Chapter 58: The True Hunt
"Move it, everyone, let’s go!" said Krag.
Without wasting a single second, the four hunters hooked ropes onto the bison and began dragging the carcass back toward the cave. On their way, they crossed paths with the other teams, who were also returning while hauling equally imposing prey.
Upon reaching the hideout, they left the animals outside, and Krag gestured for them to head inside.
Once indoors, the leaders of each party began reporting what they had seen in their respective sectors.
"There is plenty of prey in the eastern zone," said one of the veterans.
"The basin is heavily populated; there won’t be any issues with reserves this year," said another hunter with relief.
"Good, then let’s do this fast, gear up," said Krag.
All the teams headed back outside, but this time they took a different route, marching toward a large lake that surprisingly hadn’t frozen over yet.
"We have enough winter food for the rest of the tribe, now let’s get our own," said Krag, pausing to look at Kellar. "Kellar, you might not know this, but the tribe’s meat is divided into two types: normal animal meat and beast meat. The only way for us warriors to progress is by devouring beast meat. Beast meat isn’t easy to get; any beast could kill us if we aren’t careful. Normal meat only serves to keep us from feeling too hungry, which is why we hunters don’t go out hunting just to help the tribe. If we went out all the time, we would exhaust whatever energy we have left and die of starvation. Eating normal meat is just to feel like we ate; it serves no other purpose."
"It sounds very selfish, but it’s the reality," said Krag as they kept moving along the bank. "We hunters must remain on high alert in case other tribes attack or if a ferocious beast enters the village so we can defend it. That leaves the others exposed, but there is no choice; you will find out soon enough."
They followed the course of the river in silence, keeping their eyes locked on the icy shores. Suddenly, Kellar spotted several silhouettes in the distance, covered in dark feathers with razor-sharp beaks tearing into remains near the water.
"They are terror birds, like the ones you killed," said Krag, stopping to scan the surroundings carefully. "This means our friend is nearby, let me tell you. Let’s move."
The leader raised his hand and pointed toward the thick canopy of the giant pine trees lining the riverbank.
"Climb the tree," said Krag.
Without making the slightest sound, the party scrambled up into the high branches. They concealed themselves behind the dense, frozen foliage and began watching the area, waiting for their true prey to appear.
"Two-and-two formation: two awake, two sleeping," said Krag in a low whisper. "We must wait here. If we venture any further into this sector, we could easily be killed."
The group settled onto the thickest branches of the giant pine. The silence of the watch was filled with brief, hushed conversations as they observed the landscape. The area was both breathtaking and dismal: the unfrozen river snaked through dark, lichen-covered rocks, while a freezing breeze carried the stench of sulfur and dampness from the valley floor. In the distance, the flora grew increasingly strange, with thorny vegetation that seemed to react to the slightest movement.
As Kellar kept his eyes glued to the riverbanks, a glowing prompt suddenly flashed before his eyes:
[Quest: Timely "Help"]
Objective: Steal the kill of the Great River Crocodile.
Reward: [Reward: +10 Strength | 2 Tech Points | Random Technology].
Kellar stared at the rewards in surprise, but upon reading the objective doubt crept in. The strength boost and tech points were far too tempting, but the risk was blatant. Just how massive would this giant crocodile be to pose that level of threat? And more importantly would he even have the power to deal damage to such a monster without possessing the Red Bear Fury, that devastating skill the tribe’s other warriors had already mastered?
Kellar shifted his eyes away from the floating screen and looked at the veteran hunter beside him, trying to hide his curiosity.
"What are we waiting for?" asked Kellar in a whisper.
"The master of this stretch of the river," said the veteran hunter, tightening his grip on his spear. "A giant crocodile. It’s a true demon with scales."
"Is it really that dangerous?" asked Kellar.
"Its hide is so tough that flint tips just bounce right off it," said the hunter. "The last warrior who tried to face it without backup became a snack two winters ago. In this sector, you don’t play hero, kid. You either attack as a pack using the Bear Fury or you end up at the bottom of the water."
Krag, who was watching the bank from a higher branch, turned his head toward them.
"Less talking and more eyes on the water," said Krag in an imperceptible breath. "The wind just shifted. It’s about to surface."
The river water began to churn violently. Massive bubbles surfaced, followed by a dark, rugged mass breaking through the icy current. The Great River Crocodile poked its colossal head out; it was a beast over twelve meters long, with bone plates as jagged as mountain ridges and a pair of lifeless yellow eyes scanning the bank.
Kellar held his breath from the top of the pine. The monster far exceeded anything he had imagined. Its hide looked like an impenetrable armor of living stone.
"Ready the ropes and grappling hooks," said Krag in a whisper through the branches.
The veteran hunters unrolled ropes reinforced with braided beast gut and hand-forged iron hooks. The tension in the tree grew suffocating; every one of them waited for the command to strike down upon the creature.
"Kellar, you stay up here covering the rear," said Krag, locking eyes with the young man. "If that thing tries to drag us into the water or if another threat appears from the brush, you give the call. "
"Understood," said Kellar, tightening his grip on his mallet until his knuckles turned white.
As the crocodile crawled onto dry land, dragging its belly along the shore, Kellar locked his eyes onto the beast’s neck. Without the Red Bear Fury, a direct strike against those thick scales would be useless, but if the veterans managed to flip or immobilize the monster, he would have just one window of opportunity to land the killing blow and claim the reward.