[Flashback, Wasteland] Monster (Solo)

[Oluse]

511 Spring, 84


He woke up to facing another day in the harsh wasteland. Another day of miserable cold, and pounding snow, giving way only briefly to bouts of ominously silent fogs carried along bone chilling wind. Oluse had lost track, despite his attempt to count the days since the journey began, focusing all his attention on the routine of survival in the unfamiliar and perilous environment. Today, however, felt different. A foreboding woke him from his slumber this day. The feeling beyond simple cold which remain constant at all times, something that seeded itself deeper than his bones. His still sleeping mind told him that there was a dream, a nightmare in the night, something horrible, like a ferocious monster. Never before had he woken in such a state of despair, something he silently wished he would never feel again.

He jolted up, as a sudden weight fell upon his chest. Light, small, his head wriggled with little grace from it's cubby within his sleeping-wrap, and upon it's emergence he witnessed the small clump of fur in his lap, glowing a soft white in the ambient morning light, filtering through the thick grey clouds.

"You going to sleep all morning, or are you going to cook us some breakfast?" Her Vani words rolled from her lips, unstayed by the howling wind around them. Those words that always turned his worries into a smile, this morning being no exception.

Though, there was something different from the other mornings. He never knew Maevon to arise before the sun, she cautioned against traveling from the camp without light. He stated his inquiry as an observation. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep." She responded curtly , her face taking on an expression foreign to Oluse. He wondered if she had bad dreams as well. They stared at one another for a short moment before Maevon turned, without a word and walked off toward the fire which had already been lit, the tindertwig still laying near by. Maevon scooped it up and slipped it into the dry pack, as Oluse wrestled his way free of the trappings of sleep, and packed them away.

[Oluse]

Once dressed and in possession of the carving knives he set the small creature out before him. With a sly smile he gave the petite rodent a quick nod of his head. Speaking to the dead still creeped him out, but some acknowledgment couldn't be so bad.

With that, he quickly got to work on his meal. Running the slick blade precisely down the centre of the creature, working with more speed, but less ease than he had expected of himself. Soon the skin had been peeled aside, leaving the morsel ready to dissect. Carefully he removed the unwanted organs, and cut the meat into pieces primed for cooking.

The rest of the meals preparation proved less entertaining, with no cooking spices left from The Spires. He had felt tempted to use some of the herbs he had reserved for medical purposes, should there be a wound to clean, or cold to fight, but he had resisted. His preparative nature won out over his gluttony. For which he was sad, handing the bland meat to his companions. They, however, lend the free cooking not a single judgmental word.

"Very good, Slave-boy." Yurvik gave forth in his deep voice, a mischievous smile across his mature features. Oluse liked it, his nick name. To him it meant Yurvik's approval, something that had always been in short supply from male figures in the boy's life.

"Ya, well it isn't fish." Oluse replied with a quick jerk of his shoulder. A shrug, perverted by the demanding cold.

Yurvik, still chewing a bite spat out, quite literally the commands to,"Speak up boy, we can't hear you over the wind!"

Maevon smiled, lightheartedly imputing,"No luck fishing yesterday?" Oluse responded with a simple disgruntled expression. Her soft trilling laugh adorned her movement as she scooted through the snow over to Oluse's side, reaching toward his face!

[Oluse]

Before Oluse knew it her finger was in his mouth, tugging at the inside of his tender cheek. "Did he keep from catching himself on his own hook, though? I'm impressed-"

As Yurvik let out a roaring laugh, knowing very well Oluse's lack of aptitude in the art of fishing, Oluse gave a surprised reaction to the jab. His teeth closed slightly toward one another, feeling snugly Maevon's insistent flesh lightly nuzzled between them. Barley a nibble.

Overreacting with a wide smile, Maevon withdrew her hand, cradling it theatrically with the other. "He bites!" she exclaimed, the last word spilling off into a giggle.

"Yeah!" Oluse let out, his laughs joining those of the others. "You shouldn't make fun of my fishing!" The other two laughed at his retort, and began to calm slightly. Oluse, mistaking the sudden calm with a misunderstanding continued with an explanation. "Cause, you know. I bite." He looked at them trying to figure out if they got the joke. In response to his poor rhetoric his two companions offered warm smiles. Despite his lackluster presentation of a joke, they had both learned to see what truly lie in the child's heart, and began to think of him, and his oddities, as just that. A child, their child.

"Ok, I'm off to hunt." Yurvik announced as his hoisted his aging body up from the snow, and walked off, taking a habitual detour to his wife, who he offered a quick peck on the lips. An offer happily accepted.

Maevon then turned her attention to Oluse again, administering directions to him in her authoritative tone,"Ok, Oluse. I'll clean up here. You finish packing the supplies, and go take your traps down." Oluse had been practicing, with much supervision, his talent at laying traps for what he suspected must be at least a week by then. He liked it, how technical it was, though he couldn't boast any true confidence in his aptitude with the task.

Still, he without complaint packed the supplies as instructed, and happily went off to gather his traps.

How much he appreciated the couples affections for him. The trek through the wastelands was slow, and painful. Worst of all it was cold. Always so cold. And in that coldness Yurvik and Maevon offered a heat. Not just the fires they build ever night, or the shelters they secured, but also in their words, and laughter. His body had never felt so cold, and his heart never so warm.

[Oluse]

The first two traps proved not only empty, but completely nonfunctional. But, against all hopes and expectations Oluse not only found the third trap of his functional, but occupied! His eyes flew wide, and he sped toward the trap, almost unbelieving. He could barley make the shape out, small and dark, and undoubtedly in his trap! In fact, he thought he made out two forms.

This caused him to slow with caution. Oluse knew the trap was designed to only catch a single animal, no more. He thought a moment about calling for Maevon, or going back to camp for her, she wasn't too far off after all. She had warned him once to never approach any animal in the wasteland. But.

His curiosity drove him forward. He tempered this with what he felt was a fair amount of caution. The thick fog, whipping quickly by along the savage winds forced him to get within several yards of the figured before he could make out any details.

They were small, only a two to three feet in height each, not spanning much longer to the rump. With dark brown fur, and deep brown eyes, in what appeared to be perfect circles. Oluse couldn't help it, he just couldn't. "You're adorable!" He exclaimed, in a barley audible tone over the whipping frozen air. Two fluffy young bear cubs, one with it's foot firmly locked in Oluse's trap.

[Oluse]

The cubs did not return Oluse's feelings of adoration, one trying in vein to chew the thread off it's paw, the other staring with intense fear at Oluse, the terrifying predator before him! The first cub found his undoing with the extremely bitter herb which Oluse imbibed the twine with to keep animals from doing exactly what the cub had been attempting. All while the second moved several feet back, bobbing it's head in a motion that almost appeared like his was trying to shake hid head "no" to the trespasser.

Oluse's heart melted in pity. He might get bitten, but he wanted to let them go. His primary concern was if the bear would hurt it's leg pulling away if Oluse go too close. He decided to do his best. "Hey there buddies!" He said loud in clear in Vani,"I'm a friend, I'm guna help your little brother there, ok?" He looked the free cub in the eyes. Without a second thought the Cub scampered off in terror, producing a very annoying squeal of fear.

Oluse blinked several times in confusion. He decided the yelling and looking them in the eye was a failed approach. He tried another angle as he dealt with the second cub, still bound tightly in it's snare. "Ok, Fluffy." He said quieter this time, getting down on his knees, reducing himself to the bear's stature. Out of the corner of his eye he looked to the creature, who still seemed frightened. "I'm going to come a little closer now, don't be scared. I'm going to help you." And he did, lowering himself further to his elbows as he plowed execs snow out of his way.

A thought struck Oluse after traveling half the distance. The thread would quickly corrode in a week or two if left on the bear's paw, and the herbs would fade even sooner. He smiled, proud of his epiphany. All he had to do was get to the tree trunk the thread held fast to, and untie that end. Picking up a little speed he crawled over to the trunk, taking a moment to look at the bear cub before he planned to unfastening the thread. It seemed somewhat less terrified by then. This made Oluse smile. What could one little pat hurt? Obviously the bear wasn't going to hurt itself on the thread anymore, and how often does he get this close to wildlife?

Oluse eagerly crawled the rest of the way to the cub, stretching his arm out to allow the cub a moment to get used to him before touching, like he does with dogs. The cub stretched back, for a moment, then oddly enough looked up. Oluse confused followed the cub's line of sight, his stomach firmly in the icy snow, one arm still hovering out in front of him toward the youthful bear.

[Oluse]

What he saw above was a not so youthful bear. Towering at what seemed to Oluse as at least ten feet high stood a giant darkly furred bear! Oluse felt a sinking feeling in his whole body, his stomach raising into his lungs, and his breath caught fast. He would remember his entire life that moment, as if it itself lasted a life time. Never had he been so close to such an awesome creature, and never before had he stared death so terrifying directly in the eye. The dark bloodshot, and very disapproving eye.

Almost in slow motion the giant beast rolled onto it's haunches, lording powerfully over it's progeny, and with a tremendous roar tore the wind around Oluse asunder, dispelling in that moment the spell that held the two frozen together in time. After that, Oluse's world was a blur of adrenaline and terror!

Oluse's arm slammed with all the force he could muster toward the frozen ground beneath him, as he let out a scream of his own! The force was enough to push him almost to his feet, but ultimately spilled him with a crash to the right, as the mother slammed her ferocious paws down onto the compressed snow from Oluse's body.

Scrambling, sliding, yurnning for the next step, an escape, the run was a blur at best to Oluse. Fragments got threw, a hands bracing against the tree, snow flying into his eyes as he slipped, aggressive breath and growling approaching quickly from behind.

[Oluse]

He tried to think, tried to see a way out, but his blood. There was so much blood. He could hear it pumping within him, his own mortality beat like a fearsome war drum in his head. His lungs hungrily sucked in the cold air, ignoring it's chilling effects. His legs kept pushing no matter the ache. He could barley see, let alone think through this state.

"This is shock." He thought to himself, just as the world ascended. He had been dominated by light lightheadedness, and could barley feel his limbs. He figured he had fell though, but then the world just kept going up. Up and over. The rough sensation of razor sharp snow collided with his face, as he tumbled downward.

He bounced slightly at the end, and found himself in a slight free fall. Another still frame in his mind. Amazing, weightless, as if being let go into a land of nothing, no fear, no control, no power. Peaceful. Just white of snow, and weightlessness. Freedom.

All shattered by the next moment. He heard it first, before he felt it. A snap, more a crunch really. It hurt, but not nearly as much as Oluse would have suspected a broken arm would. He of course knew that that was likely due to the shock. He lifted himself up onto his knees, and took quick stock of his surroundings.

In front of him, ice, hard, water, river. Frozen river. Under him, snow. Behind him; large blur of dark fur cresting a shallow hill. He pushed his left arm firmly to the ground to lift himself up, another crunch, and the arm gave out under his weight. Oluse heard himself give out a yelp, but didn't feel the pain. Immediately. He rebuttled with the opposite arm, finding himself unsteady, but standing.

[Oluse]

He was scared. Not, I might be late for an appointment scared. Not, there is a storm coming scared. Not even, my child fell down and bumped her head scared. No Oluse was genuinely pants wetting, heart pounding, scared for his very existence scared. And as such, he did what any sensible young man would do in his situation.

"Maevon!" He screamed at the top of his lungs for help, the wind ripping the words from his throat and scattering them along the tundra. All as the young boy turned on his heels yet again and began skidding across the well frozen river.

The sharp vertical squares of metal along the base of his boots allowed for some amount of traction control and speed as he gave all he had to running along the ice. In this aspect alone he found himself somewhat superior to his pursuer, who scraped and skitted noisily in a blind rage behind him. This, by no means offered Oluse comfort, however, as the mother bear continued to close the distance between the two on sheer power alone.

His vision grew narrow, and the beating of his heart louder as he ran. Frantically he tried to make out an escape route, his mind a blur as he saw a feature of the river bank that stood out to him, an overhang. He ran for it, not noticing his mistake till he hit the frozen wall at full speed. His mind was gone, torn away as he was sure his soul and various other important elements of his anatomy soon would be. Clumsily, reaching the close of his adrenaline rush Oluse turned himself from his sprawled position on his back, onto his stomach, raising his head to look his doom in the eyes

[Oluse]

Through the fog, and his own blurry perceptions he could only make out a splotch of dominating darkness speeding toward him. His arm began to ache uncontrollably, with a pain he had never felt before. "Maevon." A single word escaped his lips as he closed his eyes, deciding facing his murderer would make no difference after his life was extinguished.

Along with the scraping of claws on ice, a dull thud landed near him. He wanted to ignore it, he wanted it to be over. He was done running. "Get up!" A sharp command interrupted his soon approaching slumber, along with a firm hand scooping him up by the injured arm. He was suddenly very awake with a cry of pain! His eyes flinging open.

Yurvik was suddenly there, yanking him along the ice. The bear was close, though his tunnel vision didn't offer him the specifics of how close, all he saw was Yurvik, hoisting him upward over his shoulder. Then the terrifying sensation of a large entity flying past them both, the bear sliding on the snow void ice under the overhang, her powerful momentum carrying her headlong into the wall.

A moment later he had all the view he could have hoped for, however. The bear, angrier than ever was bobbing in front of him, as he lay slung over Yurvik's shoulder. Oluse couldn't believe how slowly they were running away from the creature! He began to let out incoherent, but incredibly stressed yelps and howls of distress as the bear's eyes leveled again on it's prey. The bear rose once more, with another roar, it's head colliding with the overhang above it. A collision that seemed to unphase the berserking mother.

[Oluse]

Above the overhang perched another shape that Oluse had missed when running toward it the first time. It was Maevon! Hope somehow filled Oluse's heart, a comfort. Her face was intense, wild and hurried as she fussed with the buckles upon her pack.

His attention, however, quickly got ripped away from Maevon with another intense and sudden misstep from Yurvik, almost capsizing them both, and the sudden realization mother bear had continued the pursute! He was horrified they had only made it a few yards, and the bear was running full speed, finally finding it's legs sturdy upon the iceclad river.

"Maevon!" He yelled out again. What was she doing? Maybe she didn't see them. "Help!" He screamed into the wind, frantically reaching an arm out to wave only to drop it again in searing pain.

That's when it happened. He saw a light, like a bright fire, just as the bear reached them. Her gigantic paw flew out, and before Oluse could process the strike he found himself in midair again. This time was not freeing, or peaceful like the time before, this time time did not freeze, he just felt the sudden pain of his body slamming to the earth, and sliding across the snow covered ice, his hood finally flying back, exposing his tender neck and straight dark hair. Using his good arm he began to scramble up, horrifying noises from feet away motivating him.