The forest canopy was quite dense. It was no surprise, considering the size of the trees. Despite that there were still gaps that allowed light to filter down to the forest floor. This in turn gave smaller plants the chance to thrive.

Currently hidden in a bush, Marshal sat waiting for his prey to pass. He was covered with dirt and dead leaves. In front of him was another bush. Only, this one was and had small red berries growing on it.

Based on his research or game trails and animal skat, this was his best bet to catch his next meal. Plus he wanted to see how many points he could earn. He had spent quite a bit, and was eager to earn them back.

Alex was currently still resting in the shelter. While his wounds were healed, the fatigue of a hard fought battle wasn’t so easy to recover from. So, it was up to Marshal to bring home the bacon.

I’ve already found a small stream of fresh water. If this doesn’t pan out, I can always go there to check things out.

Suddenly, a rustling of leaves could be faintly heard in the distance. Marshal drew back his bow and forced himself to be completely still; going as far as to hold his breath. Based on the size of the paw prints and droppings, he concluded that the animal was most likely a small herbivore. Still, a part of him was nervous that something other than his prey would pop out.

The sound of rustling leaves grew louder, and soon a furry head with two large ears popped out from behind a tree. It looked similar to a rabbit, but with some differences. It was about the size of a house cat, and had a small grouping of dark green scales on its back.

Sniffing the air, the little critter made sure that the coast was clear before scampering towards the bush it frequently visited. It nibbled away at the berries, occasionally letting out an occasional pur of delight.

Cute as it may be, that did nothing to keep Marshal from letting loose his arrow. It whistled through the air and nailed itself into the rabbit-like creature's side.

“Skreee!”

The animal cried out with a mixture of pain and shock before flopping over. Blood dripped from the puncture wound, staining its fur red. Besides the occasional twitch of its legs, the creature remained still.

Satisfied with his kill, Marshal rushed over and to snatch the rabbit. As he inspected his kill, he heard another rustling of leaves. Only, this time it was much louder, and accompanied by a low growl.

From behind the same tree the rabbit-like creature came round, a fox appeared. Unlike the rabbit, the fox looked just like a normal fox. Marshal kept an eye on the creature and prepared to pull out the Yang Saber he borrowed from Alex.

Seeing Marsh not back off, the fox bared its fangs and let out a snarl. Its muscles twitched and began to expand. The fir around it rippled like waves as the body it surrounded grew into size. In the span of a few seconds, the fox grew to the size of a large bear.

Marshal gulped and forced out the friendliest smile he could muster.

“Good doggy. Did I accidentally take your dinner?” Marshal gently placed the rabbit onto the ground and took a few steps back. “Here you go. Don’t mind me, enjoy your meal. Did I mention how you are such a good doggy?”

“Awoo!”

The fox threw its head back and let out a throaty bowl before trotting over to the rabbit’s corpse. It sniffed it a few times and bit into it. With a bone breaking crunch, the little critter was bit in half. Blood and guts spewed all over the forest floor.

All the color left Marshal’s face as he witnessed the grizzly scene. Trying his best to be as silent as possible, he tip-toed backwards towards the shelter.

Snap!

A crisp sound of wood snapping sent shivers down his spine. He didn’t have to look down to know he had stepped on a rather dry twig.

The fox’s ears twitched and its head shot up to stare directly at Marshal. Small pieces of flash gel from its blood soaked mouth as a hungry light glinted in its eyes. Without warning it sprinted towards its next prey.

Shit! Marshal screamed inside his head. His face scrunched up due to his misfortune.

He quickly brought out his Minor Smoke Talisman and tossed it in front of him. After the yellow paper left his hand, it started to release grey streams of smoke from the inscriptions. Soon the space between the fox and Marshal was covered with smoke.

With the beat’s vision impaired, Marshal brought out the Yang Saber from his inventory. He held it out in front of himself just in time for the fox to come barreling through the smoke. Due to the short distance between the two and the momentum the fox had already built, Marshal knew it would be hard for the fox to dodge.

As the snarling maw appeared, he thrusted the saber into it with an upward angle. He did little more than stand there as the fox impaired its brain by itself.

Of course, that speed also meant that it crashed headlong into him as well. Five hundred pounds of muscle collided into him. His feet skidded across the ground as the fox’s oversized body carried him backwards.

Unfortunately, the force was too great, and he lost his footing. He soon found himself crushed under the beast.

Hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind on what to do next. His situation was dire. If the beast wasn’t dead, he would end up on the menu.

No matter how much he struggled, he was stuck. While he had a few items he hadn’t used yet, none could help him with his current predicament. However, no attempts to take his life came. Instead he heard a very subtle sound. It was almost like a deflating balloon.

Wiggling to the best of his ability, Marshal saw the tip of the saber poking out from the crown of the fox’s head.