Storm Island Expedition

Lost in the Hills

Three days into searching the hills, and I was making great progress.  For once, the trip was proving smooth and worthwhile.  Granted, the area had the normal mix of grass, shrubs, and spiders and rodents about.  However, I had found a few caves with Nightshade growing; numerous veins of iron and coal, even a few with mithril; also a few shrubs with berries I had never seen before (I felt it best to take a few samples, and not test them by eating them right there.)
Even more astonishingly, I found whole slopes of several hills covered in wild herbs.
That botanist/geologist could have spent a month cataloging everything here.
What I thought was the crown jewel was a sliver of a vein with adamantite in it.   I couldn't resist the chance to mine it and add a few bars for my own use.  There was barely enough ore for five ores before the vein was tapped out.  I went back to an area with coal, and then superheated the bars.  That was when my luck seemed to run out.  The ores were of a lower grade than anything I had seen before. One bar crumbled to dust when I gripped it.  I was careful about putting the others in my pack.
I went back to an area with the iron and mithril, mined and tested those as well.  Again, the iron, even after using the magic of superheat, which had never failed me before, seemed to vaporize some of the ores, while creating nearly useless bars at other times. The mithril was just as brittle.  They were still usable, but I would likely need to reheat them before use.
Seems the whole possibility of mining out here would be a fool's gold.  But the region still had a plenty to offer.  Disappointed, I continued further east to try to finish my initial survey.

A few hundred paces later, I heard some rocks get dislodged above me.   When I turned to look up, more rocks were disturbed from behind me.  One more time I tried and get a bearing on what was following me, I had just barely turned to avoid an arrow whizzing past me.  Then two more were shot into the ground near my feet.
I called out a challenge to anyone there, but saw a giant figure standing in the path of the sunlight. Between the high ground he was using, combined with the sunlight, I didn't get a good look at the figure.  I heard a shout of "Get down!" before something else hit me on the head.

I awoke with a splitting headache, and the figure standing over me, as if it was keeping watch.
"Are you alright stranger?" asked the figure.
I grabbed my head "Ow ... I think so."
"Good.  We need to get moving."
"Wait! Why did you attack me?"
"I was not attacking you.  You got in my line of fire."
"What?"
"I was tracking a dangerous beast.  Then you came along.  My shots were at the beast.  It moved around you, hit you, and then ran away as I closed in.  Thanks to you, five days of tracking wasted."
"Uhm, sorry."
"I finally find something worthy out here, and when I get close, you get in my way."
"Again ... sorry?"
The headache finally lessened a bit, allowing me to see clearly again.  I noticed that the figure was a tall man, equipped in dragon hide armor, and wearing a Slayer Master cape.  Appears I finally found the second master.
"Ugh ... you know ... in a way ... I was looking for you."
"Oh?"
"Your apprentice ... apprentices ... back at the camp.  They are still waiting for you to return."
"Are they still alive?"
"Last time I saw them a few days ago, yes."
"Then there is nothing to worry about.  I told them I would return when I found something worth slaying.  Now I have.  Once I have mastered the art of killing it, I will have something worth returning for."
"OK then.  Anything I can do to help?"
"No! '

I stared at the very intent man.  He was quite awake and alert, but a look in his eyes.  At first I thought it was just me or that he looked like he didn't have a good nights sleep.
"Excuse me, but when was the last time you slept?"
"Eight days ago."
"Wait.  Eight days?"
"Yes."
"I've heard of a few who could stay awake three, maybe four straight.  But eight?  You sure you are not tired?"
"Quite certain.  When I arrived here, I was hungry and found this root.  The taste was strong and bitter, but it was edible.  After eating a few roots, I felt stronger, refreshed.  After two days of subsisting on them, I finally saw the first glimmer of my prey.  It was hard to see at first, but with my keen eyes, I knew it was there.  I constantly tracked it, but never felt the need for sleep thanks to the roots.  As time went on, I felt as if I was sharper, even stronger.  Five days ago, I then saw the creature in its true form.  It was spectacular to see, yet fearsome.  I knew it would make a great trophy, and perhaps prove the greatest quarry for a Slayer."
"But, you've eaten nothing but the root?"
"I just said so."
I was beginning to get worried about him.   "Perhaps you would like a ration from my pack? I have plenty."
"No.  The roots will do fine for me."
I didn't want to leave him alone out here.  Or be left alone to whatever he was tracking.  "Then ... uhm ... show me the creature to slay.  Teach me how to track it and slay it."
"No."
*You've been trying for nearly a week now, and no luck?"
"I would have had it until you got in my way."
"OK.  But ... with me, we can track it and trap it more easily.  I may not know how to slay it, but I can distract long enough for you to catch up to it."
I couldn't tell if he was just being stubborn, or something else.  Anyone else might have taken up the offer after this much hassle.
"Very well.   This creature has proved bothersome.  Learning how to kill it may prove useful when tracking it again.  Come."
"Great."

A few hours into the hunt, the Master moved with a wildness I had rarely seen.  He was difficult to keep up with.  His stamina was incredible to be able to keep up such a pace.
I had difficulty seeing any sort of 'trail' he claimed the creature left.  I did consider the possibility the creature used some sort of hiding magic, or was just very good at covering its tracks.  And if the man had spent nearly eight days tracking it, who better to know what to look for.
Finally, he came to a quick but silent stop.  I stopped right next to him.  He motioned to be quiet, then to look at the narrow valley below us.  I didn't see anything.  Perhaps the creature had a rocky or grass covered body that made it hard to see.  He then gestured for me to go around and block the only way out of the valley and to slowly walk my way in, while he pointed he would take the high ground that would let him attack from above then use the slopes of the hills to move in closer.
I quietly slid to the bottom of the hill and to the valley.  Looking about as carefully as I could with weapons drawn, I slowly headed in.
The spot we were in was very good for an ambush.  A narrow valley with one easy entrance point, leading into a sort of box.  The hills on two sides prevented any sort of climbing.  Meanwhile a sharp slope on the third side that someone who was agile enough (and maybe daring enough) could work their way down but would be difficult to quickly climb up.
As I moved in, I saw the Master dash quickly around the hill side to his attack point, while taking bites from the roots.
Looking about, I still saw nothing but him and me around the valley.  I looked back up at him, and he gestured for me to stop and hold my position. He then readied his bow.
A quick volley of arrows were shot into a single spot.  He then gracefully hopped down the slope while he fired a flurry of shots along the cliff side, as if he was leading a target.
The whole time, I saw nothing.

When he reached the base of the valley, he still faced the cliff walls.  His back was to me, but his body language screamed 'failure', 'anger', and 'disappointment.'
He eventually wheeled around.  Taking another bite from a root, breathing heavily, his eyes ... his eyes were a shade of red ... not bloodshot ... but actually seeming to glow a shade of red.
"It got away!"
"What?"
"My prey!  The beast!  You were that close, you could have reached out and stabbed it yourself!  Did you not see it?!?!"
"There was nothing there."
He fumed.   A part of me thought he might turn the bow on me.  Instead, he forced a piece of root in my face.  "Eat this.*
*What?"
"Eat this."
"No ... I'm not hungry."
"Clearly this is the key to hunting and slaying the beast.  I can see it, yet you cannot.  I may have sharper eyes, but as close as you were, even you should have been able to see it.  Eat."
"Look.  I won't eat that.  I don't know what the root even is."
He glared at me as if I was disobeying an order.
"How about this?  There is a botanist at your camp.  We can take the root to him, he can analyze it or something.  If need be, we can take it back to the port village.  I'm sure the locals know a thing or two about the root and your beast.  Perhaps they can make a stronger, more potent brew with the root."
"Eat."   His eyes turned an even darker shade of red.
I finally caved and took a small bite.  He wasn't kidding about it being bitter.  I nearly spat it out.
"Eat." He gestured to eat the whole root.
"Look, you know how bad that thing tastes.  I'm barely able to get this much down."
"It took me a day of eating this to track it.  One bite is not enough.  Eat."
Before I could say or do anything, he suddenly looked up, as if something else caught his eye.  He took another root from the ground and in one fluid motion, took a bite and rushed off into the hills.

That man must have had a much higher constitution than me, or a far greater need at the time to eat that root.  For a moment after he left, I had coughed up the bit I ate, and part of my previous dinner. The taste was wretched and left me feeling awful.  If a single bite could do this, I was terrified of the thought now of eating a whole root.  The effect of just eating that bite left me lying on the valley floor for the rest of the day.
Before nightfall, I felt stiff, nauseous, and so much more.  Was I going through withdrawal?  Or was it sickness?
I found a root that looked like what the Master had taken.  One whiff and a lick of it told me it was the right one.  The single taste brought up a wave of nausea.  I was barely able to stuff it in my pack.
I collapsed right there.

By the next morning, I still felt horrible.   It took all my effort just to stand.  A few more minutes I was able to start walking again.
I spent most of the day hovering between looking for the Master in the hillside and trying not to fall over.
I eventually gave up when I could find no trace of him.
In exhaustion, I fell to my knees one more time.  Then, I felt the ground give out beneath me.