Hunt for Seal/Shark 1

“That’s a new one...” Violet said, glancing at her sister before motioning towards the sight before them.

Valeria wasn’t quite sure what she was seeing to be honest. Well, actually, she knew what she was seeing, she just couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

Snowy beaches bordered the gravel road they traveled, icy cold gray water lapping at its shores. The stone beaches of Roenden were something that not many found inviting, however its iconic views were good enough for a trip for those who lived in the snow covered country.

That wasn’t what caught the sisters’ interest however. It was the singular vayron stalking across the beach, almost like a wraith in the frosty morning air. She was dark, easily blending in with the dark stones of the beach, though it was curious as her body was marked with an almost skeletal-like marking. It was a curious thing and the sisters’ couldn’t help but watch the vayron as it continued on its way.

Valeria shivered as a cold breeze blew past the pair, bringing to rise a similar morning far away in her past. She had no interest in ever coming to this country but unfortunately, their master needed some ingredients, apparently ones that she couldn’t have purchased in Vitalus or off of some back alley seedy merchant like she usually did. 

Though, if Valeria had a say in the matter, she thought it was punishment for the two of them. For what though, she had no idea.

Valeria’s eyes followed the spooky vayron’s path, blinking as she realized the vayron’s target. 

A group of seals were napping on the shore, blissfully unaware of the danger creeping up on them.

“Should we...” Valeria said, looking to her sister.

Violet had a stern look on her face, however her crystal blue eyes flicked to Valeria for a second before back to the strange vayron.

“If you want to.”

Valeria’s face broke out in a smile before instantly galloping to move into a pincer attack on the seals. It never hurt to have a bit of fun while traveling, especially since seals were close to what they were sent here to get anyways.

Violet moved behind Valeria’s letting the younger sister take the lead as they crept up on the unaware prey.

The strange vayron noticed them immediately, though didn’t seem to mind that they were helping out, just this once. In fact, they adjusted their course and started to move in tandem with the sisters instead of causing a fuss.

Fantastic!

Valeria let the stranger take the lead as the sisters waited patiently for the curious looking vayron to make their move. 

They didn’t have to wait long before the seals started braying in alarm at the stranger leaping among them. Valeria and Violet took that as their queue to commence their own attack, coming at the group of seals from the other side.

It didn’t take more than a minute for each sister to claim a seal for themself, easily taking down the clumsy animals. They were easy pickings when they were on shore, but absolutely impossible to catch when in the water.

Valeria licked the seal blood off of her teeth, eyeing up more of the animals as they tried to bolt for the water. The strange vayron wasn’t stopping at just one seal, so Valeria took that as an invitation to attack more of the poor slow-moving creatures.

One was just starting to leap into the water, the icy cold water splashing up around it like glittering jewels.

The blue and brown vayron jumped after it, leaping on its back as it rolled into deeper water. The shock of the cold was unexpected as Valeria latched onto the seal, the poor animal squealing under the water as its lifeblood turned the gray water red.

A flash of something moved through the water past Valeria, however she ignored it, assuming it was just another seal. Suddenly, purple sparks erupted around the female and she whipped her eyes to it, unwilling to let go of her prize just yet.

Violet’s lightning magic arced through the water, nothing more than a flash of purple and gold, as it outlined an ominous figure.

Holy gods--that’s a shark!

Her surprise was short lived as she watched Violet’s magic dissipate in the water, soon followed by her sister herself leaping into the water to latch onto the shark. It was already limp, drifting in the weak current, as her sister swam past her, a triumphant look on her face.

Show-off...

Valeria made her way back to shore as well, dragging along the heavy carcass of the seal, now long bled out in the water. She dropped it on the pebbly beach, gasping for air as she glanced at her sister, and the stranger that looked at the pair quizzically.

“Who are you?” Violet said, standing over her shark prize.

“I would like to ask you the same question.” the stranger replied, or rather, the female, Valeria realized.

Her voice was almost musical, though there was a hint of harshness to it, almost like she didn’t speak much.

“My name is Valeria, and that is my sister Violet.” Valeria said, ignoring the glare from Violet. 

Her sister was much too protective of their names. Despite their... unwilling career choice and lifestyle, it wouldn’t be hard to find them or who they were, even without their enemies knowing their names. Hiding it was just useless, in Valeria’s opinion. 

The peculiar looking female glanced at Violet for a minute before addressing Valeria. “My name is Draugr.”