After the plan was set we set out with Krikos. And told home our plan he just nodded his cut little head and said.
"Kik!"
And flew off into the sky, so we followed him.
Every now and then he would sit on a tree branch while waiting for us to catch up making sure we weren't lost. He's so smart.
Anyways our hunt for a single predator was all for not. We found a family of bears with enhanced strength large in size with bulk. A pack of fire breathing wolves with red stripes, running down their fur coats. We failed to find a single lonely predator.
The reason we were looking for a single lone predator was because it was easy to feed him till he's stuffed, if he was a single beast. Just imagine if we had to hunt for a dozen male wolves and their family members. We would probably be skin and bones, before we had a chance to hunt for ourselves.
As we wonder through the forest I suddenly had a bright idea. I asked Cynthia in a whispering voice.
"Why don't we just poison the beasts with the food we give, and then hunt their territory?"
I head Cynthia sigh for a moment and she stopped sneaking forward to get a good look at my face then said.
" You know that the beasts that live here within the forest that you named Deep Forest have all grown up here right?"
Then I responded with.
"Yeah why does that matter?"
She then sighed again while shaking her head.
"You also know that they hunt in this forest right?"
Then I respond with
"Yeah?"
Then she said.
"So you know all the prey that they eat already have some kind of poison from one way or another."
"They already have some kind of poison resistance, especially if the poison we use is from this very forest they live in. duh!"
"Even if we could find poison that would work on the predators. You know that these very beasts we're trying to poison have an enhanced sense of smell. Plus with mana amplifying their senses, it would never work."
She shook her head again and continued on following where Krikos flew off to.
I was embarrassed, thinking that I was some smart genius. I guess she does have more experience than me.
As we continued on, then we heard Krikos from far away.
"Ke-ee-ar!"
I guess he was worried why we were taking so long.
We continued on a few more days and we finally found a lone predator, a huge snake type beast.
Well we found him because of Krikos, and we knew it was a snake like beast because of his huge tracks that he left behind while moving about.
I then said to Cynthia.
"We can't use this beast since snakes eat a ton of food, we won't be able to over eat him."
Then Cynthia turned around and said.
"Normally that would be true, but if we wait until he just finished his own hunt then bring him food we should be able to complete our mission."
Once again Cynthia showed her outstanding experience as a pro adventure.
So we waited asking Krikos to stay within his territory and watch the snake beast when he finished his hunt.
Three days have passed and nothing seems to happen. Every so often Krikos flies back while shaking his head. Giving us an update.
Each day I grow weary and weaker, I can see Cynthia also getting more and more desperate with anxiety. She started to pace back and forth, on the third day. Then she said.
"I don't know if we're gonna make it. We only have a few days of food left, and that's stretching it. We're getting weaker and weaker by the day. Any longer and we might just be bones and skin."
I then comfort her by saying.
"Your plan is genius, we just need some luck and to hold on it'll be okay don't worry."
She sighs and continues to pace back and forth. With a tense face. I tell her.
"Relax or you'll get face wrinkles, if you keep scrunching your face like that."
She seemed to let out a chuckle and stopped then sat down. She whispered.
"Thanks."
I asked.
"What?"
She replied with.
"Nothing."
On the fourth day our luck seemed to have changed. Krikos comes flying, letting out a happy scream.
"Kee-keee-keee"
Then I asked him.
"Is the snake eating?"
Krikos shakes his head meaning no. I looked confused then asked
"Why are you so happy?"
Cynthia seemed to understand and said.
"The snake is probably hunting for his food as we speak, so Krikos is telling us to get ready. Once his hunt is finished it's our job to bring him more prey so he'll leave us alone once he's over stuffed."
I responded with an.
"Ohhh, I get it."
With that in mind Cynthia brings out all our food and says.
"Eat up we're going to need all the strength we can muster, even though the beast has eaten we still have a tough job ahead of us."
"Krikos go back and keep an eye on him when he's done eating, come back and notify us so we can know when to start our hunt."
Krikos responds with a nod and a.
"Kik!"
Then flies off. At this point I was starting to feel like a third wheel. Why do they understand each other so well while I'm still here standing confused.
I was here first. Anyways I put that thought behind me and started stuffing my face. Cynthia was right. I needed all the strength I mustered, if we were going to complete this forced feeding mission.
After a few hours of rest and self relief in the bushes on far away from the camp site.
Krikos flies back even more cheerful.
"Kee-keee."
I asked.
"He's done eating?"
Krikos finally nods his head and we jump into action. Cynthia says.
"The hunt is on!"
Krikos flies about finding weak prey for us to hunt.
I shoot them down with my knives and Cynthia just follows behind.
We cover the bloody wounds with some mud and rush back to the border of the snakes territory easy to find since it's a large circle of animal bones.
In the far distances I could see the snake laying under the sunlight, not moving. He seemed to be sleeping. His scales were mostly healthy grass green, some dark, some bright in colour blending into the forest cover.
I quickly threw the prey within his territory and ran away.
After finding a good place to hide I saw the snake sniffing the dead body and poking it with his tail. After he seemed to confirm the animal was safe to eat.
He snapped it up in one bit. His fags looks like two meter long white pick axes and as sharp as two thin long javelins with a large curve.
As his mouth closed I saw some purple liquid flow from his lips that looked like some kind of lethal poison.
His eyes were a deep yellow full of danger as he turned around. I had a rough estimate of his length, about 40 meters long and 5 meters wide in diameter.
I wouldn't want to have fought this beast at all.
As I turned around I saw Cynthia shaking with fear and sweat. Her face was pale, more pale than ever before. It looked like she saw a ghost. She even looked like she was one. Though I would never tell her. Since I wanted to live a long life.
I whispered to her.
" Let's go."
I grabbed her arm and dragged her away.