A Hunt Gone Awry

[Ethereal-Star]

"Sure, let's. It definitely beats sitting here with nothing to do."

While Indigo still wasn't happy about not being able to shift into her wolf form and go roam around like usual, she complied with the cards idea. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, the wolf shifter looked at Kilarhas, waiting for him to get the cards out and explain the rules.

"So, what's the object of the game we're playing?"

[JackieCat]

"The object is to get rid of all of your cards," Kilarhas said, reaching into his pack and pulling out a deck of playing cards.  He sat on the ground across from Indigo and started to deal the cards.

"It's a fairly simple game, it's called Crazy Eights. . ." The elf proceeded to explain the rules of the game.

[Ethereal-Star]

Indigo took her cards and looked at them. She wasn't that familiar with the different suits and numbers, so examined them all with interest. One of the cards showed an upright three-leafed clover symbol with the letter 'A' in the top left corner and the bottom right corner, while another showed the letter 'J' with a heart symbol on it. Looking at the rest, she furrowed her brow trying to remember everything that Kilarhas had told her on how to play.

Fanning the cards out in her hands, she nodded at him and said, "Ready when you are."

[JackieCat]

He nodded and flipped over the top card on the stack sitting between them.  It was an ace of hearts.  Kilarhas set a three of hearts on top of the ace.

"Your turn," he said, sitting back while he waited for Indigo to make her move.

[Ethereal-Star]

Looking at her cards again, Indigo chose the Jack of Hearts and placed that down over the three of hearts in the discard pile.

Glancing back up at him, she stated, "Took my turn."

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas looked at his hand, and realizing he didn't have any he could lay, picked a card.  It was a Jack of Spades, and he placed it on top of Indigo's card.

"Do you have a home in the jungle here?" Kilarhas asked. "Or do you just wander around?"

[Ethereal-Star]

"I have a small dwelling. Well, it's a tiny hut made out of wooden sticks and grass." Indigo explained, also taking her turn again.

Taking from the stack as she had neither any more Jacks nor Spades. Looking at the card, it was a Two of Diamonds. Not helpful. So she picked another card, this one a Queen of Spades and put that down on top of the Jack of Spades Kilarhas had discarded earlier.

"Done and done." she beamed.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas looked at his cards and lay picked a card.  It was a King of Spades.  He set it down before looking back up at Indigo.

"Forgive me if this is an intrusion, or ignorant, but why don't you find another pack?  I know they will be different, and you will not have the same connection you probably had with your original pack, but wouldn't it help you to find another pack to live with?"

[Ethereal-Star]

"Don't you think I've tried that already?!" Indigo snapped. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down somewhat. "Sorry, I... I just haven't had much luck on that front. Looking for others like me that is. Regular wolves are great to be with as well, but it isn't the same. Until I do find another pack, I will have to continue on as I have been doing. I hope to someday." Sighing irritably, as she really did miss the companionship and belonging of being part of a wolf pack.

The game was momentarily forgotten for the time being as Indigo brooded silently.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas frowned sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll find another pack some day, maybe you just have to travel farther into the jungle, or even out of the jungle.  Perhaps if you traveled across the desert you could find a pack in Niahi Woods, or Draconi forest, I know there are at least a few packs there.  But that is very far away."

[Ethereal-Star]

"There are wolf shifter packs in the Niahi Woods and Draconi Forest?" Indigo looked excited now. "I haven't been to either before, but now I will definitely need to make a trip to both places and see if I can find them." Frowning, she remembered her injury as it was stinging at her side again. "After my wound heals, that is."

She was about to say something more when a low growl sounded nearby. Indigo immediately went into hunter mode, but since she couldn't shift, it wouldn't do her any good now. Still she remained alert, and looked around for the source of the growl.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas jumped up, his daggers flying to his hands at the sound of the growl.

"Do you know what it could be?" Kilarhas whispered, looking in the direction of the growl.  He wondered if it was the panthers that Indigo had told him about had finally come to try and kill the wolf-shifter.  Kilarhas hoped not, for if there was a pack of the panthers, more than six, Kilarhas may not be able to defend them both.

[Ethereal-Star]

Still listening and searching, Indigo was about to jump up and shift into wolf form as her instincts were on overdrive now to do so, her hands twitching by her sides as she felt the call of the wild within her start to surface. Finally she made her decision and shifted, the wound opening up once again as a dark stain appeared on the now moved and out of place bandages.

She let out a predatory howl, just as three panthers emerged onto the scene, circling them on all sides in a triangular formation. One of them whom appeared to be the 'leader' of the small group, shifted into human form and snarled at Indigo. "Well, lookie here boys. We've found our meat. Wasn't expecting you to be hiding out within this jungle, wolf shifter. Far from home, are we?"

Not giving her a chance to answer, the lead one attacked, soon followed by the other two, the leader having shifted back into panther form again. Indigo leapt out of the way of the lead one's jaws, and dodged a swipe from a paw of the one sneaking up behind her, while simultaneously lunging for the throat of the third. Indigo didn't know how they found her, and she had hoped they wouldn't. It seemed she had hoped in vain. Now it was fight and kill, or be killed. There was no other alternative here.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas leapet into action the second the panthers attacked.  He lunged forward, slashing his dagger along the flank of one of the panthers attacking Indigo.  The elf could tell that the wolf-shifter was probably in no shape to fight, and with her wound reopened, things were not looking well.

Kilarhas pulled out his wand with his free hand, and he whispered a word.  The tip of his wand started on fire, but it didn't burn.  The elf mage sheathed his dagger and his wand grew to be the size of a staff, but the tip was still on fire.  He slashed it at a panther, aiming to hit it on teh head, and hopefully start it on fire as well.

[Ethereal-Star]

The slash along the second panther's flank made him turn his attention to Kilarhas instead and made to attack him now, but the elf was quicker. The fiery staff hit the same panther on the head and he yelped in pain and agony as his fur began to catch fire. The panther now was put on the defensive as he tried to dodge further attacks from both Kilarhas and Indigo.

Indigo was quickly tiring and her wound stung more than ever now as more and more blood seeped out, which only made the remaining two panthers much more feral in their movements and actions, as they clearly wanted to see the wolf shifter fall dead. As a result of her injury, her movements were sluggish, despite the fact she had managed to bite the neck of the third panther, but it had quickly shaken her off and bit her in turn on the snout. Indigo yelped at the fresh wound which was on her face now, but didn't give up. To give up would mean death. So she continued to fight, getting slower and slower as the seconds passed, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by the lead panther or the other one. The one on fire was still reeling about, trying to put out the flames which were quickly consuming it, the acrid smell of burning fur and skin filled the jungle air.

While the third one went after Indigo again, seeing an opening, the leader decided to go after Kilarhas while he was occupied, hoping to bring him down so he and his group could finish what they came here for. The scent of Indigo's blood spurred him on in full frenzied motion.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas could see that Indigo was quickly losing what strength she had.  He wound had of course reopened, and her blood was seeping through the bandages.  If they didn't get rid of these panthers soon, Indigo would die, an possibly Kilarhas as well.

Kilarhas looked over to see the lead pather barrelling towards him.  At the last possible second, the elf sprang up, twisting in the air, he came down on top of the panther.  He brought his dagger down towards the panther's back.  If the big cat did not act soon, the blade would sink deep between it's shoulder blades, injuring it badly and possibly killing it.

[Ethereal-Star]

The lead shifter dodged Kilarhas' downward strike by jumping to the side and attempted to dislodge the dagger from the elf's grip with a powerful swipe of his paw. Snarling fiercely at the blue-skinned ranger, all his attention was on the elf at the moment.

The one on fire continued to flail about and yelp pitifully before slowing, and then finally stilling as the orange flames readily consumed his flesh and fur. One down.

Indigo was doing her best to evade the other panther shifter who was able to bite her side right where the wound was, and the wolf girl let out a loud howl of pain at this. She then snarled at her foe and once more jumped into the fray but it was clear to all that she was quickly weakening. Any longer and she would be utterly helpless and at their enemies' mercy. If not outright dead. Raking her claws across the panther's face, she managed to temporarily blind him as the other yelped at the assault, before rounding on her again as Indigo had been too slow to react when the chance was given. She was losing a lot of blood and fast, it pooling all over the ground around them. The situation wasn't looking good for her.

[JackieCat]

Despite losing his dagger, Kilarhas turned back to the panther, his staff still in his hand.  Then he saw Indigo and the other panther, who had bitten her wound.  Kilarhas pointed his hand at the panther attacking Indigo and a bright ball of light flashed right in the panther's eyes, blinding it again, and hopefully giving Indigo time to get away, or at least get her bearings.

Kilarhas swung his staff around, hoping to hit the panther who was attacking him on the head.

[Ethereal-Star]

The attack hit the panther and as a result the lead one stepped back as he was temporarily stunned by the blow. Not to mention the flames which were quickly starting to spread over him. In pain, the leader of the once trio still tried to lunge at the elf but was slowed due to his injuries.

Meanwhile, Indigo was given a brief respite, but did not back down. Such was not the way of a wolf. The two leapt at one another simultaneously, in a clash of claws and teeth, each one trying to get the upper hand here. But Indigo was on the losing end, the panther quickly gaining the advantage. He made to bite her again, just under the neck and Indigo barely dodged it, his teeth grazing her side but not actually managing to truly harm her like he'd hoped to.

They circled one another, the enemy shifter's eyes gleaming in a feral light. Then he lunged at her again. Indigo was put solely on the defensive now as she tried to evade his relentless attacks. Slowing more and more with each passing second. She growled, the sound coming out more like a whimper. Her opponent leaned back and was about to jump at her again, Indigo would probably not be able to move out of the way this time. It was up to Kilarhas to intervene again.

[JackieCat]

The panther that he had been attacking now temporarily stunned, Kilarhas ran for Indigo.  The wolf-shifter was very weak, and would not be able to dodge the next blow from her opponent, if Kilarhas didn't get there soon enough. . .

The elf man pulled out a small dagger hidden in his sleeve and threw it at the panther, hoping to distract it from Indigo until he got closer.  When he was close enough, he dove towards the large cat, hoping to at least knock it down.

It was not a ideal way to attack, but the panther had been so close to Indigo, Kilarhas had had no choice.