Saga of a New World - (Audiobook Available)

28. Slaughter

The Sheriff's smile evaporates. She clenches her teeth. For a moment she looks like she might get angry. Then her features relax once more. She even smiles. "Don't mention it. I mean that literally. If you tell anyone I was plowed like a field by some asshole in the forest, I will plow you with an actual plow. You got that too, Fynn?"

"Got it."

Astrid wants to ask her why. She wants to know why the Sheriff, someone she's only known a few days, would sacrifice herself like that for her, but she doesn't dare ask anything else. Still, the question is written all over her face.

The Sheriff takes one look at her, then says, "You want to ask something else? You already stomped my attempt to distract myself, so you might as well satisfy your curiosity."

"Why did you step in?"

The Sheriff frowns. She looks down at her horse, then straight ahead before she starts talking, "You're brave and confident, but young. I once had a case where a young woman got assaulted in the forest. To make a long and shameful story short, we never found the bastard that did it. It destroyed the poor girl and let's not kid ourselves. There won't be any justice here either. I couldn't let something like this ruin you forever. To be honest, the guilt I would have felt about not stepping in would probably have been even worse than... this."

Astrid swallows. The thought that those bandits will go unpunished almost causes her physical pain. "Maybe Elijah and Noah managed to meet my father after all. We could easily get revenge with him."

The Sheriff shakes her head but says nothing.

As they reach a road, the Sheriff says, "Fynn. We need to catch up with the others. Let's go into a trot."

The group follows the road, with the Sheriff occasionally telling Fynn were to turn. A freshly eaten apple by the side of the road and the large tire tracks in the mud tell them they're going the right way.

The road has a bend ahead, and right in front of it, Astrid spots something lying on the asphalt. Even from a distance, she can see that it's a corpse. Black birds are already feeding on it, but the blood around it is still fresh. A heavy weight starts forming in Astrid's gut.

As they get closer, they can hear a mixture of talking and whimpering. The birds start hissing, but take off when they see that their threats don't deter the riders.

The tractor stands in the center of the road, a thin plume of black smoke rising from the engine. The corpse on the road wears green clothes that identify him as one of the hunters. Several dark-red stains form a line over his chest.

Astrid's gaze wanders towards the tractor, moving over the old lady she met the first night. A bullet ripped through her skull. Next comes Tom the kobold, who got shot in the shoulder and lower body several times. The tractor and trailer are riddled with bullet holes and the things that were loaded onto it are strewn around the area.

The tub that contained her mother has been tipped. The mermaid lies next to it, her torso pierced by a bullet. Next to the tractor lie the corpses of three more hunters and several other people. The corpse of the policeman giant Jakob rests in the ditch next to the road. His body is also riddled with at least a dozen red spots.

Finally, her eyes spot her brother's frame. He's leaning against a tree with his hands at his sides. There is one red mark on his shoulder that has blood oozing out of it. Next to her brother rests the Mayor, her left arm covered in bandages. The doctor is with them, doing something with someone Astrid can't see.

"Kilian? Mom?" she calls out, kicking Ranger in the flanks. The horse gallops forward and closes the distance between them.

Her mother turns to face her. "Astrid?"