Vineling
These small demons look so much like trees that they blend into the forest. Hunters learn to never encounter them alone. The minions of the stronger tree demons, they can easily overwhelm even the stoutest defender once isolated. Chasing Vinelings, one can go quickly from predator to prey.
https://dgsgames.com/vineling-set-of-2/
He lived for this.
His quarry was cornered. There was nowhere left to run. A smile crept across Galor’s face as he began the last moments of this hunt. A small rocky ridge blocked her escape to the front, a clearing on the other, and a small creek on the third side. Two ways out exposed her to his arrows, and in the third she had no way to leave except climbing several steps high up a nearly vertical rocky cliff. He had been hunting her for days. She started as a rumor, the whispers of a demon haunting a small village tucked into the wooded folds of the Arlian. Rumor became fact as Galor and his Witchcat Lirsin investigated and found all the signs of a demon incursion around the small hamlet of hunters and herbalists. A few days later and he had identified his quarry: a Saryad. It was as he suspected, but many years of hunting and killing demons in the Arlian had taught him to not place much faith in suspicions. Now he had seen her with his own eyes and was at the end of the chase. In a few short minutes it would be over. Galor set himself at the confluence of the creek, clearing and forest. The one place where he could still get a bit of cover but see and command any way the demon could try to escape. Lirsin looked expectantly at her master, waiting for the order to attack. Galor gave her a quick look and held his hand down to signify “hold.” “Soon” he whispered to his faithful Witchcat. She looked up at him for a moment. He met her gaze, saw the amazing intelligence in her eyes, and wondered not for the first time if he was indeed the animal and she the keeper. Lirsin bent low in anticipation. For her this was where the real work began. With the Saryad cornered and moments from destruction all that was left was to flush her out. Flushing out your prey was always risky. Going to ground, even in such an untenable position, meant the Saryad would fight all that more viciously. He contemplated for a brief moment which direction to push her. Flushing her into the clearing to his right gave him a better shot but was more dangerous for Lirsin. To Galor’s left was the creek and more forest beyond it. He’d have less time to bring the Saryad down with his arrows but Galor could still cover Lirsin as she swept the demon into the open. If the Saryad made the woods beyond the creek he could easily lose her again in the deep and dangerous darkness of the Arlian. He looked down at Lirsin, who returned his gaze. She was just as ready to take this demon down as he was. “Flush her into the clearing Lirsin.” He whispered. “Go.” The Witchcat bounded off to his left and disappeared into the underbrush. This part of the Arlian was younger than much of the sprawling forest so well known for its demons. Instead of huge towering trees that blocked the sunlight and kept the forest floor clean of much growth the trees were much shorter here and not as full. The floor was covered with smaller brush and thickets, making it harder to track his prey and more dangerous to hunt them through. Galor notched an arrow and tried to peer into the thicket. Somewhere in there was a Saryad with a Witchcat close on its tail. Movement in the brush drew his eye. His bow followed it. He drew the string back, waiting for his target to show herself. More movement: he couldn’t make it out well, but a small tree moved as though something had caught on it. He tried to focus. Unseen, Lirsin roared defiantly as more brush moved back and forth deeper in the thicket. Apparently the Saryad has decided to fight instead of run. Galor released the string of his bow slowly and grabbed the arrow putting it back into his quiver. Standing up he grabbed the hilt of his long sword and drew it from the scabbard. The thicket ahead was moving wildly now as Lirsin battled the Saryad unseen in the green undergrowth. Lirsin screamed and the forest became still. Galor waded into the underbrush at a run, swiping wildly with his blade to knock the thick undergrowth out of his way. He caught a glimpse of Lirsin through the leaves when something struck him from behind. Pain seared through him. He reeled around to face his attacker. Whatever had struck him ripped from his flesh as he turned. Galor screamed in pain as he came face to face with his assailant. It looked like a tree but had a leering face. It swung its branch limb again, thrashing wildly at Galor trying to finish him. Galor parried the attack, slicing the limb from the creature’s body before another swing cut the thing in half. Vinelings. Small demons that looked so much like trees that they blended into the forest. Galor had only encountered them a few times, and never alone. He realized then he had been played by the Saryad. He wasn’t the predator. He was the prey. Galor began to back away from the trap but it was far too late. The underbrush around him came alive, grasping at him and slashing with thorny limbs. The vinelings hissed and leered at him as they swarmed him. He desperately swung right and left defiantly trying to deny them their victory. His sword had chopped down four before they had wrapped his arm in woody vines. Both arms bloodied and screaming in pain he dropped his sword. Without defense he was swarmed by the vinelings. They wrapped him in their branches, trapping him and forcing him to his knees. The Saryad appeared smiling amongst the gibbering demons, patting their gnarled heads as though she was praising her children. She kept her leering smile as she stared Galor down. As she slowly approached him she offered praises to the vinelings that had caught and ensared him. They seemed to enjoy the praise, rubbing back against the gentle pets and even more gentle words. Though he couldn’t move his head against the Vineling’s limbs, Galor looked up at her as she let out a laugh that was both condemning and seductive. She extended her hand toward him, slowly releasing a fleshy vine that wrapped around his neck. She tightened it just as slowly. Galor fought for air. Unable to move, his body on fire as he strangled, his every cell fought the inevitable as the Saryad enjoyed her kill. The vinelings leered at their captive in his last moments. Their large dark eyes stared him down as the Saryad’s sharp vine flexed again and his world went dark.
His quarry was cornered. There was nowhere left to run. A smile crept across Galor’s face as he began the last moments of this hunt. A small rocky ridge blocked her escape to the front, a clearing on the other, and a small creek on the third side. Two ways out exposed her to his arrows, and in the third she had no way to leave except climbing several steps high up a nearly vertical rocky cliff. He had been hunting her for days. She started as a rumor, the whispers of a demon haunting a small village tucked into the wooded folds of the Arlian. Rumor became fact as Galor and his Witchcat Lirsin investigated and found all the signs of a demon incursion around the small hamlet of hunters and herbalists. A few days later and he had identified his quarry: a Saryad. It was as he suspected, but many years of hunting and killing demons in the Arlian had taught him to not place much faith in suspicions. Now he had seen her with his own eyes and was at the end of the chase. In a few short minutes it would be over. Galor set himself at the confluence of the creek, clearing and forest. The one place where he could still get a bit of cover but see and command any way the demon could try to escape. Lirsin looked expectantly at her master, waiting for the order to attack. Galor gave her a quick look and held his hand down to signify “hold.” “Soon” he whispered to his faithful Witchcat. She looked up at him for a moment. He met her gaze, saw the amazing intelligence in her eyes, and wondered not for the first time if he was indeed the animal and she the keeper. Lirsin bent low in anticipation. For her this was where the real work began. With the Saryad cornered and moments from destruction all that was left was to flush her out. Flushing out your prey was always risky. Going to ground, even in such an untenable position, meant the Saryad would fight all that more viciously. He contemplated for a brief moment which direction to push her. Flushing her into the clearing to his right gave him a better shot but was more dangerous for Lirsin. To Galor’s left was the creek and more forest beyond it. He’d have less time to bring the Saryad down with his arrows but Galor could still cover Lirsin as she swept the demon into the open. If the Saryad made the woods beyond the creek he could easily lose her again in the deep and dangerous darkness of the Arlian. He looked down at Lirsin, who returned his gaze. She was just as ready to take this demon down as he was. “Flush her into the clearing Lirsin.” He whispered. “Go.” The Witchcat bounded off to his left and disappeared into the underbrush. This part of the Arlian was younger than much of the sprawling forest so well known for its demons. Instead of huge towering trees that blocked the sunlight and kept the forest floor clean of much growth the trees were much shorter here and not as full. The floor was covered with smaller brush and thickets, making it harder to track his prey and more dangerous to hunt them through. Galor notched an arrow and tried to peer into the thicket. Somewhere in there was a Saryad with a Witchcat close on its tail. Movement in the brush drew his eye. His bow followed it. He drew the string back, waiting for his target to show herself. More movement: he couldn’t make it out well, but a small tree moved as though something had caught on it. He tried to focus. Unseen, Lirsin roared defiantly as more brush moved back and forth deeper in the thicket. Apparently the Saryad has decided to fight instead of run. Galor released the string of his bow slowly and grabbed the arrow putting it back into his quiver. Standing up he grabbed the hilt of his long sword and drew it from the scabbard. The thicket ahead was moving wildly now as Lirsin battled the Saryad unseen in the green undergrowth. Lirsin screamed and the forest became still. Galor waded into the underbrush at a run, swiping wildly with his blade to knock the thick undergrowth out of his way. He caught a glimpse of Lirsin through the leaves when something struck him from behind. Pain seared through him. He reeled around to face his attacker. Whatever had struck him ripped from his flesh as he turned. Galor screamed in pain as he came face to face with his assailant. It looked like a tree but had a leering face. It swung its branch limb again, thrashing wildly at Galor trying to finish him. Galor parried the attack, slicing the limb from the creature’s body before another swing cut the thing in half. Vinelings. Small demons that looked so much like trees that they blended into the forest. Galor had only encountered them a few times, and never alone. He realized then he had been played by the Saryad. He wasn’t the predator. He was the prey. Galor began to back away from the trap but it was far too late. The underbrush around him came alive, grasping at him and slashing with thorny limbs. The vinelings hissed and leered at him as they swarmed him. He desperately swung right and left defiantly trying to deny them their victory. His sword had chopped down four before they had wrapped his arm in woody vines. Both arms bloodied and screaming in pain he dropped his sword. Without defense he was swarmed by the vinelings. They wrapped him in their branches, trapping him and forcing him to his knees. The Saryad appeared smiling amongst the gibbering demons, patting their gnarled heads as though she was praising her children. She kept her leering smile as she stared Galor down. As she slowly approached him she offered praises to the vinelings that had caught and ensared him. They seemed to enjoy the praise, rubbing back against the gentle pets and even more gentle words. Though he couldn’t move his head against the Vineling’s limbs, Galor looked up at her as she let out a laugh that was both condemning and seductive. She extended her hand toward him, slowly releasing a fleshy vine that wrapped around his neck. She tightened it just as slowly. Galor fought for air. Unable to move, his body on fire as he strangled, his every cell fought the inevitable as the Saryad enjoyed her kill. The vinelings leered at their captive in his last moments. Their large dark eyes stared him down as the Saryad’s sharp vine flexed again and his world went dark.
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