The morning light was still grey and dim coming through the leaves of Wraithwine Wood. Mists still clung to the leaf carpeted ground and gave the air a wet chill. Bear stalked through the great trees, a huge silent shadow. Quinn was about 30 yards ahead, his head low, shoulders hunched. The Bander had picked up a scent about an hour earlier and they'd been silently following it since.

Bear had his crossbow cocked and could feel the game somewhere nearby. Aside from some broken branches and trampled undergrowth he'd found no sign of what it was they hunted. But he knew it was close, years in the wilds and forests had sharpened his instincts. There was an electricity to the air and a palpable sense of tension.

All of his worries and problems disappeared when he was on the hunt. He'd left Vienda extremely depressed. The weight of his brother's death and the growing sense of dread that had been casting a shadow over his thoughts and moods had ruined the final night among kind, happy folk. Thoughts of Fion and Nora cheered him up on the hike to Wraithwood where he always started his hunting season. But not now. Now all his thoughts were focused on the hunt and the prey was near.

About a hundred yards from Bear, there was a sudden crashing noise - as though an entire tree had been uprooted. It echoed through the canopy, and seemed to be coming from a darker part of the forest, where the trees were thicker.

Quinn's ears perked up, and he began running full speed towards the sound, barking.

This was his chance, Quinn was an excellent hunting partner. Once he located the prey he'd run around it and flush it toward Bear or a trap they'd prepared beforehand. Whatever this was, it was huge, Maire was going to have to bring this sucker down.

Bear ran through a thicket with a small pond. There was a multitude of small game tracks around the pond, excellent hunting ground for a large predator. With Quinn's barking growing louder, Bear scanned the clearing for an ideal ambush spot. A huge rotting log covered in lichens and grasses lay across the north end, directly in front of an obvious game trail. With his cloak pulled up over his head, Bear positioned himself behind the log. His crossbow rested on top, he had the perfect view of the trail ahead.

The crashing was growing louder and Quinn's bark had turned into a full howl. He was close on the things heels. Bear closed one eye and stared down his iron sights. Any minute now.

Suddenly, Quinn stopped barking. There was a frightened whimper, and then silence, from the clearing ahead...

((if you follow him, I'll reply with what you see.))

"No, ah Quinny, no!" Bear gasped. In a flash he had burst from cover and was sprinting to where he had last heard his pet. He had a sick feeling in his stomach. At the last moment before he burst through the brush he pulled his hunting knife from its scabbard. With crossbow raised and knife in hand Bear smashed through the undergrowth.

As Bear broke through the clearing, he could feel something strange underfoot - a rumbling. If there had been a railroad in Anaxas, he might have likened it to being on the tracks when a train was coming.

Looking up, he could see something huge, black and hulking in the trees, its lean hide covered in thick bruise-colored scales, its three-fingered toes grasping the branches; a forked tail hung down near Quinn, who was petrified in fear. Its face was hidden, but as Bear looked he could see six yellow sparks in the darkness.

If Bear had heard of the vradire before, he would have instantly recognized the beast. No creature alive was so fearsome. Coming close, he could smell the hot stink of its breath and see rows upon rows of knifelike teeth baring slowly behind black gums.

Bear glared at the creature from under his low brow. His first impulse that it was a Hatcher was quickly dismissed. There was no mist here and he didn't think Hatchers were this massive.

"Alright, Quinny, just keep still lad." He called to his friend, trying to sound reassuring. The truth was he was shaking in his boots. They weren't getting out of this one without a fight.

There was an intense standoff between the two predators, Bear was out of his element, if only he'd brought Gerry's old battle axe. Course he'd never needed it in Wraithwine before. Bear had undying faith in Maire and Abigail. His gals wouldn't let him down now, this would be their greatest test, all of them. He was terrified but a hunter take well to becoming prey, one of them would fall.

"Right beasty, lets have a go then." Bear growled as he dropped his cloak on the ground and tore off his light shirt. It was no armor and he needed the freedom of movement. "Fer Gerry!" He roared and Maire spit bolts at the monster.

((note: that's VERY ballsy, vradire are mythic beasts but ok!))

The vradire vanished.

There was no puff of smoke or sound of thunderclaps, but it was simply gone from the tree as though it had never been there - and indeed, Bear wondered for a moment if he had gone crazy. This was ancient magic, older than the forest itself; the kind that made you forget.

Reappearing in a tree a few yards away, the beast watched Bear with all six of its yellow eyes, unblinking. It was incredibly still. From his vantage point, he could see its odd-numbered horns protruding like a lion's mane from its head.

It made no move to attack, but stared at Bear, as though it found him fascinating.

((I was surprised too, Bear's pretty much doing his own thing now!))

A slow, cold dread spread through Bear. This was no simple predator of the forest, he suddenly felt very, very foolish for even attempting to harm it. Devin Berach, the mighty hunter, was a fly to this thing.

Slowly Bear backed away towards Quinn, he was sure to very cautious. A frightened, wounded Bander was a dangerous thing, even if you were fortunate enough to call it friend. His eyes never left the beast as Bear kneeled and stroked Quinn's fur. "Easy Laddy, its me Quinny."

Bear felt helpless and exposed. This was not a feeling he was used to and he hated it. If the monster decided to attack, he would fight. It was how he was built and all he knew to do. He knew now he wouldn't ever be able to kill this god of the forest.

"My apologies great beast of Wraithwine, I did not know ye!" He called out, the yellow eyes glowed back at him. "Me and my mate here hunt yer woods for our lively hood, we meant no harm to ye. If you wish to fight me, you'll be met with a fight like you've never seen. I'm a hunter and a warrior, its not in me to back down or retreat. But I've seen you for what you are and only a fool picks a fight with a god. I'll leave with my Quinny here if you'll allow it." Bear yelled out, sure the thing understood him. Despite its fierce appearance, he felt something kindred in the monster, something noble.

He realized he was holding his breath waiting for a response.

Once more, the vradire melted into the forest. In a flash he was upon Viktor, not attacking but standing over him, inspecting him. At this moment Viktor could see exactly how large the beast was - at least thirty feet tall, towering over him, the fearsome eyes blinking in unison and the scaly claws gripping the earth at his feet.

If Viktor remember his folklore correctly, no mythic beast ever came this close to a human. The air in the wood seemed to grow completely still, not unpleasantly as with galdori magic but with a sort of placid calmness, like the earth was sleeping. It was mesmerizing.

The vradire's great head bowed slightly, and it vanished. The whole moment had lasted only a second, but had felt like hours. Quinn began barking again as soon as the vradire was gone.

Bear's heart hammered in his chest. He stared at the space the great beast had just occupied a second before. A strange calm settled on the big hunter and he smiled while as he ran his huge paw through his hair. A mythic beast, he had met a mythic beast and lived to tell of it.

Quinn was still greatly upset, disappearing 30 foot creatures unsettled him. He could most likely still smell the great animal as well. "Easy Quinny, he's gone now, I don't think he means us no harm." He said soothingly and stroked his head.

Bear examined Quinn for injuries, he hoped the Bander was just frightened and not seriously hurt. It was a long way to a healer.

The bander was completely unharmed, although frightened out of his doggy wits. It seemed that he had come upon the vradire resting in a tree, from the looks of the scarred bark on the nearby limbs and trunk.

Just then, a small movement caught Bear's eye, and a pair of delicate hooves could be seen leaping further into the woods to the east.

Bear grinned and shook off what little fear was left. He actually felt refreshed, his mind was clearer than it had been in a long time. He'd looked a mythic creature in the face, one who could have killed him with a flick of a clawed finger. But it had let him live. Bear had stood resolute in the face of certain death and come out clean. Now he had some living to get back to.

With a click his crossbow was reloaded and he leveled it just above the spot he'd seen the movement. Quinn had sensed his change of heart and seemed to shake off the terror that had pinned him to the ground. He sniffed the air and then stalked into the tall grass. "Atta boy Quinny, do what we do best."

Whatever it was caught wind of Quinn and Bear caught sight of movement again. It was all he needed. He let fly a well aimed bolt. Letting out an epic breath of relief over still being counted among the living, he ran to see if he'd made the shot.

Bear's aim was blessed today; the deer lay dead, draped over a mossy log, with the bolt lodged firmly in its brain. Its eyes were closed, looking almost peaceful.

Bear smiled, the fear had passed and left a strange strength in its place. He tied the deer's legs together and prepared it for the lengthy hike back to camp, about five miles. Once he'd hunted enough game he would pack up the pelts and head to Dorhaven. He'd been looking to get a small house there for sometime and with the money he'd made in Vienda from his last haul combined with what he expected to make on this one, he'd have money to spare.

He picked up the deer without an ounce of perceivable effort and headed back to the spot he'd set up camp. "Nice job Quinny, you'll get a fine venison dinner tonight laddie. I've got some thinking to do tonight boy, a happening like that leaves a mark it does. Tis what ye call a life altering experience." Bear said. The encounter with the Vradire had opened his eyes, he was meant to do greater things than the simple life he now led.

Devin Berach was going to find a way to kill the Hatchers or die trying.