Socket stood on the corner of the building, the Butchery having already given them a new hunting assignment. Thankfully this time they were sending a stand in for Krick, one of their Kobold scouts. They tapped lightly against the wooden planks as rivulets fell in grey sheets across the town. This hunt was already shaping up to be a mess. The rest of the party was gathered and securing the gear they needed.

A Swamp Toad might not sound like much of a hunt on the surface of things, but these were no tadpoles popping out of your local pond type creatures. Standing several meters tall, and many times as wide, Swamp Toads had warty skin that concealed their bulk in deep muddy pits. Preferring ambush tactics, and being highly disruptive to traveling when their territories encroached on populated areas, it was no wonder the town was eager to deal with the beast. 

"Hopefully we aren't setting out on this journey come dark... even the best of eyes wouldn't see a Swamp Toad in the dark, with a torchlight shining right on it..." One of the hunter's remarked, a sign of the growing tension about their quarry in general, and the weather was going to keep things from being swift. The mud would make it easier for the toad to vanish it's bulk, and the hunting party would have to move slowly once they were in it's territory.

"No sense in complaining, we will get this hunt done either way." Socket replied, taking stock one last time of their own pack and a moment to gather their concentration. On days like this, the whipping wind and the crackling of lightning ripping through the sky tended to override the dreary, bleak sheets that caused others such misery. They watched the skies, entranced by the streaks of light and currents of air made visible by the journey of the rain. Another hunt had begun, another spirit would be returned, and the denizens of Gazablaak would once more travel safely.

    Normally, he would be hunting to further the survivability of his tribe and solely for his tribe, but because of the other races' insistence of using "money" to do practically anything when interacting with them, Kothar found himself in the employment of "The Butchery". Apparently, he would be standing in for another member of an existing team whilst they were unable to participate in the hunt this group had been assigned. If he had the emotional range to be frustrated he would have been, but Lizardfolk weren't burden with the same mental handicaps that the hapless soft ones were. He did find it odd that other scaled races like Lizardfolk seemed to share these handicaps, but he just took it as them simply being less fortunate than Lizardfolk. Not that the soft ones couldn't fend for themselves. Despite all their disadvantages, they managed day in and day out to live and survive. Kothar respected them for that.

    Kothar found his way to the place he was supposed to meet the rest of the hunting party. The were standing outside, the most interesting one standing at the corner. He approached the group, scanning them and making note of the ones he'd be working with this day. "You are with the Butchery yes? I am Kothar, I am replacing one of you for today."

"Greetings Kothar, and thank you for joining us today. My name is Kosoku, though many of my friends call me Socket." They replied, examining the Lizardfolk and his mannerisms. Socket lifted up from the relaxed position they had taken, the gentle glow between segments dimming as they pulled a simple traveling cloak over. A few tinny steps across the wood planks for flourish, and the silent steps they took across the muddy terrain would stand out. While the skill or ability to conceal their tracks would be useful, it was probably not in the cards for the construct. 

Each of the other hunters in the group introduced themselves in turn, then departed in pairs. One for each pair was plenty of challenge, as well as plenty of gain for an outing. "You and I will be pairing up for this hunt Kothar, could you tell me something of the way you fight? I will gladly share my own information as well, that way you know what to be aware of when we catch up to our prey." They tried to sound as friendly as possible but still had not fully grasped the idea of tone or inflection of speech. Socket was particularly overjoyed for this outing, as they recently had completed a round of training and expanding their spell list.

    If the contruct's tone of voice came off rude, it was lost on Kothar, and any amount of matter-of-fact and straight to the point conversation would seem to be completely normal and the proper way to go about talking from the Lizardfolk's perspective. "Soc...ket," he said, tilting his head slightly as he tested the word, eyeing the construct, trying to discern why she would have that name. "Are you called Sock-ket by your friends because you have many sock-kets? Metal-That-Lives seems a more appropriate name to me."

    Kothar would call it whatever it wanted to be called, thinking that it had taken to the soft-ones way of naming things, for he knew that creatures with emotions tended to be less agreeable when their chosen names were disregarded, even if the names had nothing to do with their purpose or abilities. Just another concession to be made in order to work with them, it ultimately didn't matter it was just odd.

    "The way I fight? I fight to kill my prey using the tools I have with me. My fighting is fierce and skillful. Expect me to kill prey." Kothar starred quizzically at the construct. What an odd question, weren't they working together to hunt things?

"Very well, let's begin." Socket strolled forward, moving quickly down the muddy path out of Gazablaak, heading deeper into the surrounding bog. They followed one of many travel routes from outlying areas, seeing signs of other hunters as the pair made for the area they would hunt. The first sign they were within the Swamp Toad's territory was a goo covered skeleton, which had been entangled in the underbrush after being expelled. 

Socket crouched low in the mire, examining the area before signaling to Kothar they needed to move ahead. With an arcane word, Socket stepped into the air before bounding their way up to the canopy of the trees. From this vantage, they scanned the surrounding area, looking for the impression left by the Swamp Toad's immensity. Striding from treetop to treetop, they were able to observe quite a large area in very little time. As the last of the spell's power started to fade, Socket 'ran' down to where Kothar was traveling. 

"I was not able to see the creature's lair. We're definitely following it's path, and with a steady pace should overtake it before evening. This should be a fine hunt indeed." Socket remarked. Moments later, the cawing of several birds could be heard in the distance, along with the crashing of trees and rocks. The glow in Socket's eyes seemed to gather momentum, it's patterns swirling in chaotic fractals. No matter how much they had seen, or experienced, the thrill of battle and the joy of the hunt proved to be ceaselessly fascinating.

    Metal-That-Lives did not seem to mind being called the more appropriate name, so Kothar didn't bother with calling it Sock-ket. The construct led the way out further into the bog, the pair keeping their eyes low to the ground for the creatures that creeped and hunted. Kothar had no intention of letting either of them be prey to other hunters in the swamp. They passed the remains of a humanoid creature covered in goo typical of their quarry. Metal-That-Lives seemed to pass by the remains after a quick inspection, but Kothar took a closer look in case any supplies survived where whoever the skeleton once was didn't. Taking a moment to move the body around with the end of his javelin, Kothar took note of the large canine teeth protruding from the mouth of the skeleton. "This looks likes the tusk-teeth of an orc." Kothar announced as he continued to shift the remains, but he didn't find anything. Leaving it, Kothar continued after Metal-That-Lives.

    When Metal-That-Lives returned from the air, a skill that impressed Kothar, he listened and agreed with the construct's assessment of their progress. Before he could make any comments on the matter though, the sounds of crashing trees and rocks as well as the sounds of distressed birds could be heard not too terribly far off. Kothar looked to Metal-That-Lives, asking "Investigating the noises could be fruitful. Is this not the season of mating for Swamp Toads? If your comrades disturb a pair of toads they will be fighting with great difficulty." He waited for her response, not sure if he was mistaken about the toads' mating season or whether or not Metal-That-Lives would want to interfere.

"You are correct Kothar, mating season for the Swamp Toads is possibly the reason they've come so far inland and near the traveling routes. It could also be those sounds are another caravan caught without escort. Let's find out quickly shall we?" Socket pivoted mid stride, kicking off the root of a gnarled tree to aid with momentum. Long, silent steps were accompanied by the soft, electromagical whirring of Socket's locomotive actuators as they tuned in and tracked their way towards the increasing cacophony. 

A graceful hop carried the lithe construct into the lower boughs of a tree, which then became a pivot to take them higher and above the clearing at it's edge. "HA!! JACKPOT!!" Socket shouted, Kothar's idea having paid hefty dividends. Two large Toads squared off, webbed feet slapping each other's fatty skin as they tried each other's bulk and strength. A quick arcane word and the crackle of lightning carried Socket across the clearing and out of harm's way for the moment.

Even landing gracefully proved difficult, each of the Toad's blows and steps could ripple the wet earth and topple anyone without solid footing. They steadied themselves against a tree, scanning the surroundings and making a plan of attack. It would hinge on Kothar's methods, the Lizardfolk's approach would give Socket freedom to lend support or firepower as needed, and a few well timed spells should also keep them both from the worst of harm. 

    Kothar raced after the construct, managing to not let his footfalls be too terribly loud and keeping pace with Metal-That-Lives. The patter of his scaled feet mixed with the quiet hum emanating from the construct made for an interesting sound to accompany them as they closed in on their potential quarry. When they reached the clearing all the noise was coming from, Kothar saw that he had a fortunate decision to come here. Fortunate if they survived. While it wasn't to hunt the creatures, killing took a certain level of skill.

    He watched as the construct circled the clearing in a manner of speaking and then perched in a tree, the same one Kothar was beside. Looking at Metal-That-Lives for a few moments, he felt as if she wanted him to take the lead, and he was fine with that arrangement. Metal-That-Lives clearly had several special abilities he did not, and while he didn't doubt his own skill and capabilities, it would make it easier on the construct to capture the attention of the toads. However, he would maintain stealth while he had the opportunity.

    Crouching slightly in an attempt to make his large frame a bit smaller and easier to hide, Kothar slinked silently as best he could between the trees and other parts of the environment. The lizardfolk moved in a manner that made it clear to an observer that this wasn't a way of moving he was unfamiliar with; despite his size, Kothar could still stalk his prey. He made his way over to one of the trees near the toads not yet knocked down in their tussle and climbed up it as high as branches large enough to support his weight had grown.

    The lizardfolk bided his time, waiting for one of the toads to move close enough for him to jump on, his javelin clenched tightly in his hand. Soon enough, the moment he was waiting for came and Kothar leapt off the branch in an attempt to land on the back of the creature's head. Should his venture be successful, Kothar would attempt to drive his javelin through the creature's eye, into to the skull and ultimately into its brain for a quick and easy kill.

'A fine choice indeed.' Socket thought to themselves, watching the brawl of the Toads as well as Kothar's own progress. It was easy enough to see how skilled a hunter he was. As Kothar made to strike, the two Toads snapped at each other, their whip-like tongues slapping against the other's skin with a leathery crack. "Avasha, grace this strike." Socket beckoned the magic of the sky forth once more, this time giving Kothar and his javelin a deal of extra thrust, gusts of wind propelling them toward their quarry with incredible speed.

Entangled in it's rivalry, the near Swamp Toad was too distracted to notice the Lizardfolk fall upon it. The other Toad however had a beautiful vantage point, and while surprised by the sudden strike and the blast of odd winds, it still managed to hop backward a short distance, landing with a muddy splash and a booming croak. 

As Socket prepared their next trick, the lack of concentration on stealth caused the brilliant glow of their body to shine once again. The remaining toad, now freed from it's struggle for dominance, only saw morsels. It's great, whip-like tongue shot out towards the construct and the splitting trunk of the tree they were standing on sounded like cannon fire. 

"Time for a shocking experience my froggy friend." Socket uttered another arcane word, and the glowing patters of their form changed, arcing loops of electricity surrounding their body. As the fleshy slimeball that was the Toad's appendage hit the tree, the construct reacted with a Bullet dash that carried them over it's head, landing near it's hind legs on the opposite side. The inertia of the dash made it difficult to change direction but at least for the moment, Socket surely held it's attention. They were careful not to touch any large pools of water or other plant life, as the Static Field could cause a plethora of injuries. 

The big beast wasted no time in kicking out with it's huge rear legs, sweeping leathery, webbed feet behind itself. It squalled in pain as a magical jolt of electricity coursed through it's body. The construct rolled as best they could with the blow, skidding on their shins for several feet before crashing into the roots of a large tree. The Toad's rear leg spasmed under the powerful current, it's eyes rolled in their sockets wildly at the sensation and inability to move it's bulk.

    Kothar felt the wind pick up behind him and surge around his javelin, driving him towards his target. Having performed this particular feat before and never previously experiencing this wind, he assumed it to be the work of his current partner. He landed on the toad nearly on target, and thankfully it didn't seem to notice him, too engrossed in its battle to pay any heed to him. He scrambled as fast as he could to the side of the thing's head, wind still beckoning him and his javelin forward. Reaching the edge, Kothar swung out wide with the javelin, aiming the wind rather than trying to redirect it altogether. It drove forward in the shape of a half moon as Kothar steered it toward the creature's eye, and sure enough, he hit his mark. A sickening squelching sound was audible as the lizardfolk skewered the toad's eye and sent the javelin in deep, part of his arm with it.

    He buried his arm almost to the shoulder but it was worth wearing the viscera to secure his kill. The creature shuddered in response as it trumpeted a squeal of pain almost as suddenly as it fell silent, and it crumpled under its own weight. Kothar hurried to extract himself from the creature, pulling out and jumping off into a shoulder roll at nearly the last second, raising his buckler to shelter his head during the endeavor. As he recovered from the roll and stood, the other toad squalled loudly from pain. The lizardfolk turned and faced his other adversary as it did so, seeing Metal-That-Lives on the ground.
    
    A guttural hiss escaped the lizardfolk and he rushed towards a tree near the creature and clambered up it as well, but not as high. Whilst running he had scooped up a somewhat large piece of bark from one of the many broken trees. Once he was perched Kothar held the bark in front of him with his off hand, and began yelling to get the creature's attention. His plan was to incite it to lash out with its tongue in an attempt to eat him, except he in turn would jump and plant his feet inside the span of the bark. If his plan worked as he intended it to, the bark would be stuck to the tongue, but not him, allowing him to jump off of the creature's tongue from the bark and kill this one as he had the other.

Putting one knee against a root, Socket pried themselves loose of the tree. Spare parts weren't something that Socket could just purchase any old place, and so they were intent on finishing with this creature before more damage could be done. Many ideas were possible, but one in particular seemed on Kothar's mind.

The Swamp Toad inhaled a great gulp of air and croaked in frustration. Hearing the dying groans of it's comrade, the creature went berserk, flailing in every direction. It's stretchy, sticky tongue flung itself toward Kothar and his waiting bark. It's legs kicked and clawed out towards the pest behind the lumbering amphibian, thudding heavily against the trunks of trees and leaving deep cuts in the wood. 

Seeing Kothar's plank shield, Socket once more capitalized on the excellent positioning and distractions. Straining against the protesting bearings and actuators, they scaled the tree and prepared to cast their most potent spell if something changed. 'Well, that was brutal, I hope I don't need to use this so close to an ally.' They thought, steadying against the trunk of the tree even as it shuddered and threatened to heave from the ground.

    The toad struck out with incredibly force and speed, and had Kothar not been prepared to jump he wouldn't have pulled the feat off. As it was he had just barely planted his feet on the bark by the time the tongue had reached him. Wind resistance threatened to snatch him off the bark as the toad retracted its tongue and Kothar clung to the flimsy wood as best he could. There wasn't any way for him to improve his grip nor his footing, so he'd just have to trust in his own strength unless the construct could manage any more of that wind manipulation from earlier.
    
    Just before entering the creature's mouth Kothar jumped, but his poor positioning on the bark made his feet slip across most of the bark's surface. He managed to clear it enough not to end up in the mouth but his feet clipped the tip of the toad's nose which sent him tumbling like he was doing a front flip. Kothar sailed over the top of the creature's face but the lizardfolk managed to keep his wits about him; a benefit to only being able to experience a marginal approximation of "fear".

    As he crested the head of the toad Kothar twisted his body and jammed his javelin it into the flesh of the toad just behind its head. This arrested his impromptu flight and allowed him to regain his footing, planting them against the toad's back. It croaked and squalled at the intrusion of the javelin, and began bucking while continuing to flail its limbs as Metal-That-Lives had caused it to.

    The lizardfolk pushed the javelin in further as best he could and held on for dear life, as his only options now where to wait out the creature's tantrum of pain or risk dismounting it. Kothar would otherwise just have to trust his partner had an effective solution to this current problem.

The Toad howled and croaked, assailed by the Lizardfolk that should have been it's next meal. Confused and in pain, it lashed it's tongue into the brush by where Kothar had been standing. It wasn't long before it's tongue became entangled, causing the beast to jerk itself in an effort to get free.

Watching this unfold, Socket had finished coming up with a plan. With Kothar dug into the monster's back, it's flailing body wasn't helping it move much. They dropped from the tree, landing with the grace of a much larger feline. Sprinting to one side, they set the five pillars of their Lightning Lure along a line to one side. Then, with another use of Bullet Dash, shot their way in an arc over the Toad.

As they soared over the creature, they called out to Kothar. "Jump away, the same direction I'm moving and I'll give you a boost again!" They shouted over the noise of the Toad protesting it's circumstance. At the peak of the jump, sailing across the creature, Socket tossed another Gust Thrust underneath Kothar. It was directed to carry the Lizardfolk out beyond where they soon landed opposite the Lures. 

Once cleared of the Toad, Socket readied the second part of the Lightning Lure and waited for Kothar to be clear and away from it's body before unleashing it's electric fury.

    Kothar looked as he heard Metal-That-Lives call out to him, instructing him to follow her. The toad had managed to get its tongue tangled in the brush from whipping around wildly. While that didn't it stop it from jerking about, it did lessen how much it was bucking so that Kothar could actually maneuver himself without being thrown off immediately. Yanking his javelin out from the toad's flesh, Kothar ran up the toad and pushed himself off with a powerful leap. He felt the wind kick up underneath him like it had before, and just like before it carried him farther and with more force than he could have mustered on his own.

    The lizardfolk soared through the air not too terribly far from the construct for he had reacted quickly to her instructions. He tucked in his shoulder and shifted his body in the midst of his momentum so that he would land rolling, dispersing the momentum and avoiding injury. His scales would have to be cleaned after the hunt, as they were coated in a thin layer of the mud that stuck to him during this scuffle with the toads. Kothar looked to Metal-That-Lives, holding his javelin up and pointed forward and leading with his buckler in a defensive position.

    "I'm advising you complete the thing you're planning."

"Already on it." Socket replied, releasing the spell. Each of the placed rods became a conduit for a bolt of electricity. In a flash of magic, 5 streaks of lightning punched through the Toad, causing sparks and spasms around places where the bulky beast touched water. Steam boiled from it's soft bits, and the wound Kothar had just opened on it's back hissed, fizzled, spurting ichor and bursting goo from the heat of the current.

Careful to stay on the dryer, grassy spots for a few moments while the effect dissipated, Socket steadied themselves for a moment. Their quarry had been dealt with, though it hadn't been the simplest task, and had strained Socket's body for a time. They simply needed to retrieve a trophy bit from each one, and turn it in. After that, Socket would have to journey to somewhere they could be tended. 

"Your strike is true Kothar, and your wit serves you well. Let's wrap this day up and head back." They said, leaning against the trunk of a tree for a moment. Still as a statue they stood for a short time, running an internal check to assess their traveling capability. Thankfully, as long as they could get back without incident, no major damage would be done.