her clothes bitterly. She was going to have to get better at carving. Both Sakien and Mekov had taken off their cloaks and had barely gotten any blood on them. Kira on the other hand looked like she’d just brutally murdered someone.
They had been walking for a bit, and she assumed by the time they got home, the sun would be setting. Her arms were sore, but Kira figured if she did this enough she’d be as strong as the men in no time. She hoped they could make some good money with all this because Kira could really use it.
A shadow passed over them, and the group froze. Large shadows in the desert were never a good sign. All their eyes went up, and they were met by the blazing sun. A large bird sailed overhead and with its head bent towards them. Kira could’ve cried.
“Sanpaco! I can’t believe it!”
“I can,” said Mekov, looking at Kira. “You look and smell like a slaughtered animal.” The sanpaco began to dip its wings and circle them.
“Drop the bags and draw,” said Sakien. “It’s coming in!” They all set their bags down and moved off to the side.
“Stay by me.” Mekov kept his lance up high, waiting to impale the bird if it tried to strike him. Kira stayed behind him with her sword and shield ready. Sakien stayed a bit more to the side so as to have the necessary space for his axe.
The sanpaco swooped over them a few times, gauging their defenses. Mekov’s lance kept it away from any direct charge, but the bird wasn’t so easily dissuaded. It came in flapping hard just above them. Its giant wings and heavy tail beat forward suddenly. The burst of wind stumbled Mekov and Kira back and the paco tried to reach in for a meal. Sakien came in swinging from the side. His swings were broad and fast, not overly dangerous but enough to keep the paco at bay. It hissed and flew backwards.
“If we can clip its wings it’ll be done for,” said Mekov. As if to answer his challenge, the paco squawked angrily and landed. It had an impressive, regal golden coat of feathers with crimson tips around its face and along it wings. Dark brown eyes glared at them, and it clicked its sharp beak. Its large black feet were clawed and gnarled with growths. When it folded its wings an armored joint came forward which it clacked eagerly like an excited child clapping its hands. It was taller than them, but bent low, placing its head against its armored joints like a spear and shield.
“Why do I get the feeling it doesn’t need to fly?” asked Sakien. Before Mekov could answer, Kira was charging.
“Wait damn it!” shouted Sakien, but Kira didn’t care. This was her real meal ticket. She had to take this beast down and now. The paco advanced slowly as if unsure what to do about this small girl.
Kira came in slashing furiously, but the paco hardly bothered. It hopped back and forth on its two feet, the folds of its wings up to block. Kira’s sword struck hard knots of armor and bounced back. She screamed and tried to stab, but the bird simply leaned back before trying to bite her. A quick shield up ensured it only sent her into the sand.
The paco looked down eagerly to the blood soaked girl when the other two came in. Mekov thrust at it back and forth, aiming for the unarmored part of its wings and for its face. The paco hissed at this more dangerous opponent. Sakien leapt to Kira’s side and began a flurry of blows back and forth to guard the girl and push the bird towards Mekov’s lance.
The paco launched itself at Mekov, pecking furiously. It pushed his lance aside and Mekov found himself scrambling back until Sakien came at its side. The paco brought its armored wing front around, but it was not ready for the power of his axe. He sheared through a bit of the armor and paco screamed angrily. Sakien brought his axe up for another chop as the paco pulled its wings back to expose its chest.
“Get away!” shouted Kira. Sakien took her scream to heart and immediately rolled backwards. The paco slammed its wings back together and it sounded like the hammer striking an anvil. Sakien quickly noted the bird’s trap to smash its prey. He wouldn’t fall for that again.
It hissed as Mekov managed a good strike across its back. It turned to deal with him, and Kira took her chance. She leapt up its backside and slashed around for its neck. The paco turned its head at the last second and instead of slitting its throat, Kira cracked its beak.
The paco squawked in pain and stampeded away. Kira tried to hold on, but the ride was bumpy. It tossed her aside like a scav. She hit the dirt and cried out. Sakien and Mekov were in pursuit, but the sanpaco had had enough. This fight wasn’t worth a small meal. These humans were too dangerous, and it would find food elsewhere. It gave its wings a few good beats before it launched itself into the air.
“Noooo…” groaned Kira as she saw it disappear into the sky. Mekov and Sakien stopped at her side. Mekov looked angry enough to kick her.
“You idiot,” he finally spat.
“You will never do that again,” snapped Sakien. “You endangered us all!” Kira nodded and tried to sit up. Her right arm felt wrong though and she cried out when she tried to place weight on it. Sakien shook his head and felt her arm.
“Broken?” asked Mekov.
“Dislocated,” said Sakien. “I guess this will be your punishment.”
“It doesn’t feel too bad,” said Kira, trying to hide her discomfort.
“It probably doesn’t,” said Mekov as he dropped a knee on her chest. Kira looked at him worried as he pinned her body and left arm. “Yet. I’ve got her.”
“Good,” said Sakien as he took her right arm with both hands. Kira wanted to ask what they were doing when he wrenched on her arm suddenly. She was at a loss of words until Sakien put her arm back in place. Then she screamed to high heaven.
Mekov got off her and let her feel her arm. “Let’s get going. This was a waste of time.” Those words hurt Kira. She’d never been closer than just now to getting a sanpaco. It was the perfect opportunity. As the sanpaco flew away, so did her hopes of survival. She laid on the floor massaging her damaged arm and pride.
Then her world changed as a bright red and orange feather appeared in front of her eyes. Sakien stood above her holding the feather smiling. “Well I guess this wasn’t a total loss,” he said.
“Are those worth something?” asked Mekov.
“Yes,” said Kira desperately. She looked up and saw a few feathers drifting across the desert plain. They’d fallen loose in the sanpaco’s quick escape. There weren’t many, but as someone had once told her. One of anything is worth a thousand times more than zero of something.