<em>Perhaps I should have gone West…</em>Even after traveling but a brief distance, Drakan would only find himself swamped by a hideous bog.  Once this area had been blessed with forests green as emeralds, now it is a swamp ridden wasteland with minimal tree-cover home to hostile/poisonous animals and insects.  Had he traveled west he would have met a more barren, arid climate.  This suited him fine though, for every travel for him was not just an adventure of future profit, but a means to prove not just himself but any surrounding him that he was survivor…..a lone wolf in a nest of snakes dying to sink their teeth in the dragon alchemy business.  Ever since the shatter of the alliance between dragon and human, dragons have proved to be lucrative following their death.  The assorted flesh, blood, scales, bone, etc. all provided the necessities for a variety of various elixirs and potions.  Such items were very profitable, with no signs of slowing.  Anyone could invest in such a market if one had the ability/nerve to take on a dragon, the greatest of all predators in this land.<br/><br/>The profession of dragon slaying carried with it a residual form of training.  Naturally to enter the profession one needed to possess valor, strength, and capability in order to kill even the lowest form of dragons.  The only solution in possessing such credentials was through experience.  However, with that experience came more than just being able to put a blade into a beast’s heart.  Because of the intelligence of these creatures, it was more than just a test of strength.  Strategem, ambushing, laying traps, even survival were all examples of abilities/traits that came as the slayer continued to live and slay dragons.  Survival was an interesting trait, which normally divided into two types: adaptive, resourceful.  Resourceful survival experts never seemed short on money or the opportunity to sleep in a comfortable bed. They are able to understand maps/terrain much easier which allows them to plot routes to the nearest towns or villages prior to their ultimate destination where they could help themselves to the pleasures of mankind without having to sleep outdoors.  Adaptive survivalists you could say are the reciprocal of their resourceful brethren.  Whatever money they had if any they held very tight, just enough however to live at the bare minimum.  And even though they understood terrain and map reading as well, they preferred direct routes towards their ultimate destination, which made them able to rest in even the most remote of locations.<br/><br/>In this scenario Drakan was a more adaptive form of survivalist, and seeing that even after a day’s walk he was still nowhere near his destination.  With the sun nearly setting, Drakan decided that he needed to set up camp before he lost complete daylight.  The perfect location to set up a shelter proved difficult however.  Because this was a swamp there was very little tree cover, and what trees that were there were either sunk beneath the boggy water or stripped of their leaves. Despite the weather not showing any immediate signs of rain, he wasn’t willing to take the chance.  After some time, leaving him only minutes to set up his camp, he was able to find a once massive tree now toppled over on its side, split from its base.  This would be able to provide him a means to pitch his tent so that it would be able to erect.  Removing his backpack he unclipped his personal compartment pulling out a large animal fur from it.  The creature that Drakan had acquired this from was no dragon but it would give him the warmth he needed to avoid hypothermia from the chill of the night.  He placed the skin just underneath the toppled log with the hide lying at the dry earth.  Reaching into his pack once more he pulled out another hide, this one a leather skin.  Rolling out the hide he placed it above the snapped off trunk letting the two ends meet at the ground, giving a round triangular shape.  A couple logs were added to anchor the ends of the leather so that it would flail around amidst a strong enough wind.<br/><br/>With his shelter now established the next step was to create a fire.  With a fire there were certain rewards and consequences.  The benefits of a fire always starts with being able to provide one with warmth.  A fire also provided the only source of light, save for the rays of the moon which helped him avoid any sinkholes that could trap his body to the brink of death.  The fire also helped in warding off insects and smaller species of animals thanks to the heat and smoke.  Implementing a fire however was another task that did not come easy, especially if one didn’t have any means to carry a flame.  Fortunately because Drakan had recently resided at an inn, he was able to obtain with him a simple matchbox, a small box containing small sticks containing a layer of dragon saliva at the tip.  The saliva of a dragon was high combustible and when added friction against a flat plane, it created a spark large enough to set the small stick aflame so as to light a fire or use to light one’s say pipe to smoke with.  In this case Drakan used but a single match to help light the fire.  Naturally he would need to add small kindling to the burning material until the flame was big and strong enough to support heavier logs (leaving the wetter ones to dry by the god giving heat).<br/><br/>Now with a shelter and fire, he was now settled in for the night.  Darkness now loomed swallowing the whole swamp in a blackness that only the creatures that lived here were able to navigate.  Only the small bastion of light that remained was the one emitting from the fire.  Drakan was now settled in his tent consumed by exhaustion thus giving his body an able rest so to prepare for the next day once the sun had risen.  The furry hide was wrapped around him, keeping his body warm from the cold ground and the cold wind that blew outside his shelter.  He had moved his pack inside the tent in order to safeguard his wares and personal property.  The fire while mild at this point from the lack of feeding it wood remained however a beacon to any able to interpret the meaning behind it.  For predators it was a sign that life was dwelling in that area, and the question then became whether or not it was worth the risk.  Or for another traveler it served as a temporary sanctuary to warm one’s body.  Either way Drakan was no easy sleeper; always one eye open, and one eye closed.  His hand resting close to the hilt of his blade in case any visitor that came forth knew that this campsite was not defenseless.<br/>