[Zena] Creepy Crawlers (Zyphire/Sol)

[Painted Moose]

Sol busied himself with strapping a saddle across his raptrix, Sev, while thoughts of 'monsters' danced in his head. For once he had followed his grandmothers into town to help with their trading, and had been rewarded with some very odd gossip. At first the teen had been content enough to ignore it, but with time curiosity began to build.

And now...well, it was the dead of night, he had snuck out of the little cabin his family called home and was now prepping Sev for a midnight hunt. The portly raptrix nuzzled his head with her own, and he gently pushed her away, returning to his pre-flight duties. If he could manage to find whatever this was then he might be able to sell it, and buy a new saddle. Gods knew he would need one soon; every day Sev grew larger and large, both in good ways and bad. There was just no keeping up with her!

Sabra Knight

 

[Sabra Knight]

There was something creepy in Zena. Zyphire had heard tales of strange things appearing in the dark of the night while out in town and it had peeked his interest. Of course if he had told Talisia though the young male would have been deterred from any attempts to 'charm' a strange beast. So it was now in the dark of the night that he slipped out of their home and slipped through the snows to hunt down whatever was out there.

He was determined to go and charm it himself so that he could prove to Talisia that being a beast tamer wasn't so impossible after all.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Taking off into the night atop his raptrix was one of the few things Sol found truly wonderful in this world. There was just nothing like it. Soaring through the night sky, with nothing but the stars to guide them...

It would have been absolutely glorious if Sev hadn't decided to take a sudden nose dive, shocking Sol out of whatever kind of mental musings he had been wrapped up in. Thinking she had spotted a 'creepy crawler', he readied his spear to throw -

Only to realize they were barreling straight towards a teenager.

He pulled on her reigns, trying to pull her up at the last moment, which only served to bring her to an abrupt halt just feet above the other boys head. The force of her wings pumping in the air caused the air to stir up around them, creating a miniature snow drift.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Zyphire hadn't noticed anything was amiss until the moon completely disappeared from above him. Gaze widening the shifter let out a string of creative curses before throwing himself back into the snow and then even being covered with more snow, "What...the hell." He muttered as he tumbled to the left before sitting up again and brushing the snow from his jacket.It was hard though to truly clean off the snow with even more snow pelting him from the force the raptrix created with her wings.

Sighing, Zyphire scooted back a bit more before stretching his legs out and staring upwards towards the beast. She wasn't alone, else he would have been made into a good meal by now. A trained raptrix... His gaze narrowed as he tried to make out a shape above her - but damn, it was too dark to truly see much.

"Care to watch where you fly next time?" He called out loudly with a frown. If there was someone on her then maybe he would get an answer and if not then he would climb onto the thing himself if she kept staying so close to him. What Zyphire didn't realize, however, was that all this racket had stirred something who was already rather unhappy with the cold nearby. A soft hiss of warning barely filled the air as something slithered right behind the shifter boy...
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Sol's hood had blown off his head in the near landing, leaving his golden hair to flutter around freely in the wind. For a moment they merely hovered there, with the young rider pulling hard on his mount's reigns to keep her in check.

"My apologies." He called out, making sure his voice was heard of the rhythmic beating of her wings. When the raptrix finally decided to land Sol sat back on the saddle, and brushed some hair away from his face with a deep, resounding sigh. He loved his beast, truly he did, otherwise he wouldn't put up with her, but honestly...

Before he could even contemplate dismounting Sev had turned on the - shifter? was it? - and had her lips pulled back against her fangs in an impressive snarl. Young as she was Sev was a massive beast, and she looked poised to attack.

"Heel." In a panic, Sol pulled back on her reigns, barely slowly her from the near crawl she was making towards the shifter. But her eyes weren't focused on him, rather something lower down and- "Don't move. Whatever you do, don't make any sudden moves..."
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Zyphire honestly didn't get much time to stare at the strange hybrid before the raptrix was snarling at him, "Alright then I mean you can fly where you want." He replied while raising his hands. Though honestly working with Talisia had made him quickly accustomed to grumpy beasts. But it was easier to hold down a raptrix with say a broken wing rather than a fully healthy one with some rather sharp teeth.

"I doubt she'll attack...." But quickly Zyphire was catching on. Neither the raptrix or the hybrid was looking directly at him. His breath hitching in his throat the shifter slowly lowered his gaze until it met something with beady eyes...now that was a creature he had yet to see.

His gaze flickered back towards the other boy, "You uh think your raptrix will calm down or should I tumble backwards now?" If the raptrix jumped towards the beast then he definitely did not want to be in the way. Yet at the same time Zyphire found himself studying the strange scaled creature....it actually seemed rather uncomfortable. Was it too cold for it out here?
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Sol slowly raised his spear, edging further up in the saddle while simultaneously gripping it with his thighs. He rotated the weapon in his hands, waiting for the right moment to strike...but with the other boy in the way that was going to be hard. He didn't want to risk hitting him, and yet, if the thing struck him...

Slowly, he shook his head, "Sev never backs down. Once she's locked on she'll attack no matter what." For his own safety, in the Zenan woods at night, it's what he had trained her to do. Very few words could be said to bring her back after she'd set her eyes on something. The canine was lowering herself against the snow, growling and snapping as if waiting for her moment.

"If I hold out my hand, do you trust me to pull you up? If you jump, we won't have time for a second chance." If they moved at the right moment Sol could help pull the other onto his saddle and Sev's fangs would protect them. Hopefully she would be smart enough to take off, put some distance between them, but Sol didn't trust her.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

"Welp, that's great to know." Replied Zyphire with a sarcastic grin. So the thing was he had to move quickly else he'd either be that thing's meal or the by-product of a raptrix's attack. Might have to take that girl in for some serious training. Still it wasn't like he had much choice.

So grabbing a hand it was...

"Trust isn't really an option right now." He replied before nodding, "Just hold out that hand already so I can jump to you." Bracing his body the shifter took one last moment to calm his nerves before pushing off from the snow and into the open air...
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Sol shifted over as far as he could, to extend his arm without completely losing his balance. To help he rammed the point of his spear into the ground, then held on tight to Sev's saddle. She may have been young, but she was stout, which gave him more than enough solid mass to hold.

Once the shifter was airborn he snatched the extended hand, pulling him close with the other once he was able. Sev must have seen movement from the creature, because almost as soon as Sol got the other on behind him she leapt forward, snapping at the half frozen beast.

Her sudden lurch just made Sol hold onto the other boy tighter, cursing his over eager raptrix with every move.  

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Zyphire let out a quiet curse as he was thrown towards the hybrid, "You know if there wasn't some strange beasts trying to bite my ankles then this might kinda be romantic." He remarked with a small smile, "Either way use your knees more - might entice her not to go towards that creature." Another lurch made him tighten his hold around the hybrid in turn. Talk about getting close to a stranger!

Though the more he studied the thing the more the shifter actually felt a shard of pity. Was it truly that scary? Well minus markings that stood out like bones in the darkness and the hissing noise it was rather fond of and those fangs...Zyphire almost rolled his eyes at himself, "Shall we try to just distance from it? That thing looks like it's having enough hard time as it is."
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

"Little rough for a date, don't you think?" He quipped. Still, he followed the others advice, since after another jerk he was found holding onto the stranger tighter than before. It was definitely at the top of his list for strangers ways to meet someone.

"That sounds best. Hang on." Sol released the other, hoping he would have enough foresight to either grab the saddle or him. Nudging Sev's hips with his knees, he tugged on her reigns, coaxing her up. Reluctantly the raptrix slowly ascended into the air, still snarling at her prey. Sol was barely able to yank his spear from the ground before she jutted forward and pulled up into the sky.

Still, her wing speed was mild at best, a gentle hover really, as if she didn't really like the idea of leaving her prey behind. Sol could concur; he wanted to investigate it more, but if they stayed someone was likely to get hurt, which wouldn't bode well for anyone.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Zyphire laughed, "I suppose, but at least it's exciting." He remarked before they started into the air. Letting out a hiss of surprise the shifter found himself leaning into the hybrid, "Not the most accustomed to flying." He admitted quietly before peeking from around a shoulder to glance at the ground below.

"Do we need to make a turn around?" Zyphire sighed as he noticed some hesitation, "Honestly it might be best to see if we can get it to my cousin - she'd know the most about strange creatures. But could we manage it? If we try to get back to her maybe she'll make it on time....but the thing could just slither away some more."
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Can wrap it up with your next post c:

[7/7]

"How do you suppose we catch it? I don't have a net. Besides, look-" Sol pointed out the small, reptilian creature. It was already turning in on itself and burrowing beneath the snow, towards whatever warmth it could gather.

Besides the fact that their 'prey' was already getting away from them, he didn't think he could keep Sev from killing it once they captured the thing. If they captured it. "I think the best we can do is find your cousin and show her the way."
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Zyphire paused thoughtfully before letting out a hissed sigh, "I suppose then we retreat for now." Defeated by some strange slithering creature in the snows. The shifter closed his eyes in frustration. Why did his cousin make this stuff look so easy?

"Off to Talisia it is." Pointing with one arm the boy smirked, "Let's go~"