Chapter 2 - The Hunt

The sun rose over the eastern horizon, casting its golden light across the village of Carn. It touched every thatched roof and cobbled path, transforming the simple homes and twisting streets into a tableau of light and shadow. The village, nestled among rolling hills and ancient trees covered in snow, seemed to awaken slowly, bathed in the gentle, warm glow.

Astria stirred in his bed, the first rays of sunlight filtering through the worn curtains of his modest room. The distant crowing of roosters blended with the rustling leaves outside, stirred by a breeze that whispered secrets of the new day. He sat up, taking a moment to listen to the morning symphony, a harmonious blend of nature.

Descending the creaky wooden staircase, Astria was greeted by the rich aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen. The scent was a familiar embrace, mingling with the muted clatter of cooking. Elara, his mother, moved with practiced grace, her hands deftly tending to the morning meal. The flickering fire in the hearth cast a warm, flickering glow on her face as she prepared the day's breakfast.

"Good morning, dear," she said, her voice soft and soothing. She turned from the hearth with a tender smile, her eyes reflecting the golden light filtering through the window. "I was just about to wake you. Breakfast is ready on the table."

Plates and utensils were arranged with care on the old wooden table, the centerpiece was a steaming pot of mutton stew accompanied by a loave bread. Around the table, the chairs were set in a familiar arrangement, each bearing the marks of countless mornings spent in shared meals.

Astria's father, Beren, sat at the far left, his rugged face softened by the morning light. Elara took her place in the middle. Across from them, Astria's grandparents, Henri and Carmen, were settled comfortably in their seats. Astria then sat on the empty chair, the seat he always used.

Henri, his eyes crinkling with age, raised a hand for silence. "Let us pray," he intoned, his voice a deep, resonant murmur.

Together, they all recited the prayer, their voices weaving a solemn tone:

"We pray for the Lord's embrace,

In this world, his dreams find their place.

Illusions and truth entwine in His design,

Guiding mortals through realms divine,

May you bless our food and our lives."

After the prayer, they began their meal.

Between bites of meat, Astria sensed it was the right time to start a conversation with his grandfather. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Grandpa, is it possible for me to go with you today to hunt?"

"You want to go?" Henri mused.

"Yes, I really wish to, especially since I want to participate in the upcoming hunting competition," Astria answered earnestly.

"Well, that sounds reasonable, lad, but it might be a bit dangerous," Henri cautioned.

"So I can't go?" Astria asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Who says you can't?"

"You?" Astria responded with visible confusion.

Henri chuckled softly and said, "Did I say that?"

"Yes, you clearly did." Astria said honestly.

"Must've forgotten. Anyway, you can come with me today," Henri reassured him.

"Great! Thank you! I'll prepare right away!" Astria exclaimed eagerly.

"Well, actually, I could use a bit of help. My back hurts more than usual," Henri admitted with a chuckle.

"Ehem that's because you're just getting old," Carmen his grandmother sneered at Henri.

"True, I may be old" Henri retorted with a grin, "but I'm still quite handsome compared to this guy!" He playfully pointed at Beren with widened eyes and smile, then made a quick slight jabbed on his left shoulder.

"Pfffff...!" Beren who nearly choked while swallowing a piece of meat with the sudden jab of the old man, "Why do I have to get involved in your conversation father?"

"Hahahaha! Look at your face you look like you're about to die!" Henri teased.

"You're all loud as always," Elara sighed as it is always like this every morning. Nevertheless, she smiled as it is lively and fun whenever the family is together.

Astria smiled at his father and then nodded in agreement with his grandfather. "Sure, Grandpa. I'll surely help out haha."

"As always, Astria cares hehe I'm touched," Elric chuckled, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

Meanwhile, Elara, glancing at her husband still recovering from his coughing, turned her attention to him. "Beren, dear, without Astria for today, you'll need to assist me more in the tavern okay?"

Her words, though warm carried more threatening aura command than a request.

After gulping down some water, Hendric responded with a smile, though he still eyed his father with raised brows. "Of course, no problem."

"It might be best not to slack too much, doing nothing while the poor one left in the kitchen and the bar is buried with all the works." Her words once again warm and soft, but it was frightening for all of them.

"Y…yes dear I will do as you asked." Beren responded fearfully.

"That's wonderful!" Elara delightedly nodded.

"Mother, do you know when or if the caravans will be visiting for the festival?" Astria inquired.

For Astria, the caravan was a whisper of distant lands. Every year, as the festival approached, the villagers would anticipate the arrival of these roving merchants. The caravan, with its array of colorful wagons, was not merely a convoy but a beacon of the world's wonders, bringing tales and treasures from far-off places.

"Hmm… I guess they're a bit late this year, they should have arrived by now. Well that's strange, but perhaps they will still arrive," Elara replied.

The absence of the caravan cast a shadow over the village's preparations, a silent question lingering in the air. What had delayed the merchants? In the past, their arrival had been as reliable as the turning of the seasons. Then, when a new year comes, new caravan merchants visits. Astria, though accustomed to the rhythm of festival, could not shake the unease brought by this deviation from the expected pattern. Yet, he seems content with the answer he got and what is needed now is patience.

"That'll be great, because I'm looking forward to seeing what the merchants have this year."

"Hoho, eager for the festival and the merchants, I see," Henri chuckled. "Well, if you find something you like, let me know. I'll treat you—just not anything too extravagant," he added with a wink.

"I'll buy a book if I see one."

"A book? What kind of book?"

"It will be great if I find one about how swordsman train, otherwise I'll just find something that I would be interested in."

"I see… well that's okay."

The family done eating their meal, they went off to their daily routines. Elara together with Beren, they went to the village square at the center of the village, there a small marketplace was located. It was a place for them to buy essential ingredients to serve their tavern customers. Carmen proceeded to her usual hobby of knitting winter wears. Meanwhile, Astria began his preparations for the hunt. He packed in his small bag a small dagger, tied thin ropes made of hemp fibers, and a few strips of dried mutton meat covered in a cloth. These are the few things he usually needed, aside from bringing the bow and arrows he's carrying as well as his thicker clothing he was already wearing.

Astria walked out the house and saw Henri, wearing a tunic of sturdy linen, dyed a muted shade of earthy brown, its loose sleeves gathered at the wrists with leather thongs. His trousers, also of leather, were tucked into knee-high boots. At his belt hung an assortment of tools: a hunting knife with a hilt of carved bone, a small leather pouch containing flint and tinder for kindling fires. On his right shoulder hang a bag— its contents likely to hold provisions or the day's bounty and other items. While a bow slung over his left shoulder and a quiver of arrows at his back.

"Ready boy?" Henri asked

"Yes sir!"

With further ado, they set forth into the north. Their destination was the Orudin Forest, a vast and lush green forest that stretched throughout the northern mountain ranges of Heldruin, yet now draped in blanket of white snow. It's a forest filled with thriving living beings to hunt, nevertheless it also offers perils to those who come within and close to its borders. Just like Carn, another village located near is relying on this ancient forest for survival.

The forest lay about an hour's walk from Carn, but its silhouette was visible from the village. As they approached the forest's edge, the sturdy trunks and dense bushes and shrubs enclosed them. Following the trails left by hunters, they pressed deeper into forest in order to reach the ideal hunting grounds.

As they advanced, the atmosphere grew more eerie. Early morning light of the sun was barely escaping the grasp of the trees' canopy, casting a dim glow on the forest floor. All around, critters scurried, doing their own ways of trying to survive and endure the harsh winter.

'The forest is still dense even in winter.' Astria thought.

All in all despite the eeriness of it, he was certainly happy that he could go there. A sense of calmness was evident in his mind.

The trail lead them to a wide river they needed to cross. An enormous tree that fell down over the river that it could reach the other end serves as a natural bridge that connects the two sides. It's fascinating how a tree with a trunk so wide it is possible to carve a dwelling inside it fell. Just by the look it could be seen that it was an ancient one, perhaps living for hundreds of years, or even thousands of years standing straight above that it could barely reach the clouds till it found itself to lay rest on the ground.

'Well atleast it still has purpose even after dying, good job tree' Astria thought while patting the trunk before he began climbing the trunk.

"Be careful boy, hold on to the braches tightly like how you want your balls to be hold, unless you wish to die." Henri teasingly said, as he took the lead to cross the river.

"Yes sir!" Astria simply nodded, yet confused.

As he neared the middle of the river, he glanced down. The current below was so powerful that it could crush the bones of anyone unlucky enough to fall in it. Either one shall die out of such fate or drown to its cold depths. Well, it's not something anyone would want unless they really wish to die just like what his grandfather said. With cautious steps, he continued forward, finally reaching the far side of the river.

They resumed their trek along the trail. The trees on the far side were even more massive than those they had previously encountered, their colossal forms casting deeper shadows. A light fog clung to the forest floor, obscuring their steps and adding to the sense of foreboding. As they pressed on, they eventually found themselves at what appeared to be a dead end. Before them loomed a high stone wall, roughly five meters tall. This wall, like a monumental slab, seemed to have been thrust upwards from the earth itself, imposing and ancient.

"We're getting close now, it'll just be couple more minutes before we arrive at the spot. We just have to climb this. Are you tired?" Henri said, looking at Astria from behind him.

"Not yet sir! I'm still doing fine!"

"Why so tense haha?"

"Just doing what my mother told me sir!"

"No no that won't do, just be causal, okay?"

"Yes sir!" Astria answered, though a bit more at ease.

Henri began his ascent, using the cracks in the stone wall, formed by the encroaching roots of a massive tree nearby, as natural footholds and handholds. His movements were steady and deliberate, each step carefully placed. Upon reaching the top, he found a sturdy root jutting out from the ancient tree and secured the rope to it. He then tossed the rope down. Astria, trying to catch the rope, missed and it landed on his head before falling to the ground. Chuckling softly at his mishap, he quickly picked it up. Grasping the rope firmly, he positioned himself against the wall, placing his right foot on a prominent crack and then his left, beginning his climb. He could feel the strain in his arms as he pulled himself up. His feet sought out the small ledges and fissures with care, making sure each step was secure before shifting his weight. The wall loomed high above, but Astria focused on the task, climbing steadily despite the occasional slip of his foot on the damp, mossy stone.

As he neared the top, Henri's encouraging voice guided him, "Almost there, Astria. Just a few more steps."

Finally, Astria reached the last stretch, his muscles burning from the effort. Henri leaned over the edge, his hand extended. With a final push, Astria grasped Henri's hand and was lifted onto the top of the wall. He sat down, catching his breath, and looked back at the path he had just climbed, feeling a sense of accomplishment mingled with relief.

'I did it better than last time.' Astria thought, feeling proud.

Walking behind Henri, Astria followed as the path gradually sloped downward. Ahead of them, a massive stone structure loomed like a sentinel of forgotten times. As they approached, the silhouette if examined closer, resolved into what seemed to a head of a colossal statue. Partially buried, only a third of its immense face emerged from the earth, its features obscured by centuries of moss and weathering. The remaining visage, adorned with remnants of ancient armor, bore faint traces of a once-majestic countenance now nearly obliterated by time and the encroaching forest. Perhaps due to the dim lighting of the forest and never ending bites of time, the face was reduced to be barely recognizable as a head, while the rest of the body must've been bigger than the tree bridge earlier, now under the ground.

'These weird things really spook me everytime.' Said in his mind.

Passing several more giant statues they descended further, until the ground became flat and even once again. The fog under them raised up to their knees and became thicker but still manageable to walk. Then, as they go further, the mist gradually parted, revealing a serene lake nestled in the center of the forest. Above the lake, a break in the canopy allowed shafts of sunlight to filter through, casting shimmering reflections on the tranquil water below.

The lake shimmered like a mirror, its surface broken only by gentle ripples that danced with the occasional breeze. Surrounding it are trees their gnarled roots dipping into the water's edge. The lake was wide and deep but has clear water, on some of the areas of it can be seen are white tall pillars submerged underwater. The air was filled with the earthy scent of damp soil and the faint perfume of wildflowers, carried on the breeze that rustled through the canopy above.

Henri and Astria paused for a moment.

"We're here, walk slowly and quietly watch your steps carefully." Henri instructed him while taking of the bow on his shoulder and taking one arrow from his quiver.

Astria nodded in response then readied his bow as well. They quietly approached the edge of the lake, carefully not to disturb or alert any potential prey of their hunt. They surveyed the area first, looking if there's any creature drinking from the lake of the water— to their luck they saw a deer.

It stood a towering three meters tall with its six legs, looking like rugged human shoulders with rusty color of skin on the front while the other remaining hind legs were that of a deer. It has five red striking sharp eyes glowing with an unnatural crimson light and huge pointy antlers. As the deer creature bent to drink from shallow waters of the lake, exposing its long tongue lapped at the cool water, and sharp teeth occasionally glimpsed beneath its lips.

"We are truly fortunate today." Henri enthusiastically said as he positioned himself and began to stretch the string of his bow, aiming for his prey.