{Creature Hunt} The Stone Lion

[Namari Lovelle]

((for picture of beast, click on here... link))

In the mountains, a loud snore could be heard. Some might have thought it was the dragon of the Queen snoring, or a golem, or a troll. But it was something much more peculiar, much more interesting.

The creature hunt taking place in Avaleur had a general idea about each creature. If they were dangerous, fast, poisonous. But one of them, they knew little to nothing about. It was stealthy, avoiding most hunters after it. It had never attacked anyone, not yet. But they needed to know what it was.

The lions snores got softer, as it slowly began to wake up. It made a big yawn, before looking below it. A rabbit was staring up at it. The two seemed to have a staring contest, before the lion huffed at it. In no time at all the small rabbit quickly hopped away with fear, the lion watching as it went. An ear twitched, before it yawned once more, shifted positions and went back to sleep.

Its face seemed to be made of stone, but from what they did know, it didn't seem to actually be made of stone. Rather, it was hard, and smooth. But a beast like this still needed to be investigated.

Unaware of the hunt going on, the Stone Lion continued to sleep, waking up to the occasional noise, but otherwise seemed peaceful, unmoving. Like stone.

[Deleted]

Gabriel left the pride today in care of some of his trusted others. Today he was charged with a task from his master and friend, Roland. When the two had first saw each other once again... there was a few tears, although happy and joyous leaks they were both embarrassed by them. The day seemed to turn brighter at that moment and continue to shine still. Roland had met and gawked at all Gabriel had established, a pride of his own. It seemed that they had parted ways, different paths. Gabriel was no longer a pet, although he was never treated as simply that, but know it was official. The two of them were separate and although it hurt them both to know that they could never return to the relationship they once had, it was nice to know that with the new relationship, they had not lost each other as friends and partners.

The lion strode up the mountain trail, awaiting, listening and ready to come across others on this hunt. He knew Roland would not attend, his abilities were needed focused on another, more pressing and dangerous creature.

[Seth]

"Gabriel could we maybe slow down?" Seth says strolling behind the proud lion. Anyone who had said that you could never have too much gear certainly had never met Seth. The teen carried a very large back that was nearly twice his size, filled with all sorts of supplies that may or may not be useful on this hunt. He looks back at the map of the area he had been carrying. Any areas where the creature had been spotted were marked with a red x.

He stops for a moment and then scratches his head.
"These sightings have no pattern to them whatsoever. This thing is unpredictable-" He runs right into a tree. "Augh," He backs up and trips over a stone. "Oof!" He yelps as he hits the grass off the path that they were on.
"If this forest doesn't kill me first..." He says having trouble getting back up to his feet. His legs and arms flail as his bag keeps him down. He rolls from side to side just to get back up. He finally manages to get to his arms and legs on all fours but is quickly hoisted up into the air upside down by one of the hunters traps.
"Ah! Gabriel made me do it i swear!" He exclaims thinking that the beast had him.
His bag falls off to the ground and a ginormous thud could be heard. A potion vile cracked and leaked through his bag, white mist began to form a trail. A Clarevoyence potion, showing the trail the lion had taken.
Seth morphed into a hawk, using his razor sharp talons to cut the rope and he slowly glided down and morphed back.
"Aw man.." Seth says looking at the wet spot on his bag, more worried about that than the trail the mist was making.

[Deleted]

Gabriel turned back and huffed in amusement at the sight if the creature didn't know they were hunting it, if it was anywhere close it sure did now.
The lion walked over to the pack in the ground, sniffing it and recognizing the potion. A great tracker, they must have gotten lucky, for it to break and catch the trail as simply as that, hopefully it was indeed the creature's trail... Otherwise this wild goose chase would be quite annoying.

"Ever consider bringing less?" Gabriel question Seth as he knelt down to offer to carry the pack. There were only two people that were allowed to set anything on the lion or ride him, and much to Raymond's dismay, it was not h that was the other. Only Roland and Seth had earned the right. All others risked losing their hand. Or worse.

Gabriel watched the light spread, drifting off the path and in toward the forest where the edge of a pond could be seen. At least if they were thirsty the two of them could stop for a drink, he did wonder how difficult this path would become.
"Looks like your clumsiness has led to a possible benifactory."

[Seth]

Seth turned to see that Gabriel was gesturing to carry the pack for him. Though it would be nice to get rid of this extra 50 pounds for the next three miles, Seth decided against it and instead morphed into a lion himself, after putting the bag on again.


He wasn't nearly as good of a tracker as Gabriel was, but this would help him carry the heavy bag.
"Alright, let's do this." He says eagerly waiting for Gabriel to start tracking the creature down.

[Deleted]

Gabriel nodded, understandingly, it would be quite a strike to Seth's pride if he did have to carry the bag for him he supposed.

The two finally began to get somewhere, going from the trail to the mountainous woodlands. Gabriel kept an eye out for both signs of the creature and signs of any other harmful or threatening creatures accustomed to the area.

[Namari Lovelle]

The stone lion slowly began to open its eyes once more. Standing up, it stretched its legs, giving out a large yawn. It seemed to sigh, shaking its body to get rid of any dirt it collected while laying down.

It's ears flicked- quickly it turned its head to the opening of the cave. It was curious- no fear was shown, no aggression. Only the curiosity that came with wishing to know what was outside.

The sunlight hit its face when it peeked its head out of the cave. Smelling the air, he caught scent of many things- the flowers, the trees. Some squirrels. Once again, its ears perked up once more, and it seemed to smile- he caught scent of another lion. And something else- it smelled of another lion, but with a hint of human as well. Perhaps pets of humans?

The lion was now even more curious. It did not interact with others. Usually other creatures stayed away from it- the only ones that had actually come up to it were humans. And he had little to no interest in them.

Approaching a nearby tree, the lion somewhat struggled, but managed to get up the tree, no doubt its scent would be found- but not many might look up a tree for a lion. The perfect place to watch the ones it smelled- if they came by.

[Steele]

"Nd' ah'm sayin', no means no. Ah' din't give ah' dam if thee' man's rite' next ti' me, ah' win't nothin' ti' do wit' em' dead or alive, even if he is me'...fatha'." Steele growls, on all fours, to his friend Ranulf.
"But if he is alive...what's to say he won't find you..." Ranulf suggests.
"Bah! If he finds me, he'll be sorry." Steele says flexing his claws. He stops and subsequently so does Ranulf.
"All I'm saying friend is that maybe we should prepare some-"
"Lion." Steele states.
"Yes, some lion. We should-wait what?" Ranulf asks dumbfounded.
"Lion!" Steele growls and dashes on all fours.


"Here we go again." Ranulf says to himself. They'd been after this thing for two days.

Seth trotted after Gabriel.
"Do you think this thing is violent? It doesn't seem like it's leaving forest life in shambles...I mean, look around. Everything is peaceful-" Just then a giant werewolf dives out and tackles Seth right off the road. Pinning him to the ground.
"Ah!" Seth yells in terror but it comes off as a roar since he's in his lion state.
"Now ah' hev' ye!" Steele raises his claws, "Yer' head will make ah' fine trophy!" He snarls.
"Nonono!" Seth shakes his head,"Gabriel made me do it! I swear! Gabriel!" Seth calls for help.
Steele raised his eyebrow confused, did this lion just talk and call for Gabriel? Roland's lion? This MUST have been the lion they were after. He raised his claws again.

[Deleted]

It was true, the forest looked peaceful and if their task was to kill the beast Gabriel would have objected, but instead, thy were simply supposed to find it and figure out for sure if it was a threat or not. This reason is why Gabriel had been assigned to this hunt, he being a lion may be able to speak with it and learn exactly what it was and how it had come here.

The lion turned, ready to answer but Seth was tackled and Gabriel quickly pounced into action.
A pot, a canteen, two viles of something or other, a book, three pairs of shorts and a pair of glasses fall out and are thrown from the bag as Seth is tackled.
Gabriel lands in front of the two of them and roared for a moment, mostly to get their attention.

"Steele! No! Seth it is... But my, what wonderful reflects." He chuckled after demanding him to stop.
The trail was still lit up by te magic but if they didn't hurry, it would soon fade.

[Steele]

"Hm?" Steele raises his furry eyebrows confused. He looked at Gabriel, who he hadn't seen in many many months, and then back at Seth who was legitimately terrified.
"Bah!" Steele gets off Seth frustrated and on all fours, as to not provoke any intimidation among the others. "Of all thee' rotten luck.." He starts but then his yellow eyes are set on Gabriel.
He chuckles, "Ah' can't believe tis' really ye'. Why yev' grown so much since we saved ye as a cub." He remembers when he first met Gabriel. How he told Roland how ridiculous it was to keep an orphaned lion for a pet. When he fought off the Sidulus.
"Now look at ye'." Steele was amazed, Gabriel was going to be legendary.

"Is everything alright?" Ranulf asks finally arriving and then he notices the mess sprawled all over the ground.
Seth shifts back to normal, "I don't know my blood sugar is kind of low." He says brushing himself off.
"Everythin's fine." Steele says. "Where could tis' bastard be?" He gets on two's and sniffs the air again. This thing somehow hid its scent very well, and even disguised it sometimes. One time he ran right into Ranulf when he thought he had tracked it down.
"Brother." Seth starts.
"Again? Why de' ye' keep callin' me that? Ah din't hev' ah' brotha'." Steele growls.
"Nothing.." Seth says startled. He was afraid of Steele in this form.
"Is that it's trail?" Ranulf asks.
"Where?" Steele quickly turns and looks at the clairvoyence trail.
"Ha! It's mine!" Steele drops to all fours and begins following the trail. He wanted to be the very first one to the lion so he could kill it and claim it as a hunting trophy.
"Wait!" Ranulf calls but Steele is already off. He sighs and follows Steele on all fours as well.

"What about my stuff!?" Seth calls to the two werewolves who were already getting out of view.
The clarvoyence trail begins to fade.

[Deleted]

Gabriel stood there, shaking his head low for a moment as the two werewolves darted away and quickly followed the trail.

Those times seemed so far off now, when times were good and things easy. The hardest part was getting the knights together and exploring wilderness. How the times had changed indeed.

Gabriel walked over to Seth and looked back toward the fading trail and the disappearing weres.
"Seth, if you must have your stuff, hurry. I fear Steele truly wishes to slay this creature before even gaining knowledge of it."

[Steele]

"And he didn't invite me..." Seth shakes his head as if he's thoroughly disappointed. "Well if this thing is bad wouldn't he be doing us a favor?" Seth gathers all of his things that had been sprawled across the ground. He pondered on how exactly he was going to tell Steele that he was his brother. He morphed back into a lion and began to trot along the the clairvoyence trail, being sure not to miss anything.
"Slow and steady wins the race right?" He asked not worried about the fading trail.
"Hey, what ever happened to Balius that night?" Seth asked. "You know he's a king in the future?" He says. "I guess people do mellow out with age. Do lions?"

[Deleted]

"Yes, but this place breathes that of peace. The flora and fauna both radiate goodness. If creature is hostile, it hides it well." Gabriel spoke as he trotted up to and beside Seth, keeping slightly ahead of him, his natural instinct to show his domanence, he after all a King of his own Pride.

"As most things do in time, Seth. With years. Wisdom. With wisdom, you mellow out."

The two lions made there way and eventually came to a large pond where the trail dipped into and slowly, out from it, several trails of light emitted and spread through the wilderness. Steele and Ranulf were at the Warner's edge as Gabriel and Seth appeared out of the brush, finally catching up to them.

[Seth]

"Shite!" Steele exclaims frustrated. "Ah'v got no scent, no tracks, no trail, nothin'!" He growls. He turns around as Gabriel and Seth approach, he was too proud to simply ask for help on the hunt, so he pretended to act like he knew what to do next. He would follow Seth, if anyone could track down a creature like this it was him, though he hated to admit it.
"Hm.." Ranulf ponders on the different trails. For all he knew none of them could be it's trail.
"Oh jeez." Seth says as he sees all the trails. "It's like this thing has an addiction for staying hidden." He shifts back to normal. "It must really be a problem if you can't sniff it out." Seth says to Steele.
"I can!" Steele snarls, causing Seth to jump back startled. "It's just...got me pegged fir' now..." He looks left and right completely lost on what to do.
"Well.." Ranulf starts, "This creature used this pond as an escape route. I doubt they'll be others like it in this forest. One of us should stay so that when it comes back, they'll be able to stop it."
"And how do you know this?" Seth asks.
"Ermm-uh, long story." Ranulf says shrugging off the question. Truthfully it was how he killed back when he was with Balius. He didn't like the thought of survivors...
"It win't make it back ti' ye' hinny." Steele says confidently, "Ah'll tear it ti' shreds befor' it can make it half-way."
"Uh..Steele, we're not supposed to KILL the creature." Seth says timidly.
"Hm?" Steele questions.
"Roland says we're supp-"
"Roland? Bah! Thee' blokes been gone fir' too long if he thinks wild creatures can simply be caught nd' looked at."
"Well it's not like it's hurting anyone..." Seth added.
"Nd' how de' ye' kno' that?"
"Well...look around. Do you, a predator, ever use ponds to cover your tracks just randomly, if at all?" Seth asked.
Steele looked at the pond and scratched his furry head, "Erm..No?"
"So why would a creature like this be using escape strategies and hiding maneuvers? It doesn't add up. Is it hiding from someone? Something? Go that way." Seth randomly says. There was just one lone feline pawprint under one of the clarvoyence paths. He wouldn't have seen it if Steele wasn't standing right beside it. Also a normal hunter wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a lion's paw print and Steele's.
"I'll stay put.." Ranulf says. "I doubt I'd be much help when it comes to looking around." he says referring to his one eye. "If you find the creature lead it back here."

[Deleted]

Gabriel sighed, the pond only meant one thing to him, this creature could swim... Well. That was somethin he ha never grown fond of not was he adept at it in the slightest. If it liked water a lot, this hunt was as good as over for him. He would be useless.
Back when he got in the river with Ryn, he was only fine with it because it was so shallow he could easily touch, but out here, who knew what lied beneath or how deep the waters were.

The law print was a good find, but what really perked his interest was the strange other marking a ways behind it... It didn't look like a lion's nor a werewolf's but he couldn't figure out what it was. Probably just a mark caused by the lion's paw slipping in the mud.

Gabriel followed behind Seth and Steele. With Ranulf staying pack to catch it if it tried to use its escape route, they had a much better chance of capturing the beast. But if the pond was just a watering hole for play or food... The possibilities of more like it or it not even being a place it would go were endless.

"What if pond just for play?" Gabriel asked as they walked.

[Seth]

"Then it'll definitely come back." Seth says. "I know i would, do you ever leave a fun spot, never ever to return? I hope it is it's play spot, it would make it easier to catch."
"Or hunt." Steele adds, walking on all fours.
"Yes yes or hunt.." Seth rolls his eyes while still following the trail.
"So steele..."
"Aye'?" Steele responds.
"How are things with your pack? The kids and all?" Seth says trying to make small talk. Trying to ease his way into mentioning that they were related.
"Thee' bastards can't keep their grubby paws off me' meals. Ah' get that it's mah' duty ti' take care of em', but ah' didn't turn any of em'. They ain't me' responsibility. Nd' Ranulf, bah, hinny' win't stop yellin' in his sleep. Ah tink-way wait hold yer' tongue! Ah'm not tellin' ye' anythin' else aboot' me' life." Steele was so used to the fake Seth beign his therapist that he was completely open with him like he'd be with Namari.
"Oh..oh..so you know we're bothers right?" Seth tries pathetically to tell him.
"Aye', nd' Namari's thee' queen of tetra." Steele rolls his yellow eyes.
"Well how does it feel? Being a free man and all? You were in prison a very long time?" Seth tries again.
"Lad' ah went into prison, nd' ah' can't rememba' ah' dam' thing aboot' it. It's just...blank. All ah' kno' is ah' met Gwilym there, nd' a magic man."
"Magic man?" Seth asks.
"Aye'." Steele nods, "Wait! How thee' hell de' ye' keep gettin' me ti' do that!?" He growls.
"Do what?" Seth is wide-eyed.
"Ye' kno what." He snarls.
Seth is silent for a moment. Even when he was trying his absolute hardest not to piss Steele off, he did it anyway.
"So uh...what was it like with no females in your pack? Did you guys..."
"Lad, yer' aboot' two seconds away from gettin' a claw ti' yer flappa'." Steele growled.
"Well hey I'm not judging I mean it's a free country and you guys do tackle a lot. So I was just wondering did you..ever tackle.... each other?"
"No!" Steele snarled, "Get yer' mind, oot' of thee' gutta!"
"You don't have to be embarrassed, It's found in all species of animal you know. i mean i know how mounting is a symbol of dominance and-" Seth adds.
"Ew!" Steele exclaims.
"So with no women how did you guys.."
"Village Raids, ye' dumb bastard!" Steele growled.
"So you...were rapists?" Seth nods.
"Yes, ah' mean, no!" Steele got confused.
"There couldn't be THAT many women interested in mating a werewolf. What was it, like, 1 woman for every ten wolves? Surely sexually frustrated male werewolves forcibly-" Steele tackles Seth to the ground again, pinning him there and looking glaring at him. This quickly shuts Seth up.
"I only did that one time. ONE, and it was when went feral." He says, then realizes Seth tricked him into speaking out once again.
"Son of ah'.." He growls. He stops and sniffs the air, once again picking up a scent, hopefully the lion's.
"Finally.." He growls eagerly.
"So did you and Ranulf ever-" Steele steps on Seth's stomach, his great weight shutting him up once again.
"De' ye' hear that?" Steele asks Gabriel.

[Deleted]

He disagreed with them, if it was a pond for play, they would not catch the creature, their scent was all over it and if they chased it there was no way it would return there. There hope would have to be that it was an escape route.

Gabriel could not hold back his chuckle enough during all of the bickering between the two men, chuckling because that was all the registered for Gabriel on a vocal level. He could speak but some things were impossible, laughing was one. The closest he could get to a fit of laughter was a low chuckle.

Seth, although completely out of line, spoke questions they all had been thinking. Balius for some reason had never allowed females and Gabriel wondered if that would begin to change.

His ears perked up as he too hears the soft sound not too far off.
"I did..." it was small, definitely not a lion or anything similar but it could have been a cub perhaps.

[Namari Lovelle]

The stone lion's ears flicked as it breathed in the air. More beings- werewolves? It seemed like it. The lion felt the urge to leave more and more, but then he had to wonder- why would there be another lion hunting him down as well? If it was anything, it was curious.

The lion thought for a moment, pondering what he should do- when he too heard the feint sound in the distance. It's ears flicked, head turned in the direction. Whatever it was, it was close to the lions and werewolves.

This only made the stone lion more interested in finding these beings.

With a shake of its tail, it leaped out of the tree, and into a bush. Then another, and another. Attempting not to make noise, hoping that the smell of the bush would disguise its scent, it made its way towards the beings.

[Deleted]

Gabriel began to crouch down as the brushing began to stir, he was just about to pounce when he recognized the scent. Not a moment after he began to rise out of his crouched position, Eli, his young son, pounced out and roared at the lot of them. His white fur, still new to the earth, was fluffed out and dirty from all the playing in the forest he had been doing.



Gabriel gave a soft growl, showing his disapproval.
"Eli, my son, I told you to stay back." But the young cub simply trotted over, making noises and chatter only Gabriel and possibly Seth would understand. Eli was much too young to learn to speak, but he would learn, as much of the pride would due to the fact that Gabriel could, and did, often.

Gabriel looked half angry and half at ease as his cub trotted around him, occasionally nipping at him. "I told you to stay. Dangerous this could be."

'But papa, you said you were hunting a lion. Lion are friends,' he happily rubbed his head against his father. Gabriel pushed him away with his paw and held him to the ground and for the first time, Eli finally understood, or at least now he acted like this was a big deal. He did not squirm as that would make things worse, but the look on his face said it all.

"I do not want you getting hurt Eli! You should have done as told my son." Gabriel scolded his son. But as he looked down at him, he could not hold his anger for much longer, he released him, and rubbed his head against him. "Why must you worry me so." And if he could have chuckled in speech, he would have, but to the two of the lions, he was.

'sorry papa.' Eli told his father.

Gabriel looked to the others, "This is one of my youngest sons, Eli." he explained.

[Seth]

"Bah!" Steele exclaimed in disapproval. He honestly thought he had finally found the lion again, the one they were after, not this white ball of fuzz. "Ye' need ti' listen ti' yer' fatha' hinny', ah' almost took yer head off." He says not realizing that the cub probably had no idea what he was saying. Steele wasn't exactly the smartest guy around, growing up without an education other than how to hunt, work as a team, and general predatory and survival skills to live off the forest, so he couldn't see from anyone else's point of view.

Seth just laughed, even in lion form since he learned how to talk in all his forms and could change his own vocal cords, his laugh was different from Gabriels. He could see the proud look on Eli's face as he wanted to be just like his dear dad, going so far as to disobey him just to be with him.
"Enjoy that while it lasts." Seth teases Gabriel. Maybe or mayybe Gabriel didn't know how territorial and rebellious teenagers become. Gabriel wasn't a traditional lion, true, but what would win in raising his children? Nurture or Nature? Could Gabriel's teachings from Roland really erase natural instinct? The more Seth thought and looked at Eli the more confident he became, Gabriel was the definition of breaking out of the instincts that enslaved him. Had he been left there in the valley like Steele had told him, the young cub would have starved to death or be a princesses pet like the Sidulus had planned. He looked much happier here, as did his pride. But how long would that last before Gabriel got old and some evil lion with a scar on its eye would try to kill him to become king? Seth couldn't help but feel he's heard of that story somewhere in a dream before.

"So that's what the trail led us to..." Seth says as the clairevoyence trail faded, it's tail end pointing to young and happy Eli.
"Ye'v got ti' be shittin' me'." Steele growled.
"Language." Seth says pointing to Eli.
"Fuck ye'." Steele replied angrily. His ego being a bit bruised. For the first time an animal had outsmarted him. He could not track it, he could not catch it. He prided himself on his hunting skills which were the best, but this thing was just ridiculous.
He growled to himself in frustration, which made Seth's heart skip a beat and he slowly back away from him. Steele still tried to sniff the air but nothing came up.

"Well...back to the play spot? Maybe Ranulf had better luck than we did." Seth suggests. He didn't want to touch Eli. Even though Gwilym was smart and tamed, he'd rather still not touch a lion's cub.
"Wait a minute." Seth says, "Eli, did you see anything when you were following your father? Any tracks? Any scents?" Seth knew this was a long shot, it'd be the equivalent of asking a 6 year old did you see the criminal and can you describe him to me.