Starbound: A Space Odyssey 94 The Great Hunt 16

*Clang*

"Ssstop!" The leader of the Florans loudly shouted as he stopped firing his weapon.

Once she stop hearing the gunshots, Nuru lowered her spear. She lifted her eyebrow and glanced at the 3 Florans that were left standing. "What'sss it? Tired already?" Nuru asked with a small grin on her mouth.

The leader's expression turned ugly for a split second before turning back to normal. "You got ssstronger..." He commented with a darkened face.

"I never ssstopped practicing, of courssse I would get ssstronger sssomehow." She said with a casual smile. "Different from you who ssspent your time making ssstrategiesss and thinking of every possible ssscenario that could happen. Planning isss good, don't get me wrong, but overdoing it... isn't the wisssest choice. We are Floransss in the end of the day. We are warriorsss."

"I disagree." He said with certainty and a stern voice. "I believe that we can be better. While it'sss true that Greenfingersss are better than warriorsss in such a.s.sspectsss, I refussse to let my destiny be fixed from the day of my birth. Whatever I become a warrior or sssomething elssse, it's up to me, and me alone. That's in what I believe. I don't follow the teachings of our ancestorsss, I won't go around looking for the so called 'Warrior'sss Path' and whatever laysss in the end of it. I'm more realissstic. I forge my own future, my own dessstiny."

Nuru's eyes shone with a mysterious light after she heard what the young Floran in front of her said.

This speech...it reminded her of someone she know. A certain person, her rival.

[Peri...] The name appeared on top of her mind.

Peri also disliked the idea of her future being fixed from the day of her birth.

Of course Peri was a lot more determined in finding her path than the male Floran in front of Nuru. Peri left her tribe a lot sooner than most young Florans would be allowed.

To reach the end of the Warrior's Path, the dream of every Floran.

Unfortunately, the teachings of how to actually reach the end of the so called Warrior's Path was lost in the war of Florans against Hylotl, a long, long time ago.

The teachings date back to a very ancient era, when the Florans believed in a single deity, a deity they called Pan.

Pan, the G.o.d they once believed, had left with the Floran ancestors a few items before he suddenly disappeared.

A sphere that wield great power, and a single book with the teachings that enabled Florans to achieve great power.

The book was then called, The Warrior's Path mainly because of the strength it gave to Florans which helped them a lot in the war against the Hylotl.

But the knowledge about the Warrior's Path was lost forever after the book mysteriously disappeared in the war.

As the years went by, the meaning of the expression, Warrior's Path, changed.

Now the Warrior's Path was nothing more than another word to describe destiny, for the Floran warriors.

Those who seek Warrior's Path want nothing more than fullfil the destiny they think was premade by a higher being for them.

"You have grown up, Oktar..." Nuru whispered to herself with her hear lowered before she lifted once again and looked at the Floran leader. "I sssee your point...I also believe that we, Floransss, can be better, not just mindless, bloodthirsty savagesss..." Nuru faintly said while readied her spear once again. "...but this isn't the time to discuss such thoughts. You are going to be defeated right here, right now. I don't really care about the game or prize for winning. I only fight to win. The victory is the proof of my sssuperiority in strength, witsss and ssstrategy over my foe. I aim to become the best Floran warrior, and also the bessst in the universsse. Losing is not an option."

As soon as she finished speaking she bent her knee, and placed one hand on front of the other while both hands were grasping in the spear. Her expression became stern and her eyes sharpened as they glowed with fighting spirit.

Oktar stared at Nuru for a few seconds before sadly sighting and reading reloading the weapon in his hands.

He knew it was impossible for him and his last two allies to win against a powerful fighter such as Nuru without a careful pre-planning, more people, and more powerful weapons.

But he couldn't just give up. He was a warrior Floran.

Even though he hate to admit, he still fell deep in his bones, in his blood; the desire to win, the desire to fight to death. Such as the way the Florans had always been.

It doesn't matter how much time he spend meditating, studying, and training, he was unable to change the nature he was born with.

In the face of a challenge, or a strong opponent, his blood boil, his mind scream with the intention to fight and prevail over such obstacle.

He was a born a warrior, but still tried to change his fate, be something more than what the Floran society, and nature, expected him to be.

His two companions turned their heads to look at Oktar.

Once they saw him nod at them, they also entered in position to start once again the fight.

Of his last people, one has carrying a axe, and the other was using a shotgun type of weapon.

Oktar was had with him only a rifle, a pistol, and a dagger.

With a warcry, the Floran ran toward Nuru while raising his axe, ready to chop down.

Oktar and the other one entered in position and took aim at Nuru.

Nuru swiftly changed location by stepping to the side and being face to face with the axe wielding Floran, creating a blind spot for the shooters that were behind the Floran.

After bending her knees, Nuru soon released with full strength toward the incoming Floran with her spearhead aiming at his heart.

*Clang*

In the last moment the Floran was able to switch the place of his axe and placed it in front of his chest to met the full strength pierce attack that Nuru had just delivered.

He had to retreat a few steps before finally being able to recover from the attack.

*Bang, bang...*

Nuru wanted to follow-up with another attack, but was forced to retreat behind a tree by the barrage of bullets coming from Oktar and the other gunner.

*Bang*

*Crack*

Sprinkles of wood was sent high in the air by the sheer impact of the the bullets into the tree trunk. Nuru could even feel the tree shaking from the impact.

Oktar took his eyes away from his gun's iron sights and glanced over the tree that Nuru just hid behind.

With just a few hand signals Oktar sent his orders to his companions.

Both of them nodded as they acknowledged the orders given to them.

The Floran carrying the axe started to slowly go toward the tree from the left side as the guy with the shotgun went to the right.

Nuru closed her eyes and listened careful to the rustling of the gra.s.s and splashes of the swamp water.

[They are advancing...] She opened her eyes and gripped the spear in her hand, she was ready, ready to attack at the moment notice.