CHAPTER 53: THY FLESH CONSUMED, PART 2
Buckley Lloyd has lived a complex life, and one far more nuanced for any common man to make a judgement of character on him.
A hardworking man during his days as a young man as a stock broker, he quickly rose his way to fortune by his own way, one of few in his day fulfilling the American Dream. Taking a wife by the name of Brooke and fathering with her a daughter named Rhonda, his life seemed to be going along well.
Well as it seemed, it was far from perfect. Trading off many of his duties as a father by replacing love and rearing with money, the growing Rhonda Lloyd turned out to be a spoiled child, living an entitled and elitist life with the fortune that he had amassed in lieu of his support and teachings as a father.
Such a life and method of bringing up a child would not be called a good one by most means, but by any means it was vastly preferential to what would become of it later. In one of his first acts as the supervillain under his new persona 'The Freak', the boy once called Thaddeus 'Curly' Gammelthorpe had raped and beaten Rhonda, leaving her comatose to be found later by Buckley Lloyd.
Given a drastic wake-up call from his moral slumber in the path of pleasure and status, he instead turned to a path of vengeance and vigilantism. Donning an inherited suit of knight's armor modified to augment the user's strength and taking with him guns and a sword, he swore to bring punishment to those like the one who harmed his daughter.
With that vow, he had become Valiance.
Beginning his path as a lethal protector of Hillwood, he was soon shown a better and more compassionate way to follow his goals, guided along that path by the one who inspiried his campaign of vengeance: The Green Eye. Abandoning his guns in favor of his bare fists, he does his best to follow this path towards a better Hillwood.
But there is no more Hillwood. This is Hellwood.
With a city left in shambles from the cataclysm that rocked the city to its core, there is no sense of community or humanity instilled with the people any longer, and, with the Green Eye gone for a month, it has laid on the shoulders of Valiance and Valiance alone to both maintain order within his own territory and fight against the neighboring provinces.
In order to protect his own land from violent gangs and marauders, he becomes not much different from one himself.
Using the remaining functional member of the Hillwood Heroes, the Star of David, along with the recent recruitment of strategic ally Lars Rodriguez, he has utilized the two as his own strike force against the surrounding provinces, killing to gain more territory and protect their own against the Green Eye's credo against killing.
Focusing this campaign against the least moral of the 3 provinces of the Freak's confederates, Valiance sets his sights of war against The Farm. The goal is not only to eliminate every member of its human flesh-consuming populace in its entirety, but also to find and rescue the missing member of the Hillwood Heroes: Nadine, the Insect Girl.
Today, he focuses not on his war, but instead on the aforementioned absent affiliate of his array of almighty avengers abandoned in an apartheid agrarian atoll in an agonizing and atrocious act of animosity against an alliance of amoral anarchists absorbed absolutely on annihilation on all alive and animated anthropoids on Earth.
His goal is to find Nadine, at any cost.
However, in the midst of his attempt to complete said goal, continuing his cross of the border, he has found a distraction in the way of his mission. Coming from the corner of an alleyway, the sounds of a crying infant could be heard. Seeking to investigate the sounds of the crying infant, Valiance proceeded down the alleyway to investigate.
Coming to a trash can filled to the brink with refuse, what he found atop the garbage was something far precious to him and far from belonging among trash: A live human baby. Immediately scooping up the infant from the garbage, Valiance allowed his own fatherly instincts to supersede his persona as the white knight of Hillwood as he held it closely in his arms.
"Shh, shh, it's okay. Don't cry. I'm here. Please don't cry. You're safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you." Valiance hushed.
With the baby still in his arms and slowly calming down under his caring hands, the white knight caught ear of another presence in his vicinity, this time a small group of people rather than a single one. Moving to the corner of the alleyway, Valiance peered over to find a family of two parents and a daughter, listening in to their conversation.
What he overhears them say, he does not like.
"Mommy, is Ethan going to be okay?" The daughter asked.
"Yes, honey. Ethan's going to be just fine." The mother said.
"But he's just a baby. He can't take care of himself."
"Someone else will take care of him now. Please, sweetie, let's not talk about him anymore. He'll be fine, please."
"But he's my baby brother. I'm worried about him."
Looking back at the child in his arms, Valiance recognized that the abandoned child was the subject of Ethan spoken by the parents, and following this realization was another cognizance that he was left for dead in the trash while the rest of the family moved on without him.
Were there not a fragile baby in his arms that he was careful of, he would have crushed it in a pair of raging metal fists.
Instead, he prepared to focus his attention to the family that had left the poor infant, rushing straight towards them with an unbridled rage settled in his heart. Carefully holding the baby Ethan in one arm, Valiance rushed to the father, and, upon turning him around with his free hand, threw a sharp punch straight to his face, putting him to the ground on his back.
As the mother and daughter surrounded the downed father, Valiance presented abandoned Ethan to the parents, questioning their decision to leave him.
"You'd leave your own infant son to die?!" Valiance asked.
"Puh... Please... Don't hurt us..." The father begged.
"Begging for mercy? What makes you think you're even remotely deserving of mercy, abandoning a baby in the trash? Has Hellwood really made you this sick?"
"Please, listen! We've been searching for food for days. We barely have any scraps to eat, and I've only been managing to keep us up with my breast milk, and I'm nearly dry as it is. We just simply don't have the means to all survive. The only way we could make it is if we had to leave someone behind. My husband gets the food, and I can still lactate, so... it was a choice between one of our children. Believe me, we didn't want to do it, but it was either one of us that dies or all of us that die. At least with Ethan, he's just a baby, so... we wouldn't lose too much investment in him." The mother said.
"So you calculated that the daughter was the easier one to keep alive and abandoned the baby."
"We had no choice. Like I said, if we didn't leave someone, then all of us were going to starve. This was the only way out. At the least, we could hope that someone would watch Ethan for us."
Though the argument that was presented to him was little to his liking, underneath the rationale Valiance realized that the parents were at least not without reason for their decision-making, and one based on the utmost survival, not unlike he would make. Still, as par to his focus on the safety of children, he cannot condone the act as it stands.
Where such a scenario would require a touch of vengeance in his eyes, taking a look at the remaining daughter, he instead decided to take a more peaceful approach, one that would ensure the survival of the whole family. Handing the baby off to daughter, Valiance reached off into his pocket, pulling out a set of fruit puree packs.
"Take these baby food packs. They have just about every vitamin and nutrient that a body needs. This is for the children, not you. You can survive making your own way." Valiance said.
"Y-Yes, sir. We'll put it to good use." The father said.
"Good. Because if you don't... I'll be waiting."
Departing from his would-be victims, Valiance moved his attention back to the task of finding Nadine once again, turning his back on the family and leaving them to recover on their encounter with the vengeful white knight. Instantly showing regret for their actions, the family cuddled close to the daughter and baby, giving their affections towards them in reparation for their actions.
"I'm sorry, baby... I'm so sorry... I can't believe I would do that..." The father said.
"Mommy's sorry, baby... Mommy's so very sorry... Mommy would never do anything to hurt you..." The mother said.
DECEMBER 22ND
As the morning sun scorches the cursed Earth known as Hellwood, another long day of torment comes to an official beginning for its prisoners. Those who manage to wake from their short nights of sleep, some never waking at all and finding some release to this place, and never sleeping at all from insomnia seeping into their brains, the prisoners of Hellwood all stumble to their feet to start a new day in one way or another; some merely scavenging for means to survive, others predators seeking prey.
The city was once a melting pot, but it has now blown to pieces with its many ingredients within scattered and separated. Here, they may separate themselves as the Europeans, the Middle Easterns, the Hispanics, the Asians, and the Africans; each of different descent and heritage, but no one, not even themselves, can deny where they are:
This is hell on Earth, and they are here to stay.
Regardless, there is one man who seeks to bring change to the state of his city. Remembering a time when this land was once known as Hillwood, a city of peace and prosperity, he seeks to see that dream realized once again, and end the pain of the prisoners of Hellwood.
This man is Arnold Shortman, known better to the world as the Green Eye.
Since his return a day ago, he has brought a sense of hope to the people of Hellwood, and there is a chance for the city to return to its former glory once again. In order to see that dream realized, the Green Eye must continue his crusade to the rest of Hellwood, reclaiming territory into Old Hillwood to see its people reunited as one again.
Most importantly, to also undo the damage the Freak has caused and prove him wrong at last in his beliefs.
His current escapades in that mission leads him to the outer rim of The Farm, seeking information on where the capital of this region lies and where he may find the Jolly Olly Man; a goal not too dissimilar from Valiance's, but each with polarizing personal agendas behind their actions.
The prospect of gaining new converts to the side of Old Hillwood is one that the Green Eye can never turn away from, but there is hesitation in his stance in that the populace of The Farm has turned to cannibalism. Consumption of human flesh is a moral line that cannot be uncrossed when crossed, and it leaves an effect on the victor that can never be lost or undone when consummated, separating a piece of their humanity away.
But the Green Eye is meant to be the way back to reason and humility for all mankind, no matter how atrocious or unforgivable their misdeeds may be. As such, he keeps himself to that standard and mission, making himself the superman savior that the world around him expects him to be... and needs him to be.
The pressure of such a standard is not an easy one to bear, but the Green Eye is fortunate enough to have that burden relieved from his shoulders for one moment with the sound of a threat. Gunshots and screams filled the surrounding air, carrying with it a tale of violence that signaled the man without pain to pursue and end.
Chasing the sounds of gunshots to their source, the Green Eye was led to a small home with a destroyed door, but one that appeared as though it was busted in by force rather than any effects of the cataclysm of the Fall of Hillwood. Taking out his staff and entering in the home, the Green Eye was met with a sight that he was never happy to see.
On the ground laid a collection of dead bodies, this one seeming to belong to a family of four, with their killer standing right above them.
Coming eye to eye with an individual that he had more than his fair share of, the Green Eye found himself meeting again with the one and only Lars Rodriguez standing above the bodies; his machine gun arm still smoking from the expended bullets that left its metal barrel, and a t-shirt that parodied the New York Police Department shield that read: 'N.Y.P.D.: Nubile Young Pussy Destroyer'.
Having just killed the family and well aware of the Green Eye's hatred of taking human life, Lars, trying to play innocent, hid his arm behind his back and faked a smile.
"Oh... Uh... The Green Eye! Fancy meeting you here. Oh, would you look at the time? I gotta go. I'll call you later, alright, babe?" Lars said.
Trying to flee from the Green Eye, the cowardly Lars found him grabbed by the back of his shirt by the aforementioned superhero, subsequently being turned around and pressed up against a wall with his staff to his neck. Trying to prevent any sort of conflict with the Green Eye, Lars held up his hands in surrender.
"You again. Murdering families? Is that what the Freak's put you up to doing now?" Green Eye asked.
"Hey, wait! You got the wrong idea, man, I'm on your side!" Lars pleaded.
"If killing people is your idea of getting on my good side, then I've got a bridge to sell you."
"They were just cannibals, man! There ain't no comin' back from that shit, they were better off dead."
"That's not for you to decide!"
"Look, man! This wasn't my idea, okay?! I was just doing what I was told to do!"
"By who? Who told you to do this?"
"Your buddy in the metal suit, Valiance!"
Displeased with the information that Valiance had betrayed him once again in this manner, the Green Eye paused in his interrogation to contemplate.
"I'm telling you, man, I ditched that psycho the Freak and I want nothing to do with him anymore save kicking his ass. I ran straight to that nigga Valiance and told him I want in with you guys. Hell, I pretty much fried myself on his electric fence just to reach him." Lars said.
"Tell me more." Green Eye said.
"Well, I was climbing up this big-ass fence, getting electrocuted every step, my heart felt like it stopped at least twice, and my pants were full of piss and jizz when I made it to-"
"Not that. Tell me what happened between you and Valiance."
"Uh... I asked him if I could join the team, he said no, but I managed to convince him anyway."
"And why did he take you?"
"Well, it definitely wasn't from sucking his dick, I'd never do that in a million years."
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing, uh... Look, he told me to kill some people, and he said that it'd be what he needs to do what he wants to get done."
"And what is he trying to accomplish?"
"Hell if I know, man. Why don't you just ask him yourself?"
The suggestion, as passive as it was, gave the Green Eye the inspiration to act it out and confront Valiance on his secret assassinations carried out behind his back. Taking his staff off of Lars' neck, he placed the weapon on his back once again, preparing to head back to the Hillwood Heroes' base.
"Good plan. I'll handle that right now." Green Eye said.
"Great, cool stuff. So, I guess I'll just see you later, or-" Lars began to say.
Before Lars could excuse himself from the scenario, the Green Eye grabbed hold of him once again, carrying him along to his destination.
"Yeah, okay, I can hang with you, too. No biggie." Lars said.
Unsuspecting of the encounter as depicted above, Valiance continued on his own work with his plan of locating Nadine, wherever she may be in the Farm. Referring back to his notes, he carefully scanned over a map of the Farm, checking off areas he has searched and ones he has not, narrowing down where to find the province's capital.
He fears the absolute worst, but tries to hope for the absolute best, as pointless as the latter may seem within Hellwood. Having no family left to his name other than Nadine, the best friend of his daughter that he had shared more intimate emotions with, the goal of finding her again is all he can think about anymore.
Staring intensely at his map, he ponders further on where to search for her.
"Where are you?" Valiance whispered.
His own internal thoughts do not last long, for the sounds of footsteps heading his way quickly snapped his attention back to the current moment in time. Turning to his back to see who approached him, finding the Green Eye march to him in anger with Lars Rodriguez locked in his arm, he let out a sigh of discontent, knowing that a prolonged moral debate would take place between the two again.
Reaching Valiance at last, the Green Eye threw Lars towards him, calling him out on his attempts of creating his own personal strike force.
"Do you just never learn anything? Do I have to tie you down and keep you from acting on your own anymore if you'll just keep going back to killing?" Green Eye asked.
"You were gone for a month. I had to keep the peace somehow." Valiance said.
"'Peace'? This is your idea of 'peace'?! Recruiting a mass murderer and using him as your own assassin for some kind of war game? He tells me you have Harold doing this, too. The entire city might have gone completely down the toilet, but that's no excuse to throw the rest of ourselves away and give into this insanity!"
"You seem upset."
Disgusted with Valiance's passive reaction, the Green Eye grabbed hold of the white knight, holding him close with a scowl across his face.
"Don't you dare play games with me! You're working with maniacs and killing innocent people! We're supposed to protect the people of Hillwood! We're not here to be judge, jury, and executioner, and you especially are none of the above! You're a madman! You never had any right being on this team!" Green Eye shouted.
Angered with the Green Eye's perceived naivety, Valiance pushed him off, having his own complaints to make with his teammate.
"There is no team anymore! Because of you and your holier-than-thou attitude about killing, you've caused all this to happen! This only happened because you never had the balls to kill the Freak! All you had to do was off him while you had the chance, but no. You just had to let him live and go free, just to prove a point, and what do you have to show for it? Mauve Avenger, dead! Flower Child, dead! Dirt Man, dead! Insect Girl, missing! Hundreds of thousands of people, all dead! How many more lives have to suffer before you realize your ways don't work anymore?" Valiance asked.
Thinking carefully to make his counterargument, the Green Eye paused in his speech, subsequently continuing it with his retort coming to mind.
"You didn't try it my way. You went back to the only thing you've ever done, and all it's gotten is more dead innocent people, and nothing is solved in trying to get back to normal." Green Eye said.
"Then you clearly don't even understand the landscape of this place anymore. Our enemies aren't gangbangers or crack dealers. We're fighting cannibals, Nazis, and religious terrorists. That's the new normal now. Those so-called 'innocent' people that died were part of The Farm; cannibals. Is that so 'innocent' to you?" Valiance asked.
The moral crime of slaughtering another human being and eating their corpse is a line that cannot be uncrossed, and one that the Green Eye is hard to argue against to make his point. Nonetheless, he does not falter in his position, and he tries to make his case nonetheless.
"People... have been suffering and starving for awhile. People will do desperate things when they're desperate. But you didn't see who Lars was out killing. He was killing families. He was killing children." Green Eye said.
"Hey, whoa, I hate to interrupt your little 'couple's therapy' thing, but don't pin that shit on me. This asshole told me to kill families specifically." Lars interjected.
Gaining this news from the interruption, the Green Eye was left even more shocked and appalled by the fact, furthering his rage.
"WHAT?! Buckley, how could you?! You, of all people, who prides yourself on saving children?! Have you gotten further off the deep end than I thought?!" Green Eye asked.
"You say that like I take pleasure in the fact. Those children were forced to cross a line that they had no knowledge of, or any understanding of what they had done. If you were a child, and the people that you trusted to take care of you kept you alive and fed, but found out that your food was taken from other people, would you be able to live with yourself? The lives of these children were destroyed by the choices of their parents. Anyone we've killed so far deserved it, and any child that died, we gave a quick death. Better that than the alternative. Like I said, I don't like it anymore than you do. If you don't believe me, then take a look in my head for yourself." Valiance said.
"I don't need to. I don't need your excuses and lies for what you've done."
"All I have to explain myself with is that I did what I could while you were gone. I was left with no one left but two soldiers and an unusable junkie, and one of those soldiers is gone out there somewhere, and it's my fault. I've been doing everything in my power to try to find her, and hope she's alright."
"If you hadn't been using everyone like this, she wouldn't be in this situation."
"If you hadn't spared the Freak, none of us would be in this situation."
With the argument coming to a stalemate, the Green Eye and Valiance stopped in silence; neither able to make any further cases towards one another. Ending their debate in a draw, the Green Eye eventually broke the silence, this time using his speech to lay down new rules instead of trying to fix mistakes.
"I'm running the show again now. No more killing, no more games. From here on out, what I say goes. If there's one more body with your name to it, one body, then I will not hesitate to-" Green Eye began to say.
"To what? Kill me? Break your one rule?" Valiance asked.
Even with the argument at an end, the two were left in a stalemate again, coming to a silence once again with no shared thoughts between the two. Consequently, Valiance turned his thoughts back to the map, coordinating his best guesses as to where he might locate Insect Girl.
"I don't have time for games, either. I'll leave the other Hillwood Heroes to you, but I have my own agenda to fill." Valiance said.
No longer able to reach Valiance, the Green Eye turned his attention back to Lars Rodriguez, looking at him with a glaring look on his face. Recognizing that this facial expression could not logically mean any sort of favorable outcome for himself, Lars prepared to excuse himself again.
"Well, uh, looks like you guys got it all settled, I'ma just head out now, okay?" Lars asked.
The instant that Lars turned around to walk away, the Green Eye's irises glowed a bright light once again, his mouth letting out a stern...
"I'm not done with you yet." Green Eye said.
Dammit. Lars mouthed.
Turning back to his captor, Lars hung his head in shame as he looked back at the Green Eye.
"You're still guilty of plenty of other wrongdoings, and you've done a lot of damage that can't be repaired, not to mention you and I have fought our fair share as it is. Any reason I should be merciful on you?" Green Eye asked.
Reverting back to the only defense mechanism that favored him in any situations like this, Lars let out a sigh before making his offer.
"I will suck your dick. I will fuck you or let you fuck me." Lars said.
"I have someone much better-looking to take care of that. Anything else?" Green Eye asked.
"Well... I... Uh..."
Before Lars could continue his stammers any longer, him and the Green Eye were interrupted by the sounds of haunted screaming and objects crashing in the background. Taken away from the conversation at hand, the two were instead led to the one causing the ruckus:
Sid, formerly known as Bad Boy. Wielding a flyswatter in hand and a pair of sunglasses on his face, the young man with his muddled mind thoughtlessly swung at the air at random, knocking over various objects and tripping over many of them in a manic fit for reasons best known to himself.
Though the obvious reasons might be explain the fit as a hallucination.
Falling onto the floor, Sid began cowering into a corner, continuously hoping to swat away the invasive invisible images that incessantly tortured him. The Green Eye, offering his help to his downed friend once again, rushed towards the downed Sid, with Lars slowly walking over and joining him.
Attempting to calm Sid out of his fit, the Green Eye attempted to reach out and touch him, but he would not allow anyone to get close to do so, swatting away at them.
"GET AWAY FROM ME! THE BATS! THE BATS WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sid shouted.
"Sid, listen to me! There's no bats! You're hallucinating!" Green Eye said.
"DON'T TOUCH ME, MAN! THE BATS ARE GONNA GET ME! I'VE GONE TO BAT COUNTRY AND I CAN'T GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!"
With the Green Eye helpless to give Sid a way out of his hallucination, the effort to aid him seemed hopeless, bringing him further to frustration with this failure.
However, hope was not lost for this cause. Getting an idea to aid the manic Sid, Lars pulled a rolling paper and bag of marijuana out of his pocket, rolling up a joint and placing it in his mouth. Upon lighting the joint, he took in a deep exhale and let it out, stepping up to Sid for his next act.
"Hey, white boy." Lars said.
Giving his attention to Lars for one split-second, the moment was enough for Sid to have the cyborg's robotic arm shoved in his face, with the gun barrel close up to it. The Green Eye felt a sense of panic out of the sight, but did not sense any animosity in Lars' heart, leading him to observe to see what would happen next carefully.
"Put your mouth to this." Lars said.
Placing his mouth against the barrel of the gun as requested, Sid looked back at Lars with skepticism; his hallucination-fueled confusion paired with the taste of gunmetal. Taking one last inhalation of his marijuana, Lars placed his mouth to the ejector port of his gun arm, blowing smoke down the barrel and into Sid's mouth.
Inhaling the marijuana smoke, a taste that he had not had for a long time, Sid began coughing the smoke back up, and his once-fast paced and frantic breathing turned to a slow, steady pace. Feeling the effect of the herb start to take hold of his mind, Sid began chuckling and even laughing for the first time in a month, feeling relief from the drug.
Accomplished in his goal, Lars cracked a smile, with the Green Eye looking at him in surprise.
"You... you helped Sid." Green Eye said.
"Yeah, ain't nothin' to it. All the white boy needed was a little visit from Dr. Greenthumb. I've dealt to frat boys that got themselves more fucked up than him." Lars said.
"But... all he needed was weed? He was in so much pain."
"Hey, man, you know what they say: 'Weed is what you need'. Besides, this ain't no normal strain, this shit here is Reefer Madness. This is like the strongest shit you can find, and on steroids, then on growth hormone. Normally, I just give 'em a lighter hit, but he looks like he smokes a pretty bowl every now and then."
Finding use for the cybernetic psychopath at last, the Green Eye quickly changed his opinion of Lars Rodriguez, deciding to spare him any wrath and keep him.
"Okay. I'll make you this deal. As long as you keep Sid feeling better and functional, and you don't kill anyone else, you can stay with us. Good deal?" Green Eye asked.
"Hey, man, it's either that or the Freak and his wacko buddies. I'll take that deal any day of the week." Lars said.
"Good. But don't think that this discounts your actions before today or your criminal past. You're a strategic ally, nothing more. Anything I don't like, you're gone. When everything's back to normal, you'll get what punishment you're due."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, pal."
"Fair enough."
Extending his arm to Lars Rodriguez, the Green Eye's prompt was met with their hands meeting one another, making a handshake and with it a pact.
"Welcome to the Hillwood Heroes... for now." Green Eye said.
Continuing yet another venture into the outskirts of The Farm, Valiance carried on his search for Nadine, the Insect Girl, and keeping what hopes he has about him as well as his own wits. Treading through the snowy streets of the dead and decaying city around him, he keeps his sword tight at the hold in preparation for any danger.
What he finds here in his sight today is not any sign of danger, but instead a familiar sight that he recalls from the not-too-distant past. A family is in his sights on the streets once again, and he remembers this family from the previous day: The same family that tried to abandon their baby named Ethan.
Except, while the mother, father and daughter were present, there was no sign of the baby Ethan.
There is only one reason for this, and he does not like it.
Confronting the family again, Valiance kept his hand on his sword even tighter, scowling under the metal mask that looked at the 3. Holding each other tightly with their daughter in between, the parents knew that they were found guilty, leaving them at his nearly nonexistent mercy.
"You did it again, didn't you?! Was my warning not enough?!" Valiance asked.
"N-No, wait, you don't understand!" The mother pleaded.
"No, I understand perfectly. You two barely have a concept of what's important in your lives and who really matters. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourselves! That's why you left that baby Ethan to die!"
"He was stolen from us!" The father shouted.
Hearing this new piece of information, Valiance loosened his grip on his sword, opening his ears carefully to the fact.
"Stolen by who?" Valiance asked.
"We don't know, some kind of raiders, say they were part of The Farm. We don't want to assume the worst, but... Oh, god... They threatened us, said if we didn't pay a 'toll', that we would all die." The father said.
"And you willingly gave up your own baby instead of yourselves?"
"We tried that, really, but they didn't want us. They said that babies taste the best. And... younger children, too." The mother said.
Choking up on her own words, the mother's statement was further contextualized by the daughter, who, too, was crying from the traumatic experience they had endured. Stepping away from her parents, the daughter was revealed to be missing an arm, evidence as part of the 'payment' they were forced to make.
Shocked at the sight of the scarred girl, Valiance gripped his sword tighter, this time planning to use it on those that harmed her rather than her parents.
Clenching his teeth to a crushing point, his voice let out a deep and cold question of...
"Where are they?" Valiance asked.
Going to any small, abandoned business in Hellwood, we can find all sorts of squatters and settlers looking for shelter or a place to lay their heads, and diverse groups of individuals that need their sleeping place. Ranging from lone wolves up to packs of travelers, the people of Hellwood make their homes wherever they can.
On this late afternoon, there are but a few looking for a place to rest over their day. Their rest is needed from a day of pillaging and plundering, and what they have to nourish themselves on is the one meat forbidden for consumption at the cost of surrendering a piece of humanity:
Human flesh.
Having snacked on the arm of a little girl earlier, a group of vagabonds of The Farm turn to their next meal for the night: A baby boy named Ethan. Threatening his parents with the deaths of all of them, they were forced to settle on surrendering their only infant son for the rest of their lives to continue.
"Let's eat, I'm starving." One cannibal said.
"Yeah, we've been dealing with this little brat for hours now. Let's just eat him now. I'm getting tired of him crying." Another cannibal said.
"Alright, alright. I'll take care of it. But you're cooking tonight." A different cannibal said.
The baby Ethan has cried long enough during the journey he was under, but it came to a stop at last with his neck broken in one swift turn.
A little over an hour passes, and this group of cannibals has feasted well on the flesh of a baby boy. Snacking at the remains of Ethan, biting of bits of meat from his bones, the cannibals relaxed the day off with what used to be a human life gurgling in their bellies, belching up even lesser bits.
They are content on this night, but they are far from alone. There is another force which has finally located them, and he carries with him a sword of vengeance ready to strike judgement of death upon anyone worthy of his punishment, and this group fits the bill well.
He realizes that he has come too late to save the infant, and such thoughts of pain that the child has had to endure pains him to no end...
...but the thoughts of what kind of pain he can inflict upon the cannibals that took his life brings something like a smile to the face of Valiance.