The calm before an impending conflict tends to be overwhelming for those who are not in their most desired element.
Even experienced veterans can tremble before the uncertainty plaguing the area that hasn't become a warzone.
Or perhaps is the lucidity gained after the harshness of previous skirmishes, stained with the silent awareness of knowledge, as they had seen how unpredictable can be any battlefield.
Which is applied too, to those around, as it's imposible to determine how others will react, an illusory variable that can be the bane of the most prepared army.
{What are they waiting for?}.
The wind swirls across the plain, following it's path, inconspicuously amassing a large portion of air, unleashed arbitrarily with the full strength of a massive blizzard.
The azure grass is flattened by the force imbued in the air, the scent of the grass penetrates in our nostrils, like if had been recently mowed.
The figures of the rodents and the long-eared anthropoids, become more noticeable.
Their fur is quite eye-catching, with greys, browns, whites or even ashen black.
Their blue eyes with black scleras are locked on the group. Ready to launch their offensive.
The wind ceases its course, returning the blue leaves to their straight position, partially concealing the hostile silhouettes of the waiting horde that has surrounded us.
A high pitched whistling reverberates through the meadows, amplified by the resonant echoes from the nearby tunnels.
The rabbits begin to circle us, slowly moving in a wide spiral, closing it slightly, resembling wolves rather than rodents, especially with the calculative patience within their lethargic advance.
An impressive attempt of intimidation, more so, if i consider that the biggest, and more immediate threat, are the hares that are prowling on us, searching for the right angle to sprint at top speed, in the moment any of us gets slightly careless.
However, their formation has an added layer of deceiving attackers, the Anthropoids, who have primitive straps of pelt, serving as slings, threatening with releasing a well coordinated round of stones.
{Another decoy}.
My instincts are flawless, hearing and seeing a bone bolt fired by a makeshift crossbow.
The projectile flies at subsonic speed, having Bridgette's head as it's intended target.
The Corsair Actress can't react to the aggression, barely widening her eyes, realizing my hand is intercepting and stopping the bone bolt, it's tip inches away from her pretty fuckable face.
Then, i see a faint liquid gloss over the wine sharp edges, along a blue ethereal glint across the object, glowing like an aura.
{The first has to be some kind of sedative. I doubt these beasts are using poison, since they seem to be carnivorous. But what is the spectral wake?. It looks similar to the trail left by «Dash»}.
"A «Penetration» Imbuement along an «Acceleration» enchantment on the same item?!". Seinnissia comments in dismay, disregarding or ignoring the sedative.
Bridgette nods in acknowledgment, her jaw tensing as she raises her dainty gloved left hand, materializing a blunderbuss out of thin air.
Firing a single round, she does a perfect bullseye in the middle of the Crossbowman's forehead, the pellet exploding a moment later, splattering the Anthropoid's brain matter across the blue grass.
With the demise of their sniper, and probably the leader, the beasts lose their patience, forgetting their formation, unleashing a battlecry and allowing the horde of Hares and Rabbits to charge at us.
Vestaria and Seinnissia react quickly, wrapping their telekinetic magic around two rodents, making them levitate, and violently whipping them against other members of their litter.
Meanwhile, Bridgette trades her blunderbuss for a corsair saber, splitting in half a rabbit, spinning like a ballerina, brandishing her blade, and cutting a Hare.
The Hostile Slingers do their job, throwing the first batch of stones. Distracting Seinnissia's offensive, and reducing Vestaria's oppressive control, since both ladies retort to use their ability for defensive purposes.
Their decision seems a bit too excessive from my perspective. They have the Bodsh defending them.
But observing they occupy tiny rouleaux triangles to stop the stones, just for them to vibrate and pulsate thunderously with a sudden sonic boom, instantly switches my initial rushed assessment.
{This «Stones» are basically sticky stun grenades on steroids}.
Having a decent understanding of the situation. I opt for a more brutish and upfront approach, picking a hare, twisting it, and separating its head from the body.
[ Experience +40 ]
{I intended to limit myself to break the neck, but my strength is far greater of what i am accustomed to}.
The event taughts me amids the battle, that the bodysuit, and the Stats, are more of what i can determine with my naked eyes. Not to mention taking a live, granted me «Experience».
Throwing the animal's head. I accidentally provoke an Anthropoid to lose the rhythm he has in the swing of his sling, hitting the nape of it's comrade, and like a domino effect, the first detonation causes a reaction chain, activating the stones carried by the two, but blowing up three Anthropoids in a single, not planed motion.
[ Experience +780 ]
[ Proficiency +7 ]
{I see. «Proficiency is obtained with every hundred points of «Experience», if it's gained with a single dose, otherwise, i should had obtain «Eight Points» of Proficiency…}
Following my unrefined savage method, Vestaria pushes the deceased rabbits, catapulting them against the second group of slingers, while Seinnissia eliminates the third party.
With the danger sorted out, Bridgette goes to collect the carcass of rodents.
"Vessa. Wouldn't had been more feasible for you two, to just use telekinetic powers to return the stones?".
Seinnissia was about to respond with a snarky or scornful comment. But she decides otherwise, even when her sigh and rolling eyes portray the annoyance caused by my handy «Amnesia».
"Vurck, we have done it, but none of us possess «Telekinesis»". Answers Vestaria with gentle kindness, conveying fondness and awe for the ability both ladies apparently lack.
"We use «Emts», External Manipulation Through Stats. It has a limited range of usefulness and capabilities if compared with «Telekinesis», and these stones detonate stronger with the sum of the Stats they interact"…