The shadowy figure comes out of hiding to reveal itself from the moonlight. Silva, Oro, and Salv gaze up to a giant owl flapping its wings. The bird arrogantly looks at its victims as it swallows Salv and Silva's dinner. Its stature is nearly 10 meters.
Silva: (outraged) Wow, what a little prick!
Salv: Nevermind that, is an owl supposed to be this gigantic?
Silva: (shakes his head) Dunno. Don't care. Time to teach it some manners.
Salv: Hold up Silva, don't be hasty!
Silva leaps into the air with his body already at a warm temperature. Before the owl can even flinch, Silva's steamed fist makes its mark on its belly. The owl is sent flying away in the distance.
Salv: Come on man. That was uncalled for!
Silva: What'd ya mean? The brat had it comin'.
Salv: Yeah well we don't know if that thing had any friends on standby.
Meanwhile, the flock of owls share intense gloomy expressions over their little feathered friend.
Silva: If its got friends then I'm ready to wipe the floor with the rest of 'em.
Salv: (sighs) Well let's hope it-
Oro starts barking at the sky. Salv notices a flock of owls that are 10 meters bigger than the infant owl from earlier.
Salv: Uhhh Silva.
Silva: Yeah?
Salv: Look straight above you…
Silva: (raises his head towards the night sky) What the-
Salv: I think we should run.
Silva: I can take 'em!
The leader of the flock starts nosediving towards its silver-haired target.
Salv lunges toward Silva and picks him up just before impact.
Salv: No you can't!
Silva rests uncomfortably under Salv's arm as the metal man and Oro run for the hills!
Two more owls make their move towards them. Salv's body turns silver and gray, prepared for any attack. He shields his friends effortlessly until the entire flock surrounds him with beaks pecking from every direction.
Silva: Let go of me, Salv!
Salv: Do you want to become swiss cheese?
Silva: Ughhh this sucks.
The rhythm of the beaks connecting with Salv's body starts to get louder and faster just as a jackhammer would sound on an unpaved road.
Salv: I'm afraid this is too much to handle for me, my friends.
Just before Salv throws in the white towel, a sudden burst of energy flies by and swiftly takes care of the angry flock in one fell swoop.
Silva: (drops from Salv's grip) The hell was that?
Salv: I don't know it happened so fast.
A mysterious man turns around to face Silva, Salv, and Oro. He sports an orange bandana, a green jumpsuit binded by white bandages, and dark blue arm and knee pads.
Mysterious man: (shouts) You three have to be pretty damn stupid to mess with the sacred owls around here! (sighs) You must be foreigners.
Salv: Did you say sacred?
Mysterious man: Yeah, they are magnificent creatures that live in harmony with us locals. You better realize that I just broke an oath of peace that my people all live by.
Silva: (shouts) It doesn't matter cause that thing attack-
Salv covers his hand over Silva's mouth.
Salv: Forgive us, we didn't realize that they were that important around here.
Isra: I'll have to deal with the consequences when I get back home. Are you three alright, though?
Salv takes his hand off of Silva's mouth.
Salv: Yeah we're fine.
Silva: Mind telling us your name?
Mysterious man: The name's Roco Isra.
Silva: I'm Silva Belmonte and this here's Oro.
Oro wags his tail and starts to lick Isra.
Salv: I'm Salv Starrc, great to make your acquaintance.
Silva: (neutral face lightens up) By the way, what kinda power do you possess, Isra?
Isra: I just run fast. Nothin' special.
Silva: That's pretty powerful if ya ask me!
Isra: Think so? I appreciate the compliment. Now that formalities are out of the way, do you three travelers mind tellin' me what brings ya here in Howling Woods.
Salv: We were just passing by to take a detour on our journey across Instivale. (glares at Silva) We got a bit lost though.
Isra: Quite the expedition for such a small bunch.
Silva: We make do with what we got.
Salv: I'll say.
Isra: Well, I was on my way back home before I saw y'all in trouble.
Silva and Salv: Thank you for saving us.
Isra: Don't sweat it. Say, do you wanna travel with me to my home, Owl City? Should be a good detour for ya to unwind with a clear path outta the woods from there.
Silva: If there's good food waitin' for us then…
Isra: Owl City does have a signature mushroom stew with bread bowls if that interests y'all.
Salv and Silva's mouth water a bit.
Silva: I'm down! What 'bout you Salv?
Salv: That does sound amazing. Can we at least camp the night here before we head there to rejuvenate?
Isra: (hesitantly) Sure…
Silva: What's the harm in that?
Isra: Ya see for us livin' in the forest, we adopted most of the lifestyle of the sacred owls.
Silva: What? Can you turn your heads one eighty degrees or somethin'?!
Salv: No you moron! He means they are nocturnal.
Silva: Oh.
Isra: Yep, few of us ever stay up past the sunrise.
Salv: Think you can spare a few hours for us to sleep? You can wake us up afterwards.
Silva: (yawns) I'm cool with that.
Isra: That's fine.
Silva, and Salv set up camp. A few hours pass until the current time is about 2 am.
March 4, 3009
Isra wakes up Salv, Oro, and Silva.
Isra: Y'all got your stuff before we leave?
Salv: I packed before I went to sleep.
Silva: (packing the last of his things) Yeah I should be ready in a few minutes.
Isra: Okay.
Silva: Say, Isra?
Isra: Yes?
Silva: Not sure how your powers work, but are you able to grab us both and still travel with your super speed?
Isra: If I tried that, you would disintegrate into dust within milliseconds. Certainly couldn't even think about pulling Salv.
Silva: (dumbfounded) Oh.
Isra: Even if I could, I try my best to conserve my stamina exclusively for city tasks or fighting.
Silva: I take you for a fellow climber based on that getup. Are you able to use your powers in that way?
Isra: Unfortunately not. If I had the power to climb fast, I'd already be the best climber in the world.
Silva: (finishes packing his stuff) Is that your dream?
Isra: Indeed. How 'bout yourself?
Silva: Happy to say we share the same dream.
Isra: Might have a new rival before long.
Silva: (slightly laughs) I guess so.
Isra, Salv, Silva, and Oro make their way through Howling Woods until they finally reach Owl City at around 3:30 am.