“What the hell!” Elias lifted his head from the bedroll and quickly got to his feet. He heard growls and howls only a few seconds ago, then a cry as the howl was cut off. He hefted his hammer in his hand and left the tent. “Stay there!” He said to Deena, his daughter. She nodded. When Elias came out of his tent, he noticed that Llani was at the fire. She added wood, and stirred the coals.

“Couldn’t sleep?” She asked with a small smile. He nodded. “You’ll get used to it. The animals are wild and tend not to learn their lessons very well.” He frowned at her words.

“Lessons?” Then he heard a terrible howl that split the night. He watched Llani’s face, and saw her smile.

“Leon is out there hunting, to make sure they don’t approach our campsite.” She listened to the sounds. “He’ll be back soon.” She smiled and went towards the new cabin. Their tent was pitched inside, to keep the rain off, but the door was nice and solid. It would keep the beasts away from the two within that shell.

Elias would only know what she meant when the sun rose in the sky and woke him up from a fitful slumber.

“Keep coming back, and I’ll keep slaughtering your pack.” Leon said in a snarl. Most of the wolf pack was now dead, but these animals were too arrogant and greedy. Humans always felt weak, so a new community invited attacks. As Leon slaughtered any who came too near, their numbers had quickly dwindled in the area. Their instincts would soon drive them from the area, but the bears were even worse.

They were more clever, and patient. Still, two dead humpback bears a night would cull their numbers like never before.

“Stupid. You don’t think I see you trying to stalk me and catch me unaware? I can smell you!” He turned, dashed forward, and struck the side of the bear’s head with his clenched fist. It rolled dozen feet or more after he stuck it like a steam hammer. Leon then reached down, lifted its head, and grabbed the upper and lower jaw with his hands. He then ripped the top half of the bear’s head off, his face twisted up in rage.

“This is my LAND! I know where all of you are!” Then he roared in rage, like an angry lion that proclaimed its dominion, and all who heard it could only shiver and hope that such a beast would never try to hunt them down.

“Good morning, Elias. I see you didn’t sleep that well.” The man lifted his eyes, then his jaw dropped.

“L-Leon?” Behind the one who he saw carry three large logs on one shoulder, Leon pulled a sledge made of a few thick logs and roots to tie it all together. It was rather basic, like a makeshift stretcher, and piled on top of it were the bodies of two huge bears, and three wolves. Leon smiled.

“I’ll be right back. One fell off.” Five minutes later, Leon walked out of the forest carrying the carcass of another large bear. “These can be split between all the families, and if you believe you won’t eat it all, there is a salt deposit a hundred yards in that direction. Towards the creek. You can salt the meat, and preserve it.” Elias started to smile.

“It was a fucking scary night."  He decided not to hide the truth.  "But to not have to worry as much about food as we used to, this makes the decision easier to stick with.” He looked back inside the tent, and sighed sadly. “Now she can put some weight back on her frame. We all can.” Leon smirked a little, but not unkindly.

“People from my world were always trying to lose weight. Food was abundant in some countries, while not so much in others. Now I come to this world, and the main focus is to put some weight on. I don’t think many from my world could adapt to the new situation they would find themselves in.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how I’m adapting, to be honest.” He pulled one of the bears over towards Elias. “Here. For the first year or two, there will be no taxes, and the only expectations are to work, and establish your home and business.” Elias smiled.

“That proves you’re not from our world. Everyone here is so greedy, the governors and rulers would call for taxes regardless of the circumstances.” Leon shook his head and grunted.

“It’s not that people from my world are better, Elias. They are just as greedy, but to charge a tax when everyone is starving, and food is harder to come by then gold, that’s just stupid. When you have the ability to help this area develop, and can contribute, I would be beyond stupid to be greedy right now. If you need someone to help you mine some iron ore, just ask the others, and tell them you’ll pay them with trade. Knives, tools, blades, farm implements, it’s just as valuable as food right now.” Elias didn’t have to be told this, but he was glad that Leon spelled it out for him. The lack of taxes didn’t mean a lack of expectations.

“And what about laws?” Leon frowned.

“Yeah, I kind of forget that you guys are used to the rulers from that dark kingdom. Simple rules really. Moral laws. Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not lie, or steal. Do not covet your neighbour’s belongings, wife, or children. Do not be extort or blackmail others. And there is no higher authority than me. I will judge according to what I know. On my world, we employed lawyers to argue for and against people in a court officiated by a judge. When we have enough people, a council will act as the judge, and if someone on the council is involved, they can not be a part of the judgment. It must be fair, and impartial. There will be no lawyers. There will be no loopholes to jump through, and no exceptions.” Elias frowned slightly.

“Even stealing to feed your family?” Leon lifted an eyebrow.

“If a man does not work, neither let him eat. This was a simple but profound truth in our history. Lazy good for nothings will not be tolerated. If they want to feed their family, they just have to work. There will be a mine. They can work there for food. If they won’t do that, they can cut firewood. If they refuse to work, I don’t want them here. Each beggar will be examined to find out if they are disabled. If they have the habit of not working, then get injured, it will be up to their family to decide on their sustenance. There are no free lunches.” Elias looked at the bear meat.

“And all this meat?” Leon smiled.

“Is this free? Or are you working hard to set up your homes, provide for your family, and get established?” He smiled a bit wider. “If it bothers your conscience, consider it a loan. When you’re set up, provide the equivalent in necessities to the girls. It may be a trade system for the first year or two, so I hope you’re prepared for that.”

“I had trouble keeping enough food in the house to feed my daughter, and enough food to wield the hammer at the forge. I don’t have to do that now. I am prepared for it.” Then he heard Leon growl, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

“There is a small group coming. Children. Two carts. Sniff sniff. Swords a few hundred meters behind them. Around twenty. Bloody fools. In half an hour, bring your cart. You might be able to use the iron.” Leon didn’t run from the area. He started to run, but then lowered himself down to all fours and loped along so quickly, Elias could only stare.

“He runs like a big cat. A really fucking big cat.”

“They’ll lead us right to that camp, and all that food!” The current leader of the guards said as he tried to rally the men. They wore the best armour in the town, but memories of their fallen comrades were still fresh in their minds.  They weren't as confident in this trip as their so called fearless leader.

The guard stopped suddenly as he heard a noise ahead of him. A few of his fellows ran into him from behind.

“Form up! Pay attention! There’s someone out there!” They readied their swords, but took a step back as a really large figure walked out from behind a tree. He threw something to them.

“Catch.” Leon smiled viciously. The leader blanched.  He knew that face.

“Tom! Are you there?” He called out, so the others looked back. Their mouth fell open when they saw a body on the trail, missing its head.

“Time for Belford to learn a lesson.” Leon said, then pulled back his lips in a snarl. When he bared his teeth like a dog, all the soldiers could see the extremely large pointed canines in his mouth.

Right up until they died, they couldn’t understand how anyone could tear the head of a person without making a single sound.

"What the hell is going on?"  The new mayor said in a huff.  He didn't want to call himself a governor as the last few were brutally killed without mercy.  The small crowd at the gate angered him slightly.

"Guards, control this crowd!"  He looked around but he couldn't see anyone wearing a guard uniform.  "Where are the guards?"  He asked quietly.  Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"They are outside.  All of them."  He pointed passed the gate.  The mayor pushed his way through the crowd.  When he was able to see that the gate was unguarded, he prepared to go off on a tirade, but there was a strange feeling in the air.

Fear.  So much fear permeated the air, he decided to keep silent and see what made everyone cluck like a chicken, and behave so abnormally.  After a few minutes of elbowing his way through, he finally saw what made the townsfolk so terrified.  Then he heard two other people standing beside the bodies.

"We told ya!  We told ya!  Now look what happened!  No more chances!"  The two scouts that had once met Leon in the forest were probably the two smartest people in that entire town.  At their feet were twenty headless bodies, all stripped of their armor and weapons, their heads in a pile to the side.  They pointed to a sign at the foot of the pile.

Last Warning.

"You could send the entire town out to take down a humpback bear, and none of them would return!  He did it by hisself!"  The other scout backed up his words.  They looked at the small crowd, and could see a range of emotions.  Terror.  Hatred.  Anger.  Indifference.  Disbelief. 

"I think we should go to him and ask if we can work for some food."  The two scouts looked at each other and nodded.

"Better then being here and dying.  Slowly by starvation, or quickly when he rips our head off."  They looked at each other, and nodded.

"I'll grab my girl.  You should do the same.  Half hour?"  He shrugged.

"Maybe sooner if she doesn't agree.  Better then dying, right?"