Speed walking his way through the forest in fear of catching up to the rather terrifying Monsters created at the hands of the Barbarians, Ren held the tip of a spear head in his hand.
In recent times the heads of the training spears had been replaced with iron ones. This raised the number of bloody injuries in comparison to bruises which lowered in number, but as of right now, Ren was entirely glad that they did so.
Especially since the wooden ones that they previously had would probably be useless against that... thing.
Albeit these iron headed spears still seemed useless.
Rushing through the forest, Ren's eyes widened as flashes of light glittered through the trees.
'Oh no.'
Finally making it past the tree line, Ren saw what the Barbarians have done.
And everything was engulfed with flame.
Throwing blazing torches which swiftly ate at the cotton tents they landed on, the wooden walls were slowly crackling into embers as they were knocked over and crushed by a rampaging fox.
If that thing could even be called a fox that is.
Watching one of the spears sink slightly into a gap between its bone armor, it seemed that the spears weren't that ineffective.
But seeing as the man who had done it now had no upper body, Ren decided to not test how fast he was.
Barbarians shouting chants without any discernible meaning as far as Ren could tell, Ren bit his lip as they charged through the training camp slaughtering whoever they could see.
'The others might be...' Ren hurriedly shook his head. 'Nope, don't think of that, don't ever think of that.'
Until he saw them with his own eyes, Ren wouldn't even think of it.
Biting his lip until he drew blood, Ren's eyes were dragged to the four major problems wreaking havoc throughout the entire camp.
A two mouthed fox, a boil covered bat, a number of Barbarians burning everything in sight and...
Traitors.
Having caught the tail end of what had happened, the odds of his friends surviving plummeted by the second as seemingly undying traitors lunged and bit at whoever was nearest.
Gulping down his saliva, at the edge of his vision something glinted.
'What?'
Instinctively jolting to the side, Ren gasped with pain as thin scar formed on his right limb.
Hurriedly stabilizing himself on the nearby tree, Ren breathed heavily and unevenly as he tried to look at who had just cut him.
With rough raggedy brown hair and a scarred lip, the ugly face Ren hadn't seen for three weeks appeared.
"...Scar lip"
"Is that what those idiots are calling me now?" The long lost instructor growled and narrowed his eyes. "I have a proper name, it's-."
"Wait." Instructor Scar Lip's eyes twitched as he got a better look of the teen clutching his arm in the moonlight before they widened with realization "...It's you"
"It's me. You petty old man." Ren gulped down his saliva as his hand ripped out a somewhat intact spear from the cloth bundle on his back.
The Would be instructor's forehead popped a vein as his hand tightened around a bloody blade.
"It's Instructor Johnson to you you snivelling little brat." Scar Lips eye twitched as his hand trembled with anger. "And it's because of you that I was humiliated in front of all my peers."
'I'm pretty sure you did that yourself.'
Instinctively tensing his legs at the recollection of the would be instructor and more so abuser trying to trip him up, Ren tightened his grip on the spear despite the pain in his right arm.
From what he could tell, the blade hadn't cut deep, but it still hurt like hell.
Scar Lips eye twitched as anger appeared prominent on his face. "To start my revenge with you would be a good start."
"It all started because you were a petty bastard though?" Watching the man's every move, Ren didn't miss the man's eyes dart to the bundle of bloodied spear heads on his back.
He probably mistook them as weapons he had used to fight against the barbarians despite them actually bearing the blood of those who had once wielded them.
Ren wasn't going to be correcting him as he raised the bloodied spearhead.
"Unless you're afraid you fucking coward."
The man's eyes twitched.
"You were pretty confident beating me up under the guise of training, where did that confidence go? Or are you just afraid of pain?"
Scarlips eyes twitched as bloodlust filled the air as Ren's mind flickered with dozens upon dozens of thoughts.
What was he afraid of?
Answer: His perceived strength.
Why was he perceived to be strong?
Answer: Bloody and broken Spears
What should he do?
Answer: Look for a way out.
How to do that?
Answer: Buy time.
Concluding it at those final thoughts, Ren goaded Scar lip "Where is that petty man that was beating me up? Are you suddenly not that confident anymore?"
Ren spun the spear in his hands as he placed his legs solidly against the ground. "You know these spears are covered in human blood right?"
Blood of the recruits who once used these spears.
"They may have been broken because of a fight, but I can still use them."
The fight wasn't with me and them, but instead with the fox.
"So Scarlip, what will you do-!?" *CLANG
Falling onto one knee in the dirt, dust was kicked up as the Instructor's eyes changed slightly as a wide grin covered his face, replacing the bloodthirsty one that was there beforehand.
'This isn't good.'
"What? And here I thought you killed all those Barbarians over there using those spears, you're just weak aren't you?"
Pressing down on the blade with both hands, Ren grit his teeth and let the blade slide to the ground while abandoning the spear in his hands.
Rolling to the side and ripping another spear out of the tied together bundle on his back, Ren felt a good majority of them slip slightly before he tightened the knots again.
Something he guessed he should thank his father for teaching him when he was still well and in candle making.
Pulling the blade out of the ground with an arrogant smirk, Instructor Johnson placed the blade on his shoulder arrogantly as Ren made distance.
"And you called me a petty coward? I don't even need to use my blade with something like you."
Ren's eyes barely reacted to the man's movement as a boot meant for his side had to redirect its course to the foot that was still stuck to the ground trying to achieve liftoff.
"Agh!"
The spear bundle on his back scattered as he fell to the ground, a pain shooting up his leg.
Another boot slammed into his side.
Spit dribbled out of his mouth as Ren raised his head and tried to look at the Instructor only to feel a boot on his forehead.
"Ah ah ah..." A condescending voice echoed from above as Ren felt his head get ground into the dirt. "Fourth rule I never got to tell you, Weaklings don't get to look up except when they're dead. Unless you want to die?"
With a sadistic laugh, Ren felt as if someone had just slammed his side with a hammer.
"I guess you really are stronger than you look, you made me use my sword."
Trying to glare at the man's face, Ren felt the boot force his head into the dirt and face to face with the steel reflection of the Guard of the sword slamming into his guts.
"Kuhak!"
Blood and spit exiting his mouth, Ren felt an indescribable pain in his stomach as the Instructor- No. Traitor no doubt continued to have that sadistic grin on his face.
"Did the Weakling feel pain? Where's that mouth of yours when you were cursing me? Huh? Huh?"
Driving his boot into Ren's skull, a white light briefly filled his vision as Ren tried to push the foot off of his head with both of his hands.
"Hah." A sound of disbelief echoed out of the Traitor's throat. "You still think that you can do something?"
Lifting the boot off of his head, Ren felt a brief sense of relief before he rushed at the man and tried to tackle him.
"Did you really just try that?"
Grabbing him by the neck, Ren felt his throat constrict.
"Urk!"
Choking as the tight grip briefly cut off the air entering his body, Ren felt his body rise up from the ground as the man's scar lipped face entered his vision.
With shaggy brown hair illuminated by the fire in the distance and the moonlight in the sky, dark colored eyes bored holes into his face as he sadistically spoke.
"What do you think?" His Blade wielding hand pointed at the flaming camp in the distance, a pillar of flame suddenly exploding near its centre causing even him to flinch.
"Do you still think that you can do...?" The color left his face as the cold touch of steel touched his throat. "...Something?"
"Urk- Were you saying something?"
Still tightly holding the arm that was holding up by the neck, Ren forced out a smirk as the dagger in his hands glinted in the moonlight.
"-Grk, Let's see who's faster, your sword or your dagger."
Eye flashing to the dagger which should be at his waist, the traitor's mind rushed for answers on how this could before flashing to the tackle that had happened briefly when he let up.
"No way. All in that short time?"
'I briefly tried pickpocketing before being beat up after all.'
Thinking about the time when he tried pickpocketing to cover their debts before realizing that no one would carry enough money on their person to cover their debts, it was only now did that rather useless skill become useful.
Recalling that bitter past, it seemed that Ren was putting some strength into his arm as the traitor hurriedly spoke.
"Hey hey hey HEY NOW! Let's not get rash here."
Slowly lowering Ren, Ren held a firm grip on his outstretched arm all the way through.
If he tried pushing him away at that moment, unless the traitor was stupid, the situation would return back to square one and he would be killed.
And as far as Ren could tell, he was a coward, not stupid.
'Although they seem incredibly similar.'
Feeling his legs touch the ground, a shot of pain traveled up his right leg where the boot had first struck. It seemed something was broken in there.
But he couldn't show it.
Forcing himself to show no change in expression as cold sweat dotted his back, Ren held the dagger against the man's neck.
"Cough Cough-cough, and keep your sword over there." Pressing the blade slightly forwards, the Traitor who was subtly bringing the blade closer tensed before throwing it away.
"Fine Fine! Just don't kill me!"
Raising both of his hands, Ren forced his broken leg to step forwards as he neared the man, making sure to keep steady eye contact as he asked the question.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Confused eyes flashing his way as they desperately searched for a way to survive even amongst this, his eyes flashed with realization.
"Why didn't I kill you? Oh that's because I'm actually a spy planted by Captain Harken to infiltrate the Beastly Barbarian tribes! I couldn't dare kill one of our recruits! I love you all like my own kids!"
A sudden zeal appeared in his eyes causing Ren's hand to falter slightly much to a gleam in the Instructor's eye.
Then he steadied his hand and the gleam in the traitor's eyes disappeared.
"What type of parent beats their own kid and why is the camp burn- No. A better question is if you see me as one of your own kids, then do you know my name? Surely you know the name of the kid you beat up don't you?"
"..."
Sweat began to pour down the traitor's back as he hurriedly tried racking his head.
"...Hillary?"
"Nice try." Pressing the dagger onto his throat while putting some weight on his extended foot, despite the pain of his injured foot, Ren glared at him. "That's the name of the vice captain."
"...Please don't kill me."
"Why shouldn't I?"
Glaring into the Man's eyes, Ren saw a flash of something unknown briefly appear as he spoke up.
"I'll swear on the aspect of Summer I won't try to kill you if you don't try to kill me"
Ren blinked before the air itself changed around him, a subtle heat surrounded them.
It wasn't that overbearing heat from the fires raging on in the camp beyond, but something much softer.
Warmer even.
Briefly hugging the both of them, Ren stared at... the Instructor who's name he forgot for a moment.
Then he began to slowly move backwards much to the man's relief.
Walking backwards, Johnson stared at Ren before grabbing one of the fallen spears on the ground and threw it, an incredibly fake voice of shock escaping his mouth.
"Oh no. I slipped!"
It was at this point that pressure on his right foot was to much to bear as it finally gave way.
Pain shooting up from his legs as he fell forwards, a brief flash of grey filled the left side of his vision before pain struck that side of his head.
"Agh Ugh!?"
Moving to clutch the left side of his head as red briefly filled his vision, swiftly replaced by the non existent color, pain seemingly struck him from the side as Johnson grabbed the dagger out of his hands.
"I'm sorry. I slipped."
Fake voice echoing out loud. Writhing on the ground on his knees, his heart was filled with a flush of adrenaline as he did something he usually wouldn't do.
Ren forcefully lunged forwards. The Spear that had just left a potentially permanent scar on the left side of his face spun around and jabbed into the Petty coward's gut.
"Urk?!" Flailing around wildly, coincidentally enough, the fire burning in the distance had burnt out all of the moisture in the surrounding soil, making it coincidentally enough the right looseness for the Traitor to Coincidentally slip.
Coincidentally the fire that was devouring everything had climbed onto the strewn around spears, the sparks created from burning said spears coincidentally moving closer and closer.
Again, as if by entire coincidence, one of the spears had coincidentally burnt enough to generate a hail of flying sparks that coincidentally landed on his hand, coincidentally forcing him to lose his grip on the spear in his stomach.
And AGAIN, as if entirely by coincidence, Ren slipped from the coincidentally dried soil and coincidentally flipped the spear around and coincidentally stabbed him.
Falling forwards with him, Ren felt the hand holding the spear press against something soft, something hard and something soft, blood spurting out like a fountain.
*Urk Gurgle bubble.
Desperately trying to stop the bleeding at his neck with both of his hands, the Traitor stared at Ren in astonishment before they switched into something filled with desperation.
As if he had coincidentally seen something.
The wound made by the blade was to clean and to deep to stop however as he tried to grasp at the burning spears that had coincidentally burnt out in an attempt to cauterize the wound.
He died trying as the blood spurting out from the wound became lesser and less.
'...'
Everything burned around him as he stared at the soon to be lifeless corpse at his feet.
He had just stabbed and killed someone
The pain in his eye and leg were secondary from the feeling of a life flowing through his hands in the color of a crimson red.
A spark of fire coincidentally fell into his outstretched hands, forming a small heart before being swallowed by the blood.
The subtle warmth disappeared, and with it, came the return of the incredibly harsh heat of the world burning around him.
So why did he feel so calm amidst the flame all of a sudden?
---
The Wolf Barbarian Leader saw the burning world with a pleased eye.
Standing beside the Rib jaw wolf without a lower jaw but a mouth that could split open vertically and devour prey directly under it using its ribs morphed into sharp teeth, the man rubbed the top of its no eyed head.
Correct.
no eyed.
It wasn't always like this. Before, it had one eye it used before it mutated into the Rib Jaw Wolf that it was today.
Why did it now have no eye to speak of?
It sacrificed the eye to the Totem God Three Eyed Tiger of course.
And it wasn't alone in that.
'The Oil Boil Bat leader is dead and the Two maw Fox leader is about to die.'
The Oil Boil Bat Leader had turned into a crisp while the Two Maw Fox leader was facing against two knights and several soldiers stabbing at it.
It was just a matter of time before the Two Maw Fox Leader died.
'All for the better since I'll enjoy more of the Totem God's blessing'
Feeling an unbridled joy well up in his soul at the thought of contributing to the Totem God's release, the Rib Jaw Wolf Leader's eyes shifted to the center of the seal located just below them.
It was incredibly difficult to enter through the narrow path built into the mountain, and it was impossible for all but the Oil Boil Bat Leader to enter through the top of the cliff.
So what better way to enter the centre of the seal than through the roof?
"Kik low act tay uth gar zun"
Speaking in the unnatural tongue, the Rib Jaw Wolf opened up its vertical mouth and emptied out the contents of its acidic stomach.
Green liquid pouring onto the ground in a seemingly endless tide, it instantly ate through the soil before devouring the stone swiftly albeit at a slower pace.
'Soon.'
Glancing at the three eyes kept in his hand, the Eye of the Wolf, the Eye of the Bat and the Eye of the Fox all stared back at him as if belonging to some greater entity.
Feeling a madness induced smile crawl unsettlingly across his face, the Barbarian Leader stared at the cave beneath where the Heiress would no doubt be.
'With the Blood of Liquid Fire, the Eyes of the Sneaky Fox, the Conniving Bat and the Ravenous Wolf, in the destruction formed of flame and the death formed of betrayal, the Master of Death and the Three Eyed King of the Mountain shall come and stop it all.'
Maddened zeal filled the man's gaze before it was replaced by shock as he sensed the power of Summer's aspect briefly descend to this place.
Head snapping to the side, the man's eyes narrowed.
---
Guard's Log: Night Watch
- Event 16: Merchant leader Saul Goldberry came searching for his daughter and pleaded with the guard for help in finding her.
Guard Vulcan drew a picture of his daughter using his descriptions.
Daughter goes under the name Bell Goldberry.
Investigation revealed that there were Three Bell's who had joined the army, one of which who went by the name Bell Huckleberry. All male
No connection found to Daughter Bell Goldenberry.
Request to put on Bulletin Board [Approved]
- Event 17: During Night raid of Halsey's residence using warrant, caches of money found with money far beyond a Guard's mean to acquire.
Further investigation revealed that Former Guard Halsey had connections with notorious Drug Manufacturer group Monkey's paw.
Basement level discovered.
Teen who had knocked out Halsey was found to be in a standoff against the Drug Dealers, having used Talismanic arts native to the Chapan Dynasty.
Declined to give name.
Rewarded 5 Jupes and 1 Uras.
Request to award Teen more coin [Processing]
Halsey was found to have escaped.
Guards declared dead on the scene
Requested punishment: Death by Hanging [Approved]
+++
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