Ava's feathers fluff a bit, and he can't help but press back a shiver down his spine as he looks in the direction Josh is pointing.

"Alrighty then." he says and moves to stand, itching to be on the way, "Remember to be careful if it is a Feartail.. let's go check it out just to be certain before we get too deep into planning."

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Henry nods. "Let's go," he agrees. "Remember, the goal will be to injure its wings, draw it to the ground, and finish it off."

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Josh adjusts his weapons and looks down. "Be careful," he repeats, not wanting the others hurt. As usual, he's not worried about himself at all.

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Avalon flashes Josh a wide smile, and he then says "Of course we're going to be careful. We have to be able to go home after this."

He gives his wings a flap, and then he starts off in the direction that Josh pointed, moving carefully and as silently as he can along the edge of the brush.

They walk for a short time, before they are able to hear the shrill and distinctive cries of a certain creature that they were taught by Sunsinger. They seem to be coming from within the canyon, and Josh's senses will tell him that big animals are nearby.

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Henry nods. "Okay. Here's the plan. I'm going to get the attention of the Feartail. Blue, you circle around and injure its wings to ground it, to give me a chance. Josh, if I'm in trouble, you need to get the Feartail's attention and get it off of me, but only if I ask for it. Otherwise, once it's grounded, we all get to work together to finish taking it out. Got it?"

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Josh tenses as they get closer. The cry draws his attention upwards quickly and his grip on his bow tightens. "If you're sure, Henry..." he trails off with a nod. He doesn't like the plan but he won't question Henry.

"I'm sensing more than one creature though," he says. "It might be hunting something..." he trails off. "Don't know enough yet to tell."

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"We probably found their nest." replies Avalon softly. He holds up a hand, halting their progress as he whispers "Let's wait.. and see."

Within moments, a huge reptilian creature comes wheeling up from the canyon, it's feathered body covered in all sorts of spots and stripes. Where many creatures such as this on Earth would have small or stubby front legs, this creature is built more like a gryphon, with wings and feathers instead of stubby legs. it's tail is long and supine with a big venomous spike at the end.

Ducking quickly, Avalon freezes and doesn't move. He waits until the creature has passed on and then says lowly "I think that was the female.. The male is much more brightly colored."

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"Okay. So if the female's going out... that probably means she's out hunting. We may have some time to flush out the male and kill it." Henry looks at Josh and Ava. "Let's go with the original plan. Blue, find a place on high ground where you can ambush the male from behind, and wait for my signal."

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Josh stares up at the flying lizard with a sad expression for a moment. "Yeah, that's the female," he replies softly. He's quiet for a moment more and then gets an arrow ready.

"I can sense the male...that way," he gestures towards the location he senses the nest.

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Avalon nods to Henry's order, and takes to the air with a flutter of feathers. He wheels into the air, his wings angled towards a tall tree. Within a few moments, he is settled in the trees upper limbs, high enough to still see Henry's signal. In one hand he grips his spear, heart racin in his throat. It's the telling hour and he knows it.

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Henry moves down until he can spot the Feartail. That's when he leaps out towards it.

"HEY, YOU JURASSIC PARK REJECT!" he screams. "OVER HERE!!"

He hurls a rock at the thing's face, hoping to get its attention. That should get it chasing him...

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As Henry and Ava move into position, Josh moves back as well. Drawing and notching an arrow, the healer sits and waits. He keeps careful watch on the others with his senses, ready to leap in at a moment's notice.

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Well. That's quite a signal. Avalon all but jumps when Henry starts yelling at the thing, and then winces a bit as he presses himself to the trunk of the tree, trying to be unseen. Leave it to Henry to make a big scene..

The Feartail is a brightly colored thing, almost like a macaw parrot. With a scarlet head and blue and green wings, it hisses at Henry and then takes to the air, flying low. That puny land-bound creature couldn't possibly hurt it.. or so it thinks. The creature gives a scream, it's jaws lined with huge serrated slicing teeth as it swoops for Henry..

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Henry runs as quickly as he can in a straight line, letting it come towards him... then, when he thinks it's almost on him, he dives and ducks under it, letting it fly over his head. It'll need to arc up and around to continue its pursuit of him, giving him some time in the air.

"Any time, Blue!" Henry calls out.

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Josh is tense, worried and unsure of what to do. Crouched low and hidden, he is just waiting until he's signaled. "Henry..." he whispers, resiting the intense urge to get out there and help.

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The swoop was just what Avalon was waiting for. Built for speed in the air, he tucks his wings against his spine and dives off the tree.. hurtelling towards the creature. At just the right moment he spreads his feathers, swooping in a perfect arc with the beast, but just a foot or two above it. This gives him the perfect shot at stabbing the beast's wing - which he does. Instead of just stabbing, once he has the point of the spear in it's feathery membrane, he uses the spear to rip, making a quite large hole and sending the creature towards the ground.

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As the beast comes crashing to the ground, Henry whoops and circles around it. They've got the advantage now.

He holds his spear at the ready. "Over here, you overgrown parrot. Let's send you pining for the fjords..."

He waits for it to lunge at him, and he uses his spear to plunge it down the beast's throat, then dives out of the way. The jaws don't quite miss him, leaving a gash along his left leg. He winces, but he'll be okay.

The beast isn't dead yet, but it's badly wounded... but Henry's now unarmed.

"Josh! Blue!"

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Josh watches as Ava swoops into action. He knows what's coming but the spear attack on the Feartail still makes him cringe. Sensing that injury and knowing more will come has a sad expression on his face.

The spear plunged down the beast's throat and the gash to Henry's leg sends a jolt of pain through Josh's head. He's already moving when called. Standing, Josh lets an arrow fly at the Feartail's eye but heads towards Henry instead of getting another arrow ready. "Hold still," he says, quickly applying his power to the gash.

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"Focus, Josh! Take care of Henry later!" cries Avalon. Snarling in his own right, the winged teen lands next to the creature and then uses his spear to plunge it in to the same eye that Josh fired at. he's huffing, his breath heavy in his chest as he pushes hard, breaking through the bone behind the eye and pressing the spear into the beast's skull.

he jumps back then as the Feartail starts to thrash and scream, though the motions start to slow and the sounds still. Eventually it lays it's head down and heaves out a sigh, breathing it's last.

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Henry steps towards it, limping slightly, as he hadn't sat still long enough for Josh to finish healing. He pulls his spear from its mouth, then jabs it through the wound Avalon had made, pressing it in deeper, trying to end its pain.

Despite his earlier eagerness to finish and succeed at this task, he pauses here in quiet reflection.

"Alright," he says. "We're done here, ri--"

He doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence. From out of nowhere, he feels an intense pressure on his arm, and movement across his face. He looks over, and instead of seeing Josh and Avalon, he's looking into the eye of a Feartail. Not the one that had died, but the other. The female.

And with sudden realization, he discovers that his arm is in the beast's jaws, as it had silently swooped down on them, picking the young man up as it glided past, and he's now being flown into the sky, dangling from her mouth.

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"I know what I'm doing," Josh calls back to Ava, continuing to heal. Each wound to the Feartail brings a cringe from the healer. When Henry steps forward, Josh frowns and follows. He has to stop and look away as Henry ends things.

When the beast finally dies, Josh has to close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. A death, especially from the creature that large so close...it hurts.

It also dulls his senses a bit momentarily. It's a bit too late but his eyes snap open when his senses clear. "HENRY!" he yells, reaching back for another arrow and rushing after the female Feartail.

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Standing where he is, the female comes up from behind Avalon, plucking Henry off before he can do anything about it. It takes him a moment to drag his spear free of the Feartail's skull, and another to take to the air as fast as he can. He doesn't reply to Josh though - even if he doesn't agree that stopping to heal was exactly wise. "We gotta try and get him away without killing her or this is all going to be for nothing!" he yells at Josh.

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Henry feels blackness edging in on his consciousness, but he refuses to let it win. It thrashes its head, tossing him back and forth like a rag-doll in its jaws, and he feels bones snap and muscle and sinew rend. But he's got a weapon in his hand.

As she tosses him in her mouth, he swings towards her head, and he plunges the knife into her eye, screaming wordlessly.

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"Worry about Henry, not the Feartail!" Josh calls as he runs. He takes to a tree, climbing quick. When he's high enough, Josh takes aim with the bow and lets his arrow fly. He's just aiming for a non-lethal area, to hurt but not kill. Feeling Henry's arm damaged again has the healer even more worried.

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Ava just grinds his teeth but says nothing. He doesn't want to admonish his heartfelt friend for being so worried for Henry - but the Feartail is indeed a consideration for him. All animals are considered sacred to Starhavenites, and they stand a chance of failing if the female dies.

Using the blunt end of his spear, he pokes at her at he follows her trajectory, doing his best to get her attention. The Feartail screeches at him, wheeling higher into the air, dragging Henry with her. It's not until Josh's arrows start to find their mark that she finally drops the teen in her mouth and takes after Avalon in earnest.

It's a close call for Avalon, who feints out of the way just in time to avoid a tail strike. Screaming her fury, she chases the winged teen away over he tree tops, leaving Josh and Henry in the silence of the jungle with her dead mate.

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