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Lara Croft and the jungle of Biggo Cocko | bungakawa2011 | 2

 

Through the dense foliage, Lara spotted grey forms moving ever closer. Whatever they were, they didn't seem to make any effort at concealing themselves; obviously, they didn't fear much in this hostile place.

Lara looked left and right. Trees and thick bushes all around. In which direction was that clearing where she had meant to land? Fleeing would be difficult: she wasn't sure of her exact location, and few things are more dangerous than to run from danger into the unknown. She glanced down at her bare breasts. And... yeah... leaves and branches flogging her furiously bouncing boobs as she sprinted through the dark green thickets that surrounded her on all sides? Not a sensation she was eager to experiment.

Her hands hovered over the pistols resting against her thighs. They weren't quite as powerful as she would have liked, but she reasoned that burdening herself with heavier weaponry wouldn't make her safer, only slower. Fight or flee... Fight or flee... Fight or...

Once she had a clear view of the approaching creatures, both option sounded equally hazardous. They were gigantic masses of pale grey fur, much taller than herself. Their face, devoid of fur, resembled an old leather mask on which two bright black stones were sewn to represent the eyes. Their hind legs were short, but muscular, and when they walked, the creatures let their weight rest mainly on their long but thick forelegs.

Lara cursed under her breath. She had come across a pack of Biggo Cocko gorillas. These creatures weren't quite as bulky as their African cousins, but they were taller and stronger. They looked at Lara without surprise, as if they fully expected to meet her there. In all likelihood, they had heard her crash through the trees, and had come to investigate this intrusion. Not much was known about those primates, and Lara's mind reached frantically for any detail she might have heard or read about that would let her escape them unharmed.

The first thing she remembered was that these animals were generally peaceful, though merciless when they faced a predator. Lara could see about eight of them, and more could be hidden from her sight. A confrontation would be near suicide. But they were not hunters: despite their humongous size, they lived mostly of berries and roots. Would they give chase if she turned and fled? It was hard to tell.

Also, she knew for sure she was facing a pack of males: Biggo Cocko gorillas had a peculiar social structure, where females live alone or in small groups of two or three, and males roam the jungle in larger groups for the better part of the year. Whenever they stumble upon females of their species, they settle in the area for a month or so and mate almost continuously, until such time as they are satisfied and ready to go in search of another female to impregnate. However, if rival packs of males happen to meet, their encounter can turn bloody... and sometimes, that animosity extend to humans as well. Lara recalled reading about an expedition decimated by such creatures a dozen years ago, a catastrophic event where almost all men present were killed, but where women were spared entirely. Playing up the fact she was a female could be an easy way for her to escape unscathed.

 

Fight? Flee? Or opt for diplomacy?


          Stating the obvious... with predictable results

 
 
 

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