Day: 5
Approximately 2 hours until sunrise
Unmapped jungle location
Katamar, official guild researcher
As I prepare to begin today's search, I bring my hunter's knife for self-defense purposes only, my cammoflauged clothing, a canteen of water, a flashbomb, and the newly created "stun-trap" that the guild wishes me to test.
I plan on heading north, in search of babakonga. The guild needs research on various foods that this creature eats, and their affects on his behavior.
End journal entry.
With that, Katamar put down his quil, grabbed his bag, and left the camp-boat that the guild was kind enough to provide for him. He traveled north along the shore, observing the various wild-life that roamed. And although most creatures he saw seemed quite capable of gutting him, they paid him little mind, and he continued. After entering a canyon like area of the beach, he spotted a small group of velociprey, and unfortunately, they spotted him. Katamar knew the best strategy for fighting velocipey... don't. For every one you slay, the hunter's would say, two more would avenge it. And katamar also knew how cowardly they could be. After enough time they would eventually becon for their leader, and nobody wants to fight a deadly velocidrome. Knowing this, Katamar ran. As he fled, he refused to look back, but he could hear their calling, and he thought he heard one of the velociprey land directly behind him, only a yard or two if he guessed right, not that he had much time for guessing at that moment. Although the chase seemed like hours for katamar, it was over in nearly five minutes, as Katamar took refuge in a nearby cave.
"You're not a coward... just smart..." mumbled Katamar to himself, "You can't take them, not with this equipment." Although Katamar was right, he knew the guild would not look kindly upon him spending their resources hiding in a cave. He gathered his courage, and what was left of his pride, and peered out of the cave. He saw nothing unusual, however he noted that a storm, compraple to a weak hurricane, had made its way to this part of the jungle. The thunderous sound of the rain rivaled that of the loudest bowgun, and katamar was convinced he'd go deaf. Using the sound of the feirsome tempest, an oversized blue killer made his way behind the unsuspecting explorer as he exited the cave.
Katamar approached the beach at a steady pace to try and find his way back to camp. As he reached the water, he looked into the ripple covered water, just at the right moment to see a brief blue flash. Confused, Katamar turned to see the largest, most horrible velocidrome he'd ever encountered, or even heard about for that matter. The creature was easily 10 feet tall, and his grin was bordered by what seemed like hundreds of saliva covered, razor-sharp teeth. The creature's evil yellow eyes lied inches below a humonguous red crest, that obviously anounced his authority to any wouldbe leaders of the pack. The hiddeous monster screeched, and katamar's muscles all froze in fright. Strangely, no reinforcements came for the creature, but to katamar, it seemed as though the beast would have no problem eating him on his own.
The velocidrome lunged for Katamar, and fortunately he regained his awareness and stumbled out of the way before the monster threw his insides into the feirce ocean tides. Now katamar was facing the blue terror, and the situation was obviously hopeless, but something inside him told Katamar not to give up, and to fight his way out of this. As he thought this, he felt his confidence soar, but for some reason, his opponent seemed more afraid. The velocidrome suddenly lost interest in the human, and began to turn around. It managed to get two steps from the make-shift hunter, when it was whisked away by a pink bolt of lighting-fast fur.
After realizing what had happened, katamar instinctively hid. If the pink monkey could take out that monster, it would make even shorter work of him. As he lay in the bushes, hiding, he observed the gorilla-like monster crush the helpless velocidrome by way of sitting on it. It then grabbed the lifeless mess of bloodied blue scales with its tail, and leaped into the cave that katamar had recently evacuated.
Katamar, remembering his purpose, followed the monster, careful not to be seen nor heard by any creature, especially the babakonga. As he entered the part of the cave that the gorilla seemed to consider home, he realized the reason he faced only one blue beast. The ground, red with blood, was covered in velociprey bodies, at least what was left of them. Katamar could not help but choke, tring to fight back his gag-reflex. The subtle sound alerted the monster, who had a large scar on his snout. The monster noticed him shortly after this. Katamar gulped, the confidence that visited him when he faced the velocidrome seemed to be to afraid to show up this time. It was not needed however, as the monster grunted, then went back to his feast. Katamar needlessly ran, even though he knew the monster that had saved his life had no intention of taking it.
"What was that back there?", Katamar thought to himself, thinking of his super-human boost of confidence. When he was facing that monster, he felt more alive than ever. It was the most dangerous thing he'd ever lived through, however, he felt himself trying not to want to do it again. Katamar returned back to his village days later, his troubled thoughts and extremely unique research carried with him.
"It eats meat?!" exclaimed the guild master.
"Not likely," said katamar, "I believe it was starving, the ecosystem has been overrun with carnivores."
The troubled guild master paced back and forth, mumbling to himself. Katamar thought he heard some curses, but he ignored the thought. "I have to do something about this, " said the master finally, "I have to get hunters to stop this before it starts."
"No offense, sir, but there are less than twenty hunters on this continent. And many of them wouldn't even consider the thought of resuming the trade, take the hero of kokoto for instance, he's a village cheif now, him and his crippled gunner pal won't help." countered katamar.
"I'm well aware of this, boy!" growled the guild master,"I'm going to extend hunting privelages to mercanaries. This will bring those who want quick cash, and after some training, we will have a force comprable to an army. No predators, wyverns or otherwise, will stop us."
"Who said anything about the wyverns, they've been considerably peaceable over the years, and you're practically opening up war!" said katamar.
"You challenge me again, and I'll have your job and your head!"snapped the master, "Now leave me, before I lose my temper."
Katamar reluctantly left, turning once to glance at the master, already telling his squire to write the notice. "what have i done?" sighed katamar, when he got home. His wife and son were already asleep, the only soul awake was his pet pig, edgar snoutnose(named by his son). Katamar didn't bother petting edgar. He slipped into his bed, without disturbing his wife, and let his troubled thoughts visit him as more vivid nightmares