2 Chapter 2 - Leaving Home

As he entered into the compound that he had called home, he half expected someone to step out of hiding and ask him to help them. Perhaps a small child stuffed in a nook or cranny, but there was no one. He found several splashes of blood where people had fought back, but he knew how hopeless that was.

The Slavers were a type of half breed of the Vampire Lords, created with one goal in mind, find more food. They were gifted with incredible strength, enhanced sight in the dark and hearing. Even if someone had tried to hide a child in a hole dug into the wall, they would have heard their heart beating or their whimpers of fear. Xun was just glad the wagons full of captives had been parked too close to his tunnel for those two Slavers to hear his heart.

Trying his best to ignore the puddles of blood that signaled more than a simple wound, he made his way to the storage rooms. Everyone in the compound was allowed to keep their own supplies in their own rooms, but to be allowed to stay in the compound, they all had to contribute something to the compound as a whole, so that if someone became injured, a storm blew up, or something else occurred that prevented hunting, the compound wouldn't starve.

He saw that most of the meat had been taken, which wasn't surprising. The werewolves ate a lot, and that would have been free food to feed them. He gathered some of the other foods, dried berries and fruit, nuts and herbs, and stored them into a second bag he found hanging on the wall. He couldn't remember who it belonged to, maybe one of the older women who went foraging for medicinal herbs, but it was a good sturdy bag he could use.

Xun paused when he came to the medicinal supply. It had been largely untouched. Guessing that the Slavers had no idea what to do with the various bundles of roots, leaves, and bark, he carefully looked through the supply. He had used some of them in the past for such things as scrapes and fevers, but had never really paid much attention to them. His father had never placed much of an interest in them, so he had also mostly ignored them. The last year and a half he had gotten to know some of the older men and women who used them far more frequently and had learned some of the most basic parts to use. He had been surprised at the wealth of knowledge they possessed, and felt sad knowing that knowledge was now gone.

Gritting his teeth to prevent any tears, he carefully placed some of the medicines in his bag. Then he glanced over the weapons and tools. There were many implements used for digging, since the compound was dug deep into the ground, but he didn't need any of those. The sharp weapons were what he was looking for.

There were many dangerous animals and monsters in the world that he would have to fight or avoid. How they got there, he wasn't sure. It happened before his birth, and his parents hadn't had a chance to tell him. His mother had died when he was about two. His father took care of him as long as he could, teaching him about the monsters and how to avoid them. He had to watch a werewolf tear his father apart when he was eight. It took his body and ran away. Xun had stayed hidden in the rubble his father hid him in for three days before his thirst and hunger finally drew him out.

Picking up a hand axe he swung it a couple of times and nodded to himself. There were larger weapons, but he didn't think he could handle them as well. He just didn't have the strength. Plus, this had the added benefit of helping him chop some wood for fires as well. Grabbing a couple of daggers, he shoved them into the bag, sheathes and all. He had to find a safe place to stay before dark in case the Slavers came back. With a final glance around, he left the storage room and stood in the main entry of the compound.

The urge to explore everyone's rooms was strong, especially with the thought they wouldn't need them anymore, but he finally decided not to. These people had been his family for the past eighteen months. He had played with the children, flirted with the girls, joked with the older men and women, and had even gone hunting with some of the men. He knew others would come here, and would most definitely loot every last scrap that had been left, but the warm memories he had of this place were too precious to scar.

He would probably find better supplies to take with him if he went through their rooms, but it was still early and if he left now, he could get further away from the compound before nightfall. With the silence overwhelming, and his heart pounding in his ears, he climbed back out of the compound. Xun glanced around carefully as he tightened the straps of his bags and hefted his axe before heading out. There may be other hunters in the area who might not know that the Slavers had come, but he decided to leave the area completely. This is what he had done the last three compounds he had stayed in. Always the Slavers came and took everyone, and he had managed to escape each time.

As he left, he thought over the area. This compound was nestled in a valley next to a mountain. A rich forest surrounded him and there was plenty of game and food to find. He had hoped that he had traveled far enough to the west to escape the Vampire Lords this time, but this attack had proven that hope wrong. As he crested a hill on the mountain, that overlooked the forest behind and ahead of him, he paused to wonder if the Vampire Lords ruled the whole earth, or if there truly could be a safe place left.