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Peek: Butterfly Effect
🕑 Added 2023-07-02 23:21:23 +0000 UTCLife for a creature born of a resource node is different form most other life. While denizens and scions actively work the will of their dungeon, the only real job of a node-born is to be harvested. However, they also have survival instinct, and so aren't just going to waltz into the arrow of any passing hunter, despite the fact that they'll respawn.
It's this unique blend of natural instinct and dungeon purpose that sees this particular goose resting in a patch of grass, with very few of its kin around. Instinct says it should either be making a long journey, or possibly nesting right now, but the dungeon environment encourages it to relax. So it's not quite nesting, for the simple fact the goose doesn't have a nest. It's instinct to be fiercely territorial of its nest still rests in the goose's mind, but nothing is being hostile.
Or, nothing was. A small pebble bounces off the side of its head, and the territorial instinct flares. Who dares disturb its eggs?! Sure, there are no eggs right now, but there could have been! Maybe there even will be! You don't know! It's ire raised, the good looks around, but sees no sign of the attacker.
Hmph, you'd better run. That's right. Before the goose can relax, a snap of a branch can be heard in the distance. Its foe is a loud and obnoxious one! The goose honks and takes to wing, intending to harass whatever was foolish enough to disturb it.
As long as it's not too big. While a goose can be quite a handful, there are many predators that could gobble it up in just a few bites! It rises through the canopy of the forest, following the sounds towards whatever disturbed its rest.
As it nears, it can hear heavy stomping, and it circles as it considers what it should do. On the one wing, that sounds like something too big to just be handled with a whack of the wing. On the other, it really is making a ruckus, and something should be done. It circles to try to get a better idea of what's happening, but it can only get glimpses through the branches and leaves.
While the goose doesn't recognize much through those glimpses, it's not difficult to identify the White Stag fighting something. While the scion really should know better than to disturb the goose, even the unhappy bird needs to think twice about tangling with the stag, much less when it's in a fight.
Discretion is probably the better choice here. The goose starts to adjust its path to leave, when a beam of light lances out of the canopy right in front of it! It does its best to avoid it, but only can adjust enough to merely singe some feathers, rather than being cooked fully. It can't adjust properly with those burnt feathers, and so is forced to tumble out of the sky.
As it bursts through the branches and leaves, it wonders if it's actually seeing the stag fighting a rat, before it impacts the ground with a thud. At first, it thinks it's broken a wing, but soon can feel it's landed awkwardly on some kind of stick? The impact makes it difficult to understand what's going on, though, and darkness falls on the goose as it vaguely recognizes the sound of a falling tree.
A single thought drifts through the gooses mind before the falling darkness claims it. Stupid pebble. This is all your fault.
Comments
Karait
Sorry but this is too inacurate a goose would never shy away from combat
Herakilla
Thanks for the peek! It's fun to see Teemo stretch his affinities finally!
Chrystal 1776
As a Canadian I can attest to this... They are a menace
Travis Birdsong
Great peek. So I was thinking now that Rocky has his ring what about his training equipment like the speed bag, slip bag, and boxing bag???
Elmithian
Do not pity the true daemons of nature, pity whomever has to deal with their wrath.
Argamenta
its nice to see the perspective of a node spawned animal
Akylas
I wondered what that pebble was for! That's awesome
Vorquel
Poor goose.
