Finding Objects

Ash took a deep breath, and said to Maya, "For this quest, you are really risking your life."

"Of course. That's why I'm asking you for help," said Maya while watching the pterodactyl nest with her binoculars.

Meanwhile, Ash, while watching one of the pterodactyls flying close to their hiding place, muttered, "They are too big to be hunted using normal methods..."

Maya turned to him, and said, "You don't need to hunt them down. Just help me so I can enter their nest."

"How?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"We need to observe them first. Find out their habits and the best time to sneak into their nest." Maya answered.

Ash looked at Maya with disdain, "If that's all, why don't you just do it yourself."

Maya snorted and put her binoculars into her Inventory. "I told you, I don't have the skills to fight."

"You mean, you'll use me as your shield if something happens?" Ash started to get annoyed.

"Yeah. It's true, and your skills are only for fighting. Different with me."

"This skill is only active when I have prey, Maya," Ash said, gritting his teeth.

"Then let's do it your way. Hunt them." she hissed.

Ash was getting on his nerves, "Once you said you do the hunt, now you are saying I do the hunt. Which do you prefer?"

Maya shrugged, "It's up to you. Either way, you must use your skill."

"That's it! I quit!" Ash stood up and was about to walk away.

"Waittt!" Maya held his sleeve.

"Listen," she said, "There is a vault inside that nest. And inside it, there are many treasures. You can take it all."

Ash flicked his sleeve and said, "I don't need that. I just don't want to die. Besides, the treasures would be too heavy to carry."

"Please?" Maya begged with teary eyes, "I promise to help you with all your quests, didn't I."

"Hhhh… Alright, alright," Ash sighed.

***

They approached the barren hills carefully, trying not to attract the attention of the pterodactyls patrolling the air.

After finding a safe place to hide, they began observing the pterodactyl from a distance. They took refuge in a small cave safe from the reach of the pterodactyls. While sitting near the campfire, they prepare equipment and strategies to infiltrate the pterodactyl nest.

For the next few days, they noted the pterodactyls' flight patterns, when they went out to hunt, and when they returned to the nest. They also noticed that pterodactyls had a fairly regular schedule—they flew out in the morning to forage for food and returned to their nest at dusk.

"We have to go into their nest while they are out looking for food," said Maya while checking the notes they made. "It is the best time when their nest is empty."

Ash nodded in agreement. "Okay, we will move tomorrow morning. We have to get ready now."

But that afternoon something happened and made Ash really regret his decision to follow Maya.

Several people using three jeeps approached the pterodactyl nest. The animals started screeching, flying, and swooping down, trying to grab the jeep and the people in them.

However, those pterodactyls were greeted by machine gun fire mounted on each jeep. 

The injured pterodactyls returned to their nest. Meanwhile, the rest floated in the air, not daring to approach the jeep.

These people came down carrying their respective weapons, swords, or spears. They confidently started jumping out from the jeep.

But suddenly, two other pterodactyls, much larger, appeared out of the nest. The length of their wings reaches ten to twenty meters. They started swooping down to grab the jeeps.

Machine guns fired, but they couldn't hurt the giant pterodactyls. Their skin was thougher than other young pterodactyls.

The giant pterodactyls moved quickly, grabbing jeeps and crushing them with their strong beaks. Meanwhile, the smaller pterodactyls began to attack the people.

The smaller ones swooped down and pecked at the people. Some of the pterodactyls were hurt by the swords or spears, but there were too many.

Soon, everyone was dead. The wrecked jeeps were scattered around the dry valley.

Then the pterodactyls took the dead humans into their nest for their meals.

***

Ash and Maya watched all of this from a distance. They didn't expect to see two giant pterodactyls.

And they didn't see the giant pterodactyls leave the nest during their observation.

However, they decided to carry out their plan the next day.

***

The pterodactyl's nest was in a large cave at the top of a barren hill.

They entered the cave quietly, trying not to make any noise that might attract the attention of any pterodactyls that might still be nearby, or the giant ones inside the cave.

Inside, they found many large, greenish pterodactyl eggs. Ash and Maya are amazed by the size of the eggs.

But they couldn't waste time. They needed to move quickly.

Maya called her system map and started examining the markings on the cave walls.

"My sense map says there's a secret vault in this cave with valuables," she whispered to Ash.

Ash nodded and followed her. They walked through the dark cave passages, using torches to light their way.

After a few minutes of walking, they found a large stone door with strange carvings on its surface.

"This is the door," said Maya while examining the carvings. "We need to find the hidden mechanism to open it."

They examined the carvings carefully. They touched and moved parts of the carvings, figuring out how to open the door. After a while, Maya found a small button hidden in one corner of the carving.

"Press that button," said Maya, pointing to the button, while pressing another one.

Ash pressed the button, and the stone door slowly opened.

The door made a screeching sound as it opened. They both held their breath.

"We have to move quickly," Ash said, guarding the room entrance. "The pterodactyl could notice us at any time."

Maya ran into the room quickly and grabbed the item she was looking for.

After a few minutes, they heard loud footsteps and screeching inside the nest. The giant pterodactyls must have heard the door..

"We have to leave now," Maya said in a panicked voice.

Ash nodded, and they both ran out of the secret room. They quickly walked back through the cave passages, trying to get out before the pterodactyls noticed them.

As they almost reached the exit of the cave, they saw a group of pterodactyls landing in the nest. Ash and Maya hid behind a large rock, hoping the creatures wouldn't see them.

After a while, the pterodactyls entered the cave. Ash and Maya took this opportunity to sneak out of the cave quickly.

They ran down the barren hill as fast as they could.

"We did it," Ash said breathlessly as they stopped at the edge of the tropical rainforest.

Maya chuckled, also out of breath. "Yes, we did it."

"What did we steal from that place?" Ash asked curiously. He had risked his life to help her, so he wanted to know.

Maya took out a silver box from her Inventory and opened it. Inside was a round, dark blue crystal about five inches in diameter. In the middle of the crystal ball was a white circle that looked like an eye.

She took out the crystal, and after reading her system notification screen, she showed it to Ash.

Ash observed the crystal in her hand and asked, "What is this?"

Maya answered with a grin, "It's the Eye of The Strom. It is very valuable and powerful."

"Powerful?" Ash squinted his eyes. "What kind of powerful are you talking about?"

"This item can change the weather at the holder's will." She turned the white circle and suddenly, the bright daylight turned dark and cloudy.

The white circle's color shifted to grayish-black, and soon, strong winds and thunder began to roar over the barren land.

Strangely, the tropical forest's sky remained clear and unaffected by the storm.

Ash's mouth was open with astonishment.

"Is it a Rare rank item?" he asked.

"Yeap. It's cool, isn't it?"

"Absolute cool," Ash nodded approvingly, then turned to her. "Are you not going to turn it off?"

Maya chuckled and said, "No. It's better for us if that place is having a thunderous storm right now. So those big angry birds won't come out soon."

"LMAO. Let's get out of here and find someplace to rest, shall we?" Ash started to walk away from the edge of the tropical rainforest.

"W-Wait," Maya hurriedly placed the Eye of The Storm back into her Inventory and caught up with him.

She strolled cheerfully alongside Ash and asked, 'What are we having for dinner tonight?'