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 Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:51 pm
 Zutnic stood a half a mile away from the forest eagerly watching the trees sway in the evening breeze. He had seen some strange movement in the area these past days and had been investigating. What he found out was more or less disturbing. Slaves, from the looks of it... Deuce had always said these 'harpies' were cruel.
Zutnic clicked his beak as his feathers bristled at the thought. He had seen for himself that his brother was right. Next step would be to inform his brother of what he has seen. From there their mission was clear, free the slaves.
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 3:39 am
Again, they had to move, this time from their first home in these new lands; that part of the forest was already occupied by another herd, and they didn't take kindly to strangers. Although she would have decided to fight them a few months ago, she decided to relocated the Flock again instead due to already dwindling numbers... Holding back her pride, she had ordered for her sisters to follow her Eastward, through huge plains. This time, the Spirits had led them to pretty much a paradise - mountains protect their nesting areas while a nearby river and forest provided them with the food and water necessary for their survival.
This time, she was determined for it to be their final home.
For now, she was out of their territory, trying to familiar herself with the forest for the next time she had to lead the sisters on a hunt - it was evening, and the air was cool and still. She stopped at the base of a tree near the border of the forest and looked up; perhaps she would be able to see more from the top. Readying her talons, she took a leap, propelling herself into the air before gripping onto the branch of a tree and pulling herself up without much effort. Straightening up, she shook out her mane of feathers and looked in the direction of the plains they had to cross in order to reach their current home.
{Not sure if you know, but the Flock relocated again because that first place was taken up. :3 They would have been there almost a month before moving ICly.}
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:08 pm
Zutnic slowly advanced toward the forest. Perhaps he might be able to obtain more information about the situation before retrieving his brother...That would make him proud and over all be less of a hassle. He only knew there were slaves, not how or where exactly they had been held.
His ears aimed forward as he paused in his movement. Something was out there... Zut cautiously scanned the forest again. The foliage blocked his view of most of the tops of the trees. To his knowledge harpies were not able to climb high in the trees, so this presented a little problem.
He clicked his beak again. The fact he saw nothing kept him on high alert.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:08 am
The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as she paused, a slight frown on her lips; for that one second, it felt like someone had their eyes on her... And it wasn't a friendly glance. Narrowing her eyes, she peered through the leaves of the tree she was on, determined to locate the source of her discomfort rather than ignoring it; after all, her gut feeling had saved her life - and the life of her beloved Flock - a few times in her reign as Queen.
On the plains, an advancing blur of teal and brown caught her eyes. As the blur came closer to where she could properly access him without revealing herself, the brown Harpy raised an eyebrow; the Soquili was nothing like she had ever seen... And she had seen some pretty unusual Soqs in her day! Instead of a muzzle, the stallion has a beak like a bird, with feathers covering half his body and a pair of slender, powerful looking wings.
A worthy male to capture, surely!
Laying low, she moved to stand nearer to the tree trunk before standing still, her eyes never leaving the stallion; he seemed to be heading in her direction, which worked well for her. Perhaps when he's near enough, she could reveal herself and ambush him... Something tells her that this one would not be going down easily, after all, and her muscles tensed at the thought, preparing her to fight.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:34 pm
Everything around him seemed to quiet down as if everything was watching the scene for the next event to unfold. His brow furrowed as he scanned the forest once more for any sign of the harpies or their slaves.
Zutnic's feathers bristled with the tension. Something did not feel right about this wood. The stillness in the air seemed more like a silent warning to him, but for what? From each scan he took, both far out on the plain and at the base of the first tree of the wood, provided no evidence to this 'evil' being present. His right hoof stamped the ground slowly. From the base of that first tree he did not move an inch. Not until he shook the anxious feeling.
He might have been a brave one, but the bravery did not cloud his capability to think. Sometimes...
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:57 am
Her brown pelt helped her to bland in with her surroundings, an advantage she never had back in her mountain home. Slowly and silently, she crept forward, making her way across the thick branch to get a better view of the approaching stallion... She made sure to move only when the wind is blowing towards her to minimize the chances of being detected by the stallion. Besides, if the leaves rustle when there is no wind, her cover will be blown for sure. Laying low again, the hairs on her back bristled with excitement as she laid in wait...
As he neared, she could tell that he was slightly hesitant about entering the forest... Perhaps this is a good time to attack; if not, he might turn around and she would lose the element of surprise. Unlike some of her sisters, Aviania is not afraid to put a scratch or two on her males, although she had always been careful not to cause them unnecessary stress or pain. She might view them as lesser beings due to her upbringing, but she had never hated them personally.
She lowered her body, her limbs bent; for a moment, she looked more like a leopard preparing to strike rather than a horse. However, that stance only lasted for a split second before she sprung forward suddenly, her powerful legs carrying her through the foliage and towards the beaked stallion. When she landed near him, she bore her sharp talons and rushed towards him, aiming to injure the stallion's front legs to minimize his chances of escape.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:11 pm
Another swift wind blew through the forest aiding the harpies' cover. Zutnic's ears swiveled every which way hastily as the feeling grew worse. Time seemed to drag on as he waited for something, anything, to happen. There -should- have been something in this forest. He had seen them here not that long ago. Yet now the forest seemed bare, save for the natural inhabitants.
Suddenly the trees to the front of him groaned with the mare's movements. His attention snapped forward to see the strange sight coming toward him. Claws, no hooves, and covered in feathers. Though no where near like himself. This creature was now in the attack.
Zutnic let out an eagle-like screech to his foe. His sharp beak clicked as he reared at the mare in preparation for his own attack. This harpie seemed to be able to run fast, which was something he was no where good at. Unlike his brother, however, strength was his best feature aside his courage. Perhaps he could ward it away than make an escape.
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Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 11:07 am
The male was fast at reacting to her attack while most males would have literally fallen to their knees from her attack by now. Instead, she zipped under his hoofs to avoid his counter-attack, feeling his hoofs brush past her tail as he dropped to the ground after rearing up. As she passed him, Aviania threw sharp talons in his direction in an attempt to draw blood from his side. Never stopping, she leaped and bounded off a nearby tree to make a sharp U-turn. As she rushed towards the stallion again, the brown Harpy eyed his feathered wings, the gears in her brain turning as she formulated a plan. Since the surprise attack didn't work, she now has to prevent him from flying away through another method... It is time to herd him into the forest.
Aviania let out a screech of her own as she bore her talons once again, determined to get the stallion to yield. She lashed out at his rear and before she could check if it was a hit, moved backwards to prepare for another attack to his flank - this was the only way to drive him into the forest... The canopy, thick with branches and leaves, will then naturally prevent him from flying out of her reach. If he tries to move past her to escape to the plains, she would be ready for him.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 5:58 pm
Zutnic was just barely able to miss the sharp talons of his foe the first time. As she slashed out for his side he managed to move away from the blow just slightly. However, her ability to bound off the tree had caught him completely by surprise. His rear fell victim to the talons with little time for him to maneuver away from the blow. His hind legs kicked wildly immediately following the attack.
Zutnic did not check to see how deep the talons had cut into his rear nor if his hooves made any contact with the mare. Instead he quickly reared and turned to face his attacker. His hooves stamped and his sharp beak clicked as he continued to hiss threateningly at the mare. Behind, his tail lashed about like a whip to further his threatening appearance.
If anything he wanted to ward -her- away. A better alternative to having to fight a female any longer. Though in this case he was certainly not willing to go quietly. He was unsure of her motives, but by her 'welcome' it could not lead to anything pure.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 8:46 am
In her adrenaline rush, the brown Harpy had failed to notice the bruise the stallion had inflicted on her front limb; her successful attack on his flank had came with a price. However, as she glanced briefly at the slowly spreading blue-black patch just above her now bloodied talons, she smiled to herself; it was a small price to pay... After all, such an injury was nothing to a seasoned warrior like herself. It would heal quickly, unlike the slash she had "gifted" him with.
"My, my, a feisty one, I see!" She cooed, raising an eye brow before letting out a soft chuckle, "Have you been spying on us, male?" In comparison to the stallion, Aviania's stance looked like she was rather relaxed about the whole situation. However, her muscles are in reality, tensed and ready for action and her mind was alert and read to respond. She then smiled, clearly amused at his actions - these "warnings" don't really scare her anymore. However, having received a kick from him and thus, being able to gauge just how strong he is, she figured out that a head-on attack will not put her in a favorable position...
Flexing her talons, she grew serious again, rushing at the stallion with the intention to injure as a loud screech escaped her lips; perhaps a nearby sister can help with this capture... She has no need for a mating partner right now, as her focus is on her beloved Flock, but perhaps one of her sisters might require one, and this one is a most worthy male... He would make strong offspring for the Flock!
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:00 am
Zutnic could only snort to her comments. It wasn't the greatest feeling to get caught while spying, than again she might have just been tossing words about to aggravate him into doing something stupid. He refused to give her the satisfaction.
His muscles tensed as he readied for whatever might come next. Obviously she was good with the trees. And far quicker in the forest. He could have to lead her out into the plain, or get there himself and hope she will not follow. In any case he had to avoid going into the woods, or else the battle would surely tip greatly in her favor.
Zutnic let out another loud screech as he charged forward, but quickly changed course toward the plains. Thankfully he did not fully enter the woods while investigating, or else this may have been difficult. His ears locked onto the threat to listen for her pursuit. With his angle he could just slightly see her in the corner of his vision.
His wings extended and begun to beat for a slight boost in speed. Anything for the advantage, he was counting on being much slower than the mare.
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:36 am
She had not expected him to turn so quickly, but when it happened, she lets out a high pitched shriek. Wasting no time, the female sprinted after him, hot on his heels. Her talons dug into the earth, giving her a good grip as she thundered through the undergrowth. As the plains came closer and closer into view, her frown deepened; the moment he's out, she'll lose the advantage and probably lose him...
As a last resort, Aviania pushed herself to her limits in order to move faster, snapping at the male's tail in an attempt to pull him back or at least slow him down. However, just as she was close enough to do so, the stallion spread his wings and moved out of range again.
Gritting her teeth, the Harpy became slightly agitated; she was close to the escaping male, but not close enough to tackle him to the ground or cause him damage. He was so close, yet so far from her clutches, and it frustrates her to know so. Leaning forward, she decided that even if she was to let him go, she wouldn't allow him to go with just a few scratches and bruises... That is too lenient a punishment for defiance against the Queen!
{Do you mind if she scratches him again and tore off part of his feathers just before he flies? owo}
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:36 pm
(( Of course! ))
Zutnic pushed his speeds to its limit as well, however it was not enough to leave the battle without a token of their meeting. In a moment of curiosity he made his worst mistake by far. When Aviania moved out of his peripheral vision Zutnic turned his head just slightly to see if this distance had increased. It was quite the opposite to his despair. The queen's claws drew blood from the right side of his face from under his ear to the corner of his mouth in her last attempt to cature him.
Zutnic hissed and hastily took off in flight. By the feel of this wound he would never be rid of it...
Aside from the small feathers torn from his face one long blood spattered ebony feather drifted to the ground from his quick take off.
Zutnic circled above as he gained altitude. The mission was not over just yet... he still needed their nest location, and without her notice.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:23 am
The edges of her lips twitched upwards into a dark grin as her talons drew blood; she had used a lot of force on that last attack, and it made her feel slightly better about losing the stallion... Just slightly better. She was, of course, still feeling bitter about it. She slowed to a stop as the stallion took off into the skies, out of her reach; it was the one weakness she had been unable to overcome. As much as her legs are powerful enough to launch her high into the air, it could never go as far as a single beat of a Soquili's wings.
As the distance between them grew, she licked some of the blood off her talon before wiping the rest into the damp earth, all the while staring at the male in the sky. Then, she lowered her glance, and noticing the long feather he left behind, picked it up with her talons. She tucked it into her mane of feathers, the ebony feather sticking out among her brown feathers. She smirked before turning and sprinting back into the forest, using the canopy as cover. From the stallion's flight patterns, he seemed to be looking for the Flock's nesting area... She wouldn't be going home till its dark out, it seems.
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