Despite his desire to go find the stone creature, his father had other plans for him. He tossed him a spear as he slung a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.
"Come. We need to hunt."
"I was going to help Lyra and-"
"This is more important." Hota nodded to one of the guards milling about, exchanging a few words. "There is a Gigavix threatening their livestock."
Koa paused. The Elders had a story about a maiden warrior who fought and fell to such a creature. Their descriptions were of massive, hulking winged beasts who prowled the deeper layers of the forests, particularly the rolling hills to the North of the clan's mountain home. If one were here…
The hunt would take at least a few days.
"Sir, hunting it-"
"We have no choice."
"But it's-"
"Sacred." Hota interrupted. "I know. But these people are new to this land. They do not know this world as well as we do. I can try to teach them as much as I can, but this was inevitable. Now that the animal sees an easy meal, it will come back."
"I have to - I mean, can I go tell them? It's important." The boy pleaded. Hota scrutinized the boy's face, nodding after a pause.
"Have yourself ready by Broken Rock."
Koa hurried to tell his two companions, and while they were disappointed, they agreed to wait.
Broken Rock was a particularly large chunk of rock jutting at an angle from the ground. Just below the top was a chunk the size of both Koa and Hota combined. Isa told Koa stories of how it was Elder La'Lo himself who broke the rock during a competition. Hota was sitting atop the piece of rock that had broken off, examining a map he had been given. As Koa approached, he saw that there were markings of particular areas, likely sightings of the Gigavix.
"Any recognizable patterns?"
Hota shook his head. "Might have lost its territory. Moves too erratically. It was last seen by the Lepu warrens. We will start there."
Hunting alone with Hota was vastly different than hunting in a group. Koa's hunting skills were lacking, so Hota's responsibilities doubled, once again allowing Koa the room to practice while still completing the request.
Why did you take this request? Koa thought. You've seen me hunt; even if this hunt needs to happen, we need a bigger band. As if hearing his thoughts, Hota stopped to put a hand on his shoulder.
"This will be difficult. I need you to do what I tell you. No distractions, no buts, understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Practice your tracking, you will take the lead once we get there."
Tracking (Active) Lvl 25: 13.33%
Utilize your instincts and focus to identify, follow, and monitor a specific target. Target a specific creature during cast. The more recent the trail, the brighter the tracks are displayed.
MP Cost: 10
Stamina Cost: 5
Duration: 5 minutes
These windows, Koa had learned, were only visible to him. The boy wondered once again what this system was and where these abilities that it gave him came from. It was a question that he knew he had the answer to at the back of his mind, yet as much as he tried, he couldn't bring it forward.
As the boy mulled over his missing memory, Hota watched over him while he led. Koa was strange to him, not just physically with his pale hair and skin, The boy was an alien to the man.
"Careful," Hota said as he watched the boy about to misstep and trip over a stray root. Koa, distracted, hummed a question before hooking a foot into said root and yelping as he fell forward with no foot to catch him. Hota stopped to stare as the boy sprang back up from his tumble. He raised an eyebrow, and Koa could only mumble thanks for the warning.
"We are hunting., Hota said as he knelt to meet the boy's eyes. "Hunting something larger than both of us. If you cannot keep focused, then we will be hunted instead."
"Sorry, sir."
"Are you injured?"
"No, sir…" Koa went silent, seemingly about to say something. "No."
"Good." Hota placed a hand on the boy's spear, pressing the shaft to his chest. "Stay. Focused."
Their journey was only a few hours. There were Saigan settlements, small mixes of clay, dirt, and wood. Their roofs were tiled, and tarps covered their entrances. It was a total of six buildings crowding a fenced enclosure. Their primary focus was within the encampment they shared with the Aeolon. This place was meant to focus on watching over animals. These, in particular, were a herd of Obo, strange woolen creatures that stood at Koa's height, with large, impressive horns that curved up from the sides of their heads. Their legs were strong, and with a low center of gravity, they were excellent climbers.
It was their wool, meat, and milk that the Saigan and Aeolon groups valued. As Koa and Hota neared the group, the boy translated for Hota and some of the beasts' keepers, a trio of siblings and their partners.
"The Gigavix had managed to sneak past them. They ignored the typical signs, only noticing the odor and its droppings after it had killed and eaten five of the herd overnight." Hota asked Koa to inquire about their nightly watch. The lead, now red-faced, admitted he had drunk himself to sleep.
"They managed to find a trail of blood, but lost it at the treeline." Koa translated. Lastly, Hota asked them if there were any pieces of the Obo left after the hunt. When they brought him what was left he grabbed a chunk of bone still carrying flesh and slick with blood, wrapping it carefully so the blood wouldn't drip.
They left quickly to where the farmers had told them, and sure enough, the tracks had appeared. The boy waited for Hota, who knelt and mumbled a prayer, clutching a carved wooden amulet of A Tytostrix, a stealthy flying creature. After a pause, Hota gestured for Koa to take the lead, and the boy activated his ability as he searched.