[Memory] Bear Necessities II.

[Arlen]

35th day of Ash, 113th Year of AoS

[indent=20]In the deceiving silence of all creatures asleep, the night did not give away its secrets. Instead, it spread its darkness across the land like a blanket. As far as the eye could see, as much as the ear could hear, nothing was moving. And that’s where the deception began.
[indent=20]They thought they were safe and nothing could surprise then. They believed they came prepared for anything. But there was always room for error. Especially when nature was calling.
[indent=20]It was well past midnight when the night that was meant to proceed without a hitch, hitched. From the darkness emerged a creature that roamed the land for survival. Lured by the dying campfire and the smell of food, it took its chances where otherwise it would not venture. For it was the season of Ash, its last chance to assure its survival through Frost.
[indent=20]Arlen had long finished his watch and was now sleeping in the tent. But he never slept well on the job. Part of his brain was always awake, always guarding. And so it was that even now, he caught sounds that weren’t meant to be heard.
[indent=20]The man woke with a start, his sharp-pointed ears prickling and poking through his loose hair. The heavy breathing and rumbling originating deep on the throat reached all the way to his tent. His fingers reached for the hilt of his sword.
[indent=20]Someone by the fire, Arlen thought, whilst reaching next to him, shaking Zin awake. The Jastai woke with a start as Arlen’s heartbeat picked up the pace.
[indent=20]“What is it?” Zin asked, voice sleep drenched. The sniffing outside stopped and Arlen laid a finger across his lips knowing [indent=20]Zin saw him, where Arlen saw zilch.
[indent=20]Then he pointed outside and as if on command, the sounds returned.
[indent=20]“Something’s at the camp,” Arlen whispered. “Einrich?”
[indent=20]“He’s supposed to be out there.”
[indent=20]Arlen clenched his teeth and the blade in his hand started to glow, lending Arlen the gift of sight.
[indent=20]Both men approached the exit from their tent together.
[indent=20]“Shit,” Zin muttered when they saw their unwelcomed visitor. Its paw extended, reaching for its target.
[indent=20]Then the large pan with their dinner toppled to the ground with a thud. It was then that the creature lost all sense of stealth, lapping at the leftovers from dinner.
[indent=20]“Where the fuck is Einrich?” Zin growled.
[indent=20]“Taking a piss, likely,” Arlen answered, not sure whether he meant it literally or figuratively. Either way, they had to act soon before the family would wake and possibly wreak havoc with panic. In synchronization, both men quietly stole out of their tents in squats. Neither had enough of armour on them. Arlen was bare-chested with nothing but loose braise for protection.
[indent=20]“Get the others Zin. We’ll need to lure it away before we deal with it,” Arlen whispered under his breath. His eyes were fixed on the bear whose ears pricked.
[indent=20]“What about you?” Zin asked. And the bear lifted his head and started sniffing the air. It was well twice or thrice the width of a grown man, certainly not something to confront directly. So Arlen gestured at Zin in sharp movements to do as he was told.
[indent=20]Einrich, you better be somewhere close, Arlen thought and moved in the opposite direction to Zin where there was space open between the caravans and the tents.
[indent=20]And the bear caught his steps, its head snapping back to stare at Arlen.
[indent=20]Here it comes. Arlen stood up, the sword in his hand growing bright like the sun itself, lending Arlen comfortable sight. He squared his chest with the lightning-like golden trace playing in the light.
[indent=20]The bear huffed and growled, turning from its dinner, smelling the promise of fresh meat. His paws thudding against the ground.
[indent=20]Arlen’s fingers wrapped around the hilt. The ground moved underneath his feet as he dropped his centre of balance.
[indent=20]Just like fighting a Jastai... Arlen thought, knowing he was not going to take the bear head-on.
[indent=20]But the bear did not know, because it released a rumbling roar and charged.

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

The human dreamed of lavender fields and high treetops. That night it was beautiful and peaceful. In her dream she was swinging through vines in trees as she had never seen before at heights she would never dare try in waking life. Below her were the blossoms of lavender swaying in a breeze. Their petals rose into the air creating a whirlwind of scent and beauty. Some of the blossoms would rise high and caress her body and face, tickling her. It was from this dream she stirred into the pitch-black night. Stretching her arms high above her and yawning she poked her head out from the canvas flap of the wagon to try to see if the sun had begun to rise. It had not. Satisfied she had some more time to sleep she laid back down on her bedroll.

Sleep would not come. Tossing and turning she flipped from hot side to cold side and back again. Something was keeping her up. Laying now flat on her back with eyes squeezed shut she tried counting sheep but nothing worked. The girl could feel it in her legs, they were fidgeting. Maybe just a quick run would make her sleepy enough to get a few last hours. Donning her running shoes and taking a few gulps from her water skin, after warming up with some light stretches through her back and legs, she snuck from her wagon and into the night, heading down the path they came from in the direction back to Kalzasi.

While it occurred to her during her jog that she possibly would be scolded by her mother if caught, they had paid money for a guard after all, in her young mind all she could think of was what she needed. Right now that was a run. And there was no way she would be caught, it was just going to be enough to break a sweat and settle down the restlessness that had overcome her. Feet beat a steady movement across the dirt road in the crisp night. The moon was but a sliver with the stars guiding her way as she found her way down the path and into nowhere. On her left was Lake Udori seen faintly by the glint of water in the distance.

Eventually, after a short time, she came to a stopping point with burning lungs. It was a boon that it was so chilly. Sweat poured from her brow and she leaned against her legs for a moment before turning around and heading back. Once to the camp, she made her way to her wagon but something, a soft metallic clang, distracted her from climbing back through the canvas and heading to bed. She peered around her wagon expecting to see someone had just knocked over the wok on their way to bed or during their duty but what was seen instead was a huge beast helping itself to her mother’s cooking. She left out a gasp as she saw Arlen, shirtless, with a sword glowing in the night and his compatriot also in bedclothes.

That was when the bear let out a great chuff that turned into a roar and charged at Arlen. The camp exploded into a flurry of action, the Jastai women now coming out from their tent at such a pace that it collapsed. A third man, Ko, came rushing out from his own tent with a sword drawn. There was momentary confusion on the guard parties' behalf as Saej took it upon herself to do the only thing she knew how, she picked up a rock, threw it at the bear, and howled at the top of her lungs like a creature not of this world. With Saej in plain sight, the bear stopped its assault on the defenseless Arlen and instead blanched, rearing up to its full height to regard Saej. She looked it dead in its eyes before turning tail and running, the bear in tow.

Luckily the women Agha and Zephyr had their arrows notched and ready during this time, raising the bows high and letting the arrows sail, gravity doing the work and out of two arrows hit the bear in its shoulder flank. It roared, slowed from shaking its head in pain, lips and teeth bared for all to see but did not totally stop its pursuit of the young girl. Leading it from the wagons she twisted away in a twirling juke just barely moments from a possible attack, claws moving the hair around her in a near miss. She dropped then to her knees and crawled screaming under the wagon, the bear roaring and clawing at her where she quivered and whimpered in fear. It was just out of reach as it roared and clawed for her beneath the wagon. It would be any moment when it got wise and ran to the other side. The young girl was crying and yelling,
"Moooooommm!!!"

[Arlen]

[indent=20]What?! At first his adrenaline-filled brain did not compute what just happened. At one point, the bear was charging at him, set on sinking its teeth in Arlen’s neck most likely. The black-haired man was ready for it. His quads were tensing like the body of the snake to launch him to a side in evasion. His whole body was geared toward that counter-attack that when another howl pierced the night, it was his mind that stuttered to action.
[indent=20]It was in that moment, that Arlen saw Agha and Zephyr rushing out of the tent, nocking arrows. Zin and Ko were dashing to the wagons. But that still did not explain the shriek.
[indent=20]And Arlen wasn’t destined to know yet. But the bear skidded to a stop too far for Arlen to reach it with his sword without getting dangerously close.
[indent=20]There it rose to its hind legs like a ghost from the past. It’s anger firing up in the belly and released in an equally as chilling roar yet again.
[indent=20]“Saej!” Arlen heard Zin shout out and saw the man dash between the wagons. It was then the bear dropped to all its fours and barreled after the girl.
[indent=20]The arrows buried into its fur, stopping it short of killing. Yet the beast remained undeterred from ending those who inconvenienced him.
[indent=20]“Nock!” Arlen shouted towards Agha and Zephyr. “Loose at hide!” And he ran into the centre of the camp. It was then he saw Saej huddled under the wagon. She was near being shredded to bits and the bear knew it because it rammed into the side of the wagon like a bull would hit a man in full speed.
[indent=20]“Zin, distract it!” Arlen ordered. Another set of arrows pierced the night, burying in the bear’s hide. It lost its balance just as it was about to ram the wagon again. This time, the cart, lifted dangerously onto its side wheels.
[indent=20]Zin was shouting, making noise, drawing the attention of the bear to them. He even broadened his shoulders, imitating the intimidation of the beast as he retreated to where Arlen was. It was then Einrich arrived, stopping to Arlen’s right. He was the only man dressed in full armour.
[indent=20]In that way, Zin, Arlen and Einrich formed the first like of offence with their swords drawn. Agha and Zephyr were behind then with their long-range attack and arrows nocked in place.
[indent=20]The beast growled, digging its claws into the dirt as though it was their flesh it was tearing to pieces.
[indent=20]“Zin and I, go right. Einrich go left,” Arlen said, shifting his weight. “Hit it if you can. Agha, Zephyr---” There was no time to finish. The beast charged and Arlen had to count on his tribesmen skill and experience to do what they were meant to.

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

Tears and snot ran down the girl’s face as the gravity of her decision weighed on her with an angry maw and deadly claws. She was screaming and crying like a little girl trapped underneath her shaking wagon. Tears were being made in the canvas now as the bear rocked and mangled the wagon to get to her, known by the sound of ripping fabric. To her very slight relief she could also hear the shouts of the men and women here to protect her family but it wasn’t enough to stop her wailing. As her life was balanced as precariously as a claw barely out of reach she felt the fear of it all grip her body causing her to freeze. She couldn’t move all she could do was feel the force of terror wrack her body like a gripping cold hand squeezing the life out of her.

At last, what seemed like a lifetime of horror, the bear reared up again and to turn to face what sounded like Zin if her memory served. She took the moment of peace to flatten her body out and roll from underneath the wagon, getting up clumsily into a sprint and running to her mother’s arms across the way where her family was huddled. They were clammy with fear and her father grabbed Saej and held her in his arms crying into her hair. While rocked Saej knew what to do, she told her mother then,
“Mommy, make a portal! Get rid of the bear!”
The mommy had slipped out as a regression from the fear, her beautiful, ethereal mother turned to her then with a quizzical look as if the cogs were turning her in mind. With the woman’s soulful, melodic voice she told Saej.
“Of course.”
And began the process of semantics to summon the portal. The wind picked up around her and a slight sound like windchimes could be heard coming from her hands where the semantics were being performed.

From their vantage point they couldn’t quite see the fight as the bear was still behind Saej’s torn wagon. Saej was thinking quickly here trying to summon her will to figure out how to get the bear back where her mother could see. She struggled against her father’s grip as he cried out for her to stop but eventually wrenched free, he didn’t chase after her as she grabbed the wok and a wooden spoon now starting to bang on the metal.

With a resounding metallic clang! the portal was made, its rim shining gold coursing with electric mana. The oval she created was just large enough to push or chase the bear through. It was shown on the surface of the portal clearly Lake Udori as all that could be seen was dark rippling water.
“Hurry!”
Her mother cried and Saej banged louder on the wok now yelling for them to come this way at the top of her lungs. She could see the women come first with their bows running straight for the portal, catching on quickly to the plan Saej had made. They got on the left side of the portal while also creating a barrier between where the family quailed and the easiest potential path of the bear.

[Arlen]

[indent=20]Arlen’s focus was single-pointed - right on the bear and its murderous gaze.
[indent=20]The earth was marked with the claws that dug into it for purchase as the beast rushed forward. It gathered under Arlen’s feet and when he needed, it offered support for a powerful push-off so that the man evaded at the last moment.
[indent=20]Arrows flew threw the air, missing their mark.
[indent=20]As the beast was passing, the black-haired man flicked his wrist, the tip of the sword connecting with the bear.
[indent=20]Not deep enough! A thought exploded in Arlen’s mind as the smell of burnt fur filled his nostrils.
[indent=20]The bear roared, reeling to a side where Zephyr once stood. The women had long escaped left and right as they were meant to. Where to? Arlen hoped behind him and the others, but he couldn’t look to check.
[indent=20]So Zin, Einrich and Arlen quickly closed ranks once more, finally creating a barrier of flesh between the beast and the rest of the camp.
[indent=20]It was payback time. For who? Hard to tell. But the bear wasn’t impressed in the least that his midnight snacking was so rudely interrupted. Its lips were pulled back in a vicious growl. It demanded payment in a pound of flesh. With a few thundering jumps, it closed the distance and feigned a charge, unbalancing the barricade that expected an immediate attack.
[indent=20]Instead, its paw, the size of a grown man’s head, swiped at Einrich’s right side. The man held his battle-axe in the hand and had no chance to turn his blade and counter the paw with the sharp side without losing grip. In a split-second decision, Einrich turned the blade flat to work as a deflector shield.
[indent=20]The claws scraped against the metal with a high pitched squeal of disappointment. The Jastai made a step to regain his equilibrium before he could swing his weapon behind, overhead and back at the beast.
[indent=20]The beast evaded towards Zin who circled it to the opposite side. He was projecting his sword into beasts side, to skewer it as it should be. But it noticed, roaring and pouncing on its legs, swiping at Zin with ferocity. Zin, like Arlen, was not dressed in armour and could not take the risks that Einrich could. So the man fell to the ground for safety just as the paw flew an inch above his head.
[indent=20]There was a window of opportunity that Arlen had to take. With the bear on retreat but their comrade on the ground and easy prey, the black-haired man got his chance.
[indent=20]Arlen roared much as the bear did. It was part to distract it, part to release the fire of the fight that was coursing through his body. Behind him, sudden loud clanking helped with the desired effect. The bear hesitated, leaving its side wide open for attack.
[indent=20]Arlen’s sword carved a glowing golden arc through the air like the liquid sun. The blade bit into the bear’s shoulder, drawing blood and singeing the fur.
[indent=20]The beast bawled, bouncing away and falling heavily on the paw.
[indent=20]“Over here!” Arlen heard Agha shout. He allowed himself a quick look in the direction. It was then he saw the massive portal for the first time.
[indent=20]The bear was backing towards their tents.
[indent=20]An arrow flew from an opposite direction, intentionally missing the beast but scaring it enough to stop moving in the direction.
[indent=20]“Make a corridor!” Arlen shouted. Zin and Einrich had seen the portal too and they understood.
[indent=20]The men swung their weapons, shouted and stomped. The tips of their blades nearly missing the creature who was swatting at them, trying to preserve its life that was now unequivocally endangered. Arrows sailed through the air just above the bears head. They buried into their tents.
[indent=20]The bear panicked at last. It knew the fight was lost but it had to save itself. Almost blindly it dashed the only way it could see. Forward. An array of arrows kept it in line, side by side it confused it enough that the beast stumbled only once over the toppled pan with curry on the ground before it bolted through the portal.