Chapter 7

Run Away, Runaway

 

There are 4 rules to dealing with bears in the wild. Don't stare them in the eyes, that's a threat. Don't be noisy, that's a threat. Don't stand tall, that's a threat. And never, NEVER, NEVER get between a momma and her cub.

SQUEEEE!

SQUEE! SQUEEE!

I peek my right Eye toward the annoying boar, 'Noisy.'

. . .

Good, he shut up. Now what?

Bear) 'What are you doing here?'

Fox) 'My family and I were hungry, so I tried hunting on my own. To test myself.'

I relax my Barrier and set the boar back down.

B) 'What are you doing here?' (thump)

F) 'I apologise for intruding on your domain. I will leave at once.'

B) 'What are you doing here?' (thump)

. . .

B) 'What are you doing here?' (THUMP THUMP THUMP)

TIME TO RUN! Legs too slow! Barrier to fly away!

SQUEEEE! SQUEE!

Don't lead her back toward family, cut away straight through the center.

And maybe lose her quick enough to circle around.

A stone whizzed past my ear. MUST GO FASTER!

Seems to be an earth element user, what with the stony fur and upchucking rocks at me.

Almost to the trees, JUKE RIGHT!

Another stone grazed my stomach, on the left.

SQUEEE! SQUEE-

Now she isn't distracted anymore, keep zig-zagging.

If I fly in a predictable pattern she can take me out with just one stone.

Dammit, I'm an idiot! Stone repelling Barrier to shield me.

*thud*

OOF, just in time.

*THUD*

I felt that one. How did I feel it, it hit the Barrier?!

I quickly dodge a few more trees, it almost seems safe to look back but

*thd-thud-THUD-thud-THUD-thd-thd-thud*

That seems more like a shotgun spread. Next would be-

(JUKE LEFT) WHIZZ

Yup, the BIG one. I've gotten pretty far now, she should turn back to watch her cub any time now.

*THUDD*

Any time now . .

. . .

Gone?

I'll give it another dash-worth then rest . .

This time I'll perch in a fully leafed up branch up high.

This maple tree looks promising.

WOW that was exhausting. A fox-nap wouldn't hurt, right?

. . .

Young Lord) "Where could it be? We haven't seen any signs yet."

Hag) "My divination foretold the fox would be found if we searched this direction. Just keep looking."

I wake up to a couple of un-welcome voices. Peering toward their origin I see the 3 orange-robed wanna-be fox-nappers directly under the same tree, neglecting to look up.

I don't need another fox-napping, I just had a fox-nap.

I wait a few minutes for them to pass, then head down.

I keep pace with them, staying about 2 bowshots back and another to their left.

It takes alot longer to return now that we're going at a walking speed instead of that of a St*r W*rs' landsp**der.

. . .

A LOT longer.

. . .

Around evening the bears' clearing comes into sight. Luckily for them the bears are long-gone.

However my mom is waiting on the far edge.

F) 'Ma, RUN FROM THE POACHERS!'

Hunter) "There it is."

Looking back toward the 3 humans, I see they ignored my mom. Instead they're facing me.

So for the second time today, this forest fox does his best imitation of a St*r F*x.

ZOOOOOOM!!

AAAH! TREES!

right, left, left, barrel roll, right, thread the needle. Where's my power-ups?

F) "WAAAH!"

YL) "Got him." says the young one, holding my tail.

F) 'LET ME GO, BASTARD!'

YL) "Just relax, we're gonna be partners for a long time."

He reaches inside his robe and pulls out a hand-sized paper with complicated glyphs drawn in tiny lines and strokes.

Before he can use it, I form a new Barrier, this one folded over at a 170° angle, about 2 feet (60cm) long and 3 inches (7.6cm) wide. Then use this new sword sized Barrier to strike repeatedly at his arms.

Unfortunately it barely bloodies him.

YL) "Feisty, aren't you!" He forms a type of armor over his whole body.

H) "Is that some kind of Unique Ability?"

I swing my sword again, this time at the root of my tail, lopping it off in one go. Hopefully my other Special, [Minor Regeneration] will take care of it.

As soon as I'm no longer held back, I mean tail, I shoot straight up. Over the canopy.

YL) "DAMMIT! GET BACK HERE!"

Then push myself sub-sonic to the distant horizon, using a cone-shaped Barrier to shield myself from the wind.