Chapter Text
Valkix was beginning to question the wisdom of hunting in this part of the planet. He had already been in what the oomans called the Appalachian Mountains for a week and had seen no sign of worthy prey yet. His curiosity had been piqued because of the numerous superstitions that the oomans in this area held. Legends about dangerous creatures and he was going on the premise that all legends stem from a seed of truth.
He was glad he had not decided to go after specific prey and was simply searching for something worthy and unique. Something to present his mate as a gift for her collection. A Kainde Amedha skull was a worthy kill but he wanted something unique this time. Something new for his mate to study. Kiv'Anari was a high medic in their clan and one of her favorite pastimes was to study the skulls on his trophy wall.
Pulling himself from his memories he chuffed in annoyance. So far he had found nothing of real interest to him. Some deer, small game, even a bear had registered in his biomask's long range sensors but nothing that would suggest something that would inflame ooman legends.
Well Valkix had known this was a long shot. It would be easy enough to choose a new hunting ground. His landing site was isolated enough that he wasn't worried about a stray ooman coming across it. Oomans were not very active in this area at this time of year which is why he chose this timing. He had hunted the Peyote Amedha before and possessed a few skulls from their great warriors on his ship but he wasn't after them today.
"Still nothing..." he groused and moved on, deeper into the forest. If there was worthy prey to be had, he would have it.
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The Sun had begun to set now. It had been several hours and he had stopped to drink at a stream near a rocky outcropping and refill his water-skin. Like most Yautja hunters he packed light and lived off the food he could find. A buck was an easy kill and fueled him for the search ahead.
It was while he harvested some meat from the animal that he saw it at last! On a rock outcropping on the other side of the tree and a downed tree branch there were claw-marks. They were quite similar to a raptor of some kind but much larger and obviously stronger, it made gouges in stone after all. Upon closer inspection he also found a portion of a rusty red feather in the splintered wood. these marks were at least a couple of days old and showed signs of soaking from the rainstorm a couple of days ago. Interesting.
Standing to his full height Valkix gave a cursory look around the immediate area. There were tracks here. Hoof-marks. Big ones. It looked as though a large creature, a horse perhaps, had stopped here to drink. Strange he didn't think there were any herbivores in this dense forest larger than a deer or an elk. He had never seen a wild horse outside of flatland territories. No matter.... what he wanted wasn't the herbivore, it was the beast that had obviously attacked it. Wounded it too from the evidence of blood on the nearby foliage and it's tracks went deep into the forest. Next to them was another smaller set of similar tracks. likely a juvenile.
The hunt could now officially start!
Deciding to forgo the meal for now Valkix activated his cloak and stepped into the bush once more. It shouldn't take long to find whatever beast made these marks. He followed them into the forest and found more feathers some of them rusty red but a few white ones as well. The white feathers had an odd iridescent quality to them. He would be sure to gather some from his kill. They would make a lovely addition to the lovely bone beads his mate adorned her quills with.
Hours later and he was met with disappointment. He had not yet found the kill site. There was nothing more interesting than a few more slash marks on the trees, although one interesting slash on a tree suggested a straight point rather than a curved claw on one of the trees. He wasn't sure what made that one. He had seen birds of prey before and he assumed that was what this was. Valkix made sure to study the claw marks. some looked as though they were made with a hand rather than the normal pattern of a raptor's foot. Strange. He looked forward to seeing this creature for himself rather than just the marks it made. His imagination often left much to be desired when he tracked prey he had not seen before.
Dusk had fallen long ago and it was now late into the night and nights were cool on this mountain. Deciding it was best to make camp Valkix made a crude shelter and lit a small campfire. He had that meat with him in a sack, light packing after all, and now was as good a time as any to eat. He would rest and continue his search tomorrow. He had the trail. It wouldn't be long now before his quarry was in his sights. He rested among the root system of a very large tree. Tomorrow would be a much more productive day.
It was first light that roused him from his sleep. He growled in annoyance. There was a partition in the leaves above at just the right angle that the sun projected a laser focus right into his eyes.
It wasn't the intensity of the twin suns of Prime. But it was annoying.
Still the morning was cool and the hunt was before him. He brushed the droplets of condensation that had formed on his warmed skin and stood, giving his muscles a stretch and ran his claws through his quills before getting to his feet.
The next place he went was where he last saw tracks. He would look out for signs of the herbivore as well since it would be a good way to find the creature after it. Depending on the herbivore's ferocity its species could also be suitable to hunt in the future.
The spore for his quarry was more numerous now. More recent. He adjusted his biomask to show a different wavelength of light. There were two blood trails now. One had a distinctly different sheen to it, darker. He could also smell the herbivore whose tracks he saw before. Likely being hunted by the other one. Good. That meant the beast he was after would be extra aggressive to prevent losing its kill.
Valkix did not have to wait much longer. Hearing the sounds of some sort of scuffle in the bush he broke into a sprint, his mandibles clicking in excitement. After a little more than a week of nothing, nada, zilch and animals worthy as food only he finally could pursue worthy prey properly.
His steps slowed as he approached a very small clearing. It had suddenly become far too quiet. He felt a thrill realizing that his prey knew it was being hunted. This pleased him. When prey knew it was being hunted it made the challenge all the sweeter and the kill all the more satisfying.
Suddenly from the trees above him a screech reached his auditory holes and he felt a rush of air as he barely moved out of the way in time to avoid being raked by claws almost the size of his forearm and sharper than his own as the creature tried to ambush him!
Clever. Very clever. Oh but he was much smarter!
The element of surprise was gone but the ferocity was fully intact.
Letting out a growl Valkix extended his wrist-blades with a soft, metallic 'snick' and lunged forward towards the creature.
It was massive! It had more than head and shoulders on him and at seven and a half feet tall Valkix was tall even for a yautja! It's wings seemed fused to arms which ended in five digits that carried their own deadly sharp talons. The coloration that extended down the wing to the primary feathers melted into a dark rusty brown. It's body was covered in feathers the color of dried blood which faded to an orange color down the arms. There were no feathers on the lower legs or feet which extended into eagle-like claws that could easily encircle his body if it were to get ahold of him to carry him away. There was no doubt in his mind those hooked swords on it's feet were what caused the gouges he found in the rock.
Its eyes were orange and forward facing and held an intelligence to them he didn't expect but was glad to see. The face was slightly elongated and ended in a sharp, serrated beak the color of garnet. It also held a rather lovely streak of ivory he felt his mate would be keen to admire. He would definitely need to preserve the beak on this skull. The shorter facial feathers were white starting at the beak with a stripe of striking yellow going down the middle and ending in a crest tipped in bright orange and back to white. It was a beautiful and terrible beast!
That skull was going to make a striking addition to his trophy wall!
The creature, a Harpy he would later learn it was called, snapped its beak aggressively at him and lunged once more, jumping in the air to lash out with it's powerful legs.
Valkix didn't expect that maneuver but he was prepared nonetheless. He lifted his arm to deflect the blow before the talons could land and slashed out with the wrist blades on his other arm. He clicked in amusement when the creature swiftly dodged backwards. "Eat your bones... Snap your marrow!" it snarled in an ooman language, it's voice a guttural hiss that reminded him of a blade against bone.
This thing was worth the wait.
The Harpy lunged, this time going for him with it's taloned hands and Valkix stepped back into the trees, his cloak making a soft electronic chirp as his form instantly blended with the background.
It stopped short and slashed the branch of a tree, leaving deep gouges that caused the limb to buckle under its own weight and snap in half. "Mist weaver! I will drive my claws into your eyes!" it rasped.
Valkix gave it no reply. He moved silently among the trees, still present of course, but his form blending and made nearly invisible by the light bending nature of his cloak. He could only be seen now if you knew what distortion in the light to look for... and this beast didn't know what to look for.
He stepped backwards and deliberately made himself known by ripping a sapling from it's roots and hurling it at the creature, who roared in anger and charged him again. His biomask picked up a flare in the beast's heat signature as it's anger picked up.
Swiftly it charged him once more, heading in the direction the sapling was thrown. This time Valkix did not dodge. Still cloaked, he rushed forward and drove his shoulder into the creature's chest.
Taken off guard, the Harpy took a blow to its chest and attempted to lash out with all four limbs, hands grabbing and foot talons slashing for his midsection. They caught his thigh instead, drawing gashes that dripped luminescent green onto the forest floor. Valkix, not to be subdued even for an instant shifted his body and evaded the claws that were meant to grab him.
As he stepped out of reach of it's claws he decloaked and faced down the creature. It snarled at him. "Your mist will not save you! You die!"
Valkix nearly purred as he removed his biomask. It was time to end it with this one and he would do so with his face uncovered. He spread his mandibles and roared a challenge. Now was the time to make his kill.
No more time was wasted. He spread his arms out before they both went for one another, the Harpy with claw and beak and the Yautja with his twin blades and bare hands. To say his favorite way to dispatch his prey was very 'hands on' was an understatement. That was how he ensured as honorable a kill as possible. The more difficult the kill, the greater the glory in the trophy.
The creature snapped its beak at him, trying to bite down on his throat and face. It was muscular but lighter than it looked as he hooked his arm across its abdomen and slammed it against a tree. Likely hollow bones like the avian beast it was. It was fighting with rage now, which made it more fierce but also more likely to make a mistake. Valkix was definitely not one to ignore an opening when it presented itself and, using himself as bait by tilting his head in a way that slightly exposed his throat, he struck each of the Harpy's arms off to the side and when it reared its head back to go for a throat bite he swung his arm and sank his wrist-blades into the feathered neck.
It screeched, an awful, rasping sound that gurgled with it's own blood as it welled up red and dripping from it's beak and onto its chest. It thrashed, claws, pushing against him and digging into his arms only to go still when Valkix violently twisted his wrist to the side and decapitated it with a sickening squelch and crack of bone.
He took a moment to hold the head up and look over it closely in a way he couldn't when the beast was still alive and trying to actively kill him. The feathers that made up it's head crest were long and sturdy, probably used for mating displays which made this creature a male most likely. Such a curious creature. He made a note to return at a later time to study this species specifically for future hunts.
Chittering happily he began to clean the skull with a small kit all hunters kept with their gear to clean trophies. it needed to be defleshed and polished properly before being presented to his mate for display. He chittered again thinking about her. Kiv'anari always appreciated the dangerous ones. Once the skull was properly cleaned and he had collected some suitable feathers to take back with him he stood and stretchered and then... he heard it.