The great Jaggi hadn’t spotted me just yet, and so I quickly ducked behind a stalagmite to see what the pack was up to. I kept my breathing even, focusing on the clicks and grunts the animals used to communicate. I could feel the hairs on my arms rising in fear, even beneath my armor. The rather large monster before me sniffed the air. I was doomed. I watched as it’s muscles tensed and bunched as it lowered into a hunting stance. The beast knew I was here. I took a deep breath and focused on what my actions from this point would be. There were two small Jaggi and a Jaggia with the leader. I drew my dual blades from where they were on my lower back and bunched my leg muscles, ready to pounce on the beast as soon as it walked within range. The Great Jaggi walked slowly towards me, his pack had been dispersed to the other side of the cave, searching for signs of what the leader had smelled. He came that few inches closer and I pounced from my spot, and slashed my blades in a whirlwind of motion at his legs. The agile monster saw through my attack and he bounced backwards, avoiding any injury that would have occurred. I could only atch as it lowered itself, stepped to the side as if turning, and then sprung towards me sidewats, using it’s massive weight to knock me down. The blow hurt like hell, and sent me flying. The beast seemed to be laughing at me. He beckoned out to his pack and I took my chance to jump onto his back, using his legs as a boost to vault me to where I needed to be. I had put one of my dual blades away, sinking the other deep into bone while I used my hunting knife to stab at his spine. He tried to buck me off by spinning rapidly and even bouncing about the cave. I held on tight, hoping my blade would stay embedded in the monster’s thick bone and hide. When he grew too tired to try and get me off I again started stabbing him, hoping that I could win this fight easily enough. Again he started up with his spinning moves, but this time my weapon became dislodged and I was flung from his back. The Great Jaggi fell to the ground, writhing in pain, as I slid along my back on the hard earth. I quickly got to my feet, my back stinging from the pain I had just experienced, but I needed to finish off the Great Jaggi. Suddenly the pack had returned and now I needed to contend with the three smaller versions of this great beast. As I watched my opening slip away, I readied myself to battle the Jaggi and Jaggia, hoping my prey would get away. The three pack members circled me like I was a choice piece of meat. I held my weapons at the ready, and prepared for the slaughter that was about to ensue. I made the first move, swinging my let and then my right in quick succession at the Jaggia, it bounced away, but I rolled and sprung from the floor, twirling my blades in the air in the acrobatic move my master had taught me, slicing off it’s head. One down. The Great Jaggia was rising to it’s feet now and I still had two small Jaggi to contend with. I ran at the two smaller Jaggi, but they were ready for me, they bounced in opposite directions, leaving me with a choice of which one to turn my back on. I picked the one to my left, and charged at it, hoping to be quick enough with my blades extended forward to impale the beast in it’s heart. I didn’t get close enough when I felt the familiar pain of teeth on my back. I screamed in pain but managed to thrust my sword back behind me, stabbing the Jaggi in the throat with my blade, spilling it’s blood all over my back. The teeth no longer at my shoulder blade, I took a note as I watched my real prey, the Great Jaggia, limp away in the direction I had come in from earlier. I had to quickly dispatch this last pack member, so that it wouldn’t start a pack of it’s own. It started to run, but turned. I realized it was going to make a last effort to kill me. I waited while it ran head first at me. I crossed my blades in front of me and as soon as it was within range, I stepped forward and sliced the blades through it’s breast and watched it die. I cleaned and sharpened my blades with the whetstone I had brought, drank a bitter tasting potion to rejuvenate my blood cells that I had lost. It also worked to repair skin cells at a rapid rate, which helped me feel better. I moved quickly over the rocky terrain, back through the entrance of the dark cave and into the brighter sunlit area. I was blinded at first when I walked through. As my eyes adjusted I noticed I was staring at the back side of the Great Jaggi, he was curled up near the stream, sleeping. After a thought, I dug through my bag for a shock trap. I placed the small silver device beside the monster and prepared the Tranquilizer bombs that I had made during training. I kicked the beast so that he activated the trap and quickly threw two bombs for good measure. The beast was stunned by the trap, and now sleeping from the bombs. Luckily for me the Aptonoth were still hanging around the stream. I smiled as I made my way towards them. Three large Aptonoth in a clearing and one Hunter. I moved quickly, dancing with my blades drawn, slicing and tearing through their rather soft flesh until the bled out and died. I looked at the three fresh kills, and the one live capture that I had acquired. Today was a good day. A long day.. but a good day. I used the mirror in my pocket to signal the airship that was scouting the area, so that it knew to prepare for transport. Running back to the village I knocked on the large gate that protected Moga village and it opened wide for me. The chief stood their smiling, and I watched as he looked past me to the airship, noticing their signal. That smug smile slowly faded and was replaced with a nod of respect. A few villagers and four large carts were selected to accompany me back to the places where the monsters had fallen so that we could all help to procure the meat and the materials from the kills. When the hard work was done, we all sat in the middle of the village near a bonfire, enjoying the delicious taste of roasted Jaggi meat. I could look around the room at the watching eyes, and I knew that my tasks were only going to get harder from here. I needed to prove myself to this village, and to the Guild. I was going to climb the ranks to be the best hunter in the lands, and to do that, I needed to get this village to trust me.