The Red Lands 2

by ForestRage

  "Tell me, brat, are you some kind of young noble or something?"

  Chu shook his head.

  "No, I believe you could say I am an average slum child."

  "So this girl, Miss Lucy. Where is she from, Is she from Frost City? A noble?"

  Chu waved his hands. He did not fail to notice the way the man now addressed Lucy.

  "A friend from the slums."

  "Ah. I see."

  Chu shook his head in denial.

  "From this village? She is not from up north?"

  "This village. The barn is the farthest she has ever traveled from the slums in her life. She is also our biggest secret."

  Mr. Thomas nodded unconsciously as he went off muttering to himself.

  "Ah, I see. So Miss Lucy is from the village. A simple village girl.

  Local girl...

  She must have been extremely fortunate to have encountered...

  Eh?!"

  Mr. Thomas eyes widen like saucers. They bulged out for a moment. Only a moment because after that his mind was overloaded with an impossible scenario.

  'Wolf demon-village-dead demon-girl-Sersen-RARE demon-girl-little girl...'

  He fainted spectacularly.

  "Crap Chu, looked like you really capped the old guy this time. I call first dibs on his sword!"

  ◆◆◆

  He found himself lying down on one of the cots in the barn. The rooms upstairs were given to the girls while the boys slept on single beds below. Construction work on the ground floor was slowed for the past weeks.

  Only the original fence securing the kitchen area had been done. With numbers and a skilled soldier, Chu was not reduced to sleeping in the cellars any more. At least, for the time being, they felt secure. Clod had plans to reinforce the walls of the barn using logs.

  The old man waved his concerned wife away. He indicated he was fine and just tired from the weeks of work. Chu indicated he should get some rest and continue their talk tomorrow.

  After a nearly sleepless night for Mr. Thomas, they gathered under the tree. He had a tired look with dark bags hanging under his eyes. His attitude was different this time, he conducted himself like an officer and got straight to the point.

  "Who knows about this?"

  Chu sat up on the bench.

  "Just us alone. Nobody else."

  "The merchant? Simon?"

  Chu nodded his head indicating no.

  "Nobody, we are not so stupid to announce this to the Empire."

  Yesterday Mr. Thomas nearly had a concussion after seeing the youngest ever Sersen. Then he was close to having a stroke when it turned out this girl was actually a Sersen awakened from a rare wolf demon lifestone.

  The old man sighed.

  "I really do not know what to say. A part of me is relieved that you trust me enough to let me in on this secret. This is because when we get ripped apart when the Empire finds out, I would at least know why I died."

  He could only envisage the scene where the Military or those ruthless noble houses descended on them. Escaping to any part of the Empire would never save them.

  He continued.

  "The next part of me just wished you never told me. That way I would never have to carry the mountain of worry that descended on my shoulders last night."

  Chu nodded in agreement.

  "I never meant for you to shoulder extra burdens with us. As I said, we are the only ones in the know. In time we can always pass her off as a lucky adventurer from the north. Nobody will know her true secret. All I want from you is one thing for the next couple of years."

  Mr. Thomas caught on quickly.

  "You want me to help in training her abilities?"

  "Correct. In this remote region, I am offering you a chance of a lifetime. We have your first-hand experience. We have books and materials courtesy the Trading Post. And we have a perfect training ground away from prying eyes."

  Chu stood up and pointed to the forest. Within it lay an inexhaustible source of adversaries to aid their development. He continued as a professional salesman.

  "With all this, don't tell me that in five years we cannot become a force to be reckoned. With Lucy as our hidden trump card, I think you should realize that sooner or later this village will be too small for us."

  Mr. Thomas got up and paced around agitatedly.

  "I admit I was more scared than anything last night. The implications of this thing are so great I even considered running away. The Military, the Noble Houses, Guilds and worse yet the Tower Mages will all be breathing down our backs. Against any one of such foes, much less all of them we are merely dust."

  His chest heaved as he continued.

  "But you are right! Damn right! In those towns and cities, the clan with the strongest power rules supreme. I touched high society once, and I believe with your help I can do it again.

  Agreed! I will train you guys to become a force to be reckoned with. But I only ask one thing from you when we achieve success."

  Chu had no reason to say no. He caught the underlying meanings behind those words. Mr. Thomas did not say if they achieved success. He said when.

  He looked at the man who seemed to have gotten a new lease on life.

  "Tell me this first, Mr. Thomas. How come you did not take this golden opportunity. You could have killed us off last night and sold off Lucy to the highest bidder. One night's decision could have catapulted you into a river of gold."

  Mr. Thomas glared at the boy staring at him.

  "You Brat! you still have the audacity to ask me that? If I was an inexperienced lone youngster maybe I might have done something stupid as that. Especially now when I am convinced this secret is known only to those on this farm.

  Trying to sell Miss Lucy out in public would make me an enemy of everyone, when the word gets out I might die the like an idiot.

  Even if I try to make a deal in secret, with a powerful house like the Emperor's, my life and my family is in danger. This girl is like a large pot of gold dumped on a weak family living in the city slums. One, just ONE slip means certain death. To keep this secret trump weapon, the first person killed would be me."

  Chu could only give a wry smile. Just as he suspected, Lucy was turning out to be one hot potato.

  No matter who Lucy was with, she could only be passed off as a Sersen after she got older. Her main problem was the lifestone used and her age. Once word got out that her core was from a wolf demon, chaos would begin.

  "Say what you want."

  "It could be years from now, I will not mind but I want to be able to live to see the day I can return to Frost City unimpeded. I want to be able to return with my head held high."

  Chu never hesitated.

  "Deal!"

  Since they were already absorbed into his family the same privileges applied. He would have no qualms seeking vengeance on anyone who wronged his family. He also had his own reasons for agreeing so quickly.

  Frost City was the gateway for adventurers and mercenaries who thirsted for lifestones. The Military welcomed this behavior and rumor since it brought in extra manpower.

  In a few years of Military training, coupled with some luck with Lucy. What was to stop him from turning all of them into Sersen?

  This was his wolf pack.

  His very own wolf demon pack.

  ◆◆◆

  That very evening the first gathering was held. Chu first outlined to the others his schedule and plans for the day to day working on the farm. With the help of Mr. Thomas, he re-introduced Lucy to the family as a Sersen.

  Mrs. Thomas and Amanda received the news well. The meaning of having a Sersen around made them overjoyed. As previous residents of Frost City, they understood the true meaning of having a Sersen in the family.

  The Empire treated a Sersen in any city with respect and dignity. They could eventually hold the same ranks as nobles.

  Unlike Mr. Thomas who mind was in upheaval at the news, they were ecstatic on the benefits a Sersen means to a family
.

  'Never underestimate a woman's mind'

  Was the thought of Philosopher Chu.

  In an isolated barn far from the center of civilization, a new family set their foundation.

  The new schedule rotated everyone in combat training during the day. Chu stressed that in a place where danger had a habit of popping up at any time, everyone should be at least able to defend themselves.

  Mr. Thomas was to concentrate on training Ming, Chu, Lucy, Miki, and Dyna.

  He was to try and help them turn into specialized soldiers.

  The focus for the others was to be using ranged attacks.

  To Ming's dismay, education was still mandatory every evening. The focus would be on Sakura and Amanda with Sue and Mrs. Thomas having to learn mathematics.

  Mrs. Thomas assigned free members to help in the housekeeping chores. Chu insisted the girls continue learning things like sewing and other crafts. This time it was Miki who nearly cried hugging her crossbow.

  Clod would be in charge of running the farm. Chu would provide him with goals and deadlines.

  The training for Lucy would be the same as a new Sersen who entered the Military. Mr. Thomas hoped to use that generic guideline to test and activate her abilities one at a time. Hopefully, it should trigger some form of response.

  As someone who was once a Sersen, Mr. Thomas still retained enough contacts to enable him to ask for information on the subject. As a retired officer if the Military he could make use of his standing discreetly.

  With the outline of new goals and tasks for everyone, it was up to them whether they could soar like a bird or sink like a stone.

  Chapter 8

  A Summer of Hardships

  Late evening.

  The sun was behind the forest with the rays filtering between the lush leaves. The grasslands to the east of the forest were painted in vibrant colors; a green landscape filled with lots of blue, purple, red and yellow flowers.

  Chu remembered those documentaries and ads that showed how wonderful and relaxing it was to hike across pristine grasslands and tranquil virgin forest. The focus back then was to return an individual to primordial times.

  The wonderful feeling of having not a care in the world.

  Mmmmn...sunny beaches.

  Stress-free

  "Ruthless lying bastards!"

  Chu mumbled.

  'They will never see another cent again from this man!'

  A group of shadows broke free from under the forest and slowly emerged into the open grasslands.

  A teenage boy was pulling the handle on one side of a crude handcart. He was drenched in sweat and had a fatigued expression. His clothing was splattered with blood and ripped in several places.

  He hobbled along with a roughly hewn branch to aid a wounded leg. A thigh was wrapped in a bloodstained cloth bandage.

  A smaller boy on his side manned the other handlebar. He had the look of a man forced to run a twenty-mile marathon without any water. He was grumbling like a delusional wanderer in a desert.

  The padded shirt was ripped at the shoulders and caked with dirt, sweat, and blood. One of the exposed shoulders was now covered and swathed with a bloody bandage.

  His low mumbles suddenly stopped as his anger erupted.

  "Damit Ming! I told you to go left. Left!"

  "Don't try to put the blame on me Chu! How the hell was I supposed to know which left when I was standing on the opposite side? You should have said the front. Front!"

  "You nitwit! We were both standing at the front of the beast already!"

  The two wore off their fatigue in bickering as they strained to pull the cart on the uneven ground.

  It was no wonder they struggled to drag this load. On the cart lay a large cat called a Jaga. The Jaga was similar to the wildcats in the forest except it sported a green and brown stripe coat and was twice as large. This one weighed over half a ton.

  Walking slowly about twenty feet at the back of this cart followed another pair of unexpected figures. From afar, they would have been confused as a father-daughter pair out for a short stroll.

  Observers would have realized that no sane individuals would be out strolling at the edge of the notorious forest. This goes double for a father-daughter pair who chatted amiably.

  A closer look would dispel any thoughts that this pair was anything but ordinary.

  The old man was wearing a worn-out leather armor outfit. He carried a typical one-handed sword sheathed at his side. On his back, he had a light crossbow secured by a strap.

  He walked with on weary legs and missed an arm.

  The young girl at his side was dressed even more impressive.

  She had two sheathed foot-long daggers secured on both sides of her waist. Her leather armor was worn over a thin long-sleeved, woolen shirt to provide comfort. The set was completed together with her pleated leather skirt, gauntlets, greaves and shin-high, leather boots.

  Like those Amazonian warriors of ancient legends, she cut a small but imposing figure.

  On her frail looking back was hung a small but just as deadly Military issued, heavy crossbow.

  "How was it this time?"

  The old man asked the young girl.

  "Better. I was able to keep the abilities activated from beginning to end. This time I did not strain myself. If I needed, I think I might have been able to reactivate it for another ten minutes."

  Mr. Thomas nodded in acknowledgment.

  "Very good. You must always remember to never strain yourself. The goal is to use it for sudden and quick attacks. This training is to extend your ability time, when it gets hard to extend the time, we will move on."

  "Yes Elder."

  Chu had decided to call Mr. Thomas as First Elder. This was to show respect to the man as a senior and because he was their first adult in the group. Second Elder was given to Mrs. Thomas.

  She, however, preferred to be called simply Mrs. Thomas. Now First Elder was shorted to just Elder. Amanda had unanimously won the title of Big Sis bestowed by the other girls.

  At this point, a scuffle broke out between the two boys. Chu rushed and toppled over the tired Ming and administered some feeble slaps driven more by rage than power. Even a fly might have survived that furious assault.

  "Ahhhhh!"

  Ming screamed hoarsely upon receiving the brunt of these weak attacks.

  "AHHHH!"

  Chu hollered as he reopened his wounded shoulder.

  Slap!

  "You stupid idiot, I keep telling you to follow my instructions!"

  Slap, Slap!

  "What the hell is a Ming slash?"

  Slap, Slap, Slap!

  "And why the hell do you keep trying to poke all the damn beast in their asses? Because of that you nearly got me killed again!"

  Mr. Thomas and Lucy continued their journey as if nothing happened. Passing the bickering and struggling boys grappling on the ground, the middle-aged man and girl continued their conversation.

  "Sun was sure hot today, we spent an entire day today in the forest again. Good thing we carried those large water pouches as you said."

  "Not bad after just two months training. Can you separate the different scents yet?"

  Lucy made an involuntary sniff, breathing in a deep breath slowly.

  "It's still a jumbled mess for me. I think it gets easier when I activate my ability. Familiar scents are much easier to trace. Like right now I can say Chu is going to be more pissed than he is when we return."

  Mr. Thomas glanced at her.

  Seeing that, Lucy shrugged and raised her hand. She pointed south somewhere within the grasslands.

  "Dyna and her wolf cubs are not safeguarding the barn. They are somewhere down there. They left just recently since I can literally see the smell like a ribbon trail. I think she had a cub scouting around here to notify her when we were coming."

  Mr. Thomas could only shrug his shoulders.

  "That girl is a quick learner but her wolves are uncanny. I hav
e never seen any, and I mean any beast that intelligent. By the time she finishes that Hound training manual I swear she will be better than the trainers in the Military."