ARPG Miscellaneous: Manzanita | Teapot, Badallaioc, Helagnus, (Laverito)

Laverito = Laverito (rider)

Badallaioc = Badallaioc

Helagnus = the corva, Helagnus

Teapot = the casua (owned by SheepMomther)

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Laverito would never understand how these three stryx in particular had agreed to hunt together. Badallaioc and Helagnus were always arguing, and while the casua was a generous and sweet creature, that wasn’t quite enough to offset the constant and fierce bickering.

Yet, here they were. Bright-throated Helagnus had taken flight, and the casua had slunk away into the trees. Laverito was hunched over, riding on Badallaioc’s back, carefully not making a single peep as Badallaioc stalked through the undergrowth. Both of them listened and smelled and watched for their prey.

Laverito would also never understand why they’d decided to hunt a unicorn.

For one thing, it was late in the day, the sun dipping low and sleepy in the sky before they’d even finalized this odd accord. And for another, unicorns preferred forests, and not only that, but forests with heavy cover. Flighted stryx like Helagnus preferred areas that were more exposed, easier to take flight from, while runner stryx like Badallaioc and the casua preferred areas that had fewer obstacles, easier to sprint across. This forest, like any typical possibly-sequestering-unicorns forest, was cramped and treacherous and dim from the sheer amount and thickness of the trees and vines and huge mushrooms clinging to twisting, gnarled trunks.

Laverito, a demon and a hare-man besides, could see just fine in the dark, but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy skulking around in darkness. If he weren't currently seated on a hungry Badallaioc, he would’ve laid out a complaint or twenty.

As it was, he gritted his teeth and scrunched up his black nose, and bore it without dignity. He was, frankly, incapable of doing anything with dignity at this specific moment in time. There were sappy pine needles stuck to his long white-tipped ears. It was the most uncomfortable feeling.

This forest was not like other forests. It was chaotic and crossways, peppered with pines and redwoods that certainly ought not to be growing entangled with birch and ash. Here and there a blood-red, half-peeled manzinita was curled over a rock. Thistles and foxglove and holly grew hither and thither with reckless abandon. It was much too hot here for both the season and the heavy shade.

Laverito did not trust this forest at all. This was not a nice forest. This was a forest with a wet, breathing throat, and Laverito was wary of finding the teeth at the end of it.

But Badallaioc patiently stalked through the trees, utterly unperturbed. Laverito looked up and glimpsed a flash of orange through a tiny gap in the leaves overhead. Helagnus was circling low, but Laverito would be surprised if she could see through the thick canopy. Once she got frustrated enough, she’d come thundering down to hunt on her talons with the runners. The other casua was nowhere to be seen, but Laverito wasn’t worried in the slightest. Badallaioc was a clever creature when pressed, but that casua was clever down to the bone, as a matter of course.

“Stop,” Laverito murmured. Badallaioc did. It was always a toss-up whether Badallaioc would listen to one of Laverito’s critical suggestions, or ignore the rider on his back as if he’d never even heard of having one.

“Manzanita on the left,” said Laverito quietly.

Badallaioc growled, “Manziphooeyhwat?”

“The bush, on the left. With the shiny white hair caught on it. The suspiciously unicorn-looking hair,” Laverito hissed.

Badallaioc turned to examine the bush. A thorough scan of the ground around it turned up half a hoofprint, aimed northeast, if Laverito’s guess was correct. It must’ve been a good guess, because without any further terse exchanging of words, Badallaioc moved northeast.

As Badallaioc carefully forged a path between the twisted trees and thicker-than-normal ground cover, Laverito saw a casua footprint also heading this direction. So the casua had come across the trail first, eh? Laverito couldn’t say he was surprised. Not after traveling with the casua for so many days.

They trailed their quarry for a short time or a long time, and Laverito didn’t bother remembering how long it was. He kept himself alert, scanning left, then right, then behind, his long ears turning just enough to catch all the sounds he could, but never lifting upwards far enough to catch on any (more) branches and leaves passing overhead.

One pine branch to the face had been enough for today, thanks.

It was Laverito who heard it first, because his hearing really was as good as his massive ears would suggest. Laverito ruffled the black feathers of Badallaioc's withers with both hands, just enough for Badallaioc to feel, and Badallaioc slowed to a cautious crawl, not a single talon so much as scuffing a half-buried tree root.

Ahead of them, a glint of white. Badallaioc moved low to the ground, every twitch deliberate, and Laverito even held his breath. He tangled his hands in Badallaioc’s feathery withers, preparing for the lunge -

And then something, or someone as both Laverito and Badallaioc quickly realized, punched through the canopy above, shrieking murderously. A blur of orange tumbled back and forth, bouncing off the tree-trunks like a toy ball. The unicorn was gone, vanished in a flash, long before Helagnus discovered the ground.

Badallaioc reared upwards, feathers puffing out in rage, and only Laverito’s firm grip kept him safely on Badallaioc's back.

“You MORON!” Badallaioc bellowed.

Helagnus sorted herself out and clambered upright, talons splayed and body crouched. Laverito wondered if now was one of those times where he ought to jump off and bound away into the undergrowth, so that he wouldn't end up caught in the crossfire. Being on an angry stryx's back wasn't as bad as being on the ground within goring range, but it also wasn't as good as being several leagues away, either.

“What were you doing? I nearly had it!” Badallaioc squawked.

“I wasn’t going to just let you have the kill!” Helagnus shrieked.

Badallaioc took a breath. He settled his feathers and came back to a more normal standing position. Laverito sat uneasily on his back, loosening his grip and tucking his feet up under him to make ready for jumping off, but Badallaioc didn’t move to attack Helagnus.

Instead, Badallaioc said calmly, “I am stunned that you are still alive. Any other creature would’ve long since choked to death on an ego as big as yours.”

Helagnus glared and bristled, positively fuming. Laverito expected to see sparks start flying from her gnashing beak, and steam start gushing from the sides of her head wherever her ears were hidden beneath her feathers.

Then Laverito suddenly said, “Oh, you are brilliant!”

Badallaioc twisted to stare at his rider with eyes that swore murder, only to blink, and then look to where Laverito was looking, because Laverito was not actually looking at Helagnus. Helagnus, always angry yet always easily distracted, looked too.

There was the casua, returning from the direction the unicorn had fled, nonchalantly holding a gleaming white unicorn tail in a pale pink beak.

“You caught it?!” Helagnus squawked in disbelief.

The other casua wiggled and fluffed a bit. Badallaioc churred in consideration. “Caught its tail, anyway. But that’s going to be enough, I reckon. Morsel will bleed out soon.”

“Leave a trail, if we’re lucky,” Laverito added.

“Okay. Alright.” Badallaioc glared at Helagnus again. “You gonna stick to the plan this time? You nearly cost us all dinner. If you try and mess this up for us, don’t expect us to toss you leftovers!”

Helagnus inhaled, sharp and infuriated and profoundly insulted. But the casua casually dropped the unicorn tail in front of her, and she deflated. As if trying to spit the word out of her beak and onto the ground before them as quickly as possible, she squawked, "Fine."

 

Laverito had the feeling that it was not fine.