A Hideous Beast (Open - Astaria's back!)

Through the foliage, where the sunlight could not reach and the birds ceased their song, stalked a beast. A hideous beast, with a misshaped jaw and a pair of deceiving yellow eyes. It could barely be called a dragon save for the horns, and for it's bloodline. The beast was small, but a good fourteen feet long and twelve feet high, standing at the height of a one story house. Freshly-sharpened claws shifted the particles of soil beneath it's paws as it crept through the hedges, a purpose in it's slow, but decisive stride. The eyes projected an emotion only felt by a dragon when it hadn't eaten in a few days.



Hunger.



A buck grazed in an opening, where the sun was able to smile down on it and illuminate it with golden light. He was beautiful, with a shining, hazel coat and a pair of ivory white antlers that sprouted from in between his small, fluffy ears.


Adorable.


With narrowed eyes, the beast silently leaped into a tree, not making a sound save for the very soft thud of it's weight settling onto the branch. The tail hung down like a black vine, while a pair of jaws opened slightly to expose the rest of the serrated, savage fangs that were just made for ripping into ignorant prey.


It's prey, blissfully unaware, made towards the treeline, away from the beast. It barely prevented a growl that threatened to erupt from the depths of it's chest, it's claws digging into the bark of the tree. With a silent huff, the beast turned and hopped down into the shadows.

With the confidence of a panther and the power of a wolf, the beast circled the clearing, quickly noiselessly bounding to the opposite side. It's hide, which trembled with the excitement of it all, disguised it in the shadows, the dark blue concealing it among the trees. The buck, still unaware of it's demise, paused briefly to pick up a bundle of grass, before proceeding to the treeline to answer the call of his does.



That was when the beast struck.


It leaped from the darkness, slamming into the buck with the strength of ten bears, sending it to the ground with a soft thud. The buck cried out, it's haunting cry echoing through the trees. The beast's jaws clamped into it's throat and it twisted it's head, breaking the deer's neck with a crack and a soft growl.


Savouring the taste of fresh blood on her lips, Zarola let go and licked the blood almost delicately off of her lower jaw as it dribbled down her chin, staining the dark scales a deep crimson.


With a quick glance around her to make sure no one was watching her, the huntress dug into her meal with a quiet grunt. Everything about her screamed silent, noiseless, undetectable. A quiet female, she was. If you were to say no one knew she was here, you'd be right. In the borders of The Sky Empire, and not a soul knew of her presence. At least, she hoped nobody knew of her presence. She was a perfectionist when it came to stealth, it was practically everything she knew. To be spotted and followed without her knowing would be humiliating and enraging, and would send her ripping apart the one who had chosen to stalk her.