Sirya vs. Myka - Tracking the Trail

[CaptainL]

Things were quiet in this part of the forest, quiet and still. There was barely even any noise from the birds flying through the canopies above. And that silence was just as Sirya liked it. Having spent all her life in the woods hunting and trapping, she had grown to know well the ways of the forest, well enough for her to exploit them to her own causes. She knew how to track her prey and sneak up on wild beasts when they least expected it, felling them by going for their weak points in order to bring down quarries - and foes - far larger and stronger than herself. Such was what had allowed her to live this long in the wilds, especially having split off from her band.

Which, as things would turn out, was exactly what was on Sirya's mind right now. She was hungry, and her stores were starting to run low; she was going to need to bring down something big soon in order to have enough to last her for the coming while. And she figured that in such a situation, it was better for her to start sooner rather than later. So she had set out into the woods once again, her eyes peeled for something she could survive off of.

Keeping low to the ground and moving quietly in the hopes of not attracting too much attention, Sirya brushed a hand over the ground beneath her, sweeping aside some fallen leaves to try and assess the ground for tracks in case something might have passed by recently. She didn't find anything right away, but, still low to the ground, Sirya continued onward, on the lookout. And that's when she saw them. Tracks. Right under her nose, something had been by - and, from the looks of it, something quite large. She bent down to get a closer look, trying to get a sense of what she might expect; after all, she was accustomed to what different beasts there were in these woods, and how each one could be brought down. It would help to be prepared.

But these tracks? These tracks were different, of a sort Sirya had never seen before. Like a hoof, but with only a single toe, and shovel-shaped. It wasn't like any deer she had ever tracked before, nor was it a tabuk or even a kailiauk. All the creatures Sirya was used to tracking, as it turned out, had two toes. Was this something she had never seen before? Whatever it was, Sirya was willing to find out; it was big, if nothing else. Clutching her spear tighter, she started to follow the tracks, turning down a trail she would soon pick up on upon finding more tracks. She bent over at the waist, keeping herself with as low a profile as she could, and treading softly and carefully. She didn't know what she might find at the end of the trail, but she would be prepared for it.

Spoiler

[DeviousAnon]

“Oh~ Curse this forest...” the very displeased voice of Myka would let its owners complaint be known as the centaur found herself caught on yet another grouping of branches. The disgruntled centaur had come a long way from her usual open fields and flat planes, and would find herself rather out of her element within such a new place too her. She was used to towering over anything that came across her way, but in the forest, it was a new experience for so many plants and trees to make her seem so small in comparison. And the constant barrage of annoying obstacles were not helping put her nervous heart to ease with the many sounds her ears would pick up.

“And... Finally!” This worry would not concern her as she would finally free her robe from the pesky thorns if the bush that had Insnared her, before she would celebrate her success with a prideful snort, before returning down her way on the old and unkept path. She had her mission to push through this final forest and reach the village on the other side. And her tired legs begged for relief as she did so. Her light frosts across the dirt road would make her bags of food shuffle at her sides, and sword clank slightly at her hip. The feeling conferted her of her safety, but she was getting a growing concern for how much smaller her food bag was getting.

Though she’d eventually cave into her stomach growling and legs aching, and would choose too settle in a slightly bigger clearing in the forest, before reaching back to grab an apple from her bag, before bringing it up to her moth and starting to eat the sweet fruit. “Mmmm~” her enjoyment would be made known by a pleased hum as the hybrid girl would simply choose to rest herself by standing still in a horse fashion, while sweating her hunger, she couldn’t care less for anything around her, the sweet taste of the food taking the forefront of her mind.

[CaptainL]

With a slow and measured step, Sirya began to follow along the tracks, taking care not to go too fast or make too much noise so as not to disturb whatever it was she was on the trail of. As she came closer, she began to hear some clanking and jingling, along with heavy footfalls. That gave Sirya pause, but soon a grin appeared on her face as the implications set in. This wasn't just some dumb animal she was tailing after, she thought. If this was in any way connected to the tracks - and, from the fact that these footsteps certainly seemed heavy enough to have made tracks of that size, she could be pretty sure it was connected.

From what Sirya was putting together in her head, it sounded like this creature she was dealing with, whatever it was, was a beast of burden, laden with plenty of goods and trinkets. Just thinking of it made her smile with anticipation. If she could kill it, she would have food. But above all else, she'd have everything it was carrying, too. Some of that could be useful, and that what wasn't, she might be able to barter with some traveler with for more useful things. By the sounds of it, Sirya had hit the jackpot, and she was eager to collect her winnings.

Coming around the corner, Sirya then stopped, getting a good look at what she was up against. At last, she saw the creature she'd been trailing, if for only a second, as she had to duck behind a tree, hoping to keep herself a safe distance away and sneak up on it. But Sirya couldn't help but peak out a little more, sizing up her quarry. And "sizing up" was right. This thing was huge! It might have looked something like some of the creatures she'd dealt with before, but they were nowhere near as big as this. It'd be tough, for sure - but big things meant more meat, and more meat meant more food. She couldn't get too excited, though; she'd just give away her location. Shouldering her spear, Sirya began to draw in closer, eyes fixed on her target as she waited to get in close.

[DeviousAnon]

Quietly but earnestly, Myka would continue to nibble upon the sweet fruit with great earnest. Her nibbles by Centauri standards quickly making shirt work of the Apple as she finished it within a frighteningly short time. Sighing happily, myka would contently pay her belly as the hunger she felt was sedated for the time being. "So sweet~" she'd whisper too herself, in her native language which sounded more like horse noises then actual words. Before stifling a sudden belch in embarrassed surprise. Blushing sheepishly, thankful no one was around, myka would casually place the core of her apple near the youngest of trees, she it could offer its nutrients too other deserving beings.

With a quick stretch, myka would resume her previous walking, thankful for the semi-clearing this time around in the forest, the plant life and bushes only reaching a little under her knees, and no where near as many branches brushing her face. With a more giddy step, re-energized, myka would lightly skip as well as any horse could, much like a prance in a way, lightly thumping along, unknowingly lightly shaking the ground as she did so. Without a care in the world. Happily muscling through the many plants that covered her form.

[CaptainL]

Stopping by where she had heard the sounds of commotion, Sirya fell silent, hiding herself against the trunk of the tree. With a stillness she had practiced for years, she crouched low to the ground, waiting and listening. She could recognize the sounds of something biting into an apple anywhere, and that gave her some idea of what she could expect to be dealing with. The creature she was trailing must have been herbivorous, then, so she wouldn't have to contend with claws or teeth, and she'd get a better meal out of it in the end. That was a favorable sign.

Though, Sirya would soon feel the ground tremor under her feet, as heavy footsteps resounded through the clearing. That was enough to make the hairs on her arm stand on end, as she began to realize just how huge this creature must have been. Certainly its prints were big, but this...this was giving her a good idea of the weight she could expect to be dealing with. She knew she would have to be careful. Waiting for a moment to let the footsteps subside somewhat, not wanting to get too close to the creature if she could avoid it, Sirya sneaked back out from around the tree, slowly crawling across the forest floor to the other end of the clearing to follow the sounds.

[DeviousAnon]

"Hmmmhmmm~" humming quietly too her self, the sweet sounding tune too her ears would sound more akin too the sounds of a equine as Myka would continue her lighthearted skip through the foliage and brush before her. What would normally be a great hassle for a regular human was pushed aside with relative ease by the hulking form of the centaur. Heavy footfalls accompanying the many sounds of snapping branches and crushed dirt as she pressed onwards through the long unused path.


Her gleeful and absent minded gait would come to nip her where it hurts, with a careless step, her sensitive hoof would find itself strapped right in the less hardened part of her limb. "Gah!" With a surprised Yelp, and a string of obscenity in her native tongue, Myka would tender her hoof as best she could, briefly reaching down to massage the hoof as best she could reach, before taking in what is before her, a dense, and far thicker growth of bushes lay before her, some branches even reaching to her neck, and a great deal of them wielding dozens of very sharp and unfriendly thorn companions too the one that assailed her hoof.

"Why me...?" She'd mutter, Myka knew she was too deep to turn back now, and she was on a mission, her pride as a centaur too great too allow such a obstacle to prevent her from pressing onwards, so with a heavy sigh she'd begin to press onward into the bushes, in slow but calculated steps to avoid further stabs from the thorns, her hands being her only shield from the dense forestry, it wa Sao thick she could barely make Out apt hat she was heading in the right direction at all, taking a good few minutes for sing herself through the bushes, complaining once in awhile too the sharp pricks in her front and sides.

"Gah!" Eventually, with a final shove, Myka would press herself forward just enough to breach the wal of plants with her front, before taking in a final big gasp of clean, unobstructed-by-plants air in a while, panting a little at the slight exertion she put forth to navigate through the maze of thorns, her back end still a ways in the plants, but she was too tired to currently care, her robes and skirts snagged and lifted in various degrees, having still be stuck on many of the thorns. Though still, Myka was just happy to finally be able too see a clear streak of road before her...

[CaptainL]

Hearing the sounds of footfalls draw further into the distance, Sirya once again began to move. The grass became taller around her, and the thought brought a smile to her lips; that was a factor that would play well into her favor. Much like the great predator she wore the skin of, Sirya would be able to use the tall grass to conceal herself as she tailed after her prey - just what this creature had stalking it wouldn't become apparent until all was too late for it.

She would stop, however, as she heard a yelp from the distance, surely from the creature she would be dealing with. Perfect; it was wounded too! Whatever this beast was, or how large or strong, it was nothing Sirya wasn't sure she could take down. It already had part of the work done for her; now she just needed to close in for the kill. Deciding her spear would be too large and unwieldy for a sneak attack, Sirya slung it over her shoulder, instead drawing a knife from her belt to hold it out in front of her. Then, descending towards a tangle of bushes and thorns, Sirya could see where the creature had been - the foliage was disturbed, and right in its path she could see something beginning to move! The girl had to bite back the urge to break into a giddy smirk at the sight, she was so close! She just needed to come a little closer, heading in through the bushes...

...and straight into the rear end of the creature she was after. Thanks to a few branches pulling aside Myka's garments, Sirya would get a good face full of the centaur's equine end, the stench quickly overpowering her senses. Unable to hide herself any longer, she fell back away from Myka, coughing and sputtering. "Gaah-! What was..!?"

[DeviousAnon]

Her panting slowing down slightly, Myka had having regained most of her breath from the surprisingly but annoyingly difficult task of breaching the wall of grass, thorns and branches. She would smirk slightly, her pride making such a small achievement far more grand in her mind then she had any right too be cocky about. With a determined and proud huff, and wiping as much sweat as she could from her brow, her temporary arrogance further blinding her mind to how ridiculous her clothing was, Myka would set about bringing herself forward more....

"Gah?!" With a supervised shriek, Myka would nearly jump out of her skin as some inexplicable object seemed to ram right into her behind, the force of the object impacting her marginally exposed behind nearly toppled the normally sure-footed centaur out of shock, a blush creeping over her face from the arid contact and less-then dignified sound she made as her legs stumbled about to regain their footing in the confined space her trapped back end allowed, slipping suddenly, causing her backside to jerk downwards momentarily, accidentally smushing anything under her in a brief bump, before using the space gained from the newly snapped branches to lurch herself forward, and escaping the holds of the bush entirely.


It seemed being a centaur also had its downsides, her equine instincts at the odd sensation spooking her greatly as she would leap forward a ways, landing with a loud thud on her feet, before settling slightly near a tree, leaning against it to regain her breath, covered in a panicked sweat, her mind racing too fast too do much more then relax her human half upon the trees trunk. Trying to calm her nerves and racing heart. "What was that?!" She'd groan to herself, her surprise making her groan out in both common, and equine language as she diligently tried too rub her sore backside, sore from the harsh impact it endured. Not currently caring for what caused her pain in the first place for the time being...

[CaptainL]

Smacking face-first into the rear end of this creature was bad enough, but Myka had to make things worse. Sirya had been sent sprawling on the ground, out of breath and barely having any time to process what had just happened to her, before Myka went down again, bringing her rear end back down onto Sirya's face! A muffled and irate cry left the girl as she felt the weight come down onto her, once again exposing her nasal passages to the offending odor. When Myka would draw away a moment later, Sirya would roll back up to a sitting position, wiping her face and sputtering to try and clear her senses. Her violet eyes narrowed in a glare down at the creature, as she spat angrily. "Stop doing that! It's gross!"

Sirya's exclamation had been little more than a frustrated outburst in the moment, made without any expectation of a real response. But what she saw next would surprise her, as at last she got a good look at the creature she had been after. And while from the waist down it was most certainly a beast like any she would tail through the woods on the hunt...from the waist up, it looked just as human as Sirya herself! If a fair bit...larger, in several respects. For a moment, she was shocked, her mouth hanging open in a gasp. She had never seen anything like this before; she would never have thought it possible. But what was even stranger was how the creature uttered something Sirya could actually understand, beyond the assorted noises. It could talk? Could it understand her? Whatever it was, she needed to get to the bottom of this. "What...what ARE you?"

[DeviousAnon]

After letting out a supposed speak, slipping and falling butt first onto the weird feeling ground, Mykas panicking body would quickly rise. Unconsciously jumping a distance far greater the a horse could hope too alive, Myka would try too settle her racing heart and panicking instincts too the best of her ability. Finally recovering too the point of being able too think semi-clearly. myka would slowly find herself wondering what it was that spooked her.

Her wondering wouldn't be waiting long, as suddenly a very piercing sound of a voice would fill the silence. Startling the centaur once more with its agree aged tone. Spinning around as fast as her body could allow, the centaur tried too locate the source off the voice, she was sure no one else could be so deep in the woods right? She would soon find herself proven wrong as she looked where the voice came from, a unlucky side effect of being so tall, all Myka was able too see was the oddly shaped form of the panther Syria has chosen too wear, looking like a gigantic version of the predator Myka had fixed with it.

Her equine instincts kicked in as she would suddenly rear up out if a mix of panic and instinctual defensiveness, nearly doubling her height in hopes to be I terminating too the believed predator, letting out a great whinny as she did so, her arms fumbling as she tried too grab the over sized sword from her side. Managing on,y getting it halfway. "S-stay back beast!"

finally noticing the traces of bare skin underneath the skin of the predator, her mind slowly realizing it must've been clothing, she would calm down enough to lower back too all fours though her hands shakily still held on too her weapon as she examined the being as best she could, her fear slowly turning into confused annoyance at this newcomer. Her mind only now registering the question the person asked. But only answered the new beings question with another, "W-where did.... W-why did you hit my Bu... Backside!?" Fumbling over her words, blurting out several questions at once...