User blog:Roastedman511/A Lone Hunter, Chapter One

I woke up to the sunlight peeking through the window in the bedroom. My first instinct was to roll to my other side and close my eyes and try to go back to sleep. Sadly my stomach had other ideas as it growled loudly like some sort of grizzly. I threw my blanket to the end of my bed and stood up stretching. Seems today was going to be an early day for hunting. Then again it meant I could get more food for the day. I walked out of the room and down to the living room. I looked at the picture of a younger me, my father, and mother all smiling.

I walked out of the room and down to the living room. I looked at the picture of a younger me, my father, and mother all smiling. I remembered that day had been my first kill, a deer I think. My father had been proud, while my mother was more afraid of me handling sharp objects such as the arrows I had used.

I looked for the dresser I used to store my clothes and opened it to get some clothes on. All I was in was some shorts I had made from ana old pair of pants. I put on a short-sleeved shirt, the one I preferred as my favorite with its black fabric. Once I had my clothes on I went and put on my boots, untying them and retying them making sure they were tight for if I needed to run after my prey. Or became prey.

I finally went over to the door that would lead outside. On a rack near it were my tools of the trade as I called them. A pair of axes, a bow with some arrows, and a set of leather armor for my upper body. I strapped on the armor and put my axes in the loops of my pants like a sheath for a sword. I slung my bow on my back and put my quiver on my left side and prepared to head out. I closed the door behind me and left my house ready to hunt whatever I saw first.

As I went by I nodded to the two stone slabs that were poking out of the ground. The one on the left reading "Trevor Nolan. Beloved husband, father, and friend." The one on the right read something similar. "Sophia Nolan. Beloved mother, and wife." I sighed as I began to climb up a tree at the end of the path.

I sighed as I began to climb up a tree at the end of the path. I reached the end of the branches where a platform was placed by me and my father. Allowing for easy travel through the forest so we didn't have to worry about most predators or prey seeing us. I jumped over to the next one, my momentum carrying me as I went from tree to tree until I took a left and dropped down onto the ground. I ran up a rock and backflipped, leading on my feet before I hit a meadow.

There was a rush I felt whenever I did this. Knowing I was alone in the forest and only a few creatures could stop me if they tried. I felt like a god, something the Order probably wouldn't like. For all I cared, they could all have a nice taste of my arrow down their throats. I looked at the meadow looking for any movement in the tall grass. I noticed a disturbance, too small for a bear, but bigger than a deer. I then saw a deer and readied my arrow.

I drew it back and took aim. It stopped and looked around as if it heard something. I knew I was downwind, so it couldn't have smelled me. I was about to let go when a familiar figure jumped out of the tall grass and onto the deer. The tiger striped fur and giant claws along with the appearance of a woman clothed in fur gave away the identity of the creature.

Looks like it was going to be another one of those days where my hunting grounds were going to get thinner. I took the arrow and put it back, turning around to go to another area of the forest to hunt. I didn't need that crazy Jinko after me, not this time of year. I remember two years ago when she had tried to make me her husband. I wasn't even sure how old she was, or I was at this point. I just knew had been alone in this forest for seven summers, or years my father and mother would say.

Just take a second look. No way it could the exact same- Yup definitely. No mistaking that red hair. I thought to myself as I looked at the tiger woman eating the deer. I began climbing into the tree and take another look at her popping her head up to look around. She seemed to be looking East. I went West along the tree platforms. Maybe the lake would be a better are to find food. I knew some people who would be happy to see me for once. I just hoped it wasn't that time of year for them either.

"Well if it isn't the hermit." A cold voice said as I neared the water's edge. I carefully stayed a good distance from the voice of the Sahuagin.

"Hermit isn't a good term for me. I just don't like to be forcefully made into someone's husband."

I took off my armor and shirt. I set my bow and quiver on the edge of the pier that had been made that went into the deep lake. I grabbed one of my axes and took my boots off as well. I began to walk to the end, Sheila swimming along, her spear in hand. Part of felt she would love to impale me, but that just meant she wasn't in heat either. Something I was all too relieved about. I did not need that on my plate right now.

"Matter of fact, it's quite early for you to be up as well. Usually, you'd be up around noon and out hunting. Too hungry? You should've accepted those fish the other day." She said scolding me.

"And possibly get pulled into the water by you and your friends? No thank you Guppie." I said, using my own nickname for her. She scowled at me as I lowered myself into the water and kept myself afloat. I put my hand-ax in my mouth and began to swim down. I looked around in the water for a fish. If anything I would've like a bass or maybe a salmon. Sheila was next to me, watching me go into my full hunter instincts. It was something she enjoyed. How I could go from a good source of social contact to the perfect hunting machine. I spotted a fish and took the weapon out of my mouth, and went for it.

She scowled at me as I lowered myself into the water and kept myself afloat. I put my hand-ax in my mouth and began to swim down. I looked around in the water for a fish. If anything I would've like a bass or maybe a salmon. Sheila was next to me, watching me go into my full hunter instincts. It was something she enjoyed. How I could go from a good source of social contact to the perfect hunting machine. I spotted a fish and took the weapon out of my mouth, and went for it.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">The poor thing was helpless to me as I went at it like that Jinko did for the deer. I grabbed firmly onto its tail and sunk my axe into the neck, and pulled, severing its head. I looked up and swam up while Sheila just stared at me as if she was judging me for what I did. Wasn't my fault her mother taught me how to fish and kill it quickly since I didn't have webbed hands or feet. Her mother had been one of the kinder monsters in the forest and still was to this day in my book.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I took in a deep breath after I threw the dead fish onto the pier and went back down again.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"You know if you just let me help this would be a lot easier for you Rain."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I shook my head underwater and did the same to about four other fish. After drying my muscled body away from the Sahuagin's view I set up a fire and began to gut and scale the fish. After that, I put each on a stick and cooked them over a small fire. I took a stick and just made lines in the dirt as I waited for them to became nice and white to eat. Sheila seemed to love watching me make the random lines for some reason. We were what most would call friends.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">That is if friends argued and sometimes yelled at the other for being too emotionless or stupid. Me being the stupid one.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Once a fish was done I blew on it to cool my breakfast and devoured it. I then proceeded to juggle it in my mouth as it was still a bit hot. This made my female companion laugh rather loudly at my mistake. I glared at her, my tongue out partly to mock her and partly because I burned it. I offered her one as per our agreement as children. Anytime I hunted in her lake I had to share a portion of the hunt. She took the fish a bit into it, making the same mistake causing me to roll onto my side in laughter. I stopped once she started to go for her spear, a bead of sweat coming down my brow.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"So was it that Jinko again?" She asked finally.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I looked up at the clouds and sighed. "Yup. Bullseye on that one."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"So why not just establish it's your territory? That's what any other-"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"What? Monster? Listen, humans don't have claws or anything like that. Most don't even have senses like mine, and that's the ones who don't hunt or be soldiers. Even more, you should know what almost happened last year. If not for your mother, I'd most likely be either a sex slave to Mara's pack or that tiger's husband. Probably gonna have to go deeper into the forest or... Maybe leave entirely."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">The fire cracked after the mention of me leaving. Being the only human male in a forest known for its massive population of game, and the number of monsters in it, made you quite an easy find. Especially when your house wasn't that hard to find in winter. The only reason it was made was to accommodate my father, me and my mother. Along with his brother who was Sheila's brother. So in essence, that made me her my cousin and her mother my aunt.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">Her mother had helped me after the Order killed my parents and made me an orphan. I had become a treasure among some monsters in the forest. Some knew of me, some wanted me, others well... You can get the picture. Sheila's mother had taught me how to hunt, and some other skills when the monsters went into mating season. Hell, there was a time when we had to make it look like Sheila had laid claim to me. Gladly that was in the past now. Hence why she still had some hatred towards me with some of the things I had said. As her mother Quilla said, I was "quite the smooth talker".

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">All I cared was not getting potentially raped. That was most definitely not high on my list of things to do in my life. There were only three things I was concerned with. Staying alive, providing for myself and helping when needed. Poaching in the forest had become a problem in recent years with rumors of "The Manhunter". A monster that was rumored to be a male. You can guess who that would be, well, who's fault it is. I couldn't help it with the scum that came into the forest. All that was needed was a deer skull, some furs, and a hell lot of traps and mechanisms to scare them off. One of my favorite times of the year.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"There's no reason. Mom believes you're just about reached maturity for most males. she said you have the look of some young humans from a village Mara went to once. I don't care anyways, you're strong enough to watch out for yourself. Just means I can have my lake to myself and not be bothered by you anymore."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Sheila why do you have to be so cold..." I said saddened, hanging my head down.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"Because you're an idiot and coward." She said again cutting me lower. "Anyways, I'll get you some more fish for your trip back. The weather has begun to colder as well. Just hope it doesn't cause hunters to move in again for deer."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">"It wouldn't be good. You know I'm useless in cold weather, especially in the middle of winter."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">She nodded and stretched before jumping into the lake to get more fish. I got my clothing in order and prepared to head back to my house. I'd have to gut and scale them, maybe cure them to last longer for the rest of the week knowing her. She could be cold towards me, but when it came to my health her and few others made sure to care for me. Maybe after getting the food sorted out, I could go check on some traps I had set as well. If I even remembered where the were that is.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I sharpened my axes as I waited for the fish to be cooked. Sheila had been more than generous with the amount she had gotten for me from her lake. I had enough that I'd only have to worry about getting the right amount of exercise and getting wood for the fire in my house. I simply listened to the crackling of the fire as I waited for my meal to be cooked. I gave my axe a final look over before setting it down. It was quite boring now that I thought about it.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I had been alone in this house for the past eight summers, the only interactions being with either friendly monsters or Sheila and Quilla. Or maybe even Mara and her pack, which something I dreaded at times. Why was she interested in the prospect of making me her mate? I got I was the only human male in the forest, but that didn't mean she also had to dog after me.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I had to hunt just as much as anyone else and preferred to be left to myself and not worry about my life every day unless I needed to eat. That red headed Jinko didn't make it any better for me. This was the second time she had come close to seeing me again. Twice she had invaded my territory for hunting and made me have to go to the lake for fish. Part of me was angry, the other wondering if I should confront her like Sheila said. The worse that could happen is I either died, got made into her husband, or weakened to where Mara or some other monster would find me and have their way. I checked on the fish to see it was done and served it up, getting ready to eat.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I checked on the fish to see it was done and served it up, getting ready to eat. As I ate I felt like something was watching me. That was normal, though. No doubt it was Sheila keeping an eye on me or some other Sahuagin her mother had spying on me in case I was going to be in trouble. It's what usually happened whenever situations like the Jinko happened. Once I had almost witnessed a fight between Quilla and Mara.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">She and her pack had been after for the majority of the night, mainly due to seeing me firsthand somehow take down a bear. This riled up most of them seeing a male with primal instincts and strength. The jet black furred Werewolf tried laying claim to me as I ran from tree to tree while the chased me on the forest floor. Nothing would be a better trophy to her than "the Manhunter". We had been able to play it off saying Sheila had claimed me as her mate. Sadly that wasn't what deterred her, but the Sahuagin with spears ready to defend their leader's nephew.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I remembered her words way to clearly from that night. "You may be under their protection, but know as soon as you're alone and away from them, we will have 'd be much more welcomed in our pack as a strong hunter than some family of fish. Always watch your back Manhunter, because you might protect some of us, but not all.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">It had made me realize that if push came to shove she'd most likely fufill that threat. I kept eating my fish and focused on just getting the dishes cleaned and then heading off to sleep. Mara was one to want a fair fight rather than pounce on unsuspecting prey. Nothing thrilled her more than the chase of the hunt. She reminded me of the Lizardmen in the south part of the forest who had wanted to see my skills for themselves. Though they weren't as aggressive as the Werewolf.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I finished and cleaned my plate and prepared to get ready for the night. I turned the front lantern to the door off and locked it as well for extra measure. I continued to turn multiple lanterns off as I went through the house. I didn't want to have to get more oil from merchants on the road. That would just make me an even bigger target if I was out in the open. I had come to be fully integrated into the forest as another animal. It was my home, and one I didn't want to leave. I had too many memories here. Good and bad. I turned the lantern off in my bedroom.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I prepared to go to sleep as the crickets and frogs made their sounds in the forest. It was comforting to listen to knowing some things never changed. I began to feel myself drift off as the sounds seemed to stop. To anyone else it may have seemed normal, but not to me. Any hunter would know that there is always some sort of sound in the forest. I got up and grabbed the sword I placed under my bed.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">I was about to get my other equipment when a heard a loud snap of metal, followed by a woman's scream.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:normal;">'''A/N: Here it is, chapter one of the fic. Have to say you really should've watched where you put your traps Rain. Pick up after yourself man! You gotta take repsonsibility now for whatever poor Monster got caught in it. Hope the Gods pull some major poetic irony on you... Well see ya next upload guys. Let me know how you feel about this fic. All criticsms are appreciated.'''