The land was thrown into chaos. She'd heard of the strange tunnels underground but Taiga had no desire to go creeping around beneath the earth. Instead, she chose to inspect the northern lands. Word had traveled of herbivores acting oddly. As one who regularly ate said herbivores, it was worth looking into.

With Raumr at her side, Taiga moved up towards the frozen ship, moving wide around it to seek out her prey. There, a massive bull bison stood. Well... stood wasn't quite right. It was furiously rubbing its face against a tree and, as the wind blew towards her, the lioness could smell blood on the air. Was it rubbing its face raw?

Others were congregating and it seemed that she wasn't the only one curious and seeking answers. "If you can herd the bison towards Raumr and myself, we'll bring it down. Does this sound satisfactory?" Ruby eyes shifted between those in the group, rounded ears shifting to listen to any feedback that they might offer.

"Taiga"

Where Taiga would go, Raumr would follow. Unlike Taiga though, Raumr was not adjusted to the northern climate. The frigid temperature sent constant shivers rolling through his body, forcing him to linger closer to her side. Not that he minded. Being close to the giant lioness was becoming one of his favorite hobbies. She wanted to investigate the peculiarities of the prey in these northern wastelands. Animals who didn't normally reside there traveled to colder areas while also acting even stranger.

Such as the bison who stood before them. Blood drizzled down its face as the fur was rubbed clean away from its cheek. Was that not painful? As they watched, others gathered and Raumr would tip his head to them in greeting with a small, friendly smile. Taiga's suggestion was fine by him. It made the most sense. Canines could run longer, faster, while they were built for surprise assaults. A perfect team if you asked him.

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥

Far from home, Mochi braced against the frigid wind. This was more like her home, currently, than the sweltering heat she had travelled through to get here. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it, but then again, did she really need to? The sky was stained red, the sun and moon and stars swallowed up by the eerie phenomenon. There was more than enough about the world that was off at the moment, she supposed it would be more out of place if things were suddenly normal here.

Holes littered the ground, and she had to wonder what was driving everyone to try and get beneath the earth. The bamboo, while claustrophobic at times, still had a mostly clear view of the sky, so she had no temptation to slip beneath the ground to explore. She was upon the two giant cats before she knew it, upwind as they were, but before she could skitter back, the giant lioness spoke. Well that was new...

Inhaling slowly through her nose, ruby eye turned on the bison, then to the gathering hunting party. Well, stranger things had happened. With an affirmative nod, she began to move, with or without the rest of the gathering. Between them, they should be able to bring the bison down, though she wasn't quite sure yet whether or not it might be worth eating.

"speech"

Tojo-Kai was not a scent she expected to encounter this far north and so Sedna's journey to the Armada was sidetracked as she went to see if perhaps Kuroo or Fuji had wandered this way in search of answers to the strange goings on. What filled her vision, was certainly a wolf of the bamboo, though she was far too young to know who Sedna was. She considered turning about and leaving the yearling to it, until two giant cats came into view. Ears turned forward she managed to catch the suggestion as she turned her attention to the target. Her old bones protested at the thought of running in this cold, but if she could help drive the bison towards the pair of felines and they could bring it down, maybe she could get a better look at what might be driving the herbivores to behave in such a way.

"otetsudai itashi masu." She offered to the koi marked girl, not waiting to see if recognition showed on her face for the unpracticed words Sedna spoke. They moved into position casually, the bison eyeing the two dire wolves with trepidation.

Sedna moved first, hackles high, teeth clacking in warning. Steam billowed from the bison's nostrils as it turned towards its doom.

"speech"

The great lioness leaned in against her liger counterpart, offering him what warmth she could. Once they were running, chasing and killing, he would be toasty. If he needed more warmth afterwards though, she could be persuaded to assist.

Two wolves joined them and Taiga gave them each a nod. Everyone seemed to be on the same page, so the rosette covered feline gave a final nod and peeled away. "We'll be just over this rise in the land, laying in wait," she informed the pair. There was a slight hill that was just tall enough to shield the pair of cats from view. Once Taiga moved into place and settled down upon her belly, she listened and waited. Hopefully they could figure out what was going on with the food supply. It didn't only affect her. It affected all of the carnivores of the continent.

"Speech"

Raumr is silently glad that the two wolves that joined them are large in size. The bison they faced would be formidable and not an easy target. Nodding to them both as the plan is set out, he dutifully follows Taiga up and over to the snow bank. Listening to the bellow of the bison made an ear flicker in its direction. Something about its tone sounded off, unusual for such a creature. Not quite in pain, but confused? Raumr looks to Taiga, unsure if the bison was even safe to eat, but at least they’ll be able to look at it once they take it down.

The woman's words caused Mochi to miss a step, and she considered her more closely. The crystals and the teeth, could this be Fuji's mother? Though she was so large and Fuji so small, and she didn't have any of the healers markings? It would have to wait for another time.

When the dark coated woman stepped forward, Mochi crouched, mirroring her movements but angling her body to come alongside the bison's left flank. For all that it had turned, it seemed to be surveying the countryside with consideration, perhaps wise to their motives... It was time to get this moving along.

She bit towards the giant creatures hip, noting the sores that seemed to spread along its flanks, bulbous lumps beneath the skin on its flanks before they disappeared beneath the thick ruff of fur. She wasn't sure she wanted to get it's blood on her teeth, but this was hunting, and she knew what was needed.

Her growls and snaps helped to get the creature moving at last, towards the small rise where it's demise would lay in wait.

"speech"

The girl beside her seems to baulk at actually biting the bison, and Sedna too, notes the unusual lumps beneath it's skin, the open, oozing wounds where the thicker fur couldn't protect it from biting insects and the stab of branches. With or without the wolves the creature is not long for this world, and it's death would be a kindness...

Perhaps it was her age that made her less concerned as teeth bit hard high on the right hind leg, seeking the softer skin that would easily tear beneath her teeth to get the life blood flowing from it.

She had all the faith in the world that their companions with their powerful jaws and claws would finish the job, but it wouldn't stop her from trying to slow it down before they got there, for the bison still had a lot of fight in him, for one so clearly unwell.

As they began to crest the rise, Sedna threw her weight backwards, to try and slow its flight, so it might not run straight over the awaiting felines.

"speech"

From her hiding place, Taiga could hear the angry, pained bellow of the big beast. The feline's muscles tensed and she shifted from paw to paw, readying herself for the attack that would end the bisons life. Taiga collected her breath, ears focused on the sound of thundering hooves. And then...

The bison crested the hill and the giant cat leaped upwards. Arms outstretched as though to give the beast an embrace, Taiga slammed hard into the bisons chest, forelegs wrapping around its neck with great claws slicing through flesh. The stench coming off of the thing was vile, but they needed it to die. The lioness latched her jaws around the struggling, lowing creatures windpipe and held on as it thrashed in the snow.

"Seniorita Murder Mittens"

Raumr felt the anticipation rise through his body. Starting at the tips of his kneading claws to the very shoulders that rocked back and forth. Warmth finally began to spread through him, his body igniting with electricity as he awaited those next crucial moments.

Thankfully, the wolves were capable at steering and chasing the bison exactly into their path. He quickly licks his lips, eyes going wide, taking in the enraged and confused bison as it came within feet.

Launching at the precise moment necessary, Raumr aims toward the side. While Taiga focused on its windpipe, he leaped onto its back. His claws dig into its thick skin as he hangs on for dear life. The more blood that spilled, the faster it would fall.

Ahhh crap. Everyone else was biting it, and if she didn't come away bloody too, could she even really call herself a hunter? The chaos as the two felines joined the fray was enough to seemingly stop the bison in its tracks. With the other wolf covering the rear, and one cat on its back and the other on the front, she supposed she was left with the soft skin where it's foreleg met its deep barrel chest. The musty reek of it's thick neck fur almost made her gag, but as the bison shifted it's weight to try and balance better, she saw her opening. Diving in with parted jaws, her saliva filled mouth was flooded with blood and it was all she could do to hold on and try not to swallow.

"speech"

Her teeth tore away as their prey rocked to a standstill, a large cat on its back and another on it's front. She barely had time to register the red and black pelted girl diving in to finally get her teeth bloody (at least she wouldn't have to drag her back to Tojo and explain what the fuck had happened to Tori... Yet).

With a steady stream of blood trailing down the bison's right rear leg, this time she bit at the left, teeth sinking into flesh as she did her best to dodge a flailing hoof. Desperation made even rabbits dangerous, and this foe had far more in its arsenal to throw at them.

"speech"

Success!

The hunting party successfully takes down the bison. As the group is able to inspect the prey animal up close, they get a better look at its wounds; the lesions are raw and inflamed. When they tear open the carcass, they're met with an unsettling discovery: the bison's stomach is strangely packed with dirt.rd