Hoooowwwl! A terrifying shriek suddenly erupted in the forest. The beast's pained cry would have been heart rending, but not for Kigen.
"YES!" Kigen shouted as his arrow found its mark. The beast, which had fallen on its legs, was now writhing with pain. It suddenly got up and started running, however, Kigen was not going to let it escape that easily.
The roles had suddenly reversed. Kigen was now the one chasing the bison, which had been hot on his heels just minutes ago.
The beast was heavily injured, and it could barely walk. Deep, gashing wounds on its side and lower body, as well as the legs, were bleeding profusely. It did not have one eye, so it could barely see properly.
All in all, it looked as though it was about to die. Even then, Kigen did not directly approach it, only tailing it from the treetops. He had seen its destructive power, and he did not intend to be flattened.
The beast had done a lot of damage to the forest, and hence, it kept tripping over some of the trunks and trees it had brought down. From his vantage point, Kigen continued shooting down arrow after arrow.
His target right now were the exposed wounds on its side. His traps had managed to penetrate the beast's hide, so his arrows were no longer repelled.
Every time his arrows found their mark, the beast would let out another pained cry as it attempted, with renewed vigor every time, to put some distance between it and the offending human.
However, Kigen noticed it was no longer as powerful or as strong as it had been. It really was at the end of its rope. Even its attempts at fleeing seemed frantic at best. It was fast approaching his moment to make his move, but he couldn't act too fast.
Deep down, he was celebrating. The task was difficult, but only this kind of task could bring him the accolade he desired. He had a young woman in mind, and to get her attention, he needed something that would set him apart from the crowd. This was it.
The village too will have to be grateful. They were entirely depended on the forest for many of their resources, but ever since the beast had migrated to this place, many people had perished under its fierce charges and sneak attacks.
This was why they had offered a huge bounty to anyone who could bring down the beast. This bounty, and the fame that would come with it, were all going to be his. However, he couldn't and shouldn't get ahead of himself. First things first, he had to bring down the beast.
From his position, Kigen used his arrows to cause the beast to run aimlessly. Sometimes, he would lead it to some fallen tree trunk, which caused the beast to fall down once more. Pulling out one more arrow, Kigen leapt high in the air.
He was as dexterous as a monkey in the trees, and with his aerial capabilities, he quickly jumped over the beast, landing squarely in front of it. Seeing its hated enemy, the bison seemed to be filled with immense power.
As a testament to its willpower, the beast summoned its energy for a charge. It was a last, desperate attack. Despite the weariness on its body, the charge was still just as impressive, albeit lacking in speed.
Seeing this, Kigen pulled out his bronze javelin. While he was proficient with the bow and arrow, they only served as his auxiliary weapons. His main specialization was the javelin, a weapon known for its attack power.
Moving fast, he quickly planted it behind some rock in the ground, using it as leverage. He then trained the sharpened edge right on the path of the bison's charge. With all the strength he could muster, he braced for impact.
Truthfully, the charge this time was lackluster, lacking much of the power the beast had. The wounded hind legs would not propel the beast as fast as it would want.
Seeing the charge, Kigen stilled himself with a look of determination. Finally, he was going to bring it down. He made final changes to the position of the javelin and waited.
The distance seemed to shrink at a slowed down pace. The beast was making good progress though, and momentarily, it would be face to face with its target.
Boom! Then. Snap!
His javelin broke under the pressure from the charge, snapping in two. Moreover, the power sent Kigen careening once more. However, Kigen's attack had been successful. One part of the javelin was firmly lodged in the bison's powerful skull. The thing was moving around in a disoriented state.
"How are you still alive?" Kigen questioned as he got to his feet. He started coughing again. The impact had been quite damaging, but his gamble seemed to have almost paid off... Almost.
Swish!
Kigen did not give the beast time to recover. He had quickly nocked and fired an arrow, finding the other eye. This attack blinded the bison, robbing it of its sight.
Another pained cry ensued. The bison was blinded, impaled, and heavily wounded. It did not want to continue this fight anymore. It turned around and started running once more. However, it couldn't see, so it kept slamming into the trees in the forest, further exacerbating its injuries.
For his part, Kigen was heavily wounded, and his main weapon was destroyed. He found himself on the brink of victory, but lacking any weapon to deliver the final blow. Looking around, he quickly spotted a broken branch from one of the many trees that had been felled during this fight.
He quickly picked it up and pursued his enemy. After all the time and effort that he had put in, he could not let his quarry get away.
The beast was barely making any headway as it kept being turned around and slamming into obstacles. It was a pitiful sight, but Kigen was not moved. He just wanted to put the beast out of its misery.
Finally, he managed to get ahead of it. Standing just in front of it, he watched the beast blindly run forward, which was where he was standing. He lifted his branch, wielding it like a club.
With all the strength he could muster, he brandished his branch forward, finding the protruding end of his javelin, which had penetrated the beast's skull. The javelin's tip dug deeper into the beast's brain.
The beast reacted as though a powerful electric shock had run through its entire body. It stood frozen mid-charge. The next moment, it tumbled down, letting out a pained whimper. This was the first time it had fallen on its side, completely lying on the ground.
With a final kick, the bison breathed it's last.
An exhausted Kigen tumbled on the side just next to it. He too had put so much into getting the job done, and he needed some respite. He even closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. For a moment there, things could have gotten hairy.
After taking some time to rest and recuperate, he got up once more and eyed his prize. The bison was huge, and that meant it had a ton of meat in it. Moreover, this was an enhanced beast, essentially, a monster, which meant that the meat would fetch top dollar.
Then there was the powerful hide, the horns and the hooves. Each of them prized commodities. As a hunter, he understood the fortune contained in the beast. Moreover, all this was secondary. The bounty, and glory that came with it, were the real prizes.
He could almost see it now. There was no way Nina would refuse his advances now. In his mind, he saw her giving him a kiss as he received his prize, surrounded by several of his fellow villagers.
Just as he was caught up in his daytime reverie, a small dart came out of nowhere and plunged itself in his chest, right on the spot the bison had hurt. The bison's horns had torn through his armor, and this was where the dart had struck.
The sudden attack caused Kigen to jerk as he surveyed his surrounding, his mind alert. The attack had been so unexpected, and right at the moment when he was least prepared. He cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander in such a perilous place.
"Who's there?" He demanded as he pulled out the dart from his chest. Looking at it, a look of horror appeared on his face. The dart was poisoned.
Almost as if reacting to his thoughts, his body started feeling very weak. So weak that he found he could not stand. His already battered body did not seem capable of offering any resistance to the poison in the dart.
"Curses!" Kigen muttered as he realized what had happened. Someone was stealing his kill and killing him off. He first fell on his knees, before falling to his side. His vision was getting blurry, and his mind was losing focus.
However, as he looked on, he saw someone emerge from the dark of the forest, walking towards him. They did not seem to cover their face, knowing he was already a goner.
Kigen made a move to rise up, but he found his body to be too tired. He weakly reached out to his club, but he could barely move his arm. All he could do was turn and stare at the newcomer with hatred in his eyes.
"Wh-who are you?" He demanded weakly, his voice barely audible.
"Rest now," a feminine voice drifted to his ears. Looking up, he could barely make out the person who had attacked him, but he finally did.
When his eyes met hers, his face turned to shock. How could it be her? This was the last thought he had as he slowly drifted, albeit unwillingly, to eternal sleep.