The sun was getting lower in the skies over the supposedly quiet, rural village of Telin. A trio of teenagers walked alongside the crimson kotal fields as they swayed in the soft breeze. From an outsider’s perspective, the scene would be picturesque if it weren’t for the fact such a thing is a common scene in this world.
“It seems like we’ve managed to fulfill the wishes of the chief for today. I just hope they don’t expand them anymore, or then I really won’t have any time to hunt.” Hans voiced his displeasure as he patted the short sword that hung on his hip.
“It’s nice to help out though, isn’t it? I’ll be sure to tell father to send an extra serving of pike boar meat for a little reward.” With a joyful and calm tone, Anna captured the attention of the pair, gracefully tucking back a few strands of her radiant golden hair.
“We are always extremely grateful for the extra food, of course. You should really see Hans eating with such gusto! I thought that an orc had broken into our house!” Isaac joined the conversation and clearly showed his exasperation on his face.
Continuing with jokes and casual conversation, they ventured towards the heart of the village, and there, they located the chief.
“Father, we managed to finish inspecting the fields and there seemed to be no problems.” Anna proudly announced.
“Anna, my dear, and you two. Thanks for all the trouble. I know you youngsters would rather be doing other things, but we need all the hands we can get.” The gray-haired village chief said with a laugh and a tone of honest appreciation.
“No it’s normal, of course we all have to do our best for the sake of the village.” Said Hans without caring about the hypocrisy of his words.
“Hoho! I’m always encouraged by the liveliness of the young generation of the village. Makes me know it will be in good hands. Who knows? Maybe we’re on our way to a new golden age for Telin.” The chief spoke with sparkling eyes and an air of excitement.
“I’ll do my best to learn all the knowledge I can, for the future of Telin.” Isaac added, seeming to not want to be left out of the conversation.
“Of course, Isaac. There is much I can still teach you for the future. But, besides those matters, did the three of you happen to see Alexander and the guardsmen from the fields?” Asked the Chief.
“No, I don’t think we saw them. Why father, is there something going on?” Anna questioned, while making a concerned expression.
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about. We were supposed to have a meeting soon, but those guys are late. Those slackers were probably playing around by the river and lost track of time. If they weren’t good at their jobs there’s no chance I’d give them any mercy.” Making an annoyed face, the Chief clarified while shaking his fist.
The trio shared a laugh at the antics of the crotchety attitude of the old man.
Adorably dressed kids were happily heading home or being gently guided there, accompanied by makeup-clad mothers in the midst of planning dinner for their families. Meanwhile, men in finely crafted work attire were making their way back from the fields to either their homes or the village's only tavern, and the dedicated craftsmen in the area were diligently tidying up their workshops as they prepared to bring an end to their day's work.
A normal, harmonious evening in an abnormally wealthy rural village.
But it could never stay that way.
Their sins, whether known or unknown to the residents of Teliin, were far too heavy.
Whether by a cruel twist of fate, a failure of bureaucracy, the guiding hand of a malevolent higher being, or just plain bad luck, the scales would be balanced.
Whether due to an unfortunate twist of fate, a bureaucratic failure, the influence of a malicious higher power, or simply rotten luck, the debt was destined to be paid.
And it started with a cry from a group of young men guarding the entrance to the village.
“What the hell is that thing?!”
A black and sludge-like mass seemed to be slowly advancing out of the surrounding forest and towards the village. Just looking at the unknown creature too long made the men feel an inexplicable amount of dread and disgust. The sight of the mysterious monster struck fear into several of the younger men, causing them to freeze. However, the more senior men quickly snapped them back to reality with hard smacks. While the rest took a defensive formation in preparation to stop the approaching danger, one of the senior guards managed to ring a large bell from inside a small watchtower.
The commotion at the entrance of the village managed to kill the happy atmosphere among the group of four.
“Let us quickly see just what is going on with the guards at the entrance.” The village chief quickly said in a serious tone and rapidly headed for the entrance. None of his earlier vigor could be heard in his voice.
The trio looked at each other with differing expressions, and then quickly followed the chief.
By the time they arrived at the entrance of the village, they were greeted by a terrifying sight. A tremendous mass of writhing and twitching pitch-black ooze was slithering towards the defenders. It appeared to encircle the entire front side of the village, as far as the eye could see. Hans’ expression hardened as he drew his short sword, without taking his eyes off the murky wall. Isaac’s eyes widened, and his face paled, as he gazed upon the nightmare.
“GUARDS! One of you youngsters needs to go and warn everyone. The rest of you! Hold the formation, but give that thing a whack. We need to see if we can damage it.” The village chief bellowed his orders with authority and dignity.
Cautiously, the group of guards advanced, in a defensive formation, towards the black mass. Many of them tried conventional sword and spear attacks, but the strange substance continued to seep out of the wounds and filled them, rendering their efforts futile. Confusion and fear spread among the guardsmen as several of them contemplated running.
As the guards became more uneasy and the village chief observed the results of the attacks, he was on the verge of ordering the retreat when the foreign creature began to retaliate.
At a shocking speed, a tentacle broke free from the depths of the mass and seized a guard’s leg from beneath his shield. The man was quickly lifted in the air by his ankle, as another much larger tentacle also emerged. Spreading its gaping maw open like that of a viper, the larger tentacle tore into the panicking man’s flesh. The village entrance was filled with the sounds of desperate pleas, painful cries, the sickening crunch of metal armor, and the disgusting snap of bones.
The villagers who came after the trio and were worried about the alarm bell were horrified by the brutal slaying taking place right before their eyes. Those few with enough of their wits still about them, quickly ran to their homes before attempting to flee. Others froze at the absurdity. But the majority of them panicked, backing away while crying out.
“What the hell is that thing?”
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
“Some kind of accursed demon or unknown monster..”
“Where are the Hounds?! WE NEED ALEXANDER RIGHT NOW!!”
“I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, waaaaahhh!”
The tentacles continued to relish every revolting bite of their prey, causing the village chief's face to pale as he came to realize the hopelessness of the situation. He hoped and prayed the Hounds would be here soon, but what if they didn’t make it in time? He needed to stop that thing at all costs, for the future of the village. He didn't care how many villagers were sacrificed to the creature as long as it didn't invade the village.
More workers could be raised or plundered, after all.
So he came to a quick decision: stall as long as he can.
“QUICKLY! Brave men of Telin! We need to stall it the best we can! Alexander and his men will be here soon! We just need to hold the line!” The Chief shouted his lie confidently and in a courageous tone. None needed to know that his specialty was infusing magic into his voice to influence morale.
The simple villagers were immediately moved by his words, and a wave of courage swept through them, inspiring many to grasp their farming tools and join the formation at the entrance. After the line of defense looked to be firmly in place the chief quickly approached the trio.
“Hans and Isaac, I need you two to do something important for me. You two need to take Anna to the Hold for me. It’s built well, so you should be safe, just in case things get more serious. But I need you to check the other side of the village on the way there.” He spoke in a low enough volume so only the three of them would be able to hear.
Despite how twisted, greedy, and black-hearted the village chief truly was inside, his only weakness was Anna. Even though he was capable of committing horrendous acts like forcing himself on enslaved girls, burning down homes in other villages, or chopping off the fingers of disrespectful captives, his nature changed completely when it came to Anna. He loved his daughter almost as much as he loved the village. She bore extraordinarily striking resemblance to her mother, the very first villager he had enslaved and kept for himself. Due to his twisted adoration, he didn’t hesitate to find a way to keep her safe.
“But Father! You have to come with us!” Anna remarked with tears in her eyes.
The chief ignored her pleas and placed a large iron key in Hans’ hands, which he quickly attached to his belt. Both brothers nodded at the words of the chief with hardened faces. They each seized one of Anna's arms as she continued to protest, forcefully pulling her towards the opposite side of the village. After a minute of struggling, Anna seemed to decide to comply, and the pair released her to walk on her own.
“We need to quickly check on the other side of the village. I just hope the local monsters don’t decide to stampede because of whatever that thing was. Try to keep up, both of you.” Hans shouted while running.
“Of course, the sooner tha…!” Isaac tried to respond while following the pair but accidentally tripped on a log and fell to the ground.
“Tch. Get up Brother. We have to hurry.” Hans said in an admonishing tone, while he quickly helped up Isaac.
Isaac wore an embarrassed expression as the trio continued through the village.
When the group finally reached the other side of the village, a ghastly scene was playing out.
Surrounding the other side of the village was yet another wall of death looming in the distance. The villagers who chose to flee following the carnage at the entrance attempted to escape through the opposite direction and into the forest. But it was all in vain.
The group was stunned momentarily as they observed the behavior of the murky mass. As it would continue to advance further towards the village, it would stop for some time to let the tentacles devour those who were too close. Some used the opportunity to run back into the village. Once the last tentacle had finished its meal, the mass sped up its rush towards the village.
“NOOO!” Anna screamed out at the sight.
“Quickly, to the Hold!” Hans said in a broken voice, clearly losing some of his bravado after witnessing more of his neighbors being slaughtered,
Grabbing Anna’s arm, they started running towards the Hold.
As they continued, the reality of the situation revealed itself to the group.
The whole village was surrounded.
A cacophony of harrowing screaming and cries for help were happening around them. The tentacles persistently preyed upon the remaining villagers, piercing through any flimsy obstacles in their path, and continued to relentlessly spread throughout Telin.
Just as the group was about to reach one of the roads leading to the Hold, it seemed their luck had nearly run out.
The group was blocked from the back and front by a slowly approaching wall of darkness, while their only escape was an alleyway close to front that could be blocked at a moment’s notice.
It was only for an instant, but Hans and Anna seemed to communicate something to each other with their eyes. A cruel smile spread along Hans’ face. With his back turned to Hans, Isaac was ill prepared for what happened next.
Hans swiftly grabbed his younger brother by the back of his robe, effortlessly hoisted him in the air, slammed his fist into his side, and fiercely tossed his body towards the part of the black mass closest to the alley. Isaac hit the ground with a hard thud and coughed loudly.
“Why…Hans…Anna..” Isaac cried out through the pain as he looked up at the pair with bloodshot eyes.
Hans still had a murderous grin on his face, while Anna simply looked at him with sharp eyes and giggled.
“Seriously, I don’t understand how someone supposedly as smart as you never found out. Maybe that disgusting Father of mine had bad eyes.” She said in a mocking tone, without an ounce of her former sweetness and charm.
“Wha..?” Isaac made a stupid noise, as he unsuccessfully tried to crawl towards them.
“I’ve been fucking your older brother behind your back the whole time we’ve been dating, moron! The only reason I even put up with this whole charade was my father forced me to be with you. That geezer wanted to groom you to be the next chief for some reason. Probably because you loved reading about those damn plants so much” Anna's tone was dripping with pure vitriol and venom.
Isaac was almost overtaken by the mass when a tentacle slithered toward him and loomed overhead. In a frantic attempt, he tried to swat it away, but it swiftly evaded his efforts and latched onto his arm.
“AAAAAHHH” Isaac screamed out as his right hand was being eaten.
Hans could only laugh in the face of his brother and left his parting words.
“Make sure you struggle a whole lot, Isaac! Hold them back for us, so we can get away safely!” He sneered as the pair disappeared down the alley way.
While the sacrifice of Isaac had been cathartic for the pair of sinister lovers, it only bought them so much time.
Due to the advance of the black mass, they struggled to make their way to the Hold. Sometimes they would have to double back or go in the opposite direction, just to escape. This deadly game of cat and mouse continued to wear them down for a while before they finally managed to reach their destination. They quickly ran up to the heavy barred door of the Hold, with Anna immediately trying to open it in a panic. Her earlier pompous attitude had quickly been eroded by the dire situation.
“Dammit, dammit, open the fucking door! The key, Hans! Use the key!” She screeched.
Hans hurriedly went to his belt to use the key given to them, but was shocked to find it wasn’t on his waist. Rapidly losing his composure, Hans continued to frantically search his body for the key.
“WAIT! Where….no... this can’t be! It was on my belt since he handed it to me!” Hans shouted in despair.
“You fucking idiot! Get this door open right now! I don’t care how! JUST. DO. IT. NOW!” Anna continued to scream, her appearance disheveled, and her eyes filled with anger.
“AHAHAHAHAHA! You...two...really...haaah..deserve each other after all.” A laughing voice echoed from inside the Hold.
“Please! Please! Can you open the gate?!” Anna shouted while reverting to her facade of the sweet village girl.
“Never in a million years, Anna.” Replied the voice as its owner came into view from behind the bars.
“You!?..How…” Anna wore a face of genuine shock.
“Isaac..” Whispered Hans.
“Yeah, yeah…ugh. That’s a good face both of you are making.” Isaac replied with a painful snicker.
Isaac gawked at the pair of sinners from behind the bars. His right arm was entirely missing, his body riddled with minor wounds, and his face marked by numerous bleeding scratches.
“I knew about the cheating, obviously. You’ve probably spent as many nights with the Butcher's son as my brother, a proper wench indeed. But you know what, Anna? I didn’t hate you. For as much as you are…ugh.. a two-faced whore, I was more than happy to leave you to your proclivities.” Isaac continued his tirade with a pained expression.
“But to kill me! To sacrifice me! After all the shit I have had to ignore or push aside to continue this make-believer relationship convincing?! I might not have thought either of you thought highly of me but… I thought at least we were FAMILY!.” He said with pure and unadulterated anger.
“Please…!...Waaaaah! Please..Isaac! I’m…waaaahhh..sorry! You were the one I loved all along!” Anna cried out with tears and snot running down her face. Any traces of her prior beauty were gone. In the face of imminent death, the true face of Anna came to light.
She was little more than a scared and abused little girl.
“Brother…please! I was wrong brother! Isaac, just give us the key! Please!” Hans tried to plead with all his might.
“Oh? Do you mean this thing? I snagged it from you when I fell earlier.” Isaac spoke with mock surprise as he raised the iron key in his remaining hand.
As he moved the key from side to side, he observed the despicable pair following the motion of his hand with twitching bodies and manic eyes. Seeing them acting like slum dogs before a slab of meat almost made Isaac burst out laughing again.
“Yes! Isaac, please! That thing isn’t far away! Just throw me the key okay! We’re brothers, right?” He continued to beg.
“Sure brother, that should be easy. I can throw the key for sure! Anything for Hans, we’re family.” Isaac answered with a phony smile on his face.
Isaac raised the literal key to their salvation above his head slowly, and with a swift toss, casually flung it behind him. The loud sound of the iron key hitting the far end of the Hold was the noise that marked the loss of all hope for Anna and Hans.
After the reality had set in, Isaac watched the final moments of the two people he once thought he would be close with for the rest of his life. Hans gripped the bars of the door in both hands and continued to struggle in vain. Anna, on the other hand, had completely broken down. With the loss of their last hope for survival, she lay in the fetal position on the ground mumbling incoherently.
Isaac was hit by some thoughts of nostalgia, thinking about the two in front of him. Whether it was the tiniest trace of regret he held deep in his heart creeping in or him becoming delirious from blood loss, no one would ever know.
He left his final words before turning around and moving deeper into the Hold.
“Bye, bye…. Annie…Has..” Bidding them farewell, with nicknames not spoken since he was very young, Isaac turned around. Hiding the tears running down his face, he disappeared into the depths of the building.
”ISAAC!!!” They both screamed as their end finally arrived.
But he was no longer there.