Frostbitten Wayfarer

Zoe peered through her Cosmic Vision at the glimpses of space around her, searching for the massive bear that was eluding them, but nothing came through. No furs, no tracks. Looking around the site they found it looked the same as the last. Destruction wrought on the forest in a small area, and then the bear seemed to vanish. No branches out of place, no trees with deep gouges. No leaves or dirt pushed aside by the bear’s powerful steps.

“Dammit.” Klia repeated in a hushed whisper, anxiety and excitement wafting off her. “We need to move now, but where the hell did it go.”

Zoe shrugged and pointed back where they came from. “We know it didn’t come from that way at least.”

“Do we? What if we just missed it on our rush over here?" Klia asked.

“That’s a good point, but then we’d miss it when we search for it somewhere else anyway.” Zoe suggested.

Klia nodded, and started walking at a brisk pace through the forest opposite from where the last tracks they found were. “We’ll just hope it’s going in a straight line then. Nothing better to do.”

Zoe thought about summoning another Cosmic Familiar to help search for it, but decided against it for now. If the familiar hadn’t spooked it just now, then the bear might not have run off again.

The two girls wandered through the forest for a few minutes more before Klia pointed through the trees and Zoe felt an intense pleasure overwhelm her empathy before it was pushed down by force and replaced with an eerie calm. Zoe followed where Klia was pointing and in the distance was the slightest hint of dark brown matted fur poking through some of the leaves.

“It’s there.” Klia said in an almost inaudible whisper. “It’s right there.”

Zoe nodded. “What do we do?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

“Get as close as we can and then kill it.” Klia whispered.

Zoe nodded, and the two stepped through the forest after the bear, each foot placed with care to not make any noise. The bear continued its gentle walk through the forest, making not even the faintest sound to Zoe’s ears. There was no rotting smell or wet earthy scents from the bear, and even Zoe’s eyes failed to follow its movements at times as it weaved through the trees.

But of the glimpses she did get, the bear was massive. Far larger than she expected even after being told it was enormous. The bear’s massive paws were larger than Zoe’s torso, and the thick trunks it had as legs were towered over her. Even standing on Klia’s shoulders, she wasn’t sure she’d even make it to eye level with the beast when it was standing on all fours. Let alone when it reared up on its hind legs. Calling the bear massive was a gross understatement. The bear was gargantuan, a titan like none other.

Soon they were close enough for Zoe’s Identify to work. Dark blue one hundred fifty eight, one level higher than when Klia last identified it. The two girls had stopped whispering, communicating in rudimentary gestures. Zoe acted like she was picking up something heavy with her hands and moving it, Klia responded with a nod, followed by an unsure shrug and crossing her thumb across her neck.

Zoe took that to mean she could try, but if anything went wrong Klia would be trying to slay the beast. And after seeing just how large the bear was, Zoe began to question if she’d even be able to move it anyway. If the bear behaved itself and let her carry it, then maybe. But while the bear was flailing and struggling, trying to break free from its restraints?

She shook her head, took a deep silent breath and focused on the bears form. Spires of earth shot up from around the bears legs, grabbing onto its ankles and crawling up its legs. The bear let out a thunderous roar that shook the trees and ripped its legs from the thick earthen shackles that attempted to bind it.

“No good.” Zoe shouted at Klia through the deafening roar.

Klia summoned a beautiful wooden bow with a shining gold string and drew it back, an glowing arrow of light appeared on the string and she let it loose at the bear. The arrow flew through the sky, splitting into two arrows, then four, by the time they reached the bear there were sixteen glowing arrows that pierced into the bear’s flesh. Dark red blood oozed from the wounds, seeping into the already matted brown fur as the bear roared again. The forest quaked under its power, and Zoe felt her ears sting from the sound.

The bear shot off into the forest, its massive, frantic steps making little more than small ripples in the earth and dull distant thuds. Klia put her bow back into her storage item and ran off after the bear, with Zoe following close behind. As they ran, Zoe summoned pillars of earth beneath the bear to slow it down and Klia quickly caught up. She hopped on the bear’s leg, stabbing a dagger into its fur and used it like an ice pick to climb up to the bear’s back.

Zoe teleported herself up above the bear while Klia wasn’t looking and then floated down in a suit of earth. The bear reared up on its hind legs and slammed its back into a nearby tree, smashing through it like a frail twig and falling to the ground. Klia and Zoe pushed off the bear, just escaping the crushing blow but being thrown aside like dolls from the force of the bear hitting the ground.

The bear rolled to its side and smashed its paw into Klia as she tumbled across the ground, sending her flying into a nearby tree that buckled from the impact. She pushed off the tree and leapt onto the bear’s side, stabbing her dagger into it several times as the bear roared and tried to throw her off.

Zoe summoned spires of earth that pierced into the boar’s legs as it tried to stand up. The bear tore through them, but as each one shattered Zoe summoned another, pulling the bear’s legs back down to the ground. It struggled against the two girls’ assault, but soon the sounds of the desperate struggle were replaced with silence as the bear breathed its final breath.

Klia hopped off the bear and nodded to Zoe. “Good job.”

Zoe nodded, feeling rather pleased with her performance. “What was that bow?”

“It was my grandfather’s. He left it to me when he died, I’ve never had a need to use it until now though.” Klia answered.

“Was he an enchanter, then?" Zoe asked.

“I’m not sure, he was pretty secretive. He worked with wood a lot, though. Anyway, you have any experience with cleaning kills?" Klia asked.

“Yeah.” Zoe answered.

Klia pointed to one side of the bear. “You start there then.”

The two began cutting into the bear, the matted fur was rock hard in some places and at best felt like pulling apart splinters from a plank of softwood. The hide itself was scarred and damaged, while the meat below was a deep almost purple colour with very little intramuscular fat.

It took the two just over two hours to break the bear down and store the parts away in their storage items, and then Zoe flew them back to the village where Klia shared some of their haul with the townspeople. Everybody seemed excited that the menace was dealt with at last, and somebody even suggested they hold a celebratory feast and plans began to form as the town erupted with excitement. Zoe traded over the bits of bear she had in her bracelet to somebody who was helping plan the feast and then made her way to relax in Kurn’s Inn.

She watched the people outside rush around as they set up tables and chairs. Several even came in to Kurn’s inn to help cook some of the bear meat for the feast, food piled up on tables and counters that were brought in to help with the preparation.

Hours of an infectious excitement later, and the thirty odd people who lived in the village were sitting out in the town center around the ornate stone fountain with piles of prepared food laid out on banquet tables. Bear meat, colourful produce with beautiful flower arrangements set in crystal vases throughout.

The town mayor stood at the fountain, smiling at the small group of people. Her red hair was tied up and fell down the back of her simple purple dress.

“Tonight we celebrate the death of a beast. That it needed to be slain is unfortunate, but its death will fill our bellies and warm our homes. Our feast may not be the most delicious, but it is a reminder of the lives we lead and the beauty that fills our world. May we prosper, and may this beast’s soul rest easy.” She said to cheers and laughter from the villagers.

People got up from their chairs and began filling their plates with food. Zoe grabbed some of the roasted bear meat and filled her plate with colourful produce and some food that seemed like a mix between couscous and grits. A grain smaller than couscous maybe, Zoe thought. It smelled nice though, of ifosa and alliums.

She sat back down at her seat next to an older man with gray hair and a young girl who looked about twelve who was talking with what seemed to be her mother in the next seat over. The bear meat was tough and incredibly gamey, even after all the work the cooks put into tenderizing it. But the fruits and vegetables were sweet and tender, with pops of acid and a hint of heat.

The man next to her smiled at her as she ate. “I heard you helped Klia hunt the bear?” He asked.

Zoe nodded. “Yeah. I did, it was fun I think. I’ve never hunted bear before.”

He laughed. “Quite the bear to hunt for your first time hunting bear.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me. What a massive animal. I had no idea they could even get that high level, honestly.” Zoe said.

He nodded. “Well thank you. It’s been nothing but trouble for us lately, so I’m glad you were able to deal with it.”

“Oh I didn’t do much, I just tagged along really. This was all Klia.” Zoe smiled.

“She’s been hunting it for a month, and then you show up and it’s dealt with in a matter of hours. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.” He said. “Or maybe you just don’t want the credit.”

Zoe shrugged. “Is that so bad?”

The man laughed. “I suppose not. I’m George, it’s nice to meet you Zoe.”

“Nice to meet you too, George. What do you do here?” Zoe asked.

“I’m the village healer. The little girl next to you,” He pointed at the young girl sat beside Zoe. “Is my apprentice.”

“Oh really?” Zoe said and looked at the girl.

The girl smiled, bits of food stuck in her teeth as she chowed down on the tough meat. “I’m Hinar!”

“Hello, Hinar,” Zoe said. “You’re training to be a healer?"

“Yeah!” Hinar answered.

They chatted for a while longer as they finished eating, about how terrible the bear meat was and the hard work the farmers put in to filling their plates with all the fresh produce. And when people were done eating, the tables were shove to the side to make room for a massive bonfire that was lit next to the fountain.

Three people walked up next to the fountain and played some music. One had a pair of drums they held in their hands, filled with some kind of grain that rattled around as they shook them. Another had an odd shaped flute like instrument that played a low pitched tune and the final tapped metal spurs on the ground with their feet as they sang in a language Zoe couldn’t understand.

The music was jaunty and fun, and the people danced around the bonfire in bouncy steps to the music’s beat as the sun set and the stars filled the night sky. Zoe hopped in and bounced around with everybody else for a while as the bonfire flickered away and burned down to a smouldering pile of ash that Zoe was tempted to thrust into the sky with her Cinders skill.

When the celebration ended, people made their ways back to their own homes to sleep and Zoe found her way back to Kurn’s inn where he was sitting at a table sipping on some tea. Zoe poured herself a cup of tea then sat down across from him.

“You have fun?" Kurn asked.

Zoe nodded. “Yeah I think I did. I’ve never been a part of something so… No offense, but small? I’ve been in big festivals before but never a whole village that all seemed so close like this. It was fun. The bear sucked though.”

Kurn laughed. “Yeah, it did. But better we eat some bad food than waste a good animal for no reason.”

“I don’t disagree. But I’ve never been to a celebration feast where the food was intentionally bad.” Zoe laughed.

“Can’t say I have either. Not often we get bears like that around here.” Kurn said. “Some older ones for sure, but usually they either move somewhere else, or at least leave us alone.” He looked at Zoe. “Thank you for this, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” Zoe asked.

“For helping Klia like this. I imagine with all your loops you could have found and killed the bear yourself just fine, but you didn’t do that. Thank you.” Kurn said.

Zoe shrugged. “I didn’t do it to be thanked, and who knows maybe I couldn’t have found it myself anyway. It was pretty good at hiding itself.”

Kurn stared at Zoe for a moment with a look of admiration. “Could you have?"

“Probably.” Zoe shrugged. “Who knows for sure.”

Kurn nodded and stood up. “Well, I’m going to head to sleep. Sleep well.”

Zoe said goodnight as he walked off to one of the back rooms, and then walked out of the inn and Cosmic Stepped far into the sky, catching herself in an earthen suit. The village was fun, and the people were nice, but she was excited to move on to Darpi.