A New Life in a Parallel World

Chapter 9, The Bounty

Just as he was about to walk towards the now shattered barn, he remembers his pipe and quickly looks around for it.

"Here," Lydia said as she holds his pipe up to him.

"Thanks," Lerris said as he gave her a weak smile before he took his pipe and started inspecting it. Satisfied that it was still in one piece, he taps the pipe on the edge of his hand before putting inside his pocket. He then lifted his musket and slowly walks towards the barn with his cousin following closely behind. As they drew closer, he noticed a huge hairy mass sprawled inside.

Curious, Lerris quickly walks towards the hairy mass, and was surprise to find the giant bear laying on its back, with most of its right hind legs missing and its torso eviscerated with most of its guts practically oozing out of it. From the looks of it, the Reaper was standing right next to the grenade when it went off, shearing off its right hind leg and tearing its guts wide open, lifting it off the ground and throwing the beast several paces to where it now lies. The beast took the brunt of the shock wave as everything behind it seems to be intact, while other areas around the barn were practically broken and shattered.

"Good heavens," Lydia muttered in shock when she saw the giant beast.

"What on heaven's name happen here?!" They both heard someone screamed from behind them, and when they both turn to look, they saw Milos's riding in, towing both their horses and pack horses behind him, and looking completely aghast at what remains of the barn.

"We killed your Reaper," Lerris said casually as he lowers his musket.

Milos did not seem to hear him said that as he quickly jumps down from the horse and ran towards the barn, and stared at the ruined barn in disbelief, "you destroyed the barn!" He yelled at them.

"It can't be helped," Lerris said with a shrug as he hands his musket towards Lydia before drawing out his sword and walks towards the dead Reaper.

"It can't be helped?! What do you mean, it can't be helped?!" The young man demanded as he watch Lerris walk away. He quickly took a step back when he saw the huge Reaper laying just a few paces away from him.

Lydia saw the young man's reaction and grinned, "that's right, we killed your Reaper," she said sarcastically, right at the same time Lerris began chopping off the beast's head.

"You killed it?" Milos asked in disbelief as he watch Lerris worked on beheading the beast by hacking off its neck with his sword.

Lydia said nothing, while Lerris kept on hacking. After a while, the Reaper's head rolled off. Lerris then wipes off the blood from sword at the beast's fur before sheathing it on his back. After that, he picked up the Reaper's head and walks towards Milos.

"Sorry about your barn," Lerris told the young man.

"How?" It was all he could asked as he stares at the huge head Lerris was holding.

"We bludgeon it to death," Lydia said dryly as she shoulders her way through the young man and walks straight to her horse.

Lerris chuckled at his cousin remark as he makes his way towards his pack horse, and pulls out a large sack, and then putting the severed head of the beast inside the sack, before putting the sack inside the wicker basket.

"You bludgeon it with those clubs?!" He asked in disbelief as he took a quick look at their musket.

"Does it matter how we kill it?" Lerris asked as he walks towards his horse and climbs up.

"No," Milos shook his head as he glances back at the barn, then grimacing at its sight, "but, how can I explain this to the Matriarch?"

"Simple," Lydia told him as she walks towards Lerris and hands him his rifled musket, who took it and slide it inside rifle holster on the right side of his saddle, "we fought inside and wreck the place, you did see where the beast falls, its inside the barn and not outside." She added as she heads back to her own horse.