Hatchet P.O.V:

This kid is a born fighter, from the moves I spotted him pulling off and the speed and power he had throughout his training I would say he has all the skills not only unlocked but probably quite a bit above 10. He is a natural born fighter and is wasted on being a hunter in a backwater village like this one.

But that is not what I’ll focus on, I can see that it’s his parents that are trying so hard to keep him close to home, not something unusual when it comes to people so young, with experience you will find that letting go a bit earlier will give them a better chance to grow.

The kid has all the signs of being able to go out to the city and join the adventurers guild, with all those weapons skills unlocked he must be at least level 6 no way a group won’t pick him up as a porter and he’ll more than likely work his way up.

A tremor works its way through my whole body at that thought and I am reminded of my own past.

Hatchet P.O.V :

20 years ago.

The dark was all encompassing, me and Luna the only ones who managed to even make it out of the warren of whatever that thing was deep in the forest.

“We need to take a break, and you need to let me take a look at your shoulder, if it’s poisonous you could be dying and not even know it” She argued thinking about my potential safety but I knew better than to stop.

“Didn’t you see the scratches on the wall when it picked us off, whatever that thing is doesn’t hunt by sight or or sound, it hunts by smell, we need to get as far away as we can and preferably over some water” I manage to force out a stern tone out of my tired body feeling like I could collapse at any moment.

If only we had taken our time to investigate that this thing had killed off all the other predatory animals this deep in the forest we would have known to turn back but having gone 5 years without a failed contract or a serious injury had left us overconfident, a group of 15 adventurers and only the scout and the healer make it out.

Hatchet P.O.V:

The chances that this kid actually stays in this village are close to zero, but so are the chances of him leaving before his apprentice trait expires, sure he might go visit his brother in the city but nothing longer than a cycle or 2.

In that time I’ll make sure he won’t grow up to make my mistakes. I signed up at the age of 10 became a porter and specialised so much with that in mind that I couldn’t become a proper fighter and a scout was all I could manage. He’ll be different. I'll make sure he gets his foundations built properly to support him, after all if nothing else he might be able to get a message to Luna when he makes it out in the world.

“Hatchet, what’s this I hear about you and the kid keeping a whole deer for yourselves?” the headman sneaks up on me as my mind wanders.

“You changed me to that scouting route and we both know it’s tradition for hunters in training to keep their first kill” I answer back a little disgruntled about being questioned for no reason.

“He’s not going to be a hunter, we already have too many of those around here, I need him to be a messenger, as such he has no claim on the spoils” his face is getting a bit redder, he always was good man though a bit greedy he did look out for the best interest of the village, even if it did come at the expense of the individuals.

“I don’t know about that boss man, kid got the tracking skill in one day and this morning he was working on his climbing, that with the bow skills running and stealth, sounds like a hunter to me” I put a bit of salt on his wound, after all he does tend to play favourites as long as there is no detriment to the village and all the rest of the hunters are friends with his darling baby boy.

“He did what? Damn it, and he was the only option we had for a messenger for at least another year, I sure hope the old fool doesn’t retire before we can get a new one trained” He mumbled under his breath as he started to walk away “Oh and before I forget you next trip out will again be a scouting mission, this time heading on the other side of the village, need to make sure nothing from the deep forest started making its way towards us.”

The old hypocrite, complains so much about me giving the kid a shot at being a hunter despite his own son having the skills to be a messenger but no how could his precious boy be anything other than a merchant working to take his spot as headman, this despite him having the diplomatic skills of a skunk at court.

Getting home I find myself going back through my old gear and mometoes I have from my days as an adventurer, sure we weren’t the top but we made it pretty high up there getting a gold badge and were almost qualified for a platinum one.

The more I look through the more I regret how badly I had messed up during my apprentice phase and how I might not be retired out here in this backwater if I had taken more care and put in a lot more effort when I was young. Effort young Ajax was putting in hand over fist.

“I might as well start getting ready for this second scouting mission, it's not like food will be a problem for me with the deer leg I prepped yesterday” I mumble to Chip, my messenger pigeon that I kept for emergencies, keeping him secrete because pigeons didn’t naturally travel to this part of the world and having one to deliver a message could be very important, even having one could be used to show off standing to visitors.

“Chip, Chip” He whined at me.

“Yes, yes, you big glutton don’t worry I won’t forget to feed you” I tell him as I pass a small plate through the bars on the cage and then sit back down near the trunk of my old gear.

The light catches a small glint on a certain medallion and I bring it out to reminisce. It was the last thing Luna gave to me before she started her own healing clinic after returning from that god forsaken hunt.

“If you really insist on going take this, I owe you one so if you ever need anything remember you can always come to me” her worried eyes still reminding me of the only real friend I had left in this world.

“I guess 20 years is quite a long time. I should look into getting a message to her sooner rather than later, eh I’ll just have Ajax deliver it, with that look in his eyes no way he stays in a small village like this one.” I chuckle to myself as I feel myself drifting off to sleep.