Kaie tries her hand Sea Lion hunting with Kyle, but predators make the task a challenge.
(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role playing forum. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)
Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]
The sounds were deafening. Worse, they were nonstop. They were repetitive, as though hundreds of music players were stopping and starting the same song over, and over, and over, and over. Kaie ground her teeth and rolled over in her bed. Both hands curled the pillow tightly around her head over her ears. What. The PETCH...IS THAT?! her mind demanded to know. Finally the Myrian could take the wailing no more. She whipped the covers off her naked body with a loud, frustrated groan. Tired feet practically stomped toward the windows of her small apartment overlooking the cliffs. Bronze fists rubbed the sleep from her eyes before she peeked out, craning her neck to see as far down the length of the Kuahala Estates building as she could. Yet nothing above or below her window within sight could explain the sounds that were driving the savage so very mad. A string of curses in her native tongue were murmured through her lips as she trudged back to the shelter of her bed. The young woman threw herself back within her covers, resuming her previous position with the pillow muffling her ears. For a chime she managed to lay there trying to talk herself into tuning the outside world out. The impatient nature of the jungle-born did not allow that to last long. The pillow was whipped across the room to slam against the glass windows. Thankfully the fluffy projectile yielded no damage. The psyche of the apartment's resident, however, was quickly crumbling.
Kaie ripped herself from the bed and resumed her stomping about. A loincloth slid up to rest on her hips. Buck skin leggings was yanked up her legs until the skin below her navel uncovered by her loincloth was concealed from the cold world beyond the covers. Next came the leather vest she shrugged over her shoulders and the weapons belt tied tightly to her waist. To finish the ensemble, Kaie threw on her cloak and stormed out the door so quickly it was a wonder she remembered to lock it at all. From there it was a all but a walk of insanity. Her mind was on one single track, ears fixated on the sounds to the south as if they were capable of complete possession. Further and further down the paths she went, past the exhibits that held the Zith and the Symenestra, down the various tiers of Riverfall until she stopped behind Godiva's. Her brow rose as she stared down over the frozen falls. The wails were as deafening as ever and so was the murderous voice in her warrior heart. The sounds were not the product of bereaved spirits or an angry crowd. Far below the falls domesticated by Morwen was a congregation of strangest creatures the young woman had ever seen. They were like giant brown rodents with flippers. All huddled together in one large mass they howled and wailed together, waddling along the icy shores with only a few daring to slip into the wintry waters of the Suvan now and again.
"Blasted Sea Lions," a voice said loudly not too far off. Kaie turned her head to find a disgruntled Akalak standing on the cliffs with folded arms, shaking his head as his hateful gaze was trained on the obnoxiously loud animals. "If Caiyha would allow such a thing I'd gut them all." "Wouldn't be the worst thing. I was drinking with a guy last night who went down there to hunt them. He said it was real easy and few he killed made him some good profit," the first speaker's human companion mentioned beside him with a shrug of muscled shoulders. He scratched the back of his head. "All these animals making their way past the walls is no good though. I swear my sister said she saw a Grass Bear lumbering around the streets last night before some guards got after it. Probably drawn in by these damn things." Kaie's brow furrowed as she moved her gaze from the speakers nearby to the roaring creatures below the frozen water fall. Amber eyes scanned their bodies. Hunt them? Wouldn't be too hard. No claws. No giant fangs sticking out of their mouths. Slow out of the water. I've never seen such an awkward thing on land. After a few moments of deliberation the savage strode away from the source of her frustration and lack of peace. Once more, driven mad by impulse, she tore through the streets until she came across a long, squat building along the upper tier: Cora's apartments.
A bronze fist banged upon the cracked and molding door of one apartment in particular. She paused, but when no one came to investigate, she resumed her relentless pounding. "For petch's sake! WHAT?!" an angry voice from within called out, muffled by the barrier between him and the Myrian. It was only when the door finally swung open that her hand dropped back to her sides. The resident who answered the door was nothing short of disheveled, blonde hair a mess and eyes weak from sleep. The expression on the man's face was nothing short of foul."Get your shyke. We're hunting," Kaie said simply, gesturing with her hand to make haste. Kyle narrowed his heavy eyes, bewildered. "The petch's your hurry?" The savage jerked a thumb in the direction of the Plunge Pool, arched brow twitching as the sound continued without any sign of ending. Kyle ran a hand down his bearded face. "Sea lions. Cute and annoying, sort of like this visit." "Meet me down there in a bell." Without another word the Myrian turned from the man and vanished from the apartment building, soon after returning to her own domicile. It didn't take long for her to locate her spear, and once it was found, the woman was right on her way to meet Kyle at the Plunge Pool. Standing still a bit above the oblivious quarry, Kaie let her thumb trace along the sharp edge of the dark steel spear head. If you're all going to keep me from sleeping, a few of you are going to compensate for it.
"If you're going for the whole 'premeditated murder' vibe, you're nailing it right now," Kyle mocked with a swagger beside her. He appeared far more properly dressed for the cold weather and looking significantly more awake then their previous meeting. A full quiver of arrows was slung across his back and the corresponding bow hung from his left hand. The Myrian rolled her eyes, slipping from her homicidal focus to settle on the sorry sight of her least favorite hunting partner. Her index finger tested the tip of the spear head one last time before the hand dropped to her side all together. He flashed his teeth at her. "So let's see if I'm following this series of events right. What we have here is a savage too pretentious to sleep through the blissful sounds of active wildlife, and so she called the most talented and handsome archer Riverfall has ever known to help her on her very animal-unfriendly quest?" It was a wonder her eyes didn't manage to roll right out of their sockets. Kaie sat down at the decorative stone wall that lined the path just above the Plunge Pool."You summed it up pretty well. The only thing is I'm still waiting for that handsome, talented archer to show up," she retorted as seamless and smooth as if she was just answering a question about the day's general weather. Kyle made a face before turning his gaze outward and below.
"Please tell me you've hunted these things before?" She crossed her arms and held the spear up right by securing it in place between her knees. Kyle continued to stare down at the giant mass of brown creatures, lips pressed into a hard line she hoped was one of careful planning. "I've hunted them as often as you've hunted balicani," he muttered in a tone that make the Myrian furrow her brow. Her head cocked slightly as she eyed him."So once?" The archer turned his head to stare at her, blinking, before shaking his head and looking below again. "Of course you have." "Kyle, do you know shyke about sea lions or not?" He took an arrow from the quiver on his back, shaking it practically in her face like a sarcastic child. "Yes, okay, I know about the damned sea lions. No claws. A little bit of teeth. That's about it. I might not have killed any before but I doubt it'll be too daunting a task. Is that what you wanted to hear?" One of her brows arched, the confusion not yet waning from her expression. She shoved the arrow out of her face."Yeah. That was exactly it." Kaie rose from her position and took the spear up in her dominate right hand. She let the spear head hang parallel to the ground, Syna's rays glittering along the edges of the dark steel."You ready to get this done?" Kyle stared into her face for a few ticks too long before ducking his head and nodding. The arrow slowly made its way to the bow string."Okay then. Let's quit wasting daylight."
The pair of hunters made their way down the final trek of path until they were approaching the Plunge Pool itself. Spanning before them was a large land mass of ice that extended far before it broke away to the liquid sea. The sea lions were not easily lost upon its surface. They stuck out like blood on green leaves, or as Kyle so eloquently put it, shyke on white sheets. The great mass of cascading water frozen on its descent into the Plunge Pool was something to behold, though. Kaie took several ticks to admire the natural architecture inspired by Morwen herself, or perhaps she was just hesitating to willingly find herself suspended by ice again. "Best we shut up when we get close. They're not too skittish but, you know." Amber eyes fixated on the beginning of the ice mass before her. Kyle willingly took the first few steps before turning back to eye her. "Don't tell me after all that shyke talk you're afraid." The Myrian willed the images of vicious battle, homeland curses, and the freezing Baroque Bay swallowing her whole out of her head. Her lip curled at the surly archer before she took the first step, followed by a few more to catch up to Kyle. He shot her that stupid smirk of his before continuing on at an even pace with her. Their movements were cautious and somewhat slow. Yet, true to his assessment, the sea lions weren't too upset by the presence of two-legged animals venturing closer. Instead they huddled in their massive pile, belting out calls neither hunter knew to interpret, and flopping around over thick ice. The close Kaie trekked to the things, she couldn't help but think of them aesthetically as sea puppies rather than sea lies.
Kyle paused suddenly, causing the Myrian to hesitate just the same. Her spear was held out before her defensively and at the ready. Her eyes did the questioning when they locked with Kyle's, but there was little meaning there he wished to convey to her it seemed. His explanation came with his movements. He pulled the arrow back on the string as he lifted the bow, posture straight and tall where he stood. Don't you dare petching miss, damn you, Kaie found herself thinking as she eyed the closer brown sea puppy bodies ahead of her. At least this time if he screwed up it wouldn't be a very angry, charging grass bear. Besides, she was indeed reluctant to stop him based on the sole fact she was skeptical of his risk assessment. The aforementioned incident was a prime example. So she patiently waited for the man to steady his hands, exhale, and release the arrow from the bow. It whizzed through the cold air toward the moving mass of brown quarry. One of the creatures soon after bellowed in agony, sending its nearby compatriots wailing and wriggling along the ice toward the sea. Kaie needed no coaxing from Kyle to get after the escaping horde. The Myrian moved forward in a low crouch, swiftly and carefully moving along the ice sheet. The struck creature lagged far behind the others, and with its back turned to Kaie, the Myrian had no trouble sinking her spear deep into his torso. Blood rushed out from the puncture, spilling out along its slippery body as the creature resigned itself to its fate."Thank you for your sacrifice," the jungle-born murmured in her native language before jerking the spear from its fatty body. Nearby, Kyle had come closer to let a few more arrows fly. The first missed, but the second found itself wedged into the mass of one great behemoth of prey. It wasn't far from the bronze warrior either.
With a wicked bellow the sea lion worthy of its given name dropped its lower jaw to reveal rows of sharpened teeth to the spear-wielder. The flubbery body whipped around and awkwardly flailed itself at her. The Myrian jerked spear at its face to ward it back. Instead the agile neck of the sea lion gripped the spear shaft and flung it from her grasp. Come on! Amber eyes followed the rolling weapon longingly before focusing back on the threat at hand. The wounded thing continued its awkward charge, wailing viciously at her. Kaie took a few steps back before assessing her own superior speed and agility on land. Then she quickly zoomed back the animal with quick steps after her weapon. Moving just behind the escaping horde, dodging the few that lingered back with less than friendly attitudes, Kaie was headed for the end half of the ice sheet where several sea lions disappeared into the water a few yards forward. Luckily she had no need or desire to venture further. The spear was scooped up in her bronze hands. Then she pivoted back to watch her own back. No sea lions posed an immediate threat to her person. Most of the mass of sea lions had either dipped into the Suvan or moved farther along the Plunge Pool ice mass. However, the behemoth still remained. Spying her near the last of its colony, the wounded creature soldiered on after her with a tenacity that make even the Myrian raise her brow. She could sense its anger, its absolute desire to make her suffer severely for her hand in its fate. She raised her spear anticipating another round. Neither got their chance.
"KAIE!" Kyle roared over the sound of the wails and bellows before the ice between Myrian and sea lion blasted skyward with freezing sea water. Amber eyes went wide and the young woman quickly found herself on her back. Her spear was held up before her, but no muscle in her body dared to do much else but tighten as if paralyzed. The enormous black fish with giant white eyes marking and under belly breached through the hole it created in pursuit of the sea lion. The doomed animal tried in vain to turn and flail itself back to safety at shore. Instead it found itself captured in the jaws of the aquatic predator, who seized and dragged the creature into the depths of the ocean. "The ice, dammit! The ice!" Kaie turned her awe-struck gaze from the disappearing killer to realize her new found peril. Cracks in the large ice sheet head reached as far as her extended legs. Anxiety bubbled to the surface with the memory of falling into the cold, black deep. Quickly and carefully finding her feet, the crouched Myrian stepped lateral off her drifting piece of ice back onto the undamaged mass that still supported Kyle. The archer beckoned her to make haste his way. The savage had no quarrel about complying. Cringing each time a step back toward her partner yielded a protest from the very ground that held her, she reached Kyle's side in a chime.
"What the petch was that?!" she breathed finally, sitting down on solid snow coated land. Kyle shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. After a tick of silence the two broke into nervous laughter. "Well...we managed to get two. Would've had three if your fish friend didn't take the biggest of the lot." "Guess we should just gut what we've got then, huh?" "In other words you're gonna sit there and watch me do all the skinning like always?" "You're better at it than me! You're the one always complaining about mizas. Do you want me to butcher the product and let our pockets suffer for it?" Kyle grumbled but nonetheless set out to do what he did best. Meanwhile, the Myrian happily remained out of the strange black fish's reach. Now and then she thought she spied a black sail fin out beyond and a scurry of frantic sea lions in the deep.
Kaie tugged the hood of the cloak snugly over her head as a chilly wind whipped at the ends of the fabric. The arrival of the pair of hunters did not bring to a bloody end the wails and bellows that had brought the Myrian out in the cold in the first place. They simply moved along further down the shore or ventured into the apparently very perilous waters of the winter Suvan Sea. The oddly solo black fish did not appear again that bell. The Myrian frowned. Despite the fact the creature came very close to plunging her into, well, the Plunge Pool's icy depths with its breaching act, a third predator taking out the noisy animals made her selfish heart sing. She only regretted it took the largest of the lot. Kyle, on the other hand, was probably somewhat grateful for the smaller kills. He'd been squatting before the dead carcasses. His hunting knife jerked, jabbed, and gutted the bodies until they were properly eviscerated. Blue and purple knots of intestines roped beside the man as he set to work on the second killed sea lion. From where she sat she could hear the sound of his bloody work, fluids and innards spilling onto the pure white ice. The harmony of carnage should've been enough to make anyone's stomach turn. The Myrian didn't so much as cringe. Squatting along the shore, she played in the thin layer of snow, the harmless end of her spear lifting and dropping to create a deep circular shape in the powder.
"Not to be that girl, but when will you be finished?" she inquired lightly from her position, voice just loud enough to cover distance and avoid being muffled by any stray wind. Kyle reared his head and rolled his eyes. "Sooner when you quit askin' me," the skinner retorted with a pause from his tedious work. He wiped sweat from his forehead and let his bloodied hands dig in again. "When I am, though, we'll hopefully get a good sack of coins for this lot. Sell the meat. Sell the skins. Sell the blubber for candles or oil. You and I, Myrian, we won't be starving this winter I promise ya that." A broad grin spread across her face behind his back. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for this loud mouths to stick around after all if I'm gonna get paid for an easy hunt, she considered thoughtfully. Then it was back to toying with the snow, the spear shaft lifting up before it pummeled down into the powdery snow. She stared down at her childish work, humming along a tune to a song she did not know. For some time she was practically alone with her thoughts, forgetting the cold winter environment in favor of the wild fantasies that roamed her mind. Her amber eyes flicked up once after a few chimes to peer over in her partner's general direction. Her mouth parted with the slow dropping of her jaw.
How in the void...?
To the right of Kyle a length of tawny fur slunk down mischievously toward the Plunge Pool, shamelessly navigating around the treacherous frozen falls making no effort to conceal its presence. It was quiet in its advance. Padded paws stalked closer and closer to the Plunge Pool, surely following its instincts in the direction of the boisterous quarry practically begging to have razor fangs and hungry claws dug deep into fatty flesh. Her eyes flashed between Kyle and the feline predator, teeth grit. The spear was lifting into both hands, the spear head out before her. Her gift yielded no information for her. Perhaps the predatory cat hadn't seen her yet. Odds were it simply didn't care, for splayed about the ice was a buffet of harvested organs and hot but cooling blood of a fresh kill. Reminds me of a jaguar from Falyndar...but brown. How could it have gotten this far into the city? Kaie slowly rose into a crouch."Don't move," the jungle-born hissed toward the Sunberth native. Naturally, Kyle whipped his head to look over his shoulder. "What?" Gods, did she want to kill him right then. A single bronze finger moved against her lips while her eyes flashed toward the advancing feline. Kyle slowly turned his head to spy the creature with wide, fearful eyes. Don't do it, Kyle. Don't you petching do it. The skinner slowly glanced back at Kaie to catch the shaking of her head. Then, just as she feared, his bloodied fingers gradually reached down to wrap around the shaft of an arrow he pulled from the nearest carcass. The cougar leveled its gaze upon the man as he placed the arrow on the bowstring, raising the bow. Kaie's eyes darted from predator to Kyle as he leveled his weapon just long enough to aim. He let the arrow fly. The arrowhead zoomed for its target, shattering upon the ice a mere hair from the creature's leading paw.
The cougar snarled and took off in a dead sprint after the archer. The Myrian did no different, racing across the ice despite its warning groans with each step. Amber eyes were wild and alive, heart racing. Kyle was in a panicked hurry for another arrow, fumbling terribly with the projectile with the incoming cat. Both two-legged hunters were quick but the four-legged was faster. In a few ticks it had pounced upon Kyle, who fell onto his back beside the carcass. Only the bow shoved up against the cougar's throat kept the snapping fangs at bay. Its angry claws desperately worked for purchase through his cloak. With a snarl of her own, the jungle-born planted a fierce kick into the cougar's side. The tawny animal tumbled off Kyle's downed frame, leaving him gasping, scrambling for his feet. The cougar's torso contorted with a sure twist to find its own. The Myrian squared off before the animal, leaving Kyle firmly behind her. Her spear swayed before her, mirroring the movements of the hissing feline."Call your beast home, Navre. Is it not the blood of your own I came to spill this day," Kaie offered the prayer in her native tongue as her eyes followed the cat. The proud animal only stalked forward, deaf to her pleading.
"Kyle, don't shoot it yet." she said lowly in Common to the man behind her, who stopped the placement of the arrow on the string with a look of absolute disbelief. "Are you out of your petching mind?" "Probably, but like you said. The sea lions are worth something. Start lugging that one to the shore at least while I've got this one's attention." On cue the cougar hissed again with a fiercely furrowed brow and exposed fangs. I am an idiot. I am a stupid petching idiot. Navre, don't kill me for it. And yet the desire to kill was so hot on the cougar's mind it was all the Myrian could do not to turn and give Kyle up as bait.
She could feel the hesitation behind her, the apprehension to abandon the foolhardy Myrian despite inborn instincts to escape by leaving the doomed to their bloody ends. She wanted to turn and scold the man. The cougar would not offered her so much as a breath. The feline commanded all her focus, rewarding the trained spearhead upon its frame with a grumble that came from low in its throat. "I'll ask the tavern bards to sings ballads of your stupidity, Myrian," was Kyle's parting words before he finally agreed to follow the woman's suggestion. He pedaled backward from the threat partially blocked from his view by the spear-wielder. Then he turned his back, gathering his supplies, and lugging the first carcass toward the shore. For a tick Kaie spied the cougar's slitted eyes wandering behind her back to follow the remains that left a bloody dragging pattern in its wake. A forward jut with her spear toward its face send the cougar stepping to the side with a frustrated cringe, but when its eyes opened again, they were fiercely settled on her. And the foreboding of her gift was never so vengeful.
"Kyle? Do my a favor and let me know when you're done," she requested of the man with a call over her shoulder, amber eyes never leaving the cougar. The dragging sound stopped for a tick. "Sure thing," the hunter called in return, breathless, before the dragging sound over ice resumed. The agitated predator resorted next to pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. The dark steel spear head followed each pattern as if it had a mind linked to the creature itself. Each time the cougar's movement was thwarted, it offered a snarl, and increased the speed of its left-right jerks in search of a hole in the two-legged's defense. By the sound of the dragging, Kyle was lucky enough to be just about halfway to the snowy shore. Strong as he was, Kaie couldn't help but wish his brawn could allow him to be a bit quicker. "Come on, Navre. The jungle's a long distance away by even I know you watch every one of your prowling cats. No daughter of Myri wants to spill the blood of your cats," Kaie attempted to plead with the demi-god once more in a tongue he would understand. It was no secret the elusive feline deity had more than his fair share of romps with Myri the Merciless. Thus, all that kept her from executing a well-timed preemptive strike, was the empty hope that the relationship between the demi-god and her Goddess Queen might earn both Myrian and cougar to exit the conflict with relative peace. In a perfect world, both might've afforded that.
Apparently over the waiting game, Kaie felt the inclination to move off her center just as the cougar launched itself at her being. The Myrian pivoted backward with her rear foot, attempting to swivel her body out of the way so that the cougar might soar harmlessly past her. Even with the help of her gift, the four-legged predator was far quicker. Razor sharp claws raked against her vest as she stepped backward, leaving a long, discolored pattern of marked across the garment. She gritted her teeth. The cougar landed lightly on its paws lateral to her slightly turned frame. Then both whipped around to face each other head on. With the curling of both their maws, it was harder to tell which creature was more infuriated based on the savagery of their snarls. "I gotta get closer to nab the second one!" Kyle called from the shore after dropped the first carcass off. In a rare moment, Kaie let her vision flicker back past the cougar to spy the next carcass was indeed too close to the predator for anyone's comfort. Worse, she was no longer in a position where she could be placed between Kyle and the immediate threat."Those ballads of my stupidity better not suck, you hear me!" was all the Myrian offered before she worked harder for the animal's undivided attention with a series of jabs toward the creature. Her subsequent strikes were more wild and exaggerated than before. Large, downward arcing swing with the spear head assaulted the creature followed by two horizontal sways that kept the animal rightfully on its toes. All the while the Myrian was slowly stepping backward and rotating their positions, trying to lead the cougar into circling back to leave her in a defensive position for Kyle.
Once the switch was carefully executed, Kyle rushed to the carcass to begin dragging once more. It was a dangerous game, one the savage was reluctant to play. Blood colored the dark steel spear head, yielding the few drops of crimson that colored the white surface below. The cougar was bloodied but evidently not deterred. Perhaps only maddened, a theory which was supported by the whack of the spear with a heavy paw. The spear swayed away with the strike, but returned rather quickly right back to level with the animal's head. The pair continued their dance, the cougar occasionally lunging or testing boundaries while the savage utilized the advantage of her gift to, for the most part, avoid and deter with her spear. "Alright! Both on shore!" Slowly the savage began to back away toward the voice of her fellow hunter. Unfortunately, the angered animal had no qualms with following with threatening steps forward with heavy paws. Her grip on her spear was oddly not nearly as tight as one might've expected it to be. And all the while, her amber eyes could not be divorced from those of her hunter.
"What the petch are you doing?! You have a petching spear, woman! You should've gutted this prick of a cat ages ago." She curled her lip at that and readjusted the grip on her spear. Her feet kept stepping back despite the hissing of the animal that followed her, kept at bay only by strategic jabs with her weapon. Eventually, as she neared the shore, Kyle's opinions became more frequently voice. "You're leading it right toward me and our lot! Are you out of your mind?!" In a few ticks she could hear the tension of a strained bow string. Her voice turned to a sharp growl."If you let a single arrow fly, I'll shove this spear down your throat and our your ass." He debated for some time, only relenting to her threat when his arms could keep the string tight no longer."Find a chunk of meat and toss it. Please just do it." The Myrian heard a fair share of grumbling, below-breath complaints and curses before a raw chunk of bloody seal meat landed before the cougar. It eyes the pair of two-legged foe before it distrustfully before lowering its head to sniff at the remains. Kaie backed up until she was nearby beside Kyle. Slowly, she lowered her spear and reached a hand back toward the skilled skinner.
Kyle placed a raw piece of meat in her hand. The Myrian lowered herself carefully to a crouch, dug her teeth into the bloody strip, and tore from free to chew. Then she tosses the large strip for the cougar, who quickly pounced upon it gleefully with a flick of its thick tail. The young woman rose and stepped beside Kyle, gesturing passively with her spear toward the content creature."We leave some more and go." The man eyed her strangely before nodding and tossing a few more chunks. Then the two set to lifting a carcass, one each, and dragging them away from the Plunge Pool. With each chomping of their gifts left behind, the sensation of feral rage began to ebb, and part of her yearning heart went so far as to loathe leaving the cougar to its own devices.
The pair broke plenty of sweat before they made it back up to the next highest tear, pausing now and then to catch their breaths and ensure the cougar was indeed far behind them. Eventually, they made it though, and when they did, Kyle finally voice the question that must've lingered in his head for quite some time before he'd gathered the bravery to ask. "I think I deserve to know what all that was about. You gonna tell me?" Kaie shifted her lower jaw, grunting as she tugged the carcass along the snow."Wish we had something to lug these things a little faster," she responded irrelevantly above the continued wailing that came from the Plunge Pools below. The man nodded his head in agreement to that statement. He looked down at the path he traveled, glanced up to see where they were headed, looked down, but quickly look up again as if something caught his attention."What?" He held up his hand, a universal gesture to wait, and dropped his carcass right there in the snowy streets. A light jog brought him over to a nearby vendor whose expression darkened the tick he spied Kyle approaching him. Kaie patiently waited where he'd left her, watching the confrontation. She could see Kyle's stupid, charming grin despite the distance. The vendor seemed less amused, making grand gestures of clear annoyance. Clearly there's a disagreement over something, she deducted with a sigh. She glanced behind her. Still no stalking cougar. She watched Kyle place a condescending hand on the man's shoulder, at which point the vendor shoved him and disappeared back behind his stand where various coats were displayed for weary passing folk. Kyle grinned wildly, and with a whistling, relieved the vendor's nearby pull cart of its contents right there in the street. Then he began wheeling it her way with a victorious smirk.
"Something like this?" he asked her rhetorically, lowering the wooden machine to the ground triumphantly. Kaie grinned and patted him on the back. Then the two set to work lugging the dead animals into the cart before each took a handle, lifted the cart front up, and began to pull it along the path with some difficulty in the snow."How'd you get him to part with it?" "Eh, not so much parting as it is borrowing. Knew the old dude from the 'Berth. Let's just say he owes me a favor as a fellow Dagger." For a tick the Myrian's brow rose and her head turned back to lay eyes on easily the oldest living Daggerhand member she'd ever seen. "Long story." Silence persisted between the two as far as conversation went for quite a while. Only their protestant grunts and labored breaths broke the air between them. Still easier than carrying these things. Several passing Riverfall natives paused to watch the pair move along with the marine prey, some with awe while others' eyes went alight at the opportunity. It was rather nice for the Myrian to tote her quarry through the streets without worry of being jumped for it.
"Back to my earlier question. You were reckless back there. For someone who claims to have killed a balicani in their day, you froze when it came time for the bloody task. Afraid of a mountain lion but not a giant serpent monster?" The Myrian began to tug the cart forward with stronger purpose. Kyle had to hurry along to keep up. "First you put yourself between me and the cat---" "I put myself between me our profit." "Whatever you say. Either way, you choked and you know it. I wanna know why." Kaie exhaled sharply, gritting her teeth as her muscles protested again against the brawny work."We got our seals. We're gonna get paid. We're still alive." Kyle's side of the cart dropped, and Kaie almost dropped down with it. With daggers in her eyes she turned to stare at him, body straining under the weight to hold the cart up alone."Pick it up, Kyle." "I will when you stop being so...you." Kaie stared at him in disbelief. Are we even petching friends where he could pull this shyke? She tried to pull the cart forward solo in vain. No luck. She stopped and stood there, gathering her breath as she held her end up."It's that important to you that I tell you why my first reaction wasn't to kill it?" Kyle folded his arms and nodded with an expectant expression. With her head, Kaie gestured toward his side of the cart. Reluctantly, the man indeed bent down and lifted his side once more to relieve her strain. "Navre is the demi-god of cats. My people revere him back home. I did not want to kill one of his without reason." The cart began to move again with Kyle's cooperation, and yet she could still feel the heat of his stare on her. Unconvinced. "And you think your cat god would be that pissed if one of his little fur balls picked the fight first?" Kaie suppressed the growl building in her throat."I guess the animal just reminded me of someone." Now the man carried on dumb-founded, blinking at her a few times before silently focusing back on the work. Before he could dare to ask her to elaborate, she cut him off with a harsher tone."You wanted an answer, that's the one you get. End of story."
In relative silence outside more casual conversation, the two navigated their cart through Riverfall and beyond along the packed snow of the road. A short bought of tugging along led them to the familiar Stained Pelt just outside the city. When their cart was finally stuck in the snow, each resumed lugging a carcass to the business a short ways away on foot. The pair entered the premises with their products for Karlak the Akalak to appraise. They waited patiently as the male looked the bounty over. Then he engaged Kyle in negotiations in Tukant, much to the Myrian's annoyance. However, eventually the two must've come to a satisfied agreement, before the carcasses were quickly taken in and a sack of coins were placed in Kyle's hand for the two to divide amongst themselves. Leaving the small establishment and working the cart of the snow to return to the vendor, they made haste to complete their business and get out of the cold. When all was done, they wandered together into the nearest warm tavern to seat themselves at a table in the corner. With a grin, Kyle emptied the sack and began his counting. He evenly divided the profits before her eyes and shoved her half across the table for her to pocket into her coin purse. "Am I handsome now?" he offered with a humorous smirk at the sound of the passes coins clinking harmoniously into her possession.
Lore: Sea Lion: Annoying but Easy Prey Kyle: Reluctant Partner The Suvan Predator: Huge, Black, White, and Hungry Tactics: Drawing the Predator from the Prey (or Partner)
Additional: +75gm from the meat, blubber/oil and skin of the two sea lions
Click Me! :
Ah, you continue to impress me! I loved how Kaie stuck with her faith and her reason rather than just fly into a fight like most Myrian PCs would. Way to be faithful to the character! I wasn't sure EXACTLY how much you'd get for all of that stuff, but considering those lions were pretty heavy and there's two of them... I thought 150gm seem pretty fair.
Oh, and I love how you're sticking with Kyle and fleshing him out, to the point that he's regarding Kaie as a FRIEND rather than just a partner. Characters, well-written characters, are never just flat, if you're going to have them survive more than a thread, and you're proving it. And, ah... pretty clear Blondie has a crush on ya.
Oh, and please make sure you go back and edit your post in the Request Thread to reflect the fact this one is now done and dusted. PM me with any questions and later 'tater!
