>Day Meditation in...
>You actually don't know where you are.
>You are Anon Ymous, monk of the realm.
>Even here.
>Wherever here is...
>You thought that meditation would help find some answers, but it has come up with nothing but replaying the same moments that got you here.
>Accepting the request from the townsfolk to check out some commotion in the forest.
>Going to check out said forest, and finding that there was a massive cult of wizards practicing magicks.
>Foul magicks, indeed.
>A massive fight with said wizards.
>Many of them were felled by your fists.
>Not enough, apparently, as they cast you far off into Kols knows where.
>You don't recall any of their incantations, so you couldn't go off of their words that crafted the spell.
>Possibly another spell weaved into the spell that cast you away?
>No matter.
>It's not as if you can't survive on your own.
>The earth will provide, all you have to do is keep moving.
>You finish your meditation, and pat down your robes to get rid of the excess dust.
>After doing so, you decide to find the nearest river.
>Which has a host of benefits, but the greatest is that if you travel down the river, you will eventually reach civilization.
>You begin to calmly walk, intent on finding the river, but not obsessed with it.
>While walking, you hear the crunch of leaves underneath your feet.
>Wait.
>You stop walking, and the crunching stops.
>But not immidiately.
>Your brow furrows.
>Rogues? Highwaymen?
>No, they would've struck already, mistaking you for a common traveler.
>Wizards?
>You frown slightly.
>Any number of possibilities could be what is following you.
>You continue walking, the crunch of leaves resuming.
>And so does the second set, almost matching yours.
>You stop again, feeling a grim sensation in your bones.
>You hear a slight shift in the leaves behind you, and a gust of air.
>You spin around to meet your attacker, and are shocked when you see it.
>You figured it would be something like a wolf, or possibly a bear.
>You did not expect an amalgation that appears to be a mix of lion, scorpion, and bat.
>Instincts kicking in, you roll out of the way.
>Just in time, too, as you hear the beast's tremendous weight crash down upon where you had stood moments before.
>You start to raise your fists, but drop them.
>Hold on a second.
>You've dealt with animals before.
>And you've calmed them, too.
>Maybe it'll work if you try it on this...thing.
>You clear your throat, raise your hands in a placating gesture, and begin to speak.
"Hello creature, I wish ye no harm. I am merely a passerby in your territory. Please allow me to leave."
>There is no need for senseless vio-
>SWOOSH
>You barely duck out of the way of the monster's scorpion tail.
>You frown, and scan over the beast.
>It's mane is ratty, it's ribs are sunken, and it's eyes are bloodshot.
>Fuck.
>It's feral.
>Your frown deepens, and you raise your hands, half-curling them.
"If that's the way you want it, foul beast, then you shall have it."
>The beast doesn't appear to listen to your words, and growls ferociously.
>It curls up for another pounce, and releases, bounding towards your location.
>But you were ready for it this time, jumping out of the way.
>It snarls, and begins to pace around you, lashing it's tail occasionally to the side.
>It recklessly charges you, to which you easily sidestep, and start rapidly punching it in its wide open side.
>The beast yelps in pain, and tries to swipe at you with a claw.
>You once again jump out of the way, but this time upwards, landing on the beast's neck.
>You get a handhold on it's mane as it tries to shake you off.
>You manage a glance at it's side, and see that you haven't even scratched it.
>'What is this thing made of?'
>The beast ceases its shaking, confusing you.
>Why would it-
>You forgot about the tail.
>You feel another burst of air pass close to you, and a very small slicing sensation over your right shoulder.
>You grunt, feeling the burning venom seeping in through the wound.
>You've never faced this creature before, so you don't know how lethal the venom is.
>It might be very, it might be not at all...
>Either way, this beast is a menace to the townspeople.
>...if there is any nearby, that is.
>But, that does mean you have to take care of it.
>You dodge a stab with its spear of a tail, and seat yourself upon its neck once more.
>The blows earlier had no effect, but maybe...
>You get an idea.
>You stand up on its back, but remain hunched over, having your backside lifted in the air.
>'Sorry arse, you'll have to be the bait.'
>You feel its muscles tense, and the tell-tale SWOOSH of its tail cutting the air.
>You drop down at the precise moment, and watch with grim satisfaction as the beast's very own tail impales itself in its neck.
>A spray of blood comes from the beast's throat, and it begins to charge you...
>...but it's losing blood too fast, and its proud charge slows to a trot, which eventually ends up with it collapsing to the ground.
>You turn to walk away, but you hear a whimper from the beast.
>You turn around, and it has this look in its eye.
>It's strangely...
>You don't know what you would call it, but humans have a term for it.
>It's strangely...human.
>That's what they say...right?
>You shake your head, and return your vision to the beast.
>It's starting to whimper, pleading you with words it cannot say.
>Its eyes do more than enough, though.
>It wants its suffering to end.
>You sigh.
>You never really liked to see anything in pain.
>You walk over to it, and it lifts its neck slightly, as if acknowledging defeat.
>You raise your fist, and plunge it towards the wound in the beast's neck, wrapping your stubby fingers firmly around the beast's spinal cord.
>A short jerk later, and you hold a small piece of it's lifeline.
>The beast's whimpers cease as it spasms slightly, slackening immidiately.
>You walk away from the beast's carcass.
>..Or do you?
>You just realize that it has become nothing but dead meat.
>Which is also known as dinner.
>You smile and retrieve a dagger from your side-pouch.
>You work over one of its rear legs, it tearing loose after some effort.
>You heft it over your shoulder, and begin your search for the river.
>But grunt, and collapse.
>It wasn't that the leg was heavy, or anything.
>Your eyes widen.
>The poison...
>It appears to have a short activation time.
>You feel yourself starting to slow down, and throw the beast's leg off of you, rolling so that you face upwards, lying on your pack.
>Is this it?
>Is this how you die?
>...
>No.
>Your addled mind remembers that you have healing herbs in your satchel.
>You can't recall whether or not they contain a antidote...
>But they'll have to do.
>Slackening muscles race for your side pouch, ripping it open.
>You dig through it quickly, and grab hold of something that feels plant-like.
>You tear it out of it, and confirm it as the herbs you remembered.
>You shift your robes as much as you can, and reach towards it with the herbs, holding it in place.
>For a second, it appears to be all for naught, you laying there feeling worse and worse.
>But as soon as you're ready to give up, the herbs take effect, the curtain on your mind lifting.
>After you feel well enough to stand, you do so.
>And you also recall the herbs that you had in your pouch.
>'Meridian's Mystical Moss', the peddler called it.
>You need more of it.
>You heft the leg of the beast again, and something catches your eye.
>Is..is that...?
>More of the herb the peddler sold you, just sitting right there on a nearby rock.
>You drop the haunch, and start to gather up as much as your pouch will hold.
>Which is, admittedly, not much.
>After gathering the herbs, you note the position of the sun.
>It appears it will become sunset, soon.
>No reason to try not to make good time, though.
>You shift the beast's haunch onto your shoulder again, setting off in a direction.
>This time, you actually make it to a river.
>You sigh, and set the leg of the beast down.
>You shift your shoulder, rubbing your sore shoulder.
>You surprise yourself by it returning back bloody.
>You almost facepalm, but realize that the same hand you were going to facepalm with was covered in blood.
>So, you therefore decide to clean your robes off.
>You strip out of them, remaining in your pair of shorts, but your chest bare.
>You walk over to the river, and lower your robes into it.
>...
>After washing your robes in the river, you hang it on a nearby branch to dry.
>Now...about that haunch.
>You need fire to cook it.
>Which you don't have one built, currently.
>You grunt, and set about getting various supplies to build a fire.
>Which meant alot of stick-gathering.
>And punching tree branches.
>Good way to work off stress, but not exactly time-efficient.
>After some time ,you gather enough wooden fire-starting materials and arrive at the place you have determined as you camp for the night.
>Setting up a small amount of tinder, you reach into your pouch, manuevering your hands to get your fire-rock and its accompanying tiny bar of steel.
>You scratch the two implements towards the kindling, sparks leaping towards it.
>It starts to catch fire, and you start to blow on it, slowly coaxing the fire to life.
>You start adding little pieces, and in short time you have a comfortable fire built up.
>You smile at it's much appreciated warmth.
>Just in time too.
>The sun appears to have set in the time that you were taking.
>Now, about that haunch...
>You bring it over into your lap, and retrieve your small dagger.
>You begin to cut off the hide that covers the beast's haunch.
>Your stomach grumbles, clamoring for the fuel that is the beast's leg.
>But you quiet it down, and shear the beast's hide from the leg.
>You take two sticks that look like two big Y's, and set them up on opposite sides of the fire.
>Balancing the leg on them, you start to slowly turn the leg while it cooks.
>Your mind starts to wander as you lose yourself in the roasting of the beast's leg.
>You recall every moment up until now.
>And you realize that something feels...off.
>There is something even about the air.
>It feels like it's full of magic.
>Not even at the wizard's camp did you find even this massive a source of magical power.
>It doesn't sit right with you.
>You can't detect anything sneaking up on you that may be able to cast spells.
>The fact worries you.
>What if a wizard got the jump on you again?
>They can do some serious damage, even if you are paying attention to them.
>You mind continues to muse various circumstances, but are broken out of it, being that you realize that the beast's haunch is cooked.
>You remove it from the fire, and hold it in front of you.
>Without much grace (You're a dwarf, for Kols' sake!) you dig into the haunch, which tastes wonderful.
>...Or it may be that you haven't eaten anything except this, but that's beside the point.
>Although, there is one thing missing.
>Ale.
>Never before have you missed it like now, when you don't have access to it.
>Well, it's as they say: Absence makes the heart fonder.
>...or something like that.
>After polishing off the haunch, and throwing it far enough away from your campsite, you lay down in front of the fire.
>Eyes slowly drifting shut, you doze off into the dreamscape...