'Wanted: Any able-bodied person with wilderness experience; knowledge of monster-slaying preferable but not required.
On behalf of the Crescent Moon Caravan Company, we request assistance in the eradication of a beast known by the Boharan tribesmen as 'The Long-Strider'.
It has attacked many of our caravans on many occasions and has even ravaged the deer population native to the lands.
A visual depiction from sightings of the creature is given below.'

On the lower half of the yellowed parchment was a crude drawing of a large worm with a nasty-looking mouth at each end, and stubby appendages which might have depicted legs. Whoever posted this bounty clearly lacked artistic talent. Shiloh stuffed the notice away into her pocket as she felt the caravan wagon slow to a halt. It had been a bumpy ride travelling across the plains, but it was far faster than when she attempted to traverse them on foot. Jumping off, she was brought to the encampment of tents which the nomads had already set up where a group of tribesmen and the caravan company's representative awaited her. 

"Welcome, friend. I see you did not suffer any difficulties in your journey here." The man sat down on one of the benches placed around an unlit campfire and motioned for her to take a seat. "Making it here in one piece is always a good way to start. So, I have a few questions I need to ask you before I get to work. The details on your notice was fairly straightforward, but there are some things I need to confirm so I know I'm the right person for the job." Shiloh uncrossed her arms, pulling out the folded bounty notice from her pocket. Unfolding it, she looked over the information before turning the paper around and pointing at the visual representation. "Yeah, this picture is pretty terrible. I can't tell if this is an earthworm or a lindworm. Also, I'd like to know when the attacks started." Since she had taken the trouble to come all this way, she certainly wasn't going to take the offer unless she understood the bigger picture, regardless how blunt her words were.

The caravan leader wasn't too pleased with her choice of words, but he couldn't deny what she was asking for. "Very well, I do admit we only placed the most important details when putting up the notice. The attacks started around three months ago. The first incident occurred as we were passing between the western range and the Ancense mountains. While we let the caravan animals rest, the drivers heard one of the mules screaming. Upon inspection, all we found was the torn remains of the animal's front legs and the saddle. Incidents like this started happening sporadically, especially when we were near the western side of the plains. We thought it was just a rogue warg or some other beast roaming the lands, but then the Boharan guards began to hear from their tribesmen that they were discovering mutilated deer carcasses in the grasslands. At this point this issue is no longer something we can ignore. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

Shiloh mulled over the new information and continued her questioning. "So there were mutilated carcasses? Tell me what they looked like. And don't skimp on any details." The man grimaced and motioned for one of the Boharans to step forward. The mercenary had deeply tanned skin, with noticeable scars on his arms. Coming forward, he spoke. "The carcasses were always only parts of an animal–sometimes a head, part of the ribs, or just the back legs. The bones were not picked clean, and were often broken at the ends. If multiple parts were found they looked like they were ripped apart like pieces of torn cloth."

"That's odd. If it went through the trouble to eat it why didn't it finish the whole thing? Anyway, did you see any tracks? Droppings by any chance? What about blood trails?" She couldn't make heads or tails about all of this. And what was with that weird drawing in the notice? She was sure it had something to do with why the animals were left partially eaten, but what was it? "No tracks or droppings. The blood trails were short, and did not lead to anywhere. The animals must have been attacked suddenly and the bodies abandoned after."

She frowned. This was strange. So whatever this thing was, it didn't leave tracks and attacked its prey suddenly–killing it on the spot. If it wasn't for the drawing, she would've thought they were talking about a flying beast that dove down onto its victims like falcons in the sky. "This isn't good. There has to be something. Alright, so forget about tracks–was there anything else unusual around the area where you found the bodies? It can be smell, sounds, anything." The mercenary shook his head, but then another of the tribesmen interjected. "Yes there was something, but I did not think much of it at the time. When we found them, the grass around the carcasses were crushed flat with the ground uneven. There was loose dirt around the indentations while the ground in them was tightly packed."

Shiloh's hopes for a single hint fell at the man's description. This didn't make identifying the source of the bodies any easier. With determination of the wanted beast having failed, it was time for the next plan. "Since none of you have managed to get a clear view of the thing, I'm going to assume it's at least larger than a deer. Now I have an idea on how to lure it here, but it's risky. To make the bait, I'm going to need your help in doing something which might be a little…wasteful." Taking a deep breath, she looked at the nomads. "We'll need to kill at least three deer for their blood and their internal organs. The meat won't be necessary, as we are also going to use live bait. The blood and offal will attract the beast's sense of smell, but to catch it red-handed you have to tie a few deer to posts with rope and cripple them so they can't walk. Once it starts feeding, we can get a glimpse at what we're really dealing with." It wasn't a fool-proof plan, but it had a chance to work. Either way, if they could get an accurate assessment of the root cause they could end the caravan attacks for good.
 

Itiel's cloaked form slowly picks its way through the crowded encampment that was the gathering of arrived bounty hunters. His hand held the yellowed parchment that was the reason for his being here.

When his usual contractor said he had an odd request for him Itiel had not thought she'd have him hunting down some creature in the middle of nowhere. While he usually would have turned the offer down and killed said employer, he had a history with this one.

Stepping clear of the tents he would turn to look over at the representative speaking to someone who, in his opinion was better hunter then most, if not all of the assembled bounty hunters. 

A small sigh escapes him as he steps off for a small walk, gently whistling as he does so. A rather large crowned eagle gently descends to rest on his shoulder as he does so, to which he lifts his hand to allow it to gently nip on his index finger.

Once the Boharan hunters and warriors started preparations for the bait, Shiloh took a brisk walk around the area. She was looking for a good place to place the bait when it was ready, but she was also looking for any clues which might have been overlooked. Analyzing the terrain of the plains, aside from aerial predators there was a chance their target came from either the Ancense or the western mountain range. However both of them were a good distance away, so either it could cover a lot of ground in a short period of time or it had a hideout somewhere in the grasses. Finding nothing to add to the information she had from the questioning, she returned to the camp. She wanted to inform the caravan leader that she had scouted a few suitable locations to set the bait but she didn't see him in the sea of faces moving about. He was likely busy with other important things like trading or keeping a tally of inventory. 

While she waited, Shiloh took the opportunity to see the other people who had responded to the job offer. They ranged from hardened warriors to assassins, to the common thrill-seeker. Any of them could  be just as capable as her in completing the task, so she had a feeling most of them had no interest in rubbing elbows with their competition. If they weren't interested in being friendly, she wouldn't hold it against them. Her assessment of the crowd also had another purpose. In case the creature they were hunting was more dangerous than expected, what they lacked in experience could be compensated with sheer numbers. Lindworms and dragons were hard to kill, but if enough people attacked one enough eventually it would die. There were times when getting the job done was more important than taking credit for it.

The elf's footfalls bring him quite some ways away from the commotion that was the encampment. He always enjoyed a moment of silence before going out on a hunt.

"Tell me if you see anything up there Letarn."he would softly say to his feathered friend "You'll find me here." Large blackened wings sweep the predatory bird off his shoulder and into the calm blue sky. 

His dull gaze keeps the crowned eagle in view until it vanishes beyond his line of sight. Taking a slow sweep of his surroundings, the elf swings his bag from his bag to extract a canteen from its confides. Opening the container and bringing it to his lips in a single motion, Itiel takes a sip of the cool liquid inside, his thoughts on what sort of creature he will face.

After several hours, one of the caravan mercenaries informed Shiloh that the blood, animals, and offal were ready. She nodded and requested him to bring her to the caravan's leader. She had already smelled the stench of blood and viscera long before they had come to find her, and she wanted to discuss the best possible location to set things up. As they led her to one of the tents, she could feel the eyes of the other bounty hunters on her. Did they think she was acting like she was in charge? She hoped not. Should her plan fail, they would get their own chances at producing results. Ducking into the tent, she saw the representative whom had spoken with her earlier. He was looking over what looked to be important papers, with his brow furrowed. He changed his expression upon seeing her and greeted her. "I have heard from my men that the materials for the bait are ready. Where should we bring them?" 

"I did a quick survey of the area and saw a couple spots we can use. Do you have a map? I'll point them to you here." She waited for the man to spread out a map of the region and came forward. "We can lay the bait here, or here. Both locations are far enough from the settlement so it won't endanger the nomads and people, but give us a clear view of whether or not the beast takes the bait as we currently are on higher ground." The caravan leader considered the areas she selected and pointed to one of them. "Let us choose this one. I will ask the Boharan guardsmen to keep watch once the area is ready. Once the monster appears, we can ambush it from all sides."

"Wait, not yet!" Shiloh interrupted. "Pardon my rudeness sir, but I'd advise against attacking it. Right now all we know is a vague image and that it has the capacity to break a deer's bones. It could have venom, or might even spit fire or acid in retaliation. Let's watch it feed first, then after it leaves we'll make the same setup again for the real trap. I know you might be angry with me, but you can never be too careful. A few deer is a small price to pay compared to the loss of a few dozen warriors, wouldn't you say?"   

The mercenaries and nomads grumbled amongst themselves, some agreeing with Shiloh and others believing they should strike at the first opportunity. After much talking, the caravan leader gave his orders. "We will do as she says, but if it turns its attention to the camp–then we will strike it down." Shiloh reluctantly agreed. "Fair is fair. Now let's get these barrels of blood out there." The other bounty hunters were then informed of the caravan leader's decision, and if they wanted to assist in laying the bait they were welcome to do so. Shiloh went with the nomads and was pouring the blood around the crippled deer which had been tied to posts, creating a large circle. She directed them to scatter the offal around the outlined location to draw the creature in with the scent. Once everything was done, they retreated to the nearest vantage points waiting for something to happen.

The minutes turned to hours and still Letarn had not returned, while usually patient, he couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. She'd almost always return back to him within an hour at the most, but then again they weren't tracking down some corrupt official this time. He would console himself with this thought while turning on his heel to walk back to the mass of tents.

A few meters away from the temporary settlement, he caught the sights and sounds of people gearing up, swords being sheathed, armour being worn. It seems as though they've found something, he thinks to himself as he moves to retrieve his own equipment.

Adjusting his quiver whilst he walked, he overheard the discussion of the plan within one of the tents, from what he gathered they​ were attempting to lure the creature out and not attack it. While this seemed counterproductive to him, he simply shrugged it off, his plan was go at this alone, he'd learn much more by observing it in a fight then watching it eat.

Making a final check of his equipment and refilling his canteen, the dark elf would set off to where he once waited for his eagle. As if on cue, he heard that characteristic screech moments before she came into view. A smile couldn't help but creep onto his lips as Letarn circled the sky above before heading off with him not far behind.

As they waited, Shiloh kept her eyes on the circle of blood in the plains. Time passed, and she started to doubt if her plan would really attract the monster. She considered giving up, when the sound of a deer's bloodcurdling screams pierced the air. The sound was suddenly cut short as they saw an enormous coiled shape bite into the animal with the deer's entire front half of the body inside its mouth. "Look! There it is!" A Boharan guard whispered loudly, jabbing his finger in the direction of the beast. Shiloh strained her eyes at the sight. When she saw what they had lured in with the bait, she felt the back of her neck break out in a cold sweat. 

The creature now devouring the deer within the circle resembled a great serpent with a fanged maw on each of its ends. Its body was at least ten meters long with three times the thickness of a horse. Its scales were continually shifting, changing color to blend in with its surroundings. Bony ridges protruded above its eyes and ran down its sides. Finishing the first deer, it reared up one of its heads while the other sank its fangs into the second one. While the two heads tried to pull the animal apart, Shiloh spotted two small appendages matching the bounty drawing. And last but not least, it had a pair of leathery wings with a wingspan as long as its entire body. 

Itiel would not need the cry of Letarn overhead to alert him to the creature several meters away. The sounds of flesh separating from bone reached his ears quite sometime before he could attempt to discern the shape of the beast.

His run slowed to a silent step while he swung his bow to a ready position, right hand notching a single arrow into place. He moves to crouch where he would assume it's blind to be, which was behind the currently occupied heads.

Lifting to take aim at the point below its wing, Itiel steadied his breathing whilst drawing the arrow back, the string biting into his fingers a moment before he let the arrow loose. His intention being a simple test on its protection.

Above the sickening sight, the crowned eagle wheels in a large circle coming over the hidden group of hunters with a a small screech.

The arrow flew from the bow and hit the beast's hide, but barely made it past the back end of the arrowhead. Most of the shaft was sticking out and it wasn't in very deep, having faced resistance from its scales. The pricking sensation alerted the creature and the larger of its heads dropped the half of the deer it had been eating to whirl around, searching for the source of the annoyance. Hissing, the reptilian abomination flicked its tongue to sense if anything was nearby. The smell of blood and offal had done its job in obscuring the scents of the hunters, as it then resumed its feeding. Shiloh had held her breath when she saw the beast suddenly react. For a moment she swore that they were going to have to use her third plan, which was still incomplete. When it continued eating, she relaxed a bit but looked around to see what caused it to act. The hunters were all spread out over several different vantage points, and she had been focusing on the monster until now so she didn't know if anyone had started attacking. If they provoked it enough that it became angry, things could turn ugly.

As she watched it eat, she looked for potential weak points to target when the time was right. Because it had two heads, it would be difficult to charge head-on, and its size was also a problem. The only thing that could give them a chance would be a good distraction, something that'd force it to focus specifically on something and nothing else. She didn't know if she could pull this off. Wargs, wolves, even bears were no problem, but Shiloh was seriously doubting her capabilities. Could her blades pierce through those scales? And if they could, would she have the opportunity to do so? Her hand slipped into her boot and closed around the dagger stored there. To move, or not to move–this was the question.

A frown tugs on the corners of his lips whilst his head tilted to the side, slightly impressed, Itiel draws an arrow inscribed with elvish runes marked to explode in a small burst of flame on impact.

Notching the arrow on the bow, he circles around to the side of the beast, keeping at least 30 meters between himself and the feasting creature.

Letting a high pitched whistle part from his lips, to get it's attention, his intention was to let the arrow loose the instant it turned to face him, possibly flying into its open maw should his aim prove true.