The Red Lands 1

by ForestRage

  Who in the slums or even in the village, enjoyed a living like they did for the past weeks. Hell, even in some towns there were people hard pressed to have a meal three-times a day.

  And solid food at that to boot!

  Not to mention being kept warm, and even learning to read and write. Such privilege was only afforded to the noble and high-class citizens. Chu didn't understand that education was not like in his past world. Here it was a privilege of the few. Especially to girls and women.

  Here these slum children were living better than most. And it was due to this companion of theirs who rescued them from hell. Even if they had to return after winter to that harsh life in the slums, this would be an unforgettable memory.

  Which ingrate would allow such a friend to face known danger alone!

  Chu could only shake his head and follow. As a recent inhabitant of this word, he did not truly understand the impact he had on these companions.

  "Let's go then, but you have to listen to everything I say ok"

  Clod moved the trapdoor open while the others held spears and aimed the crossbows at the opening. Acting as the bait, Clod peered out and confirming all was silent he clambered out.

  "Clod remain with Dyna and Sue here to be prepared to close the trapdoor if we need it."

  Chu listened for the faint sounds coming from outside. After being convinced there was nothing lingering in the shadows of the barn, he and the rest moved onto the upper platform.

  "Miki will remain here for support. Sakura stay and keep her company as a lookout. Shout if you encounter any dangers."

  He didn't want Miki to climb to the barn roof. If the beast returned she would be trapped at the top. On the platform she and the others behind still had a chance to scamper back into the cellar.

  Chu and Ming were armed with spears, Lucy had her crossbow and a small dagger on her waist. They ventured down the ladder, into the barn and crept towards the ripped wall of the barn.

  Here the thick wooden planks that made up the sides were slashed apart, as if something tore through it like paper. They gingerly peered out of the hole unto the sun filled snow-covered scenery.

  The intermittent howls became clearer from the outside as they came from far away.

  "I think it’s coming from the plains near the forest. Somewhere around the front of the barn?"

  Lucy listened and gave her verdict.

  Ming was busy scrunching up his nose and face at the side.

  "What is that smell. I didn't want to say anything, but Chu you need a purge. You have been smelling like a horse's ass since we opened the trapdoor..."

  He gave Ming a glare making him cower back. Come to think of it the entire barn had a foul-smelling stench.

  "Chu look over there"

  Lucy shook his sleeve and pointed on the ground.

  In the pure white snow, lumps of black 'coal like' substance could be seen. Chu turned around and in the dim light, made out similar small heaps in the barn. His eyes followed the 'heaps’ that dotted the snow at intervals no less than twenty or thirty feet.

  Those lumps as they moved further out from them, turned from a solid, to a slick tar that painted the snow and then gradually turned watery red in color.

  As they ventured out a strange sight greeted them. Below in the distance, halfway between the barn and the forest border crawled the demon. Behind it lay countless red and black splotches on the snow, as if a cup of paint was thrown out randomly as it crawled.

  By now any idiot could tell what type of affliction this demon was suffering from.

  "Wonder what's wrong with that thing, don't look as scary as before"

  Chu turned around and gave him a glare.

  "Can't you see its suffering from serious diarrhea? What the hell did that thing eat?"

  Chu thought back to the previous night.

  'Is this the result of the poison mushrooms? It can't be, the effect on the wolves were never like this'

  Ming suddenly smashed his fist in a palm. His face lit up like a bulb.

  "Damn... I think it ate some of my pellets Chu. Remember the time in the Trading Post, when Griz told me about those seeds that didn't work properly? I bought them wholesale cheap, and melted them down into pellets. I stuffed them into some deer fat to make it enticing."

  Chu vaguely recalled the conversation back then. He also remembered, that those Senen seeds acted mighty potent according to Griz. A different type of fear began to creep into his mind.

  He muttered a question.

  "Hey, how many did you use?"

  "I used all during the process, didn't you say the more the better?"

  Ming continued talking, as they watched the pitiful demon on the snow.

  "Remember how you did the poison? I ground all the seeds into a paste, and used little water. I then got the water out by slowly warming it up like you showed me."

  OMG! Is this guy a blessing, or a walking time bomb?

  Damn! This Ming was too unpredictable.

  Chu noted, not to let this idiot oversee any major experiments in the future. He had to doubly make sure Ming was not around, less the fool decided to copy one and kill them all.

  They watched as the demon crawled and stumbled in the snow below them in the distance.

  "What do we do now?"

  Lucy asked.

  "What else."

  Chu looked down at the opportunity, that literally screamed gold coins back at him.

  "Gold... cough, cough. I mean. Kill it"

  Chapter 28

  Revenge

  At present a group of children chattered while standing on the small hill overlooking the snow-covered plains.

  "Are you sure we can kill that thing?"

  Clod whispered, in trepidation. Of all of them he wanted it dead the most, but also feared it the most.

  Ming gave him a healthy slap on the back, along with a reassuring smile. It helped to dispel his limbs, stiff from the fear. His companions hunted in the forest, killed wolves for sport and slew a Snow bear. These children did not make idle threats.

  "Heh, if boss says kill it, then we kill it. Watch this... Oyez!"

  Ming gave out a holler, towards the beast.

  As the sound traveled across the desolate plains, the demon found the source of its troubles. With a feral roar it staggered onto its four limbs, and broke into a run that covered near forty feet in the blink of an eye. Like a healthy predator, it sprang into the air for a mighty jump, while sprinting across the plains.

  Seeing the demon cover nearly half the distance on the plains in a flash, shocked the onlookers. The instigator slid from the front of the group, cowering behind Chu.

  The spectators trembled like jelly, as their legs became rooted to the ground. Witnessing the unleashed power for the first time, the effect battered their hearts.

  Paralyzed, they could only bear witness to the scene.

  Midway into the jump the demon froze, and doubled up as if having cramps, rolling up like a shrimp. With a deafening howl that dwindled into a whimper, the curled body suddenly sprang open in the air like a flat board, stretching and skimming in the air.

  Red liquid containing dark solid matter, jettisoned out from its rear like a sputtering rocket. The beast then fell flat on the snow, completely sprawled out in exhaustion. Only the whimpers, that sounded like a sobbing child could barely be heard. The jaws of the children dropped to the ground.

  "Holy crap. what was that!"

  "Damn!"

  "Urggh!"

  Amidst the comments, the girls appeared considerate enough to look away from the scene thus preserving their dignity. The boys however, appeared totally engrossed in the spectacle, not willing to miss a single second.

  Gone was any inkling of fear from their minds. Presently the consensus of the spectators varied between shock and pity for the creature.

  'Who the heck would want to be beaten down, to die in such a fashion.'

  The beast seemed devoid of energy, as it trembled to ra
ise its upper body of the snow. Like a feeble old man shaking to support its weight, it lifted and leaned on one forearm elbow as it stared at them. The other front arm was now shaking as it began to raise its upper body.

  One hand was extended as the effort showed in it shaking up and down. The terrible claws curved as it pointed towards them. Even as a demon, the universal feeling of hate could be recognized spewing from its teary eyes.

  Those once proud and dominant eyes were now hatefully boring into Chu's.

  "Damn! Don't give me that look! This is the one who caused you to be in that position!"

  Chu hauled Ming out from behind him, as he looked at the creature and pointed towards the boy with a finger.

  "If you want to curse someone, before entering the gates of hell, do it right."

  "Hey Chu, am... am... is that not like me being on the receiving end of karma or something?"

  "Shut up you idiot. Lucy, Miki use it as target practice. Only aim for the eyes. We need it killed before dark for transport to the barn."

  As the girls stepped forward with their crossbows fully loaded and ready, Clod extended out his arm to stop them. He then came forward to speak to Chu.

  "Chu, let me. I want to kill it, I promise not to waste the bolts and finish it quickly."

  Looking at the determined face, Chu realized there was more to this than met the eye.

  "Why are you so willing?"

  "Revenge... I need revenge for my family. This is the demon that killed my family and crippled my leg."

  Amidst the shocked faces and the few gasps, Chu looked at Clod intently.

  "Okay, but you only have about fifty bolts to use. If it’s not dead, Lucy and Miki will complete the task. Everyone else will take turns holding the spears, in case it regains some strength."

  ***

  If any hunter or garrison patrol, had passed across the grasslands to the south of the village, a strange sight would have greeted them.

  A bunch of children hovered around on the outside of an old barn, taking turns loading crossbows. The weapon passed to the hands of a stocky teen, who moved with a limp.

  Like country kids they cheered the boy, as he aimed at a pitiful creature writhing in the snow. On its face a hedgehog of bolts littered around the nostrils and mouth.

  Such childish behavior in torturing animals, would have drawn the ire of any self-righteous animal rights activist. Upon closer investigation, most people stemming from both worlds would piss themselves in fear or run away screaming from sheer terror.

  Even iron hearted soldiers and mercenaries, would have done a double breath and be frozen in shock. The sane ones who knew the consequences of aggravating such a demon would have long fled in fright.

  In the afternoon, Clod managed to let loose a bolt that entered the left eye of the demon, finally putting an end to its misery. At this time the bout of weakness in its body, prevented it from lifting an arm. It had constantly tried to lift that curled clawed finger, to attempt something, but failed in the end.

  The wolf demon let out a terrible cry in denial, as it slumped onto the snow for the last time. Most of the damage done to it, came not from the bolts but from internal damage and blood loss.

  If not for the strong bowel movements, that threatened to discharge its internal organs onto the plains, a mere bolt would never have been able to injure it. Much less be able to enter its eye to kill it.

  A mighty hunter ranked among the top of all the demon beast, a lone predator. One of the most cunning and calculative of beast, to ever emerge from beyond the Nord Pass. An unstoppable monarch that ruled over its prey among the forest and plains.

  A simple flaw of succumbing to its beastly desires, to consume meat and animal fat led to its ultimate demise. This was an animal that could bypass the best laid snares of trappers. Only to be taken down by simple primal instinct during a casual hunt.

  As for the children playing in the snow. A game of life and death, could not be considered a game.

  Their cheers eased and lift the tension weighing down on Clod. Loading a crossbow for the entire day out in the cold with freezing fingers proved no easy task. Not for the first time, Chu realized the importance of an instructor.

  "Ah crap, its finally over. Chu I'm hungry, feed me."

  "Is that all you ever think about? Sakura is Sue done with cooking?"

  The little girl ran to the barn and came back quickly huffing. Fog puffed from her mouth, as she spoke in the cold air.

  "Yup, she says it's hot and ready for us."

  "Ming, conduct your dead animal checks on this demon from a distance using the spear. Clod get the small makeshift sled ready. After eating we are going to drag this carcass into the barn."

  Chu laid out his orders as they returned to the barn. He would not turn his back, until proving this terror truly died. Leaving an opportunity for a revenge strike—as if.

  After the meal, they suffered another setback in the cold. The beast that demonstrated such superior speed and agility, weighed a ton. Only with long pole levers did they manage to roll it onto a sled and heave it into the barn.

  Chu realized that even though this demon possessed the build required for agility, its muscles were like coils of steel and its bones the weight of concrete. No wonder it demonstrated such explosive burst of power.

  The density of this thing's body, must have been enormous. No wonder even the crossbow bolts at close range proved ineffective. Only those naturally weak spots offered the chance of wounding.

  After finally getting it into the barn, they conducted a quick patch on the damaged barn. Sue and the girls began the cleanup, freeing the barn, and the cellar from any putrid smell. Clod washed the floor with scented water, consisting of ground herbs and bark.

  Boiling the ground herbs in water, diffused an aroma that drove away any funky smell. Nobody would think that this place smelled worse than a pigsty, just half a day ago.

  In the night they gathered on the top platform, as a small fire in the oven warmed up the place. Miki and Lucy had replaced the torn tent above and scouted on the lookout taking turns. Everyone now understood the importance of this function.

  "Tomorrow if the weather is fine, Ming and I will return to the village. Lucy, Miki and Clod will come with us to collect firewood from the stash at the abandoned house. I want to stock up our supplies to last out the winter."

  He looked to Sakura and the others.

  "We may spend the night in the village, or return in the evening. Lucy and the others will return before us anyway, but I need you girls to pay close attention as lookouts while we are gone. Any problems and simply hang a red flag from the lookout and hide within the cellar."

  Chu believed that as of now, the region around the barn had become safer than the village. He gained this valuable knowledge from nature documentaries.

  If larger predators marked their hunting territories, others tend to keep away. With the amount of forced markings around their barn, and the incessant howls and growls, any predators in their right mind would stay away.

  Tired from exhaustion, they enjoyed a hot meal and warm bath courtesy of Sue, and dragged their bodies into the cellar to sleep.

  Clod felt he benefited the most.

  Tonight, he slept like a log. An enormous weight like a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders. He sobbed and cried in joy and sadness, before sleeping.

  The dreams of terror he had since last winter that ended in screams and cold sweat ended. The memory of a terrifying beast, the demonic picture that instilled fear disappeared.

  Shattered completely into oblivion.

  Last winter he lived as a common farm boy on his uncle's farm. Together with his father and his cousins they worked hard to maintain a stable income. Although his mother had died giving childbirth, his uncle's family treated him very well.

  This simple life ended abruptly at the height of winter.

  That night a demon in the guise of a beast broke into their farmhouse. He received the fir
st injury, when the solid wooden door broke off its hinges, crashing on top of him. The impact snapped his leg like a twig.

  Partially hidden under the door, he escaped the first onslaught. As the demon chased the family one by one playfully executing them, his father managed to reach him.

  In the bloodbath that occurred around them, his father managed to sneak out to the small cellar on the outside and lock him in. Through the cracks he could only witness the carnage that followed, remaining frozen in fear.

  The sounds of his father screaming on the outside until death became the last memory of that once happy life. The monster decimated everything of value that night.

  The only way he survived was through the smells of the herbs stored in the small cellar. These seemed to affect the beast ability to hunt him by smell. Clod had used this information, to insist in scattering such herbal plants across the trapdoor in the barn.

  This mindset had inadvertently saved their lives, masking the scent of the meat and their natural odor.

  After the destruction of his family the garrison found him wandering the road. The healer tended to his leg and released him into the slums. The guards considered his tale the rants of a delirious person, stricken with fever.

  After winter, he tried to return to the farm, only to find it in ruins after a major fire leveled it to the ground. With no claim to the land, and no money he drifted into the slums.

  He found work in the Trading Post and other business places to scratch out a living. The poor setting of his leg left him with a limp that prevented him from demanding jobs. This physical defect along with the sleepless nights from terrifying dreams reduced him to simply surviving day by day.

  During that steady decline into squalor, he had an encounter with other children of the same standing. Like him they were struggling for survival in the slums.

  Different from him their vitality and determination strived to overthrow this helpless situation. Today he understood how crazy they acted to gain a better life.

  Clod had finally found a home.

  Chapter 29

  A Learning Experience