Thronebound Summoner

Fay turned around, anger burning in his eyes. He knew that stone had been thrown on purpose. He stood now that all the creatures had scattered and faced the girl, who looked at him with a sneer.

"What was that for?" Fay shouted. He rushed to grab his spear, then went back for his coat.

The girl didn't reply at first. Instead, she pointed toward various creatures still within the distant herd.

[Leave the big ones. They'll produce better meat later. We look for the weak—they give lesser meat, but it's better for the future.]

Her voice echoed clearly in Fay's mind. He narrowed his eyes. He had never heard of such a thing before. Bigger prey was always considered the better kill—more meat, more glory.

Anyone would've chosen the strongest. But this girl hadn't told him that from the start. If he had known, he might have chosen differently.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Fay asked, almost yelling, trying so hard to keep his voice steady. He spotted the girl's father watching them from a distance.

[Father calls you 'little hunter.' A hunter should already know. If not... You are no hunter.]

Her tone was firm, but all Fay could hear was mockery. He stomped the ground in frustration, struggling to find the right words.

"And what have you hunted?" he snapped. "You talk about what I do, but you've done nothing!"

He glanced at the others and realized they were all watching him a little weary now. His breathing grew heavier, and for a brief moment, he wanted to lash out—but he stopped himself. Fighting the girl would bring the wrath of the other hunters, and he knew he couldn't win that.

He feared her father, too.

Fay turned back toward the herd. The creatures had moved on, now grazing over a hundred meters away.

Ignoring the girl, Fay set out to do what he was asked. He picked another creature—one the girl had pointed out. It looked pathetic, certainly not his first choice, offering barely half the meat the earlier target could have provided.

He rushed forward, more reckless this time. The herd nearly scattered again, but he steadied himself and shrugged off his coat. He pressed on, closing in on his new prey. His muscles were tense, his thoughts still clouded with frustration, but he forced the anger down and focused on the hunt.

Fay made sure to glance back this time. He couldn't see the girl or the other hunters; they were too far away now. He huffed but kept going. His target stood ahead, unaware.

Drawing his arm back like a coiled spring, Fay launched the spear. The edge he had sharpened the night before proved he had not wasted his time; the spear pierced the creature's head cleanly.

It dropped instantly, without so much as a cry.

"Damn girl... I'm not a hunter?" Fay muttered. "I didn't even make it suffer."

Revealing himself from the tall grass, he startled the rest of the herd, sending them fleeing once more. He approached the downed beast, pulled out his knife, and cut along the side of its neck to bleed it properly.

Soon, two demi-humans arrived. They inspected the kill and began working to dismantle it.

Both nodded at Fay, giving their approval. Judging by their behavior, he guessed they weren't summoners like the others. He doubted they could speak with him mentally as they did not have the same power as he did.

The boy was amazed by their skill, though, and by their knives. They were so sharp that they separated meat from hide effortlessly. Every unnecessary piece was discarded, likely saved for scavengers.

Once they finished, the two demi-humans handed Fay the skin of the creature, now neatly packed and secured with rope made from woven grass. It had been tied in a way that distributed the weight evenly, preventing the leather from becoming a burden to carry. With that done, the pair picked up a portion of the meat and gestured for Fay to follow.

"So fast…" Fay murmured. The entire process had taken less than a few minutes.

As the group began to gather again, Fay's thoughts weren't on the hunt anymore. All he wanted was to flaunt the leather in front of the girl, who had returned to her place beside her father.

He stuck out his tongue at her, hoping the gesture meant the same in her culture as it did in his.

To his delight, the girl seemed to understand the gesture. She clenched her fists, then turned away, as if refusing to acknowledge his achievement.

That was enough for Fay. He felt satisfied—at least for now. All he needed was to calm down a bit more. The hunt had gone well, and the sun now hung directly overhead. He was starting to feel hungry, but that would have to wait.

The group stopped near the river again, this time collecting more water, having used some earlier to wash the blood off the meat. Now they began filling containers, likely to bring back to the village.

Fay offered to help. He was thirsty, but he remembered the rule: never drink water unless it had been boiled first. It was a practice the demi-humans followed strictly—no one drank directly from the source.

[Little warrior, water. One rule here—everyone needs it.]

The saber-toothed chief noticed Fay's hesitation and handed over his own container. Fay stared at it for a moment, then drank. The water wasn't particularly cool or pleasant, but it was refreshing.

The return journey was long, made worse by the heavy loads everyone had to carry. Fay couldn't imagine how they'd managed to transport the massive dinosaur the day before. He seemed to be the only one struggling. The others carried their heavy deer with practiced ease.

When they finally arrived at the village, Fay spotted his sister waiting near the gate. She stood beside two older women and began waving as soon as she saw him. A part of him wanted to rush over, to check on her right away.

But he was far too tired.

Even so, he smiled to himself—he had done his part. He'd hunted, returned safely, and even formed a bond with a new creature.