"In the deep woods of Adecus Forest, there has been sightings of a bear not so common to this world. A large beast, of black and white fur, that resembled Ju-ju in many ways. A panda bear! Now, you're probably thinking 'Why in the world would you want a panda as a companion? They aren't very aggressive!' Well, I have news for you. Neither am I! But when a panda needs to defend itself, it does so. And it does so with a terrifying might! You might underestimate it because of its fluffy form, or its cute face. Go ahead, reach out and give it a pat. Don't make the wrong move though, or it'll snap your arm in half like bamboo!" To emphasize his point, Akino chopped his arm at a nearby stalk of the stuff and watched it fall to the ground, split as if it had met said panda's jaws! He'd gotten pretty good, thanks to his training with Shifu Dempsey.

"So, I've heard tell that the panda has been wandering near these bamboo groves, for obvious reasons. It shouldn't be too hard to find, but I could really use your help. In return, I'll be happy to give the same assistance to both of you. Gwyn, I know you wanted to get yourself a mighty fine serpent, and I've seen quite a few lovely ones wandering, or should I say slithering, about these parts. Rye, I'm not entirely sure what you are on the hunt for. I think I remember you mentioning something about a hawk? If so, you're in luck. I've studied falconry for a while, so I have a couple of ideas on how we might get to one. Otherwise, it's your heart's desire. So, what do you two say? Will you help Ju-ju and I find the lovely bear, and bring him into our family?"

Akino had gotten in contact with both a while back through message, asking if they would be up for a beast taming adventure. They both had answered back with a strong "You know it!", so he figured the coming answer wouldn't be a no. Still, you never knew with the fickle hearts of people. Then again, why would they come all the way out here if they weren't going to work together for mutual benefit? Rolling his shoulders and stretching, getting loose for what was to come, the felis' body was practically vibrating with energy. Ju-ju, too, seemed pumped; he marched about in circles, giving small bear-pup calls, carrying his faux-bamboo chute between his jaws lightly.

@Rye Emerson @Gwyn ap Herne

 

Rye felt like she was a kid on a sugar rush, with adrenaline rushing through her veins and causing her to bounce around like a rabbit who had eaten too much lettuce. Tail swishing around her ankles and shivering every now and then, Rye's ears were perked up and twitching with every single noise. With the anticipation and excitement pouring through her, she was pretty sensitive to everything that made sound. She was genuinely trying to listen to Akino's impassioned speech, nodding frantically when he mentioned her name and the hawk she desperately wanted.

He knew something about falconry? Her emerald eyes gleamed with anticipation, her moth mini-pet tangled within her black hair and flapping its wings occasionally. She had decided to name it Akaito after one of her favorite characters in an anime in the real world, and it was snuffling contentedly at the moment. Was it asleep? Rye didn't know, but she also didn't rightly care at the moment. This was going to be awesome! "Let's do this!" If her voice cracked at all, Rye ignored it and pretended it didn't happen.

Tail flickering behind her eagerly, Rye cracked her finger knuckles and stretched her arms upward enthusiastically. Stretching would probably decrease her excitement and manage into creating focus for the hunt in front of the trio. Amusement flickered into her eyes as she observed the little Panda dog, who was making the most adorable sounds she had ever heard. Rye was rather fond of dogs in the real world, and often wished that she could afford one.

 

Gwyn had already said yes to their little venture @Akino Kokoro Ame had planned so she wasn't quite sure why he would ask again unless it was to offer their younger guild member an out. She sure as shit didn't look like she needed an out if all the bouncing said anything for her. Akino was the type to go the extra mile in all things though so she blew a few strands of blonde hair out of her face and waited out his monologue. The cat could talk enough for an entire tavern. Possibly a whole town. It was endearing, even if sometimes she wanted to quite literally put a sock in it for him.

"Panda bears do have one of the stronger pressure per pound bites in the animal kingdom. Obviously fantastical beasts aren't on that particular scale, but they've got a mean set of chompers." She shrugged idly and rolled her shoulders. Her sharp eyes watched as his hand cut clear through the bamboo and said shoot fell lamely to the floor of the forest. "No shame in taming any one thing over another. We're all beast tamers here."

The hunter straightened and nodded firmly at his plan for the three of them to aid in locating their particular marks. She had spent more time practicing and grinding to strength her bow and leveling up what creatures she could claim as her hunting partners so her hunting skill was relatively low in level, but that didn't mean much in this case. The panda bear would be easy enough to find once they were in its area. They left clearings where they ate and bedded, flattened underbrush beneath their considerable weights. Also, panda bears weren't exactly well know for their clever camouflage. Black and white was a little stark for that. The hawk wouldn't be a difficult find necessarily, they could easily by spotted against the sky or by the sounds of the beat of wings and shrill screeches skating through the air between the trees. Grounding it to tame it could be a task, but catching a mouse or something similar to use as bait in one of her traps could work... well, one of the traps that wasn't horrifically toothed and did actual damage. The milder string-loaded rope nets would work better.

Unless the Felis intended to make like her namesakes and climb a tree up after one. Gwyn was decently sure that between Akino and herself that they could catch @Rye Emerson if she fell. A solid ninety percent. Maybe. She shook herself from her wandering thoughts and thumped a fist against her chest, which was sans her rabbit, in a mock salute. "Yes, let's. Time to hunt for our hunting partners." Gwyn was glad she'd left her mini-pet tucked safely in her inventory for this. Snakes and rabbits didn't mix well for anyone but the snake.

 

Now that he had finished with his long winded introductions, he did love those wordy speeches, he observed his fellow beast tamers closely. Rye looked like she was fit to explode, bouncing around as she were. Surely she must have drunk too much pop, or something of the like? No matter, they would need that energy! The power of her youth would fuel them to push further than they might alone. Truthfully, he doubted it. Both Gwyn and he were pretty dedicated to tasks at hand, from what he had gathered of the blonde thus far. Something told Akino that if they had to travel a bit farther for the prize, both would face no trouble with it. Still, Rye's energy put an extra bounce in even his tail! Looking over to Gwny, he couldn't help but chuckle at her nonchalant attitude. As if all the world would flow naturally for her, if she just kept pushing on. Which was more or less true, though the statement itself was a widely inaccurate summary of the expression. Still, she was nonchalant about it all, and that too gave him a sense of reassurance. If he had to tackle any taming mission, he'd be sure to be bringing these two along with him.

"Heck yeah there is no shame, Gwyn. All beasts are fierce in their own right, as we all know. So any creature that calls to your soul is worth pursuing. Of course, on the opposite end, anything not particularly calling to you isn't worth your time or devotion. Chances are, it doesn't want to be tamed." Clapping his palms together with a decisive motion, the redheaded felis' ears would twitch as he looked over his guildmates, grin growing on his lips by the second. It was going to be an exciting adventure, he could tell this much already. Spinning about on his heel, tail whipping just like Rye's despite his still muscles, Akino faced the direction of the bamboo forest ahead of them. Taking a steadying breath and closing his eyes, he considered something within before finally snapping to.

"Alright! We've got this. Off we go!" Stretching his neck and then breaking into a brisk walk, the marked one was suddenly immersed into the idea of the hunt. Stepping around the tall stalks that created the dense forest about them, he'd pick out his own path. Despite their wooden nature, his sandals moved rather furtively across the ground, refusing to divulge his location to the wary beast they would be searching for. His tip had said that the panda had been last spotted in the eastern sections of the forest, and so that was the direction he began to work his way in. By his side, Ju-ju padded along, eager to see a real panda. Occasionally the little fellow would stop to pick up a chute in his jaws, chewing vigorously and feasting on the treat he seemed to constantly be craving. As they went along into the beginnings of their search, he'd speak in a low tone to the two ladies, posing a query.

"So what do you two think we'll bump into first? I doubt it'll be the panda, unless we get lucky. Granted it is larger than what you two are looking for, and more likely to stand out. Even still, there is only one around here, from what I know. Meanwhile, there should be countless hawks in the area, and even more snakes. If you asked me, I'd place gold on us stumbling across a viper before anything."

@Gwyn ap Herne @Rye Emerson

 

As the trio entered the forest, Rye found herself unslinging her bow from her back, putting it in her left hand comfortably. She was pretty excited to get going, even if she didn't get anything in this journey through the woods. The twenty-three year old had to forcefully still her tail in an effort to not alert anything around her. Her first step on the marked trail had her tail twitching lightly and her ears swiveling around in an effort to capture a lot of sound. Her eyes sliding across the other feline's wooden sandals had the female remembering her own trashy shoes before she had chucked them away and gone barefoot.

Her emerald eyes glittered in amusement as Ju-ju, Akino's little Panda pup, clambered across the ground at his owner's side. Her own Moth, Akaito, rested comfortably in Rye's mess of black hair. Admittedly, the little insect probably thought her head was some kind of nest. Not knowing the general location of where the panda was spotted was mildly frustrating, though she understood that the other feline wanted to keep it a secret.

As he cut his own path through her trees, Rye followed suit with her bow drawn and an arrow ready to fire. She wasn't all that skilled with the weapon quite yet, but she was fairly certain that she could hit something if she aimed and concentrated her focus on it enough. The two guildmates with her was slightly comforting, mostly due to the fact that she had craved the companionship of a good friend all throughout childhood. Someone to tell her secrets to. Now, Rye knew that she had multiple someones to talk to.

"I'm not entirely sure what we'll run into first," Rye murmured softly, carefully stepping forward on one side and moving forward in a slow stalk. Feet placed sideways, gently crunching the crinkly leaves beneath her feet. Ears pricked in alertness, she let her bright green eyes trail warily across from her current position of hunting. "It might not even be an animal that we want, Akino. Like a fox, wolf, or something."

The young felis squinted up at the sky suspiciously. "I'd place my money on something like a small fox."

@Gwyn ap Herne @Akino Kokoro Ame

 

The red head had a good head on his shoulders. She'd know this before, but it was always an odd observation she found herself making. She wasn't quite sure how he managed to speak for hours and end up turning the basest of conversations into a deep look at his world and point of view in it. Why though? She wondered in passing if he was lonely. The human's face switched up into faint frown and she cut @Akino Kokoro Ame off, "Odd of you to word something so harsh. They're all worth my time and my devotion if they want it. I don't care to make a judgement like that. All of the wilds are worth something and they are the ones who choose." Though she was content to speak that little peace and waved it off to let him continue.

They were ready to set out anyway and the ranger took up a position to Akino's side. There was enough space between them that both could scan a fair bit of ground and offered a bit more coverage. Rye was paced only a few steps behind them bringing up the rear. She'd have normally taken the spot but her Hunting would be more useful in tracking if said tracks hadn't already gone and been walked all over. Plus, she was newer to the bow and Akino could take many a hit, Gwyn could take a few. Rye? Rye she didn't want to find out the limits of on what was supposed to be a hunt of another half of their spirits ready to answer the call to battle. Gwyn's gaze was drawn off Akino suddenly quick by the movement of the other Felis she caught out of the corner of her eye and she snorted quietly at the twitching of ears and tails. Both of them had the small twitches cats gave when excited and ready to pounce coursing through them. "Didn't you mention that you took Rogue, Rye?" She asked idly, watching her tail flick back and forth to either side of her with a mild look of amusement. It seemed she was trying to get it under control, however, and so she let it go. The ears of a Felis certainly seemed helpful though. Were they aesthetic or did they actually catch sounds clearer?

Gwyn actually found that she was the louder of the two, though more in continual noise. Where one would lash a tail and catch something or unsettle a rock or snap a twig and cause a louder disruption on occasion, Gwyn simply had heavier steps. Perhaps she was a little too surefooted, but it was an awful habit to get rid of. It was time consuming to delicately test every footstep's surety when you could train yourself to step hard, but still keep your weight on the previous foot. It made low, repetitive noise, but it wasn't loud. Even if it had been, the bubbling about of Akino's mini pet more than covered all three of them.

"Snakes like that will go to ground before we see them, Ju-Ju's munching and out footsteps will make sure of that. Which is fine since I'm not after a viper, Akino." She smirked to herself, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she thought about the nebulous mark eluding her. "I'm after something a might bit bigger." She flexed her hands at her sides, fingers and curling like talons into clenched fists. She couldn't fucking wait. "We'll need to be near water for it though, and by the shadow I just saw break up those sunbeams over there I think we might have stumbled upon someone up in the trees. Hawk, eagle, the like." She gestured further ahead of them and off to the right where a tall stand of trees stood like sentinels along edge the forest met a clearing. A smart place for an avian to hunt, perching up in the tall branches and swooping down to catch animals in the clearing below. "Looks like it might just be your time to shine, @Rye Emerson. Shall we see who's waiting for you?"

 

Gwyn caught him by surprise, for he had not noticed if his words were harsh or judging. All the male was meaning by it was that if they were not feeling as drawn to the beast, perhaps it was not their purpose. Of course, it was an odd statement, because all creatures called to him; it was more of a blanket label for all beast tamers. More over, he agreed with her words, and in partial it was the same gist of what he was trying to imply.

"Hmm... If I was harsh, I didn't realize. I was simply implying that when your soul is being called towards a being, it is likely because that same spark of life is being drawn towards you as well. As you said, it is the wilds that will choose. Going by your instincts, a most vital tool in the wilds, I'd say you would already know what the beast has chosen by going off your gut feeling. I suppose I probably should have gone in depth on that idea, since it is rather out there. But I am sure that not everyone is drawn in the same way, or guided by the same feelings. So perhaps it is best to go out and give each being a shot, until you find your match? It would yield more experience, if anything. And the more you connect with creatures, even outside of taming them, the better you will commune. The more you are able to commune and move in harmony by their side, the easier it should be to tame. More likely, it would be like them taming you, eh?" @Gwyn ap Herne

As they moved on, he would fall silent. The sounds of leaf and branch brushing across one another, coupled with the varying sounds of movement from them and Ju-ju, created a veritable orchestra in his mind; he found it was good thinking music. Was Akino simply being lazy by not following all paths? Or was it that he preferred to follow where the spirit called him? Then again, most people did not believe in guiding forces, and so the idea of a guiding force moving them through a video game would likely seem improbable to some. Maybe he should start to check his words? Was he being overly-enthusiastic with sharing his beliefs, perhaps he should start posing his statements in an inquiry-based? It was not that he didn't want to hear other's opinions- Still, he did not feel he was making it so that others could not offer their input. Gwyn certainly hadn't felt silenced or unable to share, so was he worrying too much over it? Perhaps.

Ears tipping towards the direction of his companions voices, he felt the presence of the bird as he glanced up with Gwyn's motion. She was right, some more of large had positioned itself in a nearby tree nook, likely gorged on a fresh catch of some kind. That, or searching for one. He came to a stop with the group, and broke into a grin as he looked upon its graceful motions, then carried the grin Rye's way.

"Righteous. Well Rye? I think the wilds have decided for you. In bocca al lupo."

Seeing that his fellow felis was going to take her time over deciding how to move forward, Akino bid the girl good luck and nodded to Gwyn.

"Let's keep moving. Hopefully we'll find your's next."

@Rye Emerson

 

Gwyn listened closely as he explained himself further and she nodded, turning herself slightly to catch his expression as he spoke. "Just a misunderstanding then. I don't mean to say you don't care or connect with them, of course." She waved a hand dismissively at that. "I understand what you mean though and I think the core of that is that we're being tamed and settled just as much as our beasts-to-be. That? That I agree wholeheartedly with."

Their path had continued onward until the swooping shadow of the avian predator above singled out their attentions. The call of the challenge was clear to @Rye Emerson and Gwyn placed a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it firmly in support. "See who is worth who, yeah? Then we'll see how sharp the hawk's eyes are and how long it takes it to find us for you afterwards." She winked at the younger girl and left her to set off after her potential tame. It wasn't something she felt necessary to intrude upon. If it were a more dangerous beast then she would perhaps be more tempted to stay, but as it was? A hawk wouldn't kill her. Tear into her with beak and talons if crossed, yes, but she was in no clear danger. She could have this special moment all to herself with the companion circling above as if daring her to climb for it or find something worth it to bring it down to the packed earth.

As @Akino Kokoro Ame approached her as the next to take up the hunt, she smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Remember that viper you mentioned? Let's go find something bigger." With that she was off, a far quicker pace than the quiet stalking of the three before. Her quarry wasn't so fickle or fearful as other beasts. Nor was it some loud dullard or charging fury. No, her tame sang out to her heart in clever whispers and hidden dangers. She could almost taste the metal twang of a silver tongued spirit daring her to come wade into the dangerous waters so out of her normal range. She found it, stumbling through the underbrush, in the form of a wide river shadowed by thick foliage. The landscape had become less woods and closer to jungle in nature, the greens becoming heavily saturated with color and the air more and more humid. The waters were dark and murky. Swirls of shadow and plumes of sediment swirled about in the river as it moved at what appeared to be a slow crawl. It would be faster below, but not near enough to endanger anyone with two good legs. There was something far worse under there than a current.

She stalked along the water's edge, blue eyes skimming brackish water for a hint of her target. She'd had an ear to the ground since she had joined and selected Beast Taming as one of her masteries. Gwyn had wanted to hear what wandered the wilds of the virtual world and she was intent on finding a suitable one to complement her style. She had considered a wolf for the hunting partner it would provide, but they lacked the defense to survive for long and she couldn't bear to have it die before she gained the skill to raise it once more. She considered a boar for their strength and charge, but it would have lacked the adaptability and mobility in odder situations that she would need. She considered an avian of some sort like Rye, but she needed something on the ground with her to help pin down her foes while she struck out from a safe position. When talk of a particular pest in these parts reached her? And not soon after Akino came speaking of a bear in the same area? There was not a world in which that didn't sound like fate's hands at work.

The huntress drew a breath to speak to her companion when suddenly she froze. Her muscles tensed for a moment before she went lax, gaze locked on the surface of the water. "You still wondering what I'm after, Akino?" She asked in a half daze as she began to draw neared to the banks of the river. "Or have you put it together? Also," she cut herself off to turn to him and meet his eyes, "do not, under any circumstance, intervene." With that the hunter turned and moved closer to what she had spotted. A slow glide of movement and a shadow the thickness of a log that twisted like one shouldn't. Before she could put a single boot into the water, there was a flash of murky green from beneath the surface that came streaking out.

She hissed harshly under her breath and stared at the mouth wrapped above her knee, biting into the meat of her thigh. "Fuck! No introductions first then?" The head of the snake was long, but had a definite bulk that spoke of the powerful muscles she could feel beginning to contract to reel it back. The long body vanished beneath the river's placid face. The NPCs that had spoken of the aggressive snake that had taken to ambushing passing people and animals had mentioned it was long. Not this long. With a powerful twist the snake suddenly folded part of its body, dragging Gwyn knee-deep into the water as her boots failed to keep grip in the soft sands. Sharp teeth needled into flesh and she had a feeling the creature knew there was an artery just under its bite that teased it with an easy kill. She didn't have bleeding out on her to-do list, however, and so the coiled beast found two hands prying around its strong jaws.

It jerked again at her touch and she slipped farther in, the water's lapping up to her waist and the first of the tail suddenly obvious in its intent. A coil wrapped around one ankle while another loop bent over itself to move up and hook around her elbow. The snake tensed again and pulled her body down into a harsh curve as she fought against its grip. The faint current of the river tugged at them both and she snarled down at the head of the snake she could barely see below the surface as waves from the creature's exertion lapped at her nose. It was only playing with her. She could see the bulk of the snake deeper now that she was close and Gwyn was struck by just how massive it was. It thought itself secure then. It was content to enjoy a struggle rather than drown her quick. A mistake it would have to learn slow. The ranger slipped a hand behind its jaw and pushed sharply into the meat of the muscle to dig into and pry open the beast's jaw. The anaconda fought to keep its grip but all at once reeled away as it realized the leverage was gone.

The next strike was higher, aiming for her torso, but she dropped the arm not restrained by the tail to take the bite. Once again she fought to reach over and pry away the head. She peeled away coils and dodged strikes, working tirelessly to remove the bites she didn't move in time to avoid. A few times it sought to pull her under, but she'd slip out of its grip of dead lift the thing half out of the water before it writhed away to stay safe in the river's grasp. Their fight was an exhausting test of determination. Never once did she try to harm it, merely stood ready to accept the next attempt. Eventually it slowed. She did so as well. Eventually it bit with less a fury. She no longer had to stab into the joint of its jaw with her fingers. Eventually its coils went lax. She stopped pulling it away and let it sit and drift half suspended in the body of water.

Her breath came heavy, but slow as she tried to keep her heart rate slow. The UI denoting her health was fine, though certainly not full. Her energy was depleting with a steadfast march toward exhaustion. Gwyn was covered in rivulets of blood from its teeth and bruises were already starting to discolor her skin in thick swathes of broken blood vessels. The head of the anaconda sat just below the waterline. Its beady eyes watched her as she watched it in turn. "You done?" She whispered lowly to it, fingers flexing against the ache. A long tongue flickered in response, but it didn't move. "You can stay here and get fat on kids and goats until some adventurer comes along to slay you for a quest.... or you can come with me. You can fight and feast on gods if you can get a grip on them. I'll help." Surely it couldn't understand her words, but there was a sharp intelligence in the eyes of the creature as it listened to the cadence and tone in her voice. It understood intent. She felt it understood a deal being struck, but wasn't that just the nature of serpents? Slowly she raised a hand. The snake's coils tightened minutely, but its gaze didn't waver. Gwyn let a few bloody fingers hover over the interface of the Beast Taming skill's prompt. The second she accepted the prompt, it lunged.

Teeth pressed to her neck and the full bodied weight of the fantasy game's take on the green anaconda was thrown up and around her shoulders and torso. It squeezed down tight, the loops wedging her arms into her sides until she was ready to curse her own elbows for all that they felt like daggers. The flexing jaws of the snake, however, didn't once bite down. The black eyes of the beast looked almost... amused? Gwyn suddenly snarled and tugged furiously at one of the coils that had moved up to her neck. It went without a fuss and pulled away as she struggled out of its grasp. Soaked and covered in blood, she slogged out of the river with a glare. "You make your point?" A low hiss. "Good. Akino, you alright up there? Hope you aren't scared of snakes." A warbling one this time. Could snakes laugh?

Gwyn ap Herne

65 HP

MAX HP

30 EN

MAX EN

Conditions - Bleeding: 1 Turn Remaining

Nathair

95 HP

MAX HP

25 EN

MAX EN

Conditions - N / A