Chapter 1: A Hunter In The Midst

The Brindlewood Forest, Unknown Location, Unknown World...

Midday had brought with it a minor amount of heat as a heard of Karabuk, massive golden-furred creatures with large ivory antlers and shifting colorful eyes, had been grazing amid the tall trees unaware of the skillfully aimed and patiently timed arrowhead carved from the hardest variation of onyx and fitted to Brindlewood propelled by way of bright red and black harpy feathers. The arrow had been expertly handled between cinder vine and the base of a massive and indestructible bow made also of the finest logs of Brindelwood. Karakbuk had been known for grazing both in fields of plenty and the forest itself whenever they'd been on the move for rutting season. A sure strong grip belonging to a towering man dressed in studded black leather armor with an equally black hood draped over his head.

The identity of the skilled archer had been hidden due to his attire and position amid the looming Brindlewood trees as he noted a plump and still feeding Karabuk a good distance away from him and shot it rather skillfully. The arrow seemed to cut through the air itself given the trajectory of the aim and the speed in which it had been launched powerful in its flight as it struck true into the neck of the grazing golden beast.

Karabuk had been quite an interesting prize given the ivory antlers being worth a small fortune, the golden hide being the preferred prize, and the meat said to be the most tender in all the land pinked and more valuable than even a cow when one had it. Because of the fine delicacies the Karabuk represent to hunters and commoners alike, they are highly sought but vastly dangerous to obtain. Gifted with cloaking abilities and powerful antlers that could rip a man in two when they are alerted and charge, not to mention their weight able to crush one or many to death when they were disturbed, very few hunters succeeded in hunting Karabuk, let alone bringing in one by themselves.

The apparently skillful hunter had been quite used to bringing down the majestic beasts and often took contracts to do so whenever he had the time. One such contract had been from a local Inn a ways from where he'd been hunting. Following his lethal shot, the lone hunter waved his hand as an enormous black wolflike being went racing toward the herd of golden beasts driving them off as the hunter moved to collect his prize.

His pet and hunting companion had been Ferkus, a dire wolf and the only surviving member of a pack that had been taken out by infamous Forest Rangers when they'd been tasked with ridding an area of their wolfish nuisance.

The hunter had lifted the heavy golden carcass off the ground as blood oozed from the wound about its neck, a perfect kill, and means of preserving the carcass to be weighed and measured adding a further increase of coin to his coin purse once the animal had been delivered. The arrow had pierced its jugular vein and suffocated it on its own blood preserving the flesh of the rest of the carcass and organs for proper sale when it was to be delivered into town to a shopkeeper by the name of Mortimer Tenbrus.

Lifting the body of the fattened Karabuk with ease, the skillful hunter made his way down the long dirt path toward the humble little town of Elderbloom, a nice place nestled beside a lavish stream and surrounded by a massive Elderbloom tree that blossomed different color leaves every year and various fruits that the town had come to appreciate more often than not. The dire wolf known as Ferkus had not been much for towns given his nature to be wild but he remained on his best behavior whenever he visited the human settlements and followed his master's every command.

The skilled hunter carried his prize across his massive broad shoulders and ventured to town without incident. He had planned to collect his coin and move on as soon as possible before nightfall given his aversion to being anywhere near a town when he'd known a full moon was imminent.

Moving rather swiftly against the shifting of the looming sun, the skilled hunter had entered the sleepy town of Elderbloom and almost immediately everyone's eyes had fallen upon him, his dire wolf, and the infamous Karabuk that he carried with ease through their town his keen eyes fixated on getting his prize to the right man for payment so that he could be on his way.

Elderbloom wasn't a bad little town, with its neat rows of shops and homes built of impressive Brindlewood and able to withstand quite a bit as the trees had. People moved about in colored robes and leather trousers. Some tall, some fat, some big, and some small. There had been a good deal of children about the place happy and carefree in their peaceful place or residence. The hunter had not known any such happiness when he'd been a child. His life mostly consisted of hunting in the woods amid a pack of wolves and his believing that he'd been one of them.

The dire wolf Ferkus had been his only companion, a surviving runt from the pack whom he had nursed back to health and had been at his side ever since. On occasion, the hunter would visit the towns along their travels from the forest and bedded his fair share of whores and local women alike given their acute fascination with his bulging muscles, his towering height, and of course his abnormally lengthy appendage which captivated men and women alike in more ways than one whenever he'd been in their midst.

The hunter had finally approached the rather shaken and speechless shopkeeper who had not expected anyone to actually answer his challenge in bringing him a Karabuk but he'd been grateful that someone had when he approached the hunter determined to know his name and the many stories of his feats.

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Mortimer's Shop, The Town Of Elderbloom, Unknown World...

Mortimer Tenbrus was a thin man, fair-complected, and wore thin bronze-wired spectacles when out and about. He dressed in colorful attire and more often than not had his nose in a book, tome, or scroll, when not tending to his shop, which consisted of an odd assortment of trade goods. His hair was also neat and a light brown color aside from his graying sideburns as he turned his attention toward the bloodied hunter and his rather oddly obedient dire wolf. Mortimer had not even been bothered by the beast as he noted the golden hide of the Karabuk and how perfectly preserved it had been in the wake of its death at the hands of the skillful hunter before him.

"That is a marvelous sight I must say," said Mortimer adjusting his spectacles. "I-I never expected anyone to actually bring one in but I am sure glad you have."

"There is the matter of payment." said the skillful hunter, his voice deep and rich in baritone with a side of gruff due to the fact that he had not at all been willing to be friendly when the matter of his coin had been at hand.

"Ah yes of course good sir," said Mortimer rather nervously as he stepped into his shop and brought out all the coin he could gather. "Would 10,000 Solaires do?"

The hunter nodded and followed the shopkeeper inside and laid the carcass of the newly slain Karabuk onto a dust-covered table for him as the blood continued to ooze from the wound on its neck and leak all over the hunter and the floor of the shop before settling on the table and pooling around it. Mortimer tossed the large sack of black and gold coins to the hunter and smiled pleased to have finally gotten his hands on a real Karabuk.

Blood-soaked and 10,000 Solaires richer, the skillful hunter had been about to take his leave when Mortimer stopped him once more.

"Just one thing sir, your name...I wish to know the name of the man that made this impressive feat possible, for the stories you see," he said rather nervously as he meant no offense.

"It's Kedon." replied The skillful hunter before taking his leave of the shop in favor of washing off the blood that covered his skin and studded leather armor.

The man known as Kedon had ventured back outside and instructed his dire wolf Ferkus to tag along as he headed back toward the forest and the source of the nearby river in which to do away with the unwanted blood of the dead Karabuk that covered his body from head to toe.