Chapter 1

• AERA (Air-re-ah)
• The soothing sounds of the small creek blended with the distant chirping of birds. This was my home, where the forest's serenity was my only source of calmness.
• I whipped my head to the left. Gripping my bow and arrow, I gradually moved in the direction of the sharp snap of a twig. Peeking through the brush, I spotted a male elk. Pulling back on the bow string. I fill my lungs.
• I can feel the excitement bubbling up within.
• But I have to wait.
• If I released too soon, my meal would run. If I waited too long, I risked damaging the hide. I had to release it at the right moment. When the chest cavity was visible. Only then would I release the arrow.
• The elk's scream echoed throughout the location. Not wasting time, I rushed forward. Thirty seconds. That is all it took. Taking down the elk was swift. My knees sank into the moist earth. I placed a hand on its head while I lowered my head.
• My voice was low. "Thank you for your sacrifice. May your spirit find a swift path to the creator."
• It was a ritual my father had insisted upon. To kill without gratitude was to become a predator without a soul. To have no soul, you were nothing but a monster. A monster that did not belong in our society.
• I quickly gathered the supplies I had brought along. I had to move decisively. I was not the only one hunting in the woods. Other apex predators were hungry. No different than myself.
• The task at hand was nothing more than muscle movement.
• I left the elk's entrails on the forest floor. Just one of my father's deeds he had insisted on.
• "Carnivores need to eat as well."
• Dad always said the ecosystem needed balance.
• "Tip the scales and disaster will be awaiting for you. But if you take care of the ecosystem. It will take care of you."
• Though my father has been dead for years. I remember his words. His teaching. Everything he taught me is the law that I follow.
• I began my trek back to my cozy hunting cabin. It isn't much. But I built it with my two hands. While others would find fault, it suited me perfectly. A little one-bedroom cabin. The area was spacious. And most of all, if you didn't know where to look, you would never find the location.
• Privacy.
• It is the one thing I had to have.
• I found being around my kind was exhausting. Fakes. Frauds. Liers. I swear they existed to make others miserable. And then there were the others. They complain without having a solution.
• I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes. Once I thought my eyes would get stuck in the back of my head for how hard I rolled them. To complain without resolution seemed pointless. Wasted energy in my opinion.
• Yet, the market was profitable. I returned only to sell the furs and pelts. When I had plenty of meat for the winter months, I sold what I knew I couldn't eat before it spoiled.
• I pushed the air out of my lungs. I ran the back of my hand over my forehead. Getting back to the cabin was hard work. Even though I wanted to sit and relax. Sadly, I couldn't. If I did, the smell of the fresh meat would attract other carnivores. Attention I didn't want.
• Rotating my shoulders, I got to work. Prepping my work area took no time. The crisp air felt great against my exposed skin.
• Lifting the magnificent creature, I got to work. I already knew that it would take three weeks, maybe four, for the hide to be ready for sale.
• Mumbling to myself, "This is hard work, but worth it."
• I compared my life choices to those of the empire's deprived citizens. I thought about how many families go hungry. Begging on the streets. Hoping that someone would show them mercy. This was Emperor Arion's idea of a grand empire. In my opinion, unless there are no beggars, the location isn't grand at all.
• Then I looked at my little cabin.
• It wasn't much. But I had everything I needed to survive without the so-called 'generosity' of the so-called 'benevolent' emperor's mercy. My life's path was everything I needed. I had no regrets.
• Pushing the air out of my nose, I carefully got to work. Preparing the meat. Cutting and slicing was crucial. Bathing the meat in ingredients that would enhance the flavour while preserving it for months to come. Only in the morning would I take the thin slices out of the solution and place them in the smoking shed. For the next six weeks, it will remain there. Then I will collect it and store it properly for future consumption. However, a single mistake could cost me a great deal.
• Spoilage.
• It is every hunter or huntress's nightmare. It is a taste of regret that lingers for days or even months.