The silence from that forest we are passing through brings to a halt as she runs for her life.
With every stride, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming in quick gasps. Yet, amidst that chase of grandeur, SHE managed to maintain a gentle smile on her face - a testament to her unwavering determination and bravery.
What followed was a pursuit of epic proportions - a breathtaking display of grandeur that left us stunned. It was a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, breathtaking, eye-popping, and downright awesome series of action stunts!...
In the depths of that woods, a giant beast came charging towards her, its wild boar-like nose snorting and exhaling smoke into the chilly air. Its reddish eyes glared with fierce hunger, fixated on devouring her. The spiky spider-like hairs that covered its horrendous skin stood up like a tomcat in attack mode. It was bigger than a bulldozer and far louder, with its thunderous snorts and growls echoing through the forest. Its four gorilla-like hands and feet boasted lion-like claws on each finger, and its tail slithered like a poisonous snake.
"GRAAAAAR!!!"
But the most fearsome feature of all was its wolf-like mouth, filled with layers of T.rex-like teeth, each one hungry for its prey. It was a terrifying sight to behold, chasing her relentlessly from behind.
Although the beast was large and formidable, it is fast on its feet and can certainly catch you even if you can dash like those runners in an Olympic race.
But she was even faster and more agile. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, following the rhythm of her long-braided hair as she sprinted through the forest with the grace of a seasoned warrior. Her slender body moved like water, effortlessly passing from tree to tree, jumping over humps and bushes, and sliding across roots. A young, teenage lady of the Village, that's SHE.
As she sprinted for her life, she could hear the sound of footsteps dashing behind the bushes from left to right, as well as the earth-shattering tremors of the giant beast hot on her heels.
Suddenly, an arrow connected to a rope shot out from the bushes on the beast's starboard, stretching until it struck the tip of a nearby tree. At the end of the rope, a man appeared, holding on tight with his left hand and swinging in front of the monstrous creature with his right. While still airborne, he deftly swung his sling, hurling a rock with sharp shards that plunged deeply into the beast's front left leg.
It sure did hurt the beast, but it was far from fatal. Instead, it only served to enrage the creature further, intensifying its hunger to capture its prey.
"GRAAAAAR!!!"
Undeterred, another arrow rope comes stretching to another nearby tree, like a cue for the swinging man to change hold of the rope and launch another attack from behind.
Despite the continuous onslaught, the beast refused to falter in the pursuit of its prey. It was unstoppable like a train, never ceases in its chase, and certainly wouldn't even budge.
Two more arrow ropes were cast, and at the end of each, two more swingers appeared, each with their own sling. In a coordinated display of skill and timing, the three Slingers swung from tree to tree, attacking the beast with incredible speed and precision.
SWOOP! SWISH! SWEEP!
It was a breathtaking spectacle - a performance worthy of the most skilled carnival performers. The three Slingers swung from tree to tree with effortless grace, launching their ropes and attacking the beast with remarkable precision.
The arrow ropes they faithfully took hold of were cast by their Archer comrades on the ground with incredible coordination and timing as if the swingers could anticipate where the ropes will next appear. This mastery and team coordination ensured that the Slingers never missed a swing, deftly maneuvering through the trees with unerring accuracy. It was a dazzling display of skill and daring, leaving us who witnessed it in awe.
The giant beast was left devastated and exhausted from the relentless attacks of the skilled Hunters. Although it couldn't catch them all, it remained focused on its main prey - the damsel who kept dashing away from it.
With a thunderous roar, the beast struck the ground hard with its massive hands, causing a powerful tremor that sent the lady flying into the air like a stick in the Shato Filipino game, rolling airborne.
But before she could hit the ground, two arrow ropes formed a cross beneath her feet, which she used to bounce back to safety, like a trampoline, and continue running.
Despite the setback, the beast persisted in its pursuit and was about to close in on its target when the damsel calmly raised her right hand, pointing her slender forefinger up, as if signaling something.
In response to her cue, a big arrow rope was cast from behind the beast, slanting above it and stretching out in front of her. With lightning speed, she sprinted towards a rising slope in the ground, caught the rope, and clung to it as it carried her higher and higher. The rope kept stretching until it hit the edge of a cliff, and with a bungee-like movement, she jumped a 360-degree flip over the top of that cliff and disappeared from sight.
As the beast faced the cliff's edge and tried to climb it to chase her, movements from the bushes around it caught its attention.
Suddenly, a shower of sharp arrows rained down upon it from all sides. Imagine an ant bites you, it will hurt, right? Now, imagine a bunch of ants biting you, It may not be fatal, but surely, it'll hurt.. a lot! Although the arrows only caused an itching sensation on the beast's tough skin, the sheer number of them made the difference.
Despite the continuous attacks and pains inflicted on the predator, it still wasn't enough to finish it off.
"GRAAAAAR!!!"
The beast was now surrounded by arrows and hurt by the onslaught of attacks, rendering it confused and immobile.
Then...
The silhouette of SHE appeared from atop the cliff, with a cool attacking poise. With a sweet smile on her face, she aimed with her bow 'n arrow and fired with acute accuracy at the infuriated beast! We can see the arrow's tip seemed to pass by in slow motion, like the reaction we experience in a 3D theater until it hit the temple of the giant beast with a resounding final blow!
You see, this was the plan all along... The beast needed to be weakened with small blows and worn down until it could be struck accurately in its one and only weak spot - the temple. 'Cause even its eyeballs were as strong as its skin, making accuracy and timing essential to the success of the attack...
---~~~o~~~---
What an awe-inspiring display of action! It was as if the entire sequence had been choreographed with precision. An ingenious plan executed flawlessly; that's exactly what it was.
"YEAAAH! WOHOOO!"
The beast lay defeated, and her party erupted in cheers. The party of seven Hunters appeared in the scene, around their loot, a group of seven individuals consisting of three Slingers, a Herder, and two Archers, gathered around their hard-earned loot. To complete the Seven, standing tall and proud among them was their leader, the captivating lady Archer perched atop the cliff.
The damsel herself was a vision of beauty, surpassing even that breathtaking action scene, more comely than the surrounding scenery.
"Umm... Let's make our way back to the Village," SHE said shyly.
Though her nervousness was evident, her voice remained as clear as snow - never stumbling, audible yet gentle.
"Our leader is quite shy, isn't she?" whispered a bowgirl to her bowman lover.
"And undeniably adorable," he replied dreamily, his gaze fixed upon SHE.
The bowgirl playfully whacked her boyfriend on the head with her bow, snapping him back to reality. Although she too possessed charm and beauty, it was undeniable that SHE held an irresistible allure…
She is a reflection of courage and beauty. You would have never believed that she's a Hunter, given her fair white skin that is so soft and delicate, like that of a baby. You can tell she really takes great care of her health and body.
Her captivating pinkish eyes seem to draw you into a trance. As if you could easily spend the entire day just gazing into them.
Her reddish chestnut-colored hair cascades down her back, cut diagonally with the right side shorter than the left. In the front, her bangs are intricately braided and secured around her head like a regal tiara. At the back, a long braid flows from her head to her slender hips, resembling a ponytail tied at the end, with its tips resembling a soft brush. Her hair adds grace to her movements, and gracefully dances with the gusts of the wind, complementing her soft red lips that captivate all who see them.
A peculiar earring adorns her left ear, featuring a pellet with a small ocean-blue stone-like stone that emits a subtle red glow when touched by sunlight.
She wears a special autumn brown skirt, cut like two separate robes on either side of her hips, revealing a short choco brown underlayer. These garments sway and twirl with every movement, lending an ethereal quality to her actions.
And her emblem dangles from the right side of her belt, bearing the symbols of a Wolf representing her family, a symbol of torso representing her class, and Archer symbolizing her school.
Her modest breasts are covered by milky white bandages, like a tube, extending to her slim hips, a choice made out of shyness to hide her stomach, yet she still requires light clothing for hunting.
Her hands are also adorned with bandages, fashioned like gloves, allowing her long petite fingers to easily grasp the arrow tails.
Those Fibre Bandages lessens the toil in their bodies during their hard works.
And for her feet, she wears a chestnut brown gladiator sandal, extending below her knees.
Though she displays great bravery in hunting, she possesses the gentleness of a princess and the shyness of a "makahiya" flower.
All hunters love and admire her, yearning to court her, yet curiously, none have mustered the courage to do so. Fear holds them back, or perhaps they believe they don't stand a chance and will face swift rejection. Some even feel unworthy of her, thinking she deserves someone better. And so, she remains single.
Though she longs to experience the care and affection of a lover, to have a normal and loving relationship, she keeps this hidden beneath her timid exterior. She embodies the cliché we often encounter on social media: "All beautiful damsels are single," or so they say.
Despite being greatly admired by boys, she is no enemy to the girls. There is no grudge or jealousy harbored against her, for she exudes tenderness and friendliness.
When sad or nervous, the gentle curve of her pouting lips has an enchanting effect that captivates all who behold it.
Her smile is as sweet as sugar cane, even capable of freezing the heart of The Narrator whenever he catches a glimpse of it. It strikes like an arrow, piercing deeply into the soul.
Even THE PSALMIST would struggle to compose a song worthy of her. Though undoubtedly filled with inspiration, the words and lyrics of admiration would fail to manifest. Even the words we utter now are insufficient, unable to do justice to her beauty. She is a creature crafted with awe-inspiring wonder and grace, truly fearfully and wonderfully made. Such is her pulchritude.
SHE may be younger than HE, but she stands as his equal. If HE resembles a hero-in-the-making, SHE radiates the aura of a damsel-in-distress. However, appearances can be deceiving. Just like him, she just looks like one. 'Cause she possesses the strength to stand tall on her own. She is a master of the bow, an unrivaled huntress in her time.
But hunting is not her only expertise. She also possesses the art of healing. Picture her in a nurse's uniform, and you'll find yourself longing to be hospitalized just to catch a glimpse of her every day.
Now, what's his relationship with HE?...
They live close to each other, their homes neighboring one another. You might assume they were childhood friends whose bond blossomed into admiration for one another.
Or so, you think...
The thing is, they were never childhood friends, nor were they secret lovers. Far from it! In fact, they harbored a mutual dislike for each other, not as enemies, but they are just unexplainably annoyed at each other and yet friends with each other.
Mind you, do not mistake her as arrogant or boastful. Despite her extraordinary skills, she does not consider herself superior to others. She possesses the gentleness of still waters. It's simply that SHE and HE just do not get along well. Their chemistry is destined to fail and explode in a burst of animosity!
THE NARRATOR found himself completely absorbed in describing her ineffable beauty, oblivious to the fact that these narratives were growing lengthy already.
Oh, where were we? Ah, yes! Let us return to those days when SHE and her party embarked on their hunting expeditions...
---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~---
THE PSALMIST, also overwhelmed by the captivating presence of SHE, couldn't find the words to begin his song and simply let out a heartfelt sigh...