My feet pounded against the ground, wind shipping at my face the forest revealing its secret life all around me. The trees blur as we move. I look at Kina from afar, longing in my eyes. In the years I have been here I have never worked up the courage to ask her out. She to my distracted nature I stumble a bit, well more of take a half step extra, my ability is too high now for me to trip even if my leg isn't working properly.

Enough of that. We have prey to catch.

I point my head to the sky and take a deep breath in through my nose and I begin to focus. I can smell rust, dew, pine tree, bark, sweat, and a little bit of what smells like a high school bathroom after lunch. Just what I was looking for! Deer poop! We `eatin hearty tonight! I joke in my own mind cracking a smirk from myself.

I signal kina, pointing at my nose, I smell our prey. She follows my lead, her tail getting a little too excited for hunting. Though, mine is the same.

you never really get used to having a tail or superior senses. Though you would probably regret not having them when you don't have them.

Eventually we come across our prey: a small herd of deer, ready to be hunted. Kina knocks an arrow and I do the same, one kill for each of us.

Our bows sing the glory of our hunt, and the two doe are finished off with no pain. The rest of the years scatter at seeing their fellows murdered, however a killer that can kill a herd member like that could do the same to them, so they flee.

I lug my kill onto my shoulder. It's noticeably bigger then kina`s. heh heh heh,

Shaking the naughty thoughts out and remembering that I have to carry the animal back, I suppress the laugh to a mere smirk or self deprecating smile, often interchangeable.

looking at kina I notice the very flamboyant walk she has going on, a bit sexy if I say. It becomes clear then when I notice her tail what’s she is thinking to an extent.

"having fun there kina?" I ask pointing out her tail.

"Not as much as you " she replied giving a smirk.

Bastard of a tail giving away all my secrets.

Not that I minded.

Next was the long walk back. And the hope no gigologs appear. Danmable pests.

-half an hour later-

“your lagging behind, hahaha!”

I say to kina, finally my strength and athleticism beats kina’s. Though not by much. As I feel my fatigue coming in. Soon though we see what we were looking for: the gateway to the elevator into the city. We say hello to the guards as we pass, I’ve trained with a few of them, never got their names though. Then we proceed into the city proper.

the amazing view from the elevator never really changes; the entire city is shown below with the cliff side across from us to the east and the sea below the city. A waterfall protects the inner circle of the city from view and it crashes into the sea below. An interesting discovery is that the sea is primarily fresh water, a huge difference to the salt water oceans of earth.

the elevator lands at the floor then kina and I make our rounds around the city. Then finally we go back home.

I have learned much throughout my years staying here and the information I have learned has proven invaluable. I have gotten over my trauma of the gigologs, while it’s always going to be a bad memory and trauma I won’t freeze up or panic whilst fighting them. I have learned to fight and as such my status shows it.

[Name: Sam Baker]-

[Age: 24]

[Race: Therianthropy (Wolf type)]-

{Racial characteristic: enhanced senses, +5 str +5 agi}

[Alignment: ao dag gar]-

[Level: 15M(37/225)]-

[Class:Sniper]-

{Class characteristics:+5 dex +5 agi, all precision damage is multiplied by x(1.5+(0.5*level)) current bonus = 2}

[Subclass:Hunter]

{Subclass characteristics: sniper damage doubled. cannot be marked while aiming. after training, it becomes possible to make bullets on the field.}

[Trades: survivalism +5 wis +5 end, botany +5 wis +5 int , forward preparation +5 int +5 dex, revolutionist +5 con +5 luck.]

[Traits]

{Stat Points unallocated:20}

{HP:270/270} {MP:0/0} {SP:50/280}

{MS:10}

{STR:17->20} {INT:20->22} {WIS:20->22}

{CON:15->16} {END:15->17} {AGI:30->35}

{DEX:22->30} {LUCK:15}

[equipment]

{head:nothing}

{body:Enchanted gambison}

{legs:padded pants}

{feet:enchanted wooden shoes of comfort}

{hands:leather workman’s gloves}

{weapon:nothing}

[inventory: lion kingdom badge, Money-5 silver]

[Skills: Collecting-Medium, Observation-Low, Identification:Herbs-High, Bow Mastery-High, Knife mastery-Medium, Quick Stab-low, Steady Shot-High, Rapid Shot-High, Blessing:eyes, Tracking:Ears-High, Tracking:Nose-High, Tracking:Eyes-Medium]

I have 20 points to allocate but I feel that saving them would be for the best. The stats I got from training have significantly slowed. The only stats I can really get now is endurance and constitution and I don’t feel like getting stabbed, cut, punched, kicked or whatever somebody’s going to do to me in order to improve that stat. Endurance takes time, there is no rapid way to improve it. It’s improved from getting exhausted repeatedly. Intellegince and wisdome are kind of obvious: read books and don’t be dumb, or be dumb and learn from it. Luck I have no idea. Agility and dexterity are improved from moving your feet intelligently and hands intelligently, respectively.

As i learned how to use weapons, I gained skills to show the progress I have made. Additionally I learned some magical skills with the weapons. While I say magical, they are not actually powered by magic just appear like they are. Instead they are powered through my stamina. What I find interesting is that in the back of my mind I know that there are other skills I have and can use right now, but I have yet to find the weapon that suits the skills.

i go into my room and hop in bed. My tail wags in excitement as I reflect on how much I have improved over the years. But soon it’s swaying slows to a halt. Only to fall down with no energy.

to imagine, i have lived in this place for 3 years. Tears roll down my eyes once more. I have avoided the smell of hamburger and anything that might trigger the side of me that remembers home. The horror inside of me that just instinctively knows that I won’t be able to go back. The gate will never open again. I will never be able to go back home. Hopelessness and sad thoughts plague my mind. My thoughts don’t stop there though. Plenty of other thoughts torment me. I have few friends here. I will never find joy in my life. I will just die here alone.

While I have an abundance of thought, I have a famine of joy. I am starved of it. And soon I will die of it.

-...-

finally i feel I have worked up the courage to tell him! My tail wags with excitement as I rush through the barracks lightly.

What if he rejects me? No no no. Splitting wind said he is just head over heels for me and I believe him!

just then though she heard sobbing. From her loved ones door. All of her energy left her then. Her tail quickly stopping its movement. And her ears pick up. She feels herself coming to tears just listening to the truly agonizing sobs of her loved one. She leans against the wall quietly to listen. An unknown amount of time passes as she listens a few tears from her self drop as she listens.

perhaps it isn’t the best time.

she gets up and walks back to her room. Her courage destroyed.