Hunt or be Hunted

[MCVDK 1571]

There’d be a silence over the man known as Lysanthir, a dedicant of the Ichorian Path, as the sun had started to rise outside of the small tent of leaves which the man had created to sleep within throughout the eve and night. However, the night of the man had been more time awake within his makeshift home than asleep to rest. There seemed to be an intense nature over the man throughout the small amount of rest which had been allowed in the short moments as his hues narrowed towards the strands of the sun rushing through the leaves above the man as such soon broke the slumber of the man as the streaks and heat of the sun had raised the man from his state. Though as the sun had emerged from beneath the earth and the man's slumber interacted a singular gasped release from the man in realisation of the date as a rush and nervousness moved over his frame as a form of panic rushed throughout the half-slumber state of the man. There’d be a moment of silence as a voice moved into the mind of the man -- almost sourceless for a moment -- as the voice seemed ominous: “Prepared for the trial?” returned the voice of the female drui as the visage of Quillian moved over the man with an almost stern tone towards the man as his hands folded beneath his back with a nod as the man returned a soft: “Ti'' towards the drui before him. 

 

With a subtle thud and a nod from his mentor, Quillian, the man took a small step forward as his frame left the safety of the outskirt borders of the Mother Grove as his direction seemed destined within his own mind. One movement to follow for the next months to come -- one object within his thought -- one reason to remain in the wilds for these months: to survive within the harshest of environments with no materialistic creation to aid within the struggles versus the natural elements: at odds with the winds and the tides, at odds with the animals and the beasts, at odds with his own physique and his own mortal frame’s abilities. There’d be no sword within his hands, there’d be no armour over his skin, there’d be no food within his pack nor would such a pack exist as the essence of the trial before him was one of determined focus, as well as knowledge within the abilities taught throughout his period as a dedicant beneath the Thuleans. As the edge of the forest neared the feet of the man a soft inhale was drawn before the man moved into the depth of the forest for the trial ahead. 

 

(( 1st Month ))

 

There’d be an ominous silence within the depth of the woodland as the silent squeals of birds and the subtle creak of woodland creatures moved throughout the forest as Lysanthirs had entered this new and unknown area. It was to be the home of the dedicant for the next seven months ahead and with such arrived a collection of various issues, caused and forged through nature, which the man must overcome. Through most of the first week within the new woodland, the man used to traverse throughout the swathe of the forest to determine the best area for the man to shelter throughout the nights. However, his search for shelter had resulted in a few sleepless nights for the man as most of the time was utilised for walking throughout the woodland to avoid all creatures which would be able to find him within his state of defenselessness. 

 

It hadn’t aided the man to remain awake throughout his search as the thirst for water had raised more and more throughout his travels as the idea of dehydration started to become more and more eminent within the back of the mali’s head, if it hadn’t taken effect on the man hitherto. Though after one week of search throughout the woodland, with a lack of water and a lot of dizziness within the man, the subtle noise of water clashing with the soil of a small shore moved behind a small collection of trees. Lysanthir had rushed towards the water as the thirst of the man was drowned within massive slurps of the nearly clean water of the lake with a small hillside next to the lake with a line of trees over the edge of the shoreline of the lake. Rest of the month was used to create a small encampment of the leaves which had laid within the forest, which was supported with a branch of a fallen tree set against one of the trees, as to form some form of shelter from the wind around them. All this was reinforced with small lines of vines found throughout the area: utilised as ties around the weaker spots of the branch and leaves.  

 

 

(( 2nd Month ))

 

As the start of the second month had arrived with haste, almost unnoticed within the perception of the man, as his shelter had been finished and the lake used to hydrate the man throughout his projects within the months to come. However, throughout his projects at hand the rough nature of starvation had started to affect the man, there was an instant switch within his focus as there was a need to avoid starvation. Such resulted in the creation of tools throughout the next week which were made with branches of wood and stone found within the location of the man. Thickened branches found throughout the forest as the man utilised a sharp stone found within the forest to carve the branches down into a more reliable rod. Once more the vines of the area were utilised to tie tones onto these rods, often slammed towards heavier stones to ensure a sharp edge for the tool at hand. Lysanthir used this month, as starvation steadily approached, to create tree tools needed within his ventures: one spear -- created from a rod with a pointed stone tied to the end. One axe -- created from a small rod with a flat stone carved to create an edge over the stone to hit with. One knife -- created with a stone slammed down into an edge to create a sharpened side. 

 

(( 3rd Month ))

 

With recently crafted tools within the hands of the man, Lysanthir had decided -- or his stomach had decided for him -- that it was time to utilise these tools to hunt for food. While the man had collected various edible plants and berries, as well as caught a fish here and there, in the two months before, there was a need for meat and nutriousion to maintain some form of sane mindset within these forests. As there’d be thrums over the soil of the forest as the creaks of the animals inhabitants calmly traversed the woodland, unaware of the events which were to occur near the lake of the man, as Lysanthir moved throughout the forest as silent as the animals which lived within the woodlands themselves with a determined idea to find an animal which could serve as lunch for the next while of his life within the forest. 

 

Lysanthir crossed a corner of a collection of trees as his frame leaned down soon afterwards with a silent movement as the soft sounds of leaves crushing and branches cracking due to an animal of some sort traversing across the soil. A few meters before the man stood a deer in silence as it seemed to lower its snout down towards the soil as a method to eat while it remained unaware of the man within the bushes as his hand moved to tighten around the rod of the spear as his hues fixated on the deer before him. With a swift movement and a flick of his arm, the spear of his was hurled towards the silent deer before him as there’d be a softened thud on the contact of the deer with a loud scream released from the deer due to the infliction of torment caused through the actions of the man. Soon afterwards a thrum sounded within the soil as the deer started to move as an attempt to escape which resulted in the man rushing to his feet in pursuit of the escapee, though due to the bloodloss of the wound within the chest of the deer -- the deer soon fell to the soil after a few moments as Lysanthir kneeled down towards it as the man had reached the deer. He thrusted his knife down towards the deer as a means to end the suffering state of the creature as the man wished to end such state as soon as possible. 

 

(( 4th Month ))

 

A lot of the fourth month was utilised to carve and prepare the animals which had been hunted throughout the third month to ensure none of the animal was to waste in the months to come as there was a constant desperate state over the man while in the wilderness. There wasn’t much excitement throughout the fourth month as the task consisted of carving out the various areas of the deer, skinning the deer, hanging it in a tree away from camp to ensure the scent didn’t catch the attention of unwanted animals and then cooking the food over a fire. It seemed there was a moment of peace for the man within the fourth month which hadn’t been present for the man within the wilderness before. It was a moment to be calm for the man. It was a moment to understand the silence around nature. 

 

&

(( 5th Month & 6th Month ))

 

As soon as silence arrives within the confines of nature, so does the Aspects interrupt to remind the inhabitants of the woodlands of the strength carried throughout that of natural creation. It had seemed as if the man would have traversed the wilderness through an entire cycle without the need to care for a storm but such would seem to shift within the 5th month. As the trees had started to swoosh within the wind with a soft bend to the branches above them as the familiar nature of the rushed whispers and howls of silent storm started to fill the ears of the man as a sort of caution of what would rise in the next month.

 

Lysanthir started to brace for the storm which loomed in the distance as the howl of the wind strengthened and the nature of the storm around him brewed as his small tent of leaves and branches started to rock at odds with the strength of the wind. It was a battle between the materials and forces of nature, one which was soon to be lost for the man and the materials of the woodland. However, with the knowledge of such and the man's early reaction to the storm, Lysanthir had started to scout for one of the close caves which the man had found throughout his hunts of the forests, wherein the man took shelter throughout most of the storm. He had ensured to save food from the collection which had been created throughout the month as a means to avoid starvation more than needed. All of the storms were watched from this cavern with colden breaths and hasted heartbeats. 

 

(( 7th Month ))

 

Though as the months had disappeared before the vision of the man, as the struggles had lessened throughout the months, as the ideals of nature had been adapted and the man had shown his abilities within these woodlands, there was a need to return to his mentor within the cities in the seventh month. Although this life had been lived before -- as the man was of the woodlands -- there was no comparison to the trial of survival within the Ichorian Path. It was a utilisation of all skills learnt within the Path of the Ichorian, it was a showcase of knowledge and the use of that knowledge in actual situations with the skills of one's own and the mindset of determination to survive. Lysanthir had overcome such trial -- overcome such life within the woodland -- and returned home in success and fulfilment.