{3rd day of Spring, 513}
The night air was cool, the green time had come but the blue was not so quick to release her icy grip. Zuriel circled high above and watched the scene unfold below him, or rather listened to it. Short bursts of speed rustled through the grasses as the Akalak attempted to surround their quarry.
The young zith had learned of the Akalaks vision the hard way, their darkvision was dim in comparison when it came to general surroundings but living things stood out like fire in contrast. He did not know how they did it, but it was an amazing tool for finding prey and an Akalak hunting party was too much for Zuriel to resist. He needed food, and they would secure it for him.
They were a cautious lot out in the wilds, keeping eyes on every direction, but if he gave them no reason to they would not look up. Should they glance up however, the height the zith maintained should mask the Akalak vision of him against the clouds or at least make him seem unthreatening enough to bypass.
They had spread around their prey (a small cluster of boar), asleep and unknowing. Zuriel dove, knowing they were closing in for the kill the ziths ears pricked as he heard the arrows loose, He was building up good speed and was waiting, listening for that telltale sound of a wounded boar fleeing from its hunters.
He snapped his wings and dove to the side, calculating a collision with the fleeing swine as it raced and squealed through the grass, then colliding with its rear quarters. The pig squealed in fright and pain as the zith collected it by the back legs with his claws, lifting it from the ground. As the zith looked back he caught a glimpse of confusion giving way to anger on the face of an akalak drawing his bow once more. Attempting to gain as much height as he could Zuriel was narrowly missed by an arrow as another stuck into the belly of the beast he carried, and then he was away.
Living alone in the Cyphrus grasslands was hard by oneself. “Sometimes a pack must be improvised for good hunting, and who better to steal from than an Akalak?” Zuriel grinned a fearsome grin as he ripped the boars throat out, silencing its squealing once and for all. The scent of hot blood then filled his nostrils as he put some distance between himself and the recently exploited Akalaks, blood and... “A female?” Zuriel dove for the ground to avoid a mid-air confrontation when his arms were preoccupied. He dropped his newly acquired meal in the grass. Maybe he could stay quiet and... “No, she would have already picked up the scent of blood in the air...” Whilst carefully listening for the pattern of wing-beats a long, deep breath of air was taken. “She seems to be alone... a colony scout maybe looking for free hunting grounds? Perhaps a bluff could scare her off?”
Zuriel steadied himself and his breathing to try and gain more confidence in his voice before yelling. “You trespass in colony territory! Have you come to be bred, enslaved... or EATEN?!” Having not interacted with another zith since his childhood he was unsure of the weight his words carried. “Hopefully, the threat of a cannibal colony will be enough for her to simply turn and flee.”
