Act I
Whistle* I was whistling as I cleaned the corpse of a Longhorn Bison, I was being helped by Elcipsa using her dagger to cut as I washed the pelt and meat using the flowing water of the river.
"I think I can make a skirt with this pelt." I said Idly, as I washed and looked around and saw Chara was busy smoking meat, while Seraphina was out scouting and gathering branches for me.
"You do know she doesn't mind you peeking right?" Eclipsa said as she gave me a dirty smile, I shook it off.
"Even if she doesn't mind, I do." It was especially distracting whenever Seraphina and Eclipsa trained. I swear I repair her grass skirt and top every other day now.
"You're a prude, alright that's enough meat. Hand me what you finished cleaning, and I'll get them to Chara." I nodded, passing her a basket of meat, while I kept the pelt. The rest of the corpse was lying next to me as Eclipsa hefted the heavy basket away.
"I wonder if I have a real chance with those two. . . Maybe I'll try something after all of this." I promised myself as I continued with the pelt, when it smelled less disgusting I stopped washing it, tied it on a rope and framed it to dry next to the river.
Then I looked at the corpse, there wasn't much of it left, mostly fat, bones, organs and the hard to butcher meat. This was the first time I skinned something ever since I woke up from my first dream challenge.
"Please accept my sacrifice, Lord Lightbringer." I simplified the prayer, to test if it would work.
[You have purified a soul]
I heard that whisper again. . . It works, even with a simplified prayer, the ritual still works as I watch the remnants of the corpse turn into white ash and pale smoke. The ash scattered, disappearing into the wet rocky riverside while the smoke seeped into me.
[18/100 Purified souls]
I was looking at my chest, I didn't feel any stronger after making my latest sacrifice. I wonder why? Is it a small change? I shrugged it off. I have a few ideas on what was happening but I can only confirm it after I purified two more souls.
Crunch* I heard something, I looked towards the west. I was already going for my bow stringing it, but then I paused and relaxed. The sound came from Seraphina as she walked out of the brush and then she started fording the river that only reached her hips.
"Here let me help." I said as I quickly reached her, taking the bundle of branches from her with one hand and another to pull her out of the river. Like the rest in our party she was light, atleast enough for me to carry with only one hand.
"How's the horde? Are they still fighting each other?" I asked, it started happening a night after we started building our base.
The horde we found a few days ago got bigger and bigger and then other types of Horrors appeared and they started fighting. We've been studying them ever since, or atleast I was and from what I gathered they were going through a territorial war of some kind.
"Nothing changed, only the iron ranks were fighting each other, the bronze and silver ranks only watched." I nodded, as I let her down and started going towards the fire, I'm gonna borrow Eclipsa's dagger to craft myself a new bow.
"Do you think we can hunt another loner like the one in the morning?" I asked, as Seraphina was walking next to me.
"Maybe, I found a few of them on my way. They were cautious, giving me a wide berth whenever I encountered one of them." That's good, atleast we won't be hungry if the horde keeps exiling their members.
But still I worry why they're doing what they're doing. It was the mistake of the early century to think everything inside the dreaming were mindless Horrors, it was one of the reasons Terra was missing a few continents.
No, they had an intent, as well as instinct that kept them alive. It's just that most Horror's intent were too alien for people to understand, but atleast these beast types were much simpler.
I finished thinking as we reached the other two in our group, they acknowledged us as we joined them, that was when I shared my thoughts.
"We should spend only a few more days here, hunt as much as we can and then move somewhere else. I think the horde is preparing for a migration." It was hard to read their faces.
"What do you mean Dani?" Chara spoke, I can hear a rising panic in his voice.
"A beast wave, it's a behavior that many beast type horrors possess, where a population of horrors would migrate. There were no records of how a migration began, only the descriptions of different low rank monsters flooding from one region to another." I'm still not sure why they were doing it, but from how all the exiles were low ranked this might be the beginning of what the journals described as a beast wave.
Act II
Splash* Oik?* Eclipsa threw a rock into a stream, the sound alerted a Heavy tusk boar. It was alone as it drank water from the same stream, its large spade-like snout sniffed the air as it looked around itself.
But it saw nothing, but the orange and yellow foliage around itself. Thuk* OIIK* An arrow flew from behind it, striking its back leg. All it could do was scream in pain as it started running forward, trying to avoid the thing that gave it pain.
Shoo* Two figures jumped out of the foliage as they struck the boar, Thump* The horror died quickly as Eclipsa pulled a dagger from the beast's neck while Seraphina pulled out her sword from its side.
"Come on Chara, the hunt's over." A familiar voice spoke, as I looked up and saw a smiling giant. But then I blinked and the scene changed.
"Run! Run!" Someone screamed, as I did what they asked.
All I could see was water, I was fording a large shallow river, I could feel mud and sand on my bare feet. I could see on the other bank the same giant, holding a flaming long spear in their hands as they fought a giant boar with black fur and glowing tusks.
"Come on Chara! Move! They can't distract that thing forever!" It was Eclipsa who was pulling me forward as we forded the river. Before I could say something the scene changed again.
I felt like I was sitting on top of something soft, I could feel the wind blowing on my hair. Which was odd, I've been tying it to a ponytail ever since the first night I entered the Dreaming.
I looked to my side, people who were wearing beaked feathered masks rode around me. I was gripping on someone as we rode forward, I can see Eclipsa with us, she was also holding onto someone as we rode on. . . Birds?
"Follow the gold river! Follow the gold river!" Someone kept yelling, I was confused as I blinked.
As I opened my eyes, I could feel my throat rough as I was holding on something warm and heavy. I looked down and saw, it was Dani, he wasn't moving warm pale flaming burned on him yet he wasn't healing.
I can see his organs spilling to the side, he was missing an arm and shoulder. Yet he was smiling up at me, he was trying to say something, as water kept dropping from his cheek.
"It's fine Chara. . . Don't cry. . . I'll be fine. . ." He kept saying as I could see the usual bright glow in his eyes fading.
"I. . ." Nothing, he tried saying again, but nothing. . . The pale flames faded.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked to my side, my vision blurred from the tears on my eyes. It was Seraphina, she looked awful, she was bleeding all over yet her blood turned to snow.
Her skin was even paler than before, she was crying as well yet her eyes were cold and her lips indifferent. Her grip was strong as she shook me.
"Come on, we need to move." That was all she said as she stood up.
Act III
"AHHH!" Someone screamed as I woke up, I looked to my left and saw it was Chara. Finally he got another vision, hopefully we can start moving tomorrow after he fully. . .
"We need to go now!" He started screaming, everyone stood up. Eclipsa was already next to him trying to calm him down with words, as I was holding him down so he wouldn't hurt himself.
"Calm down, Chara, it's just a dream. We're all safe." I was surprised how gentle Eclipsa's voice was.
"Let go Dani! We need to leave or we will all die!" He was small but not weak. I can restrain him but it was hard, especially since I wasn't trying to choke him.
"Calm down buddy, tell us your vision slowly. . . Sunshine, can you scout around us?" I asked as she closed her eyes, but after a moment she shook her head.
"We're safe for now, there are no horrors around us." As she spoke I can feel Chara calming down, as I slowly let go of him.
"I. . . I had a vision, I know, which river to follow." He simply said as I smiled and then started patting his back.
"I told you guys this'll work! Alright we should start packing and start moving tom. . ." I wasn't even finished talking as I felt a punch on my side.
It hurt, but unlike Eclipsa's liver punch almost a month ago, I didn't crumple but just gave out a surprised breath. I looked down to see it was Chara, who struck me. Eclipsa and Seraphina were as surprised as I was, as I looked at Chara's angry face.
"No! We are leaving today!" His words sounded desperate, I nodded even though he couldn't see me nod, as I pressed both hands on his shoulder.
"Will do what you say Chara, so please calm down. Follow what I do." I told him as I made him sit down, as I sat down myself. Even without telling the two girls they were already moving and gathering our supplies, as I thought Chara my breathing exercises.
Act IV
"Are you sure it's this river?" I asked Chara as we walked along a river with yellow flowering marigold-like flowers growing on its banks.
"Yes, my vision showed yellow flowers, you guys should look for smoke pillars." Chara said, his voice was different. He didn't describe his vision, like last time. I wonder what he saw, to make him. . . Depressed? He looked like how he was the first time we met, but different.
"How about those natives, are you sure they're natives?" It was Seraphina who asked, making Chara nod.
"Yes, they're natives, they wore feathered birdmasks and rode on top of giant ducks with long legs and necks with short wings." Laughter* I started laughing at the description.
"That doesn't sound like anything I know about Chara. . . That might mean these natives haven't interacted with rankers before. . . Or I haven't read about them yet." As I spoke I felt like the latter sounded the truer sentiment for I haven't even read half the journals and manuals recommended for me to read by both my history and survival professors.
"I think I know these natives. . ." Seraphina was about to say something but she stopped as Eclipsa stopped walking infront of us as she quickly turned around.
"Did you. . ." I was cut off as I felt pain on my chest, I looked down and saw a dart on my chest. My vision started to blur but I can still move.
"Ambush!" Eclipsa screamed as she summoned her dagger and ran towards a direction, I tried following her but then felt pain on my leg and then on my neck Thud*
I felt heavy, the grassy ground felt soft as I crushed it with my weight. I heard screaming and then silence, I tried focusing my flame to remove the tiredness I felt and as I did so I heard voices.
"They're unconscious." "We should get these foreigners to the village." "Better let the council decide what to do with them." As they spoke I felt soft hands carrying me as they tied my hands and feet and then I was carried on top of what felt like a horse but softer.
In the end I let them carry me away, as I realized they were the friendly natives Chara saw. I just hope the rest was taken too and wasn't able to escape. . . It would be embarrassing if I was the only one kidnapped.