Red Blood, White Snow, Green Cloak

[Olivier de Volthström]

Hunting was a natural sport especially for a professional competitive archer. It was simply a natural progression of what Olivier did for a living. Olivier didn’t kill for sport, but would often do so to get some meat. There was nothing like fresh venison. The forests outside Moscow often teemed with deer during the winter season. It was a trip he made anytime he came out here for a tournament. Olivier had come with a truck that he had rented in case he caught something. 

The hunt had been unsuccessful and that in itself was a disappointment. But the situation had Olivier on edge. He had seen nothing. That was odd. A storm was expected and Olivier had planned for it - but the fact the game had already disappeared meant something. Animals had an almost preternatural instinct for when to go to ground. Olivier had a feeling this one would be bad. And that meant it was time to go home. 

Olivier pulled out his bow case and began to pack it up. This wasn’t his performance bow. The one he used in competition. His competition bow as made of carbon fiber and fiberglass composites with aluminum risers and pulleys. It had stabilizers and the works - whatever his sponsors wanted on it. It had a sixty pound pull. His hunting bow was much more simple. Even if it had a 60 pound pull, it was nothing more than yew wood and a polyethylene string. But the bow felt right. He couldn’t explain it, but it felt right in his hands. 

He packed his equipment, pulled down the hood of his green coat, and got in the truck. He should be able to make it back to the Radiance in time. He pulled out and hit the road. The way was quiet and lonely. Few houses dotted the landscape. Some sort of castle was in the distance. He passed a solitary house and did a double take. The house was severely damaged, and Olivier was sure that it hadn’t been that way as he had passed it coming out here. He checked the time. He didn’t have much. He couldn’t afford to stop. He sighed. He also couldn’t in good conscience leave without checking. 

Olivier pulled his truck to the side. Something large had taken out a corner of the house. It still stood, but was definitely not habitable. someone could be hurt. He began to move to the building and paused, looking back at his truck. After a moment he returned and grabbed his longbow and quiver. He approached the building and entered through the large hole, making sure to touch as little as possible. Hearing movement, Olivier instinctively ducked, and the sound of wind and a crack against the wall gave him some relief. He had barely missed it. 

Olivier turned to see a young man, around 16 or 17 holding a Bo staff. The kid stepped back and his stance showed he had some training. Olivier saw the hesitation in the kid’s eyes, but there was something else - fear. The kid was afraid. ”Here to help kid - not going to hurt you.” The kid stood firm. 

Shit

[Olivier de Volthström]

The tension was thick. The kid’s eyes gave away his fear, but also that the kid didn’t want to attack Olivier. He was on edge. Whatever had taken a wall out of the house had spooked him quite a bit. A sound grabbed both of their attentions. ”Is it gone? Are mama and papa back.” a boy, several years younger than the one with the staff. Two more kids, a boy and a girl followed. The girl was the youngest - maybe five or six, one boy looked a little older - maybe eight - and the one who had led them up was about twelve.

”Go back downstairs - it’s not safe here.” the eldest said.

”Who’s he?” the girl said, looking at him curiously. ”Where’s mama?”

The kid with the staff sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but Olivier also noticed that his breathing quickened. Scared and stressed. Olivier looked around the room, seeing signs that helped him put a picture together. There were holes in the wall. A semi-automatic pistol lay on the ground, the slide locked open showing it was empty. The broken stock of a rifle also lay on the ground. And blood. There was blood.

“Is it gone” and “are mama and papa back” made more sense now. Someone - or something - had taken the children’s parents and they weren’t coming back. These kids couldn’t stay here. The house was falling apart and it was going to snow - hard. It was already starting.

”You can’t stay here,” Olivier said to the young man. ”this place is going to collapse, it’s cold. I can take you all to the city - we can get help for you there.”

”How do I know I can trust you?” his eyes turned to Olivier.

It was Olivier’s turn to pinch the bridge of his nose. ”You don’t, but you also don’t have a choice.”

He grimaced, but saw that it was true and turned to his siblings. ”Get some bags - pack up necessities. We’re leaving.”

”but what about mama and papa?” the little girl said.

”Later - Alicia - well talk about it later.”

The girl’s lip quivered a bit but she let the matter drop as the kids began to pack food and other items into bags. Olivier looked outside. The snowfall was increasing. Time was short.

[Olivier de Volthström]

The kids worked quickly, grabbing things they needed - mostly food and clothing. They took some toys for the littlest ones. Olivier didn’t interact with them much. He was on edge. Whatever had taken the parents was dangerous and probably near by. The kids avoided the area where the blood was. One of the older ones had covered it. They were all afraid and even the little ones understood they needed to be fast. 

Olivier’s bow was in his left hand and his right was ready to move and draw an arrow from the quiver. Some of the kids looked at him oddly - probably wondering why he not only had a bow, but why it wasn’t a new compound bow with pulleys or any tech. That didn’t matter so much. They kept working. Olivier kept his eyes open, helping take things to the truck as they filled things.

"Food, clothes, and some toys," the eldest boy told him as they finished. "I guess it's..." The kid was interrupted by the roar of some sort of creature. It didn't sound human.

The kids, especially the youngest began to show signs of panic. "The monster is back," the little girl, Alicia, said. 

One of the older boys began to gather the others except for the oldest who grabbed his bo staff. "No you stay here," Oliver told him.

"I got to protect my family," he said, he look defiant.

Olivier shook his head. "Protect them by staying with them. I'll take care of it."

The boy grimaced, but Olivier saw relief in his eyes. Whatever it was, the kid didn't want to face it. He moved towards his family and began to help his younger brother with the two youngest kids. Olivier pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to the string. There was nothing that could have prepared him for what he saw. The creature was humanoid, but large and the proportions weren't correct. It was hideous. It's hands were tipped with sharp claws, its hair was wild. It even had horns. It was white in color, almost blending in with the snow that was falling. 

Olivier didn't have time to panic. Despite never having seen anything like this before, he acted without thought, his brain going into autopilot. His hands rose, bringing the bow to bear. He pulled the string and loosed the arrow. The thing was big and he didn't really have to aim, so he shot from the hip. His arrow went true, hitting the creature in its broad chest. 

And the arrow shattered. Olivier's mind hadn't even registered it before he had pulled out a second arrow and let it go with similar results. The arrows succeeded in pissing the creature off and it bellowed a roar, beginning to approach Olivier. As it passed the truck, it swung a beefy arm at it, placing a large dent in the front fender. Olivier winced. 

The bow wasn't working, so he decide to get the creature away from the house while he figured out what to do. Olivier turned and booked it. The creature gave chase. It was fast and would catch up. It attempted to hit him as it got close. Olivier rolled. Thankfully the creature was big - it couldn't stop easily and it gave Olivier some room. 

The creature roared and a scream came from the house. It drew the creature's attention. "Shit!" Olivier said. The creature, sensing easier prey, began to head toward the house. Oliver was about to draw his bow to distract it, when a rock flew over his shoulder and it the creature, followed by another and another.

Olivier looked over his shoulder to see the eldest of the children, throwing rocks at it to distract it from his brothers and sisters. Olivier had to give to the kid. He was brave. The fear in his eyes widen as the creature met the kid's gaze. The kid began to run away from the house to draw the creature away. Fuck! Oliver thought.

The creature went after the kid and Olivier drew his bow and fired. The skin would deflect the arrow, but it would at least keep him from attacking the child. At least he hoped it would. The arrow struck as the creature swung at the kid. It hit, but barely. The kid still was pushed away and screamed in pain. It turned towards Olivier then. 

He didn't have much time. The skin was impervious, but Olivier knew where it would be weak. It was a difficult shot. A very difficult shot. But he felt he could do it. Maybe. Hopefully. Time seemed to slow as it rushed him. An arrow came out of his quiver. The creature screamed in rage. Olivier nocked the arrow to his bow and pulled back. It got closer. He held his breath and fired, allowing his instinct to guide him. The arrow flew and Olivier let out his breath as it hit home - right in the creature's eye. It screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The creature's brain would be behind its eyes if was as humanoid as it looked. It thrashed before finally dying. 

Olivier sighed, still not believing he made the shot, but it had been almost instinctual. The kid stood, and clutching at his arm approached the creature. He screamed in rage, and kicked it. Olivier approached him and noticed the young man was crying then. Olivier just took him in a hug and held him. "You're injured. Let me check your arm." He did and the kid winced in pain. "A fracture, but everything is still in place." Olivier led him to the truck where he had a first aid kit. He had no splint, but took an arrow, broke off the tip and used that to make one. It did have a sling that on the boy's arm and over his shoulder. It would have to do for now. "Go - get your brothers and sisters - let's get out of here."

The kid took a deep breath, dried his eyes, and moved to comply.  Olivier went to the truck and turned the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered and Olivier coaxed it to life. He hoped it could get them back to the city in time.