Western Interface - Shrilk
An immense mountain of stone towers almost vertically to the west, totally filling the western interface, edge to edge, and all the way up. There is no way this could be mistaken for a natural formation, and the forming of it must have been an incredible feat. Although most of the surface is fairly smoothly textured, the overall shape is actually quite rough, and has eroded quite a bit, it seems.
There are pits and furrows tens of meters deep, scattered all along the surface, even more so as the stone slopes to join seamlessly with the much more natural seeming ground. It's oddly quiet here - very little breeze, almost no vegetation, and absolutely no animal life whatsoever. One can only wonder what lays on the other side of such a barrier, to have required it's creation.
The two Raigaa are camped near a small bluff of trees in the otherwise relatively barren plains, especially in winter... Camped out, but very alert... in particular since the gryphons have been getting closer, which would indicate they have located their quarry... And the Hunters are closing in fast.
Two other dark shapes stalk towards the pair under the bluffs... Rhenemet and Nefer careful not to betray their awareness that they are being hunted. Even as Rhenemet murmers to his mate that he has sighted the Hunters across the plain, just a hint of darkness moving amongst the deep snows. They are perhaps five minutes away now. Rhenemet stretches out where he is lying couchant, gathering himself a bit, while still holding a 'relaxed' pose.
Stormdancer flies with one wing of the fighters, staying high as sharp-eyed scouts track the large form of the Raigaa. Now that they've finally managed to identify the freshest tracks, it's proving relatively easy to track, especially from on high, where the subtle clues form a more coherent pattern than they might from the ground.
Nefer mirrors her mate, her pale coat blending in with the snows, topaz eyes watching the cliffs nearby while appearing relaxed and at ease with Rhenemet. Soft conversation floats up between the pair, the words softly accented Raigaan.
Aubri leads his wing of spear droppers, a spear of his own clutched in his foreclaws as he watches the signs from the scouts of the Raigaas' location. He soars even higher than the scouts, far out of sight of the beasts, but nearly able to spot the moving shadows himself..
Rhenemet glances at Nefer, "They know we are here, my love." He murmers, "But perhaps not just where we are, yet... why don't you move out into the snows a ways, the two of them will strike for me first, before searching for you... With luck, you can come at them from behind."
From the way the gryphons move and circle, it would seem more like they're tracking deer directly beneath them, than the Raigaa who are their true prey. Few ground-based creatures truly understand just how quickly such great horizontal distances can be traversed, from great enough heights. "As soon as they break cover, we start the strike," Stormdancer calls to the wing, "Speardroppers... strike -only- if you get a clear shot! Take no chance of hitting Rhenemet or Nefer. They may not need our help at all, but... I don't think any of us would mind laying a claw into the other ones."
Aubri doesn't say much to his crew, for they know their job.. Dive as one, and strike as one on command. They're already in the box pattern with which they'll target the raigaa, provided they are close enough together.. if not, well.. the others will have to deal with the one they miss.
Nefer nods once, then slips off, her training and abilities making her disappearance - easy. For now, only Rhenemet seems to sit in camp, his dark pelt easily seen against the bright snow.
Rhenemet stretches out, waiting... waiting, until he hears the first soft paw pads in the snow, perhaps thirty meters out, approaching quietly... if he weren't listening for them, he probably would not have heard... but he was, and knew which direction to expect them. He doesn't look in that direction, "Go back to the Empire." He growls, "And your lives will be spared." Silence... a long, lingering silence... And then two matching SNARLS are heard, and the sound of the pair bounding into action, charging, even as Rhenemet surges upwards in a leap of his own, to the side of his previous position.
Wings fold, in the distance far away, Stormdancer's group stooping. The storm-hued drake has little doubt that Rhenemet and Nefer can hold for the short time it will take to reach them. But as the distances close, wind streaming over arrowing forms, there is nothing to do but wait out the seconds. Speardroppers hold the lethal shafts tight up against them, the strikers following close behind.
Nefer bids her time in her hidden position behind a snow-laden bush, her pale coat blending in, leaving only the glitter of her eyes to give her position away if spied. As her mate leaps to meet the snarls of the two approaching Raigaa, she crouches, her own growls barely held in check, giving her mate time to meet the two, knowing the element of surprise will only work once in her case. With tailtip flicking against the ground at her side, she waits till one presents his back to her - only then will she attack from behind the bush.
Aubri rolls into a steep dive, the rest of his formation following perfectly. The spearmen plummet at maximum speed, keeping a tight formation as Aubri prepares to drop his spear.. still too high and too fast to be seen.
Rhenemet's attention is on his attackers - it takes them fifteen strides to reach him... a space of perhaps just over as many seconds...He has turned to face them, but is not charging, he gathers himself as though to leap on the one to the left... then veers suddenly, leaping instead to the side, rolling with a sharp snarl... buying time for the others to reach him. He sees no reason to risk facing both of them alone, face on, when others will soon arrive to better distract them...
The pair of creatures give almost matching roars as they engage Rhenemet, or attempt to, their leaps carrying them through the space he was moments before - but they are neither stupid, nor slow, and both brake rapidly, fanning out to bracket him quickly...
Far overhead, hundreds of meters away, the speardroppers of Stormdancer's group know this is their best shot, and take it. Spears are released, and wings flared just a tiny amount - the droppers peeling away. Unslowed by the greater mass of the gryphons, the metal spikes speed their descent, hurtling silently downward, aimed not where the Raigaa are... but where they will be, in two seconds time.
As one brakes and turns, his back is left unguarded, his eyes on the shadowed form of Rhenemt. It's now or never - and with a quick glance to see where the gryphons are, Nefer begins to crouch, readying herself to spring forward until the whistling of the spears overhead gains her attention once more. As she watches, the spears arch downwards, drawn quickly towards the two Raigaa who snarl and growl below.
Aubri gives a skree and releases his spear some hundred feet up, his wingmates doing likewise. The formation bursts like chaff on the wind, gryphons scattering and braking on wide-spread wings as the skree attracts Raigaa attention.. far too late to even spot the metal rain, much less reach its perimeter as they interlace with the high altitude drops by Stormdancer....
Rhenemet is facing his attackers again - but he can see something his attackers cannot - the oncoming hail of spears, and he is dangerously close to the 'targets' of this attack right now, spears which are fanning out to cover an increasingly wide umbra... He gives a snarl, twisting, and -diving- for the cover of the trunk of a nearby tree... He almost makes it, before the sharp shaft of a spear enters into the side of one of his haunches with a meaty -THUNK-. The pair of hunters fare worse though - they are taken even more by surprise, they curl rapidly, making themselves as small as they can... One, blessed by luck or magic... is missed entirely, the other takes two spears, on the upper and lower back... giving a rowling cry of pain as it is struck, with a cough that splatters blood from its mouth onto the white snow around....
Nefer screams, jumping out from behind her cover as she watches her mate get hit by a spear, her anger carrying her towards the uninjured Raigaa, surprising him as he lies curled up and waiting for the iron death from above. Her spring takes her to his back, teeth and claws readied as she lands, confusing him with her attack. With a flurry of moves, and loud growls, the pale female takes him down, not leaving him a chance to defend or attack back. Within a few moments, Nefer stands over him, blood splattering her pale coat, her topaz eyes staring down at the dead Raigaa at her paws before she's off, bounding towards the tree where Rhenemet dove to get away from the spears from above.
Stormdancer continues inbound with the strikers of his group, hard after the metal rain. He gives a mental curse as he sees Rhenemet hit by a stray spear... a half-second before the stream of gryphons explodes from the sky.
Slashing and striking hard against the already wounded Raigaa, they never slow down, instead simply striking with fisted or open claws, raining a brutal stream down upon the already bloodied one, sweeping upwards and away again. They have learned not to stand and fight one-on-one with these creatures, and instead to use their speed and agility to it's greatest advantage. When the stream of claws and beaks has passed, there's a spattered rain of blood and flesh sprayed out in a long line outwards... as well as the tumbling form of a gryphon who either struck poorly, or who was somehow hit by the now-tattered Raigaa.
Fierce snarls from the suddenly beset, and overwhelmed Hunters... The one engages Nefer, proving he is no meat for the slaughter by twisting... managing to bite her haunch, before her jaws close on his neck and finish him. The other one roars again - a fluttering sound, for her lung is punctured by one of the spears. She probably is dying, but that doesn't mean she doesn't arch upwards to meet the oncoming flurry of gryphons, swiping out with those great paws as she is literally knocked over by the impact of so many attackers, torn and ripped... They leave her lying on her side, bleeding heavily from dozens of wounds... still breathing, but only in ragged gasps, and not moving...
Rhenemet snarls again in pain, twisting... but he is actually pinned to the ground by the mistaken spear hit... it has passed clear through the muscled side of one haunch, narrowly missing important vitals and his bone, and into the blood stained ground several inches. A rrrrowl of pain as he twists awkwardly, snapping at the iron shaft emerging from his haunch, finally with a shudder of agony he surges upwards, tearing it from where it was embedded in the ground and letting him stand, shaking, but it is still lodged through him...
Nefer moves as fast as she can, limping towards the area where Rhement lies, leaving the other Raigaa to the diving gryphons - it's only right they get in a few hits in retailition for the deaths of their clanmembers. Dismissed from her mind, her only thoughts are on her mate, and to see what damage has been done.
The stream of gryphons arches up, staying in perfect formation, sweeping in for another strike... then at a shrilled command, breaking apart rapidly, and coming to ground rapidly. A cluster lands around the fallen gryphon, while Stormdancer and two others come down to ground near ... but not too near... Rhenemet. A skrreeee'd call goes out for the healers, who have been gliding overhead, well out of range of any combat.
Aubri grins grimly and dives at the speared raigaa, aiming for the foremost spear.. then slams into the shaft sideways with his foreclaws, wrenching the tip from the ground and twisting it horribly in the raigaa's flesh.. bone snapping and flesh ripping noisily.
The remaining hunter manages only a soft mrrowl of pain as Aubri strikes her, driving the spear in further, and a final twitching shudder before it goes still... for good, having already passed out from her wounds...
Rhenemet limps a step, before realizing the fight is over... almost as quickly as it began, blood splattered some distance around the fallen Raigaa... his own wound is leaking, but only mildly. Its liable to get a lot worse when that shaft is removed from him though. His adrenaline subsides slightly and he gives soft mrrowl of pain as he lets himself collapse again uncomfortably to one side - the side not impaled by five feet of barbed steel.
Stormdancer warns the two with him back by spreading his wings, though he moves up closer to Rhenemet. "Skies... Rhenemet... hold still, we'll get that out of you," he calls urgently... though still not advancing too close. He's not sure just how an enraged and wounded Raigaa will react.. even if he does know he's being approached by friends.
Nefer is there at Rhenemet's side, her growls loud as gryphons approach, until she recognizes Stormdancer's form and voice. "Get your healers over here.." Already she's dipped her head and removed the blood-spattered satchel from about her neck, pulling out herbs and other items in preparation to staunch the blood once the spear is pulled through. Carefully, she probes the area with a gentle paw, all the while whispering soft words in their native language.
Rhenemet flinches at his mates touch, and snaps his jaws a couple of times at the air, but otherwise keeps as still as possible, grunting and growling... but is concious enough to ask, "The spears... they arrrre not poisoned?" His voice slightly slurred by pain, which while locked down somewhat by his endorphins, is heady enough to make him woozy now that the urgent call of battle has passed...
The single fallen gryphon is already up, walking slowly in circles, accompanied by several friends and one of the apprentice healers... apparently nothing life threatening, though he does appear to be bleeding from a long gash down the flank. The senior healers are already trotting rapidly over toward Stormdancer and the living Raigaa.
"No, they're not," Stormdancer rumbles, moving closer now. "Just barbed and heavy. You'll be fine..." He presumes, given the lack of blood, that no major arteries were hit.
Rhenemet stretches out and nods, "Hrrrf. Get that thing out of me, then..." He glances at his mate, and sees the healers coming closer... Its hard to resist curling up and clawing at it, though he knows thats the worst thing he could possibly do. He already did more damage to himself than necessary by standing up again in the first place.
Aubri pads over to the pair and bobs his head, blood staining his side.. but not his own. "Hrrh.. that could have gone better..
Rhenemet rrrfs softly, "It could have gone worse." He murmers.
Nefer snaps at the healers, her anger soon fading as she takes a deep breath to center herself. "I am sorry.. please, remove the spear?" She stands ready to stop the bleeding, healing herbs and bandages readied to be pressed against both wounds as soon as she checks them for trash or further internal injuries.
Stormdancer nods, padding foreward. "I'll pull it myself, Rhenemet... though I'd really rather you didn't bite me in the process," he adds, chuckling... looking to Nefer. "Would you... help make sure of that?" He lays a foreclaw on the male's side, and reaches a talon for the long barbed spear jutting out of his leg.
Nefer dips her head, placing herself between her mate's head and the gryphon as he prepares to pull the spear from Rhenemet's flank. With a paw on his shoulder, she leans in, holding him down with her weight. "Go ahead, Stormdancer."
Rhenemet rrrrfs, biting back a growl, "Pull it strrrrraight, and you'll be safe from me." He groans at Stormdancer's touch, then shifts over a bit further, so the barbed point is jutting more outwards, easier to pull it straight through. His forepaws dig into the ground firmly.
Aubri watches impassively, tail twitching as gryphons settle all over the field, celebrating their success..
Though the shaft is slippery with blood, Stormdancer's grip is powerful. One hard, swift motion, and the spear is wrenched free, in a perfectly straight line... the drake jumping back slightly. He knows what HE would do, if someone had done that to him, even in giving aid. A quick, sharp call to the healers, and they step foreward, albiet warily, to help Nefer tend to her mate.
Rhenemet's jaws do surge, snapping shut on snow as he gives a long, sharp rrrrrrrowl of pain that continues well after the shaft has been yanked fully out of him the stinging goes on for some time, strong enough he is lightheaded from it, his breathing fast and ragged... As soon as the shaft is removed, the bleeding begins in earnest, out both sides of the puncture, small surges splattering out with each beat of his heart.
Nefer leans her head down, nipping Rhenemet on the neck in an attempt to distract him, nuzzling lightly as he pants, before moving to his flank to tend to the wounds with the gryphon healer's help. Both entry and exit wounds are checked thoroughly, quiet murmurings between the healer's confirming Nefer's findings that nothing vital had been hit. The wounds are allowed to bleed freely for a few seconds before herbs and bandages are pressed to them, held in place and changed once the blood soaks through until it is safe to tie them in place without fear of the Raigaa bleeding through.
Stormdancer pads over to Aubri, and nods. "Well struck, by all," he chiurrs. "Though I think we may restore speardroppers to a regular training regime again, mrhrhr?" He glances the other drake over, just to make sure the blood spattering his body is only that of the fallen Raigaa, and not any of his own.
Rhenemet growls, trying to keep still as he is tended, biting back more vicious snarls of pain each time the wound dressings are changed, making an extra effort to stay polite as it is his mate who is tending him! Some of the herbs bring more of a numbness to the area, and he twists, looking back at himself, "How much is it bleeding?" He asks after a moment, "Will I be able to walk without breaking it open?" It seems rather unlikely he could, given the thickness of the wound...
Aubri hrrrs and nods, flicking his tail slowly. "I'll assign a group to it.. not a skill that's called upon often." He watches the healers' work, rumbling softly. "And there's one more.."
"You will not be walking, no." Turning, Nefer looks to several gryphons who have come prepared with a carrying sling. "If you don't think you can carry him comfortably, with a few minor adjustments, it can fit me.." With her webbed paws and strength, she could pull Rhenement back to camp - though it might take her a bit longer.
Stormdancer gape-grins broadly, nodding. "Yessssss... there is. I think we'll enjoy hunting this one a bit more," he says quietly, one talon fisting the trampled and bloodied snow. He lifts his head and looks over to Nefer at her question, and mrhrhrrs... "We could probably fly him, but... there's plenty of us here to help walk him, too, if need be. We'll have to keep a high guard active to make sure the third doesn't take advantage of the situation."
There is a third, and last, Raigaa out there hunting Rhenemet and his mate. What will happen next?