Post by The Hive on Mar 18, 2008 15:00:36 GMT -5
Xerias had been tracking the creature for almost 50 miles. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in the Wood before, she had begun to track it when she had witnessed it run down and devour a deer near her home at the northern edge of the Wood. She had not witnessed any more of its kind in the two days she had been skillfully shadowing its movements, It seemed a solitary animal, perhaps some kind of mutation or abomination. Regardless she had made the decision to kill it this morning, the sight she had seen that convinced her still hung deep in her memory.
...She was crouched behind a tree watching the creature move through the forest with the skill of a naturally born hunter. The bushes to the left of it rustled slightly, and the creatures head whipped around a soft clicking sound emitting from its throat, sounding something like a warning growl. In a streak of black savagery the panther that had been invisibly stalking the creature leapt forth. She knew immediately that the creature had invaded the panthers hunting grounds.
The creature skittered to the side as the panther leapt and lashed out with the blade like appendages on its forelegs, disemboweling the panther in a single strike. It didn't even wait for the panther to hit the ground, it leapt into the air and caught the panther mid fall, barreling it to the ground and began devouring it while it still slashed and clawed ineffectually at the tough rock like hide of the abomination.
While it was still eating; the body of the creature swelled and bulged slightly with chorded powerful muscles like those of a panther, and small blade like claws burst forth from its hind legs. It continues eating seemingly undisturbed by the savage and sudden changes to its body. Xerias almost drew her bow and shot the creature then and there, but there was an awareness about the creature that she sensed, even while eating it was not fully distracted....
She came to a small clearing in the forest, tall grass waved back and forth in the gentle warm breeze. She knew the clearing well, there was a small watering hole fed from an underground spring that many animals used while migrating through the Wood. It seemed that the creature was stopping for a drink, perhaps something to wash down its meal earlier that day. Tracking it since it had consumed the Panther had been more difficult than she had anticipated, it seemed to have gained a kind of stealthy demeanor that it had not had to its movements previously in addition to its physical enhancements.
It was a chance to be taken, but she was certain that the creature had not become aware of her tracking it, she was one of the most skilled hunters the Dryads had. She crouched low in the grass and moved silently till she had a clear view of the watering hole. Sure enough the abomination was crouched over the watering hole busily drinking gulps of water. She raised her bow taking sure aim, and drew the string to cheek. A thought went through he head, curiosity as to why there were no other animals in the clearing, or around the watering hole in a season where this region of the forest should be densely populated.
It was to late though, she was in the moment, focused on the kill, she loosed the arrow, it streaked across the water hole with terrific force, before striking the creature clean in the head. It seemed for a split second the creatures rock like hide was almost going to repel the arrow, but the impact had too much force behind it, the arrow was too sharp. Either way it struck and embedded itself deep in the creatures head. It's head shot up a screech ripping from its throat. Her soul almost froze as the thing looked directly at her, It took two faulty steps into the water hole in her direction then slumped lifelessly forward. She heaved a sigh of relief, but cut it short.
All around her in every direction screeches identical to the noise made by the creature she had killed sounded out. She stood and backed closer towards the water, hundreds of the creatures were moving through the tall grass , only the tops of their bodies visible. The growling clicking noises had replaced the screeches now, there was no where left to run. Where had they come from? Could they have been hunting her the whole time? Using the one as a decoy? She raised the bow to take aim at the closest creature, but they raced across the clearing with astonishing speed. The nearest tree was far to far away. She knew as the first creatures blade sliced into her that she had been the prey all along. They had waited and watched her until she was too far from the trees.
Her screams echoed out across the clearing as the Slivers began to devour her. But the screams did not last long. There was no physical alteration to the Slivers with the consumption of the Dryad, but one drone close to Xerias' remains glanced down at the bow and lashed out with a hateful swipe of its bladed foreleg splintering the weapon in a purposeful way. The Hive Slivers were growing more aware.
...She was crouched behind a tree watching the creature move through the forest with the skill of a naturally born hunter. The bushes to the left of it rustled slightly, and the creatures head whipped around a soft clicking sound emitting from its throat, sounding something like a warning growl. In a streak of black savagery the panther that had been invisibly stalking the creature leapt forth. She knew immediately that the creature had invaded the panthers hunting grounds.
The creature skittered to the side as the panther leapt and lashed out with the blade like appendages on its forelegs, disemboweling the panther in a single strike. It didn't even wait for the panther to hit the ground, it leapt into the air and caught the panther mid fall, barreling it to the ground and began devouring it while it still slashed and clawed ineffectually at the tough rock like hide of the abomination.
While it was still eating; the body of the creature swelled and bulged slightly with chorded powerful muscles like those of a panther, and small blade like claws burst forth from its hind legs. It continues eating seemingly undisturbed by the savage and sudden changes to its body. Xerias almost drew her bow and shot the creature then and there, but there was an awareness about the creature that she sensed, even while eating it was not fully distracted....
She came to a small clearing in the forest, tall grass waved back and forth in the gentle warm breeze. She knew the clearing well, there was a small watering hole fed from an underground spring that many animals used while migrating through the Wood. It seemed that the creature was stopping for a drink, perhaps something to wash down its meal earlier that day. Tracking it since it had consumed the Panther had been more difficult than she had anticipated, it seemed to have gained a kind of stealthy demeanor that it had not had to its movements previously in addition to its physical enhancements.
It was a chance to be taken, but she was certain that the creature had not become aware of her tracking it, she was one of the most skilled hunters the Dryads had. She crouched low in the grass and moved silently till she had a clear view of the watering hole. Sure enough the abomination was crouched over the watering hole busily drinking gulps of water. She raised her bow taking sure aim, and drew the string to cheek. A thought went through he head, curiosity as to why there were no other animals in the clearing, or around the watering hole in a season where this region of the forest should be densely populated.
It was to late though, she was in the moment, focused on the kill, she loosed the arrow, it streaked across the water hole with terrific force, before striking the creature clean in the head. It seemed for a split second the creatures rock like hide was almost going to repel the arrow, but the impact had too much force behind it, the arrow was too sharp. Either way it struck and embedded itself deep in the creatures head. It's head shot up a screech ripping from its throat. Her soul almost froze as the thing looked directly at her, It took two faulty steps into the water hole in her direction then slumped lifelessly forward. She heaved a sigh of relief, but cut it short.
All around her in every direction screeches identical to the noise made by the creature she had killed sounded out. She stood and backed closer towards the water, hundreds of the creatures were moving through the tall grass , only the tops of their bodies visible. The growling clicking noises had replaced the screeches now, there was no where left to run. Where had they come from? Could they have been hunting her the whole time? Using the one as a decoy? She raised the bow to take aim at the closest creature, but they raced across the clearing with astonishing speed. The nearest tree was far to far away. She knew as the first creatures blade sliced into her that she had been the prey all along. They had waited and watched her until she was too far from the trees.
Her screams echoed out across the clearing as the Slivers began to devour her. But the screams did not last long. There was no physical alteration to the Slivers with the consumption of the Dryad, but one drone close to Xerias' remains glanced down at the bow and lashed out with a hateful swipe of its bladed foreleg splintering the weapon in a purposeful way. The Hive Slivers were growing more aware.