...Chapter 1 - Death Descent
In the darkness of the night, a crimson cloud was rising from the ground, the smell of burnt flesh and people's wail resounding in the depth of the forest can be heard throughout the land, a savage beast, no, a man was dragging another man that its gut was trailing on the grass, the man threw the dead body and pile it up with a look of savagery.
A child, kneeling with a clenched fist was staring on the pile of dead bodies, his body with full of blood marks and bruises, a look of defeat can be seen through his eyes, crying, wailing, but regret.
Live…
Was the last word he heard from his father before he saw him being beheaded, a man with a bulky body with full of unrecognized tattoos was looking at him with a smile of mockery, as the blood of his father splashed on the child's face, his clenched fist with full of sand was thrown to the face of the beheader, with a weak legs, he immediately got up and rushed to the man that's still blind for a moment, he got his father's knife and slashed it to the neck of the man who killed his father, the man with red eyes holding his neck looked at the child, smiling, like death was the greatest blessing that they can receive, thud… the child breathe heavily, he looked at the burning sky, he smiled, kneeled, and looked at the knife he was holding, a thought of ending his life came through his mind, but the last word of his father keep echoing and stopping him from stabbing his throat.
Live…
Tell me father, how can I live alone? Should I forsake everything just to survive?
As the child looked at the scene in front of him, where his fellow tribesmen were getting dragged, women getting raped in front of their husband, and children getting slaughtered.
If being a beast will keep me alive, so be it.
In a place that is chaotic, everything you do with normalcy will be considered abnormal and vice versa, some of the raiders looked at the kneeling child with confused eyes, but since it's not normal, it was considered normal to them, they don't care what the child will do, as long as the raiders are happy they're willing to let him live for a moment before their allotted time for enjoyment was finished and they need to be back at their original work, to enslave different tribes to strengthen their own.
As one of the raiders got neared to the kneeling child, he noticed that one of his tribesmen was killed with a wound on his neck, not deep, but enough to end his life, he sighed and noticed the other man was beheaded, he concluded that before his tribesmen were killed he beheaded the other man, no need to think it over because he will not believe it even if someone tell him that the child in front of him was the one who killed his tribesmen. He looked at the child curiously, as the kneeling child stabbed his right hand, he draws an eye on his forehead using his blood, the raider got confused of what the child was doing but since it looks fun he just watched the child do what it wants to do.
As the child's finished drawing the eye on his forehead, the child was speaking incoherently like a murmur that is too soft and inaudible, he draws different marks on his shoulder, torso, abdomen and on his neck using his own blood, after he finished his drawing the child slammed his head on the ground prostrating to a unknown entity that he is praying, the child raised his head, spread his arms widely and joined it like he is begging, the child's eyes bleed unstoppably, everything he saw is like world of blood, he looked at the moon, in his own Crimson Moon.
The world slows down until it stops, a human figure with black cloak was walking to him, as the black cloak man walks a river of blood follows behind him.
"It's been thousands of years before someone offers to me, tell me Child, why offer a living to me, the God of Death?"
The self-proclaim God of Death looked at the child amused, after an unknown millennium this was his latest summoning that He responded to.
"Maybe you don't understand what you did, but you called My name and I respond to your prayer, a prayer for offering a soul to me, a soul of the dead."
The self-proclaimed God of Death circled the child, the river of blood spread around the child, enveloping and drowning him with blood, the child swam to get outside of the bubble of blood but no matter what the child do he can't get out of the blood.
The God of Death laughed, he got entertained seeing the child almost drown from His River of Blood, He almost forgot why He came to this land and respond to the prayer that the child made. with a snap of His finger, the River of Blood exploded dyeing the Child crimson and gasping to breathe.
"What's your name Child?"
The Child looked at Him with a tinged of fear, with a small and inaudible voice the child said.
"Before I prayed to you, I abandoned my name..."
The child looked straight in the eye of the God of Death, unafraid.
"I don't have a Name..."
The self-proclaimed God of Death laughed, even He as a God have His own Name, all things have a Name, but this Child abandoned his Name, living like a fool without an identity is akin to not existing. The Forgotten, The Oblivion, The Abyss.
The self-proclaimed God of Death sighed, looked around the chaotic scenery, where all the humans around Him were like a beast in this Festival of Blood, a condition that needs to be met for Him to descend.
"Since I Am already here, tell me what you want to trade Child... but remember I only accept an equal trade."
The child looked at the God of Death confused, he doesn't know anything regarding the Trade, and if it's an equal trade he doesn't have anything to Trade.
"As the God of Death, I only accept soul, normally I will take the soul of the one who was marked with Death."
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death looked at the Childs body hinting him that its soul is what He wants.
"But you're not a dead yet, and since it's my latest descend after a thousand of years I'll give an exception to you, either offer your dead family's soul or someone you killed by your own hands."
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death looked at the child mockingly alternating with the beheaded body in front of the Child.
"What will happen to the Soul that I will trade to you?"
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death smiled and said nothing.
The Child bowed his head with a smile put on his face.
"I wish... no... I'll trade a Soul for me to Live."
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death got stunned for a moment, he laughed maniacally and looked straight to the eyes of the Child.
"Isn't ironic calling My Name, The God of Death for you to Live? why not call the God of Life? well anyways, the Trade is complete, I will give you the power for you to live... but for you to live indefinitely was not for me to decide, even Me as a God, cannot control Fate, even the Fate itself."
As the Self-Proclaimed God of Death walked to the beheaded man and raise his arm, the Child stopped him.
"It's not my Father soul that I wish to trade."
The child point to the dead man lying beside his father that's holding its neck.
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death looked at the Child, shocked, even the God himself couldn't believe that the child offered another man's soul, there's only one conclusion, that the Child is the one who killed the man.
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death looked at the child, then the dead man, He raised his arm, clenched His fist and pull something out of nowhere, the dead man got up, no, it was his Soul that got up, his physical body was still lying dead on the ground, the dead man looked at the child mockingly as if he was still alive, before the dead man could rush to the kneeling child, a black chain coiled on his arms, legs, and neck, the chain become red and a sound of sizzling flesh, no... a sizzling soul can be heard accompanied by the wailing of the man, the dead man soul tries to remove the chain coiled on his neck but no matter what he do he cannot remove the chain, the dead man soul was slowly being pulled to the body of the Self-Proclaimed God of Death, screaming, laughing, shouting, no matter what kind of fight and movements he do he cannot get out of the chain, inevitably he got swallowed by the River of Blood beneath the Self-Proclaimed God of Death until all the ravings gone and peaceful silence come at place.
"At last... a Sinners soul after a thousand of years joined My Kingdom..."
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death placed His hand on the temple of the Child.
"The price has been paid, as the God of Death I bless you, a Child with No Name..."
The Child's body freeze and after a few moment an uncontrollable spasm happened to his body, the Mark of Death that he paint on his body using his blood sunk on his skin, the Child grit his teeth, unbearable pain and a burning sensation engulfed his body, the Child's eyes irises begun to dye with blood, his tears of blood rewinds like nothing happened, he breathe for air, weakened and with a thud, the child lost his consciousness.
The Self-Proclaimed God of Death turned back, with a mocking smile he said.
"The path that you will take... I'll wait for it... Becoming my enemy, or Succeeding me will depend on your Fate..."
"Let this world dye with Crimson, and you... My Blessed, will dye it for me..."
...Chapter 2 - Trade
As the screaming and wailing almost came to a stop, all the tribe raiders know that it's time to go back to their original job, some shows annoyance because they cannot make "fun" anymore while some happily drag their newly acquired slaves thinking what kind of reward they will get after finishing their mission.
A raider, thin but muscular, was carrying an unconscious child on his back, thinking what happened before the child lost consciousness in front of him, a sense of unknown occurs to his mind.
He saw the child cried with blood, then the blood marks being erased like it sunk beneath the child skin, and the child tears of blood rewinds like its eyes sip its tears, it all happened in just a blink of an eye.
Am I Crazy? This is insane, even if i tell it to someone crazy they will not believe this kind of thing.
As the raider toss the child in the caged wagon he looked to the unconscious child shook his head and leave, he needs to report it to his leader even though he might seem insane.
Night passed and the dawn came, as the sun rise from east reflecting its light to the dew on the leaves, a medium sized caravan was travelling through the rough muddy road with no sign of any concrete, one of the caged wagons, full of slaves got stuck on the vines of trees, a muscular man full of tattoos opened the cage, he pulled the slave near him and throw him on the ground.
"All of you come down, now!"
The slaves, like a puppet, came down one after another, soon the caged was free of slave, the tattooed muscular man signaled his companion to pull the caged wagon while he himself pushed it.
"What an idiot! remove the vines first!"
as the other man came, he pulled his axe behind him and smashed it to the stuck vines coiled on the wheel, the wheel, made of wood cannot handle the impact of the axe and immediately broke down like a stick.
The two men looked at each other, laughing, they looked at the slave and ordered them to push the wagon to the side. as the two man turned back, one of the slave, with full of bruises and wound silently took a pointed wood, and stab it on the neck of one of the tattooed man, the tattooed man sensed the abnormality, he did not turn around to look back, he immediately crouch down, turn and hit the chest of the slave, the slave spat out blood, took two step backwards, without looking with his fellow tribesman he shouted.
"Run!"
The freed slaves got confused for a moment, their feelings transitioned from fear to anger, they grit their teeth, and started running for their lives, the other slaves in the caged wagon cheer for them, as long as there's a chance, as long as their fellow tribesman escape, there's a possibility for them to come back and help them escape, especially that this forest is their home ground, everything in 1 kilometer radius from their village are for them to utilize, traps, animals, terrain, they lived here since their birth, they will not die here without a fight.
The tattooed man looked at the slave in front of him, he slowly walks to him, the slave took a step back, raised his pointed wood, suddenly the tattooed man vanished from his sight, a punch came to his chin unexpectedly strong enough to lift him upwards, the slave almost got knocked out but as his feet leave the ground he tried to counterattack by sending his knee to the face of the tattooed man, the tattooed man saw the slave action, a few inches before the slave's knee hit his face he ducked to the side and with a full force he hit the left side of the chest of the slave, the slave was sent flying to the broken wagon, bounced and rolled to the ground, holding his side, grunting and having a hard time to breathe, the tattooed man didn't give the slave a chance to stabilize himself, he smacked the back of the head of the slave strong enough to break a rock but surprisingly the head of the slave didn't burst out, the tattooed man sit at the back of the slave, hold the slave's hair and raised its head, he reached for the knife at his side and placed it on the neck of the slave.
"Tribe Leader!"
As the fellow tribesman of the slave shout, all the raiders laughed maniacally.
the tattooed man pressed his knife on the neck of the slave's tribe leader, blood slowly drip to the ground.
"Tell me, Tribe Leader, how much time do you think my tribesman captures OUR slaves?"
After waiting an hour, the raiders drag the escaped slaves one after another, some of the slaves lacked parts of their body, bleeding, some died, some have their head removed from their body, and some raiders tossing only the head of the slave that they hunted.
After a few moments a small figure came to their sight, the child was dragging a man unknown if its dead or alive while his other hand was holding a head with a face of shock and terror, as the child's bare foot touch the ground, crimson blood follows him, with emotionless eyes the bloody child tossed the head in front of the tattooed man kneeling on his tribe leader.
"I want to Trade..."
...Chapter 3 - Blood Child
An hour after the slave run from the caravan, they split off in different parts of the forest to shake the raiders, since they're familiar with the environment the chance of escaping is much higher than if they stay together.
Four individuals are panting and running for their lives, they're being chased by three men wielding different kind of weapons, one slave stay behind trying to hold off the raiders but suddenly an arrow struck his leg.
"Run! Live! Don't look back!"
With his heavy leg, he dragged it to try to stop the pursuing raiders.
One of the remaining adult slaves looked at the child following them, he pitied the child, it was unfortunate for this child to experience the hellish condition they are in right now.
"Kid, go to the nearest cave, don't try to go out until next morning, survive! don't come back to save us, don't think of avenging us."
The two adults stop their track, they looked at each other and nodded like they already know what needs to be done without voicing it out, they hid behind the trees and bushes to ambush the raiders chasing them, the child looked back, with regret, he bit his lips and run to the nearest cave without holding back.
Seeing this the two adults sigh with relief, even if they not survive this day, they're happy to see one of the children in their tribe survive the calamity.
"Do you guys really think you can shake us off?"
One of the two remaining raiders chasing the slave survey the forest around them.
"Do you really think that hiding in this forest will let you survive? I'll tell you, you're not the only tribe who think this way."
The raider tosses a knife on the ground, mocking the hiding slave to come and get the knife.
"Take the knife, let's do it in a warrior's way."
A sound of bushes came, one man slowly walkout of it and reach the knife on the ground, he raised it and pointed it on the thin muscular man in front of him.
"Come..."
The thin muscular man rushed to the slave, as he crouches an arrow passed over his head, the slave was stunned for a moment before realizing that the thin muscular man betrayed him from his expectation, the adult slave tried to dodge but was still got hit on his shoulder, with a rotation force helped by the arrow the adult slave slashed the knife in front of him to stop the rushing thin muscular raider.
"Now!"
As the adult slave looked at the tree at the corner, he noticed that there was no sign of his companion joining the fight, he was left alone, and a tear of sadness drop from his eyes, he smiled mockingly to himself and faced the two raiders smirking at him.
At least... survive leaving me...
Inside the cave, a child leaning on the cave wall was panting heavily, the child sat, hugged his knees and was trying to slow his breathe down to reduce the sound coming from him.
A man slowly came in the cave looking around with a panic expression.
"Kid... where are you?"
With a hush voice, the man was looking for the child, the child peep on the man, unsure if it was his tribesman or a raider due to the lack of light inside the cave. As the child's eyes adjust in the darkness of the cave, he saw the man was slowly walking up to him brushing the cave wall with his bleeding hand.
"There you are..."
When the adult man looked at the panting child, he felt sad.
Why this child needs to experience the cruel way of life in such a young age.
The child looked at the man curiously.
"Wh... where is the other?"
The adult man sigh, he left the scene when he noticed that the one of the raiders knock the bow, realizing that there was no chance of them winning, he pats the nape of the child and wants him to relax.
"He escaped..."
As the child sigh for relief, he noticed that the man was holding his neck with both hands and slowly choking him, he tried to fight and remove the bleeding hands of the man, but their built was like a lion and a cat, no matter what the child do he cannot escape the grasp of the man.
"Don't, pl... please... i... want... to... li... live..."
Kicking, struggling, the man shows no sign of letting go, the man was crying, uncontrollable tears came from his eyes, he wants to escape, he wants to end the child's suffering from this chaotic world, maybe... just maybe, if they both die, the suffering that they are experiencing right now will come to stop.
As the child got weak to struggle, his nails slowly got off from the bleeding hands of the man, the child stop breathing, his hands fell off to the cold ground with no sign of life, the child's heart stop.
The man wails, he cried non-stop, begging for the raiders to come and end his life, when suddenly everything goes to silence, the sound of water droplets gone, the world seems to stop.
thump...
The man opened his eyes and looked at his chest to feel if it was its heart pounding.
thump...
The man, frightened, looked at the body of the child, having fear for the unknown.
thump...
As the third heart pounding sounds, the blood from the ground that came from the bleeding hands of the man rises, including the body of the child, with another beat, the child's eye opened, crimson eyes started to shine, with another beat, the child smiles.
This blessing came from the Self-Proclaimed God of Death itself, an ability of his selected followers when the Church of Death was still known to the World, an ability to control blood, they were feared, different churches purged the Church of Death because of this ability, and the madness that the Church of Death brought to the world, They were known as unkillable as long as there is blood around them, they can control blood to heal themselves, and because of blood, they yearn for it, and they start a massacre throughout the World, all churches united to burn all the followers of the God of Death, until they were erased in history. Only selected few throughout the world know about the history more than a thousand years ago, and even for them it was considered a taboo to speak of it, eliminating all the possibilities for the Church of Death to rise again from this World.
As the adult slave looked at the suspended child, a sense of fear engulfed him, with his trembling body, he tried to move back, until the cave wall stopped him.
"Mo... monster!"
The child suspended midair clenched his fist, the blood came from the adult slave slowly gathered in front of the child forming a bloody thread, with the child pull, the bloody thread transformed into a plain looking red knife without a handle.
"I'm sorry..."
The adult slave saw the child with a bloody knife wave his hand, he got confused of what the child did, until he saw his own body kneeled, blood gushing out from the body's neck, his body without his head fall in front him, and the adult slave lost his consciousness.
...Chapter 4 - Barbarian
In the forest, a sound of blade clashing can be heard, two adult man was engaged in a knife fight with no sign of stopping, the thin muscular man holding a knife reversed laugh and was enjoying the fight with the bleeding man with an arrow on its leg and shoulder.
The bleeding man was the adult slave that's been abandoned by his companion, after he knows that his companion left him, he decided to fight the raiders even though he knows that there is no chance for him to escape alive.
The adult slave lean to dodge the arrow aimed at him, and rush to the thin muscular man, engaging again in a knife fight, the adult slave doesn't have a choice, if he stayed away from the knife fight a sudden arrow will fly towards him, but if he engage in the knife fight the bowman will have no choice but to wait for an opportunity to shoot him again, this fight lasts for more than a quarter an hour now, with his weak legs and shoulder that's bleeding uncontrollably he was engage in deadly fight, he was like a mouse trapped and was being played by a cat, the only problem is that he can't pretend that he is dead, and he will be dead for sure if he do it that way.
The bowman released the knocked arrow targeted at the foot of the thin muscular man, the thin muscular man dodges it swiftly.
"What the hell man, are you freaking blind?"