Solo A Zith Can Fish Like a Bear Too...

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Built high in the massive branches of Taldera's bloodwood forest, The Spires is a city crafted by the peaceful and scholarly Jamoura. Considered a haven for scholars and sages Mizahar-wide, The Spires is a mecca of philosophy and science that draws people from far and wide with its promise of deeper thinking and higher reasoning.

A Zith Can Fish Like a Bear Too...

Postby Deadfang on April 12th, 2013, 6:10 am

Timestamp: Spring 5, 513 AV

Deadwing sat upon her branch, high over a rapid stream, as Syna began to settle in the west, making and allowing the great god Leth to rise. Deadwing closed her eyes, and raised her face to the heavens, fangs bared, as she tried to make Leth and Zintila feel her adoration for them. She didn’t like the idea of prayer like many in the city of The Spires did, for her words weren’t good enough for the greatness of the gods. So she tried to give them how she felt, directly, purely. Gratitude, adoration, even something similar to the love one has for a parent. When this method of prayer finished, she opened her eyes, let loose a hiss, and was ready for the night’s hunt. This time where the gods exchanged the sky was the best time to hunt. Animals that lived in the daytime that were still out would be tired and hungry, and typically their reactions seemed to be slower than normal. On the other claw, animals that come out at night were in abundance, and made for easy pickings. From her roost, she looked down over the winding stream, only a few feet deep, but many feet wide. Several flights away, she saw that the stream transitioned into several small rapids, dipping down many feet. It was no waterfall, just a place where the stream continued flowing downhill, maybe a wingspan or two in height.

She could make out dark shapes gliding through the water away from the rapids, wondering why fish would swim upstream and not down. She looked up from the stream, her eyes landing on the east, where Leth would rise, then glanced back down. She knew there was a bay to the west, for she’d hunted many of these finned, almost hairless fish-dogs. So the fish were swimming away from the bay, but why? Were they fleeing the hairless fish-dogs? Or was there another reason? Or do fish just swim whichever way they please, much like how a Zith can fly into Zulrav’s breath, or with it? Her musings excited her, maybe she could figure this mystery out, by using all her senses and her brain, which her mother said would be key to her survival. She toyed with her necklace that had her mother’s fangs dangling from it, getting comfort knowing that while Dira had taken her mother, she still had a piece of her. She didn’t curse Dira when her mother died, for everything died, just as everything lived again. Cursing a god and nature was incomprehensible to her, so foreign that it never occurred as a possibility to her.

Her musings on her mother recalled a story about her own conception. Her mother had met a strong Zith while she was selling trinkets in The Spires. This Zith was fierce, savage, and a protector of the city. Their courtship was quick, his strength in combat being more than worthy enough. However, when her mother was heavy with child, Tavasi’s season began. And for some unknown reason, her mother wanted to birth her in the colony where she herself was born. So she flew back to the Knyvz colony, and gave birth to a young, squealing Deadfang. When asked why she’d come back, she said that it just felt right to give birth where she’d been born, nothing more, nothing less.

Just as the last of Syna’s light finally faded, Deadfang had a sudden realization. Maybe the fish were returning to where they’d been born, in order to give birth. She wondered if there was a way to test this idea. If she came back to this same area, maybe she could watch them give birth. She wasn’t even sure how fish gave birth. Was it live birth like many animals? Or did they lay eggs like birds? Or was it something entirely different? She continued watching the fish, seeing all the larger ones moving upstream, while several much smaller ones seemed to mill around in the same general area. Her viewing was interrupted by two growls, one deep and low, and the other mild and close. The latter appeared to be her stomach, and the former came from the distance, as she watched a massive bear, brown in fur, waddle out of the woods and into the stream. This beast was absolutely huge, standing nearly twice her height on four legs, its head the size of her torso. There was no way in Cyphrus she would ever try and kill such a creature. It looked like a single swipe of its paws would rip both her wings off, a fate that was worse than death, which it quickly led to. She watched the giant beast of death turn its head back, looking over its shoulder, as two much smaller versions of itself came bouncing out of the trees. Were more babies born in Spring than in other season? She watched as the two cubs began wrestling with one another in the stream, sending sparkling splashes all about, while the mother made sure the area was safe.

Deadfang made it up in her mind that she wanted to watch this family of bears that had wandered into her musings. But she didn’t want to scare them off, or set them on edge. She turned on her branch, keeping her ears trained on the playful splashing, now facing the trunk. She stretched her wings silently, raising them up get air beneath them. She then reached up, and dug her claws slightly into the bark of the tree. She then flapped her wings, boosting her upwards, her feet and hand claws keeping her attached to the tree. Not the most silent method of climbing, but better than just flying over to the bears. She climbed higher and higher, her arms starting to tire from holding up some of her body weight. When she felt she was high enough, she looked over her shoulder at another tree nearby. She tensed up her legs, then pushing off with her arms and legs, diving backwards. She twisted her body over in the air, until her stomach faced down to the ground, her wings silently catching some air as she glided to the next tree. She landed silently upon a branch, climbed her way around the tree trunk once more. She made her way to the end of a branch, bending beneath her weight. She sprang off the branch, which snapped upward with a slight twang. She glided a fair distance until she reached a tree that was just above the bears.
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A Zith Can Fish Like a Bear Too...

Postby Deadfang on April 14th, 2013, 9:01 pm

Landing silently upon a heavy branch, full and leafy for cover, she crawled down to a prone position. She got comfortable, peering through the foliage down at the family. The mother had grunted at the cubs to get them to stop playing and to pay attention to her. The splashing stopped, and all three were now standing in the water, facing downstream. Deadfang watched fish jump up the rapids from the lower level to the higher end of the stream. The fish that leapt out of the water were massive, and were white on top, silver on the sides, and purple on the bottom. But as the fish jumped near the mother bear, her jaws snapped at them. She missed the first few, then switched tactics. As the fish jumped, she swatted at them with her massive paw. She missed the first one, but the second swing struck the fish, launched it out of the stream, where it struck a tree, then fell to the ground limp.

The mother grunted at her cubs, and they followed her, as she led the way to the dead fish. When she was there, she tore into the fish, easily tearing off fins, scales, and skin until it was mostly flesh and bone. She let her cubs eat first, then finished it off herself. They returned to the stream, and this time when the fish jumped, the mother didn't attack them. She grunted and bumped her cubs until they started trying to bite at the fish. Deadfang watched the cubs attempts, even laughing once when a fish smacked one in the face, then escaped. But her chuckle didn't go unheard, and her position was exposed.

The mother immediately looked up at her in the tree and roared loudly. She screeched loudly in retaliation, bared her fangs and claws, and spread her wings. The standoff lasted several moments, until the mother decided not risk a fight. She grunted at her cubs and led them off into the forest. Deadfang waited several minutes to ensure it was safe, then floated her way down to the stream, landing in the shallow water. If a bear could catch a fish so easily, so could she. She turned to face the rapids, wings closed, claws bared and she waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Then her eyes watched a large fish leap out of the rapids, and came flying right at her. Its path carried it about waist high on her, and she slashed at it with her right hand claws. But her she was only able to slice off a fin, before the fish disappeared into the water, escaping. She crouched lower this time, until her bottom touched the water, and she waited for the next fish. Which leapt high, at her face. She slashed upwards, her claws successfully carving parallel grooves along one side of it.

Then getting smacked in the face by the bloodied fish. She fell backwards into the water, the fish escaping again, as Deadfang flailed about in the water. She breached the surface, hissing in annoyance, spitting water everywhere. She stood back up, and reassumed her position above the rapids. She was determined to get the fish this time. She looked closely down stream, saw the shadow of one coming. She saw its head peak out before its leap. It jumped in an arc at her chest, her claws slashing up at it. She felt them puncture it through its belly. But it didn't stick, he claws sliding out, the fish flying upward past her shoulder. She expanded her wings, for she wasn't about to lose it. It hit the membrane, bounced back, where her claws were waiting. She caught it in her hands, hissing in success.

A short lived success, for the mama bear returned, to find a Zith in her hunting spot with a heavy fish in hand. Deadfang screeched and bared her fangs, but the bear wasn't about to be deterred. It charged at her, forcing Deadfang to throw the fish at it. It bounced off its shoulder and landed on the bank, while she flapped her wings and took off, water splashing up with her. Her flight carried her over the bear, and she flapped hard, getting more lift. She sped over to the bank, grabbed the fish, and took off, the bear turning and roaring loudly at her as she took off. She flew her way through the forest, making her way back home to enjoy her meal.
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A Zith Can Fish Like a Bear Too...

Postby Capricious on April 20th, 2013, 2:42 am

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Deadfang

Award
Skill XP Earned Lore Earned
Observation 3 • Praying by Emotions, Not Words
Investigation 1 • Nagging Thought: Do Fish Return to Home for Breeding?
Acrobatics 1 • Bears Hunt With Their Paws
Fishing 1 • How to Properly Catch a Fish by Hand
Skill Name XP • Improvised Weapon: Fish

+1 Fish

I enjoyed this solo. It was short and sweet! At several parts, such as when Deadfang fell into the water after catching the fish, I must admit I giggled. I look forward to reading more Deadfang solos!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out. :)

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