MereHuman

Chapter 2

In the months following towns would go missing all in a single night like the first. Soon only half of the garrison remained at the trade city as we were called into the interior. I was in a troupe called right before the half. We numbered five wolves, three bears, and two lions as we travelled through the mountain passes toward our capitol city I learned more about the bears and the lions. The wolf captain didn't like this as we had never mixed battle tactics before, which is why we travelled in mixed troupes to utilize all of our abilities. 

The bears were a bit larger than the rest of us, but were generally good natured outside of combat. An angered bear is something no one ever wants to see. The lions kept mostly to themselves when they weren't competing for who's battle tactics were better with the wolves. The weeks it took to get to the capitol were long, but every town and village we passed looked as if a war were being fought daily. Some buildings burned to the ground and others packed with residents, whose hollowed eyes followed our troupes movements. We passed every one without stopping after the first.

Usually when a troupe of warriors passed by the elder of the settlement would hail them and offer an exchange of information and supplies. In particularly prosperous settlements the warriors would even be invited to stay the night and the residents would host a banquet. The oldest of the three bears was the one that told our troupe of his favorite village to visit, half a day out of our way to the capitol, but they always hosted a banquet for any warriors passing by. Not only did they have some of the best honey buns in the valley, there was a woman this bear was sweet on, and she always had extra mead for the troupes the next day. With a little half-hearted grumbling from our captain everyone was one over and we made straight for that village upon clearing the pass.

Where once there were houses there were now smoldering ruins. All save for the watermill that the bear's woman lived at. It stood pristinely and the water wheel churned on in the river on the north edge of what used to be a village. We entered the watermill and found nothing. Not a sack of grain or barrel of mead, the frame of a well made bed with nothing in it. Empty shelves and chests and though everything was gone you still felt like once this had been a lived in place, even a joyful one. A cry came from outside and we rushed to our battle positions, but it was only a young girl, filthy beyond belief and nearly dead from starvation. 

We had no time to stop, since there was nothing to gain in this empty village and now wee needed answers. We took her with us and after a couple days she was able to speak again. Her crying in the night had put us all on edge. Her first word was shadows and shortly she told us about how she had seen shadows of fire as the sun went down on the northern edge of her village. She remembered a scream and then her father hoisted her up and ran her out of the village throwing her into the murky muck as she called it. The bear translated that to a small swamp not far from the southern end of the village. When morning had come the village had burnt to the ground and nothing in the way of food had been left. She had stayed close to the watermill, but feared to go in since it was the only building left. Days had passed and then she saw the troupe enter the watermill.

After hearing her story we kept her with us as we made our way to the capitol. Everyday, the further north we got things got worse. Less animals and villages either empty or halfway burnt to the ground. Only where there were people though was there ever sign of fire. We never stopped, but often would hail the settlements we passed only one ever answered. In a very rude manner they told us to go away an mind our own business. It seems a sickness had taken hold of the whole country. Arriving at the capitol was no better. Its gates hung open and not a warrior was to be seen on the battlements. The streets were empty of all activity and life. The great hall stood in near silence as the counsel of elders sat motionless in their chairs.

Our captain addressed them as we came into the hall. As one their eyes shot open and their heads whipped to face us. They quickly told us where to go and what we needed to do. A threat has appeared in one of our most northern mines and every available soldier is to go there and end the threat. Our captain agreed to this assignment and then brought forth the girl to tell her story. The elders screeched at the tale she told and out of the shadows of the chamber I saw the first beast of darkness and fire. The elders pointed at the child and the beast strode with clear intent to end her life. The troupe moved at once to battle positions and protected the young. It was drilled into us like the instinct of the animals we emulated.

Our captain took a wound, but we were able to bring the beast down as if it were flesh and bone. As it died it blew away like the ash of firewood. The same happened to the false elders that had sat on their chairs. The girl was safe, but we still had to take her with us and though the order was most definitely a trap. Only at the northern most mine would we find the enemy and only there could we have any hope to save our country.