The wilds – the untamed wilderness that stretches beyond and between lands, is something every traveler must wander into so that they might reach where they wish to go.
Walking through the woods that left an unbeaten path before them, wandering into the wilds that surrounded them, Gales and Garm took in the sights. The Hunter couldn't help smiling as his gaze turned skyward. "It's a nice day out…"
It really was.
The sun was shining down upon the wilds, the winds were calm and the land was peaceful.
He liked it when it was peaceful.
Sure, it is a bit quiet; with the only thing that breaks that suffocating silence being the sounds of life that filter across the wilds. The sound of running rivers, the sounds of small creatures wandering about, the sound of the wind traveling across the trees, all of it creates this ambiance of noise that carries on for miles at a time.
It's a pleasant ambiance, to say the least.
The ambiance breathes a bit of life into the world around them; and it's only when it's quiet do things feel out of place.
"It's peaceful here…" Garm barks to get the Hunter's attention and pull them from their thoughts. "Yeah, what's up?" Gales asked as the Canyne before them seemed to gesture at the ground for a moment as he seemed to sniff it. As for the Hunter, he just looked at the ground and crouched a bit, attention turning to the tracks that were marking the soil.
"Know these tracks." They belonged to a Kelbi, a breed of herbivore that was found in a number of parts of the world. They were so common that people even domesticated these guys. Horns were good for medicine and their milk made some pretty good cheese last he checked. "Guess I should have expected them to be in these parts too."
With his finger the figure followed the track indents and smiled as he looked a bit further. There was a kelbi, one just minding its own business, eating some grass off the road.
The Canyne barked to get its attention as the young Hunter got back to his feet, and naturally the Kelbi turned to see the two staring at it.
"Horns are pretty big." Gales muttered as he put his hands on his hips as the kelbi turned and started trotting off. "Should be able to make a good bit of medicine with those…" The Canyne made a noise as they looked at the youth, who returned the gesture. "What?" He asked before making a noise. "Wanna leave 'em be or go say hi?" The Canyne didn't say anything, instead starting to run - rather jog after the retreating kelbi. "I had a feeling that would be your choice, Garm…" Gales raised a hand to his head and rubbed it before following after his partner. "Still, can't have him wandering off on his own." He muttered as he broke into a jog.
Garm stayed in his line of sight, constantly stopping to make sure that his Hunter was still following him. Soon as he was sure he was still there he took off again, following after the kelbi that had apparently piqued his interest.
Garm was a simple soul, long as he knew you weren't trying to hurt him you could be his new friend. If you did want to hurt him, well…
Kelbi were pretty docile, so Garm knew that it wouldn't try starting anything with him.
Following after the Canyne - and by extension the kelbi - the hunter found himself wandering further into the wilds.
His journey led him to having to vault over a few fallen trees and across an old dried up riverbank. He saw a dead bullfango at one point but paid it little mind, same for the small packs of cobalt butterflies that were resting on its carcass before he accidentally startled them. A little further led to him to see that Garm had stopped chasing the kelbi, instead he seemed to be interested in something off in the bushes not too far from them. What's up, Garm, you lose the scent?" Garm just growled as he seemed to look around as the youth made a face before looking as well. "Ah~ that's what caught your attention." The bushes that surrounded them seemed to shake, making a small bit of noise as the hunter reached to his back while Garm bit into something on his harness.
What stepped out- or rather rushed out the bushes happened to be more than one thing. It was a small pack of creatures given the name of Jagras.
In a land overrun by various beasts, jagras were of a breed seen less as a beast of great disaster and more along the lines of being a nuisance. They weren't overly strong or have toxins or anything along those lines, but they were a bother to whoever and whatever they chose to come across. They were opportunists by nature, and when they saw something they could consider potential prey they wouldn't hesitate to go after it. They were aggressive, but they weren't stupid. Once they realized they were in over their head they tended to back off.
Gales cut the first Jagras to approach him in half faster than the rest of them could probably blink. His greatsword all but ripping the creature in half as he as part of it went flying towards a tree.
As for Garm; the Canyne lunged with the double-edge folded blade in its mouth as it went straight for the throat of one of those that had gotten close to them. Their weapon was this thin thing, but it was sharp enough to cut through scale and muscle with relative ease.
Seeing two of their kin drop… Well one dropped; screeching as its throat bled out while the other had lost half of its body - with said half smacking into a tree before it went to hit the ground… the remaining jagras came to a very swift and sudden pause.
Much like the velociprey of the Old Lands, jagras weren't suicidally brave. They realized their ambush had failed and that what they had considered easy prey was actually a lot more dangerous than they had expected.
One of them made this brief 'clicking' noise as the others looked on, then as one all of them started creeping back into the bushes and disappearing into the woods they had crawled out of.
The Hunter sighed, though whether it was from annoyance or regret was up for debate. Still, looking at the mess they had made - the mess he had made - caused him to frown for a bit. A greatsword was a good weapon, there were reasons it had survived the test of time and Hunters still chose to use it to this day, but when it came to hitting small game things tended to get a bit… messy. A good swing plus the natural sharpness and weight of the blade tended to rip through everything in its path. Meat, bone, trees and even rock was smashed when they got in a greatsword's way.
To be fair though, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
A greatsword wasn't originally created for hunting small game.
It was meant to meet the requirements of hunting much larger quarry.
Letting the blade of his greatsword return to its spot on his back, Gales took some time to turn to Garm only to find the Canyne had disappeared. Looking around he saw a bit of a cliff and there was Garm having somehow climbed up the stone wall and was already walking off.
"Seriously?" The Hunter shouted. "You're just gonna leave me behind?" Garm didn't respond, leaving the Hunter to scratch his head and look at the two jagras the two had taken down, though his attention was focused more on the one still choking on its own blood and desperately trying to stop the bleeding. With a sigh he made quick work of pulling out his carving knife and ended it's life. No point in having it suffer. Moment it was gone from this world the hunter took a moment to carve out a few bits of meat before putting it all in a bag and started carrying it up the cliff side.
It's a small cliff, barely a few feet off the ground but still requires a short climb to get over it.
When he's over it, it's back to chasing down Garm. This time over fallen trees that acted like natural bridges across a river as well as a stairway to higher ground. As he did though the hunter noticed something, or rather he heard something.
" ~"
"That sound…"
It wasn't the sound of birds, and it wasn't the sound of something moving in the bushes, and it certainly did stand out in the ambiance.
"Music?" What he was hearing was indeed music.
It sounded a bit like a melody brought on by a flute, but seemed a bit off for some reason.
It was only though walking a bit more, following Garm's tracks, did the hunter find where the music was coming from.
In a sort of clearing next to the tree, there was a woman with white hair and what seemed to be a mask of sorts covering the top half of her face. Next to her was Garm, the Canyne seemingly laying on her alongside a number of Kelbi, one of them being the one Garm had been following for a while now.
The hunter made a noise as he put a hand on his hip. "You know you're doing something right with your life when animals gather to listen to you play music." He muttered as he walked forward and got a better look at the woman. She didn't look like a hunter, no weapons rested nearby and she was without armor. She wore black robes, a curious choice given the time of year, and the instrument she was playing was not a flute but rather an ocarina. "Wasn't aware people still played that." He muttered as Garm looked up and turned to him as the music suddenly stopped and the masked woman looked in his direction.
"Ah, so you arrived after all." The woman muttered as the Kelbi around her all seemed to turn for a moment before going back to whatever it was they were previously doing. "I was wondering when you'd arrive." Gales for his part just tilted his head curiously.
"You were expecting me?"
"Somewhat." The woman admitted as she raised a hand and patted Garm's head. "You don't find a Hunter's buddy just wandering around on their own." She stated. "Surely their partner would be looking for them."
"Fair point." Gales stated as he looked at Garm, who seemed to have gone back to laying his head on the woman's lap. "I think he likes you." He admitted with a smile.
"He wouldn't be the first." The woman chuckled as she gestured to the ground. "Please, sit, you must be tired from chasing after this one."
"Just a little." The Hunter admitted as he reached behind him and removed his greatsword and set it on the ground. Right after though, Gales chose to sit. "Garm likes to wander, especially when he finds something interesting."
"Is that so?" The woman watched him look at a kelbi and raise a hand to it, letting the gentle creature smell his hand before licking it. Permission given, she started to scratch his head affectionately. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Not really." Her companion admitted. "We just stepped into the region a while ago."
"I see, well, allow me to properly welcome you to the Scry Continent."
"It's good to be here." Gales stated as Garm decided to get up and wander over to his partner before resting his head on his lap.
"Tell me young man, what brings you here?" The woman asks before seeming to catch herself. "Sorry, that's a silly question, isn't it? Your attire reveals that you are a Hunter, so no doubt you've come to hunt." She states.
"That's the idea." Gales stated as he leaned back on the grass.
"In that case, I must say, you've come to the right lands; as it stands the beasts have grown a tad restless in these parts."
"Really?" Gales remarked looking around. "Looks pretty calm to me."
"No doubt." The lady admitted. "But it's what you don't see that you should be worried about." The woman stated, as Gales made a noise.
"Well, what am I not seeing?"
"The Blight." Gales blinked in confusion.
"The Blight?"
"Some see it as a plague." The woman admits. "Others refer to it as an environmental disaster." She states before falling silent. "The land is - for lack of a better term - sick. The trees, the plants and even the grasses are dying out, as the land is losing its ability to support them." The Hunter, for his part, looked around staring at the trees and the plants that seemed to be growing rather well around him. The woman just chuckled weakly. "The Blight hasn't reached these parts, at least, not yet." She stated. "But if you head to the western edge of the region, you will find the 'deadlands' it has left behind." She told him. "And with those lands claimed by the Blight, the beasts who once called it home have been displaced, forced to wander and find new lands to sustain themselves."
"So that's what's going on." The woman just nodded her head; the Hunter for his part seemed to put his hand on his chin for a moment as he seemed to think. "The land is sick and the beasts are migrating to try and find land that support them…" He muttered. "Still, I wonder what's causing this."
"You are not the first to have asked that question." The woman responds. "Over the years many have wondered what causes this Blight, and to this day the question remains unanswered." She states before looking at Garm who was still seated in her lap. "Regardless, that is what I know concerning the Blight." She admits as the hunter crosses his arms in thought. "I hope it assists you in some way or form."
"It will, thank you." Gales stated as he leaned back and seemed to think as the woman ran a hand through Garm's fur. She stopped for a moment as she released a noise.
"Ah~" She chuckled lightly. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners." The masked woman states. "You may call me Calista."
"Gales." The Hunter introduced himself before patting Garm's head. "And this is Garm."
"A pleasure." The woman stated looking the hunter over. "You're young." The woman notes. Gales is young, not too young mind you, but he was certainly younger than most might expect. He couldn't have even entered his twenties yet. "You look like one who's only recently come into this life."
"Yeah, well you aren't wrong." Gales admitted with a fanged grin as he scratched his head. "I've only been a Hunter for a few months now."
"Oh?" Calista made a noise as she stared from behind her mask, eye the Hunter's attire as well as his blades. "I see…" She made another noise. "And your eyes…"
"I know…" Gales scratched his cheek as he looked elsewhere for a moment.
His eyes… his ember-colored eyes were not that of a human; nor were they the eyes of a cat. No, his eyes were that of a wyvern.
"Pretty strange right?"
"They're beautiful." The woman states as Gales blinks and chuckles.
"Beautiful huh…" He scratched his head. "Gotta say, that's a new one." The youth admits. "Well, it's not 'new', cause mom calls them beautiful, but no one else really seems to think so."
"Then perhaps you should turn your gaze to those that appreciate them." Calista states as Gales shrugs.
"Hard to find those that do."
"Hm~ I see." The woman made a noise as she looked at her flock of kelbi for a moment. "Hunter, If I may, might I ask you a few questions?"
"I don't see why not."
"Then tell me." Calista began. "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Oldwyrm."
"Oldwyrm?" Gales paused as he seemed to think for a moment.
"It's in the norrthern part of of the Old Lands." Gales admitted.
"Ah~" Calista made a noise. "So your from the north." She paused. "I heard it's a fierce and frigid land." She states. "One that holds even fiercer beasts and hunters." The woman adjusts her gaze turning to Garm. "It also explains your friend… this breed of Canyne are said to be growing a bit more common in the north." She admits. "I hear that the flame Canyne are rather popular during the cold seasons." She states. "The fire inside makes them very warm. Perfect for when you need something warm to cuddle against."
"I hear that." Gales chuckles as he reaches into his bag and offers his Canyne some meat he had carved earlier. Garm made a noise as he swallowed the meat. "He's very comfy when winter comes around."
Calista just smiles under her mask. "Still…" She begins. "While this isn't an uncommon sight, I can't help but wonder 'why'."
"Why what?"
"Why would a young Hunter and his Canyne come down from the northern lands and enter the land of Scry?" Gales scratched his head. "It's not uncommon for a Hunter to cross the lands - it's all but required to fulfill your task as a Hunter." The woman notes. "Is that why you're here?" The woman asked. "Are you chasing down a particular quarry?" Gales just waved his hand.
"No it's nothing like that." Gales stated as he smiled. "As it stands, Garm and I are just following the wind. Trying to find a place where we can get some experience."
"Oh?"
"Like I said earlier, I've only been a Hunter for a short while now." Gales reminded her. "So I've got a lot to learn about this life, and my folks say the best way to learn is to go out into the world and experience it myself." He states. "Books and classes can only teach you so much, right?"
"How true." Calista made a noise. "Well, if it's experience you seek, I believe you've come to the right place. There's much that Scry can teach you, considering your willingness to learn of course." The woman stated before seeming to think. "Still, to learn as a hunter and not as something else…Hm~" The woman made a noise before falling silent. "Tell me, why did you become a Hunter?"
"Why?" Gales seemed to blink in confusion. "I need a reason?"
"Everyone has their own reasons for doing something." Calista stated. "And one does not simply choose their occupation without reason." Calista told him. "A Hunter lives a life ripe with peril, so I sometimes wonder why people enter that world. Some do so because they were inspired by either the stories or actions of an older generation. Others do so because it is their birthright - having been born into a family of Hunters and feel an obligation to honor what they see as a family tradition. Others still do it simply for the thrill of the hunt, and then there are those who hunt so they might obtain glory - so that their name might be remembered." Calista stated. "There are many reasons that one chooses to become a is your reason for joining the Hunt." Gales seemed to think for a moment as he made a face.
"I… I never really thought about it to be honest." He said after a while. "Growing up in Oldwyrm, being a Hunter was expected of me." He admitted before shrugging his shoulders "I was raised to be a Hunter, so that's what I became."
"I see…" Calista mused. "So you simply follow the path that was laid out before you." She whispered. "For now… I believe that reason is as good as any." She admits as she looks towards the sky. "Still, I will pray that you may find your own real reason to hunt. It will no doubt assist you later on in this life." She received a nod as they both looked at the sky for a while. "It's a nice day, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Gales agreed as the two sat in silence for a moment longer as Garm decided to settle down on the ground for a moment and relax. "I like it when it's nice out."
"That is something we can both doubt agree on." Calista told him before looking elsewhere, noticing that a cobalt butterfly was hanging around nearby.
What sounded like a deep gong-like bellow echoed out in the distance, and with it the birds that were in that general direction seemed to scatter. They weren't the only ones, the Kelbi that were gathered snapped at attention and decided to bolt. Garm on the other hand just got upright as his body went stiff for a moment.
"That sound…"
"Ah~ there it is." The woman muttered as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. "I was wondering when they would rear their head once more."
"You're hunting." Gales realized as the masked woman gave him this bemused smile. "Sorry I didn't realize -" She waved an arm in this so-so manner.
"I am a hunter but at the same time I am not." She tells him as she reaches around the tree and pulls a sword and shield out of hiding. "I merely do what duty dictates."
"Well, would you like some help?" The woman in question seemed to tilt her head to the side, thinking before looking at the young Hunter.
"Why not?" Calista fully turned to the youth. "A Hunter need not be alone." She states. "Besides, I'd like to see what this youngblood is capable of." Gales just grinned as scratched his head.
"So you're gonna evaluate me?" He chuckled.
"If you can not handle this quarry, how can we trust you to handle what else this region has to offer?" She asked as she walked off.
"A fair point." Gales shrugged as he started following after the woman with Garm in tow.
Calista led the pair towards the east, and as she did the wilds… well nothing changed about them. The unbeaten roads didn't become hollow and empty, nor did the entrapping woods develop this ominous feel about them. There were no whispers coming from the trees or anything like that. Nothing feels… 'off'. The wilds don't change, nothing changes, it's still a nice day out and what life that stretches across the woods is enjoying it as well as they can.
An Antidobra slithers across the dirt and disappears into the tall grass.
A Scale Lizard is retreating up a tree.
There's an Escuregot slowly crawling along.
There's a small family of stinkmink just coiled up next to each other.
The wilds are peaceful.
Seeing another fallen Bullfango being fed on by a group of Jagras the younger Hunter took a moment to glance around, seemingly searching for something.
When Jagras fed, they tended to one of their own stand back and act as a look out. It would alert the others when something viewed as a threat would pop up.
"So where's the look out?" Gales wondered as Garm barked to get his attention. Without another sound the Canyne looked in a direction as they're Hunter looked in that direction. "Ah~ that way huh?" Gales muttered as they continued walking.
"It's best not to disturb them." Calista stated as she addressed the duo. "They mean us no harm, so we best let them be." She states before running her hand over a scarred up tree. "This one however…" She muttered as she started walking off again, as Gales glanced at the tree before making a noise and followed.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you hunting?" He asked. "Might as well get an idea on what we're tracking down."
"A bullfango." She told him as Gales blinked in surprise.
"A bullfango?" Gales tilted his head as he saw that Calista was checking a few more scarred up trees and crushed dirt.
Bullfango were an aggressive breed, but they weren't too problematic. They were just… a nuisance of sorts. They charged at Hunters and anything that they considered a threat they 'felt' they could handle. Hunters, Jagras and other small monsters they could rival on the food chain; but that was it. They weren't a real threat.
At least they shouldn't be.
"Why are you hunting a Bullfango?" He asked before he started to recall that monstrous howl that he had heard not that long ago. "Unless it's not a normal one."
"It's not." Calista admitted as she started walking across a light stream. "To start it's much bigger, and its size is matched by both its aggression and hunger."
"How big are we talking?" Gales asked. Calista didn't reply, instead just stopping as her attention turned south, her gaze focused on the wet foot print in the dirt. "Oh…" Was all Gales said as he stared at the footprint buried in the ground.
"Indeed." Calista muttered as she looked at Gales from behind her mask. "This one is far bigger than it should be." Calista stated. "Not only that, but it's hungry, the surrounding forests won't be able to sustain it for much longer."
"How long has this thing been around?" Gales asked as he crouched down and ran his fingers along the edge of the footprint. "Something like this… it shouldn't have been able to live in these woods without catching someone's eye. If they did, they would have reported it earlier, right?"
"Correct, even I'm not sure how it could be hidden for so long." Calista stated as Gales got up and they started following the tracks. "My only guess is it's not from these parts."
"Invasive huh…" Gales muttered as he crossed his arms and seemed to think. "Well you did say that because of the Blight, creatures are migrating in search of new land to carve out." He remarked "But that still doesn't explain its size." Gales muttered. "At most Bullfango can get up to 4 feet in height when they reach adulthood, but if these prints are to go by…" Gales went silent. "It's gotta be the size of a wyvern." He muttered. "What could make it get this big?"
"Mutation most likely." Calista stated. "It's size is likely due to a type of tumor in the pituitary glands causing them to secrete growth hormones in excess quantities." She stated. "It's causing it to grow abnormally, and with its size, it's need to feed and sustain its massive body is going to deplete what resources this forest can supply in due time." She tells him as she looks back. "If that happens, it will seek out new land and may begin to encroach on settlement grounds." She paused. "Should that happen…" Calista didn't finish that sentence, then again she didn't need to.
"Right." Gales muttered as he looked at his Canyne who seemed to nod his head and earned a ruffling of his fur in return. "We have to take care of it then." The young hunter muttered. "How do we go about this?" He asked. "I'm not familiar with how you hunt and you're not familiar with how Garm and I hunt either. How do you want to go about this?"
"A good question." Calista fell silent as she seemed to think. "The best way to go about a hunt with others is to see how your partner does and learn to work together, covering each other's weaknesses." She noted. "But such things are developed over time in working together. Something we have not done." She admits. "Still, a hunter must adapt and overcome obstacles. We shall as well." Calista stated before tapping her shoulder. "Although I believe your blade will be quite useful." She stated before walking on. "It is better suited for fighting large beasts after all." Was the last thing Calista stated as she led Gales and Garm off.