Kyungsoo:

The ridges of my bone mask were sharp against the calloused skin of my fingertips. I could hear the beads of my headdress clinking together as a breeze blew softly past my shoulder. I let out an even, slow breath, and slid my fingers into the mouth of the skull I wore on my face. I felt the large incisors poke my wrist as I coated my fingers with the poison from the petals of the night reaper flower I had chewed up just moments before. I spit the remainder of the bitter, blackened saliva onto my fingers as I pulled them from my mouth and smeared the poison onto my arrowtip. My plan was to hunt the bear at the edge of the forest. As I positioned my arrow and drew my bowstring back, I kept my eye on the bear, watching her posture and anticipating future movements. I felt a bead of sweat drip down my neck, slowing as it reached my collarbone, then accellerating again as it rolled down my chest and over the raised vein near my groin that always stuck out. I swallowed and let my fingers lose their grip on the arrow, the feathers slipping through my hold.

The arrow whistled as it cut through the air. I heard a sharp thud as it pierced the bear’s thick hide. I was too far away to guarantee a shot to the heart, as the arrow was off by a hand’s width. But the night reaper flower’s poison would spread through the bear’s body quickly as it ran into the forest, and I would be able to track it down to where it lie down to die. I quickly threw my bow over my back and lifted my mask just enough to wipe my mouth with the back of my dusty, gritty hand. I made note of the direction the bear travelled as it parted the bushes and tumbled into the foliage, grunting as it ran. I followed it into the brambles, ignoring the twigs that cut into my cheek bones and sliced into my arms like switches. My breath was hot against my face as it rose inside of my mask, making my forehead feel clammy. After trailing the bear for almost a mile, I heard her drop to the ground. As I approached, I heard an other noise from the left, like the footfalls of people. I stopped and stood still, listening closely, to the steps of what sounded like 7 men. By the heaviness of their steps they had to be wearing shoes. Men from my tribe do not wear shoes, and I became nervous. My instincts told me to hide. My heart pounded in my chest as I crouched to the ground and crawled toward a large tangle of fallen trees and shrivelled vines. My nails clawed at the dirt as I clenched my fists, holding my breath in an attempt to keep myself from being discovered. I could hear dried leaves crunching and shifting beneath their feet as they got closer to my hiding place. Adrenaline circulated through my veins and my ears felt hot. I could almost hear my blood rushing as my pulse raced higher and higher. The men had discovered the bear, and were now searching for the bear’s hunter. As they were shouting my ankles started to ache from crouching in the brush, hidden from their threatening presence. 

“Come out, savage. We saw your kill! These are the King’s lands! You are prohibited from hunting here!”

I pursed my lips and stifled a grunt.

These lands do not belong to their phony King. These lands are a gift from Mother Earth to share with all creatures with respect to each other.

I swiftly pulled my hunting knife from the strap of my loin cloth as one of the King's soldiers wandered within feet of me. I twitched as a twig snapped and my already alert mind went into overdrive. I let out a breath, and it came out in hot huffs, like the steamy snorts of an elk. He turned his shoulder away just enough for me to grab him from behind. I took my chance and lunged forward, gripping him by the shoulders and wrapping my arms around his neck. He struggled to free himself, but once he realized he would not be strong enough to break away from my hold, he reached down and grabbed his musket. I saw his movement toward the projectile and knew I had no choice but to kill him. I pushed my stone blade into the skin of his neck and swiftly brought it to the other side of his jaw. He fell to the ground, making too much noise as his body collapsed into the leaves. His blood was hot, leaving whispy strings of steam weaving toward the treetops. The smell assaulted my nostrils, much more pungent than the blood of a wild animal, almost like poison. 

I knew that I would be found after letting the man's body thud against the forest floor, and prepared myself to face the men in a bloody fight.