RISE OF THE BLOOD MOON

A powerful figure easily bounded his way from rock to rock until he stood at the height of a stony peak allowing him to survey his surroundings. His blue skin blended into the night sky and his stiff slivery hair shone in the moon light as his ruby red eyes spied the gruesome scene below him. He had been alerted to the sounds of battle as he passed through one of the many narrow chasms cutting through the rocky terrain and standing atop his perch found the source of the fray. In the flat expanse just outside of the rocky landscape, a lone warrior stood amidst the remains of a horde of sand-stalkers, blood yet flowing from the tool that spelled their demise locked in his hand. He stood over the mutilated corpse of a woman, lamenting the loss of her then overwhelmed by the stench of foul scented creatures, spewed the contents of his stomach.

Beyond the warrior, the traveler's keen eyes spied another body, this one much larger and bestial in appearance. His body was riddled with several puncture wounds from the long piercing forelegs of the crab-men and he had bled out before escaping. A pity.

The fighter considered calling out to the other warrior, but his voice would hardly be audible at the distance and he hardly felt like traversing the many peaks of rock to reach the man. After all he could apparently handle himself and was in no immediate need of assistance, still he couldn't tell whether or not he was injured and so changed his mind. He looked over his shoulder, back the way he was going and thought of the warm tavern that was now only a few hours away. His belly growled and his back yearned for a real bed to sleep. "Another hour." he told himself. Just another hour is all it would take to ensure the well being of a fellow traveller, then he could carry on his merry way.

Zack got up slowly wiping his mouth off on the back of his hand feeling the bile at the back of his throat he coughed trying to dislodge it to no avail cursing under his breath he took a few steps from the carnage he sat in a patch void of blood his face going slack with grief his eyes losing the sharp glint they usually had. He slowly placed the blade across his knees he began to wipe the sword off on his trousers cleaning the blade till the claymore was clean again he sheathed it to his back. “Damn it! Why did she have to die?” The voice in his head silent giving his moment of grieving but he could feel it at one side observing for him when it noticed something in the distance it did not bring this up as it moved not seeing whether it was coming for them.

Zack pulled the last bottle of wine he had opening it with his hands he took a large swig from the bottle setting it down next to him. “I guess I could hunt the Doctor down.” Finding some resolve the clouds lifting from his mind the thunderstorm fell as black matter in his mind the small demon forming from it. “Revenge!” the hiss of his words echoing through him his eyes seeming to focus again that was when he finally saw the figure coming towards them. “You didn’t want me to know?” The voice gave a small chuckle as it was questioned. “I’m sorry Zack but I didn’t want to disturb you till I knew its intentions.” Zack left the wine bottle where it was standing slowly. “You mean last minute when it had its teeth around my throat?” his question answered with hysterical laughter melding away as his demon left to reside further in his mind away from the outside world.

The large man moved smoothly, making death defying leaps across deep chasms as if they were common maneuvers to arrive at the edge of the plateau a good fifty paces away from claymore wielding swordsman. His own great sword remaining sheathed the impossibly large man slowly strode toward his fellow traveller his right arm outstretched before him with his hand open in greeting. He held the universal greeting until he was with ten or so paces of the stranger and only then did he slowly lower his arm, making no sudden movements else he alarm the man and provoke a fight that neither of them would win.

Studying the man's garb, Lyand began to doubt that he had anything to do with the fleeing vehicle he had recently seen streaking across the steppes toward the direction of the settlement. It was some sort of mechanical engine designed for travel upon steel rails, and it's appearance had preceded the rumble of an underground explosion he had first thought to be distant thunder.

"Hail, friend." Lyand called in a deep accented voice as he waded into the slaughtered mass of sand-stalkers. He then raised the back of his arm to his face to shield his nose from the stench of the creature's vile innards. "Are you injured?" he inquired, kicking aside one of the shelled corpses in his path.

Lyand had considered mentioning that he was bound for Sanguine Valley, but felt it prudent to learn more about the stranger before revealing his destination.

Zack watched the man land from his leaps at a good fifty paces away on the flatland his grip tightened slightly on his sword but hesitated to lift it which could be seen as a challenge to the man. He watched as the man held his hands open palms facing upwards. Zack had counted the steps between them when the stranger reached ten paces approximately lowering his hands Zack could not remove his remaining hand for his claymore would fall to the ground they both stood measuring each other when the blue skinned stranger spoke in a welcome.

Zack nodded to the strangers welcome. “Hail.” Zack was asked whether he was injured he realised he had not checked over himself yet. Quickly patting himself down from head to toe looking for a slick wet spot which would show if he had been hit by the spears of the crap but found nothing wrong. “I’m fine, thank you for your concern.” Zack was looking directly at the huge man amazed that such a being could be close to his height without being a monster but the red eyes were a beacon of abnormality. “May I ask what you are exactly with your blue skin and eyes?” A certain interest in what exactly had decided to visit him when most would have passed on by.

It was not often that Lyand encountered other humanoids taller than himself but size was of little concern to the solemn warrior. "What I am?" The blue skinned man repeated as his sparkling blood red eyes drifted off to some distant memory, then looked over the sand-stalker corpses strewn about in an exaggerated fashion, "I might ask the same of you, brother." he responded.

Lyand raised his handsome face to the gibbous moon, his head resting back against his bull neck. "In time there will be more like you and I and ne'er again will such questions need be asked." he mentioned, then his red eyes drifted downward once more and settled on Zack, "I come from the north." was his simple answer and he left it at that.

Seeing that the stranger was none the worse after his battle, the large warrior turned and began to head back the way he had come. He cared nothing for the dead girl, nor the fallen lion man and satisfied that he had upheld the traveler's code pressed onward to his stay. After a few steps he paused and looked back over his shoulder, "Where are you bound, brother?" he inquired, then gesturing through the rocky terrain from whence he had come made mention of the settlement, "Two hours hence is a place called Sanguine Valley, a haven for those who walk on two legs and speak like a man. You are welcome to travel with me should you so choose." he offered.

Lyhand, not waiting for a response, coldly carried on with no concern for the rites of the dead. Whether he was unaware of burials or just didn't care could not be known, but his pace was deliberately slow. One would be able to easily catch him up, even after conducting a pagan ritual if such was their way.

Kaelan had been watching the scene unfold from where she watched on top of a ruined structure, 150 yards west of where the carnage was being revealed. Her genetically altered eyesight gave her a form of binocular vision, not near as good as a hawk's or eagle's, but good enough that she could make out the form of a body, two males, and another laying prone not far from them. She didn't approach as she'd learned through her travels to be wary, observe first, then approach if it was safe to do so.

She was intrigued by the 'demon' man's body language, able to tell that he was mourning the loss of the one the creatures had killed. She'd never seen creatures such as what she was looking at now. They were crab like and yet resembled a spider as well. And the males, the blue one was odd at best and the other...well, she had no idea as to what make of him.

When she saw them leaving the area, she waited until they were a good distance away before she climbed down and approached the body of the girl, almost losing her meal when she did so. Then she walked to the beast man, wondering if he he was alive or not. She was cautious as she knelt down beside him, checking for a pulse and breathing, keeping a look out for those crab like creatures as well as the two males who had walked away.

“I’m not sure whether to be glad or sorry when such a time comes for much darkness will fall over the world when such a time when more of us exist.” Hearing the blue stranger’s simple answer of coming from the north Zack was tempted to crack a joke on whether it was the weather which had turned his skin blue but he could no humour in himself to tell the joke. Zack watched as the tall being turned around Zack understanding he had abided the code. Then roughly inquired on where he was going his eyes narrowed as he had nowhere to go the mention of a settlement sounded nice. Zack did not want to slow this hopping man he would dismiss the help after all like Sin he did not want this man involved in his affairs. “I will travel at my own pace you may go quickly back to the settlement, I thank you for the directions I will make my way, May you make your own luck in this forsaken land.” As always Zack gave a formal bow at the end of his farewell standing back up straight he sheathed the sword looking back to Sin he did not have the time to bury her and even so she would be dug up probably and he had nothing to make fire with he gave a sigh whispering his farewell to Sin “May mother nature hold you as you die whispering of happy times in the glade.” Reciting an old tribal’s saying he turned slowly his back hunching he began to walk at a leisurely pace expected of someone browsing a town and not the wilderness.

Seeing that the beast man was dead, she rummaged through his clothing, looking for anything that would be beneficial to her. Finding nothing, she stood, stretched her back and turned around, seeing the that two men had stopped and the demon looking one was talking. She quickly hid behind the ruins of a small building, watching as the blue man went on and the demon one moved more slowly, looking back at the body the crab like creatures had been feasting on, before following the blue man at a distance.

Waiting a few minutes, she then went over to the half eaten body of the girl and looked over her, seeing the sword laying beside her. She picked it up, tested it's balance, finding it satisfactory she slid it through her belt and followed at a distance behind the demon man.

Zack kept his head low as he walked into the stone field finding the shadows of the rocks almost comforting the little voice gave a giggle and quickly commented on his rise in comfort. “A little shadow raises your spirits why don’t you let me take over?” Zack stopped himself before even considering the idea knowing what would happen. 2 hours hike the blue man had said add an extra hour for his speed and Zack realised how long the distance would be and looking up at the moon he gave a sigh seeing the tell tale sign of a sunrise in around 2 hours. “Not enough time!” stating the point bluntly to thin air. He continued walking in a slow southward direction Zack almost considered going at speed but he did not have the confidence the blue man had when leaping over...... Zack had stopped his foot in thin air with no floor below it. “Exactly what I was thinking of!” Zack looked left then right seeing it run for what seemed a mile in both directions sighing he took a step back indecisive.

Zack took the sword off his back throwing it the sword going end over end shining in the moonlight it gave a healthy sound as it embedded itself into the mud on the other side. Zack took 5 more steps back had he turned round he might have noticed the women but as fate has it he did not turn on his heel to take these 5 steps.Zack took a deep breath sucking in air he lowered his stance then in 3 giant steps unlike his normal steps he took the gully on jumping with a spring in his step the gully almost 6-7 meters he felt the light at first then a pang of fear could he survive this what if he was short the feeling lasting only a second. Zack landed heavily on the other side he quickly rolled on landing easing all the weight and momentum off his legs rolling with his arm and shoulder he stood back up brushing down his coat. He walked back to his sword retrieving it from the dirt. “Time to move onto the next one.” Once again continuing his casual pace south.

Kaelan watched in awe as the demon man leapt across the gulley. She wasn't sure she would be able to make that even with her enhanced genetics. Sighing, she began to jog, making it to the edge of the gulley as the demon man landed on the other side. If he saw her, he would clearly see the sword sheathed through her belt at her left side. Sin's sword....the one he'd given her.

Kaelan was unsure as whether or not to leap the gulley and decided to wait, allow the two men to get farther ahead until she was ready to approach them. Instead, she used her vision to catch sight of the blue man then looked back at the demon man. Crouching down along the edge, she waited for the time when she could leap the gulley to the other side, if the demon man kept going, that is.

The next chasm was less of a stride but just as deep and as Zack approached it, he could not miss the muscular outline of the blue-man sitting upon a boulder. Bathed in the moonlight, he appeared as stone, a still statue that suddenly became animate as he turned his red stare toward the man.

"I too race the day, brother, but I imagine for different reasons." he said, his deep voice echoing through the pillars of rock about them. Rising then he walked to the edge of the cliff separated by the crack, his fellow traveler meant to cross and pointed out into the darkness.

Far below them was a railway crossing a vast flat expanse. A single track that split into two for what seemed like a hundred meters, then merged back together again into one. A separation designed to divert passing trains and on the side track was a hand car, a small vehicle with a see-saw pump in the middle that would allow two men to use their muscles for locomotion.

"When I saw it, I decided to wait and offer you the chance to ride to Sanguine Valley. It would allow us to make the town within an hour." He informed the man, "What say you?"

The descent to the hand car, was steep but manageable for anyone with two decent legs beneath them which was why Lyand considered extending the option to the other traveler, that and two men would tire less than one over the course of the journey. While he was more than strong enough to power the pump car on his own, he would rather not roll into Sanguine Valley fatigued if he could avoid it.

Once Kaelan was sure that it was safe to attempt to leap over the gulley, she did so although she almost missed the other side, landing hard on the other side, knocking the wind out of herself. She lay there for a moment, wondering if her curiosity was getting the better of her. She decided that it wasn't as she would learn nothing if she wasn't curious, so she got to her feet and walked towards the second gulley.

Kaelan darted from behind one boulder to another, keeping her eyes on the demon man. She about jumped from her skin when she saw the blue man move. He'd blended in extremely well or she'd been so intent on not being seen by the demon man that she hadn't seen him. Either way, she darted behind a large boulder and peered around it, watching. She saw the blue man point at something and was curious to find out what but was smart enough to know that she needed to wait. When they moved, she would move.

Zack approached the chasm a small smirk on his face especially when he noticed the blue man, he could not miss the muscular outline of the blue-man sitting upon the boulder. His enquiry of racing the day gave Zack some interest was he a troll which would set to stone if sunlight hit him but he pushed the idiotic ideas from his mind as he focused back on his surroundings. He walked to the opposite edge to the blue man looking down where he pointed Zack kicked a stone watching it tumble down then finally hitting the bottom. “Long way down.” The idea of reaching town in an hour was indeed tempting save him from camping outside on the cold earth. “It’s Zack by the way you can stop with the brotherly love.” He finally saw a way down and began to descend down.

Zack reached the bottom first drawing his sword a dark chasm a perfect nesting ground for sand stalkers and other animals he walked cautiously around in the bottom. After much deliberation and scanning he reached the cart he climbed up testing the old machine with a slight squeak the see-saw moved feeling some catch in it he felt the cart move along its tracks. “Nice find it actually works.” He sheathed the sword after a check of the perimeter of the cart finding nothing that looked out of the ordinary or dangerous just rock, more rock and a blue man-rock.

Kaelan was puzzled. She watched from behind the boulder as the demon man disappeared over the edge. She quietly snuck over, mentally cursing her curiosity and yet unable to stop herself from checking out what was at the bottom of the chasm.

She didn't see the blue man and assumed that he had already gone over, climbing down along with the demon man. She'd seen many interesting beings since she'd left home and all but on had been fairly friendly. That one had taught her a valuable lesson in watching first....observe before determining whether or not the beings are safe enough to approach.

She was mere yards from the edge and was peeking around another small boulder, checking to see if she should move ahead and peer over, seeing what was at the bottom. She still didn't see the blue man and figured he must have gone on down with the other, even though she'd only seen the demon man go over the edge.

She sat down for a few minutes, thinking about her mother, wondering if she was okay. As crazy as she was, she had to be. That thought brought a smile to her face, thinking about her mother's tirades on her life. She was comfortable all alone up in her mountain hideaway and Kaelan was too, for awhile. But, she was ready to find out was out here. What did the world have to offer? What would she find? A friend would be nice, she thought. She'd never had a friend except for a few of the strange animals around the cabin.

She shook her head, jarring herself out of her thoughts and peered around the boulder again, inching her way out from behind it to make her way to the edge and look down.

The giant blue man smiled at Zack. "Well met, but you see, we are all brothers." he parleyed with a benign tone. He then extended his brawny arm and as they solidified their meeting with a warrior's arm lock he introduced himself as Lyand.

He said nothing else of himself, only his name, before taking one side of the hand car while Zack took the other. As a gesture of good faith, he took the end that would expose his back to the direction they were traveling and proceeded to pump the winch that powered the vehicle.

The hand-car was actually motorized and the pumping action was a back-up. The first couple of cranks between the two men screeched, as the old gears grated, but it was apparent that someone had within the last year greased them as they began to smoothly run.

As they picked up speed, Lyand's silvery hair hardly stirred in the wind, and shimmered like brushed metal in the moonlight. His smooth, skin had sheen to it like polished stone and his red eyes sparkled like precious rubies.

"Sanguine Valley is a haven from human persecution but it is far from peaceful, so when we arrive be on guard. There are many cut throats lurking in it's dark corners awaiting to stab a warrior in the back." Lyand advised then grimaced then went to further describe their destination, "The settlement is an ancient junk yard of flying crafts, used by the army that once ruled this land. The largest ones sectioned into chambers and shops and the inn we are bound for is called the 'Bloody-52'."

Lyand then grew silent and fell into a rhythm, letting the sound of the hand-car lull him into him into a trance.