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Friday, December 8, 2017

What is in the snow?

Between the city and the mountains lay the vast forests and countryside of Omeaque territory. The Omeaque Territory lay far in the north along the slopes and base of the long mountain ranges. Anyone who lives in the settlements south of this area avoid it at all costs. Only a few have ever ventured into the land that is covered in snow for months on end, but never return. Rumors and tall tales of monsters lurking in this land. All the inhabitants to the south ever see coming out are wild animals. Such tales were dismissed as myths created to keep children away from the territory. Despite all those tales and the few never coming back people spread word of huntsmen, and explorers coming in from the west and the south to enter the territory.


One veteran chose to buy a cottage that lay right on the borders of the Omeaque territory. He had friends in the infantry who were natives from certain tribes that often hunted in this area. They warned him about moving to anywhere near that area. Divorced, the black sheep, a veteran, and some how wealthy thanks to an aunt who kept in touch Ethlando Aradonson drove his jeep up the road up to his new home ten to twenty miles away from the nearest settlement. Two weeks after moving he decided to get a fox as a pet. He named it Maurice as commemoration to a comrade who was missing in the Unknown Lands. Ethlando had no doubt his brothers n arms lay dead, resting in peace after a long conflict. Victory was achieved just three years ago and some resemblance of peace swept across the globe. No invaders, any vast hordes, or any crazy massive cults trying to take over.


The drive was easy until he came upon the rocky parts that were the bumpiest in the road. His jeep rattled and almost jumped in the air. He smiled feeling he vibrations and seeing home just ahead. Ethlando turned to his fox.


"It is another day back home from the village again isn't it Maurice?" He said to the fox who looked at him with a bemused look. Ethlando cracked up and rubbed the foxes head who made its little whine. It was not a whine that meant he hurt his fox, but the usual noise of a fox.


Ehtlando came to a stop at his new cottage that he purchased right next to some woods. He installed a fence connected to the structure for the fox to play in and sleep outside. The veteran often let his fox inside the house when temperatures got lethally cold even for a fox. Living alone had both positives and negatives in life. At least he did not live too far away from a settlement. Wasting no time Ethlando turned off the vehicle let Maurice out and gathered up the groceries. The door stood locked with a warning sign hanging over the door. The veteran removed the sign and unlocked the door. He entered his own little home that had three rooms and two bathrooms that must have been made by a Dwarf or Mechanic from the Tank Brigades. As he put groceries away Maurice scurried all over the cottage like he had been waiting to see home again for months.


"Home again eh buddy?" He said the fox who was too busy running about happy to be home again.


While his pet fox leapt from chair to couch Ethlando made himself some hot chocolate. He looked out the window with a view of the snow just now falling down. He recalled the butcher telling him it would be cold this winter meaning he'd better be ready for lethal dose of winter's kiss. That butcher was a fat brown skinned goblin with a hint of human beige as well was always friendly to him. From time to time Ethlando would shoot a stray animal from a ranch or deer then bring it over to the butcher. He mostly killed pigs, or cattle that got lost. Outside the window stood a small patch of trees standing close to the woods. The stove was left heating the water allowing him to go to the furnace and put new fuel, wood to heat up his home. He returned to the stove when he saw something big standing in front his window.


Just a big mass of stone colored flesh standing in the window. Ethlando did not see the face nor did he really want to. Acting fast he snatched up his old bolt action rifle, loaded it and prepared himself to go outside. He was used to dangers, he fought for ten years as a soldier.


"You can handle this Ethlando, you fought those invaders." He said to himself as he cautiously made his way to the door still wearing his boots, and winter clothing.


Ethlando slowly opened the door and exited his cottage hoping his fox would not follow. Outside he crept along the wall towards where this thing was. At his window stood a large fat gray looking creature with an ugly head and covered in moss, mud and snow. He raised his rifle taking careful aim at whatever this thing was. In moments he had this creature in his line of fire when something else approached him from his flanks. Ethlando paused lowered his rifle a little and turned to see two more large gray monsters staring at him with black eyes, hunched necks, loincloths, and wielding clubs. As a veteran he proved tough fighting off rogues, bandits, and drunks at bars. Yet these might do him in. Taking swift action he tried to turn his rifle and shoot, but the large beasts grabbed him. They threw him up in the air causing him to shoot. His bullet nearly hit one of them causing more anger than there was before. They caught him then slammed his body into the wall hard. It knocked the wind out of him. Ethlando managed to hit one of them with the butt of his rifle. He struck one in the eye just as he felt his adrenaline kick in giving him more energy to haul ass and rush back to the safety of his cottage and truck.


When he got to his jeep Ethlando opened the door in search of his trusty flare gun. His hands rummaged allover the back of his truck as the adrenaline blinded him. Grabbing what felt like a gun handle Ethlando whirled around and fired the flare he always had loaded. He watched with hope as the flare exploded in the air. His focus returned to the trio of monsters coming towards him. What were these monsters? He asked himself as he went for an actual weapon. Feeling something long Ethlando pulled out a spear and threw it at his pursuers. He always enjoyed hunting the old fashioned way. The spear struck one of the beasts only forcing them to charge him. He jumped in the jeep slamming the door moments before the trio of monsters rammed into the vehicle. All he saw was the world spiraling before his eyes as his jeep was nearly catapulted and made to spin a few times. In his mind he prayed to the Elf Goddess his Fox was safe, his wife would forgive him, his children would love their father again, and his own family would see him as a son again.


Everything went black as he lay crushed and nearly freezing inside his toppled jeep. Some hours later he heard dogs, and shouting followed by a few vehicles. He regained consciousness when the door to the jeep was ripped off by a huge orc in winter clothing.


"I found him!" The orc yelled to someone. A woman he barely recognized came up to the jeep. She made a shocked, horrified, yet relieved expression forcing her to cover her mouth and look away.


"Mrs. Aranonson is this him?" The big orc asked the woman. She was dressed in thick wintery clothing one would buy in a big city.


"Yes." She said in a small voice that was holding back tears.


"Get him out of there quickly." commanded a voice full of authority. Ethlando closed his eyes appearing to black out again. He felt arms pull him out of the jeep and place him carefully one what felt like a bed. Someone came up to question him as he sat him with his eyes wide open. He ignored this idiot to search for Maurice who had been let out of the cottage by a man he recognized. The fox raced up to him and jumped on his legs whimpering and crying. Ethlando rubbed its head as a native looking man nabbed the fox and held it like a father would do a child. He turned to the interviewer and asked.


"What is in the snow?"

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