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((Please don't post in this RP without the permission of KaliFang and/or Jestari. This RP is specifically for their 'taurs Almos and Kouskous.))



On swift wings, the hunting flock swooped over the forest, darkening as the light flees in preparation for the coming night. After a long day spent flying from their roosts high in the mountains of the north, the small flock of harpies looked for a place to rest through the night so they would be well rested for their hunt in the morning. Sent by the matriarch of the clan to secure food for the coming winter months, the flock settled close together in the branches of the darkening forest. Innately worried by the lack of visibility in the dense forest, the harpies shifted warily in their temporary roosts.

One harpy, smaller then her ‘peers’, rested on one of the outer branches of the circle and looked out into the forest curiously. From so high up in the mountains, where forests this dense were few and far between, the young female had been chosen to join the hunting party for her sharp eyes, in hopes that she would be of aid spotting prey for the more experienced hunters of the flock to bring back with them, and to act as a sentry during the long, dark nights in the unfamiliar landscape. Though on the lower end of the hierarchy of the small group, Kouskous had been thrilled to learn that she was to go out on such an important hunt in such dangerous lands, and looked forward to proving herself worthy of the honor she had been granted.

The first day of the hunting expedition had been eaten up by the glide of wind under their wings to bring them to this forest, the dark forest, deep inside the territory of the nagas, the foul serpents of the elder legends. It was because of them that Kous was felt to be particularly useful to the splinter group, as not only was she to scout for the creatures to be hunted, but also keep an eye out for the horrible snakes, and warn her sisters of any approaching dangers. Though the trip would last several risings of both sun and moon, she was the one to be the main scout.

Only after the appointed head of the hunt was satisfied that all her sisters were still present, and that they had landed in a grove large enough to give them all the room they needed while still keeping them close enough for safety, did she allow her sisters to rest and recover from their long flight. Shortly after the command was given, only the head of the party was left awake, acting as the first watch over the cold, dark forest filled with the creatures of meals, and of nightmares.



Changing sentries several times over the night, the morning came too early for the smallest female, her wings still aching from the flight the day before. Though she hadn’t been assigned as one of the guards during the first night, as she would be doing the scouting during this day, Kous still hadn’t rested well, as every foreign sound, that is to say - every sound, disrupted her sleep. A quick glance around showed that her elders were no better off, and that those who’d been called to stand guard looked the worst. Tempting as it was to tease a couple of them, as the youngest she knew it was not only out of place, but would be retuned tenfold after she took her turn on sentry duty. No, she kept her mouth shut, and her mind on her duties.

And, her duty was to her people, so when the leader of the flock ordered her into the sky to search, she launched herself into the sky without question. Though, even her obedience couldn’t cover the wince caused by each beat of her aching wings in the cool morning air as she flew over the forest looking for the first prey of the hunt. The rest of the hunting party left behind to get what small amount more of rest they could find, and to prepare themselves for the hunt ahead of them.

Still, Kous couldn’t keep in the sky for long, and landed in a small clearing only minutes after taking to the sky. Even knowing that being on the ground was the most dangerous place in the world for a harpy to be, especially in this particular forest, she simply couldn’t remain airborne. Which hardly left her defenseless, what with her clawed hands, her powerful taloned feet, and her ability to shriek out a call for her sisters for aid. Provided they were in hearing range to answer such a call, but she carefully avoided thinking about that particular scenario.

Taking a moment after a rougher then normal landing to spread her aching wings in the sunlight, Kous enjoyed the feel of the sun warming her feathers and the painfully knotted muscles underneath. While the sun warmed her, she took stock of the clearing she'd landed in. The small size of the clearing and tall trees around it having caused her less then graceful landing, and had a funny looking brown and gray rock over there on the other side of it. She wondered if it might have been a mistake to land here of all places. No easy way in meant no easy way back out and up and into the sky that meant safety for her kind.

But regardless of that, it was time for her to begin her mission, and find a way off the ground later that she could return to her sisters and report whatever she saw. She nodded once and clucked to herself in support as she began hop-skipping over the terrain, as harpies tend to do when forced to walk. Only a couple of 'steps' later, those same sharp eyes that had gotten her chosen for this assignment then caught movement not all that far from where she was standing. In a state of almost shock, she realized that what she'd assumed was a rock earlier, was in fact, moving, and... Vaguely snake-like in appearance?

Feathers puffing up in sudden agitation, she squawked out an alarmed sound, and then hissed sharply at her opponent while she readied herself for violence. Being trapped on the ground, with no way to take to the sky or to warn her sisters! And having landed near to one of the hated nagas without even realizing! What a marvelous sentry she was turning out to be!

When the snake began to move, Kous's head dropped, her wings fanned out, and... He rolled over and... Did he just go to sleep?

Standing perfectly still, in her fighting posture, utterly gobsmacked, she could do nothing more then stare at the naga in stunned disbelief. What about all she'd heard about nagas being ferocious fighters who moved like lighting quick whip-like ways that could baffle even the most skilled harpy combatant? As she stared at the naga laying on the ground before her, she almost felt cheated, until it occurred to her that he was only playing. That would be just like a snake, to lull one into a false sense of security and then strike when she wasn't paying attention!

...But she'd been standing in the middle of the clearing, right where she'd stopped, for several minutes without so much as a peep out of the filthy serpent. Actually, when she took a closer look at him, his chest was rising and falling steadily, almost like he was... Actually asleep?

Shaking her head sharply to clear it, Kous stamped her taloned feet against the ground and hissed threateningly, "What kind of game are you trying to play, egg stealer! I should tear you apart!"

Where she'd been demanding answers, all Kous managed to get in return was another helping of utter confusion. He'd actually been asleep? Based on what her eyes were telling her it certainly seemed to be the case.

She shook herself mentally. If the snake was actually waking up, then it meant she had to be doubly aware of everything around her. She should have attacked while he was still asleep, and unlikely to be able to fight back. Damn her inexperience. Instead she'd actually woken him up, and was now going to have to fight a naga who... Still wasn't showing any aggression what-so-ev...

Her mind came to a screeching halt. JU~VE~NI~LE! Who the hell did this snake think he WAS? She may have been young, but she was already skilled enough, and held a high enough rank to be requested to come on this hunting trip by one of the village council! Her feathers fluffing up even further, making her look even bigger then her previous level of fluffing managed, and hopped forward, talons digging into the ground. "How dare you!" She actually screeched this time, violence on her mind, "Age doesn't mean the damnedest thing and you know it egg stealer!"

The naga finally started showing that he was taking this seriously Kous huffed mentally, as he started to sit up. Then she stopped as she realized that he was still in the process of sitting up, and... He looked a lot bigger then he'd been all coiled up on the ground. It was quite disconcerting, and once again she mentally questioned the intelligence of her actions.

...And he still didn't look aggressive... What the hell was wrong with this snake? Didn't they hate harpies as much as her flock hated them? And man did her flock... All flocks come to thing about it... Anyway, they really hated nagas. And yet he still hadn't raised so much as a hand to defend himself even when she'd gone right at him, war dance and all.

She cocked her head to the side, her war-dance and squawking silenced by his questioning, her wings dropping out of their status as a protective shield. Young... Yes, she was that. That didn't mean he had to go and point it out though! She bristled. That was just rude! And she'd make damn sure he knew that too!

"So what if I'm small?" She snapped back, clucking angrily, "I could be the best fighter in the flock for all you know! You don't have any right at all to say a thing about my age or lack thereof!"

...Well, that took the wind right out from under her wings. And then he went an reclined again?! This snake was either extremely stupid, or far above her in ability. She thought it might be the former, as he hadn't attacked her yet either, even though he seemed to be awake now.

She was supposed to be looking for food for her flock, but this odd ball... She gave up all pretense of violence, straightening up and folding her wings to her sides, figuring that if he was going to lash out he wouldn't have just tied his body into a knot like that.

After careful consideration of the first comment, she determined to her satisfaction that it wasn't meant as an insult, but that still left her completely clueless as to what exactly was going on. Then she bristled again, "What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?" She hissed, although not going back into her full fighting display. "I'll have you know I can outfight a lot of the adults in my flock!"

...That wasn't too bright, now that she thought about it, actually letting him know what level her fighting was at and all that. She really had to stop letting her temper get the better of her tongue like that.

Only too aware of her missed chances, and having kicked herself in the tailfeathers over each of them already, Kous is determined to move on from this... Somehow. She couldn't really leave, that'd mean turning her back on the snake. ...Who wasn't really anything like she'd been told they were. Which was really the most bothersome thing of all.

She felt somewhat mollified that she managed to at least give the tricky little snake a headache. ... Or not so little, as the case may be, seeing as he was taller then she was... And which also wasn't really all that much of a feat with a squawk as loud as hers, or so said her teachers within the flock. Yet another reason she made a good sentry. She blushed under her feathers.

...But his words caught her attention. No, she didn't have any experience fighting other species... And she had been watching the fights for longer then she'd been allowed to participate, so... Did that mean she wasn't really a good fighter? She didn't know any harpies in her flock that had ever fought with someone that wasn't another harpy. Except that one old female, but she was too old to fight anymore. She frowned, her normally quick mind mired in a whole bunch of unfamiliar thoughts.

Not paying any attention to the other 'taur's slip up - Mainly because she didn't even notice it - She clucks like a curious fledgling. "But... If fighting your own species doesn't determine your ability, then how...? We can't just go around randomly... challenging..." '...Other species to fights,' she finishes in her head, blinking when she realizes that's exactly what she just did to the egg-stealer in front of her. ...Who was being much more patient then she would have ever expected, from the stories she'd been told.

Now that her rage born of shock had been burned off, it didn't seem all that eager to return, even as she gave him a dirty look for that last comment. She did however, let his words at least somewhat sooth her ruffled feathers. "...Never thought about different species having different fighting skills. None of my sisters mentioned anything either..." She mumbled, cocking her head curiously at him again.

Well, it made sense she supposed. After all, a naga could hardly use the same kick-fighting techniques that she and her sisters used. They didn't even have legs! ...What odd creatures, how did they manage to get around without the benefit of even a strong pair of legs? She couldn't imagine being landbound, and never feeling the wind under her wings again... What must it be like to lack even those appendages? Poor things, it was, well, not understandable why they would steal her kinds eggs, but... It almost could make her feel something like pity for their plight.

Errr... She took a better look at the lounging snake in front of her. That tail was awful long now that she took a good look at it... And muscular too. Over twice the length of his torso, and he was taller in body then she was. Come to think of it, standing as close to him as she was, she was either inside his strike range, or only just outside of it. She took a prudent half step-hop backward to be on the safe side, even though he was still reclining on the majority of it.

"...You're not at all like the stories say you snakes are like."