Sam looks up at the sky, it’s a light drizzle falling from the clouds that cover the sky in all directions. He’s part of a large group of people walking around an overgrown forest. The people are using all sorts of weapons and wearing all sorts of uniforms yet they all contain the familiar golden stripe.

 

The leader of the group stops and crouches, they sniff the air before crouching to the ground and…

 

“Do you need to do that?” a young girl speaks up

 

The person crouching on the ground looks up at her, “Yes. If you don’t like it, then look away.”

 

“How will I make sure I don’t touch where you lick? If you must do it, then can’t you do it away from the main path?”

 

“Where do you think animals travel? They aren’t going to barrel through the shrubs making a noise, they’re going to stick to the paths.”

 

“Don’t make so much noise then.”

 

“If you don’t like it, then why don’t you track?” another young girl speaks up, pushing her glasses that have slipped down her nose..

 

“Fine, then I will.”

 

The first young girl stands away from the group, she cups her hands around her ears as an illusory creature appears above her. A small rodent creature’s head appears there, looking around.

 

Sam lets out an inward sigh. This isn’t the first time that these people have caused issues, yet they don’t seem to learn and repeat the same conversations over and over. He has no option but to be dragged around by these people. 

 

It’s somehow related to the ancient array, yet he cannot see how that could be possible.So far all they’ve been doing is going around killing animals they think might have a beast core.

 

Of which they’ve found none, Sam looks down at his clothes torn up and bloodied and compares it to everyone in the group that are still pristine, almost spotless. A new wave of frustration and helplessness comes over him, causing him to let out an audible sigh.

 

“Are you still not happy with the arrangement? We’ve already adjusted our battle positions 5 times according to your wishes. Do you wish to critique our walking now or perhaps the way we’re tracking animals?”

 

“No. What? I don’t care, I’m just a bit bored since you guys are hunting something outside my league.”

 

“You’re bored? You’re here to train, not be entertained, you’re here as a favour and you’re complaining about being bored….”

 

Sam tunes out this voice as they ramble on for several moments. They approach Sam close enough to splatter spit in his face with the yelling, yet Sam doesn’t give him the reaction he’s after and he leaves him alone after a few moments.

 

This person is of the same rank as him, same age too, yet has volunteered to be leader, giving himself an elevated importance over the usual golden-striped people.

 

An awkward tension comes over the group as Sam stares at them without emotion, a voice comes from the distance.

 

“Guys, if you’re done that stuff. I think I’ve found something. Something large or maybe there’s a few of them?”

 

The tension is broken as the leader shouts to the girl, “Can you tell what it is?”

 

“No. I think it’s a hoofed animal though.”

 

“Which direction?”

 

She points in a direction they were already going. Silence comes over the group as they silence in that direction where an occasional branch snapping is heard.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Sam joins the group as they set out quickly, he’s left out the back yet as they cross the short distance to their target he’s pushed out the front again when they spot what it is.

 

Sam looks around at where he has somehow ended up and knows what’s coming, yet he is still shocked at the creatures before him.

 

Two giant buffalo are working their way across part of the lush area near a river, they don’t' seem to care about the noise they make as they lumbar about knocking things down with their giant horns. They have stopped to eat as if they’re completely unaware or just don’t care about what’s in their surroundings.

 

The creatures are about 3 stories tall with wide horns, Sam looks at one of those horns thinking about what they can do as the group surrounds him.

 

“So let me guess, you want me to run in there… again?”

 

“You make it sound like we’re doing you a disservice, we are taking you out of the battle by letting you serve as a distraction. That’s the safest spot to be, you trust your legs right?”

 

Sam quietly sighs, before speaking to hide it, “hWhat do you want me to do?”

 

“Just distract them, if you can lure the two big ones away then even better, but just one might do. Do you don’t need to try to kill it, it will be easy for you?”

 

Sam wants to ask why, why it’d be easy but he knows that he is under their thumb here and anything like that would be met with something worse. He grits his teeth and holds back all of his emotions to push out a quiet “Ok.”

 

He walks away from the group, there’s nothing to say to these people. He is entirely under their control and has no option but to do what they say while in their presence. He walks through the thick shrubs before working his way down the slope towards the river.

 

Sam watches the buffalo eat their food without a care, he hides behind the occasional bush yet dust is still kicked up behind him betraying the purpose.

 

The buffalo don’t care.

 

He crouches in a shrub near them, he’s about 30 steps away from them but it still feels way too close as they’d cross that distance in 3 steps. His heart tightens as the adrenaline kicks in. He picks up the sword from his back and leaps out from the shrub.

 

“OI!”

 

Sam yells and waves his sword at the buffalo.

 

They don’t notice.

 

Sam throws a rock from the ground at the buffalo, it lands near its ear causing it to twitch yet that’s all. 

 

It stays sitting chewing its food slowly.

 

Sam looks on at the buffalo annoyed, he doesn’t want to approach it yet doesn’t want to enrage it into a frenzy… He touches the weapons pouch, a bow appears in his hand.

 

He press its again and brings out the hammer.

 

“Ah I thought I had the spear… well this will do.”

 

The metallic hammer is a standard issue battle hammer from the military supplies, they will provide countless more just like the daggers so he feels fine doing his next action.

 

Sam winds back the hammer before pausing, he corrects his posture as if copying the fat man. Instead of throwing it like a ball, it’s thrown as something that is designed to spin so use that to your advantage.

 

He concentrates and looks for a spot that’d be annoying on the buffalo, it’s a giant large creature with a big head, yet even it would feel getting hit by a heavy hammer thrown at it. 

 

Sam concentrates, he clears his mind and feels a strange twinge inside, a sudden draining feeling comes over him. This forces him to release the hammer now.

 

He flings the hammer with enough force to make the distance.

 

“Ah shit.”

 

Sam watches the hammer careen off course as it arcs upwards.

 

He looks one last time to ensure his escape route, it’s still clear.

 

One last look towards the group he was with reveals they’re all still hiding.

 

Sam’s heart races as he watches the hammer contact the buffalo.

 

“BRRRRHH”

 

The buffalo lets out a loud angry sound as it stands up, it seems smarter than usual as it looks in Sam’s direction. It’s looking at him angrily while closing one eye, the hammer made a direct hit with it.

 

“Would you believe it was an accident?,” Sam announces from his hiding spot, “of course not.”

 

Sam runs towards the escape route, his cover was already blown yet the buffalo didn’t follow him.

 

He wants to look backwards, but he doesn’t need to as he hears a large rumble behind him. He knows his plan has worked. One of them is following him but for now he’s left dodging tree, branches and other obstacles in his way.

 

Sam is in a literal obstacle course for his life being chased by a giant animal.

 

He runs for his life along the planned path that goes along the river; the rumble continues along behind him. On the few occasions he has glanced he has only seen one of the buffalo yet it's still possible there’s two.

 

Sam has spent over 10 minutes dodging all the obstacles before the river opens to a small open area where he’s finally able to catch a breath between some rocks. He’s panting yet somewhat safe, he’ll need to run back around the same way he came in.

 

The buffalo bursts out of the forest as if it doesn’t exist.

 

It’s roaring in anger looking around, it’s stomping its feet and turning around yet looking at Sam before turning around again.

 

Sam leaps out from the rocks, “Are you looking for the people I’m with? Well, I’m right here so look at me instead.”

 

The buffalo turns around and looks at Sam intently, it stares at him through the one open eye.

 

Sam gulps as he feels the power behind this animal. It must be stage 3 at least. If It had chosen to use any of its innate powers then it would have killed him several times over already.

 

The buffalo lowers its head and charges at Sam, it crosses the distance in only 5 steps.

 

*BANG* *BOOM*

 

The rocks partially crumble yet still protect Sam, he jumps out of the rocks and taunt the buffalo again.

 

“Couldn’t get me? I’m here now.”

 

The buffalo roars again and backs up, it slams against the rocks again.

 

*BANG*

 

It’s much weaker this time yet causes larger damage to the rocks, the buffalo roars again.

 

Sam runs towards his escape route so that he can get to the next safe place when everything around him crumbles, the sturdy-looking rocks crumble down forcing him to change his plans. 

 

He looks for the nearest safe point from his exposed position when he spots the buffalo looks at him, its horns glowing yellow.

 

He doesn’t stop looking for an escape point, but the buffalo will get him first before he’ll reach any of them.

 

“I thought buffalo were water element. Why are you earth?”

 

The buffalo charges at Sam, he pulls out the harbinger, yet he doesn’t move as the ground is too muddy to allow any solid footing. He takes half a step back and readies the sword.

 

The buffalo arrives just as he breathes out, “HAA.”

 

Sam swings out.

 

*BOOM*

 

Sam is thrown backwards, he doesn’t even know what he struck but he quickly stands up. Sand that appeared for a soft landing strangely surrounded his feet, it doesn’t cause any hindrance to him as he looks up.

 

He looks at the battle sight; he feels proud of the result yet doesn’t have time to gloat.

 

A heavy moaning sound comes from the buffalo, Sam didn’t kill it as it’s moving about on the ground and making heavy breathing noises. Sam looks on the ground around it when he spots something.

 

“Do I risk it?” he asks himself.

 

Sam stares at the buffalo that doesn't move when in the distance he can spot some strange lighting in the forest, it’s coming from the direction of everyone else so they must be dealing with the other one.

 

His feet move forward, the buffalo is still out of it as he approaches it.

 

The smell hits him as particularly terrible as he gets closer to it, he approaches its mouth as an item is laying there that interests him.

 

He looks walks quickly towards it and grabs it. The buffalo opens its eye yet doesn’t move as its rolls about several, but Sam doesn’t risk it as he runs.

 

The buffalo snaps out of it and stands up as it hears Sam running; it stands up to spot him running back into the forest. It lets out another loud bellow and runs along the river after him, Sam loops back around and is heading towards the smoke.

 

The shrubs are thinner away from the river, and the buffalo has lost interest in him after running along the river for several minutes. He leisurely jogs along the forest, trying to recover his breath and carry the large item in his hands.

 

It’s a piece of the buffalo’s horn.

 

Sam’s strike hit it there causing it to snap off, his intent wasn’t to kill it regardless.

 

There’s a loud bellow in the distance, several in fact as Sam notices a flurry of sparks in the sky.

 

He tries the weapons pouch and…

 

“It worked? I guess… it has a point so it’s a weapon?” Sam shrugs and hurries his steps freed of the burden.

 

He comes across the area where he came to meet the buffalo first yet, he’s left feeling mixed about the scene before him.

 

There’s no other way than to say it has been turned into a hellscape. There’s fire, poison and all sorts of strange things about the area.. A large buffalo standing there hurt heavily, blood dripping down its wounds. It doesn’t seem to want to move from where it is.

 

The buffalo that Sam was dealing with has come back causing all the people fighting the hurt buffalo to be caught off guard, they’re launching their skills at the new creature but it has little effect as it charges at them.

 

Illusory animals of various forms appear, their forms in various stages of forming. 

 

The buffalo ignores the shrubs, causing them all to flee, some of them flee in the direction of Sam where they yell out to him.

 

“You’re back? You brought it back? Damnit, we have to GO!”

 

“WHAT!”

 

“GO, RUN AWAY.”

 

Sam is dragged away with one of the golden stripe people. This person doesn’t care about Sam as they hold onto him and drag him along. Sam struggles to keep balance as this person doesn’t let go.

 

This lasts a minutes before they release him, they’re panting and glaring at Sam, “Why did you bring it back?”

 

“It came back by itself also you didn’t say I had to keep it away. I lured it away.”

 

“We were this close… the young would have been worth…”

 

“Young?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Sam frowns at being left out of the information, he isn’t given a chance to speak as the other person raises their voice first.

 

“Ok let’s go back, we’ve been told to meet back at the meeting point soon anyways. You remember the way?”

 

Sam nods, “Ok let’s go.”

 

The small group of them run off in silence, the rain picks up causing a downpour by the time they return to the camp. Everyone has been herded into large hangars to get out of the rain in this remote location.

 

The base only has 3 buildings on it, not made to handle more than 20 people at a time and wholly inadequate for the nearly 400 here right now. Sam is quickly checked over before being released into the hangar. He had no injuries, as he didn’t get anything more than a scratch all day.

 

The same could not be said for his clothes that have been hit, not so much from attacks but from plants. The shrubs and bushes are outright dangerous in the wilds, the higher quality suits the more resistant they are.

 

Sam enters the hangar and looks at what’s going on, it’s like a large market area with people doing things and eating food. There’s a market area and a sparring area too.

 

He walks into the room and is instantly noticed by everyone, they can see that his uniform is in tatter but that’s not important. It would in fact be a sign of honour if he had the next thing. 

 

The golden stripes.

 

Sam hasn’t officially gone for the contender status, so he isn’t allowed to have the stripes. The good news is that if he comes back from this operation successfully, he’ll qualify and no one can take that away.

 

As he walks around, he finds the rooms quiet, no one is talking around him. The area where people were trading beast materials is quiet, the area where people were serving food aren’t doing anything.

 

Sam shrugs and walks towards the supply store, it’s run by the military so they’re forced to deal with everyone yet as he gets closer, he pauses his steps and turns around.

 

His footsteps quieten, yet his cover is blown when, “Newbie.”

 

Sam turns to face the voice. He recognises the person wearing a new robe and face covering, their distinct and artificial voice is instantly noticeable.

 

“It’s you…”

 

“You can call me Nadia, everyone else does, though I’d like you to call me something else…”

 

Nadia approaches Sam, their dark-red robe fluttering in the breeze as they approach him, many people are watching what’s going on.

 

“What do you mean? I don’t think I have to call you Sir or… Madam.”

 

“That’s not what I mean. Why are you so beat up? Are you also a contender? Did you lose the stripes?”

 

“No, I’ve been invited here. I’ll be one afterwards, what about you?”

 

“I’m here supervising but also guarding, also watching…” Nadia mutters the final words. They tug at Sam’s clothes which easily disintegrate under their hands.

 

Sam backs away from Nadia as his clothing is quickly losing its integrity, “I see, well I’ll see you around then? I need to get changed.”

 

Sam turns around to walk away yet he can hear footsteps behind him.

 

“What’s the rush,” Nadia walks beside him, “what did you do today?”

 

“You could find out from the d3 squad team leader. I don’t really know what we did.”

 

“Oh he’s the reason why you’re like that?” Nadia smiles yet it still sends shivers up Sam’s spine.

 

“He was alright I guess, ” Sam looks around for anything to get away from Nadia, “I really need to go to the bathroom too.”

 

“I see, well I shall go have some quiet words with the team leader…”

 

Nadia walks away while Sam shrugs, he doesn’t care what happens to the team leader.

 

He turns around to walk away when he notices a familiar uniform, unable to recall where it’s from he dismisses this feeling and changes his clothes and returning to his bed, exhausted from the day. 

 

He’s still confused as to why the hammer diverged from its course.

 

It seems like the egg has possibly had a change with it.