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 Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:07 pm
Quote Your Kage has lived in the forest most of its life, finding it content and peaceful. Unfortunately, humans are beginning to encroach on your Kage's land. How do you get them to back off? They may even have domesticated Kage of their own, and send them off after yours to scare yours off! How will you react to them?  Terr hadn't intended to find any trouble in her travels, and had been making pains to avoid it as often as she could. It was true that she needed sustenance, and sometimes she needed to kill for that, but she was always very selective about her quarry, and only took what she needed. Her wandering quest had led her to the forest some time ago; and finding it bountiful and peaceful she had elected to stay, at least for a little while. What she hadn't expected, however, was human company. She had been trying to avoid humans no matter where she went, but it seemed her good fortune could no longer hold out. Hovering in the shade of the underbrush, she peered out at a small group of humans approaching the woods, with two Neverlin kage of their own. Warily she pressed herself low to the ground, ears laid flat back. This was bad. She was loathe to relinquish this residence, but was there anything else she could do? Was it worth the fight? Withdrawing deeper into the shade, she deliberated possible action. She had to make her mind up quickly, or it would be made for her; they would detect her scent sooner rather than later.
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:52 pm
 It was an uncommon occurance that this particular kage would be found away from her traveling companions. Typically she prefered to hang back and leave all the foot work to Neiro. However the woods themselves had seemed rather unassuming, if not larger than they initially suspected. Divide and conquer had been the plan of choice; and as thus she found herself in a peculiar situation. A half an hour into her search -to far to run back to her companions and hope to find them promptly- she had stumbled upon what could only be described as a hunting party. If that alone hadn't been strange, the two fellow neverlins weaving around bodies and sneaking through the brush were most interesting.
It was hard enough to find humans that tolerated their presence, let alone accepted them. If they hadn't seem so intent on their hunt she might have approached them.
Instead she followed behind -and more importantly down wind- of them. The problem with most hunters and trackers was their inability to think outside the box. Most could be shaken and avoided by keeping close and hiding where they already had been. She wasn't the natural hunter her companion was, but she had learned enough from running with him to handle herself.
Her attention was so drawn to the group of humans that she didn't even think to look out for anything else that might be lurking. Surely the loud and clumsy human footsteps had scattered any nearby wildlife.
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 9:25 pm
Terr was wary when she sense Sonja's approach. The scaly hell kage had been expecting that the other female was a part of the hunting party, and was thus prepared to defend herself. Only...it seemed Sonja didn't notice her, yet. She would take advantage of this situation to eliminate one of the enemy, since running away now seemed an invalid option, she wouldn't be as agile as the neverlin were she to go charging though the woods, and with this newcomer so close she had lost her chance at a head start, the only thing that might have saved her.
Methodically she pressed forward and low, stalking with her claws flexed for grabbing. She was strong, fierce, experienced, brave when she could be, and courageous when she could not. She was confident she could take down this one that lingered near without alerting the others. Only...
Judging by the way she held back, and her behavior, Terr lost some of her certainty that Sonja was, in fact affiliated with the hunters. It was a dangerous gamble though, were she to reveal her presence and turn out to be wrong, it would call everyone to her. But she didn't want to kill, not if she didn't have to right now. It was stupid, uncharacteristic and strangely compassionate that she stepped forward and out enough to get Sonja's attention, to speak softly while still keeping herself in a ready to fight position. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a low hiss, coiled and tight as a spring. If Sonja made some sort of move to shriek, or run after the hunters, Terr was posed to try and stop her.
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Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:18 am
Stupid, stupid, stupid! She was so wrapped up in her prowling she'd lost her head farther back on the trail. It only made sense that if there was such a hunting party, surely there must've been some prey worthy of such numbers.
The large kage that'd pulled out of the very bushes she'd been aiming for next, was certainly one to which to take such precautions with. Even as the larger female had nearly scared her soul from her skin, her mind was whirling, processing information and devising a plan. Nevertheless there was an obvious look of surprising on her face before she had the wherewithall to backpedal into the bushes behind her, albiet as quietly as she could in such a situation.
For a moment it seemed as if she'd vanished back into the woods, that is before a few of the lower leaves on the bush rustled out of the way making room for only two golden orbs that peered curiously out from the shadows. She'd encountered other kage like the one before her, yet the mere fact that she was able to slink away, that she was still in one piece, made her quick to realize that perhaps this individual was at the very least a touch more sane and intelligent than those she'd met before.
"What am I doing here? What does it look like? I'm keeping tabs on these fools!" She hissed right back, undaunted by the other female's size or body language. She didn't lie, she was keeping tabs on the humans and their kage for a reason. But she wasn't about to belay the fact she had companions scowering the woods with her to some random stranger.
Terr might not have been with the hunting party, but that didn't make her safe just yet. The last thing Sonja needed was yet another adversary to face on her own like this.
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:43 pm
Sonja's back stepping told Terr two important things. One, that she was not some fearless or ignorantly brave warrior, and that two, she probably wasn't affiliated with the hunting part if she wasn't screaming for their help by now. Good, that meant she'd made the right decision.
She didn't need to hear it from Sonja that she was keeping an eye on the invading party, she'd suspected as much already, but it did do Terr some good to have her conclusion verified. She did take a little irritation at the tone Sonja took with her, and could have made some kind of sarcastic or dry remark about it but...she would let it slide. She had scared the poor girl after all, and this really wasn't the time to fight.
"I guessed as much," she replied, relaxing somewhat but not entirely. She recognized the fact that the claw flexing probably didn't propagate the image she was trying to give. "But if you have no affiliation, you should leave post haste. This is dangerous,", her eyes taking a split moment to glance in the direction of the hunters. If they brought kage, she could only assume that they weren't messing around.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:31 pm
Her attention was now split and it showed. Her eyes with constantly roaming; first to where the hunters were beyond the brush and then quickly back to the larger female that was before her. It was quickly giving her a headache so she designated her senses. She couldn't actually see the hunting party at this point so her ears tracked them while her eyes were solely fixed on the other kage before her. She still didn't know what to make of Terr yet.
That aside she crept forward, her head poking out curiously with a healthy dose of caution. All the while her forepaws were anxiously kneading the dirt below. The urge to continue moving was almost unbearable. Almost.
"Your concern is dully noted," her tone said otherwise even as her eyes were honest. "I may have no association with the fools stomping through the forest with all the finesse of a stampeding herd of buffalo, but that does not mean my interests here are frivolous." She was itching to move at this point. She wasn't afraid of the humans and their pets. She could outrun a human no problem, and the kage? Chances are they were just some pampered pets, if she couldn't outrun them then she could certainly outsmart them.
Fear was not the cause of her anxiety. It was the adrenaline. The thrill of the hunt. There was nothing like the imminent fear of discovery to get the blood pumping.
"If one does not uphold their own part of a job, then nothing good can happen. To leave now would leave things to chance I'd rather not." She'd let her guard down enough to let her eyes wander during her words, but now she looked directly at the other female. "If things are dangerous, that doesn't explain your presence either."
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:05 am
Terr was very still while Sonja spoke, ears trained forward as she carefully digested what the other kage had to say. The neverlin was in luck, her tension around the hell female was largely unnecessary, Terr had no intention of attacking her at this time, and it showed as she eased into a more casual posture, thoroughly convinced now that Sonja wasn't an imminent danger.
Terr did find amusement in Sonja's question however, about why she was here. Faint at first, her lips slowly pulled back into a savage grin over her many, many sharp teeth, her purple tongue darting out quickly to drag itself over her ragged lips before withdrawing back into her mouth. "Dear girl, it is always dangerous where I am," she replied, twisting the words to avoid answering the question. Just because Sonja wasn't a physical threat didn't mean Terr would trust her, even with off hand information; the fact that she had been living here for several weeks for example.
"But if you're here on a job, I think that would be pressingly vital information," she continued, inching forward a little closer to Sonja. There was no verbal assault or insinuation, and she was relaxed in bearing, but the ghost of aggressiveness was there. She wasn't acting the part now, but Terr was unmistakably a hell kage, and she wanted to make sure Sonja remembered that fact. "Before either of us does something rash," she paused to look in the direction of the hunting party, her wicked grin fading at last. "Or the extra company decides to make their move before us."
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:13 am
As Terr began to inch forward with every word, Sonja began to inch back to keep a healthy bit of distance between them. She was sarcastic and liked a verbal spar as much as the next intelligent individual, but she knew her place, at least for the moment.
" Oh, is that so?" She tilted her head and gestured to where the hunters were. "Fortuntately danger is but a razor's edge, one I have learned to tread well. So worry not for me. My concern is for you, dear girl. Why are you skulking about in the bushes so, instead of putting them in their proper place?" Twisting words was a game Sonja could play just as well.
"Hardly vital I would think, more like common knowledge. If one does not have better things to do on a fine afternoon than stalk a lowly group such as this, than I fear for such a soul." Perhaps she should've watched her word choice better, she was getting sloppy. Either way, she would have to redirect the conversation.
Yet something didn't seem quite right when she turned her full attention back on her surroundings. It had gotten quiet when a moment before anything with a decent pair of ears could've heard the group trampling around. But now it was silent, not the natural kind of silent, a total absence of sound like the moment before a hunter struck it's prey. All of her anxious movement coming to a halt as Sonja froze, eyes roaming the best they could with as little movement possible. Finally her eyes met those of the female before her. She hoped the other kage could sense it as well and that she wouldn't need to voice her thoughts. She looked ready to bolt at the next sound.
I think it's time to move.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:00 am
Seeing Sonja inch backwards touched on something primal in Terr, something she'd been trying to avoid since she'd began her wayward quest. Where there was retreat there was caution, survival instinct, somewhat more sophisticated but still related to that deviously base feeling of fear. It had been months now since Terr has killed something intelligent unnecessarily, and it felt now like a gross violation of her nature. Sonja was beautiful, shapely in that way that neverlin were, and invoked in Terr a deep desire to see that beauty torn apart, piece by piece. "Because brashness is an even greater crime than surrender," she quipped in retort, not offended by the neverlin's sassy insults. "And a plan come to fruition is a far greater prize than an action come to pass." She didn't expect the other to understand, they were both kage, but they might as well have been entirely different beasts, the difference was pointed and scarcely arguable.
Sonja's wit, her snark, it was all the more appealing. Bravery to Terr was delectable, never was there so kind and valorous a word for ignorance. But wasn't life similar? Terr was somewhat undecided whether she would enjoy trying to kill our court Sonja more. But that was the insanity kicking in, and that thought buzzed in the back of her mind. She had to change her thoughts, find something else to focus on, lest she lose her resolve and break down once again to the path of a violence addict. She was trying to avoid that, but it was difficult.
In her moments of revelry at the thought of what action she could take against her companion, Terr had neglected to keep her senses alert for the other party, and it struck her suddenly that she had lost tabs of them. It was a fool's mistake, an inexperienced move not befitting her years. Turning away from Sonja she leaped onto a tree, digging her claws in hard as she hauled herself up to a branch, tightly curled and poised to fall onto any who passed below. She ignored any thoughts of Sonja now, beyond a quick glance to the other to see if she would seek a better hiding place. The underbrush was good for hiding, but it was thick, and would make escape difficult with its brambles and thickets. Terr had no great affiliation with Sonja, but she was of the feeling that she'd rather not see her die; but neither did she really want to save or come to her aid. That course of action would only be taken of Sonja could not safely excuse herself.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:49 pm
If Sonja had more time, she might've realized just how thin the line she was walking really was. This wasn't her first time dealing with a hell born kage before, and while she would've prefered that her last encounter with one would've been just that, her last, she found herself more than a little intrigued at this new development. Her first encounter had been utterly terrifying, the male had rambled on incoherently before lunging at her out of the blue. Her last encounter didn't even see the need for words, coherent or not, before trying to rip her head off. Naturally she'd assumed the whole lot of 'em was just batshit insane, and that was the end of it.
Terr had thrown the proverbial wrench in her conclusion, and for that she was actually happy about it. Exchanging words, and the occasional jab, with the larger female had been interesting; no doubt more thrilling with the proximity of the lurking danger. As such, while it was impossible to forget their differences physically, mentally she was beginning to see Terr as just another personality to figure out. Perhaps hell borns were only more prone to insanity then others. It wasn't like she hadn't met an insane human or neverlin in her time.
Had she known exactly what was going through Terr's mind at the time, she most likely would've run for the hills and merely called it a day.
In what might've been a brief moment of concern, Sonja held her spot until she saw Terr take to the trees. For a second she pondered that choice of action before deciding to stay amongst the bushes and brambles. As a neverlin of rather short stature her speed was her greatest weapon, so for that her paws needed to remain firmly on the ground.
In a blink Sonja had all but disappeared, her colors helping her to meld in with her surroudings and she stayed on the move. She remained rather quiet as she swung around to the back of the tree Terr had perched herself in. From her bird's eye view the other kage would be able to see her without much problem, but anyone level with her would be hard pressed to determine her whereabouts.
For now she would bunker down and see what would happen next.
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:39 pm
Terr's patience in situations such as this was nearly inexhaustible, and she was prepared to wait a great deal of time perched in her tree. As fortune would have it though, she needn't wait long; it was nary a minute before she heard very quiet but unmistakable rustling in the bushes, and a few moments later one of the hunter's kage came pressing through he lower foliage. Fools, Terr thought to herself, kept pets. No creature accustomed to the forest moved like that, with a nose to the ground. Not if they wanted to live, anyway. By the time the second kage emerged in following the first, Terr had learned all she needed.
These were no warriors, they were companions of some nature to the humans. Inexperienced, eager, far too brave, it brought Terr a chilling delight to think that she would be one to teach them otherwise. Whether they would live to take such a lesson to heart, however, was somewhat less certain. She was coiled to strike, leaning forward millimeter by millimeter, her claws clutching her perch tightly to keep them from lashing out of their own accord, so eager was she for prey.
But she had to wait for the humans, had to know where they are. To be brash was to be stupid, she could not afford to be stupid. Life was too precious, too short, and too easily taken to be wasted in manic frenzy. She would wait until the right moment to spring, when she could be sure of her success. Or, as sure as she could be.
She spared a thought for Sonja, nestled in the bushes. Would the hunter's pets find her, before the humans arrived themselves? She would hate to spoil her plan to intervene on the neverlin's behalf, but if it couldn't be helped, well...there was a certain enjoyment in spontaneity at least.
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:49 pm
Pets.
Pampered pets so eager to please their masters, that's all they were. The thought brought conflicting emotions; disgust and at the same time a sharp smile. Silly little things with their noses to the ground and tails held high like beacons. It made it all to easy to keep tabs on them while she scouted out the humans.
Keeping her steps light she continued in a wide circle around Terr's position and down wind of the other kage. She took caution, keeping her pace slow despite the hammering of her heart in her chest that threaten to burst if she didn't move now. Keeping it in check she slinked almost effortlessly past the kage and moved to scout out the humans' position. Unlike their pets they seemed at least slightly more savvy. They weren't sticking out like sore thumbs at least.
For a moment her thoughts flickered back to her ally perched in the trees. She would certainly be an asset in whatever transpired next, and clearly had no qualms in seeing a little action. She'd felt a slight thrill when the larger kage had chosen to stay and prepare instead of fleeing.
A twig snap caught her attention and her ears and eyes pivoted to the source. There, trailing a good hundred feet behind the other neverlins was a small group of humans. A quick count put their number at four, and their pace and posture put their hunting experience at zilch. Whatever did these humans and their pets expect to accomplish?
Whatever it was, it had put her in their cross-hairs for the time being, effectively turning her scouting mission into one of survival. Apparently she wouldn't be able to keep her paws clean this time around.
There were so many options; she could dash out and distract the humans and hope Terr would have the neverlins disposed of by the time she circled back, or she could let them continue on and sneak in from the back once things got going or....
Patience. The inability to communicate had thrown a rather interesting dilemma her way, but it wasn't a decision to be made in haste. Instead she let them creep by her and then slowly began her stalking. They were out numbered, yet they held the advantage otherwise. Keeping pace behind them, she dubbed the apparent youngest of the hunting party her primary target and hung back. They had to pick them off if they wished for this to go well.
So she waited, perfectly poised to begin her attack, waited for the right moment; for a yell, or a yelp, or to see Terr plummet from the tree on her soon to be unfortunte victim.
It was time to see how the element of surprise and their experience stacked up against the hunters' numbers.
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