Smurfocalypse chapter 53: The Forest Part 3 – Bird and Gun
Falconer rushed into the forest along with the other knights, and split apart from the others to conduct his own recon just as the others have. Not much is known about Falconer Smurf other than his job is to hunt, His combat class is hunter, and he seems to be silent and distant at times to the others. It can also be noted that he was good friends with his peer Modest Smurf. His only living close friend is Archer Smurf. Archer Smurf is also his last living social peer from his home village, and is something of a sibling figure for him. Since this is Falconer's chapter his life will be explained in greater detail. It can be assumed Falconer was born anywhere from a hundred and fifty to two hundred years ago, and delivered by stork to Uncle Smurf's village in the meadow. There he would live the life of a normal healthy baby Smurf for many human generations until he would progress to Smurflinghood alongside all of his social peers.
It was when Falconer was a Smurfling that he literally made a name for himself. While playing with his peers in a magic forest while on a trip with Uncle Smurf as a nameless Smurfling, he rescued a falcon egg that fell from its nest while aggressively trying to hatch. Once caught the egg hatched, and the falcon known as Zarus was born. Falconer then discovered he had the ability to communicate with animals which only helped strengthen their bond. Throughout the years Falconer would own hundreds of falcons, and was known to hunt alongside them. His falcons would age and die while he only grew taller, stronger, and smarter. However, Zarus would age at a steady pace in comparison to Falconer. As a result Zarus is well over a hundred years old and the bond he shares with Falconer is unbreakable. Falconer is perhaps the only known Smurf to actually be a successful hunter using his falcons to catch him rodents which he then would skin and consume while making clothes from the skins. His behavior didn't make him the most popular Smurf, but his work ethic was incredible, and Uncle Smurf couldn't deny him his name: Falconer Smurf. It was a name that stuck. Falconer is one of two Smurfs known to eat meat the other being my other original character Mango Smurf who likes seafood.
Currently Falconer was not wearing any impressive animal skins, or furs to show off his skill, but light leather armor from helm to boots. Strapped to his back was a genuine Hunter Smurf rifle made by inventor Handy himself, and Falconer knew enough about it to be dependable with it. Sheathed on his belt was his hunting knife. An impressive five inch iron blade with a two inch hilt. He had an ammo pouch on his belt as well for his gun, and flying loyally above him was Zarus. The common kestrel screeched as he navigated the tree tops. There was no stealth in this approach Falconer was sprinting through the forest to keep up with Zarus. Something that was once simply a fun game when they were both young. This sprint was normal when running out to the hunting grounds. Zarus had been hunting and eating well all winter as usual, and his survival skills were sharp as ever. However Falconer has been out of work for months, and hasn't been on a proper hunt since the beginning of the lockdown in Uncle Smurf's village. While the other Smurfs had experience fighting the dragon Falconer was forced to stay at home meaning he missed out on combat experience. This would also mean his latest real fight not including last night would have been back before winter when they routed enemies in what then was known as Port Saint Augustus.
Training, exercise, and muscle built from hard labor at the construction site kept him fit, but he was rushing into battle mainly relying on Zarus to have his back and save his life if needed. Zarus was his greatest weapon, but has also proven to be his Achilles tendon. One simply can't fight without the other, but this weakness has been noted and as a result Falconer has taken up marksmanship becoming the first Smurf to actually fire a smurfgun quite possibly since Hunter used his underground in the mines way back in the beginning of the story. Receiving training from Handy was something Hefty was allowing solely for the sake that it was "patching up a weakness" in his ranks. They practiced during the day and Handy taught him how to work the gun and shoot it. His skill with the Smurfgun is probably right around Handy's which is of course the inventor of the weapon. Which means he's probably just about as strong as he needs to be with it in order to properly defend himself in a nasty situation where Zarus may not be able to help him.
Falconer would follow Zarus through the woods until they hit a clearing. The trees stopped for a distance, and a decent landmark was discovered. The clearing in the woods seems to be centered on a sizable pond with various forms of life from cattails and Lili pads to frogs and fish. Ponds have a plethora of alchemical value which would give Alchemist the ingredients he would need to make some of Papa Smurf's powerful potions that up until recently were secret. Why there was a fresh water pond so close to the ocean is anyone's guess, but there is no guarantee it wasn't created by means of magic by humans during a safer time long before the Smurf's would be driven here in their attempt to survive. Either way the pond would be a location Hefty would be interested to know about. Any sort of landmark they could use as a checkpoint would probably be welcome, and there was plenty of space here to relocate camp once they were certain they had driven the enemy back far enough. Zarus arrived at the clearing long before Falconer and began circling the area.
Falconer had a bad feeling something was wrong when he approached the pond. There were dangerous black flies everywhere. Whether they were carriers of black Smurf disease was unknown, but they noticed Falconer and rose up in a cloud to oppose him as though he had trespassed on their territory. Falconer watched as the flies assembled and took the form of a Smurf's silhouette, and then charged Falconer. Falconer quickly reached for a compartment in his belt and retrieved a whistle which he then blew as loud as he could before retrieving his rifle. Zarus heard and instantly recognized the training whistle, and rushed to Falconer's aid flying across the pond. Falconer aimed for his bizarre opponent's chest and fired point blank. The firearm created a loud sound as it went off and released a bullet from its barrel which soared through the air, but was dodged when the flies just simply parted from the area the bullet passed through allowing it to harmlessly fly right through the figure before the flies reassembled. Falconer raised an eyebrow and gritted his teeth. An opponent such as this was unheard of, and Falconer had not received training to fight it.
The current model of Smurfgun rifle could only fire a single bullet before it needed to be loaded as is the case with most if not all early firearms despite resembling a Remington in appearance with no scope. The rifle resembled a Remington hunting rifle that would fire a .308 round however it was flint lock not bolt action, or any other sort of advanced technology. A basic flintlock firearm like generic pirates are portrayed owning with a twist that makes it resemble a more modern familiar looking rifle, but with all the inconveniences of an early firearm. To put it another way Falconer was screwed. He actually dropped the now useless weapon and attempted a strategic retreat until he could meet up with his Falcon. Zarus made his way across the pond and simply flew right through the strange assailant. The flies parted ways for Zarus, and then reassembled. This opponent was magic, and Falconer was not a magic Smurf aside from his ability to communicate with animals.
"What in Smurf's name is this thing?" Falconer asked himself as he drew his knife.
In his other hand was the whistle he had used to contact Zarus from the other side of the pond. He put it away as he fought his opponent off with a knife. The way this thing moved was even weird. Anytime the figure needed to move the flies would break formation, fly to where it needed to be standing, and then reassemble. Falconer would go to stab, but his opponent simply just divided to avoid the attack. The figure catches Falconer off guard, and grabs him by the neck as Zarus screeches in protest and swoops down to attack. The falcon flew right through the flies and they simply broke apart except for the hand that was still grasping Falconer's throat. Falconer gasped for air desperately and swung and stabbed at his opponent with his hunting knife, but the flies wouldn't let go. Falconer fell to his knees with the hand still around his throat squeezing the life out of him. There was nothing his falcon could do to help him now. Falconer was trapped and had to dig himself out, but the might of his mystical opponent was too great.
Just before he was suffocated to death the flies all collectively flew into his mouth and nose causing him to gag and throw some of them up. Zarus watched in horror as his master was being assaulted by the flies in a most gruesome manor. Like something out of a horror film the flies were inside his body doing only god knows what, but as Falconer struggled on the forest floor his skin began to change color from a healthy blue to a sickly black. Not charcoal like the demons, but solid black like an infected Smurf. His screams became angry "gnaps", and once he was fully infected the flies flew out of his nose and open mouth. Zarus was beside himself, the falcon perched on a nearby tree and looked down at Falconer who was motionless on the floor before rising to his feet. The infected Smurf looked around breathing fast and had a look of blind rage on his face.
"Gnap! Gnap, Gnap!" Falconer screamed as he aimlessly hopped about.
Zarus tried to perch on the Smurf's armguard like always but the infected Falconer rejected his falcon, swatting at him and screaming in protest. Zarus flew back up to the tree he was perched on and observed as his master mindlessly hopped away from the clearing, and into the uncharted forest. Then Zarus spotted a figure rise from the middle of pond. There was no way of the falcon knowing of course, but the demon that rose from the middle of the pond was the one that looked a lot like Sloppy. The powerful lord of the flies Dreamy had fought with in the tropics.
"That's one good at dead, and six more to go." The demon said with sinister smile as Falconer completely disappeared from sight.
Perhaps he would wander forever through the woods a mere shell of himself for the rest of however long he could live that way. If Falconer did receive medical attention he would surely die. Zarus took flight, and flew back towards Port Saint Smurf in a desperate attempt to try to find help.