Lizard Hunting (LA)

Koku · Lizard Hunting (LA)

Getting on the carriage, Lady Amarella soon reaches her destination. The place is a lot emptier than before, with more activity moving inwards to the capital, and out by lake Validus. The perching lizard population has been throbbing, and it is time to once again help reduce their number. Most are still found by the trees by the forest of souls.

Lady Amarella

I step out of the carriage and look around. I can see the edge of the forest in front of me. I've heard the warnings, still, I can't help but wonder why it is so dangerous. Thrusting thoughts of the forest from my mind, I consentrate on my search for lizards.

Lizards are cold blooded, so I assume they would be sunning themselves. I Start moving through the foliage looking for large rocks or stumps. Anything really, that would put a lizard up towards the sun.

It suddenly occurs to me, I don't know what size these lizards are. I draw my sword and walk slower, adding a slight bend to my knees.

Koku

Walking around the foliage and find small stones. Eventually Lady Amarella finds a large stone, on it there is a two-headed lizard that stands about one foot tall lying down- a perching lizard. It senses her but does not get up right away.

Lady Amarella

I slowly approach the creature. "Well I'll be skinned," I think, "I didn't know they had two heads."

Not knowing if my sword (or strength) is sufficient to remove it's head altogether, I decide that I need to go for the jugular of the nearest head, in an attempt to bleed it to death quickly, hopefully eliminating the second head keeping control of the body. If the head does come off, well, all the better.

I approach it towards it's left side, and swing my sword in a backhanded sweep towards its neck.

Koku

Lady Amarella strikes at one of the necks of the perching lizard, cutting it deeply, but not as deep as she would like. The Perching lizard moved before the bade could cut in, so it escaped a lethal hit. The two heads bit back, getting Amarella (just to shorten the name a little bit) in the stomach. The two bites are effective, though one was subdued by the bad injury on the right neck of the perching lizard.

Spoiler:

Lady Amarella

As I sliced the neck of the nearest head, I continued the arch of the sword around and up to an overhead position. The heads come for my stomach, I jump back. Not too far, just enough to put the heads back into range of my sword. "Shades! Not fast enough! That hurt."

Hoping to get both heads while they are still together, I continue the curve of my sword into a downward 'chop' motion as I move back again to put them under it.

Koku

Slicing into the neck it cuts the neck deeper. When they go to attack again, they are cut short with the final downward slash of Amarella, splitting the beast down the middle deep enough to kill it.

Spoiler:

Lady Amarella

Keeping an eye out so a lizard doesn't sneak up on me, I quickly wipe my blade.

I pick up the lizard and carry it over to the carriage and toss it on the back. I rip off a piece of my shirttail and stuff it onto the wound in my stomach, making a mental note to add cloths to my pack.

I then head back in the direction of the rock, visually sweeping the terrain for another lizard.

Koku

Sweeping the terrain a pack of perching lizards can be seen. There are ten in the pack, with a slightly larger than average one leading it. about two yards in back of them a smaller one can be seen limping a little bit.

Lady Amarella

I really don't know what to do. If only I had found out more about these creatures before I came! I know that I cannot survive a fight with ten perching lizards.

I got rather close to my first lizard without it attacking, thus getting the impression that they weren't really aggressive, but is it their nature to defend each other, or will they run to escape and leave the attacked one to it's fate?

I decide to stay down, quiet and motionless. I will observe them and particularly how they treat the injured one. If they seem concerned for it, I will let them pass and wait for a single perching lizard. If not I will trail behind and take the injured one when the distance between it and the pack has widened.

Koku

letting the pack pass, the weaker one falls further behind, now he is about three yards from the main group. Listening around, there seems to be some small rustling coming from some tall grass.

Lady Amarella

I think maybe the pack does not care for it's injured at any rate. I could probably follow and safely take the poor fellow. But I have no wish to be rash. I don't know this land or it's inhabitants well enough. I would know what is in the grass first. I stay quiet, watch and wait. If it is nothing, I'm sure I can easily catch up with the gimpy perching, especially following a trail made by ten.

Koku

Catching up to the gimpy lizard, closely, Amarella is able to grab it and separate it quietly from the rest of the group.

Lady Amarella

My heart is saddened looking at the poor perching. Killing it now just doesn't seem fair. I decide to examine it's leg to see if I can tend it's hurt. If it's mendable, I'll do what I can and let it go and go find a healthy perching that can fight back. After all what is the point of training if there is no fight. If I can not help it, I will put it out of it's misery.

Koku

Helping the lizard, it seems to relax and allow lady amarella to befriend it. After being bandaged, it stays close to amarella. Even when she moves a couple steps, it follows her. It appears that it sees her as a friend, and decides to go with her. Getting the other perching lizard, lady amarella is soon confronted with the cart driver. "looks like you got two perchin' lizards there, let's get out of 'ere 'k?"

*Getting on the cart, Lady Amarella is able to prevent the one dead perching lizard and her new friend as evidence enough to complete the mission*