Ograch and Reaver led the way past the glade where they had encountered the forest raptor while the rest of the party held back. It wasn’t so much that they were nervous about their new addition, but that they wanted to give Ograch space and time to cement his bond with Reaver.
As far as the forest raptor went, Ograch said that she was built for speed and strength. She had no special abilities like Kazuma and Sanguineus at her current evolution, but Ograch wouldn’t be surprised if she developed one if and when she evolved. He was still unsure if his mount would be able to evolve or if he would need to meet certain criteria first. When he had asked Liv, she had simply shrugged and said she had no idea either.
Reaver led the companions out of the valley and up into the foothills of the mountain range, occasionally warbling a warning to the group and rushing into what cover they could find for such a massive beast. However, they didn’t dare ignore her instincts considering that the second time they went into hiding, they actually managed to see what had spooked her so badly.
Just as they made it into cover in a stand of trees, a massive shadow had covered the ground around them. When Lanek peeked from cover to see what cast the shadow, he saw that a massive eagle was circling their area looking for prey. While he couldn’t get an accurate guess as to how large it actually was nor could he use [Identify] due to how high up it was, he figured that it had to be as large as what he assumed a dragon would be from the novels and games he had partaken in back on Earth. He had no idea how it would compare in size to a dragon in this world as Caelis had already confirmed that they were real in this world, just incredibly rare.
In the foothills, the party began encountering caves and dens that were home to all manner of creatures, ranging from large packs of wolves to something that looked like a badger the size of a bull. None of them needed Reaver to tell them to steer clear of the latter beast. You could almost feel the barely contained irritability that could explode into rage at a moment’s notice radiating off of it.
Lanek found himself both alert and at peace, as strange as that sounded. It reminded him of the stories he had heard from a friend that took long fishing trips to those parts of the country that had more bears than humans. He was relaxed and happy being that deep in nature but he always had to keep his wits about him as there was always a risk that he could stumble upon and surprise a bear.
Thankfully, it seemed that this area was populated by powerful animals rather than monsters. This meant that they acted like most animals in that they wouldn’t pick a fight and risk getting hurt unless they were starving. As a result, the predators that they spotted would watch them for a minute before turning away after getting a good look at Reaver, Kazuma, and Sanguineus. Liv pretended to be offended that the animals didn’t consider the humanoid members of their group to be a threat.
Their trek had to be cut short as the sun began to set, forcing them to make camp in a small copse. None of them enjoyed the lack of walls around them after seeing the beasts that roamed this area, but they were confident that their animal companions would keep them safe through the night. In the morning, they were surprised to find that the entire copse had been covered in mist throughout the night. Lanek glanced at Kazuma who sent a pulse of confirmation in response to his questioning glance.
“This was Kazuma’s doing. I’m not sure if he did it as a precaution or if he wanted to hide us from something specific.” Lanek explained to his friends.
“Ah, that makes sense.” Ograch said before resuming his preparations. “Reaver is telling me that we are getting close to where her family had spotted bears before.”
“I think I can feel them.” Liv replied. “It feels like the Great Bear is guiding me. I’m pretty sure I can find them on my own at this point.”
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“I think you should lead the way, then. For all we know, the Great Bear may be leading you to a specific bear or encounter and I don’t want the rest of us interfering by mistake.” Lanek said.
Liv nodded and lead the way to the west, climbing out of the foothills and up into the properly mountainous terrain over the next few hours. As they came upon a clearing, Liv held up her hand, commanding the group to stop as she advanced alone. When she neared the center of the clearing, she knelt down and waited.
Moments later, a heavy chuffing came from a cave they had missed on their initial approach, hidden as it was by several bushes growing around its entrance. The chuffing sounded similar to the sounds that Kazuma would make, but much deeper. From the cave a pair of bears emerged, a mother and a single cub. Lanek tensed for a moment before [Wild Communion] and [Threat Detection] assured him that they were in no danger.
The adult bear, clearly the cub’s mother, nudged the cub forward. The cub toddled clumsily toward Liv, sniffing at her curiously. As Liv produced some meat from the remains of the boar, the cub stepped forward excitedly and began eating while Liv stroked the little brown bear. Well, little was subjective, the cub was already Kazuma’s size.
Lanek cleared his throat and nodded toward the mother once he had Liv’s attention. Understanding his intention, she threw some of the meat over to the much larger bear. While Liv attempted to bond with the male cub, Lanek reached out to the mother.
Are you well? Where are your other cubs?
The massive blonde bear responded with a series of images. Through those images, Lanek could see that she had only given birth to a single cub and that she was sad to let that cub go with Liv. However, Harad had appeared and requested that she deliver her cub to this human, so she would acquiesce.
Lanek eyed the bear, marveling at her bulk and size. She easily measured two meters in height and three meters in length. He imagined that she must be terrifying when she stood to fight.
You could come with us and stay with your cub. The bear immediately rejected the offer, sending a clear message to Lanek that she would allow no riders.
You don’t have to accept a rider, I am simply offering you a home and a place with your cub. All I ask in return is that you help us protect our home. No one will give you orders or force you to do anything you don’t want to do. While Lanek projected those messages to the mother bear, he projected images back at her of the monastery and feelings of safety and companionship if she so desired.
After several long moments where she stared hard at her cub, she relented and agreed to return with them. However, Lanek could feel that she would leave at a moment’s notice once the cub was grown and if she did not like living among them. Lanek wished that he could offer her a contract, but he had no slots left after making one with the demigryph.
“Well, it looks like we should start heading back. You look like you have completed the bonding process, Liv.”
“Yep, I have. I’m calling him Yuri, after one of my older brothers that fell protecting our family from a raid. I can feel that this little beast will become just as fierce of a warrior as he was. So, what are we going to do about his mom?”
“Oh, she’s coming with us.” Lanek said casually. At the look of shock on his companions’ faces, he explained how she wanted to be with and raise her cub, but she would accept no riders.
“Besides, I think she would get along with Talwarg.” Lanek said with a broad smile as Ograch broke out into a series of laughs
“That’s going to be an interesting sight!” The hobgoblin choked out between laughs.
After using [Identify] on the mother, Lanek could only agree with Ograch’s assessment.
Cave Bear
lvl 24
Cave bears are the larger kin of brown and black bears. These bears are extremely territorial and protective of their family unit. While most bears are solitary creatures, it is not uncommon to find several generations of cave bears residing and hunting together. This cooperation is the main trait that has allowed them to thrive in their preferred habitats despite those habitats often being home to predators that are much larger than they are.