by Alexis Rojas
“Ah! Damn it, kids, stop it!”
The barrage continued until I was under a mountain of pebbles. I could hear them celebrating and giving themselves high fives. I had never felt such humiliation before; toddlers ganging up and bullying me with no remorse. I raised my fists and burst out of the pile like an erupting volcano, “You’re gonna get it now, brats! You’re grounded!”
“No, you are!” An unknown voice said from behind. I turned and there was an older kid, a juvenile. Most importantly, he held my shield and wielded my sword.
“Hey, boy,” I said as I stumbled over the rocks, “What things you hold are mine. Return them to me.”
“No, they’re forever mine. Now leave before we barrage you again.”
“Kid, all of you are trying my patience,” I said, holding back my indignation. “I’m in a hurry and I can’t go on without my weapons. I don’t mean any harm to any of you, so just give them back. I won’t hold any grudge and all will be forgiven. What do you say?”
He shook his head, “I need these weapons, especially the sword.”
I began to get frustrated. This wasn’t exactly how I expected my day to go. The teenager then raised the sword. He seemed to know how to use it more or less, but it was too heavy for him. Seeing him struggle with it gave me an idea.
“Well then, young man, how about this?” I proposed. “Let’s have a duel, a small bout. I’ll give you three tries to kill me. If you succeed, you keep the weapons. If not, they return to me. Deal?”
“Wait, kill?” he responded innocently.
“Yes, boy, Kill! That is the main purpose of a sword. It’s not for playing, it’s for battle. Now, begin, if you really want it.”
There was a second in which he hesitated. The children on the trees cheered him on, “Come on, Rich, you can do it!” “Take him down!” “He’s just a greasy grown up!”
Their support gave him the confidence he needed.
“You’re going to wish you had gone away,” he told me and charged. First, he tried a downward slash. I dodged and pushed him to the ground.
“That can’t be your best,” I taunted him. “Come on, try harder!”
He got up and raised the heavy shield to his front, attempting to ram me over. When he got close, I kicked the shield dead-center and knocked him back. He hit his head on the rim and started to bleed.
“Aw, baby got a booboo? Please, promise me you won’t cry.”
Man, I was being so bitchy! It was not my nature to be like that, but I wanted to teach the kid a lesson for stealing my stuff. He rose to his feet and with his last chance attempted a sloppy horizontal slash.
“Take this!” he yelled. Before the sword hit me, I closed in and seized his wrist. To end it, I gave him a prudent fist to his ribs. The punch made him fall to his knees and release my weapons. I walked around his wheezing body and picked them up. I strapped the shield on my back and held the sword, since the scabbard was still on him.
“No, give them back,” the young man pleaded while holding his ribs.
“What I should give you is a good smack on the head. You can’t just go stealing other people’s stuff!”
“But I need it. We need it.”
I did not understand his urgency. I looked up to the children as they came down the trees by knotted ropes. They all seemed worried, looking at each other with panic in their faces.
“What will we do now, Richard? How will we defend ourselves?” the kid I first encountered asked the young man.
“I don’t know, Luc,” he responded while staring at the ground. “I’m sorry. I’m simply not strong enough.”
It was obvious they needed help with something, and seeing their troubled faces made me wonder what the trouble was. The young man stood once more and threw the scabbard to the ground. As they all walked away, I asked aloud, “What is it that torments you?”
“Just leave,” the juvenile shouted, “You’ve humiliated me enough.”
“Wait, listen. You are right in what you did; using the sword and shield to protect the children. Weapons are not only used to kill, but to protect the ones we love, the ones who are important.”
“You don’t know what’s important. You know nothing!”
“Well, I know you’re not afraid of me, but you are afraid of something to get all frightful and emotional. Even though you did all this things to me, I understand why you did it.”
The young man lowered his eyes. I walked to him and stretched out my hand in good faith, “I am Erik, Erik Belrose.”
He wondered whether to shake my hand or not, but he finally acknowledged my trust and stretched his hand, too, “I am Richard, Richard Le Sainte. And all of these are of my brothers and sisters.”
“All of them? You’re a big family,” I snapped. The kids smiled and shyly bowed. Richard then apologized, “I am sorry that I stole your belongings, mister. But I was desperate. You see, we are cursed here, never to leave this forest.”
The children’s smiles and laughs turned into a grimace. Their angst and fearful faces clawed into my heart. I felt the need to aid them in some way. That meant I had to make a choice; to either continue my quest and leave them with their worries, or stay to help them and lose almost a day’s worth of time. I wanted to go after Auria, but if she were here, I knew she would want me to help these brats.
“Cursed, you say?” I questioned as I rubbed my chin. “Well, how about you tell me what is the problem, and I’ll decide whether I’ll help you or not?”
“Fair enough,” Richard replied. “Follow us to our cottage. I have something to show you there.” The children cheered and went running deeper into the forest.
“Wait,” I stopped them, “At least tell me what is this curse.”
Richard took a deep breath and looked directly into my eyes, “It’s the snake woman.”
9- Book of Beast
Richard said he had something to show me back at his cottage. I walked along with the children through the densest part of the woods. Most of the trip, I had to walk with my forearms protecting my face from the low branches of trees and pines.
When we arrived, I stood flabbergasted. The cottage looked like if a stampede had run over it; the front door was crooked, the blinds were old and torn, and the roof had planks missing. The porch had weather damage with moss growing on the sides. It was practically rotting away.
"Instead of stealing a sword and shield,” I told Richard, “try stealing hammers and nails. This house needs some fixing. It doesn’t look safe."
Richard shook his head and walked inside. The rest of the kids joined, but I walked upon the porch with doubt. Each step I took gave a loud creak. When I finally went through the crooked door, I stood flabbergasted once again. But this time, I was shocked in a good way. The living room looked splendid. On the table was a carved miniature of the country with the forests and cities. Carvings of knights, monsters, and of the children themselves rested inside the miniature and on shelves along the wall. From the ceiling hanged wooden toys; white winged pegasus, green eyed crows, and fire breathing dragons. Beside the living room was the kitchen. It was organized and clean; water was in vases, the nuts in baskets, and fruits and vegetables were in cloths on the counters. Everything was clean and tidy.
"Wow, kids,” I praised them, “This is really impressive. Everything is so organized, and the craftsmanship on these figurines is really good. You made these?"
"When we have time, we carve. It is a good way to relieve stress," said Richard. I went to the table to check out the miniature of the cottage, when I noticed a figure hidden beneath the trees. I reached for it and picked up the carving of a monster; a half-woman half-snake.
“Is this the snake woman you mentioned?” I asked Richard as I inspected it.
He sat on a brown cushioned armchair and exhaled gruffly, "That is the reason my brothers and sisters are scared. You see, we are all from an orphanage near the outskirts of Flama, the closest village from here. The old caretaker that treated us ni
ce died of age, and his replacement treated us the complete opposite. He used us like if we were his servants in his own small kingdom. I got fed up with him and planned an escape. One night I took some leftover food from the kitchen and used it to distract the guard dogs. I quietly brought out the willing out of their rooms and escaped to the forest. We spent a few nights sleeping under the stars, but luckily we found this old house and made it our home."
"Well, that is more or less a happy story,” I commented. “I'm glad that you're now free and independent, but it doesn't explain the long faces."
"I'm getting to that. We believe the house used to belong to a hunter. When we got here, there were animal horns and old bows hanging from the walls. The backyard had a garden with two wooden crosses at their center; I believe it was the graves of the people who lived here. Right between them I noticed a small mound of soil. I thought it was the grave of an infant, but there was no cross at its top. I dug it and found this sealed inside a wooden chest.”
Richard got up from the chair and lifted its cushion. He reached inside the chair and pulled out an old, rustic looking book. He showed me the cover and the title read, “The Book of Beasts”. He placed the book on the table and opened it eagerly. As he passed by the pages, he said, "This book has knowledge and illustrations of monsters all throughout the land. At first, I thought it was the creation of some artist with too much imagination, but soon enough I found the knowledge in it to be true.”
As Richard passed the pages, I saw images of trolls, gargoyles, exotic birds, and new beasts I had never laid eyes before. I have encountered creatures that could easily be in this book. For example, the ogre that I set free on the balorian outpost, the Devita fairy of the Riverways, the flying Corvus, and of course, the Daystars.
After a tedious search, Richard finally reached the page he was looking for. There was an illustration similar to the miniature carving; a half-woman half-snake called Lamia. The illustration showed its upper body was human until beneath the waist. The rest was the body of a snake; wide as a barrel and as long as the ceiling. When Richard told me it was the snake woman, I had imagined a scary lady holding a snake or something, not a monstrous thing like this.
“Kid, are you sure this is what you are dealing with?”
"You want proof?" he raised his voice. I raised my shoulders and tilted my head. He twisted his face in anger and went to the shelf on the wall. He grabbed four figurines of children, returned and slammed them on the table one by one, "Bruno, Mathieu, Claire and Sophie! The four of them taken by the Lamia. The four of them dead!"
"They disappeared?" I asked.
"They didn't disappear; they were taken by the monster. She takes and devours children, just like the book says."
"Kid, how can you be so sure it's the--"
"Because I saw it with my own eyes, damn it!" he revealed his temper. "Its dark scales go from the tip of the tail to the middle of its human torso. Draping from the shoulders it wears the torn clothes of its victims. Its face is hidden under a leather shroud. We have tried to get away, but it knows where we are all the time. The only moments we are safe is during the mornings, but when the sun starts to fall, she comes.
“Inside the house we are out of harm's way, but I don’t know why. Maybe the hunter that used to live here beat her in a fight or scared her. When the kids go out to search for food, I tell them to come back inside before it gets dark. But, some wander too far to make it back. Last time, I tried to save Sophie. I could hear her scream, but I couldn’t find her. I ran in the dark… I couldn’t see her…"
Richard lowered his head, fighting back tears.
"That is why I stole your sword and shield. When I saw you sleeping under the tree early this morning, I took the chance and stole your weapons. I thought I could wield your blade, but I lack the skill.”
He knelt on the floor and bowed to me, “Please, help us. I beg you to rid us from this evil." The other children followed suit.
Now there was no way that I could turn my back on them. I was their only hope.
"I will help you, I said lifting Richard by the shoulder, “but we're going to need a heck of a plan to get rid of her. If you say that she knows where you are all the time, by now she probably knows I'm here, too."
“Well, what do you think we should do?”
I crossed my arms and put my veteran mind to work. After some thinking, I had an idea. A dangerous one.
“Richard, you said that the monster only comes for children, Right?
“Right.”
“So if I go out there to find her, she won’t show herself to me because I’m an adult.”
“I guess. But, how will you confront her if she won’t come for you?”
I stretched my arms and rubbed my hands together, “Well, for that, I’m going to need a volunteer; the kind that is young and meaty, and has the ability to not faint in the face of danger.”
“Why do you need a volunteer?” asked Richard.
“…It’s part of the plan…”
Suddenly, all the children slowly stepped away from me.
###
The sun was about to set, and the chill of the coming night had already crept in. The moisture in the air clogged my nostrils. Everyone was in front of the house, including Luc. He bravely volunteered for my plan. Naturally, Richard volunteered first, but I thought he was too old for the Lamia’s attention. I strapped my shield on Luc’s back and tied a rope around his waist. He looked funny, the shield was too big for him.
“You’re a brave kid for doing this,” I told him, “You know that, right?”
“My brothers and sisters are not of my own blood, but they are my family. I’d do anything for them, even die.” His words stunned me. I didn’t know a statement like that could come out of a child’s mouth. I would have said the same thing if someone asked me about Auria.
Richard was behind me giving instructions to the other children. He then came to me and said, “We’re ready.”
“Good,” I replied. I lit a torch and gave it to Luc. He nodded and slowly walked away from the cottage and into the forest. I followed at a distance and hid behind a beech tree. I peeked to his direction, making sure he was all right. He kept walking until he heard a noise in the bushes to his left. With a swing of the torch, he dared and summoned the Lamia, “Come out, you monster! I’m not afraid of you.”
After a few seconds, there was a hiss and a grumble. She was coming. Luc gave a few more steps, and suddenly screamed, “Oh, turd!”
That’s when I gave the signal, “Now!”
All the children pulled on the long rope I tied around Luc’s waist. Since he had the shield on his back, he simply fell and slid on the ground. The children ran, hauling Luc behind. But in pursuit was the Lamia, shrieking as she made her slippery dash. She got closer to him and he begged his friends to pull faster. Luckily for him, I was right there. When he slid past me, I twisted around the tree and swung my sword, slashing the monster from its waist down to the tail. She stopped her pursuit and hugged her side, leaning against a tree. My slash was good, but it only gave her a shy bleed. She then lunged and smacked me with a snap of her tail. I landed on the ground, and from there I got a good look at the fiend. Her pale, gray human skin made her appear ghastly. The eyes were shrouded by some animal hide, the nose was up-right and pointy, and the lips were thin and blistered. Richard was right about her clothing; it was made from what was left of the trousers and blouses of her victims, covering the shoulders and bosom. The snake half began just below the belly button, with rough and long scales piercing out the human skin. They had the pattern of dark blemishes with red, rippled stripes. I stood up as she gnarled at me with all the hate in the world.
“How dare you come after these children, you foul beast?” I roared.
“How dare you come between me and my dinner, hunter?” she replied with a hiss.
“……Holy crap, it can talk!” I gasped. I couldn’t believe the Lamia had spoken. I thought it was just a
monster with human shape, but words had actually come out of her mouth. She lunged and pushed me back with both hands. Her sheer force made me roll back like a rock down a hill. I must’ve hit every root on the way because every bit of my skin hurt. I looked up and saw her sniffing the air. That’s how she knew the very position of the kids inside the forest! She couldn’t see, but she caught their scent. Now she was using it on me.
She stopped sniffing and faced my way, showing me her viper fangs. My sword laid on the ground between us. I lost my grip while I rolled. I dashed for it; and the beast, for me. She tried to clasp me with her arms, but I reached the sword first. I skimmed past her and cut the tip of her tail off. She shook and wiggled in pain.
“You insignificant fool, I’ll tear you apart!” the Lamia barked. She raised her hands and her fingers started to stretch and broaden. They got long and pointy, thinning the skin and ripping it open. Within the blink of an eye, she had grown sharp, bloody claws. And to make an example of what she wanted to do to me, she grabbed the tree beside her and tore a big chunk out of it.
“Huh, I guess that’s my cue.” I ran opposite to where the children had gone to. The farther I could get the fiend from them, the better.
I sprinted, hearing the Lamia’s rampage as she pursued me. I had to run almost squatting to avoid hitting my face with the low branches. When I finally managed through the woods, I ended where I had met the children in the first place, in the center of the circle of trees. There I turned, expecting the beast right on my heels. But, she wasn’t there. Instead, I heard her rustling among the surrounding bushes. I looked around with my blade raised, prepared at all times.
“Why do you do this?” I asked. “Why do you torment these children? They’re innocent; they have done nothing to you?”
The rustling stopped, and I heard her hoarse voice from my right.
“My children, my own children, were taken from me. I was granted this form to share my sadness to the world; to hurt it, to damage it. May it crumble, may it burn!”