The Red Lands

Demon Beast or not?

Chu leaned back against a fallen log with his eyes fixed on the crackling campfire.

Each pop of the chopped logs released thousands of glowing embers. They followed the updraft while morphing into the night sky. Tearing his vision away from the mesmerizing sight, he focused on the page before him.

Next to Chu, Lucy sat in meditation, continuing the practice of populating her starfield. For the aspiring mages, this had become a nightly endeavor. Completing the circle around the fire, Ming chatted with the goblin companions while making use of his hands.

At the end of the decaying yet sturdy log, Ishara perched cross-legged away from the fire but close enough to receive the warmth. The golden vertical slits of her irises reflected the flickering flame while she pondered the actions of a couple of goblins. With long fingers, they tinkered with hollow reeds and hovered around the waterproof sleeping bags.

"Dyna said she will take first watch. With the wolves and the goblin scouts monitoring the hill, any movement will reach us at once. I will take over the next shift."

"No. I want you to have a good night's rest. We have half a mile between us and the cave, but I want to be prepared. If the demon breathes like us, then it will die. If not, then our only option is to wear it down or face it in the ruins using the traps."

Chu replied to his female companion, who finished her meditation. With the Kurat soaking in an entire night of carbon dioxide and hallucinogens, he considered it dead.

If it survived to claw its way out tonight or by morning, he would retreat while acknowledging its tenacity. Lucy pulled her cloak and huddled closer to him. Her blue eyes fell on the paper. Naturally, she voiced her thoughts.

"Is something wrong?"

Chu twisted his lips before replying. His brows furrowed while thinking.

"Honestly, I am not sure. Language is a funny thing, Lucy, since it's easy to hear and misinterpret the meanings. We also don't have the luxury of a full dictionary. But, I do think that what you heard paints a larger picture."

He stroked his chin with a few fingers while pausing from shuffling through the stack of papers.

"Let's keep an eye out until I am satisfied. Grab some sleep, tomorrow is a big day."

At the side of the fire, a ruckus broke out as a goblin wailed on pulling a short stick. The lucky warrior would be the first to scout the cavern through the tunnel.

***

The night passed, and another winter morning filled the blue sky hanging over the forest.

Ishara crawled down the tunnel while narrowing her golden-colored eyes.

Her vision in the darkness might not be as good as a goblin's, but it allowed sight, nonetheless. She avoided placing her hands and knees on the shaded gray outlines of jagged edges during her descent.

Many times, her hands touched large patches of soft soot, reminding her of the phenomenon she witnessed.

Even the ancient tales never mentioned magic creating such potent destruction.

How long? How long had the Hakkim been banished to the north? Yet they themselves, known as the collectors and teachers of magic, never progressed this far.

As a little girl, Ishara read the ancient books in the library of the tribe. She spent her nights around the communal campfire, listening to the stories of old. The Sky tribe raised her, as they did all of their offspring, on knowledge.

The young Hakkim woman held the status of being the first of her tribe to venture south of the forbidden mountains. What she found and what she read, however, ended up being two different things.

The Hakkim held the goblin race in high regard. They learned fire magic from the green-skinned creatures and modified it to suit the other intelligent races. The goblins were written as sharp and cunning companions who possessed and wielded the destructive fire.

When she realized she had fallen into the hands of the goblins after fainting from her wounds and exhaustion, Ishara breathed a sigh of relief.

The feeling soon soured when she deciphered that the so-called scouts and warriors of the tribe wanted to place her on the dinner menu. Observing the little creatures during her journey to the ruins, she gained a disappointing insight.

A race she once admired in books had descended into a group of cowardly, trap-setting beings. Only on meeting the Elders and Goblin Shaman did she see a flicker of resemblance from the ancient pages.

"Here. It here. Come look!"

Ishara understood the language of the goblin not through its words but from its moving hands. Her eyes fell on the large, inflated sack next to the diminutive creature. A hollow reed protruded from an inflated sleeping bag while being firmly attached by knots of wrapped vines and pliable bark. Within the dark fog of the cave, she watched the goblin suck in a mouthful of fresh air.

Raising its long nose, it exhaled a stream of air which seemed to dilute the smoke around it. The sight of its puffing probably might have generated a smile on the stiff-faced Hakkim, had she not been dragging around a similar contraption.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"Demon beast dead. Goblin throw stone, shoot arrow."

Following the thin pointing finger, Ishara gazed upon the charred humanoid figure.

A mighty Kurat, of indomitable strength, sprawled on the cavern floor dead. Through the standing haze, one of its burnt hands lay clutching its throat.

Striding towards the demon beast, she buried a dagger into its chest. Confirming its death and remembering the warning from the human about feeling dizzy and tired, she waved to the goblin. The gawking goblin, who fidgeted out of the range of the dangerous claws, crawled after the Hakkim up the tunnel.

"The Kurat is dead. It will not harm anyone again. The tracking curse on me should also be lifted."

Ishara panted as she handed over the waterproof sleeping bag to Lucy, nodding her head in thanks. She leveled a harsh look at Ming while doing so. He had insisted she take his bag, as if she wanted to breathe in his sweaty smell.

Chu wavered his eyes between the two of them while foreseeing a wave of endless trouble.

Coughing into his fist, he beckoned Zubyia closer. The little helper scuttled beside him and then obediently handed over the stacks of translated words. After witnessing the unexpected events, the devil of the farm climbed to further heights in the minds of the goblins.

"Pug says a human who can burn an entire cave and turn it unlivable deserves the title of the devil. Of course, his standings among the warriors also skyrocketed. He says by the end of spring, your reputation will jump again."

Zubyia added.

Chu watched the Champion chatter while standing surrounded by the goblin warriors.

Pug had shown a rare bout of bravery as he followed the goblin scout down the tunnel. Although he remained in the tunnel while the scout confirmed the location and health of the Kurat, the bravery rocked the hearts of his peers.

Chu pondered for a little on how this gesture would spread across the goblin tribes in the near future.

He would certainly be a fool if he did not capitalize on the fame of the goblin Champion. Calling over the little leader, Chu raised a hand and ran his fingers on the silvery metal. On his visit to Limerock, he noticed no one produced or donned armor like this.

Chainmail, for now, lay beyond the skills and knowledge of the Empire.

"Pug, it's high time you gave me something since I am a generous helper. I want a dozen like these for myself and the others. Make them the very best. I'll hand you the sizes I want when we return to the ruins. Have your smiths finish them by the end of spring, and I will double your grain for the same price."

Chu said as he conducted his one-sided negotiation. The Champion's face dropped, but then raised on listening to the added incentive. If Pug knew the real worth of goblin-hammered iron, he would be shedding tears of blood. Standing beside the warm campfire, Ishara followed the actions of the human.

When she arrived at the ruins, the goblin Shaman helped by tending to her wounds. Like the ruined tower, the legacy of the ancient alliance had crumbled over time. Luckily, the Shaman possessed enough intellect so as to establish a minimal conversation.

The intelligent leader had then proceeded to send word, not to the inhabitants deep within the forest but to the humans.

Her first meeting supported the knowledge that humans remained cowardly in keeping their oaths. The pitiful demonstration of magic indicated they never progressed and, in fact, regressed in wielding the arcane. Ishara narrowed her eyes in thought while watching the frail human seemingly threaten and entice the Goblin Champion at the same time.

'Not a coward... cautious and cunning.'

She recalled the hesitation of the human as he prodded for information while chipping away at the language barrier.

When she insisted they fight the Kurat in an honorable battle, he scoffed and implemented an ambush using her as bait. In an act which shamed her into shame, this motley bunch who dared call themselves warriors, wiped out a terrifying Kurat.

And they did it without breaking a sweat and in a way beyond her comprehension.

'Shame and honor hold no meaning if you're dead. The words of this calculating human match his actions.'

The raven-haired woman brushed a strand of hair behind her golden eyes and across the smooth, red-skinned, oval face. The raised chatter of the goblins caused her to turn in the direction of the commotion. A redhead, sandwiched and dwarfed by two wolves, ambled up the snow-covered hill. She soon joined the rest of her companions.

Among these humans, the green-eyed girl probably resonated with Ishara the most.

She conducted herself in a manner befitting even the Hakkim.

The blond-haired girl hid her strength well, isolating herself behind a veil of silence.

She watched as the mastermind of the group questioned and collected information before issuing commands.

As for the oldest boy, she ranked him as a true human.

A true simpleton.

Chu stood beside a slanting stone with a height reaching him around the waist. Dusting off the snow, he unsheathed the dagger from his belt and began sharpening the blade on a patch of smooth stone.

"Dyna, take a few of the goblin scouts and give me a scan of the surroundings. The last thing I want is to be raided by predators from the forest. Meet us back here. Ming, take Pug and the rest to the mouth of the cave. See if you can begin clearing a small opening to vent the cave. Lucy, open the sleeping bags and let them fill with fresh air. It's time to test our luck."

Chu raised his dagger and inspected the glinting iron in the sun. A demon beast such as this one definitely met the criteria for a second talisman tattoo.

***

"Why can't I enter with you all? I want to see it too."

"Stop whining like a little girl and listen to your Elders."

"But I am a little girl. And why should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm the biggest. Chu, tell Dyna to listen to me!"

Chu stepped in between the two loggerheads, putting an end to their argument. Most of the time, Ming and Dyna conducted themselves with a status befitting adults. When left together, however, they reverted to a behavior suitable for their age.

"Dyna, have the wolves keep the goblins company at the vent in the entrance. The sooner it's cleared, the faster they can feast on the heart. Ming, you and Lucy come with me."

Chu said.

In his backpack, he always carried the standard supplies: dried rations, wooden flasks of water, medicine, and the ever-important talisman papers. In this age of foot transportation, which lacked the corner convenience store, a backpack proved a necessary but burdensome companion.

They hardly separated when Ishara walked in front of the tunnel entrance. Her eyes fell on the puffed, waterproof sleeping bags. She had watched them as they conversed during the morning. She shot him a question.

"What are you going to do?"

Chu answered her poor sign language with one of his own. His hand repeatedly showed the dagger enacting a butchering on Ming's heart.

"We are going to search for a lifestone."

The words and actions caused Ishara to spread her hands out. Her hand moved closer to her sheathed dagger.

"No. Kurat die with honor. We must not interfere with the body. Leave it to be buried."

The vocal and visual disapproval caused Chu to tilt his head.

At his side, Lucy and Ming paused while stiffening their bodies with the tension of a coiled spring. Behind them, low growls came from the approaching wolves. Chu searched the face of the young woman blocking his path. He pulled out the stack of papers from inside his robe.

"I see. Then tell me relation between Kurat and Hakkim. I know, Kurat no simple demon beast..."