The forest was still as I crouched low behind a cluster of thick ferns, my breath steady and measured. Shadow perched on my shoulder, his beady eyes fixed on the clearing ahead, wings slightly flared as if ready to take off at a moment's notice. I could feel the tension in his body, the subtle shift in his energy. He sensed it too—the power that radiated from the beast guarding the clearing.
My eyes darted between the ferocious rodent and the object of its vigilance: a strange, exquisite flower basking in the moonlight. Its pale, silvery petals shimmered faintly in the dark, like starlight trapped in bloom. Even from this distance, I could feel the energy it gave off—raw, potent, and perfect for helping Shadow break through his current rank. But the rodent was a wall between us and that goal.
"Shadow, we need to be careful," I whispered, eyes narrowing as I appraised the situation. "That thing isn't just guarding the flower out of instinct. It's waiting for it to mature, just like us." The flower's glow had intensified during the battle, and it was nearing full maturity. We didn't have much time.
Shadow ruffled his feathers, giving a soft chirp of agreement.
The beast, a rodent as large as a medium dog, stood vigilant near the flower, its gaze scanning the surroundings. Muscles rippled beneath its thick fur, and I knew that brute force wasn't an option. It wasn't like the lower-ranked beasts we had hunted earlier. This creature was on the verge of breaking through into mid-Silver, its spiritual energy flickering violently like a storm waiting to be unleashed. The flower's imminent bloom had driven it into a frenzied state, making it more aggressive and less cautious—a small advantage we had to exploit.
I steadied my breath. No matter how powerful it was, I couldn't let it have that flower. Shadow's breakthrough depended on it.
Before we acted, I reached into my pouch and retrieved a small vial of elixir. Shadow's eyes gleamed when he saw it, recognizing the scent. The elixir was meant to temporarily enhance his abilities, a necessary edge for what was coming.
"Drink this," I whispered, offering the vial. He chirped in thanks and dipped his beak into the liquid. Almost instantly, a surge of energy radiated from his body, his feathers glistening with a faint shimmer. The elixir's effects wouldn't last long, and the clock was ticking. We had to act now.
"Alright," I muttered to myself, surveying the clearing's terrain. A small patch of moonlight lit up the flower and its guardian, but beyond that, shadows hugged the edges. It wasn't much, but it could work in our favor.
I pulled out a few simple tools from my pouch—thin vines I had braided into nets, crude snares, and some bait. These weren't exactly sophisticated traps, but they might help slow the rodent down.
"We'll have to distract it first," I said, giving Shadow a sideways glance. He chirped softly in acknowledgment. "We can't afford a head-on clash. I'll set up a few traps to keep it busy. You wait for my signal, then go for its eyes. If we can blind it, we have a chance."
Shadow fluttered down from my shoulder and disappeared into the shadows, a silent shadow among the trees.
I worked quickly, weaving the traps between the trees lining the edge of the clearing. The whole time, I kept one eye on the rodent, watching its every move. It hadn't noticed me yet, but it was alert. Its nose twitched, its ears perked up at the slightest sound. One wrong step, and it would be on us in seconds.
After laying the last snare, I crept back to my hiding spot, reaching for the bait. A piece of dried meat from one of our earlier hunts—it wasn't much, but it would have to do.
"Here goes nothing," I whispered, tossing the bait toward the far end of the clearing.
For a moment, the rodent didn't react. Its nose twitched, and it sniffed the air. Slowly, it turned its massive head, eyes scanning the bait with suspicion. It didn't move.
Damn it. It was too smart for that.
I held my breath as the rodent continued to ignore the bait, its attention already turning back to the flower. I could feel the clock ticking in my head—if we didn't act now, that flower would be lost.
"Alright, change of plan," I whispered to myself.
With a sharp whistle, I gave the signal to Shadow.
He responded immediately, launching himself from the treetops like an arrow. In a blur, he aimed for the rodent's face, his small body darting toward its eyes with incredible speed. The rodent reacted, faster than I expected. It lashed out with its claws, swiping at Shadow as he came in close.
"Careful, Shadow!" I called out, heart pounding as I saw the beast's massive claws just miss him.
The rodent snarled, its focus entirely on Shadow now. It was fast, much faster than I had anticipated. Shadow barely had time to dodge its next strike before retreating into the trees, wings flapping erratically.
My mind raced. If this kept up, Shadow wouldn't last much longer.
I tugged on one of the vines I had set up earlier, springing the net trap. The net snapped up, tangling around the rodent's back leg. It howled in fury, thrashing against the restraint, but it was too strong. Within seconds, it tore through the vines, snapping them like threads.
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath.
But the trap had slowed it down, even if only for a moment. I spotted a brief opening.
"Now, Shadow!" I shouted.
Without hesitation, Shadow dove again, this time managing to sink his beak into the rodent's face, striking near its eye. The rodent roared in pain, its paw swiping wildly as it tried to dislodge him.
Shadow barely escaped the next strike, but not without injury. One of the rodent's claws grazed his wing, and I saw him falter as he flew back toward me, his movements shaky.
"Shadow!" My heart clenched as I saw the blood on his feathers.
He let out a soft cry, clearly weakened but still determined. I couldn't let this go on much longer—Shadow wouldn't survive another direct hit.
The rodent was furious now, half-blind and bleeding, but still a force to be reckoned with. It thrashed about, tearing through the remaining traps as if they were nothing. I had to end this.
I give another signal for Shadow to lure it toward the last trap—a vine net rigged to collapse a pile of branches onto the rodent. It wasn't much, but it might slow it down just enough for us to land a final strike.
The rodent, enraged and blinded by pain, charged toward Shadow, its madness finally overtaking its caution. As it stumbled into the trap, I yanked the vine, and the branches came crashing down onto its back.
It roared in fury, but the branches pinned it for just a moment—long enough for me to act.
"Go, Shadow! One last strike!"
With a screech, Shadow dived down, his beak aimed straight for the rodent's throat. The rodent thrashed violently, but Shadow was faster. His beak found its mark, piercing the beast's vulnerable neck.
The rodent's roars turned into gurgles as it collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around it. It twitched a few times, then lay still.
I rushed to Shadow's side, my heart pounding in my chest.
"You did it, Shadow," I whispered, my voice shaking with relief. He chirped weakly in response, clearly exhausted and hurt.
I quickly pulled out some herbs and began applying them to his wounds. They weren't much, but they'd stop the bleeding for now.
Once I was sure Shadow would be okay, I knelt down and focused my spiritual energy. With a single command, I recalled Shadow back into my spiritual space. His small form flickered for a moment, then vanished, safe inside where he could rest and recover properly.
I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me, but I couldn't stop now. The flower still needed to be claimed.
Turning back to the exquisite bloom, I knelt by its side. The petals glowed faintly in the moonlight, delicate yet full of power.
'It matured' I muttered.
I think it reached its maturity during the battle. I plucked it carefully, taking a moment to appreciate the sheer beauty of it.
"This… this will help you break through," I murmured, glancing at the place where Shadow had been.
But we couldn't linger here. The area was dangerous, and we were far from safe. With the flower securely tucked away, I gathered my things and started the journey back.