Wanderers

Chapter I

"Now, take the shot lad. Just as I taught you. Nice and easy now..."

A single arrow flew the air, bursting through the thick, leafy shrub that it had apparently come from. The tip of the projectile slicing through some leaves that were unfortunate enough to be in its destructive path. The sudden action caught the attention of nearby flock of birds that were roosting in some trees, at the sound of arrow leaving the bow they took to the warm, orange evening sky; flapping their wings and squawking loudly alerting any nearby animals. All of a sudden, the entire forest seemed to be aware of this singular arrow and its destination.

The long, thin arrow flew towards a medium-sized antelope steed that happened to be grazing alongside its herd. Luckily for the oblivious animal, the arrow rocketed right past its head and proceeded further into the depths of the forest, lost forever. The herbivore and its family took off running a second later, hoping to avoid any more potential danger.

"Close, Lavi. Happens to the best of us. You're most definitely improving though"

"I suppose so. I really thought I had that one though, Father"

Emerging from the shrubs and bushes, a hhur and a lalafell appeared carrying bows and hempen sacks full of hunted prey. The dimituive, pointy-eared lalafell seemed to be disgruntled, sulking as he picked his sack. The Hyur wore a fatherly smile as he carried his own spoils of the hunt. It had been a rather fruitful day, he had gathered plenty of meat for the upcoming days. Though it was mainly just squirrels and the occasional rabbit, but it was food nonetheless. The villagers of Hyrstmill would be pleased.

"Don't look so down, lad! Look at all the prey we caught today" the Hyur exclaimed, looking back the sack that was now slung over his shoulder. "Your foraging bore fruit as well, we might even have enough leftover to sell at the markets! That'll rake in the gil!"

"I've been hunting for all of my ten and a half-summers and I've yet to slay a single antelope! You told me that you killed yours at five!" the Lalafell replied, as he glanced down at the relatively light sack of mushrooms and other vegetation he'd picked up earlier in the day. "I'll never be a proper hunter at this rate!"

"Nonsense, you're a fine hunter! Just need a bit more practice is all. Have you been practicing the heavy shot technique with the bow that I taught you the other day?"

"Of course. Hang on, what if we used better weapons and hunting gear? My bow and daggers are really worn-out, I'm sure that its them that's holding me back"

The Hyur shook his head and stopped walking, taking a knee to talk to his son eye to eye.

"Listen Lavi, a good hunter relies on his skills and the forest to do his job. You could have the strongest damn bow in all of Eoreza and still be unable to kill a bloody squirrel" he said, gently placing a hand on the lalafell's head. "Now, lets head back home and show Mother our haul. Don't hang your head. Any son of mine should be proud to help feed his village"

'Easy for Father to say that' Lavi thought to himself as the pair headed back home. 'He's always been a talented man'

Lavi Ravi's adoptive father, Orin Kel, had been born and raised the small, sleepy village of Hyrstmill that laid in the North Shroud. He was a simple midlander that was an amateur blacksmith that took up hunting on the side to provide for his village since he was handy with a bow. He had been so good at this, in fact, that the furs and meat he collected were able to be sold in the Gridanian Markets allowing him to make a modest living on hunting alone. Whilst selling his wares in Gridania one evening, he came across a beautiful elezen woman named Merida and fell in love. After several moons, they married but were unfortunately unable to bear children of their own. So they apodpted from the orphanage in Gridania, where they came across a young Lavi Ravi and took him in as their own.