Eril's Story

Day 5

Upon waking up I felt completely rested. The good company and activities of the previous day had my spirits high looking forward to what I might encounter today. Early in the morning has always been my preferred time to awaken, early even compared to village life standards, getting up even before the sun.

The time this practice afforded me has proven to be some my most personally meaningful moments - that is because in the hour or so of stillness, that is the time when I most connect with the great spirit, spending my time in meditation, and listening to the universe. The presence and peace I feel during these times are unmatched, and throughout the day I feel as if I can summon back brief glimpses of the intensity I experienced while focused.

After my morning ritual, I meandered into the dining area of the inn, perking up at the smell of freshly baked bread, courtesy of a tirelessly laboring cook. Probably the only person in the whole town to rise even earlier than myself. He had just pulled golden perfection out of the glowing stone oven. Striking a deal with him, I was able to get a massive loaf of flaky bread all to myself. Splitting it in half, and munching on a piece as I went upstairs to gather my things, and with bread in hand, I walked out the city gates just as the darkness was receding from the land, and the wild colors of the city creeped into existence.

The land West of the town of Netheen became much more untamed compared to the nurtured and cultivated areas I had just come from. Well cared for roads connected all the major cities in the kingdom, but the small towns and villages had to settle for country roads, and where vegetation was heavy, sometimes almost indistinguishable paths.

I preferred these routes, and chose to take the more roundabout ways when possible, being rewarded with solitude and abounding natural spectacles.

The hilly terrain gave way after a while to an expansive plain covered in tall grass, only a single dirt track cutting through it for miles, straight down the middle. It was not even mid day yet and the sun was already beginning to warm my shoulders to an uncomfortable level. Heading quickly for the shade of the tall grass I began to walk among the shorter stalks on the outer edges, greeted by humidity and an accompanying strong earthy smell. By noon, some of the patches along the road were reaching the height of my head, obscuring my surroundings, and increasingly leaving me no choice but to blindly follow the road.

Breaking down a small area of grass to the side of the road, I carved out a little clearing in which to eat a light meal before carrying on. It was pleasant, if not a little claustrophobic though, the birds chirped all around me and insects droned on, I swatted with frustration at the ones that dared venture too close to my meal. But then mid bite, and instantaneously, the birds were silent, no sound could be heard. A short pause. Then out of the deep tangled grass came the sound of foliage being trampled down, the force of which indicated something huge.

I froze, unsure of what to do next. From what I knew, most of the creatures that dwelt to the East were relatively harmless, but those that weren't, definitely weren't meant to be trifled with - for this reason most people preferred not to travel alone, save on well used roads.

Whatever this creature was, it seemed in no hurry, as crunching grass and the sound of large areas of displaced blades reverberated through the area. The brush was too thick for any person to be making their way through with such ease. Then, from somewhere behind a grunt, followed by a snuff rang out, coming from head height at least. Almost losing control of my legs I spun around, spear raised. Nothing to be seen. Creeping my way backwards into the slight vantage the road gave me, I waited. Standing frozen for what felt like an eternity, until I realized how sore I felt from my clenched muscles. As quietly as I could manage, I gathered my gear and walked potentially the softest I ever have down the road - both eyes peeled for danger.

After an hour of walking, my nerves had just begun returning, when I saw ahead of me that a large portion of the grass bordering the path was beaten down on both sides going across. Huge patches of earth had been upturned all along this forged route, and there were thick clumps of silver grey hair caught among the undergrowth.

My thoughts raced to the mammoth bears that sometimes migrated through these lands, or perhaps the fur belonged to something being dragged and eaten by a serpent of epic proportions. Judging by the width of the path, it could be upwards of forty feet in length - my only chance at survival would be to not to cross paths with such a beast.

Quickly and quietly I moved along at a brisk pace on high alert, the more distance I put between this place and myself the better. No further signs or sounds came as I went, but my nerves never fully settled again. Dusk was falling, and I had only put on a few miles, and after a few more, it was too dark to reasonably go any further, even though I hadn't cleared the tall grass yet.

I made no attempts at a camp or shelter, opting instead, to settle in a small clearing on the side of the road, presumably where other travelers had stayed recently. Without the sounds of my footsteps the ambient noise of the surrounding darkness became intensified. Night birds called out to each other, and the nocturnal insects played their games in the grass.

All was normal until an unearthly shriek blasted through the air, followed by silence. Stiffening, I could tell that whatever it was, despite the volume of the sound, was quite far away at this point, which gave me little comfort. Over the next little while, there were subsequent cries and howls, each as jarring as the last, making sleep seem like an impossibility. I'm happy to report, I made it through the night.