The Hunt

The air was crisp. A trio of cloaked figures trudged through a snowy wood. The forest was in the throws of winter and most animals were hibernating. The wind had died down and the trees muffled footfalls. The forest’s name was The Hunter’s Nightmare.

Centuries ago, it was called The Hunter’s Dream, as game was plentiful, and the scenery was beautiful. Now though it’s the Nightmare. A twisted wood with twisted creatures. Legends say it was cursed by the Gods of the Wood as punishment for humanity’s greed.

The three figures, two men and a woman, were gruff, hard, and dangerous individuals. They had been contracted by the village of Edinboro. They were to kill a monstrous bear that was covered in scars and it’s fur stained with the blood of prey.

Nathanial walked point, as the most skilled in tracking of the three. He carried a dirk, a chain whip, and bow. He was the oldest of the three and most seasoned.

Ryvkah followed behind. Her skill with long blades was unmatched by anyone in the guild. She carried with her a pair of flat bladed rapiers and two short swords. She loved to duel wield as the symmetry provided her mind with clarity.

In the rear, the muscle: Jerimiah. He was a walking arsenal, carrying a huge double headed axe as a primary weapon, two throwing axes, throwing daggers, two short swords, and wore heavy leathers. He was large, standing taller than his partners by almost two feet.

Each carried a flint lock pistol as last resorts.

The monster bear tore through the village a tenday prior. Destroying huts and killing man, woman, dog, and child. Anything that got in its way. Twelve beings ripped apart and eaten. Bad luck. The village had sent out a hunting party. Two returned, terror filled their hearts and blanked their minds. Weak. The village elders took collections and raised enough money to send off to the Hunter’s Guild to hire the three.

The trio had hunted together for years and were completely in sync with each other. In battle they were almost like a ball of death each complimenting the other and filling in gaps and faults. This contract should not require too strenuous an effort.

Nathanial sniffed the air. He could smell death. The creature’s lair was close. They had been following its trail for three days. As they came out of the twisted tree line into a clearing, a cave was visible on the other side of a frozen lake. The ice was thick, they knew. The bear’s tracks lead straight across the lake, to the cave.

As they looked out over the lake it was like a graveyard. Splotches of red and mounds of bones littered the lake between them and the cave. The stench of death and rot was strong. Even frozen the strength of so much death was prominent.

“Are you prepared?” Nathanial queried. Heaving the axe from his back and holding it with two hands, Jerimiah grinned. “Oh yeah!” the excitement exuding from every fiber of his being.

Ryvkah pulled down her mask and flung back her hood. Unsheathing her twin rapiers, she let loose a single word. “Aye.”

“Very well.” Lighting a cigar, Nathanial pulls two firebombs from his satchel and marches on, across the lake.

“Gonna burn ‘em out eh?” Jerimiah chuckled.

Once within several yards from the cave entrance, Nathanial lit one of the firebombs with his cigar and lobbed it into the cave. “Come on out, grumpy old bear!” he called. The bomb hit the side of the cave and bounced around for a moment. Once the fuse burned into the bomb a nova flash erupted from it, igniting the entrance.

A roar erupted from deep within the cavern. “Ah, I think you pissed it off.”

“Good. Now both of you get to either side of the cave. NOW!” The order needed not be given as both Jerimiah and Ryvkah were already headed to their positions. Nathanial unleashed his whip with a crack. “Come on you bastard.” Taking a deep drag of his cigar, the cherry burned bright. He held the second firebomb fuse to the cherry, igniting it. The pounding footfalls were getting louder. He started to hear the clack of its claws on the stone. Throwing the firebomb as hard as he could, it sailed into the center of the cave, exploding almost immediately.

The monstrous bear never stopped. Engulfed in flame it charged straight at Nathanial.

“Piss.”

Jerimiah and Ryvkah sprang into action as the bear exited the cave. They hacked and slashed the flaming creature, cutting chunks out of it. Though causing severe wounds the trajectory of the bear was not halted. Everything happened too fast. The bear crashed into Nathanial flinging him a dozen yards out onto to the frozen lake. His body slammed into the ice, demolishing several mounds of bones, and rolled across the lake.

Spitting blood onto the ice he rubbed his head. “Ow.” He shook his head. “Felt like a cannon blast.” He tired to move his left arm. It didn’t respond. Looking down a broken thigh bone was protruding from his bicep. “Yeah, that would explain it.” Gritting his teeth, he yanked out the bone. A howl of pain escaped his lips. Blood gushed out of the wound. He ripped a strip of cloth from his undershirt and wrapped it around the wound to stymie the blood. Getting to his feet, ice creaking beneath, he drug himself back towards the fight.

“He’s right pissed off!” Ryvkah called.

“I imagine ya would be too if ya were ‘em” Jerimiah shouted as he dodged a bear swipe that would have turned his head to mush. The bear circled and smashed into Ryvkah. Then turned and charged the big man.

Jerimiah turned and straining every muscle in his body twisting for a final strike. A split second later his body uncoiled, and the axe came slamming down. As the monstrous bear got within reach, the axe crashed into the bear’s head, cleaving it in twain. The force of Jerimiah’s strike sent the axe through the bear’s head and into the ice of the lake, cracking it.

The body convulsed for a moment as the hot black blood seeped from it. Jerimiah released his grip on the axe, his breathing heavy, his heart still pounding.

“Well done, young man!” Nathanial called. “I miscalculated. And I paid for it.” He lifted his wounded arm, showing it off sporting a sly grin. “Wait where’s Ryvkah?” he asked looking around.

“I-I don’t know. Wrapped up in the fighting I lost track.” Jerimiah wrapped his large hand around the handle of his battle axe and heaved. The axe came free, and shards of ice went with it. Cracks started shooting out across the ice.

“Huh?”

“RUN!” Nathanial shouted and took off for shore.

As Jerimiah turned and took one step he went right through the ice. The body of the monster bear fell in after him. The ice water shocked his system. He could barely think, hardly move. The axe fell from his hand. He watched as the bear sank past him fading away. As his lungs started to ache with the demand for new oxygen, the synapsis in his brain began to fire rapidly like lighting striking. Slowly his legs started to kick. First his downward trajectory slowed then stopped. Finally, he began ascending.

He pushed and pushed. His lungs about to burst. The surface was at his fingertips. He was almost there. Sweet oxygen was almost his. His fingers broke the water. Escape! He gave one last push. His head broke the water, a rushed breath sweetly gulped to his lung’s satisfaction.

That moment of pure exultation suddenly shattered as Jerimiah couldn’t get a grip. Ice broke away with each desperate grasp. He groped and splashed, exhaustion overtaking him. Trying to shout the water wouldn’t let him utter more than a gurgle. As he thrashed wildly, he lost his battle with fatigue. His body slowed and became still as he sank back into the blackness below.

Nathanial had reached the shore and turned to look for Jerimiah, but he was gone. “Jerimiah! Jerimiah! Where’d ya go?” A blood curtailing scream reverberated through the cave opening. “Ryvkah?” He unsheathed his dirk and rushed into the cave. “Hold on! I’m coming!”

Ryvkah had been batted into the cave by the bear and cracked her head on the floor, knocking her dizzy. She slowly picked herself up and disoriented, she headed deeper into the cave.

She continued deeper into the cave. As she reached a large opening the darkness was thick. She reached into a pouch and produced a striker and flint. Out of another pouch she pulled a candle in a small hanging globe. Striking the flint and lighting the wick the candle’s glow illuminated a small area around her.

Something was pulling her farther into the black beyond. She took several steps forward and the stone beneath her feet gave way to something soft and…sticky? She held the candle low to see what she was stepping on. Gore. Scattered about were bones of numerous creatures. And people. As she crept along, she realized her left hand was empty. Immediately she unsheathed one of her dirks. Her rapiers gone. Lost when she was hit by that flaming bear.

Fear started to slither up her spine. The hair on her neck stood on end. Her mind exploded with numerous terrors. Something was here. At her mind’s realizations, her ears confirmed the horror. Footfalls. Low thuds stalking her. She turned the light in that direction.

And there, a terror from another world. An unholy nightmare. Standing before her a half-rotted bear. Recognizing it had been noticed it lurched to its full height. It was the tallest bear she’d ever seen. Its face half melted, ribs protruding, and one of its feet completely missing flesh at all. The monstrosity reared back and roared shaking the cave walls.

Frozen in terror, Ryvkah couldn’t move. The giant monster fell back down to all fours and stalked towards her. Its dead eyes piercing her soul. Shaking off the fear she turned to flee. Tackling this monster would take all three of them. She ran back up the slope towards the cave entrance as the monster gave chase.

Suddenly a ripping pain pierced through her left leg. She let out a scream and crashed to the ground hard. Looking down her leg, from the knee down, was missing! Completely gone. She screamed again and writhed in pain. Looking back the dead bear kept coming. A large tongue waggling back and forth.

“What type of foul daemon is this?!” Nathanial cried. “Ryvkah! Oh girly, your leg!” The sorrow in his voice was shadowed by anger. The old hunter pulled out his flintlock, pulled back the hammer, aimed, and fired.

The lead ball flew through the air and crashed through the monster’s eye shattering the back of it’s skull. It stopped momentarily. Then roared and whipped it’s tongue out again. Slashing Nathanial’s hand slicing through his pistol and two of his fingers.

The daemon charged. Nathanial pulled his dirk and slashed, cutting through the jaw of the creature. It reared back and slammed hard onto the ground, crushing Ryvkah, creating a bloody splatter that sprayed across the cave.

“NO!” Anger filled his eyes and he leapt upon the undead bear and stab and slashed. Berserker rage filling is mind. Eventually he was thrown and smashed hard into the wall. The daemon roared and retreated out of the cave into the wood.

Hours later, Nathanial emerged. He found one of Ryvkah’s rapiers and strapped it to his belt. Picking up his chain whip he walked as close as he dared to the ice hole and said a prayer for Jerimiah’s soul.

Bandaging his wounds, he wrapped his cloak around him. Sniffing the air, he headed off to the east, deeper into the woods. Continuing the hunt.