Chapter 24

Attila POV:

Our feet barely touched the ground as we slinked towards our target. The only indication that we were even there was the slight partings of the vibrant tall grass as we pushed forward.

Moving in a roundabout fashion, we worked our way from one covered area to the next, approaching the clearing that the animal was grazing in. Methodically, we circled to the back of the beast, its most unsuspecting area.

Just as my back had begun to ache from the constant hunched positioning, I heard it.

The gruffing of a beast rummaging the duff.

It let out small snorts and huffs as it tore apart the foliage in search of its favourite plants and insects.

I strained my ears, listening for exactly what the animal might be. Any small noises or motions that’d give some idea as to what it might be.

Just as I’d come to my conclusions, my brothe-, Pino, turned to me with a serious expression and motioned a few times with his hands.

Reading his hand symbols, I motioned backed questioningly,

“Bo-ar?”

As if having some sudden realisation, he exasperatedly motioned again.

“Hogahn, lots of meat but also extremely dangerous. This won’t be an easy hunt, be careful.”

He signed once fast, then a second time slower to ensure that I’d caught what he said.

Wiping the sweat from my palms before tightening my grip on the spear, I gave a nod of confirmation,

With that, he turned forward again whilst motioning for me to fan to the side, flanking the beast.

I silently moved to my position in a hurried manner. In my current position, there was a fair amount of vegetation, as well as the hogahn, that cut my line of sight of Pino.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, this would be my first actual hunt. The times that I practised stalking, tracking, hand signals, bird calls… all of that has congregated into this one moment.

I don’t want to fail, I want to make him proud… to show that I’m a useful part of the clan. I want-

A calming birdsong settled on the clearing, drifting along the wind, and cascading against the trees.

It was so natural that the hogahn didn’t alter its actions, it even seemed to be enjoying the song?

I on the other hand knew by heart the subtle messages within the birdsong:

“I will throw two spears and drive it in your direction, you’ll startle it back to me when it rushes you, then I’ll deliver the final blow.”

Internalising the information, I sent out a short whistle of confirmation.

My lacklustre whistling skills caused the beast to pause for a moment, but not too suspicious, it continued to graze.

I internally groaned, knowing that I was in for an earful, as I did a quick check on my spears one more time.

I remained crouched for another minute or so before hearing a familiar sound, a spear whistling through the air.

That sound was followed by a similar sound in quick succession.

“AHHRCK-” The beast uttered, clearly startled.

I took this as my cue to take action, I swiftly stood, spear at the ready, and caught my first sight of the beast.

The first impression I got was, tyrannical.

It was extremely large, almost half the height of a man,thin fur all along its body and large bone spears protruding from either side of its mouth.

The most striking feature though, was the spear deeply lodged in its side, as well as the madness and anger in its eyes.

I heard a familiar roar from my right side, no doubt Pino scaring it towards me.

‘I’m ready’ I thought while firming myself, the spear held in a throwing stance.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

As the hogahn barreled towards me, mouth frothing and breath steaming, I took a small step back.

Then another

I considered dropping my weapon and running… but I knew I couldn’t.

If I couldn’t even battle a beast, how would I ever get revenge for my family

‘…true revenge’ I thought as I remembered that massacre in the snow.

Its mouth frothed and steamed as it ran towards me

‘AHHHHHhhhhhh” I roared with conviction, taking two strong steps forward

I put my back into the throwing motion as I hurled the spear at the boar.

Aiming wasn’t a concern considering how large it was, and the fact that it ran in a straight line.

The spear made a beautiful arc through the air, it hit the hogahn’s shoulder, and sank deeply there.

I didn’t have the opportunity to fully appreciate my marksmanship. Keeping an eye trained on the prey, I grasped another spear and readied for the next throw.

As the pain settled into the beast, it quickly veered away from me, running parallel to both Pino and myself.

“Don’t let it get away!” Pino yelled, no longer worried about subtlety.

I didn’t respond, far too focused on my next throw.

Twisting my waist for maximum power, I launched the spear with my full weight behind it.

Screeching through the air, it glanced the beasts’ back, causing a small gash to open, as it sailed onwards.

The spear passed in front of the hogahn, driving itself deep in the dirt only a few meters in front of it.

Turning yet again, it ran towards Pino.

Pino, who’d been trailing behind the animal all along, readied himself for the confrontation.

The maddened beast lowered its head to the ground as it rushed Pino.

Standing in a partially squatted and stout position, Pino stood firm. Just as the beast was reaching impaling range, Pino rolled to the side, outstretching his spear.

The tip of the spear dragged along the beasts’ flank as it charged past, causing yet another laceration.

Swiftly standing up again, Pino charged the hogahn.

The animal hadn’t yet turned but Pino was already upon it. He deftly grasped the spear that he’d originally thrown into the hogahn and ripped it out.

The animal cried in pain as it flailed its head about, an attempt to ward off any attackers.

Taking two large and swift steps back, Pino narrowly avoided contact with the sharp tusks.

The animal sporadically trotted and charged at trees and bushes. It was no doubt fighting against the claws of death, so we merely stood a safe distance away,slowly following behind it and watching for any other predators. Waiting for it to bleed out or finally collapse from exhaustion.

It suddenly stopped moving,

As if gaining some form of clarity right before death, it looked straight at us

Both Pino and I tensed up

“Move!” Pino barely managed to roar as he threw himself to the side

‘Move?’ I couldn’t grasp what that meant, my mind too occupied by the small mountain of death charging towards me.

‘Move?’ I asked myself again, as I felt the specks of blood and spittle spray me, a testament to just how close the beast was to me.

‘MOVE’

“MOVE!!”

I yelled internally as Pino once again roared in desperation.

Breaking myself from the shock, I unceremoniously threw myself to the ground, barely avoiding having a set of tusks lodged in my stomach.

Relentlessly, it charged at me again, forcing me to scramble to the side. Once again barely managing to avoid a painful death.

Although it’d failed to impale me yet again, the force of the glancing blow was enough to knock the wind from my chest and send me rolling into a tree.

“Come towards me!” I heard a voice yelling, but my mind was already fuzzy, and I could just barely focus on what was in front of me.

Dust filled the air as the hogahn pawed at the ground.

It huffed, and snapped its head from side to side, perhaps trying to displace the spear still stuck in its shoulder.

When it realised the spear wasn’t going anywhere, locking its eyes with mine, it charged.

Head lowered, and picking up speed it blitzed towards me, I knew that I only had a few seconds to make a choice.

Dodge again or stand my ground?

Forcing myself to my feet, I reflexively grasped for the spear that should’ve been slung across my lower back.

My hand gripped empty air.

Somehow, in the heat of the moment, I’d dropped it somewhere. That didn’t matter right now, what mattered is how close the hogahn now was.

Thinking fast, I put my hands behind me and gripped the tree, then jumping up and leaning forward, I placed both feet on the tree’s trunk. I then kicked off of the trunk while simultaneously releasing my hands grip, propelling myself forward and over the beast.

As I passed overhead I reached my hands out, fighting gravity, and managed to grip the spear still stuck in its shoulder.

I was set on pulling the spear from the beast, but rather than that happening the counterforce and inertia that I exerted caused the hogahn to flip, whilst coincidingly snapping the spear.

Ignoring the dull pain in my arms as I tumbled to the ground, I swiftly gathered myself and charged the animal again, barehanded.

Before I could rashly engage a beast almost as tall as myself in hand to hand combat, Pino was already upon it.

He had his bone dagger, one that he seems extremely fond of, and he used it to stab and slice at the animals’ neck and exposed stomach repeatedly.

I stood awestruck at the bloody and brutal display, I only came to when a blood drenched man grasped my shoulder and asked,

“Are you okay?”

“Hm?” I replied.

“Are you okay?” He repeated, this time a lot more slowly, while also checking me for any injuries.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” I confirmed.

As if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he slouched to the ground,

“Fuck…” He muttered.

“Fuck.” I confirmed while sitting beside him.

I peeked at him, fully expecting him to scold me for swearing, he always said I was too young to swear.

No such admonishment came this time, maybe he’d recognised me as a full blown hunter, or maybe he was just exhausted.

A deep sigh pulled me from my musings,

“Let’s take what we can carry from it and leave, before another predator catches its scent.” Pino commanded

“Yes brother! I- I mean…” I trailed off because Pino hadn’t rebuked me yet.

‘So brother is finally okay…’ I thought as I rushed to help him butcher and store the best pieces of the meat.

“Why are you cutting strips off the back?” I asked

He laughed while saying, “Have you ever heard of bacon?”