Chapter Two: The Hunter and the Hunted
He could hear them coming. As his feet pounded against the forest ground, he heard them coming. He knew that his only hope was to reach the edge of the forest. Once out of the forest he would be in the plains. He heard that no Shan'kruen tribe member dared step out into the plains.
But it had never been proved true.
But it was still his only hope.
So he kept running.
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"I smell them. They've branched off three ways." One of the trackers, Konva raised his head and turned back towards Tevara. Tevara flexed his claws as he glared at the younger Kougra.
"I'll go after the Desert Kau. Tevara, go after the Electric Kau. Markena, chase after Moehog. It's been awhile since I've had fresh Moehog meat." Sarkmena replied with a high-pitched howl, calling a set of warriors with her as she dashed into the trees, the scent of blood growing stronger in her nostrils.
"Don't ruin the fur." Sarkmena hissed, tossing her mate a skinning knife before bounding off down the path after the other Kau, three Zafaras and a Shoyru with her. That left Tevara with Konva, two Wockys, and a Lupe.
"Let's go. Fresh meat is waiting." He hissed, before sneaking off into the woods, his small team following him.
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The Moehog quickly dove under a large tree root, breathing hard as he attempted to catch his breath.
"Oh Brerim, why didn't you listen to your father?" The Moehog asked himself, swatting at a fly that was buzzing around his name. "He TOLD you to stay out of the forest. And now I'm being chased by some crazed Neopets." He moaned as a hissing laugh above him rang through his ears. Carefully looking up he saw Markena sitting on the tree root, tail slowly swishing back and forth, her lips drawn back to reveal sharp white fangs.
"Psychotic? Nay, I say you are the psychotic one, daring to enter the realm of the Shan'kruen even after you've been warned." She sniggered as her warriors, began withdrawing blades and unsheathing claws.
"Please! Spare me! I have a family at home! T-two kids!" Brerim stammered as he drew closer against the root. Markena slid off the root and gave Brerim a small tickle under the chin with her claw.
"Awwwwww, well, it wouldn't be nice to take a father away from his kids. I'll let you go." Markena said, taking a step backwards, an understanding smile on her face. Brerim stepped out from under the root and with a thankful smile, wiped sweat away from his brow.
"Really? Tha-that's great! Thank you!" Brerim said, looking at the still smiling Markena. Then her expression changed from a smile to a snarl.
"If you can escape that is." She screeched as she lunged out with a paw, slashing Brerim across the face. Brerim gave a scream filled with pain and horror as he stepped back, holding his bleeding face. "I said run, boy!" Brerim stumbled backwards, still holding his face, when he tripped over the root. Markena held back her warriors, waiting to see what would happen. Brerim stumbled up, and turned around and began to run.
"Now?" Asked a young Shoyru, pulling his bow string back. Markena gave a small nod and the Shoyru released the string, the arrow shooting forward and burying itself in Brerim's leg. Brerim gave a gasp as he fell forward.
"HE'S MINE!" Markena dashed forward, leaping into the air, fangs and claws out and landed on Brerim. Brerim gave a scream as she began tearing into his soft belly, slashing and chewing. Soon, Markena stepped back from the twitching and still screaming body. Where Brerim's stomach once was, there was just a gaping bloody hole, spinal cord visible. Entrails, blood, and stomach acid were slowly seeping its way out.
But Brerim was still alive. In a lot of pain, but he was still alive.
Licking one bloody paw, Markena stared down at the bloody figure, insanity and bloodlust glowing in her eyes.
"Rip… him… apart." She hissed as the remaining warriors pounced on his body, ripping at him with claws, teeth, and knives. Markena turned away from the massacre and turned towards the moon.
It was a full moon, the clouds barely covering it. In the distance, Markena could hear the other successful howls and screams as the other two groups found their prey.
So, another hunt has been successful. Very good, Markena thought to her self as she began to clean her paws. But yet, it seemed too easy. I should have let the Moehog run more. It would have been funnier.
Turning back towards her warriors, she gave a smile as she looked at the sight before her. Each warrior had no his or her own piece of meat and was hungrily chewing on it. The only sign that there a Moehog had been killed was the skeleton and uneatable parts like the tail, bladder, and bones and even those parts would be taken back to the tribe and eventually turned into tools or jewelry. Padding over to the skeleton, Markena picked up a rib, staring at it as she turned it around in her paws.
Much too easy, she mused to her self as she threw the rib away from her like a boomerang, snapping off a few branches of a nearby tree as it returned to her. But yet the hunt was so successful. The child will have a new blanket the tribe will have new weapons, food, and tools and we will feast all night. But WHY! Why did these fool Neopets enter the forest! Angrily chucking the rib away from her, she turned back to her hunters and barked out a command.
"Quickly! Pack up; take the bones and other uneatable parts. We must hurry back to camp. I need to consult the seer." She hissed out, turning around and dashing back to camp. Her warriors quickly packed up, rolling the bones up in a piece of cloth before quickly following their leader back to their camp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Beautiful fur, just beautiful." Tevara whispered, stroking the soft blue Kau pelt. The Electric Kau had put up a fight; even using some powers granted by the water Faerie and simple light attacks, but it was not good enough. A well-placed slash across the throat from Konva and a slash across the eyes from himself had brought the Electric Kau. "Never have we caught an Electric Kau. My daughter shall have the finest cloak."
"Sir, when shall we return?" asked Konva, blood dripping from his muzzle, the bloodlust red reflecting in his eyes, his tail slowly swishing back and forth with content. Behind him the others were feasting on the organs and cutting meat away from the bones and preparing it over a small fire in preparation for the feast. Tevara looked up from the fur and faced the younger Kougra. Off in the distance a loud cry broke the night air.
"We leave now. Pack up, hurry!" Tevara sensed something was wrong. The hunt had been too easy and it was far too quiet. Tevara carefully folded the pelt up and held it in his arms before dashing off back towards camp, his troop hurrying to catch up with him.
There is something wrong… The forest is too still… Tevara gave a low growl as he smelled something, something that wasn't supposed to be in the forest. The scent grew stronger as he drew closer to the path where he, Markena, and Sarkmena had separated. Stopped, he sniffed the air, as his troops drew to a halt.
"Man…" he hissed, eyes growing red with anger. "Man is in the forest! We must return! HURRY!" Leaping forward, he began to cover more ground, leaping over exposed roots and dodging low branches.
And then he stopped.
He couldn't believe what he saw ahead of him. He didn't WANT to believe what he saw ahead of him. It was impossible.
It was a human.
And he had a gun.
And thus, the hunter became the hunted.
He could hear them coming. As his feet pounded against the forest ground, he heard them coming. He knew that his only hope was to reach the edge of the forest. Once out of the forest he would be in the plains. He heard that no Shan'kruen tribe member dared step out into the plains.
But it had never been proved true.
But it was still his only hope.
So he kept running.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I smell them. They've branched off three ways." One of the trackers, Konva raised his head and turned back towards Tevara. Tevara flexed his claws as he glared at the younger Kougra.
"I'll go after the Desert Kau. Tevara, go after the Electric Kau. Markena, chase after Moehog. It's been awhile since I've had fresh Moehog meat." Sarkmena replied with a high-pitched howl, calling a set of warriors with her as she dashed into the trees, the scent of blood growing stronger in her nostrils.
"Don't ruin the fur." Sarkmena hissed, tossing her mate a skinning knife before bounding off down the path after the other Kau, three Zafaras and a Shoyru with her. That left Tevara with Konva, two Wockys, and a Lupe.
"Let's go. Fresh meat is waiting." He hissed, before sneaking off into the woods, his small team following him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Moehog quickly dove under a large tree root, breathing hard as he attempted to catch his breath.
"Oh Brerim, why didn't you listen to your father?" The Moehog asked himself, swatting at a fly that was buzzing around his name. "He TOLD you to stay out of the forest. And now I'm being chased by some crazed Neopets." He moaned as a hissing laugh above him rang through his ears. Carefully looking up he saw Markena sitting on the tree root, tail slowly swishing back and forth, her lips drawn back to reveal sharp white fangs.
"Psychotic? Nay, I say you are the psychotic one, daring to enter the realm of the Shan'kruen even after you've been warned." She sniggered as her warriors, began withdrawing blades and unsheathing claws.
"Please! Spare me! I have a family at home! T-two kids!" Brerim stammered as he drew closer against the root. Markena slid off the root and gave Brerim a small tickle under the chin with her claw.
"Awwwwww, well, it wouldn't be nice to take a father away from his kids. I'll let you go." Markena said, taking a step backwards, an understanding smile on her face. Brerim stepped out from under the root and with a thankful smile, wiped sweat away from his brow.
"Really? Tha-that's great! Thank you!" Brerim said, looking at the still smiling Markena. Then her expression changed from a smile to a snarl.
"If you can escape that is." She screeched as she lunged out with a paw, slashing Brerim across the face. Brerim gave a scream filled with pain and horror as he stepped back, holding his bleeding face. "I said run, boy!" Brerim stumbled backwards, still holding his face, when he tripped over the root. Markena held back her warriors, waiting to see what would happen. Brerim stumbled up, and turned around and began to run.
"Now?" Asked a young Shoyru, pulling his bow string back. Markena gave a small nod and the Shoyru released the string, the arrow shooting forward and burying itself in Brerim's leg. Brerim gave a gasp as he fell forward.
"HE'S MINE!" Markena dashed forward, leaping into the air, fangs and claws out and landed on Brerim. Brerim gave a scream as she began tearing into his soft belly, slashing and chewing. Soon, Markena stepped back from the twitching and still screaming body. Where Brerim's stomach once was, there was just a gaping bloody hole, spinal cord visible. Entrails, blood, and stomach acid were slowly seeping its way out.
But Brerim was still alive. In a lot of pain, but he was still alive.
Licking one bloody paw, Markena stared down at the bloody figure, insanity and bloodlust glowing in her eyes.
"Rip… him… apart." She hissed as the remaining warriors pounced on his body, ripping at him with claws, teeth, and knives. Markena turned away from the massacre and turned towards the moon.
It was a full moon, the clouds barely covering it. In the distance, Markena could hear the other successful howls and screams as the other two groups found their prey.
So, another hunt has been successful. Very good, Markena thought to her self as she began to clean her paws. But yet, it seemed too easy. I should have let the Moehog run more. It would have been funnier.
Turning back towards her warriors, she gave a smile as she looked at the sight before her. Each warrior had no his or her own piece of meat and was hungrily chewing on it. The only sign that there a Moehog had been killed was the skeleton and uneatable parts like the tail, bladder, and bones and even those parts would be taken back to the tribe and eventually turned into tools or jewelry. Padding over to the skeleton, Markena picked up a rib, staring at it as she turned it around in her paws.
Much too easy, she mused to her self as she threw the rib away from her like a boomerang, snapping off a few branches of a nearby tree as it returned to her. But yet the hunt was so successful. The child will have a new blanket the tribe will have new weapons, food, and tools and we will feast all night. But WHY! Why did these fool Neopets enter the forest! Angrily chucking the rib away from her, she turned back to her hunters and barked out a command.
"Quickly! Pack up; take the bones and other uneatable parts. We must hurry back to camp. I need to consult the seer." She hissed out, turning around and dashing back to camp. Her warriors quickly packed up, rolling the bones up in a piece of cloth before quickly following their leader back to their camp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Beautiful fur, just beautiful." Tevara whispered, stroking the soft blue Kau pelt. The Electric Kau had put up a fight; even using some powers granted by the water Faerie and simple light attacks, but it was not good enough. A well-placed slash across the throat from Konva and a slash across the eyes from himself had brought the Electric Kau. "Never have we caught an Electric Kau. My daughter shall have the finest cloak."
"Sir, when shall we return?" asked Konva, blood dripping from his muzzle, the bloodlust red reflecting in his eyes, his tail slowly swishing back and forth with content. Behind him the others were feasting on the organs and cutting meat away from the bones and preparing it over a small fire in preparation for the feast. Tevara looked up from the fur and faced the younger Kougra. Off in the distance a loud cry broke the night air.
"We leave now. Pack up, hurry!" Tevara sensed something was wrong. The hunt had been too easy and it was far too quiet. Tevara carefully folded the pelt up and held it in his arms before dashing off back towards camp, his troop hurrying to catch up with him.
There is something wrong… The forest is too still… Tevara gave a low growl as he smelled something, something that wasn't supposed to be in the forest. The scent grew stronger as he drew closer to the path where he, Markena, and Sarkmena had separated. Stopped, he sniffed the air, as his troops drew to a halt.
"Man…" he hissed, eyes growing red with anger. "Man is in the forest! We must return! HURRY!" Leaping forward, he began to cover more ground, leaping over exposed roots and dodging low branches.
And then he stopped.
He couldn't believe what he saw ahead of him. He didn't WANT to believe what he saw ahead of him. It was impossible.
It was a human.
And he had a gun.
And thus, the hunter became the hunted.