Shara Sustain Trial

A few weeks after her initial and rather traumatizing arrival in the capital of Thedale, Shara slowly emerged from the city gates and stared across the vast desert ahead. Upon her arrival she had been tied up with the guards and healers nearly every single day after they had rescued her from her assailant's vicious assault and she was very worried that the psycho was still lingering out there somewhere, just waiting for her to finally leave the city. In the time she had spent at the city, the guards had followed through on their promise to make Gigante a wanted reosean. Now Shara could barely take two steps through the crowded market streets without seeing that freaks face plastered on numerous wanted posters. The pale tyrian had gotten quite close with many of the guards during her time in the city due to the many interactions they had during the guards questioning. As Shara hesitated on the threshold of the city many of the guards kept an eye on her, feeling pity for the massive tyrian who was obviously afraid to venture out from the protective walls.

As Shara stood on the threshold of the city Yadira finally finished her preparations and joined the tyrian. Yadira was just as traumatized if not more so than the tyrian from the close encounter they had experienced together. The red runner glanced up at the nervous tyrian and realized they would get no where if she didn't do something. The red runner lightly shoved the tyrians wing and even though she put a lot of force behind it, the massive tyrians arm didn't budge at all. "You ready?" Yadira called out to her, attempting to prod her into action but the tyrian didn't seem to hear her. The red runner frowned before moving in front of the tyrian and jumping up and down in front of her companion while shouting. "Hey! Shara? *grunt* HEY- Look at me!" When the tyrian still didn't respond the runner groaned in frustration before getting an idea. The mischievous runner quickly ran around behind Shara and clambered up onto the tyrians back then up onto her shoulder. Yadira firmly pressed her fore paws on the side of Sharas face and stood up on her hind legs to reach the tyrians small ears. After taking a deep breath she yelled as loud as possible. "SHARA!!" Finally Yadira got through to the tyrian who jolted at the painful noise. The sudden movement made the runner lose her balance and after failing to regain her footing the runner slipped from her perch and tumbled toward the ground.

Shara quickly grabbed the runner before she could hit the sandy stones of the ground. Yadira let out a sigh of relief when she realized she was safe and giggled as the tyrian gently set her down. "There we go! Welcome back to the land of the living!" Yadira lightly teased earning a sheepish blush from the tyrian. "Sorry..." Shara started to apologize but Yadira merely shook her head dismissing any other words before the tyrian could say them. She was well aware of what the tyrian was thinking about and didn't blame her for being hyper focused. "It'll be okay, we're barely leaving the city. It'll be a quick hunting trip to a spot that's regularly patrolled, we'll be fine. There and back in an hour. Tops!" Yadira spoke in a light and jovial tone trying to ease her friends fear earning a weary smile from the tyrian. Shara forced her tense muscles to relax before she looked over the runner. The red runner had acquired a new hood during their time recovering and now you couldn't see any of her extra eyes. Shara couldn't help but wonder if the psycho had seen the runners mutation. She silently prayed that he hadn't, if he had then her new friend would never know peace again just like her.

Shara shook her head to dismiss the growing cloud of negative thoughts that threatened to keep her rooted to the spot. With a shaky sigh the massive tyrian forced herself to her feet. Yadira smiled up at the tyrian who was finally ready to go and as the two took the first couple of steps beyond the walls of the city the friendly guards cheered them on. Yadira had insisted on walking, as her previous flying experience had left a foul taste in her mouth. Shara didn't want to be too far from her friend just in case Gigante showed up again. If he did, she needed to be close enough to snatch Yadira up just like last time. Yadira talked aimlessly to the tyrian as they traveled. Her companions odd appearance no longer bothered her but due to the circumstances she still couldn't act naturally. No matter how much she tried to hide it, the red runner was also constantly surveying their surroundings. There was very little around them, this area was significantly more rocky than the vast dunes they had traveled across but there was little to no vegetation this far from the river. The area the duo was heading to was a small chasm that a tributary fed into. The tiny creek was tiny and had no resemblance to the massive river that bordered the capital. It often dried up if the area went too long without rain, but the meager offering it provided was just enough for the insanely hardy desert flora to survive. And in the desert where there are plants there are likely animals.

Since the ecosystem of the area they were traveling to was so fragile the city guard was employed to monitor and protect the tiny oasis from being over hunted or destroyed. Making it the perfect place for the two hunted reoseans to complete their sustain trial in relative safety since neither of them had money on hand to barter in the market with. Wait... now that Shara thought about it... how did Yadira get that new cloak if she doesn't have any money? She gave the oblivious runner a skeptical side eye before deciding to dismiss the concern. It was probably fine. Before long the duo noticed a slight change in the air as the faintest hint of moisture reached their noses. After a little bit more walking the two walked over a slightly elevated outcrop to find a large patch of flowering cacti sprouting from between the sand encrusted boulders. Somewhere up ahead the two could hear the faint sound of a babbling brook and they could hear some sort of insect making a mating call. The two smiled in excitement when they saw the lovely little landscape they had found, now the real challenge! Finding prey that the Trial board would accept might prove to be a challenge but the two reoseans split up, eager to start the hunt.

Yadira headed off towards the sound of the water while doing her best to keep to the shadows of the rock formations that jutted out from between the plants. Her deep red pelt was not exactly subtle against the pale greens and muddy orange of the stone around her but if she stood still enough her prey could mistake her for a particularly dark shadow. Slowly and carefully the runner stalked between the spiky limbs of the cacti until she detected a tiny noise up ahead. She froze and verified the sound before slowly inching closer. Just around a clump of cacti and scraggly underbrush was scruffy looking hare who was feasting on an unguarded chunk of cactus while leisurely lounging in the shade. Yadira smiled as she got into position, she couldn't ask for a more perfect target. Slowly but surely the runner crept forward until she was practically on top of the lazy and and unaware prey. With a final swift lunge Yadira snapped up the hare, dispatching it before it even knew what was happening. Yadira stood up with the limp hare firmly held in her mouth, she smiled with pride as she turned to try to find her companion.

Across the oasis, Shara was slowly combing the rocks for a suitable target. She was not having much luck unfortunately. As the massive tyrian slowly traversed the terrain she saw a few tiny lizards, some bugs, and a mouse or two all of which were far too small to suit her needs. Just as the tyrian was starting to worry she wouldn't be able to find anything large enough, then sound of wings flapping and coarse bird calls could be heard. Shara paused and peered around a tall cactus to see a small group of vultures clustered around a carcass. The massive scavenger birds were greedily pecking and pulling at their food while also noisily fighting each other for the best scraps they could pull free. The largest and fattest of the birds was of considerable size, both in wingspan and girth, a rarity for a desert dwelling prey animal. Shara's heart raced in excitement as she quickly and silently stalked toward the unsuspecting flock of birds. Taking extreme care to not disturb the loose rocks or prick herself on the abundant spines around her, the massive tyrian quickly closed in on her prey. The preoccupied birds were too busy trying to consume as much meat as they could get their beaks on so none of them noticed the massive tyrian slowly slinking towards them until it was far too late. With a rapid strike Shara's maw clamped down on the largest bird sending the rest of the group shrieking and flapping as they desperately tried to escape. The captured vulture didn't even have time to panic before Shara claimed its life. Feathers flew in every direction as the other birds rapidly escaped and after a few chaotic seconds Shara was once more alone.

As Shara started to turn away to find Yadira, the carcass the vultures had been eating caught her attention. Something wasn't right. Why... Why did she suddenly feel like she needed to flee? She wanted to rip her eyes away from the carcass but at the same time she also needed to figure out what it was. This shape... was too familiar. No surely it isn't, there's no way. This oasis is supposed to be regularly patrolled... he couldn't possibly have... As frantic thoughts and panic rapidly built up in Shara's stomach, her heart started pounding faster than she had ever felt before. Slowly the tyrian inched closer to the carcass, her jaw a vice grip on the poor vulture as she trembled from head to tail tip. Now that she was close enough to see clearly an icy ball of dread formed in her chest making her choke. It was. It really was. She stood frozen in terror for a few seconds before she whipped her head around at the sudden sound of rocks clattering behind her. Yadira came padding around the bend in the river and gave her friend a happy wave while showing off her catch. When the red runner saw the tyrians face she stopped walking and then saw the dark form on the ground in front of her. Just as Yadira started to feel faint from the sudden crashing wave of fear, disgust, and horror Shara sprung into action. With a single bound the massive tyrian lunged for the runner and scooped her up in her talons once more. The red runner dangled limply, barely hanging on to her catch unconsciously as the tyrian rapidly fled from the oasis. Shara's own catch was practically bitten in half with how hard the tyrian was biting down on the vulture. The trial didn't matter any more. The only thing that matters is getting back to the city safely before Gigante returns to the oasis. There was no way they just so happened to find... that... while hunting near the city. No, this was a message. A warning that he was still here, still hunting, still waiting.