Hunter's Game

    Shiruba is not an easy woman to track, but tracking is what this undead does. She is one of the Hunters of Helena Lethe, a Huntress hunting a fellow Huntress. Over valleys, mountains, waiting outside of towns, she has patiently been stalking.

Even now, she is patient, but it was time to test the other Huntress once more...

Sylver, stands on a large tree branch looking out toward the distance. The forest green scaled Salamanderess narrows her glowing eyes gently before she tilts her head softly.

    Slowly she crouches down, before she makes a soft clicking sound, then motions out to the distance. It wasn't long till shadowy figures go on the move; The Hunt begins...

Especially not easy to track when she was purposely being difficult. Shiruba tended to move around a lot as it was. But as soon as she had noticed the 'Hunted' status reappear, the Cait Sith had done even moreso. Many times purposely taking the less known and difficult routes between locations. She had stayed away from the larger settlements, not wanting to draw attention to bystanders that could be used against her. Even now, instead of simply just heading for the coast to join the rest of her guild in preparing for the Calamity Wave coming she was taking a roundabout path through the darker forests, not wanting to risk nearing Shibuya directly.

It was one big elaborate unspoken game of a cat and mouse. Or Cait and Undead, if you prefer.

    As Shiruba moves about, she is sadly unaware of what is coming up behind and slowly around her. The undead dire wolves move with surprising stealth, perhaps thanks to the steady watching eye of their Master.

It wasn't long till one suddenly rushes directly out of the brush and goes to leap for her, maw wide open to take a bite out of her living flesh...

[ Defense vs 10 ]

The wolves don't make some obnoxious announcement of their presence like the ghoul dogs did, and that makes a big difference. Despite her own wariness there's nothing to warn her until the wolf is already bearing down on her. "Shit!" Reflexively she twists and lunges to the side, but the undead lupine manages to catch her leg out from under her and thuds hard into the ground. She rolls over on her back, rather than kicking at the beast, and points at the wolf. Utters something under her breath.

And a bolt of lightning leaps from her fingers with an audible crack towards the undead wolf! If nothing else distracting it long enough for her to yank her leg free and get back on her feet.

Just because she is an arcane archer doesn't mean she -has- to cast her spells that way. Spell Fletching is more an alternate to doing all the vocal cues or motions.

[ Shiruba HP: 2/3 ]
[ Undead Dire Wolf Pack HP: 4/5 ]

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    The lightning arrow pierces the Undead dire wolf, as it cries out in pain as the electrical energy charges around it. As the one succumbs to the deadly shot, another one charges out heading directly for Shiruba, along with a second one as well.

Both heading directly for the Elemental Archer, trying to take hold of her between the two of them; Pack tactics.

[ Defense vs 9 ]

Shiruba watchs the wolf collapse from the lightning blast. Then turns her gaze up into the trees for a moment. She can't see anything, or anyone... but when two more wolves emerge from the forest almost like they had been held back, she has all the information she really needs. They not wildly lashing out like the ghoul hounds did. Someone is nearby keeping these beasts in-line. "You do realize, out there, that the more of your toys you play with, the more of them I'm going to have to break!"

No time to wait and see if she gets a response though as the wolves charge. Shiruba, notibly, doesn't panic. Or show more than a mild annoyance. Keeping a focused mind in the chaos of battle has been as much a part of her training as the physical defense has been. She draws on that focus, air shimmering as a layer of frost forms around her. It doesn't quite get to actual armor thickness before the wolves collide with her, but it's enough that she slips back from the impact, teeth and claws digging into her but failing to find purchase as they slip out of the ice. She's hit, but less intense than it could of been had she not reacted at all.

Tail lashes as Shiruba stumbles back with the blows to keep her balance, stabilizing her footing. "But if you insist." Longbow is already in her hands, an arrow nocked and drawn. But rather than draw on the weapon's elemental powers Shiruba draws from the land around her, giving her draw even greater strength, and thus firing the arrow with much more tremendous force than should be possible.

[ Shiruba HP: 1/3 ]
[ Undead Dire Wolf Pack HP: 3/5 ]

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    Shiruba would find no reply, just the breeze blowing the leaves in the trees and the sound of the forest around here. Sylver was watching though and slowly smiling. She at last whispers out words; Words only her 'pets' out theer here.

Another wolf then jumps out, as the one of the wolves that was on her finds an arrow going directly through its maw and right out the other side. The wolf disperses into pixels of light as the arrow *kathunks* into a nearby tree.

    What was two, now seem to soon be three as another shows, all three trying to work together, circuling around Shiruba, before moving in for the kill!

[ Defense vs 8

The lack of response doesn't surprise Shiruba, she really didn't expect one. A hunter that had gone through this much effort wouldn't give their position and advantage in hiding up so easily. Her stalker wasn't the only one that could test as well as be tested.

The amplified shot is enough force to shatter a wolf's skull and disperse it into nothing. So at least she wasn't getting completely dogpiled -- pun intended -- although three on one isn't really favorable odds to say the least.

The wolves circle. Shiruba holds her ground, not being distracted by the movements, her ears shifting to follow their movements. The wolves charge!...

And the first to lunge is wacked upside the head with the reinforced arm of her longbow to deflect his jaws away. The swing turns Shiruba in such away to see the second, and she actually rolls herself over the one she wacked to put the two of them on the same side of her and bolts. The third gets the closest in chasing, but only manages to snap some fuzz off the tip of her tail as Shiruba jukes behind a tree for cover. And... wait, is she running away now?

The wolves may wish they were that lucky. Shiruba runs, but it's not away, whatever it might seem like. She's just using the environment to her advantage, kick-stepping off several trees with her wilderness parkour skills to make her path hard to follow, rebounding up one tree....

And then down from it, towards the wolves with sudden fierceness, not with arrows but with a hunting knife aimed for the beast's neck!

[ Shiruba HP: 1/3 ]
[ Undead Dire Wolf Pack HP: 2/5 ]

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    The bow 'pop's' the wolf against the skull as it rears back. The other two dire undead wolves give chase. As Shiruba goes up the tree they try to jump up, snapping their teeth at her.

It wasn't till she comes down, does one them find a knife to the skull and it vanishes as the HP goes to 0. The other wolf doesn't have time to react, but the one who was recovering does.

That wolf lunges right for her, teeth bared and ready to snatch that arm that killed the other. Ready to avenge!

[ Defense vs 11 ]

The wolf hasn't even completely dissolved as Shiruba yanks her knife out of it's skull, and backsteps away hastily from the other. Only for the one she had briefly stunned to come barreling at her from the opposite direction. Shiruba doesn't have long enough to think more thoroughly, just react. She stomps a foot, and several spikes of stone burst from the ground around her. But the wolf gets close before they get long enough to completely shield her, and it manages to get its jaws between two spires to clamp shut on her arm.

Shiruba howls with the burst of pain, dropping the knife and renching her arm free. Adventurers don't 'bleed' but the numerous red lines are visible as she pulls away and the rock barrier crumbles. She huffs, slumping against a tree, holding her arm with the opposite hand. Goddamn it. That's her bowstring arm too. Sure, she can still use magic lefthanded, but if she can't actually use her archery she's at a big disadvantage. The remaining wolves could easily catch her, that's why she didn't try to run away sooner.

She grits her teeth, closing her eyes a moment, if only to keep herself from giving into panic. "Well, fine, you won." Shiruba opened her eyes and looked up at the trees. "At least have the decensy to come down here and look me in the eyes to finish me off."

    The wolves move in closer, growling, they matted fur standing on end as if waiting for the order to strike. Their glowing eyes staring Shiruba down.

Soon enough a figure does land down from the tree tops. The female Salamander in her leather armor with a bow on her back, along with two knives at the small of her back. Sylver's tail flicks with ease as she smiles. "I would love to kill you here and now."

Sylver then waves her hand and the wolves move aside as she walks up to Shiruba, crouching down. "But this is very unsporting... and I," She draws out one of her knives with swiftness as she goes to place the flat of it under Shiruba's chin. "Don't like to kill my target unfairly... Next time though... Next time I will skin you alive."

    Sylver then goes to stand up, but about then was a snag of a twig. Her eyes look over that way, as there was a whistle in the air: An arrow in flight.

Sylver quickly spins her knife around and like the master she is, she uses the blade to deflect the arrow away. "As I said... This is unsporting, so... Till next time, Shiruba."

The Salamander then backflips back before going into the ground, along with the remaining dire wolves, only for a woman with a black hooded cloak to come racing out and cursing under her breath, "Damnit!" The voice gives who it is away; Gabriela Drake.

From what little information Shiruba had been able to gather she had gauged her opposing Hunter was one of professionalism.... of course, the Salamander. One of the Undead they had only the briefest of encounters with before, but it made sense. The nature of the hunt was natural to them.

The wolfgirl's head tilts back as the blade flat is pressed to her chin, though it does help her in looking the other huntress in the eyes. And, to Sylver's amusement or displeasure, there is no look of fear in hers. If anything it was the look of equals, and a grudging bit of respect to the words spoken. The encounter had the feeling of a test. The way of sizing up the quarry. "Next time, then..." The faintest of a smirk, just enough to show a bit of fang. "We will see who skins who, though."

And then there's an arrow. -That- gets a bit of surprise out of Shiruba, after all the effort she had done to not lead her stalker close to putting others in danger. Sylver deflects it, sure, but it breaks the moment and the Undead Huntress is quick to withdraw and disappear back into the woods with dire wolves in tow.

And a hooded figure with familiar voice comes barreling in. "..." Shiruba sighs, and shakes her head a bit. "I should be upset... but I don't think I can complain -this- time... especially after managing to actually -find- us. Your skills are getting better."

Shiruba is careful to not use her name though, not while the other might still be in range to hear.

    "I've been training like you've told me too." The woman admits, lowering her bow. "And I heard about the undead no longer just staying in Ninetails... and heard a rumor that you were being chased at one point..."

Gabriela lowers her head. "I got worried, so I wanted to find you and make sure, well," She motions out with her hand. "That I suppose." Then her hand lowers.

    "Are you alright, Shiruba?" She asks looking at Shiruba. However as she goes to take another step forward, she raises a brow, Shiruba may hear it...

... It wasn't over...

Suddenly hands reach from the very ground and grab Gabriela by the ankles and then suddenly the young lander is yanked downward, "Shiruba!!"

"At least you listened to that part!" Shiruba manages a snicker. "And yeah. That's... well, you saw for yourself. The reason I've been staying out more was not to lead her into a more populated area... Thank you, Gabriela. I appreciate i--"

Shiruba stops. Then "Dammit.. No!" Despite her heavily wounded state she pushes off the tree, adrenaline surge quickly overpowering pain or tiredness. She tries to push herself towards Gabriela and grab her... But she's only got one fully functional arm at the moment. "FUCKING BASTARDS LEAVE HER ALONE"

    Shiruba's fingers come close to Gabriela's own fingers. Their fingers touch in that moment, Shiruba can see the fear in the young woman's eyes.

And before another word can be spoke, before Shiruba's hand can grip the other, Gabriela is pulled underground, with only her bow resting on the surface where she once was.

It is then there is silence, only the sound of the forest. No more rumbles, no more words. Just silence.

Shiruba picks the bow up as she gets off the ground. Stares at the ground. Then at the bow... and puts it into her inventory.

Stares at the ground again.

"That was the biggest mistake you could make..." she growls, sounding much more like wolf than woman before turning and stalking back towards Shibuya. Seeing as keeping her distance from civilization is moot at this point.