The Finders Keepers

by R.G. Strike

  Godfrey woke up the following morning before anybody else. The December cold was pressing on the back of his head, chilling him all the way through. But there was something different that was happening and he could feel it. All the while he had been strangely acting so uncomfortably that he almost broke everything he touched.

  On the other hand, Mr. And Mrs. Luciens were calmly curled together on a portion of heaped clothes. A dark green blanket was drawn over their bodies so that only their pearly snouts appeared; fogs were coming out every time they exhaled.

  Godfrey left the burrow and strolled into the steepness of the forest. The wind blowing at diverse direction was entirely freezing with the scent of Christmas carols. He looked up at the distant portion. The light from the white skies was streaming though the colorful canopy of leaves.

  Godfrey continued walking along the dense path until he reached the very tip of a rocky cliff overlooking a wide lake and a collation of green mountains. He settled himself and took a generous measure of cold air.

  The site was beautiful, though only thin sheets of snow were at certain portions. Everything reminded him of Christmas . . . gift giving . . . glamorous dinner – everything. It was the first time today that he remembered his sister.

  “Where is she now?” he asked himself silently as he threw out a stone as far as it could get into the lake.

  He was sure that Eliezer was not at safety. He could feel that she was at terrible stake. But though it was, in fact, Eliezer’s fault why she doomed at an unnatural ending, Godfrey felt a pang of betrayal if he failed to help her, especially now that his father needed his bravery being the only son.

  But it was hopeless and seemed sepulchral at the very least. Although he was at jauntiness to fight for her sister, he had no clue of where she was now – nothing except an inaccurate feeling and a mere clairvoyance that often spoke hopes.

  Godfrey shook his head.

  For over the years behind, he was reminded of the truth. A prince like him was supposed to be trained into dueling and jousting, but all it ever got him occupied was endless time at the playground with nothing but an old maid and a sensitive sister.

  And now, his actions were paying back.

  Dropping the thought down, Godfrey stood and shook some earth from his pants and went back into the burrow. Mr. and Mrs. Luciens were talking to three strange reptiles in a worried tone.

  “Mr. Luciens?” he called out clearly.

  There was a sudden dispatch from the conversation, as though a television was intentionally unplugged. Mr. and Mrs. Luciens glanced towards Godfrey from the dim light; the three creatures evenly hiding in the gloom.

  “Yes?” Mr. Luciens asked.

  “Oh, it’s you, Godfrey dear. Yes, yes!” wailed Mrs. Luciens excitedly.

  “Yes, it’s me. Why?”

  “Oh, I don’t know –”

  “Nah,” Mr. Luciens abruptly interrupted. “Tell him now, Sylvana.”

  Mrs. Luciens gasped momentarily before she panicked and looked around for many times, as though she was menaced and was therefore seeking for an escape.

  “Oh, would you mind to stop exaggerating, Sylvana?” Mr. Luciens shouted, and Mrs. Luciens stopped right after he said it. “You’re not supposed to do that. Social graces.”

  Mrs. Luciens’s face was expressionless. She was looking rather intensely droopy now than lately. The red ribbon on her head appeared slightly defaced so that she looked ludicrous instead of being disgusted.

  At this, it was as though a spell was made. Mrs. Luciens straightened her body and there was no trace of fuss or disappointment on her face.

  “Godfrey,” she began in a quavering voice like she was nearing to cry. “Our greatest fear has arrived.”

  “What do you mean?” Godfrey asked quite rudely.

  “The odd lord has risen!” Mrs. Luciens gasped absent-mindedly, a perfect trace of fear and horror was visible upon the furry features of her face. “Dear, we just can’t –”

  “Wait,” Godfrey hurriedly injected. “Odd lord, you say? Is that the one mentioned by the Sacred Prophecy?”

  It was Mr. Luciens who answered.

  “Oh, yes. It’s better that you still remember it clearly.”

  “Yes, dear,” Mrs. Luciens complemented, nodding spontaneously.

  Godfrey nodded impassively in return. Moreover, he was sure that whatever Mrs. Luciens would reveal, it would definitely shock him.

  “Now, what is about the odd lord, Mrs. Luciens?”

  “The odd lord,” said Mrs. Luciens dankly, “has an exact equivalent found. And it’s ever been our thought with Robert that an unusual lord will rise.”

  “And so you’re telling me that you’ve been anticipating a future discovery of the odd lord?” Godfrey verified in a pallid tone.

  “Not in that sense, no,” Mr. Luciens answered truthfully. “We – no, no. We’re not that good enough to anticipate it, but we just bet it would happen, so just that you know that we never knew it would occur.”

  “What? So you’re like – all of these discovery matters have just been your opinions?”

  “Definitely, yes,” Mr. Luciens softly said. “But that’s not the very least, Godfrey. An impaling second unexpected horror has been made.”

  Mrs. Luciens sobbed as she shook her head, and then turned to bow her head somberly.

  “Eliezer’s been captured,” she said.

  “WHAT?” Godfrey quickly thundered. His pale face had blotched red and his eyes magnified instantly. “WHO – WHO CAPTURED HER?”

  “Right, calm down,” pleaded Mr. Luciens. “Settle down, Godfrey. Let’s not take that news into rough approach. Please, let us get this discussed flexibly.”

  It was a hard task for Godfrey to manage his shock and to make it abate when ordered to. He felt like extremely opposing to Mr. Luciens calming thing, but he found no better reason to do so.

  “Okay, I’ll try,” Godfrey said in a worried, almost crying tone. “But my sister. . . . I’ve been selfish. Is she – is she still alive?”

  The silence which subsequently followed could have meant no. Godfrey’s first droplets of tears rolled down his cheeks as the silence lasted even longer.

  “We have no clue, Godfrey,” Mr. Luciens expounded. “But don’t worry. We’ve got everything we need to know about where she is.”

  “That’s better, at least,” Godfrey whispered as he nodded.

  “Worf, Meow, and Tweet, were the ones who actually witnessed the capture of your sister.”

  “Wait – who are they?”

  “Worf, Meow, and Tweet,” Mr. Luciens said. “You might want to meet them?”

  “Oh, sure, please.”

  Mr. Luciens cleared his throat. “Children, Godfrey requests to meet you.”

  Godfrey was not surprised when he saw them. Three alligator-human creatures emerged out of the gloom, innocently staring at Godfrey’s eyes.

  “Isn’t – I think I’ve seen their kind before,” he said easily, as though he was accustomed seeing a lot of them in his room.

  “Really?” Mr. Luciens verified straightforward. He did not believe Godfrey in the first place. “How come? If you’ve never seen rabbits talking in your entire life, then it’s naturally impossible for you to believe that their kind is not extinct.”

  “No!” said Godfrey in almost a shout. Then, looking down depressed, he said, “I mean the other way around.”

  “You mean lately?”

  “Er, sort of, yeah,” Godfrey answered sincerely. “It’s actually when we escaped that we get to see one of them.”

  The three reptiles was staring at them, apparently immobile and lost in thought.

  “And,” Mr. Luciens added, “Why did you escape, by the way?”

  “We don’t really need to know now that story, do we?” said Godfrey, sufficing. “I mean – my sister is in peril situation and, of course, we shouldn’t waste time on nonessential matters.”

  “Indeed, yes,” Mr. Luciens answered, as thoug
h hurt that Godfrey had condescended. “If that is the case, we should, as well, listen to our children.”

  “Your children?” Godfrey snapped.

  Mrs. Luciens threw him a wonderstruck face. “Yes, dear, we’ve come to adopt them for the betterment.”

  “So, yes, Sylvana was right, of course,” continued Mr. Luciens. “But Worf, Meow, and Tweet, are living in the lake, in its depth – not here. However, last night, as they’ve gone picking fallen apples in the forest, they saw your sister taken by the odd lord – in his griffin form.”

  “In the odd lord’s griffin form, you say?” Godfrey curiously clarified. “So the odd lord has this ability to appear in many forms – like an oak tree or perhaps an old fashioned mouth organ?”

  “For now, no,” Mr. Luciens answered casually this time. “He will have to collect a larger set of followers which will, of course, increase the intensity of his – of his powers. That is the law of sorcery.”

  “So how many followers does he have in the present?”

  Mr. Luciens hesitated.

  “We do not know,” he told him. “But, at the very least, we can say that he do have quite a lot now because it was proven by his capacity to transform into griffin form.”

  Godfrey was unable to retort back. He was looking at the bare earth floor when Mr. Luciens spoke.

  “Now that you know, let’s hear about their stories.”

  “Robert, that’s nonsense!” spat Mrs. Luciens quickly.

  “Come on, Sylvana! What is it again?”

  “What have you eaten to posses the nerve to tell him to listen to their stories?” she expounded with quite rude gestures. “I just want to remind you that Worf, Meow, and Tweet, can’t speak English unlike us.”

  Mr. Luciens stared at his wife, his face impassive and he seemed to realize that fact for a few moments. Godfrey was starting to understand now.

  “Ah, sorry about that, then. However, you have to say the story instead, Sylvana,” said Mr. Luciens, “so that Godfrey won’t have to wait further. We’re losing chances and hope every second from now.”

  “Er, Mr. Luciens, what was it, really?” asked Godfrey curiously.

  “Oh, Sylvana’s going to say it.”

  “Yes, Robert, of course,” said Mrs. Luciens rather casually, then she tilted her head towards Godfrey; her hair ribbon flapping gently behind her. “As I was about to tell you, Worf, Meow, and Tweek, had spotted your sister being taken away by the odd lord. That’s not all. The weird thing is that they know who the odd lord is: his history, his past. It can lead us to a better vision of finding the odd lord’s weakness.”

  “Ahm,” said Godfrey in an obviously puzzled tone. “What is essential about unearthing the odd lord’s past? I mean, wasn’t it . . . dangerous?”

  “Dear, there is no such thing as safe or dangerous circumstances these days. The empire is so swift to extend changes and difference that living either means surviving or dying.”

  Godfrey nodded as he was awed.

  “I certainly agree with that, Mrs. Luciens, yes.” Godfrey continued nodding and said, “You haven’t answered my first question.”

  Mrs. Luciens stared at him. “That’s because I am not yet finished. The only way to defeat the odd lord is to know about his past, his weakness, dear. . . .”

  “But – but why defeat him?” Godfrey asked, insisting. “We only need to save my sister – get her back. That’s the only thing that matters!”

  “That’s being selfish, Godfrey!” Mr. Luciens spat toughly. “We have to out-power him for the sake of other people. That’s the essential thing about it. If you won’t agree – if the only thing you’re thinking is your sister – Sylvana and I will do it.”

  “I have to agree with Robert, dear,” said Mrs. Luciens convincingly. “We’re doing this for the justice of our son.”

  Godfrey looked at them in embarrassment, as though he appeared like a delinquent against innocence. He felt ashamed of who he was. He felt ashamed that he was only thinking about his sister’s sake. Judging by their appearance, Godfrey saw pity in their eyes . . . the undying love to a vanished son.

  There was something that twisted inside Godfrey’s chest. It was probably conscience, but he was not sure of it. His heart felt heavy and hot, and he seemed to have made a link onto how Mr. and Mrs. Luciens were feeling right now.

  “I,” Godfrey began, but he stopped. Though his voice was shaking, he had not left traces of his horror. “I know that my sister is still alive. I can feel her pulse just by standing here, but I know that she’s hurt. And whoever has done it must pay extravagantly for acts of evil.

  “Yes, Mr. Luciens, you’re face is guessing it. For my sister, I will do it. I will join you battle the forces of the odd lord – whoever he was. And Mrs. Luciens was right for assuring me that living either means surviving or dying.”

  There was a sudden rush of mirth and glee upon Mr. and Mrs. Luciens’s eyes; their violet pupils seemed to be glowing faintly. Both of them smiled as they were apparently pleased. Behind them, Worf, Meow, and Tweet, were squeaking joyously.

  “Shall we go, then?” offered Mr. Luciens, chuckling.

  “To where?” retorted Godfrey.

  “To battle, of course!”

  “Really?”

  “Aye, we need to save your sister before anything horrible happens to her. Worf, Meow, and Tweet know just where she is.”

  “Oh, sure, yes,” Mrs. Luciens complemented.

  “So what are we waiting for? Let’s get a ride.”

  “But,” Godfrey started, yet again, “how?”

  “You’ll find out soon. Now, follow me.”

  Without any other word, Mr. Luciens dropped face-down and crawled outside so fast like a lizard. The three creatures had followed behind him; their bat-like wings were wiggling.

  “Come on, dear,” Mrs. Luciens gestured him a nod and crawled as fast as Mr. Luciens outside. Godfrey gazed at the empty underground before following her outside.

  Cold wind met Godfrey as he ducked and stepped outside. It was a bright day around the forest, although the collective silhouette of the canopy was obscuring the light. The three creatures were already chasing each other as they flew in the air.

  “Go down, Worf!” Mr. Luciens called out.

  But he was not only addressing to one because the three of them descended generously onto the leafy ground. Mr. Luciens crawled near them and talked through their language, instructing them of something Godfrey could not understand.

  From behind another tree, however, Mrs. Luciens vibrantly appeared, with her red ribbons, as usual, swirling out at her back through the intensity of the wind. She was clutching on both of her small hands two wooden bows, and on her back were a pair of elongated buckets full of sharpened arrows.

  “Hey, Robert, hurry up! I’ve got your bow here just for you. And, Godfrey,” – she look at Godfrey’s direction – “have you got the stick? The wand, I mean?”

  “Oh, I forgot!” Godfrey wailed.

  Before Mrs. Luciens could say another set of words, Godfrey was gone scuttling inside the underground burrow, and returned after a short while, holding the meter-long wand.

  “Got it here, Mrs. Luciens. No need to worry,” he said, breathing heavily and smiling.

  “Good,” said Mrs. Luciens. “Good for you.”

  On the other hand, Mr. Luciens called out at them.

  “Mount yourself now, please. Sylvana and I will be taking Worf and Meow; Godfrey takes Tweet.”

  “Er – how do I know which is Tweet among them? They sort of look just like the same.”

  “Nah, just call on Tweet, she’ll attend to you immediately.”

  And she did. When Godfrey shouted the name Tweet, the alligator-human, whose face was indeed feminine, had approached him. Godfrey sat on her back, copying what Mr. and Mrs. Luciens were doing, and settled like he was riding a dragon.

  “That’s right, Godfrey. Now, let’s go!” Mr. Luciens shouted as though he was a ship captai
n.

  At his command, the three creatures flapped their winds flexibly, levitating higher and higher from the ground. Godfrey felt his stomach tickle like he was about to fall, and he was sensing fragileness all over him, as though he might drop off the creature’s back at any moment now.

  Tweet, however, continued flapping her bat-like wings and seemed to know where she was heading. Mr. and Mrs. Luciens, riding on Worf and Meow, were ahead of Godfrey and Tweet. As the wind breeze surged their faces coldly, there was a large, beige, and spooky nest that was resting on top of a gigantic tree. A scorched palm tree stood beside it.

  As Godfrey had not expected, Worf and Meow dove and landed on the lid of the nest. Godfrey saw his sister Eliezer and another boy at his age roped separately on a portion of the huge nest. But what was more horrifying was the fact that another alligator-human was staring at them through his scarlet pupils.

  He looked wild, with countless of spikes running along its back. His face was horrible and ugly, full of authority and darkness. As he stared at them, he appeared immobile like a statue.

  “They have come – oh! Bravo! Bravo!” Alfrendo said in the same scraped tone. “Cheers to lord Alfrendo. He’s triumphed again. Well, as I wished for you, there is no point refusing to tell me where they are, can’t you see? They’ve come to me instead! Bravo! Bra –”

  A small pebble hit the half of his face. Godfrey dismounted from the back of Tweet, drew out the wand and pointed it directly to Alfrendo.

  “As I see, you’re brave. BUT YOU CAN’T THREAT ME!”

  Another palm tree burst into flames outside the nest.

  Godfrey partially flinched; Eliezer screamed out loudly.

  “Yes, I can, of course, eff!” barked Godfrey. He firmly clutched his hands around the wand and directed it to Eliezer. “Remove the bindings.”

  The wand was undoubtedly obedient. Immediately, the dried vines wrapping around Eliezer and Alex turned to dark ashes and fell on the spaces between the hays. Godfrey pointed the wand back to Alfrendo.

  Alfrendo momentarily gazed at him, appearing insulted. Then he smashed the air with his hands, his wings flapping with incredible speed.

  Godfrey was raised in the air and was whipped up and down. Mr. and Mrs. Luciens were unable to move because the magnitude of the wind pressing them against the nest floor was very strong.

  “STOP!” Eliezer shrieked.

  Alfrendo stopped the magic. Godfrey fell with a thud.

  “He’s my brother, you fool!” Eliezer continued. “I will kill you!”

  “You will suffer torments first before you can do that!”

  Alfrendo swiftly came beside Eliezer, revealed the sharp claws on his palms and scraped him on Eliezer’s skin. It began bleeding instantly with Eliezer shouting and screaming in pain.

  Godfrey stood on the nest floor, though his back was searing with pain. He flicked the wand and it slimmed back into its sword form. Godfrey was angry and he ran towards Alfrendo.

  He swung the sword forcefully, but Alfrendo stepped aside, laughing still with his unpleasant tone.

  “You can’t defeat me, see? It’s just a waste of your energy,” he said, bursting back into his guffaw. “I am lord Alfrendo, and soon, very soon, I’ll be reigning this empire.”

  “You’re not a lord! There’s never been a coward lord!”

  “NO!!!” Alfrendo shouted.

  Eliezer was still bleeding and crying. Alex was the one hugging and comforting her. When Godfrey saw his sister pained on the corner, a sudden rush of anger swelled inside him.

  “Yes, you’re a coward! Kidnapping kids? It’s not a very brave deed.”

  “You have no right to say that to your lord!”

  “Yes –”

  “Godfrey!” Mrs. Luciens shouted.

  Godfrey looked at them. There was a red monster holding both Mr. and Mrs. Luciens. Half of its body, from head, was eagle; the other half down was lion’s.

  “Griffin!” Godfrey whispered to himself.

  “Yes, indeed,” said Alfrendo, laughing once again. “Good work, McDane! Good work!”

  Godfrey turned to stab his sword to Alfrendo, but Alfrendo disappeared into nothingness.

  “Where is –”

  “Godfrey!” Mrs. Luciens shouted again.

  The red griffin was pressing them on the nest floor; Alfrendo’s laugh was still audible and echoing around them.

  Ignoring the unmusical noise of Alfrendo’s echoing voice Godfrey groaned and ran forward, though his ankles were hurting now. Just when he came nearer, Godfrey met the griffin’s sharp and pummeling eyes. It was like a razor crushing his vision. For a moment, he seemed to be wearing a metal ocular because his eyes felt heavy and droopy.

  “Don’t look at it!” Godfrey heard Mr. Luciens shout. It was much more of concern rather than a shout. “It’ll make you sleep!”

  Godfrey obeyed what he was told to. Raising the silver sword, he smashed it against the eagle-winged monster, but what met his incredible stab was a thick strand of fortifying flames. The sword was fortunately lucky to have not suffered any form of damage, and it did not even conduct heat upon the hilt.

  Once again, Godfrey raised his head to look at it and felt the sleepy nerve. His urge did not surrender. Godfrey did not raise his sword anymore. Instead, he jabbed it downward like cupping waters, and austerely tarnished the stomach of the red griffin.

  There was a silence for like a moment or so. Then a high-pitched scream which was totally deafening spread around; birds on the overhanging trees fled away into exile.

  Then it stopped.

  The scarlet monster was thrown away into the air. As it fell downward so gently and unkempt, its feathers and skins were glaring as they peeled away until what was only left were collective skulls resembling the griffin’s body. The skulls dropped on the floor one by one, vaulting and clinking.

  “Godfrey!” Eliezer, Mr. and Mrs. Luciens had whimpered in joy. Alex, too, was happy though partially unsure why.

  “That was very . . . heroic,” said Eliezer separately after a while. “And I don’t always know that you can do that for me.”

  “Well, of course, I can! You’re my sister, eh.”

  “There was nothing questionable about that, Godfrey,” Mr. Luciens told him as he and Mrs. Luciens approached them. “Yet there was something –”

  “Not so fast, rabbits, about praising him!” said a scraped voice from somewhere around them.

  Alfrendo materialized beside Godfrey like a computer monitor turned to life. He was raging and went on not to waste any piece of second. He raised Godfrey upward with his scaly rough hand and seemed to tighten his grip.

  Mr. and Mrs. Luciens stumbled backward, fearful.

  “You think he did a heroic act, brave girl? You think he DID?”

  Eliezer was speechless as she watched Alfrendo mercilessly strangled her brother’s throat. She wanted to save him badly, but it was circumstantially impossible.

  “Why won’t you speak?” Alfrendo asked calmly this time, though his eyes did not give away the wrath. “I was once like you, you know, but people had been covetous on the disharmony I’ve been making –”

  Alfrendo gasped painfully. One straight needle-thin arrow was pierced on his left eyeball, bloods spurting out like tap waters from a faucet. He dropped to his knees, letting go of Godfrey (who coughed), then began roaring out loudly. Alfrendo was shaking and clawing on the nest like a scolded child.

  Godfrey immediately ran for the sword and keeled on Alfrendo, slashed his right wing. Bloods plunged out from his wing joints as the other part disengaged and fell soundlessly on the nest floor.

  “We must get out of here now!” Godfrey told them, flicking the sword so that it turned back to stick. “Worf, Meow, Tweet!”

  The three alligator-human descended from the clouds and landed in front of them. They were looking perfectly well and energetic.

  “Could they take us all, Mr. Luciens?” Godfrey asked.

  “Oh, well, y
es,” said Mr. Luciens, nodding. Then he quickly shifted talking into another language with Worf, Meow, and Tweet. “Yes, they can, but not for so long, they said.”

  “Okay, then, we’d better get going!” Godfrey commanded as he rode the back of Tweet. “The other boy, come with me. Eliezer, you go with Mrs. Luciens. She knows how to care for you. Worf and Mr. Luciens will lead the way. Now, go!”

  It was a moment of time when disagreeing and complaining was prohibited. All of them found it better to leave Alfrendo’s vicinity as soon as possible. So in a minute or so, they were already riding the creatures.

  “The last move,” said Godfrey. He drew out the meter-long stick and swished it to the nest. “Let there be fire.”

  Flames began to scatter around easily, growing hotter and sultry, but before it ever reached them, Worf, Meow, and Tweet, spread out their wings and set off into the breezy daylight with no idea where to land.