Warmblooded

[goldenambition]

Who: Will, Clive and Joshua (Bird)
What: Hunting a biblically accurate deer to appease Winter
When: Some time before the god fight, just in case
Where: The Woods
Warnings: Animal death, gore, occultism

[Will would never consider himself a hunter- for all his adventures, he was always more a city boy than not. He COULD snare a coney or shoot down a bird for a meal. But full deer hunting was something he was not that experienced in.

But he had an ace, if what he was told on the journals was true. But that just made this all the more dangerous.

He was bundled head to toe in winter gear the sad-looking shopkeep had provided, his armor on under it and his bow unslung]

So 'pparently these deer are meat eaters, so I gotta package of roast steak here- [He pats a cloth bag on his hip. It has a bit too much give to be anything but wrapped raw meat. And if the brothers have a decent sense of smell they can likely smell it out right.] - so we can try to bait it out. This time'a year a fresh kill outta be tempting for all kinds of beasties.

You two still up for this?

Comments

[goldenambition]

[He nods, untying the bag on his hip and tossing the squishy thing to Joshua]

If it really is a meat-eater the beastie might come out biting. 'Case you need to distract 'em.

[And on that he turns and bounds off into the woods. The snow slows him down, but he moves like someone that is, usually, quite nimble.

[aneikonic]

[ Once Will heads off, Clive looks around quickly and gestures for Joshua to position himself at one spot that looks wide enough to be an escape route, then moves himself to another. He unhooks the netting again and reads it in his left hand, his right coming up to the hilt of his sword once more.

And he waits, breathing fogging in the air around them, his eyes locked on the spot Will disappeared off too. ]

[kingincognito]

[ Mind shifting into combat mode, Joshua watches for Clive's direction and nods, settling himself in the indicated spot. The admittedly uncomfortably squishy bag of meat settles at his side, ready to use as a distraction, or bait, or whatever purpose it will best serve.

His free hand rests on his knee, and there he kneels, mimicking Clive in watching where Will disappeared from sight. The creature will be running rapidly, and they will need to be quick. ]

[goldenambition]

[The woods are... well not silent. Never silent. But quiet. For awhile. Creaking snow, wind, the far off moans of the wraiths.

Then there's loud CRACK sound, like a firecracker, in the distance. The cries of birds taking off and some of the snow falling off the frozen tree branches. No follow up noise for a few tense breaths before they would hear a howling-yeowling sound... and from the brush comes charging Will, pupils wide and tail a full double it's normal bushiness...

...as a giant six-legged deer with front facing eyes and a massive rack comes barreling after him. It's muzzle covered in slobber.]

[aneikonic]

[ His hand releases on the hilt of the sword and he readies the net instead, ready to spring. Except... that's Will in front, not their quarry being herded, which changes the plan. He gestures quickly to catch Joshua's attention to cut off it's return path. ]

Shit! Will!

[ It's a predator, right? Meat-eater. It should notice it's out numbered and choose to flee, that's what predators do. He knows this, he's slain enough. So they need to cut off it's return path and try to get it to flee where they want it.

He springs forward himself to cut the creature off from Will, whistling sharply to draw it's attention. ]

[kingincognito]

[ Well, shit.

Joshua looks to Clive, taking the direction and moving towards where the deer and Will had come from. He knows what his brother is thinking - cut off the return path, and herd it themselves.

He unsheathes his rapier, his other hand holding the sack of meat. He'll use it when it's time. If they can just convince the thing to not trample Will-- ]

[goldenambition]

[Will darts past Clive, either seeming to pick up on his plan or maybe just survival instinct. Either way the deer notices the dogman has led him into more of it's kind and rears up, mouth opening much too wide and flashing many sharp teeth, hooves flashing dangerously]

Right bigger then expected, ain' 'e?!

[aneikonic]

[ He will skip back a bit to avoid the strike of the hooves, making a face to the snow and clothing hampering him. ]

They always are. Joshua, a little bit of fire?

[ He raises his net at the same time. If they spook it into leaping forward, the netting will do it's job in entangling it. But. Hm. If he throws it too early, and it catches on those too high horns and not the hooves... Oh well. As Cid might say. Embrace the moment and use it to grow and change. ]

[kingincognito]

Right!

[ A little bit of fire. Not to harm it, but to scare it. It wouldn't do if he roasted their quarry before Will could do what he needs with it.

A spark lights in his palm, and a fireball forms within a second. Just a small one, nothing too big is needed when he's only trying to scare. With a grunt, he flings it towards the deer's rear legs, letting it impact with the ground instead of flesh. ]

[goldenambition]

[And Will, seeing what Joshua is doing, does the same- his 'fire ball' is, if anyone had time to really examine it, more light and smoke than real fire. But in this circumstance it's the same thing

The deer is not Thrilled about the fire. The hooves come down and find no crunch of human bone, and with an enraged snort start to prance away from the 'attacks'- though with how it's holding it's antlers down to bluff charge it is far from bolting just yet]

[aneikonic]

[ Light and smoke is just as fine, as it does it's job. He goes to toss the net but aborts as the horns lower. No, that's not what he wants. ]

No you don't.

[ He circles with the deer, making sure to stay between it and any exits, gesturing for Will to follow suit with Joshua and block anything off.

... Hold on... he should be able to take those horns off, glancing towards Will with a light cant of his head, then flicking his eyes to the horn and reaching for his sword. Just to show his intent, if he gets the go ahead, he'll toss his net to one of them. ]

[kingincognito]

[ This could be dangerous. He's been with Clive to fight marks before, but marks are different. Marks generally... don't survive. But the goal here is survival unless absolutely necessary. They can't just go all out like they typically would.

But as Clive begins to circle, Joshua moves in tandem, closing off the deer's means of escape - at least on one side. He watches his brother carefully, piecing together his plan without a single word spoken. The glance at the antlers, the reach for his sword... ah. Disarming. ]

Be careful, Clive.

[ But he probably doesn't need to say that.

Probably. ]

[goldenambition]

[Will circles as well. And while he lacks the combat partnership experience the brothers have, his pack hunting instincts guide him. His teeth bared, growling softly in his throat.

Clive's gesture makes him glance at the antlers... and he gives him a small nod]

[aneikonic]

Aren't I always?

[ Good. With Wills permission, he quickly tosses the net to one of them. If the Deer wants a fight, it'll get it. ]

Come on then, you overgrown gazelle.

[ He calls Garuda to him, then pulls his sword free and darts forward towards the Deer. He extends his left hand and green talons of air manifest around it before darting out to try and grapple the beast. Either to pull it own or - if it's too large - launch himself into the air. ]

[kingincognito]

[ Alright! A fight it is, then. Joshua watches as the net gets flung to Will, and then looks at Clive and the deer. Looks for what he can do to help, where he has an opening. With it fighting Clive, it's likely going to be distracted and not looking for an avenue of escape so much as trying to win, but his standing where he is may be preventing it from trying.

So he'll wait, and watch, bag of raw meat in one hand, rapier in the other. If Clive needs a shield or support, he'll leave his position. ]

[goldenambition]

[Will snatches the net out of the air and opens it with a snap, ready to toss the moment there's an opening

The deer, on the other hand... clearly the corruption of this place has given it a bravery that usually comes with rutting, as it charges to meet the talon-ed grip, as if it can horn lock the wind itself and wrestle it into submission.

Antlers meet claws and it thrashes it's head back and forth, trying to gore it's attacker. So not hard to grab... the question is holding on]

[aneikonic]

[ Well, even if Garuda's power hadn't launched him into the air with a foe too hardy to drag down, the violent shaking would have. But that's fine. It drags him closer and gives him an upper advantage. Which he will use, twisting his sword in his hand as he passes to collide steel with horn, with the same force he used to cleave Kupka's hands free of his body, a deep growl leaving him in a sort of 'war cry'.

Get fucked.

.. If those horns aren't as tough as steel itself. ]

[goldenambition]

[Thankfully even mutant bucks seem to have antlers meant to be shed and broken off. So the first antler shears off- stronger than a normal deer, but not hard for Clive.

The beast bellows in rage, but the look in it's eyes is a bit more panicked over rage]

You got 'em, Clive!

[aneikonic]

Have that net handy! It'll bolt soon! Joshua, mind those exits!

[ He's sure of it, now that this deer knows it's "prey" bites back as strongly as it does. Garuda seems oddly energized, responding more readily as he sends out another talon, gripping this time onto the beasts back to drag himself onto it. So he can bring his sword down again in closer proximity, battering as hard as the other antler as he's able.

Come on! Come off already! ]

[kingincognito]

On it!

[ He's watching the deer, but his eyes are also on Clive. Antlers are nothing to sneeze at, and one wrong move could puncture or worse.

For now, he sheathes his rapier. He won't be in need of it. If the deer makes a run for it, he can manifest a shield, perhaps stun it with impact. Make it easier to catch. ]

[goldenambition]

[The second antler puts up a fight, but finally comes off in Clive's hands. And with it the deer has clearly had enough. It's head lashes around looking for an out. Will is the smallest, but he's starting to swing the net around to gain momentum, and the deer does nooot like that. So instead it goes for Joshua, trying to bolt.]

[aneikonic]

[ Time to go before this deer remembers it has teeth and Clive is right there. He quickly jumps from it's back as it bolts, stumbling a little on the landing due to the snow and his coat, swearing. ]

Will, throw it!

[ Because it's going right for Joshua and while he's sure Joshua can shield himself - that protectiveness makes him bristle. ]

[kingincognito]

[ There is nothing in life quite as terrifying as a large, angry animal rampaging towards you at top speed. And that's saying something, considering that he's faced down far larger and angrier things. ]

Shit...!

[ That bag of meat gets rapidly tossed aside. Sorry, Will, but he doesn't think it's going to be needed after all, at least not right now. Flame gathers in his hand, but as he flings it out before himself, it spreads and slowly cools into a white shield, ready to bounce the deer back. ]

[goldenambition]

[ And bounce off the shield the deer does, making it rear again. Will takes the chance to whip the net over it, and the beast bucks and kicks wildly- which only tangles it more]

[aneikonic]

[ Hearing his brother swear is wild, but he guesses if there's ever a time for it, it's now.

And he stays back, watching and letting the deer tangle itself further. Without the horns in the way, the netting is doing a fine job of wrapping it tighter. So Clive relaxes a little. ]

You two all right?