Dota
Gondar
By Aditu
Gondar scanned the surrounding of the platform he was standing on. The Bounty Hunter had just returned from one of the town wars he participated in on a regular basis. Before he left the platform, which was one of the many starting points as well as the returning points for the wars, he had to check for threads. As long as he was standing here, he wasn't in danger, because it was a neutral zone, a place where nobody could attack or be attack by someone. But as soon as he left the platform he was as assailable as any other creature.
The Bounty Hunter was an assassin and he could go invisible for a long duration but that didn't make him invincible or invulnerable. The only advantage it brought him was that his enemies didn't know that he was there. But when someone saw him leaving the platform, they did know he was around and could still get him. First, through attacks onto an area and second, through means that could make him visible when he used his ability. He had been attacked too many times in his life to go through the world carelessly or ignorantly.
The platform was surrounded by trees on all sides and the sounds of the woods drifted through the air. Singing birds, rustling leaves, breaking twigs, tapping feet and paws. But the sounds all seemed to be made by animals or natural sources like the wind. Gondar remained unmoving for a few more minutes but his eyes couldn't make out anything unusual as well. The other heroes had all come from another platform to the town war, he had been the only one to get back here. It was the way he preferred. He knew which platforms were used more frequently and which not. The Hunter always tried to stay away from other creatures, outside of the town wars as well as inside of them. He was a loner. And he preferred it that way.
His backpack on his shoulders he used his ability and went invisible. He still remained standing where he was before he jumped down from the platform. He landed on the soft ground of the forest around him with almost no sound in a crouched position, the hand with the dagger on the ground, the other clutching a shuriken, ready to strike.
His ears twitched but there was nothing dangerous to hear or to see. Completely silent he stood up and walked into the trees. He was absolutely alert, never letting his guard down. He had learned to be the best hunter in the world, but he knew that he still had to be careful. Because even the hunter could be hunted and it wasn't unlikely that someone wanted to take revenge on him. He had killed many famous creatures and some of them surely had family that was out to get him. He wasn't afraid, he knew that he was skilled enough to elude them for the rest of his life, but he was nonetheless careful.
The smells of the woods increased as he walked on, damp earth, rotten leaves, the bark of the trees and the green leaves over his head. Gondar used all his sensed alike, he could even feel the vibration of the ground through his naked feet when a bigger animal walked past. It had taken him years to hone his abilities like that but now he was unique in that. He had surpassed his trainers a long time ago and had left after they could teach him nothing more. The rest he had learned from experience.
None of the animals he passed noticed him and the Bounty Hunter smiled to himself, the expression concealed by the cloth over his mouth. That he could even trick those who had senses as sharp as himself pleased him.
The surrounding of the platform was known to Gondar, he had travelled here often. The woods were his favourite environment because it was even easier to hide there. Everywhere shadows tricked the eye and, compared to the desert, it was extremely loud. He made no sound when he walked, his feet treading completely silent, but if he made a sound accidentally it would be swallowed here. It was so unbelievably easy to hide here. The kills he had made in a forest had always been the easiest and he wondered why someone even tried to hide from him under the trees. It was the worst place they could have ever chosen. But when they realized that it was already too late for them. He was the best hunter in the world. Not the best of assassins, he knew that there were some who surpassed him with some of their abilities, but none of them could stalk their prey like he could.
The way he took through the forest would lead him to a small cave in the vicinity of a creek. The cave was hidden behind some bushes and in all the times he had stayed there not even an animal had found it. It was the perfect place to rest.
Gondar passed an apple tree, which he himself had planted, and collected some of the ripe fruits. He even found some wild carrots and a few potatoes. The town wars always made him extremely hungry, because they didn't need to eat while participating, but sometimes in the real world months could pass during one. It was as if the body wanted to make up for lost time afterwards and Gondar ate extremely much.
That was one reason why he had made sure that the surrounding of the cave had enough to eat, apple trees, wild vegetables and berries, herbs, everything he needed. He could hunt some of the animals as well, but he didn't like meat very much. Fish would be good, but a lake wasn't near enough, which was intended. A lake tended to attract all kind of predatory animals and creatures so the creek was the better choice.
The next days passed with eating and sleeping. Gondar used the time to train his skills and check his weapons for nicks. He would head to one of the smaller cities next, to have a look at the jobs that were announced. He felt like doing something challenging again, a hunt for which he would need all his skills.