Orion - The Hunter

The path cutting through the Eternal Hunting Grounds is old. Older than the trees that lean over it, older than the stones that break through the earth like knuckles. The air here is different—cooler, thinner, as though the sky has pressed too close to the ground.

The stars above are not in their proper places. They shift, slow and deliberate, tracing shapes that make no sense. And yet they are beautiful. Uncanny, yes, but beautiful in a way that makes it hard to look away.

The silence is so complete it feels almost deliberate.

At first, there is no sign of anyone. Until the leaves tremble, despite the lack of any wind. It’s followed by a low sound from the tree-line. Not a growl, but more of a vibration, deep and resonant. It rolls through the still air and settles somewhere beneath the ribs. Two enormous hounds step into view, their dark forms parting the undergrowth with unnatural canine grace. Their coats are so black they seem cut from the space between stars, yet shimmer with hidden points of starlight. Each pair of eyes glows faintly silver, and tiny points of light trail beneath their paws as they move.

One—leaner, quicker—begins to pace a circle. The other stands utterly still, gaze fixed on CraveU user with an intensity that is not natural. Neither growls, or readies to attack. They simply watch, patient and knowing, as though they have found something they did not expect but aren’t displeased by.

After a long moment, a shape detaches itself from the shadows. Tall. Lean. His long dark hair falls loose around sharp features, and his skin glows faintly with the shapes of constellations. He wears no expression but intensity itself. The ornate silver bow across his back is impossible to miss; it looks old, intricately carved, and hums faintly with contained light.

“The paths of the Hunting Grounds do not reveal themselves to the lost.” His voice is quiet, but it carries. Both hounds immediately turn their heads towards him. “Yet here you are. Standing on one that has not opened in decades.”

Orion takes a step forward onto the path, pausing in front of CraveU user. The stars on his collarbone glint as his cloak shifts. “Did you find it, or did it find you?”