Chapter 1 - Rebirth During Battle
"Brother, we need you!" He tried to clear his head of the headache, but the last thing he remembered were the bruises on his sister's face. Everything when red after that.
His sister knew the awful truth of what was about to happen when her brother saw the shape she was in. Why didn't she get rid of this useless bag of garbage before this happened!
The cowardly man she was with, had viciously beat her, bruised her eyes, and breaking a few ribs. When he caught sight of her injuries, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him from punishing her boyfriend.
In her brother's eyes was a deep seated, and bloody rage that both father and son had inherited. When their eyes turned red, they no longer thought like human beings. It was just a pure animalistic and unthinking fury that could only be acted upon.
She didn't want her brother to go to jail for what he was about to do, so she called the police, and hoped they would arrive before he found her boyfriend. However, just as those sirens closed in, that snarky self satisfied face appeared at her door.
When her brother threw him to the ground, and mercilessly hammered his face with his heavy fists, the police showed up at her door, and tried to pull him away. The murderous fury was too much to overcome. A secret she kept hidden within her own memories was that her brother was always afraid of his own strength, as it was more than his frame should be able to hold.
Four officers were not enough. While she begged them not to hurt her brother, they used an illegal method to subdue him. Choke him out. The result was what she expected when she saw the bulging veins on his face.
His poor heart, another genetic condition given to him by his father, couldn't take the stress and beat its last.
"Brother! Please wake up!" He struggled to open his eyes, but his head hurt terribly. "Brother!" An unfamiliar, yet also familiar voice echoed in his ears, and aching head. "Father is trying to hold back the mercenaries, but there are too many! If we can't hold them off, they'll get to the village, and both our mother and sister will be their toys!" He opened his eyes.
"Father? S-sister?" He spoke in a dialect he didn't recognize, but understood instinctively. A face floated in front of him, refusing to come into focus.
"Yes, our sister!" Thank goodness his big brother woke up. That mace had dented his helmet and skull, so they were sure he was dead. "She's scared, and this fort won't hold out much longer! The mercenaries are raiding! They will kill every male, and steal every female in our village!" His brother was always a bit larger then other boys his age, and usually a bit stronger too.
Both brothers had accompanied their father to this fort willingly. It was their turn to guard the border, and there was seldom any action here. However, this night showed that the Blood Red Forest would soon live up to its name. It was filled with maple trees that would look like it was on fire, or filled with blood at the right hour. Now, around its trunks, there was a lot of blood spilled, and soon there would be more.
"My sister!" He growled as he rose to his feet and reached out for the a post to steady his feet. He turned to the front of the fort and saw red armored soldiers, while those around him wore only what was available. Mostly leather, and sometimes, it was a few planks tied on for protection from a slashing attack by a sword. It would be no good against blunt weapons, or an ax, but slashing weapons would only slice the surface. They might actually live through the attack with it.
"Brother Yun, our father is out there, protecting this fort, but he's running out of energy! If we don't find a way to help him, then it's only us against those....brother?" He saw his brother grip the long post that held up the tent in the middle of the fort, and pulled it out of the soil. It was three inches thick, and about twelve feet long. Then he saw a terrible sight.
His brother's eyes were glowing red, almost like a demon from their campfire stories.
"Captain, we are almost through the fort. It's a clear run to the nearest village from here, and there are no more garrisons to protect them." The captain of the mercenary group smiled.
"About time. That big boy delayed the advance with his inhuman strength, but he fell just like anyone else would when hit with a mace!" The squad leader nodded, then frowned.
"Captain, do you hear that?" The captain stood up from his seat, the map in front of him now forgotten as he heard several screams and cries. "Do they have that many people in that fort? It sounds like there are dozens of men!" The captain rushed to the front of the tent.
"That isn't their men! It's ours!" He saw something that he had never seen before, and he hoped he would never see it again. "Is that an ogre?"
"Grab your swords! Kill whoever Yun knocked down before they can get back up!" His father quickly got his senses back, and watched as his son, the one who should be dead, burst through the fort wall, and started to swing that long iron pole like it was a simple baton.
Mercenary soldiers were scattered like he was the reaper of souls, half a dozen sent flying with each swing of the pole, and sometimes even nearly a dozen were swept away as though struck with a falling tree. Bodies were broken with the force necessary to swing that pole, and the shock prevented them from taking action against the behemoth that took out squad after squad.
The ten men on this guard rotation all grabbed their swords, even the younger brother of the beast who slaughtered all before him mercilessly, all went around to finish the job that Yun started.
There was no reasoning with the red eyed monster before them. Hundreds of soldiers were killed in mere minutes before his might, while hundreds more realized that to face this monster only meant certain death. The captain had no choice.
"Retreat! Sound the alarm to initiate the retreat!" He snarled at the nearest soldier. "That monster will get here soon if we don't get out of here!" The soldier looked at him, completely rooted to his spot in shock.
"Too late." The captain turned around and saw the monster, now dyed red in the blood of his men, lock onto his tent with the red eyes of a demon, and the strength well beyond normal humans.
A simple but well known proverb floated to his lips. His men had often heard him say this, but never thought it would be used against them.
"Cut off the head of the serpent to throw the nest into confusion."
"Father, will brother Yun be alright?" His father looked ahead while he helped to carry the litter that bore his son's weakened body to their village. He spoke softly, just in case his voice woke up this precious and fearsome son.
"I do not know. That hit to the head should have killed him, but he woke up to protect his family." His eyebrows knitted together for a minute before he spoke again. His son Shen knew not to speak, but to wait to see if he had anything else to say. "What did you say to him to wake him up?"
"I told him that the soldiers would get to the village and hurt our mother and sister. Then he spoke only a few words. Sister. My sister. He seemed enraged that someone would harm our sister." His father nodded, his eyes softening ever so slightly.
"So he should. Your mother is older, and has already known the love of a man. Your sister is still unwed, has not bore any children, and is young and delicate. I would come back from the gates of hell itself to prevent the same thing from happening to my wife, let alone my sweet daughter." He thought for another moment, then looked at his son. "Head to the next village and ask for reinforcements. Tell them of our situation, and how we fought off a small army. Do not tell them about your brother's exploits though. They would think you're joking, and send no one." Shen nodded, then took off through the forest, nimbly jumping over fallen trees, and dodging between the massive trunks.
"Why didn't you tell him the truth, Shun?" Shun looked quietly at his friend, Senno.
"We both know why. Many would fear him as if he were possessed by a demon. Others would fear his strength, and believe him to be an enemy to deal with now rather than later." Senno quietly sighed.
"Such strong leaders we have, don't we? Scared of shadows and conspiracies. Our small country has bred loyalty into the bones of our children by our Elders, their unwavering courage and loyalty was an example to follow. Yun would no more turn against his king then the moss could turn against the tree that shelters it." Shun thought for a moment.
"True, but in the king's eyes, even the moss can feed on old and dead trees. We are simple farmers, hunters, and guards for the king's borders. No more, and no less." Senno grinned, and looked down at his friend's son.
"Are you sure your tiny wife gave birth to this beast? Are you sure you didn't find him in some bear's den when you were out hunting one morning?" Shun turned his eyes forward, and his ears out to listen for sounds that should not be there.
"Oh yes, he is my son. My poor wife was all belly when he was ready to meet his mother. She chased me away with a broom for nearly three years before she would let me near her again. Our little Shen completely changed her mind about children, and then gave birth to our precious daughter, Coral." His friend smiled.
"A broom?" Shun chuckled.
"We hid all the swords."
"And what made you choose the name Coral for her? There is no one else in your family who has that name." He smiled softly.
"My wife's dowry was only a simple piece of coral jewelry. Her family was so poor at the time, or so I was told by her father, that they couldn't give her anything else. I loved her deeply, and still accepted that as enough. When our daughter was born, the name choice was so obvious that even before she named her out loud, Yun smiled at his sister and said he would always protect his precious coral sister." Senno sighed.
"I guess I should start looking for a wife then. This family of yours is far to enviable for me. Who would have thought that such brotherly affection could look so fearsome?" Shun nodded his agreement.
"If you think he was fearsome on the battlefield, you should see how gentle he is with his sister. He carries her in his arms when she's tired, lets her ride on his back, and always makes sure she has enough food to eat. He'll hunt down whatever meat she wants to eat, whether its a bear, or a boar, and forage for wild herbs and mushrooms in the forest. I would hate to see the remains of the man who makes her cry, or who hits her in anger." Senno remembered the image of a man who resembled an ogre from their campfire stories, and how brutally he slaughtered the enemy he didn't know. All to protect his sister from defilement.
"It won't be me. Only a fool would anger an ogre."
His sister knew the awful truth of what was about to happen when her brother saw the shape she was in. Why didn't she get rid of this useless bag of garbage before this happened!
The cowardly man she was with, had viciously beat her, bruised her eyes, and breaking a few ribs. When he caught sight of her injuries, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him from punishing her boyfriend.
In her brother's eyes was a deep seated, and bloody rage that both father and son had inherited. When their eyes turned red, they no longer thought like human beings. It was just a pure animalistic and unthinking fury that could only be acted upon.
She didn't want her brother to go to jail for what he was about to do, so she called the police, and hoped they would arrive before he found her boyfriend. However, just as those sirens closed in, that snarky self satisfied face appeared at her door.
When her brother threw him to the ground, and mercilessly hammered his face with his heavy fists, the police showed up at her door, and tried to pull him away. The murderous fury was too much to overcome. A secret she kept hidden within her own memories was that her brother was always afraid of his own strength, as it was more than his frame should be able to hold.
Four officers were not enough. While she begged them not to hurt her brother, they used an illegal method to subdue him. Choke him out. The result was what she expected when she saw the bulging veins on his face.
His poor heart, another genetic condition given to him by his father, couldn't take the stress and beat its last.
"Brother! Please wake up!" He struggled to open his eyes, but his head hurt terribly. "Brother!" An unfamiliar, yet also familiar voice echoed in his ears, and aching head. "Father is trying to hold back the mercenaries, but there are too many! If we can't hold them off, they'll get to the village, and both our mother and sister will be their toys!" He opened his eyes.
"Father? S-sister?" He spoke in a dialect he didn't recognize, but understood instinctively. A face floated in front of him, refusing to come into focus.
"Yes, our sister!" Thank goodness his big brother woke up. That mace had dented his helmet and skull, so they were sure he was dead. "She's scared, and this fort won't hold out much longer! The mercenaries are raiding! They will kill every male, and steal every female in our village!" His brother was always a bit larger then other boys his age, and usually a bit stronger too.
Both brothers had accompanied their father to this fort willingly. It was their turn to guard the border, and there was seldom any action here. However, this night showed that the Blood Red Forest would soon live up to its name. It was filled with maple trees that would look like it was on fire, or filled with blood at the right hour. Now, around its trunks, there was a lot of blood spilled, and soon there would be more.
"My sister!" He growled as he rose to his feet and reached out for the a post to steady his feet. He turned to the front of the fort and saw red armored soldiers, while those around him wore only what was available. Mostly leather, and sometimes, it was a few planks tied on for protection from a slashing attack by a sword. It would be no good against blunt weapons, or an ax, but slashing weapons would only slice the surface. They might actually live through the attack with it.
"Brother Yun, our father is out there, protecting this fort, but he's running out of energy! If we don't find a way to help him, then it's only us against those....brother?" He saw his brother grip the long post that held up the tent in the middle of the fort, and pulled it out of the soil. It was three inches thick, and about twelve feet long. Then he saw a terrible sight.
His brother's eyes were glowing red, almost like a demon from their campfire stories.
"Captain, we are almost through the fort. It's a clear run to the nearest village from here, and there are no more garrisons to protect them." The captain of the mercenary group smiled.
"About time. That big boy delayed the advance with his inhuman strength, but he fell just like anyone else would when hit with a mace!" The squad leader nodded, then frowned.
"Captain, do you hear that?" The captain stood up from his seat, the map in front of him now forgotten as he heard several screams and cries. "Do they have that many people in that fort? It sounds like there are dozens of men!" The captain rushed to the front of the tent.
"That isn't their men! It's ours!" He saw something that he had never seen before, and he hoped he would never see it again. "Is that an ogre?"
"Grab your swords! Kill whoever Yun knocked down before they can get back up!" His father quickly got his senses back, and watched as his son, the one who should be dead, burst through the fort wall, and started to swing that long iron pole like it was a simple baton.
Mercenary soldiers were scattered like he was the reaper of souls, half a dozen sent flying with each swing of the pole, and sometimes even nearly a dozen were swept away as though struck with a falling tree. Bodies were broken with the force necessary to swing that pole, and the shock prevented them from taking action against the behemoth that took out squad after squad.
The ten men on this guard rotation all grabbed their swords, even the younger brother of the beast who slaughtered all before him mercilessly, all went around to finish the job that Yun started.
There was no reasoning with the red eyed monster before them. Hundreds of soldiers were killed in mere minutes before his might, while hundreds more realized that to face this monster only meant certain death. The captain had no choice.
"Retreat! Sound the alarm to initiate the retreat!" He snarled at the nearest soldier. "That monster will get here soon if we don't get out of here!" The soldier looked at him, completely rooted to his spot in shock.
"Too late." The captain turned around and saw the monster, now dyed red in the blood of his men, lock onto his tent with the red eyes of a demon, and the strength well beyond normal humans.
A simple but well known proverb floated to his lips. His men had often heard him say this, but never thought it would be used against them.
"Cut off the head of the serpent to throw the nest into confusion."
"Father, will brother Yun be alright?" His father looked ahead while he helped to carry the litter that bore his son's weakened body to their village. He spoke softly, just in case his voice woke up this precious and fearsome son.
"I do not know. That hit to the head should have killed him, but he woke up to protect his family." His eyebrows knitted together for a minute before he spoke again. His son Shen knew not to speak, but to wait to see if he had anything else to say. "What did you say to him to wake him up?"
"I told him that the soldiers would get to the village and hurt our mother and sister. Then he spoke only a few words. Sister. My sister. He seemed enraged that someone would harm our sister." His father nodded, his eyes softening ever so slightly.
"So he should. Your mother is older, and has already known the love of a man. Your sister is still unwed, has not bore any children, and is young and delicate. I would come back from the gates of hell itself to prevent the same thing from happening to my wife, let alone my sweet daughter." He thought for another moment, then looked at his son. "Head to the next village and ask for reinforcements. Tell them of our situation, and how we fought off a small army. Do not tell them about your brother's exploits though. They would think you're joking, and send no one." Shen nodded, then took off through the forest, nimbly jumping over fallen trees, and dodging between the massive trunks.
"Why didn't you tell him the truth, Shun?" Shun looked quietly at his friend, Senno.
"We both know why. Many would fear him as if he were possessed by a demon. Others would fear his strength, and believe him to be an enemy to deal with now rather than later." Senno quietly sighed.
"Such strong leaders we have, don't we? Scared of shadows and conspiracies. Our small country has bred loyalty into the bones of our children by our Elders, their unwavering courage and loyalty was an example to follow. Yun would no more turn against his king then the moss could turn against the tree that shelters it." Shun thought for a moment.
"True, but in the king's eyes, even the moss can feed on old and dead trees. We are simple farmers, hunters, and guards for the king's borders. No more, and no less." Senno grinned, and looked down at his friend's son.
"Are you sure your tiny wife gave birth to this beast? Are you sure you didn't find him in some bear's den when you were out hunting one morning?" Shun turned his eyes forward, and his ears out to listen for sounds that should not be there.
"Oh yes, he is my son. My poor wife was all belly when he was ready to meet his mother. She chased me away with a broom for nearly three years before she would let me near her again. Our little Shen completely changed her mind about children, and then gave birth to our precious daughter, Coral." His friend smiled.
"A broom?" Shun chuckled.
"We hid all the swords."
"And what made you choose the name Coral for her? There is no one else in your family who has that name." He smiled softly.
"My wife's dowry was only a simple piece of coral jewelry. Her family was so poor at the time, or so I was told by her father, that they couldn't give her anything else. I loved her deeply, and still accepted that as enough. When our daughter was born, the name choice was so obvious that even before she named her out loud, Yun smiled at his sister and said he would always protect his precious coral sister." Senno sighed.
"I guess I should start looking for a wife then. This family of yours is far to enviable for me. Who would have thought that such brotherly affection could look so fearsome?" Shun nodded his agreement.
"If you think he was fearsome on the battlefield, you should see how gentle he is with his sister. He carries her in his arms when she's tired, lets her ride on his back, and always makes sure she has enough food to eat. He'll hunt down whatever meat she wants to eat, whether its a bear, or a boar, and forage for wild herbs and mushrooms in the forest. I would hate to see the remains of the man who makes her cry, or who hits her in anger." Senno remembered the image of a man who resembled an ogre from their campfire stories, and how brutally he slaughtered the enemy he didn't know. All to protect his sister from defilement.
"It won't be me. Only a fool would anger an ogre."
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