The last thing Glow had expected was to come across tar'kee with… wings. Ones with wings, trapped deep below the earth… apparently of their own volition, but it was clear that it was wearing on them. As such, she was glad to help find food for King Mel'ek and his other royals - maybe, in time, they could return to the surface and taste the fresh air again…

But that was something for another day. Glow shook her head, shaking off the thoughts, and returned her attention to her surroundings and hunting companions. She was hunting with two colonists from another colony - Lairi and Marchus. Glow was accompanying the more experienced hunters and also guiding them in her home of Rekes as she was most familiar with the dangers of the land.

"What's that?"

Glow turned to see that Lairi, a black, white and red tsuba, was using one of her hands to point at one of the glowing crystal bones rising from the earth. Marchus was also eyeing it with some mild curiosity, despite his focus on finding a hojenst trail, and Glow trotted over to explain.

"Oh, those are the bones!"

Lairi blinked. "The what?"

"The bones!"

As the other two turned to stare at her, Glow motioned at the landscape. The small group was on one of the mountain meadows between towering peaks, scrubby grass crunching underfoot, with a stream winding between crystalline spires rising from the earth. Short trees dotted the landscape, though being above the treeline, they were more akin to bushes. Wildflowers clustered near the stream, and dragonflies danced in the air, the same electric blue as the bones.

"It's said that this is some ancient beast, and those are it's bones."

Lairi stared off at the landscape, face a mix of fascination and horror, while Marchus blinked for a second, then shook his head and returned to examining the landscape for tracks.

After basking in the reactions for a moment, Glow moved over to Marchus and started examining the ground for clues. The ground in this meadow was soft and slightly marshy, and would hold prints well. She perked up as Marchus pointed to a patch of disturbed grass and motioned for silence. Was a hojenst nearby, then? She waved for Lairi's attention, who snapped out of her reverie and moved over to examine the trail next to Marchus. Glow held back for a moment, then followed the two hunters as they moved into the woods, such as they were. They moved smoothly and silently, and Glow did her best to emulate their movements.

Soon, she began to hear noises from up ahead - snorting and grunting, and froze as something moved. Marchus and Lairi motioned her over, and then began to discuss strategy in hushed tones. Though the hojenst wasn't naturally dangerous, it would do damage if frightened. And trying to kill it - well, it would be frightened.

"You distract it," Marchus decided, motioning at Glow, who nodded. "Just stay away and you'll be fine."

Lairi nodded. "And we'll go in for the kill." She drew two knives out of her bags and checked the edges of them absently as the hojenst rustled through the leaves.

Glow looked on in mild envy. What would it be like to have a set of extra hands to grab and use things with? Far more convenient than paws, she thought.

Marchus nodded and unclipped the spear from his own gear, then motioned them to their places.

Glow waited a moment, then jumped out in front of the hojenst, yelling "OI! MEATSACK!" then winced at the insult. Not her best work.

The hojenst turned to her and snorted, agitated, and rolled it's eyes. It pawed the ground, ready to charge at this strange thing, and so didn't see Lairi and Marchus leap out of the foliage and plunge their weapons into it's neck and side.

It was over quickly after that, as the three hunters gathered around the carcass.

"Well," Marchus said after a moment, "how are we going to get this back?"