The collection of plaques and badges was pierced by a blood-stained chain. Each one showed the person to whom it belonged. As he picked up the chain, a parchment unfolded before him.
Killers Chain
This item is owned by members of the exclusive Forced Redistribution Club (member: Calico Pete). This is a way to show off your power and speed in acquiring loot. Read this carefully, because I swear, if any other illiterate person bothers me with this, I'll add your flayed skin to my robe.
Take the sharp end of the chain and pierce a corner of a plaque or tag, then join the chain tips together. If you've done it right, the plaque or badge will display your victim's information. The more passes you get, the higher your standing in our club.
[As for the pocket watches and other weirder status items, just put them in your pocket and bring them to one of the gentlemen's clubs and we'll take care of it. Do me proud, boys and girls, show them we don't need a real guild.]
Current Ranking: Highway Bandit
The parchment itself had what appeared to be blood and tears around the edges. Everything else the hunter had seen was clean and factual. He had the feeling he was reading the words of some arrogant and powerful bandit lord. He'd have to ask Lisette about that when he saw her. For now, Jaeger went back to the cat and tore off part of his shirt, wrapping the chain around it and putting it away.
Jaeger did a quick search of the battlefield and made an interesting discovery. While he knew that his rifle still fired physical bullets, he discovered that they weren't real. Examining one of the bandits he had shot, he found a lead bullet, but it disappeared as he looked at it. Not sure what to make of it, he moved on to check for anything worth taking. A quick search revealed that all the weapons, except for the swords of the bandit chief, were rusted or pitted. The blades of the tomcat, however, were well made, so he took the scabbards from the beastkin's body and placed the swords on his saddle.
Mounting Ventress, he looked around for something all bandits had, a hiding place, and spotted a likely spot. Riding his horse to the spot, he circled behind a rocky outcropping and spotted a wagon piled high with loot. Most of the pile seemed to be barrels of food, so while he gathered enough food to last a few weeks, he also set aside some of the other material goods he found.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
In the small pile, he found a small bag made of some exquisite material with a handful of rings and bracelets inside. He also found a pair of gloves, a bag of jewels, and a horse halter. Jaeger simply scooped it all up and placed it in one of his saddlebags.
During their sparring session, Lisette had drilled into his head that he should never wear random equipment without having someone identify it. She made sure to emphasize that even with his Analyze card, he should get someone more qualified to check it before he put it on; otherwise, he ran the risk of cursed magical items. He didn't think the bandits would have managed to get anything magical, but better safe than sorry.
He pulled the wagon to the side of the road and left it there. Taking all the valuables he wanted and more than enough food, Jaeger decided that anyone who wanted the rest could take it; he certainly had no use for it.
“All right, Ventress, now that we've warmed up a bit, let's go get that bounty.”
With that he gave her a kick and off they went.
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After the encounter with the bandits, the ride through the forest was short and uneventful. The forest turned out to be only a week's journey, and even with the magic trap, Jaeger made good time. Soon, the trees became fewer and the grass grew taller. As if to welcome him to a new area, the tree line abruptly stopped and he came out on top of a hill with a breathtaking view of a wide open grassland stretching out before him.
“There wasn’t anything like this back home.”
For as far as Jaeger could see, the land was rolling waves of tall blue grass with only a single, but large, cleared path through it. He also noticed a few breaks in the sea of grass, signs of creatures moving within. He didn't know how safe the path would be, but he definitely wouldn't go into the tall grass without a good reason. With a flick of the reins, he sent his horse forward and pulled out his rifle.
The grass was taller than he expected, almost reaching his shoulders while he was mounted. Another surprise were the stone markers, they were on both sides of the road and appeared from time to time. They were clearly set in a pattern, and when Jaeger got close to one, it seemed to almost vibrate with power.
He wondered what those markings were for, and once again his mind provided the answer; they were protectors of the pathway. A monster ward that kept the pathway free and safe from most monsters. They were a fairly common formation, most towns had a larger and more powerful version. Some city, government, or just a powerful individual had set them up to protect the pathway. It made sense, this was an important connecting road between regions. Satisfied with that answer and his safety, he relaxed for the journey; but he didn't put away his rifle.
The lull of nothing but tall grass and markers put Jaeger in a kind of half-asleep state where time and distance passed quickly. Before long the path led into an open area, the grass had been cut and the markers pushed back, leaving a wide open space. It was a rest area of sorts, with a few fire pits, a well, and a few exits leading to other parts of the grasslands. He noticed a caravan of tents set up and a few lone travelers like himself. This would be a good area for Jaeger to rest before he began his hunt in earnest.
According to the information on Crusher's location, he was a day's journey away. His raider group had cleared a spot in the grass and set up a base. Jaeger had ridden almost a day to get here, which made this area a perfect place to use Bloodhound. With all these exits, one had to lead close to the orc.