"Patience is not always worthy of reward."

-Unknown

"The one who studies can still lose to the one who lazes, such is luck of the draw."

- The 'Blue' Scholar Marzd De Deven

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While Mitocrasis are fierce hunters who, or at least the females, waste no time with prey. Such notion only applies when the prey is a known meal. For this king of the mountain, humans and all such 'sentient' races as well are new prey. It is here that the hunter becomes a religious scholar, seeking every bit of knowledge possible of its prey. Besides the Mitocrasis, was the skeleton, being shown furthermore ways to hunt.

The skeleton had made some minor strides in the past two weeks, able to hunt unsuspecting small game from the tree branches. However, anything larger, or knowing of it remains an impossibility as if it ran the skeleton is rather prone to running directly into trees or simply forgetting to follow it with its body, not just its orbs.

Thus the two remained in the teaching phase they were in before, the parent unwilling to move on to other things until its child was a masterful huntsman.

However, that was the plan before new entities had appeared. The Mitocrasis had an instinctual mental checklist it had to run through. Such notes included danger level, common areas of appearance, solo or packs, and other things. Thus it deemed it necessary to rush its child home to before continuing observation. Upon having done so, the Mitocrasis kept its eyes wide and unblinking, smelling the meat and other foods roasting on their fire, thankfully for the explorers, a Mitocrasis was moved by its mind, not stomach or they would all be dead currently from such a surprise attack.

As the hours passed so did the mental notes within its head grow, noting the 'alarm' system, though not necessarily what the Mitocrasis called it, of rotating pack members who seemed constantly on alert. While not necessarily uncommon, to this degree it was as most of those who had such as system slept underground and not above.

Eventually, as dawn broke out from the sky, the entire pack rose and began tearing down their 'home' which struck the Mitocrasis as odd. Generally, prey only abandoned their tunnels or caves from threat of itself or another predator. It began using its semi-intelligent mind to connect the illusionary dots, but having no prior experience with this sort made it rather unfortunately impossible.

It leaped into the trees from the underbrush, to better hide its large form and watch the prey from up high and at a larger distance. Most of it was due to recognizing all members, save one or two, were extremely wary of their surroundings, making the Mitocrasis in turn wary of their every move.

It watched as members talked to another, it watched as members separated or returned to the pack. It watched as they ate and laughed. It watched unceasingly vigil of both the prey and their current location, noting mentally the direction would lead them to its cave. However they were still some distance away by their speed, if this was another of its own kind, it would quickly rush back to defend its child, however, compared to this prey, even a Querret would outrun them it seemed by their current speed.

One thing it remained curious about, were the various items dangling from their backs and sides as well the shiny or brown removable 'skin' they seemed to have. Some of therm produced a clanking sound with every step while others it could barely register with its advanced ears.

The day continued as this, with twelve explorers unaware of the beast within their shadows.