Demons Vengence

Chapter 1

Chapter 1








“AAAAAArrrrrrrggggghhhhh.”


“What the hell was that?” exclaimed Jerek Durstin as he jumped out of bed.  He was a young man, sixteen, about five and a half feet tall.  With sandy hair, green eyes and a sturdy build from years of labor, he was far from ugly.  Naked from the waist up and standing perfectly still he listened 


         “Nothing.” He sighed, climbing back into bed.  Dreading tomorrows harvest Jerek shut his eyes.  This time of year was always hard, long hours of grueling labor clearing the fields.


         I got to get out of this town, he thought.  He’d lived in the small farming community all his life.  The quiet town of Pollson.  A village of peasants’ meeking out a living trying to grow crops in harsh soil nestled in between two mountains. 


         “Maybe I’ll leave after the harvest.” He mused out loud.  “I’ve saved a little mone-


         


-CRASH-


         


Now that was something.  Springing out of bed for the second time in just as many minutes, Jerek ran for the bedroom door.  Pausing briefly to grab a club he kept for chasing away scavengers from the compost pile, the near full moon giving ample light to see it in the all too familiar room.  Ripping open the bedroom door, Jerek ran into the hallway, moving too fast for his groggy limbs.  Muttering a curse, Jerek bounced off the wall outside his cramped bedroom.


“What do you want from us!” a female voice screamed.


“Mom? Amy?” Jerek yelled unsure of which female family member was shouting. 


“Jerek help m-.” A sicking crack cut that statement short. 


Picking up the pace Jerek rounded the corner and jumped down the stairs five at a time.  As he turned the corner into the living room the most grotesque thing he had ever seen stopped the young man cold.


“AMY!” he shrieked





There weren’t very many children in Pollson, and the ones that were there a half-mile away.  As Amy started to get older Jerek and her became inseperatable.  She was a tomboy, never having a problem climbing trees or doing “guy things”.  Over the last two years the two of the even made a clubhouse in a cave not far from the house.  The only walking entrance was two miles away but they found a hole closer and with some rope they could get in and out there.  It was nice.  A quiet place they could hide way from the world. 


It was over.





In the center of the room stood, no dangled, his little sister.  Suspended in the air by an axe still buried in her head, blood running down her face and dripping onto the floor.  Opposite the business end of the weapon stood a seven-foot green humanoid with two, four-inch tusks protruding from its disgusting maw. 


An Orc.


Jerek had never seen one before but from all the stories he heard it was hard to believe it was anything else.  The monster easily weighed three hundred pounds, mostly muscle.  It wore only a loincloth with a belt to hold it up and deep scars marred its chest.  On the right side of the orcs belt hung a two-foot sword with a jagged blood soaked blade.  On the other, the severed head of one of the boys’ neighbors. 


The orc was smiling, repeatedly kicking Amy in the chest in an effort to dislodge her from his axe.  Its legs were as big around as Jereks' waist, easily breaking the ribs of the unfortunate child it held aloft.   





At this sight Jerek snapped.  Shaking away his emotions, Jerek lunged at the orc. 





Seeing the wild little human running straight at him, with a tiny little club no less Grols almost laughed.  “What’s he going to do with that stick” he snickered to himself, dropping the useless axe and reaching for his sword.  Grols smiled pulling the vicious steel weapon from its scabbard, “too easy.”


Jerek was always fast.  Working on a farm your whole life get you in pretty good shape.  When you factor in the adrenaline of seeing his dead sister defiled by some horrid abomination he was ridiculous.  Planting one foot on the couch he jumped into the air pulling his arms back behind his head.  Flying through the air Jerek brought his wrath on the foul green bastard.





“Uh oh” Grols actually said when he saw the diminutive human closing too fast.  After taking the head at the last house Grols didn’t think to clean his weapon off before putting it back in its scabbard, both not thinking and not cleaning are common traits among orcs.  The already drying blood was congealing on the inside of the sheath, causing the blade to stick. “This isn’t good,” he thought pulling harder.


Just as he finally got his sword loose, little manling descended upon him.  The first blow hurt, bad.  With a flying overhead swing Jereks’ club collided just below Grols left eye, both shattering the bone and ripping a huge chunk if greenish flesh off.


         Before the orc could even scream from the first blow the second came down.  Coming down hard past Grols face, nicking his chin on the way down it landed at the base of his throat destroying his sternum instantly. 


Reeling from the beating the orc was receiving Grols tripped over Jereks dead sister and went down hard face first.  Jerek was on him in a flash. 


He rained blows down on the ugly green globe the orc called a head.  The orcs cranium caved in several places, blood pouring from every orifice in its face.  Jerek knew the orc was dead he just didn’t care. Hit after hit came down until his macabre trance was broken by a surprised sounding grunt from behind.  Somehow knowing the sound wasn’t good Jerek reached for the dead monsters hand, which still clutched the foul blade.


Grabbing the sword that did the previous owner little good Jerek spun around to face his newest visitors.





Grommel and Durgnash were confused.  Something they should have been used to being they were stupid, even for orcs.  Walking into the house expecting nothing alive and some possible nice loot, they saw a human boy pulverizing the skull of one of their kin. 


“How did the little guy do it?” Grommel said as the farmer turned to face them pulling the dead orcs sword.


“He’s so tiny,” giggled Durgnash.


         Knowing he was outmatched, and not caring in the slightest, Jerek sprang towards to two new uglies, determined to kill at least one more of these awful creatures.





         


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         Mason Durstin was a quiet man.  He preferred his simple life on the farm and usually avoided people.  He wasn’t scared of people he just didn’t like confrontations.  But when he woke up that night it was a different story. 


Mason heard the scream of his daughter, then his son.  Grabbing up an axe he kept for the same reason Jerek kept his club, the old farmer turned to his wife. 


Lana Durstin was already out of bed making her way to her husband of twenty years.  She was scared, not for herself, scared that her daughter was dead.  She loved her daughter.  After Jerek was born Lana got really sick, the healers saved her but told her that her womb was destroyed.  She was devastated, Lana always wanted a girl.  Now she would never have one.  Despite the temples diagnosis’s they continued to try for more children but after three years they gave up hope.  Fast forward three more years and against all odds Lana was pregnant.  When a little girl came she was ecstatic.  The gods gave her a daughter.


As Mason opened the bedroom door he was greeted by and foul smelling green mass. 





Years ago Mason was in the wars, not a part of his life he wanted to remember.  Orc had come flooding out of the mountains.  Savage, malicious creatures they slaughtered every man woman and child of every race they encountered.  Within ten days they destroyed eight villages along the mountains.  Knowing the orcs were a threat to all, the races of Krelstin united against the new threat. Previously enemies, Human, Dwarf, Elf, and all other lesser-known races quickly chased the foul being back to the mountains but couldn’t eradicate them completely.  Mason was only a boy, Jerek age, when he joined the war. 


He soon regretted the decision. 





Thinking of the glory that fighting the orcs could bring he never considered the terror.  It was awful.  Jaded he volunteered for the front lines.  His first battle was a catastrophe, his unit being completely destroyed.  Captured he was brought to the mountains, for food the orc told him.  For three weeks Mason was usher, with the rest of the orcs captives, northwest toward the mountains.  When ever they stopped to eat the orcs would pick a prisoner and kill, chop and eat them, forcing the others to watch.  After two such meals the prisoners revolted. Being bound and tired the orcs easily killed the ones that fought.  The ones that ran had a chance.  Running all through the night Mason escaped.  Reaching an outpost, gibbering like a fool, Mason collapsed.  When people ask him about what happened Mason says he doesn’t really remember.  It’s a lie.  Never, ever, would he forget anything about that awful period in his life.  Never.


   


Without hesitation Mason brought down his blade in an effort to split the orcs head right down the middle.  The orc startled by the new attacker rushing into the hall never even had a chance.  The axe connected solidly and Mason was rewarded with a shower of orc brain and blood. 


         Heading towards the repetitive pounding noise Mason and Lana ran through the hall and into the kitchen.  Rounding the corner they saw two more orcs standing in the foyer staring into the living room.


         Not one to miss and opportunity Mason swung his axe at the neck of the orc on his right.





         Jerek sprinted the few paces up to the green pair.  Lunging at the left hand orc he bought his sword around for a stab into the beasts chest.


         Grommel was no novice so when the boy tried to stab him he easily deflected it to his left.  Though while executing the simple parry he could of sworn he heard footsteps behind him. 


         Jereks’ stab was deflected, but by some sort of divine intervention not ineffective.  Ricocheting off the intended victims sword it plunged into the throat of the orc next to him.  With a gurgling scream the unlucky orc went down.


         As Jerek looked back to his original target he saw its head fly from its body and bounce of the wall.  As the headless body dropped to the ground there stood Mason Durstin, covered in blood and gore staring at his son.


         They both stood in silence as they looked at each other, not really knowing what to say.  The stillness lingered for a few seconds until it was broken by a scream.


         Lana Durstin looked beside her son and saw her little angel lying dead on the floor, orcish battle-axe still stuck in her head.





And she lost it.





For what seemed like eternity Jerek stared out the window.  He could hear his mother and father sobbing softly while they cradled their bloody daughter.  It was a sight he couldn’t bear to watch.  Down the street Jerek could see his neighbors fighting with more orcs.  He heard one of his parents get up and walk over to him.  It was his father he could tell by the footsteps. 


“Its like hell,” the young man whispered, not really talking to anyone.


“Aye,” replied Mason “we need to get out of here.” Turning to his distraught wife he gently repeated himself. 


“Honey, if any of us are going to live we have to leave now.”


         Lana was oblivious.  Her baby was dead.  Slowly rocking back and forth she mumbled incoherently. 


Unable to take the morbid sight anymore Jerek yelled. “SHE’S DEAD MOM, JUST STOP!” 


Lana looked up at her son startled by his outburst; over Jereks’ shoulder she spotted movement.  Fueled by the rage of a mother protecting her young Lana grabbed the handle of the weapon that ended her daughters’ life.  Whispering an apology to her deceased daughter she placed her foot on Amy’s small chest and ripped the axe free of her head and in one fluid motion threw it directly at Jereks’ chest.


Instinctively Jerek jumped to the side, the axe whirled by missing him by only six inches.  With a squishy thump noise the axe blade buried itself in the face of the fifth orc to violate the Durstin home.


Walking over her remaining family Lana Durstin only said two words.  “Let’s go.”





As Jerek and his parents made their way out to the back of the house, they could hear more orcs coming in the front of the house.  Muttering a curse Mason pulled open the back door and looked back to usher his family out the door.  Down the hall he could see three more orcs moving into the house. 


Mason took one last look at his beautiful wife and amazing son, a tear welled in his eye and he said only one word as he ran back into the house.


“Run.”


Jerek couldn’t move.  No way was he going to abandon his father.  Lana, not wanting her adoring husbands sacrifice to be in vain grabbed her son by the arm and pulled him out the door. 


“He did that to give us a chance we cant waste it,” Lana cried trying to urge her son to keep going.


“He’s going to die!” Jerek protested.


“I know son.” Something in his mothers eyes convinced his heart, what his mind knew was true if he didn’t move, they all would.  With one last look at their home they sprinted into the woods. 


“Where are we going to go?” Lana asked her son who was much more familiar with the woods surrounding the village.


“I know of a cave,” he said thinking of the place he used to go Amy.  “The only walking entrance is a couple miles away, but there’s a hole nearby that leads into it we can get in there.”


Lana looked at her son and smiled.  He was growing up to be quite a man she thought.  Following him through the woods she was glad that he wasn’t killed too.  That would have been too much. 





Jerek led the way roughly north for several hundred yards through the woods and stopped in a clearing. 


“It’s here.” He said pointing to a dark spot on the ground.  “The drop is only like fifteen feet and there’s soft sand at the bottom.  As Lana got closer to the hole Jerek saw something coming from the bushes.  Shouting a warning to his mom he started to move to the newest adversary.  Something grabbed his arm and Jerek whirled around thinking more orcs had come up behind him. 


It was his mom.  Jerek gave her a puzzled look and started to go forward again.  She pulled again, this time harder, much harder.  Jerek stumbled in mid fall he looked up at his mom and understood.  He tumbled into the hole smacking his head on the rim and knocking himself unconscious.





Lana turned to face the orc that had managed to follow them.  She ran forward as the orc raised its sword and growled.  Lana smiled when she saw deep cuts across the creatures’ chest, Mason hurt this one.  There was no way she could beat the orc, twice her weight and a full head taller on top of that she was unarmed.  Lana had to try, the orc had seen where her son went and would go after him when it finished with her. 


As she neared the orc pulled back to chop the little woman in half.  Seeing the obvious blow coming, but already moving too fast to stop, Lana dove low hoping to out run the blow and get closer her attacker.  Tucking as she hit the ground she rolled underneath the downward swing of the orc missing the worst of the blow.  As she completed her tumble the orcs’ blade came across her left foot.  Easily slicing through her shoddy footwear and just as easily her flesh, the keen edge went straight through her foot, taking the smallest two toes with it. 


Her roll semi-successful as it was brought her directly to the monsters left, opposite its sword arm.  Using her momentum from the roll Lana popped up putting most of the weight on her right foot.  Seizing her possibly only opportunity Lana lunged at the orc.  The farmers’ wife jammed the thumb of her right hand into the bastards’ right eye. 


Reeling in pain the half blind orc pulled back and stabbed the wretched woman in the stomach. 


The blade slid easily into Lana’s body. 


Determined to save her son and with her thumb still in the beasts eye she lunged closer, driving the hilt of the blade into her chest.  Using the gains inches she plunged her other thumb into its other eye. 


Racked with pain and now completely blind the orc released his weapon and shoved the woman away.  Pressing his palms against his ruined eyes the orc shrieked.


Lana rising from the ground, with the foul weapon still through her, she walked up to the orc. Gritting her teeth she pulled the sword from her own body.


“Does it hurt?” Lana asked the still screaming orc.  With the last of her strength she stabbed the creature up through the throat and into the brain.


Having saved her son, at least for the moment, Lana Durstin allowed herself to die.