303 Hunters

Arran awoke before dawn, and after a quick breakfast of dried meat, he broke camp and set off toward the battlefield.

A night of sleep had replenished most of his Shadow Essence and left his body well-rested. And that was a good thing, too, because his days of peaceful travel were at an end.

He had traveled slowly during the past few months, careful to give his body the time it needed to recover. He'd walked instead of running, and feasted on the meat of every animal he encountered that had any Natural Essence worth mentioning.

The regimen had worked remarkably well. While he hadn't regained all his strength just yet, he was rapidly approaching his previous peak. And in a fight, that last bit of strength he still lacked would make little difference.