Author's note:

If I had a nickel for every time someone thought I'd ship Vixy and Dash in this story, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice. :/

Chapter 40: Slow Progress

A lush grove sprawled before Dash. Tangled trees as thick as frigates made him look small as he ran between their roots. Butterflies danced over vivid flowers that swayed in the breeze. Small animals bounded into the safety of bushes. Dash paid them no mind.

The beautiful peace met its end as Dash encountered artificial structures. Wooden walls and towers formed a crude outpost. Reptilian archers spotted him. At the glint of their arrowheads, Dash raised his shield. It took the brunt of the incoming volley, sparing him from damage. Dash charged without fear.

A horn summoned the archers' allies. Lizardmen in iron plating emerged from the outpost's gate, advancing with clubs and spears. Dash cast a fireball to bathe them in bright embers. He then drew his sword and cut his foes down in their throes of agony. One by one, the lizards fell. The forest became silent again in only a few minutes. Dash walked into the outpost to see what loot he could find inside.

A few weapons and common materials became Dash's prize. As he made to leave, someone tall and muscular ran towards him. Dash looked up from the toad's knightly armour to the green text glowing over his head. A voice soon crackled in Dash's ear.

"Aww! You started without me!"

"You were late, Slippy," Dash frowned. "I was waiting for so long that I couldn't find any more mobs to kill time with."

Slippy groaned. "Sorry. Some guy's car broke down on the tracks, so my train home got delayed half an hour."

"Never have to deal with that when you fly around space for a living."

"You're telling me. So, how's the leg?"

"Getting there. You don't realise how hard it is to sit around all day until you don't have a choice. I'm cramping all over here." Dash followed Slippy's character deeper into the forest.

"Sorry to hear that, pal. At least your family's keeping you company, right?"

"Yeah. Mom and Dad have been great. They're worried about how safe the work we do is, but they're great. Though you should have heard Grandma after that battle on Fortuna broke the news. She harped on for hours about Andrew being a no-good disgrace to the family. Said I should be blessed to have never met him in my life."

Slippy snorted. "He would have been such a bad influence on you."

Dash grinned. "God forbid if I ever joined his army for a year."

"So, your folks don't know about the mission?"

"My parents wormed it out of me after a few days. They were upset at first, but they understood what we were trying to do. We all agreed that Grandma can never hear a word of it. Or that we're still trying to use my grandfather's research to save Fox."

A horde of small slime monsters appeared at the mouth of a tunnel. They weren't too difficult to take care of. "Wish we were having more luck with that," Slippy remarked.

"I know. I've got my computer trying to brute force its way through Andross's encryption."

"You're trying to do that with a home PC?! You do realise that the Cornerian Army has had supercomputers trying to crack that data for the past two years, right?"

Dash shrugged. "I figured I had a better chance of guessing the passcode. Andross was a genius, but he's still a person. He would've made the keys to his top-secret research something he could remember, don't you think?"

"The guy has seven PhDs, and you reckon he made the passcode his birthday?" Slippy challenged.

"Tried that. Didn't work. It also wasn't anything like 'password1234." There went Dash's earlier theories thinking that Andross would try to fool his enemies by making the passcode the weakest combination possible. "But I am trying a bunch of things that he'd probably use together. I'm using birthdays, Mom's name, places of birth, his anniversary date, social security numbers. Heck, I've even tried pi up to 30 decimal places."

Slippy whistled. "That's still a lot."

"We should count ourselves lucky that Andross is so confident in his encryption. If he set everything to delete after three failed attempts or something, we'd be screwed."

"It looks like it'll be a hell of a lot easier if we just find our own way to save Fox."

Dash agreed. "How are we going with that?"

"I've finally got the satellite hooked up with a radio transmitter. We just need to make the trip back to Purgatory to redeploy it. Then we need to send another care package to Fox with a receiver." Slippy sighed heavily. "As much as I want to talk to Fox again, I'm not sure what good it'll do for getting him out of there."

That did remain a problem. "It's too bad we can't just terraform the dust out of the way," Dash muttered.

"Yeah. I thought of that… But now that we know that Purgatory is inhabited, we'd need the natives' permission to do that. Otherwise, we'd be breaking several galactic treaties. And even if we could, and it was possible, Doctor Reinard says that the increase in sunlight could kill off the planet's flora. Don't think the Purgatorians would be too happy with us if that happened."

Purgatorians… "That is such a weird thing to name a population. I wonder what they call themselves." Further to that, what did they call the planet that they live on?

"Guess we'll find out when we contact Fox."

They made it through the dungeon to the boss's lair. Dash and Slippy put their conversation on hold to dodge its attacks and whittle down its health bar. It took a dozen of Dash's health and stamina potions, but the beast went down after a few minutes. His character levelled up as rare gear and items filled his inventory.

"Perfect timing," Slippy said. "Hey, Dash? I gotta go for a second. Amanda's calling me."

"So, things are still going well between you two?" Dash smirked. "All good, bud. I'm heading back to Granwall to upgrade my gear. Call me when you're back online."

"Will do. Bye, Dash."

Soon after, Slippy's character disappeared from Dash's screen. As he fast travelled to his destination, his bedroom door knocked. Dash turned away from the television. "Come in."

The door swung in to reveal his mother, Ashley. "Sorry if I'm interrupting."

Dash pulled off his headphones. "It's fine. My friend just logged off after we finished a dungeon. What's up?"

Usually, his mother walked into his room with a purpose, even if that was something as simple as wanting to bond with her son. Now though, Ashley looked at him with hesitation. "May we talk for a bit?"

"Sure."

Dash logged off his game and swivelled his chair around. Ashley took a seat on the foot of his bed. She stared at the cast on Dash's leg momentarily, then to her hands clasped atop her lap. Dash began to worry as she finally met his gaze.

"I've been thinking about what you told your father and me. About what you were doing with Andrew's rebels," she spoke softly. The ring of a mother's concern underlaid her voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Aside from getting shot in the leg, I'm okay."

"I mean; are you really okay? In here?" Ashley tapped her temple. "I know that you haven't told us everything that you went through. I'm worried about how your time with Andrew affected you inside."

Dash sighed sadly. "There were some things that happened on the mission that I'll never forget. Things that I don't want to worry you or Dad with. But I'm going to be okay, Mom. My friends have been helping me every step of the way."

Tears glistened behind his mother's brief smile. "I just wanted to be sure. I haven't seen Andrew since his parents took him during the war. All that I know about him now is that he's fanatical about what my father tried to achieve."

"You mean conquering the Lylat System?" Dash asked gently. Ashley nodded.

"He could have chosen to become a scientist, or a doctor, or an engineer. It would've been enough," she frowned. "Instead, he chose to become a warlord. He chose to cause unnecessary pain to people."

"He wasn't very good at it," Dash remarked.

His mother snickered a little. "I'm proud, Dash, that no matter what you experienced on Fortuna, it didn't change the kind of person you are."

She studied his face. "You look so much like your grandfather," she sighed. "I was still a young girl at the time, but I remember when he was just as bright and kind as you are now. Even after all these years and everything that has happened, I still wish that you could have met him as how he used to be. I think he would have been proud of you too."

Dash's chest tightened as his hands wrung together. These talks about Simon Andross were few and far between them. "Do you still love him?"

Ashley contemplated the question. "I won't deny that your grandfather did horrible things after he was exiled. Your grandmother told me that he wasn't the same man who we thought we knew. And ever since, that was the best that anyone would ever say about him to me. I never got to see him during the trial or afterwards though, so I never knew for myself. That meant that I couldn't properly decide how I felt about him. Everyone else turned to hate my father, so that's what became expected of me."

A hollow pit opened inside Dash. "But?"

"But I look at you and see all that you've achieved. You went to university early and became a pilot with Star Fox. You risked your life I don't know how many times to help someone you've never met. When I look at you, it reminds me of all the good things that your grandfather did in his life. It's helped me to realise that no matter what changed, a part of me still loves him. And misses him."

Ashley cast a glance towards Dash's computer crunching passcodes on its own. "I hope that you find things in your grandfather's research that can help people. Not just Fox McCloud, but others across Lylat too." She sighed again. "If one good thing can come out of Dad's work after I lost him… Something that makes people happy… It would bring me so much joy. Because it would mean that he hadn't lost his heart completely. There'd have been some part of it that stayed kind even when he lost his way."

Dash watched his mother wipe a stray tear. This wasn't the first time he had seen her cry over her family. Yet this particular instance sank his heart faster than ever. It sank deeper, all the way to his feet. As far as Ashley knew, her father had died 10 years ago, branded the devil incarnate by everyone around her. All the shame and sorrow that Dash carried throughout his life, she suffered worse as Andross's child. Nonetheless, a part of her clung onto the faint hope that there had still been good inside her father.

"Grandfather's work did make someone happy," Dash said. His mother looked up in surprise. "Fox's mother, Doctor Reinard, had to wait more than two years to find out whether he was still alive. The only reason we did was because one of Grandfather's inventions let us see through Purgatory's atmosphere. Doctor Reinard told me that it gave her hope again."

The tears ran freely down Ashley's face. Dash smiled, but he couldn't hold the expression for long. For years now, he kept the fact that Grandfather Simon was alive again from her. Peppy insisted that the secret was to prevent a public panic. However, Dash hid the truth from his mother so that he wouldn't burden her with fresh pain or false hope. Just because Andross came back from the grave once, it didn't mean that he might be a changed man, or that she might see him again at long last. But with each passing day he spent at home, the guiltier that Dash felt. A stone grew bigger and heavier inside his chest in that very moment.

He couldn't hold it in anymore. "Mom…? There's something else that I need to tell you."

Drying her eyes, Ashley looked concerned. "What is it?"

Dash sucked in a breath. Sorry, Peppy, but this was a family matter. "Before I say it, I just want you to know that I didn't keep this from you to hurt you. Honestly, I didn't know what to do about it when I found out." He steeled his nerves. "Grandfather is still alive."

Shock broke across Ashley's face, so potent that it seemed like her entire being would shatter from it. "Are you telling me the truth?" Dash swore his vow with a nod. "How?"

"He cloned himself to cheat death. Then disappeared after the war. Star Fox tracked Grandfather down all the way to Purgatory. But then Fox crashed onto the planet, and the trail went cold."

Ashley clasped her mouth. Her eyes darted through swift thoughts searching for answers. Dash said nothing for a long time. He understood that she needed a minute to process this. "Does that mean that your grandfather is trapped on Purgatory as well?" she finally asked.

Dash shook his head. "We don't know. We weren't exactly looking for him like we were Fox." Maybe he should pour over the P-POS footage to find out. "All we do know is that Grandfather was interested in Purgatory for some reason, but nobody has been in contact with him since he went to the Balven System."

A shuddering breath escaped Ashley. "I see…"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I should have told you sooner. I just didn't know whether it would help you at all or hurt you."

Ashley rose from the bed, closing the distance between them, and knelt to hug Dash. "It's okay, sweetie. Thank you for telling me now."

Tears welled within Dash's vision as he matched the pressure of her embrace. After a while, Ashley released him. Her cheeks were still wet as she tried to smile. "It'll be dinnertime soon. I don't feel like cooking now, so would you be happy if we order something in?"

"Sure. You pick," Dash nodded. "Mom…? Are you okay?"

Her smile widened. "I'll be okay, Dash. I just need… some time to process this. That's all." She turned to the door and stopped halfway through it. "I'll leave you too it. I love you, sweetheart."

Dash swallowed a lump down his throat. "Love you too, Mom." He watched her disappear behind the closing gap and heard the latch click shut. Dash then turned back to the television screen. It had switched to standby mode as they talked. Sighing, Dash fetched the remote to turn it off properly. He didn't feel like resuming his game right now.

"Achoo!"

"May Nuhm be merciful," Thalse responded. He turned his head. "I hope that you are not falling ill as well, Doctor."

Andross wiped underneath his nose with a handkerchief. "Unlikely. The air is musty down here. I find that concerning for a sewer tunnel."

Thalse's jaw shifted behind his mask, possibly to smile. "Imagine having a nose like mine then." He faced forward again, following the path that the torch in his hand illuminated.

Andross merely grunted. He silenced a niggling voice in the back of his head, which preached that his immune system wasn't as impervious as he believed. It was survival instinct talking. Nothing more than foolish and unnecessary worry that nature embedded into his sub-conscious. Andross created this body of his to overcome every conceivable ailment from influenza to cancer. With no doubt, his immune system would protect him from the nuhmryg, which the Cerinians named after their cold goddess of disease and poisons.

It took weeks for the city guard's investigation to find a lead on the nuhmryg's root cause. When the answer did not arise above ground, they then searched underneath. A tunnel was found where the vermin dropped dead in their nests. The anomaly stood out to Andross, so he sought to study it personally.

Thalse's light reflected off a wall of ice. The barrier had been created using frozen sewer water to cordon the passage from curious civilians. Passing the torch to Andross, Thalse took his staff in hand. He pointed its tip to the wall, where a small opening melted before their eyes.

"Interesting," Andross remarked. "Between you and your nephew, I wasn't aware that many guards practiced magic."

"We don't usually," Thalse chuckled. "However, sharing an ehn with a master lythan has certain perks." He stepped through the gap first. Andross ducked his head to follow.

The musty smell became more potent on the other side. Rot and waste mixed with it, searing the hairs inside Andross's nose. It wrinkled as he stepped over the rat corpses around his ankles. In his mind, Andross ruled them as low on the list of likely culprits. The nuhmryg would have died out quickly if the rats themselves were its source.

The bodies grew denser further down the tunnel. Green mould amassed around the floor and walls. It sprouted over the rats as well. Andross's jaw clenched. "These tunnels are too new for mould to grow this much. Doesn't the chief pay people to maintain them?"

"I'm not privy to the details, but one of the workers mentioned that they generally avoid this area," Thalse answered. "The scent of these sewers is foul enough from all the excrement that flows through them. However, it's even more unbearable here where the tanneries flush their waste as well." He spluttered. "Believe me, I can scarcely breathe in here."

Andross's eyes widened. "The tanneries? Do you mean all of their wastewater?"

"Yes. The district is right above us."

That might explain why most of the nuhmryg cases were linked to Kezamat's eastern outskirts. Andross knelt to inspect the mould more closely. "Tanning waste is highly acidic, and Kezamat's methods use animal dung and urine. Combine all that with the rest of the city's sewerage and you get the perfect breeding ground for toxic fungi and bacteria." He looked up to Thalse. "I think we've found the source of our epidemic."

Thalse raised his brows. "This grime is what's making everyone sick?"

"Mould releases spores into the air that can be deadly," Andross straightened. "The entrances to these tunnels are not airtight, and there are people who see sewers as a means to move around far from prying eyes. It wouldn't take much for traces of the mould to find their way to the surface and make people sick."

Thalse's tail curled behind him. "So, how do we deal with this?"

"We need to clean these tunnels out with a strong antifungal solution. It shouldn't take us too long to prepare." Andross crossed his arms. "But that will only patch over the problem. I underestimated how much sewerage the city could produce in any specific location. We'll need to build in a means to treat the water that comes straight from the tanneries. That's the only way to keep the mould from building up as badly as this again."

"If this is done, will it end the sickness?"

"It will reduce the number of people who get infected," Andross sighed. "However, we still need to stem the nuhmryg's transmission from person to person. The better news is that, if I'm right about this, the antibiotics I'm making can save the people who do get sick."

Hope shone in Thalse's eyes. "Even the ones with weak mana?"

Andross decided it was best to manage expectations. "We won't know until we try. Unfortunately, now that other settlements know we're struggling with an epidemic, trade has ground almost to a halt. It's become harder for me to get a hold of some crucial components for the medicine."

"Is there another way that we can get them?"

"Are there any volcanoes around Kezamat where I could find sulfuric acid?" Regrettably, Thalse shook his head. "Then we'd have no choice but to send people far and wide to scavenge the materials instead."

They retreated to the barricade, where Thalse sealed the opening behind them. He continued to wear a disheartened gaze. "It's not the end of the world yet," Andross consoled. "Closing off this tunnel and cleaning out the mould will improve our situation greatly. It will slow the nuhmryg from taking over the whole city and buy us time to make the cure. We've done well so far."

A small nod shifted Thalse's head. "Yes. You are right, Doctor."

Andross sniffed. "Of course, I'm right. I've been fighting deadly diseases since before you were in your mother's womb." He turned away towards clean, open air.

Up on the surface, the streets were empty. Not a soul could be seen. Such a scene was unusual even around the malodourous tanneries. The workshops were all closed, and the impoverished who lived in the area feared to leave their homes. Their caution would serve well until the sewers could be cleared.

It was unfortunate how that knowledge achieved little to ease Andross. The whole city reeked of dread. Businesses were shut indefinitely. Schoolhouses closed their doors. The temple priests conducted their sermons through telepathy to provide as much hope as they could. Few children played outside with their parents' blessing. Desperate and hungry people fought over supplies at the markets, with the city guard barely able to keep pandemonium at bay. With the nuhmryg cases counting into the hundreds, and the death toll not far behind, everyone was afraid for themselves and their loved ones.

Andross finally spotted another Cerinian. They froze 30 metres down the road. Staring back, the Cerinian's arms tightened around the bundle of fruits he carried. He broke into a run, disappearing quickly out of sight. Thalse watched them flee. A haggard sigh left his lungs.

"He stole those."

"Aren't you going to stop him?" Andross raised a brow.

"And punish a man who feels like he hasn't eaten in days?" Thalse's gaze turned harrowed. "He probably has a family who is also starving. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes without a single bite so that he can feed them. More and more people like him are turning up than you might realise."

Andross exhaled. "I've seen what contagious outbreaks can do to communities. Some cope with the aftermath better than others."

Thalse looked towards where the thief vanished. "I used to feel pride in how my people naturally help each other through hard times. But this sickness… it's turned even the people who are healthy into something that I no longer recognise."

"Thene once told me that the Cerinians' boasts about empathy is nothing more than hubris. When pushed, you're as capable of selfishness and infighting as any other sapient race. She experienced that herself after the spat she had with your wife many years ago."

Although a frown flashed across Thalse's muzzle, he spoke no reply regarding that incident's mention. "Have we all forgotten that we're in this crisis together?"

"While the merchants fret over their lost commerce, other people struggle to afford essentials like food. We need workers to return to their farms and fields; as well as hunters and gathers to supplement our harvests. Gylis then needs to cap the cost of produce so that we no longer risk a riot every time a simple grocery run turns into an auction."

Thalse nodded. "I agree. I'm tired of fights breaking out almost every day."

Hearing the man's fatigue made Andross conscious of his own. It felt like he now only slept so that he could run himself ragged the next day. He gazed around the empty street and sighed. "There was once a time where I fancied myself a god in mortal flesh. Anything that I put my mind to was possible with the right resources. But here on Cerinia, I find myself sorely limited. I know what must be done, yet I'm unable to carry out the tasks required. This epidemic has made me realise that I'm no different to any other man here, save for my knowledge."

"And your appearance. Don't forget," Thalse chortled.

Andross chuckled as well. Such honest jests were few and far between in these grim days. "I assume that your wife already knows what we discovered underground?" Thalse nodded. Telepathy was a useful ability. Andross definitely needed to harness it himself one day. "Then return to your guards and resume your duties. I'll have Thene start work on the mould cleaner. After that, I'll meet with the chief about our food shortage."

"You are a busy one, aren't you, Doctor?" Thalse remarked, turning away. "Good luck to you then. May the gods favour your efforts."

As he became left alone, Andross found himself sorely missing Thene and her playful teases. "Yes," he murmured. "I get called that a lot."

Today was another intimate day between Fox and the forest. He walked through his crowd of friends, the tree trunks, as he carried a large basket on his back up a hill. The wind kissed his cheek as she would morning, noon, and evening. Her perfume tickled his nose with the scents of earth and foliage.

A small animal fled at the sound of Fox's approach. Fox knelt in front of the berry bush it had been nibbling on. Meticulously, he picked off the small, coin-shaped leaves and dropped them into a pouch. Its red fruits went straight into Fox's mouth. Once he cleaned out a few branches, Fox stood to continue on his way.

It had been a couple of weeks since he was forced to leave Kezamat. To protect his health, Fox avoided all close contact with other people. The loneliness gnawed at him, but at least he was safe living in the hunter's cabin a few kilometres outside of the city. From there, Fox could forage for his food and take shelter from the elements. If he could only fall asleep with Krystal in his arms again, Fox would've been content with his new circumstances. He made do with what he had though.

Fox squatted next to a tangle of tree roots. Flat, yellow gor mushrooms grew in clusters. With a knife, Fox cut through their stems and tossed the caps into his basket. He harvested every mushroom around the tree before moving on.

Fox could not reside within Kezamat's walls right now. That was the harsh reality that he needed to accept. However, Fox refused to let that stop him from helping the Cerinians combat the nuhmryg from outside. Day in and day out, Fox collected ingredients to replenish the Lythan Jad's stock of medicines. He used everything that Krystal taught him during their hikes together to find what she and her comrades needed for their patients. Krystal's face floated in the front of Fox's mind as he uprooted every herb and shaved each tree. For her, he worked until his feet blistered and his fingertips burned raw.

Once he collected enough supplies, Fox then delivered them to the city gates. His friends in the guard would exchange them for manmade goods like bread and paper. Fox also gave them letters to pass on to Krystal, just to let her know that he was always thinking about her.

It would soon be time to pay another visit. Fox's back began to ache from the basket's weight. He was still sore from lugging a large urn all the way to the spirit spring and back yesterday. Its mana-rich water would help many lives, but it was bloody heavy to carry so much at once. Fox set the basket down to rest for a few minutes.

When he felt ready to set off again, Fox spotted a footprint in the dirt beside him. His blood chilled as he recognised its large size and long claw marks. It was an ordus print! Immediately, Fox's thoughts plunged deep into the icy, buried past.

He dropped to his tail and clutched his head in both hands. Fox's chest heaved in rapid bursts. His eyes saw a ferocious, blue bear slashing away atop him. His scars burned as though they opened fresh again. He heard the beast's roar thunder in his ears alongside his own screams. Fox quaked where he was, caught in a nightmare that he couldn't escape from.

When the memories had their fun, they released Fox and left him gasping on the ground. Frightened tears soaked his cheeks. Furious ones washed over them. Fox bellowed until his throat hurt. His fist slammed into the dirt.

It has been two years! Two years since that awful day! Two years since he had been violently mauled, almost to death, by the first living thing that he ran into on this stupid planet! No matter how much Fox trained, and learned, and grew stronger, he was still scared absolutely shitless of a stupid, fucking bear!

"God, damn it!" Fox roared.

He was sick of this. He was sick of feeling powerless and fragile. It happened every damned time that he merely thought of ordi. No matter how much Fox tried to fight it, some part of him always crumpled. PTSD, a shrink might call it. Well, Fox didn't give a fuck what it was! He just wanted to be over that experience for good!

Fox took a deep breath. Slowly, he released it. He then repeated the action, just how Krystal taught him for whenever he had a panic attack. Over the course of a minute, Fox's thoughts and heartrate calmed. He opened his eyes, and the forest was the same as before.

He was done with this. Time hadn't taken his fear away, so Fox decided to finally drive it off himself! Krystal once conquered her fear of egrints and slayed one. That was how he would defeat his own. If he killed an ordus, that would make him stronger than those beasts. He wouldn't ever need to be afraid of them again!

Fox glared down at the pawprint. His heart was set on this hunt, but he realised that he couldn't take an ordus on carelessly. No one would be able to rescue him if he ended up in the same mess as back then. He had to prepare carefully.

On that note, Fox turned around and made his way back to his cabin.

Two hours later, Fox returned to the place where he found the ordus print. He switched his basket for his combat rifle fully loaded. Fox also carried his blaster and spear just in case. The latter weapons might not protect him if he fell within the beast's telepathic range, however Fox felt confident enough in the rifle. Even if the ordus charged him, a stream of bullets would inflict enough damage to take it down before it even got close.

At least… that was Fox's theory.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to start doubting. He could do this. He had hunted plenty of animals over the last few years. Sure, none of them were ordi, but Fox now knew the tricks that Cerinian wildlife used to fight and catch prey. He powered through an egrint's telepathic shock once before, so an ordus's was nothing he couldn't handle now.

By now, the tracks were old. They led Fox around the forest. He passed signs of his mark's presence. Bent branches; scratched tree trunks; more prints next to the bank of a stream. There, Fox noticed that smaller sets of tracks accompanied the one he was following. Cubs. Two of them.

Fox sighed. The fact that the ordus had young with it was regrettable. In all likelihood, it was their mother. Maybe he should leave them alone. That would be the most peaceful option. Unfortunately, the haze of terror still chilled Fox. Clenching his fists, he persisted. If hunters spared every animal because it had offspring, the city would barely eat any meat at all. Nature wasn't merciful, so neither would he be.

After another hour, the tracks became fresher. The ordi were nearby. Fox paused to clear his mind. He could not think about what he was tracking, only the trail it left behind. Quelling his emotions was more difficult than usual though. Fox's mind raced faster than his heart. More breathing exercises brought him down just enough to proceed.

Fox crept carefully through the bushes. Not a leaf rustled underneath his soles. Not a single twig snapped. Soon, Fox spotted a small clearing outside of a cave. The ordi's den. Fox crouched behind a cover of foliage. He saw them. The mother, almost as big as a car, watched over her two cubs wrestling together.

Fox bit his tongue to stave off another panic attack. Any strong emotions from him right now would alert the mother to his location. Despite that, Fox's body became tight as the instinct to tremble welled inside. Suppressing it agonised him. He tasted blood as he breathed in and out slowly. Fox then lifted the rifle's barrel.

One of the cubs cried out. Fox froze in place. Had it detected him? No, it simply had enough of playing with its sibling. The cub then wandered over to its mother, who sniffed it. The second cub joined them. It climbed up its mother's side to get her attention.

Fox's finger lingered over the trigger. Yet it wouldn't pull. He aimed at the mother's heart, but he couldn't take the shot. His eyes kept flicking towards the cubs. No matter how they bickered for their mother's affection, she regarded both with remarkable patience.

The gun felt too heavy in Fox's arms. He lowered it. Up until now, Fox only planned to kill the mother. But now that he saw her cubs, the situation changed. They looked only a few months old. If they lost their mother, they'd either starve or be killed by some larger animal. Shooting them too would spare their suffering, but Fox couldn't bring himself to go through with that idea.

So, what should he do? When Fox thought of ordi, his mind flew to vicious beasts fuelled with primal rage. Yet he saw none of that as the mother ordus licked her second cub's ear. All there was in front of Fox was a caring parent and her rambunctious kids. She could still kill him if provoked, but she wasn't a monster like Fox expected.

Fox hung his head as he thought about what he was doing. If he sucked it up and took out all three of the bears, what would it actually achieve? The mom probably wasn't even the ordus that attacked him two years ago. He wouldn't even be able to call it vengeance. Was it really worth slaughtering a family just to get over a stupid phobia? Fox couldn't answer 'yes' with a clean conscience.

He backed away from the den, keeping an eye on the mother ordus. It would be a problem if she caught whiff of him while Fox second-guessed himself. He only meant to put about 50 metres between them. Fox kept walking until it became a kilometre. He felt no desire to return to the cave.

So, what now? Fox wondered to no avail. He didn't feel any less afraid of ordi than before. But killing one no longer seemed like the right solution. What was then? Fox didn't know. He'd need to think more on that.

Preferably after he got clear of the ordi's territory.