Deck The Halls With Brand New Stories: Ho Ho Holiday Anthology

El Supay Rojo

This story was contributed by Sam_le_fou

The Chieftain summoned all the warriors of the tribe to his hut. It was the first time in my short life that I was allowed in on the warrior's council. I was no longer a kid--I had passed all the rituals, did my prayers, and commended myself in heart and soul in front of the tribe. In the eyes of Pachamama, what stood before everyone was a man of fighting age, and this was going to be my first big hunt, the one that shall prove my mettle.

This was the most important hunt of the year, so important that all the little ones were not allowed to even know about it. The Chieftain sat on crossed legs, examining the eyes of the warriors. His eyes met mine, and I froze. His gaze was judging me, measuring me, weighting if I was ready or not. I was the youngest warrior on the tribe, and an inexperienced one at that. I felt the urge to prove myself.

Standing up, I pounded my fist on my chest, letting out the biggest warcry I could muster. It was so shrill and powerful that the rest of the tribe followed suit.

The Chieftain nodded, standing up to meet us. His hand rose to quiet us down, which we all did as the old man delivered his words with a booming voice. "Warriors of the Pachamama! Hear my words!" he cried, easing his hands. "The time has arrived! The Red Demon, Supay, will be coming tonight!"

We were going to hunt a demon! I was scared out of my loincloth. Father always told me--may he be one with Pachamama--that I should never mess with Demons! I seemed to be the only one with these feelings, as the rest of the tribe had cold determination in their eyes.

"The Supay comes, leaving his eggs upon the sacred tree. Behold!" The Chieftain grabbed a...something, out of the floor in front of him. It was black and linear. Whatever it was, it didn't come from the earth. Its very existence was an affront to Pachamama.

"The Supay leaves strange and unnatural demons with devilish lights to entice us and steal our souls!" Saying that, the Chieftain pressed his hands on the device, making it emit a white glow. I knew that whatever that was, it was dangerous and must be destroyed.

"We have buried the eggs in a hole, far away from here, but they are hellspawn and unnatural! They have no bones and no flesh. They refuse to return to Pachamama. We are being poisoned by the Supay!" As if on cue, the whole tribe yelled in rage. I personally let my own warcry into the mix.

"Every time we have tried to kill this demon, he leaves on his demon vessel, defended by his nine horned beasts. This time, we will kill the horned beasts first and then go for the Supay. Prepare warriors, for the Pachamama!"

"AIEAIEAEIAEAIEAIE!" we cried! Tonight, we are off hunting.

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It was night, and the village was quiet. Not even the animals dared to make a sound. The huts had been evacuated and the villagers took to the woods. The whole place was deserted save for us warriors. It was a particularly cold night, and I, as well as the rest of the warriors, were unprotected, perched on the trees, Pachamama's natural sentinels. My hands were grasping my bow, a gift given to me by my father before he passed away from old age. Gohoro was my partner for the night, a seasoned warrior full of war-scars. He noticed me trembling, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, young one. Pachamama is with us. If she helps us, nothing can stand against us."

I was too terrified to say something, only nodding in agreement.

Everything was still, not even the rustling of leaves broke the peace. It was a perfect moment to doze off, if needed.

Until that sound came.

An unnatural noise that I have never heard before in my life, like infinite drops of water falling on a river.

"It is here," whispered Gohoro. "I'll give the signal."

With his cupped hands, Gohoro made a sound imitating one of the night creatures, the ones that inhabit the sky. It was repeated by several other groups, all conveying the same message: we are ready.

From the sky, I saw the most horrific image: a gargle of demons flew into the village, all more horrific than the next. Nine horned beasts huffed and puffed, scratching the ground with their hoofs. What seemed to be the leader of the beasts radiated a red glow. It told me it was dangerous, and that I should run, which I tried to do. Sadly for me, I was grabbed by Gohoro.

"Watch and wait."

From behind the beast, the Supay appeared. It was incredibly fat and corpulent, dressed entirely with the blood of the innocent. On his back was what I can only assume to be the egg sack, looking tempted and vulnerable. I went to ready my arrow, but Gohoro intervened.

"Wait. Remember the plan."

I stilled my mind. I need to prove myself. I need to become a real man. I need to make my father proud.

The Supay approached the sacred tree, detaching its egg sack from its back.

"It is custom for the youngest warrior to take the first shot," said Gohoro from behind. "Aim at a beast, and we will follow."

I wanted to take the one with the red glow. He was the biggest one, and that meant the biggest glory.

I strung my bow, remembering my training. Aim small, miss small. Breathe in, release out, breathe in...

An arrow flew from my bow, cutting the air as it lodged into the beast's side. It let out a guttural cry, like a thousand llamas roaming through the plains. Everyone on the village followed suit, pelting the beasts with volley after volley of arrows. Their cries and shrieks alerted the Supay, who dropped his egg sack and ran to the dead beasts.

"AIEAIEAIEAIE!" cried the Chieftain. In the blink of an eye, every tree vibrated with warcries, stopping the demon on his tracks. Its look of panic as we descended our trees was one I will never forget. The Supay was white with fright.

He took off running into the trees, rather slowly for a demon.

"What now?!" I yelled at Gohoro, blood pumping under my skin.

"Now," he said, taking out his spear, "the hunt is on."

Sam is a full-time chef, part time dork. He likes philosophy, long walks, and tasty treats. He is not a dog, why would you say that? Check out more from Sam here.