The Huntsman (Open)

[Listenbeastie]

Gentle moonlight bathed the forest in blue; shining on the edges of dampened leaves, softening the hard lines of old trees and poking through what openings there where in the canopy to pepper the forest floor. A chill was in the air, drifting on a wind just hard enough to exaggerate its bite. It wasn't enough to freeze water but it was just prevalent enough to haunt an unprepared traveler's bones with discomfort and restlessness. Although the forest hardly slept most of its more noisy denizens were silent; some simply absent as to avoid certain hunters. As critters slept in the branches hunters prowled in the bed of leaves.

One such hunter, a dark old cave bear, crawled calmly along. It paused to sniff the berries on sparse bushes just in time to hear something; the snapping of abandoned twigs. It grunted and lifted its head, sniffing the air and inspecting the area with beady eyes. Then the snapping happened again; a little too loudly for a harmless critter hiding in the brush. The bear was alert; it knew little could challenge it in these woods but it was a veteran. It was sharing its territory with other predators, after all, and if one of these competitors wanted to fight it was ready.

Unfortunately the game changed for the cave beast in a matter of seconds. The noise grew; rustling and footalls begun to beat the floor and a horrendous noise was emitted from this unseen enemy. It started strangely, a succession of clicks followed by a shriek that could only be described as a mixture between a bird's call and a lion's growl. Whatever manner of beast it was, it was chasing the bear.

And the bear was caught off-guard enough to start running.

The chase lasted for a minute; the bear was retreating to its den because the unknown monster was proving to be quicker than it was. It leaped over hollow logs and climbed further and further into the woods, towards its home. The monster was unfazed by such obstacles, each hasty step hard and sure to leave an imprint. It whirled around trees and sped along the uneven ground quicker than the bear could keep up with. The unknown hunter caught up and sprung. A moment of quiet was followed by a series of roars and shrieks. The two beasts rolled about in the soil, claws rending flesh and fangs reaching to snap and tear.

This did not last long. The bear's last sound was a whimper, trailing off into silence and calm. The unknown beast had bitten into its neck but didn't quite get to the windpipe, hence the struggle afterwards. It was of little consequence though and the victor relished in its accomplishment the only way it knew how; feasting upon its victim. The noises following were loud enough to leave the area quiet.

Nobody else wanted the creature's attention, after all. Not if it was able to hunt a bear as though it were some form of sickly deer.

[miss_sanguine]

He'd never seen such prints before. Cloven hooves in the back, jagged and raccoon-like paws in the front. It had to be a monster of some kind; a cursed beast or mythical creature the likes of which no one had witnessed. And by the looks of the other set of prints, this thing currently hunted a bear.

In his painted wolf guise, Iktomi sniffed the curious imprints, then lifted his head and gazed in the direction of the unusual sound coming from further along. The rest of the forest had gone deathly silent in the death cries of the hunted bear. Sounds like it got its meal, Iktomi thought. His tail swished once behind him, a dog-like smile forming on his muzzle.

How curious! While this unnamed animal wasn't a human with whom he could bond, it still held massive interest for the spirit of mischief. Who wouldn't want to investigate a mysterious entity that could call a bear easy prey? Yes, yes. Very interesting!

His paws led him down the unmarked path until he stopped and stared at what lay before him. An animal that, while hideous in its own right, appeared a bit more charming than he'd expected. It ate away at what had once, indeed, been a bear.

Could it talk? Could it think? As savage as it was, it wasn't wholly animal by the smell of it.

Ears erect, head bowed, and tail slowly wagging once more, Iktomi came forward. "Enjoying ourselves, are we?" he asked. "It's no wonder the entire forest has gone quiet. Care to share in your spoils?"

[Listenbeastie]

Once Iktomi spoke the beast paused, its round eyes focusing on the newcomer mistrustfully. The already unkempt hair on the creature's back stood on end, each wispy strand bristling on a gentle passing wind. A poofy tail started to sway back and forth before twitching back into an 's' shape. Meanwhile the monster pressed its bony fingers to the carcass and tore away some of the meat with a loud, wet rip. Plucking at the remaining connection with its claws it chewed on the bloody flesh, finally breaking the persistent tendon and stepping back from the corpse.

The unknown hunter squawked before speaking in a shaky, slow and very deep voice. "Feast. You... look tasty. But it wouldn't be fair..." It swallowed. "...To take more than what is... needed. Name...?"

Without further hesitation he stepped around the body, picking at unbroken fur with those hands of his (it sounded like a he, at least.) The chimera was tearing into the bear's flank, leaving much to the seemingly smaller spirit; his maw stretching wide; perhaps a little more so than whats natural. In any case, it was serving him well and, when he wasn't entirely engrossed in carving more holes in the poor bear, a light forked tongue poked out from between serpentine lips.

If the spirit chose to speak rather than eat he'd find that time was on his side. The hunter did not seem to discriminate in what it devoured and would even pause to gnaw upon bones.

[miss_sanguine]

Truth be told, the bristling and the bloody feast didn't faze Iktomi. He stared back at the suspicious eyes with as amiable an expression he could muster in his current form, then politely waited for the animal to finish with its bite. When it spoke, his excitement soared, tail moving faster.

So it could talk! That meant it had stories to tell, a mind worth investigating. Did it only eat bears? How had it been born? From where had it come?

"My name is Iktomi," Iktomi said, coming forward and sniffing the air. "And I am very tasty indeed." Or so he imagined; how could he not be? But immortal beings with no true essence couldn't really have a taste, could they? "How kind of you not to waste me, though. I'm sure the starving beast that bests me in the future thanks you."

The bear smelled mostly of blood at this point; blood and bear and death. Dark puddles of its life pooled into the earth, leaving it dark. As unsavory as it looked, he didn't want to come off as a rude guest, and he took a quick bite before pulling away.

"Do you have a name as well? Or might I call you Conqueror of Bears, Conk for short?"

[Listenbeastie]

"Ah... a comedian..." The hunter's lips pulled away from his gory teeth in what could be considered a grin. Apparently the beast could feel amusement, too. "You may call me... that, if you wish. I had... never thought to be granted such a... prestigious title." This creature casually tore another hunk of flesh away from the leg, savoring each bite slowly. It was a wonder that he had the speed to catch a bear.

"...Friends call me... Enth. Ehktomeh... Ektomi. Eiktomi...

...Words are hard."

The creature blinked slowly, his tail curling about his form while he considered something. It took time for him to come to a conclusion on whatever matter he pondered but once the decision was made Enth was all the more excited for it. If a monster with owl eyes could be excited.

"....You have humor... Do you want to play a... game?"

[miss_sanguine]

Nothing felt better than having his talents recognized. Iktomi jerked his chin upward, letting out a low huffing noise from his nose, before his form altogether changed into that of a spotted hyena and the huffing turned into high-pitched yipping equivalent to light laughter.

"Friends? You have friends?" he mused. Hard to believe, considering the beast before him didn't look at all human-friendly, sitting over a gored bear with blood dribbling from sharp fangs. Were there more of it? A pack somewhere whose friendship was based purely on survival?

The sudden mention of a game, and the detectable excitement from the other, made him stare and smile. "You are looking at a game enthusiast, my friend. I breathe games." Here he crouched down, rear in the air and a devious grin on his muzzle. "But it depends on what you have in mind."

[Listenbeastie]

When Iktomi spoke he paused in his feast, ears perking once the spirit was done. The grin reappeared and its tail quickly swept across the forest floor. "I do not see many... guests. You look..." he tilted his head, inspecting his newfound companion quietly. "...As though you may be... quick. I had a race in... mind. And... no. I do not have... friends." Enth lowered his head, his expression softening into what seemed to be a pleading smile.

"Other games work... too. Either way... I'd like to play...!" Although there was no chance the beast could be mistaken as innocent he certainly seemed childish. After pleading his case the monster stretched his hind legs back, lifting his head into the air simultaneously. Blood still dripped from his maw and trickled into his fur.

[miss_sanguine]

The way Enth spoke made it difficult for Iktomi to stand still. He had to wait and listen for each word to come from the beast's mouth at the slow pace that it did, and waiting had never been one of his favorite things in the world.

"None to call you Enth?" he asked, coming to stand straight again. "Guess I'll be the first,then. And races are fun, yes, but wouldn't you rather cause some mischief? Humans are oh-so-fun to scare." He paused and frowned a little, looking Enth over critically. "Unless you eat humans. We can't have any of that."

[Listenbeastie]

"It is... a necessary evil. I do not receive... the friendliest review..." The beast turned and approached a nearby tree, lifting a paw so that he might tear into the wood with those claws. "But... we could, I suppose... If you have anything in mind..." Without waiting Enth started to climb the tree, puffy tail trailing behind him. There was no need to lift his voice since he didn't move far and his voice was rather booming in the first place.

It seemed as though the monster was searching for the humans that Iktomi suggested bothering. He curled around the tree simply to get a view of different areas around them.

[miss_sanguine]

Is he showing off? Iktomi mused as he watched other rake the nearby tree with his vicious claws. He couldn't imagine why the animal felt the need; he was clearly the bigger and . . . sharper, at least in terms of appendages.

Giving off a low hum of thought, Iktomi said, "No evil is necessary. But," he came over to the same tree and peered up as Enth climbed up into the branches, "no good is necessary, either. However, we can't play with a human if we eat him--dead, digesting humans aren't any fun." They made no facial expressions to laugh at, for one.

The way Enth hugged the tree reminded Iktomi of a cuddly cat, excluding the blood-stained fur and creepy hands. He smiled, became an owl, and fluttered up onto one of the opposite branches. "What are you doing?"

[Listenbeastie]

"I am... looking. I do not remember... settlements well. Not here..." The beast explained, hugging the surface of the tree closer as his neck wound about it to inspect other areas. "Why do you come here... spirit? I see your kind often... enough, but scarce is it that... they approach me." The creature soon after studied the owl on the branch closely.

"...I have always wondered how it is... to have wings. Many people... romanticize it." His tail was wagging. Perhaps it wasn't a matter of showing off so much as being energetic between the hunt and speaking with someone. Apparently Iktomi caught him while he was in a good mood.

[miss_sanguine]

Oh? So Enth knew him to be a spirit?

He shook his feathers out and blinked at the other. "Do I need a reason to come?" he asked. In the moonlight, with the shadows of branches clinging to his fur, Enth looked truly monstrous. His eyes gleamed much like an owl's. "If I must have one, I would have to say it was mere curiosity."

Humans might be adverse to checking out deadly looking tracks in the earth, and even more so against following the sounds of a hunted bear, but Iktomi held no fear in that regard. Surely Enth could see that, the way he had not run at the first sight of blood and claws and teeth.

"And I'm afraid we won't be finding any humans wandering the woods at night. Their settlements are much further away."

He flexed his wings at their mention and poised to take off. "Whether by flight or some other form, I can guide you."

[Listenbeastie]

Just as he finished speaking the monster jumped down, hitting the forest floor with a loud thud. His tail wagged steadily and he looked up, awaiting guidance. "Everything... has a reason. But do not tell me... if you do not wish to. Let us find the settlements... then." He turned back momentarily to tear away at the bear some, swallowing up organs and bones without so much as a hint of protest. Then he was back to circling the tree and, if the spirit started, following him.

[miss_sanguine]

Enth might have been able to recognize spirits, but he didn't seem to understand them. Mortals lived by instinct and reason; Iktomi knew that he himself, the embodiment of something else entirely, did not.

Unable to smile without a mouth, he tilted his head to an uncanny angle, then hooted. When he lit from the branch, he swooped down to the other and did a few circles around his head while he encircled the tree.

Then he was a great black panther, and with silent paws led the mighty Enth through the trees toward the nearest village.

---

Said village had been a common haunting ground of Iktomi's for the last week. Small, quaint, and filled with people who proved fun to fool. Incidentally, he'd come looking for a possible link-mate, as usual, but when he'd found none . . . well, he'd then had his fun.

Most of the houses were dark, no lantern light flickering in the windows, but he could see a few that showed signs of wakeful inhabitants. He put his nose to the earth and flicked his tail to give Enth the all-clear before moving forward.

When he reached the nearest house, faint voices heard from within as the people inside conversed with one another, he turned his eyes to Enth and grinned a cat-like grin. "I could turn into a housecat and lure them out," he whispered. "And then you could jump out at them. Roar, even. Surely they'll wet their pants. Just . . ." He lowered his head and kept his eyes locked on the other's. "Remember not to eat them. Or kill them. Unless they die of fright, in which case that is perfectly fine."

[Listenbeastie]

The chimera nodded, knowing his voice was too harsh and loud not to attract attention. Then he quietly made his way to the side of the house, crouching and purposefully making himself smaller. At first his tail flicked up with thinly veiled anticipation but Enth was quick to correct that by pulling it around him. Then both of those owl eyes were on the spirit.

The monster lowered his head to the ground, listening for any unseen complications. Really, part of him wanted to be able to scare someone to death; he wanted to know if he actually could do it but his chance was seemingly arriving soon.

[miss_sanguine]

Right, then! In the few seconds it took Enth to move into position, Iktomi took on the form of a large tomcat and approached the door. He made a show of licking his paws as if to make himself presentable, then put both his claws to the door.

The meows and mews carried shrilly on the air, his voice as pitiful and annoying as he could manage. Meanwhile, he arched his back and slid his claws down on the wood to produce an ear-grating scrape. Of course the humans heard it; they paused in their speaking to listen before the sound of one of them getting to their feet could be caught.

Iktomi's stomach flipped in anticipation as he listened to the human on the other side approach the door. When it opened, and the man standing there glared down at him, he sat back on his haunches and mewed piteously.

"It's that dumb cat from the other night," the man said over his shoulder, glaring down at him. "Go on, you. Git!" A foot struck out which Iktomi dodged by hopping to the side. Once he'd lured the human some ways out to the side of the house, he darted between the man's legs and dashed over to Enth.

"Now would be your moment," he said lightly, tail flicking behind him as he continued to smile.

((Feel free to control the person and the people inside whatever way you wish.))

[Listenbeastie]

...And it was in that moment that Enth had proven his affinity for graceful acting. Or maybe he was just being normally terrifying.

Once the 'cat' gave him the que he tensed up, ready to go. The man, so focused and frustrated, was unable to foresee any trap; let alone something like this. The monster lunged forward, digging its claws into the soil in an abrupt stop in front of him and let an ear-piercing roar that left the man stumbling back, having a two second panic attack and then fainting.

Just as soon as he hit the ground the house was alive and potential weapons were being sought out while someone else started to panic. "Wh-wh-what the hell was that?!"

That's when the creature took leave, dashing back into the woods and flicking that tail oddly so that he might kick up dirt and cover some of his tracks.

[miss_sanguine]

The man fainted. Actually fainted! And no wonder--Enth's performance had been truly spectacular. A pants-wetting horror of beauty.

He padded over on light paws, sniffing the unconscious form. Bitters scents of fear with a touch of cedar wafted past his nose. Alive, yes. Enth hadn't killed the human, thank goodness.

At the sounds of various equipment being yanked from walls, panicked voices, and further scents of fear that burned his nose, he followed after the hero of the night. Catching up to him proved an easy task once he'd transformed yet again into a large panther.

"Brilliant!" he cried, laughing. "I've never seen a man faint as quickly as that." Of course, had he been doing the scaring he was sure he could have done much better--but for a creature he'd only just met, that had been quite impressive indeed!

Dodging around large trees that kept him from keeping by Enth's side for too long, he said, "Where did you learn to roar like that? Is it natural? What exactly are you?"

[Listenbeastie]

Enth was excited, coming to a stop once he was certain they were out of sight or earshot. Then he regarded the spirit as he spoke, all enthusiasm being halted by his question. The puffy tail coiled around the beast as it sat and averted its bold gaze. "...That is... a... very loaded question." Then, the creature feigned amusement and grinned. "Well, there's... one thing. I am very... inconclusive. Indeed... That was exciting. It has... been long since I have... done something like that... to a human. Without... killing them, that is."

Just for safe measure he peered back in the direction of the village, where there was a growing commotion.

[miss_sanguine]

Once he stopped, he became a small tomcat again, tail wrapping around his front paws as he purred. His breath quickly steadied with the rest. "A question is a question," he answered, blinking into the darkness. "And an answer an answer, however cryptic it might be."

And Enth's answer was very cryptic, which only fueled Iktomi's curiosity all the more. Inconclusive? Whatever could that mean?

Not one to give up so easily, he continued, ignoring the sounds of the frenzied humans some great distance away. "Do you kill humans often, then? For feeding, I imagine? You look . . ." He paused and looked Enth over more thoroughly. "Friendly enough. Why kill them when you can befriend them?"