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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:36:51 GMT -6
Hektor’s panic at the movement of the cages was witnessed by Alma this time, though the human just had a small laugh about it. The custom balgor only trotted a single circuit around the cage, hopping away from grass like they were salaves in disguise. And, oddly enough, the temblor balgor took to mewing like a kitten until the move was done and the custom had stopped by the trough of water as though she had it as her planned destination from the start. “You spooked by the moving too? Thought ya’d be a bit more used to it, Farida.” Alma laughed when the balgor walked over to her, risking her hand for a pat on the temblor balgor’s head. When she still had a hand by the end of it, she tossed the balgor a piece of meat that had fallen off that day's food cart.
Alma stepped back from the cages, wiping the bit of meat juice and blood that had slimed her hand. “Alright you two. If you play nice today, you’ll be sharing a cage tomorrow. Please,” she said with a hand over her heart, “please be nice to each other. Can’t train you two to work together if ya both plan to kill one another.”
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:37:03 GMT -6
The next day found the two balgor sleeping back to back, pushed up as much as they could be against the bars. After waking, the custom balgor trotted over to her water trough while Alma tossed the custom balgor’s food onto the rocks. The temblor balgor followed her to the small food gate, and Alma alternatively pleaded and shouted at Farida so she could get the cart in. The temblor balgor ended up gripping the metal of the cart and dragging it in to Alma’s dismay, but the human slammed the gate shut a heartbeat later. Just because the balgor was letting her pat them through the cage bars without paying in flesh did not mean she trusted either of them outside of the cages just yet.
“And speaking of cages,” Alma muttered to herself as she went over to the display, pressing a few buttons before turning back to stare at the balgor. “Don’t worry, I’ll let ya two eat first. Ain’t wrecking this by having ya two fight over food for the first meeting.” Once the last piece of meat had disappeared down their gullets, the meal purposely containing only soft flesh and nothing that might be saved for later, Alma hit the last button.
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:37:14 GMT -6
The mechanism of the gates might have been completely silent and well cared for by another kennel owner, opening with such lack of noise that the inhabitants did not realize their cages had been connected. In this case, the automatic cage opening machinery had almost never been used or thought of when it came to making repairs, and it ground upwards with all the subtly of a raging sarane.
The noise sent Hektor on a small panic run and caused Farida to look up from her water trough, liquid drooling down the sides of her mouth as she watched the gate. It ground louder, then stopped as suddenly as it started, the two gates nearly scraping the ceiling where they had been lifted straight up. Alma waited for all of half a minute as Hektor jogged in her little panic circle and Farida staring at the open gate before trying to encourage them. “C’mon now, gates open. Go make friends you two.”she said, all the while silently begging them not to kill each other. It was far too late for her to try to find another balgor custom if they did.
Farida walked to the gate, pausing after putting a paw down in the gateway.
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:37:28 GMT -6
Farida made more of the huffing noises Alma had heard earlier, and the custom balgor had broken out of her circling near the middle of the cage to trot over to the temblor balgor. Hektor had stopped only a feet feet away as the temblor balgor lifted her tail and stood as tall as she could, and Alma thought for a moment she was going to need to hit the gas button for the room and run. With her hand over the display behind her. Alma watched as both balgor took a step towards each other, both huffing as Farida’s tail dropped down to its usual height. The two touched noses as Alma held her breath, certain that one of the two would suddenly turn their head and strike out with their tusks.
But they only sniffed, and then they were beside each other, stiff sniffing, still not attacking. Then the temblor balgor batted a ball of tumbleweed free of the earth, and both balgor were rumbling and chasing the ball.
Alma had to quickly enter in the code to disable the gas command when she realized they were playing, breathing a sigh of relief when the gas countdown halted and disappeared.
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:37:57 GMT -6
It was a new day, and Alma felt terrible. Yes, she knew that all the work she had put in getting the two balgor used to each other meant nothing if they could not fight together, but that had not helped her feel any less shame as she led a small assortment of freely adoptable critters out of the labs. Getting them all in their cages was difficult, earning her a few new slices and bruises from claws and horns, but she could not blame the poor things.
But all the socialization in the world did not matter if she could not get the balgor to fight alongside one another.
So now Alma had brought a very special breakfast for the two balgor, the small trunked creatures fighting her every step of the way as she dragged both of them along in turn, acting as though they knew exactly what was coming. When she reached the cages with the second caramel snorfle, they could both hear the first squealing as though she had already tossed in the cage. Entering, she could see both balgor pressed against the bars, staring at the terrified snorfle. She only hoped this part of the training would be quick. [Pack Instincts-1]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:38:12 GMT -6
The snorfle that had been waiting with the balgor was to be granted a temporary reprieve as she approached the cage with the second, the small beast digging in it’s hooves as they drew nearer to the cage. Before the two balgor could tear their attention away from the first squealing snorfle, Alma opened the gate and shoved the snorfle in.
Which immediately dug its claw-like hooves into the ground and rammed into Alma’s legs, nearly knocking her to the floor. But she had been braced from forcing it in the first time, and so she caught it and lifted it with a “Damn! What do they feed you bastards?”, and threw it a few feet. The snorfle landed hard on its side with a pained squeal, and Alma slammed the gate shut. She ran back to the panicked snorfle, untying it from the bar, and started to drag it to the other gate as the balgor shifted their attention to the more panicked snorfle in the cage with them.
Alma tried to avoid looking at them as they stalked towards the other snorfle, focusing only on dragging the current one to another gate. There was only so much time she would have to get it in the cage before the two balgor finished with the first, and there had to be two or there would not be enough to eat. [Pack Instincts-2]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:38:27 GMT -6
The first to have noticed the snorfle in the cage was Farida, the slamming of the cage door usually heralding a meal or treat. When she saw neither a skinned corpse or a cart full of meat bits but a small squealing thing, her first thought had been one of confusion. What was this thing in the cage with them? She rubbed against the side of the custom balgor as she stalked towards the small intruder, drawing Hektor’s attention to the little snorfle as well.
Hektor, lacking the years of experience growing up in a kennel with only pre killed meals, still had enough of her premade instincts to know what had entered the cage was still food, if of a different kind than either of them was used to. She walked alongside Farida, and together they stopped a couple of meters away from the squealing thing. They had been fed in the cage a few times, usually in piles of meat that the two of them might snarl and posture a bit over before they ate together, but the thing in front of them was small, roughly the size of half of those piles. That did not stop Hektor as she slowly dropped into a crouch, pupils dilating as she readied herself to pounce. [Pack Instincts-3]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:38:47 GMT -6
What Farida saw when looking at the squealing thing in front of them was its rounded shape, the way it kept bouncing side to side as though it might roll away at any second. She had eaten well yesterday, taking a little more than her usual share, and that combined with what her food usually looked like was enough for her to see the snorfle as something like the tumbleweed. Excited to play with her new toy, she had not felt Hektor move away from her side, and she dropped into a crouch as she watched her new toy make more funny sounds. She was ready to pounce the second it moved.
Four things happened at once. The other snorfle was thrown into the cage far behind them, the gate slamming shut against its nearly successful attempt to bash its way out. This noise startled the snorfle that had frozen when confronted by two massive predators, and it tried to run to the side. The sound also startled Hektor into leaping, while the movement of the snorfle sent Farida leaping after it with joy in her heart.
The snorfle was the only one that made it out unscathed.
Farida and Hektor slammed into each other, tangling their limbs and Hektor’s tusks catching on Farida’s mane. The two of them flailed together for a few seconds as they often did in play before Hektor freed herself, swatting Farida on the nose when the temblor balgor attempted to continue the play fight. [Pack Instincts-4]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:39:01 GMT -6
Alma was thanking the gods for her earplugs as the two snorfles met up, both still squealing as they pressed themselves against the cage bars.
Farida tried a second time, pouncing on Hektor’s rear with her claws sheathed, only for Hektor to jerk away and swat the temblor balgor again, this time with a threatening couple of grumbles. When the temblor balgor did not go for her a third time, Hektor turned back to the snorfle. With a loud roar, she ran at them, sending stones and bits of plants into the air. Farida hesitated, then followed the lead of the custom balgor.
When they were close enough, the two snorfle squealed and split apart, Hektor turning to lunge for the one going to her right. As she did, Farida skidded across the stones, slamming into her side and sending both into the bars of the cage. They lay there for a moment, then both kicked and struggled to break free and stand again.
Alma had been watching from behind her fingers, and slowly dropped them down in disbelief as the balgor failed what looked to be an easy catch. “Huh. Guess I couldn’t have gotten away with just saying you two knew how to work together ‘cause yah share a cage.” [Pack Instincts-5]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:39:14 GMT -6
Now both balgor grumbled at one another, though Alma could have sworn the temblor balgor looked more confused than annoyed. They took off again, this time with Farida following a slightly slower pace. The snorfle had remained split up, with Alma doing her best to ignore the one that had come as close as it could to her, and the balgor went for the other one.
This time both waited, watching the squealing beast, neither moving to pounce, and ALma decided it was the perfect time to check the wall display for the time. A moment after she turned her back, Farida lunged for the living ball, claws catching on its hide and snorfle’s squeals rising in pitch. The snorfle tried to run as Farida batted at it, and Hektor lunged to stop it from escaping while the temblor balgor turned her head to follow it.
Farida reacted as quickly as she could, pulling away from Hektor as the latter nearly impaled herself on Farida’s tusk, and she bumped the custom balgor out of her jump. This time only Hektor fell, with Farida licking the blood off her claws and staring at the bleeding snorfle as she finally realized the new toy was made of meat. [Pack Instincts-6]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:39:27 GMT -6
Alma immediately regretted glancing back at the balgor, yelling, “Can’t ya two just split up and go for different ones? There’s two for a reason!” She looked back at the display, thinking that at least she would not feel so bad for a trained boss. If the balgor could win a fight, assuming they did not trip over themselves then like they were doing now.
The injured snorfle lasted longer than it might have if only one balgor had been chasing it. One would charge it and scare it away just in time to avoid another’s pounce, or both would attack only for it to escape with a few more deep cuts while they disentangled themselves. But it was already a creature of less stamina than the two big predators, and its absolute fear of death could only keep it moving so fast as its life dripped away. When they finally caught it, Alma was not sure if it was a stroke of luck, or if the balgor had figured out a better strategy than rushing in.
The two balgor had split apart, with Farida in front of the snorfle. She did not charge it as the custom balgor snuck up behind it, instead letting loose a cage-rattling roar. [Pack Instincts-7]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:39:46 GMT -6
The snorfle, perhaps tired and confused by the loss of blood, turned and ran, only managing a few steps before it was caught in the jaws of Hektor, and Alma looked away as the custom audibly crunched down. When she looked up again, she noticed the squealing had yet to stop, and remembered the second snorfle in the cage with the balgor. And they both remembered it too, Hektor dropping her kill from her mouth and licking her teeth as both balgor turned to the remaining snorfle.
They ran to it together, perhaps realizing that one snorfle would not feed the pair of them. Once again, the temblor balgor ran to be in front of the snorfle, catching it’s attention with her bright fur as the custom balgor snuck behind it. She roared the same as last time but, perhaps envious of Hektor getting the previous kill, she charged after the snorfle when it turned to flee. The two balgor headbutted each other, both staggering back with pained noises as the snorfle squealed its way to the opposite part of the cage. “Ah, an’ ya two did so well. Guess it takes a while to be good huntin’ as a team.”
[Alma-238.0 Farida-14.0 Hektor-14.0] [Pack Instincts-8]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:40:08 GMT -6
The next time, the custom took on the role of the roaring terror, and Farida caught the squealing snorfle between her claws. It did not stop squealing until Hektor had returned to the first kill, and Alma made sure to avoid looking at Farida as she played with her meal before deciding she was hungry enough to eat it.
The next day she brought two more snorfles, and two more the day after that. They grew better at killing the little beasts, though Farida still continued to play with them long after she should have put them out of her misery, and Alma could barely stand to pat the balgor as it came for pats with the front of her mane dyed red. Alma went through the snorfles as quickly as she could, trying to avoid looking the terrified beast in the eye whenever she came to retrieve another pair.
Once the snorfles were out, Alma had to move onto the next free piece of living meat she had taken from the labs. Leading the galabex down the hallways was difficult enough, the deer-like creature apparently scared of the very walls themselves, and the doe nearly brained her in getting it into the cage.
[Pack Instincts-9]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:40:36 GMT -6
The two balgor tried their old strategy, but the galabex fled at the slightest moment from the one sneaking up behind it, once kicking Hektor as the balgor lunged that Alma thought she would need to call for a healer. Neither balgor gave up the hunt, but after thirty minutes of one failing to scare the galabex into the other’s jaws, they resumed their previous style of chasing the galabex. The doe barely had to do more than bound across the ground, the two still tripping each other up as they both leapt or tried to cut off the galabex, and soon they were drinking from one of the troughs. The doe drank from the other, ears twisted to face the balgor.
The chasing began anew, but Alma could have sworn the balgor had somehow been talking as they slurped up their water. This time the two balgor ran a small distance apart from each other, forcing the galabex to continue running at full speed for an hour while they chased it from a given zone, the doe visibly slower than when it had first entered the cage. With an unheard signal, both ran side by side as they had before, each coming up on a different side of the doe. Hektor swiped with her tusks at the galabex’s legs, and as the doe darted away from that attack, Farida leapt, her claws digging into its side as her teeth clamped down on its throat. [Pack Instincts-10]
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Post by Alma on Apr 17, 2021 23:40:53 GMT -6
It was somehow less painful to have witnessed the galabex’s death when compared with the screaming snorfle, the hunt having gone on so long that it was almost a relief to have it end. The other galabex did not fare much better against the balgor duo, none lasting so long as the first. If the galabex ran, one would harry it while the other guarded anywhere the doe might escape to, then they would drag down the galabex together. The only time they did not was when a galabex had misjudged a step and broken its leg, the doe screaming until they had ripped out its throat.
Eventually she ran out of galabex, and then she moved onto the murps, which largely went the same way as the galabex. All but one had only tried to outrun the balgor, a mistake in the enclosure that would never let them get enough distance to rest. The one that had attacked had rammed Farida onto her side, and had almost charged for a second, more fatal hit when Hektor had clamped down on its horns and managed to hold the murp until Farida was back up and able to fight once more.
When the last of the prey animals Alma had taken for the training was in the cage, being dragged down despite it’s bellowing refusal of the fate it faced, Alma was fairly confident the balgor could work well with others of their kind. [Pack Instincts-11, End?]
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