Sachihiro

The grasslands leading up to the Eldritch lands are mostly flat with tall yellow stalks of grass that could hide any multitude of predictors and it does, but Gaia and I choose speed over stealth as we rustle through the grass at a respectable clip. I run with Kata in my left hand my senses questing feeling out for potential danger, alert in our haste.

The grassland fox is a known hunter of anything human sized in these parts, I've studied the maps of our route and other parts of the Pangaea extensively. Gaia signals that we are being stalked from my left about 20m away, I nod and we increase our pace turning slightly to avoid the single tree we can see ahead.

We run well around large stand out vegetation and eventually he signals that we're clear and we decrease our pace again so as to retain stamina. There are a few thick squart trees that break the monotony of the tall yellow grass but they usually house their own unique habitats that are best not to be disturbed in these parts. Every tree the hunting ground of something with teeth.

We watch a herd of beast deer over 3m tall on the shoulder grazing in the distance on our stop at a relatively clear hill, they are majestic creatures with golden fur coats and gayly painted faces that shimmer whenever they look up. It is said the Aldermen call them Impalas and only hunt for them once a year, I'm not even sure why I read up on the Aldermen to begin with but I've been soaking up knowledge at the library like a dry sponge sucking up water.

"You ready to go?" I ask Gaia after we've taken 30 minutes to rest and refresh ourselves whilst watching the majestic creatures that own the grasslands. It's a matter of letting your senses of alertness relax as much as it is catching a breathe, much is replenished.

He nods and we're off at a jog heading into the Aldermen controlled territories. It isn't long before we come across a stealth grass python almost immediately at the territory border and I dodge and roll as the snake's head sails past me faster than most would have been able to follow.

The thing is very fast and it surprised us meaning it has better stealth than we have senses as it practically disappears into the grass before our eyes. I turn around in a circle slowly and quietly pulling Razor from it's sheath while Gaia unlimbers his shield from his back.

He uses it almost immediately as the thing flashes fast towards him from his left, he has just enough time to get his shield up, there is an audible thump and the shield splinters as fangs dig deep into it even as the rest of the snaked coils quickly around him. My Kata is there in a flash as it cuts through the air and hits perfectly with a thump at the snake's head right between it's eyes before falling onto the grass barely having made a stretch.

The thing is fast and resilient enough for it's scales to deflect a direct hit by an artifact weapon. I rush in with my o-katana Razor even as I hear Gaia's arm audible snap from the thing's consteiction. His aura flares up higher as he enhances himself and fortifies his body trying to buy time but by the time I get within reach he is clearly already fading from something, poison?

I jump up and come down with all my strength having blown my Chakra pools in a rainbow activating afterimage, using it as a force multiplier even as my katana is honed in as sharp a spirit aura as I can maintain. I come down on the thing like the hand of an angry deity point first with one of the sharpest blades ever designed and my strike leaves a bloody line as it rips scales off the thing causing it to release Gaia as it hisses, it's annoyed but I didn't penetrate deeper than the scales.

I strike at it again not even causing a scratch as it slithers into the grass and disappears, how such a big snake disappears like that I'm eager to find out. Gaia coughs up blood as he sways on one knee, both his arms mangled flesh hanging uselessly at his sides. His eyes are lucid, digits spasming in obvious pain but his eyes are lucid. Mhmm, that's phenomenal control of the Rage for someone without a zanupakto.

"You good?" I ask still circling around to check if the thing is gone or preparing another ambush.

"I-it, it's still here," he manages to say from his position before closing his eyes breathing past the pain.

My sight, my aura sense , my feel, my hearing, my soul detect none of my senses can find the thing and by what I've seen of it I'm estimating it's at least 8 to 10m long. I slowly unlimber my pack from my back then my nodachi but I don't finish as the thing slithers out of nowhere, I spin and deflect the head with Razor as it misses me by centimeters and it's long powerful muscle of a body follows in the head's wake.

I strike twice more at the body not breaking into the skin even with my afterimage and aura enhanced strength but it does hiss in pain even as it again disappears into the grass. Spirits beyond, how on Gaia do other creatures live in the same habitat with that thing?

I think I've found a weakness though and I grab my sheathed nodachi sheathing Razor back onto my hip and prepare for another attack. I don't have to wait long and I swing my heavy celestial iron and obsidian made pole-arm with everything I have at the things head directly.

"We need to get out of here," I say to Gaia after cutting the snake's head even as the body continues to contort like it has a mind of it's own.

"We can use my sword sheaths as splints and get you moving without perpetuating your injuries, I'm gonna need to bind your ribs as well. You ready?"

Gaia nods and I get to work on his arms, pulling the bones into alignment with a snapping sound that has him shivering after before I start binding the arm with Razor's sheath. I do the ribs next much gentler because they are already in alignment, just slightly fractured and bruised.

"I can't believe the thing did this much damage in the little time it had you," I say going to his other arm twitching uselessly at his side.

"It's a magical bea- Ahhhhh...!" He pants as I start binding his arm on my nodachi's sheath, my blade is conspicuously silent to my senses after this fight but I have no time to investigate now.

"Come on, we may still need to defend ourselves come nightfall," I say pulling him up and we walk then jog awkwardly towards the rolling hills of Eldritch.

We do need to defend ourselves again come nightfall but thankfully it isn't from mimics, unfortunately its from sciamachy. A battle against siamachy is almost unending, but at least I can manage them alone at their current level.

Its a long night but we keep moving forward even through the deluge of battle.