Crouched down in the tall grasses of the basin, Azoula was stalking in and out of the shadows- using the cloudy autumn sky to her advantage, and the soft drizzle of rain that masked her feline scent. Given her earthen tones, she blended in well with the browning grasses- a predator in her natural habitat, as she was following the trail of a herd an antelope. They were fast, hooved creatures, ones usually hunted by her even faster counterpart. Still, Azoula was up for the challenge- the sweet taste of bovidae, beckoning her forward. Perhaps she'd bring some back to the girls, if she didn't eat the entire kill. It was certainly a treat-  not gamey like venison or goat meat, which she’d grown bored of. Which made the hunt even more enticing.  

"Azoula Davati"

1/3 Tracked and killed any medium prey animal with 2+ participants (Antelope)

Redrum's heart raced as he crouched in the tall grass, his breath shallow and rapid. His eyes were fixed on the creature stalking gracefully through the grasses. A hunting tiger, moving with a fluidity that both awed and terrified him. Memories of a past trauma flooded his mind, but he forced himself to focus on the present. He had done it with Taiga, he could do it again.

The anticipation of the hunt hung heavy in the air, palpable even to Redrum, who dared not make a sound as he stalked the hunting tiger. He could almost taste the excitement radiating from the cat. As the tigress escaped his view, Redrum remained frozen in place, his senses heightened to detect even the slightest rustle in the grass. He could hear the antelope, hear the soft snorts and bleats. They were close, and he was silent to not alert them.

He moved with calculation precision to follow, unsure of the temperament of the cat. Some of them seemed.. more intelligent than others. Or less bloodthirsty at least. He couldn’t be sure yet, but this one looked… different. Prettier. Certainly lacked the orange and white of normal tigers anyhow, that must have meant something. But how would she receive the red boy, hesitant and young, making a bird-like noise to get her attention — eyes questioning. Could he help her? Could he continue to work past his fear? Worst case scenario he would high tail it out of here, and leave her to her hunt.

""

Coming around a bend, and settling bedside a massive boulder. Azoula was prepared to wait out an opportunity to strike, having selected her prey among the herd- a female antelope, who looked ravaged from the depravities of a buck in their breeding season. Surely, she would be doing it a favor? Licking her lips, she settled down into the grasses- pulling her limbs close to her body, coiling the strength in her hind, readying herself to spring forward at a moment's notice.

But then she saw him- a quick flash of crimson, so bright against a backdrop of earthen colors. His scent prevailed even beyond the wet sod smell of the rain- alerting her to his presence, before he made a bird-like noise. Trying to get her attention. Shifting slightly, Azoula twisted her skill to settle her gaze on the boy- volcanic pools of orange roving across his young frame, noting that he was just a pup. Was he hungry? Intrigued? Filled with bloodlust? She would never know unless she invited him over. Admittedly, she had a soft spot for children- even young mutts. With a flick of an ear, she beckoned him forward- allowing him to join her hunt, to infiltrate her space, if he wished it.  

"Azoula Davati"

2/3 Tracked and killed any medium prey animal with 2+ participants (Antelope)

Heart raced with a mixture of emotions as her piercing gaze locked onto him. He felt like a deer caught in the hunter's sights, vulnerable and exposed beyond belief. Her gaze practically burned him like fire as she regarded him. Or at least appeared to? Yes. The flick of her ear gave him an invitation to come forward. He swallowed, hard. Wasn’t that what he wanted? Redrum hesitated, torn between his instinct to flee and his newfound decision to push his limits. With trembling limbs, he inched forward anyways. He kept his body low, compact within the cover. She must have chosen a target by now, if her position was any indicator.

As the vermillion boy approached, careful not to alert the antelope, he couldn't help the nerves threatening to overwhelm him. It could have been fear, or it could have been excitement that coursed through his veins, he couldn't tell the difference at the moment. Redrum settled beside Azoula, ready to face the hunt. That was why he was here. So, he forced himself to focus. Ears swiveling atop his head, Redrum listened, getting an idea of the distance between the quarry and the predators. Golden eyes peeked through the grasses, angling his sight line so that he could see the worn out antelope just ahead – what was wrong with it? It looked like it got into a rough fight. He turned to face the tigress, eyes questioning again. What sort of plan did she have?

""

With slow, cautious movements, the boy inched his way towards Azoula- seeming to slither like a serpent through the tall grasses, until he took his place beside her. As he settled in, her ears twitched back forward- the pupils of her eyes narrowing into slits as she peered out into the clearing. Silence settled between them- the only sounds being the rustling of the underbrush in the breeze and the occasional grunt from an antelope in the herd. Within the group, was a false sense of peace- one Azoula was excited to break.

Cocking her head down at the boy, she motions towards her target- watching as his golden eyes peeked through the grasses, tracing the movement of her chosen target. He turns back to her, questioning her with his eyes. And she flashes him a sly, but crude smirk- one that makes her bloodlust known. She wasn’t going to give this boy direction- she wanted to see if he was capable of falling in line beside her. He was a wolf after all- and wolves hunted in packs. It should come naturally to him, no?

Eyeing him for a few seconds longer, Azoula turned back to the herd. Her hind end started to shift from side to side, the tip of her tail twisting to and fro- signs of a predator about to pounce. And then, she erupted from the grasses, lunging into the clearing and bursting into a sprint to pursue her target. The herd panicked, becoming a tangled mess of legs and hooves- but Azoula pushed forward, leaving the crimson boy behind if he didn't follow.

"Azoula Davati"

3/3 Tracked and killed any medium prey animal with 2+ participants (Antelope)

Redrum's heart thrummed as he settled beside Azoula, his senses hyper aware of every movement around them. He could feel the weight of the tigress’s gaze upon him, her eyes like molten amber burning into his soul. But as he stared back at her, she gave him a smirk which made a shiver run down his spine. He understood the silent exchange, the challenge laid bare. She remained silent, forcing him to act on instinct alone.

As her movements signaled the impending strike, Redrum braced himself, muscles coiled, ready to unleash. When she lunged into action, he hesitated for only a moment before following suit, his instincts indeed taking over as he sprinted into the chaos of the herd.

The thundering of hooves and the panicked cries of the antelope filled the air as Redrum raced alongside her, the thrill of the chase pounding in his long ears. He pushed himself to keep pace, each stride bringing burning his youthful limbs, yet filling him with some sense of accomplishment. It was much too soon to be satisfied – they still had to catch the antelope!

The boy could see the poor thing, slower than its herd, panic to choose a direction to run. Exhaustion muddling its thoughts, if prey had much of those anyways. Redrum was quick to veer off from the tigress, an attempt to curve its escape route – and give his hunting partner an opening to strike. He snapped and he growled, all an effort to rattle the antelope further.

""

Closing in on her prey, Azoula’s paws thundered across the plains with electrifying intensity- each stride more powerful than the last, until she was almost close enough to strike. In her peripheral, a flash of crimson shot forward- the boy veering off from her, curving into the antelope's escape route and cutting it off - giving her the opening to initiate the kill. Azoula knew this game well- there was no hesitation as she coiled her strength in her hind legs, using it to spring up from the ground and leap into the air. Claws unsheathed, her forearms outstretched, jaws opening as she landed on the antelope's back. This earned a scream from the doe- its legs buckling from Azoula’s weight, the both of them tumbling to the earth with the tigress landing on top.

Her opened jaws closed around the antelope's neck with flawless accuracy- a seasoned huntress meeting her mark, massive canines penetrating deeply into the muscular, as the familiar pulsation of arterial vessels vibrated against her lips. A low, predatory growl rumbled inside of her- toes flexing to dig her claws deeper into flesh, to keep the flailing creature from escaping her.  

"Azoula Davati"

4/3 Tracked and killed any medium prey animal with 2+ participants (Antelope)

To Redrum’s delight? he succeeded in veering their quarry into the tigress, her body springing up and onto the antelope with power he was awestruck by. If cat’s werent so frightening most of the time, he’d have liked them quite a lot, he dared to think for a moment. His breaths were coming in ragged from the run, limbs trembling again – this time not from fear. Refocusing, the boy rushed to where the two fell, watching as those long fangs pierced into the antelope's neck. He watched the tigress dominate the seemingly frail form of the antelope, and for a few moments as he watched – a chill entered his blood. He wanted to get away, at least for a moment, so the boy did. He turned, silently and quickly running away from the scene.

""