Forests Smell Weird

[Placeholder 04]

Gravesen really didn't know what to think of this. He stood in a simple gray workshirt, black pants, and combat boots. The bone machete that he held so dear hung loosely from his hip, and the simple slugthrower was attached to a holster on his hip.

His arms were folded over his chest as he stared out at the mass of green. The freighter he and @Zeer shared was docked in a small forest clearing directly behind him. They had come in search of a bounty, and that bounty had been captured. An ugly Nikto named Krath who had a thing for young women--he wouldn't be bothering anyone else anymore.


Graves had simply been enjoying the evening air before they had to leave the planet, when something in the front of his forehead began to buzz. It felt like it was directing him toward the forest, so that was where he stood, scratching his right shoulder as a mosquito had its way. He should have worn sleeves.

Yavin IV was a Republic world, at least, as far as Gravesen knew, and their form of Bounty Hunting shouldn't have been illegal. Then again, laws were odd, and the stunt back on Bespin may have given the duo a bit of a name for themselves.

Either way, the Rattataki simply stood there, staring confused into the forest.

 

[Nar'suta Conclave]

[SIZE=10pt]Nar’suta Conclave, a Rattataki gladiator, lay crouching, hidden in a rocky outcropping that sat above a deep set cave that lay in the base of a large mountain. She was outfitted in not her gladiator battle gear, but her black hunting battle suit. She was sharpening a long curved knife with a long sword on her back. This area happened to be deeper into the forest, in a clearing. A deep river wound its way around the mountain, cutting right through the center of the clearing.[/SIZE]



[SIZE=10pt]A group of young and old Mawgax, a bipedal herbivore that lived within the forests of Yavin IV, was drinking from the water of the river. They weren’t completely quiet and made a few loud sounds here and there as they chatted with each other. Little did they know that something was prowling nearby in the trees, ready to strike.[/SIZE]



[SIZE=10pt]Anyone taking a look at this would not see any connections in it, but that was the beauty of it. Nar’suta didn’t want anyone to immediately understand what was going on when they look right at it, not until it was too late.[/SIZE]



@[member="Gravesen Conclave"] (reference to Mawgax http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mawgax )

 

[Zeer Delos]

Zeer tagged along behind Gravesen. His ears were swiveling in every which direction they detected the most insignificant sound. <"Boring... Boring... Boring..."> The ranth already hated this hunt, so far it was nothing but slogging through a wet jungle which messed with his hearing and his perfect fur.

He dragged the Nikto behind him on a length of reinforced rope... Each time they passed a boulder, tree, or canal he purposely dragged the body into it. He smirked at each and every grunt of pain the gecko-boy made especially when he dragged him through the mud.

@[member="Nar'suta Conclave"] @[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"Hey, wait, I got a new complaint~..." The Rattataki mumbled the song under his breath as he began to trudge through the forest. Zeer was a few paces behind him, and very unhappy. The Ranth had never been a fan of jungle worlds. They really made no difference to Gravesen.

"Before we take off, I wanna check this out. Something is buzzing, like a hyperdrive or something. I wanna see whatever idiot is trying to jump directly from the surface bite it."He brushed aside branches and shrubbery with his black-gloved hands, taking in the musky scent of humid air.

They came upon a clearing, filled with Mawgax having their evening drink. It wasn't really anything special. "Well, that's disappointing. Guy probably tried to take off from somewhere else." The Rattataki shrugged, fully aware of the groaning Nikto dragging behind Zeer. He didn't care; monsters like that deserved their punishments.

He strode out into the clearing, a few paces away from the Mawgax. The sun was shining bright down on the duo as he leaned over on his knees, staring at the murky water through the tall cat-tail plants.

Pretty place.

"I still feel like something is buzzing. What about you? I swear it's like a ship warming up."

 

[Zeer Delos]

Zeer felt the buzzing, it was a weird, resounding vibration within his chest and head. The Ranth actually began the snarl, the last he felt this was in the presence of great Sith Lords that occasionally visited the prison. Every inch of his body felt like it was in revolt with each driving step onward. He finally stopped and looked around the clearing with a snarl plastered to his muzzle. The Ranth took one more step and suddenly yelped as he was caught in some primitive sling trap which dragged him up into a tree by his ankle.

<"Kark it!">

@[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Nar'suta Conclave]

The Mawgax all sorta seemed to let off loud chirps, suddenly all of them stopped drinking except for a really young one. All but said Mawgax chirped and began to freak out. A deep gutteral snarl could be heard from the trees above, and the leaves rustled slightly. Suddenly the Mawgax all split. The young Mawgax that had not noticed anything suddenly picked up its head and chirped in confusion. The endeavor was most peculiar, watching the herbivores run around like crazy, as if there was some invisible creature attacking them. The jouvenile only stayed where it was, obviously confused and unsure of what was going on; until it was too late. A high pitched whistle, almost barely audiable by anything that wasn't a creature with a high sense of hearing.



All chaos broke loose as a large lizard like creature flew down from the trees and swerved towards the male Rattataki that stood in the clearing, gliding down towards him. Nar'suta watched from the outcropping, well hidden and crouched at the ready, hoping her most recently trained Glider, the attacking lizard, would be able to take down her target before she decided to show herself. The primitive sling trap she had placed was... old fashioned, but seemed to do the trick and took care of the Rattataki's companion.



@[member="Zeer Delos"]
@[member="Gravesen Conclave"] (reference for the Glider http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Glider_(lizard) )

 

[Placeholder 04]

"I've been drawn into your magnet~..."

The Mawgax scattering couldn't be a good sign. Animals like that ran when predators were near, and the Rattataki was now aware that he couldn't see Zeer. He reached for his sidearm, an old slugthrower, and flicked off the safety. He barely caught sight of the lizard as it came near.

No, no, not fair.

Gravesen didn't know what to do. Everything began to grow more defined, colors sharpers, sounds more vivid. Adrenaline was beginning to flood his body and fight down the intense terror he had felt upon seeing the creature. He brought the pistol up to bare, and fired off the entire magazine in a loud display. They had likely hit the lizard, as nine rounds were hard to dodge when you were out in the open.

 

[Nar'suta Conclave]

The Glidar cried out in pain as the blaster hit home, piercing through the membranes that it used to glide through the air. It faltered before changing course, flying jsut barely a foot over the Rattataki's head before swooping down and grasping the Mawgax, lifting the terrified creature into the air and then into the cave. Out of anger the lizard hissed and killed the herbivore with one swift bite to the neck. It let out a dying screech as the lizard furiously tore into it, annoyed it had been hurt. Blood had spattered onto the grass when it flew over it, and was now slowly pooling around it.



Nar'suta narrowed her eyes and moved to the edge of the outcropping, staring down at the other Rattataki. She would be very upset with herself if her trap didn't work, let alone if her Glider died; she'd begun to enjoy the lizards company. She hoped the the Glider would survive; it was quite the hunting and battle companion, and bringing it back home would impress many, but at this moment she had more pressing matters to worry about; the other person there. She just crouched there and hoped that he'd possibly follow the Glider into the cave, so she could trap him as well.



@[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

What in Corellia's Nine Hells?

If the Glider was trying to intimidate him, it had worked. The Rattataki frown down at his sidearm as it gave a loud click. The weapon was dry, and he hadn't thought to bring a spare magazine. The threats were supposed to be out of the way, they were supposed to make off with the credits they were due

The Glider had put a hole in those plans, and it would likely hunt him down if he tried to run. Zeer was nowhere to be found, and Gravesen could only expect the worse. He wrapped his hands around the bone hilt of his machete, drawing the medieval weapon with the sound of metal sliding against leather. He pointed the blade two handed, trembling, at the Glider.

"Y'know what?! Whatever, eat me you stupid fething lizard! I hope I give you indegestion!" The Rattataki yelled at the top of his lungs.

Then, oddly enough, the Lizard flew off toward...well, Gravesen didn't know where. He stood up straight, machete held loosely in one hand, confused.

Did I scare it off? Maybe it was the blood loss.

 

[Nar'suta Conclave]

Nar'suta frowned, 'Come on..' she thought, watching the Rattataki. The Glider hissed at him and slowly moved towards the entrance of the cave, leaving the dead, slightly mangled Mawgax on the floor of the cave. It bares its fangs at him, almost daring him to come at it. Nar'suta wiggled her nose, clinging hard to her knife, more than ready to get this done and over with. 'Just get in the karkin' cave..!' The female growled in her mind, eager to move from her hiding spot.



@[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

There was no point in Gravesen chasing after the thing. It had likely wounded, or at the worst, dispatched Zeer, and that made it certainly dangerous enough to do away with the young man. At the same time, he had wounded the thing, and it was quite possible that it had killed Zeer. Zeer, the psychopath whom had saved his life many times, and been a better friend to Graves than any normal being.

He couldn't let that go to pass without some form of retribution.

"Alright, me and you then." He growled under his breath; fear replaced by determination coupled with animal hatred. He gripped the machete two handed, held it in front of him partly to the side, and charged. He broke ground into the cave, leather boots thudding against the moist rock as he neared the Glider.

The Mawgax wasn't worth an afterthought. He raised the bone machete, deathly quiet, and swung downwards to cleave through the Glider's skull.

I'll mount you on my wall.

@[member="Nar'suta Conclave"] @[member="Zeer Delos"]

 

[Nar'suta Conclave]

The Gilder just lay there, hissing at him, moving to jump back out of the way, its tail lashing. This poor thing didn't want to die, and Nar'suta felt exactly the same. It'd come to be a good companion through the few hours she'd tamed it, and it definitely might help her along in other situations as well. It skittered backward to stand behind the Mawgax corpse.



Nar'suta would be behind him at this time, standing at the mouth of the cave. She would be two inches taller than him, casting a shadow over him. She was holding her spear, and decided then slam the bottom of the spear on the floor of the cave, causing a loud ring throughout the cavern. The Gliders eyes went wide and it began to freak out about the sound until it happened to notice the female past the male Rattataki. It let off a hissing chirp as if chiding the female.



Nar'suta just stood there, the hand not holding her spear was stuck onto her hip, and she had a mischevious grin set across her lips as she stared at the Rattataki as she waited for him to turn around.



@[member="Gravesen Conclave"]
@[member="Zeer Delos"]