On Silent Wings (Open)

[Ossifrage]

3rd Spring, 511 A.V.

There was the slightest touch of a breeze to the hot, humid air above Taloba, the heat of the fresh spring barely changing with the passing season from winter. It was to be expected in this place, yet the fresh rains had brought with them a wave of humidity that made flight feel a little easier, aiding with the respiration of the large predatory bird. Far above the City of Taloba, the blackened and brazen form of the Lammergeier that bore the name Ossifrage was in full flight, riding the occasional air current in order to soar over the dense jungles that sprawled outwards from the city. The focused eyes of the Lammergeier swept across the massive expanse of greenery, hues of emerald and jade clashing together often, with the scarcest trace of other colours interfering with the colour scheme of the jungles of Falyndar.

The skies had gathered again its usual winged populace, the call of the humid air too great to resist for the tropical variety of Ossifrage's avian kinfolk. Below the crowded skies, the city was alive with movement, as was common in this place, each being had their place, and their role to keep the great city moving, and Ossifrage was no different. The hunt had begun today in silence, an unspoken knowledge that it was required by those who lived within the city. The anniversary of the Valterrian had been and gone, and in the days that had followed, it seemed that the majority of Myrians and Kelvic alike within the city had adjusted their efforts to make up for the effective lack of productivity, even though it was not strictly something that was required.

With a single movement of the large wings, Ossifrage began the hunt as he meant to continue, in absolute silence. Their prey today had as of yet been undefined, allowing predatory instincts instead to make that decision for them. Across the verdant jungle, a plethora of living beings crawled, climbed and clambered their way across the thick, dense growth of trees, vines and a host of other plantlife, the presence of the silent predator above them completely unknown. The circular eyes of the vulture-eagle focused intently on the rich green growth, seeking out what lie between them, the form of a potential meal.

After lingering moments above the sprawling growth of green below, the circular eyes of the Lammergeier tracked moment in a small clearing, the perfect opportunity given the bird’s large size. He began to circle above the clearing, indicating to the other one who would be hunting at this given time of a potential quarry, although what it was had yet to be determined. He soared on silent wings, awaiting the presence of his hunting partner.

[Orrikahn]

The pearlescent plumage of the huge bird shimmered in the aureate rays of the sun, the white glimmering faintly with every colour imaginable as he sailed lazily through the air. It was not often that he was able to enjoy the natural warmth of Syna’s light without the accompanying pain his unnaturally pale skin brought. His avian form was blessedly covered in feathers, however, and suffered no such weaknesses when it came to daylight, allowing him to soak up the delicious heat at his leisure. It was one of the things he enjoyed most about his forays into the world of light that his brother dwelt in so often, aside from his elder’s company. While the night was beautiful and the moon’s light was as magnificent of it’s own accord as the sun’s, it brought no warmth to the young Kelvic, no warmth at all. So it was that he glided lazily upon the air currents of the jungle, content to follow in his brother’s wake with the occasional beat of his immense wings to keep him aloft. The world was so very different when viewed in the day. It was so alive, so colourfully vivid and bustling with life he rarely got to see in his solitary nightly excursions. It had occurred to him once or twice that it was the rarity of his exposure to the sun that allowed him to enjoy it to it’s fullest, his tender skin making being out and active during the day a trying and difficult experience. It would have been much more difficult elsewhere, he knew, as Falyndar’s thick jungle canopy granted him blessed succour when he had to venture out in the day as his human form, the shade as comforting and welcome as Myri’s watchful gaze. He much preferred his Ta’rukahl form. There was no competition, really. His human form had to be wrapped up or covered in mud during the day, it was pained by the sun and his winged form offered him so much more freedom. Not only could he fly, but he could wander around and bathe in the sun as much as he liked without fear of the sun’s kiss setting him afire. And then there was the thrill of the hunt, of course. With how thick the vegetation of the jungle was, it was never easy to simply dive down and snatch a meal from the floor so far below them. Their usual method was to pluck an unwitting animal from the treetops like a ripe fruit, or to dive down into a clearing and devour whatever lay within. His brother’s circling indicated that he had found prey for them, and that it was time to actually pay attention. Angling over to the bronze Lammergeier that gleamed like burnished metal in the sun, Orrikahn dipped his red-tipped wings and banked around in a slow, languid circle, his crimson eyes studying the scene below them with a practiced gaze. It took only a moment to identify what his brother had seen, the rustling movement giving the prey’s location away as easily as a signal fire would. A young jungle swine foraged below them, it’s snout snuffling through the undergrowth as it rooted around for a potential meal. Too young to realise that leaving yourself exposed in a clearing made you a prime candidate for a meal to aerial predators, unfortunately for the young pig below. It would never get a chance to learn from it’s mistake, either. Opening his beak to let loose a piercing, blood-chilling cry to signal the time to strike, the Ta’rukahl folded it’s wings and plummeted like a pale stone, dropping from the heavens like the wrath of Myri Herself. He liked to think so, anyway. He imagined His Goddess would look most terrifying and wrathful if she plummeted from the sky. Idly, he wondered what form of bird she would take when she flew. Doubtless something magnificent and terrible at the same time. Perhaps a Ta'rukahl. The immense sprawl of the jungle blurred into a mass of green as he shot through the air with terrifying speed, spreading his wings at the last moment to slow his descent. Too late the swine realised what was happening, as large, terribly sharp talons tore mercilessly into it’s hindquarters, the impact of the large white bird driving it to the earth beneath with enough force to stun the young animal. Gripping the pig’s flank with his claws, blood welling from the many puncture wounds now perforating the poor beast’s hide, Orrikahn tore into it’s soft flesh eagerly, cruelly hooked beak ripping strips of still warm meat from the feebly struggling prey beneath him. Swallowing a delicious gobbet of flesh, he lifted his blood-stained face to the sky and opened his beak in silent laughter, awaiting his brother’s arrival from above. Today, they would eat well.

[Tryt]

The thick canopy layer swayed back and forth, causing the shafts of light that penatrated between all of the leaves and branches to sway back and forth, gracfully sliding to the will of the breeze. Tryt sat saddled atop Braizen's (Tryt's Leopard Horse if you were wondering) back, gripping the leather rein in his left hand and his battle axe in his right. Feeling for his saddlebag, Tryt removed a legnth of rope that he then tranfered under arm, before shifting his weight until his toe touched the leaf covered ground. When both his feet were on the ground he began to loop the rope around cantle before tying a tight knot around a sturdy branch, leaving just enough slack so the horse could move freely for a few feet. Tryt had come looking for a decent meal before having to heading back Taloba but the deeper Tryt got the harder it seemed to track his "decent meal" in the seemingly enedless jungle. Tryt Treked about for about sixteen chimes before he came along a small clearing where a young swine was shuffling about not knowing that a mere feet away sat a threat hiding in wait. Tryt watched the swine intently crouched hidden behind the cover of the underbrush, his muscles tensed as he tightened his grip arounf his battleaxe which rested on his right thigh. Observing that the swine wouldn't be going anywhere soon ren lifted his battle axe ready to burst from the undergrowth and claim his spoils. Suddenly a large Ta’rukahl came straight from the sky ripping into the swines side pulling strips of meat from it. It was eating his meal!

[Ossifrage]

With his perfectly circular eyes, Ossifrage watched as his brother made the descent towards the clearing, his feathered form plummeting from the skies like a stone towards their prey, and hopefully their meal. The kill today was to be his brother's, and he was eagerly awaiting his success, as in recently days, there had not been much time for the hunt. With a precise following of every movement, Ossifrage watched as the talons of his brother dug into the body of the swine, and his pale feathered weight landed upon the pig with quite some force with the descent from above. Though the animal clearly gave sign of consciousness, and had ceased the vast majority of the struggle against the bird of prey, it was apparent that the creature was still alive, even as his brother began to rip morsels of flesh from it's body and devour them above the helpless swine. In complete silence, the dark form of the Lammergeier began it's own fall, his twelve foot wingspan curling inwards and arcing, to aid his passage towards the ground. As he came within several metres of the clearing, his wings arched back outwards, slowing his fall, as he landed but a few short feet away from his brother and the squealing piglet. Shuffling across the growth, he made his way to the pig, in a manner only a bird could across the ground, and gave a short, sharp crying sound, as it to speak to his brother in a manner they would both understand. He had positioned himself before the pig, who by now had entered the last throes of it's death, and simply stood there, watching as the life faded from the creature, his circular eyes focused intently on the situation of the creatures demise, before he turned towards his brother, in the form of the Ta'rukhal, his own beak striking down into the supple flesh of the pig, yet going deeper than his kin had, and driving down until he came to his prize, the first of many of the creatures bones, one in particular that had broke under the punishment of his brother's diving assault. With deft movements of his beak, and swift darting motions of his head and beak, the form of the large Lammergeier pecked at the bone, the sweet marrow within it his for the taking, although after mere moments, the larger of the two birds tilted his form back, swallowing the large broken bone in a single motion, and giving him his first taste of the meal his brother had won.