Leaves crinkled underfoot as a young man with shaved brown hair and dressed in furs stalked through a thickly wooded forest. What was once a sea of green had become a splattering of reds, yellows, and oranges atop the trees. The slight chill in the air made it known to all that the Season of Dusk was at hand. A time when all creatures, be they man or beast, prepared in their own way for the Season of Ends. Man gathered firewood to heat their homes, the trees shed their foliage, and the animals of the land began to breed. In the Season of Beginnings the trees would blossom once more and the cycle would continue anew.

For a hunter like Laman Rhynds, this was the best time to gather meat and skins for the coming snows.

Ever since he was a young boy, Laman was taken to these very woods by his father to prepare him for life as a hunter. How to craft his own bow and arrows and how to properly dress and prepare his kills were taught by his father. His mother on the other hand, taught him how to sew his own clothes. Theirs was a self-sufficient life at the edge of civilization, but Laman loved every moment of it. The crisp air that filled his lungs as he took a deep breath, the feeling of his blood rushing through his veins as he tracked his latest quarry filled him with excitement.

“Always keep your mind clear, your eyes sharp, and ears sharper.” Laman whispered to himself with the mantra his father always told him before every hunt. It was advice that had always served him well, and Laman scanned his surroundings with sharp green eyes. In his left hand he gripped the sturdy oaken bow he had crafted himself not two Cycles past. Strapped to his right thigh was a leather quiver filled with arrows. Belted to his left were his knife and hand-axe. Once he found and killed a deer it would need to be dressed before he could bring it back to his home. His father had always left the innards behind to appease the various predators of the wilds, so Laman did the same.

Finding game was never a problem for Laman’s father. Every night the burly man would bring home something he had killed in the forest. When Laman was seven cycles old, he was taken with his father into the forest on a real hunt. Within a few hours they had found and killed two rabbits and a deer. ‘Beginner’s luck’ his father had called it with a big grin. But when Laman turned eight, he swore he could feel a faint ‘tugging’ feeling as he walked the forest. To this day, the feeling was faint. No more than a slight urging to walk in a single direction within the forest. When he first felt it, the feeling scared him. It wasn’t a natural feeling, he was sure. But one day curiosity got the better of him as he played near the forest. He followed the tugging within him.

Not a few minutes of treading carefully through the trees later, he had found a deer.

As soon as he returned home he had told his father about his sense. Together they set out into the forest. Laman had been told to lead the way, and so he did. After a few hours in the wilds, his father was convinced. His boy had a gift.

“Tell no one of this, Laman.” His father spoke seriously. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Perhaps your mother in all her travels has. When she returns, we’ll ask. But until then, tell no one.”

“Yes Da.” Laman promised, and the two returned home. Later that year, when his mother had returned from trading, they consulted with her about his gift. Unfortunately, she had never heard of such a thing either.

“This world holds many mysteries.” She spoke with a smile, “Our boy will just be one of them.”

Laman smiled at the recollection as he stepped over fallen branches. “I’ll find out about my gift one day Ma. Then I’ll be a mystery no more.” It was a promise he had made long ago, and to this day held it strong in his heart. This was why he spent so much time in the forest. If his gift worked best in the wilds, then in that very place would be his best chance at finding answers. Laman looked up at the sky and felt the light of the sun behind the gray wall of clouds covering the heavens. It was now passed noon, and judging by the color of the clouds, it would rain tonight.

He had been following his sense for nearly four hours, far longer than he had ever done so before. His father had warned him about treading too deeply into the forest, but Laman was a young man of sixteen cycles. While he respected his father greatly, he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to test his gift. The tugging grew stronger, it wouldn’t be long now.

Laman stopped in his tracks as the sound of antlers scraping against a tree broke the calm of the forest. Low to the ground, Laman skulked forward to sight his target. Not seventy paces away was a hulking male, grinding its antlers against a large oak. He grinned, the traders that came to the town every few months would pay handsomely for a preserved head with the antlers. He himself didn’t do the preserving of the head, an acquaintance of his father’s in town did. In return for doing the work, Laman would have to split the profits of the sale. But the return was always worth it, as they both could pay their taxes for three months from such a sale alone!

Laman nocked an arrow to his bow and drew back to fire. He would have to aim for the animal’s heart, as any damage to the head or neck would decrease the value of the kill significantly. Carefully, he took aim and let the arrow loose. The slight twang of the string was enough to make the deer cease grinding its horns against the tree. Laman silently cheered as the arrow sailed through the air towards his target’s heart. A perfect shot.

“Ahhhh!” A shrill voice cried out from deeper within the forest. The deer that had once stood still, bolted mere seconds before the arrow embedded itself into the tree it had stood in front of. Laman silently cursed his luck and drew another arrow before rushing towards where the scream had come from. A deer could wait, someone was in trouble! His mind raced at what could cause a person to scream so. A bear? Wolves? He tried to sense a tugging feeling in the direction he ran, but he felt nothing.

Another scream rose above the forest as Laman rushed forward, charging through bushes in his path. The exposed flesh of his arms was pricked and ripped at by thorns as he ran. ‘Please hold on a little longer!’ he prayed in his mind as he broke through into a clearing. The scent of fresh blood strong in the air.

“Get up Mellie! Get up!” A high pitched voice frantically yelled within the grass ahead of Laman. Unable to believe his eyes, Laman clenched them shut and took a deep breath. When he looked again, they were still there. In the grass of the clearing were two small human-like beings. Each with a pair of clear butterfly-esque wings upon their backs.

“Fae folk?” Laman whispered to himself in wonder as he crouched low in the grass. Never before had he laid his eyes upon any race other than his own. His mother often told tales of Dwarves whose hands could craft arms and armor that would never break. The knife he had at his side was one of Dwarven make, and it had never dulled in the two years he had it. Other tales were of wandering Centaur knights who would laugh in the face of the worst danger. Those were always his favorites. His mother had told countless tales of the various races that inhabited this world, and the Fae were always tricksters.

He thought about turning away, as this could have been one of their pranks. But the strong scent of blood in the clearing held him where he was. As he scanned the surrounding tree line he noticed another peculiarity. Sounds from the wildlife had ceased. Something had frightened away the animals.

“Come on Mellie, we need to run!” A green-haired Fae dressed in strange plant-like clothes, beat her luminescent wings as she began to lift her fallen friend.

“I can’t…Tirrah.” Her fellow Fae responded dejectedly as she arose to a sitting position. Laman noticed that not only her left wing was torn and bloody, but there were also gashes along her side that were also bleeding. “Escape without me! I’ll distract it, you need to warn the Mother!”

Sounds of branches snapping and bushes being torn just beyond the clearing marched towards the voices. Every hair on Laman’s body stood on end as the sound of snarling and gnashing teeth came ever closer. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run, yet he didn’t. He couldn’t. Silently, he nocked an arrow to his bow and took aim as a large beast entered the clearing.

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The beast walked upon two legs in human-like fashion, but that is where similarities ended. Its flesh was a deep red and looked as if it had been melted, regenerated, and melted once more. A pair of spindly arms ended in hands with four long bone-white claws. Its head was almost canine-esque in a way with a mouth that constantly dripped bile and was filled with two rows of sharp-looking teeth. It sniffed at the air constantly and walked into the clearing. Two beady black eyes graced its head and it locked them upon the injured Fae.

“Die monster!” The healthy Fae, Tirrah, screamed at the beast. Lightning crackled from her small fingertips and leapt from her hands, directly towards her target. A sharp crack echoed through the forest as the attack struck the beast directly in the chest. Laman gasped in awe at the display and he lowered his bow.

“Magic…”

More cracks of lightning filled the air as the Fae unleashed bolt after bolt of magical energies.

“No! Run Tirrah!” Mellie cried out weakly. “It’ll kill us both!” She too shot a bolt of lightning towards the beast that had been obscured by kicked up dirt from Tirrah’s attacks. However, the injured Fae could only launch one attack before she fell to the ground, exhausted from her wounds.

Curious, Laman looked towards the beast that had been hit as the air cleared. Not even a scratch marked the beast’s hide. With the slow gait of a predator approaching cornered prey, the beast moved towards the two Fae. Slime rolled down its jaws as it salivated in anticipation of the kill at hand. Tirrah the Fae launched more attacks towards the beast, but none had any effect upon it’s hide. It wasn’t until the beast was almost upon them that Tirrah’s determined face turned to one of fear. Laman knew he had to act now. In a single fluid motion, he took aim, nocked his arrow, drew the string back on his bow, and released. Without missing a beat, he reached for the next arrow.

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“N…no!” Tirrah cried out in fear as timidly retreated backwards. She shook like a leaf in the wind as she took an awkward step back and fell to the ground. She had spent too much energy with her attacks, now both Mellie and her were going to die. “Damn… I’m sorry Mellie.”She whispered as she closed her eyes, hoping her death would be quick. A sharp twang rung out in the clearing. Tirrah opened her eyes at the curious sound, and a moment later a piece of wood with feathers sticking out of the back had plunged itself into the neck of the beast.

With a furious roar, the beast turned from it’s prey and charged towards this new threat.

“Tirrah?” Mellie coughed from behind. “Whats happening?” Tirrah remained silent as arrow after arrow soared through the air and snapped into the monster’s flesh. Thick black blood oozed from the wounds where arrows had embedded themselves. In seconds, eight arrows had struck the monster that had almost killed them both. But the beast pressed on, snarling as it rushed towards…

“A human?” Tirrah gasped in disbelief.

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Wordlessly, Laman stepped backwards into the cover of the forest as he launched arrow after arrow into the monster charging towards him. The trees would give him some defense against that monster’s massive claws that would surely rip him open if he weren’t careful. Irreverently, Laman threw his bow to the side and drew his handaxe and dagger. The bow would be useless at close range. In a torrent of sound, the monster crashed into the trees, snarling viciously as it tore through branch and bush.

An icy chill of fear ran through Laman’s entire body as he got a close look at the wounded monster moving towards him. Tar-like blood oozed from its multiple wounds inflicted by his arrows that smelled of charcoal. The beast swung an arm towards Laman, who ducked around a tree. The sound of wood splintering ripped through the forest as the beast roared in rage. With a yell, Laman jumped around the tree and swung his handaxe into the arm of the beast, wounding it deeply. As he pulled his axe free from the beast’s arm, it swung it’s good arm towards Laman.

Laman jumped backwards to avoid the strike, but he felt the tips of the beast’s claws slash across the side of his face. Flesh parted easily from the claws. His right eye stung as the blood that flowed from the fresh wounds dripped down his face into the eye. He wiped at his face with his arm and closed his right eye. More blood would flow into it if he kept it open. He retreated cautiously, keeping his remaining eye constantly on the beast before him. Laman silently thanked the gods that the wounds were only glancing. Any closer and he could have lost the eye entirely…or worse.

The beast’s wounded arm hung uselessly at it’s side. Laman grinned as it regarded him with a hint of fear. With a snarl, the beast flung itself towards Laman with an out-stretched claw. Laman jumped to the side to avoid the beast’s claw, only to smack into a tree in his blind spot. ‘Always keep your eyes sharp.’ His father’s voice rung in his mind as the claws of the beast stabbed into the arm of his that held his axe.

“Argh!” Laman cried out as he dropped the axe from his wounded arm. In a rage, he stabbed forward with the dagger at the beast’s arrow-riddled chest. It howled in agony as the blow connected, the blade sizzling as it slid through the beast’s hide far more easily than the axe had. As Laman ripped the blade from the beast’s chest and pressed forth for another strike, the monster retreated backward. Laman screamed in pain as the claws within his arm were pulled back as the beast avoided his dagger. Three large holes in his upper arm from where the claws had stabbed into him remained.

Both stared at one another, neither wanting to make the next move. Laman’s heart beat in his chest so hard that it hurt. He had never faced death before, and his entire being screamed at him to run. But he knew if he turned his back on this foe now, it would kill him easily. He gripped the Dwarven dagger so hard his knuckles turned white from the strain.

Only one would be walking away from this battle. Moments passed in an eternity as both watched one another with the eyes of predators. The beast snarled and Laman spat at it. The beast would make like it was about to attack and Laman would thrust his dagger forth. Once more, the beast would retreat and the contest would begin again. Both knew, whoever made the first move would be the first to die here.

“Now human!” A high pitched voice cried from off to the side as the crack of lightning echoed through the forest. The beast snarled and turned its head towards the Fae as a bolt of magical energy smacked into it’s side. Laman charged the beast that was momentarily distracted. He screamed at the top of his lungs as the beast stabbed its claws towards him, but Laman shifted to the side and slammed his dagger into the beast’s skull. The blade cut directly into the beast’s brain and time seemed to stand still as neither Laman nor the beast moved.

“I…is it dead?” The Fae asked fearfully. Laman said nothing as he took a deep gulp of air and ripped the dagger from the beast’s skull. As soon as the dagger left it’s flesh, the monster collapsed in a heap upon the forest floor.

“Looks like it.” Laman said between deep breaths. A moment later, the body of the beast combusted in a burst of flames. The Fae shied away from the display while Laman was knocked to the ground from the energy released. The display only lasted a few moments, but when it was over, all that was left of the monster was a pile of ash.

“Human!” The Fae cried out and flew above him with a fearful expression on her face.

“I just need a moment to catch my breath.” Laman laughed weakly. “Let me rest for a few moments…”

“No! I…” She looked around desperately, “We need to get you to the Mother! Can you stand?” Laman attempted to push himself up with his good arm, but couldn’t do more than manage an awkward sitting position. He chuckled and coughed,

“Never expected to meet the gods today…”

“Tirrah.” A new voice spoke from behind Laman. The injured Fae from before limped slowly towards them. Her once golden hair matted with dirt and blood. Bloody hands clenched at the wounds at her side. “Go get the Mother and bring her here. I’ll wait with the human.”

“Mellie…” Tirrah looked at her and then the injured human. Both wouldn’t survive if they didn’t receive help soon. “I’ll be back soon! Just hang on!” she shouted and bolted into the air.

Mellie smiled as she watched her friend fly off at high speed towards their home. Her smile quickly turned to a grimace as she tried flapping her wings, but the injured one refused to move. With a sigh, she sat across from Laman and the two observed one another closely. Laman wasn’t the tallest in his village, but the Fae was really small. If the two of them stood side by side, he was sure she would barely stand higher than his knee. Sharp blue eyes watched his every motion wearily. Laman smiled, and with his good arm he grabbed the bladder filled with water at his side.

“Want a drink?” He offered the bladder to her which she accepted. Together the two sat in silence and drank. Minutes passed and finally Mellie broke the silence.

“I’m Mellie Stillstream.” She introduced herself.

“Laman Rhynds.” He responded.

“I’ve never met a human before.” Mellie stated.

“I’ve never met a Fae before.” Laman countered. The two smiled at one another.

“Is it true that you humans live in great cities made of stone?”

“I’m sure many do. I live in a small wooden cottage far to the east with my Da.”

“What were you doing so far in the wilds?”

“Hunting a deer.” Mellie snickered,

“All that distance for a deer?” Laman grinned,

“Yeah, not my best day of hunting.” The two shared a chuckle. “What about you? How were you both caught by that…thing?” he pointed towards the pile of ash upon the forest floor. Mellie sighed,

“We were playing a game of chase when that thing completely blindsided me. I’m lucky Tirrah carried me as far as she did. Luckier still that you came when you did. Thank you.”

Laman shrugged, “The Gods work in mysterious ways, Mellie.”