The Hunt (Private Loque)

Today I was out hunting, the air was warm and humid, I could almost feel water acumulating on my scales. I was in a good mood this morning, getting to hunt alone was always the best, you didn't have to act like someone you weren't, so I was my happy self. I scented the air, smelling a lingering scent of deer and maybe a dragon, either way it wasn't a rogue, it didn't smell wild so I consetrated on the deer. I saw it, in the meadow by a small lake. This was what I was hunting for. I shook out my playfulness and got serious, stalking behind it like a cat and almost read to jump at it.

Loque slowed down as he got closer from the deer he was stalking. It was nice for once to be outside and not have to deal with all this political stuff. He felt like his mind had sharpened from all this though. While he slowed down his breathing and his steps, he focused on checking the direction of the wind and the trajectory the deer was taking. The wind was perfect, carrying his scent away. As for the trajectory, Loque was going to meet it soon. His body tensed up as he set up his ambush from the bush in which he was. Since the trees were projecting generous shadows on him, he could even afford to use a bit his powers, making himself harder to see and smell. All he had to wait for now was the deer.
Everything was going fine. Loque spotted the deer arriving. Soon, really soon... now ! The black dragon leapt on his prey, ready to deal the lethal blow. What he hadn't planned though was that he wasn't the only hunter on that deer. Loque understood this the moment he saw another Nightwing leaping at the same time as he did. With the slightly reduced sight and smelling from using his powers, he hadn't noticed her. Giving a quick flap of his wing, the black dragon managed to alter his trajectory just enough not to bump in the other Nightwing. Instead of aiming to make the prey stumble by hitting its torso, he now was directly aiming for the kill itself, since his wing flap made him closer from the deer's neck. While the other Nightwing successfully hit the deer, Loque bit its throat, effectively shredding it. A few convulsions later and the prey was dead.
The black dragon raised his head from the deer, looking at the Nightwing that had pounced at the same time as he did. It was a slender female, probably a Tracker as well.
"Sorry, I didn't spot you before leaping. I guess I should be more attentive in the future." he apologized to the other Tracker.

I finally leaped at the deer, and in the corner of my eye I saw a dark figure hurling it at the deer also. 'What the...' I thought, seeing as it altered it course. I grabbed onto the deer's hindcorters, Sinking my claws in. I watched as the other dragon bit into it's neck, killing it. I listened and after he finished a thought appeared in my mind, what if he was stalking it first. "No, it's okay, you probably scented it first. I do remember scenting another dragon when I was tracking it down." I told him. "So anyway, what's your name?" I asked, wondering if we could chat before going back to the kingdom.

Loque shrugged at the other dragon's answer. It was hard to know who tracked that deer first... Anyway they would have to bring that deer back to the storage building. The black dragon crouched and grabbed the deer, pulling it over his shoulder. He then stood up again, looking at the dragoness.
"My name's Loque. What about yours ?" he asked back.

I watched him, he was a bit small compared to other dragons, but he brought down the deer just fine. "I'm Kaora, a tracker. Are you also a tracker?"  I asked. I felt bad for him having to carry the deer back. "Did you want me to carry the deer? I might be easier for me to." I said, hoping it wouldn't offend him at all.

Loque nodded at Kaora's first question.
"Yes, I'm a Tracker. Well, originally at least. I'm also a Magistrate at the Shadow Refuge, and let's just say that lately this role hasn't let me much time to enjoy a hunt." he replied with a sigh.
The black dragon slightly adjusted the deer on his back and shook his head at the dragoness second question.
"I'm fine. I'm tougher than I look." he simply replied.

"A Magistrate? At the Shadow Refuge?" I asked, curious. "I didn't know I was talking to someone so special!" I joked. I was still twitching to stay out longer. "So, you said you never get to hunt much? Maybe we could find another herd and bring back more food?"

(Sorry for the short posts ;-; )

Loque just shrugged at the Tracker's comment. He never thought of this role as something special, but he had to admit that his current situation actually was special.
"It's not that special. But yes, sure. As soon as we'll have brought this one to the storage, of course."

I smiled, glad I'd be able to hunt with him more. "So, I'm not sure I've ever really been to the Shadow Refuge, would you care to tell me more about it?" I asked, starting the walk back to the storage. I made sure to keep out for any scents of prey as we walked so that when we did come back I could try and track them down from the place I scented them from.

Loque nodded at the other Tracker. He seemed to search for his words for a few seconds before talking.
"It's a nice place. The Shadow Refuge itself is an old human building that has been renovated to accommodate dragons. We don't really know if it was made as a military outpost or more like a palace, evidence have been found for the two possibilities so it was probably a mix of the two. After the renovation, it became the headquarters of the Neutral subfaction of the Nightwings, under the direction of Lord Tenebris. When Occulus rose, Lord Tenebris kept the control of the Shadow Refuge and it became the place where all the civil administration of the Empire are made. Other than that, it is also a place of art and knowledge. Should you visit one day you could admire the paintings, tapestries and sculptures of the most talented artist dragonkind has to offer, as well as a library containing enough books to satiate your thirst of knowledge, if you have been taught how to read."
During his speech, his ears kept twitching around in case he would hear another animal near them. The black dragon noticed that Kaora also was alert. They were almost arriving at the storage building, soon enough they would be out of another hunt.

Bump

(I is so sworry ;-; )

Listening to him describe the Shadow Refuge was intriguing, especially the fact that it was made by humans. It sounded fun to take a day off and admire the paintings, and I've been tought to read a bit, I wondered what we could learn. "I would love to explore that, if I got any free time." I said with a sigh. My eyes flickered up to meet the storage building, a slight smile coming on my face as we would be able to go out for another hunt.

Loque had a slight smirk as Kaora mentioned her lack of free time. He definitely knew that kind of problem... He could tell the dragoness had been interested by his quick description of the Refuge, as she had been pretty carefully listening.
"Well if you do I'll probably be there. Ah, there is the storage building." he exclaimed.
He didn't really wanted to admit it but the deer on his back was starting to get heavy. He was more than glad to finally be able to get rid of it. The black dragon headed toward the entrance of the building, where another dragon greeted him and took the deer with him. Loque went out of the building lighter, quickly shuffling his wings that had started to get sore from being trapped under the prey's weight.
"Alright that's done. So, where do you think we should begin the hunt then ?" he asked.

I smiled as I heard he'd probably be there, maybe he'd show me the best place to start, or give more in-depth details on them. I waited outside as he went in and gave the deer to someone, watching as he reshuffled his wings. "Well, there was a trail a bit back by a fallen log, they probably jumped it and crossed the stream that came after that. Probably eating some moss and any other plant around there. We can see if they are still there." I said, my tail tip quivering excited to stretch my legs more. I flattened my wings more, my nose twitching trying to find scents or prey.

Loque carefully listened to Kaora as she detailed what she had seen. At the end he let out a small irritated growl.
"I'm really loosing my skills staying inside for so long. I didn't even noticed that... Let's go then." he just said, walking toward the forest.
After a few steps, he realized that he had that stance he usually had when walking at the Shadow Refuge. While this was making him look fiercer, it wasn't exactly suited for tracking. The black dragon switched to a lighter stance, his paws hitting the ground with less weight and less noise. Yep, definitely he was loosing his good habits at the Refuge.

I looked over and gave him a sympathetic look. "Hey, if I was forced to walk the halls of some refuge, I'm sure I'd be the same way. An if I couldn't run then I'd end up getting weaker and probably not be able to even catch prey. If anything, you're doing better than I would." Gently stepping I glanced over at him, seeing as he wasn't doing a regular hunting walk, and was rather being loud. He seemed to notice it too and switched over to light stepping. I smiled and began to do a light jog until the scent lightly filled my nose. I stopped, giving a tail flick to mean stop and then another to mean follow me. I looked behind me, making sure he was there. The good thing was that we were upstream, and they were a bit farther than the river, but I couldn't tell where for sure from this distance.

Loque didn't comment on Kaora's answer. It was right that anyone else probably would have lost their habits quickly in his situation... and he didn't really felt like telling her the reason he could regain them so easily was because he was hunting by himself since he hatched. 25 years of hunting wasn't something you could forget.
The black dragon followed Kaora, focusing back on the hunt. It wasn't long until they arrived to the place the Tracker had mentioned, at which point they started to slow down, avoiding to make any noise. Following the trail and tracking the scent wasn't that difficult. And besides, Loque now could see the prints from the prey. It wasn't far away now. And indeed, a bit of prowling later they arrived in sight of it. The deer was calmly drinking at the border of the river, in a small clearance. Considering the distance between the closest bush and the prey, a direct approach was impossible.
"You scare it toward me ?" he whispered.

((Just in case, by that I mean Kaora would get to the other end of the clearance, scare the deer toward Loque and he would intercept it))

(Eh... Screw switching to Kaora)

I nodded, quietly walking around, using the bushes and trees to my advantage. Quietly walking around, making sure to avoid any sticks or dry leaves or anything that would make noise. I walked a bit further behind the deer before getting ready to make my approach, getting ready to spread my wings and make sure it runs forward, right into Loque. I took a breath, spreading my wings and letting out a growl, making sure the deer noticed me. I jumped forward, letting out a snarl and making the deer run. I followed it, making sure it didn't drift off as it was lead to Loque.

((Because you think I'm not just too lazy to switch to Loque ? ^^))

Loque looked at Kaora disappearing through the bush, making her way to the other side of the clearance. All he had to do was to make sure the deer wouldn't notice him before it was too late. And not being spotted was his specialty. The black dragon settled in his bush, preparing for the ambush. In the shadow of the bush, he could easily use his power with a minimal impact on his sight. First, he masked his scent, just in case the wind decided to turn. Himself now couldn't really smell anything, but he didn't needed to anyway. Then his form began to fade in the shadow, blurring his vision. He didn't need an accurate vision to know when to jump.
And now the wait. Soon enough, the other dragon emerged from the other side of the clearance, scarring the deer toward Loque. That was just perfect. Now the perfect moment to leap... Now. Loque jumped from his bush, aiming from the deer. With the use of his powers, it just looked like some dense shadow took form and was leaping on the deer. It took the deer a second to realize it was a danger. A second too much. In the middle of the jump, Loque stopped using his powers to stop hindering his own vision. All claws unsheathed, he landed on the deer with enough force to make it lose balance. The black dragon quickly bit its neck, shredding its throat with his teeth. A few seconds was all it took to make a clean kill.
Loque raised his head, looking at Kaora.
"Nice job. It sure is easier than alone." he said.

I smiled, watching as the deer was sent on a straight collision course. Seeing a shadow leap out, taking a solid form, that was cool. I mouthed the words 'Woah,' padding over to him. I watched as he killed it, watching as it's eyes gazed over. "That was awesome, I think we make a good team." I said with a smile. I stretched like a cat, getting up and sniffing the deer. It smelled like any other deer, what would smell different about it? I got back up, looking at Loque "Do you want me to take it back this time?" I asked, not wanting to feel like no help here.

(To lazy to put in real color)

Loque just shrugged at Kaora's compliment. It may have seemed impressive, but it was only one of the most common uses of Loque's abilities. And certainly not one of the most creative.
"My powers come in handy for ambushes. But they have their drawbacks, so I can't use them efficiently when I'm alone. You're pretty good at leading the preys were they need to be." he complimented her.
The black dragon headed toward the river and quickly washed the blood he had in his paws. He sighed as one of his claws remained black, contrasting with the other white ones. A constant reminder of his life as a Magistrate. The ink would probably not wear off unless he stopped writing for months.
"I wouldn't be against. This one is definitely bigger than the previous one." he replied as Kaora asked whether he wanted her to carry the prey.

I nodded, most things had it's drawbacks, may it be from running at all and leaving you tired or sleeping in and getting yelled at by the leader. I smiled when he said I was good at leading the deer and said, "Thanks, I learned it from my mentor and just adjusted it so it could be more efficient." I watched him go down the river and turned to the deer. Once he said I could take it I smiled, getting it onto my back and making sure it wouldn't fall off. I started to slowly walk back, wondering if there'd be anytime for another hunt.

(So... where should we take this, it might be fun to do something... Other than hunting XD)

Loque watched as the dragoness got the deer on her back and started to walk back. The black dragon followed, secretly glad he didn't have to carry that one. It seemed a bit heavier than the previous one. And besides, after that day of hunting he could feel his limbs were starting to get tired.
"Well you got a good mentor then." he simply replied.
The day was starting to get at an end. The sun was getting low on the sky. It had been a pretty good day, these hunts definitely made a nice pause of his Magistrate work. He should do that more often... well, if he managed to get some time off that is. The black dragon simply enjoyed the walk as they were getting back to the storage building. The dragoness was carrying the deer without trouble, her steps just a bit heavier than before. Under the dim light filtered by the trees, her ornaments showed a delicate golden hue. The bottom of her belly also was of a dark golden color. Despite her carrying the deer, her movements were still fluid, the graceful movements of a skilled hunter.
After a dozen of seconds Loque suddenly realized that he had been admiring her walk and the movements of her rump. The black dragon lowered his look, blushing. What kind of behavior was that ? It really wasn't like him to admire the body of another dragon... Maybe he was simply tired ? Loque hoped the dragoness didn't notice him starring at her like this. But seriously, he was the first surprised to catch himself having such a shameful behavior.

I watched the light filter down and the sun head down over the trees. I always liked the nighttime better, it was cooler, darker, nicer. The deer on my back wasn't doing much to falter my steps, and it was staying firm on my back, barely sliding around. I looked up at the fading sky, wondering if I could stay out and watch the sky, you never knew what you could find. I didn't notice, but I was standing in the right light for my golden coloring to be showing. Continuing to walk to the storage, oblivious to the fact the Magistrate was staring at my fluid movement. I glanced back at him, seeing that he was slightly blushing, making me give a slight smile. I wondered what he was blushing about, but I didn't pay any mind to it. Finally getting back to the storage building I walked in, nodding to one NightWing and giving the deer to another. Walking back out I tilted my head at Loque, "So, now what should we do?"

Finally they had arrived to the storage building. The end of the trip felt like an eternity for Loque. Maybe because he had been fearing Kaora had seen him staring at her. Luckily for him she didn't. The black dragon still didn't know why this happened. That wasn't the first time he was seeing a dragoness, but this definitely never happened before.
Loque's thoughts got interrupted as the Tracker came back from the building. He blinked once, trying to get rid of them. He was really thinking weirdly today.
"Erm, well, all this made me hungry. Why don't we get something to eat to end this nice day ?" he replied.
Okay this was definitely too much. Did he just showed his hesitation before talking ? That also was a first. Something was wrong with him. Maybe it was just his attention being relaxed with this day out ? He was feeling slightly uneasy. Weird. If that continued he would have to take a few days off to rest.