Blood Raker
Type
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Threat Level
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Active Status
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Other Names
Talon Ape

Light shown through the glass roof. Dust danced through the air. Black and white photos of outfits posing with their kills decorated the walls. The taxidermized Skunk Ape guarding the fireplace looked like Santa Claus. Spiderwebs under it's chin formed a great white beard.

Slouching on the couch, I stared at the wanted poster board. Every poster looked the same.

I unsheathed my knife and spun it on my middle finger. Once, twice. Then, I grasped the blade with my thumb and threw it at the wanted board.

Thwack.

"I don't care if you're a Ranger. If you throw knives in here again, I'm banning you from this establishment."

I ignored the schoolmarm-type behind the counter and removed the poster my knife had pierced.


Maybe fighting another teleporter would be exciting.

Albert Chesterfield posted the bounty. I drove to his farm.

His wife, Jeena, opened the door. She sat me down at her kitchen table and stuffed me with pot pies and beef soup. Albert came into the kitchen and shook my hand. Hands still wet from the shower.

We spoke about how the summer was longer this year. How their prized Cow, Betsy, won third when she deserved first. How the Seven-Headed Swans outfit totally fucked up when The Walking Men attacked some normans and how the Fire Hoppers outfit had to come in and bail them out. How it was too bad they disbanded. How their younger son, Jonathan, who had gone to some artsy college in the city, was dating a girl who smoked weed and how that was bad. How The Great Circle were a bunch of morons who classified rare animals as Aberrants when they had no supernatural properties beyond being hard to find.

Jeena brought out cheesecake. I said I was full and it wasn't necessary. She cut me a big slice.

I finished the last of my cheesecake as Albert downed a pitcher of milk. "Let's go to the porch."

The sun swept low across the fields as farmhands herded cows into the barn.

Albert pulled out a cigarette and let out a long huuuuu.
"It's the Blood Raker. Started this summer and kept getting worse."
Albert spoke as I took notes.

He finished long after sun had set and a crescent moon shone green light through grey clouds.
"Stay the night?" he said without looking at me.
"Thanks but I've booked an inn."
He gave my arm a two handed pump and held it firm. "Just remember Ranger, when you write this article you can mention my name don't mention the name of my town. I don't want any tourists."
I agreed and he released my arm.
He went back into his house and locked the door.
I stood there for a moment and heard sobbing. Then I got into my truck and drove away.

Over the next week, I interviewed residents. I learned what The Raker did, where it lives and how to kill it. Then I geared up and went to hunt.



I found him at the bottom of the valley. A great ape covered in black fur. The Blood Raker held a half-eaten corpse in one clawed hand, ripping out chunks of flesh and shoving it down his gullet.
I took my time, climbing to the top of the rocky hill.
As he finished his human meal, I aimed my pistol and fired.
The Raker disappeared as the bullet passed through his afterimage. The foot he was nibbling on dropped to the ground.
I drew my sword and swung behind me, catching his blood-drenched claws with my steel.
He drew back. Bewilderment on his face. I slashed him as he teleported away.

I turned around and saw him about twenty feet from me. His teleport avoided most of the damage but he wasn't fast enough. Across his chest was a scar that matted his black fur with blood.
We stared each other down. Neither of us made a move. Then he smiled and disappeared.
All around me came a storm of wild claws.
Teleportation here. Slashing there. Maybe he thought I would be unbalanced but I saw it. Most of this slashes were faints. The Blood Raker was a bluffer. I blocked the few hits that were real then fired a shot. The Raker vanished then appeared above me, swinging his claws down like a scythe.
I stepped to the side as the claws missed my face but The Raker appeared on my left and grabbed my pistol. I let go of the pistol and swung my sword but he grabbed it too.

I struggled as he held my blade between his claws.

The Blood Raker gave me a smirk that showed all his teeth. He loosened his grip and flexed his wrists. SNAP. My broken blade clattered against the rocks. The Raker appeared behind me and kicked me in the back. I rolled down to the bottom of the hill like a ragdoll while he laughed.
Then he was right above me. The Raker standing tall, the Ranger lying on the ground. My gun was gone, my sword was broken. I only had one weapon left. His giant claws slashed through my body armor as I pulled the trigger on my can of bear spay.

I can't tell you how many times bear spray has saved my life. I was worried that this Aberrant might have some sort of immunity but the tears in his eyes made all my worries go away.

The cut through my body armor was shallow. I skipped up the hill like a schoolgirl, spraying my can whenever he teleported too close. He was a thunderstorm of claws but his attacks were clumsy and too easy to dodge. While he flailed about and teleported everywhere, I made my way up to the rocks where I dropped my gun. He got there too and flailed his claws in my direction. I stepped to the side and the claws of his left hand slammed against the rocks. SNAP. The Raker howled in pain, sucking his left hand in his mouth. I jammed my boot in his face and he fell back tumbling. It was my turn to laugh as he rolled down the hill like a ragdoll.

I picked up my pistol, aimed at The Raker sprawled at the bottom and fired. The bullet almost hit him but his body spasmed and he disappeared.
I scanned the horizon and couldn't see him.
A moment of panic sets in.
Did he run?
Then I felt the breeze and jumped to the side as his remaining set of claws reached for, and almost snatched, my manhood. My secret weapon, the Bear Spray, fell from my hands and rolled down the hill. The Raker emerged from underground then teleported behind me. He snatched my pistol and diced it. Metal shards fell from his claws and onto the rocks.

There stood the Blood Raker: covered in dirt, missing half his claws and eyes puffy from bear spray, but something was not the same. He was angry before but now he calm and angry. So was I.

We charged, wailing on each other with fists and kicks. As the fight dragged on his punches became heavier but slower. He lunged too far on one punch and I caught his momentum. Using his own weight against him and flip-slammed him hard against the rocks. He teleported away but couldn't get up.

It was pathetic to see him teleport from place to place, laying down on his back, unable to get up.

He teleported on the ground in front of me and stopped.
His tears made me feel a deep sadness for this Great Ape and I wished to end his suffering. Then a sharp pain ran through me as his remaining claws gouged my right leg. I picked up a rock and I wailed on his claws until they broke. I hobbled forward, lifted the rock high above the Blood Raker's head and bashed his brain.

Additional Notes:
Jeena thanked me profusely and gave me three more cheesecakes for the road. Albert also thanked me and also reminded me to not include the town's name in the report. The check he gave me was good.

Bought a new pistol, a new sword and a new can of bearspray.

Returned to the DCC and gave my Blood Raker hide to the school marm who took it with a glare. I slumped down on the couch, bored as she began the tanning process. Thought about throwing another knife at the wanted board but decided otherwise.
I walked to the wanted board and leafed through posters like a everybody else when I had to do a double take.


It looks like I won't be bored for a long time.


Image Sources
http://pngimg.com/download/6173
https://pixabay.com/photos/planks-wood-barn-old-rough-timber-17607/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-girl-design-happy-35188/

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