It had been fifteen minutes. A full fifteen minutes. A full fifteen minutes of running.
Kya had always considered herself as someone who enjoyed running. She had run in high school, joined the running club in college, and always crushed the running part of any fitness test in the military.
She still went running at least two or three times a week to stay in shape. She liked the feeling after a run of being sore, telling her that she had done something well, and had improved.
However, Kya was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she had an unhealthy relationship with running. It was like short term memory loss. She always looked forward to running. She liked to plan the routes, research the weather, and pick an optimal time day. She liked to recover from runs, savoring that first sip of water after a hard workout. Stretching her muscles and knowing the benefits of what she’d just accomplished.
As she chased after that damn bird, Kya thought about how terrible running was. Everything hurt, her breathing was ragged, her heart beating so fast she swore she could hear it. She knew she had felt it before, and that she would somehow convince herself again when this was over that running was great… but she didn’t think so now.
The obnoxious bird wasn’t helping matters.
For the last sixteen minutes, the bird would fly ahead, perch on a branch, take a bite of the rabbit, shoot arrow-like feathers at her (which the description had NOT mentioned), and then screech loudly before flying on.
Kya would have to, in return, keep running if she wanted to even remotely keep pace. All the while watching her footing for roots and vines, and deflecting the feathers periodically sent her way.
And repeat.
Just as they reached their seventeenth minute of running, the bird once again stopped, and took a bite of the food. The last bite of the food. The lunch that Kya would never get to enjoy. As it flicked away the small stick used to roast the meat, Kya decided that she had officially had enough.
Normally, she would have let it go, as it was clearly too fast to chase down, and not worth the effort for only a chance at getting it back. Not only the theft, but repeated volleys of feathers and the taunting screech had made her determined to hunt it down.
Though the bird was far away, Kya could clearly see it. And if she could see it, she could pull on it.
With total and utter concentration, not a difficult task with the entirety of her ire from the situation and the extended and unexpected foot race directed at the bird, she pulled. Hard.
She had failed to consider two things.
First, the bird was a good distance from her, farther than anything she'd ever tried to affect with the staff. The sensation was similar to when she had tried to lift the massive chunk of stone in the temple. It still worked, dragging the bird towards her with a surprised and outraged screech, but it drained her immensely.
Second was that the isela was, in fact, a bird. This meant that while the other monsters she had encountered would flail about helplessly as they were drawn towards her, the bird instead used its four wings to reclaim control over its path. So rather than uncontrolled chaos, the monster was gliding smoothly towards her, and rather unhappy about it.
It sent a concerted attack her way, with more than a dozen feathers flying much faster than the bird itself. Not wanting to release the bird from her control, she quickly jumped to the right... and was immediately annoyed even further when the feathers changed their trajectories to her new position.
The bird had god damned heat seeking missiles.
Snarling, Kya let go of the bird and, targeting each arrow individually, used a mass repulsion. Again recalling the day of experimentation, she was struck by the first time she had ever touched the staff. Using it on every item in the temple at once and instantly staggering from the strain. This wasn't nearly as bad, but nevertheless drained Kya's energy to the point her vision started to get a little fuzzy around the edges.
She might be able to use one or two more abilities with the staff, but she was nearing her limits here. If she were to pass out... she didn't think the isela would let her wake up.
This was all but confirmed as the bird was diving at her from above, four wings outstretched, razor sharp talons extended. Putting her left arm up over her head, she readied her dagger in her right hand. Starting to swing half a second before the monster struck, Kya was rewarded with the tug on the blade that meant she'd landed her blow.
Wincing in pain as a jagged gash had opened on her elbow, but then grunting in satisfaction, she saw at her feet one of the smaller wings had been severed from her blow.
Looking at her arm, she saw five shallow gouge marks on the cloth wrapping. The first layer had been sliced through, but not the second or third. It paid to be thorough, she thought in satisfaction. The slash on her elbow wasn't too bad either, mostly just a shallow cut where the wrap ended to allow her arm to bend, but it was deep enough to cause her pain whenever she moved her arm.
As she scanned her area, Kya saw the isela flying unsteadily to land on a nearby branch. It could still fly with just three wings, but it was clearly debilitated from the injury. Sensing the end of the fight was close, she ran towards the bird.
Using her staff one more time, she pulled down on the bird dragging it from its perch. This time met the frantic movements she associated with her pushes and pulls. She was hit equally by the effects of the staff, draining her almost to her breaking point. She saw nothing except the monster in front of her as she prepared what would be the final blow.
But she never got to strike.
Just as she was bringing her dagger down, the bird detonated point blank like a frag-grenade. Nearly every feather on its body exploded out at an extreme velocity. They weren't necessarily targeting her, but they didn't need to.
After only a few seconds, silence reigned around them. Leaves knocked loose from branches fluttered slowly to the ground, and new holes in the canopy above allowed in rays of sun like spotlights, dotting the now crimson forest floor.
Every single piece of exposed flesh resembled nothing so much as ground beef. Fortunately, Kya had wrapped nearly her entire body. But her elbows, shoulders, and knees were almost destroyed from the final attack of the avian isela.
Due entirely to luck, she had managed to move both of her arms to cover her face and neck, allowing her to at least survive the attack. But several feathers had passed her arms and taken chucks of hair and flesh from her skull, clipped her ear, slashed her cheek, and so on. At least thirty or forty of the feathers had lodged themselves in her cloth wrap armor. She could feel dozens of small puncture wounds all over her body. Nothing life threatening she hoped, but stinging and adding to the agony.
She was alive. She was not unscathed. With excruciating pain, and losing more blood than Kya believed a person really ought to, she got a potion from her bag and brought it to her lips. She sucked in a sharp breath, it stung like rubbing alcohol in her mouth where her cheek had been slashed, but she felt the potion begin its work immediately.
As with the rat, she wasn't fully healed, not immediately. It would take two or three more potions to recover from this. But she could move her arms and legs again. groaning, she looked around for that fucking bird.
Without feathers, without one of its wings, the bird had been slowly hopping away. It too was losing blood. It was regenerating the feathers on its head slowly, but it would be several hours before it could take to the skies again.
"No you fucking don't" she growled through gritted teeth. It still hurts to move. It hurt like hell. But she would not lose this fight. If the isela got away, she would consider that a loss.
Taking aim, she threw her dagger directly at the creature. She might have been able to use her staff one more time, but simply didn't have the confidence in staying conscious should she use it.
Her blade spun end over end, and her luck showing again, hit dead center in its back. She watched, holding her breath, until a few seconds later, finally got the confirmation:
- - - - -
- You have defeated Avian Isela - 1-Star - Uncommon.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
- Progress on Climbing the Ladder updated:
- Kill 10 monsters above common rarity, 2/10
- - - - -
"YES" Yelled Kya, into the forest, only semi-coherent after her bought "Take that you damned chicken!"
She slowly shuffled over, watching as the body was taken by the shadows. Interestingly, she noticed the shadows weren't entirely midnight black. There was, deep within the void, a barely visible spark of light. But after only a few more seconds, the shadows dispersed, and her dagger fell soundlessly to the forest floor.
She honestly couldn't tell if the spark had really been there or not, but also honestly didn't care much at this moment. As she returned the dagger to her waist, Kya reached in her bag, and took out the new uncommon token she'd received from the isela. It wasn't much different from the plain dull gray ones she got from the common monsters. On one side, it had a dull iron looking star, and the other an image of the monster itself. It was a wonderful image, showing the isela as a majestic beast flying down with wings outstretched. It looked regal and noble, like something to be revered, not as a thieving scavenger.
She still didn't know what these coins were for, but this was the first fight she felt she did not for a random and ambiguous quest reward, but because she wanted to. Kya had felt driven and determined to hunt and kill the monster. For petty selfish reasons perhaps, but reasons nonetheless.
She resolved to hold on to this one. It had been a damn good fight, and for that, she honestly thanked the bird.
Oddly enough, the feathers it launched hadn't disappeared with it. Meaning she now had a good four dozen of them to remove on her own. Taking a whiff on her next potion to make sure she was in the clear, Kya downed the contents and had just begun to pluck out feathers from her upper body when eight common rats, two common rabbits, and a weasel looking thing trampled their way through a bush thirty meters to her right... followed by two uncommon rats like generals on battlefield.
Kya had always considered herself as someone who enjoyed running. She had decided that, sometimes, running is a fantastic use of your energy. It's good for your health after all.
The smaller rats tried to give chase but couldn't keep up for long. They had a fantastic jump, but not the best ground speed. The uncommons, though, were built for chasing down prey. They were nothing compared to the isela, but they didn't need to be. It just needed to wear her down.
Not to be out shown simply by rarity, the common rabbits also kept up perfectly well. The aggressive little bastards had laid eyes on her and weren't likely to let her go so easily.
Kya's only plan at this point was to stall until she could drink another potion. Her arms still blazed with pain when she bent them too far, and each step pained her knees like she had arthritis. If it was just one of the creatures, she could probably have taken it. But all four together, two rats and two rabbits, that was simply too much.
And so, she ran.
She had a potion in one hand, her thumb over the small opening to keep its contents from spilling out as she made her prolonged escape. After only a couple of minutes though, she was able to smell the sweet lemony scent rather than the nauseating one and downed the contents immediately.
Step one complete, ensure I can actually fight these things. Theoretically anyway. But now she actually had to... yah know... do that.
Wanting to take out the largest threats first, she had a stupid hare-brained idea that immediately seemed not only plausible, but pretty cool too. Jumping up and spinning to face the rat, she briefly saw surprise register in its black eyes before she used her staff to fire her dagger outwards like a gun shot while still airborne.
It made her slightly woozy, still not quite recovered from the isela, but she knew she couldn't take any chances with an uncommon monster. So, pushing herself, she also pulled the rat towards the incoming dagger with an incoherent yell.
She ignored the notification, immediately minimizing it as the other rat snarled in outrage and jumped at Kya right as she landed. The two rabbits right behind following suit.
Not thinking, and simply working on instinct alone, she repelled the giant rat with a powerful jab of her staff, launching it back the way they'd come. The two rabbits both landed, one on her leg and the other on her chest.
They began clawing at her like paper shredders, but her cloth armor truly proved its worth, withstanding the frenzy of attacks and only showing minor damage as a result. Quickly, Kya slashed at the one on her chest, almost impaling herself in the process.
Cursing the close call, she moved to take the second one as well, before it tried to jump away. But she was not so easily escaped as that.
Pulling the knife back with a debilitating cramp in her stomach, Kya impaled the animal before it could hit the ground again.
One final time, she ignored the notification as she looked for the uncommon critter she'd sent flying. It had easily been fifteen or thirty seconds by now, it should ha-
It jumped on her back from the bushes behind her, having stalked around in the intervening time.
"AGH!" Kya cried out as it bit down on her exposed shoulder, causing her to drop her knife to the forest floor.
Its claws, luckily, did not find purchase against her cloth armor and could do much more than ineffectively scramble. That wasn't much of a comfort to Kya at the moment as the same fangs used to make her dagger were currently lodged in her bones.
Desperation winning out, she jumped and fell back on the rat, crushing it underneath her body weight. She pulled her dagger to her hand, then drove it over her shoulder and directly into the skull of the rat.
This simple action proved to be a step too far. She felt warm blood roll down her cheek as her right eye went completely black from overusing the staff. Kya dropped to the ground with an "oof" as the rat dissolved into shadows.
She laid there for several long seconds, just breathing. Her fight with the isela had been absolutely draining, throwing the rats and rabbits on top of that had been debilitating.
But, not wanting a repeat of what just happened, Kya dragged herself up leaning heavily on her staff, and shuffled away from the fight. Not in any particular direction, she was too tired to think of things as mundane as direction.
Just away.
Pulling up the notifications as she walked, she looked through them all
- - - - -
- You have defeated Forest Dweller Rat - 1-Star - Uncommon.
- Progress on Climbing the Ladder updated:
- Kill 10 monsters above common rarity, 3/10
- - - - -
- You have defeated Aggressive Rabbit - 1-Star - Common.
- - - - -
- You have defeated Aggressive Rabbit - 1-Star - Common.
- - - - -
- You have defeated Forest Dweller Rat - 1-Star- Uncommon.
- Progress on Climbing the Ladder updated:
- Kill 10 monsters above common rarity, 4/10
- - - - -
Happy with the progress to her quest, but exhausted from the effort it had taken, Kya finally leaned against a tree and slid softly to the ground. Uncorking another potion, she downed its contents as well. It was fortunate the monsters were so forthcoming with their bountiful loot, or she'd be dead already.
~ ~ ~
According to her timer, she spent one hour and eight minutes sitting against the tree and recovering. The common rats hadn't ever approached. Either giving up the chase or deciding that if the uncommons hadn't managed the kill, they probably shouldn't bother.
In this time, Kya made some important, albeit unfortunate discoveries. Firstly, using her timer, she concluded the time between potions varied between ten and fifteen minutes. She wasn't sure what the reason was for the variation, but assumed it had to do with the amount of damage recovered. As she got more and more healed, the potions needed to do less and less. It wasn't a concrete theory, but it made sense to her.
Secondly, while it seemed the health potions could repair, and even somewhat regenerate, they could not regrow completely. They also wouldn't restore a muscle to its exact previous state.
For example, while she had been healed of most of her wounds after taking 4 separate healing potions, they hadn't fully healed her. Her left shoulder now popped uncomfortably if she lifted the arm too high, and she could feel the weakness in the arm compared to her right. It was if the muscles needed to reacclimate. Her leg had eventually felt good as new after regrowing the small piece of muscle yesterday, so it would happen. It just needed time.
Kya also assumed if she could get her hands on some more powerful healing potions, there would be more marvelous effects. Instant healing, recovering from would be fatal wounds, even limb regrowth like the rats should be on the table. But for now, lengthy recovery periods were what she could expect.
Through the trees, Kya could see the suns had drifted ever onward. She still had a few hours until sunset and wanted to make the most out of it. Determined to make further progress on her quest before returning to the church for the night...
Oh.
"Well damn" she thought with sudden realization. She had run several miles in a random direction following the isela, then run further in another random direction away from the subsequent mob. She was absolutely and totally lost.
Climbing a tree, she tried to look around for any notable landmarks, but simply saw the pink and green trees in every direction.
Dropping back to the ground, she thought about what to do. Ultimately, she was going to have to leave the temple tomorrow anyway in order to make it to the city on time for her quest. She knew from watching the suns rise on her right side and set on her left side that the city was vaguely to the north of the temple.
As her only true guide at the moment, Kya set the suns to her left, and began walking in what she hoped was the correct direction. She still had a couple hours of daylight left and wanted to make the most of it.