Pondering Things

[Hector Olith]

"Well, I ain't a member of the Hunting Circle but I figure I may as well help. After all, I'm far less susceptible to damage than a normal human so I can take it better and not waste any lives needlessly. Plus, I'm bored." Hector said, musing at his own reasons. He yawned, then turned towards the direction of the tower. "And Harul, I'm not from around here either. Let's try not to die, okay?" he said with a twinge of sarcasm.


Harul didn't chuckle or even smile at Hector's jokes. Going on a hunt for fun? Against potentially dangerous magical creatures? This boy had to be stupid! Harul bit his tongue, though, because insulting potential future allies could get you hurt or killed. He took another bite of cheese, still fascinated by the subtle differences between the this one and his usual cheese. To have such similar names yet be so different piked his curiosity more than many things would. "Then let's sign up, if everybody has their reasons set out." Harul said. Without waiting, he started walking towards the Knight's Tower.

[Deleted]

Roland exited te Knight's Tower and walked up to the Hunt board, he grabbed a few of the flyers, looking ten over, trying to decide which one to go after.

He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Hey there Commander, going on one of those hunts eh?"

Roland smiled and shrugged, "Greetings Ross, didn't make it far from the grounds after training did you." He chuckled, "Ya, I am thinking about hopping into one of them, not sure which though.

"You know I hear they could really use some help tracking down that lion." Ross suggests.

"I've got Gabriel on that one. So how about you?"

"Nah I'm here, manning the stand. Answering questions, handing out flyers. The real eventful stuff you know." Ross laughed a bit and so did Roland.

"Well, better get your game on, looks like you've got a few coming." Roland mentions as he points toward Harul and two others he can't make out from the distance. Ross nods and goes behind the stand, waiting for them to arrive.

((Go ahead and speak as Ross if you'd like, I just threw him in, he doesn't have to be RPed by me XD))

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan chuckled slightly- if not only because this already seemed like it was an interesting day. It had started out with Jordan being tempted to the hunt, but not yet confirmed by it. And now? Two men to stand by him as they fought one of the mysterious creatures.

He had to wonder how it would have turned out if he were still a mute.

Jordan continued along with the two men, happily spotting the Hunt stand. It really was exciting for him- in reality he had always hunted your regular, basic creatures. But to try and capture something completely new to him, that he did not know much about? It made his heart race with anticipation, and excitement.

As they neared the stand, he was able to recognize one of the faces there. With a grin, he began jogging up to him.
"Hey Roland!" Jordan cheerfully greeted the knight, stopping his jog and making the last few steps towards the man a walk.
"Are you joining the hunt as well?" he asked with an eyebrow raised in hopefulness.

[Hector Olith]

Hector had a half smile the entire way to the Hunt stand, imagining just how Harul could fight. It seemed as if he carried no weapons at all, but that would mean he fought with his fists. But, if he was an older man, then that shouldn't be all that threatening. Either way, having an extra man on dangerous tasks was always a good thing whether he could do as much as the others or not. When Jordan announced that Roland was there, Hector immediately snapped to attention on the Hunt stand. There were two men there, but Hector had never seen him before and Jordan wasn't close enough to one of them yet to decipher which was Roland.

"Hello." Hector said plainly to both of the men. Harul simply bowed to them both, a rigid bow at that with both arms planted parallel with his body. The cheese was gone now, as Harul had stuffed what little was left into his mouth as they neared the tent. "Where's the signup for one of these hunts?" Hector asked, searching for some sort of sheet or something.

[Deleted]

Roland looked over each of the remaining hunts carefully. From the corners of his eyes he watched as a familiar man made his way to the hunt, he smiled as he read. Jordan. Maybe they could hunt together, he didn't know him that well in honesty and it could be a good opportunity to get to now an important member of the Circle a bit more.

He looked up from his sheets,
"I was thinking about it." He chuckled lightly, "And you? I don't suppose you were going to let your string collect dust."

Ross nodded to Hector, "Ah, yes. Sure thing. I will just let you guys have these," he reaches under and behind the counter and comes back up with three forms, "Just fill these out when you know which you want to do, the information is on those boards." He explained as he point up to rough sketches and details of each of the creatures. Triscripto and the Argilla both and scratches through them.

Roland looked over Jordan's shoulder at the other two, unfamiliar faces. "Friends of yours?" he asked, curious. Travelers often times came to Avaleur, but Jordan didn't seem like the type to normally accompany them.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan grinned- in no was was he going to let the bow on his back sit idly around when it could go to good use. At least, now that he had more motivation to do it.

"Not exactly. I just met them- though, they seemed eager to join the hunt. I mean, I'm not going to be one to turn down a few new hunting buddies when I might need them," the elemental chuckled slightly. "The one in armor is Hector, the other is Harul."

He then turned his head to look over to the sketches on the wall. Slowly he frowned, noticing Argilla had been crossed out. That frown turned into a small smile, and a sigh of relief.
"So Argilla's done, then? No threat to Riverbed anymore?" he turned back to Roland.

[Deleted]

Roland nods before speaking out to the other two, "Any friends of Jordan's is already on high regards for me. Good to meet you two, and if you are interested in the hunt I would recommend being as prepared as you can be."

He put his attention back on Jordan, he spoke more softly.
"Argilla is being tracked, Gwilym and Walter, at the moment Riverbed is still in danger. But if those two are able to outmatch the beast, you won't be in harms way for much longer. They headed out from the wastelands however, so at best, Riverbed won't be rid of it until dark."

[Hector Olith]

Hector took one of the forms, letting Roland chat with Jordan. Harul followed, and they both walked over to the board. The Stone Lion looked like a fun one, but if it was as unknown as it was described to be then Hector figured it wouldn't be a very fun idea to try and look for it. He read over the board carefully, but was surprised when Harul spoke up.

"This Pythago creature, how many are in the pack exactly? It reads here that they estimate eight but because of how stealthy they can be that isn't a sure number." he said. Hector's jaw dropped a little bit when he realized that Harul could read about twice as fast as him. He ran guesses about where this man could be from through his brain, but turned up nothing. Harul was definitely not your normal man. Hector turned his thoughts back to the hunt and turned towards Roland and the other man.

"I'm also as curious about this as Harul." he stated. He looked right at Roland and smiled a little. "I also heard about you while I was in Tetra, Roland." he nodded his head towards him in respect.

[Deleted]

Roland laughed, "Good things I hope! If you ran into any of my old classmates I'm sure you would have heard a few, um, more embarrassing stories." He was sure this man hadnt met one of his classmates, as his village was small and they probably didn't find themselves in a place where many would run into them. He had just mentioned it in order to make the conversation a bit more personal, to build a bond so to speak.

"Yes, the Pythago Pack is somewhat shrouded in mystery. Sightings estimate eight but we think there could be at least double that. There are a few things we are certain of. Their venom is highly potent, they are fast, and their species have been found to be similar to the Cobra, Python, Viper, and Boa. Other types are unknown. It is also thought that the King Cobra is their 'Alpha'." He explained to them. "Any other questions?"

[Jordan Hielo]

"I'd assume that the best bet for fighting this pack is by having a pack of your own, then?" Jordan's lips curved up a bit.
"I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to go after these guys alone."

He thought for a moment, rubbing at the stubble on his chin before continuing.
"What are the rules for these creatures then? We want to capture the creatures if we can, not kill them. So do they only want one of the Pythago? Or do they want the entire pack to come back alive? It would seem like quite the task to do if that's the case."

[Deleted]

"We do indeed wish to have as many of them alive as possible. You see one of each species would do." He sighed, looking over the sheet again, it would be an incredibly difficult task. "If we only captured one, how different would they be than the others? I suppose... We just can't know. You see, I have been asked frequently lately, why we even go to such troubles, catching them. Well we need to know a few things, an unfortunately, the details of such things are classified. But let's just say, foul play is not out of the question." Roland explained.

[Hector Olith]

Harul stayed silent during the exchanges and Hector waited for Roland to finish explaining before speaking up. "So, we can kill them if we have to but they want them alive. Man, you guys ARE weird." Hector said with a bit of a chuckle. "I assume, then, that we can break them a little bit and then heal them with magic in order to subdue them?" He asked. It seemed like a fair question.

"I don't have an issue with that." Harul said bluntly. Truth be told, he actually just wanted to exterminate the lot of them and have that be the end. But, if he was on this hunt then he'd have to go with the majority opinion. If any of them died researching this thing, then that's their fault not his.

"Oh, and I don't think I ran into anybody you knew personally. Just, a couple of the soldiers I sparred with said that if I were to run into you that I'd meet my match." Hector mentioned casually. He had a sudden urge to challenge Roland, but figured it wouldn't be appropriate given the current topics of discussion.

[Jordan Hielo]

"I'm pretty sure we can break them a little bit. I mean, how else would we capture them? I mean, have you read the lot of them? I'm pretty sure all of them would be impossible to just knock out without hurting them. In my opinion at least."

The elemental shrugged, pursing his lips.

Though he had to admit- he found Hector a rather cocky person so far. It would be interesting to see how he truly fared with both the beasts, and the people of Avaleur.

"So Roland, if you're not too busy, I think it'd be quite the idea to join us in the hunt. Especially if we're going after the pack. Hell, if we'll be hunting together in the future it would be best that we learn how each other hunts and fights!"
Jordan smiled widely, crossing his arms over his chest. Of course the two did not know each other well- but if they were going to be in the hunting circle together, they might as well start hunting together soon.

[Deleted]

Roland chuckled as well at all the other suggestions and the exclamation that they were all crazy. More than they knew, more than they knew.

"Yes I do suppose that would work, although I have other ideas truly. I think it would be best to off them all. But first I intend to find their nest and instead of bring back the live ones, we can bring back some eggs." Roland smiled, he really hoped that they indeed laid eggs, otherwise the plan would be a flop.

He scratched his arm as he listened once again to Hector. His size and metal shell had already suggested he was one of those men. Strong and ready for a battle, the look in his eyes practically begged for a good challenge. He had seen it many times in many eyes. Even in his own eyes once.
Roland looked to Jordan.
"Well, I mean I do suppose I could join you, if your group would have me. I was intending on join one of them anyhow." He smiled. "We should just pick up some antidotes to bring along, just in case." He suggested. It would, not maybe, would get rough out there. In the marsh, te Puthago Pack was the least of anyone's worries. There were swamp Hydra, Minotaurs, golems, evil tree spirits, and more.

[Hector Olith]

"The beasts lay eggs?" Harul asked out of curiosity. That seemed hard to fathom given the shape of the creatures. But, in a strange land you never know what may happen with the animals and plant life inhabiting it. "If that's so then perhaps we really shouldn't hold back on them." he said, reinforcing Roland's desire. Harul folded one hand over the other behind his back to keep his shoulders straighter and then pulled back, popping his back. He was getting old and was starting to feel it, but if he kept his body in good enough health then he should have a few years left before taking a more supportive role in battles rather than a role near the front.

Hector scratched his chin, mulling over the possibilities in his mind. "Well, eggs would be all well and good but if they don't lay eggs then how many should we bring back? Actually, are we even sure this is the only pack? If they are a pack, then I'm assuming they act kind of like wolves in that there's one alpha male or, rarely, female that leads the pack and keeps the number of males down to the newer pups so he can mate with the females and spread his lineage. This could pose a problem if they've been kicking members out of their pack like this as that would mean there's potentially one other pack or at least a few roaming Pythago that have no allegiance." he explained, dumping his thoughts out on those around him. He wasn't really one for large speeches or anything, but the lives of people were more important than his personal preference.

[Deleted]

"Yes, it is thought they they will have laid eggs. It is impossible to know at this current time but due to the fact that they seem to resemble and obtain most of the properties and abilities of snakes, it has been assumed that they must lay eggs." He explained a bit further with the group. It wasn't a for sure thing, but Roland felt as though it was a probable and very educated assumption that would most likely be proven correct.

Roland continued to think and occasionally nod his head as Hector spoke, he was right, and they had briefly thought of things such as that.
"We do believe there will be a few rouge Pythago, but we won't worry about them. It is best to accept that the Marshes will obtain a new species of creature amongst the many others that make it the most dangerous area of the Avaleurian Wilderness. You speak truly though, they may not lay eggs, and so in order to assure study is done I suggest we bring back one. We can bet on the eggs and if we loss that bet, so be it, it is simply too dangerous to try and bring in more." Just killing them would be difficult, capturing one, nearly impossible, finding the nest while avoiding other deadly creatures like the Swamp Hydra and possibly Dragons... this was no doubt, the hardest hunt.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan thought for a moment, scratching at his prickly chin, before grinning and taking one of the sheets of paper to sign up. He began writing as he spoke aloud to everyone.

"Well then, I'm not much good at tracking down the footprints of eggs, but I think it'd be worth a shot. It'd be easier than trying to capture one of the beasts ourselves. So, if everyone's decided they're in- when're we leaving? Cause now, to be honest, I'm damn well excited."

He finished the sheet and looked up, turning his head back and forth to look at the three with a huge grin on his face.

[Hector Olith]

"I don't know if I'd be so excited, boy." Harul said to Jordan. He may be icy cold, but the hot blood of youth still ran through his veins just like any other creature on this planet. "Excitement leads to bad things in the wrong circumstances." Harul cautioned before taking a sheet for himself and quickly jotting down his name and the hunt he was going on. Hector sighed, understanding Jordan and Harul's points.

"Well, I'm excited but probably not because of the hunt itself." Hector said before taking a sheet for himself and writing down the required information. "But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit afraid. These things are far more deadly than anything I've fought before, including armored bears." Hector said. Thinking back on it, he shuddered when he recalled the events of that day. It wasn't very pleasant to be quite frank.

[Deleted]

Roland laughed for a moment at the thought. Armored bears. Yes he had heard of such things, although he hardly believed them before then. He had heard that the poor men swindled into the job of putting the armor on the bears were payed nearly the same as those who were hired to fight them!

"I would not fear much, as long as we utilize each other and watch our surroundings, we should be fine." Although, if bitten by one of the more venomous creatures... They would be very far and with a difficult trek if they wished to try and make it to the infirmary. He hated to think this way, but a bad bite could easily mean death. The lot of them would definitely need to stock up on some andidotes. Those had been so strange to him. They were almost out of their most effective ones. Xavier, the former knight, had always picked them up from somewhere. Given his background, probably the black market, and ever since his dismissal, many of their better equipment like that had been slowly running out.

Roland did not bother filling out a sheet, there was no need for him to do so. He was not eligible for a prize and he needed no recognition.
"I am ready whenever you are. Getting me away from paperwork is always a positive." He joked slightly.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan smirked at Roland's remark, sliding the sheet of paper away from him and packing up to look at the tree men once more.
"I need to run back to my shop, close it up for the day if we're leaving today. Besides, I might be able to gather a few things from there that might be useful."
The elemental shrugged, the smile still dancing on his lips.

"So really, whenever you guys want to go. Just tell me where to meet up and I'll be there soon."