[Skeetzybug]

[February Quest Thread]

It had been awhile since he had been able to call anything a true challenge.

It wasn’t surprising, really, considering his status - merely disappointing. He hoped of so much from those that came from him, and while they oft delivered, he still could not help feeling that they could achieve so, so much more. Yet, with every game he played, he found his opponents woefully outmatched by his own wit, and he quickly grew bored. How could this be, he wondered? Within his mind’s eye he could see so much potential, so many unbuilt plans and inpursued ideas. It mattered not their species nor race nor status, he saw the chance for greatness in all of them. Perhaps one day, they would all see it in themselves as well.

Regardless, it was about time for some fun, wasn’t it? Life never stood still, and Lord Keiro Zyrain was life and luck itself. You could hardly expect him to stay as unmoving as the other gods. How could one be life if one did not live it as everything else did? His siblings might never understand his wiles, he supposed, but they did not need to. That, after all, was his job.

[Skeetzybug]

So it was that he found himself deep in the northernmost woodlands, stepping into the smoke and firelight of budding civilization. Draped in fur and cloak, he blended seamlessly into the flow of trader and buyer, passing among them unnoticed. He made his way to the strongest glow of fire, the circle around which hunter and crafter alike gathered together. Their laughter roared nearly as much as the fire, food passing between friends both old and new. He settled into the edge, listening for some time as they spoke.

Eventually, the twilight that he had arrived behind vanished completely, and only the orange light of the fire itself illuminated the world around them. The circle had shrunk quite a bit now, voices quieter to avoid those who sought a hard earned rest, and he found himself in the middle of the circle, rather than the edge. Conversations wove in and out of each other, until finally his own voice broke into them all.

[Skeetzybug]

“Such tales you all tell.” His voice was but a quiet hum, but it forced its way through even the loudest of the speakers, causing all eyes to fall on the hooded figure between them. “I wonder, perhaps, how many are true?” That got them shuffling. He saw a few roll their shoulders as they leaned back, eyeing him warily now, while others simply shifted uncomfortably where they sat. “So tell me, then, what you all should know - which among you is the keenest hunter of all?” His eyes glinted beneath the hood, smirk growing wide as the circle shuffled uneasily. He could see a few turning over the words, silently considering their own egos, but not speaking up. Curious.

“Come now,” he pressed, a low chuckle sneaking in. “Surely one of you must be more quick and more clever than the others?” More silence, in a way he was not used to. In most circles, at least two would already be bargaining for the title, but something among this group kept them silent. A quiet cough came from beside him, and a weathered looking man spoke up at last.

[Skeetzybug]

“If you're asking for a reason,” he said, glancing about at his companions. “And I reckon you are - you’ll want Aeraine.” The name was familiar to Keiro, as all names were, but it was not one he could immediately place - not one that had caught his eyes, nor his ears. It was not what he expected. “Out that way a good day’s travel.” The man lifted a hand, pointing vaguely in a direction.

“So far away?” The thought made him only more intrigued. Communities here were tight-knit. While the traders and buyers changed as smooth and swift as the moon, the hunters were always the same. To be so isolated was an interesting choice.

“Likes her space, so I hear.” He shifted again, a hand reaching up to rub at his silvering hair. "Afraid I don’t know much more myself.” His hand dropped, and for the first time his eyes caught Keiro’s own beneath their cloak of shadow. “Still - she brings in more than any other hunter. Sometimes more than several of us together. If you’re looking for the fiercest spirit of these parts, look for her. She won’t disappoint."