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Odyssey Stories: Kuku's Hunt


OdysseyGaming
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     The fe-Uruk grunted with effort as she swung her legs over the fallen tree, traveling through the jungle was a grueling task normally, but the recent thunderstorms mixed with the sweltering sun to create a truly humid hell. The Uruk’s heavy foot splashed through a creek, scattering the minuscule fish, she paused for a moment, catching her breath as she squatted low and drank from the stream, She could hear the hundreds of birds and insects calling out in the jungle around her, nature's orchestra filling her with with satisfaction and mirth. 

     She felt almost at home among the wild places of the world, her bare feet pounding the earth, wind in her hair, sweat sliding down her skin. Her stomach growled and she stood up, now was not the time for relishing simple pleasures, she had come as a predator, and nature was commanding her to hunt. 

Trudging from the stone bed of the creek, she climbed the red clay bank and entered the muggy jungle once more, she walked slowly as she carefully measured the nearby trees, finally she spotted a young, sturdy tree, near the thickness of her muscled forearm. With a grin she unslung her hefty war axe, spinning the weapon a few times in her hand before going to work. The steel head bit deep into the green wood, with a hearty thunk. Her scarlet skin stretched over powerful muscles as she felled the tree, and with a contented grunt she sat on a boulder and began her work.

     The sun was hanging low in the crimson sky, the Uruk hoisted the crude pike over her shoulder. It stood twice as tall as the female did, a sharp point had been cut on one end. The small limbs had been hewed clean, and the tip hardened in a small fire. Now armed with a proper weapon she travelled east through the thorny thicket, and towards the Steppes that bordered her jungle homeland. She climbed over fallen trees, cut her way through thick underbrush, and carefully scaled down limestone cliffs. As walked through the emerald soaked landscape she thought  of home, the modest dwelling she had claimed, the warmth of her fireplace, her small but well stocked kitchen, and of her adopted daughter Jenny, a gangly young human, with long tawny hair. She longed for the comfort of the city, yet another more primal part was revealing in the humid scenery. She knew the winter season was coming, and while her home was warm throughout the year, it made hunting and gathering a troublesome prospect.

     The Uruk was pulled from her thoughts when she stepped to the jungle's edge. In front of her lay a rising full moon, a vast open plain lay before her, with soaring mountains further east. She walked through the waist high grass, letting her hands lightly graze the feathery tops as a tenacious southern wind picked up, causing rippling waves to form among the grass, her hair swishing like a banner or flag in the breeze. Her ears twitched as she heard the distant bellow of her quarry. A deep primal urge began to boil in her blood as she gripped the pike tightly. She headed south along the border of the jungle and the steppe, staying down wind as she began to find more signs of her prey. Immense patches of grass had been torn from the ground, and mammoth piles of dung marked this as the grazing grounds of the Prairie Dulk. 

     She spotted a dust cloud rising further east as the herd moved towards a gorge to bed down for the night. She crouched low and began to move from boulders, to the small sturdy trees that managed to grow in the rocky soil. She knew she had the wind in her favor, all she had to do was get closer to the colossal beasts without being spotted. She slid smoothly to the ground, crawling on her belly as she inched over the crest of a hill. There laid before her was a herd of Dulk, seventeen of them as far as she could tell.

     A Prairie Dulk was no woodland beast to be brought down with a simple hunting bow, these were the Kings of the Steppes, somewhat comparable in size and shape to the War Rhinos of Uzg, their thick grey fur and rough armor like hide was one of nature's best defenses, while their powerful legs and long ivory horns marked death for any of those who were fools or unlucky. Kuku had to consider her options carefully, the females would be pregnant now, and she didn’t want to upset the balance of nature by taking the life of a yet unborn Dulk; However, fighting one of the young males was asking for a gruesome death, while a heffer Dulk will protect her young even at the expense of her own life, if given the chance she’d retreat to safety so long as her calf was safe, the males on the other hand, seemed to crave fighting, often spending their days battering each other, or trampling a starving wolf into the dust. 

     Suddenly the moon crested the cliffside, and as if the spirits themselves were guiding Kuku, the moon shown upon an elder Dulk, his fur was near stark white, with lengthy scars snaking over his leathery hide, marking him an old warrior of the herd. The female Uruk’s breath caught in her throat, as she knew this elder was meant to battle her, one of them would die a warrior's death this night, she was sure the spirits had brought them together.

As if by magic, clouds covered the moon, plunging the Uruk and the Dulk herd in darkness once more. She began a long, treacherous climb down the cliff that encircled the gorge, creeping around the bulk of the herd like a wolf stalking its prey. Finally she drew near the imposing creature, even when laying down the Dulk’s shoulder was taller than the She-Uruk standing, but Kuku pressed on. She could see mighty muscles along his flanks and legs, and obsidian colored hooves that were as wide as her hips, no doubt one blow from them would send any hunter to an agonizing death. She inched forward and came to his almighty head. His amber colored eye watching her closely, the beast, was awake.

     Kuku swallowed hard as she saw the Elder begin to shift, it’s monstrous form shaking with effort to bring the Dulk up, it had been watching her for some time now, yet it hadn’t alerted the herd. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as the beast rose to its full height and towered over the seven foot tall Uruk. It dipped it’s head low as if in respect and Kuku made a silent albeit urgent prayer to Freygoth, the Uruk Spirit of Nature. 

With a roar that threatened to deafen the Uruk the beast lifted it’s head, the herd had begun to stir and the young males snorted and rose to their hooves in confusion, not yet aware of the intruder among them. The Elder pawed the earth, ripping small boulders from it, his ebony hooves plowing the earth as he prepared to charge. Kuku hefted the pike from her shoulder, ramming the butt of the crude weapon into the earth to secure it, she leveled the spiked end at the Dulk Elder’s throat and crouched, her left foot placed upon the rammed earth and pike butt to steady it. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her blood boiled and hands gripped the rough hewn handle so hard, her red skinned knuckles turned a deep violet shade.

     She watched the Elder in slow motion, it’s hooves gouging the earth, it’s eyes wild with nature's instinct to kill. She knew today may very well be the day she dies, crushed under those black hooves, or worse yet, impaled upon the torso length horn. She thought of home again, the smokey bar where she spent many a night watching spars in the fighting pits, and drinking with her friends and family. She thought of the many memories made, and prayed to the spirits that she would have more memories left to make. She redoubled her focus as the earth shook, her teeth rattled in her skull, the titantatic mass of fury and muscle was bearing down upon the she-Uruk. The pike slid along the thick fur and toughened hide, she watched with dread as the crude spear tip missed the titan’s neck and impacted it’s right shoulder. The pike bent in the middle as the Elder impaled himself before shattering into splittners, she didn’t have enough time to react as he swung his head, the beast narrowly missed Kuku with it’s horn, though his gigantic head collided with her and sent her hurtling back a few yards, there was a sickening crunch as she landed and she felt a few of her ribs break.

She nearly lost control of her bloodlust when the pain washed over her, gritting her teeth she rolled onto her side and pushed herself up into a low crouch. Agony washed over her as she struggled to breath, a trickle of blood spilt down her maroon lips and dripped from her chin, but she had been trained by the best of Krungmar’s warriors, and she pushed the pain into the back of her mind and stood tall once more. Kuku unslung her old friend and the axe’s blade shone dimly in the scattered moonlight. It’s familiar weight and the smooth wooden handle brought her comfort. The earth was trembling once more, the Uruk gripped her weapon tightly and made ready to die.

     The Elder wheeled around, the end of the pike jutting from it’s shoulder as thick blood slid down it’s furry leg. He puffed great breaths that shook the grass in front of him as he roared another challenge at the Uruk. She rose to her full height, the axe held with both hands as she screamed back at the beast. The two began to run towards each other as the wind picked up once again. There were no thoughts, or memories of home now, her mind was blank as her training and battle instincts took over. Her long muscular legs carried her quickly towards the great monstrosity, she raised her axe high over her shoulder, and at the last moment, twisted expertly away from the gleaming spike. She brought the axe down with a mighty blow, her rippling tendons bulging with effort.

     Kuku could heard the Elders thigh bone snap as her axe bit deeply into the beasts leg, she could feel the muscle and sinew tearing, the Dulk’s injured leg had given her a small opportunity, the limp had left him open to attack on his side and she exploited it to the fullest. The Elder bellows in pain, unable to stop the forward momentum his head digs a large trench as he crashes to the ground. His herd begins to snort and paw at the earth as they watch their herd member fall.

The female Uruk circles the beast, watching as he struggles to stand, she comes to a stop near the Elders head to look in his eye. She can see the distress, and pain in his gaze. He looks away towards his herd and lets out one last thunderous roar, there is a long moment of silence followed by the sounds of the herd moving away from the battle ground, heading towards the high mountains. 

     The Elder breathes deeply one last time, he knows his time on Almaris has come to an end. He had led his herd through many harsh winters, protected them from wolves and hunters, and he could at last find rest. Nature had granted this old Dulk a worthy death. The mighty beast closed his eyes for the last time, and awaited his peace. Kuku raised her axe above her head, praying a thank you to all the spirits, but especially to Freygoth for giving her this successful hunt. She knows that as she takes from nature, she too, will one day return to nature. The axe sinks cleanly into the beast's throat, and the breath eases from it’s lungs. The Female Uruk relishes the feeling of the Elders blood spraying on her, taking a moment to catch her breath. She looks out over the Steppe, the clouds parting once more to reveal a grand grass ocean, and in the far distance lays her jungle homeland. 

     She tugs her axe from the Dulks corpse with a sigh as the blood dries on her skin. Her fight might be over, but there is still much work to do. She thinks to herself with a small smile, the howling of wolves can be heard, carried on the chilling night breeze.

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Thank you for reading through this short story! I've begun writing again as a way to practice and improve, so criticism is welcomed. I need to state I have the express written permission of Satyrdays to 1) Write about Kuku, 2) Post this to the forums. With that out of the way I also need to state that this story in no way relates to the server, this is just a fun short story about a hunt, it DID NOT happen in roleplay. Thank you once again and I should be posting (Hopefully) One short story a week!

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im a short story protagonist B)

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