novelraw Chapter 184: The Hunt
Chapter 184: The Hunt
"Eugh." Nyitzcha stuck out her tongue, plucking a leaf from her salad and waving it in disgust. ""Where are the spices, where are the meats? And jist juice or tea, nae ale? This scran is pure muck."
"Language!" Janette raised her voice, seeing an elf mother cover her child's ears. "If you don't like it, why not just grab from your rations again?"
"A wee bit o' it wis left oot in the open an' went bad. Ah've no got enough tae see me through the week." The dwarf grumbled, stuffing a slice of apple into her mouth and chewing grumpily. She spotted Felix walking through the other side of the room, dressed in skin-tight brown leather similar to the Rangers. She waved her little hand to grab his attention. "Oi! Where dae ye think ye’re aff tae?"
"He's going hunting!" Syri cheerily informed while seated across from her.
Nyitzcha frowned. "Wah, without me!?"
Felix was following behind Spi'Reto before catching Nyitzcha's furious hand wavering motion of the side of his eye. Turning around, he waved back before getting the message, shuffling and excusing himself around the crowded platform full of eating elves and cat girls. He had to stifle his laugh upon greeting Nyitzcha after realizing she was seated on a high stool just to reach the adult's table.
"Morning, Nyitzcha."
"What's dis 'bout ye goin' off fer a quick sport without invitin' me to da fun?" She huffed, slamming her hands on the table. "Ye know how boring s'bin cooped up 'ere with naught but gossipin' pointy eared mums, nosy kitts and wee lads roamin' about?"
"I er, no I don't." He leaned back, scratching his head. "Spi'Reto invited me to join along with some of his friends."
"Maybe I kin catch me sum furs and finally 'ave a decent meal." Nyitzcha grinned, hopping off her stool and crawling under the table, dragging him by his hand. "Light a fire up yer arse an' git moving!"
He looked back at his friends with a pleading look, only for Janette to shrug helplessly while Syri smiled and waved them goodbye before helping herself to the salad bowl Nyitzcha left behind.
Spi'Reto was talking amongst his two Ranger friends when one of them chuckled and tapped his arm, pointing at the pair approaching them. He spun around with shock, receiving Nyitzcha with a friendly smile. "Is this about the food again?"
"Ain't 'bout yer shitty greens," She scoffed, folding her arms. "I want to join yer hunt."
"Pfft!" One of the Rangers snickered, planting her hands over her hips. The tight leather she wore around accentuated her lean curves while she narrowed her hazel eyes, towering over the small dwarf. "Funny, but we've no room for babysitting."
"Wah!? Ye tree-huggin' frolicking leaf munchin' piece o-" Felix held Nyitzcha back as she stomped and swung her feet over, pouting and fuming.
Spi'Reto didn't hold back his laugh along with his male friend, adding fuel to the fire in Nyitzcha's eyes. Before they could protest, Spi'Reto stepped in and placed a hand over his female elf's friend, pulling her back. "Nay, she could join."
Her eyes flashed as she snapped to her right, staring at him in disbelief. "Yer serious?"
"Why not?" He asked, turning around to face the two elves while backpedaling toward Felix and Nyitzcha. "We've seen them give us a good fight at the Mountain Pass. This dwarf has some spark under those hands. You remember those explosions? She's the one behind them. And this guy showed us he's got stones to be picking fights with the cult. We wouldn't have rescued Zimi and the others were it not for him."
"She can cast fire magic." Felix mentioned.
"Sure can." Nyitzcha scoffed, raising her chin with pride.
As he explained, he stepped aside presenting them to his friends in a new light.
"Well?" He asked with a hopeful smile.
The male elf shrugged, while the female tapped her foot and clicked her tongue. "She's too short for any of our gear."
"Wouldn't be caught dead wearin' yer leath shite." Nyitzcha snorted, slamming her fist against the round disc-like plate over her chest. "Got me own gear to save my skin."
"Tch, fine. She can go."
Spi'Reto clapped his hands with a cheerful cry, wrapping his arms around both his two elven friends. "Fantastic! Felix, Nyitzcha. Meet Sans and No'Vak."
Felix stepped back, recognizing them as the same pair they encountered at the Mountain Pass, with No'Vak threatening Janette's life after finding her. Though they wore slimmer gear, they kept the sleeveless look with forearm guards and fingerless gloves, exposing the green tattoos decorating their arms. Come to think of it, he didn't notice the same markings on any of the maidens or families staying at the huts, but they did share a subtle green tint to their skin along with the pointed ear trait.
He had met elves before in his brief time passing through Kershin Market, but they looked no different from him in appearance. Some were light-skinned as if the sun would burn them, wearing large hats or robes to protect themselves. And you could usually tell them apart by their naturally youthful complexion, a trait that many others came to envy. Some elves would go about their lives resembling their twenties for decades, but often they would keep amongst themselves rather than to integrate with other races.
No'Vak had them beat in height by a few inches, paired with his wider arms displaying himself as the muscle of the group. Now that Felix saw him without his mask and hood, he noticed the elf kept his dark hair combed back in a half bun while the rest draped down covering his neck. He came equipped with a pair of daggers holstered on each side of his waist, to which Felix recalled them having jagged edges resembling teeth to really tear the flesh of its victims.
Sans was smaller in frame, resembling Spi'Reto with their shared lean figure, slim waist and height. She kept a bow harnessed around her shoulder, its string reinforced for more pull strength and tighter accuracy. Her hair was a soft tan color parted from the middle, draping down the sides. Her eyes were hazel and she had a cute dimple on her chin.
And then there was Spi'Reto who matched Sans and Felix in height, sported long black hair flowing down, and teal eyes resembling his mothers. He seemed to share in Sans' love for his longbow, both their quivers fully loaded for the hunt.
"Terrific." No'Vak muttered, turning around. "Just try to keep up."
Sans followed behind, pausing to glare at Nyitzcha before descending to the lower tree hut. The group continued down the trail before arriving at the largest tree hut where they stepped on the gondola before signaling another elf to turn the lever. The platform rocked and groaned before descending slowly, the tight ropes pulling their weight before they softly landed on the swampy area where Reta and Alma had their duel.
Nyitzcha tapped her foot before giving Felix a look. He nodded and got on his knee, letting her climb onto his back while he sunk ankle deep into the mud. Sans opened her mouth to comment when Spi'Reto kept her in check with a finger wag, the squad traversing around the muddy waters in squishy silence.
They kept snaking around for a few minutes before stepping out from the swamp and shortly arriving toward tall grass, to which Nyitzcha climbed down to follow along with them. A few glitterbugs buzzed around their faces as Felix swapped them aside, clearing his throat.
"So uh, where exactly did you say these slime trails were?"
"A few hundred paces, we should be close so keep an eye out." Spi'Reto replied while facing ahead.
"What do they look like?" Asked Nyitzcha. "We talkin' green goop like a snail trail?"
"Remarkably on spot, yes." He chuckled, parting some of the tall grass with his bow. "It's important we keep our voices down so that we don't alert any of the wildlife."
Felix sucked in his lip. "We didn't see any on our way here, but it is winter."
"Not in here." Sans explained voluntarily, "Faehorn's Forest is protected from the outside weather."
"It does get cold at night." No'Vak mentioned, stepping carefully as they ventured through the foliage.
"How is that possible? It was snowing just outside." Felix asked.
"Don't forget de fog." Nyitzcha added.
"That too."
"The fog is what we believe to be the physical barrier protecting the forest from external weather. It allows Faehorn to preserve its wildlife from within." Spi'Reto explained, "Unfortunately, that goes for both predator and prey. It was our duty to maintain a balance between them so that one does not overwhelm the other."
"But now that Perdilius is here, that duty has been dropped and now the monsters are roaming freely." Felix chimed in, "You've said so before. I don't mean to offend but I don't think that's a problem. We could hear all sorts of wildlife when we arrived in the forest. Birds, bugs, all that stuff."
"Any large animals like squirrels or antelope?" No'Vak questioned, eyeing him.
Felix gave it a brief thought before shaking his head.
"That's the problem." The elf grunted, turning around. He came to an abrupt halt, shooting his hand up for the others to freeze.
Felix looked over his shoulder as the squad came across a sight; a deer and its fawn with brown fur and white spots. Another deer emerged with thicker fur and antlers slowly approaching the pair, pausing as the mother deer eyed it and stomped its hood. It seemed hesitant, possibly having heard the group coming close, but after a moment of staring at the other deer, the fawn ducked its head and silently nibbled at the grass. Its mother remained frozen with her black eyes staring at the male deer several feet away.
Nyitzcha had to dig her hands through to create a small window through the tall grass, poking her face through to catch what the excitement was about. The other elves remained still, with No'Vak taking the lead as he lightly stepped into the clearing to expose himself.
"What is he doing?" Felix whispered.
"Shh!" Sans hushed back, raising her arm back with her fingers grabbing at an arrow from her quiver.
No'Vak tip-toed through with his arms held in front, grabbing the attention of all three dear while his friends remained hidden. He cupped his hands together and held them over his mouth, drawing in a deep breath before imitating a high-pitched bleat sound.
"Ba-a-a! Ba-a-a! Ba-a-a!"
The fawn seemed skittish, rushing quickly behind its protective mother while she kept her eyes on the elf. Her ears were raised in alarm before she responded in a grunt and snort, blowing air through its snout. No'Vak kept his distance, repeating the sound back to her. She turned to look at the male deer before letting out a short cry. It made Felix and Nyitzcha jump as the scream was sudden and sounded very human.
But Spi'Reto and Sans turned their eyes toward the male deer, analyzing its puzzled expression as it slowly began to pedal away from them.
No'Vak then focused his attention on the male deer before forming a bleat sound only to see it blink in response.
"This one." He called out, pointing at the male.
Sans held out a specialized arrow with the tip glistening with a sticky coating. Retrieving a flint in hand, she lit up the arrowhead before drawing it back and firing at the male dear. It ducked, the fire arrow whooshing between his ears and stabbing into the tree behind it.
"Shit!" Sans hissed under her breath just as the deer was running away.
No'Vak ran in, grabbing his bow and firing two regular arrows in a panic. Both missed their target as the deer jumped behind dense shrubs and thick bark to protect itself. But Spi'Reto stepped in with his longbow, his hand drawn far back before releasing. His arrow zoomed through whistling in the air before being lost in the shrubs.
Until they heard a deer cry out.
Spi'Reto sighed in relief as No'Vak and Sans took off after the deer. Felix and Nyitzcha looked lost but hurried behind them, keeping up with the elves as they climbed over a fallen log and descended deeper into the forest.
"I don't get it," Felix panted, falling forward as he lost balance before catching himself. "I've dealt with a slime before. Shouldn't they be green and resembling putty?"
"In the early stage, they should." Spi'Reto explained, pointing ahead as they began travelling uphill. "See yourself."
They came across where the deer was struck and expected to find its blood, but they were met with a trickle of green sludge instead. Felix stared in shock while Nyitzcha struggled to keep up due to her short size. "What in the gods?"
"Oi!" Nyitzcha panted, slapping his back. "Think ye kin... 'elp me out 'ere?"
He knelt down offering her a ride. As she held onto him, he ran up the hill as the elves were sprinting after their prey.