Elevation of Mana: A Progression Fantasy by Wandering Agent

Author:Wandering Agent [Agent, Wandering]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Published: 2024-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 30

WINTER PART TWO: THE HUNT

Ninden and I stood over our empty trap. There were enough in the area that we were splitting into smaller groups. Everyone was nearby, but for the moment, we were alone.

Winter was in full swing, and I was frankly thrilled that it only came to call once every several decades if this was what we were getting. There’d been colder winters in the north back on Earth, but this was supposed to be a tropical jungle, not a temperate forest. The normally green trees were now replaced by dead-looking spires. The world was grey and brown, with a bright white covering the ground where snow had fallen over the past few days.

“Another empty,” my friend declared, shaking his head. “Not even getting the small game now. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll have enough for a sliver of meat each.”

I shook my head. There was really nothing to do about it. The game was in hiding or dead; none were out and about right now. Even the birds, normally so vibrant, had disappeared. I suspected they were all in some torpor somewhere very hidden, probably high up or buried, but we had no confirmation of that.

“Well, at least we won’t starve,” I pointed out. It had been a real worry that not everyone would make it after our village had been wrecked.

“Fair, but I’d still like some different foods,” the older boy responded.

All day, we’d only caught two of the little rodents known as kennits. They were small, thick furred, and the taste was not great at the best of times. We were all quite ready for something slightly better. Our group met up as we began moving to the next site, slowly working our way through the brush.

“Anything from you guys?” I asked, only to be met with shaking heads. “Dang.”

As we rounded a bend, which overlooked one of the little creeks that crisscrossed our lands, we saw it, down by the stream.

There was a small waterfall-like area, the water forming a pond above on a few large rocks before spilling over and continuing its journey. At the bottom was a small pool formed by the erosion of ages, and one of the few places liquid water was still widely available. Most of the creeks and rivers had at least partially frozen, but this one was just deep enough that the water continued to flow beneath the ice, leading to a small cascade.

At the pool was one of the small deer that were endemic to the region. Its coat had taken on a flecked white and brown coloration, making it hard to see in the new conditions. The animal’s head was down, drinking deeply of the water, the same water source in which we probably would have stopped to refill our own water-skins.

All of us froze and slowly hunkered down. We’d gotten lucky, approaching from downwind, our sound masked by the noise of the water on the rocks. It hadn’t seen us or noticed a thing, at least not yet.

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