• Vincent, Nita and Marissa sit around a campfire in the mountains as Nate energetically stands up.
  • Vincent, Marissa and Nate walk around the mountains, with Nate leading the team. “Yep, it’s right here” says Vincent. “Aha! At last, we reach the final destination of our quest!” says Nate, pondering. They stand right next to a large ravine in the middle of the mountains, with the fog covering the bottom of it.
  • “So... where exactly is it?” asks Nate. “Have you tried looking downwards?” replies Vincent. “Oh... I see” says Nate, looking down at the large cliff in front of them. “Yep, that’s a huge crevice. Hard to believe that this was caused by that small quake, wasn’t it?” says Vincent. “Hah, yeah! I wonder how that happened...” says Nate. Marissa takes a look around and says “How can we tell there’s anyone at the bottom? The fog is just as thick as before...”. Nate takes a seat by the edge and looks into it. “I can kind of make something out... Seems like there’s something, or someone down there....” he says. Marissa quickly rushes for the edge and peeks down. “For real!?” she exclaims.
  • “No wait... that was just a hat. I didn’t know your friend was one!” says Nate. He wisely approaches Marissa and comforts her “Marissa, I just want you to know that I respect that. I, too, feel lonely sometimes.” he says. Marissa shakes it off, “No, is not that!” she says. “Okay... I don’t respect it then?” says Nate, a bit confused. “No! Where is she? All of our belongings are there, but not her?” yells Marissa. “I see... perhaps... she was attacked by underground moles! Of course, it’s just a theory but....” says Nate, rambling on his childlike thoughts. Vincent interrupts him as he climbs down, “Guys, are you coming down to take a look? That’s probably an easier way to make sure” he says.
  • Vincent lands at the bottom of the chasm. “Kinda dark around here....” he comments. Nate and Marissa follow him, with Marissa noticing something laying in the ground. “Take a look at this, it is her hat!” says Marissa. “And there’s these feathers all over, too!” says Nate as points at some large, black feathers laying around. He keeps pointing out all them. “Here, and here, and here and here!” he says. Vincent sees a large backpack, a sleeping bag and a purse next to one of those. “So, blondie, this must be the rest of your stuff, right?” says Vincent.
  • “Seems like everything is here, thankfully....” says Marissa, as she inspects the contents of the bag. “Camping tent, blankets, food....”. she says, as Vincent also rummages through the bag. Meanwhile, Nate’s looking around without a worry. “Why don’t we set a camp here for tonight? We could roast marshmallows and tell stories!” he propses, eagerly. “Sounds like a plan, except we only have canned beans in these bags.” says Vincent. “Oh, those! Nita usually cooks them for us, but I’ll give it a try!” Marissa offers. However, Vincent dismisses her. “It’s fine, I’ll do it myself.” he says. Marissa takes offense at this and snatches the can from Vincent’s hands. “I will give it a try!”. She’s completley dead set on going out of her way for this favor. “Okay, you better don’t end up burning the place. C’mon, Nate, let’s get to work” says Vincent.
  • Back on the surface, Nate and Vincent pitch a tent together. As Nate happily brings the tent’s poles to Vincent, he asks “So, Nate, tell me: Where do you think there could be some treasure ‘round?”. Nate drops what he is doing to whip out a book. “This might have the answer!” says Nate. “You bring your story book at all times?” asks Vincent. “Why wouldn’t I?” replies Nate. “Hey buddy, I have an idea. Why don’t you help with the tent while I read your wonderful book?” suggests Vincent to Nate, with a cheeky smile. Nate falls for it. “Sure thing, Vincent!” he says. Vincent smirks to himself as Nate runs for the tent working with enthusiasm as Vincent calmly sits down to skim through Nate’s book. “Geez, Nate, how many times have you read this book...” he says to himself as he notices the some of the pages are almost falling off the binding.
  • As Vincent turns the pages, something catches his attention. “Wait a second...”. He sees an illustration of a large, black bird soaring over the mountains. “This bird’s plumage looks just like... the feathers we saw!”. He calls for Nate to come and take a look. “Hey, Nate! This picture in your book!”. Nate looks at it for a second and realizes what VIncent saw. “Hey! They’re just like the feathers we saw below!” says Nate. He picks up the book and runs up to Marissa as she’s cooking. “Marissa! Marissa! You gotta check this thing out!” he yells as Marissa takes a taste of the food she’s cooking, spitting it in shock. “Darn it, Nate! Why do you gotta scream like that?” she complains to him. “Look! This bird’s feathers are like the ones from earlier today!” he says.
  • Marissa takes a look at the picture of the bird. “Amanchaq, the guardian of Sierra Plateada. A fearsome, mythical creature roaming the skies, protecting the valley from intruders. It preys on greedy adventurers looking to exploit the area for resources, also naughty children who don’t obey their parents. It swoops with its strong talons to tear apart its food.” Marissa asks frightened “Strong talons?”. Nate emphasizes the text she just read “By tearing them apart!”. Marissa takes some steps back and thinks of the situation they got in. “That’s alright though! We’ll get your friend safe and sound!” says Nate, as he reassures her without a worry in the world. “Maybe one of us will have to be the bait.” suggests Vincent, to much of Marissa’s dread. “That’s not funny!” she responds. “Hey, hey, let’s not worry about it now? Why don’t we have dinner?” Marissa calms down a bit. “Yeah... that would be better... I hope you like what I cooked!”.
  • Nate, Vincent and Marissa sit down to have a meal. Marissa serves a bowl for each of them. “Here you go! Hope you like it” she says. They take a spoonful of their meals before realizing the horrible taste of it. “How do you like it?” asks Marissa, eager to know their opinion. “Tastes like sh—” says Vincent before being cut off by Nate, as he pushes him off his seat. “Tastes great! I love the... mushy texture!”. “Thank you! I’m happy I can do it myself too!” says Marissa, gladly. Vincent agrees grumpily, “Good for you...”
  • “We gotta eat a lot to have a lot of energy to keep hiking tomorrow! Right, Nate?” says Marissa. “You bet! We’re going to rescue the heck out of Lita!”. Marissa, a bit confused, corrects Nate. “Um, she’s Nita...”. Vincent adds to the conversation. “That’s cool, but we don’t even know how Pita looks like.”. Marissa lets out a sigh of defeat. She tries to explain how she looks to them. “Well... she’s very cool! She wears this hat and... wears a pair of glasses.... she’s very stylish, like an artist!” says Marissa. “Like an artist, huh...”. Nate and Vincent think of a tall, slender woman with a piercing gaze. “We’ll be sure to keep an eye on that...” says Nate. Vincent gets up stretches, sleepy. “Anyway, it’s been a...”. As he says this, Nate gently gestures him to say the word “nice”. Vincent ignores him and continues “...a dinner. But we should sleep if we want any chance to bring your friend back.”
  • “Um, alright. Let’s pack the remaining food and call it a day!” says Nate. “Nate… About that…” Marissa interjects. Both Vincent and Nate turn around, Nate carefree about the situation. “I cooked all the food there was left…” says Marissa, regretfully. Vincent explodes and yells “What?! How many cans did you waste making this stew?”. Marissa responds, frustrated, “You idiot! I didn’t waste them! They were only three of them left!”. Vincent turns back. “That’s just great… Now we’re going to starve for sure. Could it be any worse?” he says
  • Nate takes a few steps forwards, carefully thinking about the situation. He adpots a wistful expression, putting his hand to his chin. “Those are some high stakes… Doesn’t it make it cooler?” he says. Marissa, concerned, answers back at him. “No… What the hell is wrong with you…”. She hunches over, dreading the situation in front of them. “I think it’d be a good idea to turn back and let those guards take care of it…” she says. Nate, cheerful, tries to pick up her mood, reassuring her: “No, no, no! I can do it! We will bring your friend in no time!”. Marissa reluctantly agrees with Nate. “Fine… I doubt we’re welcome after this guy smacked one on the head….” she says, as she points to Vincent. Feeling a bit smug, Vincent says “Hey, I saved the day”. “Guys, it’s alright! Let’s call it a night!” says Nate, trying to ease the mood a bit. They head over to the tent and get ready to sleep. Nate cheerfully greets goodnight to his friends, but Vincent just tells him to shut up and sleep. “Okay!” Nate agrees, as he falls asleep.
  • The next day, Vincent sleeps soundly until he’s furiously woken up by Marissa. “Vincent! Wake up! It’s here, it’s here!!” she yells. “Damn it, cut it out, woman!” replies Vincent as he’s still being shaken. “What’s going on that is so urgent?!”. Nate wakes up as well, confused as to what’s going on. He sees Marissa standing in the entrance of the tent. “You two have to come look outside!”
  • Nate, Vincent and Marissa step outside of their tent. A large trail of black feathers lay in the ground. “This feather trail! That creature must be nearby!” says Marissa, pointing at them. Nate takes a look around them and says “Aha! That’s the path we have to follow!”. “Which way is it?” asks Vincent. “To the north!” replies Nate. “Yeah! Let’s pack up and hurry!” says Marissa. “Let’s go!” The gang leaves in a hurry in the search for Nita.
  • Footsteps are heard in the bushes, as a figure approaches to the now abandoned campsite. “Hey, look! Someone’s been here a while ago!” says one of them. “Could it be them?” they ask. “I don’t doubt it… No one else would be all the way out here.” the other person replies. “Right, let’s go after them!” they agree. A couple hundred meters ahead, Vincent, Marissa and Nate hike up a the mountains, following the feather trail.
  • As Marissa helps Vincent climb a cliff, Nate looks around for a clue. Despite her best efforts, Marissa drops Vincent off the cliff as she rolls back. Nate asks "Seems like this is the place?". All three of them gather together and look upwards a cliff side without any particular point of interest. "See? I told you there is nothing in this side. Let's go back and start over" says Vincent. However, Nate notices something above. "Hey, up there!" he yells. He points at a small entrance at the cliffside . "It's a cave! That must be its nest!".
  • Nate and Marissa approach the entrance slowly, as Vincent follows them at a distance. "All right! Let's get right in!" shouts Nate, confidently. Marissa hurries and manages to stop him before he carelessly steps inside. "Hey! What are you doing!?" she says. "Going to save your friend, that's what!" says Nate. "Yeah... but you can't just... we need..." says Marissa, unable to put into words what she's thinking. "An actual plan, that's what we need", Vincent interrupts them, "No ideas? Okay, I got one. You guys go after your friend." he says, as he calmly takes a seat in a rock nearby. "I'll just sit back here and make sure it's all going right!". Marissa can't help but glare at him with disdain.
  • "We could wait for it to leave its nest so we can get her, right? It's not necesary to fight it, anyway..." Marissa proposes nervously. "How much time would that take though? It'd be easier to face it head on!" answers Nate. Marissa scratches her head, without a better idea. "I suppose so..." she says. "Yeah, can't wait up too long up here." agrees Vincent. Nate takes a few steps forward. "You don't have to worry! I'll take care of it!" he says, confidently as he steps forward. "Nate, chill out for a second." says Vincent. "Marissa, we can't wait all day. You gotta come up with something. Preferably before starving to death." he tells Marissa. "Ugh... weren't you guys supposed to help me?" she answers, annoyed. "Hey! I just came along for the ride. It's that kid Nate who offered himself to do it. Nate, wh--" says Vincent. He looks around for Nate, but he has vanished from the spot he was at two seconds ago. "I swear he was here a second ago..." he says, confused, as a silhouette behind him can be seeing running bravely in the opposite direction.
  • "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAH". A loud warcry goes off behind Vincent and Marissa. "Oh god, he just ran in." says Vincent. "I've come to defeat you, ugly bird!" says Nate as he stands at the entrance of the cave, challenging his opponent.
  • The giant bird emerges from its den, showing its talons to Nate, bravely standing in front of it to challenge it. "Nate, wait! I told you to not go!" screams Marissa, terrified. The Amanchaq rips Nate's torso mercilessly.
  • "NO!" yells Marissa in horror, seeing Nate shred to pieces. She tosses her backpack on the ground and rushes to Nate's aid. "Oh my gosh!!! Nate!" she screams as she approaches. A thick cardboard piece lays in front of her, with Nate's likeness drawn on it, remaining shattered by the previous attack. "Wait, it's that crummy cutout again!" says Marissa. "He still pulls that crap, huh." remarks Vincent. As Nate climbed on the neck of the Amanchaq, the beast attempts to shake him off. Vincent points at its nest, where a small head peeks from afar. "Let's make a run for it!" commands Vincent.
  • Vincent runs up to the nest at the bottom of the cave. "Uh, Marissa! Your friend isn't here." He says poiting to the nest. "But I found this weird-looking child!". Marissa, catching up to Vincent, violently pushes him away, yelling "You jerk! This is my friend Nita!". Rejoiced, she approaches her friend. A short young woman with short black hair. She wears a pair of large, round glasses. "Nita! I was so worried about you!" says Marissa. "I thought you were done for already!". Nita casually shakes it off, "Oh Marissa? You came all the way up here?" says Nita. "You didn't have to, it's not that bad up here." Marissa picks her up, sobbing uncontrollably, "I missed you, okay?!" she cries. "It's okay, I missed you too." says Nita, calmly.
  • Vincent approaches Marissa and Nita's heartwarming reunion, interrupting them. "Hey girls, very moving, but we gotta get going." he says to them. A loud screech goes off in the background, as Nate viciously clings to the Amanchaq's head, this flaps its wings around trying to get the small boy off of it. "Good job keeping it busy, buddy! Now let's scram!" Vincent yells at Nate. "Who let that kid come along?" asks Nita. "It's a long story..." says Marissa.
  • "It's just odd you didn't call someone else for actual help..." says Nita, aware of her friend's behavior. "Well, it's just more fun this way." interjects Vincent. "Nevermind! Let's just get out of here!" Marissa says, trying to end the conversation. The three of them run to the exit, as the Amanchaq glides right abov them, Nate still clung to its neck.
  • The large bird swings at the ground with great force, tossing Nate. "Watch out!" he says, before his friends have a second to process what is going on, right before crashing onto them, knocking them like a set of bowling pins. Nate looks at the new girl alongside Vincent and Marissa. "Hey guys! Maybe that girl knows were Nita is at?" he says. "Um, I am Nita." she clarifies to him. "Whaat? Marissa said you were a cool, stylish artist!" says Nate, confused. "What, you don't think I'm cool as ice?" says Nita, sassily, before being interrupted by another loud screech.
  • "Is everyone okay?" says Nate, trying to prepare for the beast's next attack. "Where did it go?" The Amanchaq glances down at Vincent before making a fell swoop. "Wait, no!" screams Vincent. The giant bird picks him up with his talons and lifts him to the sky. "God damnit!" yells Vincent.
  • The gang looks helplessly as Vincent is flown into the sky. "I know! Marissa, throw me into the air!" says Nate decided on his plan. Nita looks at him with skepticism, "Wouldn't you rather use a catapult for that?" she comments on Nate's idea. Meanwhile, the Amanchaq shakes violently Vincent in the air as he struggles. "Vincent! Hold on a little longer!" yells Marissa. At the same time, Nita and Nate's discussion continues. "You're right! Where can we get one?" says Nate. "I kinda know how to make one. Do you have any wooden planks?" says Nita. "I got a sling, it's close enough?" he says. "Well..." she says. Marissa takes a look at a pile of rocks on the floor.
  • "Take this!" yells Marissa, as she throws some of the rocks laying around. "Yeah, good idea, Marissa!" says Nate, as he starts spinning up his sling. They make many attempts to hit the Amanchaq, but they only manage to hit Vincent in the face. "You fucking idiots! Learn to take aim!" screams Vincent at his friends.
  • As the Amanchaq flies up higher, it drops Vincent on a free fall to the ground. He lets out a loud scream as he falls. "I'll get him!" says Marissa as she tries to hurry to catch him. "I got him, I got him!" she says, before Vincent crashes on top of her.
  • "Are you okay? How are you feeling?" asks Marissa to Vincent. "Yeah, I just hurt my ass really bad." he says. The sun on top of them becomes blocked for a second, before they realize the Amanchaq is diving to attack them. "Oh no, it's coming again!". At the same exact second, Nate takes aim and prepares to shoot his sling one last time. "Okay... I only have one chance!" he says.
  • Nate swings his sling, shooting a pebble straight into the Amanchaq's wing, stopping its flight. Vincent and Marissa observe shocked.
  • The beast falls to the ground, right next to Vincent and Marissa. It lays in the ground without moving. Vincent and Marissa look at it cautiously. "Is... is it dead?". However, it wakes up and lets out a loud screech at them.
  • The Amanchaq gets up and starts chasing around Vincent and Marissa, trying to attack them with its beak. Marissa runs around helplessly in circles while it chases Vincent. "We are not done here yet!" says Nate, looking at them from above. "Here I come, friends!" he yells as he jumps downwards. Despite his best efforts, he lands face down on a rock next to them. "Great..." says Nita. She picks up Marissas bag and throws it at her. "Marissa, take this!".
  • Vincent catches the backpack thrown by Nita. As the Amanchaq approaches, he swings it to its face, with the contents inside the bag spilling out. Marissa catches a frying pan that flew around. "Hey! Don't just stand there!" says Vincent, pointing to the almost-knocked out beast.
  • Looking at the exhausted bird's body, Marissa doubts before making another move. She nervously approaches the frying pan she holds to the Amanchaq's head, before giving it a small bump on its head. The beast drops to the ground, fainted.
  • Nita, Vincent, Marissa and Nate freeze for a moment, processing what just happened. They cheer for their victory. "Let's do it again!" says Nate, eager for more. "I think you're getting a little carried away..." says Marissa. "Is it dead now?" asks Vincent to Nita. "No, it just looks like it's knocked out." says Nita "I guess that'll do."
  • "Gotcha! Stop right there!" yells a voice from a couple feet away. Everyone turns around to see where it came from. "You, little kid over there! And all of you!" says the guard from the day before. "You are all arrested for trespassing beyond the allowed limits of the Pathfinders' Guild!". The guards surround the gang. "You will be also charged for harming a defenseless, endangered species!". "Wait, endangered?" says Nate, confused. "Defenseless?!" protests Vincent.
  • "Haven't you heard of the noble black-coated condor? This poor creature didn't deserve such cruel fate in hands of reckless abusers like you!" says the guard, hugging the sobbing condor alongside him as its being comforted. "B-but my adventure book didn't mention any of that!" says Nate as he's being pushed around. "Hey, you should've thought twice before taking a story book for the truth!" the guard tells Nate. "And Vincent, you're a dissapointment to your career and your superiors!" says the guard with deep emotion, while Vincent just looks away without shame. "You will come with us to Azure City, and we will see what to do with you!" yells the guard, before the gang is handcuffed.
  • "Hey, watch it!" says Vincent, as him and the rest of his friends are being pushed around by the guards to get into the cart. "No! We were being helpful!" yells Nate, helplessly. "Now, stay quiet if you don't want to get in any more trouble!" tells the guard to them, as they're sat togeter in the back of a cart.
  • "Let's head off for Azure City." says the guard, as him and the rest of the Pathfinders' entourage get ready to leave. "Then we will have Faulkner make a decision about them." Marissa, Vincent, Nate and Nita look at eachother, wondering what will be of them.

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    Chapter 3: The Pathfinders' Guild