Surprise Demon Attack

[LU CAIN. US Railway Department camp, Mojave Wilderness, United States of America. Monday 14th of June, 1880 Gregorian Calendar].

Although only a youth of sixteen, Lu Cain already stood at a hundred and ninety centimetres in height. Allowing him to tower over most of his fellow workers. The broadness of his shoulders and the thickness of his limbs, likewise made his crewmates appear small in comparison.

Presently he was working as a labourer for the US Railway Department. Having never gained any real trade skills and being barely literate, Cain was only suitable for labour intensive work such as hauling rail equipment and cargo. However, today was different. Today he was being given an opportunity by his adopted father to work as a railway spiker.

Railway spikers were tasked with hammering down the rail spikes which kept rails and base plates attached to wooden sleepers. Although the US Railway Department would prefer to use steam-powered steel spiders for the task, it was unable to do so. The rapid expansion of railroads and the cost of steam-powered steel spiders, meant that only main lines could cost-effectively employ them. While branch lines, such as the one which Cain's father was in charge of building, still used railway spikers.

"Finish your breakfast boy!" ordered Cain's adopted father, as he rushed into the two-man tent. "The spikes aren't going to hammer themselves."

"Coming father," replied Cain as he hastily scarfed down the rest of his bread and jerky.

"Ah ya," frowned Cain's adopted father. "How many times do I have to tell you. Don't call me father when we're on a work project. It makes it look like I'm showing you favouritism."

"Sorry," apologised Cain. "I'm ready now Supervisor Lu Feng."

The duo left their shared tent and headed towards the railway work site. Once there, Lu Feng approached a tall, grey haired, dark skinned man. Although the man was clearly in his twilight years, he still maintained an impressive physique.

"Foreman John Henry," Lu Feng bowed his head in respect, then pointed towards Cain. "This is my son Lu Cain."

"Supervisor Feng, your wife must have hated you for making such a large goy," John teased.

It was common knowledge that Cain was Lu Feng's adopted son. Though even someone who didn't know this fact would be able to tell that the massive blonde, blue-eyed Cain, wasn't the biological son of the black haired, black eyed Lu Feng. Specially since the older man barely reached a hundred and fifty-five centimetres in height.

"My wife was the one who wanted to keep him," laughed Lu Feng. "I wanted to throw him back in the river, knowing how expensive it would be to feed such a giant. But today, hopefully he'll be able to start feeding himself. As soon as you accept him as a railway spiker."

John Henry handed a five kilogram spike maul to Cain and pointed at a line of half a dozen rail spikes which had been set up for hammering.

"Make me proud son!" said Lu Feng.

"I'll make you proud father," promised Cain.

"Don't call me father at the work place," Lu Feng reminded his adopted son.

This brought laughter from everyone present. Since Lu Feng didn't like Cain calling him father, yet he constantly referred to Cain as his son.

Cain raised the spike maul and then hammered it down onto a large iron nail. Most experienced railway spikers would require two to four strikes to drive a railroad spike fully into the ground. However, Cain did it in one blow. He repeated the movement until all six spikes had been driven in.

"He's a strong one," laughed Foreman John. "Reminds me of me in my younger days."

"Ah ya," sighed Lu Feng. "He's a stupid one. All muscle and no brain. Just like the time he helped me to herd sheep."

The herding sheep story was quite famous among Lu Feng's work crew. It involved an incident when as a child, Cain had tried to herd sheep back into a sheep pen by individually picking them instead of chasing them in.

"I drove all the spikes in," protested Cain. "I did it fast too."

"But you did half of them wrong," explained Lu Feng. "See how half of the spikes have been bent? If you were hammering into actual sleepers, as opposed to a testing area, you would have damaged the tracks and your spike maul."

"Oh," said Cain, looking at his handywork and realising that his adopted father spoke the truth.

"Watch me," ordered Lu Feng as he grabbed the spike maul from Cain and ordered for six more rail spikes to be set up.

Lu Feng then began to hammer the large iron nails into the ground. Although it took him an average of three hits per spike, each of the spikes were driven in straight. Quite a feat for someone who was pushing fifty years of age.

"Do you see what I mean?" asked Lu Feng.

"No," replied Cain. "You used exactly the same stance as I did. That's how I practiced how to drive railway spikes. Because I've seen your stance when you work."

"My stance works for me because of my height," clarified Lu Feng. "But because you are stupidly tall, you need to squat lower as well as bend more at the waist, if you want the flat of the spike maul to hit at the correct angle."

"I see," realised Cain. "I'll take a lower stance and bend more at my waist. Please give me another go Foreman Henry."

"Give the boy another go," John indicated for six more rail spikes to be set up.

Once again Cain hammered the iron nails down. Though due to his focus on correcting his position, the majority of spikes took two blows to hammer in.

"Well done," congratulated John.

"Yes, you can come join me…." Lu Feng's words were cut off by the sound of a ringing brass bell.

"Brass bell," said Cain. "That means demons."

"It means profit," laughed John.

Cain smiled, knowing exactly what the Foreman had in mind.

Fifty years ago, when demons had first started to appear, people had feared them. Demons were stronger than humans and had a variety of natural weapons including; horns, fangs, claws, mandibles, stingers and poisons. Their semi-human and often horrific appearance also caused revulsion and religious hysteria.

However, once humans understood that the demons had animalistic levels of intelligence, they realised the monsters could be beaten with the use of personal skill and group tactics. The Demon Eradication Wars unified national governments against a common global enemy. Demons were slowly forced into the wilderness.

After a decade of combat, scientists discovered that demon bodies contained thumbnail sized marbles that came to be known as demon cores. This discovery turned demons from being feared monsters into hunted animals.

Demon cores soon became one of the most valuable things on Earth. They could be used in medicine, agriculture and most importantly as a source of fuel. Their existence led to a technological revolution, especially in the creation of demon core powered steam engines and pneumatic motors. These designs had an efficiency far greater than those powered by wood, charcoal, coal or coke. Allowing for smaller engines and motors to be made, which could be incorporated into different types of machines. Many of the technologies now taken for granted, would be impossible to make without such a miraculous power source.

Bratta, Bratta, Bratta, Bratta.

The sound of a machine gun cut through the air.

"Must be a lot," smiled John.

Suddenly the machine gun was silenced. However, it wasn't silenced for long.

Bratta, Bratta, Bratta, Bratta.

The machinegun once more roared to life. But the accompanying screams of workers, made it clear that something wasn't right.

"Check on your mother!" ordered Lu Feng.

"But I can fight," Cain declared.

"We know you can fight," said Foreman Henry. "But your mother and most of the others at the main residential camp can't."

"I understand," Cain agreed. "I'll also tell the Marshal."

Dropping the spike maul, Cain ran in the opposite direction from where the gunfire had come from. He rushed towards the camp stable and quickly mounted a horse.

"Ya! Ya!" Cain urged the horse to rapidly head towards the main residential camp which had been set up beside the Colorado River.

The ten-kilometre ride through broken and rocky terrain took almost an hour.

Cain's heart sank when he finally sighted the semi-permeant wooden huts which made up the main residential camp. Around half were on fire and he could see the unmoving bodies of many of the men, women and children who called the place home. What was truly frightening was that the corpse-like demons were using weapons such as swords, axes and hammers.

"Cain…" a hoarse voice called from a copse of trees.

He immediately dismounted, drew his knife and approached the area from where the call had originated. Pushing aside the dry underbrush, he spotted an elderly Chinese man dressed in the vestments of a priest.

"Father Yong," Cain leaned over to assist the fallen man.

"No!" Father Yong held his hands up and Cain noticed the priest was missing part of his left thumb. "Don't approach. You have to travel to Fort Las Vegas and tell them… tell them there's a new type of demon. It looks like a corpse and has some sort of poison in its mouth. Those it bites… they turn into demons when they die. The same kind of demons. Spreading the poison to even more victims.

They caught Marshal Lance before he could get into his amour. I saw Marshal Lance fall to them… then he got back up and started attacking us. He was intelligent… using his rifle to kill. Some of the others were also intelligent. I was bitten and even though the wound shouldn't be serious… I know I'm dying."

"My mother?" Cain asked. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"I'm sorry," Father Yong breathed heavily. "I led her and the children she was teaching out of the camp. But we were ambushed by some miners… no… not miners… but demons wearing their skin. We beat the demons, but nearly everyone died. Those who weren't dead… had been bitten. Some began to turn.

Your mother told me to head for the railway work camp. Since I was the most able bodied. I tried… but the poison. It's in me. I can feel…."

Suddenly Father Yong fell silent.

"Father Yong!" Cain leaned forward to try and wake the elderly reverend.

"Eat you!" a guttural voice came from the dead priest's mouth, as he tried to bite Cain.

Cain reacted on instinct and drew back, while at the same time delivering an elbow with enough force to dislocate the demon's jaw.

"Gaar, gaar…." The demon stood up and lunged at Cain.

He sidestepped to the right, placed his left hand on the demon's shoulder in order to maintain control and thrust his dagger into the demon's stomach. Piercing upwards into his enemy's heart.

He felt the body spasm, and disembowelled the monster as he withdrew his knife.

The demon stayed standing, as if it was ready to continue the struggle. But then suddenly it collapsed.

Cain gave it a few hard kicks, then slashed it throat and stabbed it through the temple for good measure. After a quick moment of silence for all those who were now lost, he remounted his horse and headed north for Fort Las Vegas.