The Zenos: Corruption

The Injured Swordsman

Eleven Days Later | October 18th, Year 110

Crescent River Bridge

06:12

It had been two weeks since departing from Arlis. My movement had slowed dramatically with the severity of my injuries. I had treated myself with the first aid kit I packed for the journey, but it wasn't enough to restore my wounds. My food supply had almost depleted since I needed to eat more to heal my body.

The Crescent River Bridge marked the transition from the Forest of Isolation to the eastmost portion of Capital Island, where Kysora resides. The remaining distance of the trip was about 1670 kilometers, leaving me about forty days before arriving at my current speed and accounting for rest. I intended on reaching Kysora earlier, but it was no longer possible. Tending to my body was the best option at the moment. If I could recover some more, I could travel more quickly.

I arrived at the bridge's entrance. Its pathway was laid with reinforced wood flooring and a red-painted reinforced wooden half-wall to prevent accidents. The map indicated that the bridge spanned around 45 kilometers, requiring all travelers to be well-prepared for the trip over the dangerous river. The Crescent River Bridge resided near the river's exit into the ocean, increasing the danger of falling in. Once someone falls into the water, they are not expected to survive. Seeing the reinforcements and the stability of the structure, not much could tear down the bridge. I noticed that the bridge used building techniques I had not been unfamiliar with. The bolts were encased with a strange glow that let out a faint hum.

The entrance to the bridge sat in a clearing. To the sides, however, the ground gradually sloped down to the river. Some foliage and brush covered the path downward, creating a safer site to put shelter down. I walked down the hill and spotted an area underneath the bridge's supports where a lot of shade was. I set down my travel bag and began building a shelter to rest before I crossed the bridge.

Building a shelter was simple; find long straight sticks, which could be found near the river from the debris that washed up, set them up into a wall frame, and collect tons of leaves to use as floor and wall covering. It required little effort with the skills I honed from hunting trips with my grandpa. With a shelter in tow, I placed my bag inside it and set out to hunt for a meal. I was unfamiliar with the hunting spots here, so it would be more time-consuming.

After leaving the camp, I searched for animal tracks in the forest nearby. The sun began to rise, uncovering more of the scenery. I snuck through the brush, mindful to not open my wounds. A large cracking sound roared from a nearby location, so I moved toward the noise, finding a set of tracks bigger than any of the beasts I had hunted.

I followed the tracks for several minutes, moving through the brush carefully. My curiosity was brimming to see the creature that I had been following. An animal this size was dangerous, but it would solve my food shortage. I intended to kill it as quickly as possible before it was aware of my presence.

The tracks led on for a while longer until I found a large nest. The nest was made from fallen branches and rocks, fitting for the supposed size of the creature. No animal was inside the nest other than the remains of several deer. I inspected the area at a distance, ensuring it was not a trap to lure in more prey. Dense foliage surrounded the nest, creating a covering for the predator. I listened as I snuck around the brush, attempting to hear the breathing of a creature.

A shallow breath sounded above me, and I looked up to see the animal I had been tracking. My heart sank at the sight of the animal as it glared at me. Its beak was colored like the bolts of the bridge. The creature's feathery body was dark with a faint glow, obscured by the shade, standing nearly as tall as the trees. The animal's eyes were filled with a muted purple color that was off-putting, and it stood on two bird-like legs as thick as tree trunks.