The Hunter Hunted

[MarsunCymber]

<<Edit>> Read the second (Vladadier's) post first, then this one for chronological order.

Not for the first time Giledan wondered how he had been talked into this. His thick clothing and wool cloak did little to shield him from the mountain's biting, freezing wind. Even his enchantment for enduring elements did little for his comfort.

He had to shout to make himself heard by his companion, a dark outline of a man resolutely marching in front of him. "You are certain it is he?" Gil inquired again.

The man leading him had given no hint that the furious storm affected him at all. Whether through his other-worldly heritage or just sheer determination, Vlad ignored the cold as he had ignored Gil's waning confidence in the hunt. Gritting his chattering teeth, Giledan returned to his thoughts of paying a large portion of the bounty on a room with a well-stocked hearth, or maybe a guest suite in Lord Hellstrom's castle.

So lost in his thoughts was he that he did not see his silent partner come to a sudden stop. Gil nearly tripped over the object of Vlad's attention, and only his years of dueling allowed him to keep his balance and dignity. At his feet lay a body splayed out on its back at an unnatural angle. The wounds on the victim were so severe as to render gender identification impossible. In spite of the wind, the smell of blood and bowels filled the air. The snow about it was still dark with blood, not yet covered by the accumulation falling from the sky. What remained of the clothing indicated that this person belonged to the barbarian tribes who lived in the region.

Vlad knelt down and touched his gloveless hand to the mass of dead flesh. He lifted it away and up towards his face, sniffing, then putting one claw-like finger into his mouth. He spoke his first words since leaving the caravan behind at the base of the mountain: "Still warm. The beast is near..." Gil imagined he might have said more, but a fierce shriek pierced the night air, dwarfing the howl of wind. It sounded bestial, but the hint of intelligent malice could be heard in it.

From out of the dark charged a figure. Giledan reacted with years of honed skill and tried to draw his sword, only to find the blade's hilt had frozen to the lip of its sheath. Muttering a curse to his fickle goddess of luck, he danced backward just in time to avoid being bull-rushed by a muscle-bound giant of a barbarian. Only to Gil's surprise the man did not attack, but rather fled further past the two companions. Gil caught only a moment of the man's face, but in it he read a veritable book of terror.

Vlad, being the more experienced mercenary, discerned that the danger lay in what the man was running from. He quickly knocked and loosed arrows with unearthly speed and precision at a figure who loomed large out of the darkness nary seconds after the barbarian. With a howl of pain the figure- a blood-soaked beast running on its hind legs- was brought down, its momentum carrying it past the companions and into a snowbank several yards behind them.

Giledan spun without his rapier in hand, which usually served as an extension of his own flesh. Bladeless, he quickly called up the arcane energies that constituted his less-honed, but no less potent arsenal. He readied a blast of force that would knock whatever arose from the mound back on the ground.

A moment past whose time was measured in seconds but felt much longer. Just as Giledan began to think that perhaps Vlad's initial volley had felled the creature, with a furious roar and explosion of white powder arose a man-sized white dragon into the air. Both companions loosed their attacks, but neither had anticipated their target taking flight, and their aim was too low.

"Cor!" Giledan cursed, "He changes so fast! Tis no wonder he has eluded capture for so long." Muttering the few syllables needed for the prestidigitation necessary for him to unfreeze his blade's hilt, Gil then turned to his hunting partner. "How shall we find him now?"

Vlad's fiery gaze went back to the trail of frozen bones they had followed up through the pass, then after the direction the changer had flown. He hissed out but one word: "Auril."

Studying his friend's gaze and recognizing the deadly intent written there, Giledan put all thoughts of a warm fire out of his head. "Lead on," he sighed as they began trudging towards the distant cliff-top building.

[Vladadier]

The Hunt Begins

Since vlad first entered the valley, he had two goals. First to find his place among the people, hoping they would accept a tiefling who's blood contained the taint of both demons and devils. Second, that would make his mark on the valley by bringing down the beasts who had eluded their would be captures for so long. Skimming the board for bounties he saw his first target, the shape changer Darwin.

Vlad and Gil had just finished thinning the Bloodmaims numbers. There is not much coin to be earned in the valley these days for killing orcs. His palm itched for much larger rewards. He had noticed Gils quick improvement in his skills, causing him to consider him for an adventure. Vlad turned to Gil, "Gil... How does the weight of 25 kilostags on both our backs sound?"

Gil's eyes grew wide with excitement, as he began to rub his hands together. His mouth watered as he imagined the foods, spirits and women he could buy with such coin. 'Cor! Whats the job, and why didn't we start it sooner!?"

Vlad removed his helmet, running his claw-like fingers through his hair. He grinned at Gil, his teeth jagged and overcrowded. "Patience, my friend... Patience... We will have him in time"

They both traveled to the Second Wind in hopes of gathering some information on their prey. Vlad noticed something much better than random bits of rumor. His eyes traveled to Thresh, his sister of Blackwood, and a mage to boot.

Vlad casually walked up to his elven friend, placing his hand upon her shoulder. "Thresh, could you locate someone for me?" She turned to him, tugging on her bangs. "Perhaps... it depends on who?" Vlads fiery gaze met hers. "Darwin". Thresh quickly nods. "Yes come inside the Inn"

The three walked inside the inn. Thresh pulled out some components, laying them out onto the table. Her hands swirled about above them as she began to chant some words of magic. Her eyes paled, as she spoke. "I see snow... ... Mountains on all sides... I see.... I see a large plateau..." Her head dropped. As she looked up to Vlad and Gil, her eyes returned to their normal state. "He is in the Spine. Allow me to ward you." She cast numerous spells upon the two men, before wishing them luck and words of caution.

They left the inn, and began to track to the Spine.

[kitteninablender]

As Darwin was known to do, he had been travelling up the Spine of the World while in the form of a wyrmling White Dragon to the refuge of the Aurilite Temple, where he had claimed Sanctuary. With Malar being an ally of Auril, they were not one to turn away potential allies. And Darwin...Darwin was desperate for friends right now. He had done so much, made so many people angry. Committed acts that were wholly unspeakable and vile.

Which, of course, to the Aurilites just made him another petitioner. Their knack for sadism and their enjoyment of the suffering of civilization made the Metamorph feel right at home. As he was heading up the Spine, however, he turned his head just in time to feel the wind of an arrow, and a declaration:

"He changes so fast! No wonder he has eluded capture so long!!" yelled the Blackwood Mercenery before his ally began letting loose another volley of arrows. The spacing on them was tight, very tight, barely a coin's width apart as they flew through the air, aiming for the shapeshifter's throat, and another for his heart. As the arrows were in flight, however, Darwin's reflexes, his instincts, his desperation to survive took hold as the "dragon" took to the wing, flying off with every ounce of speed that he was capable to muster.

Panicked, scared, fearing for his life the Druid flew off like a bat out of the nine hells in the direction of the Aurilite Temple, seeking to claim his sanctuary. Panting, he flew with all his speed to the top of the temple, which kept a small opening so as to pay homage to the wintery sky. He flew in through the hole, crash-landing onto the floor and returning to his true shape, gasping for breath. He was safe. For now. For the moment. But he knew that his pursuers would be coming for him soon.

Assuming a new face, Darwin sat before the Shrine of Auril in prayer. He hoped that she would spare him, provide him with some measure of salvation. His fear was obvious, but there was a lingering sense of excitement. It had been so long since he had been prey, he had forgotten the rush that one feels when they fight for their very life.

As the two entered the temple, Vlad and Giledan, they skulked their way up to the altar. It was then that Vlad pointed his bow at Darwin, a wry smirk crossing his face.

"I have a blessing of True Sight, Darwin." said the Tiefling. "Your Deceptions fall upon all-seeing eyes. Prepare to meet Akadi's wrath."

It was then that Darwin turned around and faced his hunter, who held his bow pointed at his quarry with murderous intent and the look of greed upon his eyes. It was not a man that this hunter gazed upon, but fifty thousand stags, a mountain of gold, as if the man were a religious idol within a forgotten temple ripe for pillaging.

But as the Druid looked upon them, he lowered his eyes, knowing he was about to die. But he then realized something: He had seen Giledan before. He knew the man was a righteous sort, a man with principles, and Morals, and honor. In other words: Easy to manipulate, if one knew exactly how. Darwin smirked as he eyed them, his eyes flashing red for just a moment.

((Continued Below ))

[kitteninablender]

"Aye, you could try and kill me now. And very likely, you would succeed. Two against one, both of you trained and seasoned warriors. But you must understand a very basic principle: Do you know what happens to a Rat when he is backed into a corner?" he said, gazing between the two of them. "They get Desperate. They fight until the last breath. See, it is no doubt you may kill me...but I would fight back. I would fight with every last breath, and I would let loose the full fury of a Dragon..." Darwin said as his eyes flashed red, his teeth seeming to shapechange into sharp fangs.

"...and THEY would pay the price for your insolence." The druid pointed to the people inside of the temple.

"A little known fact about Aurilites, very rarely are the petitioners inside of the temple of Auril actually Aurilites. Indeed, many of them are merely seeking refuge from the storm. The Temple provides them safe haven from the wintry blizzard outside in exchange for coins, donations, and prayer. So while you may not be opposed to killing Aurilites....I am almost certain that you are opposed to killing innocent people, are you not? And if you fight me here, in this place, not only shall you invoke the wrath of Auril herself...you risk the very lives of those within. Because I will retaliate. And unlike you....I've no qualms about slaughtering sheep when it suits or amuses me. Now do I?"

The confident Darwin stared down his would-be killers. Vlad's conviction did not fail...but Giledan began to tremble. He knew that Darwin was right, that if they fought him not only would Darwin himself retaliate, but that the temple would likely not allow them to take a follower of Malar, ally to Auril, without a fight. Giledan knew that innocents would suffer.

"COWARD!" Giledan screamed "You have no qualms with killing freely as you whim, but when you come to judgment you hide beneath a Goddess' Skirt and behind innocent people! MONSTER!" the man visibly trembled, clenching his rapier in his grasp.

Vlad, however, merely kept his bow pointed "What do I care? Innocent people are killed by Akadi's winds every day. This day is no different. Prepare to die, fiend!"

But as he raised his bow, Giledan raised his sword before him. "No, Vlad...he's right. As much as I damn well hate to admit it...the monster is right. We can't take him. Not here. But we WILL take him...just not yet. Be patient, Vlad. Soon, he will be ours. But it won't be today, and it won't be here.." Giledan then faced Darwin with a look of pure rage before spitting upon the ground "Enjoy your icy Prison, Darwin. For the moment you leave...you are ours."

Reluctantly, the two adventurers turned from the Temple of Auril, and headed back into the snow. Their quarry had escaped them..for now. But they would not relent. They would not falter. They would not rest until Darwin Dakros lay dead, and the mountain of gold coins promised for his cold corpse were firmly in their grasp. Soon....very soon.

The Hunter had become the Hunted. And he was afraid. Desperate. Clinging to what few allies he could muster, seeking sanctuary wherever he could. But just as Darwin had said, there is danger backing a rat into a corner....

...especially when that rat can become a Dragon.