Kaleidoscope

Kevesh Belmoth would hunt tonight, it was a strange hunt that few would recognise but it was a hunt nonetheless. It might prove bountiful or perhaps it would be lean, he could not tell, these kinds of hunts were hard to judge. 

He made his way towards the hunting grounds on soundless feet. He doubted his prey would run or even know if it heard his coming but he'd come like to going unnoticed, it was then that one saw the most. He closed his eyes and entered the cave wondering how long it would be before the herd people noticed he was not one of them. With his eyes closed he was just a silhouette amongst them, he hunched to make height less conspicuous, folded his much longer arms and kept moving at a steady shamble, they were too distracted by the noise of their companions to pay him much attention, amused he kept track of how much time it took them to notice and react to him. It baffled him how a race that was as noisy, oblivious and weak as theirs managed to survive. Yet they had done more than survive, they performed feats the Voth could not claim to have equalled and might not ever... not if Belmoth did nothing. 

They knew he was there now, their pulses  quickened, their voices quieted to frantic whispers, their feets  pitter-pattered on the cave floor as they performed what their kind passed as silent escapes and most enticing of all their scent if their fear filled the cave. Kevesh watched the humans flee, he did not need to give chase or seek a trail. The trail would come to him, all that was left now was for him to wait.

"Lord Kevesh! It is an honour to serve"

He never tarried, for all that he stank of fear he never shied away. Yet Kevesh was annoyed, that title was a human thing and it rankled him to be referred to by it. Baleanor swore it an error, a force of habit he called it yet he had never learned to forget it. It tasted to Kevesh like a chain only he could not tell how.  

He ignored the seed of anger, with practised ease and questioned the man. Impressive as Baleanor's knowledge was the man himself was not and Kevesh was loathe to waste time exchanging pleasantries with the elikivoth. He turned to the child that Baleanor has brought with him for translation and asked.

"Two males where released into the holding caves recently, you know of them yes? Tell me of them?" The little boy relayed. 

"The pair of deviants yes every human knows of them at this point. They made a big ruckus and then they went in the spider's lair and never came back out. Most people think they died in there but if I had to judge I'd say they are escaping."

Escaping. The Kevesh felt his beat faster, one hunt would become two and challenge of both would be greater still. 

"Go to your Kelinesh. Tell him the hunt is to gather at the end of my trail."

By the time the other members of the hunt found him Belmoth had slain three of the oversized insects and found the exit the five escapees had used. As he explained the scenario he could feel the eagerness of his fellow hunters rising they  too wanted this hunt. Humans for the most part were dull, disabled creatures but those amongst them who had their disabilities corrected were something else. Their natural weapons were strange, unpredictable and only more deadly by the cunning minds behind them. They were harder to track because of their intellect and natural disposition for deciet. Not to mention they were skilled combatants with great predictive skills and shied away from falling into exploitable patterns like lesser creatures. The older members knew the thrill of hunting the warriors amongst the herd men and the younger ones could feel their excitement, riling them up as well. Kevesh  knew he wanted this more than anyone else though, for to him this was personal, he had loosed the arrow along time agong ago and he would let his marks go. They were his to hunt.

Yet the Kevesh also knew that the way of the hunter was to temper his d.e.s.i.r.es, he had to be in control at all times. Most erred in thinking that this meant fore going impulsive and harmful d.e.s.i.r.es but ke knew the truth it was the strength of the d.e.s.i.r.e denied that brought growth whether the d.e.s.i.r.e was healthy or not did not matter. So he would temper himself here, he would provide the killers of his blood a way out but he would not stop the hunt. 

"Human warriors are a rarity, they make worthy hunts" he began.

Tongues were clicked in approval a few going so far as to flick their tongues a sign of great anticipation.

"On the next moon our young will rise from hatchlings to brethen, they will take the step from eggshell to providers an act that can only be cemented by a true hunt. That hunt has been provided, the Great Mother has granted us a hunt that will weed out the weak and teach the strong. What say you?"

There were rasps and hisses as the members passed the notion amongst themselves. The hunt new no permanent leader and only the approval of the majority could pass a notion. The wanted the hunt for themselves true but the timing of the escape would weigh on the zealots amongst them, if they took it to be the providence of the mother then his pitch would have their support. Others would follow simply because he was the one to raise the idea, he was Kevesh, he had slain a world serpent of legends and so he became legend, the Queen and true motherbof their tribe took his seed and his alone and he was exalted by her grace.

When the decision came it was he expected, the children would hunt men and a seal their entry into the eternal hunt in doing so. First two scouts would be scent to prevent the trail from going cold. They were avoid confrontation with the marks if possible and to kill only to save their own lives. Finally Kevesh would lead initiates to end the hunt. 

Kevesh sat the mouth of the exit even after all the others had left, he could feel the Song within him, strong and wild. He would enjoy this.