As we ambled through the mahogany-brown forest, I was constantly reminded of its age. The ground was covered in decomposing leaves and the branches snapped as soon as we brushed past them. The scurrying of squirrels could be distinguished amongst other sounds. The occasional wildlife pounced in front of us but left without attacking; it seemed like the animals here did not intend to harm us either.
For hours, our feet hit the crinkly floor until we reached a massive clearing. The trees were akin to walls on all sides of the grass-covered area. The sun was above our heads shining on us like a beacon and illuminated the cloudless azure sky.
"Set up your tents in the clearing and don't venture out yet," one of the teachers yelled.
Each of us got to work with constructing the fabric tent. The structure was held together using metal bars which we had to join ourselves. I was crouched, trying to put the rods together but I could not seem to make the pieces fit.
"Couldn't they have made this thing simpler," I murmured to myself.
"Well the tents are quite sturdy, that's why they're so complicated," someone said behind me.
I turned around and was pleased to see that Charlie was the one who had just spoken. The orc sat beside me and began showing me where each part is supposed to go and within fifteen minutes, the tent was erected.
"You see, it's quite easy once you get the hang of it," he said.
"Where are Adriana and Martin?" I asked.
"You don't have to worry about those two. They'll join us once they're done with their preparations."
Once everyone was done, the teachers called us to the front to give out instructions.
"Everyone will be hunting for their own food but do not fret, the teachers will be present to help you all."
Most of the students appeared visibly shaken and some of them even began complaining to the adults.
"Why do they not want to hunt?" I asked Charlie.
"Most youngsters do not have any experience fighting, much less hunting," he replied.
Upon seeing my puzzled expression, Charlie couldn't help but ask,
"Have you hunted before?"
"I hunt almost daily," I replied.
But I quickly thought of something and raised my hand.
"Isn't this a zone where you're not allowed to hunt?" I asked one of the teachers.
The other students who had also realized this fact were impatiently waiting for an answer from the teacher.
"Very good, it seems like you were paying attention to me, unlike in class. That's a nice change from your sleeping self little Jett," the teacher jokingly said.
"There's a region of the forest that is not protected by this law. That's where we'll be hunting and coincidentally, we're right next to it," he added as he pointed to our left.
Soon enough, we were up against a horde of wild boars; some of the teachers surrounded the group while others were next to students. Most of my classmates looked pathetic trying to fight without tripping over themselves. I, on the other hand, stood still and watched them.
"Aren't you going to fight?" my teacher said as he approached me.
"It's boring if I kill them too fast."
Even though I had hidden the black line on my forearm, the adult orcs could easily tell that I had understood half of the first chapter.
"Let's make a bet."
"If you can finish a boar within ten seconds, I'll give something."
"You can use any weapon yo-"
Without replying, I simply grinned and lunged towards one of the animals. My opponent noticed my hostility and launched itself at me; in one swift motion, as my feet made contact with the ground, I rotated my torso before extending my fist. My knuckles struck the boar's snout prompting it to release a fearful growl before its body thumped the land. Wanting to waste no time, I attacked it with a barrage of punches until its head was mushy and my fists were covered in blood. The animal's eyes stared at me lifelessly while the students who were around me were distracted from their preys and kept staring at me in amazement.
"How long did that take?" I asked the teacher as I shook my hands to remove the nasty substance.
"Seven seconds," he replied.
"Good! Now Where's my reward?" I asked.
"Well- Uhm, I didn't think that you were going to succeed, so I currently don't have anything prepared but as soon as we return, I'll find something."
"Thought so," I said while laughing.
"You're really impressive," the teacher said as he patted my back.
Twenty minutes later, nearly everyone had killed one boar.
"Now bring the corpses back to camp, we'll cook them quickly as I'm sure that everyone must be starving."
My hand grasped one of the legs and I dragged it along, leaving a trail of vital fluids behind. Back at base, the teachers ordered us to bring dried twigs and branches to light a few campfires. Subsequent to following a demonstration from the adults, we began carving the pigs and needless to say, butchering was not my forte. It got to the point that even Lucas had to lend me a helping hand.
"You're pitiful at this," Lucas said.
"Stop rubbing salt in the wound," I sighed.
His knife skills, despite being good, were not on par with Jasper's. We were left with strips of fatty meat which we promptly grilled over the flames. The salty aromas of the food soon pervaded the air which elicited our mouths to water. The process continued until the juices running out were clear and by then, there was a crispy crust on the meat.
Lucas, Charlie, Adriana, Martin and I sat in a circular arrangement while enjoying the succulent meal. The gamey taste of the grilled boar was so indescribable that we did not utter a single word while eating.
'This trip is already worth it!'