Chapter 59: Training With The Team
Chapter 59: Training With The Team
Year 0003, I-III Month: The Imperium
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Team 1
The matters of the outside world rarely concerned the villagers of Maya. Today, August led his team—Erik, Bren, Betty, and Gel—beyond the usual 10-kilometer protection range that Aetherwing had established for their settlement. Kirpy had also joined them, watching over Bren with unwavering loyalty, their bond having grown remarkably stronger in recent months.
Their mission was straightforward: gain much-needed experience points after being stagnant following the completion of various construction projects. They hoped to advance their levels, benefiting not only themselves but the entire group back in Maya Village.
The forest deepened around them, shadows lengthening as they ventured farther than any village expedition had gone before. Through a clearing, they discovered an unnatural cave—its entrance suggesting excavation by some massive creature rather than natural formation.
After a brief consultation, they made the unanimous decision to explore it. With August among them, fear was minimal; he could likely eliminate any threat they might encounter with minimal effort.
Several minutes into their descent, a faint whimpering echoed through the darkness. Without requiring verbal communication, the team immediately shifted into their practiced formation. August and Bren moved to the front as tanks, while Betty and Gel positioned themselves on the flanks, ready to counter any unseen threat. Erik, their scout, retreated to provide ranged support.
They resembled a professional unit that had trained together for years—a well-oiled machine united by a common purpose: the complete neutralization of whatever awaited them in the depths.
August raised his hand, signaling a halt. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the sounds reverberating through the cave. The whimpering continued—a singular, plaintive cry that seemed to beg for assistance from its own kind.
He lowered his hand, and they advanced cautiously. Despite encountering no beasts thus far, they maintained vigilance. This was unfamiliar territory, and a moment's carelessness could result in death or severe injury—outcomes they could ill afford.
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Grimfang Pup
When they reached the source of the whimpering, they discovered a severely malnourished Grimfang pup, apparently abandoned by its mother to perish alone. The creature was clearly approaching death, its weak cries growing increasingly faint.
The team froze, uncertain how to proceed. Should they leave nature to take its course? Should they grant the pup a merciful end? Or—perhaps most controversially—should they attempt to save it? They had encountered adult Grimfangs twice before, emerging victorious both times, though not without injuries. Uncle Jonathan had nearly perished during one such encounter, saved only by August and Aetherwing's intervention—the same miraculous healing that had once saved August himself from a different beast's attack.
August surveyed his companions, conflicted by the choices before him: mercy or death. The pup represented merely the potential of what it might become—a fearsome predator ruling the forest—but in its current state, it posed no threat whatsoever.
"So what should we do with it?" he asked, his voice echoing slightly in the cave. "Should we leave it to its fate, or should we help and save it?"
Simultaneously, he sent a message through the [PARTY CHAT], seeking guidance from those who remained in the village.
Gel observed August with knowing eyes, wondering if their leader's reputation for strength was matched only by his compassion for the vulnerable. The team exchanged glances and nodded in silent agreement. What harm could this fragile creature possibly inflict upon them? Perhaps they might even tame it as a companion for their settlement.
The [PARTY CHAT] notifications began arriving:
[Aunt Theressa: I leave this decision to you all, sweetie. If you believe it is unnecessary to kill, then we can certainly attempt to care for it here.]
[Uncle Jonathan: Whatever my sweet Angel decides, so shall it be.]
[Uncle Red: If you kids aren't in danger, then make your choice and evacuate quickly. The mother might return. Remember—be careful, all of you.]
[Adam and Isabel: SAVE IT PLEASEEEEE! WE NEED A BOND JUST LIKE BREN.]
They glanced at Angeline and smiled at her father's message. Uncle Jonathan's overprotectiveness toward his daughter was legendary among them.
"Seems like overwhelming support from home," August observed, "but we're the ones facing this situation directly. Uncle Red makes a valid point—this isn't the place for extended deliberation."
With unanimous agreement, they carefully lifted the dying pup and hastened back toward Maya Village, taking extraordinary precautions not to further injure the fragile Grimfang during transport.
A new responsibility awaited them at home. Who would become the creature's caretaker remained undecided. Those without bonds exhibited a distinctive gleam in their eyes—a silent acceptance of the challenge this new arrival represented.
Bren, already bonded with the happily chirping Kirpy, and August, under the guardianship of his master Aetherwing, watched their companions' reactions with knowing smiles. The forest had given them an unexpected gift—not the experience points they had sought, but something potentially far more valuable: a chance to forge another connection between human and beast, strengthening their small community in ways they had yet to fully understand.
As they emerged from the forest's edge, the protective barrier of Aetherwing's magic washing over them, August couldn't help but wonder what new chapter this tiny, vulnerable creature might write in their village's ongoing story.