Log 1:
I raised my axe over my head, the muscles across my body tensed up, from my ears to the soles of my feet. "You fucked with the wrong folks." My sister flashed a smile. I grinned in return.
Crimson blinds my field of vision. I press the axe deeper into the skull of the assailant, his body finally stops its incessant writhing. A loud thud is felt in front of me, and the air finally goes silent, the fire spirit dead asleep. Wiping the bloody mess on my face away, I clean the blood off my axe. The reflection within the surface of the axe stares back at me as I head over to my sister to free her from the ropes. Did I feel remorse? Righteous? Heroic even? My heart was uncaring and unwavering. It was too much nonsense to think about. "Couldn't you have done it in a cleaner manner at least?" My sister finally chimed in. "No thank yous?" I monotonously replied to her antics.
She rose from the ground, wobbling unsteadily as she recovered from the blow to her gut. "That asshole really did not pull his punches." She stared over to the mess of innards becoming outards, with the sack of flesh and bones planted in the wooden floor. Blood seeped through the grain within the wood, creating sprawls of bloody vine-like creases spreading through the cracks. She wiped the blood from the now dead intruder off her face, unphased, we began to plan out an escape.
The other intruder must have realised by now something was off. Judging by their outfits, it was safe to assume they were hunters or bandits from another area. They had likely passed through this area by accident and decided to mind someone else's business for the night. It just so happened they got unlucky with who they ran into. However, if there were more of these assholes, it'd be best to scram. I was thankful to catch one off guard, but if they were to bring more, it would be safe to say I wouldn't survive.
"Grab everything you need. We are leaving this place"
She nodded before donning her huntress' garment, a soft leather hide protected her while the ursa fur lined the inner walls of the coat to provide warmth during the unbearable winters. Shoddily sewn together deer skins formed pants around her long slender legs which moved gracefully in the dim light.
I searched for her bag, it was strewn towards the side of the room. She had likely tried to fight back on her own but was outmatched in raw strength, judging by the mess of the room. Had she screamed, the element of surprise would have been thrown out the window.
I tossed her tooled leather satchel toward her, the one she had crafted painstakingly for herself. Although it was battered from the weather, it held on much like us. Cracks had formed on the edges of the bag, and the straps were holding on by the thinnest of threads. But she loved it to death, in it carrying around pouches which contained arrays of powders and runes. I always wondered how the hell she carried all those in that tiny satchel.
We had gathered all our belongings, there weren't many to begin with anyway. My axe was still hitched on my back, a crust of blood started to form in the areas I hadn't fully cleaned off.
"You kids gotta lotta nerve huh." I had wanted to avoid this situation as much as possible. The other assailant had returned to the scene, staring over our shoulders at the bloody pile who was his mate a little over a minute ago. He was a much larger man than the first, built like a stallion in its prime, he towered over me as he approached.
"Sister! Get Behi-" I instinctively pushed her back, as the man flicked a pair of daggers out his pockets and dashed toward me. His legs built like the very tree stumps I had cut in the morning, propelled him toward me at an alarming velocity. I felt a sharp pain to my sternum, the breath was taken out of my lungs as I was evicted out of my home. "Brother!" What the hell was that strength? Hard gasps for air. My legs buckled. My hands struggled to support myself to get me back on my feet, the ground beneath me still moist and dense from the decayed leaves, foliage crunched beneath me as I got up again. "Oh you've got guts getting up again." He laughed. I firmed the grip on my axe.
"No need to worry girlie, I know exactly what to do with you later." He whispered dangerously back toward my sister, ever closing the distance as I regained my composure.
At a terrifying speed, he once again closed the distance between us. However, this time I was ready with the parry. The scream of metal clashing crowded the silence of the air. Our weapons screeched deafeningly as the flurry of slashes ensued. I couldn't push back, the more I fought him the more I felt the difference in our fighting skills. His large frame had pushed me far back , it was akin to fighting a moving wall. His bloodlusted gaze observed me carefully as I retreated slowly into the surrounding forest. I needed to buy some time for my sister to run away at the very least, she had to survive. I hugged the willows as I weaved my way through, even if I couldn't beat his raw strength, there was one thing I had an advantage in.
Knowledge of the forest. Without prior experience and knowledge, navigating through the layers of this maze-like structure would be near impossible. I had bought enough space and managed to find it. The giant willow which had sat in the middle of the forest. I clambered up the giant willow which seemed to stretch toward the sky, an ambush would be my best bet. I climbed to the tallest branches of the willows, laying in silence as I waited for him.
The air goes tense once again. "I know you're here boy. Show yourself to me." He called. "I was wondering what the hell you and your sister were alllllll the way out here in Julias' Forest for. Let's just talk shall we?" Bullshit, bastard's gonna kill me first chance he gets. He strayed around the willows, pebbles crunched helplessly beneath him.
"Running away from me won't get you anywhere boy."
"I wonder why you ran away?"
"Oh I know now. Are you thinking I won't go after your sister after I'm done with you. Once I'm done with you, I'm going to have some fun with your sister. Think of it as a.. Headstart."
Fuck. This. Bastard.
It was foolish of me to do such a thing. But I couldn't accept what he said. Not like that.
I leapt out the willows, axe in hand as my back arched and prepared the final blow.
"Gotcha." Whipping around unnervingly quickly, he grabbed my collar and threw me toward the ground. A haze surrounded my train of thought as it immediately derailed. Why did I leave myself wide open? A fist to the face. I'm gonna die. Another blow to the face. I can't beat him. Another heavy hit.
Hopefully my sister made it out.
Live a better life, Lily.
The final blow should have come. It didn't. I was ready to be sent back to that void where life originates from. So why was I still staring at the moon above me as I lay bloodied on the ground?
"FUCK! GET OFF OF ME!" A visceral scream that wasn't mine sounded through the air. I propped myself up on one arm ,slowly twisting my waist to understand what was happening within my surroundings.
Thick trunks of willow chained him toward the ground, curling and twisting silently round his ankles and wrist to pull his large frame toward the ground. Brought to his knees, he struggled desperately as he tried to free himself from the organic chains.
Scuttering and ruffling of the surrounding pebbles and foliage could be heard. Lots of it. I turned toward the darkness of the forest, tiny fluorescent eyes lit up the dark pair by pair as they rushed toward us.
"Forest whistlers?"
The ferocious rodents rushed toward the man, screaming in terror as the green mass swallowed him whole. Through the pockets of moonlight, I could vaguely make out what was going on.
"HELP ME PLEASE! GOD! SOMEONE!"
Claws and teeth gnashed and scratched the man as blood leaked from his skin. The critters seemed to infiltrate every orifice of his body as his screams were eventually lost in the storm of screeches and whistles from the rodents. Maroon stained the viridian green coats of the usually-friendly forest whistlers as they relentlessly attacked the slumped man. I hear a sigh from behind me.
"You always pull off the craziest shit. You really thought I'd leave you behind?" The moon was being blocked by a silhouette looking over me. I sighed. I tried getting up once again, cuts and scrapes presented themselves to me rudely through pangs of pain throughout my body. A supporting shoulder came over to lift me from the ground.
"Thank you my friends." She waved sweetly to the heap of rodents as their attention seemed to shift toward her.
The hostile whistles were replaced with more upbeat tones as they dispersed and rushed toward Lily. The furry bunch seemed to circle us as she supported me with her small frame, noses pointed high toward her.
"Help...me..please" A gurgle came through. I turned around to the mess of a man that lay before me. His skin across his body was shredded to bits with remaining clumps of skin helplessly still hanging to his flesh. His face was… indescribably mangled, the only recognisable area being his nose which was bloodied and torn. The moonlight highlighted the flesh wounds and teeth marks left by the whistlers. Blood dripped onto the ground and seeped into the roots which tangled his legs, writhing happily as several sprouts generated from the rough surface of the roots.
I handled my axe once again, barely having the strength to grip it after having the life nearly beaten out of me. I lift it over my head weakly as I prepare to end a life.
"No brother. We have done what we have needed to do. Let's leave." Lily whispers over to me.
"But…"
"Let's go, this man can no longer fight us."
I give in. My boiling rage simmers down, and I lower my axe.
We walk away slowly from the towering willow, as we make our way toward… somewhere.
"Where will we go now?" Lily supported me steadily while asking.
"I'm not sure, hopefully we can find another area and we could restart there. For now, I need some rest." I replied.
Perhaps we could find new life in our new home, with no need to worry about more uninvited guests. Why did they come through this area in the first place? What's so interesting about a peaceful and (mostly) harmless forest? Questions kept pounding at my mind, not much of a help when the rest of my body was battered too.
A primal roar resounded through the forest. I hastily whipped around to find that our assailant had torn away at one of the roots which had gripped him. This bastard still had strength within him? What the hell kind of monster is this guy?
"WE'RE GONNA KILL YOU FOR SURE KID!" His freed hand desperately descended into the bloodied fur coat he wore, only to resurface with a.. Horn?
"We? But there weren't any more near..by…" Lily is visibly confused. So am I.
Shit. There were always more of them from the start? I lift my hatchet weakly once again as I prepare to slice his hand off. But it is too late, a blaring siren tunnels its way through every crevice of the forest as he takes his final deathly breath to sound the horn.
One last time, the mangled face of the assailant turns toward me and my sister. The husk of a man gurgles one last time, "You can't run". He slumps toward the ground and doesn't get back up.