[Monster Hunt]Punching Kittens[Bob Barton]

[Ssafirsotibones]

57 Spring 512 Lately, Bones could not go far in the city, without running into something to fight. He was seriously thinking the city was doing it on purpose to him. He had talked to others who had said they had run into mutant beasts and such, but none as many as he. He was starting to think the city was funneling the things to him, so that they would meet, and fight, and he would kill them... He certainly had slain a lot of them... Was the city using him as a monster disposal unit? Though he guessed it also knew what he could handle, and was only doing it, since it knew he could take the heat... But still, it was getting to be a bit much... He could not wait till they had all managed to clean the city out of these things... And at the rate he was going, that could not be long... As he walked, he heard a noise, up a street, a little bit over, though still out of his range... He was not sure though who was there... Bones took out his gladius in one swift motion, holding it defensively before him, ready to hack if something rushed at him... "Who goesss ssere! Name yourssself asss friend if you are, ssso I do not kill you missstaking you for one of sse foul mutant beassstsss."

[Bob Barton]

Was Bob one of the lucky ones or was he not? On one hand he did not want to be killed, eaten or maimed by some random mutated monster in Alvadas but on the other he wanted to kill these beasties and the the gold for their heads, and then some. For the past few days he has been going out only finding those monsters when he made the effort to look for them unless Alvadas whether assisting or hurting lead him to one. All in all it was still good. He was not dead or hurt badly, yet.

But that can change very easily for a foolhardy person like Bob. A lot of people would rather team up with others although they shared the loot but he rather find his own and keep the rewards all to himself. That needed him to use his brains to beat the monsters instead of his strength. His brains of course told him to run away from any monster that is bigger than he was or had any visible natural weapons on them. Bob went for the smaller, weaker looking ones instead. They still gave the same amount of gold as far as he was concerned and the safety of others from getting rid of the large monsters be damned.

Apparently there were people just like him roaming Alvadas through the infestation. Bob saw from far a big looking man with the typical black hair. "The kind which normally dies from overconfidence" he commented to himself. Well...if the man died or got very badly injured, Bob could take the chance to finish off whatever monster attacked him easily and get the loot and of course take the man to somewhere like the Mercy if he still had time.

Bob decided to follow behind the man as he walked keeping a safe distance from him. The perfect kind of bait. In comparison, Bob was smaller so any monster would see the man first. Bob was trying to walk quieter so that neither the man nor monster would hear him unless they were really listening out for him. Finally Bob was already a little bit prepared before he left out. From his experience with animals (the unmutated ones anyway) they had a very keen sense of smell. Perfume would not help but before leaving Sunberth someone already taught him a good substitute.

The substitute was shielding. As if he was lathering soap over him like a bath, Bob put his djed over him but he had a hard time visualizing it being the more tangible practitioner of anything. He drew a circle-ish shape on his palm to represent the soap and also to double as a focus glyph. It never fails to make it feel more easier to channel the djed out of him and shielding being something quite new to him he needed the help. He felt the subtle energy flowing through his arm and towards the glyph in his hand before comingout of it as he rubbed it all over his body. It did not make him smell any better or feel any cleaner but he felt safer because that was what a shield was supposed to do. This shield was especially supposed to stop scent from going through as he tasked it.

Which is why it came as a surprise when the man called out. Was Bob not taking advantage of his height properly? Was he not trying to walk soft enough? Even forced to split his attention between the man and the ground, it should not have been too bad. What if the man was not even a human and one of those monsters? Bob felt his body again. Did he put the shield properly on him? It was very likely that he missed out one of the parts Eryss taught him. Bob looked at the man, relieved that he was not looking at his direction but his voice, especially the accent seemed very familiar.

Well, if it was someone he already knew then it would be easier for Bob to convince himself to help if something pops up even before the man falls.