The forest was silent except for the gentle rustling of my footsteps.

This brings me back to the forests of my home town.

Oh?

Yes, it’s been years since I have smelt the damp warm forest floor, hear the gentle chirp of the birds, and see the swaying canopy overhead. I didn’t realize I missed this… this feeling...this...freedom.

What did you do before your death?

I hop over a few unearthed roots.

I was once a hunter in the far woods of Nester, tracking small game and animals. It was a simple life, but I made good money. My pelts were always the best around. Ahh, I still remember the first time I killed an animal with an arrow through the ey/

OK, I get it. Sorry, I still have a bit of a sensitive stomach to violence.

My apologies.

The walk was quite refreshing. Broken fragments of my past life flitter by me as I walk through the dense and beautiful forest following a faint blue trail. Scenes of daily office are transposed across the greenery, making me shake my head. DId I long for the simplicity of my previous life, or can I believe that was some form of me? Everytime I reach out with my right hand to steady myself against a tree to clamber over stones or roots, reality comes crashing back to me. A small shock of fear and surprise washes over me as I fall a bit further than expected, and then intense pain as my bandaged and very much still open wound smacks into the tree where my hand used to be.

I desperately try not to think about my amputation. Everytime I do though, I can’t help but to be angry with the Old Mill Owner and the farce of a doctor he brought to me. A...hot rage starts to brew inside of me. I know there is healing magic in this world, why couldn’t they find me a healer vs. some kind of ‘doctor’. Wait… why are there doctors in this world if there are magical healers? Why aren’t doctors also healers? All the memories of this world, this knowledge was just a given, but what am I missing here?

Sorry to interrupt, but I think we have a bit of a problem here.

What’s up?

I have never encountered goblins before, but I think we might be in a bit of a problem?

Why do you say that?

I immediately crouch down and look around, focusing on the surroundings. The slime trail is a bit brighter, but it’s still uniformed.

What’s the matter?

Well, I haven’t seen slimes traveling in uniformed order on their own before, especially this far… And well… I thought we were close enough to the farm that these new markings was that child Mairen playing rather aggressively near the farm…

I am not seeing any tracks on my end, just tell me what you see…

Well, I either see that we have come into a children’s play yard, that about 20-30 of them… And these children are fucking mean.

I change my gaze over and start focusing on not the trail in front of me, but really focusing on what Hounty was pointing out.

*Ding*

Skill Learned:

Multi-Target Tracking

Ability to recognize tracks from multiple creatures at once, and to follow more than one creature at a time.

I start to recognize the signs that Hounty had mentioned. Looking closely I noticed smearing of blood on the bark of trees and small gashes, feathers strewn about from small birds, and a carcass of an insect I can’t recognize, but best to be described as… disassembled. All these marks were no higher than 3 feet up.

“Dammit” I say under my breath.

The entire forest floor starts lighting up with blue.

How much trouble do you think we are in?

Much

My Danger Sense hasn’t triggered yet… so I think we are ok.

A shiver runs up my spine. Was that… Danger Sense?

Mastermind:

Body functions are normal. Conclusion: Danger Sense Activated.

We should get up a tree.

A sense of panic sets in that I desperately try to push down. Running to the closest large tree I start to climb it. I don’t think I have ever climbed a tree before.

I made short work to get to the upper broughs of the tree. My right arm was pounding, as I had smashed the stump into the tree to keep purchase, I tried to steady my breathing.

I see some green movement starting to come through the trees.

Oh look at them! It looks like they are out on patrol to protect their families or tribe.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Hounty seems to be quite excited. I try to look over the goblins but he continues to natter on.

They look to be aggressive little guys as the pair of them have fashioned some weapons out of bones. One looks to be a bit club like, and the other a little bone dagger.

They are probably aggressive to trespassers judging by their attempts at marking the forest, but it would be that they are fiercely loyal to their own, wouldn’t it?

Uhmm, you saw the memories I saw about Goblins right? They are vicious little guys that constantly in-fight and flee and abandon their own when it looks like they can’t win. Can we just/

That might be the common perception of these little guys, but I know in my world, ‘monsters’ were rarely that. They were usually creatures with habits, and if you learned more about them and their ways, it would be totally possible to live in harmony.

Harmony or not, I don’t know if I can really fight without my right hand right now, and I need 5 of their right ears, and if they have the slimes like you started hinting at… I don’t think harmony is going to be the end result.

Hounty goes silent for a bit. I can feel him about to argue, so I try and cut him off

Also, we may have been walking for a bit, but we are still relatively close to the Ranch. These goblins roam much closer, and the Ranch will be in danger.

...I suppose we will be confrontational for this. I always hated having to do population control, but I do agree that these guys are wandering too far out of their natural habitat. It’s a danger for people, and the balance of this ecosystem.

Thank you.

Do you have a plan to proceed?

Ahhhhh… I was going to wait for the goblins to pass and confirm the location of the slimes first of all.

I agree it’s good to confirm the slimes before we attempt to cull some of the goblin population, but I think we first need to get you into proper hunting shape.

Can I even fight in this state?

I don’t know about fighting, but you can definitely still hunt. We aren’t going to be as bold and brash as you and the rats, but I guarantee we will come out of this successful if you follow my lead.

I won’t argue with you on that.

I absentmindedly rub my right arm and try to squeeze my phantom right hand.

While we wait for these goblins to pass, let’s work on your breathing. It’s all wrong.

Ok, but I’m not sure what you mean by it’s wrong

I can hear Hounty chuckling in my head.

----

*GASP*

I don’t think this is going to work.

You are doing great, try it one more time, it feels like you are on the verge of a breakthrough

My lungs feel like they are still on fire from my last try. The entire process doesn’t make sense and it feels like I am drowning.

I close my eyes and begin to focus again with my breathing.

Now focus on the rhythm of your body. Your entire body is out of rhythm, and with it, out of rhythm to the nature around you.

Slow down your breathing and match it to your heartbeat.

In…and out.

A slower rhythm will make it easier for you while you learn how to match your surroundings and to blend your presence with mother nature.

Breathe in

Breath out

His voice starts to trail off as I focus, and my breathing gets… easier.

I can feel my body start to slightly sway in place in rhythm to my breathing. Everything seems to match up to five’s. Breathe in, five heartbeats, exhale, five heartbeats.

Over and over again.

five in, five out.

My focus starts to move outwards from my self and into my surroundings. The sway of the branch that I am sitting on, the gentle breeze, and the rustle of the forest floor, all seemingly random, but there was an odd sense of rhythm to this...nature.

You are doing it. You are falling into the rhythm of nature, and with it, hiding your presence.

*Ding*

Skill Learned:

Hidden Presence

Reduce your presence by matching yourself to the rhythm of the surroundings.

Good, now it’s time for us to move, but remember to match your movements to the rhythm of the nature around us.

It’s gotten dark since we started. The goblins had only stayed for an hour before they ended up chasing a rabbit. I lost track of time, but my butt has gone numb sitting for as long as I have. Shakily I stand myself up on the branch, trying not to lose my breathing. It’s gotten much easier to do so with the skill learned now.

Once the feelings in my legs have returned, I ready myself to jump.

Tree to tree is difficult to perform. You need to understand how the trees move in the wind, and how they shutter when weight is applied.

Ok, I see the branch I need to jump to.

You might see it, but you still need to understand how it moves/

Mastermind:

Safe to Jump

I keep my focus on the branch.

Mastermind

Not Safe to Jump

Mastermind

Safe to jump

Wait, this is cheating, you don’t really understand/

Mastermind

Not Safe to jump

I start preparing to jump, pumping my legs in anticipation. Waiting for the prompt…

You need to understand how/

Mastermind

Safe to Jump

I kick off the branch. As I push down I feel the branch bend, crackling with the shift of weight.

Mastermind

Branch Critical

I stop pushing off, making my jump not a full jump, but more of a hop. That said, it was enough to get me over to the next branch

*Ding*

Skill Learned:

Tree Walking (Beginner)

Move through the treetops with relative ease.

Well fuck… teaching you might be way faster than I thought.

It’s been a hard road here, but I think I might be a bit on the up and up.

Then let's move into some of the prowling skills then.