Hey everyone! Sorry for the day late post.

I know a lot of FF only give brief descriptions/ flashbacks of the first life of their characters and tend to quickly begin their MC’s story in a fantasy/other world. But there are important points to the MC’s character and future development that I plan to show through his first life and death. It’s not like I dislike the story’s that summarize the first life of their characters, I just didn’t want to skimp out on it.

Enjoy!

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POV: Aki (Village boy)

The Ritual Hunt is basically a coming of age ceremony. When a male child reaches at least the age of 12, they are sent to participate in this tradition which is supposed to take place every 3-5 years.

Due to the famine and many deaths over the last few years, this tradition was stopped. But with the return of a fragile stability, this age old tradition has resurfaced to allow boys to become men.

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Our second Overseer, Matsuoka Masanori, then took a glance at all the ritual participants before gruffly clearing his throat.

“...AHHMM……….As the name ‘Ritual Hunt’ implies you all will be hunting.

It doesn’t matter what kind of profession you specialize in, all of you are required to accomplish the task of surviving in the forest for a week and kill at least one mammal each, fish and bugs are not accepted as prey! Is that understood.

We will know hand everyone your spears, you may use these to hunt but you are not required to, any method available to you is acceptable in ‘The Hunt’!

Also be warned, the reason we started ‘The Hunt’ is a week long is because that is the length of time we the overseers are allocated to protect you. When this time is up, and if you still haven't managed to procure a kill, you are on your own.”

The Overseers voice turned ominous part way through his extremely direct explanation. I mean he didn’t even try to glam it up, just straight to the point……...sigh...I feel stupid for being so excited earlier, I mean, just a week of hunting? and we only need to catch one animal, how simple can you get.

As I was musing over the simplicity of the task, a shaky voice resounded across from me.

“..u..um...excuse me sensei? W..w..What d..do you mean by were on o..our o..O..own?”

A slightly shaky and effeminate whisper was spoke by Satoshi, in question of our Overseers final comment. His voice cracking on a few words.

‘How is his voice change just happening now?? He’s already 15??......whatever’

“.........Well when the week is up, that doesn’t mean the Ritual Hunt has ended, just that the participants will no longer receive the overseers protection and guidance. The Ritual Hunt only ends after you successfully hunt or die. I believe the tradition is too lax, but it is only meant to help you train your survivability.”

Overseer Masanori, matter-of-factly stated.

“ !!...........ha..ha…...gulp...I..I see..”

Satoshi looked a bit pale and shaken. like a deer caught surrounded by a pack of wolves,......... but then again he’s always had that defenseless frightened look.

After all the questions were settled, all of us participants followed the two Overseers into the village Armory. Though I call it armory, that pitiful excuse of a shack could not be seen as anything other than a run down storage hut. The wood used as the base support was barely holding up, waterlogged and rotting, I was sure any day now the beams would snap and cause the whole structure crashing down.

Luckily, I was certain even if an unsuspecting bystander was caught in this collapse they would not die. The straw roof and mud walls wouldn’t allow for much damage to be inflicted.

Inside this god forsaken termite nest, we found a number of crudely made wooden spears and swords.

Eight of these spears were placed away from the rest, for what I assume are our use.

The Overseers ventured in first and with direction grabbed spears from further in this warehouse, the quality of their spears was better, forged fully from metal and sharpened, an intimidating aura oozes off them. Our spears on the other hand had no mettle present. Only a wooden shaft along with a solid leather wrapping for ease of grip that continued, and bound a sharpened stone spear tip.

Now you may be wondering, Why spears? and how come we are all given them even if we may not come from a warrior or hunter family?

Well if fact every male of the village is required to train in the spear……..required may be too strong of a word, more like guided.

From the age of 10 we are instructed to find a long branch and carve it straight. Then we are taught and shown the basic forms of the spear. Whether to train or not is up to the individual.

When you reach the age of 12 or if your talent and diligence are noticed you are guided in more techniques and training methods.

The Ritual Hunt is meant to train us and have us experience life and death situation or at the very least survival.

The creed of this village is ‘A firm tree does not fear the storm’.

So each child is taught strength, because it is only natural for the weak to lose everything, while waiting for the strong to save them.

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It has been three days since our group has ventured into the forest. The first two days were spent hiking through the mountain. Someone had asked why we had walk for so long and it seems it’s because our hunting can only truly begin after we reach the ritual hunting ground.

The Overseers explained we would set up camp there and be guided in ‘the ways of the forest’ for the next three days, actually giving us only another two days to hunt with the Overseers protection, it seems part of the struggle for those who don’t make the time limit is finding their way back to the village alone.

Unfortunately, they only told us this daunting fact after we reached our destination, not giving us the chance to mark trees for an easy return.

“EVERYONE GATHER!!” The voices of the two Overseers boomed.

The other participants and I rushed into neat file lines, indicating our order of our arrival before the Overseers.

We learned quickly that those who kept up and arrived first, were assigned the easier tasks when setting camp. Those who lagged behind were forced to conduct the more laborious work, no break in between the day long hiking and their tasks.

I being one of the oldest tended to have an easier time, I looked on with pity and mirth at those at the back of the line. They were doing their best to rest in this brief moment of respite, as the Overseers instructed us.

To the unwillingness of us all but mostly those at the back; The Overseers kept their instructions brief and to the point, giving little time for us to rest.

We all separated and worked at a brisk pace, not too fast or slow. We knew from example that those who worked too slow would be left without food….unless they caught some themselves. The first night many including I didn’t know of this rule and were left to starve. I caught a few bugs to fry over the fire …..but that just doesn’t cut it after hiking for a day, especially when smelling the food you could have eaten if only you worked just a bit harder.

We only just finished setting up camp when dusk was drawing near. The process took longer than usual as after setting up the basics like a fire pit after clearing the ground, we had to group into pairs and construct a temporary shelter each. Thankfully the branches and leaves were to be gathered by the four slowest, and though the rest of us had to do the construction, we also got first pick of our prospective shelters. The last four would then have to prepare the meal for everyone and were the last to be served.

Just as our group had finished eating, our Overseer Nori motioned for our attention.

“As you all are aware, tomorrow is your first instruction in ‘the ways of the forest’.................That is a lie.”

His words shocked us, partly. We were all too tired to fully understand what he was saying but a dread still overcame each and everyone of us. We waited in silence for him to continue. Praying his task would be simple, as to allow our weary body to rest even a second sooner.

“ha ha, don’t worry your task is simple. Set up a night watch, on rotation. Pick an order and have each of you stay up a portion of the night. I’ll leave the decisions up to you, Good night!”

He said this all flatly but nearing the end of his speech you would hear the sadistic humor in his voice.

“.........gggggguuuuuuu”

We all groaned, yes the task was simple but at the same time it was the most tortuous task he could have given.

“ I suggest we divvy up the night watch time using who came lined up faster or slower like with the camp set up”

My best friend Izamu suggested, I thumbs up him in my mind ‘good job my sly brother!’.

He and I both ended up being in the top 4 rather than the bottom. Quickly the other two, Tadao and Kazuhiko, agreed with us. As the oldest not only did we have superior rank but power as well, the younger 4 had no ability to refuse and grudgingly accepted our proposal with a groan.

‘Thank the gods for juniors’

The first two shift rotations were taken by Izamu and I while the last two were taken by Tadao and Kazuhiko. Our cute juniors were left in picking the middle rotations.

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SPLASH!

“WWAAAAAAAA!!........c...cold!”

I abruptly awoke to ice cold water being doused on me.

Startled I frantically searched around for the cause, my eyes landing on my friend, who had slept beside me, in much of the same state and situation. Seeing my prideful companion in such a state, had me on the brink of tears due to laughter. His blank stare, after witnessing my reaction, had me howling for a good 10 seconds, until Overseer Nori got our attention by whacking me on the head with the butt of his spear.

SMACK!

“OUCH….what was that for?” (shiver)

My accusing bark caused him to smirk slightly, but what caught my attention was the narrowing of his eyes, o the tortures I could see in them. Quickly I shut my mouth and stood at attention.

“Get yourselves ready, we will be starting your first lessons after breakfast. You have until the sun fully rises to catch it.”

Observer Nori starts to turn away until I question

“catch what??”

He looked at me with the same piercing gaze he directed at me before, then pointed to a nearby river

“Your breakfast.”

He then resumed walking away.

“...........When did we have a river by our camp?”

Puzzled over never noticing it last night, I turned to Izamu.

With a pitying look he silently left towards said river, leaving me to contemplate over my question, and now his eyes.

Thrusting the question out of my mind, I was about to hurry after him in order to procure breakfast when…

“KYAAAA!” “@^@#&!”

A chorus of screams and curses filled the still dark morn. I looked over and discovered my fellow participants were all being greeted by a bucket of cold water, their reactions much like Izamus’ and mine…..minus the humor, they all looked miserable.

Erase my last statement, it seems Tadao, who had the last night watch shift, was able to avoid the misfortune, of being awoken through frigid water, and was doing his all to avoid laughing out right…..I also seem to see a bucket in his hand.

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The first and second day of learning how to ‘live and thrive’ in the forest was pure agony, Not just in body but also in mind.

It all started at the lake. Getting breakfast (fish) turned out to be much more challenging than I or any of us expected. It’s not like we don’t know how to fish, but catching them without any of the usual tools was just too hard.

At first the fishing was simple, traps, nets and tools enabled us to catch quite a few fish. Unfortunately, the Overseers then confiscated (our fish) their breakfast, and instructed that tools may only be used to catch our Ritual prey but we are free to fish with our spears and hands.

I have trained in the spear for quite a few years, but never have I or the others used it to fish, it’s usually only the older hunters who occasionally do……….!? ..well that explains some things.

After the attempt at spear fishing we gathered in a circle around the Overseers for a lesson on the forest.

As village kids, we knew quite a lot already about gathering and picking the edible from the lethal, as well as some basics such as starting a fire; but what the Overseers taught went beyond that.

We learnt what bark and grass was edible.

How to track prey, recognize and avoid dangerous animal territory. Along with ways to navigate through our surroundings, from finding water sources to tracking the stars.

The third day was easier, as our lessons were only repeated, but with us having more freedom in executing them.

When the fourth day arrived, we were all decently confident with our skills, though I believe that confidence was only due to the two Overseers presences.

This the first day we were actually permitted to hunt, though we would travel as a group. Although hunting in a large party can be detrimental to stealth….well for us. Our lack of experience and skill made us decently noisy especially when compared to the Overseers, who were as silent as large cats.

And although we traveled in a group, prey found must be killed alone to count. The one who spotted the tracks has priority and will lead the group in the tracking of the prey.

Like this we went into the forest. It took about half a day before any of us found anything. Satoshi was the first to find traces of dung that seemed to have come from a fox. Searching the area, he found the tracks he was looking for. The rest of us were resting and waiting for him due to this being his hunt.

The tracks led deeper into the forest, and as the day swept away an ominous red peered through the canopy of the trees.

‘Dusk the time when evil spirits and demons come out to hunt’ I don’t know why it was that day and time I thought of this …….but something felt different this time and looking around at my colleagues, friends and teachers, I could tell they felt it to.

The shivers and fear we felt, like something, like everything was watching us. The breeze felt as soft and sinister as a breath against our throats, the shaking of leaves a heartbeat of the forest. We were walking into the belly of the beast.

And then we met it…...and died.