The Red Lands 1

by ForestRage

  "Hey Daffodil. Come here and open this bag."

  Gofart slowly retreated while ordering the servant. He seethed in anger at Tochus, and decided to vent his rage on the man’s servants.

  Daffodil had no choice to comply. Under the watchful eyes of the armed soldiers he stepped forward and dragged the sack into plain view. With a deft stroke of his sword, he sliced open the bag, letting the contents tumble out.

  The Hound gave a mournful howl.

  Daffodil jumped back on reflex.

  The soldiers exclaimed in shock.

  Gofart stumbled backwards and fell on the snow, as the head rolled to a stop between his legs. The vengeful yellow eyes, caused another burst of liquid to flow freely down his thighs.

  He screamed...

  Chu never witnessed the finally, since he had long disappeared.

  Chapter 46

  Rise of the Heroes

  In the warm office of the garrison post, Commander Fredijak scrutinized a large map on the flat desk. Surrounding the map, the heads of the rostered Captains leaned over while their hands moved and pointed to various locations.

  “Tull has no success in the south. I am sure by the time he sends his next report, we might have a lead.”

  A brown haired man said. His calloused fingers pointed to the north.”

  “That old man must be grinding his teeth at having the menial task of closing the net.”

  A younger man laughed. His straw colored head and stubbed yellow beard, was devoid of gray hair unlike the rest of the group. A large hand fell on his head, ruffling the short hair.

  “Tull might be old, but he is a veteran of battles. Don’t forget he was your commander in the northern battlements. When it comes to smoking out these Demons, he is a pro.”

  A muscular gruff man said, as he chastised the younger man.

  “Alright, enough playing around. Let’s hear the Commander’s plan. When this is over, we can all celebrate in Frost City.”

  The men ceased the chatter, as they waited with respect for the Commander to speak.

  Among his men he was respected and admired for his keen and decisive intellect. Most of these officers had served under him at one point in time at the battlefront. Together they were discussing strategies to support their brothers out in the field.

  A large circle was drawn on the map with the center being just north of the village. Small arcs were shown inside the large circle. Looking at this map with all the scribbles and arrows one could grasp the meaning behind it.

  A simple but large net was cast over the village that slowly moved inwards. This was the method the Military used when approaching a scenario like this one.

  It was not the first time they were hunting demons that escaped from the battlements at the North Mountains, and it would not be the last. The only difference this time, lay in the fact that they never faced a demon of this caliber.

  "Sumter and his team should be nearing the south area soon. Let the teams keep hunting around the north for now. Roberts, keep those mercenaries pressing into the forest, so the demon might decide to attack them. Those from the large clans and houses are starting to make some moves."

  The Commander said while looking at the nodding straw colored man.

  Just as the large clans and others were trying to use the Military to their advantage, so to the Military was using them to achieve its purpose. Fredijak was an old crow when it came to these matters. He had years of experience in dealing with these people.

  The Military had near exclusive rights when it came to using the demons north of the battlements. Those chosen to receive the talisman were loyal to the Military first. The Military was an arm of the Emperor. No ruler would want other clans or large families to become more powerful and pose a threat to their rule.

  “We had a report that Young Master Wu is on his way to the village. The Tower has also sent word that some of the other less known Houses are sending guards and family members.”

  Commander Fredijak mussed.

  “Damn, if Clan Wu decides to interfere then they might seize the lifestone for themselves. That young master is a cunning one, in Frost City he has probably had the most chances in trying to become a Sersen.”

  Even though the Military's main purpose was to protect the Empire from those demon beast, it had the hidden mandate, to ensure that those elite guards assigned to the Emperor, would always remain loyal and more powerful than any other houses.

  A high-class demon posed a threat to national security. Not because of its threat to the people, but its threat to the Emperor, should someone succeed in making it a talisman.

  No Emperor would want some unknown person, floating around his capital city and home with a power akin to a dragon.

  This was the true reason why the Commander rapidly deployed to the village.

  Commander Fredijak stood musing over his thoughts on how to proceed with his strategy, when the door burst open.

  "Audacious!..."

  Roberts responded first by shouting as his hands automatically reached for his sword. These men were born through battle and bloodshed. They served in the front lines at the north, and had been rotated into the less active reserve camps.

  This way the Military kept its men experienced without burning them out.

  "..."

  "..."

  No idiot would dare to barge into a high-powered meeting like this one. Heavy punishment or death remained the only option after such actions. The response of the others, including the Commander proved just as quick, following Roberts.

  Taking in the figure before them however, had them dumbfounded and paralysed.

  The man who burst into the room, gripped onto the door frame and panting loudly. Like a struggling swimmer in a turbulent river, he gasped for breath, while humping the door.

  He then took a deep breath, and slowly turned his face to the stunned men in the room.

  In a different time, a different romantic setting and in a different seductive dream, this action at the door and the type of lecherous gaze would have made any man blood boil.

  Presently at this very moment, these men blood crawled.

  "Commander!"

  The person that looked like he supported the door frame, called out in a high-pitched voice.

  With a slight shudder the Team Captains turned towards Commander Fredijak. They were aware of the relationship between the two. The Commander like all men had his vices. If not for their hidden relationship that everyone was aware of, Tochus would have already been cut down.

  The young man calmed himself, then strutted towards the table and gave a salute. If it wasn't for the previous debacle, nobody would have believed this was the same person from a few seconds ago.

  "Commander Fredijak, this one brings an urgent report."

  The Commander looked at the young man standing in salute. His appearance looked ragged and a stench emanated from him, growing stronger by the minute. As the warm room thawed out the intruder, the smell of the sewers, filled the air.

  Fredijak would never believe that this was the same Tochus, who normally accompanied him during his frequent romps.

  The gazes of the other captains fell on this disheveled individual. His clothes were covered in filth and yellow liquid dripped around his boots. The dazzling white fur looked like it had been dragged through the mud.

  Unfortunately mud was not the only thing in the slums that had that color.

  Along with the marathon breathing, he cut a sorry state. He seemed like a man who just underwent a scuffle, and then dragged through a sewer for a bath.

  Tochus face was not one of a rich brat who bore grievance for the condition he was reduced to, or one of humiliation. Instead it glowed full of fear and excitement.

  These men had fought numerous battles in the North Mountains. They were aware of how inexperienced soldiers acted on witnessing a demon horde. It didn't take them more than a few breaths, to understand the situation.

  "By the Gods! Where is it?
"

  The Commander beat them to the question of the hour.

  Young, noble born rookie, forced into a beggarly state and smell, yet without an ounce of complaint. Instead of whining for assistance, he burst through the door of a Military conference, while beaming from those black coated teeth.

  Only one particular situation could lead to this.

  Which novice soldier, did not cross some of these points during their first demon beast battle?

  Of course these men might not have fulfilled all of these conditions together. That honor was now claimed unchallenged by master Tochus.

  Young master Tochus calmed himself. Within the garrison he considered himself to be in the safest place. He straightened himself, and assumed the stance of a subordinate delivering an important message.

  "Commander! As instructed, MY team was supposed to relieve the others, at the east in the forest border. I had my suspicions about the demon being clever enough to hide in the slums, so I decided to make a search..."

  "Yes, yes get on with it. Hurry with the important points man!"

  Commander Fredijak interrupted him angrily.

  This Tochus really knew how to spin a tale.

  "Am.. yes Commander, the Hound found a scent in the slums. I tried to send one of my men with the message, but they were adamant that they protect my escape... I mean my success in completing this task."

  Tochus garbled out.

  "Roberts, get the slum area surrounded by the garrison and soldiers. Dominus, have the Hounds we have on standby moved to between the forest and the slums. If the demon breaks out we will risk the Hounds, to slow it down.”

  Commander Fredijak rattled on.

  “Jiang, contact those adventurers and mercenaries within the village. Have them probe the slums, we need to tire this beast before we attack it. Let's sacrifice them, before heading in with our soldiers. Inform the Clans, to also make use of them."

  In a breath's time, only Tochus remained in the room, as the others rushed out. Swiveling around like an idiot, he panicked and ran out.

  Within an hour the slum area was surrounded. Even if the wolf demon broke out from this encirclement, the direction it went would be known. There were too many curious eyes looking on in anticipation.

  The Commander and a team of elite soldiers stood stationed in the north outskirts of the slums. Outfitted in their bloodstained armor and weaponry, they cut an imposing sight among the others.

  There was one soldier who did seem out-of-place in that group of heroic figures. A young man who appeared to be a beggar of some sort.

  Even those elite soldiers turned up their noses, and shifted away whenever he tried to inch closer.

  A man in similar leather armor to those stationed around, rushed out from between the shacks. He slogged his way towards the command group.

  "Commander the first group of adventurers have now been sent into the area. In a moment we will send the others from different points. At the sound of battle, all of them have been instructed to congregate at that position, and suppress the demon."

  "Good job, remember our soldiers are to use long rage tactics to aid in suppression. Use the Military crossbows. As soon as the beast is weakened, move in to kill it. Wipe out any opposition along the way."

  As the Commander relayed his instructions, a man emerged from within the slum area, moving out between those dilapidated shacks.

  On sighting the outfit, that stood out from the others, he moved towards the elite team.

  "I'm looking for Commander Fredijak. I have a message for him."

  A soldier recognized that he was a member of the first scouting party that ventured into the slums. He relayed it to the Commander.

  "Speak the message."

  "Young master Gofart, the Captain of the reconnaissance team, have asked that the Commander make haste to meet him near the center of the slum. The threat of the wolf demon is no more. I will lead the way."

  The adventurer spoke in a fearful manner, but it was loud enough for others in the vicinity to hear.

  'The demon is gone?'

  “Was it killed? The Military actually has someone so strong, to fight those demons one on one?”

  “Who is this invincible Captain that guy is so fearful of? Did you see the way he was shaking?”

  “Who is this young master Gofart? That wolf demon took out nearly half of the garrison, when they were on patrol!”

  Even as the adventurer turned to lead the Commander, and his elite team into the slums, the contents of that message spread like wildfire, among those circling the area. Slowly those groups of men, made their way between those shacks and snowbanks to the center area.

  The sight that greeted the Commander and the combatants, left them stupefied and spawned the rise of a new legend.

  Young Master Gofart, Corporal of the reconnaissance team, stood on a low mound of snow and broken wood. He had the aura of a hero emanating from him, a conqueror-- slightly fat, pudgy maybe, but that was the talk that spread from those who saw it.

  The main reason they didn't focus on Master Gofart, was because their eyes had locked onto the thing resting beneath one of his boot.

  Under the boot lay the terrifying head of the wolf demon.

  A thick silence descended on the large crowd that gathered.

  Master Tochus was the first to break this silent spell.

  "Screw me..."

  Chapter 47

  A Setup

  The heroic legend being born, quickly turned into another sort of legend, when the Commander put forward one simple question.

  "The body, where is the rest of the body?"

  On hearing the facts from Gofart and his accompanying soldiers, Commander Fredijak turned red. Smoke flared from his nostrils and mouth as he bellowed

  “Send an order at once to seal the slums. Search everyone here, before they leave. Call the troops from the forest, and have Captain Tull return. No one, and I mean nobody, is allowed to step one foot out from this village.”

  Glancing at this idiot, Commander Fredijak reached a hand forward and grasped Gofart by the neck. He vented his frustration on this seeker of fame, with some well placed slaps.

  “Instead of standing here, you should have helped cordon off the slums.”

  Bap!

  “Instead of posing here, you should have begun questioning the nearby slum dwellers.”

  Bap!

  “Instead of seeking fame, you should be digging for the body!”

  Now that word spread that the body had not been found, the entire slums will be flipped over. The body contained the precious lifestone, and heart blood. Without the body, nobody knew if the lifestone had been smuggled out.

  The Commander snorted, as he released Gofart who slumped to the ground with a bloated face. Fredijak had more worrying matters, than to deal with an idiot. He had to find the body. With so many agents from nobles sneaking around, he had a splitting headache.

  “Gather the residents here. Question from the children to the old people. Offer a loaf of bread to hear their story. I want to know every rumor that spat from a mouth ever since we came.”

  The residents of the slums were all gathered and questioned individually. Instead of being tortured, the Military offered a loaf of bread. This winter had to be counted as the best they ever passed.

  “Officer sir, I got a gig at night tending to the big bonfire. All I heard, is that some guys were hunting north for the demon beast.”

  A young man said. He had earned some coppers for this winter, instead of having to starve it out.

  “Sir, I wash for the Mercenaries staying at the inn. I heard them talk about heading west. A man said he thought he saw it there.”

  An old woman trembled on the chair. She had spectated and glimpsed the vicious head of the demon. Heavens alone knows how she would sleep at night.

  “Officer, we have been running errands at the south gate. There was a rumor that some nobles, seized a man from the slums as bait. My friends will
back me up.”

  A young man called Doug whispered. He and his friends had mingled among the revellers at the south gate, feeding on scraps.

  Life for the villagers, especially the slum dwellers had started out harsh, but turned for the better as the village had swollen to over twice its capacity. Menial jobs like washing, cleaning and nightly services abounded. If a person was willing, the coppers would flow.

  At night, once they stayed out of notice from those drunk mercenaries and nobles, they were able to enjoy the warmth of the large bonfire at the south gate. The able-bodied men were even paid some coppers to tend the fire.

  Instead of starvation and cold, they had food and warmth. To maintain this lifestyle, the residents sang like a lark. As for the events that happened during the discovery, most gave a full account. The yelling of a brat had woken and stirred everyone awake.

  “I heard the shouts and peeped through the walls in my shack. I saw the fatty land on his butt and piss himself”

  “Some brat was hollering, out looking for trouble. I walked out to clobber his ass, when a guy smelling like dung rushed passed me. I said to meself, if something scared that armored dude, then I not be involved. I hid in my shack.”

  “I watched from behind our shed, over there. Saw a man run shatting away, and then another fall pissing himself.”

  The reputation of young master Gofart and Tochus, plummeted slowly as rumors spread like wildfire. Since the rumors originated in the barracks, and circulated from the Military, the young nobles had no way to stifle the sources.

  There was one group of slum residents however, who did not profit from this turn of events.

  Old man Bai and his group of hoodlums found themselves in a predicament. The kind of predicament that makes one cough up blood.

  On investigation by the Military, the wolf demon head lay hidden under the woodpile belonging to them. In fact, the residents swore on their loaf of bread that old man Bai and his wannabe gangster posse, had broken down all the surrounding shacks. They had further beaten any person who ventured near that area.