Proofreader: Kagenesti

Chapter 13 - Forest encounter

Riin’s POV

Asperd Isles - fall, Asperd Forest.

Can't say I slept a whole lot in the night but father sure did… that man snores too loudly I tell you. The sun is rising and we begin packing up our camp as we eat some bread for breakfast. Father is humming, an annoying melody if you ask me. We grab our backpacks and head off towards the bottom of the mountain range, but first we have to travel uphill, it's will be good training.

Having walked for a few hours, I notice that the forest have become more quiet, the birds are no longer singing and there are no sounds in the distance of any deer or other plant eaters. I slowly ready my knife.

“Father, there is something wrong here.”

Father to is looking around the area, eyes focused on our surroundings, listening. He has drawn his axe, this in turn makes me sure that there is something out there who will be coming for us.

We have at some point stopped and are now standing, looking around, scanning the area for the unseen threat lurking about. Minutes tick by with none of us or nothing out there moving, but I feel it.

“Don't be smiling, boy. They are out there hiding and waiting to ambush us.”

Ups, without knowing it I have been standing around with a big grin on my face, that killing intent, that hunger, it screams at me ‘Kill! We will kill you!’ it scream, and how I want to answer it!

You have gained [Bloodlust Aura]!

You are able to feel others killing intent and are also able to emit it yourself. Make all bow before you in fear! [Bloodlust Aura] improves as you kill.

Bloodlust Aura [0] Cost: 1 Mana per minute of being activated. Effect Area: [_]feet Effecting / Effect Type: Lower Level Creatures / Fear and/or Paralyze

You have discovered an aura! You have discovered [Blood Magic]! You have gained +2 [Intelligent]!

Oh, magic? Well, this aura with be useful when I'm higher level, the level must refer to my shard level, which is zero at the moment…

We are still standing here on this trail, father is still looking around for the enemy lurking out there. I look around searching the trees for any sign of our pursuer or ambusher in this case, yet I find no sign of them. They are out there yet hiding from our sight.

“Father, what are they?”

“Spiders,boy. Big ones.”

Huh? Big… spiders… Now, I'm not one to be scared of some critters, but I mean come on, spiders,why spiders? There are so many kinds of spiders out there not to mention this world has magic… I don't think I want to know what will become if one mixes magic and spiders. Grrr… Think, Riin think. Let's see there are the hunters, the spinners, the borrowers and them jumping ones, hmm… do they belong to the hunter group? Meh who cares. Oh, let's not forget the ones that rely only on poisons. Ah, I'm getting a headache, just thinking out the amount of trouble we can be in.

For knowing groups of Araneae and their type of hunting methods you have gained +1 [Wisdom]!

I'm missing a lot of information here.

“Father, when were you last in this part of the forest?”

Father still keep his eyes on the trees around us.

“Hmm, must be a bit over ten years now. why do you ask, boy?”

Huh…Ten years… we are fucked…

“Oh, nothing much, just thinking of the amount of spiders out there”

Shit… in my annoyances I forgot to speak politely to him.

“My apologies for my rudeness just now, father. The amount of spiders that is possible with ten years of being left to their own devices is really too high to count.”

Father is looking at me with a look I can't see through it concerns me, for now he will have to keep his focus on the spiders and not me.

“Huh, rude? Don't make me laugh now, boy. We are in the middle of an important moment here.”

Father grumbles as he stare into the woods.

“Boy, I don't know why you think you are being rude, but it does not matter now or ever, you hear me? We are your family”

My world stops for a moment. Family? Don't make me laugh, family is just a word meant for those who don't know betrayal. Father, mother, brother or sister it matters not when one is fighting to the death.

Raval’s POV

The boy, is staring into nothingness, his eyes not seeing the world that is surrounding him. But, I know one thing, the aura the spiders sent towards us, he answered with double the amount of bloodlust. The sweat is running down my back, out here surrounded by hunters of the forest, what is scaring me is not them, but the eight year old standing next to me. What happened in that snowstorm? What became of our sweet innocent child that we left behind?

“Boy, let's keep moving, it will be a few hours before we reach the bottom of the mountains, we can set up camp with the rock outcroppings as shelter.”

His head makes a small twist at the sound of my voice.

“Yes, father.”

His voice, so small, as if the bloodlust moments before where a mere illusion, yet the coldness I feel running down my back tells me otherwise. We start our move more slowly this time, keeping our eyes on the surroundings. It goes slow but steady and we are making our way there safely, I will not take any chances and bring my family in danger, if the forest spiders have made nest in our area we will just have to backtrack and return home. I promised Elisa that nothing would happen to her child and I will keep that promise no matter what.

With our careful pace we take some time to get to the outcroppings of the foot of the mountain. Ten hours after our first encounter with the spiders we finally reach the first signs of the mountain's foot. Peeking over my shoulder I see that Riin is keeping up just fine, he is still scanning our surroundings for anything that can be seen as a threat. Smart boy.

“Boy, we should reach the area where we can camp for the night, within an hours walk.”

“I understand, father.”

Ah, I guess if I expected more than a few words out of him, he would not be my son. He never was one for saying much, but always watching his surrounding and making good decisions, that's our boy.

The sun is slowly going down and we are losing light faster and faster, yet we still have a bit to go before the rocks will provide any form of cover from attacks, we need to move faster, yet if we do we will be at risk of an attack, yet if we don't we will soon be in the dark with hunters of the night.

“Boy, we need to increase our speed, we are losing the light too fast.”

A quick look over my shoulder and I see that he has increased his steps, his feet avoid all the half loose rocks and roots that would normally slow down a child. Sometimes he scares and amazes me at the same time, but then again he has always been an observant child.

“Yes, father.”

He barely manage to finish his sentence before a shadow leap out from the trees.

I swing my axe at it in hopes it will not reach him, cutting of some hairy legs in the process and hearing that horrible screeching sound they make, yet even with some legs cut its line of attack is clear. My worlds freezes for a moment.

“Down, boy!”

Riin's POV

Big… hairy…green, not to mention ass ugly, at least from my point of view, then again not much can be pretty when it's missing some of its legs and a green liquid, which must be its blood, I guess is staying out to the side, and that is just the small part of it, I got the fucking front seat row for the show, I'm staring into or down the drain of its… mouth?

“Down, boy!”

No shit! Like hell I'm going to greet that thing with a kiss, I'm too just to… nope, not going to continue down that line. Where was I? oh yea, mouth a pink one at that… Ups! Too much thinking, have to dunk down. As I dodge the incoming attack I reach up and cut my way from the mouth and down into the… Stomach? Too… much… green… goo…

You have kill a [Young Giant Forest Spider] you have gained 200 Experience!

Bloodlust Aura has gained [1]!

Well, being covered in green smelly goo might be worth it if it's for 200 experience, but… note to self, do not ever cut open their stomach while standing underneath them, ever!

“Riin! Are you hurt!? Were you bitten!?”

Wow, he used my name, man he must be out of it right now.

“I'm alright, father.”

The look in his eyes, I have seen that look before, just never towards me, to look of love and worry, that's kind of touching in a way.

“Father, do you mind lending me some water?”

Raval’s POV

Oh, god please don’t let him be hurt, please don’t let me be hurt!

“Father, do you mind lending me some water?”

That calm voice of his, while sounding a bit displease, he is asking for… water?

“Water?”

“Yes, if possible, Father, some water. This stuff smells rather unpleasant.”

I get a look at him, and even in this situation hold it in, I burst out laughing, oh god, stop me. There he is standing covered in spider parts and whatnot, all green and i just can’t stop laughing, pulling out a waterskin I pour it over him.

“Haha, The- haha - re, now your- hahaha- clean.”

“Father.”

“haha, yes, boy?”

“I will tell mother, if you keep laughing.”

Ha-’cough’. Oh no, oh, no, no, no, no, no.

“Now, now, boy, lets not do things we'll regret. Right?”

He is standing there with a innocent smile on his face, looking at me.

“I’m glad we understand each other so well, father.”

“Me, too son, me too.”

In this moment I forgot where we was.

“Father, may I suggest that we keep moving?”

“Yes, lets.”

Riin’s POV

Still sticky… taking a quick sniff to myself… fuck me now, god i stink!

Out of the corner of my eye I see movement.

“Father, company!”

Father’s way of handling the axe is really something, the ease in which he swings the thing, cutting into a jumping opponent, slicing the body in half. I dodge to the left and a quick spin around, cutting the abdomen of the attacker open, jumping over it, I stab the knife down into the head part, or where its eyes at least are placed.

You have kill a [Young Giant Forest Spider] you have gained 200 Experience!

Bloodlust Aura has gained [2]!

Three spiders dead.

“Boy, We are moving now!”

“Yes, father.”

We quicken our pace even more than before, father takes down two more spiders on the way.

“There! you see it, boy?!”

Up ahead the rocks forms a natural roof. Grabbing as many sticks as i can carry on the way as we half run, we are going to need the protection, one more dead spider flies to the side as we head forward, just keep up the good work old man.

“Father, kindly cover me, I will set up a campfire now.”

“Ha!, what do you think I have been doing, boy!”

A smile has formed on his face, and i know that i too is grinning like a fool, the thrill of the hunt, the danger, ah, how i have missed that.