Private Eastern Brisshal A New Beginning

[Nymoria]

140 / 140

Ranged Weapons ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hyper Sense

Nymoria's eyes drifted across the forest, tracking the few motions that she saw around her. Few and far between, the shift of the branches - caused by the passing of some small critter that leapt from one to another - and the bending of smaller plants and limbs that signified something else moving through the thigh-high grasses.

The crossbow shifted in her hands as she readjusted her position. She'd knelt to inspect a collection of tracks that had stuck out from the mud beneath her feet; hooves imprinted into the soil as whatever she'd been chasing had passed through the area. She'd only caught a quick glimpse of it - a red-fur hide, six tines atop its head, and eyes as dark as the fates portrayed.

Close...you're losing speed. Looks like you're finally tiring.

She'd been chasing the thing for upwards of three hours already, moving silently and keeping out of its awareness as much as she could. That was, until she had accidentally spooked it - turning around a rocky corner to find the thing in the middle of the road, barely registering it before it leapt into the woodlands and the chase had begun in earnest.

Whatever the thing was, it had been quick - leaving Nymoria behind in mere moments, forcing her to follow a trail that had been growing colder by the minute as it continued on a zig-zagging pattern that leapt further and further away from the small settlement she'd originated from in the east. I'm not going to lose you now, not after coming so far. Whatever you are...I'm going to get a sight on you, at the very least.

Her tail swayed behind her, the appendage hanging in a calm manner. She'd long gotten used to the counter weight of it - often missed it, when she returned to the real world. It was as much a part of her now, as the crossbow was, as the hunt itself was. She smiled, extended canines common of the Caenis making her grin more menacing that it was intended to be. A wolf's life.

With barely a whisper of sound, Nymoria rose from her kneeling position before heading further south, following the bare trail that the beast had left in its wake. No matter how long it took, she would find the creature.

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

By this point hunting was what Mizuki defaulted to when she didn't have anything else to do in Terrasphere. It was a good way for her to train her skills, and she'd also become quite enamoured with the thrill of the hunt. A rush that she couldn't experience on Earth, and which allowed her to fully immerse herself in her nature as a wolf rather than a human.

She also took it a step further than most people did, as she ran around on all fours while sniffing the air and the ground for traces of prey. Most of the large prey was smart enough to stay away from this spot, as Travelers often came here, but smaller prey was still available. Not as exciting as hunting boars and bears, but it filled the stomach and was a good opportunity to prioritise stealth and speed over power.

Right now she was hunting a rabbit, following its tracks back to what was most likely its burrow. While the tracks were subtle its scent was easy to follow, even if it meant that Mizuki almost had her nose pressed against the ground. Because she was paying so much attention to what was right in front of her nose she picked up two other scents that quickly caused her to forget about the rabbit.

The first scent was of some strange, deer-like creature. It wasn't quite the same thing, which gave rise to questions. The second scent was that of a caenis, which gave rise to even more questions: native caenes didn't come this far east normally, and there were very few caenis Travelers.

Her tail swished behind her as she considered her options, but it didn't take long before the luna wolf abandoned her previous prey and instead followed the tracks of the other wolf and its prey. These tracks were much easier to follow, so Mizuki increased her pace, leaving her own marks in the ground as her clawed fingers and toes pressed against the dirt. Recent rainfall had left the soil soft, which meant that even the most careful of hunters still left their mark until more rain washed it all away. There was little in the way of wind, which made it easier for her to guess that the other wolf was several minutes ahead of her.

As she'd predicted it didn't take the huntress long to see movement between the trees, her heterochromatic eyes narrowing. That was definitely a wolf's tail... but quite big. Bigger than her own, and she'd already taken some liberties with the size of her tail. A natural mutation, or a Traveler who'd decided to go all out? Now that she was close enough that she could visually track her quarry Mizuki began to move more cautiously, her movements steady but controlled. To enhance her stealth even further her features slowly shifted, skin giving way to more fur, hands turning into paws, until Nymoria was being tracked by a wolf rather than a caenis, one with an eye of gold and an eye of ice, steadily closing the distance just as Nymoria was closing the distance on her prey.

@Nymoria

 

[Nymoria]

140 / 140

Ranged Weapons ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hyper Sense

Nymoria paused, her head twisting to her right ever so slightly in response to something she'd heard. She had sworn there was the sound of something nearby, the cracking of dirt and stone as it shifted beneath weight. She'd held herself still for a collection of breaths, trying to pinpoint the sound, before shaking her head. She was in the middle of a forest, likely surrounded by numerous other animals and beings - it should surprise her more if she hadn't heard sounds around her.

Would still be nice to know where it came from...don't like the idea of being ambushed. She glanced around, trying to spot any sort of movement around her. The forest was full of life - from small bugs, birds and assorted other vermin scouring the area. Movement was all around her, but she saw nothing that would signify the weight required to cause the shift in dirt that she had heard moments ago.

Shaking her head, and resting her crossbow into a ready position once more, Nymoria moved to stand and continue her trek after the beast she had been trailing. The tracks had begun to falter, as if the animal was wounded or tired. Here's hoping to the latter...

She didn't move far, as a shift of colour caught her eye - a blue shift against the otherwise green and brown landscape that surrounded her. Nymoria paused again, her crossbow raised ever so slightly as she tried to piece together what she had seen. She was sure that she hadn't imagined it - or at least as sure as she was able to be.

Something's out there...but what? An animal of some kind, perhaps? I don't hear anything...but I did. I know I did... She shifted in place again, bringing the crossbow up and to her shoulder as she prepared herself for whatever might be coming her way. Her eyes twitched atop her head, and her tail had pulled itself closer and around her lower extremities - out of her way, but wrapping around her like a blanket or shield.

Someone out there? If you are...step out before things get dangerous. I mean you no harm, so long as you don't mean me any harm...

She called out, hoping that they'd answer. As confident as her voice may sound, she wasn't in the mood for a fight today - much less with something, or someone, who was able to avoid her senses for the most part. She kept her crossbow up, her eyes scanning the area around her even as she listened for any response.

@Ueno Mizuki​

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Wolves weren't ambush predators, but that didn't mean they didn't know how to move about silently. The standard hunting method for a wolf was to get as close to the prey as possible, then once the prey inevitably noticed their presence the wolves would force it to run so they could exhaust and hamstring it before moving in for the kill. At least, for prey that they couldn't reliably kill with one bite.

Mizuki wasn't a master of stealth, but she did know how to avoid being spotted for the most part. Which meant she was rather surprised when the other caenis noticed her presence rather quickly, coming to a halt despite being in the middle of a hunt to instead pay attention to what was behind her. Some might consider that a fluke, but the luna wolf considered it a sign that this Traveler paid better attention than most.

At first Nymoria's question wouldn't be answered, but after several seconds of silence she'd see movement between the trees as a large wolf stepped forward, studying her with naked curiosity in its mismatched eyes. Its movements were calm and deliberate, approaching Nymoria while displaying none of the skittishness wolves usually showed when close to people.

Mizuki was curious how Nymoria would react to her wolf form. Was she already aware that it was possible to shapeshift in this world, or would she have no clue that this animal could be a person? She'd become comfortable enough living among wolves that she had little difficulty keeping up the act, once she was close enough lowering her head to sniff Nymoria's large tail, then moving up to sniff at the girl's hands, the crossbow she was holding up, and finally her face. Her tail was slightly lifted and her ears were perked up, indicating that she was paying close attention but showing no aggression.

Truthfully, in some ways this was much easier than dealing with people while acting like one herself. At least this way she didn't have to worry about saying something awkward or embarrassing.

@Nymoria

 

[Nymoria]

140 / 140

Ranged Weapons ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hyper Sense

Nymoria watched, as calm as she could be as the creature stepped out from behind the trees. One golden eye, and one eye of ice blue watched her. For a second, Nymoria felt like her very soul was being pierced beneath that gaze, the eyes focused on her with an intentness that bespoke sentience.

Shivering slightly, she held her ground, pulling the crossbow closer in preparation as the thing moved towards her. She waited, patiently, as it sniffed at her, as if sensing something on her. The nose went over her tail, her crossbow, even her skin, looking for something that Nymoria couldn't confirm or even begin to guess at - but still sending that chill down her spine.

She waited, cautiously, for a time, before she spoke again. She'd managed to call it from hiding, which meant that it was aware - responsive. Which means that it may react to words. She figured it was at least worth a try, if nothing else. She was wolflike in this game, even if she didn't come with the four paws and teeth to match.

Alright...I'm no threat to you, not right now at least. But I'm hunting something. Something...different. How do you feel about helping me on that hunt?

She spoke softly, her words in between that of a whisper and a normal tone. Just audible enough that the two of them would be able to pick them up. Her voice carried no indication of harm, or hostility. She waited, still crouched and refusing to look away from the creature before her, for any sign of approval or denial of her request. She had no idea if the wolf would accompany her, or if it would decide that she was a threat - or worse, prey.

You don't want to fight...even if I lose, you won't win. Let's work together on this...bring it down and celebration the elation of the hunt...

@Ueno Mizuki​

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It seemed the caenis was unnerved by her presence. Given that it wasn't every day that a wolf calmly walked up to you that wasn't unexpected, although Mizuki's ears twitched when she saw that the violet-maned girl hold her crossbow a bit tighter. At this distance she would have a hard time evading the first shot, but fortunately so far the tightened grip was as far as it went.

The sniffing was meant to be a gesture indicating curiosity rather than hostility, but it also gave Mizuki the opportunity to acquire quite some data on the other caenis. You didn't realise how much information one's scent conveyed until you possessed the nose of a wolf. The tail smelled fresh and well-groomed, with few knots and little dirt. The hands smelled like sweat and calluses, probably from wielding that sturdy crossbow. The crossbow smelled like metal, and oil, well-maintained and in good condition. The lack of wood was curious, Mizuki's tail swishing behind her. More indication that this was a Traveler, as they were more likely to use unorthodox equipment.

As for the face, Mizuki could smell Nymoria's uncertainty, her caution, and how focused she'd been when hunting before the luna wolf had interrupted it. That made her feel a bit guilty, her ears lowering for a moment before perking up again.

Once Nymoria spoke up Mizuki halted, looking at her with both ears turned towards the caenis to listen to what she had to say. Join the hunt... That was probably the most sensible option, as well as the most enjoyable one. Mizuki didn't often get to hunt together with other Travelers, as most weren't interested in such activities. Even if they did hunt it was for monsters rather than prey, acting like adventurers rather than predators. This one, however, was offering to give Mizuki exactly what she wanted.

After Nymoria had couched her suggestion Mizuki would remain motionless for several seconds, only her chest rising and falling between her front paws as she breathed slowly. After her decision was made she stepped forward and circled around Nymoria, only to press the side of her head against the girl's side. Another step forward and it was her flank rubbing against the caenis instead, as Mizuki lifted her head and dragged her flat tongue across the huntress's cheek.

From a human perspective this might have been a strange thing to do, but for wolves exchanging scents by rubbing their flanks against one another was a friendly gesture, at least so far as Mizuki could tell. With the scent exchange over with she walked over to the tracks that Nymoria had been following, lowering her posture as she sniffed the ground. Some kind of ungulate, but not a species you'd encounter on Earth. Perfect. Memorising the scent she'd lift her head, her posture pointedly aimed in the direction the red-skinned animal had fled to before turning her head to look back at Nymoria, using her Primal Aura to wordlessly ask whether she was planning to follow.

Spoiler: Mood

@Nymoria

 

[Nymoria]

140 / 140

Ranged Weapons ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hyper Sense

Nymoria remained still as the wolf rubbed up against her, before the tongue lashed out gently against her. Hesitating - if only out of confusion at the entire encounter - she was slow to respond as the wolf seemed to head over to the tracks, sniffing at them before pointing in the direction they needed to head.

Confusion overtaking her, Nymoria managed to rise to her feet, making sure to go slowly so as to not spook her new hunting companion. She had assumed - hopefully correctly - that the creature had meant to accept her offer. Her assumption was quickly confirmed as a feeling washed over her, an aura of sort, asking her a question that seemed wordless and yet clear - are you coming?

Nymoria didn't hesitate, moving towards the wolf and smiling as she went. She spoke softly, the words just loud enough that she was certainly only herself and the wolf would hear them.

Alright...agreed. Let's go. Just...don't get too far ahead of me, otherwise this whole pack thing isn't going to work out, yeah?

She shifted her crossbow back into a more comfortable position as she came up beside the wolf, eyeing the tracks. She confirmed to herself once again that the creature had been getting tired - the tracks weren't as deep, weren't as heavy. Slowing down. Good for us, bad for it.

Oh...and make sure to stay out of my line of fire. I don't want to have any friendly fire incidents. These things hurt, as you may or may not know.

She waved a hand towards her bolts on her thigh, without taking her eyes off the tracks. She'd begun reaching out with her ears, trying to catch the sounds that she had been originally following - a soft thumping that signified the creature's breathing, some distance away.

As soon as you're ready...lead on.

@Ueno Mizuki​

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

One of Mizuki's ears twitched in response to Nymoria's words, the wolf letting out a brief whine as a wordless form of agreement before focusing on the tracks ahead of them. Like Nymoria she could tell that the prey was exhausted, although she relied more on what she could smell. The tracks only carried a faint scent, but by keeping her nose low to the ground the luna wolf could still catch it and interpret it.

She glanced back at Nymoria's ammunition when the huntress mentioned it, lowering her tail and letting out a whimper as her ears flattened against her skull. A single bolt wouldn't be the death of her, but she was definitely going to try and avoid getting hit by those if she could avoid it. Fortunately she already had an idea for how to do that, and whether it'd work out or not would depend on how good a shot Nymoria was.

With the prey already tired there was little reason to be stealthy: it wouldn't get away no matter what it did, so rather than remaining unnoticed it was more important to make sure the prey didn't get the opportunity to rest and recover. Mizuki didn't know how fast Nymoria could move, although she imagined that the other caenis shared their race's inclination towards long-distance running. With a short growl she began to move, following the tracks while keeping her head close to the ground, her tail sticking out behind her.

At first she moved carefully, looking over her shoulder to see whether Nymoria was keeping up, but if the huntress made it clear that the wolf didn't need to hold back because of her Mizuki would speed up. They were close enough that if she focused she could hear the sound of their prey breathing heavily, although she'd still occasionally have to halt and sniff the tracks to make sure they were getting closer. Sure enough, they were steadily gaining ground on their quarry: it hadn't given up on escaping yet, but Nymoria's persistence had already pushed it to the point where it simply couldn't keep running for long enough.

Soon enough they were close enough that they could not only hear its breathing but also its footsteps as it tried to escape, hooves scraping against dirt. Its tracks were becoming messier, the red-skinned deer losing its confident gait and replacing it with one that betrayed its inner panic. It had escaped predators before, but this time even its stunning speed had been unable to keep it safe. Mizuki could even hear its heart beat frantically, her blood sense combining with her enhanced hearing to allow her to track its position with unerring accuracy.

Briefly baring her fangs she sent another Primal Aura message to Nymoria: they were close enough, so she was going to take initiative and go in for the takedown. With her fangs and physique she could keep the prey pinned so Nymoria would have a better opportunity to kill it with one bolt.

@Nymoria

 

[Nymoria]

140 / 140

Ranged Weapons ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hyper Sense

Nymoria received the feeling again, the emotions made into thought that seemed to connect her to images and ideas. She couldn't describe it as words, as a form of communication that could be spoken and shared - but rather as something that just left her knowing what the other wanted, what the other planned to do.

She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything lest the creature they were hunting heard them. The chase had already taken a lot out of her - managing to keep up, but only just barely. Her breath was still coming in heavier than she would have liked, especially for how close they were too it already.

She could see the thing in the distance, the general build of it reminding her of a larger deer, or an elk. The tines upon its head almost seemed to glitter in the sunlight - as if soaked in water, or sweat. She ignored that, for the moment, though - taking note of the danger they presented, but trusting that she would be far enough away not to have to deal with it.

Instead, she turned her attention towards her hunting partner. The wolf had already begun to slunk away, to move towards the target. She watched as it circled, ever so slightly, away from where they had originally come from - likely going to try driving it towards me - Nymoria taking a single sliding step to her right to balance herself against the tree beside her.

She brought the crossbow up, the bolt already loaded and ready. She exhaled as she brought it to her shoulder, balancing her weight against the tree in order to make her aim more steady, taking the time to count down as she waited. Her gaze - left eye focused both through the lens atop the crossbow, right eye staring across the distance - focused on the creature's chest, right behind its foreleg. She knew, from experience, that a single shot there would likely take the thing down.

That is assuming this is a simple creature, like all the others. Assumptions can lead to death. She nodded internally, making note of the danger there. With a single finger, she reached forward, ensuring that the next bolt on her under-rail quiver was ready; the piece jostled ever so silently in order to loosen it enough that she could draw and reload without hesitation.

Alright wolf, you're up. Drive it this way, and I'll giving it the killing blow. She said nothing aloud, hoping that the four-legged hunter that had joined her would know what to do, that it wouldn't try and drag it down by itself. She didn't doubt the wolf's capabilities - but alone, this several hundred kilo beast would put up more of a fight that it could likely handle by itself.

@Ueno Mizuki​

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Everything was in place, Mizuki's hunting partner was getting ready to unleash hell from a distance while the luna wolf herself circled around their prey for a better angle. By moving so the deer-like creature was between the two of them it wouldn't have an easy path of escape, and it'd also make it easier for Nymoria to shoot the prey without hitting Mizuki in the process.

The soft ground allowed for her to stalk about without being noticed, her paws pushing aside blades of grass and the occasional fallen leaf, her movements cautious so as to not brush against any twigs or branches that might disturb her prey. She could hear its heart beating in its chest, she could smell the panic that was making adrenaline rush through its veins. It had known that it was being hunted, but now it couldn't detect the hunters anymore. Were they still there? Was it safe? It couldn't tell, and while running away might have been the safe option it was exhausted. Swift and nimble that it might be, it couldn't keep running forever.

But only a fool would believe that just because it was tired it no longer posed a threat. It was significantly bigger than a normal deer, and its large antlers would be the end of any reckless predator. Mizuki steadied her breathing as she reached the spot from which she'd start the takedown, several trees between herself and the prey keeping her hidden for just a few seconds later. She didn't need to see it to know it was there, and the element of surprise would most likely be vital.

With a deep breath Mizuki surged forward, her entire body flowing into action in one smooth movement. She pushed herself forward with her powerful paws, completely abandoning any pretence of stealth at last as she appeared from behind the trees to jump right in front of the red-skinned deer, fangs bared as a bloodthirsty growl rolled forth from her large chest. The beast reacted quickly, lowering its head to threaten Mizuki with its antlers, its whole body tense as it was ready to either charge or flee.

However, any thought of charging would quickly be lost as the wolf standing before it seemed to be growing in size, its mismatched eyes glowing faintly as its deep growl resonated within the deer's skull. That rumbling, primal sound reached deep within the psyche and pulled forth one of the strongest and most primal sensations all living things possessed, the bloodcurdling terror of being hunted.

The deer would take a step back, still trying to threaten Mizuki with its antlers, but its resolve had been broken. It would still fight if attacked, but as its instincts took control it tried to escape, turning around and preparing to leap just like how it had left Nymoria in the dust before.

In the instant that her prey needed to jump away Mizuki struck, already having been prepared to pounce. She slammed against the deer's backside, maw wide open to reveal rows of sharp fangs. Rather than going for the neck she bit down on its haunch, piercing hide and muscle as she clung to her prey with dogged persistence, even as the prey in question began to thrash and twist about, trying to dislodge her. Mizuki's fangs had reached deep enough to cut through the muscles, hindering the deer's movements together with the wolf's considerable weight dragging its hind quarters down.

Which, all together, meant that this was the perfect opportunity for Nymoria to strike. Her prey was wholly distracted, vulnerable, and while it was certainly struggling it wasn't moving around a lot. As if to reaffirm this she'd once again feel the wolf's intent flowing into her, this time simple and strong enough to be distilled into a single word:

'Now.'

@Nymoria