id: 663
name: FANKASIA WRITING CHALLENGE SPRING 2022
author: Wargunlock
date: 10th April 2022
text len: 1988
views: 43

We've been through worse.

Francisco plays fireside songs for us, the strumming tunes permeate throughout the trees of this otherworldly woods. The smiles and laughter I've heard tonight strike me as unfamiliar, It feels like years since I've experienced happiness and I know the others feel the same. We set out into the new world to escape the terrors of our home and while we succeeded we've yet to "make it big", lucks just never been on our side and job after job we've made our fortunes and lost it to one thing or another. We always end up with enough to resupply, fairly quickly on we managed to get a good contact with Ivans merchants guild and they're the only source for ammo out here. Clothes ripped and torn, we've now got more in common looks wise to the natives here. Britches, tunics, leather girdles and cloaks, sometimes I feel as if we're the characters in a story of our own making. 

The glow of the fire permeates throughout the wiry branched trees and the thick woods as the laughter and chatter disturbs the natural silence. I feel slightly worried we've never been in these woods before; My little brother keeps watch with his AR, his thermal scope being ideal for the task. He's grown up quite a lot since we set out. It's not like he's had much choice, we were lured here with the promises of women, wealth and freedom and while we've found the third in heaps and spades we've yet to secure the second and the first is only worthwhile pursuing once you've gained the second. Our latest mission, and the reason for our excursion into these woods, will be enough for quite sometime. The only problem is the target, a dreaded horned beast man. 

We would call them skinwalkers.

They were hunted to near extinction for a reason, and they always fetch a high bounty price. Though the risks speak for themselves, their reputation for hunting their hunters is renown in this world and our own.

The voices at the camp quiet as my brother shouts "CONTACT!"

It's time.