The Red Lands 2

by ForestRage

  Maybe they were not aware of it or just too afraid of confronting the creatures at night. Farmers out in the frontiers don't make a habit of venturing out after sunset.

  He glanced at Clod who had that sorrowful look.

  "How do we catch them?"

  Mr. Thomas gave a forced laugh.

  "Boy, you really are a pup in this world. Do you know what Inyoni meat sells for in the city?"

  "Huh?"

  "It sells by the pound, one silver piece per pound."

  "Why do we have to care how...What?! One silver?"

  "That is correct, one silver per pound. A normal sized Inyoni weighs about two hundred pounds. Do you want to know why such a large flightless bird is so expensive?"

  Chu nodded his head. It was indeed strange for a bird that large to cost so much. He might understand the cost of a Snowbear. Those suckers were huge but they were rare and too dangerous.

  "Speed."

  "Speed?"

  "Yes speed, they can run faster than a horse and have endless stamina. They have a keen sense of danger. Since they move in a group you can imagine the difficulties one has to take to ambush them."

  "Why doesn't somebody just find the eggs and raise them?"

  Mr. Thomas scoffed.

  "You think nobody thought about it? Unfortunately, the birds have an entire empire to hide. Now and then, a scout might stumble across a few eggs which are worth their weight in gold. A captured Inyoni don’t breed and eventually die."

  Chu nodded as he soaked in this information.

  He looked across the vast expanse of grasslands stretching to the south.

  'Holy Crap!'

  An epiphany!

  Did he not have all these grasslands as his own? If he could form a large stockade and funnel these suckers into a corral. Would he not be rich?

  He gave a deep look at the wolf cubs trotting around the perimeter.

  'Didn't he have his own brand of sheepdogs?'

  Given the right incentive, the boss and her thugs would do anything.

  This had the making of a profitable adventure so it required some thought.

  Hehehehe.

  But first, this bird mob had to be dealt with. They had to know this was the wrong turf to waltz into.

  He walked over to Clod and picked up a ball of young corn.

  "Clod, I swear an oath on this corn that I will help you bring those birds to justice. All resources will always be provided to you so we can capture and deal with all those gold… I mean pests.”

  Clod cast a grateful look at the adamant Chu seeking revenge for him. As a simple farmer, the words offered comfort during this disaster. He really misunderstood those fanatical dollar sign eyes. Lucy bent her chin while shaking her head on hearing the words. As part of the first trio, she recognized the gleaming eyes all too well.

  With the survey of the damage and the cause established, the group then toiled extra hard to please the distraught farmer. Clod provided an estimate of the losses while they worked.

  The corner of the field which suffered total rampage had no chance of recovery or yield. Broken and cleaned cobs littered the scattered stalks. The total loss amounted to about an eighth of their future harvest.

  The percentage might seem a drop in a pail but considering the food could have fed a person gruel for the entire winter, Chu chalked it up as a huge loss. As a man who engaged in his first job as a farmer, the sight affected him like a man watching his yearly bonus puff up in smoke. This was the pain of a farmer.

  Chu's first priority dealt with securing the remaining crops. It would be devastating for them if all their hard toils were to be in vain. Especially this close to harvesting time.

  'Now is the time that the supervisor jumps in to pacify and calm the subordinates...'

  "I want first dibs on all large animals caught. If Lucy bags any predators then the heart, head, and liver are all mine. The book says I need the kidneys and the lower spine to make a concoction to strengthen a Hounds 'spine'. I want Sue and Clod to help me get the herbs needed."

  "Deal. I will consider the foxes Lucy caught as a down-payment."

  The girl nodded simultaneously along with three other heads. Chu could swear these bastards operated like modern-day gangs. He likened the shady extortion to deals struck with mobsters.

  Slowly, he noticed a clear pattern in that the wolves always accompanied Dyna when she conducted business with the others. Her attitude also leaned towards the kind displayed by people of authority and power, business owners, tycoons, and head politicians.

  Godfather, he was raising a godfather of the Mafia.

  "Deal! Just to be clear Chu, you only want them acting as a deterrent right? If anything besides those birds appears, I’ll call them back."

  "Yes, yes. Now take them away to rest, I want your troop fresh and ready for the night."

  The night passed by uneventful.

  ◆◆◆

  In the evening Chu brought out two stuffed dolls before the archery training.

  "Today Elder and I are going to talk about using ranged attacks on different and tougher foes."

  "Ahem...yes, yes. But Chu what are those stuffed cloth things for? Are we doing a guessing game?"

  "Wait until I finish. Now pay attention. Elder please..."

  Mr. Thomas got up and went to the front. Today his class contained all of the battle fanatics.

  Chu placed the first stuffed cloth doll beside him. It had the likeness of a wild boar. He had commissioned this from Sakura and Amanda. It was large as a barrel.

  "We have practiced our archery and even our sword skills. I have no doubt you kids can hit or strike a target. However, it is time I teach you about the real world."

  Chu placed the other stuffing beside the fence. This time it had the likeness of a human.

  "Beast will take your life in a flash. But out in the real world, there are some things even more deadly you have to face."

  "People..."

  After much discussion with Mr. Thomas, Chu decided to get everyone familiar with fatal points for both beast and humans. The recollection of facing the dangerous boar instigated this training. When Ming ran with the beast on his tail, they could not provide assistance because of its near indestructibility.

  Sure everyone knew about aiming for a target, most of all aiming for the head to kill.

  But did they understand why or the reasoning behind it?

  He needed to train and practice himself and his companions in delivering critical and fatal strikes. Sooner or later on this path of adventuring, they will clash with humans. Chu knew without some form of training and preparedness that would be a daunting task.

  Most of this training focused on him. The first contact Chu made with warm, life-draining blood occurred in this world. As an ordinary man among the masses, he never experienced a street brawl much less a murder. In this world, however, hesitation to deliver the final blow could kill him.

  “The hunts in the forest have turned repetitive since we have grown accustomed. Last time, however, the boar nearly killed us. We can laugh but next time we might not find a tree to climb.”

  “The boy speaks the truth. You can only depend on yourself and not think Lucy will always save you. I will show you what we learned in the Military while Chu has something of his own to add.”

  The two of them lectured while holding a discussion. Chu introduced the concept of vital points recalling his limited knowledge. Mr. Thomas shared his experience in dealing with both wild beasts and humans.

  The Military did not have in-depth training programs. Most of the information came from word of mouth by veterans.

  'Shoot the eyes.'

  'When large cats pounce slice under the exposed necks'

  This was a first for Mr. Thomas, and it proved very good experience for new trainees.

  When Chu pointed out the reasons for shooting the ears instead of the eyes of the boar the man looked surprised. More so, when the boy got a bleached skull of a Jaga to
prove his point.

  Chu marked the places of interest on the animal figure with a large ink dot for reference. He did the same on the human figure.

  Mr. Thomas took over and explained his experience in dealing with bandits. He shared some stories of how his companions nearly died when they left ruthless people alive.

  "The heart is the place to shoot just like an animal. However, people, especially ruthless people are cunning. Some of them even have a small iron breastplate under a leather armor. That wasted shot can be the difference between life and death."

  Chu thought the children might become depressed having to learn this sort of things. He was mistaken though, they were more than enthusiastic in soaking in this knowledge.

  He finally understood he raised no sheltered children.

  These roughnecks acquired pleasure in stalking and ambushing deadly predators in the dangerous forest. It dawned on him that thrice a week, Mr. Thomas or Clod labored butchering and sorting various types of wild animals.

  Possibly everyone with the exception of Mrs. Thomas engaged in hunting. Even Amanda and Sue ventured into the grasslands with Dyna to capture roaming pheasants. Interacting with fresh blood on the farm proved a regular occurrence. Nobody here, feared the sight of it since the lifestyle hardened their hearts.

  He realized that maybe it was him who was so naive.

  His kids had already grown up.

  'I need to turn these savages into vegetarians.'

  Chapter 15

  A well oiled team

  "This might be the last hunt before Autumn. Don't disappoint me brat."

  "Hehehe...old man, you should face the facts. Your disciple has already long surpassed you."

  The cocky boy folded his arms and tried to stare down the man with a look of disdain on his upturned face.

  The 'young master' pose was swiftly broken in the dangerous forest.

  Slap!

  "Surpassed in what? Focus and stop bickering with Elder. Lucy is ready."

  The group quieted down and looked towards the girl quickly moving into the forest depths.

  Lucy trod as nimble as a deer in this forest. Even without activating her abilities she maneuvered among the stones and roots like a fish in the water.

  They had not gone deep into the woods when she held out her hand indicating to stop.

  After a time she beckoned them over.

  "To the east, at our backs. It's stalking our trail and keeping a distance."

  Ming turned serious and whispered a reply.

  "Seems like it wants an opening to take us down. What about I give it one."

  "You up for it?"

  "Sure, Just let Lucy tell me when. How do you want to play it?"

  Chu held his hand to his chin and thought for a little.

  "It will come in hard and fast. Don't block, it's too big for you. Roll to the side and I will flank it. When it aims at me, the neck is yours. The fatal blow should be yours. If not Lucy will step in with a shot under the shoulders to the heart."

  "Sounds good."

  "Ready"

  The replies came in positive and they dispersed. Ming began walking in the back hobbling as if injured. He kept calling out softly to the others now leaving in front.

  Soon he reached an opening between some trees and sat on the ground. His stance was like an injured animal. He sat whimpering clutching his unsheathed sword and foot.

  Chu and Lucy were nowhere to be found. The faint walking sounds of Mr. Thomas could be heard in the distance.

  "Now!"

  On the shout, Ming rolled on the ground and crouched into position.

  As if by magic a large cat leaped through the air and landed on the exact position he was sitting before. The Jaga only had time to turn its head following the rolling boy.

  Before the hind legs even touched the ground a shadow burst out from the thickets at the side and a sword stabbed the beast just behind the front shoulders.

  The beast let out a roar and turned quickly swatting this ambusher. Chu did not waste time and had moved away after the attack. The predator had now focused on this new enemy when the wounded prey suddenly moved in with a burst of speed.

  A well-aimed stab pierced the skin near the neck. The Jaga roared and backed away as its vision suddenly turned blurry. Blood squirted out from the fatal wound in its neck.

  With a vicious howl, it turned and fled back towards the east.

  Lucy jumped down from the tree nearby and grouped up with them. Soon after Mr. Thomas walked out from in front and met them.

  "Well played brat."

  "Let's go."

  With Lucy as a companion, they did not have to rush to find the creature. They never had to worry about unsuspecting ambushes.

  Eventually, they found the creature lying on its side, struggling for its last breaths.

  Ming released it from its misery with a whizzing crossbolt penetrating to the heart. The experienced hunters would never approach within range of a dying beast if provided the chance.

  Mr. Thomas gave a quiet laugh when Ming returned the crossbow.

  "Good job. You guys played your strengths well. A foe this big would have been serious trouble if you had to face it head-on. Ambushing tactics are much suitable for kids who are relatively weak.

  You have to learn from every experience you get. A beast this large and even faster than you can only kill you. Even better you actually goaded it into running close to the forest edge instead of deeper."

  Mr. Thomas was very well pleased but he knew better than to give the kids a swollen head. Heaven knows one of them already had a 'big' head.

  He was amazed at how efficient the plan was executed. It all hinged on Lucy and her abilities. Ming and Chu were equally amazing. Both had made their strikes count, hitting the vulnerable areas. A product of endless practicing that consequently increased their chances of a lucky strike.

  They had been using their time hunting to hone in the skills of striking those fatal spots. The days when they were trying to beat an animal to death by chance was something of the past.

  All they needed was the strength to follow through and complete those attacks. Then this team would be even better than most adventurers.

  "Chu this kill is mine right?"

  "Yes, yes it counts as yours."

  Chu answered him for the umpteenth time as they made a makeshift sled to drag the beast back to the forest line. The hand cart hidden there would make the trip to the barn easier.

  During the past few days, this Jaga had begun to roam around the edge of the forest near the barn in the late evenings. Within the last two days, Miki had spotted it near the stockade used to butcher the animals.

  This was too close to the barn for Chu's liking. Only a few feet and the palisade separated them from a powerful, climbing beast. A fence was not much help against something like this.

  A cat this big could ambush someone like Sakura and leap over the fence as if it was a step. Nobody would know when the victim was killed and dragged to the forest.

  Thus the hunting party quickly launched a sortie to eliminate this threat.

  Chu could only feel elated.

  'Holy crap, I am actually doing these amazing feats!'

  Soon they dragged the prize back to the barn. Chu was not too worried about another trail again. Unless it was a demon beast, he was prepared for anything.

  It was ironic that the beast was placed on the same butchering block it had been lurking around for just the past few days.

  Mr. Thomas got to work on the beast and had Ming help him in removing the pelt.

  Chu sat at the side in thought.

  How could he prevent those predators from following those blood trails back to the barn?

  No matter how much he tried, they still ended up luring predators. It was like he still had to accept that those beasts would be roaming around his front porch.

  Only when they were active near the forest and did their scouting were they able to keep the threat at
bay. As soon as they concentrated on the farm the forest slowly became repopulated with danger.

  Location, location, location.