Heaven and Hell

TWENTY-NINE

P E S T I L E N C E

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THEY ONLY ARRIVED at the village when dusk dyed the lands in shades of vermilion and amber. The souls scattered off, each assigned to a cottage with a few others as roommates. Wilhelm worked hard to ensure everyone had a place to rest their heads for the night. Fabian, on the other hand, went around checking on the supplies they've ordered to be made during the last roundup.

"These are ready for battle?" he asked, picking up a sword before swinging it a couple of times to test its weight.

Raw materials were, thankfully, not difficult to find even in Hell. The previous few times the four brothers had visited the village, they commissioned the souls that were once blacksmiths to help forge swords, shields, and other weaponry that might be useful for the war.

"Counting it with the previous batches made, I'd say we've made about seven thousand or so, sir. It would be enough for each man to bring to battle with some to spare," the blacksmith replied.

He reached his hands out, taking the sword carefully from Fabian as the latter picked up another weapon. This time, a dagger.

"Not bad. We need a few more long-range weapons for defense and stealth. I think bows and arrows should do the trick. Archery is easy enough of a skill to teach the women and children in the village. They'll need something to protect themselves if our location is compromised." Fabian muttered under his breath, admiring the dagger under the glint of the dying sun. Eyes scanning over the selection laid in front of him, Fabian picked up the only bow and arrow set in the array of weapons displayed. "Keep at it and great work so far. I'm going to test these out."

The blacksmith nodded, bowing his head once before rushing off to spread the instructions Fabian had left.

♔ ♔ ♔

There came a rustle of leaves in the wind, various sounds of fauna echoing in the forest where Fabian had stepped into. Trees surrounded the village, hiding the settlement away from the prying eyes of Lucifer's demons in the central location of Hell near where the castle was located. Deep within the woods, demons hardly dared to venture in fear of their leader's wrath should he find out.

The newly acquired dagger was tucked in a sheath by Fabian's waist, the bow in his hand and arrows slung on his back. Beneath the soles of his feet, a small twig cracked under his weight, the snap echoing into the night sky. The disturbance caused a few crows built from nothing but bones to soar from the branches, taking flight just as Fabian reached for an arrow behind him. They would serve well as target practice.

Just as Fabian had pulled at the string, aiming at the wild demonic beasts, he heard a voice behind him, muttering softly. What followed was the crack of a twig and a swish of fabric. Not caring if the noise was from a wandering villager or a demonic intruder, Fabian spun on his heel, aiming the arrow in the direction of the sound.

"Who goes there?" He asked, fingers tightly gripping the arrow, ready to let it fly at any second.

"Woah!" A familiar voice called out, "Don't shoot! It's just me, Qiu Xia."

From the shadows, the young woman appeared with a basket hanging casually from her elbow. She had a bunch of leaves in her hands, all differing in shapes and sizes. When Fabian squinted, he noticed that the basket, too, was filled with plants.

"Oh." Relaxing the tension on the bow, Fabian kept the arrow safely behind him. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? You should be in the village where it is safe."