Autumn's Ravage Read online

A large black pickup truck pulled into the parking lot of the Grafton Hotel; it’s tires made that familiar crunching noise as it moved across the gravel. The truck was decorated with the logo from Asquith Mine, proudly displayed on each door. The truck’s flat bed was loaded with supplies and weapons, an arsenal required for a job of this type. Dan and Raj exited the rear of the hotel at precisely 10.45am as agreed; they each carried two large bags, a lighter load in contrast to their mining colleagues. A white jeep-like vehicle entered the parking lot at a slow speed the Indian Chief was at the wheel, with Kaan the monk, in the passenger seat. The team had assembled and the hunt was about to begin. The men gathered in the center of the dusty gravel yard, each wondering what to expect, tingling with fear, and excitement. The Chief broke the silence, “I’ve heard from local hunters that this thing is prowling around Tanner’s Ridge, we’ve had reports of strange howls, and sightings of a large animal. I suggest we drive to the lookout point and hike across the valley to the ridge. From there we can start the track.”

  Kevin flexed his chest, “Who put you in charge?”

  Raj stepped forward quickly to check his ego, “I doubt your reconnaissance is any better, I didn't hear you offering up any suggestions where this beast might be hiding. So shut it, if it’s tracking we’re talking about then he’s in charge. Unless you’re an expert tracker Kevin and you just haven’t shared that with us.” Dan stepped forward taking his position just behind Raj’s left shoulder and broadened his chest in a powerful display of support.

  Kevin used the toe of his boot to make little circles in the dusty parking lot gravel, “Let’s get going then, why don't you lead the way Indian,” said Tom, clearly irritated at Kevin for showing his biased feelings towards the Indian.

  The Indian Chief nodded his head, as the monk moved his considerable frame forwards, the Chief motioned to Dan and Raj; he raised his hand waist high, before curling his fingers in a ‘come here’ gesture. “You two can ride with us,” he said, grabbing a couple of their large bags. Once the men had loaded their bags into the jeep, they took their positions in the vehicle. The Chief drove while Raj sat next to him in the passenger seat; the two larger men were squeezed into the rear seats.

  “We can’t trust them,” said the monk, stating the obvious.

  Raj turned his head to address the occupants in the rear seats, “We don't, just as they don't trust us, but we’ll need to watch each others backs, this unit right here needs to stay strong - got it?” The monk responded to Raj’s question by nodding his acceptance. Dan nodded making sure he kept strong eye contact with the monk, ensuring that an accord had been agreed. Going forward they had to be a team, stronger as a combined force, “Good, how long to the lookout point?” inquired Raj.

  “About ninety minutes,” said the Chief, checking to see if his jeep was still being followed.

  Raj rubbed his forehead, “Great, enough time to tell me everything you know about these clowns behind us,” he turned to face the monk. “Then you can tell us everything you know about this beast.”

  The Chief talked about the Village of Autumn and it’s rich, deep heritage. He talked about his tribe and the struggles that the Indians had fitting in with the modern world. It was obvious that the Indians had battled many demons in their modern struggle for survival. The village relied upon the mine, which provided a steady boost to its small economy. The village had suffered its fair share of tragedy with drifters, murders, accidents, and crimes that people in remote areas often commit. Then the village seemed to change for the worse as an unusually high number of violent incidents, fights, and aggression, took hold of this small community, where it started to affect the smooth operation and profitability of the mine. That’s when mine officials called in outsiders to increase the security at the mine and to protect their assets.

  This wasn't a bad idea as miners like to drink, and can get rowdy when they’re bored and working long assignments in the isolated north. Tom Jantz was an outsider, parachuted in by the mining company’s top brass, to restore calm and orderly production quotas. It wasn't long before a small enforcement group of large muscular men appeared in the village, they were all dressed in black t-shirts sporting the mine’s security logo. This happened to coincide with the Sheriff’s personal melt down. The Sheriff lost his newborn daughter to a mis-carriage and soon after, marital problems escalated. He turned to booze as a way of handling his issues and stopped paying his attractive wife the attention, and respect, that she deserved.

  Jean was a fiery red headed local girl, with immense pride, and a keen wit. She tried to stick by her husband, but his rumored infidelities circulated quickly around this small community. When news of an illegitimate son surfaced, Jean decided that she’d suffered enough. She left the Village of Autumn for an exciting job in Laran City, and the chance of a fresh start, she never looked back. When the divorce came through, the whiskey started to flow, and the Sheriff ballooned into the caricature that you see today. With an ineffective Sheriff, the village fell into darker times, and petty crimes were on the rise and left unpunished. The miners became belligerent, and overly demanding of the village inhabitants. Once Tom Jantz and his posse arrived, the village embraced him as the new lawman, unofficially giving him the mantle of lawmaker and law-keeper. Tom’s powers grew, and with the village’s consent, he started to manipulate the situation until nothing happened in the Village of Autumn without Tom’s consent. It wasn't too long before the village locals began to resent the control that Tom had acquired, but it was too late. Black shirted enforcers were already in place to ensure any dissenting voices were quickly silenced, and the mine’s interests were placed at the front of any discussion or decision.

  It had seemed like an eternity, but the small convoy had been driving for about ninety minutes when the Chief pulled the jeep sharply to the right to exit onto a dirt road concealed by bushes and trees. The road wasn’t marked, and would have easily been missed by the casual observer. The jeep rocked on the uneven road, tossing its occupants from side to side, but it wasn’t long before the overhanging trees enveloped the road entirely, blotting out the sunlight as they moved deeper into the forest.

  The truck followed closely behind with their lights flashing in the jeep’s mirror due to the bumps and dips in the dirt road. Silence fell within the truck as they realized how deep into the woods they had travelled, and how they were now part of the hunt. The forest encroached upon the road throwing obstacles at them where they needed to carefully drive around large boulders. A large rock outcrop cut into the road’s path and the vehicles had to slow down as they drove precariously over the uneven surface.

  After about an hour the dirt road disappeared completely, leaving an exceptionally narrow mud track. The truck was wider than the leading jeep, and it struggled to fit within the narrow path. Twigs and branches scraped the sides of the advancing truck. Still they pressed onwards until they reached a small grassy open clearing. The jeep pulled to a stop and the truck parked along its side. Raj gave Dan a reassuring smile.

  The Chief gripped the steering wheel tightly as if to hang on to this moment; he turned the key and killed the idling engine, “Well men, we’re here; this is as far as the jeep goes, we’ll have to go in on foot the rest of the way. Grab your gear guys.” The Chief unsnapped his seat belt and slid out of the vehicle. Tom and Kevin had left the truck relieved to have made it through the narrow route.

  “I was hoping that I didn’t have to reverse back out of that road, it’s pretty narrow,” said Tom feeling relieved.

  “Grab your gear; we have about a ninety minute walk ahead of us, we’re not there yet.” The Chief pointed to a small gap in the trees revealing a footpath heading further north. The men gathered what they could carry and loaded their strong bodies with large backpacks. Tom and Kevin openly carried weapons, while the rest of the men had packed theirs leaving their hands free. The Chief sidled up to Kaan, “Do you have your knife?”

  “Yes.” Kaan gave the Chief a quizzi
cal look.

  “Good. Keep it handy. We won’t meet any animal or the beast on our way in; that I’m certain of. What I’m more worried about are those two cowboys, armed to the teeth. I don’t trust them as we enter the dense part of the forest and I’m not sure what crazy plans they might have. Do you follow me?” The monk nodded, knowing exactly what the Chief meant, “I want you at the back of the line, the trail will only allow for single file, and I’ll lead from the front. I want you at the back where you can keep an eye on these two characters. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about in here except them. Don’t let them slow down and drop to the back of the line, then we all become vulnerable.”

  The monk nodded as Tom and Kevin approached, “We ready fellas?” inquired Tom.

  The Chief responded quickly, “Yes we are. The trail leads due north and is very narrow, so we’ll have to go in single file, and stay tight. I’ll lead and Kaan will bring up the rear.”

  Kevin flashed a look of disappointment towards Tom, easily giving away their previously agreed plans while Tom didn’t flinch; the Chief glanced at the automatic weapons that the mine guys held in their hands, “This trail is rocky and uneven, make damn sure you have your safety switches locked on those weapons, we wouldn’t want any accidents would we.”

  Tom remained motionless, but Kevin reached down immediately and applied the safety latch on his weapon. As the Chief walked away in the direction of the trail, he whispered instructions to Dan, “Go to the back with Kaan.”

  Kevin moved closer to Tom, “Why are we paying these hunters from the big city? The Chief seems to be running the show, not them.”

  Tom snapped a response, “The Chief will be no good when we find the Bear, let’s hope these jokers know what they’re doing then.”

  The walking order was now established, as they entered the roughly cut trail; the Chief led the way, followed by Raj, Tom, Kevin, and Dan, with the monk bringing up the rear. The trail was uneven and covered in loose rocks, protruding tree roots, wet shale and rough grass. Overhanging tree limbs and tall ferns made the walking difficult, but no one complained. They remained quiet, as if a vow of silence had been taken, with no one wanting to draw attention to their group. The forest was deathly quiet, the absence of sound, movement, and generally any sign of life, was eerie. The steady breathing of the men carrying the heaviest loads was the only sound to be heard. Nobody asked for a rest, as the group pressed onwards for well over an hour. The forest grew dense, then cleared for a while, followed by dense patches again. It seemed longer than everyone expected, but finally, they reached an elevated jagged rocky ridge, where the forest thinned out. They began to climb as the Chief expertly navigated through a dangerous path across the sharp rocky outcrop leading to a hidden rock ledge. The group turned to look at the elevated view offered by the vista across the treetops and down through a sweeping valley.

  The Chief interrupted, “Here,” he said pointing away from the wide stone ledge towards the dark entrance to a hidden cave. “We’ll setup camp here tonight.” The cave was quite deep, with a narrow entrance that offered little comfort with its dirt floor and rough walls.

  As the men started to unpack their gear, Raj whispered to the Chief, “Is this the place? Is this your sacred place?”

  The Chief looked at the men to ensure they were out of earshot, “Yes, this is the place. The beast is looking for this cave, he will smell us; he’ll come and get us in his own good time. We’ll need to setup camp and wait for him. The cave offers good protection with that narrow path being the only access point. Let’s get organized and think about our defense plan.”

  The afternoon seemed tense, the time was filled with unpacking and arranging the arsenal of weapons and supplies. Raj and Dan paid particular attention to the men from the mine, not trusting them an inch. The Chief collected wood and made a fire in the mouth of the cave. He smudged the site to pay homage to his ancestors and readied the fire to be lit as the evening’s chilly air approached. While collecting wood, the Chief also gathered some Corrian ferns in a leather pouch attached to his belt. The temperature had started to fall as the sun fought hard to stay above the tree line and supply warmth. Once the Chief returned to the ledge, he used the ferns to create a sap-like liquid as he ground the ferns in a stone hollow. He carefully gathered the thick liquid with a rag and wiped the powerful poisonous residue onto the sharpened blade of his axe. The Chief knew conventional weapons would not harm the Karcon; his ancestors had used Corrian poison together with a powerful spiritual artifact, such as the elder’s axe. He remembered the stories of previous encounters and knew what he must do.

  Eventually the evening’s chill and the darkness had crept onto the stone ledge, the cool night’s air had informed the Chief that it was time to light the fire. The men gathered around the fire for welcome warmth and some banal conversation. It was a comment from Kevin that suddenly changed the mood. Kevin studied the Chief who was staring into the dancing flames of the fire, his attention shifted to the two prolific hunters from the big city. They looked calm, as did the monk; it annoyed him. Kevin couldn’t hold it inside anymore, “I have to ask, ‘cos I really need to know this, what the hell is out there? I mean, what exactly are we hunting out there? Because, I’ve got this strange feeling that you guys know.”

  A heavy silence fell upon the group, more deafening than the silence of the forest and time seemed to stand still for a few moments. Raj was the first to recover from Kevin’s bluntness, “In all of our previous conversations you two have been convinced that it’s a large Bear - that’s what you told us this was. Tell me, has some doubt crept into your mind? Do you think it could be something else?”

  Kevin fidgeted anxiously, while Tom glared at him, uncertain of what he would say next, “Nice and evasive, answering a question with a question. Do you know what we’re hunting? Do you know what’s out there?” shouted Tom, raising his voice with the first strains of fear coursing through his question.

  To everyone’s surprise it was Kaan that sprang to his feet and calmly walked away from the fire, and its comforting warmth. He walked to the edge of the rock ledge and stopped inches from the sudden drop. “Gentlemen,” he said, inserting a long pause to ensure he had their full attention. “We don’t know exactly what we’re facing, but we do know it’s not a Bear. I can tell you with some certainty, it’s not a Bear.”

  “And how exactly would you know what this thing is monk? Is a bow and arrow going to stop such a beast? You’re not being honest with us.” Tom was agitated and his voice was raised sufficiently to carry a long way into the dark forest night. “Who the hell are you, and why are you really here? These guys are supposed to be the hunting experts, not you!”

  The monk turned to face the fire, “You’re right it’s time we were honest.” The Chief shot him a worried look knowing the men would not accept the truth. “We’re here to kill a beast. This is not like any animal you’ve seen before, but I have. I’ve been sent by the Church, to help these hunters kill this beast.”

  “The Church?” echoed Kevin. “Is this the devil or some kind of possessed evil beast?”

  The Chief adjusted his weight nervously, “Come now, we know the woods at night can make a man’s imagination run wild. I think you’ve been watching too many horror movies my friend. What we have here is an animal from deep in the forest, rarely seen, and particularly nasty. We need to kill it, before it kills us. It has a taste for human flesh now, so it’s dangerous.”

  Then, as if written in a corny script of a cheaply produced B-movie, a loud, deep, guttural howl, echoed across the wooded valley like a foghorn wails from a boat navigating its way through dense fog. It continued for several sobering seconds making the hairs stand erect on the back of the men’s necks.

  The monk knew it was the unmistakable sound of a Karcon. Afterwards, there was nothing, only the sound of the crackling fire as it consumed the wooden branches. The monk continued, “He knows we’re here, he can smell us. We’ll be safe tonight,
for he won’t attack six of us in the dark on this narrow ledge.”

  “Does he know where we are?” inquired Tom, trying not to show his fear.

  “Yes, he can smell us, and he can smell the fire, and your loud shouting was a pretty good clue. He knows exactly where we are, and that’s what we want. He has to come to us. We should never engage him in open woods, we’d all die quickly.”

  Kevin couldn’t resist, “So monk, tell us, what does this thing look like?”

  The monk smiled as he returned to his place by the fire, “Imagine the most fearsome werewolf you’ve ever seen at the movies, now double its size, and that’s what we’re up against.”

  The Chief held his breath while listening to the monk; he exhaled and started to breath again. Some of the tribe elders had shared the legends of the chilling, forest stopping howl of a dark beast, but to hear it reverberating around the deserted forest was truly frightening. The monk had performed an expert job of telling the truth while taking some liberties, and making necessary room for some omissions.

  It returned to being a calm night, still dark and overcast, there was not a breath of wind, as the trees below kept a silent vigil. The crackle of the fire seemed amplified against the backdrop of a wall of silence.

  The Chief decided that they’d all had enough excitement for one night, “We’ll be safe tonight, but we’ll rotate a watch. Two hour shifts, then we wake the next guy. I’ll go first, Kaan you’re next so get your heads down. Looks like we’ll need all our strength tomorrow, so try to get some rest. Reluctantly, the men assumed their sleeping positions, but the eerie howling noise haunted their dreams.

  Both Raj and Dan couldn’t sleep, in complete contrast to the loud, rhythmic, snoring noises, emanating from Kevin and Tom. The Chief was facing the path with his body turned away from the sleeping men. It was Dan that noticed it first; the faintest flicker of a movement caught his keen eye against the darkness. He lifted his head from his makeshift pillow just as a bright crimson butterfly fluttered past his curious gaze. Raj moved his body carefully to determine if Dan had seen the sign; they both knew it was time to go.

  * * * * *

  The Fifth Realm - Earth

  Chapter 13: First Day at School

  Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 2014

  “I’ve never let school interfere with my education.”