Elephant's Respite

[General Elephant]

It was a particularly stormy day at our newly founded colony, Elephant's Respite. We had just finished putting up our shelters and finally got our crops growing and harvesting consistently. We were a small group that had crash landed our escape pods into this arid shrub lands and have been trying to build a life for ourselves from the ground up until we can find a way home. I remember this day well because it was one of the largest acts of kindness I've ever seen, much less in a situation such as ours, with our limited food, shelter and supplies.

It all started when we heard a squeal of several elephants off in the distance, as we all run out to see what was going on, I nearly ran into our resident muffalo, Wonton. We gathered near the crop fields and looked on in horror at the sight we saw. The thunderstorm had struck directly in the center of a small elephant herd and they were all burning alive! Completely awe stricken by the events that were unfolding we gasped in horror, except for one of us. Skye, the most crucial member of our colony wasted no time in a mad dash out towards them. We were in such disbelief that one of our own was willing to brave these terrifying animals and attempt to aid them, even though they were no concern of our own.

When Skye got there, she immediately started padding down the flames on one of the last remaining elephants that were still alive. Badly burned and in critical condition, she recruited all the help she could to transport this behemoth back to our barn area. Upon returning our resident doctor used some of our critically important high quality med kits to tend to this wild animal. The next day was touch and go, we weren't sure if she, the wild elephant, was going to make it. Skye, so troubled by this, stayed by the elephant's side without rest, tending to any and all of its needs. The following day it looked like the elephant was going to make a major recovery, despite having burn scars around both its eyes and a mysterious gun shot scar in its left front leg, probably from some of the local raiders that have been causing havoc for our colony.

Once this beautiful elephant made its full recovery, it started to return to what was left of its herd, but knowing what had transpired, and its growing love for Skye, it remained around the perimeters of our camp. Seeing this, Skye, and her burning passion for animals, kept visiting it and bringing it some of our limited strawberry supplies. While some colonists grumbled at the thought of losing our food we've been working so hard for, Skye persisted anyway. Over time the elephant grew closer to Skye and one day, the elephant simply became tame. it walked right up to the barn and laid right beside Wonton, nibbling on some of the hay grass we had set in reserve for the animals. Through all this tragedy, we managed to make a new friend. I can only imagine what kind of name Skye will pick out for our new friend.

end

I really enjoy moments in games where random events happen and it gives you a genuine feeling of concern and caring for how things unfold. I also think it is insanely fitting that I named the colony "Elephant's Respite" way before any of this happened.

As an aside, Skye named our elephant friend Fancy, who sadly incurred permanent brain damage from a stray charge rifle shot... We still love her though