"The bounty poster didn't mention the type of magic that Hog uses. There a reason for that?" Dead leaves, twigs, and dried dirt crunch under foot as the trio made their way through the forest. It had been an hour or two since they'd picked up a strong lead on their target's trail, and it only seemed to be getting stronger. Clearly King Hog wasn't expecting anyone to actively seek him out. That, or he was just incredibly sloppy in covering his tracks. Which, considering his name, wasn't too far fetched.

"That's because... no that has seen it personally, has lived." Roland paused for a few seconds in silence, while Eric glanced back. "The first few raids, the guard made attempts to stop him. And they just... disappeared. Gone. No bodies, no parts, just gone." He shook his head. "After that, the captain shifted our orders from capture to just trying to save as many lives as we could, and let him take what he wanted."

"Damn. Must be something pretty powerful to leave nothing behind. I didn't see a lot of damage to the town though when I was walking through."

"He didn't do much to the town at all. All he does it attack the holding pins on the edge of the town, sometimes go after supply wagons that may be near. Takes them all, which is something in itself, seeing as he takes the entire goddamn carts and hogs and leaves just as quick."

He'd never heard of anyone with a magic like that before, but that really wasn't unusual. His father used to say there were as many forms of magic in the world as there were blades of grass, each one special and unique to its wielder. Where one person could fly with fire magic, another might be able to teleport through flames, or make a golem with them. Something that could make entire people or objects disappear didn't exactly help narrow down the list of possibilities. It looked like he'd be blind on this one, which he really, really didn't like to do.

"Have any insights you want to share with us?" Eric said, a bit on the aggressive side, Caliber noted.

"Not really. Magic is a tool of limitless potential. Something you want to get off your chest?"

"... Roland, why are we even helping this guy? This entire problem started with a mage. They're nothing but trouble magnets."

"Eric...."

"Hey, it was your village that posted the open bounty. If they didn't want mage help, they could've specified. And not all of us bring destruction and chaos in our wake."

"Oh, sure, then I suppose they you got your nickname from helping to build a schoolhouse, huh?"

"What-"

"Didn't think I recognized your name, huh, Caliber 'Wild Bomber' Ecks. Unlike Roland, I actually pay attention to the news."

"Listen that nickname is a mis-"

A howl cut into the already heated argument, silencing any further bickering between Caliber and Eric. The trees and bushes around them rustled, before a pack of five wolves emerged from them, snarling and beginning to encircle the group. Roland slowly unsheathed his sword, while Eric took out his crossbow and knocked an arrow.

"Perhaps you two can finish this chat later?"

"Y'know, he actually is cuddly, after you get past the charred hair, and burnt flesh, and... bone? A little bone too." Caliber knelt over the alpha's body, having pulled up his scarf to block out the smell while he prodded it with a stick. Yeah, it was dead, if the burnt up spot where it's stomach would be wasn't enough of an indicator. He flicked the stick to the side and stood up, walking over towards Roland and Eric, who were taking a bit of a short break.

"You two alright?"

"Fine, thanks to you, I'm not ashamed to say. You're stronger than you look." Roland said.

"You'd be how surprised how often I hear that."

"In my younger days I probably could've taken on at least three of those things by myself." He leaned back on the tree he sat against. He glanced at his sword, which rested in a similar fashion at his side. "That magic you have certainly is effective, I have to say. Caliber looked at his fist, and shrugged. "You know, when I was younger, I wanted to learn some magic, and become a Rune Knight."

"Why didn't you?"

"Eh, I don't know, honestly. Responsibilities, relationships, skill, time... take your pick. All of them are just excuses anyway. Eventually, I got just a bit too old, a bit too lazy. Old Crook doesn't see much trouble beyond the occasional tavern brawl."

"It's never too late to learn a new trick or two."

"Ha, I appreciate you saying that. But I'm good where I am. I honestly don't even known why I came with you and Eric. He's all you really need." Roland glanced over to his friend, offering a smile to the young man's annoyance. "Maybe you could become a Knight, eh, Eric? You have the skill for it!"

"I don't need to be a Rune Knight, Roland. Becoming a guard is good enough for me."

"He's just afraid of leaving home."

"Am not!" Caliber and Roland shared a laugh at Eric's response, further deepening the scowl that had formed on his face. "If you two are done chatting, we should continue moving. I want to find King Hog before it gets too late in the day, or before something messes up the trail."

In more or less agreement, Roland got up with a hand from Caliber, and the trio once again went on the move.

The three crept up on the source of the smoke plume; a large bon fire on which two pigs were roasting on a spit. It sat near the opening of a cave, from which dim light could be seen emerging from it. Several boxes, crates, and even a wagon sat around the fire, in a sort of impromptu camp, fit for several people. Though no one was readily visible from their position.

"We find him?"

"Certainly seems like it. Or at least, his camp. The swine that are roasting are definitely from Old Crook. And I recognize the insignia on some of those crates. They're from the leather-smith's workshop in town. They export the hide after the pigs have been butchered for their meat." Roland's hand drifted to his sword, as if he were a hair's edge from leaping from their spot and attacking right away.

"Woah, Roland, calm down. We don't even know if he's in the camp." Eric said, steadying the older man.

"What do you mean, he's cooking his dinner as we speak."

"Right, but a fire that big, you need a lot of fire wood. And do you see any log piles set up? No. He might've stepped away to get some extra, to keep them going strong."

"And if we made a ruckus or moved now, we could tip him off as he's coming back, and he'd make a run for it."

"Exactly."

"Alright, then what should we do?" Roland asked having settled down for now. Eric pondered for a bit, while Caliber glanced around the camp. There was no sight of any animals to draw the wagon, living or roasted, so how the hell was he moving it? It didn't seem like it was magically powered, at least, outwardly. It could have a lacrima stashed inside of it for that purpose. What were they going to do, anyway? At the start, he'd planned for this to just be a an all out brawl, him against Hog, mage against mage. There'd be some damage to the surrounding forest, sure, but he was pretty sure he could take the guy down if he didn't hold back. But with Roland and Eric here, that threw a wrench into his plans.

From the wolf fight, he could tell they weren't up for this. Roland was a bit to slow, and Eric was a bit too weak, even if Hog didn't use spells. And with them likely to be in close proximity at all times, he wouldn't be able to lob his attacks off any which way he wanted. He could tell them to stay back, to just sit and watch, but it was highly likely they wouldn't do that. Damn it. As he went over his options, which ranged from knocking them out to tying them up, a figure caught his eye.

"Hey, have either of you seen King Hog in person?"

"No."

"Can't say I have."

"Then I need to talk to the guy who gave his description, because we are going to have words."

"ERIC!" Roland screamed out, unsheathing his sword and taking the first of what would have been a full charge, had he not been grabbed by Caliber. "Let go of me! Now!"

"Roland you need to calm down!"

"I said get off of me!"

"Sit-" Caliber grabbed his shoulder, and harshly tossed him backwards, further into the brush of the foest. "-back. Don't a damn idiot, Roland. You just saw Eric get snapped up in one bite, and the guy didn't even move. What are you gonna do with a old rusty sword?"

"I-"

"I get it. Really, I do. But you'll have to sit this one out." Caliber stepped forward. He rolled his shoulders, and cracked the knuckles on his hands as he stood before King Hog, there eyes meeting in a mutual stare down. "I'm gonna have to cut your meal there short, Hog. People are saying your a bit of a messy eater."

"Ha! You're bold. You and that old man are gonna end up just like your friend; nothing more than just evening snack!"

"I don't know about that one. I think I'd cause a little more than a tummy ache for you."

"Well then, let's just find out! Devour!." Hog cast his magic again, the same abyss opening in place of his mouth and sucking in all that stood in front of him, which included Caliber. The young mage took a step back, attempting to steady himself against the ground, only to be pulled in similar to how Eric was, being dragged forward until eventually he was taken off his feet. In the moments before he entered the abyss, a distortion in the air appeared around his hands, and Caliber, grinning clapped them together.

"Thunder Clap!" True to it's name, the resulting explosion detonated like a clap of thunder, blowing Hog into the air, and sending him crashing backwards into his camp. He knocked over the spits that held the cooking pigs, but narrowly missed falling into the fire pits. The front of his clothes was scorched and singed, with embers still glowing on the edges of it. His movements were wobbly, dazed, as he attempted to stand again.

"You're... a mage..?" He stammered out.

"Didn't think I was gonna fist fight you, now, did you?"

"This... changes things... Forget a snack. You're the MAIN COURSE! Gluttony!" Instead of in his mouth, an abyss five times its size opened in his stomach, and began sucking in not just the dirt in front of him, but chunks of the earth itself, as well as the pigs, crates and any other loose items in his immediate vicinity. It was like watching a cyclone cross over the ground, leaving nothing behind in it's wake. Although he could feel the air being drawn towards Hog from his spot, it seemed like he was out of the effective range of the spell. For now, at least.

"Ah, see now the name is making sense..." A the vortex declined, Caliber could see that Hog's form had shifted. He'd, well, gained a lot of weight, his form seeming to have swelled in the last few seconds, looking as if he were melting by the way everything sagged over each other. He actually looked like the sketch in his bounty now. "King Slug might've been better, though." Hog faced towards Caliber, drooling beginning to spill from the side of his mouth as he grinned. "I don't know how you think your gonna win now that you look like you can barely move your own legs, man."

"Belch." He suddenly inhaled, a visible regurgitation traveling through his body before peaking at his mouth.

"What the h-" Caliber's disgust was cut off as a mass made up of rock and junk was spit up by the man, rocketing towards him. "Thunder Steps!" His legs exploded with energy, propelling him into the air, just in time to dodge past the projectile as it crashed into a tree. "Dude, that is the grossest thing I've ever seen." Hog responded by sending several more shots into the air, which he strafed in order to dodge. Thunder Steps was probably his least used spell, so he was no aerial ace, but he managed to avoid the shots for the most part. He hovered in the air for a moment, gathering himself. Probably be a good idea to finish this before the guy ate the whole country side.

He was quite literally a soft target, it was just a matter of getting to him without getting sucked in. Eh, no use in over thinking it. Sometimes big problems called for small solutions. He streaked towards Hog, channeling energy into his palm until it became a sizable glowing orb, and directed it towards the gluttonous mage "Missile!" He fired it towards him, or rather, near him, the magical projectile flying forward and exploding in the ground in front of Hog, throwing up a thick cloud of dust and debris. Taking his chance, Caliber looped around int he sky, and came crashing down towards him, imbuing both of his fists with another spell. "Hand Grenades!". The resulting explosion shook the area for tens of meters around them, the earth echoing with its power.

When things finally settled, Roland crept out from his spot in the forest, having made the decision to clear away in the face the two mage's brief battle. In the epicenter of a large, barren cracker, was Caliber, sitting next to King Hog, who despite the impact, still seemed like he was breathing. At least partially. The veteran guard approached silently, his sword at his side, ready to strike the mage down. Caliber simply looked at him, and shrugged. "If you think it'll help you, be my guest. The bounty said dead or alive."

Roland raised his sword, and hesitated for a few moments, before dropping it, and falling to his knees. A hand would pat him on the shoulder amidst his breakdown. "How about we finish this up, huh?"