Post by Aldrannath on Feb 24, 2010 11:18:52 GMT 1
The bull kodo grazed peaceably among the long grasses, muscles twitching to ward off the flies that pestered it, tail swishing in the hot sun. From time to time it took a step or two, shifting its vast bulk with a delicacy belied by the earthen thunder of its footfall.
Thirty paces away, noticed but quite ignored by the vast beast, a young Kaldorei crouched in the long grass. By his side lay the traditional double-bladed spear of his people, but in his hand was a light hand-carved javelin, tipped with a small but wicked blade of flint. He wore only a simple cloth about his waist, and ignored the vicious insects settling on his sweat-sheened purple skin. Slowly he rose up, javelin poised - and then he threw.
The weapon sailed through the air, narrowly missing the eye he had aimed for, and cut a shallow but painful gash across the bull kodo's face. Bellowing in sudden rage, it turned, fixed its gaze on the waiting Kaldorei, and charged. Its muscles rippled with the explosion of released energy, and it thundered across the grass like a summer storm.
The Kaldorei crouched lower, head bowed, the double-headed spear held loosely in his hand, and watched the kodo's charge as if waiting for his own death. When the beast was less than ten paces away, he flung the spear high into the air, its two blades glittering as they spun in the blazing sun. But still he crouched, and waited.
Then suddenly he was airborne, and the beast passed under him. His feet sprang lightly off the bony plates of its shoulder, and he twisted like a cat, plucking his spear out of the air and driving it into the beast's flank with all his weight and strength.
With a deafening bellow, the beast slowed its thundering charge, and twisted to gore its attacker. But it was already too late; the spear had been placed with surgical precision, and sunk to more than half its length between the kodo's ribs. The bellow faded suddenly to a plaintive groan, and the beast dropped to its side with a crash that shook the very trees.
Fifty paces away, a small group of Kaldorei rose from the grassy ridge where they had lain hidden, the archers among them easing arrows from their bowstrings. The bearded male among them sighed. "Well, Thalianna?"
A sneer twisted the tattoos that snaked across the warrior's face, as she rose calmly to her feet. "He dances prettily. Keep him well hidden, or the Quel'dorei will take him away." The others, all female, chuckled quietly. "He will need watching. Simple-minded, is this one." The bearded elder nodded, and watched as the young Kaldorei, now blood-red from head to toe, began to hack at the beast's wound with a small knife.
The warrior grimaced again, and flicked a much longer blade from her belt as she strode off through the grass towards the huge carcass. "And he butchers like a troll. Take him and tattoo him before he cuts his own arm off."
Thirty paces away, noticed but quite ignored by the vast beast, a young Kaldorei crouched in the long grass. By his side lay the traditional double-bladed spear of his people, but in his hand was a light hand-carved javelin, tipped with a small but wicked blade of flint. He wore only a simple cloth about his waist, and ignored the vicious insects settling on his sweat-sheened purple skin. Slowly he rose up, javelin poised - and then he threw.
The weapon sailed through the air, narrowly missing the eye he had aimed for, and cut a shallow but painful gash across the bull kodo's face. Bellowing in sudden rage, it turned, fixed its gaze on the waiting Kaldorei, and charged. Its muscles rippled with the explosion of released energy, and it thundered across the grass like a summer storm.
The Kaldorei crouched lower, head bowed, the double-headed spear held loosely in his hand, and watched the kodo's charge as if waiting for his own death. When the beast was less than ten paces away, he flung the spear high into the air, its two blades glittering as they spun in the blazing sun. But still he crouched, and waited.
Then suddenly he was airborne, and the beast passed under him. His feet sprang lightly off the bony plates of its shoulder, and he twisted like a cat, plucking his spear out of the air and driving it into the beast's flank with all his weight and strength.
With a deafening bellow, the beast slowed its thundering charge, and twisted to gore its attacker. But it was already too late; the spear had been placed with surgical precision, and sunk to more than half its length between the kodo's ribs. The bellow faded suddenly to a plaintive groan, and the beast dropped to its side with a crash that shook the very trees.
Fifty paces away, a small group of Kaldorei rose from the grassy ridge where they had lain hidden, the archers among them easing arrows from their bowstrings. The bearded male among them sighed. "Well, Thalianna?"
A sneer twisted the tattoos that snaked across the warrior's face, as she rose calmly to her feet. "He dances prettily. Keep him well hidden, or the Quel'dorei will take him away." The others, all female, chuckled quietly. "He will need watching. Simple-minded, is this one." The bearded elder nodded, and watched as the young Kaldorei, now blood-red from head to toe, began to hack at the beast's wound with a small knife.
The warrior grimaced again, and flicked a much longer blade from her belt as she strode off through the grass towards the huge carcass. "And he butchers like a troll. Take him and tattoo him before he cuts his own arm off."