9. Horny Boar Slaying

9. Horny Boar Slaying

“What do you think?” Adam asked as he followed Jurot along the large road out towards the forest.

“What do I think about what?” Jurot asked.

“Mary and Marie. How do they compare to Pam?” Adam couldn’t help but smirk at Jurot. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com

Jurot remained looking ahead, deep in thought. “I think you need to find yourself a woman.”

“What?”

“Your mind is full with women.”

“I’m a health young man, of course my mind is full with women.”

“Is it full with women when you draw your sword? Is that why it slips?”

“That might be why, yeah.”

“...”

“...”

“I think Pam is prettier,” Jurot said, eventually.

“I thought so.”

‘...’ Jurot couldn’t help but feel he had been trapped by Adam in some way. However, he had already thought too much, so he let the thought fall away.

Silence encompassed them both as they approached the forest. “Have you hunted boar often?” Adam asked, wondering if there were any boars near the Iyr.

“Many times. We hunt boars once a year as a family,” Jurot said. “Once you turn eight, you may join your family on the yearly hunts. I have slain a few recently.”

“That’s cool. I’ll have to follow your lead then. Any tips?”

“Don’t die. Kill it.” Jurot was entirely sincere in his response. It was the typical response of an Iyrman. Someone would eventually learn how to slay something when they face it, and so what were the use of tips?

Adam nodded. “I’ll use my Flame Bolt on it from afar until it gets into range. Is that alright?”

“We don’t have to worry about how we kill it. We will make plenty of gold regardless of how we slay it, as long as we don’t completely ruin it.”

“Do we get a bonus for bringing it back without much damage?” Adam asked.

“Bringing it back will give us plenty of gold. Whatever bonus we receive for its quality is minimal in comparison.”

“Alright.”

As they approached the forest, Jurot stopped often to check the ground and the bushes. He was looking for something which gave him any hints of a boar having been here recently. Adam waited for him to do his business, as he didn’t have many ways he could assist.

The forest sounds accompanied them as Jurot led them in, the sounds of birds tweeting in the distance, the branches swaying, the sound of chain jingling and jangling. Every so often Adam would step on a twig, which would give up their position to anything further away, but Jurot didn’t say anything about it. He understood that people couldn’t be as well footed as he, an Iyrman.

“Boar tracks,” Jurot said, pointing to the ground.

Survival Check

D20 + 1 = 7 (6)

Adam looked down at the tracks and blinked. “If you say so.”

“Fresh. No more than two hours old.”

“Must be an early riser. Is that normal?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Don’t die. Kill it.”

Adam grabbed his die in one hand, just in case. As they made their way back, Adam remained on high alert. His eyes flashed from tree to tree, from the ground to the sky. His fingers twitched, at the ready to draw his blade should he need to.

‘This must be the first time he has been out. He sounds so wise, but does not act like it.’ Jurot would sometimes glance back towards Adam, seeing the way the half elf was so tense.

‘Being low level isn’t fun at all...’ Adam’s eyes continue to glance from here to there, glancing everywhere. ‘Jurot died just like this last time. I need to make sure we’re okay this time, even if means abandoning the boar and coming back empty handed. No bear is going to kill him this time, regardless of how terribly punny its name is.’

"Jurot, I'm serious. If a bear or two appears, we drop the boar and run. There's no need to die to a bear. We can't die to anything less than a dragon, otherwise I won't be able to rest in peace!" Adam grew colder and colder, a sense of dread taking root deep within him. ‘Where are you, you bastard?’

‘Coward’s talk,’ Jurot thought. ‘I need to stay with him. Adam son of Fate, what are your motives?’

“Jurot?”

Jurot replied with a short grunt, though Adam wasn’t sure if it was a commitment to what he said.

‘Don’t be like that, Jurot...’ The half elf sighed, hoping that Jurot had taken his words to heart. “Won’t it be cool if your story ended by facing a dragon rather than a bear?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s survive long enough so that we can face a dragon and live, alright? Hell, a dragon might not be a good enough story...” Adam continued to glance all around them.

“...” Jurot wasn’t sure what Adam was talking about. He wanted to run away from a bear to slay a dragon? ‘You’re a strange one.’

They finally came across the stone of the road, and could see the stone of civilisation not too far away. Adam’s shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh of relief, though kept glancing back towards the forest as they left.

Adam wasn’t sure how many hours had passed, but he was sure it was more than just two or three hours. When they approached the gate, they saw that the shifts had changed to another set of guards.

“Isn’t that them?”

“Right. Iyrman and cheeky chain boy.”

“Ho! Seems you’ve made it in one piece!” The guard waved towards them.

“That’s right!” Adam shouted back.

“I expected as much,” a guard said. “If you’re with an Iyrman, chances are high that you’ll come back safe and sound.”

“Unless you feel like dying a glorious death.”

“I’m not sure dying to a boar is glorious,” Adam chuckled. “How’s the shift?”

“Not bad, not bad.” The guards looked at the boar. They noted the wounds on the creature. “It’s a little burnt, and there’s a bit of a gash, maybe from a javelin?”

“The killing blow though,” the other guard said, pointing to the wound near the neck. “A sword.”

The guards noticed that Adam was the only one with a sword. They looked to Jurot. “Did he kill it?”

“He did,” Jurot said.

“Well now!” The guard nodded his head. “Good job! I didn’t expect someone to outshine an Iyrman on their first quest.”

“Thank you, but Jurot would have been fine without me.” Adam smiled, reaching down towards his pouch to get his gate fee. He looked to Jurot, whose hands were busy. “I’ll pay your gate fee since it’s awkward for you.”

“No need,” a guard said. “Iyrmen don’t need to pay the gate fee in Red Oak.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“We’re not stupid enough to charge them.”

Adam felt as though there was something more than that, but he just nodded.

Currency

7CP -> 6CP

‘Looks the Iyrmen have some tax free incentives. I should become an Iyrman too.’

Just a bit of banter between the lads before some brotime.