#nahte & eisha

[lookbluesoup-rp]

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[umbralaether]

Eisha knew the beast would not resist the lure of a freshly killed antelope, she had timed the kill just right so it would still be warm enough to seem enticing.

She’d just have to wait for it to pounce, grow distracted by the fresh meat, and she could make her next move. The foliage of the jungle was high enough she could remain poised to strike, just one dash forward and her scythe would make contact, a whirling blade that would make quick work of the coeurl.

It steps into the clearing, eyeing the waiting meat. Eisha holds her breath, waiting for the right moment, when the rustling of birds wings overhead snags her attention. She looks over to her left, following the bird as it lands on the upper branch next to…. another Miqo’te?

She supposes the Hunt sent out more than one person to slay the beast, just to be sure the job would be completed. Too bad it would be her kill, and her reward in the end. She needed the gil if she wanted to survive, growing sick of scraping by.

She darts forward, scythe extended and only a few fulms away from victory. A silent fury, she heaves the weapon around to strike when the coeurl senses her — and nimbly crouches lower to the ground, narrowly avoiding her blade and hissing as it swipes at her and knocks her weapon out of her hand.

Shit shit shit. Don’t flee. Not yet.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[lookbluesoup-rp]

Ears flattening back against his skull, Nahte's eyes widened in alarm as the scene unfolded.

Most beasts would have fallen to the ambush, so swift did she strike. This one had clearly earned its bounty. Now it was angry.

The heavy rumble of it's growl could be felt as much as heard, and Nahte could only be glad its new 'prey' had the sense not to turn her back immediately to the predatory cat.

Sparks gathered along the coerl's inky whiskers, and the air hummed with aether.

Shit.

This far up, he'd never reach her in time.

He lunged anyway, lance bared. There was no other choice.

A harsh, hiss-like whistle spilled from Nahte's lips as he broke cover, Huntspeak, and his second bird perched just above the unfolding scene dove like a thunderbolt.

Ilm-long talons buzzed the coerl's forehead before swooping up again to avoid a counterswipe, though Nahte could not see whether they'd drawn blood. It got the cat's attention, though, and bought both miqo'te time to move.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[umbralaether]

The movement of the other Miqo’te jumping from above caught her attention, enough where she had almost missed the swooping bird grab the coeurl’s attention away from her vulnerable state. She wastes no time channeling aether to her left wristband, an effort to call her scythe back to her without having to move and call attention back to herself. The scythe hums before the handle glows and retracts back towards the matching crystal at her wrist.

As soon as it touches her hand she’s already lunging in for her next move — if she can just make contact, the paralyzing poison can slow it down and give them a fair chance. It clearly had earned its reputation.

She’s careful not to let the blade anywhere near her unexpected ally, but her caution ends up being unnecessary. He leaped and lunged like the birds he commanded— swift and exact. It was not everyday she had the chance to observe another of her kind.

Maybe he deserves some of the reward after all….

Between her attacks, the coeurl’s focus subtly shifts away from her obvious aggression and with her next strike it pivots, tail aiming to knock the other off his feet.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[lookbluesoup-rp]

Ears pinned flat, Nahte held very still as the air filled with the tang of blood. Even through the haze - the sting of the coerl's attack still spearing through his body in throbs of pain - he was relatively sure he could trust what he'd seen.

She was Voidsent. Or something akin to it. Telling her to run had been foolish, then.

...Perhaps he ought to be the one running. The coerl certainly hadn't stood a chance.

One of his birds landed beside Nahte, feathers fluffed up to make it look twice its size, and hissed at her. The other landed in a branch above, poised to dive. Protecting him.

Before answering, he pushed himself up on an elbow. Then to his knees, glancing between the buzzards and the girl in case she decided to be insulted by his companions' defensive hostility.

"I'll live." He replied cautiously. Assuming she wasn't still hungry for blood. "Are you...?" She didn't look hurt, but a moment ago she'd been a very different shape, and the shift had looked painful.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[umbralaether]

The crack of lightning rang against her ribcage, though she had missed the brunt of it. A metallic taste hung in the air, and as she glanced over at the other Miqo’te she felt relief when she could still sense his life force… though it would not be there for long if the coeurl’s jaws landed on its target.

There is only one way to end this…

She never truly enjoyed giving her body over to the voidsent bound to her, but it was the last trick up her sleeve.

A hiss escapes between gritted teeth as her own flesh begins to change as the voidsent enshrouds her. Sharpened talons where her hands used to be, skin dark as night except for the creeping cracks of red where the avatar’s soul peeked through.

The only desire pounding within her heart now was kill, kill, kill. The melody behind the thrill of the hunt.

With the entirety of her aether at its disposal, her strength had increased tenfold. Energized, buzzing, she lunges—scythe faster than the lightning the coeurl had manifested. The beast recoils, but her hunger for its death was relentless and there was little time to waste.

The scythe sings as it slashes over and over against the coeurl, blood splattering along the foliage around them. She carves into it, at complete mercy to the now-savage voidsent within. If she could emerge through her drowned out consciousness, she’d notice the deranged grin upon her face. But the haze is heavy, and there’s no room for other thoughts.

There’s a sickening thud when the beast’s head lands on the ground alongside her scythe. The adrenaline begins to fade away with her avatar, and she falls to her knees. She curls into herself —it burned, coming back to life after being consumed— and takes in a jagged breath.

“It’s over,” she pants, “Are you okay?”

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[lookbluesoup-rp]

He caught the flask and examined it tentatively, before eyes round from the dim light of deep jungle affixed back on her. Nahte wondered what her definition of 'innocents' was, and whether that sentiment was shared by the Voidsent she'd given herself over to.

"I'm sure you had your reasons." He answered, twisting an ear.

After giving the flask a cautious sniff, he took the smallest of sips, and then seemed content to wait it out.

"What brought you this far into the wilderness?" The answer seemed obvious, but he preferred not to assume.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[lookbluesoup-rp]

Noticing her aggravation, Nahte's ears twisted back an ilm. But he forced a friendly knock into his tail, regardless. If she'd wanted to hurt him, or his birds, she'd had plenty of time and opportunity both.

No reason to abandon caution... but no reason to instigate conflict by being overly rude, either.

"It seemed a dangerous mark, but I was confident I could slay it. Someone had to." It felt a shame to kill such a magnificent animal, but there were times when culling was necessary to protect the balance, and the folks who lived here. Nahte understood that. Strictly speaking, he didn't think coerls were even native to the area...

"Looks like you had it well in hand, though." He continued, eyes drifting over the creature's limp form.

Then, blinking back up at her, "I'm Nahte'to Vhia." And since his unlikely hunting partner was clearly a Moonkeeper, he clarified, one ear twisting, "Son of Adleh Vhia..."

Not every member of their race kept to the old ways and naming conventions. And this far from the Black Shroud, it was just as likely she had no real connection to tradition. His mismatched name might mean little to her.

Even so, it was worth avoiding the potential confusion. His accent would undoubtedly give him away as one from the Black.

He took another sip, and then stood.

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[lookbluesoup-rp]

Well, at least he had it's attention. But the beast's hide was thick, and it was guarding, now.

A well-timed leap spared Nahte the forceful blow. He felt the thick rush of wind sweep his tail, a scant few fulms between him and the rib-shattering impact.

"Run!" He yelled, and hoped she had the sense to do it. They'd lost their advantage, and bounties didn't get paid to dead men.

But caught midair, and without time to raise his barrier, there was nothing Nahte could do to dodge what followed. A crackle ripped through the aether around them and violent ribbons of blue electric shock pulsed from the coerl as it roared.

Nahte's spear became a lightning rod. And him - the only path it could channel into.

There was searing pain, gaping numbness, and for a heart-stopping moment Nahte's vision went black.

He next recognized grass and dirt beneath him, and a burning hurt - from the fall, from the attack.

Fuzzy though his vision was, he could discern the coerl's gaping jaw rushing toward him to finish the job...

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[umbralaether]

Between the defensive behavior of the birds and the wariness on other’s face, she knows how she must look— a wild creature covered in blood. It was why she travelled alone, and rarely stayed in one place too long. Villages hardly let you stay when the get a whiff of Voidsent, and word travels fast. She didn’t need the infamy.

She gives a tired look, “I will be fine, just need a moment. Or two.”

She glances over at the body of the dead coeurl. The bounty, even shared, would guarantee her a place to stay for a night or two— so long as the events of its death stayed a secret.

“I suppose there’s no denying what you saw, so let me ease your mind. Yes, I have a pact with a Voidsent… though it was not something I made lightly.” Only other choice was to die, and I wasn’t ready to give up.

“I rarely give myself over to it, if that offers any comfort. Only when there’s no other choice. I don’t hurt innocents, or those who cannot defend themselves.”

She reaches for the tempered glass at her hip and takes a sip, the cool potion soothing the ache in her joints. She caps it and tosses it towards the man beside her, “Here, drink some. Should help with the stinging.”

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...

[umbralaether]

H̵e̴ ̸d̸o̶e̴s̵n̴’̴t̸ ̸t̶r̸u̸s̸t̶ ̵y̶o̴u̸

She couldn’t disagree, but chose to ignore the murmuring from the voidsent, it had already lingered long enough over her shoulder. She instead focused on the birds poised to strike at any moment. He’d clearly trained them well enough… she’d be careful not to provoke them.

When the other sniffs the bottle, she can’t help the way her tail bristles. There’s no reason to trust strangers in this land, she knows this much, yet she cant help it. Always a beast.

When he asks her intentions, she crosses her arms, “Mostly wanted to prove to the Hunt that I’m worth their time. Hard to do when the locals choose to…. Stretch the truth.” She sighs, “But I also wanted the gold. Hard to afford a place to stay with my… condition.”

“What about you?”

The ragged cry of an arbor buzzard high in the canopy turned Nahte's ear. Ten heartbeats later, another followed, fifteen yalms further to his left. Both birds had spotted their quarry.

Hidden in thick brush, with his back pressed against the great trunk of a mahogany tree, Nahte inhaled quietly. Counted the slow beats beneath his chest. Channeled his aether. Then jumped - twenty yalms up in a near straight shot, to perch high in the branches. Hopefully unseen.

One of his birds cried out again.

Springing to the adjacent tree, Nahte followed the sound, velvety black ears on swivels and blue eyes fixed on the next bough. He landed silently, the way only a Miqo'te born to a life hunting in the treetops could.

Beneath them, the slightest rustle in the undergrowth betrayed their quarry: a man-eating black coerl. Despite its size, it had grown sly enough to evade the local town's posse and subsequent patrols of Yellow Jackets. Reports claimed it would strike like a voidsent shadow, take its prey and vanish deep in the jungles of Vylbrand, where men could not follow.

They'd grown so desperate as to enlist the aid of The Hunt, and though Nahte had no real need of a bounty, he knew his trade well enough to feel a sense of responsibility about the situation.

So here he was. No moment thus far had been easy, but the trickiest step would be following it to a place of vulnerability. In such dense jungle, Nahte didn't have line of sight long enough to cast Sleep on the beast.

If he failed and it realized it was being stalked, he'd lose his best chance at taking it by surprise. If it fled, he lost the advantage. If it attacked... only his birds were here to help him. The Moonkeeper had opted to trek out alone in favor of stealth.

He was so intent on following his prey and keeping his quiet, it was almost too late before Nahte realized he wasn't the only one out here...