Argo's breath caught as he locked eyes with the creature lurking on the branch above, a Ghost in the Darkness, a massive American Lion. Its night-black fur blended with the shadows, but its blazing yellow eyes burned like twin lanterns, pinning him in place as his fear welled up.
Swallowing hard, he raised his trembling hands, his voice barely steady. ''Easy, boy. I mean you no harm.''
The beast leaped down, landing mere feet away, its growl vibrating through the earth. At his height, its sleek coat rippled over powerful muscles, and those predatory eyes gleamed with intelligence. Argo's heart hammered; he knew these lions roamed down in the far south, not here in the valley.
That knowledge was useless now. Unarmed, his dagger left back at the shelter, he stood frozen against the towering predator. Athena hooted sharply from her perch, wings half-spread, her glowing eyes fixed on the lion as the tension thickened, a silent standoff under the darkening sky.
The Ghost in the Darkness took a step forward, but a sudden limp halted its advance. Argo's eyes widened at the sight of the beast's faltering gait. Heart pounding, he extended a trembling hand, his voice soft but steady. ''I see you're hurt. If you let me, I can help you get out of here.''
When the American Lion heard his words, it froze, piercing yellow eyes studying him, as if weighing his words. After a tense moment, the beast gave a slow nod and limped toward a patch of soft grass, collapsing. As it settled, he spotted the cause, a jagged Varna spike trap embedded in its hind leg, blood matting its fur.
Argo approached cautiously, rummaging through his pack. He pulled out a cloth bundle containing yellow-tipped leaves. Kneeling beside the lion, he gently pushed one into its mouth. ''This is Yellowtip,'' he explained despite his racing pulse. ''It'll numb the pain while I gather what I need to heal you.''
With Athena watching from her perch, he scanned the surroundings for Moon Plant and Banana Leaf, natural bandages he'd learned about from Morgana. Spotting a fallen tree covered in broad leaves, he hurried over, gripping one to tear it free. His hands strained, knuckles whitening, but he couldn't do anything as it was stuck.
That's when the Ghost in the Darkness appeared beside, its jaws closing around the Banana Leaves. With a tug, it ripped them free and dropped the bundle at his feet with a huff. Argo let out a nervous chuckle as he gathered the leaves and dragged them back to the grass patch where the lion lay.
He stored the first part of the treatment beside the wounded beast and turned his focus to finding Moon Plant. Venturing toward the woods, his sharp eyes scanned the undergrowth. Luck was on his side; the silvery glow of Moon Plant caught his attention just off the familiar path.
Argo crouched, scooping up a handful of leaves and shoving them into his pack. The lion's ragged breathing rumbled in his ears as he rushed back to tend its wound. Thunder cracked overhead, and he glanced up to see dark clouds swallowing the sky, a storm rolling in fast, causing him to grit his teeth.
Moments later, knelt beside the massive lion, its yellow eyes tracking his every move. Rain began to patter against the leaves, the storm's first drops cold and sharp. He worked quickly, pulling the gathered herbs from his pack and crushing them between his fingers, their earthy scent mixing with the musk of the beast.
The beast's chest heaved, a growl vibrating in its throat as Argo pressed the homemade bandage into the deep gash along its side. Blood had matted the fur, but the wound was fresh enough to treat. ''Easy, now,'' he murmured.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the beast's scarred muzzle and the raw power coiled in its frame. He tied a strip of cloth around the injury, securing it tightly. The lion's tail flicked, but it didn't lash out, as if weighing his intent. Rain fell harder, soaking his cloak and turning the ground to mud.
Argo wiped his brow, glancing at the darkening sky as he looked at the Ghost in the Darkness and spoke. ''I need to get home now, the rains will come and cause chaos here, you'd better get out of here before it floods.''
When the creature heard this, it got up and nudged its big head against his chest before bounding into the underbrush, leaving him alone with Athena watching from above. 'You were lucky it was hurt, they hunt your kind for food all the time.'
''I'm aware, mother told me about the Ghosts and their attacks on the Southern Tribes,'' he answered, sighing in relief as he grabbed the last rabbit and headed back to the cliffside.
After an hour, the rain had gotten worse, pounding against the windows as Argo stepped into his silent, empty home, an eerie stillness hanging in the air. He scanned the room, his heart sinking as he realized his mother still hadn't returned. Worry churned inside him. Just then, Athena landed on the nearby windowsill.
His voice was soft but urgent as he asked. ''Can you find her? She should be on one of the roads leading to the woods.''
'Yes, master,' she answered, taking off flying into the night sky.
He went about skinning the rabbits he caught. An hour later, she reappeared, looking panicked as she revealed. 'The Urvak has captured her alongside other Varna! We need to go now!'
Her words sent a chill through him, his heart plummeting, but fear couldn't paralyze him. Grabbing his spear and knife, he bolted out the door. He tore down the path, sprinting into the Dead Woods, guided by the Grey Owl soaring ahead. After an hour of running, he reached a cavern marking the entrance to Varna Valley.
As Argo reached the cavern, he crouched behind jagged boulders, taking in the sight of the Urvak raiding camp. It was a mess of huts with a shoddy wooden pallisade wrapped around it. He noticed the cages in the center and the warriors patrolling the place, which was covered in darkness, apart from the rare torch dotting the camp.
While sitting there, he heard something to his right, prompting him to gaze as a figure approached. At first, he thought it was human, but as it drew closer, he froze, a Neanderthal, wearing in beast pelts, blood covering its body. His pulse raced, but he steeled his nerves, holding his breath as the Urvak Hunter passed by.
Once the enemy stopped at the entrance of the cavern, keeping watch on the surrounding grasslands. When Argo saw this, he decided to spend fifteen points in Strength and five in Stamina. After doing that, he felt stronger, faster, and confident that he could rescue his mother from the Flesh Eaters.
He pulled up his status to see the upgrade.
[Name: Argo]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 50/100]
[HP: 1]
[STR: 16]
[STM: 6]
[CHA: 1]
[INT: 1]
[BP: 0]
[Skills: Beast Master (0) - Beast Vision (0) - Hunter (1) - Crafting (0) - Beast Realm (0)]
Argo drew his Sky Stone dagger, its edge honed to slice through an Auroch's hide without being caught. He stalked closer, but paused as Athena swooped down, landing on a nearby rock, capturing the warrior's attention. Her sudden appearance startled the dim-witted cannibal, giving Argo the opening he needed.
With a thrust, he drove his blade through the back of the Urvak's skull. The warrior's body convulsed briefly before collapsing.
[Experience Gained: 30]
[Beast Points Gained: 2]
Argo caught the limp body, easing it to the ground with a muffled thud. He dragged the corpse to a nearby thicket, only to jump in when three more enemies passed by, looking confused when realizing their companions were missing. 'They're becoming aware, master,' Athena revealed.
When he heard this, it finally came to him. 'I killed someone,' he thought.
Seconds later, he silently threw up at taking a life for the first time in both lives, but shook his head. 'This isn't Earth and mother is in danger. I can't lose another, not in this life when I already lost Father.'
Following that, Argo shook his head while he crept into the camp; he crouched low, swallowed by the shadows. His pulse hammered as he stifled a retch, his hand clawing at his mouth to choke back a scream. In front of him, three Urvak Cooks hunched over their gruesome feast, hands tearing into human corpses with delight.
Their blood-drenched faces split into monstrous, toothy smirks, eyes gleaming with joy as they hacked through sinew and bone, the sickening squelch of flesh mingling with the metallic tang of gore that hung thick in the air. Each wet rip and crunch of splintering bone shredded another fragment of his soul, unraveling.
Argo's empathy withered, a cold void swallowing the last embers of his humanity as he watched these creatures feast on people. Each ravenous bite and guttural chuckle snuffed out his compassion, leaving only a hollow rage. His trembling fingers tightened around his dagger, urging him toward vengeance.
'Athena knock over one of the Urvak Totems, it should send them into a panic,' he asked the Grey Owl.
'On it!'