Open A Cazadores Dream

"Move move move!!" The voice could barely be heard over the pounding of her heart in her ears. Ground shuddered as Handler Yan pushed her way through the thickets and over fallen trees. A roar echoed from behind, followed by the gargled charge. On instinct, she ducked as an acidic wad of spit flew overhead, plastering the tree beyond. Wood and bark began melting rapidly before the liquid cooled. In the back of her mind, she thought about how much they would make back at the Emerald Scales den.

As she had observed earlier, these lands had adapted to the sudden change in the ecosystem. New predators meant a change from the highest green to the very roots she now slid upon. Yan panted lightly, where the hell were they?! She was sure she had run to full distance, turning to look over her shoulder, a large hand caught her collar, yanking her into cover.

"Nice work, kid!" Daz gave her a thumbs up as he knelt. The traps had been laid out perfectly. Had she run further, she would have been caught in the pitfall now laid out to her left. Another roar made her bones shake as she covered her ears. It was closer now; the Acidic Spine was closing in. A thick-scaled reptilian with a bad temper and reckless habit of pursuit. This one was of medium size, coming to about 10ft in height and 6ft in length. Had she not used her Pulse Boots, she would have been dead meat. She would need to thank the Trappers later for such a keen invention.

Baring his teeth, Daz could only smile as he caught sight of the creature approaching. Another wad of acidic spit had flown past, burning against the brush and earth before it cooled. Then it came, claws scraping the earth, it barrelled past their post. Following Yan's scent, it turned, but not before falling into the pit trap they had set. Tail first, it fell backward and down, entangled in the modified rope. Clawing at the side, Daz did not waste time taking hold of the large hilt at his side. He yanked, dragging the sword free of its place and overhead. Without delay, he struck the creature on the head. The force was enough to damage but not enough to kill. Something about their scales and structure made them pretty sturdy against weapons. Didn't mean they were Impervious, but it did mean it would take time and consistent focus. Drawing the greatsword back, his footwork remained solid, turning the arch slashed into a sideways slice.

A roar of anger left the Acidic Spine as it finally managed to get out of the trap. Even as it crawled out, Daz closed the gap, giving its lowered head and armored shoulder check at the chin. Its head snapped one way, then back towards Dazkar as he smacked it with the flat of the blade next. Trading blows, he took a swipe that scratched his armor, but pushed him away as well. "Now!!" Daz shouted as he landed hard on his back, sliding across the dirt.

He ran into the party mid-tracking of his own, ready for a long pre-dawn setup routine that would make his tricks look like magic. A net there, a spike on a wound-up branch here, a well-applied narcotic, a quick-drawn swig of a stimulant.
And the song of steel - the prelude of cut air, the main tunes of flesh coming apart under the blade, the bones cracking under the weight of the blow. The heady, urgent lust of an oncoming kill.

His sport being shared by another party was a bit of a blow to his plan of vacation away from the kids... the Pack.
Oh well. He wasn't pulling out, either.
They'd just sort the boring shit later.

He didn't sabotage any of their setup. Sat in the thick-branched, knotted tree with a heavy crossbow, watching the thing he's been skulking after, at a distance, for the past three days. A grin split the dry lips and bared fangs, froze on his face with a cold mania. His heart sang.
He watched the giant, heavily plated thing get corraled to the trap. Watched it fall. Watched the blades bounce.
Tossed the rusty, uneven strands of hair from his forehead, ignoring that they fell right back.

He rose up in the tree, balanced at the base of a low, winding branch.
Breathing steadied, the momentary stillness came to the hands, the aim moved smoothly and easily.

A heavy bolt came flying downward, the markings on its tail made with bright flashy lizard scales of green and yellow feathers from tiny parrots. At its tip was a hollow, to burrow into the flesh and spill the contents of the tiny glass orb that would get broken from the impact - right inside the bastard.

Vincent's aim was at the armpit, right as the thing struggled to push itself up from the pit completely, scapula tilted just right, arm outstretched just right, focus of the thing elsewhere.

The bolt pierced, and it stuck. The poison started. Local yellowskin striped toads had a potent paralyzing toxin that wore off quickly in a large enough target - and didn't spoil the meat. But what it did was paralyze the limb.
And the barghests at home had bile that could be concocted into a quick-drop potion, granting just one leap free of consequence for joints and organs.

The crossbow got dropped, swung from the rope tied to the branch like gallows, close to the ground.

A swig, glistening vial thrown over the shoulder - and, feeling his vision narrow and heart squeeze, Vincent jumped with a short start, off the end of the tree branch and down the cliff the tree grew on.
Right onto the side of the spine.
Swordpoint down.

The blade couldn't pierce one of those thick plates outright, no.
But with the force of impact landing the man onto the monster's back - it sure did go deep right in between the plate, and lodged enough.
The sensation of that edge passing through the thin veil of skin, ripping through the flesh razor-sharp... yes. Gods, yes.

The carving motion followed as Vincent's own weight on the grip and guard led the movement, the rest of impact and the man's falling trajectory turned into sliding and kicking off the side of the beast - a wound from above, a blade freed, a fall slowed.

He rolled away as the target jerked in the opposite direction, away from source of pain - and, the toxin should have kicked in for the opposite limb to fall asleep. Good luck with aiming that retaliatory snap while keeling over.

He didn't yell a greeting, just laughed with the enthusiasm and excitement of a child taking part in the best show of his life, licking teeth through the grin as his heart sped up with a terrible vengeance.
Nothing could kill the glee. Nothing could kill the song of violence.

A wind step, all zephyr and green saw armored boots tear through dirt with a speed most magicked. Like the air itself had split open to pull the armored body through it. Monster killing blade trailed behind, like a steel tail of the Cazadore.

Up slash cracked through scale and sliced deep through meat at opposite flank of bolt and hidden ambush. Creature writhed in pain. Spine all s shaped as it whipped towards the fresh agony. A down cut to deepen the wound.

Big tooth-filled head reached to try and snap shut about arm. Found strange spikes and bone there instead. Hissed and cried as it shook away from the gauntlet.

Didn't mean the thwump of crushing jaw hadn't hurt. Bottom teeth sank in. Caustic and burning.

Garrod ripped a growl from his throat. Bones still in tact, fingers still strong about his sword's handle.

Imagine, oh bearer mine, imagine! The cruel voice laughed all whisper and hiss. If I hadn't been there.

A step wide of foot and snap twist of hips as third cut ripped through, horizontal and away with the follow steps. Blade's edge shallow with its rake. Scales cracked and split, but bone plate stopped the worst of it.

Dazkar rolled forward, seeing two more Cazadore enter the fray, he was more excited. Letting out a bellow, he felt the gems in his armor stir to life as the creature became more enraged. With a hefty overhead swing, he caught the creature on the side of the face once more. Blade snapping scales away to expose a cracked point. Side-stepping back a pace, he avoided another swipe while he charged up for another swing. With a grunt, he brought it down once more against the reptilians' exposed left side in the arm opposite the ambush side as well.

Its tail whipped back and forth, aiming to clear both sides of its body with Dazkar at its head. Its body reared back on its hind legs. Cheeks swelling, it spat skyward in a fountain. Raining droplets of acidic spit down in the area surrounding its body. Dazkar's slash cut the air. There were two choices: get in really close beneath it or get one's distance. That was for the others to pick. Daz knew what he would do, rolling forward with the force he carried through in a single-armed, wide, rising slash at its stomach. Thankfully, his armor had been coated and set for such a hut, and he was not afraid to go in headfirst.

During this time, he had keenly observed the two addons to the hunt, Handler Yan remained tucked away further away with her binoculars to observe the hunts progress. Things were going to go extremely well, she thought to herself. Her face and clothes were now smeared with a berry that was found repulsive to most monsters in the area. Taking notes, she stuck out her tongue. "Looks like Dazzy boy has some help.. Or is it competition? Who knows in these parts?" Chuckling, she continued to mark down notes about Garrod and Vincent. The man, Garrod, and his gauntlet were something else; the way Vincent fired home with his heavy crossbow was nothing to scoff at either.

Metal bit flesh, opening a wound on its stomach as Daz pushed forward, he braced against the creature's hind leg with another shoulder check. Whether this did anything or not, he did not care; he only wanted some shelter from the acid rain pouring down in the surrounding area.

Someone had the audacity to narrate. Great!
Vincent flung the sword around, carve directed by one hand with the strength that should have taken two.
The other hand pulled a wide, triangle-shaped dagger. He didn't throw it, eyes instead shifting quickly from one exposed weak spot to the other. Like a good butcher, assessing a large piece of work.

While the mountain of a man ripped through probably most protective layers on the thing's abdomen, Vincent cut the distance on his end, adjusting to the movements of a beast's spine.
Anything with a spine had a limited reach.

The dagger arm wrapped around the monster's large hind leg thigh and whipped outward, blade sinking into the flesh as he moved. The carve didn't reach the artery - but sliced the ligament about the third of the way before slipping out of the wound before it'd get stuck in thicker plated skin. Keep using that leg.

He braced for impact before the carve was over. The base of the tail and the lower torso of the thing slammed into him, trying to throw him away so it could sort the other threats.
"Oh mon cherie, you vant me gone so soon?" A barking, wide-eyed guffaw rolled to the monster, rusty-red uneven strands falling in his face and sliding off it as he skid low to the ground, and took off right back towards the target.

The sword was directed with two hands now, and went into the side of the tail closer to base, cleaving it ass to tip horizontally.
Let's not waste good leather.

The redhead didn't seem to be weaving at all.
His face beamed with joy, frozen on it like a snarling mask.

He caught his balance to jump onto the tail when it stopped for just a fraction of a moment, pain finally debilitating use of limb, and made two steps onto the creature's back, triangle-shaped dagger unfolding past the handle - into a hook, to help keep him and all of his malicious intent right where he wanted it.

Oh boy, what a trip! Roaring in pain, the monster pitched and shifted, doing its best to adjust to its weakening state. Growing more enraged, the beast went back down on all fours. Its hind legs were weakened and damaged, its chest plating removed, and a nasty open section on its head and side. Daz grinned broadly as his armor pulsed again with the beast being fully enraged. Gripping the greatsword in one hand, he swung around in a backward twist, arching the blade down into its hind leg and base of its tail. Coupling his effort with Vincent's work, the tail became looser. Stumbling forward, the ride for Vincent was becoming rough, as it bounced back and forth on its forelegs, trying to throw the Cazadore off into the dirt.

"Hey now! Say now! Giddy up!!" Flashing a broad smile, Daz allowed the Acidic Spine and its rider some space. Now this would be worthwhile to watch. With both hind legs weakened and its tail half cut, it dragged itself through the woods in an adrenaline rush. Jostling side to side, it knocked down branches and vines in its wake. Moving into another clearing, the Spine turned and swiftly began to death roll.

If Vincent hadn't been knocked off or brushed off by the trees and vines, then he had a new problem. Daz followed behind at a jog, looking for Garrod. He had to be sure they were all in this together.