It all seemed so simple. Walk around close to the hunting lodge and find another rat. On top of a small hill I could see two rats a distance away and a wild boar closer to me. In retrospect that the boar ignored my presence should have been a clue. In my head I thought about how easy pigs in the village were to kill. I figured a wild boar couldn’t be much harder. I ran, my sword held high at the boar and took a mighty swing

my sword clashed with the boars hide with a loud slapping sound. The boar let out a wail and proceeded to slash me with its large tusks. I stumbled back and swung my sword again trying to slash the boar’s neck. The second swing also slapped off the thick hide, leaving nothing more than a small slice. The boar continued its assault on me, slamming its head into my body. My armor was holding, but I could feel that I was sustaining injuries with each blow. I started backing up down the hill and towards the cabin. After another slash from the boar and my mind snapped. I knew I would likely be defeated, but this time I was going down fighting. I charged the boar ramming my sword into its hind leg.

It let out a roar and we both lost our footing. Sliding and tumbling down the hill. I felt a tusk enter my thigh as my sword clawed at the beasts skull. Regaining my feet at the bottom, I knew I was going to die before this fight ended. I fought on wounding the boar twice more before the beast landed a shot to my chest. I collapsed in a heap and could feel blood running down my leg. My vision was blurring and the last thing I could see was the boar limping back up the hill. So much for them being like plain old pigs. The blood vision came and I was back in the village minus all my equipment.

I immediately freaked out at the loss of my sword and armor. Then it dawned on me that this had happened before and I freaked out even more. Every time you die your body remains where you dropped. It makes me chuckle honestly. The whole concept of death and dying here. I am now going to have three corpses roaming around the world. One day if I ever get a plot of land, I will bury them in a nice neat row. Morbid perhaps, but also a monument to mistakes made and lessons learned. Before any of that happens I need to get my current corpse back. That might be an enormous task. I am to embarrassed to bother anyone in the village. I also can not guarantee that Ephraim heard the commotion and went to investigate. He most likely thinks I am still hunting rats.

After resting a few minutes rest I slipped out of the village and down to the canal. I swam across and took a deep breath. Deep down I knew I had it in me to work my way back to the cabin. Something awoke in me. I am tired of being scared and running for my life all the time. I must make sure I can survive in this world. I didn’t ask for any of this and yet here I am. I will not let this place dominate me, I was to much of a door mat in my old life.

I kept to the shore line and worked my way to the cabin. It was growing dark and of course my lantern was on my corpse. Finally I could see the outlines of the cabin and there was a light shining through the window. As I got closer and saw Ephraim waiting for me with a sly grin on his face. I am not sure how much of my misadventure he witnessed, but I would guess enough. I am glad he never stepped in. Death or not, I needed this mistake to happen. Even thinking that a few days ago would have been insane. Surviving in this world might of just gotten a little easier.

Part 6