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The Predator's Price (Short Story)
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Post by
oneforthemoney
Every noise made in the jungle of Stranglethorn was deafening. This was a very uncommon state as many could well attest; the jungle of the peninsula which jutted from the Eastern Kingdoms like the tail of a great beast was ever filled with an array of noise, but over time they all merely faded into the background. From the calls of birds to the victorious cries of the tiger when finding its meal, they would all join together to fill the dense forest with their dins like a background soundtrack
Yet Edward Adler could not help but find each sound which came from about him seem twice as loud as they likely were. The world surrounding him seemed to be magnified by the tension in his body as he stalked through the jungle, rifle in his hands low but ready to be brought up and to bear at a moment’s note. The fact that he was attempting to be as silent as death on two legs did not aid in the matter. His leather shirt and cloth pants shifted silently as he stalked, shoes padding noiselessly on the thick greenery of the jungle floor though now and then stone would lie beneath his shoes instead. Edward had heard that trolls of this area did not wear shoes, their feet hard and calloused enough to be nearly as difficult to penetrate as his leather shoes on their own.
But the Adler was not a troll. Even so he was nevertheless hardly a stranger to the jungles of Stranglethorn. Any hunter worth his salt had come to the area at least once in their career, the large game indigenous to the wild heartland some of the greatest prey imaginable. The fact that the tables could quickly be turned and the roles reversed from hunter to hunted was an aspect that any true sportsman revelled in. Not to mention that more than a few hunters used the great jungle cats and raptors which prowled the region as companions, taming the great beasts to aid them in their endeavours.
For his part Edward did not use a companion pet. He had for a time when he first began his career of choice, but the hunt had been too simple with the panther by his side, the great feline easily able to find and stalk their prey. It had reached a point that both could hunt autonomously from each other, neither actually requiring the aid of the other to take down even the most challenging of prey. Yet it was not for that reason that Edward hunted, simply killing the animal was dull and not for him. It was the chase and the events ensuing that he lived for, not merely to reach an end result. Once the hunter had realized how dull and mundane working with a pet had made his sport the great cat had been retired, living at the Alder estate with his brother in seeming perfect contentment.
Edward had continued his hunting without the cat, the challenges somewhat new and exotic without the predator at his side. He had travelled about, finding new game and had even returned to Stranglethorn a few times prior to his current visit.
Yet it was different this time, as Edward Adler well knew. He had travelled deeper into the jungle then he had ever gone before, the beaten path practically an ill conceived joke at this point. The area he prowled within was remote, he wondered if even the Bloodscalp had ventured this far in since the troll empires of old? Light knew Edward would have become lost in attempting to locate the area, nor even would have known of the small plateau he now stalked along had he not been provided a map.
Yes, a map to hunt the greatest of prey, and it had cost him the greatest price.
The Lion’s Head Inn was busy that night. Not terribly surprising, the inn being a very popular destination in Stormwind for adventurers, locals still stopping by but for the most part it belonged to the travellers of Azeroth. Those merry men and women with the dust of the road clinging to their cloaks and the blood of foes fought and felled staining their blades, though of course whether it was the blood of innocents or the guilty your mileage will vary, sat about the common room telling tales or minding themselves. The Lion’s Head was the place to be to hear the news of Azeroth, rumours and stories traded like coin and sometimes worth its weight to those with vested interests.
Edward Adler was one such man. A renowned hunter, he had been all across Azeroth and beyond in pursuit of his work. The third son of a Stormwind gentry, he had little ambition and such small hopes had also been expected of him, his oldest brother assuming control of the family estates and his sister a fine lady in waiting whose beauty had struck a chord in many a beau, though woe betide them if they were caught giving her the eye with either Adler brother nearby. Yet Edward had defied the expectations of his family, taking hunting to heart and journeying abroad to find bigger, stronger, and smarter prey. He had made a most impressive name for himself, his accomplishments spoken of often and his trophies dotting many a fireplace in inns around the world. The youngest Adler need not ever pay for ale, a tale regaled was enough to keep the liquor flowing long into the night.
Yet they say every man must hit their peak at some point, that even Blackrock Mountain has a pinnacle at which point there is nowhere left to travel. Edward had struck his, game which might challenge him growing slimmer with each conquest until he found himself chasing rumour at best. Stories of fantastic creatures that really had no business even existing let alone able to be killed by a lead shot from his gun.
Thus the man known as the ‘Adler Adder’ was in the Lion’s Head inn, chin propped up on the bar and his curly brown locks drifting around his head like a halo, its owner occasionally huffing from his outthrust lower lip to blow them about lazily. A tankard was set near his head, the frothing liquor having lost much of its foam from lack of use. The stools on either side of the noble were occupied, a female night elf and a dwarf, the latter of who was trying to convince Edward to tell a story. For his part, the brunette wasn’t sure why the dwarf bothered, tales being regaled all over the crowded inn that night from its various patrons would not only drown out his, but were also doubtlessly far more interesting. He really cared little for his own accomplishments and how they were known.
No, Edward did not hunt for the fame nor the trophies. He hunted for himself, a selfish motivation perhaps but there was nothing technically wrong with it (discounting those that fell prey as his game). Edward was a hunter because it was something he enjoyed, with emphasis on the noun. To be sure he did not mind the fame it garnered, or the way his brother and sister would eagerly await his tales of victory, but those were merely the icing on the cake that was his life.
His was a life of constant endeavours at one-upmanship with himself. It was really all he had left.
Then again, he thought as the door to the inn opened and every male eye (and a few of the female as well) including his own became riveted on the figure in the doorway; he supposed some of the more exciting chases could be found anywhere. The woman before the patrons of the inn was a high elf, eyes aglow with the blue light of the race. She had long wavy white hair which matched her aloof expression well, like a woman carved from the very ice of Northrend. She was dressed in silky and long blue cloth that flowed about her like the sea, a metal two piece covering her assets but barely. Her glowing sea blue eyes cast themselves about the room coldly until they settled on Edward. Without so much a twitch of the lips to betray her thoughts she glided through the inn, patrons parting as if afraid to touch her and perhaps shatter the illusion of her presence.
She strode right up to the dwarf next to Edward, who the hunter now realized had ceased his badgering of him in favour of staring in awe at the snow haired woman.
“Move.” She ordered curtly. The dwarf just stared for a moment at the elf, enraptured and ignorant of the manner to which her eyes slowly narrowed in annoyance. “Are you deaf?” She demanded in a voice like the crack of a whip. The dwarf jumped and hastily vacated his chair, mumbled apologies falling over each other.
But she paid no heed to the blubbering man, seating herself daintily on the barstool next to Edward. She glanced to the bartender with eyes as cold as the tundra. After a moment of continuous scrutiny she turned her head to regard Edward.
“You seem to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of class about yourself. What does this place serve that is worthwhile?” She asked shortly. Edward blinked in surprise that she would address him but bounced back quickly.
“Ah, yes. The Stormwind Stern Brew is of excellent vintage and year.” Edward quickly informed the woman. She raised a single long and sharp eyebrow but nodded after a moment.
“Very well. I will try it.” She informed the bartender with her latter comment. The man nodded hastily and quickly moved to comply, fetching the requested beverage. The strange woman waited silently for the drink, not even bothering to recognize the presence of others around her, watching the bartender as he fussed about with a liquor pantry beneath the bar with the clink of crystal and glass. When the drink finally came she glanced at it neutrally, white wine filled the bowl of a wine glass with a tall thin stem. Picking up the delicate wine glass with two fingers she brought it to her lips and took a slight sip.
“… Not bad, but not necessarily good either.” She said after a moment, depositing the cup onto the bar once more with a slight clink of its glass base. She glanced to Edward from the corner of her eye. “You have some sense of taste, at least.” She informed him. Edward would normally have taken some degree of offence at the remark, yet had a feeling that compliments were not something she threw around carelessly.
“I would like to think so. I have been known to travel about and I have tasted few better.” Edward boasted. A glance regarded him as the woman turned her head slightly and spoke.
“Oh? You are a traveller. By any chance like the others here?” She asked mildly. Edward smirked slightly and shook his head slowly.
“Not quite like them. I’m a hunter you see. I search out the largest and most dangerous game I can find, stalk them and finally slay them.” The ‘Adler Adder’ explained with a twinge of pride in his voice. “And, how might I address you my lady.”
“Isabella Kaufman.” She told him curtly, another sip of white wine slipping past her lips following her introduction. “And you are?” She asked though Edward had the distinct impression it was more an order.
“Edward Adler.” He replied easily with a nod.
“A pleasure, no doubt.” She responded somewhat airily. “So tell me Mister Adler-.”
“Please, just Edward.” He interrupted. This was a mistake the poor hunter realized instantly as the woman’s blue eyes narrowed slowly. Clearly, not one who enjoyed being interrupted nor expected it.
“Mister Adler,” she emphasised coldly, “why are you here in Stormwind and not off on yet another hunt.” Isabella asked. Edward’s festive mood which had appeared along with the white haired high elf was instantly dispelled. Edward sobered immediately and turned away from her and back to his drink.
“No reason.” Edward muttered, taking a slight swig of his drink. Isabella’s delicate eyebrow arched at the gesture. A light hum passed her lips as she propped her chin up in a palm casually, elbow carefully resting on a clean part of the bar.
“Is that so? Forgive me but I have my doubts about that.” Isabella explained casually. Glancing towards her Edward frowned slightly.
“Oh?”
“Indeed.” Isabella nodded sagely. “If you were such an avid hunter as you claim you would not likely be satisfied with staying in Stormwind, a region mostly without wild game of the challenging quadrupedal variety. Rather, you would either be elsewhere in this wide world endeavouring to prey upon beasts of sufficient size to form a challenge to your skill.” Isabella explained, waving a hand in the air as if conjuring such a beast from the atmosphere about them.
“Maybe I’m just waiting for a ship to take me to one of those places. Or I’m visiting family.” Edward answered somewhat defensively, taken rather aback by the sharp deduction from the woman at his side. Isabella gave him a penetrating look, like she was searching his very soul for a sign of falsehood.
“Are you?” She asked simply but firmly. Edward opened his mouth but her gaze forestalled his speech. After another moment of trying to meet her eyes he looked back to his drink, idly running a finger over the lip of the glass morosely.
“No.” He grudgingly admitted. Isabella smirked slightly in triumph but the expression gone moments after with her neutral mask once more.
“I thought so. Though that covers the who and the what, I still find myself curious as to the why?” Edward shifted a little, glaring into the mug before him at this somewhat unwelcome probing of his state of mind.
“It’s really not that interesting…” Edward mumbled into his glass, avoiding eye contact fixedly.
“I would imagine it would make for better conversation than anything else I could find from the ale stained lips of half these patrons.” Isabella responded. Edward sighed slightly and shrugged his shoulders.
“Suit yourself.” He turned in his seat to face her once more.
“You see, the thing is that I am one of the best hunters out there. That is a fact, not idle bragging. My conquests have been told from end to end of this world and these boots of mine have seen Northrend to Stranglethorn. However, that is in itself a problem. I have hunted game the world over but nowadays I can’t find any beast that poses a true challenge anymore. What I wouldn’t give for a chance to hunt something of true worth.” Edward grumbled slightly, turning and leaning heavily on the bar once more.
“I understand completely.” Isabella assured him, a comforting hand lightly landing on his shoulder. Edward glanced up to her porcelain face in surprise.
“You do?” Was his somewhat incredulous answer. She, a woman of obviously high breeding and stock empathised with him?
“Naturally. A master of any game would feel morose and uninspired if their sport consisted only of those that they could defeat within but moments of engaging in their challenges. A true hunter lives to hunt, yet if the game is so easy to track and kill then it is no longer a hunt, but rather a slaughter. And there is no sport in that.” Edward nodded in agreement, his eyes somewhat wide in surprise that the woman before him so aptly understood the problem he faced.
Post by
oneforthemoney
“Exactly.” Edward animatedly agreed. “I mean, certainly when I had first begun there was plenty to see and do, but as time wears on the beasts I hunt seem almost buffoonish during my efforts. I have not had a decent hunt in years. I would give anything for a real hunt.” Edward bemoaned sadly. Unseen by him, Isabella’s eyes flashed at the words, a corner of her lip twitching to break the cool mask she had adopted.
“Do you really want to find the ultimate game that much?” She asked. Edward nodded soberly with a slight frown of displeasure.
“Of course. Why?” He suddenly asked suspiciously, the feeling of being cornered like an animal beginning to seep into him.
“I believe I can help.” She informed him, a slight smile forcing its way onto her lips.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“What… kind of deal?” Edward asked with no small degree of trepidation. Isabella seemed to recall herself at that, the smile disappearing and her cold eyes glancing behind them at the somewhat rowdy inn. Now that her entrance had worn off for the most part, the majority of the patrons to the inn had resumed their activities from earlier. However, several sets of eyes she could see had remained trained on her.
“Perhaps we should adjourn to somewhere with some degree of privacy.” She suggested. Edward glanced back; catching several of the curious looks cast their way and nodded in agreement.
“I have a room here if you would prefer.” He offered. Her response was a quick and careful searching look cast his way. He could hardly blame her. An individual with her attractive and enticing assets being invited to a man’s room would naturally invoke suspicion. He could of course be merely entertaining her as a pretence to corner her.
“Very well.” She agreed at length, apparently satisfied he would make no untoward attempts against her. “Shall we?” Edward nodded agreeably and hopped from his stool, offering Isabella his hand which she ignored.
Edward frowned slightly at that but let it pass they ascended the steps leading to the private rooms of the inn, Edward taking the lead and unlocking the door to his rented room, a short if mocking bow as he held the door open for Isabella to enter first before followed by him.
His room was sparse, almost Spartan in its decoration. A bed, dresser, desk and chair in the corner were the sole items within. A rifle, slung against the bedpost with an ornate and intricately carved stock, rested against the wall. It had been a gift from his father and mother when he had first started truly hunting, not merely as a hobby. He thought it their way of saying they approved, without actually having to put it into words.
Isabella strode in as if she owned the room, setting herself onto the bed and gesturing for Edward to take a seat in the sole chair. He took little offence at her presumption, the attitude almost refreshing considering the sorts he had been hanging about of late. Light, he had honestly been in the wilds for too long if he found her cold demeanour refreshing he thought with a rueful shake of his head, taking the seat and gazing at the woman across from him.
“So then, what exactly did you have in mind for my next prey?” Edward asked in a businesslike tone, eyes neutral as he waited to pick apart any sort of trap or deception she may declare. Isabella observed him much the same way, crossing her hands on her lap as she gazed at Edward.
“Well first off Mister Adler I feel I must ask. Do you really think you are capable of hunting the beast I have information toward?” Isabella asked, tilting her head back and eying the young Adler analytically, like she was gauging his value on the next response he gave.
Edward scoffed. “Madame, there is nothing on this world that walks on four legs nor even two that I cannot slay.” He boasted slightly, the challenge to his abilities irking him slightly. Isabella was silent for a moment before nodding to herself slowly.
“I see. Do not mistake me Mister Adler, I do not offer you this chance solely for your benefit. The creature I know of would be the greatest challenge for one such as yourself, even in your prime which obviously you currently enjoy. But the price of course scales as well. This is the opportunity of your lifetime, to hunt the ultimate game, and as such you would have to pay the ultimate price.” Isabella warned, her eyes the blue of the arctic shores as she spoke to the hunter now pinned by those orbs.
Edward was silent, considering the ramifications of her words. Isabella Kaufman did not seem to him an individual to make idle warnings, nor one who would speak such words in jest.
“What sort of price are you asking for?” Edward asked suspiciously. Isabella’s eyes bored into his, attempting to impart the absolute seriousness of her words and the proposition.
“Your soul.” Was her grim and cold answer.
Her words echoed in his head and Edward shivered slightly, the temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees with her utterance. Rubbing his arm in a subconscious reaction he searched her visage for some sort of inclination that she was joking or insane. But her gossamer skin remained in its stoic and serious expression from before. Either she was a poor comedian or she was absolutely serious, and worse yet he wasn’t sure which he would prefer.
“Aha…ha… Are you serious?” Edward somewhat shakily inquired, his fingers drumming nervously against his knee, stalling for time.
“Infallibly so.” Was her curt response.
Edward leaned back into his seat, running his hands through his hair with a slow exhale, trying to make sense of the strange conversation. Isabella, meanwhile, waited as patiently as time itself for the hunter to sort himself out, eyes watching Edward sharply as she awaited a decision.
“So, you would kill me after I kill it?” Edward asked tightly after some time.
“Mister Adler, you have lived your life pursuing the ultimate hunt. Each day you would set your life on the line in the name of that ideal of perfecting the hunting skills you have. What I offer is merely the next step, and to climb the stairs of perfection always takes one more.” Isabella explained with cold and resolute conviction. “To advance the next step,” She began, snapping her wrist producing a scroll in a puff of icy blue smoke of conjuration, causing Edward to jump slightly in surprise, “you need to pay the toll.” She informed him, presenting the paper to him expectantly.
Edward stared at the inscribed parchment in wonder, for both its meaning as well as the manner to which it was brought to him. True, he had always set his life on the line in order to advance himself to his goal of perfecting his hunting abilities but this was indeed a step further.
But, was that any reason to dismiss it?
Perhaps. Given the demand of signature and soul which were attempting to be extracted from him, the fact of the matter was that so far he had seen no proof. True she was visually appealing and rather well versed and apparently educated, but nevertheless if she expected Edward to sign away his soul for the opportunity he could be hardly expected to merely go on her word.
“If I am to sign, should I not have at least a description of the alleged ‘ultimate game’?” Edward asked, leaning forward slightly with a cocky smirk. Isabella narrowed her eyes slightly at that but did not refute it. Instead she rerolled the scroll with another snap of her wrist and puff of smoke, crossing her hands on her lap once more and leaning forward slightly.
“Are you aware of what the Loa is and the Primal Gods?” Edward frowned slightly, attempting to recall where he had heard those familiar words spoken. At length he brightened somewhat ion recognition.
“Yes, they had something to do with trolls and their voodoo I believe.” Isabella smiled slightly and indulgently at that, an expression Edward found rather fetching on the normally cold and expressionless visage.
“Precisely. The Primal Gods are animal gods and their avatars worshipped by the trolls and deeply connected to their voodoo magic’s. However, following the fall of the Gurubashi Empire many temples and shrines were lost or abandoned. But that,” she added with an upraised delicate finger, “is not to say that they themselves simply vanished. Quite the contrary in most cases in fact.” Isabella informed Edward smugly. The hunter raised an inquisitive brow, growing intrigued by her words.
“You’re saying that this prey you offer is one of these gods?” Edward queried suspiciously. Isabella nodded confidently and brought her hands together in a loud clap, parting them amongst a cloud of the blue smoke like she had used to bring forth the scroll earlier. She brought her hands to her sides, the blue smoke trialing the motions before drifting to the floor and fading away.
In their wake however was a long stone tablet, hovering in the air inches above Isabella’s lap as if supported on a solid table. Crude but beautiful images were carved into the stone and decorated with coloured stones and jade, some of the gems used in the image making Edward stare in awe as he realized they were genuine.
With a snap of her wrist and another puff of smoke Isabella held forth a long stick the likes of which Edward’s tutors once used to point at the board during lessons, the end of which she brought down on one of the pictographs on the stone. “Now Mister Adler, this is a tablet found within the temple of the creature to whom I have spoken of before. Its name, to the ancient trolls who did worship it, was Vela’Zor.” With that Isabella pointed the stick to an image of a large raptor like creature with feathers covering its neck like a frill, huge jaws with teeth made of carved and pointed jade in its mouth.
“The legend goes that while the trolls were beset by a terrifying empire of insect-like creatures they turned to her. Battling desperately, they eventually beseeched Vela’Zor for aid.” Isabella pointed to the next image showing several carved trolls wearing robes and large headdresses before the raptor engraving. “Vela’Zor, respecting the trolls and their skills both in battle and their devotion, granted them many of her children for use as mounts.” Isabella continued, tapping the following pictogram depicting several armed trolls atop raptors. “They erected a large temple for Vela’Zor following the war, attended by many priests in recognition of the services rendered.” Isabella indicated the next image, a stone block ziggurat in which Vela’Zor was set within along with several trolls wearing robes before it, kneeling subserviently.
“That all changed after the empires fell to the night elves and the Sundering.” Isabella continued a particularly pained expression on her face as she said those words. Edward noticed it but decided not to comment, keeping his eyes affixed to carved image, the stone protruding from the tablet disconnected and in fragments. Isabella wordlessly tapped on the next, Edward’s eyebrows rising slightly in surprise at the precise image of what appeared to be a miniaturized rendition of Azeroth’s three continents.
“Following the Sundering, the trolls, weakened by the wars and with their kingdoms broken they turned to the blood god Hakkar for aid. The results of that particular error in judgement are still being felt today but that is beside the matter to which we are discussing. When the civil war broke out the effects were felt throughout the rebuilt troll nation, and the empire was fractured into the tribes we see today.” Isabella pointed to where the next image should be, only for the stone to in fact be blank.
“Vela’Zor’s temple was abandoned, the great ziggurat becoming overgrown with moss and trees as the foliage reclaimed it making it disappear into the jungle. The location lost and forgotten, the trails and pathways leading to the temple became overgrown and in most cases impassable. Few even recollect that Vela’Zor even existed.” Edward nodded in understanding to her words even as Isabella passed an arm over the stone tablet, the pictogram engraved object dissipating into the blue smoke characteristic of her magic.
“So, you’re saying that you know a path to the temple?” Edward asked, summing up the point the sorceress was attempting to impart. Isabella nodded in the firm affirmative.
“Precisely. It is this that I offer, the ultimate hunting challenge. A god, with the instinct and cunning of the beast yet with the knowledge and wisdom of a creature millennia old. Her temple has become a small plateau and I can direct you to the top in exchange for your soul, after that it is up to you.” Isabella told him, snapping her wrist once more and, with a second puff of smoke, again conjuring the contract into her hand.
“All you need do…” Isabella began, tapping the pointer against the paper and causing the stick to flash with blue smoke, transforming into a pen with a small purple bauble affixed to the top. “… Is sign.”
Edward stared at the contract. He had hunted raptors before, the creatures clever and skilled, oft times working in packs making the challenge all the greater. He had slain his targets all the same, he was an expert after all. Yet the idea of hunting a raptor that was not only an animal with intellect surpassing many humans, but a god!
Edward gifted his companion a confident grin, snatching the pen with one hand. “Madame,” He crowed, quick arches of the pen against the contract inscribing his name, “You have yourself a deal.” Isabella smiled slightly, eyes flashing as the contract coiled itself back up and into her hand and disappeared with a puff of blue smoke once more.
“I had every confidence.” She assured him before rising to her feet. She reached forth and retrieved her pen, slipping it into the fathomless reaches of the flowing blue fabric adorning her, then retracting her hand with a scroll that really should not have realistically fit anywhere within the silky cloth.
She handed the scroll to Edward, who took it eagerly. “That is the promised map. Should you succeed or fail it depends entirely upon your own abilities, I hardly care which you achieve. I will return to collect my payment when the time comes. Adieu.” With that she seemed the glide towards the door, opening it and disappearing around the corner. Edward raised his head sharply upon her ambiguous mentioning of time to collect and shot to the door within second of her departure, skidding outside of the room and glancing about frantically.
Post by
oneforthemoney
But Isabella was nowhere in sight, gone as if she had never existed. Brown eyes shot about, searching for somewhere she may have hidden but the hall was as bereft of locations for such a feat. Edward scratched his head but, when he compared it to the abilities he had seen the attractive sorceress perform that day he realized that he should hardly be surprised, a mere disappearing act miles behind summoning such a large tablet from thin air.
Reminded, the hunter looked to the map in his hands. Not even waiting to return to his room he unfurled it right there, eyes staring at the map with greedy devouring eyes.
“Looks like I’m going to Northern Stranglethorn.” Edward mused gleefully, wandering back to his room, eyes never straying from the parchment gripped tightly in his eager hands.
Edward stalked forward, a shadow passing over him from an arch covered in vines and moss. He had left the mostly green foliage behind, flagstone flooring replacing where once dirt and tree roots had lain sprawled before him. Vines and patches of green still lay in his path, encroaching through the brickwork with a persistence that only nature knows.
Obelisks and monoliths carved with pictographs, barely visible through the encroaching green, rose from the ground all around him like silent stone guardians. Their presence on the mesa seemed to act as surrogate trees, rising about him in lieu of the tall foliage, though thick brushes still grew nearly everywhere, particularly about the statues bases.
Edward moved from the shadows of each slowly and meticulously. He was coated in mud, the soggy earth disguising his scent for the most part. He had donned the façade days ago, when he had first ascended the plateau by way of a ridiculously complicated path that was barely traversable, requiring frequent scaling of vines and narrow ledges. Yet he had counted his fortunes to having bought the map. Having passed the barely passable pathways, he had seen the alternatives closely, and occasionally the remains of those who had failed. When he had first surveyed the large mesa from the base he had found a ramp like trial leading up and up and up into the reaches of the sky, large carved steps occasionally visible beneath the particularly thick growth of nature’s reclamation.
So too had he seen what he had now dubbed the ‘Children of Vela’Zor’. He had camped out the path, attempting to ascertain its safety. It had proven the wise decision; large raptors with a greenish tint to their bodies had maneuvered about the steps, colouration so near perfect camouflage against the steps and foliage that Edward had barely seen them. Even with all his hunting expertise he had caught but glimpses of them before they took to the steps, pouring onto an adventurous crocolisk like a murder of crows and tearing the great beast to shreds in moments.
Not to mention that a pair of massive statues in the form of full-bodied carved stone trolls had seemed to be watching his every motion. The night’s embrace had lent a red glow to their carved eyes which in itself had proved quite foreboding.
Satisfied in the expertise of the guardians of the steps, he had retreated back into the jungle, choosing to trust the map and the directions given. It had taken some time; three days of solid climbing. Dozens of times he nearly fell to his death before he had finally reached the top of the mesa.
That was where the hard part begun.
The Children of Vela’zor, nearly invisible against their homes flora, prowled the plateau constantly, searching for intruders. The first thing Edward had done was coat himself in mud, a small waterfall which ran through the plateau providing the material, Edward later discovered it to be part of an ancient irrigation system as he had traveled further in and the stonework became apparent beneath the mud and greenery.
From there he had crawled for two whole days near the aqueduct’s route. Covered in mud and moss he had transplanted from the ground onto his back to better disguise himself. He had no idea how the Children of Vela’Zor were different from other raptors and needed to have opportunities to observe them without being discovered. As such, sliding along the temples gardens on his belly like a snake with rifle firmly grasped in hand had been his best option.
There had been many close calls before he felt reasonably certain of his ability to distinguish and discover the predators before they spotted him and returned to traveling by foot. The event that stood out greatest in his mind would be when crawling through the jungle, a sound had forced him to freeze. Slowly, a Child of Vela’Zor had stalked from between two monuments, its head moving about slowly to scan its surroundings, a slight rattling sound coming from its throat as it searched. The creature had steeped onto Edward’s back, pausing there to survey the area from what it thought to be a slight incline.
The creature had been horribly heavy, but Edward dared not move lest he reveal that no, he was not a soft patch of moss but something far more edible. After what had seemed like an eternity the reptile had slowly stepped off of his back, resuming its travels at a steady unhurried pace, singular large and curved talon clicking occasionally against the ground as it wandered away.
Edward had learned to listen for that click early on, the surest sign one of the beasts were approaching. Yet he did not rely solely on that, as the raptors did not permit the habit if they thought they were not alone. The hunter was just fortunate that they felt secure on the plateau most times, and with good reason.
Yet through it all he knew he was nearing the end of his journey, Vela’Zor’s nest! Though fleeting, he had snatched glimpses of the wild god of the raptors. For but seconds he would spot the creature, the raptor having a shade lighter green scales than her children. He would see perhaps the gold rings enwrapping the raptor’s tail, or perhaps one of the divine reptile’s eyes with a burning white glow as if they were aflame. One time he had even spotted the frills about its neck through a break in the foliage, but it was once gone before he could react.
His awe at the creature’s abilities in stealth had only been offset by his realization that he could not shoot the god if he could not spot it in time to even bring his rifle to bear. That in mind Edward had been forced to turn once more to the ancient map. It was there which he realized that if a god it truly was, it would reside in the main temple. To reach this temple was his current goal.
Edward paused near one of the large stone edifices at the sound of clicking talons. Pressing his back to the cold vine enwrapped stone, the hunter peered around the side. From between the cover of some gregariously grown leaves he spotted the end of his journey, a wide almost mad grin slowly working his lips upward.
Formed by a collection of the massive stone blocks, the main temple had a vague if squat pyramid-like structure, which Edward had come to associate with the troll’s architecture. Carved images, partially obscured by the encroaching jungle like all things in the light forsaken place, covered the structure’s wall. A single large entryway faced him, tall enough for three horses to stride in abreast without impediment.
Yet, for all its grandeur, the temple was but the background to the true focus. Approaching the entryway was the source of the clicking talon, Vela’Zor herself. Larger than any raptor, she was lean and muscular, her green scales almost glowing in the sun though the trio of golden rings about her tail flashed brightly in the light. The frill about her neck was in fact a necklace; thousands of exotic feathers Edward had never even seen composing the jewellery. The burning white glow of her eyes peered about over her shoulder, giving Edward the eerie impression she was looking right at him regardless of his cover.
Edward breathed deeply, calming himself as he raised his rifle. This was it! What he had sold his soul for, what he had spent weeks crawling through mud under the threat of the raptors falling upon him if he made a wrong move. Very carefully he drew back the hammer of his gun, cocking it with a fairly inaudible click.
Vela’Zor heard it.
With startling speed the raptor shot forward toward the entrance of the temple like an arrow. Edward cursed and fired, the crack of the gunshot snapping the tension-filled air. Edward cursed again when the bullet missed the great reptile, gouging out a chip of stone near the beast instead. The sound of the gunshot and resulting miss echoed around the plateau, filling the man with a keen sense of dread. It was impossible that had gone unnoticed.
He could have run then back into the jungle to await another opportunity to catch the beast.
But, the risk he would be discovered was too great. Girding himself Edward reloaded his gun and rushed across the no man’s land between him and the temple, diving into the shadows and after Vela’Zor.
The temple was dark and stifling, sunlight slowly fading the further Edward advanced into the inky darkness of the building. His eyes, though gradually accustoming, nevertheless were barely able to distinguish his hand in front of his face. He soon lost count of the amount of times he nearly fell on his face after tripping on a protruding rock, vine or such from lack of vision.
But Edward stubbornly continued onward, jaw set and mud caked face grim as he scoured the temple for the raptor god. He would persist -- he literally had nothing left to lose after all. If he tried to escape the children would merely hunt him down. And even if he succeeded in his escape he would still be in the hole, literally if his suspicions of the nature of Isabella were correct.
He soon lost track of time, the monotonous shadows which blinded him hiding any distinguishable characteristics of the walls and making them seem to run together indefinitely. Weeks or hours could have passed within those shadowed halls, Edward would likely never know. Only the steady advance deeper into the temple held any meaning for him at that point, his footsteps and heavy breathing the only sounds to be heard.
Eventually Edward stumbled around a corner and froze, hissing slightly as a bright light stabbed his eyes. Blinking furiously Edward narrowed his eyes to better glimpse what lay within the room. He nearly gasped in astonishment, suppressing the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief; he stared at the scene before him.
Vela’Zor lay in a nest composed of precious stones and jungle leaves, reclining lazily with scaly eyes closed in rest. The god was curled around herself like a cat, head resting on her tail like a natural pillow as sunlight beamed down from a skylight somewhere far above in the hidden reaches of the ceiling. Her frill was lying against her neck, feathers flattened as if a natural extension of herself.
Edward stared, almost incapable of believing that the object of his hunt would lie inert and nearly comatose before him. He did not move for a long time, attempting to ascertain if this was some sort of trap. But the great raptor did not stir, merely lying before him without registering his presence in any way.
Slowly, Edward began to raise his rifle once more, having reloaded the weapon earlier in the tunnels when he still had the light to do so. With almost serene silence he took aim, hesitating at that. He waited for a few moments, unsure if he wished to repeat the event at the entrance in which the beast had noticed his presence but, eventually and with shaking fingers, cocked his rifle.
Vela’Zor made no move to indicate she noticed, chest rising and falling in sleep without missing a beat. Edward slowly let a wicked grin stretch his lips, this was his chance! The culmination of all his efforts, of his life! He peered through the sight of the rifles scope, training the crosshairs on the god’s skull. His finger itched on the trigger expectantly.
A low guttural predatory rumble from his side forestalled the firing. Ever so slowly Edward turned his head to the side, eyes widening in horror and shock when he spotted a pair of large yellow eyes, reptilian slits glaring and gleaming from the darkness of a side passage he had failed to notice when he arrived.
Edward shot his gaze back to Vela’Zor, only to see her eyes wide open and burning with their customary white fire, scaly lips pulled back slightly in a bestial smirk.
“… Clever girl.” Edward uttered with a self-deprecating grin of his own. With a feral screech the Child of Vela’Zor who had been in the hidden passage lunged, Edward screaming in pain as the sharp talons and teeth tore into his body from the beast’s attack.
Vela’Zor watched in mild interest as the hunter was torn apart by her child, sickening cracks of bone and the ripping of flesh as the smaller raptor tore at the audacious human who had entered her domain filling her chamber. Gradually she closed her eyes once more in sleep, the thick iron like scent of blood filling the room and causing her to huff in pleasure.
Well, she was still a raptor after all.
Edward gazed at the world around him, new yet at the same time old. The chamber was the same as he remembered it from before, wide and Vela’Zor forming the centerpiece atop her nest.
Yet, it was different. Everything was painted in shades of blues, the realm he stood within seeming impervious to something as dark as shadows. As if, everything created its own glow thus eliminating the necessity of an outward and specific light source. Edward raised his hands and examined them curiously. They, like all of him, were coated in the same ethereal glow of the realm but with a difference. Small wisps of white drifted from him like steam escaping from an engine. Experimentally, Edward waved his arm in a few lazy arcs through the air, the foggy essence flowing from him to form a sort of tracer before it drifted away like smoke.
Glancing back Edward jumped slightly in shock, behind him being the child of Vela’Zor he had encountered. It paid no attention to Edward’s nearly transparent form, seeming to not even register his presence. Instead, the beast was busy with something at its feet, tearing strips of meat off of…
“By the light.” Edward gasped in horror, hand flying to his mouth to stifle his expression of disgust. The raptor was feeding on him! Edward rubbed his lower face with the hand already there convulsively, the shock of seeing his own body being ravaged and devoured shaking him to his very core.
In dawning horror he looked down to his current body, only to find to his unspoken relief clothes and form free of blemishes or even mud. It was as if someone had passed Edward through a filter, removing any dirt or grime he had accumulated on his body and saving him from the ravaged fate of his corpse.
Post by
oneforthemoney
Edward glanced back to the sleeping god, noting how unlike the smaller raptor and himself the creature did not excrete the same white steam like substance from its form. Instead, it possessed a green hue, unlike the white of Edward and the god’s child.
“Wh- where am I?” Edward asked in wonder.
“You are dead.” Edward spun to where the voice had come from. A large fog of the white substance that seemed to drift off of Edward was forming, drifting up from the floor in a swirling mass of zephyr. It soon grew to about the size of a man before drifting off and to the side, revealing Isabella, exactly as Edward remembered her. The high elf granted him a slight incline of her head in greeting before approaching; the fog drifting about her like it was more the shawl than the blue fabric clinging to her arms and body.
Edward stood, entrapped and gaping at the thick blue substance that drifted off her body not unlike the gods own but with a very distinct and different coloration. “You are dead, killed during your hunt and your body is, at the moment, being consumed by a rather hungry raptor.” She informed Edward, snapping the man from his daze.
“Then, why are you here?” Edward asked, the initial shock of the situation being pushed away by the icy and controlled demeanour of the woman before him.
Isabella raised an eyebrow, the gesture silently calling the former hunter a fool for his query. “I have simply come to accept payment due.” She informed him coldly, her tone having an underlying note of annoyance for having to explain herself.
Edward was silent for a moment, processing that. So, he was dead. And now, due to the contract he had signed she had come to collect his soul. Very slowly Edward nodded in acceptance of what she said. “I see.” Was his only answer. He found it rather simple to accept the fact she had come. He had made his decision to sign, and true to her word it had been the greatest hunt he had ever experienced, though the end not what he expected.
Isabella arched a finely groomed and extensive eyebrow at that, a slight smile of respect gracing her lips at his ready acceptance before her mask froze itself back in place. “Well then, let’s not waste any more time.” She informed him, uncurling her hand and revealing the small trinket which had adorned the pen Edward had signed with. He squinted slightly at the item, had it not just been the size of a pea? Odd, as it now fitted snugly in Isabella’s cradling hand.
The hunter felt a sudden pull toward that orb. Wide eyes shot to his fingers only to see the thin mist which they had been constantly exuding now bending unnaturally towards the ball in Isabella’s hand, drifting into the orb and disappearing within.
“W-wait, can I make one last request?” Edward quickly asked as his whole body begin to be pulled towards Isabella and the orb, as if caught in a vortex with his feet sliding over the stone effortlessly.
Isabella hummed indulgently for a moment and nodded at length. “I’ll listen, but promise nothing.” She eventually informed him. Edward breathed slightly in relief as the tug toward her grew less demanding, though he still inched unerringly toward her.
“Could you bring my rifle back to my family? You know, as a memento?” Edward asked plaintively. Isabella regarded Edward coolly for a moment, her eyes unreadable as she considered. At length she slowly nodded in agreement.
“Very well, but only because ‘I’ want to.” She added in afterthought with a slight challenging glare. Edward smiled slightly at that, and did not resist as he was pulled into the purple orb, body breaking down into the white mist that surrounded Isabella as he drew closer. Soon, what had been Edward Adler disappeared into the orb, not a trace of his soul left behind.
Isabella lowered the orb to her side and strode forward toward the rifle which had spun across the floor when the raptor had leapt upon Edward. Slowly, the maiden leaned down and hefted the weapon with ease, turning to Vela’Zor once she had it in hand.
“Do you mind?” She asked, titling her head to the weapon in her hand. The god snorted slightly at the question without looking her way.
“I’ve no need of it. If it brings you satisfaction, feel free.” The great raptor answered in a light feminine voice. Isabella scowled slightly at the god, lips twisting downward in displeasure.
“This is for the hunter, not me.” The woman contested with slight bite. The great raptor chuckled slightly as glowing eyes alighted on her companion.
“Either way, so long as you do not forget what makes you different from him.” Vela’Zor answered lightly, with cryptic emphasis on ‘him’.
“As if I would.” Isabella shot back, the mist still about her enwrapping her form with those words. With a final if grudging bow of respect Isabella disappeared within the embrace of the ghostly fog. The mist faded away completely soon enough, not leaving a trace of its existence behind in the cavernous chamber of the god.
As if it had never been.
Post by
oneforthemoney
Damn character limit.
At any rate, this is a sort of companion piece for
Sign on the Line
though you do not have to read that first for this. I know the third post is somewhat short but I will be putting the rest of the third part and the fourth up in a few days to finish it. It was really hard to write Isabella correctly, as she is more prideful and businesslike but still needed to be convincing enough to get him to sign.
As for the raptor god idea, since there was no troll god in lore I went for it, blaming the lack of knowledge on Vela'Zor being forgotten. If there is a specific reason for lack of a raptor god I did not know of it.
Post by
Mojoworkn
Wow. I am thoroughly impressed. In my opinion, I thought this was my favorite piece I've read from you. The simplest way I can describe it: It was like a good book that you just can't put down.
I thought you nailed Isabella right on the head. I definitely got the sense of pride, but also businesslike in her personality, and it's made Isabella one of my favorite characters (well, except for Gunter). I also thought that you transition very nicely in to the memory than the last piece I read from you. It made sense to have a break in there, which is something your other piece might have done better with.
The only discrepancies I found were a few missing commas and a couple of extra/unneeded words. All and all Money, this piece is fabulous as normal, and I am eagerly awaiting the final part.
/two thumbs up
Post by
oneforthemoney
Thanks Mojo. I think I tried too hard with Sign on the Line which is unfortunate because I really like Faust (which may have contributed). But I didn't elaborate much on
why
he does what he does. Ah well, I plan to do more work with him later anyway. I think I was too descriptive and flowery with my language in Sign while this was more curt and to the point overall without becoming lost in details.
Thanks for the feedback.
Post by
Mojoworkn
I might need to go read Sign on the Line now. The story I was referring to was the one with the dog :)
Post by
oneforthemoney
And done, don't forget that the second part starts in an extended third post. I am aware that I stole that line from Jurassic Park but when writing a story about a jungle filled with raptors it's rather hard not to sometimes. This story was hard to write but I worked out many of the kinks that plagued this character and am by and large happy with the result. I would still like to hear all of your thoughts of course.
Post by
Mojoworkn
Bumping this so I remember to read it this week. :)
Post by
Mojoworkn
Finally got around to reading the ending!
Not really much to add to my previous post. It was an excellent ending that only left me with one question: What the hell is Isabella? She scares me to death...
Post by
oneforthemoney
The answer would likely surprise you but I'm not going to give it up just yet. I have been working on another short series that I won't start uploading until it's complete and that I hope will explain a few things.
Post by
Mojoworkn
Patiently waiting! :)
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