CHAPTER 3 : Cold has it virtues
Here I stand , 12 souls, scared and seeking passage across the mountains promised, here I stand physically able to carry out my duties but dread and doubts are presences in the back of my mind, here I stand…. Unsure. Kenny spoke and every looking at him, me as well." Relax , we're safe in this cave, nothing could harm us here". I watch kenny approach me he put his on shoulder as a gesture of reassurance but my gaze shift toward the floor doubts still lingers in my mind from what's been heard, that didn't sound like any predator I've ever heard plus what is to there to stop that is Lurking outside this house from trying to get in but am hesitant to the unknown. " I have an idea , how about me and you head out there and face it to see what it is " kenny said to me. I look towards the entrance , not knowing exactly what he has planed but I'll put my trust in him . I nodded an agreement and I saw him smile with an enthusiasm and watch him went over to one of the horses retrieving a sword it's design I assume originate from these lands. We've ready ourselves as went outside to face the unknown creature . On our exit the forest has taken to whole another feel , fog was present, low to the ground but thick , hard to see pass it, parts of the forest were illuminated by the moon's light.
The air was cold ,chillingly cold and for me in my armor I was freezing . As we move for forest standing low to the ground and out in background I hear the caws from ravens and the sound of cicadas. we then heard a twig snapped coming from behind us , our hearts spiked, spun around with weapons drawn and our bodies tense but to our reliefs it was one of the members from the group , the young man he had to handle along with another individual from earlier tonight he approached kenny , speaking with , so I reason to assume he's here to help and resumed our search, it wasn't long before we heard another roar and adjusted our course towards our target. A clear spot appeared in our sights as well as our prey, what I saw was unlike anything I've saw from the wildlife in these mountains, a perverse version that of a mountain lion , pelt colors in a sickening shades of green with dark blue ish ink and a tail that of a snake resting on some large rocks. I look towards my brothers in arms, kenny his face looked with excitement while our third man only showed a hinted smile, so why am I getting a bad gut feeling
Kini POV
'a danger beast, sweet I've been eager to hunt one and now is my chance!' i thought to myself " so how do guys want to go about it ?" I've ask " best chance is going to encircle it " my tag along friend answered i look at my metal friend but I can't gauge his expression while he wares that odd foreign helmet of his " alright I'll take the far right, you'll take the left and our metal friend will take center " I said while i gotten up to take my position
Fortuna POV
I watched as my companions go in two in separate direction, left to assume that we are about to engage . I look towards the ground and grabbed a near by rock getting a feel for it weight, a plan beginning to form, since am the most heavily armored among the three of us it's best that I take the blunt of its aggression. Kenny steps out into the clearing , he's presences made know from the bushes being disturbed and push aside. The predator eyes open and look towards kenny , it's posture went to a show of aggressive threat I watch as it climb down from its rock to its side , I can see the face is tense , fangs out to see while lowered it stance to the ground waiting to pounce , sensing that my friend Is unease. I let out a loud whistle as i walk out of the bushes and heaving the rock to my target and hit it's mark , right on the head the result was ineffective but I got it's undivided attention. Hissed and growled at me from my announcement facing towards me then our third friend came charging out at the predator with his blade at the ready but he wasn't able to carry out his attack for his obstacle was the tail-snake it stroke at him before he could get any closer and no attempt to rectify with the risk of getting bit but it was to late to do anything about it, when the snake reacted it alerted it's host, responded back in kind but miss it target , however, I am. The predator back was to me , I charged in fully committed no matter what, to path the way clear for my companions to strike is the goal. The snake saw my approach and spite out something at me , raised my left arm to take it and felt nothing , my hand reached to grab the snake and felt it's maw bitten down on my forearm but felt no pain. I've grabbed the hold of the offending appendage , yanking it back as i brought down my sword, cutting the snake from it's host. Predator roared in pain, seeking retribution and I wasn't quick enough to escape it's wrath and fury. A powerful paw hits my chest , feeling it's blunt force coercing throughout my body and heard the sound metal quickly began screaming. Knock back a few paces and I fell to the ground. I tried getting back up but the predator pounced on me and saw it's maw coming and biting down my neck, adrenaline pumping into my veins with renew vigorous " have at thee beast! Taste the bite of thy sword and God's wrath!" yelled at the predator in my native tong with anger and fury as i relentlessly attack at the beast head with the pummel of my sword as I was feeling the pressure around neck getting tighter. I've growled and scowl at it then the next thing to occur as I being defiant within the beast grasps was the sound of blades piercing into the flesh and the weight of the beast collapses on top of me.
Kini POV
I've let my grip go from my sword that I stab in the back of beast's skull , looking across it's body I see my friend doing the same thing I was, from planting his sword into the side of the beast chest , I've guess where the heart is but I almost forgot about my metal friend Fortuna's fate when he engage " help me get him out , he's trap underneath the danger beast " look to see him and find the beast still has it maw clamp on Fortuna's neck , I prided it's mouth open as rigor mortis was beginning to set in and I hear my friend breathing better but still pinned " alright, try picking up the body as best as you can " I went ahead of Fortuna and got my hands on his side's under the arms , on the count of three we've pickup and pulled our friend out from underneath a heavy corpse but what I saw once he was clear , made me set to panic.
I look at him and saw acidic marks on his left arm but it would seem it only left discolored acidic stain , next his neck piece clearly showed where the beast bite him at, then the section that give me grave concerns, his chest piece suffered damage. Three claw marks that where as long as the human hand in length and each marks where wide as a finger that punch through the plate , I looked and watch for blood seeping out in the small gaps in the armor but no blood came , I watched my friend rolled on to his side and on to his knees breathing in and out with some discomfort but now he looks to be relatively ok but I have question as to why he isn't dying or suffering from any major injuries " how's is it your not bleeding to death?" I said towards Fortuna he look at me briefly realizing where I was getting at he raised one of arms trying to show me something. I didn't notice at first but when I took a second look I've realized why his chest cavity wasn't rip open, small metal rings linked together to make patterns like clothing to protect wearer should the plates fail . I began laughing
Fortuna POV
When I showed my chain mail to kenny , I watched him starting to laugh then I started and before long all threes of us was laughing though I couldn't kept going cause while the mail stop my insides from being rip open , it dosent do well protecting me from blunt force trauma and I can feel my chest is going to have some bad purple bruises, some internal bruises as well going by how it was getting from laughing . I began thinking about the combat we had and how I though that this a story worth telling among friends for the future but a large shadow engulf us and barely heard a gust of wind. I look up and saw one of number was missing and kenny running out towards it , chasing it. I look up and saw unbelievably biggest bird of prey I've ever seen and watch as it rip and eat our friend to pieces. Calling out Kenny's name fell on deaf ears as he jumps through bushes . I got up on my feet but I feel the adrenaline wearing off and my cold plates from the chilling cold air was beginning to gnaw at my bones, pushing onward to friend's direction, this forest is not a place to be by your self , when i got to the other side of the bushes I've found him , half of him, his lower half , laying there like an empty shack of potatoes, my mind was usurped , scared that I found kenny dead and fear of the fact am all by myself in worst time and place to be.
I have to make it back to the house. I've turn around to start tracing back my steps but stopped before even getting to start. A large mass of shadow was weaving through the trees slowly , Its body was as big and thick as the trees and these trees are big. A head appeared it was big as my cabin and it was coming right towards me but not in a fast blitzing, aggressive way but in an organic way. My feet were lock in place , not wanting move , my arms and chest shaking while am freezing to the bone in this armor , the gap between us is closing in I tensed and shut my eyes and waited and waited and then…. I opened eye and saw , watching it mass slithering by me like I wasn't even, like I wasn't even there . A wave of reliefs wash over me , I don't know how or why but am glad to still be alive . When the giant snake left my sights I resumed my trip back
Some time Later
This forest is filled with abhorrent creatures of creation, so I had no choice but to find a spot to hide till morning came and wasn't risking for a moment of sleep either , I found a spot under a tree surrounded by bushes providing good cover to hide. I rested my back up against tree and holding my sword close to my chest, just I started to feel safe for the time being then I hear some disturbing clack clack sounds from above me , slowly I look up and saw what would haunt me in my dreams. A spider as big as my body , taking an appearance similar of a widow. It's webs set up in the tree , I can make up the outlines of the carcasses of dead birds that got caught up in its web, I watch it's mandibles grooming it's self making a clack clack sound. It hasn't taken notice of my presence yet but i dare not risk it nor let my sights wonder off of it , so I have to stay here all night with a FUCKING SPIDER above my head! God, I knew you had a twisted sense of humor and I've also have to endure that eerie clacking sound.
The following morning
Words cannot describe on how happy I was when sunlight appear in the woods and how happy I was when that spider wickedly descended from the tree and crawled towards to other parts of forest away from the sun light. Once I knew it was safe to move , I headed out to find my shelter and the remaining group. I started to noticing things as I'd followed my tracks back to the shelter , big footprints with trees splintered and cracked leading to where I am going . When I reached end of the tracks , I almost didn't recognized the area and what I saw , trees smashed and leveled to the ground and when I gaze upon the shelter it had collapsed and my heart sunk. Drew my sword and planted to the ground as I keeled before the tomb, giving a silent prayer, entrusting the passing souls to the Lord providing them a safer and better passage in the afterlife then I did in life and to extend my thanks for my brothers in arms who give their lives for aided me on my line of duty and also to ask for their forgiveness on my failure of providing them safe passage as I promised. I stand, look upon the tomb one last time before I began walking to return to my home.
Upon arrival
The sun setting as it surrenders the celestial sky in the presences of the moon arising in the horizon. I open the door of my humble abode and the closing thick heavy wooden door and locking it with a simple metal lever that lays across the backside of the door to the frame and sat on my bed, too tired to go through the Hassle of getting this armor off and think on what's been plaguing my mind `where to go from here`. I can't no longer provide passage through the mountains for there no longer any safe shelter between two ends and , I wouldn't even call those things predators or beasts those abhorrent creatures are like the works, the creations of the devil and I have no assure way of combating them and then there's conflict I've been hearing going in this beautiful but dangerous country , who's there to keep those monsters at bay while there a civil war going on! ~sign~ So many problems and questions that i can't solve or answer but there's no point of me being here right now, so tomorrow I'll pack up and leave , searching until I find some solutions on protecting the out skirt settlements