Book Three: Redemption, Chapter Five-
The sound of a single pair of feet pounding on dried leaves and twigs frantically raced through the forest, weaving in-between the trees. The woman's short and shallow breaths were the only other noise to be heard in the darkness. No other life stirred, if it were even there, within the woodlands under the pale light of night, gently washed over by the Blood Moon. The terror from which she fled, that which her eyes devastatingly paid witness to, drove her weary limbs onward. No sign of pursuit was evident, no reason for fear present, but deep within her soul, the fugitive knew the comfort was a lie. Almost too scared to look back, the thought of how close it might be frightened her more. Risking collision into a trunk, she peered over her shoulder, only for a second, and had rejuvenated the strive for her legs to carry her away as fast as possible. What her mind had greatly desired to be false despite her heart having unfortunately known to be true. It was there.
The silent stalker, a grim testament to the evils this world has to offer, remained behind her. A monstrosity, it stood a clear eight feet tall, its massive body ripping with muscles. Large, hideous veins riddled its flesh. Along side those ran aged battle scars and blood, fresh and old, both its own and others. The most notable of its disfigurements were that which circled the base of its neck, the deep lesions on its wrist, and the gaping wound about its heart. Its skin, or that which was not maimed or doused in gore, shone under the moon like the rotting flesh of a corpse. Diminutive in comparison, its head sat lost atop a mountain of powerful sinew shrouded in a tattered cloth. Normally lost in the shade, its location was only known through the beaming scarlet eyes held within those shadows. It crept through the woodland on thick, stout legs, wrapped in a patchwork of dark, shred cloaks, without the faintest noise, never breaking a stick, never crunching a leaf, yet still gained on her position. It seemed as though it could have caught her by now, but it was playing with her. Powerful, bulging limbs sway at its side as it tracked. Although one possessed a blade's edge, it merely pushed the mighty timbers with its free, mammoth hand, sending them crashing to the forest floor without so much heard as the snap of a branch.
Now the grand oaks began to fall upon the girl, the first's of which boughs aimed to only scrape against her, toying with her mind. Consumed with dread, her pace swiftened, causing the onslaught to befall her all the more vehemently. Taking its blade, whole bands of logs collapsed at one stroke of the arm. The cuts were so clean that the wood did not even splinter as the edge passed through. The fellings following her close behind, she managed to dodge or roll from their path in time. Just as thoughts of the end grew in reality, her course became obstructed by the devil eyes. As the rest of the body seemed to materialize around the fiery points, in a metallic flash, the forest itself seemed brought to the ground as a lofty barricade was erected. Rei was trapped, imprisoned with the hellish beast, and knew what it wanted. If only the old man's warning had been heeded, but who could believe such a tale of horror. How could this, the unspeakable demon which hunted her so relentlessly, be a man? This being the Headsman.
It had just transpired earlier that night. Continuing her endless journey, Rei had come upon the boundary of a thick, dense forest. Ominous and unforgiving, it appeared as though it swallowed up the rest of the world as all things ceased where it began. Grass abruptly stopped growing so far from the weald's border. The expansive grove's floor was covered in a dense mat of fallen leaves, plentiful to the extent where the canopy itself was stripped bare. The tree tops not only voided life but consumed the light that gently bathed the rest of the scene, leaving the interior an unearthly presentation. The red cast of the moon and swaying wind played tricks on the eyes as illusions of bogeys and other goblins appeared to be frolicking in the empty branches. Far detached from all other civilization, a secluded lodge perched at the opening of the woodland path. Rei had no plans to stop for the night, but no harm could possibly come from a quick drink. She was far enough out into the country so that no one would even have heard about her.
Slowly opening the quaint door, no bell greeted entry but the low squeak of the rusty hinge rang throughout the vacated lobby. Each gentle footstep thundered throughout the dwelling. Although rustic in quality, the housing was too well upkept to be entirely abandoned. Patiently, Rei took a seat at the lounge and waited for service. It was not long before an aged man hobbled on a cane down the stairs bearing a candle in his other hand. His weathered face, topped with hairless scalp, rested upon a crooked neck as long, silvery hair hung from his lip and brows, seemingly covering his eyes. All the while on his gradual trek to behind the bar, he repetitively muttered to himself over again the same word.
"My, my, my. I thought I heard someone come in," the elder welcomed with a warm, near toothless smile. "This I did not expect, not at all. Not," he tediously stressed, "on this night, tonight above all others. Why is a young woman such as yourself even travelling all by her lonesome, especially at this grave age and time?"
"Just out for a pint," she replied, casting some heavy coins that clamored on the bar top, settling quickly.
"Oh, my dear," he exclaimed at the sight of the currency. "I trust you'll be wanting a room as well?"
"No," she corrected. "Just make it a good draft." She buried her face in her hand. "A really good draft."
"My, my, my," he uttered while he searched behind himself for the strongest liquor. "Did you have a hard day, miss?"
She shook her head and solely replied, "Life," as she rest her head on the counter, awaiting the booze. A loud thud startled her as an enormous jug with a triad of "X"s was set next to her along with a stein.
"Are you certain you will not reconsider that room, young lady?" he questioned her as he struggled to pour her a drink. "You don't plan on walking the trail, do you? Not at this hour? You have more than enough for the best accommodations I can offer, not that I would make anyone face... that." Stopping the innkeeper, she took her swigs straight from the bottle.
When the jug was adequately drained, Rei finally answered him with, "Of course I aim to. I've been through far worse, believe me. A little night walking will be of no problem at all." Hoarse laughter wheezed out from the oldster as he fetched her spare change.
"You must come far from here, indeed," he coughed up the end of his chortle. "Most people avoid these parts during the day. They'd think you a fool for coming within a mile of it on this night of all nights."
"What are you talking about, you old coot?" Rei finally erupted. "What is wrong with this trail, and what is wrong with this night?" she finally snapped. "Just tell me already."
"It would be best for you," the keeper spoke in sober tone, the warmth drained from his expression, "to heed the warning of this old coot and just take a room." He slide a key along to her. "I would not want to fill that pretty little head of yours with matter that need not trouble it."
"What," she demanded, "is it?" She stared into his eyes, transfixing the calamity she has known over her short life, causing them to waver.
"Very well," he reluctantly decided, "I shall tell you the tale of the Sanguine Forest. Long ago in these lands, a dark scourge ruled over the people. Many tried to overcome them, but only a sole individual managed to defeat them. It was the one of their own servants, their executioner. The Headsman could no longer live knowing the innocent blood that they forced him to spill. He swore by his own blood and life, on the night of the Blood Moon, that he would continue killing them all until he knew defeat, expecting his life to not long bound to this world. However, so vicious were his methods in battle that he drove away those few that he did not have a chance to kill on that one night. The people praised his victory, but their regard quickly turned from celebrated to revered as his bloodthirsty holocaust saw no end. Many tried simply killing him, even himself, but death would not release him from his solemn vows. All of the people fled from the city for their lives, leaving him forlorn, bound to the land where the blood was first spilled. Travelers begin making new routes out of fear for their lives. And so he waits, seeking the warrior that will undo his condemnation."
"So," Rei broke the awkward silence that hung between them for some time, "you don't want me to cross the forest for this city you speak of was built within the it, right?" With down cast eyes, the innkeeper shook his head.
In a most dire manner he said, "There was no forest when the city last stood." Puzzled for a moment, she became raked with fear as her understanding grew. "The city perished hundreds of years ago," he went on. "Death would not deliver him then, and that fact has not changed with time. The village fell, the trees towered, his flesh faded, but his spirit is as strong as ever. Not as much power does it have under the sun as it does the moon, and, when it shines crimson, he is made as he was the day the unholy pact was formed."
"Wow," she quietly expressed for lack of any other words to describe what she was feeling. "That was a really good story, pops." Inverting the bottle, she made her way to the door laughing. Before stepping outside, she turned and added, "A little hokey, though. No one's gonna believe that."
Now, Rei stood before the Headsman. Blood dripping from his hand as he clenched the shaft of his axe, bursting it to splinters. The fiery eyes peered from out the hood, burning with a frenzy for battle. He stared her down, completely motionless, a cold chill beaming from his very glance. Slowly, she raised her hands.
"It's going to be alright," Rei calmly told him. "I know what you seek. Let us battle." His eyes skewed. Grabbing a chain slung about his shoulder, lined with human skulls, he unlatched an end and cracked it like a whip. The bones scattered on the ground, and from them images like those of beasts, a legion of monsters armed with powerful vise-like claws lead by a leader crowned with a great spiraling horn atop his nautical frame. Wordless, he shouted a terrifying battle cry that she could feel despite being unheard. Taking a single orb from her roster, she tossed it high into the air as the war-starved battalion swarmed to its decent. Rei acted fast, as though time stood still. As each one charged forth, they were thrown back lifeless, blood running from smoking holes, for she picked each of them off with frightening accuracy following a straight line, ending with the sights locked on the Headsman. As the smoke cleared from the barrel, he had a clear view at her face, a look so frigid and forbidding as he had never seen before. The hurled sphere still had not reached the ground, yet she had managed to topple everything he had. He had been bested, and death's approach could be heard. His time up, his deliverer's lips slowly parted for a final message.
"Bang." His wounds were torn asunder as his brawny flesh suffered the ages of his time, withering to the bone before collapsing to dust swept away in the wind. The ball struck the ground with a hollow thud, break open to reveal its barren contents. Meticulously spent, Rei keeled over and remained for what seemed like hours. "I didn't have to do that," she stated, even though she knew that he was gone. "It could have been me instead of you. I didn't have to be so generous. But, no," she proceeded, pulling herself up, "you've been in it longer than I have. You deserved it." As she embarked on her way once more, the rising sun brightened the forest, revealing the many budding red blossoms that filled the treetops. "I just hope mine comes sooner than yours did," Rei spouted in aspiration. A glint of light struck her eye, reflected off the abandoned axe's blade. She smiled.
Many people had gathered at the woods' edge to see if the rumors were true, that the dead forest had gone to bloom. Having spent some hours on the path, quite a crowd had built up, yet the commotion allowed none of them to pay any attention to the little girl in black who emerged with a full-sized, double-sided battle-ax straddling her back.
