[Cobalt Mountains] Frostbound [Klyph, Hrafn]

[Leviathan]

For those that were hunters, survivors, and men of the natural wilderness would find that the night existed as peacefully as any night in the wilds could be. For those that were soft, more adapted to the comforts of silent knights within stone walls and protected by scores of armed soldiers, such a lonely feeling and the paranoia of every chirp and hum would make the night not pass swiftly nor peacefully, yet in fragments. Periods of slumber and periods of worried fretting would be what existed in their minds until the much awaited shimmer of sunlight shone across the sky's border. Regardless of what they ate and how they slept, Klyphaestus and Jonathon would find themselves aroused early in the morning. The sunlight from Syna's radiance was faint, but already allowed for significant exposure in the lightly wooded region of the Wildlands. Jonathon and Klyphaestus were no longer disarmed of their eyesight, and though their companion, Hrafn, had left with without so much as an explanation of his intended destination, there was no sign of trouble or struggle to lead anyone into believing he met his demise. However, the two young men were still aroused by a noise that wasn't particularly familiar, yet Jonathon might recall such a sound when he saw in the distance who was the villain producing such awful frightening noise. A monstrous Boar had stumbled in the area. The snorting as the massive pig, which was much larger than any standard boar should have been. The tusks on the creature weren't particularly enormous, and it was visible from their distance that the right tusk was broken, cutting off a few inches in its length. Those tusks though were still in proportion with the Boar's massive size, which meant it was large and could easily spill a Human's (or Inarta's) guts with a single stroke. Even somebody with no experience in hunting could figure that such a prize as this, a lone wild boar (which was a typical choice for the males), would be worth a fine piece of gold Miza. The same people would also be able to accurately assume that to take down such a beast would take enormous effort, and an even larger number of arrows. This was the sort of thing groups of hunters prayed to Caiyha to find, yet it was also one that claimed the lives of many who weren't prepared. Jonathon and Klyphaestus had an advantage or two though, as well as several disadvantages. First, and most important, the hunters had the element of surprise. They were both aware of the boar where as the beast itself seemed genuinely unaware of his surroundings, or at least that he was being watched that early in the morning. Second, they were two men, where the boar was only one beast of lesser intellect. They had bows, arrows, and a number advantage, not a huge one, but one none-the-less. But the Boar had his own advantages, should he need them. He was a small powerhouse, and being massive in comparison to the average boar (which was already damn scary and formidable), made him a walking Man-Killer. He was thick with fur, fat, and muscle, and appeared to have no notable injuries to slow him down or deter him from fighting for his life. Let's not forget he could run quicker than humanoids as well. Jonathon and Klyphaestus had a very serious choice to make. To attack, and make a mistake doing so, would be death, but to leave before they were noticed, they could certainly live to hunt something smaller, easier, and less of a threat, but their prize would not be so large as this. Boar600-ish Pounds A little less than three meters long Tusks are roughly 4 inches (partially broken), and 6 inches Solid Brown Color Obviously Male, Mature, and Healthy NoteThis is your first real chance to hunt something, and it's big. I want to restate that by accepting to hunt the boar, your PC's lives are at stake. A foolish, illogical, or generally ridiculous action may decide the very fate of Jonathon and Klyphaestus, yet tactical, skilled, and logical actions (while being reasonable) could earn you some hefty rewards. I suggest you make your choices wisely.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon's eyes popped open with a snap. What was that noise? Jonathon was almost immediately up, bow in hand. He began to string it, and brought his quiver of arrows up to his back. That sounds... Big. Big and unfriendly. And Jonathon was quite right. Nearby, a huge Boar had arrived. Jonathon could, after a bit of creeping-forward and watching-sneakily, see it, right near their campground.

Jonathon looked back at his hunting partners... partner. Klyph was here, and starting to wake; but Hrafn had left in the night. Was this my fault? I wouldn't care so much... but the boar... Jonathon looked worriedly over his shoulder back at the boar. His mother had told him once that boars could reach incredible sizes such as this, and were as dangerous as any monster.

Jonathon felt one part glee, two parts apprehension, and about seventeen parts terror. That boar could rip them apart with a movement of the tusks. Jonathon woke Klyph, nudging him, hard, in the ribs with his feet. He didn't talk, and made as little noise as possible. Any noise out of Klyphaustus was immediately shushed by Jonathon.

Now, with Klyph with him, Jonathon crept back to the boar, examining it closely. That's one huge pig... Jonathon, if he could kill that, could see wealth and recognition coming at him from all sides. It was a monster, that boar. But Jonathon could also see the danger. Yes, that thing was a monster of a catch, and Jonathon was a novice hunter, even if he seemed rather professional. And Klyph hardly knew a thing about hunting. Usually it took a full party of hunters to bring something of this caliber down. But Jonathon had waited a day to find something to kill...

Jonathon sized up the situation, looking for a strategy that could kill the boar. One strategy could be for Klyph and Jonathon to stand at both ends of the area and confuse the boar, hitting it repeatedly. Too dangerous. Think, Jonathon! What does the boar have that you don't? What advantages are granted to you by the surroundings? What, in essence, can you do that the Boar can't do better? Jonathon looked helplessly around the forest.

And then it hit him. Forest. Trees. Boars have hooves; they can't climb trees worth anything. It was a bold tactic, mainly because Jonathon made it up on the fly. But it could work. Better than attacking head on.

With a gesture to Klyph, he indicated the top of the tree next to him, and indicated he should climb. Then, he sneaked, as quietly as he could, to a tree a ways away from Klyph, and climbed it. If the boar should recognize either of them, Jonathon would then bolt up the nearest tree available. Giving Klyph a thumbs- up, while meanwhile saying a silent and fervent prayer to Caiyha, and any gods that would listen, for that matter. And then he lined up his shot... and fired, straight for the eye of the boar.

[Klyphaestus]

Klyphaestus was kicked out of his sleep. The sharp shock in his ribs made him wide awake at once, his whole body stiffened. But then Klyphaestus realized that it was Johnathon who was waking him up. He rose from his bedroll without a word, knowing that keeping silent would be best. Jonathon looked quite nervous, and even hushed Klyphaestus when he made a slight sound pushing the blanket. Something must be wrong.

Following Jonathon's gaze, Klyphaestus saw the hugest wild beast he had ever seen alive. That boar.... Klyphaestus quickly grabbed his belt and daggers, and picked up his quiver. He took his bow as well, but there was no time to string it. The boar had drew nearer. Any move might be caught by its ears.

Where's Hrafn? Suddenly becoming aware of the absence of the third coompanion, Klyphaestus searched for the figure with his gaze in a brief scan. Nothing expected came to his eyes. Hrafn must have left during the night without bading the rest of the team farewell. Klyphaestus thought about the unpleasant night they have had and sighed in his mind. He then shook off this brief sentiment and once again focus on Johnathon, waiting for his instructions. It was good to have a hunter.

Johnathon pointed at the tree right next to him, indicating Klyphaestus to climb up. Kklyphaestus complied at once, and when he was up in the tree, he began to string the bow as fast as he could. Just when Klyphaestus was done with the task, he heard the whistle of the arrow from Johnathon sharp against the morning air.

[Leviathan]

Every once in a while we all make enormous mistakes. Some of us make such large errors that our own lives are destroyed because of it. Some of us make such large consecutive streaks of poor planning or action that we drive ourselves into misery, desperation, then death. However, inversely, many of us survive these mistakes, and fewer are gifted with luck. Luck, though more abstract and philosophical to some than others, felt very real and strong at that moment. As soon as the arrow left Jonathon's bow, he felt a vibration of power infect his skeleton, his arm trembled with excitement more so than the fear he experienced moments before. He knew the trip, so far, had been difficult and with little reward. Friends have been made, and maybe even subtle rivalries or loathsome feelings spawned. Jonathon, as the self-proclaimed leader, knew very well he made many mistakes on the trip, but he was confident now, with Klyph in the tree, himself several yards away in another, and his arrow soaring through the wind with precision that experts strove for, he made the correct choice. Yes, Jonathon was skilled, but his arrow was a lucky shot as well. The arrow buzzed through the air, deadly accuracy, and struck the boar right in the eye. Even in the new born sunlight, the hunting party, now a duo act, could see a cloud of red vapor burst from the boar's face as the eye violently ruptured. The snorting and huffing turning to a vicious and agonizing squealing. The porcine was now partially blinded, and one might think such a shot would have pierced the brain, but the angle proved otherwise. The beast was wounded, a new and genuine advantage blessed to our hunters, but it was also enraged. The boar stumbled for a second, only a second, then glanced up into the trees, it's lone working eye settled on Jonathon, and in that moment, Jonathon's feelings of power and success were squelched. The battle was far from over, that's what the monstrous pig's glare said. Seemingly unhindered by the new wound sustained, the Boar charged at Jonathon's tree, and bashed it's iron skull against the trunk with impressive speed, impressive momentum, and extremely impressive force. Jonathon felt the entire tree shudder under the attack. The branch he was standing on, he just realized, was faintly glossed over with frost from the previous night. It was rare that Sylira saw snow, but frost during the night was common in the winter. He lost his footing, slipped, but instincts alone could be thanked for catching onto the branch and keeping himself from falling to the ground, and his certain death. His bow, however, was not so fortunate to have instincts, and it tumbled from his grasp, several branches lower, bounced, and landed safely on the ground a few yards from the tree. The Boar was not interested in the bow though, it wanted blood. It wanted an eye for his eye. Klyphaestus could see all that had happened perfectly, the Boar was still unaware of his own presence, or at least cared so little about him that he was practically nonexistent. He had a clear shot, though to fire a bow was difficult, to fire from a tree, more so. Hitting a target was hard, but one that was moving and as naturally armored as this, more so. And the frost, it made everything more of a hassle than need be. To touch the ground was practically to offer their lives to the woodland beast. They were forced to fight now.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon saw the arrow hit the eye, and knew how lucky he was. Caiyha, thank you. Your humble servant has you to thank for that one, I'm sure. The boar hadn't fallen, though. You would think a hit like that would enter the brain, but it didn't. Is she testing me? Can she see me, fighting this boar? Caiyha, I hope for all our sakes I do not fail. Now, to the matter at hand.

The boar was angry as all hell now. It looked Jonathon, eye to eye, and that lone, solitary eye spoke volumes. You're dead, and I'm going to kill you again. The Boar leaped with all the strength in it's body and did the one thing Jonathon had hoped it didn't have the brains or the strength to do. It slammed it's head into the tree with all the force in it's rippling, muscled body, and Jonathon felt the tree shudder under it's enormous strength.

Jonathon felt his pulse quicken; the branch slip from his fingers; frost, he didn't know there was frost. Lightning fast, Jonathon's hands locked, and he saved himself from certain death at the boar's hands. His bow, on the other hand... Jonathon now knew that the only way Jonathon could hurt the boar was with his short blade. Looks like it was all up to Klyphaustus now...

Or maybe... The Boar was ready for another hit, it's head bent over, read to charge towards the tree again. It couldn't see Jonathon. Jonathon had a wild idea, a crazy idea, but the only one that didn't involve an amateur marksman trying to kill the boar before it killed Jonathon. Just as the boar began to charge again, Jonathon stood, very shakily on the frosty tree (but he was as careful as possible) and leaped from the branch.

His jump was lower, not higher, and he made sure to land on the Boar's blind spot. Also, he tried to coincide the boar's head hitting the tree with Jonathon hitting the ground. He tried a roll to break his fall, failed spectacularly, and ended up in a messy heap on the floor. He got up as fast as possible, hoping dear to Caiyha that the boar didn't hear him. If it did, Jonathon would try to dodge the presumed charge by standing still until the last moment, than dodging. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

[Klyphaestus]

Klyphaestus watched with horror as the boar charged at the tree and Johnathon slipped from the branch he was perching on, hanging dangerously in the air. The only thing Klyphaestus could do was to shoot.

The young Drykas released an arrow almost immediately at the boar. Though he aimed at the boar's another eye, Klyphaestus did not have much expectation. He was never a genius in archery, and the lack of intense practice made it even difficult for him to hit so small a target from the swaying tree. Just as Klyphaestus shot at the boar, he saw Johnathon leaping off from the tree and from the boar, landing on the ground, apparently heading for the lost bow.

'Over here, you boar!' With the idea of directing the boar's attention to himself so that Johnathon could have more time, Klyphaestus rose from his feet and, despite his own fear of falling, leaned on the cold main branch of the tree and shot another arrow at the boar. 'Come here!'

[Leviathan]

It was, without a doubt, a foolish idea to jump down from a safe place when a raging behemoth of a boar was trying to tear your guts from your belly, but Jonathon jumped regardless. His timing, as intended, was perfect though, the third time the boar decided to rattle the tree, Jonathon hit the ground in a clumsy roll. It hurt though, the strange balance caused a twinge of pain to surface in his left ankle, never a good sign when needing to get the hell away from such a beast. Still, it wasn't so bad as to make him hobble like a lame duck or crawl like an amputee, he could still run, yet there was a faint (noticeable to him for sure) limp in his strides. The boar, miraculous did not pick up Jonathon's sounds, his ears must have been ringing from the cracking of the tree echoing in his skull. Such an experience did not mask the sharp pain that hit the boar once again. Klyph let his arrow fly, and though his aim was not as good at Jonathon's, not even close actually, he did hit the boar in the rump. The damage that cause was minimal, more of a nuisance than a real injury, but it definitely drew the Boar's attention to Klyph, along with his shouting of course. The boar looked up, completely forgetting about the Jonathon that was limp running away him, and gave Klyph that serious one-eyed glare. And a chill ran up Klyph's spine, he had the Boar's full and undivided attention now.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon winced. His ankle was hurt, which, when running from a boar, was a very bad thing. But he wasn't running, anyhow. Jonathon would finish the fight he had started, for better or worse. Jonathon grinned as Klyphaustus's arrow hit the boar; it distracted what little attention it had for Jonathon away from the hunter. Now what?

Jonathon considered grabbing his bow, but it was too close to the boar. Perhaps when it charged, maybe, but now? No. But the only other weapon he had was the short sword... Jonathon drew that, but he doubted it would be helpful. Jonathon hoped to recover his bow and continue hitting the boar, possibly climbing up a tree again, although the first time didn't work so well.

What other advantages did Jonathon have? If Jonathon needed to evade the boar, he could slip around trees; it's traction didn't look too good. Other than that, nothing much. Jonathon slipped as quietly as possible behind a tree, waiting for his chance, his short blade gripped tightly in one hand.

[Klyphaestus]

'Oh no, no, no. Don't you come over!' Klyphaestus tasted terror as he met the boar's furious gaze and at once started to regret his former shouts. 'Ovek help us!'

Klyphaestus released the arrow that was already against the string, but the shot was so askew amid the panic that it struck the nearby ground that, rather next to the boar, was in fact closer to Johnathon.

Klyphaestus cursed himself and gave the boar another shot with shaking hands. He did not want to see if the arrow hit its target or not, but quickly returned the bow to his back and started to move in the tree, shifting to the other side so that he could settle himself better.

'Are you alright, Johnathon? I can't see you from here. Give me a wave if you're not hurt and two waves if you are.' Klyphaestus peeked from behind the branch, keeping an eye on the vigorous boar. 'My shots are too weak to pierce into this beast. I'm just thinking that perhaps it would do if I jump onto its back while it hit my tree and stab him and you grab your bow then shoot it as I run away. What do you think?'

[Leviathan]

Klyphaestus fired two shots wildly at the boar, the first dug itself deep into the lightly frosted dirt several meters from the boar, the second was non closer, but on the other side. The arrow hit the very tree Jonathon had been hiding in only seconds before. As Klyphaestus started to move around the tree, the boar charged, and much like he did to Jonathon, pounded the tree with a furious rage that caused the whole plant to shudder. Klyphaestus was showered in decaying leaves and broken twigs as he held on for dear life. As before, to fall to the ground would be death. An unlucky attack by that beast would easily slay either man. Jonathon found himself, no longer holding the aggression of the boar what-so-ever, that he could easily pick up his bow and recover. Should he wish to climb a tree, he had plenty of time to do it. Should he with to run away and leave Klyphaestus abandoned to fight alone, he could do so. If he wished to charge the boar with tooth, nail, and whatever weapons at his disposal, might not be such a hot idea. The massive pig was much the Syliran knights, armored and deadly. Messing with one without planning will get you slain. However, even though Jonathon had plenty of time, Klyphaestus did not. With each drumming of the boar's mighty impenetrable skull against the tree, there was a sickening crack. Either the Boar was kill himself, or the tree Klypheastus had chosen might not have been as solid nor strong as they originally thought.