My Band of Idiots

Felicity and the Idiots go hunting a Jungle Cat

Chapter 3 - felicity

I thought I might sell some of my jewelry on the street that morning before going to join my new companions for whatever quest we were doing. But I seamed to lose track of time getting lost in making and selling trinkets around town. Until past my vision I saw a wayward scroll and I caught it. Scanning over the page I saw that it was for that same quest that Bell had been wanting to go and look into. Some jungle cat lurking about the city.
I cleaned up my stall and started towards the highest part of town asking people along the way if they knew anything. Certainly a few people told me to go to see the hunters guild and I was soon on my way to find the large buildings at the top of the hill. Couldn't miss it they said.
Along the way I noticed a rabbit hoping along the path and he caught my eye when I turned to look again I noticed this was not just a regular rabbit but one with purple ears and wearing clothing and armour.
"Are you also going to inquire about the jungle cat?" They asked
"I am" I told him.
"Well lets walk together" he said "I'm paws"
"Felicity"
We begin to walk and talk and soon enough we were at the top of the hill were three people were arguing about a bounty. I recognized them at once, its hard to miss a moth man and two mage.
"What are you three arguing about, what I can't leave you alone for a few hours?" I asked them and they turned to me
"This is my friend paws" I said
"Oh great more people to split the bounty with" said Ramock
"What the jungle cat bounty?" Paws asked looking at the three of them "oh your not from around here are you, don't worry to much about it, your not splitting 25 gold pennies, you get 25 gold pennies each plus the pelt that is the part you split. The reward from the guild is the incentive to join them, I think it goes up once you actually do join them."
"Oh so we didn't need to come here for more information about the reward." Said Caspian
Bell seamed to be doing calculations in his head "91 gold" he said finally
"What?" I asked
"91 gold pennies each" he replied "that is how much we should approximately be getting from the jungle cat depending on how much the sale of the pelt is."
"That's a months pay" said Paws "I'm in"
We all agreed readily and were on our way down the sloop towards the river bank and the east of town where the rural districts was.
The walk was short and filled with talk about what we would do to find the beast, talk to people, the guards, bell wanted to get a high vantage point and try and look for a lair of some kind. Ramock wanted to go hunting in the jungle. Caspian thought we should just ask the locals. I suggested asking the guards.
Finally we got to the centre of town and bell flew up on to of a building without any of us. We looked at him not knowing what to do. From over head a griffin swooped by and landed on the roof he had just landed on and we looked at one another anxiously. Unsure how this might go.
After a few moments he landed beside us and said "see now that wasn't so hard" in his usual regal manor.
"What happened?" Ramock and Caspian asked at once
"Oh I talked to a fine guard who gave me some information about the creature, it seams its been attacking people. Down at a place called the sizzler. It should be just up the road a ways."
"See I knew we just had to talk to the right guards" I said and started up the street the others fallowing behind me.
"The sizzler, yeah I know that place I'll show you the way" Paws told us hopping along beside me and then up onto my sholder pointing the way.
The group walked down the winding streets and then finally found and open air stand in the middle of the street, there weren't many people around but there were half a dozen tables and benches outside and a grill behind a counter. With a sign that says The Sizzler Exotic Meats.
We walked over to the stand and the giant orc looked over at us and grunted "oh sorry folks wont be ready for another half hour. Not tell the sun is high."
"Were not looking for food mister were looking for information on a jungle cat."
The orc turned and looked at us wiping sweat from his brow and then looking down at all of us. He smiled broadly and laughed a jovial laugh.
"What you planning to do go after it."
"Yeah we are" said paws the smallest one of us from my shoulder
The man narrowed his eyes at us all and looked sad a moment. Then sat down on a stool that creaked beneath him.
"There was a girl that worked here, her name was Susie shortbow, she tried to fight off the beast well our customers got away. The guards didn't get here in time and she died. The beast killed her and walked off with her arm into the jungle."
"So you think it was looking for food?" Asked paws
"Probably. She was a good server, a good person, she didn't deserve to die like that." He says mournfully wiping a tear from his eye and pulling a tissue from his pocket he blows his noes on it.
"Which way did it come from?" Asked paws
"The west" he said pointing deep into the jungle.
"You can kill that thing and you'll be hero's, but don't die for nothing." He said getting up from his spot and began to stand at the grill again.
We look at one another and curl around into a circle to make plans.
"And when did you say it showed up?" Bell asks
The man thinks about it a moment then says "every few says it comes in and as if out of the shadows it just appears and then its gone."
Step 1 - gather meat or create the smell of meat to lure the beast to us
Step 2 - lead the beast away from the stand and people
Step 3 - surround it
Step 4 - try to pin it down or trap it.
With our plan in order we set into the jungle and walked until we found a nice clearing to set up. I created a small space in the middle of the jungle as we hide that smelled like meat. Perhaps the beast would smell it and come to the smell. I could only hope. The scent filled the clearing and we all felt our stomachs empty as if we were more hungry then we had ever been, our mouths water at the scent. We waited.
There was a sound deep within the jungle as we hid and out of the clearing came the cat, as if emerging from shadows.