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RESPITE FRONTIER WILDS - AFTERNOON
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Vix pokes through the underbrush for rare natural ingredients, grabbing anything of note with her nimble hands. She's only been at it for an hour or so, but her gathering satchel is almost half full.
Nesseth has likewise been grabbing materials, though opting for the less rare things. His own satchel is stuffed a bit more than Vix's, and contains an odd assortment of mushrooms, herbs and the like as he scours the brush a little ways away. "How's it looking on your end, Vix? Anything good?"
Vix cheerfully pokes her head up to report. "Found some good tea roots. Fresh ones can sell for a good bit~"
Nesseth chuckles and nods. "Nice! Hopefully we can find more for your stall."
Vix hums as she gathers up more roots, then pauses as she notices some strange markings on the ground. "Hmm...Ness, what kinda beasties are out here?"
Narrator: As if in response, a shrill chirping arises near Vix, low to the ground and not too far off, accompanied by a rustling of grass, though nothing is visible... yet.
Nesseth is about to answer when the chirping reaches his ears. He looks in the direction of the sound, then motions for Vix to come over to him, carefully. "Some kind of nasty ones... sand gators are further out, but..."
Vix creeps over to Nesseth quietly, her ears swiveling attentively. "But...?"
Narrator: The chirping ceases as Vix moves away from the noise. It seems to fall silent as well now, its movements making little if any noise.
Nesseth relaxes a little, but is clearly a bit wary, now as he keeps his eyes trained on the area the sound came from. "Just... get ready. We might have something thinking we're an easy snack..."
Nesseth slowly slips his crossbow off of his shoulder and checks to make sure it's loaded.
Vix takes Nesseth's lead and unsheathes her blades. "We gonna bite back~?"
Nesseth nods as he gives the bolt magazine a bit of a shake to make sure it's sitting right, then loads the first bolt in with a pull of the charging handle. "Yeah, if it's something we can take. The butcher and leatherworkers will appreciate the extra materials, I'm sure."
Narrator: Sharp ears might pick up the noise of something moving through the brush closer and closer to the pair. A soft guttural noise, like the intake of air, faintly emerges, then falls silent.
Vix whispers to Nesseth as she stays vigilant. "What do you think it is?"
Nesseth reaches up and slips his goggles into place over his eyes, then flips a switch that activates it. A thin wire runs from the goggles to the crossbow (or is it the other way around?), letting him see roughly where the bolts will land. "I don't know for sure... coyotes don't chirp like that, so... bird... maybe something else? Not a sand gator..."
Vix twirls her dagger in her hand. "It left some pretty nasty claw marks. Might be territorial."
Narrator: With a sudden burst of energy, the thing charges. A flurry of movement through the brush as the sleek lizard-like creature sprints towards the pair, an erratic path straight towards them with a sharp intake of breath, like a squawking bark.
Nesseth is about to respond when he turns and looses a wild shot towards the charging creature. The crossbow automatically begins to ratchet its string back as soon as the bolt is fired, albeit a little slower than a manual draw. "W-woah, woah!"
Vix dives out of the way, avoiding the surprise attack with surprising agility. "There you are!"
Narrator: The creature leaps at the closest target, which is now Nesseth, as Vix dives away. A lean, reptillian thing with mottled scales, it shrieks as it dives in for a bite. two large pointed fangs in the front of it's sleek, flat head. It's almost as tall as Nesseth.
Nesseth has been crouching, but doesn't have time to dive away after the surprise attack. Instead, he swings his crossbow out in front of him and holds it sideways, blocking the bite just as the jaws of the creature try to take a chunk out of him.
Vix goes back on the offensive and slashes her blades at the thing's haunches. "Oi, back off!"
Narrator: The raptor frantically bites at the crossbow stock, trying to sink its fangs into flesh, but finding the weapon a rather hard bite. As it pushes in on Nesseth, trying to gain an advantage, Vix comes in swinging, causing it to cry out in pain, letting go of the crossbow as it tries to retreat.
Nesseth wrestles with the raptor for a few seconds before Vix takes the heat off of him. Quickly righting the crossbow again, he levels the sights and fires another bolt at it to try and discourage it from leaping back in. "Thanks, Vix... Damn it, back off, raptor!"
Vix moves back towards Nesseth to support him. "Careful...this thing is fast!"
Narrator: The raptor hisses, standing a few feet back now at the edge of grass, lowering its head to bark at the pair as the crossbow bolt just misses striking it. It doesn't make a move to attack though.
Nesseth stands back up and quickly swaps out the partially-empty bolt magazine for another one loaded with bolts that have hardened tips, courtesy of Cavro. Taking the opportunity, he gets a good look at the raptor, to see what they're dealing with... "It knows we're alert, now."
Vix nods, watching for the raptor's next move. "Those fangs look nasty. Might be venomous."
Narrator: The raptor stares, claws pawing at the ground as it lowers its head and lets out that low, throaty rumbling again. It pauses, tensing, and then all hell breaks loose as a second raptor leaps from the grass just behind it, and the much larger pack leader emerges from the grass. Neartly twice the size as its two pack mates, the larger one charges straight at Vix, charging into her with an all too fast headbutt. The second leaper quickly takes the place of the first raptor, biting and slashing at the lizard before it's brother rushes to join in.
Vix is caught off guard by the reinforcements and quickly finds herself floored by a heavy headbutt. "Gah! N-no way!"
Nesseth senses the rustling a moment before the newcomers burst into view, so he's already moving as the second smaller one tries to maul him. He levels his crossbow to take another shot, only for the trigger to click... He curses as he scrambles to pull the charging handle while backing off. "Vix!"
Narrator: The two smaller raptors kick and flail against Nesseth, the first having struck to latch its teeth upon his arm, but not able to pierce the armor and scales. The second hops away from him, hopping back in to snap its jaws fruitlessly at him and keep the pressure on. As Vix hits the ground, the pack leader follows after her, stepping upon her body to hold her down while it bears its fangs and clamps its venomous jaws upon her arm.
Nesseth manages to pull the charging handle back in time to see the bite coming. Dancing back a bit further, he gives himself a little breathing room and fires the freshly-loaded bolt at the raptor Vix injured earlier, making sure to aim for center of mass.
Narrator: The first raptor to engage the duo takes Nesseth's crossbow bolt in a direct hit to it's body, the piercing ammo doing a great deal of damage as it cries out weakly and collapses.
Vix slashes with her blades to keep the large raptor at bay, nicking its nose whenever it attempts to bite her.
Narrator: The Packleader continues to snap at Vix, its claw holding her down, but her blades stopping it from getting a good strike. It roars in frustration as it tightens its claws around her, digging its foot in.
Narrator: The second raptor lunges for Nesseth as the first one falls, taking advantage of his attention being split to rush in and head butt his side.
Vix manages to get a few slashes at the leader's legs. "Get...offa me!"
Nesseth spins to meet the charging raptor, only to take the headbutt in his abdomen, sending him stumbling backwards, momentarily off-balance. He manages to catch himself, however, and braces as he instead fires a shot towards the raptor atop Vix.
Narrator: The Pack Leader's grip loosens as Vix's blade finds its mark, and instead of impaling her with its claws it instead reels aside, releasing her as it roars. Nesseth's shot flies true as well, lodging into the pack leader's side, causing it to roar out in pain.
Vix rolls out from under the raptor and back onto her feet, then stabs at it with her daggers while it is off balance. "Aha! Now we've got you!"
Narrator: The pack leader shakes off the strike, reaching back with its jaws, almost as if to pull out the offending arrow that has pierced so deep into it, but before it an even make any kind of attempt at this, Vix's knives strike into the side of its throat, causing it to begin to thrash about with a terrible noise.
Narrator: The smaller raptor perks up upon hearing the larger of the pack cry out in pain, turning away from Nesseth, it quickly barks out something unintelligible, then bolts, fleeing from the battle.
Nesseth levels his crossbow at the smaller raptor, only to lower his sights again as it turns tail into a full-blown retreat. Not wanting to let the pack leader cause any more trouble, though, he decides it's about time to put it down for good. He quickly ejects the magazine of the hardened tip bolts and slots in a single, oversized bolt that includes some sort of narrow canister positioned near the middle. Moments later, he takes aim at the flailing raptor and fires. "Vix, get back, now!"
Vix quickly backsteps to put some distance between herself and the packleader. "Like, take cover, or what??"
Narrator: The Pack Leader roars in pain, still somehow standing despite the blood loss and pain. It turns to fix its eyes on Vix as she retreats, only for Nesseth's second shot in its direction to strike, piercing just above it's shoulder.
Narrator: The bolt strikes the raptor, and as it does so a distinct sound of flint striking steel can be heard amidst the roaring. The bolt seems to do nothing for the next several moments...
Nesseth starts backing away a bit faster while motion to Vix to back up further. "Take cover if you can!"
Narrator: The Raptor Packleader tries to turn its head, crying out in pain and turning to pursue, albiet slowly, its target, Vix.
Vix sprints away and tries to dive behind a boulder.
Narrator: The explosive, because it's clearly an explosive of some sort at this point, reaches the end of its fuse and ignites the store of firegas contained within the canister, which has been designed to shred itself apart upon detonation. Moments later, a bright flash of light and fire engulf the raptor, and a loud boom echoes over the land as the canister explodes, throwing shrapnel everywhere within several yards.
Vix peeks out from behind the boulder.
Nesseth has gotten knocked over by the shockwave of the explosion, but is otherwise unharmed. He quickly clambers up back into a crouch, though, just in case the raptor somehow survived that...
Narrator: The back half of the raptor did not, in fact, survive, as the remains of the creature drop to the ground.
Nesseth blinks at the remains of the pack leader, then sighs as he slowly stands back up and dusts his legs off a bit. "...I might need to tell Cavro to ease up on the firegas next time... Way too strong an explosion..." He slings his crossbow back onto his shoulder and waves Vix back, "It's safe, I think... that should have scared away anything else nearby."
Vix whistles as she observes what's left of the raptor. "Whoa...you were keeping that thing in your bag??"
Nesseth nods as he stares for a bit longer. "In a special case that keeps it from triggering, yeah." He glances towards Vix, looking her up and down, "You okay, though? Looked like you got knocked over at one point..."
Vix dusts herself off. "His foot claws were pretty sharp, but I kept him from biting me." She winces. "Ooh that stings...I might need a little first aid."
Nesseth nods again as he gestures for Vix to come over. "We've got some stuff in the packs. Anything big?"
Vix lifts her shirt, revealing a few shallow cuts. "Not too bad...I think?"
Nesseth leans in a little closer and gently pokes at one of the cuts. "Looks like some small scratches, mainly... couple of bandages and some of Plume's salve should keep it good until we get back."
Vix sits on the rock she took cover behind. "It kinda burns a little. Can you patch me up now?"
Nesseth kneels and digs out the jar of salve and a few bandages. "Of course. The sooner we get it patched up, the better." He casts one last glance around the clearing, just to make sure they're actually safe, before getting to work on Vix's scrapes.
Vix winces as the salve stings her wounds. "Gah...easy now..."
Nesseth hums softly as he works to apply the salve. "Sorry, Vix. If I don't get it in there, you might get an infection..." He glances up at her from his position down by her abdomen, "At least this isn't that iodine paste..."
Vix blinks. "Iodine? That sounds awful..."
Nesseth chuckles as he finishes applying the salve, then starts unwinding the bandages for application. "I've been on the receiving end of that a couple of times not that long ago... I think that stuff stings more than this."
Vix winces again. "Guess I'll count myself lucky then. Did they manage to get any scratches on you?"
Nesseth shakes his head a bit as he begins applying bandages. "No, but the first one did get a good bite on my crossbow."
Vix laughs nervously. "Good thing that didn't make that last bolt misfire!"
Nesseth shrugs. "The fuse would have given me time to pull it out and lob it away. But yeah... I'll have to talk with Cavro about changing it up for next time..."
Vix patiently waits for Nesseth to finish patching her up. "Good thing we brought this stuff. We'd be in trouble without it"
Nesseth finishes patching Vix up, then moves to give her a soft hug. "Good thing you thought to mention it. You wouldn't have been in any real danger without it, but we'd have had to go back to Respite a bit faster otherwise."
Vix lingers on the hug. "You do take good care of me~"
Nesseth chuckles, smiling as he lets the hug linger. "Well, I don't want to see anything bad happen to you~"
Vix 's ears continue to swivel, seeking any other signs of danger. "I think we scared them off for good. What should we do next?"
Nesseth hums as he gives Vix a little pet while letting go of the hug. "Well... we can keep gathering up some stuff, or we can start carting back those raptors."
Vix thinks for a moment. "We should clean them and take them back while they're still fresh. Maybe we can make some jerky or something later."
Nesseth nods. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. They won't last too long out here in the heat, so the sooner we take them back, the more usable meat we can get out of them. The leatherworkers could probably get some good use out of their skins, too."
Vix leans in and sneaks a quick kiss from Nesseth. "That all went pretty fast. We did a good job covering each other~"
Nesseth smiles at the kiss, but scratches awkwardly at one of his frills. "Well... you made sure I wasn't in danger, but that big one ended up pinning you down. I'm just glad you weren't bitten."
Vix hugs Nesseth again. "Pretty nasty fangs on those guys. Plume would help me through a bite like that, though~"
Nesseth nods as he gives Vix another soft hug. "Yeah, definitely. They'll probably want to look at the scrapes you've already got, though, just to make sure it's not going to get infected."
Vix gives Nesseth one more squeeze and hops off the rock. "Alrighty, let's get started salvaging these guys~"
Nesseth goes to stow his medical kit again, then moves to join Vix in getting the raptors prepped for transport. "Should we just load them whole onto a sledge, or carve them?"
Vix glances at the sky, noting the time. "It might take a while to do field dressing and all. Let's take them back whole so we can save some daylight."
Nesseth hums as he likewise glances up at the angle of the sun. "Good idea. Just need to slap together a thing for the bodies to sit on, and those discs I bought from Strix can keep it light enough for us to pull pretty fast."
Vix hums. "We could cut some shrubs and lash them together with our ropes. That should hold them~"
Nesseth looks around at the shrubs and small trees that dot the area around them. "Yeah, that'll work nicely. Let's get to work, shall we?" He flashes Vix a grin as he starts to head over to the nearest bit of greenery, "Talk about a productive hunt, hm~?"
Vix gets out her gathering knife and follows Nesseth with a grin. "Yeah, no kiddin'~"