[SE] and take all that I could bring forth

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

Leafchange in Halo was unlike anything that Liam had encountered before. He had been prepared for snow and ice, but even his warmest clothes were nothing against the frigid chill that seemed to permeate... well, everything. It was so cold that it hurt to breathe, and the soldier had promptly purchased new clothing that was better suited to the harsh environment of the tundra. Given that he was going hunting, it seemed prudent to be as prepared as possible. Maea would never forgive him for freezing to death trying to get a gift for her.

"Thanks for doing this," Liam was saying to Noah as they marched across the tundra. "I really appreciate the help." In truth, he hadn't been particularly looking forward to hunting ursur on his own. From what he'd heard, they were nasty creatures, certainly not something that one should attack lightly. But his quest called for hunting an ursur and harvesting its fur, so here he was. At least now he had a hunting partner.

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

Noah walked steady beside Liam, boots crunching through the crusted snow. The cold bit deep—but he’d known worse. Out here, under the wide, silver sky with the wind that never quite slept, Noah had experienced his share of treacherous conditions. Today was mild.

He glanced over at his friend and gave a small, knowing smile behind his scarf. “It would have been foolish to let you come out here alone,” he said. “Ursur like lone targets.” There was no blame in his tone—just quiet truth. He respected Liam’s drive, even admired it. Not everyone would brave the tundra for someone they cared about. That kind of devotion deserved backup. And Noah was glad to give it.

He patted Vi’dore’s neck as they walked, the unicorn pulling a sled behind him. He’d brought extra gear in case Liam needed it—layers, salves, strips of dried meat. The ursur might try to steal the breath from their lungs, but it wouldn’t take either of them.

Not today.

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

Boots crunched through snow as they made their way to their targeted hunting grounds. Having spent so long on his own, Liam was a decent hunter - or at least, in the Greatwood, he was able to largely feed himself. But he knew that Halo was an altogether different beast than the milder climate he was used to, and that ursur were different prey entirely from the deer he normally hunted. He was very grateful indeed for Noah's knowledge and expertise.

Noah's companion walked alongside them, pulling a sled complete with the extra gear that Liam hadn't known to bring, and already it was worth having sent the letter to ask for his friend's help for that alone. "Anything in particular I should know?" Liam asked as they continued on. "I did some research before coming up here, but any extra tips would be more than helpful." Considering that he had no intentions of dying on this quest.

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

”I’ll tell you as if hunting one wasn’t our goal today. As if surviving alone, was.” Noah glanced sideways at Liam, his breath fogging in the cold air. The crunch of snow beneath their boots was steady, their sled creaking behind them. “First thing,” he said, voice low but even, “you’ll smell it before you see it. Blood, mostly. Musk. Sharp, like copper. That’s your cue to turn around, not press forward.”

He adjusted the strap of his pack, eyes scanning the treeline. “Second—ursur don’t bluff. If it looks at you, it’s already made up its mind. Don’t wait to see what it does next. Either you’re ready to shoot or you get the hell out.”

He kicked at a crust of snow, revealing a hint of older tracks beneath. “And those tusks?” he added. “They’re not just for goring prey. I’ve seen ‘em toss a grown man ten feet easy. Armor won’t stop that. Doesn’t matter how thick it is.” Noah looked back at Liam, a flicker of seriousness beneath his calm. “Fast matters up here. Stay light. Keep your eyes open.”

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

Noah’s voice was a deep rumble against the backdrop of the crunching snow. Liam listened intently, making mental notes even as he scanned the horizon for any hint of movement. With Noah’s advice, the soldier began to pay more attention to his other senses, too: sound and smell, in addition to sight. At first, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Just the slide of sled against snow, and the occasional crack of ice in the distance, and maybe the call of a bird of prey hunting overhead.

But then, he breathed in - and noticed a hint of copper.

”Smell that?” he said softly, reaching for the crossbow he’d brought along even as he ensured that his Oakblade was fastened into place at his hip. While he hoped that it wouldn’t come down to close combat - particularly with Noah’s advice ringing in his ears - he wanted to be prepared. ”Should we leave the sled, or…?”

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

”Yes.” Noah said with a nod, and a mental note ringing towards Vi’dore that had the unicorn stopping immediately. It was an answer to both questions. Noah smelled the ursur, or at least the evidence of one having been in close proximity to where they were now, as well as agreed to leave the sled behind where they were now. Eira wheeled and circled overhead, ready to defend the unicorn from any dangers that would come close to him.

Noah turned his eyes over his shoulder and nodded at Liam, a sharp, short nod that gave the signal the man needed: he could move on, and Noah would have his back no matter what. This was Liam’s quest, after all, and thus the demigod was here as support and back up. The Forsaken was here to make sure that the ex-dragoon made it back from his quest.

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

The sled stopped, and the men paused in their walking. In the sudden silence that followed, a new noise could be heard up ahead: a shuffling, snuffling kind of sound that was vaguely bear-like and belonged to something that was surely large and vicious. Liam's palms began to sweat. It was one thing to respond to a threat, but to knowingly walk into danger went beyond his comfort zone, no matter how often he'd fought one thing or another.

It didn't help that Liam felt entirely unprepared to be leading this particular excursion, for all that it was his quest and, therefore, his responsibility. What did help was knowing that Noah had his back. That at least he had friends who could help him. That he no longer had to do everything alone.

With Noah's nod, Liam took the lead. They crept forward over the snow, Liam doing his best to mask his movements as he snuck up to a large boulder resting nearby. When he peered around, he found a large ursur snuffling about in the snow, seemingly hunting for something. Readying his crossbow, Liam leaned out just far enough to aim - and then he fired, his bolt loosing through the air to strike the ursur in the shoulder. The beast let out a roar of fury as it rounded on the boulder, but Liam had already ducked back behind to reload.

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

The demigod followeed the ex-dragoon, glacier eyes scanning the tundra as they moved. When Liam ducked behind the bouler, he followed. Noah stayed low, eyes tracking the ursur as it thrashed from Liam’s bolt. It raged, every muscle coiled for a charge. Liam had a good shot--now it was Noah’s turn. He drew a celestial arrow, not knowing it would be the last time he used this offensive magic. Had he known, he may have used more celebration and fanfare. Instead, he let the arrow fly silently toward the tundra beast and followed it with another in quick succession.

The arrows arced through the frozen air, streaks of white light, and hit the ursur behind the one Liam had hit, behind the curve of the shoulder in the soft spot of weakness. The beast roared, staggering under the dual impact. He had slowed it, given Liam a chance to reload. The ursur was fast, brutal, and relentless, and it turned and charged towards the boulder that had attacked it.

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

As Liam reloaded, Noah loosed two celestial arrows towards the ursur. They hit true, slowing the beast long enough for Liam to prepare his crossbow. And, fortunately, the ursur would remain slowed - with three bolts protruding from its shoulder, it moved now with a decided limp as it charged for the boulder behind which the two men had taken shelter.

With the bear charging directly for them, Liam's next shot was aimed for the ursur's eye. If he could get in a good shot, then he could do some serious damage - or maybe even kill the beast outright. Unfortunately, he wasn't that good a shot, and he missed the ursur's eye, his bolt instead embedding deeply into the creature's neck. With the ursur nearly upon them, Liam discarded the crossbow, drawing his sword instead of wasting precious time reloading. "Can you slow it down?" he shouted to Noah, hoping that a distraction would afford him the chance to strike.

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

Snow sprayed into the air as the ursur barreled forward, each thunderous step shaking the ground beneath them. The beast’s fury was a palpable thing, hot and wild against the frozen air. Noah rose from his crouch as Liam’s bolt struck the neck, blood darkening the white fur, but it wasn’t enough to stop the charge.

At Liam’s shout, Noah’s jaw tightened. But he climbed above the accepted, his purchase strong on the rocks that sheltered them. The ursur still came charging, and Liam had asked him to slow it down. So Noah waited.

Then he struck.

The brilliant dome covered them immediately, radiant light shining and sparkling on the tundra. It bolstered the two men, and the ursur still cameroared. The ursur shook its massive head, bellowing, blood steaming in the frigid air, and faltered in its charge.

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face

This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen
I searched 'aurora borealis green'

Waiting was, perhaps, the hardest part, but he had asked Noah to slow the ursur, and now it simply remained to trust his friend to do so. Liam stared at the charging beast, his heart hammering in his chest (if he died here, on a quest to make something for her, Maea would never forgive him), gripping his sword tightly in both hands. And when Noah struck, a dome of radiant light sparkling to life across the tundra, Liam grinned to himself, because the ursur faltered - and that was when he moved.

In one fluid motion, Liam lunged, arcing his sword overhead in a lightning-fast move that was quicker than it should be. Oakblade was feather-light in his grip as it went up - and then solidified, growing heavier as it swung down. The effect was immediate and impressive: with a strike that came down harder than any normal swing should, he severed the ursur's head from its shoulders in one fell swoop. The beast's body lumbered forward another step, as though it took that long for the loss of its head to register, and then it crashed into the bloodstained snow.

I've never seen someone lit from within
Blurring out my periphery

Liam

NOAH

Noah held his stance as Liam surged forward, Oakblade gleaming in the pale light. The ursur tried to retaliate, but Liam’s strike was clean and final—an arc of steel that bit deep, ending the beast’s roar mid-bellow. Noah’s eyes lingered on the sword for only a breath, then went to the ursur as he climbed down from the boulder and stepped towards Liam. "Impressive. A weapon like that could turn battles." Noah said, clapping his friend on the back. His glacier eyes didn't last long on the ursur, though, before he lifted them to scan the tundra. "The scent of blood is going to attract attention we don't want. Let's get out of here."

And so, quickly and efficiently, Noah worked with Liam to get the parts of the ursur the accepted needed loaded up onto the cart with Vi'dore and then headed back to the Citadel.

FIN

i'd fashioned my own cross
been crushed by its weight
there's no stronger message
than dirt in your face