Bug Huntin' - DS Hunt: Chapter 1

“It’s moved through here recently.” The pale beige and white harpia nodded, mostly to herself. She gestured towards a wispy film hanging from a cactus spike. 

“What is that, Falaire?” The small chiro had very similar coloration to Falaire herself. Falaire towered over Oblique as she hopped closer to the harpia to get a better look at the mystery object. “It almost looks like a snake’’s shed.”

“It’s a chunk of a molting exoskeleton.” Falaire said matter-of-factly. “Since we’ve been following the thing it hasn’t gotten any time to stop and fully molt. It’s brittle and coming off on its own in pieces instead.”

“Oh!” Oblique smiled up at her hunting partner. “Can you tell how old it is?”

“It’s still somewhat soft, so it must not be more than a few hours. If we hurry we can catch it before the sun drops.”

Oblique’s human handler, Three, was not far behind them. She walked up, sweat beading on her skin from the hot desert sun. Her steps were heavy and she was out of breath. She rested a hand on Oblique’s side, putting her weight on the stryx. “Are we moving again, ladies?”

Oblique chirped in response, gently nuzzling Three’s head. The human had dark, tanned skin, her head and face almost entirely covered by black cloth. Silver goggles were down over her eyes. Her clothing was dyed dark and loosely fitting, worn from long use. 

“Alrighty then.” Three stepped into the saddle and hauled herself onto Oblique’s back. She pointed a finger at Falaire dramatically. “Lead the way, master hunter!”

Falaire took a moment to proudly puff up her chest. With a massive flap of her wings she rose into the sky with ease, sand blowing outwards in a shockwave. Oblique barely managed to shield her face in time. “Hey!”

Oblique’s take-off was far more clumsy and took many flaps to get to the same altitude. It was, frankly, exhausting, and she silently pleaded that Falaire would slow down. Their flying styles were entirely different. Regardless, she eventually caught up, the cacti and stones of the Vast Dry mere blips beneath them.

The wind was lacking on this bright winter day. The only difference here during winter was a slight cooling - but it was still more than hot enough to make the trek uncomfortable. The wind in their face was an excellent coolant. 

“Much nicer up here than on the ground, huh?” Falaire called out with a grin. The wind buffeted her sleek feathers.

“You can say that again.” Oblique chuckled. Her fur grew progressively more fluffy and out-of-control as the wind hit her. 

It was quiet up here with the exception of the wind whooshing around their ears. The open blue sky had no clouds for miles around, the sounds of the insects and small animals of the ground worlds away from earshot. No more sweat pooled around Three’s goggles. Oblique wasn’t a great flyer and didn’t do it often, but when she did, she enjoyed it. It was peaceful in its own way.

It wasn’t long before they saw something unusual on the horizon. Something hulking and large, moving slowly through the sand. Its deep brown body wobbled unsteadily from side to side, sunlight reflecting off of it like water. 

“There it is!” Falaire laughed. “The beetle.”

“It’s moving awfully slow.” Oblique noticed.

“If it’s still carrying its old exoskeleton it’s going to be bulky and slow.” Falaire replied.

“Won’t that make it harder to kill?”

“Not at all! It’s old and thin, and should be softened to help the beetle remove it.”

“Are you ready?” Three shouted, struggling to make herself heard above the wind. Oblique responded with a trill. 

The two stryx weren’t being particularly stealthy, but the beetle had no clue what hit it. They tucked their wings close to their bodies and dove downwards. The first strike was claimed by Falaire, a vicious strike that removed a long black antennae and left a deep gouge across the creature’s face. Oblique’s first pass left a deep indent on its carapace, the shedding shell peeling off like wrapping paper. Both were superficial blows, however. The only sign that the beetle knew it was being attacked was when it slightly increased its pace. 

They climbed back up to a respectable height, eying up the beast. It was a tank. This time when they circled around, Falaire wasn’t aiming with her claws. She was aiming with her body. Using her full weight at top speed, she slammed into the beetle. The harpia continued through the air - though, with a sore shoulder - but the beetle was entirely knocked on its back. Oblique was there to stop it from getting back up. She landed on the creature, biting and tearing at it with her teeth. A flash of steel appeared over her shoulder, burying itself into the insect’s abdomen. Finally its legs stopped peddling into the air and it dropped dead.

Three hopped down onto the bug itself, using her feet to pull the sword free. Hemolymph oozed down the blade. With a quick flick of her arm she threw it onto the sand. Oblique made her way off of the creature to get a better look at it. There was more than enough here for both of their flocks. Falaire lighted next to her. 

“I’m going to head back and get some stryx to help us divvy this up.” 

“We’ve had a successful day, I think.” Oblique found herself staring at their prey. “I never like hunting, though.”

“It’s better when you’re as good at it as I am.”