[Trade] Zataro Hunt - Two Tyrians in a Canyon

ZATARO HUNT – Two Tyrians in a Canyon

The Salt city of Houis was loud and filled with Reoseans that day. The streets were bustling, and it was hard to walk without stepping on someone’s leg, tail or wing.

Concurr, a Empyrian that was born in Thedale, had a precious weapon called “club tail” that kept even the most inattentive Reosean away from his talons.

The apricot-colored Tyrian looked tired and bored: he had travelled all the way from Thedale to Vitalus only to find some honest work with an honest pay, but it was quite hard to get any interesting offers.

Most of the jobs required some companions, and the ones who didn’t were boring and tedious: carrying salt around the city, helping the ships to get to open sea by dragging them with ropes, pupsitting… Yeah, none of those were good for him.

He was starting to lose hope, when he saw a commotion in one of the squares. Walking there, he realized that a large group of armed Reoseans with their riders were surrounding a single human that was reading a scroll.

“Attention citizens and travellers!”

He started, loudly, making a shadow-colored Haedian flinch for the sudden volume that scratched her sensitive antennae ears.

“A Pouncing Zataro has been sighted in the smooth Canyons. Please be aware of the dangerous beast when you plan your itinerary, and if possible cancel all trips near the Canyons until the beast has been slayed.”

Some murmurs of displeasure soared around Concurr, and the armed group tried to keep everyone calm.

“Please, people. We only want to keep you safe. A bounty on the beast head has been placed, you may sign up here with a companion to join the hunt.”

Concurr grimaced. Again, he needed a companion… He walked anyway to the post where a cat-like humanoid was writing all the names of the ones participating. the Empyrian looked around, and saw a Haedian looking at the signing post, with an unsure look on her face.

‘Well… Doesn’t hurt to try.’ He thought, approaching her.

“Are you looking for a companion to join the hunt?” He asked, a bit bluntly, and the Haedian raised her head with a start.

“Ah- Ehm, yes! I need to work with someone… And split the money fifty-fifty.”

“Sounds good to me. I am Concurr.”

“Alteri. Do you know the Canyons well?”

She questioned, and Concurr looked a bit apologetic. He shook his head, and the Haedian widened her eyes, a bit surprised. With his look, it was easy to assume he was a local.

“No, sorry. I am from Thedale. How about you?”

“I'm afraid I do not know the area well.”

“Then we will need a map, I suppose.”

——

Alteri and Concurr started their slow journey towards the Canyons. They both studied the map, and tried to work out some strategies to fight the beast efficiently.

They reached the Canyons in the night, and they both stopped to look around, taking in the sight of the wind smothered rocks bathed in the moonlight.

There were some ground-level paths, but if the book they purchased on the Zataro species was right, those were the most dangerous.

The Pouncing Zataro loved high places and to jump onto their unsuspecting prey.

The two Tyrians looked at each other and nodded, climbing and flying onto the higher paths. There, they were completely under the light of the moon, but their colours were luckily muted enough to not catch the attention of the predator.

“It should be close.”

Whispers Concurr, looking around. Just as he said that, his short fur bristles, and he feels a shift in the pressure of the air from behind himself.
The Empyrian launches off the cliff, just as the Pounching Zataro jumps on him, trying to catch a big meal.
Alteri shift out of the way, looking behind: the beast had waited until they went over a crack on the higher path, and then it slipped behind them.
The Zataro snarled and showed its sharp fangs, its natural plating clicking with every small movement.

“Alteri, get out of there!”

Shouted Concurr, seeing the Haedian scramble away from the Zataro's claws, trying to glide between the large and smooth cracks of the Canyon.
But the beast looked quite interested in her, and weirdly enamoured with the haedian big and feathery tail. Like a big cat, the Zataro gave chase, snapping its jaws at the tail of the panicked haedian.

After all, Alteri was a hunter with a similar style to the Pouncing Zataro: stealth and surprise attacks. Running away from a big beast like that one, dodging the stingers that fly towards her legs, was not her cup of tea.
Alteri ran on the higher path of the canyon, slipping when turning and jumping as her claws couldn't find the right purchase on the smooth stone, while the Zataro didn't seem to have any issue.
The beast snapped its long fangs a little too close to the haedian tail, plucking out a feather, and the poor Alteri let out a terrified scream.

“OUCH! CONCURR, DO SOMETHING!”

Concurr, who was still flapping his wings out of the reach of the Zataro, gulped. The beast was bigger than he expected, but was he a coward? Of course NOT.
The empyrian roared and dived, ready to face the beast. Or well, its scaled back. Concurr stabbed the Zataro with his talons, pushing them deep in the flesh between the scales. The beast wailed in pain, and its focus changed from Alteri's tail to Concurr.

The Empyrian nearly got a stinger in the face, as he pulled out the claws from the Zataro's back and tried to take distance from the threat: the beast was now furious, with foam at its mouth and bloodshot eyes focussed only on Concurr.
Its stingers snapped in the air like whips, and both the reoseans knew that being hit by one of those meant death.
Alteri readied herself and silently slipped away, muscles tight and shallows breaths, trying to gain ad advantage against the Zataro's strength. If she managed to hide and attack stealthily, they could injure the beast before the fight could tire them out. She managed to latch herself on the side of the rock they were on, and hidden from the sight of the beast she slowly moved to a more favourable position.

Concurr and the Pouncing Zataro circled each other, hissing and snarling. They were on a large smooth rock between two cracks: if Concurr fell, he would have been able to fly away... But the Zataro would fall to his death.
Concurr hissed again, his bear-like ears flat on his head, and the Zataro lounged, stingers ready. But before the wild animal could hit the empyrian, Alteri crawled up the rock, and quick as lighting she clawed at the beast legs.

The Pouncing Zataro tripped as the haedian's talons carved the scales and flesh on his legs, and crashed before it could reach the Empyrian.
Concurr, seeing the beast stunned but ready to get up, spinned and hit the Zataro's head with his club tail, sending it to sleep. Permanently.

“...That was not easy.”

Alteri said, looking at the now still Zataro, still breathing heavily for all the running she did. Her beautiful tail was missing a few feathers now, and it looked more like a dusting instrument.

“I agree... At least, the bounty will pay well.”

Concurr answered, walking near the Zataro, touching the brown plating with a claw. It was a magnificent beast, too bad it was way too dangerous to keep it alive. The two tyrian gathered the materials from the creature, then buried what was left.
With everything packed and ready, the two began their trek back to the city, ready to get their talons on their hard-worked for money.