darkSpyro

Sybil continued supervising from the trees, hoping the cubs would take this seriously. She wanted them to have fun as it should be, but times like these were vital...

OOC: Sorry. Got the names mixed up. Changed it. Edit your post and then I'll delete this one later.

Hunter quickly jumped back, before giving a very brief smirk and and attempting to climb the nearest tree with haste.

Soon, Sayan gave his best impression of a howl imitating followed by a deep purposely gravely voice. "Snow... I'm a big bad wolf and I'm coming for you...," he said jumping out and going after Snow.

Meanwhile...Quote: Felines

It was a little before noon. Sholeh looked quite tired, but she had managed to prepare a pile of lizards and rodents for Naga, which she was dragging with a large leaf. Even though she managed to finally spot a rabbit, it was impossible to get. It lost some of it's fur and was quite malnutritioned for the change of habitat, yet it managed to elude her. Nevertheless, she caught many creatures, some that were still alive but unconscious.
"Here you are my precious friend. Bon appetite. Sorry it took so long. Those stupid rabbits are fast! Anyway, here you are. These are the ones dead. As for these, they're merely unconscious." she said as she separated the dead and alive, and trapped the latter into the log she just slept in, instructing Naga to block the entrance with his own body just in case they woke up.

Naga did as instructed and quickly blocked the log entrance with his large long body. "Ah... Bon appetite indeed my dear. Now-- what to go for first? Good job with the rabbit by the way; I believe Sybil meant for that as to try and provide a challenge. Other then herself of course.," he then said eyeing the various dead critters. He soon decided on one of the Lizards for his first course grabbing it by its tail and slurping it down with ease.

OOC: Not as detailed of a post as I would like, but it'll work. Sorry for the wait!

OOC: It's alright redwes. You don't have to be so detailed

"You saw me trying to catch the rabbit? Heh. It was hard. I wish I could've caught it..." Sholeh lamented, knowing he would've enjoyed it. But afterwards, she simply watched as her fiend guzzle down the meal she so carefully and caringly prepared for him. It was a little over a minute when he was done with the dish.
"I won't be able to catch for you everyday, but I'll still help you with your hunts." she assured, wanting to help her humongous companion feed and spend as little energy as possible. Now it was up to the food trapped in the log. They were all still unconscious, but twitches from their extremities indicated their sign of life. Knowing Naga, he'll probably wait for a few of them to wake up and toy with them before consumption. As he pulled the animals outside the log, Sholeh still watched with amazement what a giant he was, and that his growth was going to continue for as long as he lived. What luck it was to be on his side.

Sybil supervised the action from above. She congratulated Hunter, but could now see that Snow still needed some work.
"Quicker next time Snow. Jump out of the way if you have to. Don't try to just dodge. A real wolf won't be so merciful, and they may not even howl when they're nearby, so you have to keep your other senses active." Sybil instructed, addressing to Hunter as well. She then looked at Sayan and Rose.
"I know you're trying to get into character, but those wolves may be smart and they probably won't howl when stalking the cubs. They won't give away their position like that." Sybil warned, believing the pack would resist the urge to howl and risk giving away their position and letting everyone know they were nearby. The cubs had to be more careful than that. As she said these words, she ocasionally looked at the horizon, wondering when the dingo bodyguards would arrive, but at the same time counting the hours in which she will have to visit Naga and be prey for the sadistic snake...

"Indeed and its quite alright. They are meant to provide a challenge and to that extent-- Sybil did a fairly decent job. Naga said almost complimenting the civet leader and eyeing the still unconscious prey as he brought them out. He watched closely-- waiting for one of them to wake up. One of the poor things was just starting to wiggle and potionally awake. "I trust that you'll what you can when you can-- and that.. that is enough my dear. I would expect nothing less or nothing more.," he then said briefly eyeing the mongoose before returning his attention to the just awakening prey.

Hunter had managed to climb his way up a tree before jumping back down to help his sister. He gave a nod, indicating he understand and not wanting to fail. "You heard her kids-- this time we won't warn you. We could strike anytime at anyone and it'll be up to you to determine when. Jump too soon and you place yourself directly in harm's way. Jump too late and the same could apply. You have to anticipate the attack, but still keep your cool at the same. Are you ready?," Sayan asked. "Don't worry sis-- you'll get it next time.," Hunter encouraged giving a nod.

Just then, Sybil had another idea.
"In a real situation, your sense of smell can help you too. You remember their scent, don't you?" Sybil asked the cubs, imagining that they managed to learn it while they were kidnapped. She hated putting the cubs through this, but she won't have any peace of mind until they get this right. One advantage of the Haven was that the winds changed constantly, so it was going to be nearly impossible for the wolves to prepare an ambush that involved masking their scents.

Sholeh watched from above the trunk, wondering if the awakening creatures were aware of the horrible demise that awaited them. Naga was taking his time, and even though Sholeh herself was beginning to think this was too much cruel, she said nothing. She only wished she could've done more to help him. Despite her best efforts, Naga didn't seemed to have a full belly. He would have to hunt later in the day, for she was much too exhausted to do so. After such a day, what would delight her right now is see Sybil humiliated, and she watched the nearly hidden sun from the foliage of the tree getting lower and lower, indicating the civet's time for arrival was near.

Hunter nodded and Sayan soon went into place.

Elsewhere-- one of the poor critters was awakening and managed to walk right into the gaping eager mouth of Naga. 'Yes-- come. Come into your demise...,' Naga thought as he watched the others awake. He surrounded the critters with his long body, presenting an little arena with only one possible escape. *gulp* He played games with the remaining critters-- giving some a fair chance while giving others a quick and painless end. And soon enough, there was only one left... and then there were none. He seemed quite pleased though it wasn't quite the usual helping he had grown accustomed to. "That-- that was satisfying. Thank-you my dear.," he called out knowing that Sholeh was eagerly watching the whole show from above.

Sholeh felt quite sorry for the poor creatures, but knew that was simply part of nature... some way. As she watched the sun go down, she realized how thirsty she was.
"You're welcome. Anytime." she said with a smile, glad that she was able to help her friend and keep him entertained while he waited for the main event.
"I'll go get a drink back home. With the rains, I'm sure they're a few leaves filled with water." Sholeh said, wanting to be there as quickly as possible to witness the game. The wetland was too far and the water didn't taste very good, plus, she wanted to give Naga some space for digestion. She didn't know if he was satisfied enough, but she was pleased to know that at least she tried her best to help him feed.

Sybil waited for the parent to make their moves, hoping that the cubs would take this seriously this time. She really wanted them to have fun, but knew that they had to leave that aside for the moment. Using their parent's smell instead of the wolves, Sybil watched as the cubs failed initially, but after a while, they had nothing but success.
"Bravo my little friends. You see? This is what practice is all about." she said, getting down from tree to congratulate them. Cole followed her to do the same.
"Alright. Enough of this training. You guys deserve some quality time together right at home. Wait there while the dingoes arrive." Sybil said to the family, hoping Jaeger didn't forget about their little deal. Or perhaps they were nearby patrolling? She didn't know what they were doing, but in the meantime, at least the cubs had some decent training. As for her, the day was far from over...

Sybil smiled as the family retired home.
"Be nearby Cole, or if Mambo needs you, send another kea to be here in case they need something." Sybil instructed him, him being as obedient to Sybil as he was to his real boss. She still wondered why the dingoes hadn't arrived. She had hoped it was what she thought and that they were indeed nearby being secretive and watching over them.

But now with the mid afternoon arriving, Sybil knew it was time for her to meet up with the giant hermit. She left quietly and without letting the family notice her. She was very nervous. She had thought she was finally safe from this infernal activity, and Nags just had to drop her with this bombshell. She would have to do this every week for the rest of her life. What was more, she knew she wouldn't be able to say no to him if he wanted to keep this up. Still, she was going to try to make him be convinced with a simple play of tag, but first, she needed to have a serious talk with him, which is why she was going to his place a little earlier today...

"Agreed sis!," Hunter said with a smirk.

Elsewhere-- Naga waited slowly digesting his previous meal.

With the family safe and having some quality time, Sybil marched somewhat happy for them. As she entered the powerful snake's territory, Sholeh was coincidentally nearby, and managed to spot her after receiving her much needed drink. She was early. Sholeh waited for the civet to be ahead so that she wouldn't suspect a thing, and didn't bother looking for Naga, for she knew he would soon appear for her.

"Good afternoon Mr. Naga... I... I know you're in here. I know I'm a little early, but I need to talk to you before we get to our activity." Sybil called, not seeing Naga but having interacted with him long enough to know the feeling of his eerie presence. Additionally, she imagined that he would be eagerly awaiting her. Sholeh had climbed a nearby tree to spy on the civet, having been very careful in not making a sound, and waiting ecstatically for the civet to be tortured by her humongous companion.

Naga soon made an appearance as expected. "Speak.," He simply said skipping the small talk.

Talk about getting straight to the point. Sybil thought, fearing that Naga was feeling more menacing today.
"I... I need to talk to you... about your guardian." she said, before continuing.
"How do you fair with him? Is he... kind to you? Does he gives advice when you need it?" Sybil asked meekly, Trico's words having lingered on her mind ever since he mentioned something different about Ender. Sybil interacted with her guardian, but she hasn't stopped to think that the rest of the animals that went through Crystal's ritual could do the same until today.

"Well-- this was certainly unexpected but I will oblige your question. Ender... Ender is always there deep within my thoughts and my sub-conscious. His presence rests right alongside that of my own conscious thoughts and.. and I would say it is a fair arrangement. I have never seen him nor have I dreamed of him, but I know he is there. He speaks to me and I speak to him-- and I would say his advice is.. quite helpful at times. He does assure me yes and he hasn't stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do. And that is enough.," Naga replied explaining his relationship with Ender in his own unique way. To him, Ender was like a second conscious or an second voice to help guide his actions. He had heard rumors of others dreaming of their guardians, but had yet to actually experience it for himself. Perhaps he merely had yet to or perhaps Ender truly was different from the others.

Sybil pondered for a moment what Naga just said. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with that explaination. Ender just gives advice and doesn't interfere with Naga's actions? Sounded quite similar to her relationship with Trico. Perhaps her guardian was intimidated by Ender because he was as scary as his owner?
"I see. Thank you for telling me." she said, wanting to leave it at that.Whatever the case, Sybil didn't wanted to dwell further into the matter for the time being.

Right now, she knew that she had a more serious task at hand. She imagined Naga must've been anxious to begin, and even though she was afraid on how he would react to such suggestion, Sybil still gathered the courage to ask anyway.
"I suppose... you want to start the game, huh? Listen... I... I was wondering if... if you can have the game as a simple game of tag? Please, I'm not being ungrateful or anything... it's... it's just that I don't like being bitten and squeezed. I mean, you understand, right? You have your real prey to do that with, right?" Sybil commented, stammering many times with every sentence. Even though she didn't believe Naga was a complete monster, she had know him enough to figure that he was quite sadistic and maybe a little bit malicious, so it worried her how would he react to this suggestion. It was possible that he wouldn't accept, and Sybil was getting ready for that just in case.

From her hiding place, Sholeh gave a quiet gasp. Despite being quite far away from the scene, she was still near enough to see the two of them, and Naga's territory provided an echo strong enough for her to hear their conversation. Despite having spent much more time with the python, like Sybil, she didn't know how would he react. Naga was getting quite use to getting his way, so she believed he wouldn't be too pleased. Or maybe he will be benevolent enough? Sholeh gave Sybil for trying though. She understood why she would want to skip such painful parts of the game, though it would be a shame for her to miss that since Sholeh was really looking forward to see Sybil humiliated in such ways.

While the cubs trained and Sybil prepared for a long, stressful day, Barloc was looking at the Haven from a high branch. This was a rare moment where there was no fog on Hunted island whatsoever, so you could see from miles away.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?" A voice said behind him. It was his wife Kali.
"Do I look like I care? I'm just seeing the scenery. One doesn't get many opportunities like this." Barloc replied, with Kali sighing at his denial.

"We should at least give shelter to whoever ask for it... REGARDLESS of their status." Kali declared, obvious she was referring to certain predators. But Barloc stood his ground.

"They're in this mess cause Sybil doesn't pay enough attention to her realm. Wolves kidnapping cubs? If they stood so low, heaven knows what they will think of next. And the warbler's taking refugee here? They don't talk about anything except that python that nearly brought them to extinction. If Sybil was smart, she would've found a way to get rid of the snake as soon as she found it." Barloc expressed, believing Sybil was making a huge mistake in trying to befriend him, sentiment he shared with the small birds. Sybil was just too stubbornly kind and blind to the consequences of keeping an animal like Naga in such a small island.

Hunted island had a few snakes on it's own, but most of them were small and not very venomous. It did have a few pythons of it's own like pigmy and black headed pythons, but they were in deep jungle and barely interacted with the cockatoos. Plus the habitat wasn't the best for them, so they usually died before reaching a dangerous size. Naga however, had a very favorable home, and with Sybil practically spoiling him, Barloc knew he could grow immensely and be a very nasty threat, perhaps even more so than the entire pack of wolves themselves.

OOC: I was waiting for redwes to reply to do a time skip, but I suppose we can do one right now. We shall know his reply to the last question later on. You redwes, you can say weeks ago or something like that to let us know what the python's reply was.

Weeks passed, which felt like months. The Haven looked as if it's time has stopped. The same routine continued. The cubs were growing strong and skillful thanks to Cole's rigorous training, and they have been safe thanks to the dingo's watchful eye. They visited the orcas when they could, offering them conversation and entertainment, something that Sybil has been unable to fulfill. Despite the guarding and vigilance of the Haven, courtesy of both the keas and the warblers, nobody has seen a wolf. It was hard to tell if they were tired of planning or if they were just patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike again. Nevertheless, the warbler's main concern was still the dreaded python, whom despite not seeing it, they knew he growing bigger, larger, and more dangerous. They were fewer pigeons in the wetland, and some believed they were going to be extinct sooner or later. As for Sybil, nobody has heard from her in a long time. She has been avoiding everyone it seems. Some warbler's have assured seeing her in her tree or someplace else, wanting to be away from all the stress the current situation was causing her. But what was really the truth? Few knew about her painful choice of keeping the python entertained so that he would hold his end of the deal, which would explain why she is barely seen. She tried very hard to have it easier, but what was the python's answer to her ply? Did he obliged? Or did he refused? What happened that day?

The Haven was under constant surveillance, with the residents creating their own protection and coming up with protocols te be ready for any attack. The cubs received a surprise visit from none other than Peepers himself. Similarly to Sybil, he has been unseen for a long while, but now he came to witness the cubs' growth. The warbler's age has taken a toll on him. His feathers were messy and opaque, and his eyes droopy and tired. Nevertheless, he did his best to have free time and be present for important events.

"Easy! Easy please!" Peepers begged, his bones not being as sturdy as before. He didn't want to succumb to old age, but his body had other plans, which is why he always tried to be as active as possible, helping with the surveillance and still doing meetings.
"Nice to see you my little tykes... although maybe not so little anymore. Look at you guys! You're growing up so fast." he said with pride, even his voice having changed.

"Well, I just wanted to see how everything was going. I feel like I've been neglecting you all. So many things are happening too fast. And those young warblers are getting impossible to deal with." Peepers explained, feeling lousy for not fhaving found more time to spend with the future rulers of the Haven.

"Well, as long as you can make training fun." Peepers commented, glad that at least they haven't lost that part of their childhood.
"I've seen you with the orcas. How has that worked out for you?" he then asked, knowing the cubs became constant visitors of the large animals. Those were some really great news. Not only it helped them lose the possible fear they might've had of them, but it did wonders to the orcas, who felt forgotten when Sybil and the others stopped seeing them for games and casual conversations.

Peepers took one look at them, and they could see they were about the same size as Sybil, maybe even bigger.
"Perhaps... hmm, I suppose. Can't say for certain. This orca game is not for the faint of heart my little tykes. The orcas may be friendly, but they are also big, and when it comes to gaming mode, they can get a little carried away." Peepers warned, knowing that even as do good for the orcas to resume the game, he didn't want them to accidentally hurt the cubs in their excitement. There hasn't been an accident in all that time, but he still wanted to be certain. He hasn't experimented the game, but he has witnessed it. The cubs were bigger and sturdier now, but the game may prove too much for them if the orcas don't take it easy.

"You can tell them, right? Tell Cairo and Jet to go easy on you two. I'm certain they'll listen. They have much influence in the pod." Peepers explained, signaling to a nearby dingo to escort the cubs to the beach, for he needed to talk to Rose alone.

"Lady Rose? It's so pleasant to see you again. You're growing into a fine mother and an excellent leader." Peepers expressed, feeling very proud. He saw Rose when she was nothing but a frail, insecured cub, so seeing her in such glory made him feel like a father who just saw their child grow into a gentle, prosperous being.

"Indeed, they do." Peepers said with a smile, some of his former strength returning to him for a little while, but his faint smile indicated that it wasn't the reason he wanted to talk with Rose. He wanted to get to the point, but he didn't want to ruin his friend's moment of pride.

The nearest orcas at the beach were the brothers Ricky and Rumble. They were playing with what looked like a giant clam, balancing it on their snout and throwing it to each other like a beach ball. They didn't noticed the cubs.
"Come on little bro. Let's see how much this thing can hold." Rumble commented, their intention seemingly appeared to be weakening the clam enough for them to open it.

Peepers didn't want to talk about it, but Rose was the only one he could speak to about the matter.
"So many things are happening in this place. Everyone's nervous about another possible wolf attack. You can barely see pigeons in the wetland. And what's more, we haven't been able to find the Mistress. Has she come to visit you?" Peepers asked, being really worried about Sybil. Some say she was avoiding them all, but Peepers really needed to discuss something with her but he hasn't seen her in a long while. He was starting to get really worried.

The brothers looked towards the source of the voice, and they were ecstatic.
"Look little bro. It's the other pair of siblings. What are you doing here kiddos? Came to talk about your trainings? He he, sorry, but you won't be as strong as us no matter how hard you try." Rumble said, showing off. He didn't talk very much with the cubs like his brother or Cairo and Jet, but he knew plenty enough about them.

That made Peepers feel a little more relieved, but he didn't dare to ask when was the last time, so he avoided the subject.
"I see... well then, let's not lower their guards yet. Those wolves used lousy tricks before, and I know they're just waiting for the perfect moment to strike again. They're the main concern, but many of my warbler companions keep worrying about the python. Some are too afraid to leave the nest." Peepers explained, understanding their concern but also irritated on the matter. Naga has been loyal to the deal. The attacks have ceased, yet the little birds were still worried. They were just too traumatized by the previous events, and since the wolves didn't harm the warblers in their previous attack, they didn't make them their priority.

The brothers gasped, never having imagined them hearing about the game again.
"Why are you asking about that little lady? You want... to be part of the game?" Rumble asked, looking at the atonished Ricky. It has been so long since they all played, and a little cub asking to be part of it was too surprising and unheard of. Did they really want to do it? Or was it part of their training to get them tougher?

"And I want to. Which is why... I want to meet him and put this whole mess behind us." Peepers explained, knowing that no warbler is was going to have any peace until they can be assured that Naga would keep his promise. If there was the chance of him succumbing to his past temptation, Peepers was already old and has lived a plentiful life, so he believed the risk was worth it.

The brothers look at each other, not certain on what to do. They were all already getting used to not having the game anymore, and were afraid that this kind of news would excite others a little bit much.
"I think it's time to look for the boss." Rumble said, with Ricky agreeing and releasing the clam to have his jaws free. Cairo was beyond the current hunting so he wasn't available, so Jet himself had to be the one who decide what to do.

The brothers simply shrank their fins, one carrying Snow while the other carried Hunter.
"Boss! Hey boss!" Rumble called, knowing that Jet was lacing somewhere near Hunted island, apparently waiting for the cockatoo cousins to come out. Barloc had them so restricted, the entire pod was really missing them.

"You know there is the risk of something going wrong, don't you?" Peepers warned, not wanting Rose or anyone else to feel devastated if things did indeed go wrong. He was already old and felt that he had little time left, so if he could spend the remaining of his lifetime doing something good, it'll all be worth it.

"If you pardon my saying boss, but I don't think they're ready. We haven't had this game in a long time, and I don't think they're sturdy enough yet. Even if we're gentle, you know it will still be too much for them." Ricky said meekly, rarely stating opinions like that. He didn't want to hurt the cubs, and no matter how soft they are, orcas are still powerful animals.

"I understand. It will be nice to make Mr. Naga part of the Haven, but Milady, he's a python. Even if he's the nicest animal around, this island won't be able to sustain him for long. Just take a look at the wetland, and you'll see how empty it is. He's devouring the pigeons faster than they're able to reproduce. I'm afraid they may go extinct soon." Peepers warned, really wanting to accept Naga, but his very nature endangered the Haven's existence. It was the sad truth.

"The boss' orders my little friend. You're just still too young for this harsh activity. Your mother would kill us if end up hurting you two." Rumble said, pretending Rose could bring harm to them if her babies get injured.

"You're right. It won't be nice. After all, he saved your cubs and is protecting us from the wolves. I feel lousy for saying this Milady, but I'm afraid the paranoia of my companions is justified. A few have seen him hunting from the sky... and he's getting bigger. He's growing fast." Peepers announced, voicing his own concern. Naga was simply too large for such a small island. This wasn't an habitat for him, but he was protecting the Haven. What to do in this case? The wolves were the main concern right now, but if Naga continued growing, soon he could be too, and if he included wolves in his diet, it would just accelerate his growth.