A Gentleman’s Guide to Hunting Fantastic Beasts: 15

A Gentleman’s Guide to Hunting Fantastic Beasts: 15

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

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In regards to power and ability, the standard individual of the new world that I inhabited was superior to the norm in my previous life. I had presupposed that the As’Kari were a different breed of people, whose harsh living and adaptations to the Great Desert changed them to be hardier and more adept at slaying monsters. They developed customs, had certain foodstuffs as mainstays of their diet, and kept secret practices that ensured their progeny grew strong and hale. However, after studying the people now under my care for several weeks, I have confirmed another theory.

Power and ability were entirely dependent on the consumption of fauna and flora of this world that was affected by the strange, esoteric energy that dwelled within all things in it.

My evidence lay with the hunters and the defensive force I’ve placed under their command. The consumption of the large, lupine creatures that hunted in packs resulted in all members of the hunting parties to grow stronger, faster, and hardier. Physical tests before their new diets showed normal human beings, but after a few weeks they were practically wholly different individuals. However, after an average of two months of consumption of the same flesh, even with increased portions, the growth ceased and they plateau.

Consumption of the lesser monsters resulted in no gains, but upon the discovery of larger monsters, this time of the ursine variety, did changes begin once more.

Given the limited amount of flesh that the monstrous ursine creatures provided, I focused on providing the flesh to Gale and the more experienced hunters. The results proved to be exponential rather than additive, as they once again experienced a doubling in strength, speed, and hardiness while consuming the flesh. Not only that, but they exhibited some of the changes found in the Warriors of the As’Kari. Despite being already mature adults, they grew in height, old scars faded while skin went taut, and their metabolism demanded more to compensate for increased mass.

The As’Kari and the People of the Desert were mighty and strong because they sought out all the methods possible to surmount the challenges of their environment. They sought out power, and even with knowledge with how it was gained, transcribed what they knew, and through the centuries they crafted customs and traditions that led to them creating a powerful, mighty civilization that could subjugate the Great Desert instead of simply surviving it.

So, knowing that and evaluating the information I gathered with my own hands, I strove to craft a protective force for the budding village that could rival the As’Kari.

They wouldn’t be molded from birth, they lacked the benefits of consuming flora and fauna lesser than what they already hunted, but they would have to suffice.

The eternal night the fell upon the world I now lived in was proving more dangerous than I expected.

They would have no choice in order to survive.

Especially as “Demons” proved to be far more difficult foes than their Kingdom expected.

…

The most common Demon was like a giant, oversized bat about the size of a dog. Its teeth were venomous, its massive eyes wide and capable of tracking things with ease, and the tips of its wings had scythe-like blades that easily tore through leather. They flew in the dozens, were voracious eaters, and quick. Finally, they could call upon a strange ability to scream and hit their prey with a strong blast of air after rapidly expanding their lungs and folding their ears against their skull, which could shatter stone and bone with ease. They would be a terrifying foe, if not for their frail bodies and how easily they were trapped with rotting trash.

I gave a nod to Gale as we watched a pack descend upon the garbage pile generated by the town and moments later the projectiles were loosed. Pebbles in the hands of men and women with twice the strength of a normal man were equivalent to slings and required far less training. The groupings of pebbles smash into the frail bodies of the lesser, most common Demons and shattered them. Much like birds, their bones were thin and long, and even their skulls provided little protection.

Against a barrage of stones thrown by men and women beyond the norm, the “imps” were no match.

A mere minute of sustained barrage resulted in a dead flock and soon enough the Hunters came forth from the treeline to harvest their kills.

Not for themselves, but the common people.

The imps were deadlier than the wolves, but they held the same amount of “nutrition” as the pack-based, hardy creatures.

Size was the largest factor in deciding what a monster gave to the individual.

I left the hunters and approached Gale, as she looked towards the horizon.

Where her and her people once stayed under the shadow of tall walls and a gate that barred their way.

Where a Knight had gone into and told me that she would solve the problem of the refugees in exchange of my aid.

Where a Dwarf had told me that he’d return to me and bring me to his sleeping, legendary King so that I could heal him of his wounds.

Nearly half a year has passed since then, since the eternal night fell, and yesterday the fortress had been besieged by a swarm of the imps we had just faced. They had set the forest surrounding the fortress alight to suffocate the imps and force them to the ground, after a pitched battle, and now ash fell from us all while smoke arose in the distance.

Gale hated them for what they did to her and her family, but she was a kind young woman whose rage stemmed from those she loved being wronged.

Thus, her worry for those in the fortress was clear to see.

And, I did not speak, because I knew that she would not like my thoughts on the matter without me saying a word.

“…they did terrible things to us, but even they don’t deserve to be torn apart by demons, physician.” Gale addressed my unshared thoughts on the matter, while I surveyed the area. The larger imps were female and the smaller ones were male. Bats, to my memory, were creatures that typically only had one child at a time. However, it could be different for this creature given their larger size. They could have small spawn that rapidly grew, which would explain their immense swarms. “After all the aid you’ve given us, all the care you sent our way, how could you not feel the same in the slightest?”

To Gale’s question, I had an answer at the ready.

“Your straits are more dire. You lack soldiers to protect you, walls to hide behind, and the support of a kingdom beneath the only source of light in the world.” I gestured to what lay beyond the fortress and the burning forest that surrounded it. The immense tree of light that protected an entire kingdom and allowed it to function in eternal light still shone brightly. “They have more than you. It is good that you care for them, but you would expend strength that you do not have, if you went to aid them. You can only survive now by helping yourselves.”

I understood the crisis at hand. Gale saw the newfound strength of her and her fellows to protect other people. If they exerted themselves, they could assist the fort, and save the lives of others. However, in doing so, they would expend themselves and lost people that they cannot afford to lose.

It was, in a way, triage altered for this world.

I pointed at Gale and her glare in my direction took on a measure of surprise.

“If you lay bleeding and dying next to a normal man who was the same, and I could only save one of you, then I would save you. Why? Because you can contribute and save more lives in the future than a normal man.” My life with the As’Kari altered some of my views of my past life. The harsh life imposed by the Great Desert, the monsters faced by warriors, and the threats from other tribes made certain matters clear when it came to decisions. Those who could save more lives were to be prioritized over those who couldn’t. “It would be unjust to those who require protection from monsters, those who need to be led, and those who would have to sacrifice their lives against a fearsome foe that only you could face, if I let you die in favor of someone who could not do the same as you.”

My words incensed the young woman.

“So, if you’re hurt, then we should save you at the cost of our own lives? We should give everything that we have to save your life?” Gale’s anger and words were from her experiences. She had been discarded and others were saved, much like the rest of the town, because others were judged of greater worth in the future prosperity of the people. “Then, what makes us different from them? How are we any better, if we decide to go by the same rules as they do, and throw away lives that we think aren’t worth saving?”

She expected me to hesitate, but I simply nodded at her words and gave my answer.

“Because we’re lesser than them, because they could’ve done more in the past and chose not to do so, and we can only live and try to survive with the circumstances we now have.” Gale’s former rulers knew this calamity was coming. They prepared for it, used great magics, and chose their current path that abandoned all they deemed unnecessary years before the calamity came. “We walk this path because to not do so would invite destruction to those we protect. They walk their path because they have decided to throw away those didn’t wish to protect. The choice may be similar, but the reason is not.”

Gale’s brow furrowed at my words, before I gave her the conclusion of my argument.

“Were I in your mayor’s place, I would not have left you behind to seek shelter without saying a word. I would’ve struggled, fought, and rallied all those left behind to where we are now and done my utmost to save as many as I could. I am sure that you would’ve done the same.” They were abandoned in plans made years in advance, thrown aside and discarded by the writ of a pen, and the things that would’ve aided their survival taken from them to better the chances of those chosen. “Gale, you are not like them by not going to save them and only protecting your own. They cast you aside, took your blacksmiths, stablehands, and all others with skill, while throwing you all aside. That you do not wish to lash out at them in their moment of weakness and take back what was seized from you… is more than they deserve.”

To those words, Gale didn’t have a response and soon enough she left with a deep frown set upon her lips.

I noticed a few gazes from the other Hunters in my direction.

Some were conflicted, but many seemed relieved at my words, and took to their duties with greater aplomb.

Good people forced to make choices that they shouldn’t.

Just like the young men at the front long ago.

I did know if I could shield these people from the terrors brought by conflict, but I will try.

…

Through the labor of many, the abandoned village was transformed into a defensible position that could provide shelter and security to those left behind.

Simple tools were fashioned from stone, wood, and the hardy bones of the creatures that we fought and they were used to carve a pocket of safety in eternal twilight. I taught them all that I knew from the As’Kari, and they combined it with their own knowledge, to great effect. The resource-saving methods of the As’Kari, their methods of using monsters, bridged the gap left behind by the talent and tools stolen from them. They used everything they could to survive and now they were close to thriving.

“The first batch of smoked fish is ready. We have more than enough for everyone.” The chief fisherman handed his findings to me and gestured towards the smoke shack. The former fishing village had left their tools as they travelled inland. A few of the refugees that came with us were from the village itself and were capable of fishermen. This elderly man was one of them. His hands were calloused and bore the scars of many nets pulled taught, but his eyes were keen and sharp. “No one’s going to starve… or have to eat the flesh of monsters, unless they have to.”

“The flesh of the monsters has curative and strengthening effects, but I will not force them to be eaten if it is unnecessary.” I addressed the concerns of the elderly man, while considering the nutritional value of the lake. Fish wasn’t enough to keep people fed forever. “Did you find what I asked of you?”

The man grunted and jutted his chin towards one of his fishermen. The young man came forward with a basket that had a strong, briny stench.

“In hard times, my grandparents made meals of this. My father told me that he hated it, but it kept him alive and strong while other kids died in the winter. We’ll need it with this coming winter.” The older fisherman spoke and I nodded at his words. The plants that grew in the ocean were an acquired taste. But in these times, they were going to be essential, as they were one of the few forms of plant life that could thrive in the dim light that we were afforded. “We found some of these shellfish too. They’re fine as long as you pull out their beards and let them soak in some clean water for a while, but a bad one can kill you.”

The younger man looked apprehensive at those words, but a quick glance by the older man had him swallow his concerns.

“Anything’s better than dying of hunger, lad. Don’t ever forget that.”

The younger man nodded wordlessly, while I examined both the freshwater plants and the shellfish.

“Do you know when these shellfish spawn? I know of many ways to breed creatures to larger size quickly and we could make use of it.” The process involved grinding the useless offal and bone of monsters into feed that would be carefully be introduced into the diet of creatures. According to As’kari history, the giant insects they once had were normal insects, which they had kept and bred as small livestock until they perfected their methods and grew them to greater heights. “Fish take too long and need space, but these stay still and eat what they are provided.”

The older man paused at my suggestion, turning his gaze towards where my tent and Cornelius were, before nodding and readying himself to answer.

Before he could, however, a horn from the gate resounded.

A single trumpeting sound.

Not a threat, but strangers.

Others have come to our refuge.