C***2 A Realm of Slaughter
The Demonic Netherworld continent is vast, hundreds of thousands of kilometers of endless terrain, forests, mountains, deserts, tundras and swamps surrounding a single massive central mountain; the Nine Hells Mountain. Countless evil souls from innumerable material planes gathered in this single Demonic Netherworld to suffer for their living sins and battle for the power to change their fates.
Minuscule Redwall Village, home to the insignificant Redwall Tribe, was situated in the Undying Forest near the centre of the Demonic Netherworld continent, a short 500 km outside the infamous Nine Hells Mountain. The architecture of the village was a compact five tiered blood red ziggurat the size of a tiny mountain, protected on all sides by a three metre outer grey log palisade guarding it from the dangerous sin beasts lurking in the Undying Forest. Built into the four sides of the ziggurat were two story red clay buildings with various narrow alleyways leading into the interior of each level. Atop these outer structures was a narrow exterior ramped roadway which wrapped around the exterior of the entire village ziggurat like a serpent, connecting each level. Redwall Village was cramped, 30,000 tribesman squeezed into the tiniest possible space so as to guarantee their safety against the deadly might of roaming sin hordes.
Hundreds of devil villagers filled the exterior narrow streets beside long rows of red clay buildings, doing the various chores of the tribe.
A dozen imposing guards in brown furs holding feathered spears stood on either side of the village entrance as a wounded man and a boy carrying a woman on his back slowly approached.
“Shen Shudun! What happened to the innkeeper?” Captain of the watch, Mai Lok, shouted.
“Trouble on the Thorny Path. It’s okay, she’s only fainted from exhaustion,” Shen Shudun replied.
Mai Lok was a warrior completely loyal to the tribe. In terms of value to the tribe, the innkeeper’s life was much more important than the life of a mid level hunter like Shen Shudun.
“That’s a relief. Who’s the boy?”
“What? Do you even need to ask? Of course this is Shen Ling. My son!”
Shen Ling didn’t dare to correct Shudun. In her past life she was a plain faced girl, and due in no small part to her hairstyle and fashion, was often mistaken for a male. She grew up without a mother to guide her in the artwork of feminine charm, and never really saw the point in trying to be other than what she was, a naturally androgynous tomboy. Dressing in men’s pants and shirts was simply more comfortable and less confusing than the alternative. The disguise also offered a measure of safety for an orphan girl raised in the system.
The Captain of the watch weighed Shen Ling with his eyes, lingering on her forehead. A grim frown of pity quickly morphed into a half smile. “Congratulations. You and the innkeeper have been trying for so long . . .”
Shen Shudun showed no sign of disappointment. On the contrary, his routinely serious and off putting manner had become awkwardly cheerful. Who knew the brute had so many teeth.
“You two,” Mai Lok pointed at a pair of fur armoured underlings. “Take the innkeeper back to her shop. Shudun, I’m afraid I’ll need to inspect both of your inventories.”
The two men hoisted Wu Jia’s limp form from Shen Ling’s shoulders and very carefully bore her through the gates into town. Shen Shudun allowed this without protest, as the men wouldn’t dare lay inappropriate hands on this innkeeper.
The inspection was routine. One third of all hunting and gathering spoils went to the village as tax and it was left to the city watch to enforce this and other common laws.
Shen Shudun touched a dark intricate tattooed bracelet on his wrist and the ink instantly leapt off his skin hovering in the air above his forearm, forming a printed list.
“Two level four Dire Rat corpses. You were lucky to keep your life Shudun, though I’m not sure they were worth losing a leg for . . . Your turn,” Mai Lok said.
“Umm . . .”
“Shen Ling, lift up your sleeve and touch the markings on your heaven’s bangle,” Shen Shudun instructed.
The thin faded lines on Shen Ling’s wrist were not at all like her father’s, being instead just a few faded strokes in a simple pattern, but she did as requested. After having been a grown woman in her past life, the adults surrounding her all appeared as giants in comparison to her new childhood form and were naturally quite intimidating. She didn't want to risk offending anyone. With a touch, Shen Ling’s arm warmed and a few lines of ink drifted into the air.
It was like a real life video game menu.
INVENTORY (Empty)
Shen Ling had a soft spot for video games in her past life, although she deftly partook in moderation. Still, there was something mystical about the fantasy worlds found in games. For the first time, she nearly forgot about the anxiety of being in this new world, and felt true profound wonderment at its strange magic.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Good enough. Report to the slaughterer.”
Shen Ling took her hand off the markings and the ink drifted back onto her wrist.
“Slaughterer?” She swallowed, knocked from her reverie.
Shen Shudun laughed at his son’s earnest distress. “Come, I’ll show you.”
Adjacent to the entrance, just outside of the village palisade, was a small wooden shop built into the wall. Upon entering, Shen Ling was overwhelmed by the smell of blood and entrails. A skinny man with a prominent nose hacked at a large piece of unidentifiable meat on his butcher’s block. Work benches filled the tiny space, and hundreds of edged tools cluttered the walls and dangled from the ceiling. Through a narrow open cellar door in the corner, Shen Ling spotted beast skins and carcasses hung in gruesome fashion.
“Greetings Shen Shudun. Ho ho ho, what do we have here? I never took you for a man who would sell his own meat.” The skinny man laughed fervently at his own bad joke. “Or did the innkeeper finally come to her senses and cut you off? Cut you off. Get it? Ho ho ho!”
“Is this how you speak to your best customers, Chow Gan?” Despite the slurs, Shen Shudun still managed to keep smiling.
“No need to be so serious.” The slaughterer rarely saw Shudun smile, and he couldn’t miss this chance to be a barb. “What have you brought for me honourable hunter?” Chow Gan finally noticed the short boy in Shen Shudun’s shadow. “Not much meat on this young one, but I bet he’d be tender. Fresh meat is the best for cultivating. Ho ho ho.” The slaughterer’s smile was missing teeth and those remaining were filed into points, giving the man a wild and murderous countenance.
“The first time you meet my son and you’re already teasing him like a lousy uncle.”
“Oh Shudun! The heavens accepted your offering!” Chow Gan had a genuinely terrifying smile on his face, similar to Shudun’s. The pair of them clasped arms looking like a pair of wild beasts. “Since this is a special occasion, I’ll make sure to give you a bargain.” Their facial features clenched as their mutual grips tightened to their limits.
What’s wrong with these two? It was like they’d forgotten about Shen Ling altogether.
“Well, in that case I’m not ashamed to accept brother Gan’s generosity.” The two finally relented. Shen Shudun waved his arm over the counter and the corpses of two big rats appeared out of thin air.
The slaughterer went to work on the carcasses, cleanly dismembering them. The process was surprisingly quick, and the tools he used all glowed with that same strange azure light Wu Jia had demonstrated in the undying forest.
Shen Ling awkwardly waited. “What is that blue light?” she asked, embarrassed that her inner voice had escaped of its own accord.
“Hmm? It’s water elemental qi.” Shen Shudun answered. “Only those proficient in water elemental qi are fit to be slaughterers, cooks, and healers. In the Netherworld, it’s a rare qi trait.”
“Umm . . . What’s qi?”
This was the first time Shen Shudun looked at Shen Ling with less than pleased eyes. Even the slaughterer gave pause. “You don’t know about qi? How old were you when you . . .” Shen Shudun smacked his forehead with his palm, unsure of how to answer such a ridiculous question.
Suddenly, two packages of meat flew across the room. With wide eyes Shudun caught them both on the tip of his stave. “Brother Gan, this is . . .”
“I only kept the pelts. This is my gift for you and the innkeeper. As for your son, he can just call me Brother Gan, and you can call me your grandpa! Ho ho ho.”
Shen Shudun was hesitant to accept at first, but by the end of Chow Gan’s speech he was ready to beat the slaughterer to death with his own meat. But a slaughterer who didn’t collect properly for the clan was not treated lightly, and the two packages were truly pies falling from the sky. “. . . I’ll certainly curse your name as I leave . . .” But over his dead body would he call Chow Gan his Grandpa!
“Go, go. I have work to do.”
“Shen Ling, when we leave the shop you must not look too pleased. It is traditional to curse and spit when leaving the slaughterer.” Shen Shudun frowned. “Especially this slaughterer,” he added loud enough to ensure Chow Gan could hear.
“What is there to be pleased about?” she asked, genuinely confused. So far, nothing in this afterlife was the least bit pleasant.
“Perfect. Just like that.” Shen Shudun grinned, his good mood returning after only a few words from his long awaited child. “My son is so talented already,” he giggled proudly.