Edmund lets out breath after breath of exasperation as he runs through the woods, knife in hand.
Why am I doing this? Edmund wonders while he could. Who is this person I supposedly serve anyways? What has he done? What does he represent? I'm basically serving blindly! And why does he want me to cut open a boar!? He exclaims, not knowing what to do about it.
But he was in it now, running through the woods, intent on hunting down a boar with a knife; with a knife of all things! No sword, no spear! For all he knew, this boar could kill him!
Suddenly, the scent in Edmund’s nose becomes stronger and his ears perk up, listening to his surroundings as he crouches among the bushes. It’s here. Edmund thinks.
That’s it, young warrior. You’re a natural born hunter. Now go in there and do what you do best. You’re a barracuda in the water, a hawk diving down from the sky! Your body knows what to do, trust your instincts!
Edmund lets out an anxious breath as he creeps closer to the scent. Before long, a large boar appears before him. It was sniffing the air, seemingly searching for something. My, that’s big beast! Edmund exclaims as he approaches.
Suddenly, Edmund’s nose catches another scent. Drawing his attention, Edmund looks to the ground. There were some mushrooms peaking out by a tree trunk, a few paces ahead. Edmund raises an eyebrow. Is that what you’re looking for? He wonders as he furrows his brows.
Edmund, sensing the boar coming closer, starts to position himself. Since that’s what you’re after, go get it! I’ll just be waiting over here. He thinks with a mischievous grin.
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The boar continues to sniff the air, and eventually, it locks on to the scent. It gleefully trots forward and finds the mushrooms. Then, it happily took a few bites.
From where Edmund was watching, the boar almost seemed to be smiling. Edmund lets out a smirk. Enjoy it, boar. Because here I come! He exclaims in his mind before leaping out from his hiding place and onto the large boar’s back.
Following his instincts, Edmund lunges his knife into the boar’s throat, causing a loud and piercing squeal to escape it. Startled and bleeding, the boar begins to struggle; it jumps, it charges, but no matter what it did, Edmund held firmly onto the boar's back.
Easy, easy, boar. Edmund thinks, and forcefully pushing at the dagger, the blade begins to drag across the boar’s throat, allowing blood to gush out of the wound like a fountain. Edmund’s hand was stained and the blood even splatters backward, staining his face and his hair as Edmund held on to the boar’s back.
Slowly, after an intense struggle, the boar’s body begins to slow, and like a water starved horse in the desert, it knelt and began to breathe its last breath.
Edmund rolls off from the boar’s back and lets out breath after heavy breath. His shirt and face were wet from sweat and blood, and his breath continues on raggedly. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Oh my, oh my. I did it, I really did it. Edmund thinks in a mix of glorious victory and shock and anxiety. Edmund licks his lips and a taste lingers on his mouth; it was salty and metallic and… It’s sweet? He thinks with furrows brows. What is that? He wonders as he puts a hand to his lips, wiping off something wet. Edmund looks at his hand and it was covered in blood; then Edmund looks down and his clothes were covered in blood. Blood had even continued to escape from the boar, and Edmund was now laying in a puddle of blood.
Edmund’s eyes widen as the horror of the situation reaches his mind. Unprompted and as loud as he could, Edmund suddenly yells as loud as he can. “Aaaahhhh!!!” He calls out as he hurriedly stands up. Oh heavens, oh heavens. What have I done!? I’m a killer, a butcher! An innocent animal! And for what!? An offering to an unknown deity!? I’m a monster! Edmund exclaims in his mind as empathy for the boar and remorse ram into him like a siege weapon knocking into a castle’s gates.
Edmund hurriedly paces back and forth as anxiety floods through him. He didn’t know what to do and he barely understood what happened.
Ha ha ha! Young warrior! How does it feel!? The thrill of the kill! The triumph over your opponent! You are a hunter through and through! Born of instinct and baptized in blood! How glorious!
As Edmund paces back and forth and as the warrior spirit begins to speak, he begins to hyperventilate. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and his mind began to shut off. Like a helpless lamb, Edmund collapses back onto the ground, limp and unconscious, as the warrior spirit words echo in his mind. How glorious! How glorious!