(16:15:17 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: emerges from the rundown hut with a smile on his face and an eager look in his eye... his 24" gladius is belted at his left hip, a 12" dagger on his right, with an 8" blade in his boot sheath... his shield and helmet have been left behind, as he shoulders a heavy pack of gear for his trek... grunting a little under the weight, he strides towards the edge of the village and off into the jungle, heading east
(16:15:30 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: nodding to those he passes as he sets off purposefully, he mentally prepares himself for what might be ahead... the rumor had spread around the camp like wildfire, a tarn sighting in the eastern foothills... not one of the multicolored wild jungle tarns, a constant danger of the area, but something else entirely... determined to discover the truth, he goes in search of the beast, a secret hope running through his mind
(16:15:43 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: only a short distance from the camp, he sets his pack down on the loamy jungle floor, nervously reopening it and checking its contents once more... the majority of the weight came from the bulky tarn saddle and harness, brought back at his request when the trading ship last returned to port... beside them, the goad, resting in the OFF position, situated so that he can easily draw it by the handle from the pack if needed... a coiled ladder took some more space, and then his usual array of rations and medical supplies... satisfied that he was not forgetting anything, he closes and shoulders the pack again, continuing on his way
(16:15:52 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: after almost an hour's journey, he begins to near the area in which the tarn was last seen, according to the hunting party he had spoken to... he hopes only to find some sign of the animal, perhaps some way to track it, to find its aerie, to see if it will suit his purposes
(16:16:00 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: pauses to inspect the nearby trees and bushes... his nose detects the faint odor of fresh blood, and he approaches more cautiously, not wanting to be taken unawares... from up ahead, he hears the unmistakeable snarl of a jungle larl, and a warning screech answering it... quickening his pace, he emerges into a small clearing, his sword instinctively clearing his sheath as he takes in the scene before him
(16:16:09 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: is confronted with the sight of a most unusual tarn... the bird towers at one edge of the clearing, about three times his own height, its right wing fully extended as another shrill screech emerges from its beak... its left wing is tucked tightly against its side, blood mottling the sandlike coloring of its feathers... one fearsome claw is extended before it, the steel-shod talons slashing at the air
(16:16:18 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: before the tarn crouches a growling jungle larl, larger than most he had yet seen in this region... the larl stalks back and forth, gauging the reach of the bird's talons, looking for an opening to strike... at the tarn's feet lay the bloody bodies of two more larls, ones who had made the mistake of getting too close... but the tarn is clearly tiring of its resistance, and will not be able to hold off the remaining larl for much longer
(16:16:27 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: a rage envelops him, one he had rarely felt before, suffusing every inch of him with fire... the thought of this magnificent tarn becoming food for a common jungle cat is a reality that he is not prepared to accept... with a snarl of his own, he shrugs the heavy pack from his shoulders onto the ground and steps forward into the clearing, sword extended, trying to get the larl's attention
(16:16:36 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: sees the larl take two steps back from the tarn and whirl gracefully to face him... wishing now that he had brought his shield, he reaches his left hand across his body to the 12" knife at his belt, drawing and holding it point down, beginning to circle the beast from about 10' away
(16:16:47 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: reads the larl's body carefully as he starts to close the distance, trying to get his body between the tarn and the larl, but ensuring that he doesn't work himself into striking range of the tarn's claws... he makes a couple of feinting stabs towards the cat with his sword, hoping to discourage it enough to drive it off into the jungle, rather than having to fight it to the death
(16:16:58 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: the larl, perhaps hungry, perhaps just too stubborn to accept defeat, simply refuses to turn tail and run... with an angry hiss, it darts in, drawing a quick slash of his sword in reply, then hops impossibly fast to its left, then in again... he takes a step back as he slashes again, aware of his perilous proximity to the mighty tarn... belatedly he realizes that the larl is trying to force him backward into the tarn's reach
(16:17:06 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: thinking quickly, he takes a quick step towards the larl with his left foot, then another with his right, intentionally bringing himself too close... he plants hard on his right foot, knee bent, sword and dagger held low, trying to invite an attack
(16:17:17 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: the larl takes the bait, lunging forward at his head, claws extended before it as it tries to latch on to the presented target... with a powerful push off his right foot, he throws himself to his left, onto his back on the ground... the larl lands and whirls in one motion, preparing to pounce again on his prone prey, but the momentum of the beast's lunge is hard to stop completely, and its paws slip slightly in the soft earth of the jungle floor
(16:17:27 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: sliding no more than a foot as its momentum stops, the beast lets out a growl of triumph, but the sound quickly turns to a scream of pain as the tarn's claws swipe across its hindquarters, knocking it completely off its feet... the larl is thrown bodily into the trunk of a nearby tree, the sickening crack of a leg bone echoing through the clearing
(16:17:35 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: standing up, he eyes the tarn as he slowly walks over to the broken body of the wounded larl... sparing a glance for the miserable beast, he drives the point of his sword through the beast's neck, severing its spine and swiftly ending its life... withdrawing his sword and wiping off the blood on a patch of wild grass, he sheathes both his blades
(16:17:43 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: the tarn regards him curiously as he leans down, his gaze locked with that of the great bird... he grunts as he picks up the larl's body, cradling it in both arms as he manages the awkward weight... advancing one slow step at a time to the tarn, he stands just outside the claws' range and tosses the larl a few feet in front of him, close enough for the bird to get at it... he backpedals a few steps to his pack
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