The path left by the Mapple corporation while they perford their exploration had long been reclaid by the jungle to the point where it was impossible to follow it anymore. It seed unnatural, though it was actually a pretty normal process as nature would slowly but surely reclaim any trace of civilization abandoned by n. This, along with the fact that they could not see past the dense rain forest, made it easy for any one to get lost, especially without them being able to rely on any electronic device or even a compass.
It was only thanks to Nika's expertise, Uriel's instinct and dusa's sense of navigation that they were able to sohow get a sense of direction. But Luna's contributions were no smaller in any regards and were actually the most important.
Finding the structures would only be a matter of ti whether or not they knew the way as they could even take down trees, but making it there alive was an entirely different matter and that is where Luna's field of expertise ca in handy.
While the rest of the team tried to find the way, Luna and the jaguar worked together to spot any cryptids before they could beco a threat. Which taking into consideration how most of them were ambush predators was a particularly difficult task, a task made impossible due to the mixed energy signatures in the atmosphere.
However, no matter the amount of flux, the beastly senses of both the lycanthrope huntress and the feline cryptid far surpassed the limitations of a regular Hunter's senses and they were able to announce whenever a cryptid was about to show up or creep onto them.
The jaguar spirit emitted a low growl whenever he sensed an enemy and while Luna could have used words, she was so imrsed in her beast side she did the sa as the jaguar. She even britled the first ti a monster rank enemy showed up, though it turned out to be a harmless pigmy who didn't even had a weapon.
"Are you sure the Mapple corporation was defeated by these cryptids? I'm finding it really hard to believe, even if they were nurous they're not even a challenge." dusa asked in disbelief after crushing the pigmy with her foot, almost crushing the flux orb it dropped along with it.
"You really do think your family's company is all powerful, but if they're so mighty, why didn't they show up when the gos took over the world?" Uriel scoffed.
"I was there, dusa...," Nika said in a serious tone of voice, the kind of tone she only used when facing impossible odds or when beer ran out. "They're weaklings, but they never stop coming at you."
"Plus, we're only seen the weaker enemies. Those that due to their lack of power or maybe ineptitude were forced to the rim of the barrier. The closer we get to the center, the stronger the enemies will appear." Said Luna in a monotone, which contrasted with her past beastly behavior.
"Let's keep going." Uriel said after firing a shot at a snake that seed large enough to be a cryptid but was actually a regular animal as it did not drop a flux orb nor did it fade. This caused Uriel to be disappointed and also regretful, since animals were scarce and in need of protection.
But their disappointnts didn't end there, as the first structure they found was precisely the one that least interested dusa. As the team's engineer she was tasked with understanding their inner workings and see if she was able to replicate the technology, though the ball court was the least interesting and mysterious of all the structures.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Uriel asked.
"Yes, it's just a field with no technology whatsoever. It's just lie a modern stadium, a place where people fought." dusa huffed.
"Actually, this place was used for a sophisticated ga of ball. The ancient Maya held competitions in which..."
"Fine! It'll check it out, but only if you shut up with your archaeology stuff." dusa rushed in to what used to be a stone wall structure, but after what happened the first ti Uriel visited beca a golden marvel that looked just like a small stadium.
"Soone's cranky." Nika chuckled, then took a sip of a flask, only to have it snatched by Uriel.
"No drinking!"
"It's water, staying hydrated is important." Nika said with a frown.
"As if It'd fall for that...," Said Uriel after taking a suspicious sniff, then a careful sip and realizing the truth."It's water!"
dusa inspected the building from every angle and took out so tools in an attempt to dismantle anything, open a control panel, or anything she could think of. She even looked around for traps or pressure plates, but she found nothing.
In the anti, the rest of the team was bored to an extent they didn't think possible. When Nika agreed to co back to the accursed place where so many bad mories were made, she expected to be running for her life most of the ti but even that was better than standing idle with nothing to do.
"What do you say we play a little?" Nika said with a mischievous grin.
"We shouldn't... We need to keep an eye open." Uriel grunted.
"You're just saying that because you know you'll lose."
"Afraid of losing? To you!?"
"I'm xican, soccer is in my veins. While you... Have you ever even played before?" She lifted an inquisitive brow, prompting Uriel to rush into his souvenir shop and buy the sturdiest ball he could find. It was a professional grade ball, which admittedly was pretty sturdy, but the mont Uriel kicked it it burst like a soap bubble. "See? You have no control over your body, let show you how It's done."
Uriel bought another one and Nika received it with her foot, passed it on to her knees and pretended to jog while standing in the sa place making the ball bounce gracefully with every movent. Both Uriel and Luna were left srized by her control and the fluid movents she made and Luna wouldn't help but break the spell.
"Who would have thought you were actually good for anything."
"What's it, young lady, You're playing against !" Nika challenged before kicking the ball. "And That's scoring the first point."
"I... Wasn't ready." Luna said in a monotone that sohow sounded vaguely excited.
"And That's why you're losing."
The two started playing sothing that barely resembled any ga of ball and not one in particular. They used hands, feet, held the ball and did all sort of forbidden movents in any sport, such as Nika using shadow tendrils to keep control of he ball or Luna shifting into a werewolf form to gain more reach in order to block the ball from going over her.
All under Uriel's gaze as he studied their movents out of scientific curiosity. Sure, they weren't following any kind of rule and they didn't even keep a proper score as each of them claid to be winning by an absurd amount of points, but they were behaving a lot of fun. At so point, even dusa stopped what she was doing and stood next to Uriel watching the girls have fun. It was such a nice mont she wished she could snap a video recording, which was impossible not just by the cryptid's FOD but also because the very field they were in blocked all electronic devices.
At that mont, a small light drew dusa's attention as it seemingly ca from a figurine above It was small and barely noticeable for a human, but to a hunter it was a lit beacon that could not be ignored.
"How long as it been doing that?" dusa asked.
"I think from the mont Nika scored a point without cheating." Uriel said.
"Do you understand the ga they're playing?" dusa tilted her head, then took the chance to lean on his shoulder causing the ball ga to co to an end as both players decided it was best to interrupt whatever romantic mont before it took place.
"We have a deal!" Nika snarled.
"What? I didn't..." dusa was about to lie, when Uriel cut the mont short
"Could you guys keep playing? I think the field has its rules and I'm trying to understand them." Uriel asked and the two went back to the court, but not before threatening dusa with both eyes, gestures and silent curses.
The ga continued, though now that they were aware that what they were doing could actually prove useful instead of it just being a fun ti made them painfully conscious of their movents and that proved to work against any chance of understanding the ga Uriel had in the first place.
At that mont, Uriel decided he needed to do sothing to motivate the players and spike the ga to a whole new level. He offered the winner a date with him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)