19 Chapter Nineteen - Light of Hope

want to read more chapters ahead?

join and support my pa.treon @

[ patreon.com/JonAce80 ]

Thanks!!!!!!

Thanks Maxime_Anne_Louise, Majest, Majorence, Justice Harrison, Cherif Doghri and Eduardo Tolentino for being my pa.treons.

thank you for your support!!

If we can get to top 20 in stone ranking I'll give two bonus chapters with the regular chapters next week!!!!

I have been thinking of going into another fanfic, this time an anime. still contemplating on what but I know it'll be maybe

BLEACH

NARUTO

OR BOTH

OR ANY OTHER

But I'll post it first on my pa.treon before I begin here.

Really need the support of people. Thanks.

=============================

Chapter Nineteen

/Unknown/1116/

In a bustling village, men, women, and children all busy with their activities for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary can be picked out from amongst the scenery. It was a peaceful and lively place.

Until not long later, the heavy hooves of well fed horses could be heard. On top of these horses was what attracted the attention of the people of this village.

Two warriors.

They called themselves bounty hunters. This seemingly peaceful village had always had a problem. Every few weeks, a beast would come to hunt in their keep. Sometimes a sheep or two would go missing, other times it would be hungry for more blood and that is when a person would go as well, never to return.

It had become a plague. Yet they couldn't leave, it was as if this beast had taken it upon itself to make them it's herd. Every time one decided to flee, it would know and all they would hear from the fleeing party would be naught but scream, till it went silent again. And a piece of a body would appear, a warning for whoever thought of escape.

It was a village where people can enter, but none left. And everytime a soul wondered into the village, rather than jubilation it became a thing of mourning. Soon, whoever came, sadly would become a part of the village.

Little by little, merchants no longer dared to cross path with the village or its roads. And from the mouth of tale tellers, the village was dubbed 'rearing ground', a place where humans and animals alike are reared for a beast unknown.

This became a thrill for many, hunters too and few had ventured into the rare treasure, to make a name for themselves. But none ever returned. Either dead or became a part of the 'lost sheeps'.

Word went to the ears of this two young hunters and they decided to take the risk.

When the villagers had first seen them, rather than see them as saviors, they looked unto them with pity. Few had already gone to prepare a hut for them as their new dwelling.

#flashback#

"Sigh, another has come to this place, it would appear we have a new sheep. Olof!! Get some women to prepare a new place for the new ones. The quicker they get used to this place, the better for us to live our lives as it comes" a young man spoke, no more than in his late twenties. As he spoke he walked towards the two strangers that had ridden into their village.

As he came closer to the strangers, they came to a halt and dropped down from their horses. One, looking younger than him and the other looking as old as he his. They both with braided hairstyles, dressed in leather armor typical of most viking hunters that they had encountered more often than can count. The older had a heavy blade hung on his back while the younger had two battle axes strapped on both sides of his waist.

"On any other circumstances, I would say it is a pleasure for you to be here. Sadly, it isn't. Why have you come?" The young villager spoke.

"Good day to you too. We want to speak to the village head, where can we find him" the older one spoke.

"Unfortunately milords, you are talking to him" the young villager spoke, shocking both strangers.

"Surely you jest. Are there no longer older people? One who fits the description of a head per say?" The younger this time spoke looking around and taking note of the faces gathering around, noticing truly the older people could be counted on one hand and shocking enough none had the evidence of full grey hair on their head , getting a chuckle from the young villager who responded.

"Long story lad, a story mayhaps, you could hear over a cup of water. I'm sorry but we have no way to make our wine unless you desire for a hot horse piss" the young village head laughs at his own joke, trying best to keep the atmosphere conducive.

The village head gestured for them to follow him as well as spoke to the rest of the villagers to continue their days work. Life goes on.

Even if it may be short.

They get into a large hut, and they soon settled down. Table filled with nothing but Vegetables and little supply of venison, it was served by a lady, who could be very much the wife of the young village head. She looks to be heavy, giving the huge bump on her stomach, a sign she would soon put to bed.

"Ahh where are my manners. Names Benjen. The current head of this accursed village for the past two years. And this is my wife, Isabella. And that would be my growing child, hoping he would see his father" Benjen says, while muttering the last part as he stretches his hand to rub the tummy of his beloved. He stares back to the strangers and asked

"And who might you two be? Surely I know you are warriors but I would like a name, it would be good to get to know the new comers" this causes the strangers to frown more.

" I am Finn labrok and this is my brother Henrik...." Finn announces

"Ah, then I bid you a warm welcome to my small home. As you can see, we have nothing to offer but the little we have. Things have not been..... favorable for the folks in the village. Please bear with us..." He says, suddenly interrupted by the young one, presumably Henrik.

"Sorry to cut you short. But I keep noticing the way you speak to us, is it wrong to assume you believe us staying here longer than expected?" He says

"Sigh, yes I know you would, if you are amongst the smarter ones. I won't be surprised if you decided not to either. Hopefully, you would lean to the wiser..do not speak first, you must have come from a long journey. Let us dig in first while it is hot and then we can talk"

The two brothers give a nod and copies the action of the host. They ate the meal in silence, none the wiser to speak up.

After the end of their supper, washing it down with a cup of water, the two seemed eager to have the informations they desired. Noticing this, Benjen could no longer hold it from them, so he spoke up while the wife cleaned up

"Ask away then"

"Where are the elders?" Henrik asked

"Gone" he replies, causing a frown to appear on the men's face

"Gone as in leave you all here, or gone as in dead?" Finn decided to elaborate

"Both. Gone as in they left us here to sacrifice themselves"

"To what?" Henrik asks

" To a beast, we began to call Maligno, meaning evil. Few years ago, this place was once florishing. We lived in abundance. Until we began to notice that a few of our herds were missing, leaving behind blood stains. We thought it to be just some wild animals that must have found a way to our village. But it continued and increased. From two sheep, it became three, then seven and then it became other animals.

A few of our hunters decided to go and hunt this so called beast. But they never came. And from then on, not just animals, humans began to miss. Young children, who strayed away from paths and got lost in the woods. We became scared and decided not to venture close to the edges of the village.

When we thought it had ended, we found out our actions had only led to it being more restless and angered. So it decided to hunt us within. Soon we began to hear screams. It was the most horrible thing I had glimpsed in my life.

My father who was the head then, ran towards the beast with other strong men but their efforts were for naught. Its strength was nothing to scoff at. With a swing of it's arm, they fell, I saw my father and his warriors pushed back faster than they went and with a loud roar of anger, it attacked. Mercilessly it clawed with every swing. None died luckily that day, but the ones it had eyes on, that was the last we heard of them.

We thought we were lucky that day, but no. It was sharp. As wise as any man. It didn't kill us or those who attacked it that day not because it was weak or missed it's swing. It was keeping us for other days as food, just like how you push away sheep from your sight in other to get the one you want, knowing fully well their time had not yet come for their use. And so it began, we became helpless. Until finally, the older ones couldn't take it no more. And came to terms with the beast. One by one, they went on their own Accord. Never to come back"

"Why didn't you run?" Finn asked

"We thought of it, many did. When a few left and never came back, we thought it was a ray of light for us. Another group left us and then another. But the last group, we saw their remains the next day. Then we realized that those who left before, never escaped and so we gave up running."

"And the hunters? What about them? Surely they must have come" this time Henrik asked

"Well, they did and the beast knew. None left, but any could come. It needed to have a steady supply..." This made the eyes of the two brothers to widen

"Then that means...." Finn

" Yes, every news you heard that attracted you to come, came from those it left on purpose to 'escape' and tell the tale. It knew it couldn't wait for us here to 'grow' more food for it so it took another means. First were the merchants who came along this place, then the hunters. It planned is harvest well. And sadly, you have fallen into the trap.

Every hunter who came, the brave, the doubtful, the foolish all ventured into the forest and never came back. Some took our advice and stayed back . Build their family, and gave their lives when it was time, for example the grumpy man you saw I talked to, named olof, he came here as a bounty hunter three years ago with a team, when we told them they laughed it of. They decided to share themselves, olof was to keep the village safe while the others ventured into the forest. A month passed they never came, and that's how he realized, they were never coming back.

After my father, my eldest brother became the next head, followed by the second, then the third, then the fifth and finally me, being the last." Suddenly the place became too quiet. Till Henrik decided to break it.

"But you all do not seem like you are wary, on our way here, we heard the laughters of children, the merry tone of the adults until we came in"

"Well what do you expect from them. We cannot wallow in sorrow and despair for the inevitable, the weak can only wait for the strong to decide their fate, we are nothing but meats on the chopping board. While we wait, we decide to live life as best as we can..." The more Benjen spoke the more despair and anger oozed out with every word, his fist turning white with how much force he balled them, his nails digging deep to cause blood from dripping. Luckily, the two Vampires where the most resilient in front of a bleeding human.

"Benjen?" Finn speaks, while his eyes still drift towards the bleeding palm but no reaction from him.

Still lost in thoughts, Benjen ignores his call

"Benjen!" This time he shook in response as Finn had called a little louder. His eyes blood red from tears gathering.

This time, the two brothers felt a pang in their undead hearts. Never had they seen so much pain and anguish in the eyes of man. Not even a glimpse of hope.

The words that Finn was about to say couldn't be uttered anymore. Because the man in front of them wouldn't believe it even if they said so, many had said the exact words he was ready to utter.

Taking a deeper breath and exhaling longer. Finn looks towards the hopeless young man. " Rest well, we would like to retire now in our new home"

Benjen believing they had given up as well decided to give them a nod.

The two brothers left the couple alone. Not exposing what was in their hearts.

'tomorrow you will see the first light of hope'.