The Gentle(ish) Giant

I steadied my aim as I pulled back my bow. I was ready to release a steel arrow on this beast I had been hunting for weeks. It was an enormous boar with glowing crystals in its hide. I stared intently on the one I wanted. It had a dimmer pink glow and was slightly obscured by the fur. It was the beast's one weak spot and I had exactly one arrow that my bow could fire to pierce deep enough to kill it. I lined up my shot, waited for the perfect time and then fired.

Then a bird flew right in front of my arrow. "Shit."

The arrow hit the crystal and imbedded itself in its back but not deep enough to kill it. Instead it screeched and ran at my hiding spot immediately aware of my location.

I dove to the left to narrowly avoid being launched dozens of feet but in the process dropped my bow just out of reach. It was turning around for another go and I knew I had to act fast before I was too tired to dodge it. So I grabbed a rock nearly too big for my hand and stood up as it came at me. The arrow was lodged in the boar's left side so I knew I would have to dive to the right to strike at it.

It charged and when it was just out of arms reach, I jumped to my right and then grabbed it by the tusk to pull myself back in and swing for the arrow. I put my whole body weight into it and manage to slam the arrow another few inches into its slot. The boar again screeches but this time because the arrow has pierced its heart. It dies while its running and slides into the ground hard throwing me ten feet into a tree.

There aren't a lot of beasts in this part of the world that can throw someone like me, over 8 feet tall and about 500 pounds, but that mighty boar was one of them. That's the reason I went hunting for it. I'd seen some in my village go out searching for a crystal boar to kill. Parties would go out and many would not come back whole if at all. Of course, they refused to use bows and didn't precisely know its weakspot but taking down full giants like them showed how mighty it was and might prove that a half giant like me can be a competent fighter. I tie up the hog and haul it on my back, intending to sell what I can at a village nearby.

As I walk through the snow, I hear the sounds of voices nearby and decide to check it out.