:[PRP]: Happy Hunting

[Teigra]

All was not well with the world.

First, the hunting had been growing steadily more and more difficult as of late. Food was not only scarce, but increasingly difficult to catch when found, for some strange reason. Perhaps the lack of rain lately was making the game skittish and more careful.

Then, there had been that whole incident with that crazy male Pae. One of those obnoxious Fae things, to make matters worse. Why was his life plagued by those things?!?

Kane sighed, stalking silently through the forest. He needed to find something...anything to eat soon. Maybe he would have better luck fishing at this point. He supposed, if he got really desperate, he could sneak back to that one place on the beach. The hut thing that served food to Paes. He didn't like thinking he was losing his touch THAT badly, however.

He growled softly to himself. This was no time to worry about pride. What good was pride if he starved himself to death, anyway? Something alive had to cross his path soon...and Guardians have pity on whatever it was.  

[[chainedfaye]]

Alaera was wandering aimlessly through the forest, her mind occupied. She'd been doing that a lot since that one encounter she had with that demonic male fae. The feeling of his arms clutching her tightly up against his dangerous body, the fear that permeated her own body. And then that flicker of anger she felt and then the rage pouring through her veins that came afterwards. She loved that feeling, and wanted nothing more than to experience it again. The memory of it glittered in her eyes.

But nothing she had done had been able to evoke it again. And so, listless, she had taken to wandering the forest almost everyday, not paying any attention to where she was going, just plunging noisily through the trees.

 

[Teigra]

A sound!

Kane's ear twitched slightly and he halted his silent flight through the treetops. Not far off either, from the sound of it. Grinning to himself, his fangs flashed in the light that filtered through the leaves of the forest's canopy. About time...

He shifted direction, continuing his eerily quiet race through the trees. He'd perfected the art of silent hunting early on, back before he ever ventured into Dragnid alone. He'd made many trips since then, but the food was always better in Loka Nei. Tastier and didn't fight back at much at least.

Whatever he was chasing had apparently never even heard of the concept of stealth, let alone practiced it. This would be too easy. The thought almost brought a chuckle to the feral Pae's lips...but not quite. Now was the time for silence and speed. Leaves and branches whipped by as he closed in on his prey.

Perhaps if he had used his nose and not his ears, he would have hesitated. Unfortunately, he was so hungry that he was reaching the stage of desperation. Without caring what he might be hunting, he bared his claws and tensed his muscles. He figured he could handle whatever might be crashing through Loka Nei today and that was all he worried about. Waiting patiently, he perched on a tree branch, ready to spring.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Now!

A flash of movement was all the cue he needed before he pounced, claws outstretched and fangs bared, determined to take down his prey.  

[[chainedfaye]]

The tiny little hairs on the back of Alaera's head suddenly stood on end, alert and warning. She froze, her eyes quickly scanning the area around her...nothing. She turned around to look behind her and a flicker of movement above caught the corner of her eyes. Turning her head to get a closer look at the movement, all she saw was a shadow coming down at her, the distinct outline of razor sharp claws glinted against the sunlight. Instinct screamed at her to move, but something inside of her prevented her from running, and she watched helplessly as the shadow bore down on her.

 

[Teigra]

Something was off about this prey. What sort of animal wandered around upright on two legs...?

Oh, bloody hell!

It was too late to stop his flight through the air, but not to retract his claws. Flaring his wings, Kane attempted to slow his momentum; even a little bit was better than nothing. He hoped he wasn't wrong in his assumption that this particular Pae'il could take a hit. She'd certainly held her own nicely against that obnoxious Fae, if he remembered correctly. The scent was the same...she looked familiar. Had to be her. She had quite a mouth on her too, if he recalled.

He flinched involuntarily as his hands hit her shoulders. Hopefully, she wouldn't be hurt...

...wait, why did he care?  

[[chainedfaye]]

Alaera fell to the ground under the weight of flying demon. She muttered darkly and fought against his bulk, trying to get him off of her. "Get off of me already!" she yelled and the outburst seemed to give her a boost of energy she needed to remove him from herself. Standing up and brushing herself off, she finally realized exactly who it was that had landed on her.

Oh great. It was that guy from the other day. She was sooo not in the mood to deal with anyone else right now, least of all someone who had actually been there to witness her helplessness. Her weakness. Something had changed in her that day, something she didn't understand. He had sort of rescued her though, or at least distracted that evil fae long enough for her to fight back. She supposed she could be nice-ish...for now anyway.

"So you always greet people by attacking them?" she said as she glared at him.

 

[Teigra]

Kane never apologized. For anything. Ever. It wasn't in his nature, even IF he had ever been taught manners like that. But for some reason, for the briefest second, the possibility had crossed his mind.

Shattered the second she opened her mouth.

"Only when I'm hungry," he snapped back, glittering eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're just lucky I didn't use my claws. Wouldn't be much left of you by now." Like their last encounter, his voice was harsh from misuse. No point in talking to your prey in the forest before you ate them afterall. The difference this time was the arrogance practically dripping from each word out of his mouth.

He'd almost been willing to give this crazy femme a chance, but it seemed she was just as obnoxious as the rest of them. Guardians knew why he'd even considered THAT possibility! Snarling in frustration, he took his fury out on the dirt....for the moment. He was on all-fours, wings flared with claws sunk deep into the soil when he turned back to Alaera. His tail whipped back and forth, betraying his pent-up anger and frustration.

As much as he'd never admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, there might have been a little desperation and hunger mixed in as well.

"Hmmph. Probably wouldn't even make a decent snack, let alone a meal," he sneered as if musing to himself. He wasn't serious, but he felt like taking another jab at her. Not that he'd ever eat another Pae'il, no matter how hungry he was.

Probably wouldn't taste good anyway.  

[[chainedfaye]]

Alaera raised an eyebrow at his antics...this was sure a strange one. She just hoped he wasn't planning on licking her anytime soon. Which, considering that he had been planning to eat her, it didn't seem like too far-fetched an idea.

She opened her mouth, ready to chew him out and inform him that she was tougher than she looked, when he insulted her tastiness, and her mouth snapped back shut. She couldn't help but smirk at the irony of her thoughts and his response. "Well, not that I've ever tried eating myself or any other Pae for that matter, but I highly doubt any of us would be very tasty. Though I do have a younger sister you are welcome to try." Amethyst really had been driving her crazy lately. She chuckled at the image of this demon chasing after her sister, claws extended and reaching toward its prey. The little girl would be absolutely terrified. She snapped back to reality...when had her thoughts become so dark?

She shook her head..."Well, if you are so hungry, I saw some berries back there, though I have a feeling that's not exactly what you had in mind for lunch. "

 

[Teigra]

It was Kane's turn to raise an eyebrow. She wasn't serious...was she? He actually couldn't tell for once...which was highly unusual. Unsure of how to respond, he opted to continue their verbal sparring. "Nah. If you wouldn't make a decent snack, then I'm sure she wouldn't be more than a bite anyway."

The feral feline Pae relaxed a bit, lowering his flared wings as he stood up on two legs once more. He had to give her credit. Most Pae'il would have balked or even run away at his ferocious display; she hadn't even backed down...not even a single step. She took a pretty hard hit to boot.

"No, not exactly what I had in mind," he sneered dryly, rolling his eyes. It wasn't necessarily mean-spirited this time...just more of a snarky response to an obvious statement. Afterall, one didn't usually pounce on berries from trees. Not that he hadn't resorted to the silly things before. He'd just never admit to growing desperate enough to eat the sissy food. Still, it was better than vegetables. Not nearly as good as meat, but survival came first.

"So...any reason you were crashing through the forest like that? Anger something in Dragnid, for example?" Kane leaned back against a tree, arms crossed as a rare sparkle shown in his eye. He'd certainly done that plenty of times...though he didn't usually run.  

[[chainedfaye]]

Alaera let his attitude slide for now...after all she could be a huge b***h when she was hungry too. Though since she found that refrigerator box thing in the HQ, that honestly hadn't been very often lately. So how come she was in such a bitchy attitude so much lately?

Alaera turned and looked around her, confusion evident on her face.
"Dragnid? I hadn't realized I had wandered so far...." she trailed off. It still looked like Loka Nei to her....was he lost? Perhaps he was from there she mused. That would explain a lot about the demon male, especially his rabid manners. After all she'd always heard ferocious, wild beasts lived in Dragnid, and although she wouldn't quite classify him as a beast, he would have to be pretty ferocious himself to survive for very long in the dangerous forest.

Maybe he was somehow trying to trick her though...he seemed like the type but she couldn't think of a logical reason for it. Her hands slide up their previous position on her hips to cross her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. "No, I was just going for a nice, peaceful morning stroll. " That wasn't exactly the truth but what did he need to know that for. And anyway it was his fault her pretend nice, peaceful stroll was interrupted in the first place.

 

[Teigra]

Noting her confusion, Kane laughed; it was a harsh, rough sound. "Yeah, Dragnid's not that far off, actually. Far enough that we're safe here of course. Though it might be a good thing for you in that case that I mistook you for prey. Else, you'd probably have wandered right on in and found something much more willing to eat you than I." Smirking slightly, Kane's fangs flashed momentarily in the light filtering down through the trees. This one was fun afterall. She had her moments at least. And she was amusing to tease.

"A peaceful morning stroll?" He tilted his head curiously, one ear twitching involuntarily as it brushed against the rough tree trunk. The concept eluded him completely. Why would one just walk...for fun? You walked or ran to hunt down food. Food meant energy to hunt again. Hunting meant survival. Running around for no reason? It was a waste of good energy and sure to lead to death...at least in Kane's world.

'That...plus she sounded like a wild boar with a death wish...' he mused, fighting an outward grin. Perhaps he had forgotten how quietly he could move in comparison to other Pae'il. Or he didn't realize exactly how much more sensitive his hearing was, especially to sounds in the forest. Either way, he estimated he could have heard her coming from halfway across the isle.

Finally, he shrugged dismissively, seeming to come to terms with the issue. "Fine, have it your way, kiddo. Just a peaceful, morning stroll. Just don't wander into Dragnid with that attitude. You might last about five seconds."

Pausing, he shot her a devilish grin. "Strike that. Three."  

[[chainedfaye]]

Alaera snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah like you were oh so helpful against that male fae. At least I made contact with the guy. Can't say the same for you." She paused a moment, waiting for the response her insult surely would invoke.

She hadn't even been attempting to be quite earlier. Why bother after all. She was in Loka Nei, not like she had ever run into anything dangerous there before. And she did have some several skills. You tend to pick up at least a few while being pursued as a child and forced to survive on your own as a teenager. She did wish she knew how to fight though....or at least had some sort of weapon.

She'd never been in Dragnid before, but eh, what the hell, why not. She looked at her nails nonchalantly. They were no where near as strong or long as his claws but they had worked well for her in the past. Her gaze moved back up to the demon's, challenging. "So, is that a dare then?"

 

[Teigra]

"Contact?" Kane repeated, one eyebrow raised. He nearly laughed out loud at that, but managed to hold back. "You say you made contact with him? Right. I'd say more that he made 'contact' with you...or at least took a taste." Smirking, he shook his head as if speaking to a child. "Plus, at least I drew blood. Even if I didn't catch the jerk, can you claim that much?"

Perhaps he was pushing it a bit far. She was only a girl afterall. She couldn't help it. From what he'd seen of most of them, they tended to be whiny and emotional over the least little things. Not that they could help it. They were born that way. While this one showed a little promise...she was still a femme. He should take it easy on her.

Wait....why?

Then, he realized it. She really was crazy. "Excuse me? A dare?" What the hell was she thinking? What in Telrunya was a 'dare?' The word held no meaning for the feral demon, but one look in her eyes was enough to explain it to him. The beautiful sparkle of a true challenge. He'd seen that spark before...though never in another Pae'il. Only in some of the beasts from Dragnid...

Chuckling softly, he crossed his arms and looked up at her through narrowed eyes. The eyes of a predator.

"Yes. Yes it is. Care to take it? Can you stand up to the challenge?"  

[[chainedfaye]]

Bright red colored of Alaera's cheeks as she flushed at his comment. She shuddered as she remembered the way his tongue scrapped roughly against her skin as he licked her cheek, the way his strong hands gripped her close to him, close enough to feel his breath tickling the hairs on her neck. It wasn't altogether that unpleasant, just unwanted from him. Breaking out of her memories, she retorted "Yeah well at least he thought I was good enough for a taste." Her blush only deepened as she belatedly realized just exactly what she had said.

Hoping to distract him from what was sure to be an even further embarrassing reply, she stepped close, trying to show to him she wasn't scared of him or his challenge. "3 seconds. You're on. I make it, you find lunch. You have to save me, and I'll make you lunch. Deal?"

She turned around and started to stalk to Dragnid.

 

[Teigra]

Kane tilted his head curiously, watching her go. Well, this was an interesting situation he'd gotten himself wrapped up in. Three seconds wasn't that long. Certainly not an impressive amount of time, not even for staying in Dragnid. What could she possibly run into in that amount of time? Probably nothing, to be honest. It was growing tempting for the feral demon to just turn on his heel and leave the entire matter behind.

A sudden feeling at the edge of his senses gave him pause, however. Something wasn't right. Well, nothing was ever right about Dragnid, but something was more wrong than usual. His senses were on high alert long before the screeches sounded through the air. His sharp ears were sensitive enough that the sound was physically painful, causing him to grimace and lay his ears back against his head.

So much for leaving the crazy femme to her own business.

Without so much as understanding why, Kane slipped off after Alaera, picking up just enough speed to catch up with her without actually joining her again. Perhaps he was only curious as to what could make such a horrible sound and why. Yes, that was it. It had to be.

Nearing Dragnid, Kane let out an involuntary snarl. Something was definitely more wrong than usual. A swift movement out of the corner of his eye stole his attention and instinct kicked in. He reached out, snatching the strange 'thing' out of the air. Peering at his hand, he was mildly surprised to see nothing more than a bat. Only...something wasn't quite right about this 'bat.' Then again, nothing out of Dragnid was ever quite right. Of course, on the other hand, nothing out of Dragnid ever seemed to give Kane the creeps either.

Growling, he tossed the thing away in disgust, watching as it hurriedly flapped its wings to right itself and took off for its mysterious destination once more. What the hell was going on in Dragnid now?