Jackpot! - Hunting Story

“So, are we going to get through this hunt without any causalities?” Sleeping asked with a smile on her face from her position on the top of the large boat they were taking to Europe for the final two destinations of their hunting trips.

Birch was leaning against the railing, the ocean spray soaking his hair near the bottom. He chuckled before answering her, “Did you not hear? We met our quota, if we want any more injuries or hunts go wrong, we need to purchase the premium version. I am not buying that, it requires a sacrifice. I do not recommend buying it. In fact, I will just tell you to not, it is not worth it.” Birch joked as he bent down to scratch a little at the bandage on his left leg. It was healing very well besides the minor bleeding that happened when he decided to put too much distress on the leg.

As the boat pulled into the docks, Sleeping collected Nubi from where she was sleeping with the cargo and Birch collected Sol from the deck where he was relaxing. They would be meeting the third handler for their party and the first of the ballators that she would be bringing to go hunting with. Birch would be hanging with Joey and Sleeping for two more hunts before Sleeping and Nubi left for the last hunt. At that point, Birch and Joey would go and meet the third ballator in America.

“Birch!” A heavily accented German voice spoke up from nearby before a small female with blonde hair popped up from the incoming wave meeting the arrivals. Behind her was a nervous looking stallion that looked uncomfortable with all the people jostling about, but he was trying to hide it.

“Hello there Joey,” Birch greeted the female with a handshake before turning to the stallion that seemed to grow taller with his sight on him – he only really stood taller not grew – and greeted the stallion too, “Hello there Nihil Timendum Est. I have heard about you from your handler.” Birch had met the kind girl briefly before and the two had discussed about their mounts.

“Hi! My name is Sleeping Forest and this Nubi, my mare,” Sleeping greeted the human with a large smile and a bow that showed off her wings – causing some of the passing humans to shoot her looks when she almost hit them – and shook Joey’s hand.

“As you know, I’m Joey and you can just call this stallion Warthrop,” Joey smiled awkwardly. Turning on her heels, Joey started to head back the way she and Warthrop had come from, “Well, lets go!”

It was a while before the group were able to get everything together and head to the forest where they would be finding their first prey of this trip: boars. It did not take long for them to hear one of the screaming pigs. The screaming made them weary though, what had made the pig scream.

Locking eyes with the others, Joey took off on Warthrop with Sleeping on Nubi and Birch on Sol following. What they found made them weary. There were two dozen European wolves surrounding a mother boar and two of her babies. The group stayed off to the side as they watched what would play out in front of them.

The pack, not even paying them any mind, charged the sow and her babies. They never stood a chance against that many. The wolves were getting ready to tear into their prey before group charged out. Working quickly, Nubi and Sol worked on splitting the pack apart so that they would have to deal with less. Their hunting objective had changed, it would be wolf pelts they were taking home. The splitting worked wonderfully, Joey and Warthrop were able to keep a small amount in the meadow while a vast majority ran off after one of them fell at Nubi’s hooves.

“Woohoo!” Sleeping exclaimed happily as she flared her wings on Nubi’s back as another European wolf went down. Even Joey had a smile on her face as Warthrop fell another wolf. Sol reared back and snapped the back of his wolf before him and Birch looked around for the next target, only to see that the clearing was… well… clear.

“Well then, I was not expecting that to go so well,” Birch remarked as he took in the five wolf bodies and the partially torn into boars. They could easily eat tonight, that was for sure.

“That was fun,” Sleeping said slightly out of breath and bouncing in Nubi’s saddle. Joey smiled and nodded at them from atop her own cross bred mare.

“Now the problem will be getting all the carcasses back to the cabin we will be staying in to dress the bodies,” Birch remarked as he took in the masses and quickly figured out that they would be unable to bring them all back at once.

“I’ll take some back with Warthrop hauling the sled while you guys watch over the ones left behind?” Joey proposed.

“I can stay here and take care of any threats, I would really feel better if the both of you went together since you will be dragging the scent with you guys,” Birch said as he looked at the setting sun. His over protectiveness was bleeding onto Joey and Sleeping from when he looks after his sisters.

“Bu-“ Joey started, ready to back up her previous statement of the two of them staying, but Birch cut her off.

“I’m able to protect myself from threats easily due to my training, you do not have that,” Birch said sternly, locking eyes with Joey, trying to make her see.

Joey did not like it, but she turned Warthrop around and, after Birch finished loading a few of the bodies onto the sled, started to lead the way to where they would be staying. Sleeping looked like she wanted to argue, but she held her words and followed Joey back.