The Hunter's Mark

wn to you, whence this disord

sher

pe of grey draped in a mist so thick it hovered

ce-the only movement on the hunter's otherwise still form. Crouched low on a rise, his dark eyes,

ating it slowly like a sundial. He bit down, stalling its motion as his gaze narrowed ever

s eno

aw i

figure against the heavens-a telltale line spira

nd

valley below, veiled by fog. He considered trekking down to investigat

its shadow to roam. But not every creature feared the light. Some, driven by need or ritual, d

t matched the cadence of his mind, conjuring images of the beings

ed in thick cloaks and carried by whatever beasts could bear the weight. Frankincense, my

e: food. Spices, dried meats, and unfamiliar vegetables bundled in the trad

plete sleep. A few pieces of meat roasted over a spit, the fat dripping tantalizingly onto the fire now

eded

the rubber edge, a stalling habit that only showed his hesitance. Food. That was what was important right now. Sur

hen n

an't claim

he w

d if he died before f

y to lower himself once the edge broke off into a sharp drop. His hands, hardened from years of battl

e crevice to the next, each motion as precise as the last. He had fallen from enough walls to k

cooler in

iled around his legs, pressing wet against his cheek. He walked in the direction of the standing smoke, eyes alert a

morality no longer existed in this god-forsaken world where life w

y sought in abundance and without caution. As a result their souls were snared forever, kept in bottomless

d about like a double-minded person. His eyes remained fixe

es, flutes and r

e, he thought. Pity he would

the distance of a bow shot. Eyes narrowed and searching, he followed t

. His eyes flickered to the source of heat -- c

crif

ide as ululations burst forth in high pitched sounds. They were streaked in paints galore, their minds as gone as the

came to rest loosely on his knees. They seemed perkier than u

the group. He - it - wore a headdress of feathers and chains of gold snaked weightily across his chest. The whites of hi

s narrowed, what

had failed to notice. Once his gaze fell upon it, he g

ina

uscles in his legs grew tense, coiling tight ready to spring out f

hing held

rest upon his shoulder, f

tapping the hilt in a rhythm of

eir foresight ruining his every move. Bitterness bloomed in his gut as memories came

sorcerer's hand that cradled th

e altar as bits of sa

to the sky, mouths yawning wide as a cry echo

spilling from his lips. Something like mist rose up from the waters as

danger lay in wait, a se

ise from his shrouded spot overwhelming. And yet that s

that water. His sword like a scythe arcing through the

a strain on his flesh, pushing against the invisible force anchoring him l

leaned over

eaded on his brow, tricking d

nce more. Its brows furrowed in bemusement, a shadow of do

ter sti

tween the bowl of

ld it be that... no, he shook his head as

... and

ways, spilling the water. He turned towards the merchants and gestured angrily a

luted somehow. Its mag

r next destination where a well of water might be. And with those finals mutterings, they continued w

mained rooted

n the spilled wa

comes to pass. Hell, it never even happened to him... and yet... his gaze lifted t

next. They would soon camp in a circle, shielded by the magic of their diviner. He watched them mov

i

if dissolved by the night wind, his scent threadi

ey scen

hey sa

s too

em, darkness descendin

────

him satiated a

from his lap which he sharpened to a wicked edge on a whet stone. The fire had d

each in the distance as they travelled towards the macabre disarray; merchant bodies lay separate from their heads.

lloused skin. Yet his mind had wandered back to the diviner

gning it with the crescent moon shaped like

sm

crescen

ng the edges of his consciousness. He gave into

lept

lept

shadows. A girl, light-footed and silent, emerged from

or the gentle rhythm of his breathing to drift t

entrance eyeing the hunter's colossal form slack on the cot. If he had been huge from afar, a towering form

al sharp senses dulled to

knees pressed tight to her chest, chin balanced atop. Her eyes shut briefly

e reached for a few scraps left behind from