Scene 3 - Mortal Wound

The family combatants Mother, Rune, Ren, Xue, and Len held the line against their attackers. The rest of the family ran back into the house to not get in the way of the fight.

The young ones had never gotten into a brawl with exception of Saren, so he would hold the house in case slavers tried to sneak inside. Rune wielded her spear for combat while Ren used his sword.

For their siblings with wild strength Xue wielded a massive piece of wood the size of her body. Despite the weight, she handled it well thanks to handling animals her body was quite hardy.

While their sister Len's hands flashed with great speed holding long needles in each hand. The only weapon she had on hand, thanks to being tailor sow clothing and blankets for the common people.

Eyes moving in all direction watching her surroundings she dodged with ease. Ruthlessly stabbing metal needles into the soft points when chances came.

Wielding a cast iron pan their mother used it as a shield and bashing instrument. The family fought in full force cutting, stabbing, slashing, and smashing into the group of men.

Most of the men focused on Ren trying to bring down the most threatening of their group except their target. The people who fought her only stalled for time and made her get out of position.

By the time she realized their ploy she was far from her brother's side. A few of the men standing at the sidelines started to move over to Ren trying to overpower him.

Quickly He felt the pressure on him as the fight became six vs. one. Pushing him to be defensive against the series of daggers stabbing at his vitals.

Despite being at a disadvantage, Ren fought on without giving an inch. Thanks to his defensive sword arts learned from the guard instructor he held. Still, the battle wore him down making his breathing heavy. Sweat started to cake his body as Rune tried to reach him to assist.

But the men she was fighting stopped her from assisting at the rate she was going she wouldn’t make it in time! It was when Ren on his last legs after slaying two of the slavers in brilliant moves that he appeared.

With messy hair stood a shirtless man showing off the countless scars along his body. He didn't wear any footwear either only wearing shorts and some bandages on his arms. His face was just a little above average with a defining feature of a jagged scar under his left dark brown eye.

Axe in hand the man’s eyes flashed with coldness raising the axe to the sky before swinging it down. Aimed at the neck of an unsuspecting man attacking Ren hit true. The man's eyes widen in shock as the axe cut into his collarbone sinking into half his chest before stopping.

Before the man with the half-severed torso could scream the man with the axe moved fast. Putting his foot on the slavers back he kicked the half-dead person away freeing the axe head.

As the man fell to the ground in a splat the man with the axe swinging at his next target. Gripping with both hands he swang upwards severing a mans arm holding a dagger.

Blood flew from the arm stub in a squirt as the man screamed at the top of his lungs. That is until the man with the axe sent a downwards cut into the slaver brain.

Watching the brain, blood, and skull pieces flying Rune didn't fear and instead smiled. She even yelled at the axeman', “What took you so long to get here you rogue!”

Of course, this man with the axe was none other than Vince the eldest sibling of the nine. Strong like an ox standing almost two meters tall he had entered the fray.

Rune started to relax with Vince now her and with how little of the slavers left it should be an easy cleanup. Until a woman's blood-curdling scream shook Rune soul to the core. She knew that voice very well she only wished it wasn't who she thought it was.

Turning to face the scream her blood ran cold seeing a dagger jammed through her mother’s lungs.

Her thought process couldn't keep up with what was happening. Watching as the man twisted the dagger pulling away with a smile on his face. Like a dam blown open fresh blood poured out quickly staining her clothes a deep crimson.

“Mother?” Rune muttered watching as their mother fell to the ground in a pool of her own blood not believing her eyes. Time seemed to slow down for Rune, ‘This can’t be happening right? It’s a dream, right? Why was mother stabbed? Why? Why? Why? WHY?!’

Rune didn’t break down to despair right away instead all her emotions had turned to pure wrath. Hatred rose within her so strong that it started to eat at her mind.

In that hatred a voice of a little demon could be heard whispering in her ear once again, ‘Kill them, kill them all.’

Guard spear in hand she ruthlessly charged at her mother's assailant, “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU All!”

Her lunge caught the man off guard allowing the spear to impale right into his gut. With unknown strength, she lifted the man above her head before smashing him down into the ground.

The impact splattered blood all over Runes face but she didn’t stop them. She hovered over the man who was twitching and coughing out blood. Right now it was music to Rune’s ears, yet her rage didn't diminish it increased.

“More scream more you pig!” Removing the impaled spear in the man's gut Rune started stabbing holes into the man. While the two sisters Len and Xue rushed over to their mother who was bleeding out on the ground.

Ren wanted to rush over as well but had to focus on the battle on hand holding back his tears. With Vince at his side, the two were taking care of the rest of the aggressors allowing him breathing room.

Using offensive sword arts Ren outclassed the rubbish and started to cut off limbs. Wherever Ren's sword cut through the air streams of guts and blood flew.

One of the men fell down screaming clutching his now stump of a hand. Ren didn't let the man suffer, using both his hands to grip his broadsword he swung downwards. Slicing through the man's neck all the way down into his rib-cage.

He pulled the sword to the side and watched the guts spilled out onto the ground. By now Run's clothes were soaked in blood but he didn't stop his blade from moving.

Although one must say the man was quite hearty. Even with such fatal wounds, he kept on screaming trying to put his guts back inside himself.

Ren turned away from the man who was at death's door and went to go help assist Vince in fighting the enemy. Only to see Vince split the last attacker skull open down the middle of his face.

Eyes cold Vince placed his foot on the corpse and pushed away to get his axe unstuck. Brain matter and bone stuck to the blade as the man’s body fell over leaking brain juices over the ground.

The battle ended when the remaining slavers routed other the siblings give chase. Licking their minor wounds they huddled around their mother to try and stop the bleeding.

Only Rune wasn’t finished stabbing dead corpse with her spear. As if overtaken by a demon she couldn’t stop stabbing her thoughts were listless.

The one to come over to snap her back to her senses was Vince who tried shaking her awake.

“Rune get a hold of yourself we have to treat mother!”

It was Vince's voice that broke the hatred in her mind. She let go of her spear and quickly moved to mothers side. Although their mother's breath was faint and coughing blood she still lived.

“Mother! Quick help me get her inside!” The siblings moved and carried her inside laying her on the best blankets in the house. Rune held her dying mother in her arms, dark thoughts came walking into her mind. She cried her eyes out feeling the blood of her mother soak into her clothes.

Even if she was still alive the couldn’t do anything to save her. As slum trash, they couldn’t even afford to pay for a doctor. Rune cursed at the god's twisted joke of calling this a life. Playing with humans lives like chess pieces watching them rot for their amusement.

‘Why?’ Rune asked herself. ‘Why did I have to awaken? Why couldn’t I remain normal guardsman? Then I wouldn’t have to watch Hoss and now Mother die. I hate these cruel gods, I hate this world.’