It was a frigid winter, my ragged, torn cloak and padded gambeson not giving me nearly the warmth that I needed to be comfortable; freezing chill soaking right to my bones. Making my way back to the empty watchtower that I had taken as my own since it was abandoned about a decade or so ago. Good on them too, it’s miserable being out here for even more than a few days yet here I am, a month in the process of making this my home. I arrive at the base of the watchtower, the thick lumber legs of the tower rising out of the snow like a colossus out of the ocean. I had to watch my step going up the wrap around stairs otherwise I’d slip and fall the twenty or so feet down the side. Opening the door and hanging up my cloak on the makeshift hook I had made by carving a hole in the wall with my nicked and rusty spear and the shoving a sturdy enough stick through it. I move towards the rack of smoked meats from the game I hunted in the summer on the far wall of the dark room and tear off a piece of meat to get even just a little bit more energy before plopping on the fur covered bed in the corner. From my trek into the wilderness I now knew that there was either nothing in the forest, or that whatever was still here had begun to hibernate for the season, the smoked meats would be all that I had until spring decided to show its face through the icy kiss of winter.

            It’s been another month and I have yet to leave this shithole. At this point the longer I stay the more likely I am to die. I didn’t realize this at first but this forest is stalked by a wendigo, which I should have realized in hindsight considering how early the winter came, but that doesn’t matter now, all that matters is that I pack up what’s left of my food and as many of the animal pelts and furs I can carry and get the hell out of this forest. I don’t think the wendigo has realized my presence here, but as soon as it does, I’m as dead as the animals that became the food in my pack. A wendigo is an incredibly dangerous ice elemental, born from a spirit of vengeance being in the presence of cold mana for too long, a wendigo takes the form of a tall disfigured person with a skeletal deer’s head and long black human hair. These creatures are nigh unkillable and will not stalking their prey until it steals their soul. Or so I’ve been told, I’ve never actually seen one and few people come back after encountering one, which is exactly why I need to leave the forest so bad.

            Stabilizing the sound mana particles that leak from the steps that I take to silence my footsteps; I steadily make my way through the forest. I need to hurry; I can’t keep this up forever. Shit! I caught a glimpse of the wendigo, that fucker’s even creepier than they say. It’s definitely aware that there’s something alive in the forest, although I don’t think it’s realized that whatever that might be is me. I grip my worn spear tighter and trudge onwards towards my salvation, the nearest town to the forest. That salvation will not come soon, and I’ll likely have to spend the night in the open forest tonight as the town is miles away and I’m on foot in shin deep snow.

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            It’s getting closer, it knows that I’m here and it’s playing with me. Night is falling and I know that my end is near. I just hope that I can at least leave it a nice scar before I go.

            I duck under a ray of frost mana that shoots out of the wendigo’s mouth and dash forward, slipping inside of a long claw on he way. I quickly stab the beast with my spear and try to move out of arms reach of the creature, but it moves with me and slashes my cheek. Jumping over a long sweeping arm I poke it in the chest again, but it doesn’t seem to do anything. I know that I’m going to need something more if I want to defeat this creature. I begin to vibrate the mana particles around my spearhead, burning calories at a fast pace to do so. My spearhead quickly heats up to red hot and I give one more thrust of my spear towards the beast. This one land flush with its chest and the creature lets out a bone chilling roar, releasing mana at the same time, knocking me backwards from my feet. It rushes me antlers first, I try to roll out of the way but it still sticks me in the side, opening two wholes in the left side of my chest. I keep my cool, haggardly coming to my feet, using more of my fat stores to forcefully make the wounds in my side scar. The beast rushes me again, but this time I successfully dodge out of the way, leaving a wound on its’ flank in my wake. It screams once more, but his time I’m prepared for the blast of mana and keep my ground. I duck under another long claw and whip out the dagger at my side to cut its’ arm off. The creature looks shocked, and then runs off back to the forest to lick its’ wounds. I grab the arm and shove into my pack, exchanging it for some of the meat I had stored away. Quickly tearing into the food like a rabid animal, I gobble it all up quickly, then search my bag for more. After finishing my impromptu meal and restoring my fat and calorie stores, I continue walking towards the town as the sun begins to rise over the forest once more, with the wendigo dealt with for now, I know that the rest of my journey will be safe.