As the first rays of the new day began to warm her campsite, the sleeping girl stirred. Sitting up caused the jacket she was using as a blanket to fall down, exposing her bare shoulders and back to the morning chill. She stretched and faced the sun, letting its light warm her pale skin.
Feeling rested she checked on the circle she drew the night before. The magic was still flowing, and would likely last another few hours, plenty of time to prepare for what would hopefully be the final leg of her journey. She reached into her pack and pulled out the one thing she dared not view by firelight, an old roll of parchment.
Unrolling it carefully on the ground before her, she looked at the faded drawings. With a sentimental look in her eye, she lightly traced her finger over the route she had traveled thus far. She crossed mountains, travelled through deep woods, and eventually came to this lake. The distance she had left to travel to Anabathmis Village was nothing compared to how far she had come.
She smiled as she carefully returned the map to her pack and began to prepare her meal. If she made good timing, she might even make it by nightfall. Worst case she would be there sometime the following day. She quickly ate, checked the magic circle one final time, and then grabbed her empty water skins and headed to the lake. Unencumbered by her gear, her slight figure moved gracefully towards the water. Her bare feet were nearly silent as she moved through the short grass and along the sandy shore.
Shivering as she dipped her toes in the water, she pulled more of the sun’s energy into her and boldly waded in until the water was waist high. She paused to fill her water skins for the journey ahead, before hanging them on a strap around her neck so they wouldn’t be lost as she went deeper. Once she was far enough in, she took a deep breath and crouched down, completely submerging herself.
Rising from the water, she shook out her hair and rinsed the dust from her body before slowly swimming back to the shore. Feeling refreshed and ready for the day she headed back towards her camp. As she drew nearer, her heart began to pound as she noticed a strange scent on the wind. Though she resisted the urge to run, knowing her options were limited in her current state, she couldn't avoid quickening her pace. Having faced little danger during her journey so far, she was unsure whether she could handle whatever had approached even if she were fully prepared.
As her campsite came into view it was clear that something had torn through her concealment circle. Based on the destruction left behind, it probably shattered the spell without even realizing it was there. The contents of her bag had been sent flying and her gear was scattered everywhere. She silently cursed that she had been so complacent, only hiding her campsite rather than properly warding it.
There were no signs of the creature which caused the destruction, but there was a clear trail showing where it went. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to fight, yet, she checked on her supplies. Fortunately her clothes for the day and jacket were intact. Her dagger was still present as well. Her pack, map included, was gone, leaving her with no choice but to pursue.
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She quickly dressed, pulling on her boots and jacket, and then followed the trail of destruction. Moving rapidly, dagger in hand, she hoped to find her pack before the map was lost or ruined. The brush tugged at her jacket and hair but she ignored it in her pursuit. As she blindly followed the trail, she began to hear noises ahead of her. As they grew louder it soon became clear that the beast had stopped its reckless charge. She could hear the mindless roaring of an animal as it crashed into its surroundings.
She slowed as she approached the clearing where the noise was coming from. Approaching with caution she looked towards the commotion. A giant boar, easily larger than a horse, was lunging at the trees, goring them with its razor sharp tusks. Its fur looked like blackened metal, jagged and burnt. Rather than hooves, its front feet were clawed. As it raged around the clearing, she saw her tattered and torn bag was literally stuck to the monster. Apparently its fur was as sharp as its claws and tusks. She cursed quietly to herself, even at her full combat potential, it would likely overpower her. She simply couldn’t do enough damage.
Then she heard an unexpected sound, a loud twang followed by a bang and the roaring of the beast as it changed its target to another tree. Looking closer, she saw a figure going from tree to tree around the clearing. They paused, fired a crossbow, and then quickly moved to another perch. The beast continued to rage, but its movements gradually began to slow as the damage accumulated. The first few shots had all exploded when they hit, leaving scorch marks where they struck.
Eventually the archer switched to a normal bow, aiming for where the animal was already injured. Some of the arrows simply bounced off the tough hide, while others found their mark and pierced its skin. Then the shots stopped completely and she lost track of where the mysterious hunter had gone. The boar continued to rage aimlessly and in the chaos it was pure chance that she noticed when the man dropped to the ground, a dagger ready. It looked as if he intended to kill the creature at close range.
The man watched the boar, like a cat watching its prey, and charged when he saw an opening. He slashed at its shoulder where it was impaled with an arrow, slicing his blade down as he slid under the beast. In the time it took for the beast to snap at his strike, he was already on his feet and disappearing into the brush. A blackish ichor dripped from the wound and the creature stumbled. The man appeared once more, knocking it to the ground and striking the finishing blow. Even in its death throes it continued to fight, roaring and striking at the man one final time as its strength faded.
Fearing for the worst the girl held her breath as she helplessly watched. She gasped as the claw brutally struck the man only to bounce off his finely crafted black scale armor in a shower of sparks. The blow was enough to force the man to stagger backwards, undoubtedly taking his breath away, but otherwise he appeared unharmed.
Cautious of any further death throes the man waited for the animal to still. Though confident in his armor's ability to protect him, there was little reason to take any extra risks now that the boar was defeated. Once it stopped moving he lightly kicked it a few times just to be sure, before pulling the ruined bag from its steely fur, and turning his attention to the girl.