Secret Of The Crest

by Demetra Gerontakis

  ‘Mr. Gannaris.’

  ‘Call me Dimitri, please.’

  ‘Yes, of course. Would you like to begin saying a word or a prayer for your friend?’ The man was in devastation as he new that his friend deserved much more than he could possibly think of saying after a death like that.

  ‘May God have mercy on Mikhail’s soul and grant him everlasting peace in his green pastures.’ With this, the man lowered his head and wiped his tears. In a moment, angered this time, he added, ‘And may he give us the power to avenge his death by finding the monster that killed him and taking it down. Amen!’

  ‘Amen!’ the rest of them called out in a single voice. Now that that was taken care of they all sat down and Pano the hunter who saw Mikhail first finally came to.

  ‘Tell me that I dreamt all of it! Tell me that Mikhail is alive!’

  ‘I am sorry but Mikhail is truly gone. Come close to the fire and get warm. We will figure out a way to punish the killer!’ Dimitri was saying. Gregor was deep in his thoughts. “If it was Georgio who did this brutal act he deserves to die but what if it were new ghouls who haven’t leant to feed without killing yet. They deserve a chance to learn to control themselves as I had,” he thought to himself. ‘As soon as the rain dies down we will leave,’ he said out loud. ‘Until then get some rest, it’s going to be a long night. I’ll go out and collect some more wood in the meantime to keep the fire going.’

  The men began making assumptions about where the monster might be found. Gregor went off to find the fire wood. In reality he wanted to go out to a point that he new Giorgio might be. He gathered the wood that lay in a tree hollow and ran into the woods to find him. He was at the hidden cabin that Giorgio stayed in.

  ‘Giorgio! Giorgio, come out we have a problem!’

  Giorgio’s voice came from behind him.

  ‘You must have meant to say that you are here because you have a problem and need my help.’

  ‘No, actually I do mean we have a problem. There was a ghoul attack on a hunter and it was very sloppy. Was it you? I have hunters out there who lost there friend in the worst way and expect my help so was it you?’

  ‘Gregor, Gregor, you never cease to amaze me. First of all I am flattered that you would blame me with “sloppy”. Second, your four hunters are less than two minutes to feast on between the two of us. I know you are a party animal as much as I am. Give in to your urges, don’t be a hater of your own kind. Problem solved,’ he said smugly.

  ‘Get serious, one of the hunters is still out there and I don’t know if he is dead or alive but he must be found! If another hunter is found dead all the media will come into our lands. Do you not know what that will mean? We need to get them all out of here alive.’

  ‘I can’t help you Gregor you are an abomination to your kind, a traitor and I will not help you. On the contrary if I find the hunter first dead or alive I will leave my marks on him. Now go!’

  Gregor was now in Giorgio’s face. He looked deep into his eyes as he said, ‘Make sure our paths never cross again because if they do, you will never see the light of day again.’

  His shoulders had lifted and his face had darkened. His nature couldn’t be helped as he wished his blood was not ghoul. Even in this condition his logic didn’t abandon him. He had trained since he was young. Gregor turned and headed back to the cave. By then his features had returned to normal.

  ‘Where have you been? We started to worry something had happened to you!’ said Dimitri.

  ‘I had to get out further to find these thicker logs that will hold up the fire much longer. I need you all to concentrate and tell me about your other friend. What kind of a personality is he? Does he frighten easy, is he reckless, any little detail about him can help me track him quicker.’

  ‘Well Mano is not a sissy or anything like that. He is actually pretty fearless and he has an awfully bad temper,’ replied Spiro, who was the shortest of the hunters.

  ‘He is an athlete and takes part in the Olympic Games,’ Vaggo added.

  Vaggo was the best of the hunters. He could shoot a fly from a mile’s distance.

  ‘Okay then, your friend has a very good chance of being alive.’

  Now that Gregor knew it wasn’t Giorgio who made the attack he needed to find the ghoul who did it. Was it a new ghoul or was it a devious one from another territory ripping through these parts? He wondered. He needed to get to the hunter before Giorgio did. He was sure that he would take advantage of the situation. Giorgio wouldn’t take the hunter’s life now that he knew there was a search out for him. Not even he was that stupid but he would keep his word and dine on the victim who was in his back yard. These thoughts put Gregor into fast forward.

  ‘We can’t wait any longer, rain or not we are going out there to find your friend. All of you should take out your flashlights and here is a dagger for each of you. Don’t touch the blade though because they have been dipped in poison. If you come face to face with the creature stab it and do not remove the dagger.’ Gregor was lying through his teeth. The daggers were dipped in a tranquilizer. He couldn’t have the hunters know that he intended to save the ghoul who had killed their friend or at least until he found out who he actually was. It would be difficult for him to confront the ghoul with all of them there so the best way was to put him into a deep sleep. The hunters would think he was dead.

  ‘Everyone ready? Let’s go!’ Gregor led them once more. This time they went towards the river bank.

  There, there were trees that were so big their trunks had become hollow and held up to three people in them if used to hide in. Gregor felt that he might have used one of them had he gone that way. All of them reached the river bank and started to search within the hollows calling out his name.

  Gregor found a set of foot steps that led to some huts at the bottom of the trail. The huts were built to accommodate tourist in the summer months when they wanted to fish at the river and sleep on sight. They needn’t put up a tent for a night but stayed in the simple huts.

  ‘Be as careful as possible; I need to check something, I’ll be right back!’

  He hurried down the trail and the tracks led him straight into the first hut. He looked inside but no one was there. He went on to the second and third hut but no luck there either. Mano wasn’t there but the strange thing was that there were no more footsteps. Gregor heard the rest of the group coming toward him.

  ‘So much for staying put!’ he mumbled.

  ‘We searched thoroughly through all the trees and found nothing,’ Dimitri said. ‘I followed these prints that led me here but it is a dead end he isn’t here.’

  Vaggo bent over to look at the set of prints. ‘These are not Mano’s prints. He is wearing boxer treks, they have a different print,’ he said.

  ‘Great! We have to keep on this trail!’ Gregor explained, ‘I think your friend might be near by.’

  ‘What makes you say that? Why couldn’t he have gone off on one of the other trails?’ asked Pano.

  ‘He’s a hunter, he hunts boar, look here. See the boar tracks they go all the way to that trail over there.’ He pointed to the west. ‘Don’t you think that there is a possibility that they might have been on this trail when they disappeared? It connects to where we found Mikhail’s body just a few meters through those trees there.’

  ‘You mean we’ve been going in circles?’ asked Dimitri.

  ‘I’m saying your other friend is alive and well somewhere and we need to move quickly before danger finds him.’

  They scanned the area thoroughly for clues but found nothing. Then Vaggo followed a set of prints that began further away from where the rest of the men were standing. He saw that they were tracks from Mano’s shoes. They were not to far off from where they had found Mikhail and led in the direction toward the hostel.

  ‘These are his tracks they lead back toward the way we just came from!’ Vaggo yelled out in relief.

  ‘These weren’t here before; your friend must be looking for you,’
said Gregor. Kneeling down to take a better look he saw some blood. ‘He is also injured.’

  The men followed the tracks which took many different turns than the ones they had used but they still led them back to the inn where to their surprise, Mano was laying almost passed out at the front door he had just made it there himself. Barely conscious and bleeding he smiled at the sight of his friends.

  ‘Mano!’ cried out Dimitri.

  His friend finally passed out. The men carried him into the inn and put him on a bed in the back room that was a storage room. It was packed with towels and sheets as well as toiletries. Gregor called his grandmother to come in and tend to the man’s wounds with her medicinal herbs that she made herself with the forest’s herbs.

  ‘Bring me some alcohol and fresh towels’ she said to him. After cleaning his wounds thoroughly, she anointed him with a thick coat of ointment.

  ‘Your friend is very lucky his wounds are only on the surface. The boar that hit him was a young one. Usually, boars don’t like coming in contact with humans and if forced they will defend themselves. They will stand their ground and become aggressive ripping their tusks into the enemy,’ Marina continued. ‘The boar must have been distracted otherwise he would have finished what he started.’

  ‘You’re saying that this wasn’t done by that monster we saw out there?’ Dimitri said.

  ‘Of course not! He would have been ripped up had it been a ghoul. What made the boar take off and leave its target without finishing it off is another story.’

  Gregor went to the front desk and dialed.

  ‘Was it you?’

  ‘I must admit I was starving but the boar had made its move and I don’t like sharing!’ Giorgio said laughing. ‘Then I caught its attention and it came at me. Well you can imagine how that went. It was a feast!’

  ‘Thanks for your help’ said Gregor.

  ‘I didn’t help you, I was out to eat. Don’t flatter yourself, Gregor. I wouldn’t help you even at death!’

  ‘Thanks anyway. You helped save the hunter even if it was unwillingly.’ Gregor hung up.

  Dimitri came out of the back room and sat in the lounge. One by one so did the other hunters.

  ‘Tomorrow, we leave this place! Pack your gear tonight and until we get back home we should think of a way to best tell Mikhail’s family.’

  ‘No need to put yourselves in that difficult position,’ informed Gregor. ‘I will inform his family after the sheriff comes to get all the facts and let’s me release the news of the man’s death. I called him earlier to report the slaughter and he will be around at latest by morning.’

  ‘Thank you Gregor.’

  ‘Dimitri, take your friends and go to your rooms and rest. We will inform you as soon as your friend comes to.’

  The men went up to their rooms and Gregor took a seat in the armchair he loved so much.

  “Who can it be? We can’t go through this again!” he thought to himself.

  He looked at his watch. It showed half past three a.m. and he was meeting with the Rebecca and the others at seven. He wasn’t going to cancel in fear of making everyone panic. It would be their last excursion before leaving on Sunday. Why ruin it for all of them? Besides, they would be safe with Gregor escorting them. Gregor changed position in the armchair and had soon after fallen asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  A streak of light came in through the very small window in the storage room, blinding Mano as he tried to open his eyes. He looked up and around not knowing where he was. While trying to sit up he felt a sharp pain under his ribcage. He reached to touch the bandaged bruise and started to recall what had happened to him. Mano then let out a sigh of relief and thanked God he was still alive. As he tried to get up off the bed he heard Mrs. Marina’s voice.

  ‘I wouldn’t do that just yet. Let me change your gauze, we don’t want it to get infected.’

  ‘You did this? Thank you!’ He sat back on the bed. ‘I was foolish to think that I was an expert and quick enough to shoot down a charging boar. I only started hunting recently and I was fooled by it’s size. It was the smallest one I have seen.’

  Marina changed his bandages and asked him, ‘Do you have a family?’

  ‘I do, not my own but I live with my mother and my two brothers.’

  ‘Take your bags, your friends and go back to your families who need you alive. What you did last night was very careless. You could have been killed! Now that I am done with your bandage you can get up and slowly come into the diner. I will bring you something to eat and inform your friends you have awakened.’

  Mano sat patiently waiting for breakfast to come since he hadn’t eaten since the day before. Instead his friends showed first.

  ‘You’re finally conscious!’ Spiro told him.

  ‘Glad to see you too!’ came the reply. ‘I’ll tell you guys all about it after we eat something.’

  The men all sat down and ordered breakfast.

  ‘Where’s Mikhail? Still sleeping?’

  Dimitri took initiative, silenced the others and looked at his friend.

  ‘Mano, you were very fortunate yesterday. You came very close to losing your life. Mikhail was not as fortunate as you, though. He was attacked viciously and died.’ The man turned away and wiped his tears.

  ‘He died at the tusks of a boar?’

  ‘No, he was probably attacked by a ghoul. We all thought they were a part of stories but they are real.’

  ‘We’re all in pieces about what happened to Mikhail but we are also grateful that you are alive and well and we are leaving after breakfast’ added Vaggo.

  ‘What about his body? What will we do about that?’ Mano asked.

  ‘The authorities are taking care of it. He was mauled and they will probably send him in a closed casket’ Vaggo answered.

  Mano was silent. He didn’t touch his food.

  ‘Tell us what happened to you?’ asked Dimitri.

  ‘I was down on my knees targeting a pack of baby boars. I thought that I had at least two of them. I hadn’t realized that one was at the right of me until I heard it charge. I turned the rifle on it but I wasn’t quick enough. I was knocked down by its tusk and by the time I got back up it was charging again. Then I heard something behind me but I didn’t get a chance to see what it was. The boar passed right by me and followed whatever it was into the woods behind me. I don’t remember anything after that. I must have passed out. The next thing I remember was waking up in that back room.’

  The time had gone by quickly and the girls came down to the lounge area. Rebecca saw Gregor sleeping in the armchair like a baby. She went over to him. She covered him with her jacket and he immediately woke up.

  ‘Long night, lover? Good morning!’

  ‘Is it already seven?’

  ‘Not quite. We’re catching some breakfast, go ahead and sleep a little more.’

  ‘No, I’m up now. I’ll wash up and join you in a bit.’

  ‘Oh, here comes sleepy Sam too!’

  ‘Hey, you know I hate waking up this early in the morning and by the way that’s all we’ve been doing since we came here. You’re lucky I’m even coming!’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, we know you and early hours don’t like each other’ Cassandra added. ‘Now hush and go order our coffee like the gentleman you are.’

  Sam gave them his silly little grin and went to order the coffee. Shortly after, the girls followed. The hunters met the girl’s at the entrance of the diner. They were preparing to leave. Mano and Cassandra’s eyes met. They stared at each other for a long moment. They all sat to order breakfast and while they waited they planned the day over their first cup of coffee.

  ‘After this fishing excursion I really don’t feel like doing anything else’ Cassandra said. ‘I just want to lay back and relax a little before we leave tomorrow.’

  ‘You know what, love? All these bloody adventures, dangerous or not, haven’t let us find peace for two minutes’ Rebecca said.

  Gregor walked in
with coffee in hand all perky from showering. Everyone could tell he hadn’t slept well.

  ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t go today, love. You haven’t gotten enough shuteye.’

  ‘A promise is a promise so we’re going!’ Gregor replied.

  Cassandra asked to be excused so that she could run upstairs and get her bag. Coming back out of her room she saw Mano taking his luggage out of the room and placing it in the corridor. She realized he and his companions were checking out. Mano looked up and saw her staring. It made her feel awkwardness.

  ‘Hello, I am Mano.’

  ‘Good morning, I’m Cassandra. I see you’re checking out.’

  ‘Yes, unfortunately something came up and our trip was cut short. Originally we were to depart on Wednesday.’

  ‘It’s too bad your plans changed, it’s beautiful out here don’t you think?’

  ‘It sure is! Where are you from?’

  ‘I’m from England and you?’

  ‘I am a native only not from these parts. I am from the island of Crete. I would like to stay but all my friends are leaving now. It would have been nice to get to know you.’

  ‘Well we are not leaving until Sunday, you’re welcome to stay and come along with us. We’d be glad to have you in our company.’

  ‘Maybe I will. Are you sure your friends wont mind?’

  ‘I can guarantee they won’t!’

  ‘We’ll be in the dining room. We’re leaving for a fishing excursion in about a half an hour. Let me know what you decide.’

  ‘Okay, in a while, Cassandra!’

  Cassandra smiled and went down the stairs. Mano took out the rest of the bags from the room and checked to see if he had forgotten anything. He went down the stairs where he met with the others who were checking out. They had given the details that were needed for the deceased’s remains. Coming down the stairs he saw all of their faces which expressed their need to leave as soon as possible. They were more then ready to go.