Quest [DQ] Legend of the Blue Elk

[Harrier]

It would take a few bells (and lots of convincing of the asses) for Azira and Kovac to reach the canyon, following the stream of people along the path they led according to the flight of birds overhead. They also had the strangely echoing calls of the elk to guide them and an unrecognized pull of magic, for what else could such magnificent creatures be but that?

Erade and Alori had managed to show up second, of course, but only because they were on an eagle and wound up only half a bell behind Turrin who had joined a few of the other Endal in the air to try and locate the curious herd trapped somewhere inside the canyon. Turrin had managed to gain a grudging deal with Roskil, but his presumption that words were on the wind by the elk was wrong. The bugling boom of a call had no true words in it.

Many of the other eagles that had carried their riders to here would leave them behind to scout from the air, eventually relaying information to those on the ground via their Endal. The herd was in a bend of the box canyon, tucked into a corner with the blue bull standing magnificently before them. The herd was sniffing at the canyon walls and the bull kept staring southward at something unknown, his enormous antlers now tangled with hanging velvet and vines that had been tore through in its march. It snorted and tossed its head for a moment then rumbled at his herd and swung back towards the canyon entrance.

It was what they had been waiting for! The endal in the sky were taken back to the entrance for a better shot where they met with those that had come on the ground, of which included Azira and Kovac with Erade and Alori waiting thereupon for news.

"The herd is moving back to the entrance! The bull's in the lead!" Was the general shouts that rushed through them all, creating a mad rush for shooting vantages. Some would climb the canyon walls, others the trees, but all would have the opportunity!

The animals marched through the canyon slowly but surely, the beautiful bull still in the lead, his shimmering pelt swirling in strange patterns while this thundering call beckoned his cows onwards. Near the entrance a small spring led them to cross to allow them escape; to the right of it, a small rise looked upon the stream and it was to this the massive bull went, climbing to its peak and standing regally upon it, the wide span of his antlers stretching over his back as he looked to the sky through the trees that clustered the entry.

NOTEThis is a skill opportunity. The best display of skill gets the shot.

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[Alori Sai]

"Holy petch, go, go! Take us to the top of the canyon. It's our best shot!" Alori cried, prompting Durveth to beat her wings as she moved forward and lifted off again. The teen hoped that Erade was still holding on or else she would find herself tumbling off the back of the eagle and landing rather hard on the ground. The wind eagle flew low, only elevating enough to allow herself to glide over the top of the canyon where she found a perch to land on.

"Come on girl, move it This is the best we're going to get!"

Alori called again to the yasi, assuming that she was still with her. The young Endal slid down the back of the giant eagle and landed on the ground. She quickly slipped due to bad footing, but was able to stand again after taking a knee. Alori raced to the very edge, getting herself as close as possible to the action. The blue Elk continued to lead the herd on as they moved slowly out of the canyon.

She pulled her bow from over her shoulder and pinched two arrows from her quiver to put to use. Hazel brown eyes followed the blue elk as he climbed the peak and stood out over the landing. It was a good shot if she could line it up and avoid any odd winds. Notching the first arrow into her bow, Alori lifted it and first placed the arrow onto the elk. Once she had her aim, the teen lifted the bow upward, trying to account for the extra distance it would take to reach the animal from where she stood.

With her eyes on the prize, Alori released her breath and fired the arrow at the elk. She didn't wait to see if it hit, and the moment that she could pull back, after firing the first arrow, she slipped the second one into place. She flashed her eyes, focusing on the target ahead and fired a second time.

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[Turrin]

Turrin wasn't sure what made the sound of the voice because it almost sounded like thunder off in the distance. Regardless, the Roskil gave him a nod that they both came to a accord to take down the beast. However, for some reason, Turrin had a bad feeling that taking down the blue bull would be a grave mistake, so he mulled it over in his head if he was even going to go for the bull at all. When he heard the call through the crowd of Inarta that Big Blue was at the front of the canyon. Turrin said to Aponivi, “Well that was easy! Come everyone!” Turrin contacted Aponivi to take off, and the great bird lifted his wings and started to flap till he was in the air. Aponivi started to climb till he was a three hundred feet over the valley, and he directed the Wind Eagle to fly near the edge to not spook the herd. The half-breed was amazed at the amount of elk in the valley, and they all seemed to be heading in the direction of the entrance. Turrin knew when the Elk made it to the entrance. They would be met by hundreds of awaiting hunters. It would be a slaughter. As he flew over valley, he told Aponivi to pick up speed, so the wind eagle brought in his wings and started his slow decent. The Endal had to hold on with his feet and bent over holding the saddle as the eagle sped towards the valley entrance. When the Endal sped over the great Blue Elk, he widened his eyes at the beauty of the creature on the ledge. He knew the great beast was special, and it was a shame that hundreds of Inarta were racing to take the head of creature that must have been touched by the gods. Turrin contacted Aponivi a few ticks later, I can't kill it Aponivi. It is to beautiful. It must be a servant of Caiyha. Aponivi contacted with a sad tone to thoughts, Turrin, you realize that it will be dead when the Inarta get done with it. You might as well take your shot, so you don't miss out on the glory. Licking his lips, Turrin shook his head and said softly, “I suppose...your right, Aponivi.” When Aponivi landed on the grass, Turrin jumped off his wind eagle, grabbed his gear out of his back pack, and made his way to his prey. Staying in the tall grass, Turrin crouched down as he stalked closer to blue elk. As he got closer, the half-breed could see elk standing on the ledge like a Matriarch looking over her troops. He was curious if the elk noticed his presences or not in the grass, but he slowly made his way closer. Turrin could hear and feel the large heard shaking the ground as they moved towards the entrance. When he got close enough, Turrin took two hunting arrows out of his quiver, placed one in the ground point first in front of him, and placed the other on the bowstring. Standing up, Turrin lifted his short bow and pointed the metal tip up at the chest of the regal looking beast. Holding the feather end in between his pointer and middle finger, the Endal hunter pulled back his bowstring to his cheek and adjusted his metal tip to the chest of the great elk. Turrin sat their for a few tick holding the bow in a shooting position as he hesitated to fire. Turrin aimed his bow to the slightly to the right and decided to miss on purpose. As he let go of the bowstring and watched the arrow soar in the direction of the Elk, he picked up his arrow in the ground and turned his attention to the herd.

[Erade]

Erade had only two things to say about flying on the back of a Wind eagle. One, most awesome experience and feeling ever. Two, worst feeling of motion sickness ever. She really hoped she didn't puke all over Alori and her bonded. The latter was only increased when the eagle suddenly took off again at the urging of the Endal before her.

Erade barely had a chance to grab ahold of something before Durveth launched into the air again. From this height, the vantage point seemed perfect and most of the canyon was in view. Shouts could be heard that the herd was moving back towards the entrance.

While holding on the best she could, Erade quickly looked around. She just had to see the blue beast before one of the hunters got to him. Alori spotted it first, took aim and release her first arrow all in matter of a few ticks. Erade wanted to stop her from releasing her second arrow but didn't. The Endal had been nice enough to let her come along. It wasn't her place to interfere. All she could do was look on to watch the creatures fate.

Erade looked back to the blue elk, he was indeed quite massive but nothing as the rumors that he was big as Mt. Skyinarta. Big as a mountain or not, he was still magnificent and the yasi couldn't seem to pull her eyes away.

[Azira]

The journey down to the canyon was a nightmare. The ponies were stubborn, unwilling to move more than an inch at a time without encouragement. The teen had to poke and prod her one with her feet and hands to try to make it move but it only seemed to grow more and more ill tempered as it was ridden down into the canyon.

Finding where they were going wasn't hard. The echoing calls of the elk managed to reach their ears from the start, becoming louder and clearer as they drew closer and closer to their destination. In the beginning, there had been waves of Wind Eagles streaming towards the location but after awhile they stopped, the only sign of the great birds were their majestic forms circling in the sky over the canyon. They were scouting, an eagle eye view from the air far better than what an Inarta could see from the ground with their comparatively weaker eyesight.

During the bells it took them to reach the location, the huntress hardly said a word, all attempts of conversation would of course have been shot down by the girl and so there was no interaction between herself and Kovac as they descended the mountain on their reluctant steeds. The only words that ever came out of her mouth were curses directed at the pony or at the ground if it made the pony slip. So when she reached the canyon her voice was hoarse and rough from lack of use.

"I'm going to walk around to stretch my legs and see what I can find out," she told the hunter before swinging stiff legs over the side of the pony and sliding down. Her legs buckled beneath her, weak and numb from lack of use and so she had to grip her equine companion to stay upright as she stretched the limbs gingerly. Her legs began to feel sore as the feeling came back and her backside felt bruised after the jarring ride. The pony didn't like her leaning on it but as far as she was concerned, it would just have to deal with it.

Hobbling away, she led the animal along with her, determined not to lose it as she tried to get full feeling back into her limbs. The creature couldn't have gotten too far from her anyway. The crowd milling around the canyon's entrance would make it hard for the pony to escape in a hurry without trampling everyone in sight. It was like the entire population of Wind Reach had crammed into the space, all looking a little lost as they waited for news of the elk herd.

When the call came, people sprang into action, many of the Inarta running to the trees to get a better view of the approaching herd, others climbing the canyon walls. When that call came Azira had lost sight of Kovac and so she was pretty much on her own. The huntress needed to get to a better position and she knew it. Clambering onto the pony with difficulty, the Avora tried to nudge the animal through the hurrying crowd but it did not want to move through the churning group especially as Wind Eagles were dropping Endal off as well to make it even more crowded. Realising that she wouldn't get anywhere that way, the teen slipped off the equine again and proceeded to shove her way through bodies to try to get a view of the herd as it approached.

When the crowd of people abruptly ran out, she found herself in the no man's land that was beginning to open up between the crowd and the approaching herd. There were other people who flitted into the area but only for moments before they climbed the canyon walls to get a better view out of the direct path of the herd. Azira didn't think that she could climb one of the canyon walls and it was pointless climbing a tree, she couldn't shoot from there. She could stay in the no man's land and try to get a head on view but it'd be dangerous as there were sure to be arrows raining down everywhere. But it was her only shot.

She began to close the distance between herself and the herd, heading for the stream that they would have to cross. As she moved, feeling all the world like a target, she unslung her bow and checked the string, making sure that it was tight enough but not too tense. It'd be just her luck for her string to snap when she needed it. Satisfied with the bow, she withdrew an arrow from her quiver, running her fingers through its flights before slipping it into place. Holding the bow downwards as she walked, the huntress kept the arrow in place with 3 fingers.

When the elk crested the rise, Azira wasn't far away from him and she was lower, meaning that if all went well she could get a good shot at his chest. She straightening her back and readjusted her grip, her shoulders dropping downwards as she raised the bow. The Avora drew the string back so that it was at the side of her face, the index of her drawing hand level with the corner of her mouth as she took aim at the lower part of the elk's chest and fired. She had to throw herself flat on the ground then to avoid the rain of arrows from other archers and so had no idea if her arrow made a dent in that fine hide.

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[Kovac]

Saddle sore and thoroughly irked by the stubbornness of both the asses and the tight-lipped Azira, Kovac surveyed the mass of Inartans gathered at the canyon entrance. Kovac had not seen the likes of it in all his life. It was as if Wind Reach had mustered an militia to square off with an invading army, the gingers readying to make their last stand in the wide passage. The bull elk's call bounded off of the hillsides like a warhorn's call to battle.

The word of the approaching herd raced through the crowd like a hot wind. Then, what could have been mistaken for a red-headed army suddenly resembled anything but. The hunters scattered like flies, each individual bent on securing a prized kill, all with some hope of bagging the master elk himself. Kovac saw that Azira had mounted her pony again and tried to move through the crowd, but abandoned it. Kovac left his mount to graze, looked around, then darted to a rock outcropping to which several others were scrambling to reach.

Eager and with bow in hand, the Avora took a running charged up the loose stone and dirt, seizing two Chiets by the collar and jerking them aside to gain first call on the rocky ledge. The manhandled climbers protested loudly, but an icy glare from the mongrel silenced them and he continued to skitter to the lip of the flat rock. Kneeling, Kovac spied the moving herd , setting the end of the lower limb of his composite bow against the instep of his boot and bending the upper limb with a strained grunt. One hand picked up the string looped around the lower end and reached to slip the other loop around the upper until it set in the string groove. the taut bowstring was plucked, the resonating hum satisfying the half-bred hunter.

A practiced hand reached back to grab the nock of an arrow, the shaft run along the fist that held the bow's grip, until the missile was lain on its rest and nocked against the string. Then, corded and trained muscles drew back the string, the stiff bow creaking in protest, and Kovac lifted the weapon to firing position. A sharp emerald eye peered down the shaft and over the broadhead to target the blue-hided prize at the head.

Kovac held his shot as the big blue surmounted the hillock by the stream. How many arrows besides his were aimed at the beast's pumping heart? From the corner of his eye, Kovac spotted Azira, boldy in front of the others. The woman was made of flint, he was sure, as hard and stiff necked as an Inartan could be. He hoped she did not get herself killed.

Tightened muscles across Kovac's arms, shoulders and back ached as he started to calculate his shot. He wanted it, knowing the trophy would earn him respect and would impress Lavira. But, as the Avora studied the elk lined up with his arrow, the machinations of the skilled archer's mind paused. In a few ticks, the gorgeous animal at the focus of this mad hunt would bristle with inartan arrows, becoming a pincushion. Sure, not every arrow would hit, but enough would to make determining who killed the bull a controversy. Many of the hunters marked their arrows, and many would claim the kill.

Certainly other arrows would find the cows in the herd. The winter would prove hard, whispers claimed very hard. This herd was a gift from Caihya, a harvest of meat for the harsh season to come. Kovac swung his bow away from the bull, scanning the herd for a good target, spotting a cow at the edge of the group, a clean shot. Holding his breath, gauging the movement of air in the canyon across his face and adjusting, he waited until she lowered her head for a quick drink. Curled fingers slipped free of the tight string, and Kovac's arrow raced towards the she-elk. Another arrow was quickly laid to the string, bow bent and steel head aimed at another cow. Kovac would reap the female elk as best he could, one after the other, to ensure they took back as much meat as possible.

[Harrier]

The beast stood silent upon the ledge, looking at his harem of does, the calfless herd continuing their march forward until they were met with the viable wall of humanity, arrows aimed in bows. They creaked and they groaned and the strings trembled with the impatience of the archers waiting for that perfect moment to fire at the beast. It was strange the quiet elegance and complacency of the animal as it just stood, blue-silver pelt glistening in the early fall sunlight.

And then the twang of a few hundred arrows launching from their bows filled the air. The herd of cows flinched and many dropped with arrows in their necks, chests, and some even in their heads; but only one found the heart of the massive bull on the ledge...Azira's.

However, the elk did not drop to the ground immediately as what should have been expected from the close-range shot; instead, the beast swung its head towards the dark-haired woman. The great brown eyes of the bull blinked long and slow, its nostrils flaring before everything began to change. The strange patterns on the antlers and hide of the elk began to glow, the brightness intensifying to a blinding level until the whole of the animal went dark.

The next instant, it exploded and a rush of energy spun out for hundreds of feet around the elk and Wind Reach residents. Everyone on the ground would be knocked off their feet (the unfortunates on the cliffs without a large enough ledge to support them were knocked off the cliff itself) as the powerful outburst blew out in a cataclysmic display. It bent branches with the force of a blizzard and threw everyone into a state of unconsciousness. None were exempt. And none were shielded from the vision that came next...

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A broken tower in a field of wild wheat, its top shorn like a sheeps wool in shearing season. Four statues guarded two doors: two were Elk, one a bull with antlers bigger than a horse; the other two were wolves, one with its nose to the sky and the other with its nose to the ground. The tower was weathered and worn, the steps littered in leaves and debris. You could not see within the top of the broken tower, nor could the doors which seemed to beckon like sweet wine be opened.

Something moved in the field, writhing like a snake as it rushed towards the onlooker, fiery eyes hungry and enraged. It stopped at the edge of the wild wheat, a throaty clicking growl rumbling and filling the air even as a voice whispered on the wind..."Home..." And as the last syllable passed from the wind, the eyes grew and darkness filled the world as the monster leapt, massive jaws agape, to consume the trespasser.

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It was over a bell before any would regain consciousness and the eagles in the sky above were circling madly, their minds pressing upon those riders of theirs who had lost consciousness. As everyone began to get to their feet and look about, there was something off besides the frightened cry of the massive birds above.

On the ledge and by the stream where the elk herd had been, nothing could be seen. No prints in the mud, no crushed grass nor overturned stone. No fur on the shrubs or against the low hanging trees, nothing but the sigh of the wind was left of the Blue Elk and his mysterious and ghostly herd. Nothing but a pair of large and strangely marked antlers lying askew in the grass on the ledge with an arrow sticking up between them. The head of the arrow had turned transparent, like glass, and the fletching had turned black as night.

What was more, of the two hundred or so which had dropped everything to see this strange event, only five of them would find themselves with a lingering urge. The others would slowly collect themselves, the strange vision fading from their minds one by one and depart, leaving only five: Alori, Azira, Erade, Kovac, and Turrin. And each of them, with this strange urge to find something they did not yet know, would find themselves drawn to the antlers laying on the ledge where Azira's arrow waited.

It was the white and black which seemed most curious of all, a shade precisely to that which now marked each of the five's navels: a pair of disconnected teardrops - the white with tip pointing up, and the black with tip pointing down.

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[Harrier]

OOC :

Just a quick OOC post; the next round will probably be the last one. Everyone should have received their dream prompts already. I will start a small mod-thread for you guys for the quest itself when the year changes over. There is much that needs doing before we can do part 3!

[Turrin]

As Turrin was about to turn away when he heard a explosion behind him, he turned around to see a massive explosion where the elk stood. The shock wave knocked the large hunter off his feet, and everything around him went black. Turrin woke in a field of swaying brown grass. The Endal slowly got to his feet and notice a lone white tower in the distance, so he decided to approach it. As he approached the tower, he noticed four statues guarded the door, two were elk with one antlers as big as a horse, the other two statues were wolves. It was strange sight to see, but he wanted to see more, so he continued forward. As he got closer the tower looked it's age, the stairs were covered with leafs and the white stone was starting to crumble off the tower. However, the door seemed to call to his soul for him to enter, so he walked forward slowly past the statues to the door. Suddenly movement caught his eye, Turrin whirled around and unsheathing his talon sword to see a giant serpent staring at him. The wind seemed to tell him that it was home, and the serpent leaped forward and swallowed him whole. Turrin opened his eyes, jumped to his feet, and pulled out his talon sword in anticipation to fight a imaginary monster. When the Endal saw nothing menacing around him, he lowered his sword tip and gazed at the place where the elk stood. Nothing was their accept a lone pair of antlers. Turrin knew that he should leave this place at once, but he didn't want to leave without any answers. What was the white tower? What was with the four statues, and the serpent guardian? He wanted to go home, and he did not care about trophies from the hunt. Beside there wouldn't be any since the ghostly horde disappeared without a trace. Turrin muttered out loud to himself, “This was such a waste of time....?” Frustrated, he saw Aponivi land and lowered himself to the ground. Turrin didn't waste any time getting on his wind eagle to leave. Are you alright, Turrin? You were out for a bell. A bell? Was the dream really that long? Turrin said out loud to his feathered friend, “The gods are playing tricks on the Inarta, Aponivi. Lets leave before we attract unwanted attention from another god.” As Turrin started to take off into the air, his golden eyes fell on the strange black and white antlers on the ground for a chime before he flew over the place where a great blue elk once stood. [/ooc]

[Kovac]

Kovac's eyes finally split open. The vision was still lingering, as real as the memory of breakfast that morning. It took a moment for the Avora to gather his mind, finding himself sprawled at the back of the small ledge, against the cliff wall. His head and back ached, sparking the recollection of the moments before he went black. The Blue elk exploded. Not a messy explosion like one would imagine if dangerous chemicals were mixed and the hapless alchemist's body was torn asunder and his flesh and limbs scattered. This had been what he could only explain as exploding energy. Kovac remembered being slammed against the cliff wall behind him. Then the vision.

The half-breed stood, gathering his gear before peering out over the canyon mouth at the stirring Inartan hunting army. No trace of the elk herd existed. Wind Eagles called and soared overhead anxiously. Everyone seemed alright. Kovac spotted Azira down on the valley floor, near the rise on which the elk had stood. She seemed to be stirring as well. Then Kovac saw the massive antlers. They were strange and beautiful, and all but ignored.

Scrambling down the slope to the canyon floor, Kovac jogged over towards Azira, dodging the dazed hunters who were turning to leave. The mongrel wanted to, had to see those antlers, but his path would take him past the huntress. He paused before her, asking if she were alright. Emerald eyes were guided by unbroken habits, and Kovac's gaze dropped down her open katinu, past her cleavage to the flat of her belly. Around the woman's navel was a curious design he had not seen on her, even earlier in the day.

His brow furrowed in confusion, Kovac pulled open his own katinu and peered at his stomach, the same black and white design appeared around his navel as well. Giving Azira a perplexed look, he took her hand and tugged her towards the rise where the antlers set.

"Come on, I think that is your arrow." Looking up. Kovac spotted Turrin and Aponivi, both looking to the antler rack as well.

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