Finishing Business (Grimm Hunt)

"Well... I guess I knew this was coming..." Salzem sighed as he ventured off into the woods, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. His shadow ventured on behind him, it's arms crossed as it looked out over the forest, checking for any signs of movement. "I guess I've been getting too good... They want me to hunt bigger things now..." He had never thought he'd be fighting the big baddies of the grimm so soon... He was mostly aquainted with Beowulves and things of that nature... Not their alphas of DEATHSTALKERS and yet... things on that level was exactly what he was fighting.

The moment they got far enough, the shadow hovered closer to it's master, his arms stretched out wide as if to be ready to defend him. Bastion kept looking back through the see-through thin part of his shadow, checking to see if anything was there... So far, there was nothing he could notice.

He figured something would be tracking him by now... this place was practically CRAWLING with grimm.... He doubted anything got in or out of here without meeting the fangs of one of these creatures...


HP: 100/100

SP: 175/200 -25 for summoning Summon

The only real danger to the boy had been his negative outlook, Skylight woods of the two in Bellmuse was the safer. It was closer to the city and smaller than the mountainous forrest of Finnek and Grimm typically existed only deep in these woods. It was due to his negative outlook on the situation, his frown and distaste with his progression speed that It was made aware of him. You see, the forrest was just beginning to empty at this time, the large clearing in which festivities and meet-ups were held was now devoid of human life. Those besides the blue haired man were much to focused on their stomachs to be tracked by the grimm, he however stood out like a bloody stain on a white shirt.

Slinking down onto all fours, it's claws making clean imprints whenever it crawled forward, the beast was of a size which would rival some ursa; a good two meters tall. Gleaming red-yellow eyes shone out of it's skull like head, it's body a mess of darkness and rocky bone-like structures on it's shoulders and upper back in particular. It's talons neared four inches in length, its fangs two each. It stalked forward, not silent as a hunter would prey, but loud and proud as though it knew victory was a certainty rather than a possibility. His fear, his distrust in the situation, the scent of it blew through the trees like wind.

Upon coming face to face with the hunter, the two would encounter each other head to head with some distance between them as the beast emerged from a tree-line, it would rise onto it's hind legs and give out a screaming roar; fangs and claws shining in the dusk-light. This was no basic beowulf, this was an alpha. A being of higher intelligence and strength. While it was not the most intelligent of grimm types, it was no slouch in combat. It would rush forward in a pouncing, speedy, zig-zag pattern, it's movements readable yes but perhaps that was what made them terrifying. Like a pendulum blade on path toward you, there was seemingly no escape it's long lurches. It would take a mere three jumps to get in range; the fourth a pounce directly toward him or his shadowy beast; whatever had taken lead at that point. Claws were primed to rip and tear, intent on pinning and gouging into whatever it could get it's paws on, every pounce should it's target attempt to rush forward and cease it's advance.

It seemed that the hunter's fears were correct because not a little distance away and out of the brush stepped the biggest beowulf he had ever seen... It was huge, taller than him if it stood up on it's back legs. It's body was hardy and strong and it's eyes glowed with enough hatred to put any smaller grimm to shame... Salzem immediately took a step back, his shadow shifting in front of him protectively. In response, the monster let out a yell that could be heard by the penguins in Antarctica. Or at least to the guy right in front of him because he stumbled back in shock, his eyes widening and his heartbeat quickening as the creature of palpable hatred charged him... back and forth back and forth.

The grimm jumped from left to right over and over as it made it's approach, covering a little distance before jumping off into another direction and repeating. There was a clear pattern to be read but Sal was having a heard time reading it through his veil of fear... His shadow watched closely, though, its head shifting and following the creature with every jump, ready to intercept any attack it might attempt.

The fourth lunge was the magic number as the creature lashed out, leaping a the shadow with it's claws and teeth bared... The shadow lashed out a hand, it's arm stretching outward... but not at the creature... under it... The Beowulf would feel the shadow's fingers entangling it's legs together like a cooked chicken before it would suddenly be jerked forward, inches before it's claws reached it's target before suddenly, it's back would meet the forest floor.... hard, the shadow having slammed it down like a mallet. It wouldn't waste a moment, though and quickly raised the beowulf again, this time swinging it around the forest by the shadow's long, stretching arm, slamming its head into the surrounding tree-trunks and branches like a sack in an effort to brain it before crossing its arm over it's chest and launching the massive grimm back into the forest in a way a child might dismiss a spider or snake on their hand quickly... frantically...

4 attacks: 60 damage over all
15 per hit

Salzem Health: 100/100
Aura: 175/200
Summon Health: 25/25

As the beast felt itself pulled and twisted backward, as if caught in a rubber band on it's last lurch, its back did meet with the floor... but this beast was a lot weightier and mightier than the boy seemed to understand. As it were lifted from the ground to be slammed into a tree, around the apex of the swing, it's extended claws latched onto the oak before that it was intended to hit; pining itself and halting the power the shadow had over it. From this position it would only be capable of pulling the beast toward it, even the grimm had held it's grip it would struggle to shift it, not swinging it left or right. Its legs may have been ensnared but this beast was accustomed to being a quadruped, its arms were as strong as it's legs. Without hesitation, almost the moment as it latched onto the trunk above and to the left of the pair, it would push off of the tree with all it's might, shooting toward the pair like a meteorite from orbit, and would attempt to forcibly smack into the shadow creature with it's mass; utilising the fact that the two were now bound together and the grimm was in the position which granted it control of momentum.

As it came down however, attempting this giant body check, its claws were still extended. It was turning slightly as it dove and as a result of the momentum; it could get in two clean slices at the boy (Should he remain stationary next to his creation) or the beast (should it survive the initial contact of the Alpha's hulking mass or attempt to dodge the check itself) Should the beast be defeated by either the initial blow or the claws, and it's legs were to be free, it would land with three limbs to the ground and the forth, it's right hand, raised and ready to make it's next assault. This beast was an alpha, it was not to be taken lightly or thrown away like some child's toy. The boy was destined to fight this beast for some time longer. While it was not smart; it was wise to combat.

OOC; Forgot to mention, Grimm does 35 physical based damage per hit.

The Shadow's arm jerked as the Beowulf gripped the next tree it was supposed to slam against with it's mighty claws, the Shadow's arm suddenly retracting lest it accidentally rip it off. The Shadow's arms retracted, just as the creature adjusted itself on the tree trunk, it's arms and legs tensing should it stay there with it's legs free. The creature would then BLAST off the tree trunk like a cannon-ball, Attempting to slam into the shadowy mass before it... Like something out of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, The shadow's arms thrusted outward long before she grimm got within range of it's own claws, letting out a large barrage of of punches, each one striking into the grimm's charging mass like a brick wall, but each punch halting the beast's momentum and by the third hit, the grimm would fall to the ground, his cannon-ball momentum lost. (First punch strikes the snout, second, the shoulder, third center chest)

With the creature on the ground, likely sore from those three blows that brought it down, The shadow would thrust a fist down into the Alpha's cheek, slamming it's head into the earth and cracking the ground beneath it slightly.

"Christ..." Salzem muttered, ducking behind a tree trunk, looking out over the side. "This thing is tough... I have to be careful or I'm cooked..."

Shadow HP: 25/25
Attacks: 4. 60 damage
Salzem Health: 100/100
AP: 175/200

With its legs seemingly free as it before it pounced did grant the beast a degree greater of air control as it was heading toward it's target. With that, using it's turning in it's movement it was able to endure the initial impact of the jaw blow but that additional twisting it granted was just what was needed. As it's head tended left into the spin its clawed limbs to swiped across the path of the incoming blows with more powerful, flesh and bone, clawed paws. Using this forced additional twist and momentum the beast found itself offtrack but would arrive on the ground to the right of the pair, or whatever remained of them. It had learned it's lesson about an up close and personal confrontation, and while ranged tactics weren't a Beowulf's forte it was something an Alpha could make use of. At this point the grimm was dirtied yes, but it’s white bones still gleamed white and it’s yellow red eyes were yet to lose their light.

Taking a leap back to put some distance between the two, as well as better mingling among the trees itself, the creature would swipe reach to it's right, removing a great hunk of wood from a tree-trunk near six inches in diameter, before tossing the mass toward the hunter; attempting to hit him from behind the tree he hid. It would then do much the same with it's left, grasping a branch from overhead and tearing it down. This attack however was intended to work much differently than the throwing of tree trunk. The branch was large and split off, covered in thick green leaves. This attack would target the summon if it remained after the clawed spin but otherwise it would the boy. The beast would begin a dash forward once more before throwing this branch toward the target's vision, the branch itself had some weight and force behind it so it alone would hurt if it hit, then in the blind spot this created the beast drop down low and slide kick toward the legs or base of them. This was the extent of the Grimm's tactical mind, for it to surpass such would be near impossible. It was bellow the level of a feint, yet above that of free thoughtless punches.

With it's first punch landing a bit off-point, Sal was about to continue continue with his assault but luckily... by some stroke of perceptive luck, he saw the way the grimm was turning, the way it's arms were coming down in some flurry of clawed strikes... He retracted his arms just in time to keep the claws from ripping the shadow's arms to shreds of shadow, but what it did next was something far beyond the hunter's ability to predict...

Before Salzem could even react, the creature recoiled, ripped a low-hanging large branch RIGHT OFF the tree above it and hurled it almost like a javelin, the massive thing passing right through the shadow-creature as if it didn't exist... then impailing itself right into the tree Salzem was hiding behind as if this creature could comprehend the game of darts.

For a moment, the shadow appeared fine... but still... the yellow lights in it's sockets gone... then a moment later it literally melted as if it were made of some kind of fluid, splashing back into the shadows the overcast of wood and leaves above provided for it...

Salzem stared, aghast at what he'd just see, peeking out from around the the tree-trunk and whipping out his flaregun to behold the new, ugly limb the grimm had provided for his cover. His heart-beat nearly shook him physically... as he stared into the hatred that was this being's eyes...

The grimm apparently attempted to take out Sal's legs from under him, circling around (since... you know... Sal's behind a tree) and throwing some kind of kick towards him, a tactical move if ever there was one. With a yelp, the hunter jumped, free of the monster's kick, then quickly adjusting himself in the air and springing off the nearby tree-trunk he was hidden behind previously... The spring shot Sal far through the forest, using his training to avoid or use other trees to maintain his momentum, his acrobatic training finally coming into play... Now, he was purely on defense. it was the best he could do for now...

He had to buy time... Had to escape... He could feet the sweat on his brow and the heave in his chest... and it wasn't just from this monster...

Shadow: dead

Sal: Health: 100/100
Aura: 175/200
Turns til shadow gets used again: 1/1

Level 4 - 90 HP - 4 Def/Res - Alpha Beowulf

Understanding the boys petrified squeal, his fear seemed to grow only greater with the loss of his shadowy friend. Without hesitation the Alpha gave chase, the boy may have known how to leap from tree to tree but this was very much the Beowulf's domain. For root and branch the boy encountered he'd have to deal with it was though it were new, the Alpha however had walked this territory before. The Alpha had been in the forrest for as long as it had existed, the alpha knew how best to traverse these woods. He was leaping tree to tree, a sound strategy for movement across the woods, but when it came to loosing the beowulf or dodging this tactic had a flaw. Between trees there was a period of flight in which the boy had to look forward in order to stick his landing, but he had no real control over his movement either while up there; he'd forced himself in the direction of the next jumping-point. This made things quite easy for the beowulf.

Rushing on it's hind legs the beast did as it had before, running between two trees after him it reached out and smashed through the bark; grabbing a clump of wood in either hand. The instant he bounced from one tree the beast would hurl both clumps of wood simultaneously, almost in a screwball like pitch style; aimed to hit toward the lower mid region of the boy's spine. It was with that the beast would take to all fours, using all four legs to rush faster toward the boy before jumping in a pounce like manner; bringing it's hands together in a grasp like manner as if intent on puncturing his fleshy form with it's claws and crushing his ribcage.

As Salzem leapt from trunk to trunk, he could hear the beast's ugly tromping behind, it's heavy breath as it rushed behind Salzem, seemingly not interested in overtaking him as much as the hunter suspected... merely following for the time being. That was... until he saw those TWO MASSIVE WOOD CHUNKS HURLING HIS WAY! Salzem's eyes widened and he quickly jumped forward once more, hoping desperately that he could get somewhere that the wood would lose it's momentum or crash into something but the grimm was much stronger than Sal initially expected...

With a quick twist, the hunter flipped himself in the air mid-flight, flipping himself around so that he was now face-up (matrix style if such a thing existed in this universe). He quickly raised his flaregun and shot of all four of his rounds, each one crashing into the wood-chunks the grimm threw, exploding on contact with a massive dark mist radiating out from the explosion, dampening the air between them with darkness... Salzem would land heavily on his back though thankfully his momentum took most of the falling damage for him, leaving his back a little sore but with no worse for wear... that was until that grimm caught up...

Groaning, Salzem got to his feet and continued running, picking up his pace as fast as he good like that would do him any good now... his momentum was gone and he had to build it up again... And now his gun was empty too... Some good that was doing him....

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE BEAST'S MASSIVE HANDS WERE CLOSING ON HIM RIGHT NOW!

Bursting into a sprint and ducking hard down to the left, Salzem would quickly lower himself almost into like a ball-shape and rolled around the grimm as it's arms would close in to crush him, his fingers quickly flicking 4 more flares into the empty chamber of his gun...

Its persistence was almost as scary as its brutality.....


HP: 100/100
Posts until Shadow is usable 0/1 usable next turn
AP: 175/200
(dunno the maths for mah strength-to-damage) Xb
0/4 shots in Revolver Flaregun. Reload necessary

Having trampled the destroyed remnants of the very wood it had thrown, having leapt and pounced toward the boy, the beast thought itself in quite the prime position. He was scared, so much was incredibly clear. How he was using that toy, afraid to get close to the Beowulf. How cowardly could you get?! Unwilling to engage the beast in open combat, unwilling to let it lay hand on him!? How weak?!

Without hesitation the beast prepared to follow up it's previous assaults went with something more simplistic. First it swung it's arm around the tree; rather than simply walking forward and passing it the beast wanted to hurt the boy as he coward in fear. It would follow this by pulling itself rapidly around the tree, beginning a brutal physical beatdown! It would begin, upon sight, with a powerful upward kick with it's clawed feet! It would follow that, lunging forward, with a downward clawed slice to take the boy's face off before jumping a good two meters backward with it's powerful legs; crouching down once more into a wolf like battle stance. Ready to react to any attacks he sent forth or give chase should he continue to run as he had before!

(Mah Shadow be back this post xb)


The creature quickly dashed ahead of Salzem (at least that's what I got from it) and grabbed onto and upcoming tree trunk and, using it's momentum and all the strategy it could come up with, the grimm quickly lifted it's foot of the ground, intending to catch the hunter's face with it's foot... Apparently, the grimm didn't take Sal's skill at running away very seriously and he quickly ducked under the kick, but suddenly, the grimm's leg stopped, unable to retract it...

If it looked back, the creature would see a black hand wrapped around it's ankle, it's grip iron... an attack in it of itself. The Shadow manifested out of the grimm's shadow which the two of them shared with their close proximity, It's yellow gaze glaring down at the monster... Without wasting a moment or giving the creature time to react, the shadow ripped the being from it's grip on the tree and slammed it's free fist into the creature's cheek, slamming it into the ground before grabbing it's master and pulling him behind it, protectively, now in his shadow...

Attacks: 2. 30 damage in total
AP: 150/200
Shadow Health: 25

Level 4 - 60 HP - 4 Def/Res - Alpha Beowulf

Feeling its leg being crushed in the shadows vice like grip it had learned two things, not only did it take some time for the boy to be able to recall this shadow but it could only take a single of the Beowulf attacks before seeming to vanish into nothingness. With this in mind, the beast knew what would be best. Rather than having to be ripped from the tree as the shadow seemed to anticipate it would have to the wolf allowed itself to be pulled and wit that momentum would use it's free leg to swing a wild kick directly into the arm that held it! Taking the blow to the face that was dealt would only further certify this kick's direction and might! Clawed toes would cut through the shadow's arm like it were an axe chopping wood!

This was not without cost however, the beast met with dirt; it's leg damaged and it's white head covering bordering on shattered! Quickly rising, now quite stuck on all fours, and rushing backward a good two meters, it would once again go for projectile attacks! Raking a hand through the soil it would draw forth rather than a rock first a large clump of clay-like soil! Tossing it in a spinning underhand manner toward the boy's direction whether or not the summon was in it's path. But in that hole it had created was a larger stone! Reaching down and grasping it the beast would hurl it with all it's might! Aimed lower this time rather than an underhand chuck but toward the legs of the boy (or the bottom of the shadow should it remain in his path) in an attempt to equalise their limited mobility! Sure the beast could still run on all fours but at this point walking on hind legs alone would be difficult, doable but difficult to maintain for long periods.