Chereads / MANBEAST / Chapter 16 - Chapter 15: A Test Of Skill

Chapter 16 - Chapter 15: A Test Of Skill

The Local Tavern, The Kingdom Of Medina 540 B.C....

  Taking a break from home, Prince Lycidas made his way to the local tavern where he was greeted by fellow patrons which consisted of warriors who served with him in battle and citizens looking to blow off steam after a hard day's work. A few of the patrons, a group of nobles loyal to King Myron were sitting at a table and enjoying their drink with conversation when they took notice of the infamous prince making his way to the bar. Lycidas bid them a greeting and ordered his drink. He was feeling a bit restless from all of the soft living he'd been doing after his return from his latest war campaign. The drinking nobles cheered and motioned for the good prince to join them intrigued by the tales of Tyrus about their most recent hunt and the elk they managed to bring down amid a pack of wolves attempting to seize it from them as well as devour them in the process.

Lycidas had not seen much of Tyrus due to his recent increase in duties but he was glad that he managed to blow off some steam over his days. Lounging in the sun had been nice for a while but a warrior like Lycidas was more interested in keeping his skills harp and his senses keen when it came to the protection and war efforts of Medina.

He was given his drink and saw his way to enjoy it when one of the nobles approached him about a hunt they were getting together for. He was a rather portly man and didn't look to have much means in the way of combat but he had deep coffers apparently and employed someone who could. Lycidas smirked at the idea of making a hunt a sporting event and the men all got to talking about making a wager.

The portly noble's skilled hunter vs the prince of Medina.

Lycidas had not viewed hunting as a sport so much as a means of securing food for Medina and other delicacies while out in the woods, but he agreed to the nobleman's wager. The men all finished off their drinks in celebration excited for a bit of sport to ease their days of work and worry that seemed to drag on endlessly.

The Prince of Medina agreed to meet them at the edge of the forest unsure what their little wager hoped to accomplish as he wasn't interested in sport. He set up a few rules to ensure their game didn't damage the environment or destroy the numbers of certain species that populated the wilderness and provided ample nourishment to them when seeking them out for food and to other animals who depended on the vast population for substance. The men awaited the arrival of the noble's chosen hunter and proceeded to venture toward the forest with anticipation of the tales from the experience that would remain for years to come.

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The Edge Of The Forest, The Outskirts Of The Kingdom Of Medina 540 B.C...

As promised, the portly noble brought forth his champion for the upcoming wager. Lycidas had not been impressed as the champion had looked oddly familiar to him. He noted the pale thin frame of a teenage lad who had barely been a passable foot soldier during his campaign in the war. He had not forgotten how drunk the lad was when he made the mistake of invading his tent during their celebration after a hard-fought battle.

"What is your name boy?" asked Lycidas curious as to how this footsoldier proposed a challenge for him in a hunt.

The boy seemed quite shocked to see him and even more embarrassed about his mistake when invading the Prince's tent during the war. Due to his bumbling, the shocked boy incurred the wrath of his patron when given to offense of a member of the royal family. The portly noble approached the lad smacking him briefly for the insult of not answering a prince of medina when spoken to.

"C-Caxton." replied the now trembling lad as he looked over the handsome prince briefly before turning away.

Lycidas smiled taking note of the boy's attraction not being a one-time thing and turned his attention to the nobles who were preparing for the hunt. It was a simple contest with blades, bows, arrows, and hunting daggers at the disposal of each participant.

The charming prince even gave the lad a head start as he took off into the forest before him while the prince took his time walking at a pace akin to the prowl of a mighty hunter. According to the portly noble young Caxton was quite the skilled little huntsman due to being a farmer from a modest household nearest the forest. His skill with a bow was beyond any lad his age and even older men who were prominent warriors within the ranks of the army.

It was only logical for anyone who had heard of his feats to want to test the boy's hidden skill against that of a master hunter in the form of Lycidas of Medina.

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The Heart Of The Forest, The Outskirts Of The Kingdom Of Medina 540 B.C...

Lycidas had given the lad Caxton a head start, but it had little to no effect as he was much too experienced as he navigated the long and numerous trees of the surrounding forest. His senses were heightened the moment he stepped beneath their shade and his keen ears searched out the sounds of possible prey as well as the dangers lurking around every corner. Much like always, the prince of Medina preferred to hunt shirtless as he moved about the darkened forest floor avoiding traps and pitfalls alike with agility and poise unheard of by the likes of young Caxton. The lad had taken to climbing the trees not wishing to become the next meal of the prowling predators that called the region home.

The prince of Medina embraced the aspect of danger during his hunt and his keen senses seemed to do him a world of good as he found himself face to face with a large saber cat who had taken an interest in him from the moment he entered the forest. Lycidas relished the chance to bring in such a trophy and turned his attention to catching the enormous and vile feline off guard.

The sly beast began to stalk Lycidas and then rushed toward him possibly intending to beat the quicker man into the ground via a swipe of his powerful claws. Had he been anyone else, being struck via the claws of a beast such as this might have been his fate and he would have bled out on the forest floor without anyone knowing but Lycidas was a vastly experienced hunter and ferocious in his own right.

Caxton watched poised from his position in a nearby tree as the handsome warrior charged at the saber cat as fast as it charged at him with his dagger drawn as carefully timed slashes to the furry beast's extended throat met the steel of the blade which cut through the thick fur and soft flesh with ease. The creature let out a horrible cry before Lycidas managed to pin it to the ground and finish it off by severing the vein in its large neck via the dagger spraying the thick crimson of its blood all over both of their bodies staining the pelt and the skin of the prince in the process.

A risky gambit to be sure as the creature managed to get one of his claws to slash the shoulder of the swift-moving man but it wasn't enough to cause serious damage and would only leave barely a scar once it was seen to properly.

The trembling lad managed to bring down a deer in the few moments the headstart had provided him, but that had been all due to the presence of the saber cat running off all the game in the area.

The hunt had come to an end as both Caxton and Lycidas ventured out of the forest. The prince remained covered in blood but carried the carcass of the felled saber cat over his shoulders while Caxton did his best to drag the deer he shot via arrows along.

A small crowd seemed to have gotten wind of the little sporting event and cheers erupted as both participants brought forth their kills. Each had taken the life of one animal. But Lycidas was victorious since he managed to bring down a known predator that terrorized the local farmers for years.

Being a good sport, Lycidas commended Caxton on his kill and named him the second-best hunter in all of Medina. The lad felt a sense of accomplishment having faced off against someone as formidable as the second prince of Medina and was allowed to keep his kill while Lycidas took from his kill the best of the meat before leaving the rest to the people.

Once more covered in blood and carrying the spoils of his latest kill, Lycidas made his way home in search of one of his two lovers as the excitement left over from the hunt had left him quite aroused and in need of companionship, be it from his expecting wife or his new servant girl plaything.