Hunting Lesson

The next day, we continue moving west through the Rocky Mountains. The pace is slower than before, but we should get to the capital in five days. We are way above sea level. The wildlife changed completely. There are fewer trees than when we were in Eleutheria, but more creeks coming from the mountains. Dad told me there are a lot oreamnos in the Orion kingdom. Oreamnos are quadrupedal mammals that eat plants in the mountains. They are primarily white and can survive under the low temperatures in winter; for that reason, their fur is highly valuable for winter clothing. They have beards, short tails, and long black horns. I’m guessing they look like goats.

We stopped after noon for the animals to rest and eat. We will continue in two hours.

“Alright, Cato and Albus. Let’s go hunt.”

“What are we hunting, Dad?”

“When learning how to hunt, the best prey are chanchos. Chanchos are everywhere in the world.”

“Wait, isn't that how Mom calls you sometimes?”

“Ha ha ha, yes.”

“She is so mean! Why does she call you that way?”

“Well, I’m not sure why Mom calls me that way, but chanchos are considered to have good luck or be blessed by the gods because not many animals eat them in nature, even though they don’t have magic. Chanchos have a big head, with a long snout and teeth, so be careful, they might try to bite you. Most chanchos have long hair that they drag in the ground. They can weigh between 300 and 600 lb.”

“Why do they have no predators?”

“Because chanchos are hard to kill and their meat is too hard to eat. Thus, animals that have a slow digestive system are willing to eat them, like spiders, snakes, and some birds.”

“Then why are we hunting chanchos?”

“Because to eat chanchos’ meat you need to kill them with technique, not force.”

“Aha!” Albus and I were excited to start.

Dad went to talk to Phaedrus, the leader of the Adventurers, to let him know that we will hunt a chancho as practice for us.

“Alright, Chanchos are usually close to creeks, so let’s find the creek and follow it up.”

As we were walking, Dad explained to us that chanchos can’t use magic, but they are pretty strong. First, we will train catching the chancho without magic. Once we accomplish that, we will try hunting it for food.

“Alright, there are three chanchos drinking water in the creek, all covered in mud. I recommend you both try to catch it. Remember, don’t use boost magic to catch it, but you can protect yourself with magic if they attack you.”

“Come on, Albus. Let’s crawl around them so they won't escape. You take their back, I will attack from the front.” As we got into position, Albus gave a sign to let me know he was ready.

As I jumped forward to catch one of them, I tried blocking any possible exit by opening my arms and legs. However, to my surprise, the chancho took a step back and then, tightening its body, jumped forward to tackle me. I couldn't dodge it, so I thought I tried to catch it, covering my stomach with magic. The chancho felt like a rock slamming my body. There was no way for me to hold it with my arms. It threw me off my back, and I landed in the mud, and the chancho bounced in my stomach, covering all with dirt, and flew away. Spit came out of my mouth in the most disgraceful way.

“Cato, are you alright!” said Albus, running towards me.

“I’m – splutter – OK.”

“Ha ha ha, chanchos can be a bit tricky. Breath Cato, breath.” Dad grabbed my shirt with one hand and pulled me to my feet.

“Thanks for the help, Albus.”

“Sorry, Miss Cato. It all happened too quickly.”

“I know I'm messing with you. And also, Cato, just Cato is okay.”

“Yes… Cato.”

“Do you want to try next, next, Albus?”

“Yes, Mr. Paulus.”

We continued looking around until we found another chancho eating.

“Okay, this time, don’t plan anything. Chancho never runs first. They always attack. No need to crawl or any of that.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“It was funny, ha ha ha.”

“Dad!”

Albus moved forward, and the chancho immediately looked his way and, tightening its body, it jumped towards Albus, who dodged it. Without losing any speed, the chancho continued running in a semi-circle and tackled Albus, who this time tried to catch it. However, it’s impossible, Albus is smaller than me. Albus got knocked down easily, and the Chancho flew away.

“Why did it come back, Dad, to try and tackle Albus again?”

“Chanchos only run after at least one tackle.”

“Mmm, okay. Can you show us how it's done?”

“Ha ha ha, I will show you.”

“Albus, let's try to learn anything we can from Dad to catch the chancho.”

“Yes, Cato.”

We walk back this time to see if we find any chancho. Then, we found another one by the creek. Okay, I must learn a technique from Dad.

“This is how you catch a chancho. Watch closely.”

Dad went in front of the chancho, and again the chancho tensed its body and tackled Dad with all its strength. However, without using any magic, Dad stopped the chancho with his massive abs. The chancho tried to escape for a few minutes but then gave up. Dad patted the chancho and let it go.

“There is no technique! You just used brute force to stop it!”

“Ha ha ha. Well, this will be good training for you two. From today on until we get to the capital, you will try to capture a chancho.”

“I don’t understand what is so complex about hunting a chancho?”

“Chanchos are a good source of protein while adventuring, but they need to be killed while eating, distracted, or when they're relaxed, because the meat will be impossible to eat if you kill it while its muscles are tight. When hunting, you need to know your prey. Each monster is different, so you have to be careful.”

“Oh, I see. I guess it is a good training.”

We spend the following days looking for chanchos to capture.