Quest Never a Regular Hunt (Soharaa, Quzon)

[Quzon]

Quzon had set his equipment down by the camp fire, foregoing the need to set up his tent as he would simply use his back pack as a pillow and lay on the ground when the time to rest came.

Inactivity had Quzon writhing absently where he sat after settling in. As he glanced around towards the others, he sighed and wiped the blood trail from his neck to exercise. He laid down on his belly with the palms of his hands against the ground. He supported himself off of the ground in a push-up position, then bent his muscled arms to lower his body an inch above the ground. "One." He whispered before lifting himself back to the starting push-up position.

Quzon didn't start his work out because he was impatient or eager to find trouble. He simply had energy which would keep him awake. And after his little squabble with Tepin, he had accumulated a vast amount of pent up negative energy to relieve. He tightened his abdominal muscles to strengthen out his entire body, and then slowly lowered his body back towards the ground. He kept his abs tightened as if he were about to be punched in the stomach which kept him from sagging his lower body. Once he was ready, Quzon exhaled and pushed himself back up into his starting position. He repeated this until he had done ten push-ups.

He only paused his exercise for a moment to listen to Yolotli's orders. The only word he gave her was simple, but stern "Understood." Then returned to his exercise. The sound of his heavy breathing filled the silence as the rest of the Fang began to eat when the food was ready. Sweat had accumulated on his brow, and he watched as they dripped to the dirt below.

"Sixty-five."

Quzon's arms felt tense, but it was nothing that he could not deal with. He lowered his knees to the ground when he felt that he had burned off his excess energy. He would have continued, but stopped so that he would not be completely sore in the morning.

Due to his need to work out, Quzon had been the last one to eat before laying down to rest. Laying his head down against his backpack until it was time for guard duty; falling asleep with his hand-axe and chakram within arms reach by his side.

[Traverse]

eoocApologies for the delay, and events will start ramping up here shortly

The fitfully sleeping half Isur was woken firmly by his fang leader, a hand pulling him back into consciousness. She simply gave Quzon a nod to communicate all was currently well, and retired to the thin mat that was her bed in this jungle, laying down, and in the non-existent light almost appearing to fall asleep immediately as she settled down.

The embers of their campfire, and a few stubborn struggling flames gave Quzon enough light to see his comrades all asleep in one form or another around the makeshift camp. A tree whose trunk curved in the shape of a J was the perfect spot to sit or stand to keep his turn at watch, a couple boulders also providing good perches if he was feeling restless.

The night was not quiet or peaceful, since many creatures within Falyndar spent their days asleep and nights awake, but the steady rhythm of insects, amphibians, and birds was somewhat comforting in so far that it meant all was well around their camp.

Teyacapan woke herself when it was her turn at a shift, approaching Quzon silently as always, though she made enough noise so that he would not be surprised at her approach. Though he must have been awake for a couple bells, it had seemed to go by in an instant. She gave hand signals he was familiar with, a suggestion of rest, if he could get any, and she hopped up on the curved tree trunk, crouched upon it as she looked out over a darkened forest.
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[Quzon]

oocCan't wait to see what happens

When Yolotli forced him out from his slumber, he reached out to grasp towards his weapon out of instinct to ready himself for a fight. However, the serene nod the Tokoh gave him did its job well in pacifying his immediate need to fight.. He turned his head from where it laid on his backpack, a huff of air that could've been a chuckle escaping his lips as he sat up to inspect the camp. He scrubbed a gray colored hand over his face as he shook the last bits of sleep idleness away.

He had awoken feeling a bit refreshed. It was far from a good night’s sleep but it was sufficient enough for the job ahead of him. Quzon turned his head from where it laid on his backpack, a huff of air that could've been a chuckle escaping his lips as he sat up to inspect the camp. He scrubbed a hand over his face as he shook the last bits of sleep idleness away.

It didn't take him long to start walking the camp at the start of his watch. He kept himself busy by circling the camp at random intervals. Letting his gaze linger in the darkness, only daring to wander further past what the light of the campfire revealed due to the slight increase in night-vision his half-isur blood granted him.

Quzon found guarding to be a peaceful duty. If often kept himself busy by spinning his chakram around his index finger. It forced his mind to focus on the task at hand and keep the blade from cutting himself. By the time Teyacapan approached, Quzon spun the chakram slowly on his index finger while slowly singing a soft song to himself. Even through he seemed to keep himself distracted, his eyes were constantly shifting in search for anything of note. The song he sang was one of the only songs he could remember his mother singing to him as a child; It was less of a song and more of a parable to warn Myrian children of what lurked in the jungle at night.

"Listen to the warcall of the jungle,
Listen to the fury as it swells.
Hear the fury sunder through the darkness,
within the place where few would dare to tread."

Quzon's song ended once Teyacapan took her seat. He was not a shy person, but he did not feel like singing when others were listening. He gave her a slight shake of his head in response to her gesture, signaling that he would stay up to keep watch with her.

[Traverse]

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The two fang mates could feel the change on the proverbial wind. It happened suddenly and without warning, first they stood in companionable silence, and then it truly was...silent. It happened in such a way that Quzon could not recall how, simply that one moment the jungle was alive with its nighttime noises, and then suddenly it wasn't.

It took only moments more for them to hear brush crackling and snapping under the weight of something, approaching their location fast, and as it drew closer, the entire fang was woken by a shrill and haunting howl that invaded the ears like a waking nightmare. It was a sound that haunted the sleep of adults and children of the Myrian people alike, the sound of Akila hounds on the hunt.

Teyacapan had her shortbow drawn and notched in an instant, aimed precisely towards the center of the more pressing sound, the underbrush moving. Yolotli and the rest of the fang packed up their sparse belongings and readied themselves for battle with practiced efficiency, as the entity rushing towards them revealed itself with the drawling caw of a Threshal. Teyacapan lowered her bow, as a familiar female scout, entirely out of breath halted before her and Quzon. The others formed a semi-circle around the female, the fang leader only allowing her three ticks of heavy breathing before folding her arms and demanding a response.

The female raised a weary brow and began. "The Iron Fang was hit by a large, but not large enough pack of Akila, one of our scouts was killed, one of their fang critically injured. The Northern fang was hit as well, two of their party down."

Xoco whistled a low noise. "The hounds are the ones doing the hunting."

The female scout gave a nod of agreement, and Tepin snorted. "Well that stops here, we'll be rea-"

Another howl, this one alarmingly closer than the first cut off the cocky Myrian, making everyone tense. The scout gave a demeaning look to Tepin. "I hope you're right."

Yolotli gave a call, the high trill of a hunting hawk that signaled everyone to form up in preparation for battle. There was no time for formal speeches or orders when it was clear the hounds were almost upon them.
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[Quzon]

Quzon grasped the handle of his axe, a scowl tugging at his lips once he stood in formation with his fang mates. An aura of excitement came from the night's immediate future, coursing through the nightscape, beckoning Quzon on. It was that excitement which forced him to to calm himself for what he needed to do next. He stood with his axe held up in one hand for defense, his other arm extending out in front of him with his palm facing towards the sky as if he were about to pray. He focused on his breathing.

Inhaling through his nostrils, and then exhaling.

With each breath he prepared himself for combat, beckoning his soul into action. In a way, this was a sort of prayer as he let all of his worldly problems slip away so that only that moment mattered. Willing the deepest part of him self into action with a primal need to fight for the fang. His breathing grew slower as he felt his soul swell through his body like blood. His slow breathing helping to manifest djed in his hand out into the world.

With a heavy exhale, Quzon’s began to emit an ethereal translucent green color from his palm. The small glow hovered above his palm in cloud of gas no bigger than a man’s thumb. He held his arm in the direction of the jungle, he willed his res to attract the rocks of earth from the ground below. The earth began to mold and solidify around the outside of his res, forming a rocky shell around it in the shape of a two inch long, one inch in diameter, spike. He kept near total control of the floating earth spike by keeping its core filled with res.

He stood ready to send the projectile flying at the true sight of any hostile.

[Traverse]

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They could all hear the approach of the hounds, though there were no more howls as the beasts drew closer. The rumbling trample of many heavy paws drew in close, and everyone tensed and prepared. Xoco, and Teyacapan lit several torches, sticking them in the crooks of rocks, and fastening them to fallen branches in order to give them light for the fight ahead. Quzon couldn't help but feel a bit of pride in that moment, his eyes slightly better at seeing in the darkness than his comrades, and farther from the torches than all save Teyacapan. He saw the white glowing eyes of the first Akila hound reflected in the torch light, lunging straight for him. That moment of the canine moving powerfully through the air was the last of relative silence and peace in that night. Xoco and Tepin simultaneously gave war cry shouts, Tepin surely pleased he had coordinated so well with the second in command as the Akila heading for Quzon arrived somewhere in the area of his chest snapping at his neck.

Yolotli gave the lowest of growls, feet entering a defensive stance as two Akila's charged her. It was when Momoztli, more at the center and behind the semi-circle of the fang sprang into action. She may have been a healer, but she was a Myrian as well, and the idea of her fang leader getting injured under her watch seemed an affront to her being. Her body lunged dagger first into one of the Akila's sides, causing a mixture of a ferocious growl, and a yelp of pain to escape the beast. While those two struggled with their adversaries, Teyacapan disappeared from view, obviously at odds with at least one beast, while three swarmed Tepin and Xoco, leaving Quzon, at least temporarily, with a singular adversary clear on taking him down to the ground where it would be easier to rip out his half Isur throat with powerful jaws.
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