[h3][center]Gods Woods[/center][/h3]
Ludgar aimed towards the boar. Usually, a hunter wouldn’t even dare to take down such a savage beast with just a bow. Men used spears, traps and a courageous but stupid heart to take down such a beast. Yet since he was gifted the Shenhun, his arrows struck harder and true. For a few days he had it now, and every time he looked down his bow he somehow saw sharper. The world around him came alive with bright colors as he focused his vision down the shaft of an arrow. Time itself felt like it was slowing down, allowing him to align the bow perfectly. After that: ssssssshhh.

Ludgar reached the boar, but the beast was still alive. If not crippled. “Quiet now, quiet.” The huntsman eased the animal. “You’re going back to your mother. You’re going back to Kalla.” With the little prayer, he stabbed the beast, releasing it from its suffering. But he didn’t pick it up immediately. No, he stabbed it right in an artery. Blood sprayed over him, as well as the ground. “Asivar, lord of the hunt. God of slayers. Please accept my offering.” It did get accepted. The Shenhun on his arm was first just an arrow. But it had grown now. Elegant lines crawled up towards each other. Now the space between those lines were being filled up with marks of animals he killed. Right now he could feel the familiar itching and burning. Until the small boar-like mark filled the final bit of space between 2 of the 5 lines. He still had a lot of hunting to do. But with every other kill he felt how his power grew. His mind sharpened as his body got stronger. And after every kill, he felt the pull to hunt down another creature.

This was the fate of the Marked Hunter. Ludgar carried the boar back towards his village, where his wife looked at him with disapproving eyes. He had been gone far longer than she wished and far more often. But the tribe was thriving. The excess meat and fur made good trading goods in the inhospitable north. Many other tribes visited, hoping to trade bone, flint or wood for the meat. At first, some had dared to try and steal from Ludgar’s tribe. A fool’s mistake, as Ludgar was still home. He shot the thief in the dark, killing the man with an arrow through the head. It didn’t earn him another part of his Shenhun, but if felt very satisfying. Since then newcomers were shown that Ludgar carried the sacred Mark. Now none dared to do anything bad to anyone or anything in the village. At least amongst the tribes.
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[h3][center]Easteren Steppes - Near the Yellow River[/center][/h3]
Huin made a mistake. He should have never traveled this late northwards, towards the Yellow River. The Caltrops lumbered through the endless steps. The land was getting dryer every year. Once there was lush grass here, but now only a few stubborn bushes remained. The heat here was scorching. Especially now. They had to reach the Yellow River to let their pack animals graze and drink in peace. Without having to scavenge every bit of green wherever they walked.

Yet Huin had been forced to set up camp longer than he wished for. His wife was pregnant and the babe was soon to be born. While his wife was happy, the nomad clan understood that they had lingered for too long. None could harbor any ill will towards Huin, but still. He himself did. Along their trusted path, he suddenly saw a stranger sitting on one of the very few rocks he, his father, his grandfather and every generation before him used as a marker of the landscape, to know where they were exactly. Surprised and confused to see another human being, alone, in the steppes, Huin carefully approached the stone with his horse. “We don’t see many strangers around here.” He called out to the figure.
Asivar had been waiting for them. The Nomads. He knew the stone was used to map the way. They did it even back before the God Wars. He looked down from his stone and smiled. Once the Nomads had been rich and dressed in fine leather over silken gowns. Like he was dressed now. Bright yellow and red flashed underneath his cuirass of hardened, grey Caltrop leather. With several chains wound around his chest, waist and on a hook on his back, where he also kept a circular shield. At the end of the chains were hooks used to claw themselves in either the ground or in the flesh. “I wish to see the Nomads. I’ve traveled a long way to meet these mysterious people.” He told Huin.

“Well, you have found them. We are a Nomad clan. You look suspiciously well-armed, master…”

“Rasiv. I go by the name of Rasiv. I can assure you, I harbor you no ill will. But the steppes are a dangerous place. Especially with the mountains nearby.” It was true. The mountains have been a nesting place for dragons for many ages. The wayward stone Asivar was sitting on wasn’t just any jutting rock. It marked the boundary into their hunting grounds. Huin had led his people here because only here there would still be green at the shores of the Yellow River. But he did risk being attacked by dragons. Even though the threat was still minimal, the though was a heavy burden.

Master Rasiv was welcomed within the Nomads. Initial suspicion was soon shoved aside for admiration. The man had a clear talent for animals. He could calm Caltrops easily. And along the way, he even tamed a wild horse to ride upon! “Tell me, Master Rasiv. Why no swords? Why chains? Why are you dressed like… a Beast Masters of old?” Huin had to ask. He had heard too many stories of the fabled Beast Masters. Fearless warriors that did not just kill mythical monsters. They actually rode them.

“I haven’t given up on that legacy just yet. I believe that the power of the Beast Tamers is still in this world.”

Huin did not share that belief. With the vanishing of the Yui, the Beast Tamer’s mark, their power faltered. First, the monstrous animals broke free. Later the normally wild beasts disobeyed their masters. Finally, the Beast Masters couldn’t use their mark to break a Caltrop’s will. The failing of their will breaking power broke them.

And thus the Nomads continued their way into dragon hunting grounds. For the most parts, they were left alone. Sometimes a shadow in the distance was seen flying. But not once were they attacked. Of course, until they were.

A savage Long, probably hungry came down roaring. He landed in the middle of the caravan, destroying a cart in the process. “Humans! You have entered the territory of the Fang Len dragons! This transgression cannot be allowed! I demand a tribute. Your lives!” echoed through the air as he began to devour a child. Of course, Huin, leading the front turned around and raced towards the Long. Fully realizing he was probably racing towards his doom. No human could dare stand against a Long. The dragons were fearsome and powerful. The Long’s connection with their spirit was unmatched. But maybe, just maybe he could buy his people enough time to run for safety. Behind him, Master Rasiv raced towards the Long as well. His wild horse galloped faster and faster. As if it was thrown in a frenzy. It got there faster than Huin. Master Rasiv jumped off it with unprecedented grace. As if the silken gown did not block his movement in the slightest.

“A Divine!? Impossible!” Yelled the long when he eyed Master Rasiv. Fang Len expelled blue spirit fire from his mouth, fully intending to reduce this mere human daring to pose as a Divine to ash. The flame burned so bright that it outshined the sun itself in intensity. You could hear the wind roaring towards it as it consumed the oxygen. But when the flame eventually withered down, Rasiv still stood. With his round shield up and smoking. In his right hand, he held a chained hook, swinging it in circles.

The dragon, suddenly realizing this might not be an imposter, tried to fly up. But Asivar managed to throw his hook into a front leg and pulled it down. The sudden jolt down made Fang Len crash into the ground, while Asivar yelled: “Grab your chains people!” He locked his shield back on the hook of his back, while with his now free hand he grabbed another chain and threw it over Lang Fen. “Release me, you mortals! I am a dragon! I am the kin of Kilgarrah himself! Release me!” the dragon yelled, as it tried to breathe fire around. But the Nomads had not forgotten their legacy as much as they though they did. With rolls and jumps most managed to evade the fire. Some had some burns, but they managed to run away quick enough. “Kilgarrah… is not here.” Asivar said, with a fire burning in his eyes. As his chains wrestled with the Long, mortals threw theirs over the Long now two. The more chains that covered it, the more Fang Len tried to burn the mortals.

Until Asivar wanted to put an end to it. Confident that the mortals would hold the dragon down for at least a moment he dropped his chains, grabbed his shield and charged forward with it. Lang Fen, of course, saw this. As he broke free he began to breath and roar his fire against Asivar, who blocked it with his shield. The humans could not see what battle against the awesome power of the dragon against that of a god. But eventually, Asivar managed to push through. With his shield, he bashed the side of Lang Fen’s head. Staggered for a moment, the dragon stopped breathing.

“Enough!” Yelled Asivar, as he lifted his right hand high in the sky. A myriad of different colors filled the sky as his Yui Mark appeared in full. He put an open palm on the dragon’s head. “Obey.” The god commanded. His divine will overpowered that of the mighty dragon and Asivar felt how Lang Fen bowed to him in his mind. “Sit. Still.” A second command and Lang Fen was forced to comply. He seized all struggle. “Return to your nest.” The mortals released their grips on the chains as the Long flew up and back towards the horizon.

“Master Rasiv!” yelled Huin, who was one of the holders of the chains. “Master, I… How did you. The Yui. You have it! By Asivar, you have the power of Yui!” he exclaimed, gazing upon the afterglow upon Asivar’s arm. “Yes. The power of the marks is returning, Huin. The gods… are returning.”

That night Master Rasiv gave the first part of the Yui to Huin. Two chains entwined across his arm that opened in a noose on his palm. Just like the Shenhun and the Arvat’Nar, it would grow. But with every beast Huin would ‘tame’. The ink Asivar used was a mixture of blood and grounded Caltrop horn.