Red Fang Chapter 23

Great clouds of smoke billowed into the moonlit sky, illuminated from within by the orange glow of the fires that consumed the town of Bend. Dogs roamed in the dark, scouring the muddy meadow and snarling as they fought over the bones of the dead. Their eyes glinted in the dark as they watched the small band of men marching along the road.

Toli unslung his shield and drew his sword, the men behind him following suit. The dogs ran away at the sound of metal rasping as weapons slid from scabbards. They weren’t alone on the moonlit road as bedraggled figures, some bruised and bloody, emerged from the smoke hauling carts, laden with salvaged belongings or carrying those unable to walk. They stared with empty eyes at the small group of soldiers as they passed, too weary to do anything other than keep going. “What happened here?” Dallon asked a man whose ripped shirt exposed a bloody mess of whip marks. He pulled a handcart, with a woman and a sleeping child in the back. The man stared at Dallon and then spat at his feet before carrying on. “Leave him,” Boris said turning his friend away. “We’re the invader remember.” Boden moved among them, trying his best to help but faces turned away from him. He reached into his pack and gave what little food he had but there were no words of thanks, just empty looks and open mouths. “What horror is this?” Boden asked as the last of them filed away. The dogs abandoned the dead to follow them at a distance.

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Nestled in the shadow of the Intraana mountain range is a vast land of marsh and forest. Rivers pour in from both the north and south flooding the region until it's more lake than land and yet it is home to more life than any outsider could imagine. Hidden among the reed beds are villages and farms, not all sited on dry land, some float. The villages of the marsh elves drift with the seasons, following the migrations of birds and fish, ignored by the humans as long as they don't get too close. A human king claims dominion and is ready to shed blood to prove it, not his but those of his men, marching them into the swamp to kill and needlessly die. But there are still places where people can hide from tyrants and create homes and communities of their own.

Parent Plot

The Red Fang

Related Characters

Related Organizations