I awoke to a dreadful morning, grey skies and pouring rain. My tent is full of water and it reaks of my own must. I've been wearing the same cloth shirt and pants for months. Haven't had a chance to bathe in weeks.
As I step out of my tent I peer around looking for the horrid spider from last night, Not a creature in sight. I breathe out a sigh of relief but this is short lived as I feel my stomach growl. I haven't eaten in days, I decided the first thing I need to do is set up a campfire and cook up the horse meat I had found the day before.
The only trees nearby are three chestnut trees growing right next to each other so I decide to forage around near them to look for sticks that I could make into kindling. There was also a rooster foraging by the trees! It reminded me of my families chicken farm in Chaos. The omelettes my mother would make were so delicious, I feel as though I would kill for an egg breakfast at this point, my stomach growls again.
Back to the task at hand I head towards the trees and then, there it is, I spot the huge aged spider from the night before! He was crawling about on the mountain near me, probably 100 feet away. I quickly look around for any kind of wood I could use to build for the fire, sneaking around hoping the creature would not see me. I found a Pumpkin, Mushrooms, and a few herbs but i wasn't able to find a single stick.
I decided I will just have to chop down one of these beautiful chestnut trees. I pull out my birchwood hatchet and started swinging at the tree as quietly as I could hoping to not disturb the beast. While chopping at the tree I happened to look down and noticed tracks of an old black wolf going to the south that looked pretty fresh. This is a dangerous place, I thought to myself.
CRASH! The tree comes down with a thunderous noise from my final swing. I look up towards the spider and he hasn't moved an inch. He's watching me. Quickly I chop up the fallen tree. I picked up three logs and slowly headed toward my tent. Still close to the mountain and the spider I positioned myself so that I could watch him as he watches me. I drop two logs and start carving strands of wood off a log with my knife to make kindling. I was able to make enough to store some for later. Then I set up my logs and put the kindling below. With my steel and flint I tried to light the fire but had a bit of trouble at first, burning up some of my valuable kindling. Eventually I got the fire lit up, time to eat! I place my ceramic bowl in the fire and add the hunks of horse meat that smells a bit rancid at this point. Reminding me I need to bathe before the day is over. On top of the meat I add a few chopped yellow mushrooms, garlic, and the horse bladder for a bit of extra meat. I considered adding the horses eyeball but for some reason I felt I could find another use for it. As the ceramic bowl starts to get hot I can hear the horse meat sizzle in its own blood, my mouth waters. I decide to eat some of the pumpkin as I stir my stew with my knife. Deciding my meal is ready I pull the bowl from the fire and put it on the ground burning my bare hands in the process.
Trying to eat a piece of the meat I burn my mouth, The food is searing hot. I decided this is the perfect time to bathe myself while I wait for my lunch to cool down. Stripping of my cloth shirt and pants I run and jump in the cold ocean water. Cleaning myself has never felt better, it's been too long. I step out of the water back onto the beach. Promising myself I will never go that long without a bath again.
Going over to my bowl of casserole on the ground I shoo a few flies away and sit down to start eating, still keeping that spider in my view. I eat using my hands, I feel like a barbarian but I can't stop eating. The meat tastes strange but I don't care. As I eat I start thinking about my next move. I'm still stuck in this dangerous dead end and the only way out seems to be the way I came. Mentally I decide to start walking back up the road towards the town when I finish my meal.
I eat the entire bowl of food and still feel like I want more. I start packing up my sack and taking down my tent making sure to not leave anything behind. I start heading down the path, leaving the spider and the dead end behind. Immediately I see an aged wild cat and an old mountain lion in my path. I'm trapped between these creatures and the dead end. I feel my only option is to run, run right past the animals and hope they don't pursue me.
I sprint by without a hitch. The cats don't even notice me and I slow to a walk back up the road I had came down yesterday. This time though I notice a road that goes up a mountain. I think if I could get to the top of the mountain I can get a better view of the land and maybe I could find a place to settle and start building my own home. I decide to take the road and head up the rocky hill.
A few steps in and I remember, this is the same mountain the spider was crawling on...Feeling invincible after running by the cats I decide to continue on. I'm not really afraid of spiders, am I?
As I step out of my tent I peer around looking for the horrid spider from last night, Not a creature in sight. I breathe out a sigh of relief but this is short lived as I feel my stomach growl. I haven't eaten in days, I decided the first thing I need to do is set up a campfire and cook up the horse meat I had found the day before.
The only trees nearby are three chestnut trees growing right next to each other so I decide to forage around near them to look for sticks that I could make into kindling. There was also a rooster foraging by the trees! It reminded me of my families chicken farm in Chaos. The omelettes my mother would make were so delicious, I feel as though I would kill for an egg breakfast at this point, my stomach growls again.
Back to the task at hand I head towards the trees and then, there it is, I spot the huge aged spider from the night before! He was crawling about on the mountain near me, probably 100 feet away. I quickly look around for any kind of wood I could use to build for the fire, sneaking around hoping the creature would not see me. I found a Pumpkin, Mushrooms, and a few herbs but i wasn't able to find a single stick.
I decided I will just have to chop down one of these beautiful chestnut trees. I pull out my birchwood hatchet and started swinging at the tree as quietly as I could hoping to not disturb the beast. While chopping at the tree I happened to look down and noticed tracks of an old black wolf going to the south that looked pretty fresh. This is a dangerous place, I thought to myself.
CRASH! The tree comes down with a thunderous noise from my final swing. I look up towards the spider and he hasn't moved an inch. He's watching me. Quickly I chop up the fallen tree. I picked up three logs and slowly headed toward my tent. Still close to the mountain and the spider I positioned myself so that I could watch him as he watches me. I drop two logs and start carving strands of wood off a log with my knife to make kindling. I was able to make enough to store some for later. Then I set up my logs and put the kindling below. With my steel and flint I tried to light the fire but had a bit of trouble at first, burning up some of my valuable kindling. Eventually I got the fire lit up, time to eat! I place my ceramic bowl in the fire and add the hunks of horse meat that smells a bit rancid at this point. Reminding me I need to bathe before the day is over. On top of the meat I add a few chopped yellow mushrooms, garlic, and the horse bladder for a bit of extra meat. I considered adding the horses eyeball but for some reason I felt I could find another use for it. As the ceramic bowl starts to get hot I can hear the horse meat sizzle in its own blood, my mouth waters. I decide to eat some of the pumpkin as I stir my stew with my knife. Deciding my meal is ready I pull the bowl from the fire and put it on the ground burning my bare hands in the process.
Trying to eat a piece of the meat I burn my mouth, The food is searing hot. I decided this is the perfect time to bathe myself while I wait for my lunch to cool down. Stripping of my cloth shirt and pants I run and jump in the cold ocean water. Cleaning myself has never felt better, it's been too long. I step out of the water back onto the beach. Promising myself I will never go that long without a bath again.
Going over to my bowl of casserole on the ground I shoo a few flies away and sit down to start eating, still keeping that spider in my view. I eat using my hands, I feel like a barbarian but I can't stop eating. The meat tastes strange but I don't care. As I eat I start thinking about my next move. I'm still stuck in this dangerous dead end and the only way out seems to be the way I came. Mentally I decide to start walking back up the road towards the town when I finish my meal.
I eat the entire bowl of food and still feel like I want more. I start packing up my sack and taking down my tent making sure to not leave anything behind. I start heading down the path, leaving the spider and the dead end behind. Immediately I see an aged wild cat and an old mountain lion in my path. I'm trapped between these creatures and the dead end. I feel my only option is to run, run right past the animals and hope they don't pursue me.
I sprint by without a hitch. The cats don't even notice me and I slow to a walk back up the road I had came down yesterday. This time though I notice a road that goes up a mountain. I think if I could get to the top of the mountain I can get a better view of the land and maybe I could find a place to settle and start building my own home. I decide to take the road and head up the rocky hill.
A few steps in and I remember, this is the same mountain the spider was crawling on...Feeling invincible after running by the cats I decide to continue on. I'm not really afraid of spiders, am I?