Hunter awoke in a cold sweat, his night plagued with nightmares of the devilish creature he had seen back in the river. It's ghoulish appearance haunting him; the fanged skull dribbling with black sludge, those hollow eyes all burning in his memory. That's all he could remember, just the ominous presence of such an undead, harrowing creature; something unnatural and evil.

He feared the stories were true, that this thing could become physical and hunt him down should he not find a way to appease it. The tribe run by Adahy, the lynx chieftan, had faithfully acknowledged this creature and found ways to keep it at bay. He knew he should heed the chieftan's warning, else his survival in this unforgiving land was at risk.

It threw a wrench into his plans and in the way he viewed the natural world, not only was the brown and beige wolf fighting the elements, starvation and living threats such as bears, and the natives - he now had to deal with the supernatural.

He could feel that overbearing cold, that presence as the sunlight perforated the canopy above. Even though the air was warm and inviting, he knew the presence of that creature was weighing down on him. Like he was in it's cold, evil grasp and could not escape or shake it. It was bearing down on him, waiting for the opportunity to show itself or strike; Hunter knew time was of the essence.

Acting quickly, he put all other priorities aside; they would have to wait until this task was done. Heeding the chieftan's advice, he set forth to gather anything he could which could be put forth as offerings to the spirit: the discarded skull of the fish he caught the second night, the tailbone.

Looking around for a suitable place to offer these things, he came across an old stump among the trees. It was old and withered, the trunk broken off and hollow with large protrusions of punk wood emitting from the base like a crown. It's bark was mostly rotted off, forming a base of organic mulch around the exposed roots. Beneath it was a looming hole in between two major roots which looked like something turned it into a home.

At it's center was a large hole, the edges crusty and jagged, and he could see clearly inside and the base of the hole was filled with dirt and remains of woody textures. It provided a crude alter with which he could place his offerings, it seemed all to perfect; as if nature herself had provided it for this purpose.

Acting quickly he placed the skull, tailbone and remains into the hole of the stump, but he knew this wasn't enough, he needed more. Thinking back he remembered Adahy had mentioned a wreath of some type, so looking around he found a patch of thorny briars. Pulling them carefully and with the aid of his stone hatchet, he removed several long strands of briar cordage. The thorns were relentless, their naturally developed defenses prodding his delicate and furred flesh, making him wince and yelp. But with quick work, he wound the long lengths of thorny vines in a large circle, creating a crude wreath. He used the remaining length of vines to fasten them together and keep them from unraveling.

Walking back to the stump, he carefully placed it; hanging it on one of the protruding lengths of wooden stalagmites emanating from the top. Before he had noticed a few mushrooms poking from the stump, but now that he had returned, he noticed more had developed. There were several different types poking through the wooden body of the stump, with large rounded heads and gill like plates beneath.

There were many of different shapes and sizes, some grew in clusters, hanging off the very edge of the stump, while others poked through the many cracks and crannies of the wood. Atop it all, he also began to notice a thick carpet of black moss growing in random spots, it peaked his curiosity as he stared at it, but his focus soon switched to the eeriness of the fish skull bedded within.

A chill ran down Hunter's spine as he looked into the hollowed sockets. He didn't know if what he had provided was enough, but he could think of nothing more to do. Suddenly, a thought penetrated his mind, and he got down on both knees before the stump, bowing his head before it as if in some sort of ritualistic prayer. It was as if he was driven to do so, it felt instinctual. Perhaps it was the prowess of the creature making him do it, as if being possessed, or maybe it was his of his own accord without conscious thought.

Either way, he closed his eyes, and with head bowed he felt energy pulling free from his body; the negativity and coldness leaving him, returning the peace back into his life. It was then he knew he had done what was right and what was needed. Now with one less variable he needed to worry about, he returned to camp to carry on the day's activities.

His belly rumbled once more, and he set forth to finish off what remained of the provided meat the tribe had given him. Now with his hunger sated, he set to work to fell a tree he would deem suitable for the stave of a bow - a sapling elm which he could wrap two paws around. He knew the wood would need to be seasoned before his work could begin, but he could still split it and crudely work out the profile.

He left more than enough wood to keep the elm stave from warping or twisting as it dried, before setting it aside in his shelter to keep it dry and clean from the elements. Evening had fallen as the sun dipped lower in the sky. Hunter still had a few hours left of daylight before dark, as he ventured back to the river to fish once more; managing to catch another trout to keep in stock.

He quickly realized he was in need of some utensils and dinnerware; eating the fish by hand was a messy fare and he knew he could easily boil or transfer water, and make use of most of what the fish provided by making bowls or pots.

By boiling the discarded bones and wastes, he could supply his body with the much needed calcium and nutrients in a broth which he could drink. It would also become easier to transport the water from the river to make mud for his shelter, or any other projects with which he devised.

Come the next day, he would set to work on making some primitive pottery, to make his life much easier.

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Here's chapter 11 of Epoch of Earth and Stone, this one was really fun to do as I enjoy adding all the little details and such to the stump.

It also moves the story along and even this piece in of itself adds a little staple of irony. There's a secret in this piece, and it has to do with my creature. I'm sure the smartest lot of you already know it and have picked up on it, but it will be revealed in time for those who haven't.

I hope you all have enjoyed this story series so far and that it continues to peak your interest! There's a lot more to be covered and a lot more fun to be had! And if you haven't done so, be sure to check out the beginning of this series and follow along with each chapter as I post them, which I plan on one chapter each week!

So until next time, you all have a great rest of the weekend and week!