Chapter 10: The Right Path

The fire roared in the dark of the forest. The flames danced and cast flickering shadows on the trees surrounding the camp. The boar’s corpse turned slowly over the flames, licked by amber tongues as they hissed with each drop of fat that dripped off the meat. Beros sat to the side, rotating the spit and prodding the pig’s flesh occasionally with the tip of an arrow. Each time the arrowhead sank in with greater ease than before, but the hunter remained unsatisfied. When the fire seemed to be getting low he would reach in and sort the hodgepodge of twigs and broken branches by hand, protected by a pair of worn and dirtied golden gloves, red gems glistening on the back of each hand.

Chapter 9: Stranger Danger

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Tulla’s annoyance was thick, her words laced with aggravation and the hint of a temper.

“No we’re not. I told you, we’re right here,” Dego said, planting a finger firmly in the middle of a forest. He drifted slightly to the side, then slightly down and eventually took his finger off before he added more fuel to Tulla’s rage. “We’ll be there soon.”

Chapter 8: A Nobler Man

The table was covered in potatoes and carrots, leaks and radishes, vegetables that Tulla had never seen or handled before. Peri had introduced each to her as he chopped them up and dropped them in a soup, and after tasting the broth she decided that she was glad she had never seen them before. She liked the sweet roots that could be harvested on the island in the depths of the woods, the mushrooms and turnips that boars hunted for in the ground. Those were proper vegetables.

Chapter 7: Where In The World?

Dego’s mind wallowed through darkness. Unlike the last time, he heard nothing but a distant whine that never stopped. He couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead. The sound was driving him mad.

Chapter 6: Graeme’s Guide to Travel

Many have dared to venture out from the comfort of home, leaving the couch for the great beyond, exploring the borders of their land, their kingdom, their continent even. The world is a vast and interesting place and you’ll never see it unless you take some initiative. Before you set out, there are a number of things to consider and look out for, certain pitfalls that every traveler will come across:

Chapter 5: Gone, Gone, Gone

Now boy, now is the time to strike! The voice that echoed in Dego’s head was distant, hollow; it was real and could not be ignored.

Chapter 4: Sparks

“I wish we had killed this thing,” Shem said, shifting the squirming hog around on his shoulders. Despite its snout and feet being bound, it had an alarming freedom of movement. Two gashes on his back suggested that he had been given worse of the tasks. He had been against the idea in the first place, especially as he had to be the one to track, catch, bind and carry the hog, but Dego insisted there was no other way.

Chapter 3: Sandy Shores

The deer dipped its snout in the river, idling in the chill. Early mornings on the island knew only the abuses of ocean winds, hands that had shaped the island for thousands of years. With only the sound of water babbling over rocks to sooth its nerves, the creature continued to stand calmly in the waters.

Chapter 2: Scrambled Eggs

The village was alive with the sounds of celebration. Seeing the thin walls provided momentary relief for Dego after his long journey home. His feet were sore from walking along the northern coast, but he had been able to avoid running into the Kokri again, and that was worth the extra distance alone.  The last of the sun’s rays had dipped below the horizon some time ago, signaling the end of the Twin Moons hunt.

Chapter 1: Konida Island

Blood sprayed out across the sand as waves lazed up and down the shore. The spear was embedded deep in the boar’s side, sending the beast hurtling to the ground. Laying there under the steady, overbearing sun, the boar heaved and sighed, its chest rising and falling in panic. Life had started to fade from its beady eyes.