In an unnamed forest, a pillar of smoke can be observed rising above the trees and aiming for the sky. This smoke seems to be escaping from the chimney of a medium sized cabin
This cabin is located in a clearing of tall grass, the cabin is encircled by a red wooden fence and within the bounds of the fence the grass is short and neatly cut creating a pattern of parallel lines.
Tiles of stone are placed along the grass, forming a path leading to the cabin.The cabin is made out of white oak logs which are magnificently and tightly placed upon each other to create this cabin.
Inside of the cabin an old man can be observed siting at a wooden the table, the table is dark brown and the hide of an animal seems to be placed on this table acting as some sort of cover. the man sited at the table has silver hair,wrinkles at the end of his eyes and a big full beard made up of silver hair. This man is currently looking towards the fireplace where a young man can be seen tending to the fire.
This young man appears to be youthful and can be said to be in the later years of his teens.The youth sports dark short hair and has a set of azure eyes, his facial features are common giving him a plain and forgettable face.
"Von, come here"
Hearing the old man beckoning him over, the youth by the fireplace "Von" rolls his eyes and proceeds to head towards the table. he takes a sit across from the old man, he grabs a knife, bread and jam he latters the bread with a generous portion of jam and shoves in into his mouth.
"How many times do i have to tell you to chew before you swallow!" The old man sighed while looking reproachfully towards Von.
"Nevermind that. Von, you're turning 17 in a few months. you're going to have to move out and find your path in life so what what are you doing next".
The old man looked towards Von seriously
"I already told you Gramps, I'm joining the Guild and i will be a hero wielding a spear through the battlefield Trampling over beast and evil doers alike and spread my name throughout the world." Von is a hotblooded youth in his teenage years, so it makes sense that he would want to join the guild. A place where one can gain both fame and fortune and bask in the limelight of been revered as a hero, but of course none of these benefits came for free, one had to be strong enough to undergo the perilous guild missions. Even though the Guildsman job had the highest death rate it was still the most popular job due to its benefits.
"Waving a shovel around every day and slacking off doesn't mean you can wield a spear.Your mother died because of the guild Von, i don't want to lose you too. I've being teaching you how to hunt this few years you can still be a hunter like me and make an honest living". His grandson was his last kin and he didn't want to lose him to the Guild like he did with his daughter.
Nonetheless he understood his grandson, back then when he too was a hotblooded youth he joined the Guild in hopes of making money to support his family but man plans and god laughs. his party accidentally ran into a rank 2 beast, he was the only survivor and all that is left of that youth he once was is an old man filled with sorrow and pain.
"No offense Gramps but I'll make a lot more money being a guildsman than a hunter and using mom as an excuse isn't going to stop me from my goal." Von slowly got up from his seat with a grim expresion all of the silliness gone from his face and went out of the cabin.
The old man sighed while looking at the departing Von, he knew his mother was a sensitive topic for him but that was the only way he could convince him.
Von sighed and looked at the sky he followed the column of smoke rising into the air, he
remembered when his mother was still alive she would play and buy sweets for him, those were the best days of his life. After she died everything changed, the world seemed to have lost the luster it once had and all the food he ate was bland and tasteless just like living had become.
He wanted to be a Guildsman to repay his grandpa for taking care of him ever since the death of his mother. If he made it as a Guildsman he would be able to have enough money for his grandfather to stop hunting and retire peacefully.
Just as Von was about to head back inside the cabin, he heard the sound of an object piercing through the air and the next thing he knew he was on the ground with an arrow in his shoulder. his blood was spilling all over the steps he was in too much pain to think straight and was howling because of the unexpected attack.
Gramps opened the door in a frantic manner he held a crossbow in his hands.Looking towards the steps he saw a bleeding Von , his face grew pale and his hearth heavy he hurried towards Von to examine his wound.
just as Gramps approached Von the shrubs in the vicinity of the cabin started shaking and from them emerged 4 middle aged men all equipped with loaded crossbows, readied to be fired at any moment . the man leading this group had a towering stature, he appeared to be at least 6 feet tall with bulging muscles rippling throughout his body giving him a savage look.
"If it isn't old man Logan the most fearsome hunter in the outer forest, how are you doing on this fine morning? not good i see" the savage looking man said in a sarcastic voice looking towards gramps and Von.
"what do you want Reynard?" Old man Logan "gramps" said while holding his crossbow close to his hands and cautiously analyzing Reynard and his party.
"easy there Logan no need for this to get violent. All i need is you're map of the outer forest and i'll pay a pretty penny for it too. You're the best in the outer forest so you're map has to be more detailed than the one the other hunters and the guild offer" Reynard said while looking towards Logan with a grin on his face.
"you know how things work reynard, a hunter passes down his maps to his next generation in order to give them a way to survive"
"I've already asked nicely for the past 2 years Logan, you either hand over the map or the kid gets it. Give me the map and he keeps his life" Reynard's smile was now gone, he and his men were all pointing their crossbows towards Von.
"OK you win i'll give you the map" Logan said with a grim look on his face, he shuffled inside his clothes bringing out a piece of yellow aged paper. and he tossed it over to Reynard who happily caught the map" leave now Reynard"
Reynard laughed and looked sinisterly towards Logan"it seems you've grown muddleheaded in you're old age Logan, the deal involved the kids life not yours" the men quickly redirected their crossbows from Von to Logan and shot as fast as possible.
Logan's body lifelessly fell to the floor
The man was dead
"WHY DID YOU KILL HIM ,YOU BASTARDS ALREADY HAD WHAT YOU CAME FOR!!!" Von shouted at the top of his lungs towards Reynard and his men. he rushed at them ignoring the throbbing pain coming from the arrow in his shoulder.
Reynard sidestepped and dodged Von's attack "you're lucky i am a man of my word kid or else you too would've been laying in a pool of blood" Reynard snorted and hit Von at the side of his neck knocking him out.
"Grab him, we'll sell him at the slaves den " that was the last thing Von heard before passing out.