Random encounter

Stan walked down the dirt road connecting the villages, trying his best to ignore the base instinct in his gut to go off the trail and walk in the grass. He was well aware of the consequences of doing such, and while he was prepared to handle them, he knew that the chances of danger were considerably lower as long as he stayed on the man made road. And yet the grass continued to call to him.

He was merely a trader. He was being sent between the villages, trading precious resources that one had but not the other, and pocketing the profit that he made between them. He sold the resources for more than he bought them for in both towns, and while it wasn't a huge margin, it was more than enough to have a living from. And because the margin was reasonable, no one ever questioned him on his prices or attempted to bargain with him. They were more than willing to pay his prices - they would gladly pay more, in fact, but the lower prices he provided had earned him their trust.

It was, however, a somewhat dangerous life. Wild animals and bandits were frequent along the road, which was why he carried with him a spear at all times. He was well versed in its use, and while he was no martial artist flying through the air and destroying everything in his path, he was more than skilled enough to keep things away from him and down them before he could be injured. From time to time he was even able to slay something with valuable skin, and push a high profit. Those were the few things that he sold at a higher mark up, purely because he had put his life in danger in order to obtain it. On the outside it may have seemed like an easy profit, because there was no monetary price he put in to obtain the skin. But it took work to prepare, and he had more than once been injured in the process. After all, he wasn't a hunter. He was just protecting himself.

His eyes continued to be drawn irresistibly to the grass. He knew he shouldn't. But his feet deviated from the path, and then he was looking down at green beneath his toes.

It wasn't long before the world seemed to melt before his eyes. It lasted only a moment before reality rushed back into his sight, and the massive panther was standing before him, its hair raised and teeth barred. His spear was swinging into his hands before he even fully registered what was happening. A practiced motion as his instincts were taking over.

It looked like this would be another profitable trip.