The God of Good Hunt

THE GOD OF GOOD HUNT
Writer: Jego Carlo Ramos
Entales Production          
EPISODE 1: The Fallen God

"Where was God when the village was burning?"

"She was in her cave, crying."

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"What I'll miss most about this village is the Festival of Elishik. The villagers would parade fox sculptures made of hay every 4th day of the first month to celebrate the blessings Elishik had promised to always give them. The hunters would then offer fox skins in Her temple, and pray for more good hunts to come. Before night falls, the folks would be filled with meat and wine! Do not worry my brothers and sisters, those days shall not be buried in the past!"

The last cries of a          worshipper of Elishik before he was beheaded.
'Such a foolish man, is he not?' implies the priest standing in the middle of the scaffold. He picked up the man's head and threw it to the crowd then yells, 'There is only one God! Your first God was a fake one, sent by the Devil himself to deceive you! Let us worship the true omnipotent one as we burn the Demon Fox's Temple!'


Far from being persuasive, he was more like giving orders. With pointed sticks surrounding them, the villagers had to obey and burn their God's Temple themselves. And with the torches given to them, the Temple of Elishik was no more.


"So, that's about it", explained the village's guard.

"You're telling me that these fox skins are practically worthless?" replied the man named Rick.

Guard: Well, more like "dangerous ". If they find out that I let a hunter run around inside trading fox skins with the people... well you know how the story goes.

Rick: Oh brother, I came all this way for this?

Guard: Sorry kid, you picked the l wrong village. Try Bells Town up north. I really don't want to anger Lord Zeno.

Rick: Bells Town? But then I have to pass through Dead-Fox Forest.

Guard: Don't be stupid, nobody travels through there anymore. Ride a ship in Driftwood in the East then continue travelling on land at Jose High Road.

Rick: But that could take weeks!

Guard: I'm really sorry, kid. I could only pray for your safe travel.

Such          disappointment from the young hunter as he places back the saddle on          his horse. Trying to sell a covered-wagon filled with fox skins, he          believed that there was no other choice but to ride the ship in          Driftwood. At the crossroad of Driftwood, Dead-Fox Forest, Rockwell,          and Crippled Fox Village, the village he had gone before, a maiden          with radiant white cloak made of taffeta caught his attention. Her          hood covered most of her face, except for her pink smiling lips that          could be seen even from afar. She waves at the hunter, gesturing          that she may be in need of a ride. He halts his horse, and asked her          if she needs assistance. She stared at him for a few seconds, before          speaking.          

Woman: Pardon me, traveler. Could you spare me a minute?

Rick: (A noble?) of course, milady. What is that you need?

Woman: My outmost gratitude, traveler. I smell that you are carrying fox skins, are you by any chance trying to trade them?

Rick: Ah yes, I collected them from a town called Rockwell in the south. Unfortunately, the guard in Crippled Fox barricaded me at the entrance. (Wait... 'smell'?)

Woman: Then you are in luck, how much are they?

Rick: (A merchant, perhaps?) For you, milady, only 10 silver coins.

She          took off her hood, revealing a face with a complexion as fair as her          cloak. Her eyes were the wood bark of an ancient oak wearing a          gracious smile. She lifted her finger and pointed at the hunter.          

Woman: I shall offer you 100 gold coins

At          that very moment, the hunter fell off his wagon.

Rick: 100 GOLD COINS!?

Woman: You heard right. However, there is this one condition.

Rick: And what would that be?

Woman: Help me smuggle them in Crippled Fox Village.

Rick: ... I see. (She's likely a smuggler from a merchant guild. Judging by her clothes and coins... that's the kind of guild I don't want to get involved with. However, letting an opportunity like this slip by is ridiculous. I don't think I could even make it to Riverwood without any coins left. I guess I have no choice.)


Shake          hands (Choice 1)

Woman: You agree already? I see that you're not very cautious, but do not worry, I speak honestly. You shall be paid 100 gold coins in total. (GO TO "RESUME")


Ensure          safety (Choice 2)

Rick: You do know that we could get publicly executed if we get caught.

Woman: I am very much aware, that is why I devised the perfect plan for this.

Rick: The guard already knows my agenda. He will recognize me.

Woman: As I said, I already have a plan for this.

Rick: (Well, as the old saying goes, "If there's any plan worth risking your life for; it's a merchant's plan") Very well. (GO TO "RESUME")



RESUME:

Rick: It's Richard Williams, but you can call me Rick.

Woman: Well met, Rick. My name is Ellie.

After          shaking hands, the two rode the wagon back to the Village of the          Crippled Fox. An undertaking that could go wrong in hundreds of          ways, an undertaking the hunter accepted. He could only rely on his          partner, for he has no other choice but to rely on her.          

As          they arrive in the village's entrance, a guard in patrol          approached them. He was not the same guard the hunter met before.          With his lance, he ordered the hunter to halt his horse.          

"He's          not the same one who stopped me when I got here", said the hunter.                    

"That          is good, let me handle this", replied his companion. The guard          questioned the cargo they were carrying, and asked the hunter to          lift the sheet covering it. He could only stare at his companion,          waiting for her to talk.          

"There          is no need for that", she said. "We came from the south to          deliver these offerings for the church". With a flick of a silver          coin, the guard let them pass.



Ellie: It amazes how easy things could be done.

Rick: (That was your perfect plan? Bribing?) If anything, that was just pure luck, they switched patrols at the perfect time. And, of course, you have coins. Anyway, what's the purpose of this... thing we are doing?

Ellie: Indeed, thank the God of Good Fortune for that. However, I cannot tell you why we are doing this... thing, yet. You will just know soon enough.

Rick: (Hiding secrets now, are we? I doubt she has buyer in here who would pay such price for some pitiful fox skins. Besides, it's taboo to even have them here. I really have a bad feeling about this. Should I pull back now? No, we're already inside... damn it.)

Back          out (Choice 1)
Rick: Listen, I...
Ellie: Stop the wagon. We are here.

Man          up (Choice 2)
Ellie: What is the matter, hunter? I mean Rick.
Rick: Nothing, I was just thinking.
Ellie: Well, we are here. Stop the wagon.

With          a sudden hard pull of the rope halter, came a terrifying neigh that          echoed in the entire village. People came out from their cruck          houses, the blacksmith paused from forging his iron nails while the          baker dropped his freshly baked bread. Children playing in the          narrow street just stared, as if stalking, at the hunter and maiden.          Everyone just stared... stared in dead silence.

The          hunter jumped down his wagon, scratching his head with an apologetic          look on his face. "Sorry about that, I pulled the ropes too hard",          he explained. The maiden was rather impressed with his grand          gesture, though she told him that there was no need of such drama.          After that, the villagers turned their backs around and went to do          the things they did before as if nothing happened.

Rick: So what now?

Ellie: I need to see the priest. Meanwhile, you shall deliver the skins.

Rick: (Figures, a priest with another corrupted soul) Deliver them to where exactly?

Ellie: To everyone.

Rick: You're kidding.

She          threw a roll of fur at him while she grabbed some for herself. "I          trust you'll do your job!" she exclaimed while heading to the          church.          


Poor          hunter, left standing confused in the middle of the village. He sat          at the back of the wagon, contemplating why he even agreed to take          the offer. From afar, he gazed upon a guard approaching his          direction. It was the very same guard who blocked him from entering          the first time. Startled, he left his wagon and ran as fast as he          can to look for a place to hide himself from the guard. He then saw          a cruck house near the end of the village, its doors were wide open,          as if inviting someone. Without even thinking, the hunter barged          inside. An old man, as old as the dust of the hundreds of books in          the shelves, was sitting in the darkest corner of the house, gawking          the hunter's sudden entrance. "Are you here to buy books?"          asked the old man.


Rick: (I think I walked into a death trap) This is embarrassing, but I'm a traveler, a hunter, from the south. I was err... playing hide & seek with the children. Sorry for barging without notice.

Old Man: Oh, not at all. I'm glad in fact. It's not every day we get visitors with good spirits.

Rick: Well... thanks.

Old Man: ESPECIALLY A ZENONIAN.


The          hunter could only show a faint smile before the old man lets out a          boisterous laugh, "I was just messing with ya, I hold no grudge          against your people." he said. The hunter was offered a seat and          was even given ale.

Rick: You didn't have to, but thank you very much.

Old Man: "Our eyes are the bluish steel of the mid-winter sky". Pretty poetic description, I might say.

Rick: Well, my people are pretty much full of themselves.

Surprised          by the hunter's reply, the old man realizes that the man before          him is different from the others. Unlike any Zenonian he had met          before, this one wears no pride. He wears no amulet, a sign of being          a child of Zeno. But above all else, he is a hunter, not a noble.          

Old Man: I like you, kid! So, what brings you here? I bet you're here to visit the church or are you're out of arrows? We have a blacksmith around here.

Rick: Actually, I came for neither of them.

Old Man: Then why visit such a wasteland?

Rick: Long story short, I met a merchant. She'll pay me 100 gold coins if we somehow smuggle fox skins in here. Well, we got in... but now she wants me to deliver them to every single villager.

Old Man: ...

Rick: ...

Rick: (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Again, the old man laughed          his lungs out. "To be young and stupid!" he then laughs again.

Old Man: And I thought I met all of them!

Rick: STOP LAUGHING

Old Man: Imagine if I told the guards!

Rick: Pease don't.

Old Man: HAHAHAHAHA

Rick: Well, if it wasn't for the dumb myth!

The mood changed suddenly,          the old man full of laughter now wears a grim look. He pulled a huge          book from the lowest stack, leaving the rest tumbling.          

Old Man: The book of Elishik, the fallen God. Do you know her story?

Rick: Well kind of.

Old Man: If I may

Rick: Sure

Long ago, Lenhool believed in the Grilkens, the old Gods. This village in particular worship the Fox God, Elishik. She's known as the God of Good Hunt in here, for she provides plenty of wild animals in the forest up north. In return for her generosity, she asks the villagers to offer her fox fur. She'd use them for her clothing. As years turn to decades, Elishik grew fonder of them, she even offered her life to protect the village.

Of course, that would not last forever. The mightier neighboring country in the south, Zenonia, invaded. They introduced Zeno, the true God they say. Anyone who refused to be converted in their religion were either killed or tortured. That, naturally, angered the Grilkens. There is no doubt that a lot has happened in those times, unfortunately, I don't have the books of the other Grilkens.
The villagers burned her temple which is found deep within the forest. Furious, Elishik attacked the village. She took form of a huge white fox. With a single sweep of her tail, Zenonian soldiers fell on a bloody death. However, a man with enormous wings came down from the dark sky. He called himself "Earnest", one of the seven prophets of Zeno. He wore nothing but his sheathed sword strapped around his waist. He claimed that the Fox was nothing but an abomination of the unfaithful ones. Without even unsheathing his sword, he stroke Elishik's leg. The strike crippled the great Fox and caused an earthquake that separated the land of Driftwood from Bells Town. Outmatched, she tried to escape through the forest, but only to be impaled in an oak tree by Earnest's sword.

Her corpse went missing the next day, leaving only the sword piercing the tree. Some say that she died and ascended to the next world. Others believe that she hid herself in the ruined temple, weeping. Either way, she was forgotten through time.
Inside          the parish church, the choir was singing The          Pilgrim's Journey.          The young maiden was on her knees, she took a sip from a cup given          by the priest standing in front of her.
Priest: With the blood of Zeno, your journey as a pilgrim has started. I pray for your safe journey.
The ground started to          shake, she took of her cloak. Her dress was made of finely woven          fur, her hair reached waist length. "Your God's blood tastes          disgusting" she whispered.

A          flash of bright light ate the entire village, as she transforms into          a giant fox. A gust of wind, almost a hurricane, blew away the          priest, the choir, and the empty pews. She lets out a shrilling howl          that shattered the church's windows one by one. The noise caused          an alarm in the entire village. People started to come out from          their houses, frightened by the terrifying howl.          

Curious          of all the commotion, the hunter gave his farewells to the old man.          He walked out of the house, stretched his neck, and before him was a          giant fox with the priest's body on its mouth.

"Did          you miss me?" the fox asked.          




END OF EPISODE