A/N: Chapter 28 of Mystical Eye of a Savage Hound. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OC. Revenge of the Sword Clan's Hound belongs to the rightful owner.
Chapter 28: End of the Hunt
Up in the heart of the icy mountains...
I sat with my back pressed up against a huge piece of solid ice watching as Aiyen, who was sitting confidently on Bakira's back with her weapon in hand, fought against the enraged male oxbear; her eyes were sharp and she always aimed for the bear's weak side, her arrows hitting their marks and embed themselves into the fur hide; the creature was careful to lower his head often, pointing his horns forward as he rushed his enemy, reducing the chance of getting arrows to the face. The savage girl would click her tongue in annoyance as Bakira jumped and dodged most of the oxbear's attacks, making sure to position Aiyen so she had multiple changes to counter attack. It wasn't all in vain, each one of her arrows were powerful, so the creature's thick muscles and fur did defend with limitations, and they slowed him down a bit so he wasn't as fast as he could've been.
The carnivorous monster himself knew he was being pursued by hunters even back when he left the female's cave, continuously being chased by Ballak warriors through the forest over the years ever since he was a young cub made him a seasoned veteran. Knowing this, he cunningly drew any pursuers who dared to leave the forest to a place where everyone was on equal footing, although the cold mountains automatically gave any oxbears a slight edge in victory. However, Ballaks were well-versed in archery, the best on the continent if I remember correctly, and Aiyen's archery skills were top notch if only second to her mother's. She could fire arrows in various directions: up, sideways, even backwards. Her arrows, no matter how they were released from the bow's strings, always found their mark. Always.
"For the sin of making me look disgraceful in front of my slave, I won't make your death easy!" The matriarch's daughter declared, locking in an arrow and taking aim. The male oxbear quickly darted behind a thick piece of ice protruding from the ice wall, believing that having a physical barrier would save it from being shot. She sneers, not at all bothered by the tactic and took aim, the arrow drawing in a very faint blue aura. "Did you think you could escape by hiding behind an obstacle? A good arrow can pierce even steel if I wish, but if I don't then it won't hurt even a leaf."
She took a deep breath, calming her nerves and released the arrow, sending it flying right toward the center of the ice structure. It smacked heavily against the shiny surface at a high speed but didn't even pierce the surface, bouncing off harmlessly without a hitch, but a beam of blue shot out from the oxbear's chest in response. The creature cried in shock of getting hit with such a powerful blow, blood spewing out the opened mouth.
The oxbear was hit even while hiding behind cover?! My eyes widened after witnessing such an attack. The aura held within the arrow passed through the obstacle perfectly in a wave, therefore it pierced only the target at the will of its master...! I remembered that if I wanted to shatter the glasses on a table without destroying the actual table, I had to move mana with very careful control; this sounded a lot more sophisticated than I realized. I turned my gaze to Aiyen who was reaching for another arrow, her eyes trained on the cover and waited for the oxbear to make his move. Skill with archery that could be called mythical, combined with hunting techniques that can completely strangle the prey's options. Aiyen...considering just her talent at the tender age of seventeen, she might be even beyond Camyu Morgue and I.
The oxbear stood there, almost as though he was immobilized as blood continued to dribble down his chin and painting the snowy ground a dark red. His breath was coming out in short pants as he regulated his breath, no doubt thinking about his next course of action. As though he had come to terms of engaging the enemy head on, he left the ice cover and rushes toward the huntress. Because he had made up his mind, he no longer bothered to avoid getting shot in the face, one of the arrows taking out his right eye. Yet he still charged forward without fear, blood mixed with saliva continuously gushed from his mouth.
"Man, this guy is relentless! How can he still be enduring my arrows?" Aiyen frowned as she fired shot after shot at the charging animal, Bakira's paws pounding across the snowy ground. Most of the oxbears if she was lucky to hunt a small one, fall dead to a couple well placed arrows, however this male put her at a loss. It was as though the prolonged mating session did absolutely nothing to dwindle his stamina. The savage girl frowned, knowing that she was almost out of arrows and Bakira who had been her loyal steed and a reliable foot on the snow, was beginning to tire out and slow down. This battle was slowly turning into one of endurance and who ever yields gets kills immediately.
While she's busy entertaining that oxbear and inflicting more wounds before she runs out of arrows, perhaps I should take the opportunity to devour a piece of snack to regain some strength...I rummaged around my pocket and pulled out a large piece of beef jerky. During the trek up the ice path Aiyen took a moment to pull some food out of her leather pouch, a piece of smoked beef jerky with a layer of white fat, and crams it into her mouth. Then she pulled out a much larger piece and stated that I should eat. I had reached out a hand to take hold of the food, but she stated that I could hurt myself and teased that she should feed me like how a mother bird feeds her young.
I immediately declined her offer and said that I'd wait until we finish the task at hand, then I'll go and hunt for food on my own; for added measure I even pursed my lips together tightly like I was going to through a tantrum. The savage girl knew I couldn't be persuaded once my mind was made up – Imperial hounds were trained meticulously to lock in with a plan from beginning to end, making sure that they achieved success – so she just slipped the jerky into my hand instead; I wasn't hungry at the time so I didn't follow her directions to eat and put the piece into my pocket for later.
Oh. Now I understand why that fussy female oxbear didn't kill this one after mating. I watched the animal carefully while slowly getting to my feet, bracing my back firmly against the solid ice since my joints had not fully healed. The beef jerky had been devoured in two bites, barely filled my body with enough energy, but I've survived with less. She hoped that this one's cunning intelligence would add to her superior body and be passed down to her second generation of bears. Now then...it should almost be time for me to make my move.
"Tch...to think you've endured for this long. I'll give you credit." Aiyen growls as she pulls back the bow of her string, her eyes poised on the male oxbear. "But, a serious arrow from me...can break even walls. You will not survive this."
Releasing her fingers, she fired her shot, the arrow flying through the air like a large blue beam that encapsulated the charging beast. However, the male oxbear wasn't deterred by the strong attack, his eyes flashing with determination. At the last minute before impact he moved his head, ducking underneath the arrow so it whizzed overhead, clipping his ear a bit before shattering the right horn completely. With a loud roar he barreled into Aiyen and Bakira, knocking the large wolf off his feet with a large paw which in turn knocked the savage girl into the air. She tumbled and skidded across the icy ground before coming to a stop, her chest heaving from the heavy blow. She coughs as she remembered her mother's words when it came to these beasts: their senses heighten indefinitely when they know that they're near death, they can even detect a human's killing intent.
Shit, I let my guard down thinking I got him in a corner...I was too honest with my arrow... "Kugh...!" She growled and attempted to get to her feet, pressing her arms against the ground and raising her head as the male oxbear loomed over her. His breath came out in white whisps due to the cold air, his single red eye shining like a beacon of hope although it was narrowed because he was furious. His lips were pulled back and a growl rumbled deep within his chest.
"GRROOOOOAARR!" He opened his mouth wide and roared in victory, flashing his fangs as he lunged for her. His single eye flashed as he her to pieces with either his fangs or his claws.
Is this truly the end?! The matriarch's daughter had gotten her body up till she was kneeling on one knee, an arm wrapped around her stomach and shut her eyes, praying for the worst. To think my life with be snuffed out by a mere oxbear, how embarrassing of me!
"Are you finished showing your strength as a master? Because I believe it's my turn." Aiyen's eyes snapped open as I appeared before her, my right arm pulled back as I focused on the massive form of the oxbear coming towards me. Beelzebub, let's go. This male oxbear would be a wonderful feast for you since you haven't eaten in a long time. Don't take too much that will catch the attention of others.
Bzzzt! I could hear the loud buzzing in my ear, the demonic creature agreeing with me with the eagerness to feast on the oxbear's blood. I felt the muscles of my right arm bulge and the bandages that were wrapped around my forearm ripping to pieces as I thrust my arm forward. My target was the oxbear's open mouth.
"Come out." The command slipped through my mouth in a low voice, and I felt the power of Beelzebub welled up within the veins and spread straight to the fingertips, the demonic sword baring its fangs and activated the first skill: Incinerate Cerberus. The flames of the Underworld, combined with the aura carried on the tip of the sword, plunged into the gaping male oxbear's mouth without hesitation.
Some of the fire even engulfed the male oxbear's entire torso, knocked him off his feet. Taking the opportunity to use the flame as cover, Beelzebub's tendrils shot forward and pierced the tongue before digging through the gum palate and stabbed the brain. It was a burning pain that the bear hadn't experienced before in his life, but it was over before it even started.
"Flames...? When did the slave gain the ability to do that?" Aiyen whispered in amazement as she watched the oxbear's half burnt corpse hit the ground in defeat. I released a sigh of relief as Beelzebub retreated into my arm, feeling my body ache and throb all over. However, we were far from over, and I made my way to the creature, digging my fingers into his fur and hoisting him over my shoulders.
Everything was screaming and I nearly caved under the pressure. But we caught our prey for the hunt and it took everything we had just to do so; there was no way I was going to fall over and keel before lugging the corpse back. Only then do I get to rest my body and let the darkness claim me. Dragging the large body towards the beginning of the path, I stood over Aiyen who had yet to move from where she knelt. It was as though she was stuck in a state of shock, trying to process what the hell she just witnessed.
"Well? How long do you intend on kneeling like that? I'm freezing out here." I jolted her out of her reverie with an emotionless expression on my face, the oxbear's weight feeling like the whole world was on me. "Time to go. This oxbear isn't going to carry himself, and you still have a hunt to win. Or are you planning to hand that over to I guess Ahun?"
"Haaaaa...you goddamn slave, even at a time like this you have the guts to bark such nonsense. As if I'd willingly roll over and hand that bastard an easy win! There's no way in hell I'd ever do that as long as I can still draw breath!" The matriarch's daughter smiled so broadly that I feared that her face would snap in half. She nodded her head in agreement, hopping on Bakira's back and the two of them hurried to shoulder the load. Step by step, no matter how slow, we began the long trek back to the tribe.
Once night fall inside the forest...
The entire Ballak tribe stared and gawked in awe and shock as Aiyen and I appeared from our successful hunt in the icy mountains thoroughly exhausted, the large carcass of the male oxbear held up between us and Bakira; all four limbs of the large creature was dragging limply across the ground, but we could do nothing about it. The three of us managed to get to the center of the tribe without anyone fussing or getting in our way, barely standing on our feet that probably had been rubbed raw and blistering. The matriarch was there in the clearing with the others when she caught word of her daughter's return, her own facial expression was one of pure shock and surprise at what we were able to accomplish. However, when she saw the terrible condition we were in she sprang into action, letting her daughter collapse against her body gratefully as she held up the oxbear's body, the younger female leaning against her mother's chest with a smile on her face.
The other members helped out as well the moment they saw their matriarch in action, lifting the body of the male oxbear so Bakira and I could rest, their voices eagerly filled the air as they lowered the corpse to the side and gazed at the prize; most of them were licking their lips, eager to dig into the bountiful meat. Others were busy on their knees praying to their gods, thankful for having a successful hunt that provided a bountiful feast and meat that would fully feed the tribe for awhile. Bakira laid down where he stood with his tongue sticking out, panting loudly as he watched the Ballak warriors beginning the process of skinning the oxbear fur, cleaning out the intestines, dissecting and quartering the meat for cooking. The other wolves gathered around, no doubt congratulating the male wolf in their own way for his contribution to catching the winning prize.
Some of the tribe members swarmed Aiyen and the matriarch, congratulating the young female of a very successful hunt of a highly dangerous prey. The savage girl was immediately flustered by all the attention she was getting as she was bombarded with all sorts of praises. Sometimes she would look at her mother for help, but what she saw was a caring and loving mother who was very proud of her daughter. Releasing a sigh and resigning to her situation, Aiyen leaned against her mother who wrapped her arms around her and basked in the praise, a huge smile upon her face.
As for me...well, honestly I didn't pay any attention once the enormous weight of the male oxbear was lifted off my shoulders. My body was on autopilot, my legs and feet moved in tandem as I snuck away from the huge festival and ended up where the homes were; it's amazing that I was able to slink away without anyone noticing, but the arrival of an oxbear – a creature that would take an unquestionable amount of time to kill, especially for a hunt – took precedent of everyone's attention. My hand reached out to open the door of my home, shuffling in and closing the door behind me before carefully crashing onto the mattress. I don't quite remember how I did it, but I managed to shed the heavier clothes and shoes before pulling the covers back and wiggling in. The minute my head hit the pillow I curled up into a fetal position.
Used too much...power...I can't...maintain consciousness...Small beads of sweat appeared on my forehead and I breathed heavily before ultimately passing out, letting the darkness finally claim me. For awhile I felt like I was just floating in a vast space of emptiness, no indication of what is up or down, left or right. Then vividly I am remembering my past life, the life where I obeyed Hugo without question, like the loyal faithful hound I was groomed to be. The images were flashing before my eyes, from the time of my birth with Vikir up to his death by my hands and finally my death with Hugo not even bothering to look over his shoulder; he walked away because in his eyes I was reduced to a meager hound who outlived her usefulness.
"How long until you come back to me? It's been why too long since I last saw you." I turned my head to see Camus standing before me, looking at me with unshed tears yet her eyes were red and puffy. "There hasn't been any information about your whereabouts, no one knows if you survived or not. I've spent all night standing outside my balcony, hoping and wishing that you were okay."
"Princess." I crossed the distance between us, hesitantly reaching out a hand to carefully tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. There was a little voice in the back of my head that told me that this was all a dream, that Camus wasn't actually standing before me, she was back safe and sound in Morgue territory. "I told you didn't I? That you shouldn't wait for a nameless hound like me."
"And I told you, you stupid mutt," She held my hand gently, and cradled it against her cheek. Her eyes were looking at me with longing, shining with unshed tears. "That I can wait forever as long as you are back in my arms. But never did I realize just how hard it'd be, it feels as though my heart is being ripped out of my chest and repeatedly stomped on." She closed the distance and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a hug. "There won't be another quite like you and I'd be a fool if I were to give you to anyone else."
I didn't say anything but wrapped my arms around her, placing my hands comfortingly on her back. There was a faint scent that tickled my nose, reminding me of the time I stayed over at the Morgue Clan. It was the same perfume that she wore during the day, fragrant and fruity like a rose after a summer's rain or a very ripe strawberry blended in milk; sometimes it is neither and I picked up the scent of gourmand, like a vanilla bean. I couldn't help but nuzzle a bit closer, unable to break away from the familiar scent.
Oh how touching. A new, emotionless voice spoke up, and I found that Camus had disappeared from my arms, leaving me alone in the void. Everything was different, there was a slight chill in the air for some reason. Is this truly what your heart desires?
"Who are you?" I asked, looking around to see if I could find the one who spoke. "Show yourself." There was a moment of silence before the hairs at the back of my neck stood up, indicating that there was something there, something I couldn't possibly understand or comprehend.
What the hell do you think you're doing wasting time playing pet dog with these savage barbarians in the damn forest? Turning around I came face to face with my past self and blinked in mild surprise, her eyes sharp and hostile as though she wasn't capable of expressing any other emotion. There were scars littered on her face from the fights she endured and survived, her black hair tied up in a ponytail and could easily tumble past her shoulders if she let it loose. She was dressed in the Baskerville uniform, the very same one she died in that day. Her crimson eyes flashing with anger as she bared her fangs at me. You were even blessed with a second source of power by the grace of a divine entity...yet you squander your potential. If Vikir were here he'd be disappointed in the both of us.
"To think you'd use brother's name to guilt me into figuring out how to kill the man who did you wrong." I spoke to her, narrowing my own eyes in warning. "Absolutely disgusting of you."
Us. He did us wrong. She snarls as she corrected me, sniffling with disgust. You are me. I am you. As for using Vikir's name...it's merely to remind you that we had to kill him with our two hands, because we believed that Hugo was in the right. His orders were absolute.
"Mhmm. But I believe I know better since reincarnating in this second life." I made a noise in the back of my throat. "I haven't forgotten the injustice that Hugo did, however, as it stands I am still not capable of cutting his head off his shoulders. And he himself isn't aware of the existence of the Eye of Chroma, of the magical prowess a mere Baskerville hound shouldn't possess. If I wish to continue honing other skills befitting of a Morgue, then it will be in secrecy and completely of his eyesight."
Father was a damn pest when it came to keeping track of his hounds, he even went out of his way to release some of the elite groups to go after trainees that one year. I was under the assumption that it was because he was anal about losing resources and hound power...but that was not the case. Oh how wrong we were when Vikir and I found out the reason. Her mouth twisted into a smile, but that emotion didn't reach her eyes as she stared at me; she looked as though she had absolutely lost her mind, a rabid hound that had lived long enough to become a villain. In her spiral into insanity she turned and bit the master's hand. As retaliation she lost her life at the gallows. It was because he wanted to be there to take all the credit and glory even when he did absolutely nothing but sit his ass on the throne. It was the hounds who toiled their asses off, the ones who even died for the cause who did a good job. Hugo Van Baskerville claims he is the shepherd when in fact he is nothing more than a devil.
"Then you can see why I am spending time here with the Ballaks, swallowing my pride to act as the poor, pathetic puppy instead of a hound." I told her, crossing my arms over my chest as I made my case. "It wouldn't do us any good if I were to warrant another quick death at Hugo's hand, I would consider it luck that I was even given a second chance. Besides I don't think you were aware of the large demonic creature that lives here, do you." It was more of a statement than a question as she stared at me with calculative eyes.
No, I did not know the full story of how Madam Eight Legs came to be. All I knew was that something happened that caused the savage tribes of the mountains to constantly get into conflict with the Empire.
"You also never met the matriarch of the Barbarian tribe."
No, my interaction with those savages were limited or I was assigned other jobs that sent me running through the Empire. I was aware of the existence of 'Night Fox', but that was it. Perhaps Vikir knew a little more about her, but I doubt he did either.
"Let me spend more time with the savage tribe a bit longer then, there might be new information that could be beneficial to my knowledge. If there was anything worth regretting in my first life, it would be not exploring or understanding this mountainous region and the tribes who live here." I proposed to her, noticing that she was seriously contemplating the idea. "For all we know, there could be hidden secrets related to the Baskervilles in here that even Hugo may not know because of his animosity towards the savage tribes."
...are you certain that there's something of value to be gained here?
"Let's see what fate has in store for me the longer I stay here."
That's not an absolute 'yes'.
"It's not a 'no' either." I took a deep breath and released a sigh. "Look, there must be a reason why I'm drawn down this path instead of the one that led to a sad death and a lifelong servitude to Hugo. I want to see and experience with my own eyes what the endgame is." My past self looked at me in silence before she nodded in her head in agreement.
Very well, it's a plan. And it seems we'll have to cut this conversation short anyway. She sounded absolutely certain and when I tilted my head in confusion she merely pointed at my body. You're about to regain conscious.
"Hmmm." I lifted an arm and watched as the fingers began to fade out and become clear and transparent. Looking down at myself, I soon found that other parts of my body were also beginning to fade away. "How interesting."
Right? There's so much here that you'd want to stay forever. She cracked a sneer as she watched my body begin to fade out. However, something must've happened where your physical body is, so you're being pulled back. Don't worry, this isn't going to be the last we'll speak to each other. Until next time then.
With that farewell I woke up with a start, gasping for air and hearing the blood roaring in my ears. I laid there for a minute before sensing that I wasn't alone in the home, the hairs on the back of my neck slightly raised in apprehension. Turning my head to the side slightly – the stiffness in the base of my neck definitely wasn't helping me in this case – and looking up, there was a shadowy figure hovering over me. Once my vision cleared up from the sleepiness and blurriness, I recognized that it was Aiyen with a look of concern on her face. There was some indication of small beads of sweat on her brow, almost like she was running around and exerting her energy.
"Hey there, sleepy head, Mother and I looked for you everywhere since we didn't see you with everyone celebrating our successful hunt. I ran around asking everyone if they had seen you, but you disappeared the moment my back was turned, or rather when I was swarmed by everyone. You have no idea how worried I was, I almost had Bakira run and track down your scent. But something in the back of my mind told me to look at home...and it turns out that you were here all along. Sorry, I kind of barged in without your permission, but I did knock and you didn't answer so I got worried. It looked like you were suffering in silence." She whispered softly, kneeling by my side and placing a hand on the blanket, touching my back. She took a couple of breaths since she explained her reasoning of being in my house in a rush. "You were twitching and mumbling in your sleep, whimpering even and no matter how hard I tried to shake you or slap you I couldn't wake you up. I could only wait for you to come to on your own."
"What time is it? Is it already tomorrow?" I asked her groggily, the sleep haze disappearing from my eyes. My voice sounded heavy like there was something in my throat so I quickly cleared it before speaking again. "Shouldn't you be at the celebratory festival thing? Is that finished?"
"Don't worry, the night is still young so there's ample time for you to join us. On the case that I couldn't find you then the grand festival would still continue – except it wouldn't be in your honor and instead it would be in mine since I'd be the only one present. I believe Mother could use some of her authority to halt the celebration momentarily, but it wouldn't make sense for us to push to tomorrow, the meat wouldn't taste as good since it isn't fresh. So I rushed off to find you immediately, and here I am. Are you well enough to at least eat some food and honor everyone with your presence?"
My stomach made a gurgling noise before I could answer and I released a long sigh, knowing that she got a solid confirmation. Gently shrugging off the covers I slowly raised myself to my elbows before fully sitting up, swinging my legs over to put my feet on the ground. Aiyen stood up as well and was there to support me as we shuffled back to where the ceremony was being held, the members of the tribe smiling and hooting loudly when they saw the two of us together which meant that they can eagerly enjoy the large feast.
The large clearing was filled with multiple small campfires, with groups of Ballak warriors old and young dancing around with joy; around the edge of the forest were a lot of the large wolves who were eager to have their share of the meat, their tags wagging with happiness. On one side there was a table with roasted boar and a couple of rabbits, and in the front and center, strung on two strong sticks, was the massive skinned fur of the male oxbear with his head still intact; the light of the campfire created ominous shadows to dance across its features that made it more menacing than when it was alive. A large stone cauldron had been placed over the fire, and filled to the brim with clear fresh water.
There were loads of other things strewn about that could be eaten either by itself or tossed into the pot. Crates and barrels filled with lobsters, freshwater crabs, turtles, carp, catfish, venison, rabbit meat, squirrel meat, snake meat, caterpillars, beetles, ants, frogs, lizards, seaweed, tree berries, mushrooms, tree roots, and other food items I had yet to know or taste; however, everyone knew that the star of the show was the tender chunks of oxbear meat. With everything jumbled together, the clear water soon turned into a very nutritious, very thick and rich soup.
Other large game that had been hunted such as large deer or wild boar were being roasted separately on sturdy pikes, the juices from the fat dribbled down racks upon racks of tender meat and dripped into the fire. If a deer had been hunted but was small in size, then its tender meat was added to the big stone cauldron. The Ballak warriors made sure that the main attraction, the oxbear meat which weighed over 800 kilos without the bones and fur, wasn't being overthrown by any other meat in the dish.
Many of the tribe members eagerly danced about and feasted on the hearty meal, their feet pounded the ground rhythmically with huge smiles on their faces and laughing jovially; they made the atmosphere feel electric and noisy, something that probably hadn't happened in a while given the amount of food that had been hunted. Some of the hunter warriors also took large chunks of meat still attached to the bones to feed the large wolves, their tails wagging furiously as they got their share of the feast and eagerly chewed on their prize. The chefs stood near the large cauldrons, ladling out large scoops till the bowls were filled and distributing them among the members. Everyone received an equal portion of this concoction of meat soup.
"The hunter who caught the biggest prey will receive the respect, admiration, and gratitude of the entire village. It's actually a big deal around here." Aiyen told me happily as we waited for our food to be given to us. She had led me to a log and helped me sit down, deciding to spend the night keeping me company. We were even given some kind of ceremonial tribal head gear that signified the winner – in this case, winners – of the hunt. "So tell me, how does it feel to be both a hunting hero and a slave?"
"Mmmm, I don't care that much." I replied, adjusting the decor on my head to keep it from falling off. She reached over and patted me on the back, not at all displeased by my non-specific answer.
"That lukewarm response of yours is a problem that should be fixed. Oxbears aren't just strong and savage, but they're ridiculously smart as well. A very honorable hunting target if one has the guts to commit to the hunt. This is why we were selected as the heroes of this year's hunt."
"So the winning factor wasn't determined by the size of the catch?" I asked and she merely grinned at my question.
"Size isn't everything, slave. This male oxbear was big enough for the two of us to conquer, but you already saw much bigger ones with the female. Catching this guy is on a whole different level, especially from the dumb and fearful wild boars who tend to shit themselves while running away." She shouted the last few words loudly, as though she wanted someone to hear them. "Isn't that right, Ahun?"
"Tsk! Damn it." The male Ballak warrior grimaced with annoyance when he heard the words. He felt great hunting the fairly large wild boar, however his pride took a hit when the oxbear showed up. He spat on the ground and glared at me with open hostility. "How the hell did a near dying Imperial bitch catch something like that? Must've been incredibly lucky."
"Ignore him for he feels a little inadequate the moment we stole first place from him. He's just venting his anger and absolute loss to me." Aiyen chuckles gleefully as I watched the male hunter angrily slice up some of the oxbear meat into the stone cauldron with a hunter's knife and stirred it around with the soup with the long spoon. He ladles some of the meat soup in a bowl, and walks over with a slight scowl on his face.
"Here, this is your portion, slave." He announced, holding the bowel out for me to take. I accepted the bowel before looking at the item in my hand. My eyebrows knitted together in curiosity and wonder before I frowned.
"...what the hell are you trying to pull?" I questioned after awhile, looking at him with a blank expression. The size and weight of the piece of meat in the bowl was extremely small compared to the ones received by others, that was what caught my attention immediately.
"What? You got a problem, huh, punk ass slave?" He spits back angrily, squaring his shoulders to look at me. "If you have a problem then speak the hell up."
"Why is my meat portion so small? Even in comparison to the old and the young." I stated in protest, "Doesn't everyone get equal portion here?"
"...that's because your honor is that high!" He stomped his feet angrily and turned away in frustration, stating haughtily, "Damn it, if only your meat portion was massive instead! Screw your honor!"
"What the hell is he talking about...how could my honor being high lead to small amount of meat?" I growled with annoyance of my own as I watched him disappear, perhaps to help serve the food since there's so much everyone might get seconds or thirds. I felt a warm weight on my arm and turned my attention to Aiyen. She couldn't help but laugh at my bewildered facial expression and explained it to me.
"Slave, it's a Baroque tradition, much like how you Imperialists have your own traditions. Basically the one who contributed the most takes the smallest portion of meat and receives higher honor in return."
"Receiving more honor the less meat you take...then aren't the chunks of meat better than honor itself?"
"To say something so bold and in front of me. You better watch yourself before you speak your thoughts, Mother wouldn't be so kind if she heard you." Aiyen admonished me before snickering behind a hand, "Besides, seeing Ahun that irritated and angry is well worth it. Serves him right for being so arrogant and trying to steal the leader spot from me."
Well, regardless if the amount I get is less than the others, the true reward for the hunt this time isn't the meat itself, but the skill the male oxbear had when we killed it. I smiled internally to myself as I stirred the soup a bit with my spoon. The skill Beelzebub captured was the 'Weight Amplification' and it bumped the Hellhound's skill out of the second slot. Basically while holding my breath, doesn't matter how long I hold it, I can increase my weight by up to 600kg. What a versatile skill to have especially in close combat. Not only that, but after Beelzebub absorbed the oxbear, my body recovered quite a bit too.
"Hey, slave." I was pulled out of my thoughts and turned to see Aiyen holding out a bowel to me, the meat in the bowl looked somewhat suspicious; there was a lot of soup with oil floating on top, there was large pieces of meat inside, but there was a long and thick one that I couldn't identify. The savage girl was blushing heavily, avoiding eye contact, as she offered whatever the hell it is to me. "That's probably not enough meat for you to be satisfied with. I stole what the shaman wanted to get with my authority as the hunter."
"I already ate a chunk of meat, a jar of blood, and part of the organs. I'm getting full." I countered, and she leap to her feet and insisted I take what she's offering. In the first few minutes after I came to partake in the festivities when Aiyen came to get me, the savage girl had gathered everything that would be given to us since we were supposedly awarded more. She had brought a few kilograms of forelimb meat and a pot of blood, which were given to me along with the heart and liver gallbladder, which are only given to the first-class contributors.
She wanted me to groom and preserving the game, however she didn't know that I had experience of butchering countless corpses of monsters. So I had the skill of a professional of preserving and cooking entrails, flesh, bones and skin. Therefore I easily fell into practice of dealing with each part thoroughly, taking care of using everything given to me to the fullest extent possible. Some of the Ballaks who saw me prepare the meat watched me with dazed expressions on their faces. I had salted a large piece of meat and hung it over a fire pit with a rope, throwing in a couple of pine needles and oak and apple tree firewood so the smoke would cover the meat. Then I sealed it up with leaves and mud and let it cook for awhile.
When I broke the clay, mud that had been cooked by the fire, and pulled the rope, a brown smoked piece of meat came up. The whole oxbear hind leg was roasted completely and thoroughly, the skin perfectly crispy while the meat was tender and juicy. I quickly cut the meat and allowed the Ballak members try it, and they went crazy. Aiyen even tried it and her eyes were wide as saucers as I let the little children eat, making sure they blew on it so they didn't burn their mouths. Honestly I had a lot of Ballaks ask me for the recipe, which I promised to give and teach them later.
"That is that! You need to eat this!" Aiyen was very persistent as she held the bowl to my face, her cheeks puffing up into a pout. Looks very familiar when Camus does her pouty expression at me whenever she gets annoyed. "If you have bad eyes you eat the eyes. If you have a bad heart you eat the heart. If you have bad hands or feet, then you eat the front or hind legs! It's obvious!" I carefully placed my bowl down and accepted the one she was holding out, looking at what was in the soup in silence.
This meat in particular is pretty long...is it an intestine? "What part of the oxbear is this?" I questioned her, but the savage girl blatantly ignored me and kept her lips tight. She just waved her hand, gesturing for me to go ahead and eat what it is like it was no big deal, treat it as any other piece of meat from a wild creature. Seriously, is she trying to poison me or something?
"Boooooooo! Captain! She's only caring about her thing!"
"Why are you giving a slave that! And a female slave at that!"
"She has no use for it! You should've given it to a male! Like Ahun!"
"It's so obvious! Captain! I can tell what you're thinking and it's indecent!" All the young women in the tribe ended up booing Aiyen when they watched her. She ended up blushing furiously at their jeering.
"Sh-Shut up! Stop being so damn noisy!" She snapped at them, not bothering to fight off the blush as she scolded them. "If it's so unfair, then you guys go out with a noose and catch your own slave! Then grow a pair of balls and hunt your own oxbears, doesn't that sound fair to ya'll? And there's no way in hell I'd give that piece up to Ahun! He doesn't deserve it!"
What the hell is this...it's so chewy and tough...incredibly tough... I was too busy trying to cut through the suspicious meat with my teeth to listen to the ladies banter. Since there was nothing to refuse I continued to chew and devour the hot broth, gulping down the food. The texture itself was similar to the haggis that Baskerville hounds ate, but it had a much stronger smell. Aiyen's facial expression lit up and softened as she watched my throat bob as I swallowed the last piece of morsel with slight difficulty. I put down the bowl before picking up my original bowl, intending on finishing that as well since I could recover slowly.
"Now you'll be able to do your job." The matriarch's daughter was beaming with excitement and happiness, flashing her white teeth with a wide grin. "Even if you don't have the right equipment, we'll think of something together!"
I think I did do my job during the hunt...what more does she want from me? I looked at her quizzically as I held my bowl in my hand, my cheeks moving as I continued eating the food. And what does she mean by 'right equipment'...what a strange girl.