Open A Hunting We Will Go

[Viridae Kabre]

Timestamp: Day 71, Summer, 513 AV
Location: The Sickle and Arrow, Kalinor

Viridae sat at an empty table, dressed from head to toe in full hunting gear. In his pack, he had Raptor snares, small game snares, rations for a day, his water sack, and other basic essentials for the hunt. Usually he only packed for what he planned on taking down on that specific day, but today was different. Today, in the spirit of being social, He offered his services as a hunting guide to any aspiring hunter in the region. Though he admittedly hadn't advertised this service apart from a small parchment place card that sat before him bearing the words "Hunting guide" In bold Symenos, and below that in common, He was hopefull none the less. Surely he could attract a customer or two, especially offering the service for free, apart from a share of the game harvested.

He had arrived in the morning, and sat there in that very spot for what seemed like many bells, watching hunters drag about and discuss trade with one another. Usually, he would go and visit with one of them, though today he decided to sit at the table alone so as to make himself look more open to company. He slid his feet across the goatskin rug beneath the table and leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment trying not to doze off as his mind wandered between past hunts, the future, and his sister Seivis. He hadn't seen her in some time and wondered how she was doing. She was always nagging about how he needed to be more open to people, and improve his social skills. He usually just grunted and ignored the majority of her nagging, lost within his own thoughts of the wild and connectivity of things. It wasn't until his family vacated their home, with the exception of himself, that he began to feel truly lonely.

So here he was, sitting at a large table full of empty chairs, awaiting the arrival of some aspiring hunter, or rich and bored Dovna. He liked the idea, but felt opposed to it in a small part of his mind, most likely the section that enjoyed being alone in the Kalea wilds on a summer evening.

[Laute]

Laute kept his wings wrapped around his tall frame as he walked, looking to all the world as a dark cloak that hugged his body. While it would be easier to walk in this city with his wings open behind him, Kalinor more open to his race than other cities he had visited, it was a habit he was accustomed to.

It felt a bit strange to walk without Aditi by his side. He had grown more used to her company than he expected, a strange and unsettling thought. Still, she would be a hindrance for his next task and he felt slightly relieved at the thought of leaving her behind.

It was a feeling he didn't want to dwell on.

Listening to the Symenestra as they spoke around him, their language a soft whisper to his ears, he watched curiously as they interacted with the stalls around him. He had yet to pick up a word, having not interacted much with these people since he arrived. He had already tasted their blood and for now that was enough. Maybe later he could try to eat one, to see what the poison had done to their system.

A near-empty stall caught his eye, the lone Symenestra attending it. There was a scent of the hunt that clung to him, of big animals and blood. Moving closer, Laute peered down at the card on his table, the Hunting Guide cheerfully inviting his curiosity.

An offer to hunt? This was a chance then, to see the Symenestra in action. Pale and slight, he knew little of them beyond their blood priestesses and their dances. Their brittle bones, so easy to break, had done little to impress him. This was the chance he was waiting for.

"You can hunt?" Laute asked, bending down for a closer look of the stranger.

[Viridae Kabre]

If Viridae had not been previously overexposed to being startled, he would have jumped a foot in the air as the Zith approached his table. This being said, he looked up slowly and couldn't help but smirk, revealing the tip of one pure white fang. He had always wanted to hunt with a Zith. Their race was bred for the task, and hunting consumed most of their lives. Though he had hear stories of how violent and cruel they tended to be, he frankly did not care. And opportunity to see one in action was to rare to overlook.

"I can, and do. It's how I make my living," He said politely, his accent thick. To be honest, he felt a little nervous, but definitely not fearful. What set him apart from other hunters in Kalinor were his superior tracking abilities.

"I hunt just about everything, but make the majority of my income hunting things you don't see everyday. I would be honored to hunt with you," He said politely, careful not to sound too excited. After all, most people saw him as stony and quiet. If he waved about happiness in a place like this, he could ruin the reputation he had spent most of these past few years building up.

[Laute]

Laute listened as the Symenestra's heart beat faster. Fear? Excitement? Toward him or for the hunt? He was tempted to reach out with a claw, to hear how the stranger's breathing would change. How fast would his heart race? Did this pale creatures release poison or sweat from their glands?

But he wasn't curious enough to try it. The body revealed much, but there were some secrets he wasn't keen to know.

Not only did the Symenestra know how to hunt, but he made a living for it. Laute leaned forward, staring at the pale skin and silver hair. A delicate web of veins was visible on the guide's body, his vulnerabilities clear to every predator. He must be skilled to succeed at night, his colouring giving his position on all but the darkest of nights.

At least Laute's red patches were limited to his joints, easily hidden if he angled himself properly. How would this hunter fare in the wild? As the evening grew, Laute was feeling more and more awake with each passing second. The guide seemed serious about his offer, his heartbeat still pulsing in Laute's ears.

Straightening, he responded bluntly, "Let's hunt."

[Viridae Kabre]

Viridae stood quickly and crossed the room to the exit, scaling the rope quickly, looking back to the Zith only to mention that he knew of an area thick with mountain elk, and that the exit was near his home. He motioned for the wickedly powerful creature to follow as he crawled across the building's roof, perhaps a little more spider-like than usual, and leapt onto a thin black cord, knowing that the Zith could easily follow.

Viridae's excitement dulled a bit as they reached the entrance to the tunnel. It was connected to his home by a thick white rope and stretched high into the cavern's ceiling. He looked to the stranger with a small grin before beginning to scale the rope, and attempting to make conversation as he did so. "My name is Viridae," He said with a grin, as he climbed higher into the twisting cavern. "I've never met one of your kind before, but I've heard from my brother that you are superb hunters."

[Laute]

Laute followed the Symenestra silently, pausing only to watch as he crawled across the roof. He was surprisingly graceful on all fours, each limb moving with a languid ease. It was similar to a spiders and Laute finally understood where that nickname came from.

Unfurling his wings, Laute soared up between the buildings and behind the guide. Following him as they navigated through the tunnels and caves that made the city, Laute felt comfortable for once. It had been too long since he had lived in a cave and he almost soared ahead of his companion several times.

When they reached the tunnel, Laute looked up to the several openings in the wall. Unsure of which one to land in, he impatiently hovered behind the rope, slowly flapping his wings whenever Symenestra moved up too much. As fast as they were at climbing, it was no match for flight.

Still, he had to admire the skill they had at it. Maybe they were good at hunting in forests and mountains, in nowhere else.

"Viridae", he murmured, rolling the word in his mouth. He liked the sound of it, the blunt v and soft ae. This was small talk, if he remembered correctly. A good way to mine information. "I met a blood priestess. Her blood was not as poisonous as I expected."

[Viridae Kabre]

Viridae paused to look back at the Zith, raising a brow and smiling politely before continuing to climb hand over hand, an uneasy feeling settling over him. He had not really considered it before, but it was very possible that this creature only wanted to eat him. He waved the thought away, and thought to himself that there were probably far easier prey than a hunter, maybe the librarian, or a cook. But still, he couldn't help but wonder, and scold himself for getting so excited that he acted without thinking. He considered the Zith's large powerful wings and claws, much like his. To be honest, they really weren't that different, with the exception of the ability to fly.

As they neared the mouth of the tunnel, cracks or salmon sunlight could be seen peeking across an entry way threaded on the sides with thick roots. He climbed out and stood upright, then proceeded to rub handfuls of soil lightly across his arms, chest, and armpits, finishing with a light streak across his forehead to mask his scent.

The area they had come up to was thick with trees all around, and netted outward with thin game trails. The sun's last light peeked shyly through the thick pines as it sank further into the skyline.

[Laute]

Silence. That was all he got from the Symenestra and Laute felt perplexed. Clearly those were not the words to say--Viridae's heartbeat had picked up slightly, and there was a thin sheet of sweat that wasn't there before. No explanations of blood priestesses followed, though a trace of nervousness remained in the guide's movements.

Outsiders were easily startled and Laute snorted, bothered. He hadn't spoken in the language of claws and fangs yet.

Laute winced in the light as they stepped out. Even if it was evening, he still disliked the light immensely and eagerly anticipated the night. Squinting as they stepped to the lip of the cave's entrance, he nearly missed Viridae's actions. So was that how a grounded predator hunted? He leaned closer once more to the Symenestra, breathing in the earthy scent that covered his skin.

It was surprisingly effective, though if he searched he could still find the Symenestra's scent beneath it all. For prey, it could surprise them long enough for a strike.

"You always do that?" he finally asked, holding a wing up to shade his eyes. Until the sun set, he'd rather not look at it at all, relying on his other senses to tell him about the woods in front of him.

[Viridae Kabre]

"Not in the winter," He replied, walking towards one of the game trails, and kneeling before it. "Seems we aren't the only hunters around," He put in as he examined a set of large tracks set into the ground, and swiveled his head to see several crossing sets of smaller tracks. "It looks like a bear. Moving very very slowly. Heading into the mountains from the stream to the south. My guess is the creature was fishing, and got into a dispute with another bear, probably larger or younger than itself. At any rate, its likely that its injured, and its being followed by a pack of wolves. Sounds like fun right?" Viridae stood and turned to look at Laute, smirking, feeling at ease again.

Normally on his own, he would not dare and attempt a hunt this dangerous, but the Zith were very powerful creatures, and he was sure that simple hooved game would not be enough for a hunter of his experience.

He glanced back to the tracks, then turned his gaze slowly back to the Zith, raising a brow at Laute's odd gesture, before realizing he was shielding his eyes from the ever dimming sun. "It's a little intense, being underground for such a time, eh? Anyways, The hunt itself would be for the wolves, or at least a couple of them. From what I see here, there are about six. Most likely a very experienced pack. Most don't hunt bear. That being said, the bear itself has to be mortally wounded. Now, if we were to kill a couple of them from the distance, the others would run off, but perusing the bear would be dangerous, considering they may ambush us on the way back for its carcass. The choice is yours, really."

[Laute]

Laute stepped sideways, into the long shadow of a tree. Around him the nocturnal creatures slowly stirred to life, and he closed his eyes for a moment. The sharp hoot of an owl, the low growl of a fox. The low, sweet scent of the night flowers as they opened.

Insects buzzed around him as he slowly cracked his eyes open, the light low enough that it wasn't quite as painful anymore. It wasn't what the Symenestra thought, precisely. Ziths never liked the light, and even his travels had yet to make him tolerate the sun.

Feeling better, he considered what Viridae said. Looking down at the tracks, he could smell the blood, the sweat, the scent of wet fur. Wolves, yes, but not quite six. "Seven," he corrected, smelling one more further into the woods. The leader? Or...

Laute stopped that thought, looking back at his guide. The wolves or the bear?

Nimis had been the greedy one between them. Nimis had and look at what that got him. His scar burned in the memory.

But a hunting partner was something unexpected.

The wolves or the bear?

Nimis gurgled at his feet, blood pouring out of his back.

The wolves...

We can take on anything together.

...or the bear?

Laute almost smiled. "Bear." A chance at both.

He spread his wings behind him, their shadow huge and fearsome in the dying light. As he stretched them, he closed his eyes and took in the scent of the bear and the wolves. Bending down to the ground, he sniffed the earth for a stronger scent. It had been some time since the bear had last been here.

Standing up again after a few minutes, he looked in the direction of the tracks. If he was lucky, they could accomplish this before the night ended. While he would prefer to stay low to the ground and watch Viridae close-up, that was not how he hunted. Especially with the tree covering.

He could keep track of the Symenestra in other ways, later diving back to his side when they reached the prey.

No, flight was what he needed, and Laute prepared to spring from the earth.