255/A-Hunting We Will Go

A-Hunting We Will Go
Date of Scene:	03 May 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Bigby Wolf, Crusader

---

Bigby Wolf has posed:
Cigarettes and blood-scent.

Given the occasion, Bigby has had to forego the cigarettes to free up his senses. It is not really a loss, but rather an 'open door policy' to every scent, sound and emotion in a wide radius about himself.

It's a headache is what it is.

Grunting, the investigator finds himself standing in a wilderness area on a mountainslope... some distance outside of any nearby cities -- like New York, Old Gotham... which is where this particular 'hunt' had started.

The sun has well and truly set, and now the stars are out. There's more than enough light by which to see (esp for those with more-than-human eyes), and a rugged landscape on the 'knees' of the mountainside stretches out before him.

"Funny," he remarks to the wind (quite possibly literally... although he really has no particular recipient in mind for his musings just now). "Scent's stronger. Still ain' anythin' I can identify. I hate that." The wind picks up, and tugs at Bigby's cloak.

Crusader has posed:
A scent, likely picked up long ago, was getting closer. It was Vorn.

A few days prior the two talked of going hunting, and now they were actually going too. Vorn had let Bigby know he would get there, assureing he would get there inspite the night. Luckily the man knew how to follow directions

The large orcish man despite his immensive size and nearly white pigmentation was quite quiet as he moved through the brush. Light crunching of leaves, the occasionly snap of the twig. The sound indicitive of someone aware of their surrounding.

And soon enough, Vorn indeed makes it to Bigby. As before, he didn't bother wearing a shirt...or even shoes this time, just his cargo pants. What he did have was a harness which carried a beutifully crafted metal spear along with a hunting knife, a canteen and a simple satchel.

Of course when he speaks, heisn't quiet enough, his voice booming like thunder "Hey Bigs! Thought I would never find you!" he exclaims before looking up at the stars "Stary night, good night" he muses in thought

Bigby Wolf has posed:
Bigby Wolf turns his head the the side enough to acknowledge Vorn's arrival, also to show the lopsided smirk on his grizzled face. He needs to shave again. Damnit.

"Ah, knew ya would, big fella," he tells the orcish friend approaching. "I'd have stopped sooner, but this... //thing// is Goddamned quick. Smellin' it is one thing... Chasin' it... somethin' else. You made good time anyways -- yeah, I like nights like this. Don't get 'em inside the city -- too much smog."

The smirk widens.

"You in the mood fer a hunt?"

Crusader has posed:
Vorn laughs. The extra grizz didn't go unnoticed by Vorn "Heheh, ever considered growing your beard out? Would look good on you" he comments.

Vorn steps forward crouching a bit low, it clear he was trying to stay in cover. Albino animals didn't survive in the wild for long for a reason...so what he apprently lacked in proper coloring he was trying to make up for in intelligence "And you know I am ready for the hunt!"

As Bigs may be able to tell...Vorn was actually nervous. It been a /long/ time she he hunted or killed anything for that matter. And never....well as Vorn. It was alot of mixed feelings

"....wait... smell? You must have one hell of a sniffer on you if you use it to do your hunting!" he says in seeming surprised and curisity. Granted by now Vorn know Bigs was at the very least not a regular human due to shenigans on the highsease, so his fient may be noticed by the companion

"Well, I am.... new to this, any ideas where we start?"

Bigby Wolf has posed:
Bigs 'huhs' re the beard and chuckles. "At least someone appreciates it," he mutters ruefully. The chuckling dies away after that, as he considers how best to respond to Vorn's question.

It's a fair question.

And Bigs has been careless of late... or maybe he is just sick of hiding. He bobs his eyebrows at that thought and lets out another 'hmph'. Yup. That'd be it.

"Well, you got tusks -- I gotta... nose," he replies quite truthfully. Then he frowns. "Actually, said like that it doesn't sound so impressive. C'mon. This sorta thing... is in yer blood. Ain't somethin' you ever really ferget, ya know?"

The grizzly doesn't point -- doesn't even turn around -- but says: "There's a cave system half way up the slope behind me. The trail goes that way -- unfortunately anyone or anything hidin' there s'got a pretty decent view of us standin' here. I think we're bein' watched. So we go that way... as normal as possible fer a start."

A pause.

"How long has it been since you've... stretched these muscles, so to speak, Vorn? Just outta curiosity."

Crusader has posed:
"What are we huntin, a person?" Vorn asks canting his head. Being watched and trailed "....or a predator?" There was something in his eyes....a spark of excitment mabey even fear.

Vorn nods not turning around. There really wasn't a need too "Think we can split up and perhaps take it by surprise...whatever this is?" curiouse he was

Bigsby last question is followed by an even longer silence. "....bit over 40 years. ago" he finally says. He gone hunting several times, but the last time he ever went hunting was when he was 16...and Vorn sure as hell dosn't look older than perhaps his mid 30s.

Bigby Wolf has posed:
Bigby 'huhs' at Vorn's reply, then eyes the man up and down. Apparent age noted. "It's definitely a predator -- remember those bodies folks were talkin' about back at the bar where we first met? I'm pretty sure it's the killer. Weird thing is -- fer somethin' this fast, it took its time with the bodies..."

Bigby scowls.

"I don't like that at all... Sure, let's split up. If you see or hear anythin', call out -- don't worry. I'll hear it. ...got ears too."

Sure enough, as the wolfman in human clothing angles away to take one path up the mountain, there //are// eyes on the two 'hunters'. A killer's eyes. High up in that rocky outcropping, with a cave entrance behind it, the creature/person slinks around... in the direction of Vorn. The inexperienced hunter -- at least, that is how the predator sees him. That nervousness...

A few rocks tumble down the slope...

Crusader has posed:
"Trust me, deaf man can hear my calls!" Vorn says with a low rolling laugh akin to far off thunder. The orcish man can be loud

Vorn begins to take the second path intent on trying to round around. When a few rocks tumble down the slopes Vorn head snaps upwards in their directions. His eyes narrows dangerously so.... and something becomes all too clear. Vorn nervousness should not be confused with fear of hunting itself...rather it came from how the hunt can change people...or let things out

He even goes so far as to emit a low beastial growl....but intelligence will rule over brutish tendency for now

Vorn continues along the path, trying to find a better way up as well as tracks, perhaps a pattern of broken twigs. Anything. Very basic things someone who has at least gone hunting a few times may search for (but might potentially pass over from lack of practice).

Bigby Wolf has posed:
There are broken twigs, shifted stone, gouges in the ground... These tracks are not human. Far from it. A paw-print here looks vaguely feline... while another is decidedly different...

And yet it's part of the same track.

Odd.

It would appear this is the route the creature took to get into the mountains... Meanwhile, Bigby takes his own route up. Now that he isn't quite being so closely observed (except by the creature), more lupine characteristics begin to show. His face changes, more hair grows, and his fingers elongate into claws.

The weird thing: there are no tracks this way. Just the scent. "Somethin's off..." he mutters in a deep, gravelly and inhuman voice. "I don' like bein' played fer a f -- ."

Two things happen at once: a boulder comes hurtling down the slope toward the wolfman, while a shadow launches itself into the air -- a shadow with wings like a bat, the body of a lion, and the tail of a snake...

A Chimera.

And it is hurtling toward Vorn.

Crusader has posed:
"By The Cosmos"

Vorn was tempoarily disarmmed. Alien or not there something about seeing a so called 'mythical creature' that makes you gape in awe.

And than for most people, run away in terror.

Vorn is not most people

Vorn voice booms out both in challenge and in warning "THE THUNDER CALLS!!!!" and his spear in one swift movement is brought off his back, clenched in both hands. The nearly two-foot blade point at the Beast hurtling towards

He was ready to battle. Just him, his friend, and a beast of burdan. No lives to save, no press to watch. No world on their shoulder...

Just the hunt, the thrill.

Bigby Wolf has posed:
Vorn... wasn't kidding.

The deaf really //can// hear his bellows. Of course, for someone with ridiculously-enhanced hearing... //OW!// Bigby Wolf had been able to leap out of the way of the hurtling boulder, but winces instead -- firstly at the sound, and then at the rock smashing into him.

Vorn might even see rock-plus-friend go flying by, down the mountainside for a few seconds, until Bigby manages to break free of it... and tumble down himself.

This'll wreck his suit.

Which he had just replaced after ruining his clothes when fighting a sea-hag out on the ocean. Good times. Fortunately, the Fable is difficult to injure... for long, and he picks himself out of a mess of shattered rock, shattered tree and shrubberies, swearing profusely.

The chimera had not quite been expecting Vorn to just 'attack back'. It had carefully laid out its trail to bring someone up this side of the mountain... a plan partly thwarted by the suggestion that the hunters split up. The spear grazes its shoulder, eliciting a SHRIEK of pain, and it attacks Vorn with claw and serpent-tail at the same time.

It's eerily human face... smiles at him.

Crusader has posed:
Vorn watches his friend fly off the mountain and was now angered! This wasn't the time for games. He heard the chimera shriek and knew he at least grazed it... a good sign. Blood fresh on the blade and 'heart pounding' to the drums of battle

He finds himself clawed across the chest, tempoarily showing chrome but it become red like a wound. He growls from the attack and tries to dode the serpant tail strike, but is unable to. The snake bite bites down, but not to deep considering just how tough his skin is. Though if the snake is venomouse...it poison might actually affect Vorn.

Vorn faces the chimera readying to strike back and fight to the end with spear raised on high.

But than stops

That face...was so human...and smiling. He was confused, taken back. Was this really the creature that had been eating people? How could it?

Vorn expression lose its hunter zeal and is instead replaced perhaps by shame mixed with confusion. His spear is lowered slowly unsure but clearly he was not in an aggressive position any more.