Chapter 5A

“A Simpler Time”

Written 12-18-2007 by Ian Shirm

Current Year: Spring, 3255

            It was an early spring morning in the year 3251, four years before the death of Bruce. Dekari and Aiken, 18 years old at the time, enjoyed a simpler life.

            “Time to get up lazy bones,” Bruce Ironfist said, standing at the end of Dekari’s bed, in his son’s small room. “The livestock won’t feed themselves.”

            “I’m up,” Dekari said as his feet hit the floor. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stood and stretched.

            “Your mother has breakfast on the table, come down and eat,” Bruce said.

            “Ok,” Dekari said as he began getting dressed.

            Bruce left Dekari’s room, the next door down the hall, on the second floor of their third story farmhouse was Aiken’s. He opened the door to Aiken’s room and walked inside.

            “Time for breakfast,” Bruce said to Aiken as he pulled the blanket off his son.

            “Damn its cold,” Aiken said.

            “Come on downstairs, we have a busy day today,” Bruce said.

            Aiken yawned and reluctantly got out of bead, thinking to himself that morning comes to early on the ranch.

            Bruce left Aiken’s room and waked downstairs.

            Several minutes later the two twins, half asleep, came downstairs and sat at the thick wooden table in the kitchen.

            Dekari and Aiken’s mother, Lucila, set a plate of pancakes in front of Dekari and a plate in front of Aiken.

            “Thanks Mom,” Aiken said.

            “Good breakfast,” Dekari said, already devouring his meal.

            Bruce sat at the head of the table. After he sat his wife set a plate in front of him. Bruce stood tall, well over six feet with broad shoulders, short black hair and a clean shaven face.

            “Thanks,” Bruce said.

            “Enjoy your meal,” Lucila said as she squeezed Bruce’s shoulder.

            Lucila went back to the stove, took a pan with sausage in it and walked around the table placing some on the plates of her family while her pancakes cooked. A few minutes later she sat across from Bruce with her plate.

            After breakfast Bruce and his two sons put on coats and they went outside to take care of the animals. Dekari began carrying hay bails over to the horse pens and cow-corn over to the cattle. While Dekari did that Aiken carried buckets of water from the well and began filling the water troths. Bruce started in the chicken coupe, bringing a small basket of eggs inside to Lucila.

            After their morning chores were finished Aiken began saddling up his horse.

            “Where are you off to?” Dekari asked.

            “Heading to Greendale,” Aiken said.

            “Going to the Mercenary’s Guild to see if they have any work for you?” Dekari asked, his brow furrowed.

            “Yeah,” Aiken said. “Going to the Dragonstooth for a few ales then going to the Guild. Don’t tell Father.”

            “I wont,“ Dekari said. “Keep yourself out of trouble.”

            “Always,” Aiken said with a grin.

            Aiken finished putting the tack on his horse, pulled himself up, into the saddle and left.

            Bruce watched Aiken leave and thought nothing of it, as his son always left after morning chores while Dekari stayed helping Bruce with whatever needed done.

            Dekari left the barn and walked to the house, where Bruce sat in a rocking chair smoking pipe.

            “Feel like sparing?” Bruce asked Dekari.

            “Sure,” Dekari said.

            Bruce stood and walked into the house, coming back with two wooden swords. He handed one to Dekari and the two walked down the steps of the porch and to the side of the house. Bruce dragged the tip of his wooden sword in the soft dirt making a circle about 10 feet in diameter.

            “Same rules? Whoever leaves the circle loses?” Dekari asked.

            “Yea,” Bruce said.

            Father and son stepped inside the circle facing each other. Dekari lept forward at his father his sword arm raised. Bruce sidestepped Dekari and parried the blow. Bruce swung as he sidestepped catching Dekari behind the knee with his wooden sword. Dekari’s knee buckled and he went down.

            “You alright?” Bruce asked.

            “Yeah, lets continue,” Dekari said.

            Bruce gave Dekari his hand, his son taking it, and pulled Dekari to his feet.

            Both men in the circle, Dekari rushed Bruce with a wide swing. Bruce ducked and put out his foot tripping Dekari, his son falling to the ground, catching himself with his hand outside the circle.

            “A point for me,” Bruce said.

            Dekari stood, facing his opponent. This time Dekari slowly approached his father and their two swords met. They parried, slashed and dodged as they sparred. Slowly Dekari was loosing ground as Bruce pressed forward his attack,

            “Another point for me,“ Bruce said when Dekari’s foot landed outside the sparring circle.

            Both men went back to opposite ends of the circle. Dekari advanced on his father and their two swords met. Dekari attacked with renewed vigor sending lightning slashes at his father, Bruce fell back a few feet. Not looking behind him he tripped over a rock and fell, landing half out of the circle.

            “A point for me!” Dekari said, “That doesn’t happen often.”

            Bruce smiled, kicked the rock out of the circle, and came back inside it, facing his son.

            “Ready?” Dekari asked.

            “Yeah,” Bruce said.

            “Lunch is ready,” Lucila called out.

            “Lets eat,” Bruce said to Dekari.

            The two men washed up, went inside, put their wooden swords away.

            “Mom, what’s for lunch?” Dekari asked.

            “Salted pork and hash browns,” Lucila said as Dekari and Bruce sat.

            “Sounds good, I worked up an appetite,” Bruce said.

            Lucila set a plate in front of Bruce, then Dekari then sat herself with her plate.

            “I have to go see Numa today,” Bruce said. “You want to come with?” He asked Dekari.

            “Sure,” Dekari replied.

            “Eat up then we’ll leave,” Bruce said.

            “What are we going to see Numa for?” Dekari asked.

            “ I have to buy some more hay, grain, and cow-corn,” Bruce said.

            “Ok,” Dekari replied, talking with a mouthful of pork.

            After they finished lunch Bruce put on his enchanted broadsword “Justice”, and Dekari put on his own broadsword. Both men grabbed their heavy recurve bows and a quiver of arrows. They walked to the barn with two horses and hooked them to a wagon, then began ridding off the property.

            They rode along the rough path through the woods, Bruce holding the reigns. Their ranch wasn’t anywhere near a main road, Dekari, who loved nature, enjoyed being far away from civilization.

            After about two hours they reached Numa’s place, a large farm with dozens of workers. Bruce steered the wagon down the path, away from the road, onto Numa’s property. They passed fields of Wheat, Corn, and Cotton. Bruce brought the wagon to a halt in front of Numa’s large farmhouse, Numa sitting in a chair on his large porch.

            “Hello there Master Ironfist,” Numa said.

            “Hello Numa, how are you?” Bruce said.

            “Crops are coming along nicely, no drought and plenty of rain and sun, cant complain, you? Numa said.

            “I’m good. Can we get some hay and grain and can you deliver some cow-corn?” Bruce asked.

            “Sure, pull the wagon over to the barn,” Numa said. “Ortho.”

            “Yes?” a farmhand who came out of the house said.

            “Go to the barn with these gentlemen and fill the wagon with hay,” Numa said. “Bruce, How much grain do you need?”

            “Two-hundred pounds should do me,” Bruce said.

            “And two-hundred pounds of grain,” Numa said to Ortho who nodded. “That’ll be 2 gold pieces Bruce.”

            Bruce opened his coin purse and handed two gold to Numa, who took them.

            “Thanks,” Bruce said.

            “Pleasure doing business with you,” Numa said.

            Bruce drove the wagon over to the barn and waited while Ortho put four, fifty pound bags of grain in, then started putting in bails of hay. Once the wagon was full, Bruce thanked Ortho and began the ride back home.

            Bruce and Dekari rode for an uneventful hour, making their way half way home. They came to a small pond and stopped. Bruce unhooked the two horses from the wagon and led them to the water where they began to drink. Dekari sitting on the seat of the wagon waited patiently.

            An arrow flew through the air, seemingly to Dekari from nowhere, to thud and stick into the side of the wagon, followed by several more.

            Dekari dropped down off the wagon to the side facing the pond, away from where the arrows were being fired from.

            “Bruce!” Dekari yelled, his father looking up. “Ambush!”

            Bruce tied the horses off to a thick branch on a nearby tree and drew ‘Justice’.

            A Dozen goblins led by a Hobgoblin rushed them from the woods, while they charged the wagon, and Dekari, Bruce ran over to stand beside his son. Dekari’s broadsword still sheathed he took up his bow and fired an arrow at the hobgoblin. The arrow sticking firmly in the creatures wood plated leather armor.

            “Wish I had my plate-mail,” Bruce said.

            As the goblins surrounded the wagon and the two men Bruce attacked a small group of three of the closest. Adrenaline pumping, he slew the three with violent slashes from his enchanted broadsword ‘Justice’.

            Dekari fired another arrow at the hobgoblin, sticking the beast in the knee. He watched as the creature dropped to the ground. Dekari drew his broadsword and rushed the Hobgoblin, with a violent thrust his sword plunged into its chest killing it. As He pulled his sword free he felt a dart hit him in the neck. He looked up to see a goblin, about a dozen feet away holding a blowgun. Dekari pulled the dart from his neck and a moment latter felt deathly ill.

            Dekari had seen Bruce fight goblins before and it always amazed him how efficient a killing machine his father was. His vision blurry, Dekari felt sicker and sicker as the poison took affect. He felt as if the room was spinning and his vision went black and he dropped to the ground unconscious.

            Dekari awoke to be in his own bed, in his family’s farmhouse with Bruce, Lucila and Aiken standing over him.

            “How long have I been out?” Dekari asked.

            “Two days,” Lucila said. “A goblin hit you with a poison dart. I was able to figure out what kind of poison it was, since your father brought me the dart, and I made an antidote in my lab. The poison was strong enough to kill someone of smaller stature, but it doesn’t have the same hold over someone of your size.”

            “Since you’ve been out I’ve been doing all your chores,” Aiken said. “Hurry up and get better, Fathers working me to death.”

            “A little work wont kill you,” Bruce said.

            “I’m not so sure,” Aiken said jokingly.

            “My head feels like someone hit me in it with a shovel,” Dekari said.

            “You should start feeling like yourself in a few more days. You need lots of bed-rest,” Lucila said. “Here drink this.”

            “What is it?” Dekari asked.

            “Medicine. It will flush the poison from your system faster,” Lucila said.

            Dekari drank a dark colored liquid from a bowl that his mother handed him.

            “It tastes horrible!” Dekari said with a grimace.

            “It’ll help you feel better sooner,” Lucila said.

            “Come on Aiken,” Bruce said. “Lets get back to work, livestock wont take care of themselves.”

            Aiken let out a sigh, and followed Bruce out of the room.

            Bruce had told Aiken to stay home the next couple days. The ranch being short a worker, Aiken had double the duties.

            While Dekari slept-in the next morning, Bruce passed the door to his room and went into Aiken’s.

            “Time to get up Aiken, lots of work to do,” Bruce said

            “I’m up,” Aiken said, not even stirring.

            “Lets go, you’ll be late for breakfast then you’ll be working on an empty stomach,” Bruce said.

            Aiken put his feet on the floor and yawned. Bruce leaving Aiken’s room went downstairs. Aiken got dressed and walked downstairs, then outside to the water troth. After another yawn Aiken washed his face with the cold troth water, making himself wake up faster. He went back inside and sat at the table, his plate already at his spot.

            “Thanks Mom,” Aiken said.

            “Your welcome,” she replied.

            The three of them sat at the table and ate fried eggs, sausage and bacon.

            “Good breakfast,” Bruce said to Lucila who sat at the other end of the table.

            “Thanks,” she replied. “Aiken, after your done with your morning responsibilities you interested in another lesson?”

            “If not we can spar,” Bruce said.

            “I’m up for both, not being able to leave I need something to keep the boredom at bay,” Aiken said.

            “What do you want to learn about today?” Lucila asked. “Alchemy, Herbalism, History, or Magic?”

            “History, I suppose,” Aiken said.

            “Ok, we’ll start after you train with your Father,” Lucila said.

            “Aiken, why don’t you help your Mother with dishes, while I start the morning chores,” Bruce said.

            “All right,” Aiken said. “Wasn’t looking forward to hauling hay, grain or buckets of water anyhow.”

            “Oh, you can still help with that, just help your mother first,” Bruce said.

            Aiken nodded his understanding.

            The three finished breakfast and Aiken and his mother carried the dishes into the kitchen.

            “Can you bring in some water for dishes, and heat it up over the fire?” Lucila asked Aiken.

            “Sure,” Aiken replied.

            Aiken filled a large pot over the fireplace with water from the well. After it finished heating he put on heavy leather gloves and carried the pot into the kitchen. His mother already had a wash tub out, so he dumped the hot water into it. Aiken scrubbed the plates, pots and silver while his father saw to the animals.

            “Thank you,” Lucila said as Aiken finished. “Go see what your father needs done.”

            “Ok,” Aiken replied.

            Aiken put on his coat and went outside to find his father.

            After all the morning chores were done, after Aiken had sparred with his father using wooden swords and after lunch Aiken and Lucila went into her library.

            “You said you wanted today’s lesson to be on history. I’ll teach you some of the history of the God and Demi-god blood-lines,” Lucila said.

            “Ok,” Aiken replied.

            “In the year 1653 Dominus Augustus Heath'Goth Severus was born to Draxis and Rachael,” Lucila said. “Six years later, in 1659 Marcus Aurelius Del'Goth Ironfist was born to the same parents. Marcus and Dominus being full brothers, they also have two half brothers. In the year 1557 Charlemagne Varuis was born to Draxis and Maria, another mortal woman and in 1670 Titus Paprius Damaticus was born to Victor and Caecilla. Rachael and Maria were both of Barbarian blood, while Caecilla was a plainswoman.”

            “Dominus Severus married, Octavia, the Queen of the Bronze Republic,” Lucila said. ”Dominus had four children with Octavia: Hadrian, Alaric, Michael and Lucius. When Octavia grew ill she expressed her wish to have Michael take the throne after her death. Michael Severus then became king when she died, Hadrian became Commander of the army, Lucius became Governor of the Capital district and Alaric became Captain of the Royal Guard.”

            “Dominus had expressed no interest in being King of the Republic after Octavia grew ill,” Lucila said. “After her death, he left the republic and went north to the Stag clan in what would one day be Heath’goth.”

            “As for Full godly lineage Paial, the King of the Gods took Julia, Goddess of the Sea, as his wife,” Lucila said. “They had one  son and three daughters. They begat Lavinia, Goddess of Purity, Delphine, Goddess of Marriage, Panarg, Goddess of fate, and Nerva, God of Love. Draxis, god of Blacksmithing took Claudia, Goddess of Beauty as his wife. They begat two sons, Feldan, God of the Hunt and Victor god of war. Victor took Lavinia as his wife and they had three sons. Calimar, God of Wisdom, Bowen, Heavens Messenger, and Herrenius God of Justice. Calimar and Delphine had three sons. Doran, Messenger of Purgatory, Palaxis god of Harvest, and Haraxis, God of mining.”

            “Xrakisis, the Sun God, Ruler of Hell, patron Deity of Dark Paladins and God of Death and Wealth, never married. His only offspring were from mortal mothers,” Lucila said. “Xrakisis is the embodiment of pure evil. A thousand years ago Xrakisis was able to leave the sun as he pleased and he is handsome and charismatic. He impregnated hundreds of mortal women. None of the women survived pregnancy, His offspring would eat its way out of the mothers wombs. His offspring, named Shadow Demons, were tainted by Xrakisis’s evil. They grow with age to be black skinned monstrosities with glowing yellow eyes, sharp fangs and claws. Though they only grow to about five feet tall they are extremely deadly.”

            “Are there any Shadow Demons still around?” Aiken asked.

            “Yes, though extremely rare,” Lucila said. “When Xrakisis was away from the sun he took mistresses and began raising an army of Shadow Demons to conquer the world. Paial, King of the Gods, watched as Xrakisis raised an army of 1000 Shadow Demons and warned Xrakisis that he must not unleash them upon man. Paial’s warning fell on deaf ears. In the year 2255 Xrakisis met with the King of Palaxis and offered the services of his army if the King went to war with Haraxis. The King of Palaxis, Torar of clan Syrkist, marched his army against Haraxis in the Third Dwarf War with the aid of 1000 Shadow Demons. The war only lasted the duration of one battle, in which tens of thousands of Haraxis Mountain Dwarves died. Paial, Draxis, Julia and Claudia, 4 out of 5 of the first gods, left their moons and came to Haraxis on chariots of fire interrupting the slaughter. The four combined their magic ability and banished most of the Shadow Demons and Xrakisis to Hell where to this day they are imprisoned.”

            “I feel bad for the Mountain Dwarves. Must have been horrible to watch your army be destroyed by demons,” Aiken said.

            “When the four gods banished Xrakisis he managed to take hundreds of women with him to hell, where it is rumored that he continues to raise his army, for when he is released from hell.”

            “So there’s a possibility that in the future Xrakisis could leave hell with an army and conquer the world?” Aiken asked.

            “Not so long as Paial, Draxis, Julia and Claudia hold the key to his fiery prison,” Lucila said. “Lesson concluded, its getting to be time for you to do your evening chores.”

            “Ok,” Aiken said. “I’ll find father and see what still needs done.”

            With that Aiken left his Mother’s library and went to look for his Father.

            Two days later Dekari awoke early, got dressed and came downstairs before dawn to find his Mother making scrambled eggs and sausage.

            “Your up early,” Lucila said.

            “How long did I sleep?” Dekari asked

            “Four days,” Lucila said. “Feeling better?”

            “Yeah I feel healthy and rested,” Dekari said. “Want help making breakfast?”

            “No, that’s ok,” Lucila said.

            Bruce came from his bedroom, yawned, sat at the table and started putting his boots on.

            “Look who’s up and about,” Bruce said. “Feeling better?”

            “Yeah,” Dekari said.

            “Aiken will be happy that he doesn’t have to do his and your chores,” Bruce said.

            “Undoubtedly,” Dekari said.

            “Why don’t you go wake your brother, tell him breakfast is about ready,” Lucila said.

            “Ok,” Dekari replied.

            Dekari walked out of the kitchen, down the hall, up the stairs to his brothers closed bedroom door. He opened it, and entered.

            “Wake up Aiken, breakfast is about ready,” Dekari said.

            Aiken rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and said “Glad to see you up and about. Going to be helping with the morning chores?”

            “Yeah,” Dekari replied

            “Hell yeah,” Aiken said. “Dads been working me to death!”

            “Somehow I would say that’s an over-exaggeration,” Dekari said.

            Aiken sat up and stretched. “Im looking forward to going to town, been 4 days of not being able to leave,” he said.

            “Come on downstairs,” Dekari said. “If you take too long I’ll eat your breakfast too! I’m starving. I haven’t really ate in 4 days, unless you count mothers health concoction.”

            Dekari turned, left his brothers room and walked back down to the kitchen. He sat at the large thick kitchen table, his Mother set his plate before him and hestarted eating. A few minutes later Aiken walked into the kitchen and sat at his spot at the table. As Aiken was finishing his first plate, Dekari was on his second. Lucila set her husbands plate before him at the table and then sat with hers.

            “I went out to the well this morning and the horses seemed frightened by something,” Bruce said. “I found two horses dead at the far end of the pasture, they looked to have been eaten.”

            “Did it look like wolves got them?” Aiken asked.

            “No,” Bruce said. “The tracks were far too large for it to have been wolves.”

            “What do you think the tracks go to?” Dekari asked.

            “Something much larger than a man,” Bruce said. “The tracks look to resemble a mans. Only they have four clawed toes and the ball of its foot was clawed but. If I had to guess I’d say Ogrith. I followed the tracks and they stopped even though the ground was muddy, so I presumed it could fly. Stay on guard while you two do your morning chores, tonight we’ll wait up and if it comes back we’ll have to try to kill it.”

            “The three of you be careful,” Lucila said. “Ogrith would not die without one hell of a fight.”

            “Those trees in the pasture with brush around them is where we’ll hide and watch. You boys each bring a spear, your bows, your swords and a secondary weapon,” Bruce said.

            “I’m bringing my footmans mace,” Dekari said.

            “I’m bringing my nice new, large, razor-sharp hunting knife as a secondary,” Aiken said.

            Dekari stood and walked over to the fireplace and put some more sausage and scrambled eggs on his plate, returned to the table and sat.

            “Aiken,” Bruce said. “why don’t you stay on the ranch today and stick with your brother. While the two of you work keep your swords with you, incase it comes back during the day.”

            Aiken frowned, furrowed his eyebrows and said “ Fifth day in a row of not going to town. I would kill for a pint of Otics ale down at the Dragonstooth. Dekari’s a big guy, strong fighter, the two of you could probably take an Ogrith.”

            “Your not getting out of it,” Bruce said. “Stay on the ranch today and stay with your Brother.”

            The three men, having finished their breakfasts took their plates, cups and silver to the kitchen and put them in the washtub. Dekari put on his broadsword, Aiken put on his longsword, Bruce put on his golden broadsword ‘Justice’, and the three started the morning feeding of the livestock.

            That afternoon after the three men sat on the porch. Bruce sat in his chair smoking pipe while his two sons sharpened their swords and spear-heads. As they sat the ground trembled and down the valley they saw a dust-cloud. While they watched a couple hundred head of cattle were being herded up the valley.

            “Ok boys, open up the gate on the southern pen,” Bruce said.

            Dekari and Aiken ran over to the pasture and opened the gate, swinging it open they watched as half a dozen riders herded the cattle into the pen. Bruce waked over to them, the last of the herd entered the pen, Dekari swung the door to the pen closed and latched it.

            “Bruce Ironfist?” one of the riders asked.

            “That’s right,” Bruce said.

            The rider dismounted and walked over to Bruce, leading his horse behind him.

            “Hello, Im Aficanus. We drove the cattle a long way, do you think we could get a home cooked meal?” The plainsman, Africanus stood shorter than Dekari and Bruce, at about Aikens height with long gray hair and a mustache.        

            “Sure,” Bruce said. “Dekari, Aiken, help you mother make lunch, enough for ten people.”

            “Ten?” Aiken asked.

            “The six of them, and the four of us,” Bruce replied.

            “Ah,” Aiken said.

            The two Ironfist brothers walked to the house and entered.

            “We lost two of the cows to two Ogrith a ways down the valley this morning,” Africanus said. “A female and a male. When we went to attack them they flew off with their kills. You can deduct what you owe my employer for the two head of cattle lost.”

            “Sounds fair,” Bruce said. “Why don’t you tie off your horses in the barn, give them hay and water then come on inside.”

            “Sounds good,” Africanus said.

            He walked his horse over to the barn followed by the five other horsemen.

            Inside, the two Ironfist twins were helping their mother cook beef-stew. The six riders came in and sat at the table. One of them brought in a quarter-keg of ale and sat it on the table.

            “Do you think I could get a mug of that?” Aiken asked.

            “Sure,” the rider said.   

            Aiken extended his hand and said “Im Aiken Ironfist.”

            “Dentatus Siculus,” The plainsman, cattle-herder said as he shook Aikens hand.

            Dentatus stood at around Aiken’s height with long blond hair and a full, blond, beard.

            Aiken handed Dentatus his mug and the cattle herder filled it to the brim, then handed it to Aiken.

            “Thanks,” Aiken said.

            “Don’t mention it,” Dentatus said.

            Aiken took a swig from his mug, let out a long belch and said “Damn that’s good!”

            “Self serve,” Lucila said. “Pot is on the stove, help yourselves.”

            The six riders, fixed their plates first then Bruce, Dekari and Aiken and lastly Lucila. She set two bowls of dumplings at both ends of the table and sat herself to eat.

            Africanus crumbled two dumplings in with his stew, a moment later saying “Good lunch Mrs. Ironfist.”

            “Huge step up from rations,” Dentatus said.

            “Thank you,” Lucila said.

            As everyone was finishing up lunch Bruce said, “Africanus, How much do I owe you?”

            “Two-hundred and fifty head of cattle,” Africanus said as he pulled a paper from his pocket. He looked at the bill his employer had written out and said, “That’ll be fifteen-hundred gold.”

            “Boys, help your mother clean up lunch while I go get their pay,” Bruce said.

            Bruce walked upstairs and a few minutes later came back to the Kitchen with a bag gold.

            “One-thousand-five-hundred gold even,” Bruce said as he handed the bag to Africanus.

            “Thanks,” Africanus said. “How far to the nearest town?”

            “Greendale is about a half days travel south,” Bruce said.

            “Ok,” Africanus said. “Mount up boys we’re heading out. Thanks again Bruce.”

            “Have a safe journey,” Bruce said.

            Africanus nodded and walked out of the house, the five other riders in tow.

            Bruce, Dekari, and Aiken helping Lucila clean up lunch heard a deafening roar. Leaving Lucila inside the three ran out the front door to the porch.

            A large male Ogrith and a smaller, but deadly none-the-less female Ogrith were atop two of the riders rending flesh from bone with clawed hands and fang filled jaws. The four remaining riders drew weapons and attacked the Ogrith. Aiken and Dekari ran into the house then back out with their bows while Bruce drew ‘Justice’ and rushed the male Ogrith.

            The Ogrith had arms and legs like a human, stood over 8 feet. The half Ogre, half Demon beasts had horrid faces and a massive wing span.

            Arrows flew from the Ironfist brothers bows, sticking into the female Ogrith with no noticeable affect. One of the riders rushed the male Ogrith with a raised spear, the beast grabbing the shaft with a clawed hand and snapping it in two, then with a clawed sweeping motion of its had sliced the riders throat open.

            Seeing Bruce charging, the male Ogrith lept from the cadaver of a rider towards him. Bruce swung his sword but was too slow, the beast grabbing his sword hand by the wrist, both crashed to the ground. The beast opened its jaws and went for a bite at his face, Aiken fired an arrow, the missile lodging itself in the beasts mouth. The male Ogrith had one hand on Bruces sword arm and the other on his neck leaving his left arm free. Bruce drew his hunting knife and buried the blade in its neck, killing it.

            Africanus, Dentatus and the other rider rushed the female Ogrith with spears, she hissed, unwilling to give up her kill, she guarded the body of the one rider and swatted at the incoming spear thrusts.

            “Get this thing off me,” Bruce said to his sons.

            Dekari and Aiken pulled the corpse of the male Ogrith off of their father then fired arrow after arrow into the female Ogrith. Bruce grabbed a spear from the ground and with an incredible throw burried the spear into its gut. She reeled in pain and went to pull the spear out, before she had the chance Africanus, who stood behind her, rushed her burying his spear in her back. Dead, the female Ogrith crashed into the ground.

            “Those three men have been with us for years,” Africanus said. “They will be missed dearly.” A tear slid down his face as he looked upon his mangled, dead friends.

            “You can have a funeral pyre here if you would like and stay for the night,” Bruce told Africanus.

            “Thank you,” Africanus said. “I would appreciate that.”

            The rest of the afternoon consisted of Africanus, Dentatus and the third rider, Posthumus stacking lumber, burning the three bodies and praying to Julia and Draxis of the two purgatories and Paial and Claudia of the two heavens. That night the three horsemen, Aiken and Dekari drank, and finished the quarter keg. Bruce allowed the three riders to sleep in guestrooms in the house and they left the next morning.

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