a series of sbi oneshots

Centaur hunt

"Techno!" Phil cries, coming around the side of the pathetic excuse for a barn that the hunters had scrounged up. "The calf bolted!"

Techno is already moving, galloping towards Phil. They've worked together long enough that Phil doesn't hesitate to grab Techno's arm as he goes past, using it to swing himself up onto Techno's back.

"He was heading that way," Phil says, tapping Techno's right shoulder. Techno obligingly angles himself that way as he rounds the side of the barn.

He glances for a moment and catches the place the calf must have broken free, a rotted hole in the side of the barn, only a few feet away from the truck that would have carried the calf safely away from this place.

Techno knew that he would be a problem the moment he got the news that there was another centaur here. He never met any mooshroom herds, their lands were far away from Techno's, but there are some things that carry across all breeds.

Tenacity, Techno likes to call it.

Bull-headedness, Phil argues.

From this side of it, Techno privately agrees, and not just because they're chasing down a cow hybrid.

This is not what he wanted to be doing this afternoon.

The calf's tracks are easy to find at the very least, he's young, inexperienced, panicking.

Fast, though.

Techno and Phil gallop for as long as they can, but its clear the calf has outdistanced them in the short time he had. Techno slows to a trot, and Phil shifts anxiously on his back.

"Tech--"

"He's too far ahead," Techno says, cutting him off. "We're not going to find him before sundown. We need to head back, gear up." Part of him is worried for the calf, but these are human lands, as far as wilds go, these are mild, and the weather is the same. It won't even get down to freezing tonight.

Another part of him, an older part, can't help but sit up, eager. Its been a long time since Techno got a good hunt. In his younger days, he was one of the best hunters in the herd, chasing down deer and boar to feed his herd mates.

Now, he mostly only hunts humans, and the opportunity presents itself more rarely than he'd like. Hunters tend to be more inclined to stand and fight, even when facing down Techno and Phil. Its not often that they try running, a few stragglers here and there, sure, but those hunts are over quickly.

"I don't want to leave him out here alone," Phil says anxiously.

Techno snorts. "He'll be fine for one night old man. We'll catch him in the morning." His right forehoof paws at the ground, energy is flowing through is body, his mind already turning over what he knows about the territory.

Its mostly open, the hunters cleared away the majority of the trees, paranoid about being ambushed. It hadn't helped them, in the end, but it will be to Techno's advantage, and the calf's, if he plays his cards right. He could hide in one of the patches of trees, watch over the horizon, if he was smart, he'd be able to spot Techno coming.

His tail flicks.

It won't do the calf any good.

His blood is calling for the hunt.

"Techno please stop smiling like that."

Techno laughs, pausing to let Phil slide off his back as they make it to the barn. Phil starts handing out orders to the rest of the crew, getting the other victims packed off to get help.

Technoblade has better things to do. He grabs the map, ignoring the battleplans drawn on it. This isn't the sort of thing to be solved with a full frontal attack.