NOVEL WEB Chapter 034: On the Hunt
I stalk what I suppose is a goat through the sparse forest covering this side of the mountain. The trees are mostly pines and evergreens and the air is ripe with the smell of resin. It isn’t intense enough to overwhelm all other fragrances, but is a constant backdrop whenever I take a breath. I find it somewhat calming, helping me to focus on my unsuspecting prey – I wear my collar, so the only way for it to find me is to look directly at me.
Soon, I notice what I was hunting – it is indeed a wild goat, albeit bigger than I assume a normal animal would be and coloured yellow, with similar, crystalline horns; I bet it controls light or lightning, but I’m not eager to learn on my own skin. I approach it slowly, from its back, staying low to the ground, trying to use local vegetation as a cover. I myself have to rely more on my senses of smell and hearing than my eyes right now.
It seems that luck is with me – there are no sudden movements from my prey, no unexpected weather changes, no other circumstances that would blow my cover. I finally creep close enough to have a chance at a clear strike, so I change my position slightly to the side – and in a split second I rise and throw Nyx at the unsuspecting beast, impaling it from the side. It’s death is swift, I seemingly pierced it straight through its heart. I recall my magic spear and she dislodges herself and flies to my hand, at the same time as my game falls in silence – accompanied to the afterlife only by a distant sound of thunder.
“A clean hit” says Nugund as he stands up behind me. “You have a natural talent” clear respect in his voice fills me with pride and warms me; I’m not sure whether his praise brings me more joy from him being my teacher or my lover. “Alas, you are still raw and need to train. Can you sense the other prey nearby?” I nod; there’s one more goat close-by and other, smaller animals in-between. “Good; try to hunt another Thundergoat” oh, so it is lighting in the end; I’m glad I didn’t have to fight it. “There are also some Horned Rabbits and Zapping Cavies; try to get them too if you cross paths with them. But beware of their thunder magic – it might attract Thunderbirds, so just leave if you fail an ambush” his comment makes me sigh.
“Why does everything here use lightning powers” I complain but agree with him; I am really not looking forward to being electrocuted. “And those Cavies… are they more dangerous than the ones back in the Valley?”
“Yes. But mostly because their lighting can stun you while simultaneously summoning Thunderbirds that usually stay close to them” the more experienced hunter explains. “And there’s a lightning source high in that mountain” he points to the specific peak, to my surprise relatively far from us; its peak is obscured by thick, dark clouds; it must be where the sound of thunder was coming from earlier. “It influences all the life and the weather there – and some beasts have seemingly moved here recently” he looks up and thinks for a moment. “It’s hard to tell if there are any thunderbirds nearby… the weather’s calm, so it suggests there aren’t any, but Zapping Cavies are already here” he shakes his head. “Still, try not to venture too close to it” he warns me. “We should have enough for today, but your training is also important. Now, give me your collar and I will bring our catch to the camp.”
“Isn’t there a better – safer – place for that” I complain while removing the gift from my creator – my ability to control my Aura without it improved significantly recently, thanks to our hunting trips. I am a little scared, as this region seems to be more dangerous than the previous ones; not only is it more densely populated, local beasts also seem stronger. Still, I know the answer already.
“I doubt so” the expected answer arrives, as he moves towards our quarry. “The arrival of the Dragon and your fight with the Tyrant caused a monster rampage – it will take some time for the land to recover and strike a new balance” I feel a sting of guilt at that and cringe a bit.
“Are you…” I swallow as my throat is parched; we’ve had this conversation a few times already in the past few days, but I still cannot shake off the guilt I feel. “Are you sure that the rest of your tribe – and other people – didn’t suffer because of it?” The possibility of some innocent bystanders getting harmed by my actions has been haunting me ever since we left the cave and I saw, for the first time, the traces left by the escaping magical beasts – and the destruction it brought to the forest.
“I’ve already told you many times: in the aftermath of the Dragon attack, it can be even seen as a blessing, the tribe being able to sustain on the meat of the wild beasts” he assures me and sighs deeply, knowing it won’t convince me. “You won’t believe me until you see, will you my Ember?” He shakes his head and looks at the sky, the sun still high. “At least know that we will arrive at the refugee camp soon” my ears perk up at that. “Just two – maybe three – days more.”
“Really!” I exclaim, excitement washing away my worries and guilt… or at least most of it. “Then what are we waiting for? Shouldn’t we be on the way? Why are we still hunting – you said the Thundergoat is enough, didn’t you?” I pummel him with questions, suddenly wanting to hurry up and dispel all the dark thoughts that have been tormenting me.
“That’s why I want you to continue hunting” I tilt my head in a silent question. “If we catch enough food to last us the entire journey, we won’t have to stop to resupply and we will be able to reach our destination earlier” he explains plainly and I catch him by his shoulders, causing him to nearly drop the game.
“Then let’s not dilly-dally!” I exclaim and start tracking down the other goat – and some of the smaller critters on the way. I think I will be able to add some of them to the menu.
“Be careful!” Nugund’s voice catches me as I move away. “And remember: do not fight! If you fail to kill with the first or the second strike – return!” I just raise my hand in acknowledgement and continue, confident in my abilities.
Keeping my lover’s warning in mind, I avoided all Zapping Cavies – but Horned Rabbits are a different matter. I’ve already got a few – and I feel a little bit… disappointed. I wasn’t expecting murder machines (well… maybe a little bit; I blame a certain old comedy from the 70s about my misconceptions regarding rabbits, especially the white specimens) and it’s not a big deal I got them so easily; it’s their looks, their eponymous horns of faceted crystal to be precise. Not only were they incredibly short, but when I pried one off – it looked exactly like a stereotypical cartoon depiction of a diamond. A yellow one, with a hue of piss. I’m not sure what I was looking forward to – but not this. It’s just too silly, and ugly, and it made me angry for some reason.
Alas, they aren’t my main prize: it’s the Thundergoat I stalk through the sparse forest covering this side of the mountain. The all-encompassing aroma of resin is calming, and it slowly becomes familiar. It fills every breath I take and it helps me focus. I don’t know when, but at some point hunting became a meditative experience for me. It makes me truly feel like I'm a part of the environment – and it helps me blend my Aura in with the surroundings. I’m getting better at it very quickly – even Nugund was surprised when he noticed for the first time; in fact, he deemed it a better way for me to learn how to suppress and hide it and encouraged me to continue.
I wish he could see me now, as I creep forward very carefully, as my prey is agitated. It can feel me, is aware of danger and is searching for it – has been even before I could see it – but I know it hasn’t located me yet. The thought of that makes me think of my lover and his lessons about hunting… but mostly about him. I can feel a pleasant warmth spreading throughout my whole body when I recall his strong, firm muscles touching my body and his manhood...
I shake my head; I need to focus. I need to be extremely careful – it’s easy to overpower a small critter, even a one with a crystalline horn that can shock you – but a large beast is a different pair of shoes. Especially if it can shock even harder. If I want to succeed, I cannot be distracted by my Darling’s well-defined pecs and shapely ass… so I recall another shapely ass, namely – Pola’s. The memory of our first night together – and, well, my first night with someone ever – and her desire to bear my child; the temperature of my body rises, I drool and lick my lips lasciviously. I’m sure she will be impressed if I bring her…
My line of thoughts is brutally cut off and I writhe and whelp in pain when a blindingly bright light hits my face. Soon, however, those feelings are replaced by rage, and a furious howl escapes my throat; I can sense my assailant stop in its tracks, it’s shock palpable. That moment of hesitation might be its undoing as I throw Nyx with my full strength… and miss. But I don’t waste any time and jump at my quarry, following the odour of its fear. I swipe my claws in a hurricane of fiery doom – but I miss and my prey tries escaping. I give chase immediately, attacking constantly and without respite, even if the only victims of my fury so far have been trees and bushes I crashed into.
Gradually, my eyesight returns and my movements become more precise – some of them even slicing the flesh of the Thundergoat, albeit the cuts are shallow and burns still light. Still, they only continue to accumulate, making the beast more and more desperate. It tries to counterattack, but it’s not very effective – my Aura not only weakens every attack, but I also feel it quickly fixing any damage I sustain. Still, it hurts. But the more pain I feel – the stronger my Aura becomes. That being said – I am not the one who is bleeding.
The chase finally ends when a part of my mind remembers about my spear – and I summon her to me. She flies into my hand straight through the hind legs of my shocked prey. It falls and I finish the hunt by tearing it’s head off. I stand up on the corpse and howl triumphantly, letting the fresh blood fall from my trophy right into my wide open mouth. It tastes of victory and vitality – and I soon start slurping it. I will need all of this energy if I want to give Pola her child… or a pack of them. And let’s not forget Nugund – he needs to fill me with his pups.
Suddenly, my fantasy breaks, as the Reality strikes me with another thunderbolt to the face! And a stronger one to boot – so it actually hurts like hell! I howl in pain and fury and look to the sky; there I see – surrounded by a small circle of dark clouds – what appears to be a yellow bird. It’s too high up in the sky for me to really see all the details, but I feel like it’s not a particularly large specimen. And it infuriates me even more – the audacity of this pipsqueak to dare to attack me in the moment of my triumph! Pure RAGE overtakes all other emotions and I ROAR, channelling all of my feelings into my Aura – and I direct all of my bloodlust at the flying pest! In response it squeaks, drops something that smells like shit and… just flies away.
I watch how the silhouette of my assailant shrinks and disappears with a mix of annoyance and frustration, but also with relief and disappointment; on the one hand I want to fight, but on the other… I desire Pola and Nugund. The thought of them relaxes me – but at the same time awakes a deep longing within me. I look at the head in my hand, absent-mindedly acknowledging I need to carry what I hunted to the camp. So I quickly gather the goat and the rabbits – and then I finally embark to reunite with my partners. I cannot wait to meet them and they occupy my mind as I frolic on my way back.
