The Chronicles of Rampage: "Blindside" Part 1
The Hunters were awakened by the Felyne wagon driver's shrill command (Everybody off, unless your heading to BlackStone's to get turned into clothes, Nyaaa.) Janus HellScream, Akamu WarSong, and Onimaru WarSky shuffled sleepily off the back of the transport wagon, mumbling, and slinging their gear across their backs. As usual, Pendharker Blackstone, the Shaman Crafter, needed to have the wyvern brought to him as soon after death as possible, and it had already been a two night ride back from the Ten Shao Jungle. The orders had been placed before they had departed eight days ago, and in eight days the new Vambraces and Guards would be ready. The spare parts would be distributed among the Hunters, then among the rest of the village. However, none of that mattered right now, because there was still a 1700 yard hike to the Village Gates.
The three warriors marched lazily along in silence, each consumed by his own thoughts. Akamu in particular was unusually quiet, looking for all the world like the answers to Life's problems could be found in the dirt sifting under his boots.
Janus shifted his pack to one side, and snorted. "Twins, huh? Man, you can kiss your life goodbye. I can't remember the last time I got out of the house."
"Hey Yellowtail...you were just gone for a week. You're STILL gone, as a matter of fact."
"Keep out of it, Oni. Blacktail is going through a very stressful time. No more wine, women, and song. No more midnight runs through the forest. No more weekends at the Guild, drinking till you puke."
"But he doesn't do any of that stuff now. Nevaeh has him trained. Jump doggy! Fetch doggy!"
"That's funny, especially coming from a guy who gets threatened with poison when he isnt back in time to put his pups to bed"
"Hey, that's a 'Family Bonding' thing. Nio just wants me to spend lots of time with the babies before they get big enough to talk back and stop being cute."
-QUIET-
Akamu's beacon immediately halts the group, pressing their backs together, watching from all angles with weapons drawn.
When Warsong finally speaks, the words hiss from between clenched teeth. "No sudden moves...something is watching us. Feels like a Prey pack, but...wrong. Use the knives...this is going to be ugly, and it's going to happen fast."
HellScream, the Seeker, is the first to locate the threat. "Six of them...three are pulling back..and getting harder to read. The others are spreading out, trying to flank us. Positions marked as my 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, and 9 o'clock at 25 yards. Targets are closing."
WarSky, the Crippler, asseses the weaknesses. "They're going to come in slow...try to herd us together. Once they pin us back to back, they'll jump. That's our only chance. We bury the knives under their fifth rib and break for the village. The ones we don't kill will be too hurt to chase us, and we'll only have the other three to deal with. Total combat time...20 seconds give or take."
WarSong, the Warden, makes the decision. "Janus...prep a smoke bomb. Whatever these are, they aren't normal Prey. If we run, we'll lead them straight back to the village...and it won't just be these three. We drop them here, and use the smoke to make it to the tree line. Split up, and meet back 20 yards from the Barrier. When the Royal Guard brings the Seal down to let us in, I don't want any uninvited guests. Now, do you GET me?"
The jokes and smiles are gone from the faces of the Elites, leaving only the hard stares of battle tested warriors. Both Janus and WarSky holster their main armaments, and draw the specialized carving knives they've been using since they were six years old. When all three men are back to back, Janus throws the smoke bomb, and thick, grayish white smoke immediately rushes around their feet and up into the air, slipping between the low hanging branches. It serves a dual purpose as well, since it is treated with Mosswine blood and dirt to spread false scent trails, it prevents the beasts from tracking by smell. As the cloud races upward and outward, the Red and Yellow Elites respond together.
"Sir! We get you, Sir!"
WarSky is the first to break from the group, the Gypceros Vambrace speeding him towards the confused Prey only 10 yards away. The only signs of his success are a momentary splash of blood into the fog, turning it pinkish, and the wet, gurgling cry of the animal trying to warn its pack mates of the danger. Janus reaches behind him and puts his left hand on WarSong's shoulder, spreading the camouflage effect of the Velocidrome Vambrace, and as one, they sidestep toward the treeline, out of the remaining raptors' line of attack. -GO- At Akamu's command, both Hunters silently creep toward the bewildered pair of Prey sniffing the ground where they had stood a moment before.
Now within striking distance, the Hunters shift their weight to the balls of their feet, preparing to pounce. Janus removes his hand, exposing WarSong. -NOW- As the Prey catch the scent next to them, the Hunters lunge forward, sinking their knives under the rib cage, angling upward to pierce the Prey's strangely positioned heart. The animals die almost instantly, teeth only grazing the Bracers in a last, desperate attack.
-RUN- -NOW-
Without another word, Janus HellScream activates his Bracer, and slips off into the mist, seperating the trio again in the hopes that they will not be followed home. Akamu Warsong resheaths his blade, and starts off through the treeline in the opposite direction of Janus and WarSky. He isn't worried...his friends can take care of themselves. They only had slightly more than a mile to the Barrier, then another 100 yards to the magical Seal that kept the beasts from finding Kokoto. "One mile...just one more mile." he thought. "But that's twice that these things have gotten the drop on us in five days. Something is going on, and I need to find out what before they get lucky again."