The young Prouncer’s playthings were not dead. One was unconscious, its breath labored, but it was not dead – yet. Its brethren was rolled up and tense, blood pooling around its body. I located several gashes that would have probably killed the beast if they had been a little bit deeper. Luckily, the young Prouncer had only played with them. It didn’t want to kill them, which almost failed.
My hands moved as swiftly as my eyes, unpacking the healing salves and bandages while also analyzing the beasts.
There were bitemarks on the unconscious beast’s long arms and the blood oozing from the gashes on its abdomen made it difficult to tell how much of their belly was black. They did not have a tail, which was hardly important as I recognized what type of beast they were; Blackbellied Gibbons.
Studying the black marks on the unconscious gibbon’s belly, it had to be young. Still mature but too young to be close to 2-Star, let alone evolving into Blaerbons.
It was unclear what the gibbons were doing so close to the edges of the Windbloom Forest, but I considered their mishappen as my greatest fortune. If they survived.
The gibbon to my left was still rolled up. It was still tense but shivered, probably in pain and scared witless about what had just happened. The bleeding was bad but I was certain it would be easier to work on the unconscious gibbon first. I put the Seals I’d prepared to my right, ready to use at any moment and closed in on the unconscious beast.
First, I used a cloth, clean and disinfected with another salve I’d purchased in case I got bitten by a nasty bugger, and cleansed the gibbon’s wounds. I tried to work as fast as poassibly, uncertain when the mama Prouncer would return and how long it would take before the heavy scent of blood would attract other predators. Without much time at my disposal, I hurriedly switched to the healing salves and applied a lot around the wounds. They didn’t look as bad as expected once cleaned and I was certain the gibbon would survive as long as it didn’t move erratically.
I should have learned how to sew. If I could stitch their wounds, their chance at survival would be much higher. I grimaced, while Aureus send waves of reassurance through our bond. The Soulkin watched the curled up gibbon which had finally begun to move.
Aureus growled at the beast, which turned to its brethren only to see a massive figure mummifying it. I was sure the beast would attack me as it screeched but Aureus used Paralyse long before it could move.
“I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying, but I don’t want to hurt you and your friend.” I said without diverting my attention from the task ahead. “I want to help you…and more.”
Daniel told me a little bit about first-aid, but I was certain I’d used too much healing salve and bandage. Almost half of the bandage roll was used up on a gaunt beast the size of a baby.
Using too little would kill them. Too much won’t. I reminded myself as I pulled back from the unconscious beast. Its breath was still heavy and the bandages were already dyed red, but it looked like the bleeding had slowed. That had to be enough.
“You guys are malnourished.” I noted, turning to the paralysed gibbon. Aureus didn’t have to try very hard to maintain Paralyse. The Blackbellied Gibbon tried to resist, but it was a 1-Star Wild, clearly malnourished now that I inspected it more thoroughly, and it appeared too exhausted to resist Aureus.
The gibbon glared at me with familiar bloodlust. It was as weak as the beast, but I noticed it nonetheless. While it wasn’t what I had hoped for, it didn’t change my plan. I retrieved another small piece of cloth, disinfected it, and cleaned the paralysed beast’s wounds. It stirred when I touched it, and I pulled back, eyes wide in surprise as my World rippled.
I…felt a pull from within and watched as the bloodlust in the gibbon’s eyes receded. Paralyse ended and the gibbon let out a surprise sound. It didn’t attack me right away, but Aureus cared little about its antics and used his special trait once again. The gibbon froze in its tracks, giving the beast no chance to retaliate.
Albeit confused, I continued my work. I moved faster than before, applied the healing salve which slowed the bleeding near-instantaneously as it clotted blood, and put it in the rest of the bandage roll. It was probably too much once again, but so be it.
Once done, Aureus yipped a quick warning. Paralyse ended and the gibbon before me regained freedom, but it was not the beast before me Aureus warned me about; it was the gibbon to my right. The unconscious beast must have regained consciousness when I finished up its brethren. It didn’t radiate any bloodlust, or it was too weak for me to detect, and it leaped to its feet and attacked – only to be slapped on the top of its head by the other gibbon.
Confused, the gibbon rubbed its head and turned to its brethren. A moment later, a shouting match ensued and they started to fight.
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I watched, curious and hopeful rather than scared, and the severely wounded gibbon, who’d been unconscious until a moment ago, was soon on the ground. The other beast turned to look at me, confused yet expectantly.
Putting the pieces of information together, I got a better look at the big picture.
First the injured gibbons were weak. They were probably too weak and had been pushed away from their pack, which should be situated in the middle of the Windbloom Forest, hiding in the darkness of the densely grown flora. The gibbons were mature but only 1-Stars, which was unheard of for Blackbellied Gibbons. According to my vast experience. The third Volume in the Beastrology said so as far as I remembered.
Regardless, the the gibbons suffered greatly in the forest, yet they did not die, which was unexpected. They were weak and malnourished but as tenacious as cockroaches. Was that why the gibbon responded to my World?
I inspected the gibbon pinned to the ground and wondered if my World would react to it as well. Discarding that though, I checked if the gibbons’ fight tore their wounds open once more, but that was fortunately not the case. Instead, I verified the gibbon’s lack of bloodlust. That was excellent.
The other gibbon was still looking hopeful. It was obvious what the beast wanted; it desired to benefit from my World, whether that was through consumption or… A smile bloomed on my lips. The gibbons were intelligent, I could tell that much. However, I did not expect them to know, or understand, the ways of a human’s World.
My eyes never left their claws nonetheless. They may be malnourished 1-Star Wilds, but they were beasts nonetheless. Still, their eyes gleamed with intelligence rather than bloodlust. Various ideas flashed through my mind and I nodded slowly, retrieving a small box containing treats. I put them down before the gibbons only for Aureus to rush over. He pushed against the box and toppled it to the side.
“You should be watching them.” I shook my head in disbelief, but Aureus didn’t seem to care. He feasted on the treats spilling from the box.
Frustrated, I lifted Aureus from the ground and pulled him aside. He fought valiantly and only succumbed to his fate when I gave him a few treats. The Soulkin nibbled on them happily, and I pulled back to the gibbons, pushing the box of treats closer to them.
“Are you aware of the bond?” I asked the gibbons, unsure if they could understand me. Probably not, but I could always show them what I was talking about.
I reached out to the World and materialized the connection to Aureus with a groan. Aureus’s head jerked up and he yipped aloud, fear spilling from the bond.
“I won’t sever our bond, Aureus. You don’t have to worry about that happening, ever!” I cradled the mutant Soilback until he was satisfied and smiled at the gibbons. One of them stepped closer, whereas the other pulled back, reaching out for its brethren’s arm. “I don’t plan on separating you, however, I want you to become Soulkins.”
The wounded gibbon on the ground pulled on its brethren’s arm and it looked like a second fight was about to start at any moment. However, the gibbons were just shouting at each other.
Did it work? Could they understand what I said? It was hard to tell, but I was certain the gibbons were no longer a threat. Not that they were much of a threat in the first place…still, something had changed.
For a moment, I considered binding the gibbons to myself. The beasts of the Windbloom Forest couldn’t be considered humanoid, but Blackbellied Gibbons and Blaerbons were as close to humanoid as one could find. They were intelligent too, albeit a little bit weak. But their weakness could be solved with the bond, a bunch of serums, and training. And that was exactly why they were the best possible Soulkins for my parents. Not that I could have bonded with either of the gibbons in the first place.
After a little bit back and forth, the less injured gibbon approached me. It stopped before my left foot and pressed its tiny hands into my boot, its hopeful eyes still lingering on mine.
Aureus yipped again and rushed to the gibbon. It hissed at the beast, which stumbled backward. It screeched in fear and rushed to the other gibbon, which snarled at Aureus. The mutant Soilback didn’t care about them and bit into my boot before climbing my pant, ignoring the remains of the treats he’d just discarded.
Our connection flared up and I was met with a new sensation; jealousy.
“I won’t bind them.” I muttered, patting Aureus, but I felt like I had to share some hard facts for future’s sake, “But you know I will add more Soulkin to my World once I’m ready, right?”
Aureus looked sternly at him and all the dislike for the gibbons was forgotten.
“That doesn’t mean I will neglect you, you know? We will grow stronger, together, and I will make sure you will be able to evolve. However, we will need more allies, expand our family, to make sure we are strong enough to beat up those who want to hurt us.” I added, though I was unsure who’d hurt us. Someone was definitely up for the task, be it in the Camp or once we ventured further away from the Bastion.
My words seemed to put Aureus at peace. He turned back and yipped at the gibbons, sounding almost apologetic – almost.
Oddly enough, the gibbons eased up, until a loud growl reverberated throughout the Windbloom Forest.
“I think that is our cue to leave.” I announced, bending down to pick up the Seals. The gibbons trembled and rushed toward me.
“Am I no longer a potential threat?” I mused quietly, pulling the Seals around the gibbons’ arms.
Once ether entered the Seals, they shrunk to fit neatly around the gibbons’ tiny wrists. The beasts eyed them suspiciously, but they didn’t have the luxury to inspect them as I picked them up.
The gibbons struggled for a moment, and I was certain no one would be stupid enough to carry wild beasts in his arms, in a forest full of frenzy beasts. Others would use shackles or cages. They would knock the beasts out or sedate them rather than tending to their wounds, and nobody would talk to them like I did. At least, not to Wilds.
Well….I did, and I was glad I did.