Monsterlicious Meat Market

Zachariah wrapped up the steaks and handed them to the old woman. She dropped a few silver pieces into his hand and left the shop. There were too few to keep his wives from fighting over them but not enough to restock his cold room. He smiled. A trip to hunt on his own and get away from the shoppe and his family was always welcome.

The secret door at the back of the cold room took a combination know only to him to open. If any of his wives would bear him a son he would pass it on but that would have to wait. The door opened silently. He picked up the candle in its special wire cage and pulled the door closed behind him. The weapons were hanging on the wall with the powder and flints beneath them. Two weapons and a dozen loads of powder and lead balls should be enough.

If he had a son they could travel to the cyclops's forest and bring back more but by himself a couple of hippogryphs or if he was unlucky, gryphons would have to do. He wrapped the weapons and powder in some oilskins and left the room. In the morning he would take the cart and tell everyone that he was off to purchase meat in the next village.

His wives were quarreling when he entered the kitchen. "Shut up and feed me." He scattered the coins on the table and let them scramble for them. "Tomorrow I'm off to get meat. It'll take a few days. Pack me some food and wine."

Selma ran to the pot and filled a large bowl with some stew. She was his newest wife and youngest. Still after six months she had not conceived a son for him. Maybe tonight he would try again but he had to rise before the sun to get to the forest by night. He ate the stew and drank the wine. In an hour he was asleep on the table.

Anne woke him after what seemed like a brief nap. "Time to get moving. There's a pack on the table and I put some extra cloths in too. This time of year it can get cold."

Zach looked at her. She was his first wife back when he still thought there was such a thing as love. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed the pack. "Be back in a few days. Have my knives sharp I'll be doing a bit of butchering." Outside he found that she had hitched the mule to the cart and loaded the oilskins. If only she had given him a son or even a daughter. He could have married her to some strong but poor farmer's son and had his heir.

The trip to the forest lands of the cyclops wasn't long but it was infrequently traveled and the road had grown over. The locals rarely traveled here afraid of the cyclops and its herds of magical beasts. He stopped the cart and let the mule feed on some grass. From the oilskins he pulled the weapon. His grandfather had been given it after saving a foreign traveler. He said it was called a flintlocke and the sorcerers of his land had banned it since they couldn't control it.

He cocked the flint and pulled the trigger. A shower of sparks flew into the pan. He smiled and poured a load of powder into the barrel. A ball of lead followed next and he rammed that tight. He looked behind him for any other travelers then guided the mule into the forest.

A mile or two in was a pen which had grown so much that the mule could eat for a few days. That was all he would need. The mule trotted into the pen and drank from the trough. Zach rolled himself in a blanket and fell asleep in the cart. In the morning he would find the creatures and take two or three. That would be the easy part. They were tame enough to not run from him and even the bang and smoke from the flintlocke didn't scare them away.

The brightening sky woke Zach. He rolled out of the blanket and got ready for the day's hunt. The mule was chomping away at the grass and the sky was a bit overcast. It would be a great day for hunting. He loaded the second musket but instead of a solid ball he loaded a small bag of several pellets. It would make the inaccurate musket easier to score a hit with.

By mid morning he was at the edge of a field and watching a group of gryphons grazing. They were not the best game but in the distance he could see another herd which looked more like hippogryphs. The trouble with them was that they were deeper in the cyclops's land and hauling their carcasses from that distance would add hours to his excursion.

He looked at the gryphons then started walking toward the others. The lion like rears of the gryphons were not good eating. He would have to grind it and mix it with beef or pork to make sausages. The horse like rears of hippogryphs were more horse like and with a little skill could be cut into steaks not distinguishable from beef.

At the far end of the field he started yelling and beating the grass with branches. The hippogryphs didn't spook easy but started wandering away from him and toward the end of the field nearer his camp. Finally he dropped his packs and raised the flinklocke. He would fire the ball first which would agitate the herd and use the multishot load as the beasts scattered.

The first beast fell quickly and the startled animals began to run but he got a second in the leg and it fell to the ground squawking. He reloaded the first weapon and ended its protests. The hippogryphs and gryphons retreated to the far end of the field and he started the task of butchering the animals.

In a short time he had the animals divided into four loads and stopped for a lunch break. As he ate he cursed his wives for not giving him sons. Now he would have to carry these loads back to the cart by himself. He picked the lightest one and hoisted it to his back. He also took his tools and one of the flinklockes.

It was early evening and the sun was approaching the horizon as he neared the field to pick up the last load. The birds seemed strangely quiet but he figured they were getting ready to roost for the night. Ahead he heard a branch snap. Not a twig but a large branch that echoed across the field.

"I smell the blood of a human. A human who has been poaching my herds."

Zach dropped to his knees and scurried behind a bush. Cyclops's had great night vision and smell but they were slow and in the thick forest even slower. He thought of his last load but decided to abandon it. Still he had to evade the monster and get back to his cart, mule and make his escape.

He backtracked along the path for a bit then cut sideways. The monster would follow his scent for a ways and he would be able to get behind it. A shot in one of its legs would slow it down enough that he could get away. He might even be able to get his last load. The giant stumbled down the path and Zach sprinted for the field. In a few minutes he was at his last load of meat and the monster came from the forest.

Zach took aim and his shot entered the calf of the giant. It fell to the ground bellowing. Zach thought of reloading and finishing it off but decided against it. He needed it to raise the hippogryphs. He shouldered the pack and circled the giant to get to the forest path.

At the pen he gathered his tools and hitched the mule to the cart. It would be slower with the cart full of meat so he cut a switch to hurry the mule. Every minute he would stop and listen for signs that the cyclops was coming but the forest remained silent. Finally he was on his way.

He had traveled for an hour before it got too dark to continue. On a familiar road the mule could walk in total darkness but these trips were to rare for it to learn the road. He pulled into a small opening and unhitched the mule but left the harness on it. He wanted a quick and early start in the morning.

Despite the heavy load he made it to his village a bit after noon. At his shoppe the mayor and constable stood waiting.

"Hello gentlemen. I've just returned from a meat buying trip. Come back tomorrow and I'll the finest beef steaks and turkey breasts you have ever tasted."

The constable tore open one of the packs. The large beak of a hippogryph rolled to the ground.

The mayor picked up the beak. "A complaint of poaching on the forbidden lands has been lodged against you. The peace between humans and the large people has held for a century. We do not wish to see the wars return." He nodded to the constable who grabbed Zach's arms and tied them behind him. The constable looked at his wife Selma who smiled back.

The mayor continued, "There is an additional charge of assault resulting in injury. Per the terms of the treaty you will be extradited to the forbidden lands to stand trial."