Stage 2B - The Farm
Sorry for the delay. I hit the world limit....
Stage 02-B
-Inue Proudfood, January 1923, 2 miles south of Pineford Alberta: One hour earlier.
The day had grown dark and the dogs could run no longer. There were two dogs left, both wounded and limping. The sled had come to rest in a ditch and the sound of fired arms was still ringing in my ears. I stared blankly at the sky, I was wearing the mask of Kugan Jaad and from the view of a mouse, the piney trees seemed to stretch up to the great sky slowly crushing me in dusk’s shadow. I lay there and tried to comprehend my situation. I lay there and tried to comprehend my situation. My brother and tribesmen were dead. Their mangled corpses strewn carelessly into the red snow… They died because of me… I killed them. So why couldn’t I shed a tear?
My late grandmothers words haunted me and reminded me of my failure.. I was cursed…. Perhaps it would be better if those soldiers killed me and took the First of the Grains…
*Hyu…Hyuuu* The dogs cried louder still…. Since I could cry no more tears, I stood and took off the mask. I knelt down and unhooked the dead dogs. I carried the bodies and placed them under a tree. I thanked the earth-mother for them and bid their spirits safe passage.
I slipped on the mask of Arctic Fox, the two remaining dogs whined as I approached. I fed them a handful of deer meat before unhooking them. They limped into the forest, I prayed and thanked them.
I was alone again. Left to stew in my thoughts, I recalled the faces of my clansmen laying in the ditch unmoving. I recalled the bearded man I had crashed into… I had crashed the sled into him; he had recoiled in pain from the First Grain but did not die from it. He told me to run while he fought my pursuers… and I could do nothing but cry and flee… I prayed for that man’s safety. If possible, I wanted to thank him and apologize… but for now I was starving and tired.
I had watched my brother trade furs and meat for a nights lodge in a farmers barn a fortnight ago, perhaps I could do the same… I sat and contemplated how and where to set my snares to catch the most hares, when I suddenly felt a hot breath on the back of my neck! I jumped and turned to see two large white foxes standing perfectly still next to me. They seemed to be staring into my very soul, and after a moment I felt my face and realized I was still wearing the mask of the Arctic Fox. I slowly reached out a hand and the larger of the two foxes leaned into my touch; I scratched his neck. The smaller fox yipped and ran deeper into the woods, the larger nudged me from behind and I followed them into the unknown…
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A short while later with the help of the foxes, we had caught a half-dozen hares; rather they foxes caught five and I snared one… We were standing at the edge of the forest and a large clearing stretched before us, in the near distance I could see towering rocky mountains stretching into the sky up to the clouds. Below us there was a farm with several buildings set around a large wooden southerners home all surrounded by a tall wooden fence. There were strange metal tanks next to one of the buildings and I could hear grazing animals from somewhere within. I took my one hare and thanked the foxes, they seemed to understand me and gave a polite bow. The larger fox dropped one of his three hares at his feet and forced me to take it. I thanked them once again and gave them the last of the deer meat from the sled. The smaller one howled and shook her fur, then they both disappeared into the snowy woods…
After descending the hill, I removed the mask and cautiously walked to the front gate of the farm, my dear brother had warned me that southerners are a lot more protective of their buildings and that you should make your presence known and your intentions clear. My only weapons, a short spear and knife were tucked into my bag and I walked towards the gate with my arms wide open and the two hares slung over my neck. There was a note on the gate which read: “Ring bell”. I grabbed the nearby rope and a loud bell rang out across the farm. After a few tense moments where I contemplated running away, the gate opened and before me was a bearded man even larger than the kind soul who helped me escape earlier. He had a fired arm resting lowered in his arms and must have been very shocked to see one of my kind so far south.
“Long ways from home, eh there missey? What can I do ye for?”
His voice was booming and carried the same kind of presence and gravitas that my own fathers possessed. I weakly managed to stammer: “I am Inue Proudfoot. I wish to trade for a nights rest in your barn. I will leave in the morning… I have hares!” I held them up and the man just quietly stared at me, his powerful gaze seeming to burn into my very spirit. “Two fresh hares for a nights rest? Sounds like a fair deal to me. Hah” The mans expression softened into a grin and he opened the gate wide to allow me inside. I handed him the two hares and he proudly examined them. “Yer just in time for supper Inue, my wife’s making stew: these hares will taste delicious!” The man gave out a jovial laugh that echoed around the farm. I politely nodded as he led me through the farm, taking me past the large animal stables and a few other buildings towards the large house at the center of the property. “M’names Tolf McGooding”. Tolf stuck out his hand and I reciprocated the shake politely as my brother had taught me. “Thank you for letting me stay here….” “A fair trade’s a fair trade miss. ‘Tis the least I can do.” The man smiled and walked up the main houses stone steps.
The large wooden door of the house swung open into a large sitting room. The man took off his coat and kicked the snow from his boots. “Dust yer feet at the door, miss.” The farmer politely requested, and so I did. I followed him into a cozy room with a large stone fireplace built into the wall. “Annie, kids, we’ve got a guest, come greet her!”
Over the next several minutes I was rapidly introduced to Tolf’s family. His wife Annie, his sons Thomas and Torvuld, and his daughters Alice and Alma. The girls in the family all had a beautiful hair as red as fire, a gift from their homeland Im told. They berated me with questions like where I was from, why I was there and what kind of furs I was wearing… I was overwhelmed by the family’s sheer presence, I hastily tried to answer as many replies as I could manage, but my head was spinning and I could feel myself growing faint.
Tolf must have noticed this because he loudly clapped his hands and everyone looked his way. “Alright, thats enough pesterin’ ‘er. Alice, go take our guest and get her washed up for dinner. The rest of ye can help me move the last of the boxes from the brewery. Hurry now, no bellyaching.” The oldest girl, Alice led me by the hand towards her room, she might have been a couple years younger than me. “Sorry ‘bout that Inue, mah family can be a little intense sometimes.” The girl Alice was kind to me, we talked, she drew me a bath from a pump in the floor for a bath, she braided my hair afterwards ina style from her homeland. I gave her some of the charms from my bag in gratitude, she seemed to like them. I made polite small talk but I could not shake the shadow of the last few hours. Since this girl had been so kind to me, I decided I owed her at least the truth. I recalled our journey southward from the icy tundra. So far from home, this land was strange and intimidating; In return she told me of her homeland, the verdant highlands and deep blue lochs, rocky shores by the sea… She spoke of her dreams to be a nurse which she explained was almost like a priestess. It was comforting to have a friend In this strange land.
Soon, we were all sat around to dine at their table. The long wooded table was crammed tight with plate and jars, bottles of ales and bowls of stew. Tolf led us in a prayer from his homeland and we all began to dig in. It was rare to get bread up north, so I savored every bite that was passed to me, the warm flaky crust was as sweet to me as maple sap. Alice shared stories about some of the folks that lived in town, her friends and some of the more eccentric locals. She was just about to tell me about someone called the Francaphone when dinner was cut short--
Suddenly there came a banging at the door. Tolf stood and disappeared out of the room towards the door. Thomas slurped another mouthful of stew and went back to explaining his new brewing techniques to his mother as she politely nodded along. Apparently the family was famous for brewing liquor on their farm with their own crop of golden grains. The cider they served with dinner was delicious and the liquid courage helped me forget my troubles, for a time…
There was a loud crash from the other room as the heavy wooden door was slammed shut. Tolf walked back into the room with a bloody nose, walked directly to the stone fireplace at the corner of the room and grabbed the weapon hanging on top of the mantle. He snapped the tool in half and slid two red objects inside of it before snapping the metal part of the fired arm back into place.
Annie stood with a look of deep concern. “Honey?” Tolf looked his wife in the eyes and spoke gently and with absolute authority: “Ann, take the kids to the cellar out the back door. Keep quiet. Wait till I come get you. No time to explain; go now.” Tolf walked over and kissed Annie as she took the two youngest by the hand towards the back door. “Thomas, I need your help son. Is that crossbow you’ve been tinkering on worth anything?” “Uh… Yes… Yes sir! I-I can grab it right away.” Thomas stood from the table and replied with trembling hands. “Good. Go. Go now, grab what you need. ” Tolf spoke sternly before turning to me. “Girl. Inue. Way I’s see it, when a person steps onto my land, they’re either friend or foe. You sure as hell ain’t a foe of mine, but you brought a few here with ye. I ain’t give a damn who, what or how, but there’s some three dozen fellas outside saying they wants to talk to ye…”
My heart sank. I should have kept running, I should have died earlier today with my clansmen and the bearded man. Tolf put a strong hand on my shoulder and gripped tight enough for it to hurt. I winced from the pain and was brought back to the moment. “Say no more there missey. I understand.” The rest of Tolfs family had run out of the back and Alice was there waiting for me to join them. “Go on. Go with them. Under my roof, your under my guard. Now get going!”
I reached into my front pouch pocket. I clutched the palm sized half ball of gassy black stone. I prayed to the earth mother. I prayed to the great mother. I prayed to my grandmother. I prayed to my beloved mother…. For the Courage to live on. Others were willing to put their lives on the line all for me: a worthless priestess cursed with this great burden.
For the sake of my brother. And mother. I must endure.
“I will fight alongside you!” I proclaimed with a shaky voice.
I could feel a menacing aura around us.
I gripped the stone tighter… I could feel it. A dark aura soaked in bloodthirst. Dark wills descending to slaughter. There were two prominent wills lashing and hazing my nature. I slipped on the mask of ‘Raven that brings the sun.’ The wills coalesced into a wispy shapes, hues of indigo and violet. Several small wisps were standing by the front door. The most cunning of which was wreathed in sanguine bond. The largest of the wills was far in the distance east of the farm: The size of a large hill…
Trapped in a daze, I slowly removed the mask of Raven that Brings the sun and readjusted to the space around me. There was a hazy cloud beginning to fill the hallway towards the front door. Tolf had carried me to the back of the room and was shouting something. Thomas was loading a bolt into his crossed bow with shaky hands. I gathered myself a spoke at Tolf: “There are two souls more fierce and malevolent that the others. One at the door and one in the hills to the east…”
Tolf acknowledge my words with a nod, but his attention was firmly fixated on the front entrance down the hallway. Wood was hammered in the other room, the relentless men were breaking down the door. Thomas fired his crossed bow out of sight towards the front door. *Kakunkkk* The door broke and the men who filled in, began to hack and cough, some of them managing to spit out the word “GAS!”.
“Aces Tommy! Buncha soft bellied crows we got here: Back in the homeland, yer grand-daddy and I used to use half-brewed scotch vapir to take paint off the house! A glass of that’ll put some hair on parts of ye ya never knew could get hair. HARHARHAR!” Tolf let out a roccus belly laugh and kept his fired-arm trained on the hallway. His laugh masking the immense fear that even a juggernaut like him must feel… “You two start moving, lets get to the cattle barn. Out the back, the lot-a-ye.”
I stood to my feet and followed Thomas out of the back door and onto a small wood porch. The house was in the middle of the compound, the men were south at the front door. Thomas gestured for me to get low, as he crawled along the deck and peeked around the corner. He replaced the bolt of his crossed bow with one that was wrapped in papers and cord. “Get ready to run over there.” He whispered and turned back to the gesture at the building Northwest of the house about 30 meters away. *DOKUH!!---DOKUGG!!--* There were two loud thuds from inside and Tolf burst out, slamming the door behind him. “Holy Mary mother-a christ. Whoever these fellas are, they ain’t normal…. Huh...Huh…” Tolf shouted out a breath and clutched his side which was covered in tattered cloth and leaking blood. “Son, they got a black beast that can walk inside the damned walls! Keep yer wits clear.” Thomas held up his hand and quietly asked his father something: “Father. Would you be okay losing the brewery if it kept the family safe?”
“Son, I’d raze this entire farm myself than let my family get hur-----”
*Thunnnk* Thomas’ crossedbow was released. On the East side of the main house there was a large metal building in the shape of a tree trunk. Thomas’ bolt flew and struck the metal. A moment later the sky erupted in bright orange. Thunder roared as fire spread to the surrounding buildings and a shockwave shattered glass portals lining the house walls. Tolf collapses to one knee clutching his side. “Get to the barn!” I slipped on the mask of Kugan-Jaad. From the height of a mouse, I jumped onto Tolf’s back and scurried up to his shoulder. The mouse-woman was supposed to help people on their journeys. I wished to bless these people with safe passage. Tolf stood a little straighter. His wound was still bleeding but he was no longer wincing. “I don’t know enough Eskimos to know if thats normal or not missey, but Im glad these bastards arent the only ones versed in witchcraft.” There was a barrel next to the door, and behind it was a stone wall supporting the porch. Opening the barrel, Tolf retrieved a large hammer with a heavy metal head. With one fell swing, the stone wall collapsed backwards and the stones fell ontop of a door in the ground. “Cellars blocked for now, the family’ll be safe. Lets run Tom!”
I held on tights as Tolf ran across the snowy yard towards the barn, Thomas was right behind us painting and struggling to keep pace. Tolf was built like my father: a bear of a man that seemed to project an aura of dauntlessness and courage no matter the situation. His son on the other hand was not quite as durable. Alice had briefly described him as the brains of the family, even managing to get College, which was described to me as a grand place of learning. The snow in the yard was deep, Thomas tried as he might to stay in his fathers foot-tracks lost his balance and fell. Tolf stopped running and turned to go grab him. He reached out a hand to pick him up and suddenly we both noticed a dark spot in the sky…
There was a few sources of lamplight on posts around the farm casting dim light. The evening had turned dark and the starry sky revealed the ancestors and their domain. Among that domain there was a large shadow moving slowly… Larger and larger it grew… Before I could react and shout, Tolf was already moving. “SHIT!” Tolf dove to the ground towards his son just moments before a large pine tree fell from the sky and impaled into the ground where Thomas had been lying…
The three of us rolled across the snow and tried to make sense of things. A large pine tree was sticking roots to air out of the ground as if it had fallen from the sky… I took off the mask and panicked. As the masks power was dispelled and I returned to normal size, Tolf doubled over in paint and the wound began to gush blood. Thomas scrambled to his feet and I helped him aid Tolf to the barn. Once we were inside, we pulled the barn door closed and barred it. Moments later another thud resonated, most likely the impact of another falling tree….
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Exhausted, we sat and caught our breaths…. Thomas passed me a roll of cloth from his bag along with a needle and thread. “Hey lady! You any good with a needle?” *WHACK!* Tolf smacked his son in the back of the head. “Oi! Don’t matter where you are, you speak with respect to a lady, you got that son?” Oww… My bad Pa…. Sorry… I’m freaking out here… Sorry miss. Do you mind helping me sew up my father?” I was still reeling from the sequence of events, but I shook free the shock and managed to recall my role. “Ah, yes. I’m a priestess. I will do what I can to heal him…” I took the needle and cloth from Thomas and looked after Tolf’s bloody side. I had sewn up my father’s wounds before. He worse some with pride, and some with shame… I started cleaning it with a bucket of water and rages from near one of the stalls full of braying panicked animals. Wiping the coagulated blood from the wound, I noticed a familiar pattern of scratches… “We’re you attacked by a wild beast?” I gasped in horror. “This wound looks like it was from a bear?
Tolf banged a fist on a wooden plank next to the wall he was slouched against. A wooden panel popped open and he reached inside to produce a bottle of golden liquor. Tolf uncapped the bottle and began to down half of it. Once he had wiped the whiskey from his beard, he soaked a cloth in it and wiped the would with barely a wince. I took the needle and began stitching him up as he told us of the men he greeted at the door…
“I went an’ opened the door wide. To my dismay I see three large military trucks rolled over me front gate and three dozen dandy’s standing there. The one who looked to be in charge: strange eastern lookin’ fella with a cloak and hood asks me if I seen an Eskii-mo girl ‘round here. I tell the fella to get off my property b’fore I break his neck. He throws a punch, an’ I slam the door in his face. After I grabbed me shotgun and you two ran out the door, they broke in and the Asian-fella used some charcoal or somethin’ to draw a shape on the wall. Then the crazy bastard sliced his palm with a blade and rubbed blood over the charcoal. I dunno what kinda strange voo-doo bull-crap they’re using but a moment later the black smear morphed into a shadowy beast! Damned thing gored my side b’fore I could react. I blew a couple holes in the wall with me shotgun which seemed to slow it and go the hell outa there. They don’t know you’re here yet but it looks like they mean to find ye by force either way…”
Tolf looked at the two of us with a look of deep regret… “Son. I wake up every day and thank the good lord that the war was over by the time you finished boot camp. But today is one of those days where a mans gotta buck up and protect himself and his family I need ye to be prepared. You got a good head on ye and those special bolts ye made are proof enough of that. But I need ye to find yer grit and help me kill these bastards who want to hurt our family and our new friend here…”
Tolf gave his son a hug and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before turning to me.
“Inue, What can you tell us about these fellas?”
I recalled to them what little I knew. They were a group of soldiers who attacked me and my brother claiming they wanted the First of the Grains for themselves. I held out the Grain for them both to see but they both cautiously recoiled from it. Merely holding the relic felt like strands of thread coating my soul and pulling it apart in each direction. I swiftly returned it to my pouch pocket. Thomas spoke up. “Is that the reason why you’re able to shrink down to the size of a mouse?”
“Yes, I believe so, though I cant really explain it myself either. When I first found the stone, it showed me things: A land far away and a great battle, but its all a haze to me now.”
I had just finished sewing Tolfs side when there came a crash at the barricaded door. From the outside we could hear the mens voices. “Footprints go into here. Foldimur must have spotted them and thrown these trees. Alright boys, break down that door. Yeung-Ho says to not kill the family if you can avoid it, but the girl with the stone is free game.”
“Shit, looks like they’re coming in. Thomas, got any ideas son?” Thomas racked his brain and searched his sling bag for tools. “Short term. I can make a smokescreen at the door. Long term we might be able to use that bottle of KTR-7 in the storage shed to make an airborne gas to knock all these guys out.”
“Fine. One step at a time. See if you can block the door with some gas or what have ye’. Inue, I see ye got a short spear, can you use it, can you fight?”
I recalled the very few lessons my brother had given me on the journey South. I wasn’t able to pierce a deer hide with a thrust, but I could throw them on a target most of the time. I looked up to Tolf and gathered my resolve. I wanted to do well by my brothers lessons. “Yes sir. I will do what I can!”
Moments later. The door was broken down with a loud burst; the smell of smoke and sulfur. Dust and debris were flung across the room and fragmented splinters were nearly blown into my face. I curled up and braced for the worst. The cows around us woke from their slumber and began panicking and mooing. Thomas, who had climb to a vantage on the beams in the rafters let fly a shot from his crossed bow. A thick cloud of cloying red smoke enveloped the men. They began acting erratically and weaving round as if they were drunk. After a few shaky steps, the last of the men fell flat on his face in the fragments of the barn door babbling incoherently before letting out a loud snore.
I was just about to ask him what sort of projectile he had used when a large figure appeared through the smoke laughing. His breath was raspy and forces as if sucking through a hollow tube. He stepped over and around his fallen comrades and the large man glared at us three with his large reflective pupil-less black eyes. There was a long cord-like tube connecting from where his mouth should be towards a pack on his back. He carried no weapons, but his fist and knuckles bore spikes over his gloves. The man was covered head to toe in armor that made him look boated and puffy, like a child wrapped in a wolfsfur too large for him. He bore the appearance of a great and terrible Akselloak, wreathed in his rocky looking armor. However, unlike an Akselloak, this man was here to hurt us; I had to remind myself of that.
The man spotted me and exclaimed: “Ah! There you are little girl. Give me that stone of yours so I wont have to crush your skull. Herherher.” Before I could muster a rely, Tolf stood and propped himself up with his hammer. “I don’t know what rock yer talking about, but you’re trespassing here bud. I hope you’re ready to pay for it.” Tolf ran at the man and swung his hammer over his shoulder. The Akselloak absorbed the blow to his side and was knocked into one of the barns wooden support beams. In a fit of retribution the man in the armor screamed and unleashed a flurry of spiked punches at Tolf. Chest bloodied, Tolf fell to the ground where the Akselloak began laying beat after beat into his torso.
I stood and willed my brothers hand to guide mine. I aimed my spear and threw it as accurately as I could at the mans head. My spear flew across the barn and impaled the creature directly in his lifeless eye. The eye shattered like blackened ice and the man screamed in agony. Tolf used the moment to break free and stood, wounded, to his feet. “Father drink this!” Thomas called out and threw a bottle of liquid at him. Without questioning, Tolf spat out the cap and downed the brown liquid. A guttural roar erupted from Tolfs gut and his pupils widened. He cast aside his fatigue and pummeled the Akselloak with his hammer. My spear broke from the mans eye and he curled up using this thick arms to block the blows. My attention was focused on the battle in front of me, and so I failed to noticed the assailants descending from the roof with ropes.
A set of hands wrapped around my neck from behind and I was thrown to the ground. Winded I cried out and tried to roll away. I was struck over the head and nearly lost consciousness as my world went white. I crawled around on the ground and fumbled on the mask of Kugan-Jaad. I shrunk down to the size of a mouse and fled into the animal pens. There was a loud mooing noise from high above me and the creature occupying the stall kicked straw at me. I scurried outside the stall and by the sounds of it, Tolf was winning. I felt useless. I had no weapon or way to aid them. I could sit on their shoulders and give them the strength to press onwards, but I was still a liability…. I considered the takes of the other masks I kept with me. The mouse woman helped folks on their journeys, the Raven brought the sun and the Arctic Fox ran across the northern lights…
I prepared myself to fight and survive. I called forth the spirit of the Arctic Fox and donned her mask. “Shes there!” *BaraRaraRarar* The animal stall next to me was broken open by a hail of fired-arms. The poor beast inside gave its death rattle and the soldiers weapons snapped together and prepared for another barrage. I called forth the great stories my mother had passed to me; A gleam of dancing lights gathered next to me, swirling and coalescing into the shape of a great northern fox. The lights danced together like threads in a rope, the spirit howled and dashed out of the stall door. Heart racing, I followed her.
The streams of light ran across the ground and dove straight at the terribly surprised man. The fox slammed the man backwards into a wooden post, groaning before passing out. The scene on the barns floor was a mess of metal pellets and shattered glass. Thomas had climbed up into the rafters and was distracting the soldiers with his clever devices. Several of the soldiers were standing outside the destroyed barn door, arguing amongst themselves back and forth politely over whom should enter the door first: their faces covered in a blue dye. Others still were engaged in a fist fight with each other: even from here they reeked of liquor. On the other side of the room a fire had broken out preventing another group of men from entering the side door. Next to the fire Tolf was engaged in a bloody fist fight with the indomitable Akselloak. Its head had been removed to reveal an unsightly and bloody man underneath. Off in the distance thunder crashed and roared; a great fight was happening even outside the barn…
The flickering lights in the shape of a fox howled at something behind me. I could sense its anxiety and so I tucked and rolled across the floor just a blade cut the air where my head had just been. The soldier, my assailant lunged with a long blade; The cunning fox weaved itself behind his legs knocking him to the ground. I could sense the power of the First grain bid me to protect it. I called out to the loose wisps of light surrounding me: they coiled around my arms like a serpent and flew towards the downed man. As he was rising to retaliate a softness came over his visage, his eyes swirling and dancing like lights in the night sky. I took several careful steps backwards and the man simply stood there, blade in hand, dazzled by whatever force this mask bade me. The cunning fox took the chance to leap at him, downing him with her graceful tail.
The atmosphere of the room was thick with tension but it had become strangely quiet. Around the barns floor lay a dozen men, bloodied, bruised, unconscious: most of them disabled by Thomas’s clever arrows. Without those tricks, we would have certainly be overrun. At the far side of the room, Tolf was laying the final blows into the Akselloak with his hammer. The man kept trying to stand up, and when he did, he was met with a blow from an exhausted Tolfs hammer. After three or four times, the man stopped moving all together. It was a difficult sight to behold, but since I was the one responsible for gouging out his eye, it felt shameful to look away.
The three of we who were still standing, all collapsed to the ground and let out a sigh of relief. Now that the adrenaline had run its course, I dropped down to a shaky knees. I couldn’t move. The battle was over and yet I was frozen stiff. I clutched my heart which felt like it had seized and ceased pumping. While I was doubled over and unable to move. Tolf and Thomas went around and gave each downed soldier a whack over the head to ensure they weren’t waking up anytime soon. Once we had all calmed down and caught our breath, Tolf began dismantling the Akselloak. “This fella’s got full steel plate armor. I’ll be using that if’n yer don’t mind….” Tolf spat on the ground and wiped the blood off his chin. The head armor was destroyed by my spear but we manged to help Tolf into the rest of the armor. Whatever medicament Thomas had given him seemed to be wearing off and he was breathing heavily and sweating like wet firewood. “I dunno how many more we can take on our own kids… *Huff* If they have even one or two more guys in armor like this, then we don’t stand a chance in hell of stopping ‘em. Least not with the tools we got here… *weezeeee*” His new armor creaked and scraped together as he looked us over. Outside the sound of battle was growing ever fiercer, though we knew not who was involved. Thomas perked up his ears “From the sounds of the gunfire and explosions, those soldiers are fighting someone else. Who could it be?”
Tolf clutched his side and stood. “Who’vre they are, we cant let them fight our battles for us now can we son? Lets get outside and try to help ‘em.” After taking a single step the tired man collapsed to the floor breathing heavily. “Damn, the brew must have worn off.” Thomas ran over and helped his father lean against the wall. I retrieved the medical supplies from earlier but there were no obvious wounds to heal. I removed the Arctic foxes mask and the wispy Fox of light that had been standing in the debris strewn doorway dispersed. One of the dear mothers favorite stories was of Raven that Brings the Sun. She would sing old songs as she treated the villagers, always with a warm smile on her face as bright as the sun itself.
I donned the Ravens mask and once again beheld the aura of the wills around me. A large glow before me was Tolf, the smaller one beside it Thomas. On the ground near us were several fading lights: the men we had defeated. Outside the barn were dying lights and glowing lights clashing with each other. The largest of which was as large as a house, three or four times the size of the others. The giant light was right outside the barn and looked as if it were about to break in. I snapped back to reality and the lights dimmed so I could see normally. Without realizing, my fingers were clenched around Tolf’s shoulder and they were growing pale. I released him, expecting a scolding for wasting time, but instead, the massive man in the armor stood and cracked his shoulders triumphantly. “bloody hell miss Inue, I dunno what kind of light shone from that mask of yers, but I swear I feel twenty years younger! HAHAHAH! I feel as if I could take on all these bastards me’self!” A deep hearty bell laugh came from the man, who was beaming ear to ear.
Thanks to the mothers light, I had managed to heal this mans wounds. I felt a surge of pride well through me. Even though I couldn’t defend myself as well as the others, I could, at least fulfill my role as priestess and soothe their wounds.
*KERRRRACKCHCHCHCHCH!!!* The moment of tranquility was shattered by the scraping of metal and bending of wood. The roof was peeled off like the skin of a fruit and we stood eye to eye with a twenty foot tall man!
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The giant man had a harsh and worn visage: Scraggly beard, sunken eyes, unkempt hair and gangrenous knuckles covered in layers of dried blood and mold. The beast of a man peered into the barn as if he were a child peering into a wooden chest. Tolf was on his feet before Thomas and I could be shaken free from the abject terror of witnessing a beast of myth. The armor clad man gave a fierce battle cry and let fire fly from his weapon. The metal balls dug into the mans face for a moment before dropping to the floor leaving tiny bloody scratches in their place… The attack seemed to do more to anger the giant than harm it. “Aanataan! Its Benandonner!”
A massive hand with a wrist the size of a tree trunk reached inside the barn from the gaping ceiling. Before I could react, I was scooped up under one of Tolf’s arms as he ran to grab his son in the other. Dirty calloused fingers scraped the ground and clawed their way towards us. I resolved myself long enough to put on the mask of Kugan-Jaad. I scurried and climbed up Tolf’s armor and rode on his shoulder: willing forward our safe passage. As I did so, Tolf picked up the pace as if he was totally unburdened by the weight of both us and the armor.
Still, we weren’t fast enough. One of the giants dirty, cloying fingers flicked Tolf in the back, launching him forward into the animals stall, breaking the wood and crushing the poor beast inside. A pained and sad mooing rang out as we pulled ourselves out of the wreckage. To my horror, the giant was ripping the entire front wall apart. Like the dusting of a blanket, the wooden wall was peeled away and tossed into the night sky. The giant made the ground tremble as he walked towards us, ready to grind our bones underfoot….
A flash of white light… Could this be it? A horn echoed through the night sky… This must be the great Moose’s final call for me to reach my ancestors in the sky…
As the giant raised his terribly large burlap and leather wrapped foot to snuff out our lives; time seemed to slow.
The bright white light gave way to reveal a great green metal beast from behind the giant. In some twist of fate, that same metal horseless vehicle which had run down my brother and tribesmen, had now came to our aid. The metal beast raced across the ground and crashed directly into the giants precariously balanced leg. The raised foot came crashing down right beside us, flattening another poor set of animals, but sparing our lives. A great and terrible roar rang out as the giant knelt down and clutched his shattered leg-bone. The nose of the green vehicle was completely caved in and there appeared to be no one operating it….
A pop sounded and from the sky, a fireball suddenly engulfed the Giants face. Without missing a beat, the sound of hooves quickly followed… Two men riding on a horse entered the barn through the missing wall. The larger of the two men jumped from the horse and began running along the roof of the crashed vehicle. From out of thin air, he produced a pine tree; as if it had always been slung over his shoulder…. With all his might, the man rammed the stump of the tree deep into the giant’s chest, drawing a river of black-red blood…
Tolf, Thomas and I panicked and ran to the side as the Giant toppled over and crushed the opposite wall, falling straight through and collapsing to the ground with an earth shaking thud…
Tolf was the first to his feet. He rearmed his weapon and pointed it at the large man who had fallen into the water trough. His head emerged from under water and he stared straight down the barrel of the weapon with sunken eyes and a thousand yard stare. From behind a strangers voice came: “Monsier McGooding, we ‘ave returned!” The man on horseback dismounted and walked to shake Tolfs hand. He spoke with a strange accent and wore a long black coat and curled mustache. Tolfs expression softened to one of relief and comradery. “Trembley? Thought I sent you and Morty home for the night?” Like old friends Tolf shook the horseman’s hand and lowered his weapon from the man in the trough. After being stunned by the felling of the giant, Thomas ran up to the men and excitedly greeted them. “Hey mister Morty, what’re you guys doing back here?” From outside, a smaller man with large round frames on his eyes came forward holding a large metal tube over his shoulder which was still smoking. “How’re’ya’now Tommy? We heard some hoodlums were headed out this way so ‘s we came back to route ‘em. Sheriff said he was going to send for the reserves stationed at Edmonton. Until then; we’re your backup.”
The horse rider and the glass-eyed man walked over and helped up the man in the trough. Water ran off his back as he shook himself off. He wore a dark jacket with a red and black patterned shirt underneath. On his back was a crudely built metal axe. His eyes were sunken and looked as if he had spent months without sleeping…. My heart rose in my chest and I inched towards him.. “Its you! I ran you over earlier… Those men… because of me …” The tears began to flow and my voice choked up.. I fell to my knees and tried to stifle out an audible word…
Guilt overflowing like a burst damn: “This stone is a curse! Those men want to take it from me, but something deep in my heart wills me not to allow them. They killed my brother and clansmen on our journey south. When I crashed into you, I could do nothing more than weep and flee. I am guilty of burdening you and so many others. Each and every one of you here is in danger all because of me and this cursed relic! Why don’t you people curse me out and exile me?”
The large man stood still, his eyes deep blue and menacing. After a moment, he sighed and his expression softened…
“Yer not to blame Ma’am. Whether ‘ur not you led the soldiers to me, those fellas were searching for me personally anyhow. In fact, Im ashamedly honored t’hear that their Colonel wants to speak with me directly: over somethin’ I don’t recall e‘r doing…. Yer bumping into me might as well have been fate.” The man sighed and sat on the edge of the trough, eye level with me. His expression softened a little, almost cracking a smile.“My names Edmund Cannuck, and I intend to get rid of these wretches with or without yer involvement. We can discuss the finer details after we survive, but for now, you gotta push down those feeling of guilt and stand strong if you intend to endure. I neither know nor care who exiled you from your home, but the simple fact is that I’m tied to that cursed rock and these soldiers now just as much as you are…”
My heart was beating fast and my mind was racing, I had so many things I needed to convey to Edmund and all the men putting their lives on the line here…
I wouldn’t get a chance to reply.
“Tabernak! Allonz-y mon chums! The giant! He stirs!” The man called Trembley picked up a weapon from one of the unconscious soldiers and unleashed a torrent of fire at the downed Giant. His weapon dug into the creatures thick skin drawing on pinpricks of blood. The furious beast, thrashed about, causing we who had gathered, to scatter and flee. I turned and ran to the open wall the Giant had initially tore through. My legs suddenly stopped gaining traction, I felt weightless; I was being lifted! Tolf and Edmund, turned around and immediately opened fire high above me. From what little corner of the roof that still stood, a dark and shadowy hand had descend upon me like sap on a branch. Thomas loaded something into his crossed bow and took aim at the shade. A blinding light illuminated the room as a shooting star flew into the stump of the wretched hand, digging in and burning its murky essence. The hand dissolved into ashes and released me. With the sensation of falling, I fumbled on the mask of Raven and spread my arms wide. The great raven slowed my descent enough to save me from harm. I rolled to the ground and looked up at the writhing mass that was reforming and crawling on the ceiling like an insect.
“McGoodin’! Take the girl and get outta here! We’ll deal with the big bastard!” Tolf nodded at Edmund and ushered Thomas and I out of the barn and back into the snowy night sky. The last words we herd from inside were: “Oi! Keep her safe Tolf! Ya’hear?” I looked back one final time towards the three men who stood fearlessly in the face of insurmountable odds…
There were fires raging from the east side of the house and the barnyard before us was stained white with snow and ash. Several bodies lay on the ground, some lay in pieces; I stifled the urge to vomit. To keep my mind off the gore, I searched through the ravens eyes for malevolent wills. Back in the barn, three shades surround one large one, locked in a deadly battle. Around us, were fading lights and those that had already gone. I looked back towards the main house: four panicked auras, the kindly McGooding family, still safe it seemed. I searched around still for the caster of the shadowy shapes to no avail.
I pressed a mitten to the side of the house to steady myself. The surface was unexpectedly slick and viscous, like and indigo dye. I found it difficult to pull my hand away, and as I peered closer to the wooden logs that made up the house walls, I recoiled in horror. A thick black paste was oozing out from in between the house’s logs. “The house! Its full of something!” I tried to get the others attention but both men were kneeling in the snow, silently clutching their necks. I pulled away and my mitten was left attacked to the wall. I ran to Tolf and Thomas to see what had happened.
Crawling up each man were dozens of black shadowy cloying creatures scurrying up their bodies in masses, suffocating them as they clawed their way down their throats. Thomas flailed and tried to grab his bag full of trucks, but from what I had seen so far, anything he was going to do would end up doing more damage to them than the black rodents. The great grain called out to me. I grasped it. I could feel a surge of power as the great Ravens wings wrapped around me and blessed me with the light of the sun. A blinding light burst from the mask and evaporated the shadowy creatures. Even after the light died down, my eyes took several moments to see properly again. No matter how much I blinked, the world would not grave me with her beauty. “Gah- Fu-Blech…” Both men vomited onto the snow and took heavy breaths from their cleared windpipes.
“Ack! Thanks Inue! Those damned shadows again. Must be the fella’ I greeted at the door. Foul sludge tastes like iron and ash. I could feel them draining the life outta me…. A few more seconds and I dunno if I’d still be here. Son! Are ye alright?” Thomas was rinsing his mouth with a bottle of clear liquid. When he had finished, he paused and listened for something. The barn behind us had collapsed into debris; The men fighting the giant were being thrown about in the wreckage. To our misfortune, the sunken hollow eyes of the great beast turned our direction and shouted something indiscernible. Ripping a tree out of the ground as if it were a sapling, the mass of wood sailed through the air flying inches above our heads and nearly killing us in the impact. The house walls buckled under the weight of the impact and shattered, flinging twigs and leaves upon us. In the distance Edmund go the giants attention, swinging his axe into his shin, chopping like he was felling a tree. The great monster retaliated with a swing of his fist. My heart skipped a beat as I watched from a distance. The giant pummeled him into the ground in what was most certainly a lethal blow. A pop resounded and a moment later the giants head was engulfed in flames. Trembley used his horse to quickly string a spool of rope around its legs. My attention was brought back to our own situation. “Inue, come on, lets go! We got our own battle to fight!” Thomas grabbed me by the hand and dragged me away from the carnage. Despite the heavy armor, Tolf was ahead of us across the yard. There was a large fenced off area underneath a tarp. Several rustling metal tools and piles of scrap lumber could be seen sticking out from under a thick layer of dust. Tolf fiddled with a metal box and two bright white lights shone illuminating the tarped area. As we ran towards the fence’s entrance, the ash covered ground shifted and swayed. Thomas slipped and was rolled away by the blackened terrain with crashed like a stormy sea. Tolf knelt and steadied himself against the twisting terrain. The ground swelled like a child running with a blanket over their head.
The others rolled down a long tunnel deep into the earth. I scrambled to place on the mask of the Arctic Fox. I heard a comforting howl and a stream of green and blue light stretched out of the pit back to solid ground. I reach out and felt a tug in my gut pulling me along the trail of light like the great fox running on the aurora. I rolled onto the white snow and found myself at the feet of the wispy fox comprised of streaming lights. The beast gave a friendly howl and looked for Thomas and Tolf; To my dismay the tunnel into the earth had been sealed with a shadowy wall. From the sounds in the distance, Edmund and the others were still fighting the giant. The McGooding men had suddenly disappeared under the ground beneath the tarped yard. I looked for another way down into the earth; the pillars casting bright white light made it hard to see. “Tarrrrrrguut acquired!” I was suddenly accosted by four soldiers rounding the corner of the main house. Their bodies looked frail and their weapons were caked in mud and viscera. Heart racing, I ran as fast as I could into the dimly lit yard under the tarps. My brave Fox companion dove at the first man causing his weapon to fire wildly into the air. The other two followed after me, striking the ground inches behind my heels as I ran away. The fence had gaps just large enough for me to slip through; I grabbed the fence, twisted and dove through the fences gap just as the planks shattered with arms fire. The wooden fence was perforated but to my great fortune none of them struck me.
The ground under the 6ft high dark blue tarp was littered with dusty wooden crates, disused farm machines and enough wood and metal scraps to build a small village. There was a crashed and the wooden fence was broken. The wispy fox returned to my side as wounded solider came into view behind her. He cursed us and charged with a blade. The aurora lights wrapped around my arms again like coiled snakes: The light burst forth dazing the man with glowing murky turquoise eyes. The fox dove and struck the dazed man: his head cracked on a metal crate as he fell. He was dead, but three more voices surround me and began breaking into the tarped yard.
The ground beneath me rumbled with the muffled sounds of a battle occurring underfoot. An idea dawned on me and I recalled the wispy fox back to me. I communed with it and asked it to dig some holes around the ground to lay traps for our attackers. Without a word, the spirit assured me with a nod and ran off into the back of the yard and out of sight.
There was a sudden flash that lit the face of the man who had fired it. A sack of soil beside my head burst open, heralding the shot that had nearly taken my life. I wasn’t dead yet which meant that I needed to be brave. I drew together more streams of light around my arms and willed it forward to break the post next to me holding up the canvas roof. A helical stream of light burst forth and, to my dismay passed directly through the wooden tent pole leaving it totally unharmed. I suppose it was good to know my limitations, this light of mine seemed to only affect the living..
Gravel crunched underfoot in the dim tent and suddenly two soldiers appeared flanking me in the aisle and slowly approached with blades clutched in hand. The men lumbered forward with sunken eyes and… I nearly vomited at the sight of one of the men’s guts hanging out of his stomach. Dried blood coated them both and they were stained in the scent of death. The same cloying black slime that was oozing from the house oozed from the men’s mouth and eye sockets where blood should have been. In a synchronous lock-step they both lunged at with their blades aimed straight for my throat. My fingers trembled and slipped on the mask of Kugan-Jaad. From the size of a mouse, the dead men clashed overhead where I had been standing. Their gore-rusted knives digging into each others flesh faster than their rotted flesh could react. Using my advantage, I continued running away. A large metal tunnel stretched out before me and I ran into the darkness.
On the other side, there was a small clearing, a large painting sign dressed this area as “Festival storage.” In the center of the clearing the ground dipped into foxhole, the mouse woman speeding up and protecting my journey towards it. As I got closer to the seemingly massive hole in the ground dipped into a foxhole which my wispy friend must have carved before dispersing. I ran as fast as I could towards the hole, the mouse woman speeding up and protecting my journey. As I got closer to the seemingly massive hole in the ground and peered down to see several orange lights and the scent of sulfur down below. There was a network of tunnels carved into the ground large enough for two men to walk side by side. Deeper within I could hear what sounded like Tolf’s voice and two others. I prepared to descend into the tunnels to help them when suddenly I was met with dozens of beady red eyes filling the foxhole and forcing their way in a clump up towards me. A massive swarm of shadowy sludge beasts twice my diminutive size began crawling over each other leaving black residue as it progressed….
I turned and ran. The mouse-woman aided my agility as I climbed up a stack of crates and began running along a massive colored folded tarp. The swarm followed me, climbing ontop of eachother to get at their prey. From the other side of the tent, the dead soldiers appeared and began to launch fire at me. Several shots dispersed the swarm, others still served to only incite a frenzy in the shadowy beast causing them to split up and run faster. Light a fevered nightmare, like looking back across a dark tundra to see a hundred hungry eyes baring down on you, the swarm came still. Removing the mask might allow me to escape, however I wouldn’t be able to run from the swarm for long and even shorter still if the dead men found me. I racked my brain for a way out of here, I needed to do my part and get back to Tolf. I ran to the edge of the massive colored tarp that had been folded across several square feet, and slid down the side, I lost my footing and took a hard fall from a significant height. I tumbled down the side of the tarp and fell down into the frozen mud. I could feel my ankle swelling with pain, but I had to press onwards.
I looked behind me and saw the massive swarm of chittering sludge rodents was barring down upon me, devouring everything their sharp teeth could bite through. Wooden posts, metal boxes, the cloth from the tarps. I scrambled away along the ground as fast as I could. A glob of sludge flew from the hoard and landed on my arm. A sensation like burning and a million tiny fangs dug into the flesh of my arm and I let out a shrill cry that must have sounded as squeaky as a mouse from this size. Movements before the black hoard overwhelmed me, I swapped the mask of Kugan-Jaad with the Ravens and prayed for her guiding light. My size shifted back to normal and the sludge rodents had just begun biting into my legs. The great mother raven let forth a shining orb of her light filling the tarped yard with the light of the sun and burning the foul beasts that were drawing blood from my legs.
I shut my eyes from the blinding sun that burst from the mask; I could feel my knees weakening, the light was exhausting to produce. When the sensation of being bitten by a million teeth had slowed down, I cracked my eyes open to see the orb of sunlight fading back to nothingness.. The ground was covered in a small pool of blood dripping down my calves, the mud and snow stained with black sludge, like powdered ash.
Grunts and growls were unnervingly cast from the other side of a wooden stand to by back. The light had revealed my position and I don’t feel I could summon another beacon that large again, I could barely stand. The dead men stalking their way towards my position carrying firearms and lumbering in unison and choking up black lungs full of smoke. Even if I had my spear, I would not have a chance to get close enough to use it. I reflected upon the visage of my dear brother. I clutched the bracelet he had given me when we were young. A trinket form the hide of the first stag he had ever hunted. He had taken down the beast with nothing more than a wooden spear and our fathers old Atlatl… I turned to my side and saw a stack of 2ft long wooden stakes next to a pile of tan tarps. My brothers teachings inspired me, and I dove to scoop a few stakes into the bag on my back.
The pile of stakes then exploded, bursting into splinters and a horrid shriek announced the coming of the deadmen. I rolled to the side behind a stack of clay bricks. I prayed for the courage to fly my bolt true, recalling the days of my youth spent watching him miss his throws day after day until he finally landed a bolt into the wooden target… If only I had an antler to make an Atlatl, I could be sure of my aim. *GuRarugggg* The earth cried a dark groan like the shifting of great ice sheets and all that were above, fell before it. The ground shifted again, rolling like the rough north sea. Everything under the tarped yard was knocked onto the rolling floor. The ground tilted forward and everything slid to the center. Down I fell, tumbling down with the stack of bricks falling behind me. From the side of my vision I caught the sight of the dead men sliding among the debris and lumber. A log crushed the head of one of them, a metal stove broke the legs of another, and the stack of bricks began raining down over my head. The bottom of the pit we were all being dragged down into was approaching rapidly. My head was bludgeoned by a brick; my sight went bright white. I grabbed my head and rolled, sliding of the mask and tumbling again the hardened clay at the bottom.
With blurry vision and bloodied head, I peered up the earthen ramp to see puppeted soldiers of ash and shadow pushing a large crate full of heavy sacks towards the edge of the slope. My body ached, my head was numb and I could do little more than crawl towards the dim tunnels opposite the ramp, inching towards the wooden supports and lamp light beyond. The sacks were sliding now, some of the smaller bags smashed open revealing gravel and sand; A great weights worth to be sure. Twenty more feet and I would be far enough into the tunnel to avoid the falling sacks. The earth shook beneath me and turned around to see the wooden skid fall apart into an avalanche of sand and stone.
A mans guttural scream echoed out behind me, but before I could look back, the avalanche spit forth a sack full of rock which rapidly slid down the ramp towards my desperate crawl. I screamed as the sack tumbled and crushed my leg underneath it. The ground shook and a shadow darkened the light. With a mighty impact the seal-sized back of stone was knocked from the leg and I was hoisted into the air. The rest of the stones crashed into the mouth of the tunnel behind us as my vision faded out.- -
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...continued in the next post
