Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The challenge was issued, the fight for dominance ensued, and immediately it did not look like there would be much to it. Credit could be given to the impostor's last minute courage, but she was clearly outmatched. Meesei plucked her wrist out of the air like a stick and was not even shifted a bit.

Once the soldier began to step up reluctantly, Gallus spotted him out of the corner of his eye and reacted immediately. He stepped between the soldier and the fight and tried to intimidate the soldier back with a growl and bared teeth. If the soldier dared to continue, Gallus would swat at his spear and bay louder. There would be no interrupting this.

---

Tzirret let out a small laugh, "Perhaps we could take some small revenge by continuing, but Tzirret thinks he would suffer as well. He could devour a nice cut of mutton, too."

Thinking that the previous question still held some water, Tzirret turned to M'ibasa. "What about M'ibasa? What does he want to do when we find the Orcrest clan?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Everyone in Meesei's group backed off behind her and held their tongues once she transformed. The impostor's attempt to get rid of them was rushed, she clearly was not aware of who she was dealing with. Now that she had showed her hand, the impostor's fate seemed to be all but sealed. All Meesei needed to do was challenge her - that much was beyond interruption by any lycan.

Fendros in particular thought it strange that a servant of Vile would take on lycanthropy. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps this woman was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, the one who had corrupted Harriet into murdering Jerrick went to the same lengths years ago. If would be interesting to see if this one would admit defeat now, and whether Meesei would offer mercy.

---

"Ah, Tzirret would like that too," Tzirret answered, "Even just enough water for a bath would be refreshing." Now that he was a little more settled, Tzirret wrapped his tail around Ma'tanza's waist and tried to forget about Bheja's lecture. "Though, he also hopes that there is some fresher food," he added, "This one has been spending too much time picking dry and salty morsels from his teeth. They make him even more thirsty than the sun and the dry air does." Tzirret grinned and held a cupped hand out in front of him, "What he would do for a ripe nectarine. The kind that runs juices down your arm when you bite it..."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

All of Fendros, Gallus, and Uthri's collective attention went to the Argonian woman. Uthri and Fendros were shocked by the similarities, while Gallus flattened his ears and growled.

"I am Gallus Oswallson. I come from Bruma. I have been travelling with the Meesei beside me for almost months now," Gallus said at a deep rumbling pitch. He was containing much behind the words he uttered. He slowly extended a claw to the imposter, "Before that, a Meesei lived amongst my clan for three full years. It was not this Meesei."

---

As soon as Bheja interpreted Tzirret's questions as being curious about Bheja and S'nishi's private activities, his hands shot up and he shook his head in a remarkably similar fashion to Ma'tanza, just moments ago. "No! Bheja, really! Tzirret does not need to know! You don't...ugh..."

Tzirret quickly realised that Bheja was not going to stop, so he lowered his hands. The detail of Bheja's answer was so embarrassing that Tzirret scrunched his eyes shut and put a hand to his face. He even started to chuckle helplessly with how ridiculous the situation was. Once a particularly intimate detail was shared, Tzirret started to shake his head and speak through his laughter, "By the Eight, Bheja!"

Eventually, a part of the explanation gave Tzirret a flashback of the last night he had with La'khay. It became a bit much then. He leaned his forehead onto Ma'tanza's shoulder and put his hands over his ears, groaning and chuckling to try and drown out the sound of Bheja's voice. "Can Ma'tanza please paralyse him?" Tzirret asked.

Whatever the outcome, Tzirret lifted his head from Ma'tanza's shoulder once Bheja was finished talking and opened his eyes to look around. "Shall we change the subject now?" Tzirret asked hopefully, sliding his hands from his head. "What does everyone want to do first when we get to the Orcrest clan?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus gave a nod and low growl, but did not say anything more. To him, this business was just taking too long.

"Okay," Uthri responded, failing to obscure how little she understood. "I think that is something I will need to see for myself when we get the time."

Fendros had no shortage of worry. "I never would have anticipated something like this," he murmured to Ahnasha.

---

While the question Bheja posed was one that had puzzled Tzirret in the past, his curiosity was not surpassed by his own embarrassment. While Bheja laughed on, Tzirret looked at him with a closed mouth, wide-eyes, and with blood rushing to his face.

"Oh...you...right here?" Tzirret looked to S'nishi, "No, that's...er, never mind."

Tzirret shook off the ridiculousness of his original assumption and looked to Ma'tanza instead. He was still trying to catch up and it sounded like she deserved space to explain properly. "If it wasn't that, what did Ma'tanza ask, then?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Heading to work soon, you know the drill. G'night!

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's reprimand was all that it took for Gallus to fall into a moderated, military tone. He sometimes forgot how hard it was to keep calm in this form. "Yes, champion," he said, bowing a little. It was removed from his regular nonchalant attitude, understandably.

"In a loop?" Uthri asked, looking to Ra'kalesh with a raised eyebrow. "How does that work? The water just flows from the snow and ice at home."

---

Tzirret wasn't entirely sure how to react. He was curious, but at the same time it was probably just a crude joke. Tzirret seated himself down next to Ma'tanza rather than give an immediate answer.

"This one is unsure if it is a comfort that he is not the butt of the joke this time," Tzirret commented, if only just to say something. After a silent pause glancing between Bheja and Ma'tanza, the more curious side of Tzirret's judgement prevailed. "Okay, what was it?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

In this form, Gallus couldn't help but bare his teeth and growl with flattened ears at the leader. There was no intention of violence in his mind, but his beast spirit took slights against his personal pride badly. When they got moving, the guards had to pick up all of Gallus' belongings as well as his weapons.

The main chamber was as impressive as it was beautiful. It felt more like some kind of place of worship than a home. The light coming in from the ceiling made it even seem more open than the main chamber at Bruma.

"It seems...surprisingly cool in here," Uthri noted. Her eyes explored the upper reaches of the chamber, as well as the waterfalls. "There is so much water. Where did it all come from?" She asked no one in particular.

Gallus sniffed the air, but seemed less amazed than Uthri. "An imposter," he said with an angered grunt, "To think what damage could have been done had we not arrived sooner. To think what might already have been done..." He fidgeted in place, uneasy with all the spears around him and growled, "I have half a mind to challenge this s'wit on the spot. Then I could become the fake champion and tell these people the truth while ripping the interloper to shreds."

It was never in a diplomatically sensitive situation like this that Gallus assumed his beast form. His tact was obviously suffering under its influence.

---

It wasn't hard to find Bheja's laugh, at least. Tzirret approached the circle of tents with a smile and a wave. "Hello," Tzirret said as he stopped, standing and looking with confusion at the mix of expressions. The looks that Ma'tanza and Bheja had only lent suspicion to what might have happened.

"Is something wrong? What did this one just miss?" Tzirret asked, looking a bit aimless.

The Jade Stream

Kyang's mood on the way back into town could be described as quietly annoyed. The judgement calls of her companions had been grating, to the point where she didn't spare many words for them in the rest of the day. Thankfully, the local bureaucracy was not miserly in their reward. Kyang received enough gold in her share to live comfortably for at least a week. The sum actually left her wide-eyed. Thoughts churned around in her mind considering how far collecting the bounty on the bandit leader would take her.

The consideration of taking bounty hunting a little further laced an expression of thought across Kyang's face for the entire night. From the first bath she had taken in a week, to the light dinner she enjoyed at the inn, all the way to her bed. The last hour that she was awake was spent simply staring at the blade of her grandfather's glaive. Sure, it was an identifier that could out her as the missing girl from the Daeyang-gug capitol, but perhaps she wouldn't sell it just yet.

Kyang awoke with the first crowing rooster that she heard. Had she made a different decision, she might have emerged from her room in cleaner clothes and without her armour on. She was certainly the last person to be considered looking for a job as an aid or a scribe or some such. She had slept on her decision and found that the risk of taking on the bandit leader would be worth the reward. Now she just had to meet up with the others.

One of the others caught her eye as soon as she reached the main dining room. The piles of dripping, empty soup bowls around her gave Kyang some serious deja vu. Torako had been sombre and serious for just about the entire day after she had been set off, so Kyang approached cautiously behind her. "Hey, uh, Torako. Good morning?" Kyang leaned to one side, incredulous at the volume Torako had devoured. It was even more than yesterday, "How much longer do you think you'll be? Are you still coming with us, or...are you going to stay to finish feeding that army in your gut?" Kyang ran a finger carefully over one of the discarded bowls. She could have sworn that a chip on the bowls was caused by Torako's teeth. The thought made her brow furrow with astonishment.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

No problem.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I can't remember, has Gallus transformed in the IC thread before? I don't know whether I've accidentally changed the description of his beast form.