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Shattered Mythos: Red - Chapter 2
Horror
 Created on 8-26-07
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Chapter 2: Isaac
Authors Note: Pretty rough transition in the center, sorry for that. This is a rough version of chapter 2, as always, finished products will hopefully be published if I ever /finish/ anything lol.
No one believed that Sam was seeing things before they happened. Even Isaac was skeptical.
Sam had begun to act strange around certain people, and was always warning people about things that ended up happening soon after. The townsfolk had begun to grow dubious of the boy and kept their distance, thinking he had become touched by the devil and was inflicting the bad luck on those in close proximity to himself. Isaac had noticed this immediately and had pulled most of the villagers aside, warning them that if they caused the boy any ill, he would personally escort them to the Sheriff, battered and broken if need be.
Despite acting as the boys protector, Isaac still had his doubts about the boys warnings until he became the target of them himself. Samuel had warned him that he had had a nightmare involving Isaac involving Skinwalkers in the forest and that they would stalk him and kill him on his weekend hunt with Caleb.
This had startled Isaac in a very deep way. Villagers had been whispering as of late about the vicious tribesmen that called themselves "Skinwalkers", and how they were stalking the roads between country towns at night, picking off stragglers and practicing cannibalistic rituals on their victims. Most people at the time were wary of any of the barbaric tribesmen that frequented the north-western strand of Hallancia, but the Skinwalkers were a rare breed in and of themselves.
Skinwalkers were a small religious sect that had splintered off of the main body of tribes when some of the barbarian nations had migrated across the sea from the forgotten continent where humanity had originated. The walkers themselves believed that a time of great evil was approaching and began preparations for a new leader. A leader, called "The Walker" whom would wear the skin of a mortal but control the power of the gods. A manifestation of true malignancy that would stop at nothing to wipe the planet clean of sentient life and lord over what remained, saving only a handful of faithful subjects.
When it was learned that these fanatics were attempting to bring the prophecy to fruition, the rest of the tribes had placed the zealots in exile. For where the Skinwalkers believed that they should assist the prophecy, the elders and leaders of the barbarian nations believed that the planet was a ward of humanity, and it was their destiny to protect it from such as the Skinwalkers.
Exiled from their people, the Skinwalkers created their own clans and began raiding the countryside. They shed the bear skins that they had used for so long in their homelands and hunted the local wolves to the point of extinction, adopting their skins to make the barbarians more like the sealed Wulfendaark of the recent past. Occultist Inquisitors and Military Soldiers were dispatched, but the animalistic attacks were impossible to predict and defend. Even tracking the assailants proved impossible. It was as if the Skinwalkers simply didn’t exist.
Eventually the military called off their hunts. The Skinwalkers were simply too cunning and their resources were being stretched too thin due to their ferocious attacks. With the military out of the picture, the Occultists had to pick up the slack. Their campaign had been fairly successful. Wards had been placed around towns and along roads that had deterred the Skinwalkers from raiding small villages and attacking travelers. Though hunters and scouts had become new targets of choice, due to the inability to ward the forests where they hunted their game.
Isaac had known of this when he decided to become a hunter. Zachariah had suggested it to him after Isaac told him of his wishes to join the Society of the Occult to learn more of his heritage. He had said that having some kind of scouting or hunting experience would probably help with the recruitment process. It had been the last thing Zachariah had said to Isaac before he grew sick and passed away. Isaac had taken up the mantle of town hunter later that year in remembrance of his foster father, whom had been the greatest provider the town had ever known.
Even with Sam's warning, Isaac and Caleb had set out for the dense forest that blanketed the foothills of the mountain range to the southwest. Game had been thick there in recent days so they had expected to find enough prey to fill several meat lockers back in Mianth in preparations for the coming winter. The wagon had been loaded with all the necessities and they had departed with the best wishes of the town.
The journey had taken a full day's travel on the southern road. Caleb had pointed out a side road that would take them to a lake where they would make camp and prepare the traps to be set the following day. Isaac had felt his stomach knot up when he saw that there were no wards protecting this side road and found himself continuously darting his eyes into the foliage on either side of the path.
After several stressful hours they made it to the lake and began setting up camp. Caleb had asked Isaac why he was so tense about the trip, but wasn't treated with a response. He let it go without further prodding but had kept a close eye on him the rest of the evening.
It took most of the remaining afternoon to prepare all of the traps they would use to snare small game and hone their knives for the work they would begin on the next day. When night finally fell, Caleb left Isaac at the campfire and went to his tent. When he woke he found Isaac in the same spot, boiling some water for coffee.
Isaac hadn't even set up his tent, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. Caleb poured himself some coffee and refused to let Isaac leave camp until he explained himself. So he did. Isaac explained about Sam's dreams and what was going to happen. How he didn't believe it would happen, but now that he was here, he wasn't so sure.
Caleb had taken it all in and remained silent. When Isaac was done relating the story he simply sipped his coffee and stared at the fire. After some reflection he glanced sidelong at Isaac and smiled.
"Nature is full of magic Isaac. The Wulfen commanded it before humanity even walked this land." He swept his arm across his field of vision. "Magic wasn't meant for us Isaac. Just look at what it does to those it touches." He glanced again at the fire. "I know about Sam's dreams and I believe they are real. You should of told me about this before we got here."
Isaac nodded. "I know. I didn't want to make things hard on Sam, I didn't know if you knew."
"He's my son Isaac. Of course I knew. He came to me once about a dream he had. Saved my life."
"I'm sorry Caleb."
Caleb laughed. "Don't worry about it Isaac. I can't get angry at a kid I love as much as my own son. If it makes you feel any better I've dealt with the barbarians before. They aren't as tough as they're cracked up to be."
Isaac glanced at him, raising his eyebrow inquiringly. "You've fought with a Skinwalker?"
"Several..."
"And you're still alive." It was meant as a question but it came out like a statement.
"Still breathing." Caleb unsheathed his hunting knife and watched the reflection of the fire in the shimmering steel. "They won't attack during the day and they most likely won't attack us if we're together. So we'll hunt as a pair. I'd say we should head back to town but by the time we got camp packed and hit the road we'd only have a few hours of daylight left and they would most assuredly attack us on the side road. You know how bad the town needs this hunt to be successful. So we continue and we watch each others backs."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
There was no more conversation that entire morning. Isaac and Caleb spent an hour setting traps in a meadow nearby and setting up others for fish in the lake. For several hours they waited on a game trail in a blind with their bows at the ready and by early afternoon they had downed a large elk bull. It took a few minutes for the two hunters to clean and skin the animal, quartering it into hundred pound chunks and wrapping the meat they would leave behind in cloth to keep it from spoiling quickly. Carrying a chunk a piece, they hauled the first portion of their kill back to their camp. In camp they butchered and salted the meat, packing it into insulated boxes to keep it fresh.
When they returned for the rest of their kill they witnessed the first sign that they weren't alone. The cloth wrapping of the meat had been torn open and the remaining bits of the carcass had been arranged in a circle ritualistically with various barbaric effigies. Caleb had noticed it before Isaac and had motioned for him to follow closely and keep a sharp eye on their surroundings. After a quick inspection they made haste back to their camp and wordlessly began making preparations around camp for the inevitable attack.
The attack came shortly after dark. Isaac and Caleb were perched in a large oak tree about a hundred feet out of camp. They had placed their bed rolls near the fire and stuffed them with grass harvested hastily from the nearby meadow. To a casual observer it appeared that they were sleeping near the fire for warmth.
They came out of the forest, slinking along low to the ground. Isaac had felt his heart begin to race as the three figures came into the outer area of the camp, just within range of the campfire's dull glow. Dressed in wolf skins, the three Skinwalkers circled the camp until they were all equally spaced apart from one another. Slowly they began to adopt an upright posture, rather than the hunched, almost crawling posture they arrived with. Each was equipped with a different kind of rudimentary weapon.
The barbarian closest to Caleb and Isaac's perch had a long leg bone from some very large animal, sharpened into a wicked claw and lashed to each wrist. Clockwise from the clawed barbarian was a lanky man covered in a black wolf's pelt. He wielded a long pole with a fanged jawbone lashed to either end and decorated with various black and red feathers. The furthest man from the tree was unarmed, but seemed even more dangerous than the other two. He was adorned with a pure black wolf pelt and three pristine wolf heads, one adorning each shoulder and another fashioned into a hood. Two pinpoints of fire reflected out from the gaping mouth of his hood as his hands clenched and unclenched spasmodically.
Caleb motioned for Isaac to knock an arrow and take aim at the pole wielding barbarian as he drew a bead on the clawed fellow. There was an intense look on his face that told Isaac that missing would surely mean death. Make the arrow count and be prepared for a fight.
The three barbarians began to close in on the stuffed bed rolls in the center of the camp. Silent and deadly they stalked towards their would-be victims. The two weapon wielding barbarians continued advancing but the third had hesitated and began looking around the perimeter. Caleb nodded and released his arrow. A split second later Isaac did the same. Both arrows hit their respective marks. Caleb's killed his target instantly with a heads hot, Isaac's struck through the neck, causing his target to fall into the fire and let loose a gurgling scream. The third barbarian watched his two comrades die without so much as a twitch.
"Something's wrong Isaac."
Isaac glanced at Caleb then back at the barbarian, whom was standing just out of arrow range, staring directly at their hiding spot.
"He should have ran away or attacked out of spite."
"Maybe he's petrified with fear?" Isaac joked half-heartedly. He was feeling uneasy as well. Something was wrong.
The barbarian took a step toward the tree, beginning to adopt a feral stance as it advanced. When it reached its fallen comrades it sniffed at them like an animal. Caleb motioned for Isaac to knock another arrow and prepare for the next shot.
For a few moments it appeared like the barbarian was going to flee, then it burst into a four legged sprint for their hiding place. Caleb let out a cry of surprise and let his arrow fly, barely missing his target. The barbarian was almost to the tree when Isaac loosed his arrow, watching its flight as the world slowed around him.
The arrow penetrated the barbarian through the back, knocking it off balance, causing it to roll to the side and collapse. It tried to pick itself up but lacked the strength to rise.
Caleb let out a sigh of relief. "Good shooting, he almost got to us."
Isaac shuddered at the thought and dropped his bow and quiver to the ground. He and Caleb dropped to the ground, drawing their hunting knives as they plummeted to the earth.
"Is it dead?" Isaac asked, staring at the third barbarian.
Caleb shrugged and stepped towards the fallen foe, stopping dead in his tracks when he heard the growl. "No."
The third barbarian began to convulse and claw at the ground. It's modulated growling became more and more beast like, causing Isaac and Caleb to step back and put some distance between them and the wounded man.
A moment later the growling began to break up, transforming into a feral laughter that grew more maniacal with each passing moment. Isaac and Caleb simultaneously glanced at their bows fifty feet away, but any hopes of reaching them and silencing the maniac were shattered when the man stood up as if he had never even been wounded.
"The hell is going on here?!" Caleb cursed.
"Caleb? I could swear that arrow is through the heart."
The figure spread it's arms and tilted its head to the sky.
"Isaac, get your bow." Isaac was about to question his order before Caleb cut him off. "Now!"
The barbarian wrapped his arms around his torso and curled into a ball. His muscles began to flex and ripple in the firelight.
"He's an afflicted Isaac!" Caleb screamed.
Isaac stumbled and fell, spinning around and landing on his rear. "What?!?"
"Like Sam! I don't know what he can do but we have to end this quickly before he can manifest anything!"
Isaac scrambled for his bow as Caleb flipped his knife so that it was pointing blade down and charged the shuddering figure.
Caleb reached the barbarian at the same time Isaac reached his bow. There was a flash as Caleb's knife bit through the air, tracing a deadly arc towards the shuddering barbarian. A moment before the blade would of made contact the man whipped out a clawed hand and knocked the blade from Caleb's hand, shattering his wrist. A moment later Caleb was flying through the air yelling in pain.
Isaac knocked an arrow, spun around and let it loose in one fluid motion. He watched as the feathered bolt slid through the night air towards the changing barbarian. It penetrated the barbarian's shoulder and he let loose another arrow. The barbarian howled in pain and ripped the first arrow from his arm just as the second bit into his leg. Isaac reached for another arrow when he realized that his quiver was empty and Caleb's was nowhere to be found. He groped around the grass frantically in search for the other quiver but was interrupted by a sharp kick to the ribs.
The barbarian howled in victory as Isaac's ribs buckled under the pressure and prepared to do it again when it felt Isaac's knife slice through his achilles tendon.
Using the barbarian's new predicament to his advantage, Isaac rolled away, ignoring the pain in his side and ran for Caleb. Halfway there he grabbed Caleb's lost knife and continued running toward his friend's side.
"Caleb! Are you ok?" Isaac shouted, crashing down next to him. When Caleb didn't respond Isaac glanced back towards the barbarian.
Tendrils of steam were pouring from the barbarian's body as it advanced slowly toward Isaac and Caleb's position. It's muscles were still spasming. There were faint noises coming from the approaching man, as if his bones were breaking and growing throughout his body. Isaac's mouth went dry when he realized that the man was changing into something inhuman.
"Impossible," Isaac groaned.
Caleb moaned unconsciously and grabbed a handful of grass.
The barbarian continued to change as it walked slowly towards Isaac. It's wounds closed and its muscles bulged. It's skin turned a greyish color and it's hands began to grow. Halfway to Isaac it stopped and continued changing. A moment later it was done.
The creature that stood before Isaac was something out of a history book. It looked exactly like a Lycanthrope described in old texts about the Wulfen wars. The Wulfendaark enslaved some humans as mindless soldiers, inflicting them with a form of lycanthropy and using them as cheap war slaves against their Wulfen enemies. This barbarian, however, wasn't a slave to a Wulfendaark, it had it's own cruel intelligence still. The affliction of the Hydra Arcanus had granted this Skinwalker a power fitting to it's role and probably granted him much prestige amongst his kin.
Isaac grasped both knives in his hands and felt the terror rising in him, threatening to consume and plunge him into insanity. Why didn't he listen to Sam? Why didn't he tell Caleb when he had the chance and stopped this stupid charade before it even had a chance to start?
The beast began to advance once again. It's stride showed a cool confidence that Isaac envied. This was it. Sam's dream come to fruition.
Twenty feet from Isaac the creature stopped and motioned for Isaac to stand up and face him. Isaac cringed at the creature as panic washed over him. No chance at a quick death, the Skinwalker wanted to toy with him first. It occurred to him that if he could buy himself enough time for Caleb to regain consciousness they might have a chance, so he acknowledged the Skinwalker with a grin and grunted as he rose to his feet.
Fangs glistened in the mixture of moonlight and firelight as the Skinwalker cracked a grotesque smile and beckoned for Isaac to attack. Isaac nodded and held both hunting knives in a defensive stance, blades to the ground and hugged close to the forearms.
With all the strength he could muster Isaac let out a yell and charged the hulking were-beast. When he was within lunging distance he barreled into the beast, slicing it's chest diagonally like a massive cross. The beast grunted and rolled backwards, anticipating the blow and flung Isaac away from him. Isaac felt himself fly through the air before landing on his side, knocking the wind from his lungs and wracking his broken ribs in pain. He began to panic as his lungs refused to comply and began to feel light headed. Stars began to filter into existence on the edge of his vision as the beast approached. He felt it's massive clawed hand grip his head like an apple and lift him from the ground, dragging him like a ragdoll for several feet.
Isaac's grips on the knives faltered causing them to slip through and fall from his useless hands. The creature came to a stop next to the oak tree that Isaac and Caleb had sprung their ambush and slammed him against its trunk, pinning him there with one hand and preparing to eviscerate him with the other. Isaac felt himself fading with each beat of his heart. The darkness was consuming him and was relentless in its assault.
The barbarian raised it's claw and cracked a toothy grin at Isaac.
Isaac closed his eyes and prepared for it all to end. A moment later there was a sickening cracking noise and he was falling. When he opened his eyes again he saw the were-beast's bloodied body twitching near him and a large figure preparing to swing a massive maul one last time into it's skull to finish the deed. Isaac lost consciousness as the oversized hammer fell towards the afflicted barbarian's prone body.
"You're awake. That's a start."
Isaac pawed at his head as he slowly returned to consciousness. Whomever had saved him had dragged Caleb and himself to the campfire and removed the bodies of the barbarian Skinwalkers. He glanced at the man stoking the fire and found the brute that had rescued him earlier. Recognition dawned on him and a faint smile crossed his face before being swept away in a convulsive grimace of pain.
"Don't strain yourself Isaac. Sam sent me after you two early this morning. Couldn't say no to him y'know?"
Slowly, Isaac rolled over onto his side so he wouldn't have to move his neck to look at the man. "You saved my life Den. Is Caleb..."
"He's unconscious, but he'll be fine." Den interrupted and set to work on cutting up a moderate portion of the Elk venison they had butchered earlier. He glanced over at Isaac and pointed his knife at the meat, "You don't mind do you?"
Isaac waved a hand in his general direction and muttered his approval before fading back into slumber.
Isaac closed his eyes as the memory washed over him. He remembered how Caleb had nearly ripped his head off when he came to, cursing all the while. Den had been beside himself trying to restrain the angry fellow and had to resort to physical restraints for a good portion of the trip home. By the time they had arrived at the village Isaac had sworn to Caleb that he would never keep a secret from him again and if his son ever had another dream he would assist him in stopping it's malignant effect, even if it killed him.
The photograph of Zachariah that Isaac had been glancing at earlier caught on a draught of cool air and flew off the desk in a series of parabolic arcs, eventually coming to rest on the ground by his foot. He bent down to recover this relic of the past when he heard the familiar sound of light footsteps ascending his small set of stairs on the front of his cottage.
A faint smile played over his lips as he replaced the photograph on the desk and made for the front door. There was a tentative knock, followed by a quick melodic series of harder ones. Isaac shook his head and grinned as he opened the door revealing the gloomy face of Sam surrounded by locks of disheveled sandy hair.
The smile that had played across his face earlier was washed away by the impenetrable sadness that Sam was projecting. Isaac had seen that face once before... When Sam had warned him about the Skinwalkers.
"Isaac," Sam whispered. "Father is dead..."
Comments
Please Login to post comments| On August 26th 2007 suicidalangel7 Said : | |
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OMGsh! No way! Not good! Ayee... and it stops there too! Well, you deff. get props for stopping the chapter there^_^ PLEASE let me know when chapter 3 is posted? Good job I LOVE the detail of the fight and the Skinwalkers too. |
