[SP - F4 ] <<Feeding the Enemy>> [Complete]

[Lessa 1]

The only sound was the constant crunch, crunch, crunch of snow beneath her boots. It was a very pleasant sound, and Lessa was so grateful to be back in the snow that she hardly felt the chill. It was thrilling, being surrounded by white again. The crystals that littered the everything around her were dazzling in the bright sunlight, and Lessa found herself asking why she had not spent more time on floor four. I could stay here forever.

She had been walking along with no destination in mind. For that reason, she was startled when a figure in black approached her. Out of instinct, she reached for Hell Rose. But when it became clear that the individual was an NPC, and not another player looking to kill her, she relaxed slightly. As the person grew nearer, Lessa began to make out the features underneath the hood. It was an old woman, her skin worn and leather-like. Her dark eyes were wide, and a few strays of wiry white hair stuck out from her cloak.

[Lessa 1]

"Hello, dear," the woman began, her voice cracked and strained with age.

Despite the fact that the woman was a NPC, Lessa gave her a warm smile. "Hello!"

"Have you seen the beast?"

This must be the start of a quest, the girl thought to herself. Then, she replied, "I've seen many beasts, ma'am. Could you be more specific?"

Whether the woman actually understood Lessa's question, or she was just programmed to relay the same information, she went on. "The white beast."

Tilting her head, Lessa repeated her words. "The white beast?" She thought for a moment, then said, "I've only just arrived on this floor. So no, I don't think I have."

"Be cautious!" The old woman shot back, her eyes widening further. "It will surprise you. It comes from beneath the snow, and will be upon you before you see it coming!"

"Right," Lessa acknowledged, her features growing harder. "I will keep an eye out for this 'white beast.'"

[Lessa 1]

"But do not kill it!" the gypsy cried suddenly, causing Lessa to flinch.

"I wont!" She cried back, out of instinct. And when she recovered from the shock, she questioned hesitantly, "why not?"

"Because you must feed it. If you feed it, you will learn the secret."

"The secret?" Lessa repeated.

"Yes!"

"Alright!" Lessa replied, throwing her hands up in the air. "I won't kill it! I'll... feed it."

Satisfied, the gypsy nodded. Turning away from Lessa, the NPC hurried away, back the direction that Lessa had come. The girl's eyes followed her for a while, still a bit shocked by the whole exchange. Once the woman was merely a speck in the distance, Lessa turned back around, and continued her trek deeper into the forth floor.

Though she did her best to return to her carefree, happy thoughts, the words that the NPC nagged at her. What was the white beast? Was it something she needed to worry about at all?

[Lessa 1]

A snarl from behind her shook the woman out of her thoughts.

As she spun around, she drew Hell Rose. Lessa came face-to-face with a white wolf. It had shocking red eyes, which bore into her intensely. She settled into her stance, lifting her blade slightly, watching the beast's every move. It gave another guttural growl, crouching lower toward the ground. It was one of the largest wolves that Lessa had ever seen. This is no ordinary wolf.

And she was right. With shocking speed, the beast shoved off, launching itself toward her. She threw up her gauntlet-clad arm, and the wolf latched on. With a cry, she threw the beast aside. But as she had suspected, the wolf still dealt damage.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 14/15

Alpha Wolf 15/15

[Lessa 1]

"Aren't you a handful," Lessa muttered, setting her feet and staring the enemy down. It gave another low growl, as if in response to her words. A small smiled tugged at the corner of her pale pink lips. It was just her and the wolf this time. She had no backup. True, part of her was terrified. But there was also part of her who was thrilled.

The wolf lunged again. This time, it angled itself differently, lashing out at Lessa's legs. She winced as its jaws clamped down on her flesh. Then, it released her and danced backward, preparing itself for the next attack.

"I am oh and two," she snarled.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 13/15

Alpha Wolf 15/15

[Lessa 1]

Lessa lifted the heavy Hell Rose, tightening her grip on its hilt. "That was rude," she spat, preparing herself to go on the offensive for the first time since the fight began. This wolf was fast. If she waited around for it, it would always beat her. I just have to be faster.

She lunged. Unfortunately, she still waited a heart beat too long, and the wolf was able to counter her attack with another swipe of its sharp claws. Lessa let out a pained cry, though much of her emotion stemmed from frustration.

"What is wrong with you?" She cried, her words directed at both the wolf and herself.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 12/15

Alpha Wolf 15/15

[Lessa 1]

Anger now pulsing through her veins, the woman wasted no time launching her next attack. With a scream, she brought Hell Rose over her head, and quickly closed the distance between herself and the white wolf. Her boots thudded across the packed snow, and her cheeks were flushed as she approached the enemy. Then, without any hesitation, she brought the claymore down with all of her strength.

To her delight, the sword cut a wide gash in the wolf's white coat. It gave a pained yelp before loping a few paces away. It wasn't much, but that didn't matter. It was something.

{Lessa deals 4 dmg - base, +2 Hell Rose, +1 two-handed weapon.}

Lessa 12/15

Alpha Wolf 11/15

[Lessa 1]

The woman paused for a brief second. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled. Her gaze never left the wolf, and it intensified as she brought her weapon up one more time. "Again!" She cried out, tucking her head and pushing off with her back boot.

Unfortunately, it took only one successful attack for the wolf to catch on. Fast learner, she thought to herself grimly, as the beast dodged her attack and landed one of its own. This time, Lessa's cry startled the birds roosting in a nearby tree, sending them into panicked flight.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 11/15

Alpha Wolf 11/15

[Lessa 1]

This is getting out of hand, Lessa thought, her whole frame shaking with frustration and exhaustion. Nothing she was doing seemed to be working, and she was taking quite a bit more damage than she had anticipated. The excitement was gone from her eyes. Now, she simply wanted to end this beast so she could recover a bit of health.

With this new desire to end things, and as quickly as possible, Lessa threw herself at the wolf. This time, Hell Rose remained at her side. When the beast was within range, she angled the weapon, and slashed it upwards across her body. This approach was not what the wolf was expecting. With a satisfying tearing noise, her blade tore away at the flesh just below the coat. Again, her enemy gave a cry of pain.

{Lessa deals 4 dmg - base, +2 Hell Rose, +1 two-handed skill.}

Lessa 11/15

Alpha Wolf 7/15

[Lessa 1]

Another successful attack. But it did little to lift Lessa's spirits. There was still a long way to go, and if this wolf learned as quickly as she thought he did, she still had quite a lot of work to do. It adjusted to her attacks beautifully, and while it was stunning to watch, it could spell disaster for her. She needed to end this, and soon.

But just as she had feared, the wolf was ready for her. Despite her best attempt at changing things up, it seemed that her approach was nothing that it had not seen before. This time, the wolf lunged upward, tearing into her shoulder as she attempted to rake it with her blade.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 10/15

Alpha Wolf 7/15

[Lessa 1]

Breathing heavily, Lessa regarded the wolf with tired eyes. Can I beat this? She found herself asking. Will I die here? The thought sent shivers up and down her spine. "No," she said aloud. Then, louder, "no!" Lessa had to see her family again. She had to live long enough for that to happen. And she could not leave the people she had met here. What would Alkor do? Kiluia? Would they shed a tear, or be bothered by her death? She could not bring them that kind of sadness.

Lost in her thoughts, she made a critical error. Bogged down by emotion, she missed the wolf making an offensive action. His jaws were clenched around her leg before she knew what was happening. She screamed.

{Alpha Wolf deals 1 damage - would have been 2, if not for gauntlet's +1 DMG MIT.}

Lessa 9/15

Alpha Wolf 7/15

[Lessa 1]

"This needs to end," she stammered, her blue eyes wide, perspiration collecting at her temples despite the cold weather of the forth floor. Lessa remembered those who she was fighting for, but rather than stopping to reflect on them, she allowed their faces to become her motivation. The woman had always drawn her strength from her loved ones. This would be no different.

The wolf waited for her about twenty feet away, red eyes narrowed, jaw curled back in a vicious snarl. This time, when Lessa neared the beast, she leapt into the air. The wolf made to swipe at her legs, but she was now out of his reach. Hovering just above him, she pointed her blade downward, and let gravity do the rest. She fell to the ground, her blade piercing deep into the wolf's side. As she tore it back out, it let out a howl of anger and pain.

{Roll becomes a 6 due to gauntlet's +1 accuracy. Lessa deals 4 dmg - base, +2 Hell Rose, +1 two-handed skill.}

Lessa 9/15

Alpha Wolf 3/15

[Lessa 1]

In its weakened state, the wolf wasted no time lashing back at her. She had barely recovered from her last hit when the wolf was upon her again. Its eyes were rolling as it threw herself on her. Jaws clamped onto her gauntlets, but its powerful legs continued to flail. Finally, under the weight of the beast, Lessa fell to the ground. The wolf remained on top of her, claws looking desperately for flesh to shred.

Maybe this is it after all, mused a soft voice in the back of her mind. You're pinned under a great white wolf. How will you get out of this one, Wild Rose?

"Die!" Lessa screamed suddenly. Channeling all of her remaining energy, Lessa's left arm continued to grapple with the wolf, while the right reached for her sword. She angled it the best she could, considering the weapon's great weight, and her one free hand. When she determined that it was the best it would be, she shoved the blade into the squirming wolf.

It was perfect. Her strike found its mark, and in the blink of an eye, the wolf was gone. Lessa was showered with data as she lay there in the snow, eyes wide, breath shallow.

{Lessa deals 4 dmg - base, +2 Hell Rose, +1 two-handed skill.}

Lessa 9/15

Alpha Wolf 0/15 - DEAD

[Lessa 1]

The woman's chest rose and fell beneath her cloth clothing. In. Out. In. Out. Finally, her heart rate began to return to normal. After another moment or two, she sat up. Pulling her knees to her chest, and wrapping her arms around her legs, the shivering girl hugged herself. She had won. She had defeated the wolf. But it had taken a lot out of her. Lessa needed to calm down, and regain some of her strength.

She pulled up her menu, and selected a piece of bread. As it materialized in her hand, she brought it to her lips. Slowly, she bit into it and began to chew, savoring the flavor and the health that she swore she felt returning. The snow continued to fall around her.

[Lessa 1]

Suddenly, the snow began to move. A drift only a few paces away, was shaking slightly. Her blue eyes widened, and she leapt to her feet. The bread fell to the ground as she grabbed for her claymore. Whatever it was, it had snuck up on her.

And that was when the voice of the old woman drifted back to her. "It comes from beneath the snow," Lessa repeated softly, tightening her grip on the sword. Was this the white beast the gypsy had warned her about? She had been so certain that the great wolf had been the white beast, but what of the cryptic snow warning? Whatever this thing was, it was certainly coming from beneath the snow.

She widened her stance, bent her knees slightly, and brought her claymore up to chest-level.

[Lessa 1]

Suddenly, the snow stopped moving. Lessa inhaled sharply, her arms shaking slightly. Alone in the tundra, the blonde had no idea what to expect. She had never encountered anything like this before. Am I going to die out here? Alone? Like this? She willed herself to stop thinking such thoughts, but it was difficult to silence the little voice.

Then, the snow fell away. In its place, a small animal sat up on its haunches. Its pelt was pure white, and its beady eyes studied her intently. Eyes widened as she recognized the creature. It was a stoat, a large variation of the weasel. Lessa let her blade fall slightly, no longer worried about being jumped. She did not even register this creature as a threat.

[Lessa 1]

"Hi there," she called out, breaking into a wide smile. It was always nice to encounter an animal that was not trying to kill her. She sheathed her blade, now more curious than confrontational. Lessa crouched down, her hands on her knees. Now, closer to the ground, she could see the animal better. "Aren't you cute?"

Then, there was a shriek that pierced her eardrum. With speed that she could never have imagined, the stoat lunged at her. Sharp teeth tore into her arm, and clamped down through the cloth. She felt her skin rip. With a panicked cry, she fell to her knees, shaking her arm angrily. "Get off!" She screamed. Finally, after a few seconds of holding on for dear life, the stoat opened its jaws and scampered a few paces off.

Lessa took a moment to glance up at her health bar, and she was horrified to see that it had dropped slightly. "You're kidding me," she snarled through clenched teeth.

[Lessa 1]

The blonde grabbed for her claymore. That beast was going to pay for the damage it dealt her. But something caused her to take pause. "Don't kill it," she muttered to herself, the words of the old woman coming back to her. "Feed it." She stood there, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her eyes still on the little stoat. It stared back at her, now crouched on all fours. It looked as thought it was preparing itself to attack again. She had only lost two health in the first attack. Might as well give it a try.

As quickly as possible, she stooped down, and retrieved the bread that rest at her feet. The stoat gave another shriek, but before it could launch itself at her again, Lessa tore off a piece of the bread and tossed it toward the creature. The shriek came to a sudden halt, as attention was turned from the girl to the bread. Though she knew stoats generally did not feast upon bread, she figured it was worth a shot.

[Lessa 1]

"Come on," Lessa muttered under her breath, watching the small animal intently. "Eat the bread." The stoat glanced up at her as it heard her words, and regarded her for a few long seconds. Then, it dipped its head down, and returned its attention to the bread.

 

It felt as though they stood out there for hours. The blonde with the glowing pink sword, staring at the white stoat. The wind began to pick up around them. What am I doing? Asked that voice in the back of her mind, but she quickly silenced it. This quest might be worth something important. So she stood there, icy breeze whipping her hair into a frenzy around her red face. She willed the animal to hurry.

[Lessa 1]

Finally, it moved. Lowering its head to the bread, the stoat took a hesitant sniff. Then, to her immense delight, it bit down. Time seemed to stand still as the woman watched the animal chew. Then, it took another bite. And another. Lessa stood in the snow, claymore now resting gently on her shoulder, watching the creature eat. When the stoat finished the last piece of bread, she took a long, deep breath. The suspense had been mounting the entire time, and now, her body shook with anxiety. What would happen next.

 

The stoat suddenly moved toward her. She brought her claymore back up, growing tense as the animal neared her. She prepared herself for the shriek, and the moment when she would have to end the animal's life. The white stoat came to a halt directly in front of her, and sat up on its haunches. Then, to her amazement, it seemed to lift its front legs toward her. "Oh my gosh," she whispered. This wild creature, which had only moments before tried to kill her, was reaching up to her. It looked like a child asking its mother to pick it up.