What do you know of bestials? Asked durgan taking another sip of water from his canteen after a long day under the hot sun.
I'm sorry what? Replied Nadia. Struggling to hold on to the grip of the saddle railing.
Durgan, Nadia, Baraxis, and Nya had been riding on the back of Aniba for about a day and a half, trekking on through the thick swampy, jungle, with the gigantic drooling lizard weaving her way in and around the gaps of the thick roots and trees blocking their path gracefully and effortlessly like a serpent with legs as she followed the scent, not letting up after hours of running. It was certainly a bumpy ride for all of them. Durgan didn't seem to mind however.
"Bestials..." Durgan repeated himself, smiling as he held tightly to the reins to avoid falling off as Aniba jumped across a stream in one large leap to continue the chase. "Are what we are hunting first." Durgan his eyes focused in front, afforded a quick glance behind him to the rest of the group. Nadia was sitting crosslegged next to her sister on the far back of the withered oval saddle. Nya resting her arms against the side as she starred out past to see the rocks and trees blurring past them, seemingly enjoying the ride. Baraxis was fast asleep snoring across from the two of the two girls, keeping his quills and tail bundled tightly together to avoid bumping into the two spiders accidently.
He's a sound sleeper. Nadia observed with a slight look of disgust at the pile of drool forming from under the porcupine's fanged smile of blissfull dreaming. Is he always like this?
More often than not. Durgan smirked. But he'll pull his weight when he needs too. As will you and your sister.
Durgan took one last swig of the water before tossing it back to Nadia. She sniffed it unsure and glanced up to face the alligator riding hunched over on the rider seat in front.
Drink. He called out. You need your strength for what's to come. Both of you.
Nadia. Sighed and complied. Taking a long drink of water before passing the majority of it to her sister beside her.
What are we doing out here? Asked Nadia as she wiped away the water from her pincers with one of her forearms.
Pretty sure I already told you. Said Durgan.
I meant what are we hunting. Said Nadia. Holding tightly to her bow with one hand.
"Hunting a bestial boar. Said Durgan before ducking down. "Heads up!"
Suddenly, Aniba flattened and crouched further toward the ground to slip through an arch of tree roots blocking their path. Nadia and Naya ducked just in time, feeling the air and leaves rushing above them. Nadia shifted in her seat upon sitting back up. Sticking tightly to try and keep her balance and lunch from coming up.
Can you please slow down!? Asked Nadia angrily. We've been moving like this for hours, and we're getting bruised back here!
Can't. Said durgan. Blood trail is still fresh and don't want to risk losing it to any other's who might already be on it also. Durgan sniffed the air further. Enthralled just like his beast beneath him. It's near."
Nadai scowled at the reptile. Both of them in contempt.
I ask again. Said Durgan. What do you know of Bestials? Ever seen one?
Nadia tried to relax as much as she could accomplish in her shaking seat before being forced to give an answer.
Some big mutant? She replied. I heard stories about them. That they're just bigger dumber versions of normal unevolved wildlife. And that they were extinct.
Oh no. Said Durgan. they're still around. You just have to know where to look to find one. And how to catch one. And they are not dumb. Not even close. Durgan smiled as he leaned over to the right to pat the bridge of Aniba's snout fondly before refocusing back on the path in front to guide her every so often. It looked more as if she was in control and he was just going along for the ride like the others. Trusting her to do what she did best and slacking off. But he wasn't. They were acting as one, side by side. Both hunting the same scent in the air, unwilling to let any other get it first.
You said it was a boar. We're tracking. Said Nadia. Why all this for just one boar? Seem's like overkill if you ask me. Even a bestial. It can't be that tough. I've killed a boar before and can do it again.
A bestial boar, little spider. Is nothing like those uninteligent diminuative piglets you and your daddy made a habit of coming across safe and sound. This is a creature that has reached it's highest evolutionary potential over its smaller cousins. Hide as thick as a dreadnaught warship. Tusks the size of tree branches and five times as thick. And a temper toward anything that comes across it's path that'll lead it to charge and destroy said thing without a second thought. Because it could. It could wipe out a whole town in one afternoon if it liked. That is where we come in. It'll take all of us and that steel strong silk of yours to wrangle the pest.
Wrangle? Said Nadia. Not kill?
Durgan replied. but didn't look back. "Killing A bestial is difficult. Capturing one alive without damaging it, almost impossible. But it can be done with your're help and if you do what I say. We'll get a bigger reward for bringing it in still in fighting shape to my employer still kicking and able to kill. And I intend to collect every coin for us from what's to come after. Aniba halt!!
The monitor lizard mount came to a sudden sloppy halt that made the passengers atop her back lurch forward before catching themselves from falling over. The two reptiles, sniffed the air wildly in every direction before Durgan guided the lizard over to an open stone face clearing revealed through two battered broken trees knocked aside like twigs. Effortlessly and cleanly torn out root and stem by some uncontrollable force.
Nadia's eye's widened in shock as she looked over the side of the saddle as they approached closer to the cliff stone wall. There was blood all over the gravel and jungle floor beneath the lizards clawed feet.
Aniba halt! Durgan ordered.
The tamed bestial monitor lizard obeyed and lowered its long snout to touch the ground. Durgan jumped off the saddle and began to eye his gruesome surroundings. As did the girls.
That. Gestured Drugan. Is why Bestials are a big deal.
Slumped and scattered at the base of the stone boulder, were four bloodied and trampled bodies of evolved hired bestial hunters dressed in assorted crude armor and leather straps. A lion, a Rat, a bison, and fat beaver. All from different habitats across the world having untied for a shared job with the promise of great reward. And all similarly torn to a pulp and crushed to death by massive hoofed feet leaving bloodied footprints the size of king sized beds all around them.
Durgan approached and knelt down in front of the lion trapped against the rock, with bloody dried streaks of red radiating out from the feline warrior's back like streaks of sunlight. Durgan tilted the lion to face him, sizing his injuries' up and looking for what did him in. It took one glance down and had his answer easily.
Nya look away. Ordered Nadia.
No. Said Durgan. Wiping his hands. Come down and see why we take every precaution and don't underestimate our quarry.
Nadia tried to keep her sister from leaving the saddle. But she had already climbed down and slowly walked forward in silence. Nadia soon followed.
The lion had a hole torn through his ribcage. He had been impaled against the rock by a massive tusk which had been broken off and clawed at. Obviously having tried to run away or break free. Even more obvious that he failed to do so in time. In his cold paws was still something thin and bloodied.
Durgan knelt across and uncurled the dead hunter's claws. Eyeing the belonging almost amused and remorcefull.
Armatures. Grimaced Durgan. Idiots. Thought iron chains could hold it. Found out the hard way that wasn't the case. Broke free of the ringed net and charged on each of them one at a time. Just made it mad. And all the harder for us to deal with now.
Idiots.
Durgan turned back to Aniba. Panting and hungry from the chase. She needed renewed strength. And he wasn't one to be wasteful. Food was food. He gestured his talon to the four bodies.
Aniba. Snack.
Nadia looked away quickly and shut her eyes just in time as the bestial lizard tore into the four corpses voraciously and inhumanely. Nya didn't look away however. Watching dumbfounded as the beast tore off chunks of meat and swallowing the limbs, bones, and armor whole. All with Baraxis still sleeping comfortably atop it's saddled back. Oblivious to the sound of crunching beneath.
The bestail boar couldn't have gone far after a fight like this. Said durgan. It'll rest up and so will we. We make camp here for the night. And continue to follow its' scent in the morning. Rest up. Shape up. And mount up. In the morning we come face to face with it. This is your first test spiders. You can handle this. You can handle anything we come across in the future. So prepare yourselves. You'll need all the help and webbing you can get.