Under an old willow along the tree-lined canal, lay two young lovers in romantic embrace. Entwined together they lay in the long grassy shade of the orange twilight. The smell of Autumn leaves mingles with musky sweat to fill the slight breeze brushing over the lovers’ bodies with pleasing aromas of passion and lust. Contented they lie. The afternoon exertions have capped off their long day in the fields. The toil over the summer has left their bodies toned and calloused. From their bed of foliage they smile contentedly into each others eyes in a way that tells the other that worry is an eternity away. Peasant’s pants and shirts lay scattered around the willow; the brown, dirtied clothes barely contrasting against the autumn leaves. One of the lovers rises from the ground and the naked body dives into the cool stagnant waters of the irrigation canal. The other lover jerks upright, laughs at the sight and flops back into the leaves.Staring at the sky the lover sees lightning cleave the sky in two and illuminate the valley below.
The village in the centre of the valley is little more than a collection of hovels conjoined by a circular wall. It is one of several similar villages in the broad valley. Apparently all the villages in this valley are under the jurisdiction of a single lord, though none of the peasants have seen this lord or his men in over two harvests. The villagers do not see this as a bad thing, no lord means no taxes and tributes. The villagers are doubly gleeful at this years bumper crops and several of the other villages have speculated about purchasing weapons from a rogue smith. Weapons would grant them all independence and unite the valley under their own control instead of that of a ruthless outsider. Their absentee landlord would pay for his indifference, the village elders said. The elders saw themselves ruling by some sort of council, the heresy of it, some of the peasants said. These issues were of little concern to the lovers though. One surfaced and spat water on the others naked frame. The lover flinched and cried out at the sudden cold water amplified by the steadily increasing breeze. Others had begun to retreat from the intensifying weather. Three children sprinted past giggling which sent one lover reaching for her clothes to protect her modesty.
“I don’t know what you’re hiding. They’ve probably seen it all before by now any, I’m sure”, mocked the wading lover before pushing back from the edge.
“Oh, you hideous wretch! How dare you,” the lover replied in a coarsely whispered blush, “I’ll have your hide to hide my beauty if you keep that up.”
“You couldn’t catch a fever let alone me, Kippum,” the lover said before swimming in to the near wall. No sooner did the lover reach the wall before a glistening and slightly algae encrusted body lept out of the wide ditch and swished through the leaves.
“I’ll have you, you wicked beast, Kkum,” said Kippum as Kkum rushed past her sending leaves flying. Snatched pants pulled on too quickly sent the lover rolling out onto the dirt path. Shoes and shirt in hand, Kkum was off, bare-chested down the track towards the village. There were few other stragglers heading back now, most of the children had long departed to the safety of the village wary of old gods in the sky. A drunk lumbered into the field across the canal before tripping on a furrow. Obviously the drunk, a young man known to the lovers, fell uncontrollably back into the field. There he lay in his stupor. Kippum worried for a second that she had been seen before laughing at the fool and his inebriation. She hastely pulled on her pants and worn old leather shoes before giving chase to her lover whom had collapsed in fits of amusement at the drunkard or her, Kippum was too focused on catching her lover to spare it a thought. Kkum rolled out of hysterics and into a shirt in a feat of dexterity or luck, probably the latter. The lovers giggled and ran back to the village determined not to be the slower party. Overtaking children and older, slower groups the two almost reached the village perimeter before the sky opened up and unleashed its pent up payload. Rain streaked down their faces and drenched their clothes. Lightning cracked across the valley in a vicious spectacle of destruction. The storm bore down on the village with the full force of the elements as two lovers entered the main gate under cries imploring them to hurry.
A tall fire burned the centre of the great hall. The entire village had gathered in the hall to continue the celebrations, albeit somewhat muted by the raging tempest outside. Giving thanks for a harvest was almost as important as collecting the grain itself. If you were not thankful for such a bounty the gods may show their displeasure. So a great feast of porridge, fowl and even a boar was washed down with torrents of beer as village elders and the granary master brought forth barrels of their lager. Chorus were slurred between deep swigs and hearty gulps of stews and meats. The lovers had regained their composure from their earlier adventures. Dressed in their finest clothes and seated with their extended families throwing occasional sly glances at each other. Kippum was sounding increasingly drunk and she had fallen from her stool twice now. Each fall was followed by guffaws and roars of applause from the others. Kippum was not special, she was one of many collapsing under the weight of the day and imbibed beer. One of the elders began to vomit. The crowd burst into laughter. The respected man’s compromised state had brought half the hall to its knees. Some even rolled on the floor, clutching their sides.
“Come now, great father, the party must go on,” said one of the farmers who helped the frazzled old man to his feet. The party burst into fits again and the chanting redoubled. Rain dripped from the thatched roof as thunder provided an eerie backing to the songs of great harvests and overcoming harsh winters and the joys of bedding ones lovers. Voices would echo in the hall if you were alone but tonight the hall was packed with revellers. Children darted between adults, conscious and not so conscious. Dogs barked from the corners of the room at the commotion. The feeling felt like it could continue forever and everyone could live in uninhibited joy and merriment. Two lovers stared at each other unnoticed by the crowd until Kippum fell once more from her stool. This time she did no rise, she had fallen asleep on the dusty floor.
A thunderclap rang out through the hall, shaking the walls, roof and bones of the remaining revellers. Kkum was still drinking with a local boy of a few years older whom Kkum had never really become acquainted with. The boy was your local run-of-the-mill dullard. He was interested in girls and beer but his interested ceased to overlap any further with Kkum’s own. Kkum was interested in everything and anything: small things, large things, people, places beyond the valley, how to get things done and whether the rest of the world was like this valley. Once, during the recent summer Kkum and Kippum had skulked off together to the very top of one of the mountains that had been the end of their world since they were children. They were disappointed to see only more of the forest that covered the mountain also covered the next valley over. Kkum had been to the far village at the end of the summer before but it had been as unsatisfying as finding the forest. The village was almost identical to the one he grew up in and departed two days before. The other boy, Ren was his name, shared no interest in these tales when they did not contain beer or women. His eyes glazed over and he just stared at Chem, a mother of young twins who’s husband died years ago, who now had her ample breasts out for the village to drool over. Another loud bang rattled the walls. Most of the village was sprawled out asleep on the dirty floor and each other now. Kkum did not want to sleep. Dreams of Kippum were the only thing waiting there and dreams would go unfulfilled in sleep as their love must remain secret. Small communities talk too much.
Only a few die hards, Kkum included, were left now to work steadily through the last of the beer in the barrel. The walls pounded once more and the door burst open. Under the arch stood a great hulk of a man dressed in peculiar black armour. Straps wrapped his otherwise bare chest holding his shoulders and chain-mail sleeves to his body. Long hair and a longer beard gave his head a savage and fierce appearance. Six other similarly strange warriors approached from behind the gaunt giant in the door. Kkum noticed the blood dripping from the warrior under the door. Behind the strange warriors, Kkum noticed several dead dogs strewn around the central courtyard. Panic began to set into the conscious crowd. Silence descended onto hall leaving only the sounds of heavy breathing and quiet fear. Someone snored. The beast in the lead let out deep grunts in an unknown tongue and lifted his hammer over his spaulders. Rain started pouring once more outside. A smaller, slighter man in a full suit of black plated armour stepped in from the rain and seemed to answer the giant in his language of grunts then something more recognisable but strangely accented.
“You don’t all have to die tonight but fail to co-operate and we will see this room filled with your blood,” the plated figure removed his helmet to reveal a bald, scarred ugly head beneath it. “That got your attention didn’t it. I’ll be frank, we want all the provisions you have and as many of you as we please for slaves. Only the young and fit, so most of you geezers have nothing to worry about. However, I won’t ask twice and he doesn’t ask at all.” Signalling the brute behind him now as he paced into the centre of the hall kicking a sleeping head as he walked.
“Right! On your fucking inbred feet, you lazy degenerates. Got your fucking attention now? Slowly move outside in a fucking orderly manner. Do you fucking understand me?” The child beneath the plated figure’s twisted mouth screamed in terror. All but the completely intoxicated were slowly rising in shock and bewilderment. A piercing scream let out from the side of the room where another of the warriors had plunged a small dagger into the side of a drunken farmhand who burned out earlier in the night. He now lay quivering, clutching his side as his blood oozed out between his fingers. Another scream as the plated warrior pulled a young girl up by her hair tearing great clumps from her head in the process. Her screams sent chills through the disorientated villagers as celebratory ecstasy turned to pain and terror. The girl’s father reached for a meat cleaver and lunged for the plated warrior. His defence was cut short by the hammer of the giant as it crushed his skull. The girl’s father twitched and jerked uncontrollably on the floor causing his daughter’s screams to fall silent despite the blood which now trickled from her torn scalp. Kkum was heading towards the door and towards Kippum who had barely propped herself into a kneel. Fear overtook Kkum to reunite into Kippum’s hand and hopefully lead her from this tragic night.
The villagers were almost in a rout now, trampling the few corpses of those who had at first attempted to mount a defence. Dejectedly they marched out into the courtyard where they were met by a macabre spectacle of the slaughtered dogs and a few stray villagers who left the celebrations earlier. The sight sent Kippum into nausea. Some villagers tried to retreat back into the hall as they noticed dozens of warriors were now looting their homes and the grain stores. Sacks of grain were being piled outside the granary after being filled by some of those unfortunate enough to have got out of the crowded hall earlier. Kippum’s hand tightly gripped Kkum’s as the lovers stood close in the courtyard’s swarm of activity and humanity. Some cried, but only softly because their captors had reacted savagely to those who made too much noise or attempted to communicate too openly. The boy who was so saddened by his dog’s miserable body is still up on the roof with his head concave after the enforcer’s hammer. His parents could barely hide their grief no matter how hard they tried as they shook next to the lovers. The rain turned the ground a muddy brown as still more bags were hauled from the cool walls of the granary and out into the rain.
Ahead of the lovers the man in black paint was cutting the arm of a boy who was almost a man. “The sadistic bastard never lets up,” someone whispered nearby. The boy whimpered but restrained tears. His wound seemed to be superficial. Another boy was similarly marked by the Bastard. He could not contain himself and soiled his pants in fear at the twisted figure that still gripped him. the Bastard stabbed upward under the boy’s chin and the child fell limp onto the muddy ground.
“I swear you are even bigger soft cocks that that other mob down the road,” the Bastard stated, apparently to himself but loud enough for those around him to hear and understand the utter futility of the situation. Their lives lay in the hands of psychopathic murderers. Help was not coming from outside and the elders were heaped inside the hall now after they tried to concoct some kind of plan. Their long, happy lives shattered and now their ruined bodies were stacked up in their former seat of power. Blood was everywhere. Blood, rain and mud.
the Bastard approached an older girl. She was not yet wed, mostly because of her plain and unappealing features that the children would mock her about. Once a boy who was mocking her was caught by the girl, who gets called Lau. Lau beat him blue and her tormentor’s eye didn’t open for a week under that bruising. Lau now stood taller than the Bastard who stood before her. the Bastard looked at her and suddenly plunged a filthy finger into her mouth and began feeling around. Lau’s eyes looked around unwilling to accept that the situation was as dire as it appeared, or maybe to appeal for help from the defeated villagers who stood round her silently. the Bastard’s finger withdrew before gripping her arm. A cut was made on her right arm before the Bastard’s focus shifted once more in search of new prey.
Kippum was suddenly in the Bastard’s grip. His eyes narrowed as he squinted at Kippum. He licked his lips and tightened his before releasing his right hand to draw his knife. Kippum’s eyes clenched tightly closed and her lip quivered in anticipation. Her warm blood ran down her arm and over the Bastards putrid left hand before releasing his grip. Kippum held her tongue in spite of the pain caused by the slice in her upper arm. Her lip quivered but didn’t part to release a sound. Kkum stood in admiration or pride next to her before the Bastard’s gaze shifted to Kkum.
the Bastard gripped Kkum’s chin and stared into an open mouth before releasing Kkum with a quick and unexpected slice. Kkum almost cried but held fast and held Kippum’s hand tighter. the Bastard lurched onwards for fresh blood, or whatever he was after leaving the lovers a second to look into each others eyes to find only fearful expectation and suffering. The granary was almost emptied now. Almost fifty sacks were stacked in a drier part of the muddy courtyard by the main gate.
One of the warriors belched something at the Bastard. The Bastard responded in that hideous tongue before translating the order, “you lot, yes you miserable sacks of shit! Take off your pants, tie the feet and pass them over to him. Now! Are you fucking deaf? I said now!” The Bastard paced over to the girl who was struggling to reluctantly remove her pants. The Bastard drew his knife but the Giant grabbed his arm and with one swift motion pushed the girl backward into the mud in front of the warriors milling around the granary door. He grunted something and returned to his patrolling to bully others. Everyone looked away as they knew what was about to transpire. The Brute picked out three more young girls, ripping the clothes from one who tried to crawl back before hurling her into a wall were she collapsed before the inevitable. The screams and cries tortured the defeated villagers so much that two young men and one of the girl’s mothers rose to their defence only to face off against the Brute himself who ended their lives almost as quickly as they could rise to their feet. The screams continued for what seemed like forever as the rain beat down on the surviving villagers in the centre of the courtyard.
“Right, it’s time to fucking move out. We have all had a lovely time but it is late and we have a long way to go,” gloated the Bastard in his snide accent. He paused causing the Brute to cast a stern gaze at the Bastard from under his heavy brow and blood-matted hair. The Bastard was staring at a girl who had had the briefest glimmer of hope in her eyes. You could tell that he was savouring the moment biding his time for the instant where destroying her hope would grant him the most satisfaction. The Bastard smiled.
“If I cut your right arm step forward. If I didn’t cut your arm move back,” he said as tears streaked down the girls expression as if they contained the last of her hopes and dreams in the salty fluid. She stepped forward and the Bastard’s gnarled grimance grew larger. “And don’t any of you lot think you can fucking hide them cuts. Step forward or die where you stand.”
Kkum stepped forward. Kkum’s arm was being pulled back by the other lover. Kkum implored Kippum with a stricken glance before understanding the situation and taking it in with wide-eyed horror. Kippum’s mother had gripped her daughter’s waist and tried to drag her backwards. Confusion sprang across her face and her eyes widened. Kkum cried out in agony as the hammer came down onto her lovers head. The blow crushed her skull from behind, her beautiful face blotched as blood vessels collapsed from the force and her eyes emptily watched her lover fall back into the other slaves. Her energy slipped from her body as her lover slipped in the bloody mud. Tears streamed down Kkum’s face but her true grieving would wait as her adrenaline kicked in to keep her body in motionless shock. Kippum’s mother’s body fell over her lover after the hammer fell again. Kkum’s future and past evaporated in the cold autumn rain. In a moment, her entire existence ended in every way except true and final death. While her body stood in the soaking rain she felt her soul and reason to live destroyed by the mighty blows of the great hammer.
Eternity passed and another order was barked from behind by the Bastard. The woman who had been known as Kkum awakened to a world of shit and blood to pick up a heavy sack of grain. This woman acknowledged the rusty chain being bolted around her neck when she departed the compound where she once lived. A order to walk was issued forth from someone somewhere close. One foot followed the other to the rhythm of the clinking chain links as the sky closed and the rains departed. A large group was marched along a muddy road in the early hours of a morning out of an unnamed valley.
