[SHOP EVENT] The Roc

[Kellswolves]

Only people who posted in The Wild Hunt and The Kraken can post here!

…Dry and desolate, with mountains made of dust and clay, this part of the Waylands is rarely traversed for it is thought to house the largest beast in all the land. Natives to this region hold fast their superstitions and refuse entry… but you, one of the Monster Hunter’s newest recruits, push on in earnest. Perhaps Kale’s excitement is contagious and you now walk with it. Perhaps not.

Of course, those familiar with the Redwoods might have an easier time deep within the Forest Ruins of this high country.

For here, the heavy weight of despair hangs ever presently. There are more rotting stumps than trees, those that still stand either dead or clinging to a strange form of life. Not all are beautiful in their varying states of decay, twisting and deformed with roots pulling up out of the earth as if attempting to escape an unseen force. And there is a wind that howls throughout the area constantly, like wolves singing a melancholy tune or, at least to the natives, like the moaning of tortured souls. Where rich brown dirt would scatter for miles back in Kells, the ground here is cracked and pallid as if the life has been sucked from it.

But no matter. You are on a mission.

Again, you hear Kale’s voice repeating the instructions:

“This time you must go northwest, far into it, past the sentries that guard against trespass and through the wilds that stretch beyond. I wonder... do those peaks stand to protect them from you? Or is it the other way around? Nevertheless, into the Waylands you must go if you are to find the one whispered to be 'King of the Sky'. The relics say it's intelligence reigns supreme over all, that the beings 'before us' tried to fell it but were, instead, destroyed themselves. This is likely why it has survived for so long. It is also believed that it's wingspan can stretch across the entire land, that a single flap of those gargantuan appendages could blow away an entire mountain, and that their favorite meal has often been the largest predator of its time. It was said to roost in the ruins, laying itself down among the bones of wars won... there may be a nest, there may not be one. Who knows how best the Roc lives except the Roc itself?”

And you go in search of proof.

------

How to Play:
Generate a random number between 1 - 3. Find the corresponding item to match your number and then respond by 'finding it'. How and where do you locate it? What are your thoughts on the item? And then, make it clear that you leave the Waylands in search of Kale once more.

Rules:
• Only generate one random number, and then edit your responses into that post.
• Please do not hint at seeing any of the other objects. What you roll is what you find.
• This response should be at least 500 words.

Object List:

1. A series of blood-stained feathers, too large to belong to any crow or owl and yet too small to belong to the Roc.
2. The tip-end of a curved talon that was, evidently, cracked off and left in a tree. It is roughly three feet long. Attached to the tip is a shred of fur and flesh, by the smell of it wolf… It wasn’t easy to acquire.
3. Hoof prints or rather, some sort of scuffle involving a hoofed creature. But you can’t possibly show that as proof, right? So how about the entire hoofed limb that was cleanly snapped off the… goat? It was once a part of. It is, unfortunately, a little bloody. It might be hard not to consume the evidence.

The next prompt will be posted: 4/17/2020  

[Kellswolves]

Remaining Participants:

DavyJnah
SilverLutz
-Ghastly Demise-
RozeyBear
Krysin
MiddyGlow
chelseylee__z
Rein_Carnation
Erina_Nobara
Lunar Mirage
Fea Line
belloblossom
Ruhane Chiisai
RuIerr
Bugghnrahk
Nikkichomp
oo DeD
FrostyPeaches
medigel

 

[Lunar Mirage]

The young Berserker found himself once more traveling along with that long lazy lope that ate the miles, lost in thought, but least this time his thinking had a purpose versus mental emo whining about being bored. Bloodlust had softly huffed when the Old One mentioned the Waylands…it was home to his kind, and a place he hadn’t been back to in a long while. After all, he’d been abandoned shortly after learning to hunt, enough to get the basics, when his parents disappeared. He still had no idea why, and hadn’t been able to find much in the way of clues. Not sure what to do with himself, and sort of outside on the periphery of everything related to berserkers, there was a lot he was relatively clueless about. He didn’t know if he believed this idea about a huge bird. That would sort of hard to miss, right? However…even he’d heard snatches every now and then from the other natives when he was little, and sometimes conversations his parents didn’t think he could hear. There were clues to at least SOMETHING odd living in the Waylands, but a Roc? Well, somehow or another he’d find out.

Traveling back was the easy part and being a berserker even easier to pass those guarding the lands. He was a native after all, and from what little he knew, it wasn’t fully unusual for other berserkers to leave and come back at times as well (or so he believed, he really didn’t know one way or the other what other berserkers did. As the scenery changed to one more of decay and despair, the sounds in the wind grew louder. While some were frightened, or felt despair, he was merely homesick for his parents. They had been strict, but kind, and he’d always felt secure with them nearby. For a time, he let the hunt go, and went in search of the old trails, the den his mother had dug when he was born, a hallowed tree that was nearly petrified that they’d huddled in on cold nights that protected them from the elements. That night, he gave into the loneliness and curl within that old tree, closing his eyes as he tried to remember what it felt like to feel their weight against his as they curled around him. He fell asleep soundly, and for the first time feeling a bit happier as they walked together within a dream.

He woke when the sun rose the next morning, sniffing the air – he could almost smell them as he lay there waking up slowly from his dream. His heart felt full though he couldn’t tell you what it was they had spoken about, and a weight had been lifted from his soul. He felt like they were proud of him, and that was enough to make him feel whole again. He stood and exited the tree, shaking old bits of dirt and leaves from his pelt, before turning and whispering a thank you to the last home he’d known before their disappearance. Trotting off, he shook himself once more and took his mind back to the Old One’s instructions.

At first, this whole idea of finding proof seemed to be a task too hard to truly undertake and he became discouraged a bit quickly as those of inexperience tend to do. Breaking the task down, it was much like the first. Find proof. How do you find that? Especially in this place? You look for something that doesn’t belong. Reminding himself that he SHOULD know this, he grew up here after all, he sets himself to the task and starts combing the land vigorously and with single purpose in mind. It took some time, but he did eventually come upon some odd series of feathers. They were big, larger than any owl or other bird that he’d seen, but….could they be from a one who’s wingspan was supposed to be HUGE and could knock down mountains just by flapping them? His dad did tell him once that every tale was mostly a lie, but had a seed of truth to it. That was always the issue, finding the seed behind it all. To a small animal, the bird these belonged to would look absolutely HUGE in comparison. Perhaps these were merely pin feathers? Who knew? He certainly didn’t.

He gathered up the feathers into a pile on top of one piece of bark and placed another over it when he was done. They would at least be easier to carry and less likely to blow away (besides, getting a feather stuck between your teeth? Oh, that was awful way to be, no matter how tasty the bird.) Taking the wood and feather sandwich in his mouth, he made his way back towards the Old One. He had to admit, whether or not this turned into proof or was a failure, he was really starting to enjoy life. Entering once more into that easy lope that ate up miles, he was on his way.
 

[DavyJnah]

Dark Skies Bloodmoon had made the trek back to the location Kale had been to return the tuft of orange hair only to find out it was not something belonging to the beast he sought. He didn't seem angry nor disappointed, which gave her a sort of second wind. However she was disappointed in herself for not finding proof. Though she really hadn't known what she was looking for anyway. Guess it was a little win anyway. She listened to him for the next task, hopefully she might get something. Northwest into the Waylands. The lands she knew that those like him dared to go and survive. The reddish-brown female shivered at the tale. A creature who wiped out what came before? This was going to be a dangerous trip, far more than the last. Swallowing hard she tried not to show anymore fear, what good would that do?

So she left her destination at first light the next day. Rest before the big journey was smart and would keep her more alert to the sounds of flapping wings if the Roc were about. Dark Skies hoped that she would not come across the terrible beast, at least not by herself. Maybe once she became a full fledged Monster Hunter and there were others but not now. Right now this was more reconnaissance, bringing back yet more proof that such a creature actually existed. Her body almost hummed with excitement though as she managed to travel to the location Kale Greenleaf had given her. Though underlying excitement was caution. There were things out here that could do harm and she had to be very wary of her surroundings.

The final stretch of her journey to the Forest Ruins the whole place made her shiver with caution. How did anything survive out here? Sniffing the ground and the air Dark Skies Bloodmoon searched for any sort of clues. Her eyes dancing trying to catch a glimpse of anything that could stand out on the ground or in the few trees about. That's when she noticed it. A large talon in a tree. Oh that was going to be a struggle to get out. It actually wasn't too high that she couldn't stand on her hind legs and get it but it looked pretty buried in the tree. Maybe the thing being dead would give her an easier time to wrestle it out. The way the talon looked jagged at the end hinted at possibly broken off. Though what would have caused the break was not apparent.

Here was the female, stretched out on her hind legs and front paws pushing on the dead growth with her mouth clamped onto the talon. Dark Skies pushed on the teeth whilst pulling on the talon, which hardly budged at all. Leverage. That's what she was going to try next. The prospects on good limbs was pretty limited in the area so the female went looking for something with a bit more "life". That took till late afternoon at least to find something good enough that didn't break when she put most of her weight on it, it was even more surprising when it actually worked to knock the talon off the tree with a resounding thud on the cracked and pallid ground. Success!

Positioning the talon in her mouth she gave herself a grin. Time to head back with this prize. This time she had a good feeling she actually found proof of the Roc. There wasn't anything she knew that had this sized talon so Kale Greenleaf was going to be pretty surprised when she returned. Swishing her tail she started her journey back. Eyes, ears, and nose still making sure that what had left this proof wasn't lurking about ready to take her like it had with the possible other wolf whose smell lingered on this.

[644]  

[RozeyBear]

tab By the time he'd made it to that ever mysterious spot of the Waylands, White Bone was seething. That tuft of fur from whatever creature he'd imagined it to have come from was nothing more than extraordinarily ordinary. It came from no mystical creature of the deep. Instead it had probably come from a dyed wolf or prey beast. The taste and the texture of both the fur and meat still attached had probably soured from soaking in the salty waters of the sea until it had washed ashore, where the sun dried it out to the putrid things he'd brought the berserker.

tab He was angry that he'd so utterly convinced himself it had come from something more. He was angry with the berserker Monster Hunter that sent him on tasks he should be doing himself. White Bone had not asked for this, instead he'd been thrust into it. Yet… he couldn't turn away now. He would not readily admit it, but he rather enjoyed the chase. The fact the creatures he attempted to track were likely all mythical hardly mattered to him. It was a welcome distraction, a much needed escape from the mission he'd had in mind before.

tab At this very moment, he focused on his current goal; find proof of this creature called The Roc. From what the Monster Hunter had told him, and if he were honest again he was not sure his word could even be trusted, this particular creature descended from avians. Or did avians descend from this creature? Either way, it had been described as larger than anything ever seen with a mean streak just as big. How very lucky of him that he had been chosen to seek it out.

tab Further into the ruins he paced, wary and watchful as he went. If this beast held even a marginal bit of the power he had been informed of, he surely needed to watch his back for this creature could be doing the exact same thing. Perhaps it was watching him right now.

tab With his ears pinned flat against his skull, White Bone moved deeper into what was thought to be the roost of this great winged beast. Maybe it was just him, or his imagination, but the air seemed heavy. The smell, the taste, the feel of it. It all seemed…. unnerving. He rounded a corner and his fur stood on end for no apparent reason. His eyes narrowed, peering around the crumbling ruins that surrounded him and offered refuge to more than just normal predators, if he were to believe the stories.

tab It was then that he saw it, when he wasn't even really looking for it. Signs of scuffle, most likely very one sided, over near the bent and broken remains of what had surely been a once magnificent tree. He moved forward with care, keeping his breathing even and deep so he could scent the air around him. It made no difference, all he could smell around him was the tang of coppery blood. Not too old yet still not fresh. Whatever had happened here, happened recently. Hopefully it wasn't too recent that the culprit still lurked, ever hungry.

tab Without hesitation, he moved forward to inspect the area. The ground and tree trunk both sported deep gashes, as if someone had clawed the earth and bark for their very lives. Or had it been in an attempt to retrieve dinner? Either way, all that was left of both parties lay scattered across the ground; a set of large feathers, sticky with blood. His brow furrowed as he looked down at them, unsure of what exactly had happened. It took him a moment before he picked up the feathers, careful to not smear any of the blood across his maw lest he become the attacker's new target.

tab Once more, he turned and made his way back to Kale, more intrigued over this creature than the last.




WC: 662

 

[MiddyGlow]

Wild Holly had just finished the first task for Kale and she was very curious about everything he had said about the Kraken, even thou she was still tired she was also excited to start out on her next quest. The Roc, she listened to Kale tell the story about a bird bigger than she could ever imagine. If a vulture or crow was that big now, bears and wolves would certainly not be on top of the food chain. She shuttered a little at the thought, but she wanted to learn more so she was going to go on this adventure and do the best she could.

She headed off to the northwest but after everything she had done on her Kraken mission she soon had to stop and rest before she arrived at the sentries. She laid down under a tall old tree to sleep for the night. She really needed a break or she wasn't going to make it to her destination. When she woke up she took the time to hunt and find water before she continued on her journey. She made her way into the Waylands. She had never been there before but she had heard a few rumors about the ruins the land held. She was very curious and the things Kale had said about the long-gone creatures and the carved plank with the Kraken on it. It was all so interesting.

It took a long time but she finally found the ruins of what appeared to be logs and small trees. She didn't think it would possibly have ever been a nest it was far too large. Right? She took a deep breath and then caught the scent of old death. She went into the ruin log pile careful of where she was putting her paws so she didn't hurt herself. There she saw a thing stuck in one of the logs with something dead stuck on it. She frowned deeply as she looked at it considering what to do. It was big and long. She first started off by trying to dig her paws and nails into the wood to loosen the thing from the old log. The wood was still hard enough that it took a few hours, but it was rotten enough that it was possible with some effort.

Once she got the thing loose she jumped on it to pull it the rest of the way out of the wood. She huffed out of breath from all the work she had done to get whatever this was out of the log. She smelled the long-dead skin and flesh of the wolf and shivered. Then again she didn't know the age but the flesh didn't last long ever, that was a frighting thought. She picked up the thing with her mouth and started trying to get out of the nest. Which was no easy task the logs only had so much space to get in and out but eventually she managed the task.

Wild Holly took the talon to one of the ruins nearby since she was too afraid she sleep in the Roc's nest fearing the creature still lived and would return and kill her if she stayed there. Once morning came she started her long hard journey back to Kale with the wolf skin and flesh still on the talon even though it gave her the creeps, she thought it was important that she share the danger they could all be in if the Roc was still alive in Kells. Once she arrived back at the group Wild Holly flopped to the group so tired but happy to be back.

(612)


2. The tip-end of a curved talon that was, evidently, cracked off and left in a tree. It is roughly three feet long. Attached to the tip is a shred of fur and flesh, by the smell of it wolf… It wasn’t easy to acquire.  

[SilverLutz]

Hel's previous find hadn't been exactly what Kale had been looking for which was disappointing. She supposed she could have sniffed it a bit harder to get the sand, salt, and sea air out of her nose to see if it was a scent she recognized, but that was all water under the bridge now. Kale had sent her out again, hyping her up about a new monster to try to find proof of. She had bounded off again willingly, eager to prove herself for some reason. She definitely wasn't the type of wolfdog who thought this was the sort of adventure she'd be going off on but hey, surprises were fun too!

Her journey this time was much more grueling than the one to the sea. The land on the way slowly cracked and shriveled until it was nothing close to hospitable. Food was scarce, as was water, and everything around her seemed to be trying to escape the place where it was. Only Kale's enthusiasm for the hunt spurred her on, Hel's own curiosity and delight in the new and interesting helping her on the way. Still, that tiny voice within her that warned of her danger was speaking to her constantly now and it was hard to ignore, especially after two days with no food. If she didn't find the place this Roc supposedly lived she'd have to give up or else starve.

Thankfully a rather delicious scent caught her nose towards the end of that second day and Hel immediately put thoughts of monster hunting aside to see if she could find the source of the smell. It didn't take her long to find the rather mangled leg of a...a goat, maybe. The body was nowhere to be seen and the only other signs of life were the frantic hoof prints in the dry, cracked ground in the area around the leg and Hel. As she crept closer, stomach rumbling, she saw that the strong thigh bone had been snapped clean in half, leaving delicious marrow exposed and a bit of juicy meat remained as well. She had never known an animal to be able to snap a bone in half like that so cleanly and she hoped this would be proof enough for Kale.

Drooling, Hel picked up the limb and whimpered softly. Oh, she was so hungry! Surely Kale wouldn't care about the nice thigh meat still clinging to the bone, nor the marrow within. By the time she'd get back to him it would have spoiled already considering how long it had taken her to get here. Perhaps she could stave off her hunger a bit by cleaning up the bone, making it lighter, definitely not chewing on it, oh no. Just licking. And tearing the meat...

Daydreaming about eating, Hel decided to at least see if she could get to some shelter. Even if this wasn't proof of the Roc, she didn't want to be around when whatever had killed this thing returned. There was a stream a day's journey from here, perhaps she could make it there so she could rest and eat and re-hydrate, then go on her way once more. With that plan in mind, Hel bounded across the wasteland of the Waylands for safety, slobber leaving a trail behind her as she drooled around her find.  

[oo Ded]

Journey was, admittedly, disappointed in herself when the monster hunter was unimpressed with her find. She would later scold herself, constantly pointing out during the next leg of her adventure that obviously the tuft of fur was nothing special. Wolves could be dyed that color, and even still there were stories of wolves naturally colored that brilliantly wandering Kells as of late. Clearly, she had been too impatient. Too eager to return and to hear new stories and to be given new tasks. She should have taken her time. Really scour the shores of the beaches when she had the chance.

The she-wolf reflected on how that was probably a running issue. She was so eager to continue on to the next step that she didn’t put her whole heart into the issue at hand.

She resolved herself to rectify this moving forward. Kale had thrown her a bone, so to speak, and gave her another chance to show her metal. Journey wouldn’t be expecting such leniencies in the future.

Next step, The Waylands.

When the monster hunter spoke of her next destination, Journey had taken in a long and deep inhale. She’d never been through the mountains and beyond into the land of the berserkers. Heard of it, yes. Met the beasts that hailed from the region, yes, but she had never herself set foot on their soil. Sure, she didn’t discount the idea that at some point in her life’s journey her paws might take her north and into their realm, but she hadn’t really been prepared for it.

Though, that being said, Journey was rarely prepared for any sort of venture that she undertook.

So, head tall and shoulders squared, she passed through the gates and into the foreign land.

She had taken things slower, this time. For multiple reasons, really. One, she had hoped to learn from her past mistakes. Journey had really high-tailed it in and out of the beach. Maybe a better rested version of herself would have been more effective at hunting down the evidence that Kale sought out. And two, she wanted to have all her strength when making her way through the Waylands. She heard tales that the berserkers could smell weakness. Could weed it out like an eagle spotting a mouse in a field. She certainly didn’t want to be looked down upon. And she actually found herself wanting to not let others get the impression that Kale was taking on any old weakling. She wanted to deserve the honor.

So when she reached the peaks that Kale had spoken of, she found the air refreshing and her head level. Journey’s eyes closed and a wide smile grew on her face as she remembered the words Kale had used to describe the creature that had lived here. Another massive beast. Not of the sea, but this time of the air. She imagined it flying above, casting a shadow that would cover the entirety of a mountain.

Journey tried to stay focused as she searched. More time seemed to pass, this time, but she didn’t seem to notice it. She rested when she felt weary, and spent her waking hours with eyes, ears, and nose peeled.

It was the scent of blood that caught her attention first.

The Journey that had ventured to the beach might have bolted into the scene and disturved the signs of struggle. Instead, she she-wolf moved in slowly and thoughtfully. She noted each of the signs of the scuffle before her. Noting the prints, the spatter of blood, committing the scene to memory. Perhaps if she were to describe it to Kale, he would be able to interpret it better than she.

And finally, the leg. She inspected it closely, noting how cleanly it had been snapped off. Surely this had meant something. After all, what could make an incision this large and precise but a giant beast?

Satisfied, Journey turned back. She took a deep breath. No reason to take her time on this leg. She would travel back to Kale as quickly as she could.
(WC: 691)_  

[Krysin]

The journey back to Kale Greenleaf was one she would claim to be effortless, if only to impress him. Truthfully, the way back into familiar territory was far more comforting than the journey away from it had been. The prize between her jaws also served to look intimidating - surely no one would cross her when she was waving around a serrated bone like a mad wolf. So, she made her way back to Kale in one piece and a treasure most valuable within her grasp.

He was where she had last seen him, and after meeting his blue eyes her bobbed tail began to wag unbidden. "I've done it!" she announced triumphantly as she deposited the bone at his very large paws. His enthusiasm was contagious, and she immediately found herself swept up in it, carried away by the fervor of his words. She listened intently as he described her discovery, supplying wistful 'I see' and excited 'amazing' a few too many times. It was clear to her that her discovery had pleased him, and it made her feel...

A lot. She felt a lot. She flushed with pride from the tips of her toes all the way to her cheeks, her heart hammering excitedly in her chest. She watched him now, the warm browns of his coat darkening into the night sky's blue. His eyes reminded her so vividly of the sea she had just visited for him and - "Oh," she blinked, realizing that he was still talking and she had not been listening at all. "Yes, of course. I will do it!" she agreed without thinking.

Her family could wait a bit longer for her to return. "You should come with me..." she tried to convince Kale, but in the end her efforts were wasted, and she was suddenly afraid of being too pushy with him.

Our Lady's Tears ventured far northwest at Kale's request, more confident than she had ever been before and significantly more distracted. If she encountered the Roc and brought back proof of its existence, would Kale finally consider her to be a Monster Hunter? Would she be allowed to travel with him across all of Kells chasing after the most elusive beasts? The thrill of the dream inspired her to travel swiftly. She could just imagine it! All of Kells would know her as The Lady, partner to Kale Greenleaf - the greatest Monster Hunters to ever be born!

Their pups would have the most adorable bobbed tails -

"Oh no," she gasped, her cheeks burning at the thought. "Oh no oh no oh no..." She covered her eyes with her paws, as if that would help chase away her shameful fantasies. Our Lady's Tears plopped down onto her side right in the middle of what was said to be the Roc's territory, screeching into the air. "Oh no... Oh yes!

Yes?

Wait, no!

...Yes. Oh the spirits yes."

Lady was not handling her first crush well, experiencing it with all the intensity a young female could muster. It became a notable distraction to her quest, as her mind filled with 'what ifs' and dreams of a delusional future. At least her family would say she was delusional, but Lady was just confident enough to think she stood a chance.

Eventually she was able to steer her mind back to the task at hand, and began her search in earnest. After all, if she was ever going to get her man, she had to bring back something worthy. There had to be proof within this desolate terrain of a giant bird-creature. Yet, as the hours twisted into days, she found nothing. No hide, feather, or beak of the beast. Once, she had thought she had seen its massive shadow stretch over the ground, but nothing definitive.

She began to grow desperate. Kale surely would not respond well to her bringing back nothing, and she'd hate to disappoint him. He had been so excited, so proud, when she brought back the tooth of the Kraken. He had been the first wolf ever outside of her own family to seem impressed by her... and he was so cool. She couldn't fail him now. It was then her eyes landed upon the scene of a scuffle, where some sort of deer or goat had fallen victim to some sort of creature. It wasn't enough, to find just the leg left behind, no matter how clean it had been torn from the rest of the body.

It looked awfully delicious as well, but she managed to swallow her hunger as her mind raced to covnince herself that this was the evidence she needed. A beak could have closed around the rest of the body, surely, and snapped the leg clean off as it swallowed the rest in one gulp. A lot of other things could have caused the leg to be left behind, but she shut out all other possibilities. All she knew was that she could not return with empty paws.

Lady grabbed the leg and headed back towards Kale Greenleaf, desperately hoping that he would still let her try to become a Monster Hunter.

(wc: 861)  

[medigel]

2. The tip-end of a curved talon that was, evidently, cracked off and left in a tree. It is roughly three feet long. Attached to the tip is a shred of fur and flesh, by the smell of it wolf… It wasn’t easy to acquire.

Kale Greenleaf's words both piqued his interest and confused him when he returned with the plank several days later. A giant tree that was also a basin that could move across the water? Beasts traversing the sea without swimming? Everquest? Relics? If he hadn't gone and found proof already, Ashen Snow would have considered backing out. But he was really in it now, if this piece of carved wood was something the berserker was looking for. Which meant he had to acknowledge that the kraken was real. That more, possibly worse creatures were alive somewhere in or around Kells.

Gulp.

Worse, it seemed he would need to angle around another pack to get to his next destination: northwest, to the Waylands, home of Greenleaf's kind apparently. Ash didn't know much else, but the climate and terrain at least would be somewhat familiar. Hornfel Hollows was constantly cold and near the Bluestone Mountain, after all and his family line was full of shaggy coats and tough paws. He just had to hope he didn't encounter any unfriendly berserkers along the way...or those guards, who he had heard were finicky about who got to come and go at their "gates".

The Roc... He wondered what a bird so massive could possibly be like as he traveled north. How much did it have to eat to survive? How big were its eggs? And if its wingspan was really the size of the land, how could it ever be hidden? Especially if the sun got blotted out or the wind picked up? How could it fly without destroying the mountains with its wing beats? Ashen Snow frowned in thought, and in anxiety, as he moved on, his gaze moving skyward every so often. Maybe it was very, very quiet, like an owl in the night.

However, Ash was very mistaken about his path, and it took even longer to arrive - not to the mountains, but to the Redwoods - when he realized he had misheard. Greenleaf had said as much, but the young wolf had been distracted trying to think of swim tree basins and world sized hawks flying down upon him. Damn it. The land of death, possibly cursed, definitively haunted, he thought as he entered. Hollow trees and the color red seemed everywhere. Each crack of a twig made him jump. He wished Greenleaf had truly sent him north by north instead.

And yet, it wasn't without finding something. After collecting his meal from a barely born hare, the scent of a wolf had been caught. Wolfing his meal down quickly, Ash had avoided what he thought was a neighboring predator...Only, the smell didn't seem to be moving. Searching the area further, he found it: a giant claw affixed to a tree, the wolf smell coming from a shred of flesh and fur still clinging to it.

Bigger gulp.

It was beginning to get very real to Ashen Wolf now. A plank with a drawing was one thing, but this...Unless this was an elaborate prank...He approached cautiously, as if the talon would animate and attack him next at any moment. Getting it out of the tree was a hassle that took him longer than he wanted; the more time spent in the Redwoods, the more Ash wanted to just go home. But eventually, he managed to wrench the enormous thing out and took a deep breath. Now to just...carry it back to Greenleaf somehow.

Hopefully he didn't get turned around again.

[578]  

[-Ghastly Demise-]

upon receiving the next set of instructions he listened quietly, almost eager but the plank he had found previously was underwhelming, a etching of a odd looking creature, but upon hearing that it was something called a kraken nightingale, regained his enthusiasm for this whole hunt, he began to wonder what he would find next, Her began to head southwest keeping in mind the obstetrical that he would need to face would he be able to go straight threw past the guards or should he sneak around them?


He could just be making this more difficult for himself, but kale didn't stay he would be cleared to pass, well there was only one way to go, fallow in his fathers footsteps for a day and be stealthy. Nightingale began to head out making haste not wanting to be out during the day trying to sneak around, he would stand out like a sore paw in the day time he would be a full to be caught dead trying to sneak around, he continued on making grate time, he arrived at the sentries post he began to look for a way around being carefully not to make to much ruckus.

he made his own path threw the mountains past the guards , and in to the start of the waylands, he had a look around admiring the lands, as it would be most likely his last chance to see this part of the world, from there he continued on to the destination once he was out of ear shot he made a dash away from the post and deeper into the waylands, it felt grate to be far off exploring a whole knew world looking for proof of many creatures thought to be fabricated, sure Nightingale didn't believe at first. but he was about to have his world turned upside down.

he began to explore and search the vast forest of the waylands, keeping an eye out, there where miles and miles to be searched but he was willing to keep going,his paws padded heavily upon the ground as he wove between trees, dashing wildly threw the forest, it smelled so different,but it was nothing like home.with the breeze of his speed blowing threw his fur he slowed his pace, he smelled something, it was odd and quite strong. he began to fallow the smell hoping it would lead him in the right direction

fallowing his nose he came across a large talon stuck in a tree, his eyes widened at the sight, it was bigger than the talons of winter's soft breath. he had his work cut out for him. he wasted no time he located a tree with loose thick tree bark and peeled it down than he began to jump and pounce on the side of the talon for a good while, eventually knocking it out of the tree and on to the bark. using some vines he found tangled around a tree he tied it down and created a loop for him to bite on to,from there he began the journey back to kale.

It wasn't easy but there nightingale stood tired from the trek with the large talon back to kale's location he began to seek out kale again with the talon in tow, he was tired but ready for the next search hoping this would all pay off in the end wondering where it would lead him next.  

[RuIerr]

The Waylands was not a desirable place. Well, that wasn't fair. It wasn't a desirable place to him. But all in the name of adventure and investigation, Blurred Vision found himself thrust into the dry, dirt-laden lands. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for. Then again, he hadn't been last time, and yet had found a treasure trove of evidence of the great and stories kraken. This time, though... what would he find, if anything at all?

Yellow eyes gazed out across the land, the only thing cutting his vision off being large mountains, with earth also made of the reddish clay. The Roc lived here, or so said Kale Greenleaf, and Blurred Vision was on the hunt for the giant... what, bird of prey? With a wingspan that could stretch the entirety of the land? That didn't make any sense, but Vision was too far deep in this whole thing to turn around now. He had resolved himself to one last bout of adventure before settling down, he just hadn't imagined it would be this many-tentacled. No pun intended, of course. This was a serious matter, after all.

Wandering about, nose hovering just above the ground, after what felt like an eternity he spotted something. Droplets of blood, leading to a nearby cluster of blood-stained feathers. They were large - larger than any bird's he'd ever seen, that was to be sure. No raven nor hawk had feathers this long, and at that recognition his bright eyes lit up. He trotted closer, nose still to the ground as he inspected his finding. They were dirtied, covered in the dust that lay on top of the clay, just waiting to be rustled up and into fur or feather. Now that he was closer, they weren't quite as big as he had previously anticipated - there was no way in Kells they belonged to the Roc - but they were still a very noticeable specimen. From whom had they come? And how did the get here? A bird of that size - what could take it down? It certainly wouldn't be easy. Blurred Vision thought of the talons that would accompany a bird of that size and immediately banished the thought. He hadn't needed to contend with it, so why bother ruminating?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he used his paw to bundle the feathers together, and reached down to pick them up gently in his mouth. They smelled, but of what Vision couldn't quite place. Turning around, it took the wolf more than a moment to figure out from where he had come. The Waylands all looked like one endless sea of nothing to him - it was really unappetizing and he really didn't understand why anyone would choose to camp there - but he eventually found his way. Setting one paw in front of another, he ventured off in the direction he had come, once again in search of Kale Greenleaf. He had a little something to show him.

(wc: 500)

 

[Erina_Nobara]

Sparrow’s Song was more than disappointed when he returned to Kale, and it turned out that his scale was not from the kraken. His ears drooped. But Kale still seemed to be proud of Sparrow. And again Greenleaf asked the young wolf to go on another adventure. Sparrow was surprised to hear this. Even though he had failed the first time, Kale was not going to give up on him. So Sparrow agreed. “Alright. I will go in search of this new flying beast.” He nodded and left Kale.

He wandered again for what seemed like forever; into the mountains, past the guardians, and into the deserted Waylands. By the time he was nearing his destination, his throat was dry. The air was filled with an ominous feeling, causing his fur to stand on end. And the ground was cracked beneath his feet. It was almost as if the life had been sucked out of it. He went over mounds of pale earth and clay. All while he walked past rotting stumps that looked as though their roots were crawling away in fear of some terrible unseen force.

He gulped, feeling nervous. This place was definitely creepy. And it didn’t help, the sounds of howling that carried on the wind. It was almost like he was listening to an eerie funeral dirge as he walked to his end. Well, he hoped it wouldn’t be the end. He licked his lips, and gazed up at the sky as a shadow swept overhead. It wasn’t big enough to be the roc though. It felt like he was being watched, and he grew nervous. Sparrow hurried along, hoping to lose whatever was following him.

But finally he had to stop to rest. He lay down by a partially uprooted stump. As he squinted at the sky to see what he could see, the clouds rolled by. But he saw nothing. Even whatever was stalking him had not followed him to this area. He sniffed the air. And that’s when he caught a familiar scent. Blood. He was immediately on edge. But he had promised to find a clue of the roc’s existence. So he moved on, closer to the scent, being careful to step lightly. Maybe the roc had made a kill? Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Sparrow was unsure if he really wanted to find the roc’s nest or not. If the bird was there, how would he defend himself?

Out of the corner of Sparrow’s vision there was a flash of light. He turned to see what had caused it. Heat lightning maybe? But now that his attention was in that direction, he could actually see blood smeared on the ground nearby. He slowly went in that direction. On the ground were bloody feathers. They left a trail leading who knows where. He stopped to examine one of the feathers. It was huge; bigger than any feather he had ever seen. But maybe not big enough to ‘cover the land’ as the legend said. But Sparrow figured this was as good as he was going to get. He grabbed some of the feathers in his mouth. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. And so he took his find and went back to Kale.