Hunter or Hunted?

[dainul]

The jaguar stops and turns. "They are Strength's hounds. They hunt for me, for sport, for food, for blood, for Strength. They have done since I became part of Strength's court. But out here death sticks. Out here they can truly die." He smiles that same dark smile.

[Plot Bot]

From a shadow comes a voice that speaks almost poetically.

"Yes we are.
Yes we do.
Perhaps we can...
But so can you."

[rachel]

The voice startles Haze, causing her to jump backwards in fright and almost fall off the wall. She hisses again, sharp teeth bared, muscles tense and ready to attack. She's killed Wolfmen before, and although these creatures smell different, it seems mostly because they are less human. If they're going to hunt her she'll show them that she is not prey. Or at least hurt them before she runs.

Her eyes flick around her surroundings, watching for the first glimpse of her enemies. They glance across at the beastman to gauge his emotions.

"How many have you killed before?"

[dainul]

"I know that, hound." The jaguar replies to the wind. "So savour this hunt, because one way or the other, you won't hunt me again." He swings his staff round, ready, waiting for the creatures to show themselves.

"I don't know," he continues, presumably to Haze, though he doesn't turn to face her. "I've only fought them where neither they nor I could stay dead, so I gave up counting."

((Acute hearing, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from, not that I expect it to work.))

[Plot Bot]

**With their enhanced senses the felines can hear breathing coming from a dozen yards away, both from their left and their right**

"One death, two deaths, three deaths, four
We'll let you run away once more"

From the other side

"Five deaths, six deaths, seven deaths, eight
More will come, for that's your fate."

[rachel]

Haze starts to shiver in fear, every instinct screaming at her to run before she is surrounded. She begins to cast, keeping her voice calm and steady to try and hide her fear from the other beastman.

"From the magic that is mine I forge a weapon of Startear, the metal Wolfmen fear. May it tear through the skin and the hearts of my enemies until the ground is red with their blood and they flee like frightened prey." (OOC: Elemental Sword (Startear) Rank 1)

In her hand appears a shimmering sword, its handle oddly shapen to allow her claws to grasp it. She slashes the air with it then grins, teeth still bared.

[Plot Bot]

**A new smell mingled with the old, pure adrenaline as the instincts for fight meet those for flight. There is a hiss and it is obvious the creatures have drawn back at the sight of the weapon.**

“From kitten to lion…with claws of cold iron”
“Again you’ll be found…when she’s not around”

**And with that there is the sound of flesh stretching, bones popping and the smell of canine becomes overwhelming as the creatures leave on twice as many feet as they entered.**

[dainul]

The jaguar swings his staff round ready, and turns to face one of the groups. He focusses himself, and starts to counter charge, aiming to avoid being surrounded by smashing through their line. ((OOC: Burst of Strength)) A few paces in, the smell shifts, the sounds change and soon, the hounds are gone. Slowly, the jaguar relaxes again, and turns back to the feline behind him. "I don't know what you just did, but I sure as hell want to know what gets Midari's hounds running from someone your size. Especially when they've got the numbers."

[rachel]

Haze stands stone-still for a moment in surprise. Using startear has never been THAT successful before. She abruptly realises there has been a shift in status between herself and the jaguar beastman, and quickly covers her astonishment by letting the sword disappear and combing her clawed fingers through her hair to tidy it, as if unconcerned.

"They are not Midari. Midari smell more of humans." She frowns, troubled by this thought. That wasn't right. Midari weren't half wolf, half human, like beastkin. They were humans with wolf spirits INSIDE them. Wasn't that what she'd been told? So... Were these creatures the wolf spirits?

She stares at the beastman warily, uncertain whether to give away such valuable information to someone who could later turn out to be an enemy.

[dainul]

"No, if one of them had been Midari, we'd be dead. He wouldn't have stopped because of a single blade. But he didn't smell human. Not until recently." He peers at the other cat. Something about the way she said that was odd... "They were his hounds." He adds, getting the feeling that they might be speaking the same language, but their words didn't mean the same.

[rachel]

Nothing this beastman says makes sense. How could Midari not smell of human? Hounds or Strength Hounds seems to be what these wolf spirits are called, and in a way they could belong to the Midari, as Strength's Emissary, or whatever his name is, seems to suggest. But the Midari stank of human. What did he mean? And why always speak of the Midari as though there was only one of them? Perhaps, she decided after moments of deliberation, this beastman had only ever SEEN one Midari, so he didn't realise there were more.

"The Midari smell of human. They almost are human, but they have Strength Hounds in their bodies, and that's what makes them so strong." She speaks quietly and confidently. If there's one thing she knows about, it's Wolfmen; she's spent enough of her life fighting them.

[dainul]

The jaguar listens, confused, then voice the one conclusion he can come to. "We're talking about different Midari." Humans who are bound with a Fey-hound? He'd not factored that Strength would have a foothold already in the world. He'd just have to hope his nose was up to spotting them.

"Midari is Strength. The Fey Lord. Midari is just the fey word that means Strength. He became... No, he wears a human face now, but he's still the bastard he's ever been. Those were his servants. But what was with that sword you conjured?"

[rachel]

Haze's eyes widen in surprise. A creature had named itself after the Midari? That was interesting. She frowns. Or is it that both the Midari and this FayLorde, whatever that was, had named themselves Midari because it meant strength in their language?

Totally confused, she decides to ignore an issue that has the potential to lower her status again, and instead cautiously replies,

"The sword is made of a special metal that hurts Wolfmen. I was given the power to summon it by the God of Rituals in return for my help."

[dainul]

"That would be... Silver? Yes. How did you get in a situation where you could help a god?" The jaguar is thinking now, a weapon to strike down the hounds would be useful, and one that could be conjured... well, that could not be stolen, and can be easily concealed. Still, gods aren't renowned for getting into trouble they couldn't fix, so maybe he'd have to enter another Pact... well, at least that one he should be able to think through.

[rachel]

There is a pause while Haze tries to recall, but too much has happened since and she gives up, shaking her head.

"I don't remember. I was allied with the sentinals at the time, so I suppose the god asked them for help." Actually now that she thinks back, SHE had been a sentinal also, but best not tell this feline that or he would ask why she wasn't one anymore. "The sentinals often help the gods."