The Wood

The Butcher's Revenge

I shot out of bed to the sound of heavy knocking. I stumbled out of my room and into the main room to find Gavril and Ajád standing in the open doorway, conversing in hushed tones. It was morning, the orange glow of the morning sun behind Ajád.

"What's going on?" They both turned to me, startled. I noticed Ajád clutched a sword.

"We need to leave. Now." Gavril said, walking by me.

"What? Why?" I asked, confused. Ajád spoke up.

"There's been a fire. It started at the inn, but it has spread and continues to burn. The forge is gone, the square is burning, half the damn houses are being reduced to ashes and coals. Most of the townsfolk are trying to put out the fire, but Nikolai has gotten a large group of the folk to rally behind him, to come and kill the demon that cursed the good people of Madus. You need to flee, before they can-" There was a loud thump above the doorway and Ajád ducked down and stumbled in. He looked at the arrow imbedded in the wood above, and yelled for Gavril.

"Get your bow and your blade, brother! They are here!" He turned to me.

"I'm sorry, boy. This is the last thing you deserve. I will try to talk some sense into these fools." He turned, raising his sword slightly and calmly walking out of the house. I felt lost, unable to do anything, so I ran to find Gavril. He was in the storeroom, filling up some packs for travel.

"Gavril, they're here. Ajád needs help." When he didn't respond, I repeated myself, louder.

"We need to go, boy. Come." He stood and handed me a pack, then slung his over his shoulder and began to walk towards the door that led to the wood. I couldn't believe him.

"Your closest friend is out there holding off a mob, a mob who won't stop until both our heads are off, and you're going to abandon him?" Gavril turned to me, his face bent in anger.

"We need to GO!" I had never heard him so angry. I shoved him away.

"Fine! Leave! But I will not leave a good man to die while I flee." I threw the pack down and ran to the front of the house. When I got to the door, my heart fell. Ajád stood shouting, sword in hand, as a crowd clutching torches stamped their feet and bellowed. Nikolai stood at the head, Anton by his side, pointing a bow at Ajád. I could see about ten different bows strung and ready throughout the crowd, but Ajád's was the only one raised.

"I do not want to kill you, smith, but I will have that creature dead. Step aside." Nikolai's tone was calm and even, but there was a chilling undertone to each word.

"I will not. This is nedrept and inutil.You ar trebui să be saving our home, not alungare after a lie." Ajád's deep voice was full of pleading. Nikolai just shook his head.

"I ar say I'm sorry, but the guard of a monstru is just as bad as the thing itself. Anton, kill him." Anton pulled back the arrow and Ajád went rigid, his sword up.

"You are making a mistake. Please." He was almost begging now, his eyes shining in the torchlight. Anton faltered, but Nikolai turned and said something in his ear. Anton's face hardened and then the twang of a bowstring echoed in my ears.

The next few seconds were full of confusion as Anton fell to the ground, an arrow in his throat, a roar from behind me and then the flash of steel catching Nikolai across the chest. Then I realized what was happening as Gavril turned and yelled at me to run, a sword in his hand and a quiver of arrows slung across his back. Suddenly Ajád was at his side and the crowd surged forward, pitchforks and knives and clubs all aimed at the pair. I stayed glued to the spot for a moment, then felt anger begin to bubble up in my chest as Nikolai shakily stood up, blood staining his clothing. I felt a deep seated rage build inside me, and then I was running at him, my hands curled into fists. I faintly heard the sound of bowstring, then felt a sharp pain in my thigh. I paid it no mind. I felt it again, this time in my back, just as I jumped on the butcher, my fist slamming into his jaw, my knee jamming into his stomach. He howled and doubled over, and I brought my elbow down on the back of his head. He collapsed in a pool of blood and pain. I bellowed in rage as I felt a stabbing pain in my back, once, twice, then three times. As Nikolai collapsed, I turned, my eyes narrowing at the men struggling to notch arrows into their bows. My hands curled, my fingers twitching as fire filled my veins. I ran toward them, my head pounding, saliva gathering in my mouth. I ripped the bow out of the first man's hand and threw it into the wood, then slammed my fist into his throat. The other two had restrung their bows, and as I turned they fired. The first arrow punched into my shoulder, the second into my stomach. I barely felt either, launching myself at them with an inhuman roar. I dug shoved my fingers into the closest archer's eyes, the feeling of something popping followed shortly by a warm wetness and a high pitched scream. The last of the trio turned and fled, but he didn't make it far. I grabbed his hair and pulled him toward me, bringing him down onto the ground. He tried to stand and I stomped my foot down on his face, the crunch that followed loud and satisfying. Once the last archer was dealt with, I turned my attention back to where the butcher lay. He was beginning to rise. The pounding in my head worsened, my whole body filled with burning fury. I ran at him, raising my fist as I readied to finish what I had started. Just before I hit him, his hand shot out and wrapped around my knee. He jerked his arms back and I lost my footing. I spun as I fell, seeing something glint in the butcher's hands. I hit the ground hard, and then I felt a sudden sharp pain in my stomach, once, then twice, then in my chest and my side, over and over, until my body was numb. I saw the butchers sick smile and smelled his putrid breath and then he was gone, limping into the wood, a knife dripping with blood clutched in his hand. Everything seemed unreal, like I was in a dream. My body stopped hurting, everything going numb. I turned and saw Ajád get thrown to the ground, some man dressed up in leather armor plunging a spear through his stomach. Ajád screamed in pain and threw up his sword, cutting through the man's neck in a spray of blood, glistening and red and beautiful. I was beginning to lose feeling in my legs, my arms, my face. Soon, all I could feel was warmth. My eyes began to close. I stopped hearing Ajáds screams of pain, and Gavril's anguished cries. I just felt the warmth of the night's embrace, a beautiful red painting the ground and the air and the faces and blades. I sighed, happy, and then the darkness took me.