Grand Hunt Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Sitting upon a tree's branch I was still. For entire hours I remained utterly silent even as the fall forrest leaves around me rustled with the wind.

A crunching of leaves drew my attention and I looked down towards the monster. A devils stag. A monster that regularly would break into villages to kill humans caught outside their homes in the night or if no humans could be found, they would kill the humans livestock with their strong rack of horns.

With a soft noise I stood up in my stand making the Devil Stag stiffen at the slight noise but that was perfect as I was already pulling the string of my warbow and Artemis's divine arrow was shot out of the bow.

A silent thump rang out followed by a pained squeal as the Devil Stag's pitch black coat of fur was dyed red as crimson blood shot out of its two wounds as Artemis's arrow went through its spinal cord like a hot knife through butter.

Wordlessly I took a couple steel bodkin-style armor-picking arrows and then as the Devil Stag properly fell over with loud thumping noises my two arrows slammed home into the stag's skull and head in quick succession to make sure it was dead.

I remained silent for a long minute until I saw the Devil Stag's body begin breaking down into black mist as all monsters did in this world and I exhaled slowly but quietly as I looked around to see if there was another but instead, a voice spoke out. "Your archery training has gone well Jake. You released the last arrow a lick too late which is why it went upwards and slammed through its eyebrow instead of it's eye though." Artemis spoke casually and I relaxed knowing that Artemis wouldn't have spoken if there was a monster anywhere remotely near here.

Climbing down from the tree while Artemis casually fell out of it and landed gracefully on the ground like the huntress she was we walked over to the Devil Stag's remains and I picked up the horns that weren't fading into mist that would act as the proof of our kill. 

"More monsters are coming from the north." I stated with a small frown. As I thought we were in the southern more habited area of the world of Frieren. But no, we were to the far north and although the people here of the more hardy sort. Monsters were coming from further north in increasing numbers.

Which was good for my growth... Especially seeing I was a Skyrim stealth archer with a nuke of an arrow that was Artemis's arrow that was bound to my soul. But in a straight fight, I didn't like my chances with a number of monsters let alone actual demons which I thankfully hadn't run into any yet.

"That stag killed four children, seventeen men, and six women. This Karma will be enough for me to actually apply a Falna to myself. Thank you Jake." Artemis said making me smile at the honest praise in her voice.

With the horns in hand we turned around to head back to the border city of Granat that we had traveled to over the first couple weeks of us arriving in this world. And this was the Border City where Frieren would eventually come and deal with Aura the Guillotine but god knows where I was in the timeline as although it was known that the Hero in Himmel had died more than twenty years ago but I didn't know where Frieren and her party were.

We made our way back to the city of Granat and the thickly armored guards gave way with one of them handing me a small stack of silver coins after I turned in half the horns of the Devil Stag to prove it's kill as it had been going after travelers and the farmers outside the city.

"Your hunt is complete, now let us break bread, and feast." Artemis spoke grandly and I grinned raising a hand to give a small cheer with Artemis giving a loud tinkle of a laugh as she took my hand and pulled me down to a nicer apothecary and inn combination we found. 

As we came in, the old lady Martha running the front of the apothecary gave a welcoming call. "Ahhh, Jake I see you and your darling wife managed to get the horns of the Devil Stag." 

I nodded and held it out for her to inspect it as I knew the horns had some alchemical properties that could be used for healing potions or aphrodisiacs... You pick up weird knowledge while living above an apothecary and Artemis greedily absorbed all the knowledge of the animals and plants of this world with her domain as the Goddess of the Hunt.

"Good good. Here is your payment and obviously your rent for the room for the next week is covered. Will you two be coming in later tonight?" Martha asked for clarification as she would be locking up her store once she closed it and retired for the night.

So I nodded and said. "Yeah, Artemis and I are going to grab some food and some supplies before we turn in. But we won't be out for long Martha." 

Artemis then added on with her clear voice making the older woman nod in agreement. "We know where the spare key is. You can rest easy Martha." And mollified that she wouldn't be locking her tenants out of the room we were rent the old woman went back to carefully collecting the petals of a medicinal flower.

But as we left our temporary lodgings we both stilled as the callings of the cities guard captain rang out. "Men and ladies! Demon's have been spotted pushing down from the north, be careful as they are followed by their ilk in monsters and they have been noted as being accomplished magic users!"

I frowned hearing that as I knew that meant only one thing... Aura and her demons were in the area.