Thrill of the Hunt (Saraphina Skyglow)

by **Gilva Snowsong** on October 9th, 2014, 11:56 pm

3rd of Fall, 514

The boy drifted through the port city with the apparition of his sister in tow. Their steps were synchronized, almost as if they belonged to the same entity. Gilva looked around and noticed that people were walking through his sister, not even acknowledging her presence. He would expect people to be afraid of being possessed by a ghost, but for some reason this was not the case. The only evidence he had that his sister was a ghost, was the fact that he witnessed her death; and he could still see her. For the first time, however, she was not verbally berating him. Today, the reason he left his cottage was to fulfill a request from his sister. Despite the experiences from the past few days, she was able to convince the boy to venture outside of the city to hunt a creature. Gilva was complacent with her request, because the description of the creature matched that of one that he had previously encountered. Though it was only for a brief moment, the boy recalled tracking a four-legged monstrosity that escaped near a river stream. Maybe if he retraced his actions that day, he would be able to find a lead on the monster.

The Vantha gripped the spear tightly in his right hand. It felt unnatural in his hand. His father created the spear, and it was meant for his hand alone. It was poetic that it winded up in the possession of his only son, yet it was also embarrassing. Gilva didn't have the competency of the weapon the way that his father did. He remembered the graceful way that his father was able to make it glide through the air. Each tip produced its own song whenever they followed the air currents. In the boy's possession, the tips of the spear contrasted that of the air currents. He forced the item to go where he wanted, instead of working in unison with it. If the spear were alive, it'd be clear that it hated the offspring of its true master. Even though he belonged to the same family lineage, he didn't inherit all of his predecessors skill.

It wasn't long before the boy had made his way to the forest. The memories of the day were still fresh in his mind. He had encountered the wild girl, Sarai, and hadn't seen nor heard from her since. It never dawned on him that maybe she lived in the forest; which would have explained why she was so comfortable being in the nude. Nor did he even consider the possibility that maybe she knew of the creature that he was hunting. The boy walked over to the site of where he had seen the feline feasting on the carcass of a furry animal. The feline, as he recalled, had a freakishly long tail and walked on four paws. At the time, the tail was so mesmerizing to him that he didn't even consider the basic elements of its appearance. In retrospect, it was similar to a very large cat. Maybe it was a dire cat? he wondered.

The boy kneeled to the ground and began to examine it for tracks. If the creature had returned since that fateful day in the Summer, it should have been evident. After all, it had rained for days on end during the season; and it felt like forever since it stopped. The old tracks would have washed away, and anything he discovered would have to be fairly recent. Unfortunately, there were none to be found. So, the boy continued to trace his footsteps. He re-walked the path where he originally followed it, to the banks of the stream.

Gilva kneeled before the stream, and silently debated on whether he should cross the other side. He gently set the spear down on the ground, then crossed his arms across his chest. The apparition of his sister manifested within the stream itself, and gestured for the Vantha to join her. He would have obliged, but a knot in his stomach had told him not to. There was nothing to indicate that crossing the stream would be hazardous, but even so, he couldn't shake the bad feeling that he had.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on October 13th, 2014, 3:43 am

Saraphina Skyglow

S he bolted upright in her tent with a ear-splitting scream, breaking the calm of the morning with her terror. Sweat clung to her bare skin stubbornly and the stink of fear filled the small space. Panting heavily and staring blankly at her trembling hands, Saraphina struggled to remember to draw in breath to her frozen lungs. After several minutes of deep, shuddering breaths, the ginger Kelvic remembered about her companion. Unwrapping the blankets from around her legs where they'd tangle, she untied the door of her tent and peered out towards Enthere's campsite. The Cougar Kelvic had started a fire and she could see a faint outline of her friend down by the small stream that passed nearby. Fortunately, Enthere seemed far enough away that she may not have heard the younger Kelvic's sleeping terrors. Her nightmares were coming at random times now. Some nights she'd sleep as peaceful as a baby, others she could smell the rotting, mildew boards of Nicholi's ship and feel the rocking of the ship she'd been held on for so many days. Letting the canvas flap fall closed, Saraphina reorganized her bedding. She was still upset and emotional over her dream. A hunt was in order to take her mind off the horrors of her memories.

D ressing in her usual white shirt and black pants, both of which were starting to fray even though she hadn't been wearing them that long. They would need to be replaced soon. Slipping on her knee high black boots, Saraphina exited her tent. Shuffling through her pack, she pulled out her brush and ripped the teeth through her snaggled, bed rumpled hair. Wincing a few times as the tool caught on some knots, she soon had her long, flame colored strands as straight as they could be. Enthere had returned from the river and was by the fire. Saraphina could smell fish grilling. Her mouth watered and she joined her companion for a social breakfast. Both munched on the meal with some delight, making small talk. Saraphina cleaned up once they were done and Enthere mentioned she was going on a hunt. The ginger nodded in understanding. Both were feline shifters, both were still independent despite their friendship. Once breakfast was cleaned up, Saraphina grabbed the cooking pot she'd brought from Zeltiva. Walking back to the stream, she filled the metal pot with water. Returning to the campfire, Saraphina dumped the water over the hot coals. Smoke and hissing sparks rose in protest to the liquid being poured over the crackling heat. It wasn't enough water to fully put out the fire, so she went back to the stream for more. After three more trips to the stream and dumping water over the fire pit, she grabbed a nearby stick and stirred the blacken wood into the soupy ashes. Holding her hand over the charcoal logs, Saraphina could still feel some heat coming off the logs. Sighing at the length of the chore, she walked back to the stream for some more water. It was a pain to put of a campfire, but the Kelvic knew that if the pit was left with heat and coals, a potential forest fire could happen. And as she lived off the forest, she had no desire to see it damaged by foolishness. Another pail of water and some more stirring with the stick and the fire was finally completely out. Satisfied, she headed out into the woods to track some prey.

A fter walking from the campsite for about 20 minutes, Saraphina found a hollow in a tree's base. Near the tree was a small patch of strawberries and Saraphina plucked a few of the remaining red berries. A handful of the sweet treat was yielded. Stripping down to he bare skin, she stored her clothes in the crevice but kept her pendant around her neck. She carefully setting the ripe berries on top of her shirt and folded the cloth over it to keep the bugs out of them. The strawberries would be a nice treat to share with Enthere later. Rotating her neck around, she jogged forward for a step or two before falling forward. Landing on four, ham sized paws, the massive orange and black tiger looked around the woodland forest with satisfaction. The scents on the wind spoke of a pack of wolves that called the area home, but they hadn't been by in some time. Songbirds chipped unhappily at the large predators presences but Saraphina ignored them. Padding through the long grass, she placed her nose close to the ground trying to pick up the scent of a prey animal. She heard the tiny scrambling of a distance rabbit scurrying away and a few ground dwelling birds took to the air as she prowled through the area. None of them were challenging enough to hold her interest, she wanted something bigger.

S talking through the forest, she swiveled her ears around to pick up on any sounds. The dappling light reflected in her golden eyes and she flicked her tail back and forth as she walked. Finally after about half a bell of tracking and searching, Saraphina heard what she wanted. The soft, far away sound of grass being torn from the ground. Crouching low, she scented the wind. Perfect...she was downwind. The plump deer's scent came through clear on her senses, but the herbivore wouldn't be able to detect her smell. Now to get closer. Prowling close to the trees and using the breaking light filtering through the canopy of the trees, Saraphina moved with snail like speed towards her target. The leaves of fall had decorated the ground, so she had to place on paw very carefully and slowly add her weight to each step to avoid crunching the crisp foliage and spooking her prey. After crawling forward, the tiger spotted her meal. A large doe deer, alone and unaware of the predators approach. The deer had her head lowered and was munching on the last green sprigs of grass left in the fall season. As Saraphina slowly crept closer, the deer's head whipped up suddenly, as though sensing the danger that was nearly upon her. The tiger froze, scarcely daring to breath as she stared at the flighty herbivore. After a moment, the deer's ears flicked around, it's head turned and it stepped forward, but did not flee into the wilds. The doe lowered her head again and kept grazing. Not daring to hope that she'd almost been seen, Saraphina moved closer. Now within sprinting distance of the deer, she coiled her muscles in preparation.

L unging from the brush, Saraphina extended out her claws and torn into the earth in a thundering sprint. The deer darted to the side, cloven hooved feet tearing desperately to try and outrun the predator. The tiger leaped into the air, claws unsheathed and ready to sink into tender flesh. And into flesh they did sink....but not deep enough to hold. Saraphina's paws and upper body landed on the deer's retreating rump, rending gouges into the brown doe's skin and bringing fresh blood to the surface. But she was unable to sink her teeth into the meat as the deer fled in survival driven desperation. One long, sharp hoof flew back as the doe bucked wildly and nailed Saraphina in the rib. The sharp stab of pain made her momentarily loosen her grip, retracting her claws for a fraction of a second. It was enough for the deer. Saraphina couldn't maintain her grip and the swift herbivore bucked off the heavy tiger and pounded away into the forest. But even as the Kelvic watched, she could tell the prey was injured. Which would slow it down and make it easier to take down on the second attempt. Shaking off the effect of the kick, even though her side hurt a lot, Saraphina started to track the blood trail left by the running deer. She would not run after it, that would only use up her energy faster. The deer was injured, it would only go so far before needing to pause and recover. It might find a niche to lay in and pack it's wounds with grass and moss. That was when the tiger would strike and finish this hunt.

T he trail she followed lead the tiger through an open glade. She could hear the trickling sound of a stream nearby. Growling softly, she put her nose close to the ground and scented quickly. If the deer ran too close to the stream, she might loose the trail. Hopefully, it wouldn't cross the water. As the Kelvic pushed her head through the brush and walked out onto the rocky shore of the stream, she was please to see the speckles of blood had come out to the shore, but then dipped back into the trees. Good, that was very good. A noise caught the Kelvic's attention, the sounds of footsteps. But not the footsteps of an animal, these sounded very unnatural in the forest setting. Jumping back up into the trees near the stream, Saraphina crouched low in the brush. The yellowing grass along the edge of the trees provided perfect camouflage for the large cat, blending with her striping color beautifully. Looking out to where she'd heard the noise, the Kelvic saw a tall young an with black hair approach the stream. With a start, Saraphina blink and then her feline jowls twitch upward in a smile. The boy was Vantha, she could tell that much. He gripped a spear and seemed to be hesitating about crossing the stream. Feeling a sense of nostalgia at seeing one of her homeland people in Zeltiva, Saraphina exited from the reeds and made herself visible. Giving the Vantha boy a wave with one paw, she let out a friendly feline yowl, inviting him across the stream.

by **Gilva Snowsong** on October 13th, 2014, 8:49 pm

Sure enough, his suspicion was confirmed. The sound of a low growl grabbed the boys attention. His eyes shifted from his sister to the large animal across the river. When he looked back into the water to see if she could confirm whether this was the beast that they were looking for, she was no longer present. If he had known that she was going to abandon him, he wouldn't have accepted her request so hesitantly. Not even his guilt would be strong enough to let himself get killed without recognition. But it was too late for him to have regrets now. His eyes examined the animal and his mind processed its appearance with relative ease. However, it was in an awkward pose. One paw was lifted, as if it were gesturing to the boy. But since when did animals knowingly befriend people? The boy had only ever heard of one such case.

Kelvics. Back in Avanthal, his father often hunted and shared his reward with his kelvic partners. They were abundant in Avanthal, though Gilva never truly learned how to identify a kelvic without being present at one of their transformations or unless they outright told him. The young vantha never fully understood kelvics, how did they retain their consciousness across the transformation? Do they have a constant struggle with their animal instincts? But if the animal before him truly were a kelvic, perhaps this would explain why it didn't flee the same way as the creature he had encountered previously. In fact, this one behaved the exact opposite. Last time, Gilva had approached the monster. This time, the beast had chosen to attract his attention. For the time being, this was the only reason he had to prove that two beings were different.

The boy picked up the spear, and cautiously traveled the river. The water was beginning to pick up. If he had followed his sisters instructions and crossed earlier, he wouldn't have had this problem. The omen that he felt had instead caused him to wait until the situation worsened. Luckily, his height was enough to keep him well above the tide. He wasn't in danger of drowning within the current bell. When the boy reached the point of the water where his sister had disappeared, there was a strange occurrence. A familiar voice was within his mind. Don't trust it, boy! The boy briefly looked side to side, but to no avail. He crossed the water as planned, and began to walk towards the creature.

Gilva's heart pounded viciously against his chest. Adrenaline was released and began to swarm his body. For the second time in his life, he was putting himself into a dangerous life or death situation. He didn't know anything about this creature, other than the fact that it mirrored a large cat; and that it was an unconfirmed kelvic. The thought of striking it down to be safe rather than sorry slid into his mind, but it left just as quickly as it entered. The thought was cast down by the revelation of its tail. The tail was orange and black, which didn't mimic the appearance of the tail that had eluded him. Gilva edged himself closer to the animal, and began to examine it more closely. There was a pendant on its neck. And thus it was verified to be a kelvic.

The boy stepped back in order to give the kelvic some space. Splash. His foot had stepped into something wet. It wasn't the water, after all they were well away from the stream. The vantha looked down and discovered that it was a small splotch of blood. The splotch was actually a trail, that led away from the stream and deeper into the woods. He didn't see any blood coming from the kelvic, so he could only assume that it didn't belong to it. Gilva scratched his head in confusion. Did the kelvic know where the blood trail would lead? How was he supposed to communicate with it? Could kelvics speak in their animal forms? There was only one way to find out. He pointed the spear towards the woods and looked into the kelvics eyes inquisitively.

"Shall we?"

The last time he had seen the creature, he was convinced that it had crossed the river and escaped into the woods beyond. Maybe the blood trail belonged to it. If not, then maybe the kelvic would be of assistance. In any case, it seemed, that the boy was fated to continue to travel through this neck of the woods. But the warning from the voice still echoed in his mind.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on October 13th, 2014, 9:57 pm

Saraphina Skyglow

T he Vantha boy seemed to hesitant about crossing the stream. But Saraphina was patient and calm, offering no hostile body language to her countryman. As Gilva slowly crossed the stream, keeping his eyes focused on her, she looked him over a bit closer. A tall man with black curling hair and eyes that shimmered a near glowing green. Her Mother's Vantha eyes had always changed color with her moods. It was something Saraphina wished she'd inherited from her parent, but unfortunately her Kelvic blood overruled her Vanthian heritage. Saraphina wondered briefly what the young hunter was feeling to make his eyes shimmer such a luscious green shade. The two handed spear was distantly Vantha made, she could recall encountering and sometimes aided the winter hunters of Avanthal that carried similar weapons. Gilva seemed to be gripping it oddly, like the weight of the spear was too heavy. Did he not know how to use the tool, or was it a ploy so he could stab at her? She couldn't tell, her own experience with weapons being very limited. Still, she waited patiently as the pale skinned man crossed the stream. His gaze flicked over her and she felt a twitching smile crawl over her jowl. Saraphina would not shift back to show Gilva she was Kelvic. If he truly was Vantha born, he would recognize her as such.

G ilva's scent took on a note of fear and adrenaline. Clearly he was worried about approaching a large predator. Which was smart of the man. Any hunter always knew, no matter how large or small, any animal of the wilds had the potential to cause harm. To approach with caution and preparation was simply good survival tactics. Even as Gilva started to back away, Saraphina walked forward and bunted her wide feline head under Gilva's free hand to show she meant no harm. The shifter still kept one eye on the spear just in case the hunter decided to take a stab at her. But no attack came, rather the fresh scent of blood crept to her sensitive nose. The ebony haired man had stepped in a small pool of the doe's blood. This brought back her original purpose, her hunt. When Gilva motioned towards the trees and suggested a joint hunt, Saraphina grinned a feline smile. It likely looked rather intimidating to the hunter, but she followed it with a very clear head bob meant to look like an affirmative nod.

P lacing herself alongside her new hunting partner, Saraphina started tracking her prey again. Moving the long grass aside, she scented the ground, trying to pick up the smell of the deer. Grass was slightly depressed in a few areas, small droplets of blood decorated the blades and Saraphina caught sight of a clear, cloven hoofed print indented into a soft dirt spot. Crouching over the track, she sniffed at the spot. The wounds on her prey were bleeding less freely, which meant the deer might be recovery faster than she'd expected. Looking back at Gilva, Saraphina nudged the Vanthian's hand with her nose before lowering her head and pressing her nose close to the imprint. Shifting back would be easier to speak to each other, but the nostalgic of hunting alongside one of her fellow Avanthalian's was a sweet reminiscing. She was loath to end the joint hunt by breaking the immersion of Vantha and Kelvic partnership. If Gilva was clever enough to have recognized her as a shifter without words, he too might be enjoying the companionship of the homeland. Saraphina would not change back yet, there was still a hunt to finish.

by **Gilva Snowsong** on October 15th, 2014, 4:24 pm

The duo ventured deeper into the woods, following the trail of blood. A mutual understanding had developed between the boy and the cat, for neither perceived the other with hostile intent. As they traveled, he became curious as to why the kelvics prey had escaped. His excuse could be that his animal escaped because of his inexperience. But kelvics are born to hunt. Is this a testament to your prey? By the gods what have I gotten myself into?

Finally, they reached a small clearing. The blood trail veered to the right, behind a large bush. But directly in front of the pair stood a talderan buck, complete with antlers and all. The buck was pacing back and forth, marking its territory. Even though Gilva had limited knowledge about other species, even he was able to tell that this was strange behavior. Because of his ignorance, the boy assumed that the blood trail that went to the bush would back track to where the buck was standing. Gilva thought that the reason the buck was pacing, was because of the uncomfortableness of the injury that created the blood trail. The boy glanced over at the kelvic and back at the buck. There was no way to effectively communicate with the kelvic since it didn't transform.

If they killed anything, this would be the boy's first successful hunt. As they stalked the buck, he pondered over what course of action he should take. If he threw the spear and managed to pierce the buck, it would likely die on impact. But to do so would leave the boy completely defenseless. Being unarmed would mean that Gilva would have to rely on his evasion-like dance movements. Unfortunately he still hasn't recovered enough.

The bucks patience was wearing thin. It was unfazed that it was being targeted by its predators. The Talderan Buck had a reason to defend the clearing, after all beyond the bush lie its injured mate, and their offspring. While fleeing was a possible option for the buck, the doe would likely succumb to its injury while the offspring would be too young and slow to escape the other predators in the woods.

Gilva's mind continued to identify a plan of attack. His body on the other hand, became petrified from the sight before him. The talderan had lowered his body, for it was preparing to ram the hunters with its djed-infused antlers.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on October 17th, 2014, 12:15 am

Saraphina Skyglow

T ravelling with the Vanthaian hunter was slower than if Saraphina was moving alone. Her thick fur kept the bramble and thorns of low dwelling brush from bothering her, so she could duck through thick areas without pausing much. But with a hunting partner, she had to make sure to lead him alone pathways that the human could traverse easily enough and not be injured. Which was tricky in the deeper woods, but not impossible. Just harder. Pressing forwards, Saraphina jumped up onto a fallen log and raised her head, scenting the mountain air. Something was off, the trail of blood she'd been following was growing again, but there was another, far more ominous smell that the Kelvic picked up on. Something that smelled like fresh brunt logs, tree bark and aggression. Some of the trees around the area had large parts of the trunks bark torn off and the grass around the bases was trampled and ripped up. The Tiger's hackles rose on her back, the hair sticking up and making her appear even larger. Something was here.

T he presences she sensed became obvious as the duo rounded the next bend in the forest. The large buck snorted in warning, pawing aggressively at the ground. Saraphina could easily smell the wounded prey in the bush behind the dominate male and knew that only a fight would allow her passage to her original target. But the Talderan Buck was strong, a fresh target not worn down from a dash through the woods. Were Saraphina alone, her predator instinct would tell her to leave the area and find an easier hunt. Though she was confident as a hunter and fighter, she still disliked being injured. Most large feline carnivores were ambush hunters, they were most effective when they could sneak up on a target. But the buck was well aware of the pair and not pleased about their presence in his territory.

S araphina looked over at her human counterpart and her heart sank a bit. Gilva had seen the antlered deer and appeared to have frozen in shock and fear. With the threat of a charge only moments away, Saraphina had a difficult choice to make. She could flee from the danger, and her instincts were screaming at her to do just that. Or she could trust in the clearly inexperienced hunter beside her to back her up. If the two worked together, they'd be able to bring the buck down. It would be a glorious hunt, one Saraphina could tell grand stories about. But it all depending on relying on Gilva. Then there was the fact that Saraphina had more or less invited the Vantha boy along on her hunt. He wouldn't be in this dangerous situation if not for her. Making her choice, the Tiger turned to face the buck, who'd lowered his head for a charge. Drawing in a breath, she loosed a powerful roar from her lungs. Hopefully the sound would snap Gilva from his trance, because Saraphina knew she'd not be able to take down the buck alone.

A s Talderan buck's hooves dug into the ground,he surged forward suddenly. Saraphina responded by unsheathed her claws and bounded forward as well, looking for a few stride as though she intended to meet the charging deer head to head. As the Tiger came within a few strides, Saraphina suddenly lurched to the side. Lashing out with a powerful swing of her front paw, her claws ripped into the face of the buck. The deer's charge faltered as the predators claws torn through one of his eyes and he flung his head sideways to dislodge the razor weapons. Antlers collided with the Kelvic's flank as she couldn't quite spin fast enough to get away and the force sent her tumbling onto the ground. Rolling back to her feet as fast as she could, a painful yowl escaped her throat as a hot, sticky liquid ran down the Tiger's side. One of the sharp points of the buck's horns had pieced Saraphina's flank, right around her shoulder. The wound was deep, but hadn't punctured into her chest cavity. But the movement on her front right leg was hindered now. She'd be slower, easier to hit. And the buck seemed to realize it. The nearsighted deer staggered in its charge towards Gilva and spun to face Saraphina. A prancing jump forward and the buck was nearly on top of the Kelvic, rearing up to impale the wounded Tiger with razor tipped cloven hooves.

by **Gilva Snowsong** on October 21st, 2014, 11:29 pm

The kelvic’s roar brought Gilva back to reality and the scene before him was a spectacular one. He was moments away from mauled to death, but his kelvic partner had decided to take the initiative and prevent his gruesome fate. And as a direct result, the kelvic became injured. It might have been safer and perhaps more convenient for the kelvic to have abandoned Gilva for he has proved himself to be nothing but a liability. And now, because the kelvic had taken a blow whilst saving his life, the duo had lost their greater offensive member. The boy would have to take responsibility for his actions; or rather lack thereof.

Whether it stemmed from his guilty heart, or a brief awakening within his djed, something caused the boy to take action. His body reacted instinctually so that he could protect his guardian. The buck had raised itself into the air, preparing to mutilate the kelvic with its hooves. The boy took advantage of the bucks odd positioning, but charging in its direction with his spear in hand. Rather than piercing the buck’s body directly, the boy stabbed the spear into the ground and used the momentum of the spear to carry his body into the air. Gilva extended both of his legs outward and forced his feet to press into the buck, pushing it away from the kelvic.

The boy’s action was successful, to an extent. While the spear had become lodged into the ground at a tilted angle, he had succeeded in altering the bucks path by pushing it away from the kelvic. The weight of the buck caused it to shift its body ninety degrees from its intended target, slamming its hooves into the ground. But the buck wasn’t intending to be completely thwarted, for it was completely aware that Gilva had landed in the proximity of its hind legs. For a second, Gilva was sure that he had seen the mysterious hooded woman from one of his dreams off in the distance. But his attention was quickly swayed back to the situation at hand. The talderan kicked the boy in the chest in retaliation for usurping it of its finishing kill. When the buck’s legs connected with the boy’s body, it was so powerful that he was forced to the ground. The air was pulled from his lungs and he struggled to recall his breath.

When the boy finally came to, he looked over to the spot from before and was unable to identify the woman's position. She had disappeared just as quickly as she had arrived, which caused him to wonder if she had truly been present at all. The young vantha's mind was beginning to fill with curiosity and wonder. Even though he had the opportunity to stab the talderan with the spear, he didn't have the nerve to do it. Instead, his first instinct was to protect the kelvic rather than kill the enemy. This characteristic alone proved that Gilva was not fit to be a proper hunter. Despite failing to kill the beast, he had somehow managed to deter it. Did it have something to do with the woman's presence? And how was it that he had managed to counter the buck?

His mind analyzed the events in order to try and devise a strategy against the buck. It was clearly stronger than him, but it wasn't without its flaws. Each time the buck was planning to attack one of the hunters, it was parried by the other. For some reason it seemed to have had a one-track mind, in that it could only focus on one target at a time. Gilva recalled the tales of his father's hunts, where he explained that having bait was an often utilized method by hunters. The first time, he was being used as bait while the second time, the kelvic acted as bait. His father had never told him why bait was so effective, but luckily for Gilva he didn't need to understand why; the only thing that mattered was that it was working.

The boy brought himself back to his feet and maneuvered his way to behind the spear. He whistled at the buck so that he could draw its attention. His plan was for the buck to somehow be ignorant enough to try and attack him, and by a miracle of the gods to impale itself on his spear. But, the presence of his weakened kelvic partner didn't guarantee the fact that it would acknowledge him. Although injured, the kelvic was still the greater threat of the two. If the buck were to dispatch the kelvic first, then it would be able to kill Gilva would relative ease.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on October 24th, 2014, 2:46 am

Saraphina Skyglow

G ilva's actions against the rearing buck gave Saraphina precious time to recover. Her wound, though deep, was not life threating. She could still fight....and she would fight. Hers was not a soul that laid down for any man or beast. Though the stag was strong and fierce, Saraphina was a hunter. A predator....a free Kelvic...and she would be the victory in this fight. With a little help from her Vantha partner. Flexing her injured front paw up and down, she watched Gilva's acrobatic maneuvers. It was impressive, very impressive in fact. The dark haired man moved with a grace and flexibility that nearly matched her own. Saraphina felt a tugging smile pull at her feline jowls as the buck was thrown off balance. That smile quickly changed to a wince as Gilva was brutally kicked by the deer and flew backwards. But pain and injury was a risk of every hunt. It was not a welcome or expected part, but it existed non the less. To be a great hunter meant trials, punishments and scars. Those unwilling to partake in the risks of hunting should not be in the wilderness.

H er partner was knocked prone from the attack, winded and vulnerable for a short while. The buck acted in a predictable manner, turning from Saraphina to face Gilva. Prey animals that choose to fight back rather than flee from a predator usually acted in such a manner, facing the immediate threats to them. The stag was no exception to this instinct. The deer was still, at heart, an animal. Animals were easy to trap and lure with bait, which each of the hunters acted as with their coordinated attacks. Animals had no higher cognitive thinking like the two hunters that worked together as a team, they relied on the gifts nature gave each of them and the instincts honed through the harsh lands they lived in. Sharp pointed horns spun towards Saraphina's human partner, lowering in a second attempt at a charge. But the stag was still bleeding from the wound the Kelvic had caused to its face, and now the deer's vision was distorted, making it far more venerable to a flanking strike from Saraphina. Which she would use to her full advantage, as any good predator would in the same circumstance.

T he high pitched sound of Gilva's whistle did indeed draw the buck attention and the deer snorted as it pawed the ground, muscles tensing for a second run. Saraphina circled around behind the deer, taking care to remain in the stags blind spot, as it could no longer see out of the eye on the side that she'd injured. The deer's ears swivelled, trying to pinpoint the Tiger's position, but the deer did not alter its choice. Hooves dug into the ground as it lunged forward toward Gilva. Saraphina reacted in almost the same instant. Though her front paw was injured, she could still move it. Claws unsheathed and hind legs fired powerful muscles as the Tiger Kelvic leaped into the air. 300 pound of massive feline flesh with razor claws landed on top of the buck's back. Digging her curved weapons into the stags skin to get a good hold, Saraphina opened a jaw filled with wickedly sharp serrated teeth and clamped down onto the base of the deer's skull. Blood filled her mouth and the weight made the buck stagger and drop to his knees on his front legs. Saraphina rolled her body to the side, trying to pull the stag to the ground. But it wasn't ready to give up the fight yet. The deer started to buck and twist, trying to throw off the Kelvic. Gilva would likely only have a few seconds before Saraphina lost her hold and was tossed from the buck's back. But if the Vantha acted quickly, the hunt might be over quickly.

by **Saraphina Skyglow** on December 7th, 2014, 4:34 pm

Saraphina Skyglow

T he twisting, bucking, frantic prey animal struggling to free itself from Saraphina was nearly enough to throw the large Tiger to the ground. Nearly....but not quite. Saraphina was, and always had been, a stubborn soul. Even when faced with danger far beyond her scope of experience to deal with or injured and bleeding, she still stood her ground. Fighting and bellowing defiance to the bitter end. As the Talderan deer tried to lower its head for a powerful buck, Saraphina used her great animalistic size to her advantage. Rolling hard to one side, she tightened her grip with her teeth and claws so hard it actually hurt her muscles. But the reward was well worth the pain. The antlered buck fell to the ground, cloven hooved kicking wildly and panic soaking the air. It knew it was in a very vulnerable position and that its death may well be near. Saraphina hoped that her Vantha partner would be experienced enough to know that now was the time to strike, while the deer was prone and struggling.

H owever, Gilva seemed to not react to the struggling deer and Saraphina was rapidly loosing her grip. This fight was going sideways faster than a rock dropped off a cliff. Growling in displeasure, the Tiger Kelvic's predator mind whirled as she fought to keep the buck on the ground. Releasing her teeth and shifting quickly to bite down on the softer under neck, ripe with major vessels and a sure way to ensure a kill. But doing so open a new risk to her. Right now she was away from the deer's kicking legs and thrashing antlers. Readjusting her mouth to sink sharp, lethal fangs into a meatier area would mean the deer had the chance to lash and possible kill her with its sharp horns. But she had to take the chance. If she didn't, the buck might well kill both hunters. Acting quickly, Saraphina released her clamping bite on the back of the bucks neck. Snaking her head forward as quickly as possible, the deer's rack cracked her in the cheek, but she managed to slither past the deadly weapons.

W hen her mouth closed on the bucks neck, a new, fresh rush of blood filled her maw. She knew almost at once that the fight was over. Weather the deer managed to throw her off or not, it no longer mattered. The wounds it had suffered were too severe, blood loss would eventually overtake the buck and it would fall. But she still tried to hold on, going so far as to pull her head back, tearing more muscle and causing an even more severe injury. The buck was a worthy prey however, even in its death throws. Heaving upwards in a mighty spasm, the Kelvic lost her dominant position and tumbled away. Yowling in pain as her front leg rolled under her, she scrambled to get back to her feet. However, the hunt was nearly over. Even as the buck fought to get back to its feet, the crimson liquid poured from the various wounds. Sucking, gasping breaths shuddered from its lungs, its mouth gaped wide to draw in breath. The buck turned and struggled to flee into the woods, but Saraphina knew it would fall soon. Stepping back, she waited. Patience was a trait she needed as a hunter, all things happened in time. The buck fumbled, staggered and finally fell. The fight was over....they had won.

N ow that the threat was past, Saraphina let herself pant in extrusion. She carefully flexed her injured leg, struggling not to wince. The wound was deep, but it hadn't hit any major blood vessels. She could still walk. It was a good thing Enthere was skilled in medicine, she could help treat the injury. And the feeling of pride at having triumphed over such a large game was nearly worth the pain. Limping over to the deer, she licked the blood off her jowls. With Gilva's help, the two could split the meat. Saraphina would ask for the hide and he could keep the antlers. It seemed like a fair trade to her. This had been a good hunt. She'd learned a lot about the game in the area and enjoyed the nostalgia of the Vantha hunt. Now it was time to recover.