The King was astonished. Cloned game just for this hunt? Then what was the whole point of it? Hunting was a way to reconnect with nature and admire both its beauty and horror in person and be part of it. And two platoons to escort them? With aerial support? This didn't look as a hunt to him. A massacre would be the right world for it.
The King had packed his gun for deer on his backpack. He wouldn't have a good feeling about this. The whole thrill of being truly bound by nature with the wild is gone. Not even the animals had lived their lives properly. Had they adjusted well enough to the environment to have any sort of decent behaviour one could anticipate.

At the enclosure the King took out a map of the enclosure scanning for passages and where the animals would be. Since it would be morning the deer should be out eating while it is cool and so he went on to guess the patterns of each animal they were going to hunt. Then a curious hunting dog came to the King. He petted it and asked for his name. Scinti. He didn't know what to quite make of it. It sounded quite Latin, but the meaning behind it had been lost to him. He asked one of the aides and told him it meant "Spark". Quite a fitting name he thought.

"One moment Ferul. We Stoinians have a tradition of blessing our hunting rifles with a smile rhyme. Perhaps you would like to receive one for your gun as well?"

Ferul nodded and handed out his gun and the King made small gestures, touching the gun and making a cross whilst saying the traditional rhyme in Romanian. Ferul must have been confused, but had it been the Ryccian Emperor, he sure would have appreciated the traditions. He then proceeded to do the same on his guns, which wasn't as elegant Ferul's aside from the marking of a Lion.

"Very well then, Ferul. Let's go hunt some deer."

He started explaining on how to hunt the deer. Since there was a valley it meant the they would need to hunt on the ridge where the sun came on. The deer would come out in the morning to warm themselves up before the ful heat of the sun came. The King explained to Ferul and the platoons how they should navigate the terrain as to not scare the animals.
Finally after a small horn call as was tradition in both nations, the hunting officially began.

The hunting party made hast to the ridge where the sun would shine upon. The King studied how Ferul used his hunting senses. Aside from sniffs and orienting his ears it didn't show anything unusual. After hiking for about an hour. Scinti had sniffed something and went over to a deer's feces in the vegetation on the lower part of the ridge. The King took a look at it. It was fresh for sure, but just to be certain he put his pinky in it. Some Ryccians might have been weirded out by it, but soon the King gave an answer.

"Very fresh. We should head upwards and take a look at the ridge. Ferul I suggest we split up, each with a platoon as to maximise our chances. You wouldn't believe how elusive they can be."

Ferul nodded.

"Good luck your Majesty. Good hunting."

The King nodded likewise and then each set out on their way.

---

Left Hill

The King used Scinti to follow the track of the deer and had climbed several hundreds of meters uphill against the wind. Finally, he found a good vantage point. He then started spotting some deer, but none were a buck. All these does, but no buck just yet. After calming down the dog, he finally saw a buck come out of the bushes. It was a majestic buck with a nice rack. So the King slowly set up his hunting position. Meanwhile he gave out a few doe calls to halt the buck. Fortune favoured him as the buck was broadside. He put his gun on his backpack and layed down. Looking through the scope and adjusting it for the range. It was in these moments the King felt uneasy. The feeling he had, had only worsened. The shot was there. A clean kill. He put his finger on the trigger taking a last good look at the buck.

BANG!

---

Right Hill

Ferul had his scope on a deer who had just come out of the bushes. Unlike the King he didn't hesitate. He had shot the doe as soon as he was certain of a clear shot. These animals were cloned, so there was no reason to be picky about them. This was a sport after all he thought. He then went out to the corpse of the doe as his shot had killed her right in her tracks. The sound of the shot being heard all over the valley. Ferul was happy with his hunt. Although he wasn't quite familiar on how the animal should be skinned.

Not ten minutes later the King had arrived to Ferul's spot. With his entourage. Emptyhanded. He congratulated Ferul's achievement, although he was slightly disgusted by it. Why shoot the doe when there were bucks in the area? Had this Velpan no honour? No, it more likely had to do with the fact that it was cloned.

"Your Majesty, I see haven't found a deer yet."

"Yes Ferul, I saw a big buck. But it didn't feel quite right, it felt off. Not like the hunts that we are used to."

"I am sorry to hear that Your Majesty. But since you are more familiar with these animals, perhaps you could help me skin this deer?"

The King then showed how the Stoinians skinned and deboned their deer. Also he looked for parasites which had to be taken into consideration. Luckily there were no ticks or fly larvae in the nose holes. A good portion of meat had been harvested. Then they headed back towards the exit of the reserve as they had spent a long day in the field and they each had to prepare themselves for the ball. On the way back Ferul and the King exchanged the many traditions each species had when it came to hunting. Velpans were capable hunters for sure, but the King wondered in what other different aspects they were most useful.