“Come here you little bugger!” the angry shout reverberated between the river banks and he managed to just dodge the grasping appendages, leaving his assailant eating dust. He had pissed himself in fear when the scary beast pounced on his sister, quickly stuffing her into a weird part at the back of his body. Mom wasn’t moving after she had charged at the monster. She smelled like the food she recently brought. He was confused and scared, running away through the bush. Mom had taught them to hide but it hadn’t helped his sisters. The first one had quickly been caught, but she was alive and he could hear her mewling and moving somewhere in the monster. His second sister had remained motionless, hunkered down and hiding while the scary monster moved past her, cunningly deceiving her into believing it didn’t see her before it jumped directly in front of her and grabbed her. She had bitten the monster which bellowed furiously before it carried her away. Now she was desperately tugging on something the monster had used to fix her to a tree, she was meowing furiously and he could smell her desperation. He could also smell the monsters blood, it was a scary, angry smell.
Invisibility was clearly no impediment to the scary two legged monster so instead of hiding he had run into the thick bush. He was small and the monster was big, he should be able to escape through the bush. The bellowing, crashing, snapping branches and stomping steps behind him were scary, the monster was still chasing him. Oh no, it was gaining on him. He didn’t understand why the monster could follow him. He was invisible, mom had taught him that he couldn’t be seen when he buzzed like so. Maybe it smelled him? He smelled it and it was scary. A sharp, acrid smell. A wrong smell. He was tired, running was hard, running for so long was harder. He didn’t know where he was. He panted, he had to slow down, he couldn’t run anymore. The monster was close and he squirmed through a thick ouchie bush. It didn’t help. The monster jumped on the bush and something grabbed him, something soft viciously grabbed his neck and he was lifted up, up in the air, like when mom she used to carry him. The triumphant “Got you, you fucker” was the last thing he heard before he pissed himself once again and passed out.
Ryan was exhausted as he carried the two cubs, one in his backpack, squirming ferociously, and the second passed out in his hands back to their sister who was busy chewing on the rope he had used to tie her to a tree. The unconscious cub had led him on a merry chase through the bushes and he was covered in scratches where his Shield hadn’t managed to deflect or absorb the thorns wipping at him during his headlong rush through the bush. Ryan opened the notification he had received just before he caught the last cub.
…achievement earned – Masochist…
Achievement; Masochist: Achievement earned by a Player after intentionally subjecting himself to repeated injuries which result in exceptionally fast growth of the Shield Statistic. Requirements: Shield below 50, receive in excess of 250 small attacks in a short timespan, Shield Statistic grows by 10 points. Player can chose one of the following: Raise Constitution by 3, raise Intellect or Will by 2.
Ryan quickly decided to assign the points to Will, to raise Resolve, a Stat that couldn’t be increased by allocating the points earned from levelling. They still didn’t understand why some sub-stats had been excluded like this and it bothered Ryan that the Interface was capable of somehow improving these Stats but didn’t allow for it unless they were granted by means of an Achievement. It definitely incentivised him to obtain more achievements, but as they had no idea as to any requirements it was more akin to groping in the dark than being on the hunt.
As he exited his Interface he carefully approached the little hellspawn that had viciously bitten him earlier. She was furiously snarling at him and the scrunched up face and very cute growls were adorable beyond belief. Still, he had no intention of letting those disgustingly sharp little fangs puncture his skin again. Ryan was at a bit of a loss to be honest, he couldn’t figure out how he could grab the little princess without getting hurt in the process. One hand was occupied by the still unconscious lion he refused to drop in case it awakened and made another getaway. His backpack was unavailable because there was less chance than a snowflake in hell that he would stick his hand in there. That left him trying to catch the snarling cutesie with one hand while avoiding her teeth.
The dodge fight that resulted must have been hilarious to watch as both parties tried to get hold of the other. Ryan was crouched over, imbalanced by the weight on his left while the little lioness was straining against the leash, trying to sink her fangs into the darting hand that she dodged when she couldn’t. Eventually Ryan managed to grab he by the scruff of her neck and quickly lifted her up. The indomitable warrior tried to curl up to scratch him with her hind paws, but couldn’t reach his arm. “You just don’t know when to give up, do you?” Ryan admonished her. “I’m gonna call you Fury, you little warrior princess.” he cooed at her. The lioness scrunched up her face and issued a mewling, squeaky and adorable mini-roar. “Jup, Fury it is.” Ryan decided.
She was still tied to the tree and Ryan was now stumped, with both hands occupied there was no way to release her. “Well, time to face the ridicule by my peers.” he told Fury with a little laugh while he called Michelle, asking for help. She promised him that Johannes would be at the Portal as soon as Ryan had it open after he told her that he was in possession of three little lion cubs.
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As Johannes stepped through the portal he quickly broke out in a chuckle upon seeing Ryan’s dilemma. “Need some help there Ryan?” he laughed.
“Yeah, yeah. Very funny. Mind giving me a hand?”
“Sure.” Johannes said, reaching for Fury.
“Nah, take the unconscious one and help me with the backpack. Fury and I still have to finish our discussion. I’m not done with her and I feel that she isn’t done with me either.” Ryan replied. “Oh, and could you get Katrina for me, she said she wanted to butcher the carcass and hasn’t answered my call”
“No problem.” Johannes insisted as he removed Ryan’s backpack. The process was a bit awkward as Ryan had to shift Fury from one hand to the other while the backpack was hanging on one shoulder but the two got it done in moments. When Johannes stepped back through the Portal Ryan crouched down with Fury, securely clamping the cub between his legs before releasing the scruff of her neck. Second later he had untied the string from the tree and lifted the ball of fur back into the air. Fury was still squirming energetically and hadn’t stopped in her attempts to get fang or claw on his precious flesh.
Ryan smiled at her and addressed her earnestly: “Fury, it’s pointless. I’m stronger, faster and have a longer reach than you. As long as I hold your neck you can’t hurt me. And as long as you’re trying to bite and claw me I’m holding on. How about we make a deal? You stop trying to hurt me and I’ll release you so you can run around with your leash? Huh?” Fury looked at him quizzically and actually stopped in her endeavour to maim him. Carefully Ryan lowered the little minx to the ground and then released her.
As soon as he had let go of her neck the beast pounced on his leg, growling and opening her jaw as wide as she could she chomped into his chins. Ryan laughed at her antics, her teeth failed to penetrate his leather greaves and he was content letting her tire herself out. “I should have remembered to try that the first time.” he chuckled to himself. While Fury was chewing on his greaves Ryan checked his Energy levels, they were getting low as he had been holding the Portal open for a while now, waiting for Katrina. As he was about to tell Johannes to hold off so that he could regenerate some Energy the duo stepped through the Portal. Katrina just looked at him, snorted and headed towards the lioness, clearly visible lying in the riverbed. Johannes, now sans cubs, followed her. With relief, Ryan dropped the Portal and started playing with Fury, not joining the two and keeping the orphan away from the corpse of her mother.
For a while, messing around with Fury, who had made no moves to run away but was relentless in her onslaught, Ryan wondered at the deeply seated urge to play with the cub. It wasn’t like him to engage so quickly with any animal that wasn’t a Jackrussel. Maybe he felt guilty, maybe the little cub reminded him of the fearless pup that had died grizzled and worn down by many a hunt a few years ago. Maybe he could bond her as a pet?
Ryan wouldn’t ever be able to say where that idle thought had originated, but with a burning sense of conviction he knew that he wanted this. That he wanted Fury as a companion. She had guts, was brave and indomitable while facing insurmountable odds, and in her Ryan saw a kindred spirit. He resolved to interrogate Johannes on his knowledge of bonds, fearing that what he wanted was impossible but with a sneaking suspicion that it was going to happen, irrespective of his wishes. After all, Alexis had bonded Kira without a relevant Class and the two were growing ever more inseparable.
Johannes and Katrina made quick process of the carcass and rejoined Ryan a few minutes later, carrying the meat in their backpacks, waiting for the Portal to spin up. Ryan pried Fury off his leg and wordlessly handed her to Johannes, dropping the Portal once they were through before he Shifted to the Fortress, his Energy now near zero.
“Eventually you’ll just have to test it.” John greeted him when he arrived. “Nothing in the Skill description leads me to believe you cannot step through your own Portal without dropping it.” he added.
“I know. I just don’t see the need to risk it.” Ryan replied. “Yet.” he mumbled , considering the imminent likelihood of having a feline companion that would accompany him. “Yet.” he repeated again. “Why are you awake at this time of night, John?” he questioned the Spymaster.
“Johannes and I just came off watch when you called him. I decided to wait and see the cubs. They’re adorable. I want one. So I came for permission to try to bond one. First see first serve and all.”
“About that,” Ryan countered, “I wanted to ask Johannes if it’s possible.”
“It is, as far as I can determine from Johannes’ Class description it only facilitates bonding with more animals and strengthening the bonded animal beyond its natural strength. The fact that Alexis and Kira are bonded supports my supposition. So I want to try. Can I?” John nearly wheedled at the end.
“Sure. But not Fury. She’s mine.” the sudden protectiveness Ryan felt towards the little warrior surprised him so, more softly, he added “That’s the one with the weird off-grey ears that Johannes brought in now.”
“I see. You’re spoken for.” John chuckled.
Ryan joined him a second later before he added: “Yeah, I guess so. Weird, huh?”
As they left the sparring area John eventually replied. “No, I don’t think so. I can feel a weird tugging sensation when I look at the little lion. I guess I’ll call him Bugger.”
‘That’s the first thing I called him. Come here you little bugger.” Ryan replied quietly. “Bugger indeed”.
Both deeply engrossed in contemplating the vagaries of their new reality they separated, each heading off to bed. Stepping into the room he shared with Johannes and Stephen Ryan groaned as he heard the soft purring coming from the little warrior on his bed, he hadn’t planned on sharing this most holy of holies with the animal, but Fury had clearly staked her claim already. Fully dressed he climbed beneath the covers, just nudging the cub a bit to the side. Tomorrow he would resolve this latest problem but for now he lacked the energy to care.