Seeing the bear running down the mountainside to catch up with the poor, desperate horse, Kaizen knew he had to act to save the animal's life and, consequently, save his mission.
Without hesitation, Kaizen began to run while looking for ways to distract or chase the bear away without scaring the horse, after all, if the horse got scared too he could end up falling off the mountainside straight into the rocks just below. In this way, Kaizen looked around and found a rock with the ideal size for a slingshot.
However, Kaizen's idea was not exactly to use a slingshot, but rather to use his own hand.
So Kaizen picked up the stone with his right hand, measured its weight with his palm, threw it twice to the other, took a deep breath and threw it like a baseball, aiming for the bear's head.
Kaizen's throw was accurate. The stone flew swiftly through the air and hit the bear's head, causing considerable impact.
The bear shook its head to rid itself of the pain of the stone's impact and growled angrily. He looked around, searching for the one who had thrown the stone at him. Soon, his eyes met Kaizen's and the Psyker used the <Intimidate> skill.
From the bear's perspective, a large demon with a terrifying aura stared at him from between some trees a little over 100 meters away and it scared him intensely, forcing him to run for his life.
"Maybe I overreacted." Kaizen thought aloud as he saw the bear running away and slipping in the snow.
Kaizen had no intention of facing the bear directly from the start, as he knew it would be an uneven fight. Instead, it was better for him to just drive the bear away and then try to tame the horse.
The horse calmed down a bit as he looked back and did not see the bear. Even so, he did not leave where he was, afraid that the bear was hiding to surprise him. For this reason, when Kaizen approached him, the horse stirred a little, neighing a little and snorting.
"Easy, my friend. I'll help you get out of here." Kaizen stated in a soft, reassuring voice, stretching his hands forward and making a soft whistle with his mouth.
The animal was still frightened, trembling and panting, but slowly began to calm down under Kaizen's comforting touch. The horse looked at Kaizen with eyes full of fear and trust at the same time. He was exhausted, but he trusted that this stranger would save him.
"We need to find a safer way now." Kaizen thought.
Kaizen examined the mountainside and found an alternative path, less steep and more suitable for the horse. He guided the animal carefully, steering it with the rein.
The fluffy snow made progress on the rough terrain difficult, but Kaizen was determined to get the horse back. With patience and perseverance, they made it over the mountain and onto more stable ground near the trees again.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaizen looked back and thanked fate that he had arrived in time to save the horse. He knew there was still finding Astru to do, but at least he was past the worst part.
Leading the horse across the frozen landscape, Kaizen followed his own footsteps on the way back.
The cold was more intense now than when Kaizen was looking for the horses, and the wind, which blew strongly, lifted the snow, thus creating a white cloud that blurred the vision. Still, not even that was enough to stop the Psyker and in less than fifteen minutes he spotted the carriage from afar again. However, something was different now, the carriage was overturned.
Kaizen narrowed his eyes and tensed. Suspicious of what could have happened, he tied the horse's reins to a tree trunk at least 10 meters away and slowly approached.
Kaizen's heart was racing as he approached the overturned carriage. A dark foreboding accompanied him as he went around the vehicle to check its interior. The tarpaulin was torn and the luggage scattered in the snow.
Inside the carriage, Kaizen came across a gruesome scene. Astru's body lay on the ground, partially dismembered, while a hungry wolf fed on her flesh. The animal's empty, glazed eyes met Kaizen's, and for a moment, the Psyker and the wolf locked intense gazes.
Kaizen clenched his fists, his eyes showing his pity and respect for Astru. Then, he concentrated his psychic energy and launched an attack against the animal. The wolf was lifted a few centimeters into the air and, with a brief snapping sound, its neck was broken.
The wolf howled in pain briefly and fell to the ground, lifeless.
[You have killed a White Wolf and received +500 XP.]
[Thanks to the experience boost effect, the EXP was doubled. You received +1000 EXP.]
The Psyker's heart was heavy with sadness at seeing the NPC killed so brutally. He closed Astru's eyes and paid her a silent tribute. Kaizen knew he couldn't stay there for long, as the wolf might belong to a pack or something. So he decided he needed to find a safe place to rest and leave the horse.
Kaizen got out of the carriage and returned to the horse, pulling on its rein. The animal neighed a little, still not used to its new owner.
"Come on, my friend. We need to find a safe place to shelter for now." Kaizen said, stroking the horse's mane.
The cold wind continued to blow, and the snow was falling harder now. The landscape looked even more bleak and desolate than before. Kaizen mounted his horse and rode away from the scene, Astru's body still on his mind.
[The mission 'Horse Trail' failed].
…
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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