night five - kill log.

[foxhounds]

Who: Killers and Hector
When: The fifth night
Where: The jungles of Ship-Trap Island

[ It's the dead of night when you first hear it. It's the distinct sound of a baying hound barking nearby. This must be the Hunt that you were warned of, and though it seems impossible, they sound very close. You can try and run, but it's hot on your trail. ]

Comments

[reckless_but_loyal]

[ Hector knew this was coming. He's always been blessed with good intuition, and it's been well-honed by years of assassination attempts. The strange feeling that someone wants him dead is familiar to him by now, and his mental response is much the same as it's always been.

Let them come.

Coming up with an excuse to get away from Clarine is easy enough, and she's in no state to argue with anything he suggests. He swore he'd protect her and he doesn't like it, but leaving her is the best way to do it right now. That feeling in his chest doesn't lie; they're after him, not her. And, much as he's loathe to admit it, for what is probably the first time in his life, he's not confident he can protect himself, much less someone else, too.

And yet, when he hears the dog, he doesn't run, but takes up a defensive stance instead, extending his senses to the limits to try and tell where the attack's going to come from. He doesn't have his axe or sword or even a spear, but he does have his armored fists, and he's been in brawls before. Even if he's not confident he'll come out of this one alive, he knows one thing for sure.

He's going to go down fighting. ]

[foxhunts]

[ He might be surprised that it's not a person at all. When the hound comes to meet him, it's quite a frightening sight itself with its eyes glowing a sickly blue-green, and all its skin and flesh is mottled a grotesque grey, as if it were some kind of spectre. Its maw is open and dripping as if it were rabid, and the teeth are larger and sharper than a normal hound's. This is a beast made to kill, not a foxhound.

It growls when it sees him, then starts to stalk to the side, waiting for a chance to attack... There doesn't seem to be anyone with it. ]

[reckless_but_loyal]

[ What a sight the thing is, but seeing it makes his heart swell. It's a horrific and disgusting beast, but it's still naught but a beast. Here he'd been expecting a thinking human with a weapon he still can't understand and instead he's been given a mad, slavering dog. He could almost laugh. This thing, this he can fight without fear.

He circles to match the hound, gauging its movements, and then suddenly, with the immediate shift of a well-practiced fighter, he makes his move. He dodges to the left, grabbing the edge of his cape as it flutters behind him, and in the same fluid motion he moves forward towards the beast itself. The cape is tattered and worn from his nights in the jungle, but it's intact enough for his purposes.

He'll catch and tangle it in the cape like a net. It's doubtful the cape will hold up for more than a couple of seconds, but that should be enough time for him to strike a solid blow or two to the beast's head. He'll stun it and then he'll beat it to death.

That's the plan, at least. ]

[foxhunts]

[ But of course, these sorts of things never quite go as planned. The one dog is a distraction, because there was another laying in wait. He's able to catch the one and even hit it without any problem, but another leaps onto his back from where it had been lurking.

Sharp fangs dig into the back of his neck where it can reach, because these creatures only know how to kill. ]

[reckless_but_loyal]

[ Hector's mind goes into overdrive when he feels the weight on his back. He's so stupid. He knew there would be more than one hound hunting tonight and still he let his guard down. After everything he's survived to get this far, he won't fall to this, he can't. Too much is riding on him.

But it's too late for him to do anything but cry out in pain as the dog's jaws close around his neck. He instinctively jerks back like he's trying to tear it off him, but already his movements are sluggish and weak. He's going to die, and there's nothing he can do about it.

The last of Ostia's line falls, still desperately trying to grasp at his attackers as though he can still drag them into the afterlife with him. ]

Damn... you....

[foxhunts]

[ The dog is at least thrown off once he moves, and though it hits the ground hard, it still rolls with the impact, clearly not too put off by it. The hound trapped in the cape growls, and as Hector starts to fall, it too finds its way out of his cape.

This one will at least make it quicker, since if Hector comes too close, its jaws will snap on his throat to expedite his death. ]

[reckless_but_loyal]

[ Hector's life is torn away along with his throat.

Hope the dogs thought to bring along a can opener. ]