Bell says:
You know what, if your heart remained Gnomanyan, you wouldn’t be in this mess…
Yenkaran sighs, “Hello, friends – This is… A fellow Sister from a faraway land–with a Nanzuul heretic in her grasp.”
Zeb timidly pipes up, “N-no I’m not Nanzuul! I’m n-not part of the order! I’m not–”
“SILENCE, PREY.”
Victoria Delphire says:
Slink back a bit further, Aim for the big guys inner thigh, you’ll cut the femoral artery. Use the moment to hide behind his bulk while he bleeds to obstruct the archers shot and cut into the base of the big guys spine for good measure. Get his weapon and get ready to close in.
Right, and then at lightning speed, you lop all their heads off with one swing, princess-carry Zeb, and then run off into the sunset as the ultimate badass.
Truth is the last weapon you trained with was a rusty pike. To which you poked only bags of dirt with. Maybe let go of this stupid hero fantasy and stick with the skills you know.
Gareth says:
So you and Zeb are basically trapped, best option is to play along with them and think of a escape plan in the meantime.
Best to keep your wits about you. If they wanted to kill you, they already would have before you could even make a weird noise. You just might be able to talk your way through this, with you and Zeb in one piece. It’s all you’ve ever been decent at, you hope.
The woman continues, with a nasally sounding voice, “To be honest, I could’ve gone for a heretic with more meat to savor and horns to fashion.”
“But the flanks on this one are quite bountiful, sister.”
“Eh, there is that.”
“Regardless, once it knows of our nature, we must follow through.”
Zeb whispers a squeak to you, “H-help. Help me. Don’t let them take me. Please. Don’t let them take me.”
Don’t let them take me.
“…Glass?”
“P-please.”
Don’t let them take me.
“Sister?-“
“Any closer… and it will be your throat.“
Laughter erupts around you. “Careful Yen! The hungry ones are the feistiest!”
The Woman with the Blood-Red Mask approaches slowly with one hand up. She speaks to you gently, “I offer my apologies, girl, for it was not our intention to impose upon your hunt. But understand, there are certain formalities we must abide by when we meet other True Hunters. Particularly, when one wishes to take game from our territory.
“I believe introductions are in order, no? My name is Mikella, and I am the Hunt Mistress of this party. Who may be our bold sister from far away?”
Reluctantly, you tell them your real name.
“Your tenacity is commendable, Glass. And though we may have a lesson to learn from cornering a stray, it will be wise you not mistake our restraint for feebleness. Especially after threatening one with The Circle.“
“Now, back to the matter at hand. In this land, we True Hunters exchange a small token as proof of our commitment to The Circle. A measure –if you will, to safeguard our existence from traitors who bend the knee to prey. As you are now our guest, allow me the honor… “
“Enjoy this gift. Consume it. Savor it. And if you so desire, you can be on your way.”
It looks like… dehydrated meat… Nicely seasoned?
Poll concluded
I theorise that Zeb and Glass’s roles will be reserved later in the story. Glass will be the one tearfully begging Zeb to help her, but it could be against her old enemies from Gnomanya. Zeb, who goes on a character arc of becoming stronger and more fierce, helps Glass to destroy her old monsters that forced her to flee… Read more »
These Circle cultists are sooooooo smug! They think they are soooooo tough! What if they were to….. how do you say? Go from being the hunters to the hunted? I imagine a scene where the Circle comes up against a Hyperpredator, like the Xenomorph or the Predator. They’ll be the ones whose skin is being worn.
For something for the actual story, I was looking into duikers. Duikers are a variety of antelopes, which is what Zeb belongs to. Duikers are opportunists carnivores, eating birds, rodents fish, and frogs if they need to. I was thinking that his could be added to the story. Some villain with a knowledge of biology could cause the bovani to… Read more »
The new predator bovani start hunting the Circle and skinning them.
1. Blood red?! Please! Dusty mauve at best! And we have real blood *right there* to compare!
2. That disassociation scene was *chef’s kiss*
“Don’t let them take me…” Her face when she heard that, sudden change in character and the subtle camera zoom indicates that this isn’t the first time she has heard someone beg to her like that. Or maybe she was in a situation like that once… I can’t be certain, but she seems to be lost in her thoughts after… Read more »
I have a few theories. One, Glass was performing one of those sword dances and caught the eye of some warlord. He then wants to turn her into his own personal slave, like Princess Leia with Jabba the Hutt. Iron Bottle steps in, and allows them to escape. Two, Glass found or heard something she shouldn’t have. Maybe she saw… Read more »
Again, going back to this comment makes me embarrassed. I sound crazy. Magic, reptilians, Nazis… sounds like the rambles of a lunatic! What I was trying to say was that I feel like whatever happened back in Gnomanya was much bigger than just some warlord seeing Glass and deciding he wanted her for his harem. Magic came in due to… Read more »
You either consume the offering and maybe shirk some suspicion, or you guarantee that Zeb will die when he’s taken with them, along with your own potential capture.
Best to steel your nerves and eat it, at least Zeb is unconscious and won’t see anything.
that’s person meat. They think a taste will somehow make you more agreeable to them. They are wrong.
Be careful it isn’t drugged, but don’t be rude, check and see what you can offer back in return?
i mean it does look kinda tasty