It has been shortly after Iryl left the camp that he found himself at the outskirts of the grassy lands. In front of him was a massive forest filled to the brim with large trees.

For one last time Iryl turned his head around and gazed at the camp he had grown fond of after so long..

A small smile appeared in his face as a single thought passed through his mind.

' Yup.. The feeling of freedom fits me better... '

It has been such a long time since he was last on his own that he had practically forgotten how being on your own is like.

A light breeze came from the forest and Iryl turned his attention back at it. With a deep breath he made the first step into the forest. And so, time kept going on..

With every footstep a new scenery that he has never seen before unfolded before him. Mossy stones with wild plants and flowers growing on them were all over the place. While, trees that must have been thousands of years old were blocking the sunlight. Not much but, enough for the place to be more relaxing than walking with the sun above your head.

Iryl didn't feel like keeping up his running pace since he wasn't in a hurry and far enough from the camp, so he just walked through the forest while enjoying the scenery.

From time to time he would pick up some edible plants and fruits. During the many years he resided in the camp, he learned the art of cooking while helping at the tavern...

In all his life Iryl never expected to learn how to cook.. Even in his previous life, he never cooked.. People around him would make the food for him. His group almost always had a Chef amongst their ranks..

While walking around the forest Iryl recognised several types of edible stuff that he had used before in cooking. So he ended up picking them for later on when they'll be needed. 

After walking for several hours and realising how big the forest really is.. Iryl decided to make a stop for the day. The sun was also setting and the shadows were growing stronger.

Nothing attacked Iryl during the day though he did spot a single deer on his way through the forest. Sadly for him, as soon as the deer saw him it made a run for it and he didn't get the chance to hunt it down.. Apart from that the only other animals Iryl saw were some small critters on the trees and small birds flying around.  

' I need to light a fire.. It's going to get seriously dark out here... '

With that thought in mind Iryl gathered several small branches for the campfire. After collecting enough to make a small campfire he made another thought...

' ...How do I light it ?.. '

He lacked the most basic of the basic.. In the camp you could access fire through a torch or a fire spell from an elf with a fire attribute spirit.. But, here? In the wilderness without torches or magic... The only way out was the manual way..

' Rocks or stick... '

Iryl searched around and after a while he found a stick suitable for the situation he was in.. With a little timbering, he made the stick's end pointy with one of the knifes he had in a sheathe on his chest area. 

' Now.. Let's see if I can light up a fire! '

On a clean grey rock he placed some dry weeds and a little bit of green moss. He then place the pointy stick in the middle and started spinning it like a madman.. (AN: I am not entirely sure how you light a fire without a lighter since I've never had the reason to check that... So I'll be using what I saw on a documentary a while ago.. Hope it is right.. Do not try it at home...)

One hour later...

' ..MY HANDS!!! IT HURTS!!! '

It took Iryl almost one hour in total only to light the fire.. He was about to give up when the first smoke finally appeared.. As he saw the white smoke he blew lightly on the fire to get it started and after five more minutes he finally lit the first fire in his life..

Iryl sat on the ground with his back on a tree and relaxed as he inspected his hands.. They were red all over.. The skin was missing on some parts and a little blood came out of some wounds.. 

' I never thought that lighting up a fire would be so difficult... Man.. Now I realise how dependent I always were.. '

For Iryl who was more than used to being assisted by others in those kinds of areas, he was a complete beginner.. 

' Ahh.. I'll have to get used to this kind of life style.. '

With that thought in mind he let out a long sigh and said out loud..

" Well.. It's better than being in the debt of others.. "

With the sun long gone he thought of what he should do..

' First I need to cover those wounds... Then.. I guess cooking some food would do for now.. '

SFX: Growl...

He took out some bandages from his backpack and patched his hands tightly enough for the bleeding to stop. Then, once again he rummaged through his backpack again searching for food this time.

' No meat huh..? '

After realising that something important was missing for his meal, he decided that it was late for hunting. And thus..

' ..A salad will do for now I guess... '

SFX: Grooowlll... 

Hungry and tired, Iryl picked some berries that were laying in a small shack on his belt. He also took out several fruits from his backpack that weren't small enough to fit in the shack..

He placed everything on some leaves and then took out a wooden bowl from his backpack. With a quick movement of his hand, he picked out one of the knives that were resting in the sheaths on his chest area. 

With fluid movements he quickly cut the fruits in pieces and placed them in the bowl...

' Years of helping in the tavern and here I am a professional cook that has no meat to cook... '

" Sigh.. "

With a loud sigh he cleaned the kitchen knife using a small towel and placed it back in the sheath.

Iryl ate the fruit salad and kept a watch for the fire.. After all, he didn't want to see the fire going out during the night.. 

And as time passed and sleep almost overtook him he made a sudden thought..

' Hmm.. I guess I'll try meditating for a while. Maybe, I'll meet one of Zyth's personalities.. '

With that thought in mind Iryl closed his eyes and concentrated on the spirits around him.. Like usual he felt his consciousness drift away while his mind freely floated in space..

As he waited for Zyth to allow him entrance in his realm a voice roared out..     

" LEAVE MORTAL!! I.. Have yet to acknowledge you... "

" Ehh.. Ahhh... "

And like that Iryl went back to where he came from.. He blinked twice and tried to move.. His body felt numb and he was unable to move..

' God damn it! I can't move... That ba****d kicked me out! I am definitely making Zyth pay when I see him! '

The reason behind Iryl's numbness was due to being rejected while trying to make contact with a spirit. For him it felt like his soul left his body for a sort while and then was forcefully brought back in without him wishing for it..

That is why he is currently in a paralyzed state and can't move..   

' Well... I don't think that this will last for long.. Probably, maybe half an hour or so.. I just hope that nothing will attack me during that time.. '

During that half an hour Iryls senses were maximized. His sense of smell, listening and eyesight were consentrated to the max! Even though nothing happened during that time and the numbness he felt has slowly gone away, he found something really interesting!

' Hoo! Luke.. Are you messing with me..? '

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With a small grin on his face Iryl made another though.

' Well.. I will not take any actions for today. But, tomorrow.. I will show him that I am not to be messed with! '

With that last thought in mind Iryl closed his eyes for the night and allowed sleep to take him away.

Meanwhile, inside the camp.. Luke was currently inside a shack along with Mirana, Narxus and Arvin.

Mirana had a look of disgust on her face as she stared straight into Lukes eyes.. The other two elves Narxus and Arvin were waiting in the background for Mirana and Luke to end their staring contest...

Mirana was the first one to speak.

" You've got a lot of guts showing your face in front of me! "

" ... "

Luke remained unfazed by the threat but the two other elves were sweating heavily in the background while gulp sounds could be heard as they whispered to each other..

" This is totally not going to end up fine... "

" Yea.. "

As the two elves were whispering between them Luke broke the silence between him and Mirana and said..

" ...I have placed three of my best scouts on Iryl's trail... I just came to inform you.. "

Mirana didn't answer for a while she lowered her head in anger and whispered in a low voice..

" ..Get out... "

Luke didn't manage to pick it up and just stayed on his tracks.. Then with a louder voice Mirana cried out..

" GET OUT!! What do you think your stupid scouts will do if Iryl is in danger?! They will just run away!.. That doesn't change anything! Even if.. Even if.. (hic).. "

Mirana fell on he knees and cried while Luke just stared at her.. After a while he turned around and headed towards the door while saying..

" ..I see.. You are still underestimating him.. "

As she was crying Mirana whispered..

" What is there to underestimate.. (hic) He.. Just like you.. Is just a child.. (hic) "

Luke left the camp and the two other elves tried to calm Mirana down after a small while..

The following morning, back in the forest.

Iryl woke up and stretched..

' Man!.. Sleeping on the ground with your back on a tree sure is uncomfortable.. '

The fire was long extinguished and only white smoke was getting out of it.. Without losing time Iryl picked his stuff off of the ground and went his way further into the forest.

As he walked he maximized his senses to the brim and quickly found the locations were the scouts were hiding in.. From experience he knew that the three of them were not amateurs.. And if he didn't maximize his senses he would have never even thought that scouts were on his trail.. That is just how good they were. 

' Hmm.. Let's show them first that I can hunt on my own.. Then I'll will make them understand that I am not to be messed with... A broken limb or two should be fine.. '

Iryl sped his pace up a little while having all of his senses maxed out.. After his external energy broke through the thousand limit he was able bring his five basic senses to a new level. Even though, that might not seem as much.. His augmented senses were a huge boost!

As an example when he maximized his senses he could see further, listen to sounds that normal elves couldn't hear if they didn't concentrate a lot on their hearing sense.. His smell and taste were also on a whole different level. As for his sense of touch.. When augmented if anything tried to touch him in a 10cm radius he would be immediately alerted.

After a while Iryls augmented senses found a lone deer inside the forest. A grin formed on his face as he turned his attention towards the deer. (AN: Poor deer..)

' This will do for today.. '

Iryl paused for a moment and took a deep breath in. He then took the sword Luke had given him out of the sheath and with a light jump he walked his way up on a trees branches.

His movements were so fast and silent that two of the scouts almost lost him before the third one showed them were Iryl was..

With light steps Iryl moved from one tree branch to another.. The deer was peacefully eating some grass on the ground but, it soon realised that something was wrong and turned its head upwards looking at its surroundings..

For a moment complete silence filled the place and the deer was getting anxious.. Some leaves fell from a tree near the deer and it turned its attention towards the tree. But, before it could move a shadow was already above it.. It turned its head upwards only to see Iryls figure above it.

As the deer turned its head upwards it knew it was already too late for it to escape so it didn't try to resist.. With a clean swing of his sword Iryl cut the throat of the deer as he fell on it's body. The deer died almost immidiatly and Iryl removed his sword from the deer.. With his other hand he closed the eyes of the poor creature and made an amend in his mind.

' Sorry.. But, I need your meat for my own survival.. '

Meanwhile the three scouts staring speachless at the scene that unfolded in front of their eyes.. But, what came next shocked them even more..

" DID YOU SEE THAT!? I CAN PREATY MUCH HUNT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE HUNTING GROUP.. RIGHT?! "

The shout came from none other than Iryl as he stared with a grin on his face at the direction where the three scouts were.. All of them made a similar thought as they dashed out of where they were hiding with the camp in mind..

' Crap.. '

' How did he find us?! '

' ..I underestimated him.. '

The three scouts were on the run but Iryl said in a loud voice..

" Hey.. Hey... Don't tell me that you will just run away..?! "

He dashed with lightning speed and after several seconds closed in on the first scout.. With a small jump down of the tree he was on he said..

" I've caught you! "

As he fell he placed his right knee on the scouts shoulder and with a loud 'snap' the shoulder was out of place dislocated..

The elf scout shouted out in pain as he fell on the ground.. Iryl ignored him and set his target on the two remaining scouts.. With annother dash he followed them from the ground this time..

" Run! If he gets us we are damned! "

" Roger! "

With a slight nod the two scouts split up and run in seperate directions.

" Eh.. That's no fun at all! "

Iryl followed one of the scouts and before long the scout's running paused.. His legs were trembling as he stared in Iryls eyes right in front of him..

" Ho.. How..? "

" I've... Caught up! "

" No.. Wait! I can explain! "

SFX: Snap!

" AHHHHHHHH!!! "

The scout cried out in pain as he fell on the ground crying.. Iryl didn't wish to hurt them (a lot).. So he just dislocated a bone or two...

" This will happen if anyone ever follows me again! Do you understand..? "

The scout cried as he lied on the ground.. Then he said in a trembling voice..

" Sorry.. Sorry... It won't.. Happen again... "

" Good.. Next time.. Worst things may happen... "

After that the scout paled and Iryl left him on his own.. Turning back to where the deer was..

END of chapter 17

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Author's Note:    Thanks for reading!! No time to say any more I don't know yet when the next update will be! I hope it will be soon though... Bye~~~