The three Neo-Sapia continued through the Fallen Canopy with Gurk leading the group. Their movement was slow and deliberate as both Gurk and Suze scanned the entirety of the area with every step they took. The mother duck stole constant glances behind her, making sure that nothing came on them from the rear.

The duckling let out a soft squeal, making both of the hunted targets freeze. Gurk turned around and saw Suze hug her daughter tighter, pressing the child further against her arm and stroking her back. Despite Suze's motherly actions, the sobbing continued. Gurk stepped closer, looking at the duckling who was facing the other side, getting ready to cry again.

"All right?" Gurk asked as quietly as he could.

Suze continued to pat her daughter on the back, but the sobbing continued. A nervous Gurk turned around, tugging on Suze's arm to get her to follow. "Keep moving," he whispered.

"That child is going to get all three of them killed," Evelyn remarked. "What a shame. All of the work and prep put into making this hunt as exciting as possible only to be squandered by a sobbing child."

"Don't count Gurk out just yet," Itzel snapped. "Me and the big guy have been through a lot worse!"

"Lars is already on their trail. Just look." After waving her hand, Evelyn flipped through another perspective. A gray blur blitzed through the leaves. "He's already building up speed for a pounce. If he catches one of them by surprise, then it's all over!" She then shifted back to the group of Neo-Sapia. Gurk paused again, this time his snout angled high in the air as he sniffed.

"Something's coming," he growled. The crocodile sniffed a few more times, angling his nostrils in the direction behind Suze. He placed his arm in front of the mother, obscuring the entirety of her body with his own.

"Hide!" he said as he spread his arms and legs, creating a wide stance. The duckling's sobbing continued as the mother turned around, putting her back towards Gurk's as she hunched over to protect the child.

"Get out—"

Lars sprung out from the massive leaves. He lunged through the damp canopy air with claws out and flashed his rows of razor-sharp teeth as he snarled. He jumped at the trio of Neo-Sapia from Gurk's left, going for a vulnerable Suze. Gurk quickly adjusted his body, intercepting the wolfman's advance with his left arm. Suze jumped back as Lars latched onto Gurk's limb. The wolfman’s long claws dug into forearm while his teeth punctured through Gurk's coat and into his shoulder.

The crocodile moaned violently, staggering backwards from the wounds. Gurk toppled onto his back as Lars leapt off him to spring towards Suze. With her free arm, the mother threw a set of bladed feathers towards the airborne wolf with a backhanded swing. Two of the projectiles became embedded within the hunter's padded jacket, while the remaining one stuck into his chest.

Despite part of the attack connecting, Lars' trajectory remained the same as he ignored the projectile that pierced his skin, allowing him to land a long vertical slash on Suze's side. She squawked as the claws tore through her feathers and flesh, leaving a gaping red wound down her arm and her side. The duck fell backwards as well, but still held onto the child with her other hand. Lars raised one hand high, a twisted smile on his face as he watched the duck scoot herself backwards against the dirt.

"Too easy," Lars growled as he loomed over the pair of Neo-Sapia. Ready to slash again, the wolfman looked to his side only to see the glimmer of Gurk's metal mask. He turned his body around quick enough to put his arms in a guard position. Gurk's headbutt collided with Lars' forearm with a resonating thump. The wolf snarled as he slid on his feet back across the damp grass. One eye twitched as he let his arms dangle to the side, clearly hurt by the impact.

"Opening up with a Guard Break attack?" Janus said. "That means Lars won't be able to defend for a while."

"Looks like that fight with Siergi paid off," Itzel added with hopefulness in her voice. "With his surprise attack gone and his defense completely crushed, he'll have no choice but to retreat! No way he can take on Gurk, never mind both him and that mother duck!"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"I wouldn't be so confident. I've watched Lars partake in many hunts. He's not the type to just lose track of his prey so easily. Both Gurk and Suze have been wounded." Evelyn pointed towards the projection. Gurk and Lars stared each other down with a few yards of nature separating them. The crocodile went back into his wide stance, but the arm that was slashed hung almost limp at his side.

"You look hurt," Lars said. "Those scales of yours aren't as tough as they appear." With a smile, he raised the hand that had cut both Gurk and Suze, showing off the bit of blood that had gotten on his claws. "Didn't take much effort to get to that soft flesh!" He flicked his fingers, letting the small bit of blood splat across the ground.

"Who..." Gurk groaned. He stepped forward only to buckle forward from a sharp pain in his arm.

"Let me finish that sentence for you. I don't have time to wait all day for you to try and piece together a sentence. I assume that you were going to ask 'who are you?' Is that correct?"

Gurk growled.

"That seems like a ‘yes’ to me. I'll give you a bit of information. Maybe you can figure out the rest for yourself. But I am a hunter. You are being hunted. That's the gist of everything. You understand what I just said?"

"Why?" Gurk snarled.

"That's just how nature works." Lars shrugged with a smug smile. "But I'm not the only one after you. There are others partaking, too. Mag hyped you up to be a formidable foe, but I can't help but feel a tad underwhelmed. You've got the strength. But it looks like you're not much smarter than every other Neo-Sapia that gets thrown into the Eco-Dome to get gunned down."

"Wanna fight?" Gurk said. He marched forward, ignoring the pain in his arm as he went in for a rising slash from his unscathed arm. Lars weaved back, avoiding the attack all while keeping the same cocky demeanor.

"I didn't become one of Tersaia's top hunters just by picking fights with everyone that challenged me! I know when to attack and I know when to retreat. You've got a strength and numbers advantage right now." Lars looked past Gurk's shoulder towards Suze. She remained laying on her side. She watched Gurk and Lars continue to talk as the duckling stared at the growing wound in her side. “But that numbers advantage won’t be for much longer.”

"Stay!" Gurk lifted both of his hands above his head, poised for an overhead smash, only for Larson to spring back once both of his hands were above his head. He dug one claw into the bark of a tree with using the other to hold onto a branch.

"I'll see you again, Gurk. If I were you, I'd leave that kid alone. She's only going to weigh you down. Once her mother dies, she's going to be crying nonstop. If I don't come and find you, then she's going to alert one of the hunters. No point in trying to save her. Big guy."

"Fight me!"

Lars climbed up the tree, vanishing into the leaves as his high-pitched cackling became drowned out by the ambient noise of the surrounding environment. Once the wolfman was out of sight, Gurk turned around to the two duck Neo-Sapia behind him. Suze remained motionless on her side with her eyes shut. With her beak, the duckling nudged her mother's head, only to not receive any kind of response.

Gurk sprinted to the mother's side, kneeling beside her. He leaned his ear in close to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. "Hey," he whispered as he placed one hand on her back, slowly straightening her up. The duckling stood by Gurk's side, placing one of her hands on Suze's feathered fingers and gently tugged on it.

She barely awoke, opening one eye halfway. The duck placed a hand on the section where she had been slashed. Looking down, Gurk could see a small pool of blood as the crimson fluid dripped from her feathers.

"Stay calm," Gurk whispered as he looked into the squinting bird's eyes. "Getting help!"

Suze turned from Gurk to the duckling. She struggled to lift the hand the hand that wasn't holding onto her wound, but she managed to point one finger at her child. Gurk took note and lifted the small child and placed her on Suze's lap. The eyes of the mother and daughter locked. A cascade of tears flowed from Suze's eyes, running down the length of her bill.

The child pressed her arms around Suze's neck in a hug, letting out a series of soft chirps. With the little remaining strength she had, she patted her daughter on the back a few times before her arm went limp, plopping on the dirt beside her.

The duckling continued to chirp, shaking her mother's neck to get her to respond. Suze's head move from each side, utterly limp. Gurk reached down, carefully pulling the duckling away from Suze. The mother duck remained motionless, both eyes closed tight. Her dangling at her side as her hands lay on the dirt. Her head angled sideways, the same way that her daughter had left it before Gurk pried her off.

"Let's go," Gurk said softly. He propped the duckling against his chest, holding her tight with both hands again despite the pain of the fresh gash on his arm. He walked away from the body, but the young duck poked her head over Gurk's shoulder, extending one hand as if she was reaching out to Suze. She chirped louder and louder the further Gurk moved away from the scene.

"I'm... sorry..." Gurk mumbled, unable to hold back his tears. As they ventured further into the jungle, the duckling's chirps soon turned into sobs.