Kaine grunted as he put down the batch of branches, as did the Dwarf Farvo who had gone with him. They had spent at least five hours going from tree to tree, which there weren’t many of in this grassy savanna, cutting off as many low hanging branches as possible.

“Well that outta do it for a few things…” Farvo said with a relieved sigh, then glancing over at the other two groups still gathering, “You’d think there isn’t much around here, but there’s actually a fair bit. Looks like the twins found some bushes ova’ there, not sure what Jedd’s dragging Lara into at that hill though.”

“Well, we’ve got firewood, at least.” Kaine mused, looking at the pile of varying branches.

“Nah, some of this is firewood cause its dry but the rest ain’t.” Farvo said, kneeling down and grabbing a rather young branch. “This sort of wood is strong and flexible, I can think of a couple more uses than that…”

“Looks like you’re in it for the advanced crafting system they added huh?” Kaine asked as he saw the dwarf peruse several branches and their leaves.

“Yeah, and those bastards over there of course, I do enjoy the survival aspect too. Can’t say I like the ‘Actually risking my life’ feature though.” Farvo said with a cold chuckle, then fully sitting down and unsheathing his sword, the Dwarf began smoothing out the thinner branches. “What can you tell me about the crafting system? Anything I should know?” he then asked.

“Ah…not much. The actual mechanics are different from the old game, I know that much from the trailers and gameplay previews.” Kaine admitted as he crouched down next to him, watching him work. “Before we didn’t have the smart-system assisting us in actually crafting, we use to just put the resources on a bench and selected the outcome on a menu. Now like you’re doing, everything is alterable. The sheer graphics behind it is insane.”

“I’m shaving bark off a branch, pull your pants up techfreak.” Farvo joked.

Kaine rolled his eyes, “As, for what did stay…Remember the bonuses mentioned during race selection? Yeah, those aren’t everything, just what the devs chose to show us. Each race has different abilities and passives hidden away until a player stumbles upon it and refines it to the point they can actually use it at will.”

“Like you talking with a big fucking elephant?” Farvo guessed, “Emphasis on big.”

“Yeah…that, is an example. Neither Roy nor Rey understood a word the Gaizedon spoke, so it was using its own skill in accordance to my hidden skill to speak to me. Therefore I’ve ‘Discovered’ I’m capable of that, but I still need to unlock it.” Kaine explained.

“And how do you unlock it?” Farvo asked as he finished chopping off smaller sticks off the thin long branch, then still using his sword, he moved on to actually carving off the bark.

“That’s the complicated part,” Kaine sighed, “It’s mostly trial and error. So, I guess to unlock that ability I’d have to…try and start a conversation with other animals? Skills like this one, that is multipurpose, are more easily unlocked the more differing uses you try to force out of it. So just speaking to Gaizedons would unlock it much slower for me than say, trying to speak to several species of animals.”

“Hm, makes sense.” Farvo mused as he continued to smooth out the now staff-like branch.

“The same goes for crafting, each race has several abilities that aid the player in certain crafting types. For you dwarves if I’m not mistaken…” Kaine paused for a moment to think, “You have the ability to recognise all kinds of ores and minerals, plus the passive of being able to literally sense iron, gold and mithril ore in your surroundings.”

“Shit seriously? Like mentally locate it and shit?” Farvo asked as he turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

“More like…see it? It’s something to do with sight.” Kaine answered unsurely.

“I’ll…have to look into that.” Farvo mused, returning to his task.

“Look into what?” Rey asked as she and her brother arrived at the agreed camp-grounds, Roy being shirtless as he held a stack of black berries over his shirt.

While Rey…held nothing and ate off him…

Roy did not look pleased with this arrangement.

“Those even edible?” Kaine asked, sceptically staring at the berries

“Well, she’d be dead if they weren’t, and yeah pretty sure they are.” Roy was the one to answer, as he put the berries down along with his shirt.

“What’s with all the branches?” Rey then asked, “We don’t need a bloody bonfire…”

Farvo sighed, “I can think of a…couple more uses than that.” He hated repeating himself. Then standing up and revealing what he had been working on. As he now held a smooth, long, wooden pole which ended in a sharpened point.

“A spear?” Rey guessed.

“Hell no, you think this thin little thing is gonna stop a cavalry charge? It’s just barely better than an arrow, come on I’ll give you a second guess.” Farvo said as he grabbed another, shorter, thicker branch he had also slightly modified.

“Ah, I think I get where you’re going.” Roy mused, taking the two pieces of wood off the dwarf.

Rey and Kaine glanced at each other, both still unsure and confused. Then watching as Roy put the two large sticks together, placing the sharpened one’s butt over a thinned-out point at the end and growing out of the shorter, thicker stick. Where it seemed to slightly hold on, as Farvo had dug the sharpened branch’s butt inwards for it to do fit in and stay in place.

They watched as Roy then held the two sticks with one hand, the shorter by the smooth end, and his index finger holding the thinner, sharpened branch above it.

He raised his right arm over his shoulder, seemingly aiming the pointed branch with the shorter one.

And then it came to him, Kaine realised what they were doing.

As Roy took aim at the empty grass ahead, using the shorter stick as propulsion to push the long and thin branch ahead whilst he swung…And in one smooth motion, he sent the make-shift javelin flying forth.

Cleanly impaling some poor, innocent shrubbery.

“Cool, you can throw sticks…We have swords.” Rey pointed out, unsheathing hers and using it to gesture at Roy and Kaine’s.

Farvo used his to point at the Goldebeests now settling upstream, “I’d pay good fucking money to see you try and kill one of those with just a copper sword.”

Seemingly sensing the hostility, a Goldebeest’s head rose up and stared at them.

“Touché,” Rey said as she remembered the speed at which the herd had passed by them with, “so what, we’re supposed to hope we hit them with that then?”

“I’ll make a propeller for each of you and carve out some more ammunition, then yeah, throw and pray.” Farvo shrugged as he sat back down next to the pile of branches.

“Well that sounds…encouraging.” Kaine chuckled.

“Hope it is, cause that’s going to be the plan.” Jedd announced as she and Lara returned with Slayn in tail. Each held a variety of plants in their hands and on the grizzly’s back, from ones with long thick stems and others looking no more than a mess of golden leaves.

“So, we going hunting then?” Roy asked, glancing between the herd and Slayn.

“I am, you ain’t. Jor and Rey are going with me, you three brainiacs…” Jedd gestured at their gathered resources, “Figure this shit out in the meantime.”

“Aye aye, capn.” Farvo said half-mindedly as he continued his work, “While you wait tho, might as well watch and learn something.”

Rey groaned, “Do I have to?” continuing to pick berries off the stack.

-

-

4 Hours later

Kaine stalked low along the grass, several dozen feet away from the herd ahead.

He kept as low as possible, very slowly moving forwards whilst remaining crouched.

He glanced to his left, knowing Rey was somewhere around there also taking position, yet he couldn’t make her out through the tall golden blades and scarce shrubbery.

Finding himself some thick brush, Kaine glanced from around it. Seeing the nearest Goldebeest standing about ten feet from his position, busy with grazing, it didn’t notice him.

Looking back the way he came from, he then saw Jedd far off behind, laying over Slayn who was very obvious among the landscape.

So obvious, that most of the male Goldebeest were focused on him, seemingly watching for the grizzly’s next step after having stopped to watch them.

Making sure he wasn’t within line of sight of any of the herd, Kaine waved at her from his position, then prepared one of the make-shift javelins Farvo had made. Of which, along the one he now had in his hands, he had a set of six tied to his back with strong plant fibre.

Watching the herd closely, he glanced at Jedd and Slayn several times too.

Then finally seeing the Beastwoman and her tame begin to move, Kaine next focused entirely on the Goldebeest herd.

Rey’s in position…here it goes.

He thought, readying the javelin and his posture.

As Jedd made Slayn carry her towards the river, not getting any closer to the Goldebeest while also not going too far.

Keeping their attention, demanding it as the great beast of a bear prowled about.

Coming to stand at the river, Slayn continued onwards as if moving around them entirely.

At which point, Slayn suddenly roared. A long and guttural growl that quickly spooked the entire herd. The young and females raising their heads from the grass and quickly moving away from Slayn, while the males kept watch, seemingly confused and unsure of this strange alien creature before them.

But then, Slayn charged. Huffing as he quickly gained speed towards the now terrified beasts.

As the herd, males and all, turned to run. Whining and signalling one another to retreat, the entire herd began to move. As one, they stayed together even during a retreat, which made it all the easier to tell how a specific target among them was going to move…

As Kaine suddenly stepped around the bush, whilst a fairly large female dashed towards him. He swung his weapon, pushing the javelin forth and sending it flying into the incoming spooked beast.

It whined and cried, as the sharpened wooden projectile sunk into its front left should, yet it continued onwards still. Slowly, weakly, it struggled to run.

Kaine though quickly moved to set up a second shot, pulling another javelin off his back straps and setting it up. He took aim and…

Pain, loss of breath…and then dirt.

That’s what Kaine saw and felt as something crashed into him hard, briefly feeling himself being lifted off his feet before tumbling back down into the golden grass. He groaned as he rose, seeing the male Goldebeest that had struck him now dashing away. Willing to attack a predator on the way, but not willing to fight it out.

The female though, much to the male’s success, was beyond Kaine’s range now.

A brief success, as Rey suddenly rose from a taller patch of grass nearby it, sinking her javelin into the female’s side and sending it toppling over.

Slayn and Jedd quickly rushed after the fallen Goldebeest, falling upon it within mere moments, then mauling it to death.

Your party has killed {Female Goldebeest [Level 2] } Shared Martial experience gained 20/100

“Oi! Newbie! You still breathin?” Rey exclaimed in question as she ran over to him, finding Kaine laying on his back and clutching his side.

“Ahah...Cleric…heal…” Kaine chuckled through the pain, breathing deeply to recover his lost breath. “Bastard got me good.” He said, trying to sit up.

{ [Life]; 8/10 }

“Pfft, 2 damage? You’re fine homie, come on.” Rey chuckled too, but as she forwarded him her hand, Kaine noticed the panic drain from her face.

He took her hand and she pulled him up, Kaine then suddenly feeling every bit of that 2 points of damage straining his side as she did.

“Well…there’s probably a bruise system…shit.” Kaine groaned as he carefully stretched from side to side.

“Please, that shit awesome back there!” Rey said excitedly, “And while you were kissing the dirt I nailed our target!” She giggled happily, enthusiastic about her performance.

“Yeah…at least you didn’t get ran over by a stampede-” Kaine said but was cut off, as Rey’s hand slapped his side, causing him more pain.

“Hah, that’s your own fault for not paying attention mate.” Rey teased as he bent forward from the sudden jolt of agony. “Ah…sorry.” Then apologising as she noticed just how painful it seemed.

“I-I’ll be fine…” Kaine assured, looking up at her to suddenly find himself laying entranced.

As the sun set behind her, the ember rays of light shining through her golden hair whilst she stared down at him with wide worried blue eyes.

God damn she looks good from this close.

Kaine had to admit to himself.

And Rey noticed this dragged on stare of his, growing a wide grin as she did. “Oh? Have you perhaps fallen in love with this elegant amazoness?” She asked teasingly, even posing dramatically as he rose back and away.

“P-Please don’t be ridiculous,” Kaine said in embarrassment, turning away from her. “Amazons don’t l-” He was about to continue, but Rey’s hand suddenly clenching his side stole every breath away from him, causing him to fall back down to his knees once more.

“You-What’s that supposed to mean!?” Rey exclaimed in sudden annoyance, feeling insulted.

Gorgeous…and a deadly temper…

Kaine then mused as he held his tormented side.

“Oi! If you’re done fucking around, we have other problems!” Jedd suddenly exclaimed, gaining both of their attentions…As they turned to her to see Slayn drag away their kill.

And before them both, as the herd continued its escape, shadows moved among the grasslands.

Kaine watched in awe as the predators used his party’s ploy for their own benefit, leaping out of their hiding places and picking off the spooked herd one by one.

With the lower torso and hinds legs of a cheetah, then the front torso, legs and head of some strange black & white feathered bird of prey. Their tail starting out as a cheetah’s but continuing halfway with white and black feathers.

They also had the ears of the large cat, but everything below was bird in nature, even the eyes which were a deep gold surrounded by either crimson or ember skin.

The half bird, half feline beasts were insanely quick too. Springing out of the grass it would spread its wings wide to glide into a Goldebeest’s path, colliding and then grappling onto them.

Using their sudden momentum to topple their prey into the ground, but unlike the usual cheetah, these beasts did not use their fangs to kill. Instead, after pushing their prey down…

They watched horrified, as the beasts would stand away and up, rising on their hind legs before ferociously starting to stomp on the Goldebeests. Their long front talons slashing aside any resistance, while their surprisingly powerful bird-like legs pummelled their prey out of their senses.

Raising a cloud of dirt around its bloodied and bruised prey.

Before going in for the final strike, using their sharp and thin beaks to tear into the beast’s throat and take away its final breaths.

Kaine felt a chill go up against his spine, as he saw just how effective these predators were. Running even faster than the Goldebeest’s themselves, they also had flight on their side with their long and powerful wings. While thin in build and smaller than the Goldebeests, their attacks were still powerful enough to overwhelm and knock them out.

Female Gryphah [Level 5]

There were only two of them, but the Gryphahs had already taken down three Goldebeests. And Kaine suspected it would have been more…if one hadn’t just turned to stare directly at them.

It was merely a moment, but it seemed like several minutes to them. As it stared them down with its bird-like eyes, showing none of the usual ignorance, but instead a cold intelligence…

It screeched at them suddenly, half-opening its wings to make itself seem larger, as it slowly approached. Snarling and screeching, trying to seem as menacing as possible.

But as Slayn’s guttural roar bellowed towards it, the beast immediately turned tail and dashed off for several meters. Spooked out by the larger beast’s depth of voice.

Yet stopping at its mate’s closest kill, seemingly unwilling to give it up even if it actually had to fight Slayn for it. Its mate joined it right then, but kept its distance while it prowled around, seemingly trying to flank Slayn and them.

“Should we run, or fight?” Rey asked as she prepared a javelin.

“No, don’t run, we’ll be hunted down like the Goldebeests if we run.” Jedd said harshly, “Stand tall, back away slowly.”

At which point Slayn began to rise onto his hind legs, the two Gryphahs watching him with widening eyes as the massive bear got even larger before them.

Each of them taking a step back at the chilling sight.

Slowly, Kaine and his party began to back away.

“Slayn, spook em boy.” Jedd said, and the bear opened up its maw wide, bellowing angrily at the two.

Kaine watched as the sudden sound made both of the Gryphahs fearfully twitch and back away, one of them then biting onto the Goldebeest’s antler and starting to drag it off while its mate kept watch on the big ass grizzly.

“We’re almost fine now, but don’t relax, keep eye contact with the one still staring at us.” Jedd told them, “Slayn start dragging off our kill to camp.”

The bear whined in acknowledgement of her command, then did as told. Biting down lightly onto the female Goldebeest’s left hind leg and dragging it off with great ease.

“Alright, I’ll keep eye contact, you two move back with Slayn. This will tell them we’re not interested in a fight.” Jedd said with a commanding tone.

“Aight, come’on newbie.” Rey said nerviously, the thick tension of the moment seeming to affect her greatly as some sort of accent escaped her right then.

“Right…” Kaine said, turning about and starting to move away with Rey, but neither of them relaxing the grip on their weapons in the slightest.

Several moments went by, as they followed Slayn off, the both of them glancing back at Jedd from moment to moment to see her slowly backing away while still locking eyes with the one Gryphah.

Finally though, it seemed to lose interest, as it turned about and quickly dashed after its mate who had dragged their kill further back next to another corpse.

Seeing this, Jedd also backed off, turning about and calmly walking towards them.

And they briefly waited on her.

“That about took one life out of my nine.” Rey said, sighing with relief when Jedd reached them.

“Yeah…how’d you know what to do there Jedd?” Kaine asked out of curiosity from seeing her calm decision making.

“Ahaha…My dad’s real big on hunting and the outdoors.” She admitted with a chuckle, “He’s told me a lot of shit I never thought would come in useful.”

“Huh”, Kaine then glanced at Slayn, somehow something made a lot more sense now.

“Better than my good-for-nothing, spends the entire time at the damn lab.” Rey sighed in annoyance.

Silence, awkward silence briefly filled the void that was their expectation of a response from Kaine. As he coughed and backed away from them, “Let’s get to the others before those things have a second thought of Slayn being worth fighting…”

Slayn whined in agreement, as he nervously dragged the Goldebeest off.

“Yeap, can agree with that.” Jedd said with an awkward chuckle, pushing Rey forth who was deep in thought whilst staring at Kaine’s withdrawing form. “Definitely have to take this thing apart before it starts to smell.”

“T-Take what apart?” Rey asked after recovering from stumbling forwards.

“The Goldebeest.” Jedd said, gesturing at the corpse as if it was obvious.

Rey stared at her briefly, before her eyes widened. “Wait you don’t mean…”

“This game doesn’t have a loot assist system…” Kaine seemingly realised, as he also turned to stare at the corpse.

“Yeap, gonna have to do with manually.” Jedd said with a wide grin as she walked after Slayn.

“Ah…oh…I think I’m gonna hurl…” Rey said as her expression paled.