Solo The Hunt

[Jay Ackina]

Day 1 of Spring in the Year 514 AV


The sun peeked its cheery face over the horizon, rays of light burning up the fog and casting its glory upon the Clawstone Estate. The beautiful home stood like the majestic structure that it was, looking out across the acres of land under its domain. With the new day starting, life began to slowly stir in the Ackina household.


Jay leaned against one of the pillars of the house, arms and legs crossed, watching the sunrise. Sleep was not something his body seemed to ever allow him to do. He was lucky if he was able to catch four or five bells a night. This time, his body forced him awake after only three bells. But he was surprisingly alert considering the circumstances. He was the first one awake but the rest of the estate was just starting to stir; only the cooks were up, preparing food for the house.


A quick movement caught the man’s attention, distracting him from his musing, near the woods. He glanced over, curious as to what it was. A large beast dug its face in the ground, tusks tearing up the soft dirt as it sought food. A gleam of excitement lit up Jay’s eyes as he spotted it.


Well I don’t have any plans for today…and it would be good tracking practice…I don’t really need to kill it…but if runs off I can chase it…though it would make a good couple meals…


Plans began to run through his mind as he watched the boar hunt for food in the early morning hours. He would need to gather some supplies before he sought out after it; it would most likely be an all day event, judging by his lack of skill. While he was running necessary items through his head, the wild animal suddenly froze. Without any indication as to why, it bolted into the marshlands, disappearing into the swamp.


“Challenge accepted.” Jay muttered under his breath as he pushed off the pillar, running through the front door. His feet slapped loudly against the marble floors as he ran towards his room. He almost slid past his living quarters but caught the doorframe in one hand and pulled himself through. The Ackina snatched up his boots that sat besides the door and stumbled across the room as he attempted to pull both boots on at the same time.


The shaggy haired man hurriedly snatched up his sheathed sword and leather jacket, putting them both on as he exited his room, heading for the kitchen. The sound of workers bustling around, pans clanging together was the only sound to disturb the silence in the home.


“Good morning Mahilda! Breakfast smells delicious as always.” He smiled cheerfully at the cook as he brushed past her, intent on throwing together a lunch. He found some cheese and bread in a cupboard and threw them together into a knapsack.


The head cook didn’t even look up from her work as she greeted him. “Ye’re up earlier Mr. Jay, what brings ye’ in here so early?” She quickly chopped up vegetables, tossing them into a bowl of steaming water. Jay chuckled, winking at her playfully when she finally looked up at him.


“Well I came in here to see you of course! No better way to start off the morning than by seeing a pretty lady!” Mahilda snorted unladylike at his lighthearted banter, swatting at him as he pasted. Jay danced around her, avoiding the blow, laughing. He pranced towards the door and swung it open, knapsack in hand. He looked back at her, a smile tugging at his lips as he lifted a hand into their air in mock heroism.


“I shall be back my dear lady! I’m going to bring you back a might boar!”
The kelvic slave stopped her prep work and looked at Jay in concern. “Ye’ be careful now. Ye’ hear, Jay? Those things are dangerous. Wait, ye’ don’t even have a spear!”


Jay bowed gallantly in her direction, laughing, before spinning on his heels and jogging out the door and through the grass. The sound of her scolding faded away until it was just him and the open fields. He had his longsword strapped to his side, an afternoon snack stowed away and a keen set of eyes to follow the trail of the fleeing beast. He hoped he could make due on his promise to bring back the boar. He didn’t have much faith in his tracking or hunting skills. But that rarely stopped him from trying. Practice makes perfect after all.


Besides, there wasn’t anything quite as delicious as a slain animal vanquished in combat.

[Jay Ackina]

Alright. Tracking. What do you remember from reading in the library? Well…first I need to find a lead. Easiest starting point is the last spot I saw the animal. Then I need to look around for signs that the animal was actually there, broken twigs or paw prints or something...


Jay talked himself through the process in his mind as he jogged to the edge of the woods, leather boots sinking into the damp grass. He had been going to the Dynasty Library whenever he had free time. He had discovered some journals that had been written by some trackers who had lived in Kenash. They explained in detail the best locations for hunting, how to rig a trap and showed different sketches of different animal paw prints. It was incredibly useful. He just hoped he could actually apply some of it.


Jay finally came to a stop in front of the tree line where he had last seen the boar. The animal was nowhere in sight and definitely had a head start on Jay.


More practice for me, I guess…


The Ackina Dynasty member carefully moved forward, scanning the ground, looking for any sign of disturbances. An impression on the ground caused him to come to a stop. Jay crouched down and ran a gloved hand along the outline of the print, tracing it. Two indentions pressed deeply into the damp soil, close together. The back of the marks was thick but narrowed to a rounded point. Two more indents were pressed into the ground, one on each side of the two in the middle. Jay placed his hand beside it, measuring its size.


Hmm…four toed hoof it looks like. No wonder the boar was digging over here, this is soft soil. Makes it easier for me to recognize the paw print at least…


Jay hadn’t discovered many paw prints yet but he could imagine how much more difficult it was to figure out what animal it was from if they weren’t complete. Even had he not recognized the print from the journal sketch, he had seen the boar in the vicinity. It was safe to assume it belonged to the same animal. Jay glanced up from the impression, in the direction the hoof was pointing. He stood, leaving the track behind and walked towards the bushes where the woods began. Bent leaves and broken twigs hung between two bushes, leading into the forest.


Looks like I have a direction now. Jay sighed. That was the easy part. Now for the fun part…


The leather clad reclaimer took a deep breath and pushed through the bushes into the dark marshland. Trees branches tangled around each other, creating a green canopy overhead, dim light filtering through the foliage. Dead leaves rotting from the humidity and moisture squelched underfoot, a pungent smell hovering in the air.


Jay wrinkled his nose in distaste as he took in the sights and sounds of the swamplands. He paused for a moment, remaining completely still and closed his eyes, listened. Birds chirped and whistled at one another loudly, bushes rustled periodically and unknown animals screeched, assaulting Jay’s ears. He continued to listen, letting the noise flow over him, slowly growing accustom to the sounds that an undisturbed forest made.


After a few ticks, the Ackina opened his eyes, slowly casting his gaze around the greenery without moving his body, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light. His dark brown eyes absorbed everything in its path, from the massive tree trunks entangled in vines to the small bushes that covered the uneven landscape. Clouds of insects hovered lazily over bodies of sickly colored water. He stared at the surface of the swamp waters, trying to penetrate its murky depths, only to be rejected. It jealously guarded its mysteries, only revealing them to those who dared enter its waters.


Jay blinked and realized he had been staring at the water for a few ticks longer than normal. He cleared his head and looked around. Foliage and water surrounded him, sun streaming behind him from the forest line where he had just entered from. The boar was nowhere to be seen.


The wild pig could literally be anywhere…who was I kidding…I can’t track this thing…


Discouragement began to seep into Jay’s mind as he looked around the forest. He could feel helplessness and frustration start to rise in his chest as he realized his target was somewhere in here. It could take days to find the animal. And even then, he’d have to get lucky. Again, Jay realized what he was doing and frowned at himself.


Stop pitying yourself and get to work. You came out here to practice. So practice.


Jay took a deep breath and slowly let it out.


It was time to get started.

[Jay Ackina]

Brown eyes surveyed the forest, taking note of anything that could potentially lead him to his prey. Jay started walking in the direction the wild pig had initially run off in, hoping he’d pick up the trail along the way. Vines hung down from trees, obscuring his vision, bramble tripped him from underfoot, all the while, small pools of stagnant water waited for him to forget where he was going and fall into. There was a certain beauty in Kenash’s marshlands. But it was usually appreciated at a distance, something he was keenly aware of at the moment.


Jay growled irritably and swatted at an insect that buzzed around his head as he carefully stepped through the uneven terrain. Moss covered every surface of the forest, the plants hiding divots and roots from the naked eye, its green sheen giving it a peaceful, yet ominous feel.


This is just not a good place to be. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to live here. I’d rather live out my life as a slave than rough it out here. The Rujaro are crazy. Where do you even get fresh water?!


Jay was preoccupied as he fought off insects that were intent on sucking his blood and vines that attempted to tangle him up. The momentary distraction was enough to keep him from noticing a deep pool of brackish water that lay directly in his path. Before he even realized what was happening, he took a step, expecting to hit solid ground but instead, met no resistance.


Surprise flashed across his face when the world jerked forwards, his battle with the pests instantly forgotten as the murky water swallowed him whole. Swamp water closed over his head, flooding his nose and lungs as bubbles burst from his mouth in shock. He could feel his leather and sword dragging him down to the bottom of the deceptively deep pool.


Swim fool!


Finally, his mind registered what happened and his body burst into motion, frantically kicking for the surface. He clawed at the water, dragging himself through the slimy liquid, feeling his lungs straining for oxygen. Jay’s head broke the surface after what seemed like an eternity and instantly began expelling water violently from his lungs. He thought he was about to pass out when the last of the water shot out from his mouth and he was able to gasp for air.


Holy….shyke…I…almost….died….


Jay’s mind felt scrambled as he swam to the edge of the water. The water logged man clambered onto the soggy ground and landed on his back, staring up at the canopy of trees as he caught his breath.


“Why….whhhhhhy….” Jay groaned and pushed himself up onto his elbows to glare at the water that betrayed him. He was about to yell at the swamp but the water rippled as something broke the surface, aimed straight at him. Two beady eyes stared at Jay as it shot through the water. The hunter cursed, scrambling to his feet but slipping on the wet ground, barely managing to get out of the way in time as a huge reptilian lunged, razor maw snapping.


“You have got to be kidding me…” Jay stared at the crocodile in disbelief. “Not only did I almost drown, but I’m being threatened by a croc…”


The beast glared at him with its yellow eyes, seeming to take offense at his remark; jaws held wide open as if daring Jay to make a move. The Ackina slowly gripped the hilt of his longsword and pulled it free of its sheath, the sound of metal rasping against metal ringing in the air.


Jay held the sword in both hands, looking at the crocodile warily. Its body was easily ten feet in length from snout to tail, razor sharp teeth gleaming menacingly.


If that thing gets a hold of me, it’s game over. Maybe I can scare it off...


Having nothing to lose, Jay lifted his sword above his head and waved it in the air, while slamming his foot on the ground, yelling as loud as he could, hoping to confuse it. But it didn’t have the desired effect. Faster than he thought possible, the reptile lunged forward, crossing the distance between them with remarkable speed that belittled its size. Jay barely had time to leap out of the way as he was charged by the behemoth. It head jerked to the side, jaws snapping shut as it tried to follow the movement of the man, mid charge.


Having avoided the first attack, Jay looked around desperately for some way of getting close to the creature without having his legs bitten off.


C’mon….c’mooon….


Suddenly Jay figured out what he was going to do. Chances of actually killing it were low but it would have to do. Before the crocodile had time to gather itself for another attack, Jay retaliated. The Ackina family member got a running start and planted one foot against a nearby rock. The muscles in his legs tensed as he gathered power before shoving off of the ground and rock. The running start plus the added height sent him flying through the air towards the creature.


The crocodile began to turn to face the sword toting warrior just as he landed behind the reptile. Jay swung his sword as hard as he at the closest part of the crocodiles’ body: the tail. The blade connected with the scaly flesh and he felt it bite into the appendage.


"Ha, HA! yes! That totally wor-"


His celebration was quickly cut off as the crocodile’s tail slammed into the back of Jay’s knees sending him tumbling to the ground as the animal thrashed about in pain. The Ackina desperately tried rolling out of the away to avoid being crushed by the massive animal but was only partially successful. The animal’s tail slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. The air whooshed out of him in one forced breath and he valiantly tried gasping for air but was met with nothing.


Jay squeezed his eyes shut, pain radiating through his stomach and ribs, still trying to breathe but unable to escape. It would only be a few moments before the creature turned on him and finished him off.


And all because I wanted to practice tracking…


Jay waited, eyes still closed as he waited for the animal to eat him. Air slowly filtered into his lungs and he gasped, trying to suck it in, wanting to do anything he could to distract himself from his fate. But a few ticks went by and nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes confused and looked around.


He watched, stunned, as the wounded crocodile slunk back into the water, disappearing from sight. Jay stared at it in disbelief.


“Serious? You aren’t going to eat me?! I was right here!!”


He gaped at it in astonishment. "No wonder you aren’t on top of the food chain…” Jay mumbled aloud as he rubbed his ribs gingerly.


That’s going to be leave a nasty bruise tomorrow.. Probably shouldn’t tell Mahilda about this one…


The Ackina Dynasty member slowly got to his feet, staring at the deceptively calm water. He wiped the blood off of his longsword on a patch of moss before sliding it in its sheath.


Jay sighed.


He still had a boar to catch.

[Jay Ackina]

Drip. Drip. Drip.


Water droplets slowly trickled down through Jay’s brown, sopping wet hair before falling onto his leather coat with a soft pat. All of his clothes were soaked through, sticking uncomfortably to his body.


I knew I should have invested in water proofing the leather…this is going to take FOREVER to dry…


The Ackina hunter warily skirted the sink hole that he had previously fallen into and continued on the path he hoped the boar was still on. Adrenaline still pumped through his system from the encounter with the reptile but he could feel his heart beat start to slow down. There wasn’t anything quite like starting your morning off with a near death experience to wake someone up.


A few chimes passed as Jay trudged through the bushes, eyes scouring the forest floor for any traces of the boar’s passage. The young adult climbed over protruding roots and skirted around dark holes that leered up at him from the foreboding tree trunks. He could almost feel the creatures inside their crevasse, eagerly awaiting the slightest misstep from him. He shuddered at the thought and pushed it away.


It was almost a relief when he found the next piece of evidence that confirmed his thoughts about the animal having passed this way ahead of him. Jay crouched down, one knee resting on the ground, his elbow propped up on the other one as he peered at the damp soil. A large pile of feces sat atop one another on a mound of molding leaves directly in front of him. He hesitantly reached out his hand, cringing at the thought of touching it.


Suck it up. It’s just…ugh…poop. You just need to see if it’s warm. It if is, it means it’s fresh and the boar could be close…


Jay grimaced as he let his hand hover over the bodily waste. He could feel steam slowly curling up off the dark matter and he jerked his hand back, slightly sickened once he confirmed it was fresh. He realized he didn’t actually know if the excretion was the animal he was following or another creature dwelling in the swamplands. But he refused to accept the thought that it wasn’t the animal he was tracking. The Ackina estimated the boar had at least half a bell’s head start on him; it couldn’t have wandered off too far.


He tried to ignore the seeds of doubt that crept into his mind. Jay could hear them whispering, trying to convince him he couldn’t do it. That he was a failure. That he would never amount to anything. If he couldn’t even track down a pig, how could he ever expect to track down a runaway?


Jay grit his teeth, feeling frustration begin to rise up.


NO, calm down. You need to focus. Don’t freak out, just breathe. You came out here to practice, not to prove anything to anyone.


Jay wanted to ignore the voice of reason, solely out of spite, but even in his slightly angered state, he knew it spoke the truth. Even after taking a few deep breathes and calming himself down, it didn’t quell his urgency to find the evasive boar. He knew deep down, if he were honest with himself, his frustration rose from his own inner turmoil rather than a fat pig.


Morrison chose you to become the Dynasty’s Bounty Hunter. He could have picked any number of other people to fill that spot. But he decided on you. He saw something in you. Boldness. Decisiveness. Willingness. Don’t toss those out the window. Just breathe and focus.


The young Ackina continued to breathe deeply, eyes closed as he allowed the frustration and stress dissipate. He slowly felt his roiling emotions flow out of him, leaving a feeling of peace inside his chest.


Jay opened his eyes, feeling once again like himself. He could do this.
He cast his gaze around the surrounding foliage, in the general proximity of the animal droppings. A few feet away, a fern looked as if it had been trodden upon, leaves crushed and torn, the stems snapped. The boar had veered from its course it seemed.


Jay stopped to listen. Birds chirped and warbled, a soft wind blowing through the branches and vines. Something rustled through the tree overhead, leaves falling to the ground. The Ackina glanced up but couldn’t see anything through the dense flora. He shrugged and headed towards the trampled fern.


If luck was with him, he would find the fleeing boar soon.

[Jay Ackina]

It had been a few bells since he first started following the boar. It had led him on what after awhile, he assumed to be a wild goose chase. One indication of the animals passage to another lead to another but he relentlessly followed, what he assumed to be, the same animal. He refused to accept defeat. So he pushed on.


Jay’s attention was once again diverted as he spotted what looked like small divots in the ground. He crouched down, wincing as his bruising muscles flexed, to get a closer look as he squinted at them. He could see they weren’t random holes in the ground but had a specific shape. Very much like the ones he had seen by the forest edge. They seemed to be relatively fresh, no water having filled the impressions in. He slowly trailed his eyes along the ground, seeing the soft dirt gradually turn into mud.


More hoof shaped prints pressed into the sludge, veering off to the right. Jay stood and treaded through the filth, ignoring the mud that splattered against his boots and pant legs, following the tracks. A few yards later, the tracks stopped, having come to drier land. Jay continued in the same direction, hoping to find the boar. He was starting to grow weary from the trek.


If only I hadn’t fallen into that sink pole I’d at least have some food with me…


He sighed, resenting the event. Even had he managed to keep the food with him, he would have never stooped that low as to eat food poisoned by the swamp water. He wasn’t that hungry. Jay looked around at his surroundings, feeling the beginning pangs of hungry stab at his stomach. He should have at least waited to eat before heading out to the woods. The Ackina grunted and pushed the thoughts away.


His eyes ran around the length of the ground, looking for anything out of place. He noticed a trunk of one of the trees had a large section of bark scraped off, its remains scattered on the floor. Jay examined the marks, running his hand along the damaged wood, tracing the long scuff marks.


Looks like the boar could have rubbed its tusks along the tree…


Jay had seen some domestic animals sharpened the claws on objects; maybe wild pigs did the same thing with their tusks that protruded from their mouth. He hoped he was wrong because he could only imagine those sharpened spears ramming into his body, tearing through muscle and bone. He shuddered at the thought. Regardless of what could happen, he needed to find it. So far he didn’t think his tracking skills had let him down. But that was assuming he was still following the same animal.


Bushes rustled and mud squished under the tracker’s boots as he fought his way through the thick foliage. The meager light in the forest dimmed as clouds covered the sun, causing it to become more difficult for him to see where he was going. His attention was drawn towards the remaining sun’s rays that seemed brighter up ahead, so he pushed forwards, hoping the tracks led in the same direction.


Jay broke through the bushes, stumbling forward into a small clearing. The Ackina winced, holding one hand over his eyes as they readjusted to the sudden light. He hadn’t realized how dark the tree canopy made the surrounding forest until he was out of it. His brown eyes adjusted quickly and he looked around. Nothing notable caught his attention and he sighed inwardly, finding a small rock jutting out of the damp ground. He decided it was time to take a break and rest.


Jay sat down, feeling his legs relax as the pressure was taken off of them.
Maybe it’s time to just cut my losses and head back. I’ve been out here forever…it shouldn’t have taken this long to find the boar…should it?
His inner dialogue was quickly interrupted as a few bushes rustled noisily across the small glade. Jay’s gaze snapped over towards the disruption. He concentrated hard, ears listening for the cause of the disturbance, eyes trying to penetrate the densely forested foliage. He could hear soft snuffling and grunting noises mixed with the snapping of twigs. The tracker stood warily, hand wrapping around the hilt of his longsword. So far his experience with wildlife hadn’t gone well since he first came into the swamps.


Jay’s pulse increased as he waited, preparing himself for a confrontation. He didn’t know what he was about to face but he would at least be ready.

[Jay Ackina]

A breeze whistled through the trees, vines and branches swaying in the wind. Jay felt the cool air brushing against his face.


Good, whatever’s in that bush won’t smell me…that’s helpful…I suppose…


Jay stood at the ready, feet spread apart, knees bent, ready to move at a moment’s notice. He gripped the longsword’s hilt, controlling his breathing as he waited for whatever was concealed to reveal itself. He suddenly had a thought and slowly crouched down, hand feeling along the ground. Finally he found a fist sized rock and grabbed it. He hefted it in one hand, feeling its weight before nodding once in satisfaction.


Suddenly the rustling brushes parted and a boar wrestled its way through the foliage, leaving broken branches and trampled leaves in its wake. It sniffed at the ground, nosing through the soft ground and forest floor looking for food. Course, mud caked black hair bristled across its body, six inch tusks jutting out from its mouth.


Time to get its attention. Don’t want it running away. I need it mad…Oh man this is a terrible idea…


Jay heaved the fist sized rock as hard as he could, watching as it sailed through the air and slam into the ground. The boar looked up startled by the sound, just as the rock bounced off the ground and smash into the animal’s face. The wild pig roared in pain and shook its head enraged.


“Hey! You with the ugly mug! Yeah you! Come and get it!” Metal rasped against metal as the longsword slid from its sheath by the Ackina’s side. He flourished it in the air, gripping the hilt between both hands, eyes locked on the angry animal. He watched as the wild pig looked up and caught sight of the human. Jay could almost see its eyes widen and turn red with rage. It stomped a hoof on the ground and shook its head infuriated.


Two hundred pounds of lean, angry meat charged across the glade, tusks gleaming menacingly.


Dirt and mulch flew in the air as the boar’s hoofs kicked up the ground as it stormed towards Jay. The sword wielding man, balanced carefully on the balls of his toes remembering what Bael told him long ago about pivoting. Though this would require more than just a pivot, this was more of a controlled dive.


Just as the boar was about to skewer the man through the lower abdomen with its tusks, Jay managed to leap clear of the enraged animal that was intent on killing him. He felt the animal graze his leg with its body as it charged by. A sense of relief rushed through him as he survived the first attack.


Blast, I should have brought a spear…this is going to be way harder than I thought…I need to outmaneuver it…


Jay cast his eyes about the clearing, noticing how uneven the ground was. It seemed to slope steeply towards the other side of the clearing. Maybe that would slow the animal’s charge. Not allowing doubt to cause him to second guess himself, the Ackina sprinted forwards, not caring that he left his back exposed to the boar. The animal had yet to turn, giving him a small window of opportunity.


Boots pressed into the soil, leaving his imprint against the dirt, muscles burning as he ran up the slope. He shot a glance behind him, seeing the boar turn and set its tiny eyes on him. It grunted angrily and charged. Finally reaching the top of the small incline, Jay brandished his sword, preparing for the oncoming threat.


The boar charged towards Jay, noticeably slower since it had to run uphill this time. Just as it reached Jay, the Ackina swung his sword horizontally through the air, slicing the boar through the side of the face with the blade. The wild pig squealed in pain as the metal left a jagged cut across its head, blade bitting into the eye, blinding one side. The attack was gruesome enough to alter the animal’s course, just enough to stop a head on collusion.


But Jay didn’t quite make it out unscathed.

[Jay Ackina]

The sword jerked the animal’s head to the side just enough to stop its tusks from ripping into Jay’s groin but not enough to stop the momentum of the animal’s body from crashing into Jay. The full weight of the boar slammed into the man, sending him sprawling onto the ground, animal pinning him to the ground.


Jay cried out in pain as it sharp hooves trampled over his legs and stomach. Its hot breathe blasted him in the face causing him to gag. The tusks came dangerously close to stabbing into his face but he wrapped a free hand around one, desperately trying to hold it at bay. The boar had at least fifty pounds on him and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it from tearing him up for long.


Having managed to keep his sword in one hand, Jay slammed the hilt of the weapon into the side of the animals face. The metal crashed into the already ripped open wound sending a shriek from the animal’s mouth, spittle flying in Jay’s face. He jerked the tusk in the same direction as the wild pig attempted to jerk away from the hilt. It gave the tracker just enough freedom to escape from under the pig and stagger to his feet.


Jay groaned, barely able to breathe from his bruised ribs. Nothing felt broken but he could hardly suck in air. Breathing shallowly was the best he was able to manage but he didn’t have the time to think about that now.


The pig rolled to its feet, blood coating the side of its face, one eye completely destroyed. Jay could see it breathing heavily, deciding on its next course of action. The fight or flight mechanism seemed to churn in its small brain. Jay didn’t want it to suffer and wanted to end the fight quickly.


If I charge it, it might run away. But if I run away…


Jay had no idea if his plan would work but it was better than nothing. Jay sprinted back down the slope, feeling as if his chest was about to explode from the exertion. His vision started to dim around the edges as his lungs demanded oxygen but his body refused to allow him to inhale it. He half tumbled, half ran down the soft dirt, shooting another look behind him to see the animal’s reaction.


It took the bait.


Jay threw himself onto the flat rock he had perched on earlier and slammed the butt of his longsword in between the edge of the rock and the dirt, wedging it in place, angling the point at the animal’s chest level. The sword had no support for him to hold onto like a spear would have but hopefully it would have the same affect.


The boar, in its enraged and blinded state didn’t hesitate as it charged down the slope directly towards Jay. Dirt and leaves flew up into the air, its head lowered, tusks thirsting for blood. The tracker lay prone on the smooth rock, both hands wrapped tightly around the angled sword. The blade gleamed in the sunlight as it pointed at the charging boar.


Here goes nothing…


It was all Jay could do to resist the urge to close his eyes as the wild pig bore down on him. The two hundred pound monster didn’t slow as it threw itself onto the longsword blade, trying to gore Jay. The sharp steel easily passed through the thick hide of the animal’s chest as its full weight collapsed on top of it. The hilt was jerked from Jay’s hands and he attempted to roll out of the way but was unsuccessful as the boar crashed on top of him.


The Ackina’s head cracked against the stone and everything went black.

[Jay Ackina]

Sometime later…


Jay blurrily opened his eyes, head throbbing. He tried lifting a hand to his head but was unable to move. Panic flared in his chest as he realized his body refused to respond to his commands. He desperately began flailing around. His body slowly began to register a heavy weight pressing down on him. He stopped struggling and concentrated, trying to remember what happened.


Suddenly it all came back to him in a flash.


I’m pinned by the boar! Oh…and I’m alive!


Exhilaration coursed through him as he realized the boar must be dead. The throbbing in his head must have been when the boar crashed on top of him it cracked his head against rock, knocking him out. Jay slowly began to wiggle his way out from under the animal. It took a couple of chimes before he was able to escape but finally he broke free. He slowly stood to his feet and looked around the clearing. The sun was still in the sky so he couldn’t have been out for that long. His whole body was sore. Jay winced as he lifted a hand to his head and felt dried blood crusting over a shallow cut.


Jay looked down at the boar and saw the blade jutting out of the back of the animal. In its rage it had speared itself on the weapon, just as he had intended. Had he used an actual spear, the animal wouldn’t had reached him. But hindsight was 20/20. Jay went to roll the animal over but pain flared up along his back and he cried out. Jay tenderly attempted to reach around to his back to feel the injury but was unable to reach the wound. The boar must have got him with its tusk when it crashed on top of him.


He sighed, feeling bruises and strained muscles all along his body. But a feeling of satisfaction glowed in his chest.


See, you successfully tracked and killed a boar. Granted, this could be a completely DIFFERENT boar from the one you hunted…but for the sake of my sanity I’m going to say it was the same one…


He looked around at the surrounding trees.


Now if I could just figure out which way is home…


The Ackina shrugged, pushing that thought aside for the time being and crouched down beside the boar.


He had an animal to gut and skin.


This would probably be a lot easier if I knew how to do this. Blehhh...well I better get started now. Besides, how hard could it be? Just leave the bad stuff, take the good. Yeah…that sounds right…


Jay managed to heave the dead boar over onto its side and retrieved his longsword. He cleaned it and put it away, before pulling out his dagger. The tracker sighed and got to work. He had a long afternoon of carving meat ahead of him. But the man could return home and show his Dynasty family that he was successful in his endeavors.


Maybe the next thing he would be hunting would be an actual slave.

[Stefan]

XP Award!

Name: Jay Ackina

XP Award:

• +5 Observation
• +1 Running
• +1 Flirting
• +4 Tracking
• +1 Swimming
• +1 Intimidation
• +1 Acrobatics
• +3 Hunting
• +3 Weapon: Longsword
• +1 Weapon: Rock
• +1 Butchery

Lore:

• Hunting: Getting prepared
• Hunting: Common Sense
• Mahilda: Clawstone State's Kelvic Cook
• Tracking: Find a lead
• Tracking: Pay attention
• Tracking: Feces
• Footprints: Recognizing Boars
• Kenash: The swamps
• Crocodiles: They're not easily intimidated
• Near death experience: Good for waking up
• Practice makes perfect
• Don't give up
• Battling a freaking crocodile

Notes: Quite a thread, and quite fun to read. Keep going, lad! If you have any concern, don't hestiate and send me a PM.
Side Note: I can't believe you actually did the fighting a crododile thing.