Hunter Hunted

Xing Leis introduction to the forest was a silent affair. The quartet traversed the underbrush with a practiced ease, Fleet Spear and Leaf Dancer both turned back to check on his progress and were satisfied with how the new blood was carrying himself. Unlike most new kin this one seemed to be at ease in the wilds as much as he was in the caves, which was a necessary thing for this sort of task. The only ones not too impressed was Grull and Whisperer. The former was barging through shrubs and branches with all the subtlety of a rhino in heat while Whisperer was constantly complaining about the slowness of the new blood and his discomfort at being dragged out into the forest to watch over the weak link.

The forest itself couldn't be more normal to Leis senses, it reminded him alot of his old home town. The lush greenery, the song of the birds flitting through the canopy. There was nothing akin to his later life of combat, cultivation and murdering his way into the heavens. Even the barbarism of the kobold village seemed so far removed from the simplicity of the natural setting. As they walked Xing Lei kept his eyes on the vegitation, between the Inspection ability and the Herbology skill he should be able to find some herbs to help with the restart of his body tempering, for the time being even the helpful Fleeting Spear would have to be kept in the dark as he didn't want to stand out so soon.

Leaf Dancer quickly shushed the group waving them towards a thick patch of shrubs. The small scout already had a pair of flint daggers clutched in her hands, from the way she was carrying on it was rather obvious they'd found their quarry. The quartet of kobolds soon were perched beyond a thin clearing, as Xing Lei could surmise the 'Fleet Foot' was in fact a deer, while it did have a rather unique hide pattern it didn't seem to have any special characteristics that fierce beasts or demon beasts usually had. This was a plain animal grazing along the grass, occassionally lifting its head and twitching its ears, it was clearly on the alert. Perhaps with Grull and Whisperer stomping around they had made the poor animal aware of their presence, but it had yet to take to hoof and flee, though Lei could see a faint tremble coursing through the majestic body. His instincts were practially yelling at him that something was wrong.

Still he moved under the direction of Fleet Spear, circling around one side with Leaf Dancer while Grull and Whisperer flanked the other side. Fleet Spear herself would cut down the middle leaving the animal with only one real avenue of escape, the close trees and thick brush on the far side of the small clearing. Xing Lei crept behind Leaf Dancer, the crude spear held in his fists as he waiting for Fleet or Leaf to lead the hunt, slow calming breaths took the edge off his nerves a bit but he couldn't shake something was odd about this whole situation. Lei's eyes quickly began scanning the surrounding woods looking for hidden trouble, earning himself a hiss of displeasure from Leaf who thought he was slacking off.

Glancing back to their start spot, Lei could see Fleet Spear rise and gesture to both sides bringing her hands together urging both side parties to rush in on the deer. Leaf and Grull broke through the foilage with startling cries. Leaf ran closer to the ground her daggers held in reverse grips as she briskly ran across the clearing towards the deers hind quarters. Grull on the other hand broke into the clearing with his stone club swinging wide in direct sight of the deer. Whisperer followed, a flint dagger clutched in his skrawny hand. As the deer bolted Fleet had not guessed wrong that the animal would try to charge for the lighter shrubs where she remained, her speed more along the lines of Leaf Dancers as she rushed out poking at the breast of the animal with her slender spear.

Xing Ley burst in the clearing as well, but unlike the trio who had quickly boxed in the deer, he had focused on the supposed 'bad route' the deer could have used to escape. A cold sweat like feeling ran down his back as he backed away from the tight brush, listening to the bleats of the trapped animal as the three other kobolds leapt at it stabbing and striking viciously bringing the larger animal to the forest floor in a great spray of blood. Grull was howling a victorious battlecry, glaring at the back pedealling Xing Lei, "Hrmph, Dull Scale weakling. No help with hunt, you no eat tonight!"

Whisperer was quick to nod backing up the warrior, "Yes cowardly Dull Scale useless, better served as bait for Sharp Tooths next hunt."

Xing Lei paid the self righteous pair little heed cause his sinking feeling finally revealled itself. Across the way under the dying light of the setting sunrays the angle of a sunray had revealled what the deer had been terrified motionless by. Crouched in the thick shrubs a great furred head watched the kobolds steal its prey. Two large, feline eyes narrowed and a low rumble entered his ears from across the clearing, "Uh Fleet Spear...Sharp Tooth?"

Fleet Spear looked up from where she was prepping the deer for transport with Leaf, immeadiately standing and looking in the direction that Xing Lei stared. A soft groan escaped her mouth as an uncontrollable shiver coursed down through her body. She briskly slapped Leafs shoulder and swallowed loudly, "That not Sharp Tooth. That Forest Lord.... RUN!"

Grull and Whisperer cursed glancing towards the far side of the clearing and dashed away from the corpse of the deer, their self congratulations and insulting of the new blood as quickly forgotten as the two females. The warrior and shaman were like the deer itself, bolting back through the forest each trying to out race the other. Both knew they didn't have to out run the Forest Lord, they just had to out run their companions and not be eaten first.

The remaining three bolted in their wake, all thoughts of the deer carcass forgotten as the trio of kobolds dashed after the fading backs of Grull and Whisperer. A loud crash behind spoke that the Forest Lord had finished stalking and was now hunting. Xing Lei glanced back and groaned, in his old life he had hunted a monstrous version of the forest lord, it had been as big as a hill with a coat that was harder than steel. Teeth as long as daggers, and claws that could disembowel a man in the blink of an eye. This tiger was not as big as the one he had killed in his youth but for his newer smaller size, this tiger may as well have been a mountain. Unlike the monstrous tiger this one oddly enough had a thick hide of dark green fur, its face was mottled between greens and browns beyond two large yellow eyes. While its teeth were not normal dagger size Lei could well imagine what those natural weapons would do to these weaker bodies.

It was simply too fast though. For every few steps they'd take the pounding pace of the Forest Lord could more than double it. Gritting his teeth he slapped Fleet on the back and turned to face the tiger, "Go ahead, I catch up."

Leaf didn't even stop, tearing through the underbrush with the same urgency that Grull and Whisperer had displayed. Fleeting Spear paused turning to watch this new blood turn back with his junk spear to face the Forest Lords rage. "No, you can't fight it, the Forest Lord can't be fought, just run Zing Lee..." She implored though she continued to back pedal, the sight of the raging tiger savagely bearing down on the small kobold youth sapping at her nerves.

"Just go, I can handle it. GO!" Xing Lei yelled and launched the crude spear at the Tiger, the Forest Lord ignored the tooth pick, not even bothering to try and dodge aside and roared when despite its belief this small two legged meal managed to poke it with its stick. Those large feline eyes narrowed, gone was the desire to track down the four small prey for stealing its meal, now this pest who had pricked it achieved its full attention. Xing Lei saw the killing intent blossom in the animals eyes, waving to Fleet before rushing into the brush away from the other kobolds, "I'll catch up, hurry and get to safety!"

Large paws gripped the forest floor bringing the large tiger up short, if it cared that Fleet Spear was within swiping of its claws it didn't show any interest rather it sprang into the brush, hot on the heels of Xing. Smaller trees cracked off as the bulky predator dove through tight spots he had hoped might slow the great hunter slightly, but such tactics were as useful as wishing in this situation. Glancing back, he noticed they were pulling away from where his companions could quickly backtrack to so he could put his real plan in motion.

Diving through some tall bushes Xing Lei stood straight and turned to face the fast chasing tiger, that blur of green fur made it seem like the forest itself was coming for his life. Bursting into the small clearing the tiger pulled up short, eying the kobold before it with a strange look. It was not the first time finding these runt lizard things, every other time they would run and it would feast. Yet twice now this scrawny reptile had turned to try and thwart it, the first time the prey had jabbed it with one of those pointy sticks, but this time the prey was just standing there.

The forest lord had not become the apex hunter of this area by being foolish, traps and hunter tricks were not unknown factors to the beast but it could sense nothing except a deep confidence coming from its prey, warily the great tiger slowly circled to Xing Lei's left, each step cautious and measured, ready to pounce. A rumbling roar erupted from the tigers throat, throwing off an air of intimidation towards its prey, yet still this scrawny thing did not move, rather the tiger felt those eyes watching its every movement, those eyes were it's own so often in the past. What power did this prey have to dare look at it in such a way?

Snarling it turned and with claws out stretched it launched itself at this arrogant little prey, it was the master of this area, all else was its food!