Chapter 2 of the Boar and the Girl.

In this one, Lily will be a bit older in this chapter and she is learning how to hunt with Zephron. How will this end up? Disastrous or all right for them both? I know this story hasn't been getting a lot of views lately, but I am trying to get back into fanfiction writing and listen to Princess Mononoke OST soundtracks with it. So this'll help me a little.

But here we go!

Ch.2 The hunt Begins and the Demon

In a cave far into the East, a young woman was asleep, a large fur coat covering her as she slumbered softly. Soft clocks from hooves were walking towards the body and then a sniffing sound could be heard. The woman groaned a bit in her sleep, trying to pull the covers more on her, but the sniffing continued until the large snout nudged and nuzzled her to wake up.

The woman fluttered her mismatched eyes open to look at the source. It was Zephron as he glanced at her. "Lilian, it is past sunrise. You need to wake up because I am going to teach you how to hunt today. Don't tell me you've forgotten?" He chuckled as Lily sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Sorry, Zephron...I was so excited that I couldn't sleep throughout half of the night." She yawned and stood up, folding up the fur cloak up and got out her small sword, her stone dagger and bow and arrows. This only made the Boar God chuckled.

"As much as for excitement, you still need to be up when I am coming to the cave. But let us head out and begin the lesson." He said and she nods. He lowered his back once more and she got on him, holding onto the mane as he walked out. Lily smiled as the birds chirped outside and the sun rising gently that the rays reflected out from the clouds.

Twenty years went by for them so quickly. Zephron did most of the hunting for him and Lily to survive and her being now twenty-eight, he consider of letting her hunt on her own for the first time. And he was proud of how young and beautiful his 'daughter' came to be. Her hair ran down to her lower back and her eyes were still mismatched, but they glow more intense than they ever did. But he had raised her up as he promised that day for the Forest Spirit if he allowed her to live.

Lily was friendly to all of the nature around them, even when some of the boars from other regions pass by since Zephron is third in command of the Boar Tribe, since Nago is the first born and then Okotto is the second born. But even then, she still gives them all respect and they return it to her and Zephron. Once Lily was getting older, she learned how to take care of her other needs beside hunting since Zephron didn't let her until now. So she was very excited that she was going to hunt for the first time.

As they arrived to a river, Zephron came to a halt and Lily got off of him. "Remember the dagger that I got for you? I want you to use that and try to catch fish. I will be watching." He said before going to a soft spot on the grass and laid down. Lily nods and got out her dagger and managed to tie it up to a stick she found. She figured that this would be easier since fish are more skittish.

She walks up to the river and walked over until it reached to her ankles and waited. "Remember...patient is the key. Do not get frustrated if you do not get it the first few tries. Take a deep breath and focus...and when the time comes for you, use it." He said and Lily nods. She looks at the fish that were casually swimming in the river and Lily took a deep breath.

She throws the made-shifted spear, but missed and Lily sighed softly. "Patient is key..." She said to herself as she grabs it and tries again. It took her a few moments, but she finally got a few on the spear and she smiled at Zephron. "I got it!"

He was about to doze off and jerked awake when Lily shouted and he saw the fish he caught and he smiled. "Excellent work, Lily. I want you to keep going, alright?" She nods and continues to catch the fish as he finally dozed off, breathing softly. Lily smiled as she saw all of the captured fish she caught for meals that should last them a pretty good while. She was going to catch some more before she heard a noise.

She glanced at the source rather curiously. She couldn't see anything and she looks over at Zephron, who was asleep. He told her not to wonder off without his presence, but...the noise only made her more and more curious. So as quietly as she could, she sneaks away to find the source of the noise in the forest.

The forest was rather thick as she pushed away some of the branches and bushes, grunting when she felt some of the branches scratch her face and arms. But as she got to a larger part of the forest, she stopped in her tracks at what she saw.

Trails of blood...

She looks at the blood when she knelt down, inspecting it. It was still warm so this recently happened-

"LILIAN!"

She jolted out of her thoughts and turned to see Zephron marching up to her...and he did NOT look too happy. "What have I told you about wondering off?! You have no clue of what is in...these..." He trails off when he saw the trail of blood behind her and sniffed it. "...it looks it was made recently...do you think one of the gods are injured?" She asked as he sniffed it.

"...this is boar's blood..." He said and looks at where it was going to. He had a bad feeling about this, he knew it was a Boar God's blood that is spilled on the ground...but he was unsure of who it belongs to, either Nago or Okotto. He looks down at Lily when she placed a hand on one of his tusks, a worried and concern look on her face. "...what do we do?" She asked.

"...I am not sure...I know it's one of the god's blood...but I am unsure who it belongs to..." He said and Lily got on his back and he starts to walk towards the source, but was being cautious. Lily had a funny feeling in her heart, like she felt that they shouldn't be here and should leave. The feeling seemed to gotten worse as the blood trail gets more and more fresh and she can hear heavy breathing. "...Z-Zephron...I-I don't like this..." She stuttered.

Zephron looks at her, feeling her shake on his back and he gently nuzzled her leg. "...I know...I don't like it either...but we have to see what has happened to one of the gods...it is my duty..." He said and kept continuing forward until they got to the source and they were both in shock and in silence. The trail lead to the God of the Northern Forest...

...Nago.

He was severely injured as he weakly lays down, breathing heavily as blood spilled everywhere on all of his wounds on his body, his snout bleeding along with blood coming from the inside of his mouth. He was still alive and breathing, but he was so weak that he could not continue to walk as he laid there.

"NAGO!" Lily jumped off of Zephron's back to help him and this made Nago angry as he lets out an angry snort. "Stay away from me, human child. You may be Zephron's human, but that does not mean that I will like you." He growled, his eyes narrowed and Zephron took a step forward, sniffing him. He can smell something in him, small and round that pushed it's way deep into Nago's chest.

"P-Please, I want to help you..." She tried to say, but he roared angrily at her and pushed her away with his snout, making her land back against a tree. This made Zephron roar at Nago angrily. Even when Nago is weak, he will not tolerate him hurting his child. "The damn humans...they destroyed my forest..." Nago said weakly, breathing heavily and Lily glanced at them.

"They burned it? Why did they do that?" She asked. Nago was gonna ignore her question, but saw that look that Zephron gave him and he sighed. "...there was a...element they wanted...buried under a mountain...and to get to it...they had to cut down my forest...and that's what they did. And then, the damn woman came..." He growled before coughing more blood. Lily looks at Zephron and he nods slowly at her.

Lily came close to Nago and he growled at her, but he was too weak to do anything as she placed a hand on the bridge of his snout. "...who was it, Nago?" She asked. Nago narrowed his eyes and growled loudly.

"...EBOSHI." He growled and he lets out a weak roar before laying his head back down. Lily slowly stroked the bridge of his snout and looks at Zephron. "...can the forest spirit save him?" Lily asked and Zephron shook his head. "...so much damage has been done...and something is inside him that can't come out...even if he heals Nago, that source will still be inside of him and cause him great pain..." He said and Lily glanced at Nago sadly. He was still breathing heavily and weakly from all of the blood lost. Lily had a sad look and rest her forehead against his cheek, despite his growls.

"...I'm so sorry, Nago...I wish there was a way to help you..." She said and his ears flickered a bit, feeling her emotions and he could only sigh deeply. Some of his rage faltered a bit as he lets the human girl mourn for him. He never was close to the two humans that two of the Gods, Morro with a girl named San and Zephron with Lily. He really didn't like humans at all, but he had to put up with the other two just because they were gods of their forest. Wait...

...the humans...they're cutting down their forests. They'll keep going until there's nothing left...and that's what is making him more angry, feeling the flames burning inside of him.

"...the humans...I will make them pay..." Parts of his body starts to become black and Zephron stilled at the signs. Purple ooze like snakes starts to come out of Nago's body, making Zephron pull Lily away from him.

"...I will make them ALL PAY!" Nago roared angrily, standing up and roared. Zephron stilled when he saw his brother, the leader of the Boar tribe, becoming a Demon. "Lilian, we need to go! NOW!" Zephron said and scooped Lily up onto his back and ran the opposite way. Nago glared at where they ran and starts to give chase, his body starting to morph even more into a Demon monster, the life around him dying away from the effects.

"Zephron! What's going on!?" She called out, trying to hold on as he ran the fastest he could through the forest to lose Nago. "Remember when I told you about Demons? Nago just turned into one from all of the hate he held inside of him from the humans! There's nothing we can do to bring him back!" He said, getting out of the forest and ran through the open field. Lily looks back to glance at Nago.

His body was completely covered in the black ooze and the beedy crimson red eyes as he roared at them, trying to catch up to them. "Nago, stop! It's Zephron and Lily! Remember!? Please, you have to stop!" She called out to him, but the demon simply did not reply to her calls, still chasing them. Zephron jumps over a river and when he landed, he stumbled, but kept trying to run...

...until he didn't feel a small wight on his back.

He skidded to a halt and saw Lily fell into the river and the Demon ran alongside the river, making Zephron run alongside as well. "LILY! I'm going to get you, just keep your head above the water!" He shouted and Lily nods, trying to stay surface, but would duck when the Demon tried to reach out to grab her. Zephron needed to get the Demon off of them and he ran into a large boulder and tossed it to the Demon, making it a hard impact, which it screeched out in pain and stopped dead in it's tracks from the boulder.

Zephron kept running until they got to a vast lake that the river was connected to and he swims over to Lily as he jumps into the lake. Lily slowly and weakly swims to Zephron and got on his back. She was shaking and she shook more when the Demon came to view, but it stops in it's tracks when it went near the lake.

"...it's alright...it can't touch water...we're safe..." He said and starts to swim to the opposite shore and shook the water off and he walks away. All you can hear was the angry roar of the Demon and it walks away before going away to find new places to wreck havoc.

The clouds cover the sun, making it rain softly as it was a slow walk to their cave. Lily never made a peep the whole way, her face buried into his mane as she shook. This made Zephron worry about her. As they made it back to their cave, he slowly went to the very back in case the Demon shows, turning to a small tunnel that led to a larger cave.

"...Lilian...please get off so that I can seal the entrance..." He said and she could only nod in response, slowly getting off of him and sat down on the fur bed. Zephron then got a large boulder and pushed it to the entrance and sealed it in. "...we have enough food that should last us for awhile...I don't want us leaving the cave until...you know..." Zephron looks at Lily and he noticed how she shook even more.

"...Lilian?" He asked. When he came near her, he flinched when she ran to him, her face buried into his shoulder...

...and just started to sob, completely shaking. Zephron sighed sadly, knowing that today must have frighten her. So he gently looped his head around her back, hugging her gently. This only made her sobs louder, clenching to his fur the best she can. Zephron gently picked Lily up and walked to the very back corner of the cave and he curled around her, still letting her cry out of the scare she has gotten from today.

"Z-Zephron..." She choke and continued to cry. He only hushed her. "...it's alright...you're safe now..." He said, continuing to nuzzle her as soft and gently as he can. He didn't know how long she was crying, but she was curled up by his chin and shoulder, sniffing tiredy. "...how could they do that to Nago...?" Lily sniffed and Zephron only sighed deeply. "...I am not sure, Lily...but you'll be safe as long as you are with me..." He said.

She was going to say something until she heard a soft boom from the cave on the opposite side of the entrance. She felt dread as she hid herself more in Zephron and he kept her hidden, narrowing his eyes at the entrance as the soft boom was heard again. He can tell who it was.

Nago.

He found their home and he's trying to sniff them out. "...stay quiet, Lilian..." He whispered and she nods, still shaking as the booms gotten louder. His ears flickered as he continued to listen what he was doing and where he was.

It was complete silence, both Lily and Zephron staying tensed. Zephron's ears flickered when he heard Nago at the very entrance of the cave they were sealed in and Lily shook more, feeling the dreaded feeling she did earlier. Zephron instinctively pulled Lily closer silently, his eyes narrowed.

His ears flickered when he heard the steps faded away, telling him that the Demon was gone and he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "...he's gone now...I doubt he's coming back..." He said and Lily just shook, trying to calm herself from that experience again. He starts to nuzzle her again before laying his head down. "...get some sleep, Lilian...I think we both deserve it..." He said and she nods, curling up a bit.

Zephron yawned and closed his eyes, soon falling asleep, but kept his ears erect if he hears Nago coming back again. It took a long time for Lily to finally sleep, but she couldn't get the image of the Demon out of her head and it scares her in her sleep that she whimpers. Zephron heard her and nuzzled her gently, hushing her. He nuzzled her gently before laying his head back down.

They were both asleep peacefully until the next morning, which Lily fluttered her eyes open. Zephron was still asleep, breathing softly. As gently as she could, she got out of his grip and went to the small pond that was in the cave and sipped some of the water and then splashed water on her face. Her eyes were a bit red and puffy from her crying, making her sigh deeply.

"...Lilian?" She turned to look at Zephron who was just waking up. "Sorry...got thirsty..." Lily said, walking back over to him and laid down where she originally was and he got himself comfortable. He flickered his ears to hear anything. "...it's quiet...but we'll stay in here until it is safe for sure." He said and she nods, getting comfortable against Zephron.

"...you think that he'll soon...you'll know...?" He only sighed in grief. "...that is the only way...even if he last as a Demon, his strength will soon weaken until he is no more...it is how it is, Lilian..." He said and he suddenly felt her hug his arm the best she could, making him look at her confused. "Lilian?" He looks down at her. "...What if you turn into a Demon?" She asked and he sighed deeply and he nuzzled her.

"You are strong, Lilian. I know that you'll be fine...if it does come to it, I know that you will be fine and I will always watch over you, even when we are apart." He said softly and she nods, sniffing and wiping the remain tears away. So they wait...

...waiting until they feel Nago is gone for good, but they do not know how long that will take.

Chapter two is done! So what will these two happen in the next chapter? Nago returning? Seeing the war between the humans and the animal gods? I am trying to think of good plot twists for this film so bare with me with this, guys. Thank you all for being patient.

Until then,

BlackDragon157