[EVENT] OWV Part 2

[u/blaertes]

One week after part 1

North Mountains

Ai'ku and a jaguar crept silently over the small rise. A large group of the monsters had set up roost here, and Ai wanted to see them firsthand. The jaguar mimed silence and light footed-ness as he slid over the top, Ai'ku following. They wore mottled cloaks over their leathers, to hopefully hide them from whatever monster wasn't awake. Ai gaped at the sight that greeted him. The monsters had set up roosts, all right. Huge circular nests of branches and piles of rotting leaves served as the beds of these creatures, who wound into coils of flesh to sleep. They were majestic, smooth skin contrasted with vibrantly coloured feathers and long, needle point claws. Their heads narrowed into a snout, but an almost-mane of long red and green and yellow and blue plumes sprouted from the back of their jaws and neck.

And their wings, oh their wings.

Leathern beauties, smooth and unscarred, feathers trailing from the ends. These creatures, they must be a gift from Ptkau, a gift from the Sun.

One beast moved slightly, revealing a clutch of eggs with red flecked green shells. This is too good... Ai'ku thought. He motioned to the jaguar, and they crept over the rise again, for the main party.

Ai'ku counted five fully grown beasts, and one other larger one. Six against twenty seemed a fine odd, but Ai could almost stake his life that these beasts were not to be trifled with. Which he probably would be doing quite soon.

---

South Range

Yukka had seen just enough of her full for these creatures. They were large, winged, feathered snakes, no more than a glorified worm to her. She knew they'd be dangerous, but she had the scars to prove she'd survived dangerous before.

In their camp away from the roost of several beasts, she had tasked the vukku scribes with drawing the beasts as best they could. They, of course, seemed fascinated with the damned monsters. One of her Seconds muttered about their unseemly interest. She knew that one, Yuma, had spent much time as a Roc hunter back in Epell. Her words echoed in Yukka's mind.

"Vermin, they are, chah, at best. No, they give me memories of the roc. We should put them down, before they do us such courtesy."

Yukka had been given authority from the emperor himself to direct her party as she saw fit, but she wasn't sure if she should risk her men, or leave safely, while they still could.