Chapter 14: Hunting Beginings

This was 16 years before Alex's birth, the 12 year old Justin, son and heir to Lord Constantine, was with a 20 years old Achilles in the Chase, a noble hunting grounds.

Justin had just learned how to use a long bow, a long bow is a very strong weapon, capable of piercing through the shields of knights if the shot is good and precise, but it is also extremely hard to use, for you to be able to draw the string of the bow you will need to use 70 or 80 kilos (or 150 to 180 pounds, if you are some dumb imperial sistem user) of force in a single arm, not to mention that you need to maintain control and some aim. To be able to use it you would need to train from a very young age as such it was normal for families that hunt for either fun or to be able to eat for that season to train their childs on the art of the bow.

The sun had just risen, Achilles was working as a tracker and scout for the chance of any wild game for the noble child to hunt.

Justin was a very brave boy, he had a great love of religion, not the Numenanimalia religion that the beastman such as Achilles worshiped, the majority of people of power in this region worshiped a pantheon of gods and heroes named Celebria, the worship of the celebrated, many great kings and nobles entered that pantheon after death, although it was more complicated then that that is how I will explain it for now.

Justin was charismatic, brave and pious young boy, yet he was insecure, his father's reing was a golden age for his domains with vast quantities of wealth and luxuries coming to the noble elite, and he showed his insecurity, although Celebrians were suposed to show courage, confidance and be a beacon of honor and glory he as a young man didn't know how to act.

Justin had another dozen man with him to help surround and lead the game to the kill, they used horses and had bows, hunting swords that worked as machete to cut shrubs and clear the way, they had daggers or knives and some pack animals to hold provisions as hunting took from an evening to some days.

Achilles was but a servent of the noble family, working as a gamekeeper with his family, not even an important one but he knew the chase's forest like the back of his hand, he and his brothers and father job was to maintain the forest free of dangerous predators that might threaten the noble family in their hunting and look around for poachers and bandits that might be making camp. It was ilegal by capital punishment for someone to hunt and fish or even forage for berries in the noble hunting grounds without the lord personal permission.

Some nobles criminalized entering the area outright without permission. As such being able to work in there had their benefits, they could eat the berries and mushrooms that they got in the grounds and were permited to hunt small game like mice, birds and fish ( as for fish is a broad term used in those ancient times for anything that leves in the water, like beavers, fresh water crabs, otters and well, fish. If you are in the sea whales and dolphins were also fish).

As for the dangerous game they were suposed to hunt they didn't get to keep anything from it as it was a sign of prestige to have wolf or bear fur around your house and the heart was a luxurious food that was also simbolicaly important and the powerful ate the hearts of animals as a way to get their strenght, or something like that, human culture can be very weird.

But aparently heart is a very delicious food, if I had a fisical body I would surely try to eat it, well for that I would also need to have a tongue and a palate and all that mortal body stuff.

After some time Achilles went back from scouting to say that he found game.

-M'lord, I have found signs of a group of deers close to a spring.

Achilles said after bowing.

- Good! Uh... Achilles, lead us there!

Justin forgot Achilles name but one of servants whispered to him. Then ordered Achilles, who responded respectfuly and showed the way.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After half an hour Achilles showed the young lord the location and said for him to go to somewhere more spacious that him and the others would lead them right in front of his bow.

Justin went back on his horse and 6 of his servants after little time there was the sounds of hooves beating closer and closer and the sounds of the deer trying to seek help, the barking of the hunting hounds that were chasing the deer to let it get tired and the heavy breathing of the young lord in his nervousness.

*SNAP*

The sound of branches being broken and the sudden appearence of a bif fat deer, with a beatiful light brown fur that shined in the sun. The sound of the hooves of the horses of the young master's servants woke Justin from his nervous trance and he kicked his horse and the chase begun.

The forest wasn't dense enough for the horses to need to slowdown to evade trees but the deer was swift in his turns, the hounds were tireless and from time to time got to bite the deers feet, slowing it down, although shortly after thedeer would kick the hount free, the hunters picked their bow trying to take a shoot even with the movement of the horses swinging them, the trees blocked the view of the hunters making them lose the aim. It is generaly a rule of hunting to not have two man on both sides of the game, because if you are to shoot your arrow, there is a great chance of you shooting your friend.

But even with those rules Achilles that knew the forest shouted.

-Don't shoot! The is a glade ahead I will lead it there where it will be easier!

Justin heard that and signaled with his arms and hand to follow Achilles' plan.

Soon you could see the tall rays of the sun ahead, based on it's position it was almost noon, the horses have been runing for almost an hour, Justin didn't even notice it, that was the fun of hunting, the seemimgly endless chases that ended in a glorious victory and a banquet. Justin with a grin in his face entered the clearing where that beatyful deer jumped right into his bow.

*Vush*

The shot was true, but the deer was still alive, yet the deer fell into the ground, injured and bleeding. All that Justin needed to do was to give it the coup de grace and end the beast's suffering.

The arrow had shot the deer's back thigh, Achilles dismounted his horse, so did Justin. Achilles aproached the beast limping and shivering in fear, Achilles grabed the deer's head somehow calming it, as if it had come in agreement with it's destiny.

-M'lord, It's your trophy, how would you like it?

Achilles was basically asking how will you kill it, it will change the taste later depending on how it's killed.

Justin picked his hunting sword, with a hilt made with bone and carved with a hunter killing a deer, a short cross guard to keep the hand from touching the blade, and a blade colored a beautiful white.

*Slash*

And the white blade turned red, such as the neck of the deer. And the sound of it's last breath sounded not by the deer's mouth or nose, but by the cut in it's neck. Life was not shown in the deer's eyes and the legs that were shivering in fear before had no more strength. The deer fell into Achilles arms wich were still holding it.

-Huzzah! Horay! Long Live!

-Long Live! Huzzah!

And a battle cry of victory was heard, and all the servants celebrated and the dogs started barking as if celebrating as well. The hunt was a success.

After the celebrating there was a prayer to thank the forest and for the great of old for the spirit of the deer to go to their own hunting grounds as for they to experience the glory of the hunting.

The deer was then put hanging in a tree upside down for the blood to drain. While the draining was happening the hunters were talking over wine and food for lunch. the hounds were given some quickly hunted stripes of the deer to motivate them to do a good work again.

Justin then had to get up and go to a bush to take water out of the knee, if you know what I mean, two of the servants were put to guard Justin. Achilles by this time was coming back from scouting the close proximity in case any wolf or bear or some other animal was attracted by the scent of blood. And as he came back he saw close b y the camp, a big boar, it was almost 1,50 meters by the shouder and it was the mating season for them, the time they were the most aggresive.

Although Achilles was not supposed to kill boars as they were prestigious game Justin was really close by, inside the sight of Achilles and the giant hog.

Achilles decided to steathly go back to camp to not startle the beast and ask help to deal with it. A hog that size could easily kill the horses, the dogs and the men and still get away. Achilles decided to mind his step in the way avoiding braches while maintaining the boar at sight. The dark colored fur that was rough to the touch and the 48cm tusks that could rip apart your arm from your body in a bite. Many kings and great men have fallen to beasts such as this.

Achilles was almost at the camp, when.

-Uhh, Achilles! Good job out there! I really owe it to you!

-Buhi!

Justin shouted at Achilles to thank him, but it startled the boar that ran at full speed at Justin. Achilles jumped to the run to defend his lord, who heard the cry of the boar and the sound of branches breaking and leaves being moved. Achilles hastly went in the run but he cound't outspeed a boar... that is if he ran normally but Achilles could use magic with velocity proprieties.

There is a difference between accelaration magic and velocity magic. To put it simply acceleration magic is a sprinter's magic, it can only move faster or slower, while velocity magic is a marathoner, it will aways keep the same velocity from when the magic was activated, at first this doesn't seem like it's gonna help Achilles but, what you can do is activate your magic when you are at your top speed, then wait until you have built momentum the decativated your magic and make a great leap foward, with this you can always keeping getting faster, although that doesn't help when you need to make turns. But since Achilles is running in a straight line it isn't a problem.

The giant boar was about to tackle the terrified Justin Achilles draws his dagger and leaps foward in to the boar, his whole body of 100kg tackles the tackling boar. By Newtons second law of motion F=ma, force equal mass times acceleration (or full metal alchimist) (that I created so it shouldn't be Newton's but mine) , the boar is pushed with that great force and the dagger pierces deep almost making into the internal organs stopped only by it's length.

The other servants seeing this take their own weapons to strike the giant boar.

*Slash* *Slash* *Stab* *Stab*

-BUHI! BUHIHI! HUIIIN!

The cries of suffering of the boar as spears, swords and daggers are slashed and stabed at it's head and body.

It was a fight of desparation, both Achilles and the boar where out of air as the blow had taken the air out of the lungs of both and the servants terrified by the sudden beast coming out of the forest have their fight or flight response kick in and without any thought mindlessly strike at the hog.

The hog continued to struggle until one of the man stabbed it's dagger into it's eye, and as a way to protect himself he moved his head and bit the man's arm, the man tried to pull back his arm in desperation, but the hog wouldn't let go and using the man's body as a counter weight it got up, still confused and tired and wounded, it was like a bull in a rodeio kicked the air and struggled to take the other man out of him, but Achilles was still out of air and couldn't move but still he got up and threw himself away from the wild monster of a beast.

Justin that was still paralized in fear came back to his senses and picked his sword, and while the boar was still distracted by Achilles' push, he stabbed using his magic with properties of force and pierced the monster's lungs and then twisted his sword to make a bigger damage that pierced it's stomach and cut important veins and arteries.

The boar was no more, his last breath was hot like there was still a fire in him readfy to fight, like his spirit would not give up, his spirit would not give up but his body failed him and life went out of his still determed to live eyes.

Everybody let out a sigh in relief as the monster stopped struggling and the danger was done.

Yet nobody shouted in celebration but shouted with life in the tears in their eyes as if it was not the loyal subjects and their lord that got a glorious victory but it was humans that fought to survive in desperation and determination to live.

Loking back, it was problably at that moment that Justin let his insecurities as a susessor to great men and come to realize that all of that doesn't matter. They are great not because of their wisdom or bravery in battle or their honor and feats but because they survived to make it that way.

After that long day those small aspirant heroes went back to their beds and slept like it was sunday tomorrow.