Sounds Like A Banshee in a Beartrap! [Pack Hunt]
After Star finished setting up camp and making sure they had a nice warm place to stay the Aracari set off to document the movements of prey through Ashen. While it would take time to do one prey source was already making itself know. Star's ears perked up as they heard an elk bugling not far from the shrine. Autumn was an excellent time to hunt for animals that rutted during the fall. There would be a good chance to catch a male elk with an injury or completely unawares. Eager to see what the hunting forces of Ashen were like and to start earning their keep, Stjarna howled loudly, calling for the start of a pack hunt.
Her almost chimeric form appeared first, quite the surprise considering her stumbles. Her mismatched ears perked behind her little twigs disguised as baby antlers. They too were slowly reaching from her brow, they could almost be considered antlers but they were more akin to small thin spikes. Probably not as much use as her eagle-like talons on her paws in a hunt. The Scout had her full attention, dual toned eyes took in the black and white coat of the stranger, but could easily tell from lean muscle this was no amatuer like she was. Ike offered a polite dip of her head and a smile.
"Konichiwa, I’m Princess Ike” She used greetings from her mother and father’s native languages interchangeably as she did many of her family’s honorifics. Her speckled tail wagged at her hips as she lowered herself ot her haunches, doing her best to look poised and less like she was too excited to stay in her seat.
Malachai was bored, he was often bored. That last hunt that had been called had been the giant wooly creatures he hadn't even been allowed to get close to and the young man wasn't about to let himself be sidelined again. Compared to the imperial princess Malachai was a beast of a young man, having grown from his awkward adolescent frame to filling out his considerable bulk, though he wasn't totally full grown yet he was now taller than his mother and clearly was going to rival the shogun when he reached his peak. Mismatched gaze rolled over the two wolves still there, his lips pulling slightly as he approached. He wasn't really sure he liked the royal children, in truth he felt like many of his cousins had a bit of an attitude problem, which was probably ironic coming from him but it felt to him like they all thought they were better than him for reasons he couldn't really understand let alone agree with, though he supposed Venom's brood were better than Toxcity's, at least they didn't take every silence as a chance to try and convince him some sort of sky daddy gave a shit what any of them did. Malachai slid his attention to the smaller black and white wolf, clearly the adult who'd called the hunt so far, he gave a little grunt with a slight dip of his head before settling himself, wondering if this was it, the entire hunting party. "Speech |
Art by Cloudy! |
Continuing to drive it forward, Kuroki knew Star would be forced into action soon. That they'd have to use all their combined weight to stop it in its tracks and drag it down. Overly cocky and a little impatient, Kuroki kicked it up a notch and made a lung for the side of its throat, his talons digging into its shoulder as he struggled for purchase. It wavered beneath his weight, legs wobbling as it cried out in pain.
Ike would take her chance here, she made her own approach then. Coming on the animal, and knowing the others would join in like she did, the girl leapt to the other side of the beast as her brother. Her own sharp talons sunk into flesh. Ike wouldn’t release until the elk was fully subdued and their victory was assured, but with the teamwork of her fellows the task was swiftly brought to completion.
Takeshi ran along with his siblings, his jaws open as pants came from his mouth as he exerted himself. He had a lot more meat on his bones than either of his siblings, though Malachai matched him quite closely. Still, this meant he didn’t have as much speed as them. They surged ahead and he fought to keep up, glowing red gaze watching as the rest of the elk herd split, leaving their intended target wide open for the taking. Oki and Ike got there before him, latching onto either side of its neck with their sharp fangs and combined weight, the beast staggering under their combined weight as it let out a shrill shriek that made him wince. But, he was now close enough to do what his weight provided him: become an anchor. The large boy leapt, his claws and teeth digging into the hindquarters of the elk which emitted another shriek. It tried to stagger forward and buck him off, but its already weakened limbs stood no chance against the weight of the three of them. It collapsed to its belly, but the three of them needed to keep it pinned. He growled, eyes looking for their cousin. He would need to finish the job for them.