User blog:Rexis12/Hunter and Huntresses: Chapter 3

THUNK

THUNK

THUNK

The sound repeated numerous times, sometimes following a rhythm, then would speed up, afterwards it would slow down, only to follow the first rhythm again. The one responsible for the sound was a Jinko, her eyes calm and collected as she continued to punch the tree. Occasionally stepping back to deliver a deadly spinning kick to the tree bark, resulting in an exceptionally loud THUNK, before she would resume attacking with her fist.

As she was preparing another combo on the plant, one of her ears twitched as a barely audible rustle sounded behind her. She scowled slightly, hoping that whoever it was would turn another direction. With her luck It was probably another hunter hoping to tame her. Still she was lucky she wasn’t in her heat, like the last time she ran into one.

Her ears caught the sound of rustle once more, this time noticeably closer. She slowed down on her punching to carefully pin-point where the rustle exactly came from, her eyes closed partly to concentrate. The rustle sounded once more, her eyes snapped open.

‘Behind me, to my left.’

She spun on her left foot, her other leg made a large sweeping move behind her. She grunted in surprise when she felt a pole like object smacking the leg to the side. Regaining her balance, the Jinko quickly placed her foot down to regain some balance, which she used to make some distance between her and the intruder.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a split second, she scanned everything about her opponent, her sharp feline eyes caught every detail about him and where she should strike. From the way he was holding his weapon, a spear with the pole fractured at the blunt end, horizontally to himself she had to aim for the head. Even if she did managed to break through the spear (in which she was fully confident that she could) the leather armour looked tough enough to block her blow.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">If not, the punch to the might knock him out even faster.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">In half of a second she had just examined the entire of her opponent, the other half managed to deduce a weak spot. Then in one full second, the Jinko launched herself forward, making sure to keep herself low if she needed to make an emergency stop.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her arm cocked back and went forward to deliver a knockout punch to the white-haired ma-

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wait.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Jinko skidded to halt her fist right in front of the man’s face, for two reasons. One, the intruder was a familiar face that she had encountered a few weeks ago, during her mating season. Two was the sharp object was mere inches for impaling her stomach.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Gerald?” She said cautiously. The man grinned, he retracted his spear and waved “Hey Mauven, how are ya?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her eyes widened as she recognised the man. Immediately she pulled back her fist and took a few steps back. The Jinko gave the man an inquiring look “What are you doing here? You normally don’t travel in these part of the woods” her questions was answered by the man sheepishly rubbing the back of his head while chuckling weakly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">One explanation later 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So, you are risking your life by travelling through the deeper parts of the woods, which not only have more aggressive Mamono’s, but deadly predators which can easily maim you to Lescatie and back, just so you can avoid a Sahuagin in her mating season?” Mauven questioned one more time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Gerald gave a weak grin and nodded, she sighed “You seem to have a penchant for ignoring the needs of us Mamonos” once more she received a sheepish smile with a weak chuckle.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mauven sighed again, she gave the man an annoyed glare. Though she couldn’t help herself to… appraise the man before her. For one, he didn’t seem to have the regular mindset of some of the hunters in the area, most of them being either illegal poachers, or horny pricks hoping to get a quick lay. Two, he was pleasing to the eye to say the least, his face was slightly pale, odd considering how much she would catch him hunting, a daily basis if her suspicions were correct. Three, his physique was also pleasing, having a lean frame with compact muscles if any of the strikes he had inflicted on her in the past meant anything.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since she was too busy, examining the hunter, she didn’t see the somewhat uncomfortable expression he had, at least until he voiced it with a nervous “You know I’m not going to mate with you right?” safe to say, her sudden blush at the words made her turn away immediately. Internally cursing herself for letting those words get to her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">She was a Jinko dammit, one of the forest’s greatest huntresses, words like those shouldn’t affect her. Then again the man before her did managed to out-run her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once more she groaned, “Don’t worry, I’m not in any condition to force myself upon you” she said. Gerald nodded “Good, and I don’t seem to have much of a reason to stay here anyway. Still nice seeing you again Mauvy” he replied, whilst also ignoring the livid glare she gave him. Instead the hunter walked off, hoping to find more game before he would have to return.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">When he left, Mauven gritted her teeth as she clenched her thighs together, hoping to ignore the wet sensation between them.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:16.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">[Scene]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Selkie is proud race of hunters. They have a no-nonsense personality, meaning that she both don’t give or take any shit, especially from those who they perceive weaker than them. They are also stubborn, especially when it concerns food. Of course the latter could prove to be both a blessing and a curse.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">For now, It was a curse. Especially to the poor hunter who just wanted to catch some fish for dinner.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Any bystanders who were watching could describe the two having a ‘tug of war, for a fish’ with their spears. It would probably make more sense in context.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Give that back, I acquired it first” the Selkie exclaimed angrily, tugging on her spear to pull the large two feet bass fish to her side. The hunter growled “What the hell do you mean, ‘you acquired it fist’ I was the one who caught the damn thing with my pike” he shouted, with equal amount of anger, while also pulling the aforementioned pike to yank the fish to his side.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">For those who seem lost, don’t be. It’s quite simple for what happen. Basically the hunter was standing on a rocky side of a beach, stabbing his pike into the water hoping to catch some food. The Selkie also happened to be in the same area as the man. Then one fish, which was the one they were currently fighting for, swam in between the two. Both acted and speared the poor aquatic creature at once.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">That of course lead to the current the situation right now

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">“For pete sake, I caught the damn thing when I stabbed it with my pike. It’s mine!!” yelled the hunter once more. “No, you did not. I got to it first you jerk, not you and your fake pike.” And so, the two hunters continued to argue.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eventually fate deemed that they had fought enough, so both of them yanked their spears at the same. The fish flopped into the air as soon as it was released from the sharp metal tips of the two hunters. Both reacted immediately.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Selkie launched herself upwards, to impale the creature once more. Her eyes widened when the fish barely missed the tip of her weapon. The hunter on the other hand, waited. Then with practiced ease similar to that of a soldier, he spun the spear and jabbed it forward. The fish flopped as it was impaled once more.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The hunter jumped back and held his spear up triumphantly, grinning at the Selkie smugly. “Hah, I told it was mine, it didn’t even want you” he taunted. The monster growled in anger, to which Gerald responded with a smirk “That’s what happens when you mess with a John, you lose everything” he announced.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sighing, the Selkie dropped her glare and just gave the hunter a bored look “By the looks of it, you already lose you intelligence then, considering your calling your spear a pike” she commented.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The John lowered his spear to the ground and furrowed his eyebrows “Hey, it is a pike.” “It’s considerably shorter than most pikes I’ve seen John” she remarked. His response was to sneer at her “Fine then, it simply broke. Happy Selkie?” he spat back. The monster merely rolled her eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">John looked at the Selkie for a moment, before sighing. He pulled the fish of his spear and tossed it towards the seal mermaid, who caught the thing in surprise. “Just take it, I’m sure I still have some rabbit back at my place” he said nonchalantly. Of course, this made the Selkie raise an eyebrow “Okay what gives, I know you not just going to give this to me without expecting something in return” she stated.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The hunter shrugged “Let’s just say that’s payment for teaching me about pikes” he replied. “I just told you that your spear, isn’t a pike” she deadpanned. “Then thank you for that then” he waved her off as he turned around.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Selkie gave him a critical look before rolling her eyes “Humans” she muttered, before she leapt back into the water. John also rolled his eyes, he slung his pike on his back and muttered to himself “Monsters” and walked off.

<p class="MsoNormal">'''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Author Note: Two new players enter the game. '''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:MS">