The Hunt Begins

I get to see the place where I've been locked up for what I imagine to be days. The stone floor is as cold as it has been for the past few days. I hear the men carrying me laughing as they nearly carry me down the hallway. I see the door that I've been dreading hearing. It's a solid wood door with iron around the frame. I can only see it when I'm close. My eyes are still stuck where they cannot focus. I feel horrid as they move me. I'm aware of everything but not focused enough to make sense of it.

One more stone hallway before there's light from outside. I can hear more voices as we get closer. They're having a good time. I hear some singing, some talking, and some just making noise. The men carrying me knock on the door and the room goes quiet as someone calls for their attention. The person on the other side is loud enough that I can hear them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The hunt you have been waiting for is about to begin!"

I hear a round of shouting and clapping. The words ring clearly in my ears. "The hunt you have been waiting for." I questioned what would happen for days. I wondered what was going to happen to me. I'm sad to say that the greater of my fears have been realized. I have no way to fight back. I hear him shout "Bring him out!" before the door opens. I'm dragged in barely able to keep my feet under me.

I'm dragged around what appears to be a large hunting lodge. Solid wood floors with tall wooden pillars that stretch beyond where I can focus. I know there's a second floor. I see a few faces that are looking down on me. The murmurs that do reach my ears are concerning. A few are excited mentioning that "if I'm able to bag him, it's well worth the money" while a few others are excited at just the opportunity.

I'm paraded around a little bit longer before they stop and let me fall. They're going over the rules;

Only approved weapons can be used.

Traps are allowed but cannot be used against other hunters.

Live captures are allowed but probably not recommended.

Humane kills only…

That last one is not comforting. I'm dragged around one last time. I feel the wind hit my face as the light from the sun nearly blinds me. I'm outside at least. Someone gets up in my face with a twisted smile. "Listen here fox, you'd better give us a good show. You have 30 minutes to run before they start coming after you. Make it count." They jab something into my neck again and almost instantly, the world becomes clear.

I can see. I can focus. I cannot use my magic. They still have it blocked somehow. Someone behind me yells, "30 minutes, Fox! Better run! Hahahahaha!" It's followed by more howling and hollering as they antagonize me. I'm able to stand once again. If I was able to use my magic, I could end this hear. For now, I have to play their game. But I have to play it smart.

They're shouting for me to run. I will not give them that satisfaction. I turn and walk down the path that leads into the forest. Once I am out of eyesight, I will make a break for it. I have to use the time to collect myself. Get my bearings. The first thing I notice, which I hadn't been aware enough to realize for the past few days, is that they took everything from me. Any tools I had in my pockets are gone along with my clothes. I'm left bare to the world. I can still hear them behind me yelling for me to run. I refuse. I will not give them that satisfaction. I am terrified but will not let them see that.

Once the voices turn into a murmur, I take a left and go off the beaten path. They're hidden from view and now I can run. I pick up my feet and start moving inward and off to the side. I have to assume the worst. That the cards are stacked against me. I assume these people are experienced hunters so they know how to track my movements. I know that I'll be leaving a trail behind while I move fast. I need distance right now and can work on hiding myself later.

Water will be my best friend. If I can find a stream or a shallow river I can use that to travel with the current. It'll move me faster and hide my scent and footprints. I guess my short time in the Army did teach me something useful. Tracking and evasion are going to be the core of the skills I need to tap into. I don't know how far I've gotten. I don't know how long I've been running. I try to keep my ears open for any sign that the hunt has started. I try to send out a ping periodically but there is a block that I can't break.

I just have to keep moving. I just have to keep going forward. I have to survive. I hear a loud horn bellow out through the woodlands. That is my sign that the hunt has officially begun. I never considered if any of them were magic users. If they know that I am the NIne-Tailed Fox then there's a good chance that they know something. Now I have to worry about tracking spells, attacks, and traps. My mind begins to race as I try to pick up more speed. I still can't ping out to see what's around me. I have to use my normal senses.

I stop at the edge of an open field. It's probably an acre of just grass with a few trees scattered around. It's very open and should be avoided. I should double back a bit and go wide. Do I have the time to do so? I haven't heard anything around me that indicates someone is close. OK, I have to take a second to hear what's around me.

Birds, smaller animals, and nothing that indicates something larger. That doesn't mean that there isn't. It's just not obvious. That could be because there is nothing large around me, it's not active at the moment, or it's hiding its presence. No matter what it is, I need to keep moving.

Another long sprint before I finally feel myself starting to wear down. I've been stagnant for a few days. Not to mention that before that I was stuck in a crate, drowned, and then stuck in a hotel room for weeks limited in what I was able to do. I am not in the peak condition that I should be for this type of activity. There's plenty of cover. I can find enough foliage to disrupt my outline until they got close.

I'm able to catch my breath for a minute but that minute means that they are one minute closer to me. I'm back on my feet and moving again. I'm taking it slower this time. I need to pay better attention to my surroundings. I need to start playing it smarter and getting ready for the inevitable fight.

I would like to think that this area is beautiful. There are obvious signs that this place has been preserved for its natural beauty. Most places that are preserved for hunting double as a preserve, With the situation that I am in, I can't bring myself to enjoy it. Instead of the beauty of nature, I look at everything as cover and camouflage.

I wonder how long this game lasts. Will they call it after a certain amount of time or is it until someone brings me in? No! They will not! I have to keep my mindset that I will survive! I know their goal. I know mine. It's going to come down to a battle of whose will is stronger. I've been through hell and literal high waters. I know I have the drive to survive. While they play a game, I'm playing with much greater stakes. There is no "if I fail". I either will or will not. And I refuse to let myself fail here. That being said, I cannot ignore this feeling in my gut. There is a sense of fear that is constant and for good reason. I know that situation I am in. I have to acknowledge that otherwise, I'm just living in denial.

Use that fear to my advantage. Be aware of it enough that it won't have a negative effect on my thinking. A cornered animal is at its most dangerous. I may not be in that corner just yet but there is a sense of being cornered. I don't have all my tools at my disposal. Might as well consider me a wounded animal. That's just as bad, if not worse.

I keep a steady pace as I continue to move around the forest. I find something that I think will help me greatly. An old den under a log that's been abandoned. It's large enough that I can fit myself in. I'll have to take note of it for when it becomes dark. I may be able to circle around to use it as a place to rest. Sleep may be a luxury here.

I'll still keep it in mind. I have to keep moving for now. I've wasted enough time and slowed down enough that they could be breathing down my neck any moment. I hope I am overestimating their abilities. I still have to operate as though they are at the top of their game.

It's still early morning if my gauge of the sun is correct. I have a lot of daylight to burn before nightfall. If I can make it to then, I should be able to hide better. There's far too much going through my mind. My mind is wracked with the current situation every time I stop. The real fear sets in as I hear an echo off the trees, "I know he's close! I can smell him!"

Here we go. They haven't found me yet but I knew this would come. I have to play it smart from here. Low and slow. Ears open and head on a swivel. No big motions that can attract attention. If I'm lucky, they'll walk right by me. Do I go up high or stay down low? How do I go about approaching them? Should I fight or just let it go? The answer to that last one is obvious. They mean to do me harm. I refuse to let that happen.

I still don't have my magic. I have to rely on my abilities. I find a tree that has enough foliage low enough to the forest floor that I can use to conceal myself better. I sit and wait. The branch I'm on is sturdy enough to hold me but any movement is sent to the leaves. I have to keep as still as possible. I can hear their voices as they get closer. They just talk about how they're going to take me down. "Well do we get the net on him or do we just take him down?"

"I'd prefer the net. We'll see how much of a fight he puts up."

The voices are very different. One is male and the other is female. There only seem to be two. Any number greater than zero could be too much for me to handle in this state. I just have to hope they walk right by. Their footsteps come closer until I see them. The only thing that I move is my head to keep an eye on them. Even then I keep the movement slow. The leaves should help break up the outline of my face making it harder to see me. They seem focused on the ground level as they move. One is holding a modern-looking crossbow with a bolt loaded and cocked back. The other is holding a device I have not seen before. The end is a large tube with four bolts on it. They said they hoped to take me with the net. I wonder if it's a launcher for it. Impractical but not unheard of.

I sit and watch as they go by. They both are taking very careful steps as they try to follow where I went. "It's like we're right on top of him! I'll bet we are close. Be ready." Oh, how little do they know. I watch as they continue on their way until they are out of sight. I hate hiding but I'm in no condition to fight unless needed. I crawl my way down the tree back to the forest floor. I take a moment to breathe before I change my path and move on.

I don't know how long I can do this. That was just one encounter with two individuals. There is no way I'll be able to take on multiple. What if they have three or more in their hunting party? What if they're going to go with lethal methods from the start?

It's getting harder to keep my head the more time goes on. There's just too much going on with too much at stake. If I can find a stream or a river, I can use that to move quicker and possibly get off this preserve and into civilization. I know I'll have to fight back if I can't get away. I have a feeling that if I am as prized as they made me sound to be that they will not let me go without a fight. It seems my path is set on this violence. I just have to pick when it begins. With no magic at my disposal, I'll have to use my wits and brawn to brawl my way from this predicament,

Should I go after the two that already passed or wait for the next group? They seemed equipped in a way that they might be the easiest to remove from the hunt. I don't want to go looking for trouble. Trouble came looking for me.

My mind is made up and my path is set. The hunted becomes the hunter. Those two that passed me maybe my best bet to get my fur out of this "game" of theirs. I know the general direction they went. I may be able to use their skills against them. They thought they were following me. They're not working to cover their tracks. Boots make very clear indents in everything and break anything they step on. I just have to pick up my pace.

I hear their voices again as I get closer. They're so confident that they're on the right track their blind to the dangers around them. I am that danger. The one I can grab is the woman with the crossbow. She has a knife on her. I'll have to grab that as I grab her. Use that to keep her still and keep him from doing something stupid.

I hate this. Deep down, something is telling me that I should just let them go but survival dictates that I find a way out of this. And that is the stronger feeling. I slip the knife from its holder before slipping my arm around her neck. The crossbow is dropped to the ground with a small yelp from her. Her partner turns around with the launcher at the ready before he realizes the situation. The launcher is set down on the ground as the hunting dog speaks, "Woah! Woah. OK! Let's not do anything rash."

Do not do anything rash… They've been hyping themselves up for days for this. They've been running after me for what could be hours. And he doesn't want to do anything rash. "Why are you hunting me?" She answers, "You're a prized beast."

"I am not a beast. I am a person. I have a home and a family that I want to get home to."

They both clam up rather quickly. "That didn't cross your mind, did it? You didn't think of what you were doing. Just having fun, aren't you?"

"Anyone who would capture one of you would be considered a legend."

"Capture one of me? There is only one of me. My name is Red. I am not a nine-tailed fox. I am the nine-tailed fox. There is only one of me."

I only have four tales but it's a fact now. There is no other reasonable explanation for the growth of my tails. I have to focus. "How do I get out of here?" They both are quiet as they trade glances. I nudge her for an answer. He's the one who freaks out at my motion, "We don't know! I doubt they would let you go. We all paid a lot of money to participate."

"How much is my life worth to you?"

They both go quiet before he answers, "It's $150,000 per person."

"I'm worth $300,000 to you two? Let me ask this, is she worth $150,000 to you?"

I shift my weight again tightening my grip on her neck. She knows that it will only take a simple shift in my weight to snap her neck leaving her a heap on the ground. Her eyes broadcast that fear as her partner begins to plead, "Please! No! We didn't know!"

"What about the others you hunted? I heard them yelling and pleading."

"We didn't participate. We only were here for you."

"But it was OK to just let them go. Do you know where they are now?"

Neither wanted to answer. Their silence spoke volumes of how they were complicit. "Why should I not end you two right now?" His eyes widened at the questions but I continued, "What contribution do you two bring that is so important that you should be allowed to return?"

"Please! No! Leave my daughter out of this! If you're mad, just take it out on me instead. If you want, we'll just leave. We'll walk back to the lodge, pack our things and leave."

"Daughter?" I look out of the corner of my eye into hers. They do look similar.

"Yes, please. Let her go, and we'll just leave. You said you have a family you want to return to so you know."

I purse my lip. They were ready to take my life for fun. He thought this would be a fun father/daughter outing. Now that they know that they are outmatched, he thinks he can bargain. "You've made your bed. Now die in it."

I bend my knees bringing my center of weight down. The cracking noise echoes in my left ear. One smooth motion from my right arm carries her knife through the air landing square in his chest. He drops to the ground looking down at the metal sticking out. "What was the rule? Humane kills only?" I stomp on the hilt pushing the blade deeper. I watch as his eyes roll back with the last breath that leaves his body.

My path is set. It's kill or be killed. And I refuse to be killed.