The Hunt

Nature. Full of mystery and beauty. Plants and wildlife of all different natures and walks of life somehow cohesively living together in stable environment. A mystery that only the Creator of Gaies could understand. But the most beautiful of things in nature and society are often the most dangerous. A vibrant flower in the wild forests of Gaies could be so poisonous that even touching it could fell an elephant. Beauty is often a tool of plants and certain animals for hunting and mating. While some use vibrant colours in self defence like peacocks of Earth’s African jungles. A peaceful lake could be full of vicious aquatic predators waiting for something to be foolish enough to touch their waters. Everything that enters nature must follow nature’s most basic rule: The Law of the Jungle. The strong eat the weak.

Many predators abandon their young in order to let them grow strong and wise to the ways of the jungle. But most importantly it is to allow an Apex to be born. An Apex is a being at the zenith of the natural world. The strongest, fastest, most adept hunter of the Beast Kingdom. Only a handful of beings truly ever make it to the peak, most dying to others or being permanently injured in the struggle to reach the peak. But those who reach it are Gods among their peers and all know it.

At this time; deep in the tall trees and gnarled woods of the Beast Kingdom’s forests, a shadow was moving. Not just moving but tracking, hunting, becoming an Apex. This contender for the local Apex crown was a humanoid form with sand coloured skin, a powerful lean and wiry physique suited for quick and fast movement. The being stood still finally allowing one to catch it’s features in perfect detail as it stood as still as the trees around it. A height of 5 feet, and weight seemingly around 110 lbs, the creature had small inch long nails that were sharpened into claws of savage utility. A face of immaturity topped off this humanoid beast. With it’s right deep purple eye that had a reptilian slit like pupil. And the left eye that was as dark as night with one pure white circular pupiless iris in the middle of it. The beast looked incredibly bizarre: heterochromatic eyes, a childishly handsome face by human standards, long flowing luscious raven coloured hair crowned the beast's head.

Gripping a rusted metal spear with a sturdy wooden shaft, the beast wore no clothes but had a large sharpened fang tied to its waist. Multiple scars adorned its body and without clothing the scars stood out as a testament of the beast’s life and struggles. Slowly lowering its body the creature crouched into the tall grass, bring its spear parallel to the ground. Ever so slowly and gently it began to stalk through the grass and shadows of the forest’s boughs. Disappearing from sight as quickly as it appeared.

In a clearing not too far away from the odd creature’s last position, a massive Beast grazed on a mana rich plant. The beast had the body of an elk yet it was multiplied several fold from its counterpart. Bulging muscles that could be seen by the naked eye, antlers two feet in length and tipped in sharp iron, were only the most visible traits of this behemoth of an elk. This ‘elk’ was a Steelgore Elk that stood at an impressive six feet of height not counting its massive antlers. A Beast of the Low Order and 2nd Rank. Known for being a herd type of Beast, this single Steelgore idly grazed on the delicious mana fruit it had found. A Steelgore was generally a common animal, yet avoided figure in the forest by even Mid Order Beasts of similar rank. Because of their highly tight-knit herd, once one Steelgore sounded the alarm all would rush without heed of danger in response. Charging at full speed with its steel pointed antlers and packing its massive frame behind it, a charging Steelgore was a very fearful existence. Even more so of a herd of twenty of the Beasts.

Entering the Steelgore’s clearing vicinity, the unknown beast appeared. Slowly and calmly reversing its grip on it’s spear the beast poised like an experienced hunter. With it’s spear aimed at the unknowing Steelgore; the would be hunter tightly grasped the large dagger-like fang in the opposite hand, balancing it’s body from the length and weight of it’s spear. Breathing visibly slowed the spear and dagger wielding beast patiently waited for the ‘golden moment’. The absolute best moment to strike. The very moment when any being finishes eating a meal. And as the Steelgore ate the last bit of the mana fruit, the waiting hunter let loose a powerful spear throw accompanied by a fierce roar of pridefully declaring its intent and victory as a predator. The rusted old spear whistled through the air slightly arching but flying nonetheless directly into the wide-eyed Steelgore’s open neck.

With an utterly terrifying force, the spear’s momentum carried the massive Beast to the ground. If one looked closely they would be able to see the extreme accuracy and precision used in the throw. The spear had hit 3 major arteries that joined up in the Steelgore’s throat. Matching the unnatural ability of the throw the humanoid beast instantly followed its weapon and pounced and the still stunned Steelgore. Jamming its long sharpened fang straight under the Steelgore’s mandible bone and into the brain of the still shocked Beast, the humanoid successfully killed its prey.

No flashy magic. No earth-shaking battle. No suspense and tension at all. This was a true hunt. A part of nature. A dance of life and death where only one partner knows what is happening, while the other is helplessly dragged along. And after dragging along an unsuspecting partner, the other must always take it’s trophy. The sentient races called this act skinning but in the Beast Kingdom it was simply, eating. Eating every succulent part of your prey that was the right one had as hunter, but this hunter did not do this. It began to work the long fang like a saw directly at the top of the dead Steelgore’s leg. After a few short breaths of time, the humanoid had successfully severed the leg and as quickly as it came it left.

Leaving prey behind was seen as a most disgraceful thing to Beasts. And especially this deep in the Beast Kingdom, there was no Beast that would do this. So why did this strangely human looking beast do so? The answer would shock you. This 5 foot tall beast was actually the 6 year old Lucifer Aeroic Khan that had been thrown into the Beast lands to accept his paternal inheritance.

An inheritance is a strange and seemingly pointless thing. Yet almost all sentient and Beast races completed one in order to become part of its own familia or as a right of passage. Some races and species make their children fight till only one survives, thus ensuring the strongest live on. Others nurture their young in caring environments and teach them how to hunt and survive. An inheritance is usually related to the first case. A savage and brutal way of forcing cubs and babes into becoming true predators, worthy of their name and honour.

The inheritance that young Lucifer was completing was his father’s. A Nephilim’s Inheritance. A Nephilim is said to be the children of god's and man’s most supreme warriors. Born of divinity and man’s natural adaptability, Nephilims were born killers. Warrior and divine blood flowed through their veins, demigods in a sense. With a god’s natural indifferent savagery and a champion’s battle sense, Nephilim were born berzerkers. They were so amazing at slaughtering foes, that Heaven threw them into the Eternal War between angels and demons. Soon the Nephilim became too strong to control, and Heaven did something very cruel. They threw newborn Nephilim into the Eternal War’s battlefield. This became every Nephilim’s trial or inheritance. Learning to survive on nothing but themselves while surrounded by foes trying to kill them.

So young Lucifer, grew up in the forests of the Beast Kingdom without any protection from his three ever-watchful retainers. They would watch and scare away the truly fearsome Beasts but left all those beneath the 3rd Rank, in his area of growth. Now it had been 6 years of time and it was finally the end of his inheritance from his father. Yet the savage Lucifer knew nothing of what was coming to him, something he would later call ‘the new layer of hell.’

Now while Lucifer ran from his kill with only a rusted spear, dagger-like fang and Steelgore hind leg a figure appeared at the carcass of the still warm Steelgore. The figure was 6’5” and cloaked but a large 7 foot naginata was strapped to it’s back. Gazing at the disappearing figure of Lucifer the figure chuckled slightly. Slowly walking after him the cloaked figured seemed to fade into the forest as if it was always a part of it.

After running for a few minutes Lucifer suddenly banked right as the ground; he would have stepped on had he continued going forward, exploded. Rolling and trying to steady his footing Lucifer gazed at the dust cloud caused by the explosion. While bits of dirt rained the near area, Lucifer’s experienced instincts told him he was being hunted. Every hair on his body stood up. His body crouching lower, his left arm discarding his meal and opting for his dagger. Right arm bringing his spear closer to his body, and tilted downward he tensed. Waiting for whatever was after him to come. Purple and black eyes darting all over for the slightest of movements, ears listening to every sound being made, nose smelling for whatever he currently faced. Then suddenly swiping his dagger in front of his body and twisting his body while jumping back Lucifer moved. He was dagger swipe cutting apart a small fist sized stone, and his body twisting to avoid a large poled blade smashing on top of him. Landing with a flip, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed at the weapon that almost killed him. It was a long weapon, much like his spear but this one had a curved single edged side to it. It was a naginata. Wielding this polearm was a cloaked figure that seemed strangely familiar to Lucifer.

The figure laughed at Lucifer’s bewildered expression, and suddenly launched a series of violent stabs and slashes all aimed at his limbs. Without time to react Lucifer was quickly and very pathetically disarmed. Then immobilized by cuts directly to his tendons and joints. Collapsing to the ground a roar of unwillingness escaped Lucifer’s throat. This was the first time any animal had mocked him and still lived in the 6 years he survived in this forest, he was after all becoming the Apex of this area. All that replied to his madness was the butt of the naginata slapping his temple, rendering him unconscious.