• Graded • May the Best Hunter Win

[Nightshade Eld]

Ymiden 5th, 717

With the grand hunt being held late an idea came to a certain half breed. Why not throw herself into the fray and try to bag a treat? With Storm at her side there was little that might go wrong. She wasn't the best hunter, but she'd gotten some good things in the past. The problem was the Roast. When it came to cooking Nightshade had always eaten things that were burnt or raw. In true half avriel fashion raw meat was no problem, though cooked foods tended to be easier to digest. Even if she couldn't cook though, she knew someone that could. Perhaps if she ran into him during the hunt then she'd toss him an offer.

For the sake of the hunt it might be a good idea to buy some better arrows. Just a couple that could do a little more damage than the literal sticks she'd snagged with Jerry. In contrast to the arrows her bow, Jerry as she'd dubbed her, was actually a pretty good bow. When Jerry decided she wanted to play nice at least. Jerry wasn't always willing to shoot straight, though that might have just been Night blaming her own ineptitude on a perfectly good bow. Then again it was either a mile off course or it was a prefect shot, something that Night was fairly certain no amount of luck would allow her to do. Then again, with the way the demonic sea serpent treated her like a toy, Night's luck very well could be that good and simultaneously that bad. She shook off the thought. "Today is going to be a good day for hunting. Today is going to be a good day for hunting. Today is going to be a good day for hunting," she repeated to herself three times using the words as a kind of mantra or chant.

The half breed moved through the city, each movement decisive and thought out ahead of time. She'd been in Etzos since last Saun, and even before then she'd visited a couple times with her father and her teacher. At this point it was safe to say she knew the city like the back of her hand. She blinked and glanced at the back of her right hand. Perhaps that wasn't the best analogy, given that she didn't really know it that well anymore.

Two corridors in, and a little north of the Great Parhn Gate Nightshade came upon what she was looking for. "Hello," she called out into the Losten Foundry. The shop owned by the twin smiths was often hailed as the best in Etzos, something the half breed could easily believe. "I need 40 of the best arrows I can get," she said. The man behind the counter just so happened to not be one of the brothers. He looked like a jerk, but he didn't seem like he was very good at bargaining all things considering in his appearance and how he acted. He looked at her for a moment, quite obviously sizing her up.

"10 golden nels," he told her. The half breed felt a small twinge of anger. So this is how it was going to be? Of course, the man was giving her the Avriel price and she knew it. Like hell she was going to pay it though.

"Alright, now tell me the real price," she said with a slight narrowing of her eyes. The man behind the counter seemed to know he'd been caught in his lie. She knew the real price of the arrows because she'd checked when she'd gotten the bow. That time the person she'd spoken to had been honest and maybe even a little sympathetic, being as the weren't of the human race. She just didn't want to pay the 8 nels yet for something she might not use.

"Alright, fine, 9 golden nels," he said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"No, no. I'm pretty sure that's the racist price. Last time I checked I'm pretty sure 40 of your best arrows is 8gn," the half breed. "At least, that's what your bosses were willing to offer last time I came in to check last season." That of course was a bluff. She hadn't talked to one of the twins, but he didn't need to know that. The man looked like he was about to argue back when a face poked through the door. A long slightly parted muzzle tried to wiggle it's way in, of course the door was having none of that. "Storm! I told you to stay outside!" The half breed barked at the beast. The massive horned creature gave a quiet, throaty kind of growl before removing himself from the doorway. Of course the act had been staged. Fear and respect were both good ways to lower a price.

"Just take the arrows and get out," the man said with a growl. Something in the way his face moved gave Night the impression that the man hadn't expected his raising of the price to work anyways. The half breed smirked as she set the 8 nels down on the counter and got the bundle of arrows. Obliging the man the half breed left. The woman ran a hand across Storm's flank after closing the door behind her. "Good boy, that worked perfectly," she whispered into his ear. "It's sad I have to fight so hard just to get the normal and fair price! Normally people would do this kind of things to get it cheaper. I think the only reason this worked though is because 8 nels is supposed to be the price and he wasn't a very good at bartering. You think I should practice haggling? I do too," she said to the beast as the two walked through the streets. Taking Storm inside the city walls wasn't something she didn't do very often, but needed his help to carry the arrows.

Precariously balancing the arrow bundle on the back of the beast, Storm leaned down and she also pulled herself up atop the creature. With the arrows in her lap and her hands wrapped around Storm's antlers the beast took off, being careful to avoid people as he dashed. Leaving the city gate was always fun with Storm, watching as people rushed to make sure they were safely out of the way. Some guards reacted in a panic until they realized exactly what the creature was. Storm wasn't as fast getting home as the half breed was on her wings, but his running was certainly still a lot faster than walking. After they got home the half breed went to Jerry and her quiver, emptying out the low quality arrows and putting about 15 of the masterfully crafted arrows into the quiver. After that she tightened the green cloak around her body and once again pulled herself up onto Storm. The pair wandered for a little while, staying close to the city but also keeping their eyes on the ground. Tracking would be the hard part, but then again at least the half breed had Storm.

"Alright, may our part in the Grand Hunt begin," she announced to her furry companion, sliding off the back of the creature.

((OCC: 8gn spent for 40 mastercraft arrows, taken straight form the price list))

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

Although his previous attempt at the Grand Hunt had been successful, F'mos knew it was only because of luck that he reached that favourable outcome to boast of in the Roast which followed and, fickle as it was luck was not something to depend on even if it would make his life a lot easier. If it had taken another turn, it may have been him savaged by the boar instead of the poor sod which made for his bait. With current Hunt delayed, he had more than enough time to prepare which at least meant he could have a more deliberate approach.

Obviously, he would go at it with the same tools he had the first time and most of it were easily prepared except the bait. It took him some time to consider it but he concluded there was one individual in Etzos, other than Rowan Black, who would be of use to him. Gutsy hero or not, Nightshade Eld because of her job would benefit him with the knowledge of the nearby hunting grounds and as an Avriel, would have a bird's eye view to spot the beasts they would hunt and the dangers ever present to them. Two things the Aukari felt were important to consider in achieving his goals.

Her tendency to rush into dangers to save people and her ability to use a sword were of course, just an added bonus to his choice.

It did not take much to convince her; after all most of those who join the hunt normally formed teams among themselves, even the truly accomplished hunters who needed the company. As the Aukari's goal was only the beast he could get for the Roast, he left it to the Avriel to take the lead. In the end, he did not actually need to follow her during the Hunt. He did not even have to worry she might give the catch to someone else being the outstanding member of the community she was. The only reason he decided to follow her was to see the environment of whatever animal went into the pot; it may give him the inspiration he would need to elevate his dish on the stage.

With enough supplies for him and maybe Nightshade for the next few trials packed up, along with some medicine and equipment in preparation of another run in with a dangerous beast out for blood, F'mos waited where he and Nightshade planned to meet up with his Scython. While it had become a lot more manageable thanks to the efforts of Lizzie and Les'tral's work, he still was not going to get on it unless he needed to and, he did not need to unless he became too exhausted or had to chase something, like an Avriel in the lead.

And thank the Immortals for the Avriel. If he had to make use of someone who could not fly, he would have to go through the inconvenience of bringing his own bird along too or worse, figure out the conditions of the ground by himself!

However he already started to question his choice in a guide as his impatience got to him in the bits of seeing all the other hunters rushing into the woods. Did she not understand how important time was for the Hunt? To the cook, it was only as important as getting the ingredients he needed. Nightshade was not even late yet, F'mos just wanted to get the Hunt over and done with quicker so he would have more time to work on the Roast; obviously the more important part of the event as he knew from experience, he could even stumble on something and embellish the tale of how he got it and everyone else would still believe him as long as they were able to get a taste of it themselves.

[Nightshade Eld]

The half bird was exactly right at the time that she and F'mos had agreed upon. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were going to be early. I hope you weren't waiting long," she said with a warm smile upon discovering the fact he was already there. Storm, ever the astounding hunting companion and a less finicky mount for F'mos should the need arise, walked at the side of the woman making sure to stay close to her. Deep blue eyes with shots of gray looked right into the eyes of F'mos. The beast seemed to be judging him in its master's stead. "Are you ready to get started?" She asked, moving the quiver higher up on her shoulder. Of course, her question was mostly rhetorical. She could already see in the way her hunting companion moved he was ready to set out. Whatever response she might get from the man, she would roll with the answer and start heading out.

For the half-breed, the hunt wasn't as much of a rush as it might have been. Yes, there were hundreds if not thousands of hunters rushing out into the woods in an attempt to try and bag the best beast, scaring off all the prey for the hunters that were too slow. That didn't really shake the woman though. After all, there were more advantageous to her than even F'mos seemed to remember or cared to list. The half avriel was a map maker, a cartographer. She'd drawn out, sketched, and memorized every stretch of land between Etzos and its sister cities. In her youth, before Icarus died, she'd even gone further. Her knowledge of the local area was so in depth that perhaps some of the expert hunters didn't know all the tips and tricks there were. And with mapping, every stretch of land in the area came the fact she'd gotten attacked by every possibly tasty beast within the area.

"Any idea of what you might want to have on the menu?" She asked as they moved. It wasn't like they'd get somewhere with particularly good hunting grounds for a while, so making conversation was the only good idea she had for passing the time. Out of sympathy for her companion, she stuck to the ground. It wasn't like she didn't need the practice anyways. Though the trudge on foot was far slower than she originally anticipated, her wings itched and she wanted to move faster. Flying was easily the fastest way to get around, faster than boats and faster than mounts. As such the winged creature who rarely walked on foot anymore wasn't exactly happy to be moving so slowly. There was a small irk of irritation in the back of her mind as it brought up the fact she hadn't moved so slow since she didn't know how to fly. She could only look back on those days with distaste.

"I have some ideas in mind when it comes to prey, but it would be helpful to know if there was anything you were looking for," she continued. She was honestly trying to best, if he didn't want to talk then she wouldn't keep trying.

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

As the Aukari did not want the Avriel to have second thoughts on their trip, of course he was going to say "nope" on his wait, although it was also tinged with a little sarcasm. This meant the Aukari had to ignore the creature which stared at him which perhaps, was of the opinion the cook was better suited as food instead of a hunting buddy. He already had enough of the same to deal with his own Scython which was not as tolerant and, taking the Zelroux's actions as a challenge started to growl in a threatening manner.

He held it back by the neck like he was told to whenever the Scython became too much to handle. Along with the command the huge cat was trained to obey, both would at least prevent it from attacking Nightshade's beast, although that still was not enough to prevent the cat from trying to assert its dominance over the other. It may be a lot sooner than planned, but F'mos with no other options if the hunting trip would fail anyway produced one of the treats he prepared. Stuffed into the Scython's face, it was placated at least for the moment.

Although there was none for the Zelroux even if it wanted some. The cook had no idea what sort of a beast it was let alone any knowledge of what it might like. Being Nightshade's pet he assumed she would better know how to take care of it and control it. With that in mind, he hoped he would never have to do anything with it, other than see Nightshade siccing it on some poor animal which did not know what it was in for during this Grand Hunt of theirs.

Nevertheless, F'mos was "ready if you are." He did not want to delay it any longer as it would only mean more competition for them which would only make the Hunt harder, especially with the handicap of F'mos having no experience in hunting. Their success for the next few trials was wholly reliant on Nightshade's own abilities, the reason why the Aukari so easily left it up to her, as he had mentioned to avoid any more doubts to "lead the way."

At least Nightshade did not immediately take the reins before she knew what they needed. The hunt had a deadline and as the cook knew, it was all about luck. Without the luxury of choice, he decided it would be better if he listed some qualities he would need instead of anything specific. "The Hunt is about the hunt, The Roast is about cooking the hunt" he said as a matter of factly. "No one cares about Roast. They eat anything as long as tastes good. They just want to listen to story and enjoy."

And as the Aukari knew from his own first attempt, the truth did not even need any truth in it so "we need something big they can see. Not too big because we need to take it back." Whole, which he did not feel needed to be added as he measured an estimation based on his old boar, actually, bigger than the old boar for Nightshade to get the idea. He hoped with the additional help this time, he would succeed especially if "the people also like the dangerous catch. Not rabbit. Not deer. Not cow." He already participated with a boar and felt it overdone and as it was Ymiden...

"Maybe bear?" It would be quite different if they were able to get one for the Roast as the event was normally held in Ashan when most creatures might still be hibernation or if freshly out of it, without enough sustenance to be suitable for the Roast. F'mos was actually quite confident with his choice especially with Nightshade's assistance. The Avriel could easily take shots at it from the sky or as he saw her fight with the brute in the previous season, employ hit and run tactics until the bear was worn down. As he did not know much about hunting, that would be all they would need as far as the Aukari was concerned.

Except maybe a prayer. However as his plans were completely dependant on Nightshade's own capabilities, the Aukari had no problem with her own choice of prey, as long as it was big enough for the pair to brag about in the Roast. Except for any small talk on the way which F'mos would try to engage in as cordially as he could for as long as Nightshade wanted to, there was nothing more for him to add or do. At least until the Avriel finds something suitable for the pair to set their attention on.

[Nightshade Eld]

The Zelroux took in the Scython with a placid expression, not seeming in the slightest to be intimidated or upset. It just regarded the cat with a composed expression, yet one that was also amusingly bored of the Scython's very existence. In a matter of moments, it turned away with a quiet chuff and kept pace with its master. It didn't care for the treats that the Scython's master produced, nor did it care it wasn't offered one. It would have been likely to turn its nose up at the treat anyway. Storm was a loyal and intelligent beast, the exact opposite of the cat. He didn't need treats when he more often than not shared in his master's kills. once this silly little competition was over the pair would go out hunting for something less murderous, something they could keep to themselves that would hopefully last a couple of days. Storm straightened up, dwarfing the Scython with little effort. If such was possible, there would be a smirk curling across his muzzle. But the Zelroux wasn't capable of such facial expression. Perhaps that was better in the end, as he wouldn't be blamed for whatever agitations stemmed from his haughty actions in regard to the pathetic pussy.

Night was none the wiser to the actions of her pet. "Storm!" She called out and the creature darted a couple feet ahead. Placing his nose to the ground he began to move like that. "Follow anything interesting, and I mean interesting," she said. The Zelroux seemingly complied as it ignored the tracks of various deep and smaller animals the Night occasionally stumbled upon. Storm lifted his head after a while and growled deep in his throat. In the distance was the shouting of other hunters. "Ignore them, they're likely lost and clueless in the area. Just keep going north," the woman told the beast. Storm lowered his head once more, looking for trails.

The four continued moving for breaks without taking a single pause. Night had become silent, her eyes mostly sticking to the ground, but occasionally the dark blue orbs danced upwards to take in the plant life around them. The Zelroux tracked quietly, it was almost as though the two had forgotten their other traveling companions. If Nauta tried to speak then he would either be ignored or shushed depending on the situation. The Zelroux stalled, leaning back with a snarl, its eyes dancing around as the rumble in its chest became louder. "Ah!" The half-breed said as a simple came across her features. "Well done Storm," she cooed in a quiet voice as she took in their apparent discovery. There wasn't really much if someone uneducated was trying to look at the scene. All there really was were some broken branches up higher, a couple tore up clumps of grass, and some broken under growth charging deeper into the forest.

"A scuffle of some kind," the half bird mused as she took stock of the area around herself and Storm. "Likely two things that were rather large and rather mean. Ah! Look at that fur! Definitely Bronze Bear, judging by the branches that were broken up higher I'd have to say Carowa. It wouldn't be too far a jump in logic to say that the two got into a fight. A Carowa is willing to eat just about anything when it's hungry and they usually try to eat as much as possible at all times. 10 footer maybe? Possibly larger but I can't be certain," she said for not only the sake of Nauta but also because speaking out loud helped her to take a better analysis of the area. "Our best bet is to proceed with caution. The tracks look fresh so they might still be fighting. If that's the case then we can wait for one to kill the other and take whichever prize we deem suitable. Might be nice to try and take both..." she muttered the last line quietly to herself. If she gave Nauta the bear then she could take the Carowa home. "Carowa tastes horrible unless prepared right, but it's good eating and last and eternity," she muttered mostly for the sake of herself and Storm. The Zelroux wagged its tail in anticipation, the Carowa being the favored choice of prey for the beast.

"Alright! Let's move, try to be as quiet as possible," she said. "Storm and I can take the lead," she added in as a side thought. She herself spreading her wings and taking the silent approach of a sky bound hunter. Storm couldn't fly, but her was certainly stealthy considering his size. His paws didn't make a sound.

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

So far the Aukari could not see a reason to have employed the Avriel's expertise if she had any. She had done the exact thing he would have done if he had gone on the Hunt on his own, making use of their own predatory beasts. At least she had the right idea to not follow the crowd. While F'mos did not have any proof to support Nightshade's claim that the other hunters were likely lost and clueless, he recalled what Rowan Black told him in the first Hunt he participated in. It was the reason why he did not even try to question Nightshade as he rather the Avriel got on with finding their quarry.

His only question to her was "why North?" to express his lack of any enthusiasm of heading towards that direction. It was not as if he was afraid of getting lost, he had more than enough confidence in Nightshade's ability. Even if she turns out to lack much of the knowledge expected of a cartographer, the Avriel could still get into the air and try to locate Etzos or any hunters which could point them back to the city from there. Nightshade of course would not get any information if she questioned F's on his reluctance. He still did not trust her enough to tell her about his home to the north and his recent desertion of it.

However even if he had chosen to remain quiet about that little factoid of his life, F'mos had to speak a little every now and then even if it was only to tell Nightshade he needed to pause for a break. The woods were too quiet except for the sounds of insects and the wind. Every little trace of movement which registered to him made him excessively cautious of some beast which was instead, hunting the duo in the forest. As the Aukari preferred to stay within the safety of the city walls, he was still unfamiliar with the wildlife which surrounded it save for those he heard from Rowan's hunting stories. There could very well be something to devour the whole lot of them- Aukari, Avriel or their pets.

Nightshade's insistence on silence was uncomfortable but at least the Avriel was taking point, the one who would be before any attacker which came upon them. Unless... they were being tailed by something else from behind? His anxiety fueled his imagination as he started to look to the back regularly. At any time he would need to jump on his scython to flee and have no reason to feel any guilt as Nightshade was the famed Hero ready to jump to any's defence. This continued until he heard the Zelroux's sudden snarls and he leapt to his scython in anticipation of an attack.

F'mos looked at Nightshade's discovery and being one of the uneducated who could only say it was a mess, something which he believed is common to the wilds, he of course had to ask "how do you know?" Nightshade pointed out her findings and he thought he understood except for the Carowa. He had neither encountered nor heard of such a beast before to imagine why the higher branches meant there was one present. If only there was a better sign to show its presence, like the fur which the bear had left behind.

While he may have mentioned his preference for the Roast would have been a bear, Nightshade's description of the Carowa left F'mos intrigued. He may be able to leave the choice of which beast to Roast until the pair actually got them but the Carowa- big, gluttonous and mean might just be what the Aukari wanted to show off to the rest of the people at the Roast. Bears had a sort of odor even when cooked, one of the reasons why F'mos believed he could display his skills as a cook at the Roast if he had one. The Carowa described as tasting horrible unless prepared right by Nightshade would be a better fit if that was the case.

How hard could it be to have the Carowa 'prepared right' anyway?

Nightshade and her pet quickly abandoned F'mos and his to proceed with their hunt while the cook was in contemplation and he had to make a decision if he wanted to follow. As an Aukari, he was already naturally stealthy and his kav'el zan being a wild predator was even stealthier. He could even follow Nightshade into the air if he chose to, although his choice not to was more because he did not want her to know he could more than anything else. In the end, he made the choice to follow along with his scython. Riding atop of it meant he could leave being stealthy to it while he himself piggybacked off its efforts.

[Nightshade Eld]

F'mos had no idea as to what he was about to get into. And the answer to his question? Many claimed that the Carowa were some of the most disgusting beasts around, especially those of the northern areas of Idalos. Many claimed that Central Idalos, Etzos to be particular, had the best tasting Carowa in all the world as the breeders there had put the most effort in before the creatures first escaped. Even that was apparently not enough as the meat was described as its best when it had no flavor at all. There were few spices powerful enough to cover up the constant bitter taste that lingered in one's mouth, and for those who had the bravery to try and work with the bitter taste, their attempts usually ended up making the meat taste rotten and rancid. If F'mos decided to try and serve the Carowa over the bear, then truly he would have his work cut out for him. Of course, Nightshade who had far too much Carowa ever since she adopted Storm would issue no complaints if given the chance to take the bear. Either way, one of the two beasts belonged to them!

The scene the small hunting party discovered might have been a shock to someone who knew nothing about the Carowa, but unfortunately, Night knew maybe a little bit too much about the beasts. What they stumbled upon was a roughly 13 feet tall bird, similar in size and shape to an ostrich, ramming its head against the side of a bronze bear. Judging by the size and position of the horns, the beast was a male. It seemed to be on the older side, but it was still rather strong looking. The bear had apparently been doing its best to fight back, large gashes existing in the legs of the Carowa. That only proved to anger the Carowa, causing it to lash out even more and cause as much damage to the bear as possible. The beast was breathing heavily, many things that were vital appearing to be broken. "At least it's already tenderized," Night muttered to herself from above as the Carowa rared back and slammed its massive foot into the bear again. There was little that native fauna could do to the likes of a Carowa, the same could even be said of men. And that was why one must always be grateful for the Zelroux.

As the bear finally began to still, heaving one last breath, Storm emerged from his hiding place with a noise that was akin to a howl and a roar at the same time. It was purposeful that he'd barged in before the Carowa had begun to eat. In the fashion of a true male Zelroux he charged forward, his own antlers catching the body of the creature. Storm did his best to try and knock it over, but the bird was strong and managed to stay standing. As a repercussion it also managed to puncture itself on Storm's horns.

Pulling out her bow Nightshade aimed down from above. Checking the wind speed and whatever else might cause issues she took aim. The arrow went right past the creature's head but managed to stick in its body. She pulled out another arrow. The quickest way to kill the beast would be to try and fly down, taking it on with a sword. But her mind went back to the last time she tried that and the mess she ended up dragging Alex into. Then again, she also wasn't very good with a sword back then.

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

It was a little bit after Nightshade had made her opening shot that F'mos would be able to join in on the attack. It was not because he arrived after the two birds nor was it because of any hesitance on his part after he heard the fight between the beasts. The Scython made sure its owner would arrive on time as it was a long time since it participated in a hunt in the wild. In fact, the Scython joined the fight on its own with the Aukari nowhere in sight. Without a moment spared, the Scython had joined the melee with fang and claw out for blood.

And where might F'mos be one might ask? It was simple. At some point, he had quickly dismounted from his Scython. A leap from the back of the beast while it was fast approaching the fight. It's rider was only just about able to aim at an oncoming bush and land on it after a few moments in the air. After a crash which cost him a few thrills, F'mos was able to roll off of it and continue running right until he was able to see signs of the fight.

However he was not going to join it. Instead, the Aukari went straight for a tree. His bow slung along his back, he hastily climbed the tree with much time spent as one who lacked the wings of the Avriel scourge of Idalos. Perched on a branch, he could see why Nightshade took to the air in the first place to make her shot. Clearly any shot he would make against the beast below would be unobstructed with no threat to him should he fail. Maybe his or Nightshade's hunting animals would take the consequences of it but at least F'mos would not be harmed. It would be an acceptable risk.

The Aukari shook while he tried to draw his bow, precariously balanced on his perch. Too afraid that if he pulled the bow too far back he might even fall behind to the ground, he let his arrow loose as it weakly flew into the air too far away to even have a chance of hitting the Carowa. With Nightshade, Zelroux and Scython against the Carowa to keep it busy, F'mos prepared another shot only this time he made sure to wrap his legs around the branch to secure him to it better. The shot which followed failed as well however, as the Aukari was much too worried about it hitting any of its allies. Though it shot straight and fast, it too never came close to the melee.

This only left the Aukari only one last option. To sit at his safe spot while he left it to the rest to take down the Carowa on their own. His only other contribution was to command the Scython in various commands in his native tongue. Most of it was for it to keep a safe distance from the Carowa although on occasion, the command would change to attack when the opportunity presented itself, or when Nightshade and her Zelroux needed to take a breather against their cornered prey.

If Nightshade had any complaints about his methods, well, she already knew their arrangement in the hunt and that he was not a fighter to begin with! Should she forget about it, there would be enough arrows scattered around for the Aukari to prove he had somewhat contributed anyway.

[Nightshade Eld]

The woman grimaced, watching as the Carowa continued to attack their animals while Night and F'mos tried their best to stay out of range. Night because of a rooted fear, and F'mos because the creature could likely swallow him in two bites. He wouldn't be all that much trouble to get down either, considering his lackluster performance with a bow. She wasn't about to complain though. Hunting was her job, he was the chef. It would honestly be better if him, and his cat, had stayed out of the way in the first place. A growl of annoyance bubbled in the back of her throat as she watched the fight. They weren't making any progress, it was more likely that they would both lose their animals than bag the Carowa at this rate, and that was something Night wanted to avoid at just about all costs.

"Alright, buddy, no more playing around," she hissed. Her voice had dropped in volume, her eyes narrowing dangerously. With an almost unnatural speed, she quickly swooped down, swinging her body towards the bird. The creature looked up a little too late, being caught off guard by the speed at which she'd made her decent. She slashed her sword across its neck, breaking through the skin, though it wasn't enough to kill it immediately. The creature was however completely distracted, turning its full attention on the flying menace. With a great snapping of its beak it lashed out at Nightshade, trying to take a bite out of her. As luck would have it the woman was far too quick for the creature. She glided around it almost effortlessly.

Swooping behind its head she delivered unto it another blow, this time directly to the back of the neck. Something in the attack managed to sever something of importance, and the creature tumbled to the ground in a pile of limbs and twitching. Storm fell back slightly as soon as the beast was felled. Not only was it best to be cautious around a downed creature, lest it have a second wind, but Night had taken the position of Alpha when she adopted the beast. And an important rule among the Zelroux was that the alpha always feasted first. He would be fed with whatever she deemed him worthy of receiving.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Thread Rewards

Nightshade

Overview

I enjoy a good hunt thread: the thrill of the chase and people working together. Aerial hunting has its advantages, indeed. Thanks for this little chatty jaunt for an event!

Points

XP: 15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
+3 Participating in the Grand Hunt

Loot

40 master crafted arrows for 8gn (thanks for recording these in your ledger!); contribution for the Roast

Knowledge

Field Craft: Identifying a Carowa
Field Craft: Identifying a Bronze Bear
Hunting: How to track an animal
Hunting: Uses of a hunting animal
Hunting: Identifying a scuffle between animals
Negotiation: Haggling for the actual price
Ranged Combat: Better arrows, better shots
Ranged Combat: The benefits and downfalls of an aerial attack

Nauta

Overview

You know it’s going to be an interesting hunt when the suggested prey is … bear. Haha. I enjoy Nauta’s no-nonsense style as well as your skillful descriptions of the prep work for hunting kills.

Points

XP: 15 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
+3 Participating in the Grand Hunt

Loot

Contributions to the Roast: your kills

Knowledge

Animal Training: Use food to calm down an excited animal
Climbing: Provides a good vantage point from above
Cooking: Carowa are good eating but taste horrible
Hunting: High broken branches mean large animals
Leadership: Use people according to their personality
Logistics: Size is a consideration to transportation
Mount: Fast dismount from a mount in motion
Ranged: The difficulties of shooting while balancing on a branch
Storytelling: The effectiveness of a big visual aid

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