Jack of All Trades [Open for Standards]

The kits had been assigned their factions, and just like with any young cats, it was where the real work began. Before they were officially rank one, they had already tested their skills a bit. There was no denying that their origins made them strong. Each would be shaped into fine Asylum cats. Their practice of snatching the offspring of their targets was nothing new, it had been tested over the seasons, and hardened into a fine skill. Eris liked it and it made sense. Most groups were easily integrated into their empire that stretched countless horizons. This was the largest forest they had ever sought to conquer. Iniko wasn't worried, however, to them is was merely another prize.

Only now, Tanglerose invaded his thoughts. Things would be better when she stood among their ranks and his mind would be made clearer.

"Wake up, Rank Ones, we are going hunting today." Iniko called into the den, not caring if his call woke the other current Asylum cats. The sun was already up in the sky and would draw them from their nests anyways. Once the young cats had shook the nest scraps from their pelts, he lead them just outside of the camp. As much as some of them likely longed to sharpen their claws on enemies and beasts, hunting was the first step to being aware of one's self and surroundings. Being able to stalk mindless prey allowed any cat to better themselves for battle. It was something he had learned many moons ago and passed down to countless cats of Asylum.

Including Eris herself.

Griffon had a bit of trouble sleeping in his new quarters. He had gotten used to being tucked in the area for the kits for a few moon, and now it was a new place. Granted, he was grateful for the separation, it had been quite crowded with all of the kits. It was daunting sleeping with some of the adult Standards, but the young tom was so in awe of them he got excited over it.

He had a calm, dreamless sleep, resting peacefully, only to be awakened by some cat. One of his eyes opened, a bit annoyed, trying to detect who it had been. Pyrik, maybe? He woke them up out of the blue once or twice before. He opened his other eye, and spotted Captain Iniko outside of the den. That was when his mind finally registered what was happening. Training! He scrambled outside, shaking bits of his bedding out of his bi-colored fur.

Griffon grinned up at his captain. He might have been one of the youngest here, but he was going to be the best Standard ever!

Raisha stifled a yawn as she stood up, shaking her pelt clean. There was no denying that the standard quarters was definitely a lot better than that of the nursery. There were many more cats keeping it warm from the brisk air. Even if there were a bunch of kits before, they weren't exactly good for warmth.

Taking in her surroundings, she could see that Griffon was also awake. Iniko was at the entrance to the quarters, and had mentioned hunting. "Can't we do anything else? Hunting is so boring! Don't standards get to learn to fight? I wanna do that!" You would think she would learn to keep quiet, but as she followed Iniko outside of camp, it was revealed that her mouth still had no filter.

As she spoke, she also could not help but look at her right shoulder as she mention the Standard Faction. The wound that was left there had closed since her ceremony, leaving the trademark scar, and yet it still felt so foreign. She was sure she would get used to it at some point, but for now it remained very weird to have.

The change in sleeping quarters had pleased Ceres. It was definitely better than being crammed into the nursery with the other kits. Standard training was something that the young she-cat had been looking forward to. Who wouldn't be excited to learn how to hunt and fight at the same time? Being woken up was something to be excited about if it meant that she got to start training more. The calico had to take a moment to blink the sleepiness out of her eyes, but she made her way out of the Standards' quarters without any words of complaint. She hadn't forgotten her desire to be the best Standard that the Asylum had ever seen. When she joined Iniko, Raisha, and Griffon outside of the quarters, her yellow eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.

"Oh, sweet! Hunting sounds cool!" She exclaimed, a smile growing on her jaws.
Her grin instantly faded when Raisha began to speak. Ceres glanced over at her denmate with confusion etched all over her features. Fighting would be fun to learn, but hunting was just as interesting. Without another word, the calico followed the Standard captain out of the Asylum camp. If she was lucky enough, maybe she would bring back her own piece of prey that she caught all on her own.

"Would it be too forward of me to offer a paw?" Rama crooned, slipping up from behind the gathering tykes. The Rank Ones of her faction were a mixed, interesting bunch of cats, and though they were swiftly losing the scent of their homelands to the stronger Asylum musk, they were undeniably unique in appearance. Of all the territories they had accessed, claimed, or conquered, not one group of cats had been quite the same as another. She did not remember the land she had originally belonged to; she had forgotten a very long time ago and given her life to the Asylum. But she saw the subtle ways she differed from cats who had been there all along. Cats like Iniko. It was truly fascinating. "I promise not to tread on your tail."

Rama slowed down until she was walking alongside little Raisha. In a low purr, she bent down to the trainee's ear and whispered a few foreboding words. "Cats who don't hunt... don't eat." She winked, and turned her head to face forward, into the trail ahead.

Compared to the comforting huddle of kits he’d slept in before the sorting, Pyrik found his new den lacking. Empty, cold, shrouded in long-dead twigs and the pelts of Standards with pairs and trios of silvery scars on their shoulders. The single pink line on Pyrik’s own had barely begun to heal. Whenever he looked up at his older faction-mates, all he could see was proof of just how far he had to go. But the Asylum had taken care of him; it was only right that he repay them somehow. Besides, he’d promised, and a kit’s promise still counted.

If the voice hadn’t woken him, his denmates’ shuffling would have. Griffon, Raisha, and Ceres managed to untangle themselves from the huddle first; Pyrik wasn’t far behind, picking bedding out of his thin pelt as he walked. He fell into step with the others just as Raisha made her feelings known. “Hunting isn’t boring,” he chirped, his voice trailing ever so slightly from sleep. “Unless you think eating’s boring, too.” In truth, he was more excited to learn the basics of healing; the idea of being able to patch up his wounds in a crisis, if only long enough to drag himself back to Asylum and safety, held an undeniable appeal. But Captain Iniko was…well, he was their captain. If he said they were hunting first, they’d be hunting first.

The helpless fish flailed beneath Mirae's paws as it vainly attempted to escape her grasp. Shimmering droplets flew from her prey and landed on dry rock, then the movements ceased as Mirae sank her teeth into the small silver body. The rich flavor flooded her muzzle and she quickly ate her catch in a few hasty bites. She swiped her tongue over her lips, catching the last tidbits of her meal. And now, she'd catch another. It felt perfect. The sun shone, the sound of river water filled her ears, and the air tasted full of life and moisture. Mirae peered into the water once more, her green eyes darting around to find another ripple in the water. One movement caught her eye, and- The voice of Iniko forced its way into her dream. Mirae blinked open her eyes. A phantom fish taste lingered on her tongue as she found herself yanked into consciousness. She looked beside her in search of Ceres and Shira, but only saw the familiar form of Ceres. Then, sting of her shoulder scar reminded her.

She had been sorted into the Standard faction alongside Ceres, but Shira stood apart as a Scout. Mirae wanted all of her siblings to stay with her, but things didn't go the way she desired. But it would be fine. They could still find time to hang out and chat with Shira, right? And now, the captain stood at their den. Time to train. Mirae's muscles moaned at her to lay back down. It was too early to wake up. But Ceres's excitement made her stand up and bump her sister's shoulder with her head. "G'mornin," Mirae mumbled, barely aware of her surroundings.

There was a mixed crowd of responses. Most of the young Standards seemed enthusiastic about their newest endeavor. However, Raisha was quick to grumble about a lack of fighting and Mirae seemed like she'd left most of her conscious in the den behind them. Before he could muster up a response Rama had joined their crowd. Iniko dipped his head to her in greeting. She was one of the more pleasant Standards and had joined Asylum countless moons ago. One thing he had learned during that time is that she would always be welcomed in his company, especially when it came to the arduous task of training up kits.

As he called them forward with a drawing flick of his feathery tail and lead the way just outside the makeshift walls of the camp, the Standard Captain spoke loud enough the words drifted back across his shoulder, "We'll leave the hunting of other cats to the Nightstrikers... but, fighting is a skill that we as Standards never ignore. Prey will hear your steps quicker than an enemy cat. If you learn to sit on a mouse before it learns of your presence, then you'll be ready to take on the most skilled of adversaries. I'm going to train you up right, so we won't be skipping even the most minute of steps." Iniko finished and looked over the bunch before tipping his head in a silent command for them to sit. Another flicker of his tail demanded silence.

There was sparse prey outside their settled area but that did not mean it was non-existent. A fattened squirrel had been too busy rooting around a deadened tree stump to notice the group of cats several tail-lengths away. The wind was in their favor as well. He displayed a swift hunting crouch, managing to stay light on his paws, and darting forward with impressive speed. Quickly, the creature was caught between his paws and the life stolen from it's body. He turned back to the Rank One's and invited them to disperse, "Take what you have just seen and practice it. If there is prey, catch it. I want each of you to snag at least on thing before we head back for the day. You'll be sharing so each cat has enough to eat. Catch wisely and show me your skill." With that, he padded to Rama and was contented to stand at her side as they assessed the young cats.

When the time came, he was sure battle training would be just as thrilling.

Iniko attempted to catch a squirrel... it was successful! -3SP

The member 'Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Raisha jumped as Rama fell in step beside her. Her tail lashed and her ears pinned against her head. How could a cat act so friendly and still be so terrifying? It freaked her out! She quickly shut her trap, deciding she would rather not get on this cat's bad side. However, as Rama looked away, and Pyrik spoke, her fear turned to irritation.

"Shut it, kiss-up!" She hissed, fixing the tom with a glare. "And mind your own business!"

As she began to calm down, Raisha caught a glimpse of Mirae and Ceres. She felt a lump in her throat at the sight of the pair. The two sisters were so close, and Raisha felt a pang of jealousy. There was nocat she knew in the standard faction. The only sister she had was sorted into the scout faction, and suddenly Raisha felt lonelier than ever. She straightened herself, turning away from the sisters as she sat down, focusing on Iniko as he spoke. He was a good captain, Raisha felt, as he compared hunting to fighting. All of a sudden Raisha was a bit more excited for this.

After the captain's lesson, she separated from the group, thankful for the peace. There was nobody to chastise her, or to remind her of things she would rather forget. As she was walking, she spotted a sparrow rustling among the leaves, scavenging for food, she guessed. Creeping forward, she attempted to mimic what Iniko had done. She was honestly amazed at how well she was doing, as the sparrow remained distracted with it's task.

With a surge forward, she pinned the sparrow with a paw, then snapped it's neck with her teeth. Lifting her head, the deceased bird dangling in her jaws, she felt a surge of energy. I did it! I actually did it! I caught the sparrow! She looked over to Iniko, checking if he had seen her catch. Did he approve of her deed?

RAISHA ATTEMPTED TO CATCH A BIRD. IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. -3 SP.

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Raisha’s retort woke him up with all the force of a faceful of talons. Ears flattening, Pyrik squashed himself into the line without a sound and fixed his gaze on the tail of the cat in front of him. Before he could spend too much time sitting in the tension, however, Captain Iniko’s head tipped in a clear command. He sat and clamped his mouth shut, tail curling around his paws. Captain Iniko searched the territory for a moment. Suddenly, his whole body went tense, and he sank against the earth; then, in a flash, he was holding a fat squirrel in his mouth. A heartbeat later, he’d dismissed them and left to watch from beside Rama. Pyrik stood, but didn’t move from his spot, blinking at the older Standards with plain confusion on his mottled face. Was that…it? That was the only demonstration they got? He’d managed to cobble his vague memories of a hunter’s crouch into something almost workable during basic training, but…

But Raisha had already gone off on her own; the others would probably be right on her heels. He wouldn’t mark himself as the only trainee too feather-headed to follow simple instructions. With a final hesitant glance over his shoulder, Pyrik set off, swallowing a grimace at the prickle of dried grass against his paws. Though barren at a glance, the land outside Asylum was full of life if one only looked in the right places. He had to focus on finding those places. If he didn’t see anything, he wouldn’t catch anything, and if he didn’t catch anything— Holding his breath, he squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn’t worth thinking about, not unless it happened. Thinking wasn’t focusing. “You have to catch something,” he murmured, and continued on.

At that moment, his eyes fell on a hunched, dusty form picking at the ground. A little mouse, round and fuzzy like a bumblebee. Pyrik huddled close to the dirt. His careful approach resembled a tortoise more than a cat on the prowl, but it seemed to be working—at least until the mouse jerked upright, terror in its shiny black eyes. A blink, and it was gone, scurrying to safety. Pyrik’s heart sank. He turned…

And came almost nose-to-nose with a face he knew nearly as well as his own.

He’d seen fox pelts around camp or draped off the shoulders of Nightstrikers. In fact, for a heartbeat, he thought it was one of the Nightstrikers. That familiarity alone kept him from freezing to the spot, even as he realized this pelt was as alive as the mouse had been. His paw shot out, guided by something that could have been instinct, could have been sheer terror, and bopped the fox soundly on its fiery snout. Pyrik had just enough time to think I hit it! before a set of teeth dug into his sides. Then he was being shaken too thoroughly to think much of anything.

Pyrik attempted to catch Rodent, using 3 stamina. The attempt was interrupted!

Pyrik used Front Paw Blow on Fox, dealing 11 damage and using 5 stamina.
Fox used Thrash on Pyrik, dealing 20 damage and using 20 stamina. Pyrik is stunned for 2 turns.

Pyrik [stunned]
55/75 HP (-20)
192/200 SP (-8)

Fox
79/90 HP (-11)
260/280 SP (-20)

The member 'rhindon' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

fox roll :) - can delete if you'd like!

The member 'rhindon' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 6