Just like Home. [ASSASSIN, SOLO, 5 Frenmic Rabbits]

[Tessia]

After awakening in the game of Elder Tale and learning of the Apocalypse, Tessia decided rather quickly to come to the aid of the people as much as she could, rather then bemoan her situation.  Taking the time to assess her current abilities, she decided a simple hunt quest would be best.  Approaching the forests edge just outside of the town entrance, Tessia makes note of the time of day.  The sun was bright overhead, indicating it was about noon, or a little past a good time to start sneaking as the shadows would fall atop her.  Slipping off the main road, she lowers into a crouch and activates her Tracker class ability Silent Move.  Sighing a little and slipping her ax from her back holster, Tessia begins to creep forward into the lush green brush.  

Slipping her feet forward slowly and being sure to shift her weight evenly and smoothly from foot, to knee, extend other foot, repeat, just as her father taught her.  This way no bothersome twigs got underfoot and she could control her movement fully.  Hard to believe this was the game Elder Tale, it felt like she was in the back woods of her homeland, hunting rabbit for dinner that night.  She had to stop herself from looking back as she knew for sure her father wasn't following, with his trusty rifle in hand ready to back her up.  Taken from her thoughts, Tessia stops to peek out from some bush just ahead, spotting the telltale marks of rabbits paws on the soft soil.  Noting their direction, as well as the winds movement, Tessia adjusts her approach to follow the tracks, making sure she would be downwind from her target.   

Keeping her ears open she just barely hears it, and halts all movement to listen as intently as she can.  She could hear at least 2 Frenmic Rabbits ahead, scratching about and munching on leaves.  Opening her eyes again, Tessia resumes her steady approach with her ax resting between her hands, the pommel laid along her hips length and her hand gripping it just under the head.  This was mostly to ensure there would be no glare off the blade as she got closer, and that she could lash out at any unsuspecting creature from almost any angle without compromise of speed.  Making it just towards the edge of the clearing, Tessia lowers her stance even further, relaxing her leg muscles and moving almost belly to dirt floor as she watches the Rabbits intently.

[Tessia]

Activating her Accel Dance the first time, she adjusts her grip a little further down the ax pommel.  Taking a breath just one of the rabbits looked right at her, she bursts out of the brush cover as her ax sweeps out at a wide vertical arc.  The strike could well fell both of them, but the first rabbit rolled backward out of the way, its partner had no time to react.  As her ax struck the unaware rabbit, Tessia lowers into a crouch as the other one flees.  The rabbit that was struck bursts into data fragments as Tessia lowers again into her stance, her eyes already tracking the fleeing rabbit by its fresh tracks.  Reminded of the quest, Tessia checks nearby and finds the rabbits pelt, adding it too her inventory. 

Slowing her approach, mostly to give the creature some time to calm down and get ahead, Tessia scoots forward into the cover of the brush again.  Attuning her ears to the sounds of the forest, she hears the rabbit fleeing a little ways ahead, it's movement slowing a little after a moment.  "Good, it must think it's safe again." she thought to herself as she slowly begins to pursue it by its tracks.  Brush assaults could end badly as her father had taught her.  A lot of creatures liked to use it for cover as well, and you had to be able to recognize them before you walked over them.   Spotting some tracks that intersected with the rabbits, Tessia cursed mentally, this meant a potential predator for both her and the rabbit.  

They seemed several inches wider than the rabbits, perhaps a wolf or larger cat.  Tessia couldn't be sure as she had not had time to research all of the known animal tracks in this forest.  She made a mental note to do so later as she continued to home in on the other rabbit.  Catching up to it, Tessia could hear it just ahead scratching about and nibbling on a nut.  Activating Accel Dance once more, she feels the technique deepen her reflexes as her grip rotates her ax lengthwise along her hip.  Launching out, faster this time, as the rabbit Tessia launches another wide vertical cut.  The technique didn't lie, her ax traveled much faster as it snapped out and struck the rabbit upside the head.  As it bursts, Tessia scoops up the rabbit pelt it left behind.  

[Tessia]

Taking the time to stop near a log and sit, Tessia couldn't believe how realistic the game world seemed to her senses.  The wind rustled by now and then, carrying with it the scents of leaves and the sound of distant animal noises.  Even the brush, which moved about and wavered in the wind, seemed just like the kind she hunted in back home.  After a moments respite, Tessia crouches low once again and moves onward, intent to finish her quest and at least get a start in this new world.  Moving along slowly, she noted that she had maybe one to two hours left of daylight.  If her instincts told her anything, it was the rabbits would most likely go to sleep by then, as real world rabbits had a tendency of doing during nightfall to help avoid predators. 

Scooting along a slightly cleared path, she spots another rabbit just ahead, pawing at the dirt and sniffling around.  Halting all movement, she knew she couldn't be in a worse area, right out in the open for it to see her with little to block its route of escape.  She had to close the gap and fast.  Once before as a child, Tessia was too taken by some creatures cuteness to seize the advantage of one with its back too her.  Activating Accel Dance once more, she bolts forward at a low run the ax atop her back and arms coiled to allow it maximum speed.  Just as the rabbit turned about to see her, her ax came sweeping down off her shoulder in a crushing blow.  A large tuft of dirt shoots up from her strike as the rabbit is nearly cut in two by the strike.  Immediately rolling into the brush for cover, she knew a good few nearby creatures heard that, accidentally leaving the pelt behind in the swift movement.

She couldn't afford to stop here, and was rewarded for her quick thinking as a rather large panther shaped creature hulked nearby.  Tessia peeks out of her cover to spot it just ahead, milling about and sniffing the ground.  She leans out to were the rabbit had been and scoops the pelt quickly as she begins to egress away from the small clearing and the odd looking panther thing.  Shouldering her ax and picking up a bit of movement but still hindered by Trackers ability, she makes her way backward and too a rather large oak tree.  Scuffing it with her ax blade to leave a trail marker for herself, she treks onward further north into the forest.  With little time let to find the other two rabbits, she would have to get really lucky and hopefully not get struck by a stronger creature.

[Tessia]

Crouching low almost to the dirt, Tessia allows her hearing and smell to take over her mind, almost "feeling" out were the nearby denizens of the forest lay in wait.  Further up and too the right she could hear the squeaks of hopefully a few more rabbits.  Scooting along, she was sure to rest her legs as they started to complain about her constant low stance.  She would have to be sure to stretch a lot more before one of these excursions less her joints get all poppy and achy.  Slipping her ax low off her shoulder and keeping it parallel with her stomach, she creeps slowly up on the sounds being made by the rabbits.  Allowing the brush to push and roll quietly off her armor and arms, Tessia makes it to another small clearing, this time with 2 rabbits rolling around in it, and thankfully clear of any predators currently. 

she could waste no more time, noting how low the sun was dipping, she would have to strike both of them down and make it back to the town before she was noticed by stronger enemies.  Once more activating Accel Dance, she felt a surge of intense speed gather in her arms as she shoulders her ax grips the handle tight.  It almost felt like it would fly out of her hands if she didn't just hang on and swing with all her might.  Taking a gambit, Tessia scoops up a small pebble and hurls it straight ahead of herself past the rabbits.  They took notice and looked right at were it landed and she prayed they would run from the noise towards her.  From the middle of the clearing, both of the rabbits turned towards her location and partially hopped/ran towards her.  Leaping out of the cover just as they were about to reach it, Tessia spins into a wide flying circle arc, her ax making two long spin attacks at the rabbits.  She was getting dizzy from the first as it struck the surprised rabbit and made it burst, the second rabbit finding it =self between a rock and a hard place, leaped out and bit her on the leg. 

Flinging it off, and surprised that she took as much damage as she did, Tessia finishes her second spin of the twirl, neatly cleaving the other rabbit in two bursting data fragments.  Standing to stretch a moment and recover from the spin, she scoops the final two pelts and slips into cover of the brush.  Apparently her standing had alerted the panther thing he was fleeing, as she saw its face not a good 10 feet from her just as she entered the clearing.  Standing up and bolting was her best option and she did just that.  When facing something as big as a wolf with larger muscles and claws, she thought better of trying to take it on.  Jumping over low hanging limbs of trees and brush, she passes her trail marker and nods, she was halfway back to town.  She could hear the panther thing snarling and keeping pace easily, but she knew better to turn and look as she focused on were the opening were in the trees and shrubs. 

Finding her way back onto the main trail that lead back to town, she lowered her center of balance and shouldered her ax for maximum speed.  Bolting by a few adventures like herself, she just kept on running, hoping she had by now left the creature in the dust.  Only by making it past the gates did she slow and finally stop to catch her breath, gaining more than a few odd looks from fellow players as she dragged herself to the farmer she had taken the quest from in the first place.  Turning the quest in, the farmer seemed very jovial that she had managed to get ahold of five of the pelts and managed to make it back to town.  Tessia nodded and was surprised how "realistic" this npc seemed.  After taking her earned gold, she decided to call it a night and went to the nearby inn to rest.  She dreamed of home, of her family, and of her favorite foods.