[Roaring Thunder] (Dungeons and Dragons)

CHAPTER 1

- Wild Hills, Wild Beginnings -

!!! BLOOD AND POSSIBLE GORE WARNING !!!

*Thud*

She heard the body of an innocent deer hit the ground, with an arrow sticking out from right between its dull, cloudy eyes. She carefully put her bow back around her slim figure, making her way over to her dead prey.

As she approached to examine, the body looked healthy and didn't seemed to be too old, meaning the meat will be somewhat fresh. Lazuli brushed her long, wavy black hair from her face, the jet black strands of hair almost flowing away with the nice and cold wind, to have a better look at the creature. It had light brown fur and big antlers that spiralled in all directions like tree branches.

Lazuli swiftly took the arrow out and examined it, considering if it can still be used, there was no dents or parts of wood missing; apart from the crimson red blood on it, it was fine.

Lazuli had hid the spare arrow in her quiver at her back and took okay her small steel knife, and started to cut the deer to search for the edible parts of it. Blood poured from the creature like a flood as she cut the animal open to collect the liver and the heart of the creature, taking it for herself, and leaving the rest of the deer for her animal companion Luna, a big black wolf with deep blue lazuli eyes, matching her owners.

The air genasi girl had carefully wrapped up the desired meat of the animal while Luna was feasting on the corpse of the forest creature. When her companion has finished its meal for the next few hours, Lazuli began to find a small open area in the Wild Hills to set up a camp for the night.

She found a small area where the trees haven't invaded the beautiful, fresh grass and where a massive oak tree has found its home. Reaching about 60 metres height from a guess, the branches spread out like a peacock showing its green leaves full of life and healthy branches, with occasional little birds chirping a song.

"Luna stay."

She said in a hushed tone to her wolf, as she obeyed and sat down in front of the green giant. Being used to expecting the unexpected, Lazuli went around the area to scout for any possible danger or animal footprints that might pay a not so nice visit later.

A few minutes passed with Lazuli sneakily skulking around, her silhouette low and her deep blue eyes focused on every detail, she came back into her normal stance and started tracing her footsteps to where she has came from after she has had examined the area, finishing with no result of any danger near.

She started to collect some firewood for the night as it was starting to get dark, the autumn sky turning a dull blue colour as she was wondering around the area. She collected the dry branches and piled them up into a spike, using a piece of small flint and with the end of her arrow, she was able to to make a small spark and make a small fire, starting to get bigger and bigger within minutes.

Not disturbing Luna from her comfortable power nap, Lazuli started to sharpen three bigger and sturdier branches she had found, for the purpose of roasting the venison for a better taste, and also for a lower chance of getting sick after eating raw meat.

She took out one of her short swords that she carries on her hips, flipping it in her hand and catching it with her dexterous skills, she started to sharpen the end of one of the branches, then the other, then sharpened both sides of the dark brown branch.

With the big fire crackling and dancing and flaring up towards Lazulis face, she carefully stabbed the two now sharpened branches a few inches into the ground and making sure they are sturdy enough to lift up the weight of the venison, she then grabbed the meat she had hunted earlier and swiftly stabbed it through the third sharpened branch, which ends were both brought to a point. With a small splatter of blood on her boots, she managed to get the meal in the middle of the wood, which she had then carefully placed onto the "Y" shaped ends of the sturdy pieces of the trees.

Luna smelling the roast smell of the end of the day meal, has woken up from her slumber and stretched her big black paws, showing off her claws and teeth as she was in the process of yawning, sat up and waited patiently for her owner to fully roast the meat before letting her feast.

After some long minutes of the grey skinned air genasi turning the meat around on the branch, the meat has finally came to be perfectly roasted. As Lazuli took the still burning hot meat from the branch, she couldn't help but notice her furry friends tail wagging.

Quickly smirking to herself for a second or two, she began to cut the venison down into two somewhat equally big pieces, and started to eat the meat as if she didn't eat for a whole week, which rarely seemed to occur.

After Lazuli and Luna had finished their meal, bones almost as white as snow with small bits of meat left on, Luna found a spot near her companion, where she could drift off to sleep. Lazuli making sure her wolf safely falls asleep first, got out a bed roll she carried on her side with some of her other supplies and equipment, and started to prepare her sleeping place, getting out any stones and branches out of the way.

After she could see Luna breathing calmly and quietly in her slumber, she got into her bed roll and after a few minutes of waiting, her sleep had taken her away to dreamland.

Turns out, it wasn't a dream afterall.

***
Hey reader !

I hope that you liked the beginning of the story "Roaring Thunder" ! This is my first actual piece of writing that I will be continuing so please leave some feedback I can then look at and improve my writing and stuff !

After this I will do a short piece on how Lazuli looks like, so I will be doing hers and Lunas whole description so you can imagine her better.

Again, thank you for reading, and I wonder what will be in Lazulis dream...