The dim glow under the thick canopy obscured most creatures, some hid to hunt while others hid from said hunters. A dark green cloak added Kothar to the list of creatures, a necessary purchase for any traveler who did not want to be easy pickings for denizens of Janul. Long vines slithered down most branches, some disguised venomous snakes, others equally dangerous carnivorous plants. The low tunnels formed by the roots of the larger trees hid territorial boars and curious rabbits.
All the while, the Janul Panther stalked through the trees. Kothar had read much about the panther, its deep green fur, characteristic of most mammals in Janul, concealed it in the deep shadows of the trees. It had large paws, perfectly suited for climbing and balancing amongst the lower branches, its favorite tactic was to sit on a branch above the exit of a boar tunnel, and await its meal.
Kothar would be mimicking the panther's strategy today, while he had sufficient rations, he knew it was best to save them for a rainy day.
Kothar crouched on the broad bough that curved over the boar tunnels. The clearing it led to was filled with mushrooms that were found throughout the forest. Many were edible, and delicious, but without a trained dog or pig to distinguish them, they would be fatal.
Kothar watched as a large group of boars snuffled their way through the clearing, digging up tasty roots with their large tusks and chomping up thick mushrooms. He took note of the mushrooms they ate and which ones they avoided. However, he did not strike, such a large group of Janul Boar could be fatal to even an experienced woodsman, let alone a Novice Mage.
The boar gradually made their way out of the clearing, the aftermath of their buffet left behind. Large holes cratered the clearing, fragments of mushrooms littered the ground, and a large pile of droppings marked their territory.
This was what Kothar had been waiting for. He peered down as a pair of green ears poked out from a small tunnel on the edge of the clearing, a rabbit emerged, looking around for danger. Another rabbit followed, and another, then another.
The rabbits hopped about the clearing, making the most of the exposed roots and remaining mushrooms that the boars had left for them. The rabbits could feed safely, as even the Janul Panther would steer clear of a large group of boars. Unfortunately for them, a new predator was hunting them, Kothar.
A light crackle filled the air, immediately the rabbits' ears shot up, and their eyes darted around the clearing. Seeing no obvious danger they continued to eat. His Bolt fully charged, he took careful aim and blasted at a rabbit. A loud crack filled the air, the bolt lancing a fat rabbit through its chest. A sudden flurry filled the clearing as the rabbits fled into their burrows. He hopped down into the clearing and picked up the smoking carcass. Stowing the rabbit in his pack, he disappeared into the forest.
A small pile of wood shavings lay at the center of the small clearing, Kothar carefully shot a small spark into the pile, immediately igniting the bone dry wood. Kothar built up the fire and reminisced of many similar nights on foreign planets, hunting fugitives from the Galactic Alliance.
With the rabbit skinned, and cut into 4 roughly equal pieces, he set the skewered rabbit over the fire, and a delicious aroma filled the air. While the rabbit cooked, Kothar took a thin string from his pack, evenly spaced across the sting were many small bells. Winding the string around his small camp, Kothar thought of the first time he had used the same trick, on a particularly nasty microbiome on the Garden, before the days when he had inbuilt sensors to warn him of any and all dangers. Now confident of his safety, Kothar sat down to eat.
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Kothar sped through the pillars of the forest, he had felt a deep thrumming in his chest as he had made his way through the forest. It had to be the Skysteel. The thrumming grew stronger as he instinctively ran deeper into the forest, he had yet to see any other searchers, but since the Skysteel was only valuable to Beginner mages or lower he would likely be safe. Since most mages of that rank would be found at an Academy.
Kothar began to see broken trees and gaps in the canopy, allowing beams of sunlight to shine down into the cathedral that was Janul. Coming to a large clearing Kothar spotted the Skysteel. It was absolutely magnificent, a dark lump of metal surrounded by a crater, its surface crackling with raw lightning.
The clearing was empty of tree cover, which meant one was safe from ambush, but would also be visible to any others surrounding the clearing. Kothar decided to wait till nightfall to make his move. Meanwhile, an off looking blackbird cocked its head, perched in the trees around the clearing, peering down at Kothar.
A hunched figure spidered across the clearing, dressed in loose hooded black clothing. As the figure closed in on the Skysteel, Kothar stood, ready to fight for the prize. Crack! A blue blur shot across the clearing, slamming into the man's chest. He flew back, his hood flying back to reveal a squat bald head, dotted with tattoos.
The man cried out in pain, drawing a few hollow glass balls from his clothing. He threw these at the growling beast, which was now standing over him, the noxious yellow cloud that subsequently spread around the two of them concealing them from Kothar's sight.
Kothar watched as the man emerged, a cloth clutched over his mouth, wincing as he walked toward the Skysteel. Suddenly a blue blur shot out from the cloud of smoke, slamming into his back and sending him flying back to the ground. The beast lunged viciously at the man, who had procured a dagger from seemingly nowhere and thrust up at the beast, stabbing it's underbelly. The two were locked in a fatal embrace, the beast with its jaws clasped about the man's throat, as he stabbed at the beast with the last of his energy. A blackbird cocked its head, perched in the trees around the clearing, peering down at Kothar.