The Failed Hero and The Hunt

Isaac watched Alicia dig through her pack as she counted the items inside. She pulled out various items ranging from potions he’d prepared, ropes, and a few other basic supplies they would need for their hunt. Isaac had wanted to prepare more, but seeing how he didn’t have any magic bags they could use, space was at a premium.

“I think so. I’m all ready to go.”

Once everything was shoved back in her pack, Alicia slung the bag over her shoulder and got to her feet. Isaac did a quick count of his own supplies before making his way to the front door.

“Good. Let’s get going then.”

Since his conversation via the transfer tube, Isaac had spent every day teaching Alicia everything he could manage in the short time they had. For five straight days, he’d worked her to the bone, drilling the basics into her as best as he could. With the Moon Day when they were supposed to meet fast approaching, he decided it was time to take her with him on a hunt.

He’d done everything he could to prepare for this, but there were some things that could only be learned by proper experience. Alicia needed to know how to fight monsters, so taking her with him on an expedition into the forest was the best thing he could do for her.

Alicia was ecstatic. When Isaac mentioned the possibility of a hunt to her she threw herself even harder into her training. She was clearly overjoyed at the prospect of being able to test herself against a real opponent. Isaac just hoped that she’d be able to keep her expectations in check.

While Alicia had been practicing very hard, and had made quite significant progress, she was still an amateur when it came to fighting. She’d nearly mastered the basics, but those would only take her so far. If she wanted to really improve, she needed to see where her limits were and figure out how to push past them.

That being said, he also didn’t want her to get hurt, at least not too much. A little pain was a good teacher, but if she lost too horribly, it would have an adverse effect.

Hence the joint expedition.

Isaac would be right by her side the entire time. He had more than enough experience in this field, so while he wanted her to do as much fighting as possible, he wouldn’t hesitate to step in if things got dicey.

They weren’t planning to go too deep into the forest, and he had yet to encounter any beast in there he couldn’t handle on his own, so he wasn’t worried. He knew Alicia would give it her all, and if she reached her limit, he’d finish the job.

Moon day was in three days, so he’d set aside two for the hunt. He hoped they would be able to finish in just one, giving them a whole day to rest afterward, but given how fickle the forest could be, he made sure to give them plenty of extra time. Isaac had no way of predicting what they might find, and while he felt good about Alicia’s chances against some opponents, there were some he wouldn’t even let her try against. How smoothly their journey went, depended entirely on how quickly they could find an opponent he would let her face.

Once they entered the forest, Isaac urged Alicia to be quiet, and he wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not when she actually listened. At least she seemed to be taking him seriously. They foraged for several hours, Isaac casually pointing out useful plants and other tidbits when he felt it appropriate. Alicia followed along with rapt attention, even picking a few of the herbs for her own practice and enjoyment.

Eventually, the pair stumbled on a mound of little brown pellets resting on the undergrowth.

“Hey Kid, come take a look at this.”

Isaac crouched down, pointing out the pile to his tiny companion. As soon as she saw what he was looking at her face contorted into a grimace.

“Is that poop?”

“It sure is.” Isaac let himself chuckle at the girl’s reaction, before recomposing himself. “This is actually really helpful to us. It means something passed by not too long ago.”

He poked the remains, at first with a stick and then with his own finger. Alicia recoiled every time he prodded the pile, not bothering to hide her disgust. Not that he cared.

“They’re decently fresh too. Probably within the last hour or so. Stay quiet, and see if we can find anything else in this area.”

Isaac couldn’t believe their luck. Not only did they find decent tracks they could follow fairly quickly, but he recognized these droppings as well. The monster they were now tracking was not the weakest thing in the forest, but it wasn’t strong enough that he thought Alicia couldn’t handle it. It would be a tough fight, for sure, but that was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to challenge her, make her think on her feet, and push her to explore new options. In other words, this thing was the perfect target for their hunt.

He kept Alicia close as they searched the area for additional tracks. After about thirty minutes of searching, Isaac finally noticed a set of impressions in the mud near a small stream. Just like before, he called Alicia close to show her his discovery, and, unlike the droppings from earlier, she seemed far more invested.

Lining the bank of the stream, were several small talon-like impressions, with three claws in front and one pointing behind, almost like the foot of some type of fowl. Isaac knew better though.

“The shape of these claws look like a bird,” Isaac said, highlighting the prints to his young apprentice. “But, if you look closely, you’ll notice the middle talon is a bit shorter than the others.”

Alicia nodded, though she didn’t seem to understand what he was suggesting.

“These tracks belong to a monster called a Dolin. It’s a kind of deer, but with bird-like claws and wings and far more vicious. Normally, that would make it pretty hard to track, but luckily for us, this one seems pretty young. If it were an adult, it likely would have flown off by now, but this one may not have learned to do that yet. Either that, or it’s injured and can’t fly very well.”

Isaac pointed downstream where the tracks continued for a considerable distance, before disappearing back into the brush. Leading Alicia down the same path, Isaac tried to quietly answer any questions the girl had about their target. She asked about what it looked like and what it ate, but most importantly, she asked about how it fought.

Isaac was glad that she was interested in learning more about her opponent. Clearly, everything he’d taught her about knowing her enemy hadn’t gone over her head.

Soon, though, their conversation had to come to an end. As they followed the tracks, Isaac noted them getting more and more recent, so he encouraged Alicia to only speak when necessary. A mere half an hour later and the two spotted their prey.

Resting at the base of a large tree sat a small creature. At a glance it resembled a deer with short brown fur and small antlers poking out of it’s head, though they were still small, confirming Isaac’s theory about it being young. On the animal’s back, however, two feathery wings curled up behind it. On an adult, a dolin’s wingspan would be nearly a dozen feet, but on this specimin they were still very small. Curled up beneath the beast, it’s four legs morphed into sharp talons that perfectly fit the tracks the pair had been following.

Isaac called Alicia over to him, motioning for her to get low.

“It looks like it’s asleep, or at least resting. You stay quiet and out of site. I’ll set up a barrier so it can’t escape and then I’ll wake it up. After that, it’s all on you.”

Alicia nodded slowly, clearly a little nervous now that she was able to see her opponent. Isaac sighed softly before placing his hand on her head.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I know you can do it. And, if things get hairy, I’ll step in. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

Not waiting for a response, Isaac began making his way around the beast in a wide circle. Every so often, he pulled a small palm sized stone out of his bag and place it on the ground.

Isaac prided himself on his rune work. These particular talismans he’d created for his own journey into the demon lands and they’d ensured many peaceful nights on his adventures. It had been a while since he’d had to use them, but he felt that this training hunt was the perfect opportunity to finally put them to use once more.

Once the circle was set up, Isaac channeled his magical energy into a separate stone he held in his hand, causing a simmering translucent wall to rise from the circle he’d prepared. With everything ready, he looked to Alicia to confirm she was ready to begin.

Alicia’s hands were shaking a little, but she still pulled her over-sized blade from the hooks on her back, holding it in the defensive stance Isaac had taught her.

Then, when he was sure she was ready, he picked up a small pebble and threw it.

The rock landed true, bouncing off the dolin’s snout. It’s eyes snapped open, and in no time at all it was scrambling to it’s feet scanning it’s surroundings. It glanced around the clearing, its eyes landing on the little girl in front of it. There was a moment of stillness, before the creature’s gentle face opened wide, baring a set of sharpened fangs.

The instant the monster showed intent to fight, Alicia was moving. She circled around the beast, using her small size and unusual strength to move faster than her frame would suggest was possible. The dolin tried to follow her with it’s head, but it quickly found itself disoriented.

For just a moment, the monster shook it’s head, trying to dispel the dizziness. Alicia didn’t waste that moment. She pulled in close, heaving her sword for a wide overhead swing. The overweight blade arched forward, Alicia putting her whole body into the strike. Once the blade reached the apex of its swing, gravity took control.

The sheer force of the blade pulled Alicia along. She aimed for the creature’s right shoulder, but it caught itself right before the impact. The dolin curled to the side, narrowly avoiding the falling sword, but the impact was bigger than it expected. Dirt and debris flew in all directions, landing in the the beasts eye, forcing it to stagger back.

The first strike had been made. It didn’t land, but the battle had started in earnest.

During their training, Isaac quickly realized that even in spite of Alicia’s blessings, and the enchantments on her holy sword, she was simply too small to use it the way it was intended. In Alicia’s hands, even a one handed longsword became a greatsword.

So, Isaac treated it like one. He taught her how to use the weapon’s weight to her advantage. He taught her the principles of momentum and how her greatest weapon was not actually her blade, but her own strength. Alicia’s goal wasn’t to cut, it was to crush.

He watched their duel from the edge of the barrier. He noted the missed strike and the temporary loss of control. They were expected mistakes for someone of her experience, but still things he’d want to address at some point in the future.

The battle continued with Alicia leaping back to create more distance. She watched her opponent, waiting for a moment, more cautious than her first strike. Even if it knew she was there, it didn’t know what she could do yet, so the element of surprise was still in her favor. Now that they’d had an exchange it was no longer a factor, so she had to take a different approach.

The second exchange was slower than the first. Alicia still kept moving, never staying in one place for longer than a second. The moment the dolin thought it had an opening, she would no longer be in control.

The beast made the next move. Alicia’s movements ventured just a little too close, giving it confidence. The dolin leapt forward, stretching its neck out in an attempt to catch the girl in its sharpened jaws. What it didn’t realize was that Alicia’s approach wasn’t a mistake, it was bait.

The moment the dolin leaned in, Alicia ducked low, bringing her sword up in a full 360 degree overhead swing. Confident in her aim this time, she let momentum do the real work. The blade struck true, driving its sharp edge into the back of the deer monster’s neck, then it kept going. As sword, neck, and head crashed into to the ground, Alicia’s legs bounced into the air, selling the impact of her strike.

Isaac heard bones cracking under the weight of Alicia’s strike, forcing him to unconsciously grip his own neck. This girl was thirteen, and she was already this strong. The thought alone was enough to make Isaac shudder.

The dolin never got back up, which surprised no one. Even if the blade hadn’t cut through its hide, it’s neck had been completely crushed in that attack. Two strikes was all it took. Isaac waited for a few moments, letting the end of the battle settle into the air, before he approached Alicia.

“Well done. That was an impressive fight.”

He pat her head, which startled her slightly. Isaac could feel the tension in her small frame leave her all at once, as if she only now realized that it was actually over.

“It was so short.”

It was almost a complaint, like she expected more from her first real opponent.

“They usually are.” Isaac started picking up the barrier runes, grateful the weren’t actually needed. “At least against most monsters, you want to end things quickly and definitively. If a battle goes on too long, or if they sustain too many injuries, they’re more likely to deem it not worth their time and flee instead.”

Alicia nodded along, satisfied with his response. She may have expected, or possibly even wanted the fight to go a little longer, but its short length didn’t change the outcome. She’d won, and she hadn’t even needed Isaac’s help.

“So, what now? Are we done?”

Isaac collected the last few barrier runes, unconcerned with the new question.

“This one was young, probably only a year or two old. Most Dolins stay with their parents for three years at a minimum.” Isaac’s response was unhurried, letting the implications of his words hang in the air. Unfortunately, Alicia’s baffled expression told him she didn’t quite understand.

“The young one was a nice warm up, but it was never our true target.”

Isaac felt something dangerous prickle the edges of his senses. He’d noticed it earlier, but it hadn’t been able to get through his barrier before. Now that it was gone, the danger was able to approach unimpeded.

Alicia was still trying to puzzle together Isaac’s subtle proclamation, when her eyes went wide. She must have felt it too. Her senses were still untrained, but at this distance, there were some dangers that anyone could pick up on. Bloodlust was universal.

“Ready for round two?” Isaac said, dropping to the ground and rolling out of the way. The moment the space was clear, a new creature took his place.

It was larger than their previous target, doubly so. Unlike the youngling, this creature was airborne, its wings outstretched, and its sharpened talons raised in a clear intent to kill. Two jagged antlers sprouted from its head, asserting its presence and demonstrating its maturity.

The new, mature Dolin dove toward Alicia, its undeniable rage on clear display. Alicia had slain its child, and this creature was not happy.

The real battle was just beginning.