The Hunt

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Kallistos steadied his breath. He had been hunting in the Neck for several days now, and he was running out of supplies, he would have to return to the farm soon. He had caught naught but a few rabbits. Now, as he crawled over small hill he could see in the valley bellow him the herd of deer he had been tracking all morning. He reached for the darts he kept in his quiver. They darts resembled oversized arrows, they were about one and a half meters in length. He fitted a dart into his atlatl, a wooden shaft with a cup at the end of it. It acted as an extension of his arm, allowing him to throw his dart many times further, and many times faster, than without it. As Kallistos took aim, a mighty roar echoed in the forest around him. A full grown Majlüfter ran into the valley and before the creatures had time to react, he caught a stag with his bear hands and broke it's neck with an audible crack. As quietly as he could Kallistos crawled back down the hill and hid behind a rock. He had never seen a Majlüfter before, believing them to be nothing more than myths told to keep children out of the forest at night. The monster was terrifying. It had a short legs, though each were rippled with muscle. Kallistos hid a gasp as he noticed that the beast feet were actually hands. It had arms twice the length of its leg, and just as strong. The Majlüfter was humanoid, those it's long arms and short legs gave it a grotesque appearance, and a strong tail grew out it lower back. It's mouth was line with two protruding fangs the size of dagger, covered in blood of the stag. Its eyes were brown and yellow, while the irises were dark red. The Majlüfter's whole body was covered in dark green and brown coarse fur, so it was camouflaged in the thick forest it inhabited.

Kallistos dared to look back down in the valley. As he wriggled on his belly to get a better angle on the brute, a branch snapped under is leg. Kallistos cursed under his breath. The Majlüfter lifted his head and sniffed the air. It looked around, and it's stare stopped right were Kallistos was hiding. His heart pounded in his chest. The Majlüfter leaned back and lifted itself off the ground, balancing on only it's tail. It let out of terrifying roar so out shook the whole forest. Birds squawked and flew away, while dirt and loose stones rolled down the hills, into the valley. The beast beat it fist against it's chest, and galloped on all fours towards Kallistos' hiding place. Kallistos threw his dart at the creature, hoping to hinder it's advance, before turning and fleeing. With uncanny speed, the creature caught the dart mid flight with it's strong tail, and chucked the dart back at Kallistos. He yelped and ducked as his own dart flew past where his head had been moments prior. He ran for his life, ducking and branches, and jumping over some. He leaped across creek two meters across. Twigs tore at his face, a branch cut painfully onto his brow, constantly dripping blood into his eye. The creature was only 100 metres behind Kallistos, and was rapidly gaining ground. Kallistos stopped running just in time as he ran into a clearing, stopping only a few centimetres away from a cliff. There was no where for him to run. He turned and fitted another dart into hi atlatl and pulled his hunting knife out of it's sheath. The Majlüfter galloped into the clearing, and slid to a stop. It's heavy breath filled the air with the rancid smell of rotting meat. It was not till now until Kallistos noticed a club strapped across the creatures back. With a speed that surprised him, Kallistos threw dart. The monster barely flinched as the dart embed itself into the thing of the creature. The beast left the dart in it's leg, and slowly circled Kallistos, it's terrifying gaze bore into the the mind of Kallistos. There was no where to run. He was trapped. Kallistos brandished his hunting knife and braced himself as the Majlüfter charged and him, wildly swingings it's club. He met the first blow of the club with his knife. The strength behind it jarred his arm, almost causing him to drop his knife. Kallistos managed to get a jab onto the creatures ribs, but at the same time his legs were crushed under him. Lying in a crumbled heap, Kallistos let out a cry, stabbing upwards. Before the blade made contact however, a loud boom echoed around him, and the creature disappeared, no, disintegrated as green lighting struck the beast. Kallistos eyes rolled up into his head, and fainted from exhaustion, his last thought being that of a mysterious hooded figure standing at the edge of a clearing.

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