The Ferryman

A young traveler walks through the forest, the morning mist greets him with a loathsome joy. Only the hood of his cloak and a pair of machetes at the back of his hip. With all that, he makes his way forward. Through the thick bushes and the dead trees with oddly black leaves on the branches. The black wooden barks have been scratched and it would seem there are some blood marks falling from it. The darkness that surrounds this place, a castle on the hill while a small town beneath it. The traveler lowers his hood, revealing his long black hair and pale blue eyes while wearing a mask. Staring to the town that reeks of death, dread and misery. He checks his pocketwatch. By right, it should be a sunny day. 9 o’clock would mean sunny in nearly all parts of the Estrenza Kingdom. Taking a few steps into the town. Seeing the signs of fighting on the walls of the town buildings. The traveler walks near a blood stained wall, then turning his head to the few shell casings on the floor. “It must have been an execution.The Reidlanders pillage and leave trails of bodies in their wake. Yet…” The traveler looks at the corpse of a man who had been struck by a bayonet on a M16 assault rifle. Wearing a Reidlanders military uniform. “What the hell happened here?” The traveler approaches the corpse, pulling out the rifle as he pulls the charging handle. Peeking into the innards of the rifle, it is in combat ready but most likely it will jam due to water and whatever that is inside. The traveler slings the rifle to the back, checking the man’s body for whatever ammunition that he can find. 5 usable 30 round magazines. Hearing a cry, the traveler pushes one magazine into the rifle as his right hand pulls the bolt. To which a child stands in the center holding a doll. This toddler looks at him with the saddest eyes, but the traveler cannot offer much to those innocent eyes. He points the rifle to the child, then turning into a 2 feet tall grotesque creature made of muscles. Roaring at him. “Sorry.” Monster rushes at him, to which the traveler runs towards it as a response, sliding on his knees as he fires into the monster. As predicted, the rifle jammed. 5th round to which the traveler rolls to the side as he pulls the charging handle to clear the chamber. “Grave. Grave!” The traveler’s earpiece makes noise. “Busy.” the traveler loads another magazine as the monster rushes at him, flailing its arms violently. Traveler rolls to the side, feeling the wall break as he gets back to his feet. “Grave, you have not been given clearance to be in Mastidfelt! Return to headquarters immediately!” Ignoring the words of whoever that is making that racket, Grave rolls to the side. Emptying the last four magazines into the monster’s head, weakening it. To which he lunges at the monster, thrusting the bayonet into it’s chest. Grave pulls out his machetes, their blades are white as snow with engravings of vines on them. Grave drives them into the monster’s chest as the blood splashed onto his face, he did not care for it. To which he feels the right machete being stopped by an object, Grave immediately moves the left machete underneath. Striking whatever that stopped the right machete. The monster paused, Grave pulls out his machetes and jumps off. “I came here on my own, Lina. There is no need for headquarters to even make this call.” “Grave Wind! You are committing treason against the Estrenza’s Crusaders, how do you plead!” Grave sighs as the voice blabbers on and on about the Crusaders being noble warriors to protect the Estrenza kingdom from vile demons and monsters. “Is that Grave on the line?” Another voice asks as Grave stands in front of this monster’s body, a Reformer. That’s the official title given to these creatures, they take the form of any living being as a parasite. Slowly consuming the host until they take over the host, hiding their true form beneath all the pretense of a human disguise.