Chapter 9

Luke P. O. V

I felt an ache not sitting right with me. The pain that I have been ignoring while fighting is surfacing with even more pain. It feels like I am placed in a boiling pot and my blood rises but no doubt that I will survive.

I don't proclaim I am the best in combat I just train, become better than I used to be.

I checked my body witnessing the marks, cuts and blood dripping off me. My skin might soon become pale due to this blood loss.

I got some alcohol from my quiver bag where my arrows are poured it on my body where there are blood. I poured it on a piece of clothing and rubbed it on myself. The places of cuts I touched with it stings me then some sort of tingling sensation ran through me. At least this would help stop blood from bleeding out, then I tore a piece of clothing I had and wrapped it around the wound. I have a hooded cloak over the leather.

" The manticore really got me good". I could feel a smirk appear on my face. I reflect on the battle. i could feel the pain in full force it is as if rather than dying down or subsiding but throbbing.

I noticed that my leather armour is torn

My sword, I exclaimed noticing it is not on me. I guess it must have gone missing after my brawl out with the manticore.

I need more equipment and now I have some of the manticore's poison spines it threw at me but my thick leather armour. The armour is thick for case like this so that I would not feel poison.

I could get a reasonable deal for this I began to plot the route I would take to head to a store.

I had to find a lonely place to remove the spines carefully and put a cork on it to prevent fro dripping out further.

"I wonder if I should wait til I get to the store". I thought to myself "No" then I set to find one.

I found a place no creatures in sight I did all that I said I was to do. I then used my map to look for a route to the store. I found one then started walking.

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I walked for two hours to get out of the forest and extra thirty minutes to the store all on foot. It was really exhausting do you know how long a distance I walked.

The journey was long hard and painful. I feel dry but I should be able to hold my own for a few moments.

I think of what to do next because I would really like to go rest up. There are two places I need to go. One, the black market to get a good deal for this manticore things and I have lots then blacksmith to get more armour and a new sword.

I am close to the blacksmith so why not try him first, the dealer is always open.

it's not even evening time yet

I come to the blacksmith store first I am at the entrance, the wooden door. I just saw him coming out of his shop.

I stopped then greeted him. He looked at me with concerns of how and why I am like this, a mess. The blacksmith is tall, dark a bit chubby with hair on his upper lip. The Blacksmith wore Roman-style woolen tunic, with a long leather apron over their clothes to stop any sparks from passing onto their clothes and preventing the clothes from catching on fire. is wearing an apron with a white T shirt inside.

He is covered in soot, charcoal I guess he has been working. I examine myself he is right to give me odd stare I look and smell terrible. My scent is worse than my looks.

My scent is a pungent smell of alcohol, blood and any impurities that might have added themselves.

He is holding an iron hammer in hand which I know that it is what he is going to be using in his work.

I tell him that I came for a new sword I am not sure if I should bore him with the details of how and why I need a new one.

I should two spines from the manticore that I got earlier. He is shocked and gladly tells me that he can use them to make me a new sword plus offering to fix my leather armour and improving it as well.

We went inside his store i saw a bench opposite his furnace I sat down and all my systems started cooling down.

I really needed it I let out a small groan

"I can tell you had a long journey. The blacksmith said after hearing me groan.

"Yes, i did". My voice remains unshaken agreeing with him.

I see him set up his tools that he would use though he has not turned on the furnace.

He showed me a changing room

i am still in the forest. I just don't know where I continue my journey from the forest. I later found a lake.

'Oh, thank the heavens'. Finally I would have almost died of thirst. it is clean I am released to have gazed upon this as I walk. I drank from it since it looked clean, nothing else came to mind. I fill up my water bottle and continue. I am in the path surrounded by tall trees.

I checked my map and started heading home from here. I used some time in figuring out where I am and where to go. I got what was needed from the map and headed north.

Along the way I saw in the distance a campfire but what surrounded that campfire were orcs.

Do my eyes deceive me, or is my mind playing tricks on me. I don't know whether the fact I got hit so hard that I am seeing things

realized that I was off coursecome across a small village. I was on a hill side gazing at the view.