Hogging It (Pt.1)

[Ixzo]

51st of Autumn, 515AV
9th Bell, 30th Chime, Night
Sea of Grass

Ixzo was on the prowl, although for what she didn't yet know what. Anything, really. Whatever prey she could get her hands on would work for her. Yet the lioness knew she could not simply wander through the sea of grass, looking to attack whatever she came across, she had to wait. She had to be patient.

Dusk was settling in and Ixzo turned away from the place where she had stored her shift and from the city itself. This night, the lioness had to take the long way to the waterways. Some other predator had just finished a meal and Ixzo only barely missed the coyotes who had no issue defending their scraps against a lone lion. Instead of the direct route, straight through the grass, Ixzo clung to the rocky formations in the grasslands. Few creatures were still out, those that were were safe in their herd or long underground. Predators like herself where out at night.

Prowling through the soft sand on the bank, Ixzo did not let her sensed take a break. Silver night-eyes carefully watched the grasslands away from the bank while strong ears remained perked in case of disturbances in the water. The lioness had quickly learned that her kind thrived in the grasslands. However, she could merely survive without a hunting partner. But over time, the lioness had managed to kill enough to keep her afloat. Now that she lived among the humans, killing for prize, for pay, was harder.

When her nose picked up the tantalizing scent of boar, Ixzo automatically lowered her crouch. Departing from the bare bank in favor of the tall grass that could better hide her sillhouete, Ixzo tried to follow her nose. But with stealth can sacrifices of her senses. The tall grass would hide her figure, but it would also cover the scent of boar with the scent of the other creatures that called the sea their home.

[Ixzo]

Hesitantly, Ixzo raised her head above the thicket, looking for the direction of the wind once more. The scent was being blown to her, so she was headed in the right direction. Carefully, the lion weaved through the grass more, finding the tall weed was damaged in some areas. Of course this trampling could be any number of creatures. Her own tread left a stream of dents in the grass that even she could not conceal on light human feet. But Ixzo dropped her jaw, drawing in as much air as she could to taste the trail. The smell of boar was a mix of putrid feces, sweat and the mouth-watering warmth of a blood-filled creature. Trying to taste the scent was only worse. Only the pig's odor remained around the grass, and for her it was enough to know that this particular path of trampled grass did belong to a pig, recently.

Settling back into a crouch, Ixzo stepped forwards, lining her feet with the trail so that when she neared the boar, he wouldn't see her coming through the movement of grass. Trying her best to keep from snapping the brittle leftovers of vegetation that couldn't handle the on-coming of winter, Ixzo crept forward. After only a few ticks of prowling, she heard what she wanted to hear.

Hoof steps, although to what, she didn't know. She wanted to hope it was the boar, although she could never be sure. Slowly, Ixzo allowed her pitch-black head to raise above the tallgrass once more, taking stock of what she could see. For a moment, her heart stopped. She couldn't hold her breath in this form like she would be able to as a human, but Ixzo remained as still as possible. No more than ten feet away, a boar was meandering about.

She sat for a moment, planning. Frozen with her eyes just far enough above the tallgrass to keep track of her prey, she had to take a moment to think how she was going to do this. Oddly enough, the boar was comfortable. With any animal, even a predator such as herself, she knew that was no such thing as a safe moment. Yet, she assumed the boar assumed its comfort from the recent kill nearly a mile away.

[Ixzo]

This meant she was in someone's territory. Either it was not a lion, or she hadn't come across its path. But this uncertain detail set her on edge. Not giving herself time to think about the possibility of encroaching on another animal's territory, Ixzo took a single step forward. Enough to allow herself a comfortable crouch position, one that would allow her to spring forwards in less than a tick.

The boar grumbled, and Ixzo perked her ears forward. It was definitely too comfortable. Yet her eyes caught another detail. There was a formation of rock, in the boar's path. Any smart creature would be heading to a den to claim it as its own for the night. And although this pig couldn't not be awarded for his comfort, she knew the thing was not dumb enough to stay out for the night. Thinking quick, Ixzo debating leaping for the creature now, or trekking around to cut him off from his destination.

It took Ixzo only a second to decide. This wasn't like hunting during the day or dead of night, she knew where the pig would run. So if she couldn't snag him on the first try, perhaps she would have a chance to beat his stamina and try again. For her, it was worth it.

Settling back into her hunches, Ixzo flicked her tail in preparation before flinging the weight of her body forward. She had underestimated the distance and fell short of the boar. A shrieking 'gu-gu-gu' sound erupted from the boar as it launched forward. To her disadvantage, the creature was already facing the direction he wanted to go. Quick to regain her balance, the lioness pushed all her power into her hind-quarters propelling herself forward faster than the boar could. Her prey may have stamina on their side, but she had power. In only a tick she was on the boar's tail once more, and he tried to change direction.

[Ixzo]

Instead of bothering to turn in his direction as well, Ixzo leapt to the side landing on the creature that was almost as big as her. Long claw dug into his thick pelt for hold and the ultimate bucking set forth before Ixzo could grab his neck properly. Almost too easily, he flipped the thin lioness off. But wth adrenaline on her side, she sprang up just as quick as him. She didn't really have the second burst of power, but Ixzo muscled through, leaping forward once more. This time, Ixzo didn't focus on landing first, deciding to immediately clamp on his neck instead.

As she locked her jaw onto the back of his neck, she was immediately grateful she had chased the boar from behind. While he had almost gotten away from her because of it, she also wasn't currently impaled as a result.

The boar knew this too and even with her death-grip on the back of his neck, he trashed about, trying to expose any area of her body for use of his own weapons. Not letting go of her grasp, Ixzo attempted to counter this attack, hooking the long claws of her hind paws on his hind-legs. High pitched, piercing cries rendered her deaf for a few ticks as the wrestling turned into a dance. He turned to attempt to impale her and she turned to evade him, the pair spinning in circles, drawing up clouds of dust between them

Eventually though, his fight subsided until he was merely screaming as defense. Taking the chance, Ixzo pushed her hind-legs into the ground, pulling the boar on his side. Using what little strength remained in her, she pushed down on his body and yanked her own head up, bending his neck enough to hear the satisfying cracks that guaranteed death.

[Ixzo]

The screaming ceased, defeated into a rough 'ukh! ukh!' huffing as the boar's life gave out. She understood death, even enjoyed death. But unlike the Myrians, Ixzo didn't appreciate suffering. Not for a creature such as this who did nothing wrong, and was merely a means to survival. IT was his life or hers. Caiyha, please end this soon. Ixzo circled the boar, waiting for his end. The huffing continued as surely the boar surrendered himself to the pain, and Ixzo growled. Pouncing on the creature, she took position once more, eyeing his neck before snapping her jaws on his jugular. She didn't like this, because the taste of blood usually kicked her instinct into drive. As an animal she would eat right away, but as a human she was forced to let the boar bleed and return him to Endrykas.

If she let her self-control relax, she would earn a filled stomach, however if she remained strong she would earn coin to trade for the necessities of living among the humans.

After a few chimes, when she was sure that the boar had passed, Ixzo set to work dragging him back towards the city. It was nearly the middle of the night by now. And even though Ixzo would have liked to take a break, she knew she would have enough strength to get the boar at least halfway there by morning.

Latching her jaw onto his hind leg, Ixzo pushed all her weight into her hindquarters, dragging the boar back. If, at her current skinniness, she weighed nearly three-hundred pounds, this boar was easily a third, if not more, of her weight. Normally, as a lion, this amount of weight would not have been an issue, after all strength was her ally. But until she could put more meat on her bones, dragging a hundred-and-something-pound boar across the plains would take all of her energy out of her.

After a bell, Ixzo had to release the boar, falling onto her side and panting with the exertion. Silver eyes glanced up at the moon, and she tried to laugh with Leth, who she was sure was amused by her efforts.

[Ixzo]

52nd of Autumn, 515AV
5th Bell, Morning
Sea of Grass

But Ixzo only allowed herself break until her panting had ceased, returning to normal breath. Once again, she latched onto the boar's thigh once more, pulling towards the city once more. After this bell she didn't get quite as far as the last one, but her sensitive eyes began to pick up the murky morning light. It was still a bell or two from sunrise, but Syna never failed to show tendrils of her power to those with night-vision. She only knew that light was coming because during dawn and dusk, her vision was murkiest. Unable to differentiate night and day, her eyes surrendered to a nearly colorless world, muted by shadows and light. But before the cloudy vision could set in, Ixzo glanced back towards the city, of which couldn't be more than half a mile away.

Tired, she began to look around for the brush which she had laid her shift on, but the murky morning vision had already set in. Pulling what little energy she could into herself, Ixzo lost her senses for the single tick it took for her to return to her human state. Usually her human vision was worse than her lion sight, but at least during this bell, she could tell the difference between night and day.

For a few chimes, Ixzo searched around, fatigue by the night's activities.

"Looking for this?" Ixzo's head snapped up, seeing the towering form of a Drykas a few feet away from her. In the dim morning, she could see the bright white of her shift in his hands.

"Yes." She answered in Myrian, but did not approach. She was worried that she didn't notice his approach and quickly stepped backwards towards her kill protectively.

"You should be careful out here." Lion, hunt. He signed. So he had seen. Carefully, as if she would leap for him as well, the man approached. Holding out her shift. Snatching the clothe from him, she clutched it to her chest possessively, but didn't dare take her eyes from the stranger to put it on.

"I almost shot you." He tapped the bow that was strapped across his chest, and silver eyes narrows. He signed something, to emphasize his words, but Ixzo didn't understand.

[Ixzo]

"Don't," She merely said, suddenly fearful. She could not shift faster than he could pull out his bow and shoot, that much she knew. Yet if she was still a lion, there was no doubt she could maul the man quicker than he could turn to run. It all depended on how quickly she shifted, and he seemed to know that two, raising his hands.

"I'm just off to hunt, but it seems you already harvested this area." He explained and clicked his tongue. A large dark horse with a pale mane seemed to gallop forward out of nowhere, coming to him quicker than seemed possible for any horse. Ixzo took another step back, her heel resting up against her kill as she took the two in.

Request. He signed the simple word and Ixzo raised an eyebrow, recognizing it. She paused for a moment before nodding for him to speak.

"I'll help you take your boar back."

"Not a request." She pointed out, it was a statement.

"… if you would hunt with me." Ixzo furrowed her brows. She wanted to glance down at her boar, which was likely as much of a mess as her last kill. The pelt wouldn't be useful for much, although most of his meat and organs would remain intact for the butcher she planned to take him to. It was not an impressive kill, not enough to make an utter stranger request to hunt with her.

[Ixzo]

"No." She concluded, shaking her shift out and pulling it over her head. Turning away from the man, since he no longer seemed a threat, she leaned down for her boar. Gripping his hind hoof with both hands, she shoved all her strength into her thighs and pulled the boar forward, yet the creature barely budged. After a moment, she realized she probably weighed as much as it it, and didn't have the power of her lioness body. She wasn't going to get this boar back in human form.

When she heard movement behind her, she whipped around to see the man approaching with a rope. Not sure what he was doing, she crouch down baring her teeth over her prey. "No!" She hissed, settling her silver gaze on his eyes. The man shrugged and began looping the rope once more.

"I offered to help." He said as if he couldn't do anymore, and Ixzo realized what the rope was for. Immediately she straightened herself, regretting her reaction.

"No, please." She asked, hoping to get the offer back. Help.

"This once, but if you are going to be my competition out here, you have to be able to take your prey back yourself." Once. He signed among other words she didn't recognize. Ixzo offered as grateful a smile as she could, opening her palm for the rope. The Drykas chuckled and walked past her, looping the rope around one hoof and tying it tight before doing the same to the other three. Once the boar was secure, he hooked the rope across his strider's Yvas and slapped the mount's rump. Immediately the horse started forward, walking with the weight.

"Come." He nodded, taking position beside the horse. She would have been hesitant, if her kill was not already making its way to the city. Jogging forwards, she deciding to stand on the other side of the horse than the stranger, to avoid possible conversation. Knowing herself, she would insult him and he would leave her boar out here again, or take it for himself. She wasn't going to jeopardize this act of charity over her misbehaved mouth.


Luckily the man didn't care to speak until they got to Endrykas, when he simply asked her to help him untie the hog outside of spitfire. The sun was almost rising and Ixzo suddenly felt bad that he didn't start hunting earlier, helping her take her kill back instead. Grateful. She signed to him. "Thank you."

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Ixzo

Experience

• Logic: 3
• Hunting: 4
• Observation: 3
• Tracking: 1
• Stealth: 1
• Planning: 1
• Running: 1
• Bodybuilding: 3
• Tactics: 1
• Wrestling: 1
• Endurance: 3
• Philosophy: 1
• Wilderness Survival, Plains: 1
• Socialisation: 2

Lore

• Sea of Grass: Predators rule the night
• Killing for pay rather than prey
• Tracking via scent
• Observation: The smell of a boar
• Tactics: A plan of attack
• Philosophy: Animals shouldn't suffer
• Pavi: Basic hunting signs
• Location: The Spit Fire

Notes

Good thread, I have a feeling it is continued so I didn't award anything (gold) for the pig this time but let me know if that was wrong. Enjoy the rewards.