by Alexis Rojas
“Damn it, how do I cross?” he shouted. “I need to hurry. What do I do?”
Then, on the opposing bank came hopping a familiar creature. It was the enormous frog that had dragged him out the river before. Erik wondered if it would do it again. He waved his arms around, trying to capture the frog’s attention. The frog stopped hopping and fixed its gaze on his movements. When he moved upriver, the frog hopped upriver; when he paced down, so did the amphibian. Now that its attention was locked on him, he only needed to do two more things: jump into the river, and pray that his plan would work.
Erik climbed a tree and steadily walked upon a branch that hovered over the waters. And with a deep breath, he jumped in. Looking at the great splash Erik made, the frog quickly hopped to the riverbank. It searched the water with its bulgy eyes and when it found its target, it launched its long, slimy tongue. Grabbing hold of its prey, the frog yanked and quickly recoiled to have a tasty human lunch. But instead, it received a nasty surprise. Out of the water came Erik, with the tongue in one hand and his sword in the other. The frog pulled hard to bite its prey, but when the prey neared, so did the blade. The sharp tip went through the throat and out the back of the head, killing the frog instantly.
Erik removed the blade and sheathed it. He was now on Balorian soil and somewhere beyond the trees ahead was Auria.
“I will find you, Auria. Even if it costs me my life, I will bring you back.”
He sprung forward and ran into the woods.
His search had begun…
*
I woke up. The fire had gone out and I began to feel cold. It was early morning and the sun hadn’t come out. I sat up and leaned against a rock, meditating on the dream I had. Bri’s teary eyes were stuck in my mind. Then, it hit me like a brick.
“What the hell am I doing?”
I needed to change my mindset. The dream reminded me of what I had to do, and of what I’ve been doing all night; lamenting myself like a child. I had lost her yesterday, but that didn’t mean she was lost forever. As a fierce warrior of the Eternal Squadron, I was not backing down. Rescuing Auria was my mission, and that’s exactly what I was going to do. I promised!
I knew where they were taking her, to Vidana. There was only one great obstacle in my way, the great and tall range of the Pegnion Mountains. I didn’t know how I was going to overcome this natural titan, but I did know this: I was not giving up!
15- Wanting Sunrise
Morning was near. I didn’t sleep again since the dream. I felt it was time I left the rock formation that had sheltered me. Even though my clothes were not completely dry yet, I was set on continuing. After dressed, I brainstormed on how to scale or pass the mountains. They were so tall and steep, maybe I would not be able to hike them through. I walked to the edge of the rock formation and peeked at the sky, admiring a celestial half-moon. It shed a vague light on the valley. To the west were the Pegnion Mountains and to the east were a series of verdant hills. Since the drawbridge had been destroyed, I set out south to find a way around.
The path was misty and I walked carefully to not make any sounds. If there was anything around still asleep, I wanted it to stay that way. But, soon after I left the rock formation, I heard a wailing roar from behind. I took out my sword and turned. It was still dark and I couldn’t see far, but I could hear running footsteps coming my way. I clutched my sword and prepared to confront a fiend, until I heard a girly shriek, “Yaaa!”
I saw a man with a red tunic running down the path. He looked backwards as if something followed.
“Halt!” I said, but it only scared him. He threw his arms up and fell like if he had fainted. I picked him up by the arm, but he pulled away, screaming, “Oh, please, don’t eat me. I beg you!”
“I’m not going to eat you,” I replied, “Stand up, tell me what’s wrong.” He stopped panicking when he heard my voice. He finally realized I was but a man. He grabbed my hand tightly and pleaded, “Oh, warrior, you must save us!”
“What’s the matter?”
“A demon is upon us. It smashed against my carriage and flipped it. My friend is still inside. I wanted to help him, but the demon’s fierceness made me a coward.”
I couldn’t believe him. A beast would be credible, but a demon? The man must have met with an ogre. I hesitated in providing assistance. I was ready and focused on my journey, but this man just wouldn’t let go of my hand. He squeezed it until it actually started to hurt.
“Please, I beg you to help us!”
“Alright, fine!” I said, finally shaking him off, “Head for that rock formation and stay there until I return.”
The man hid within the rocks and I dashed up the road. Sun light was creeping from the hills to the east, and the mist was starting to fade. I began hearing the roars of the ogre up ahead. I took a shortcut through the trees to avoid the curvy road. When I reemerged out the other side, I saw it. It was taller and wider than me, with muscles the size of boulders. It had a thick, pointed tail, and wings like that of a dragon. I still didn’t believe it to be a demon, but it wasn’t an ogre, either. It was wasting the flipped carriage with its curved claws.
“Help, someone help me!” I heard from within the carriage. I silently prepared my sword and shield and snuck behind the monster. The fiend suddenly got distracted by turning the wheels. It mumbled with curiosity and enjoyment. I took the chance and struck its back. It viciously wailed as black blood spurted out. It turned around and showed me its ferocity, spreading its hulking wings, lifting its broad arms and giving a roar that deafened me. It really was a demon. Its size and power wavered my spirit. I raised my shield and slowly stepped back.
Then, looking at its wings and physique, I suddenly realized what it was. I read about it in the Book of Beasts. This was no demon, it was a gargoyle. A wide snout with rigid nostrils, black fur on its throat and shoulders, and thorny horns on the tip of its wings; it was just like the book described. And if I remembered well, direct light was its weakness. Oh, if only I had my “sun fairy” with me.
The gargoyle made its move. It tore a wheel off the carriage and threw it at me. I stopped it with my shield, but the creature was quick. Instead of running to me, it flapped its wings for a quick boost and tackled me head on. I fell back on a puddle of water. Before I even lifted my head to get up, it grabbed me by the legs and hurled me to a tree. It grunted a laugh when I unorthodoxly landed. Throwing me around, the fiend felt some amusement. I managed to stand, but the damn beast wouldn’t give me a break. It swung its claw and blew my shield away, breaking the arm strap. It then lifted me by the sides and pinned me against the tree. I tried to slash its face, but it bit the blade and yanked it off my hands. It spat the sword to the ground and growled. Stripped of my weapons, the creature’s serrated teeth neared my head. I held them back by pushing the monster by the throat.
Being overwhelmed by the gargoyle’s power, I felt like battling the lamia again. That time I was weaponless, too, but I was not going to give in. I raised my fist and punched its nearing jaws. I continually hit on the snout until I heard the bones around the nostrils crack. It quickly dropped me and covered its face. I grabbed the sword and slashed it up from the stomach to the chest. It yowled in pain and blew me back with a gust of the wings. Distracted with its wounds, I retreated into the woods.
I couldn’t continue fighting it head on. I was more banged up than a battered drum. The gargoyle hurt my back by tackling me, my legs by hurling me, and my shoulder by blasting my shield off. The creature was physically too strong for me.
As I retreated up the eastern hill, I noticed something on my gloves. I rubbed my fingers together and there was some kind of slimy substance. It was from the gargoyle when I pushed it by the throat; a secretion from the skin. I didn’t know what it was, but it was not my concern now. I looked up to see the rays of the sun, but no direct sunlight. I had to continue hiking up to the top of the hill and lure the gargoyle to the rays. But, the top of the hill was still far. In my current stat
e, the monster would catch me halfway. It was then that I saw a horse upfront. Its reigns were tangled on a tree branch. As I came close, I noticed it had the shaft and trace of a carriage hanging from the sides. This had to be the horse pulling the carriage. When the gargoyle smashed against it, the impact must’ve broken the horse free. I hopped on and cut off the branches trapping it. I heard the rustling of bushes and the moaning of the beast coming our way. The horse suddenly whined in fear.
“Come on, boy! I know you want to get rid of this thing, too.”
We darted up to the peak of the hill. I heard the sound of the gargoyle’s wings behind us, but I could not see it. Reaching the lush peak, I got off the horse and slapped its hind to make it flee. The trees at the top of the hill were layered with vines and weeds draping from the branches, blocking the sunlight. I went to the farthest tree and separated a thick curtain of vines. The rays blasted through and lit up the darkness. Suddenly, I felt a sudden stiffness on my hand. I raised it to the light and saw how my glove turned to stone. I could not move my fingers. It hardened as the sunrays came in contact. I got away from the light, and immediately my hand returned to normal. I looked closer and it was the slime. That’s why the gargoyle’s weakness was light, the slime turned into stone!
Sunlight shone clearly in the sky now. The gargoyle had to be hiding on the shady slope.
“Come on, beast!” I yelled out loud to lure it, “I’m right here. One more hit and I’m done. What do you say?”
Sure enough, I heard a growl. I knew I hurt it enough to seek revenge. Light started to pierce through the branches of the trees, making the remaining pockets of shadows even darker. It had to be hiding in one of them. And like a lion jumping for the final kill, the gargoyle leapt from behind the trees with its claws aiming for my head. This was my only chance. I turned and cut the vines from the top, making the morning light blast through the shadows. The gargoyle stopped and gasped in panic as its skin began to harden. The slime reacted to the light and became stone. The gargoyle tried to escape, lifting its legs and wings, but in a matter of seconds all its body had petrified. It moved no more.
With the monster finally still and harmless, I walked near to make sure it was dead. I looked closely inside the mouth and even the tongue had hardened. Then suddenly, a flow of foul breath invaded my nose. The ugly beast was still breathing, it was not dead! I clutched my sword with both hands and drove it between its teeth. The blade stabbed through the palate, and came out the top of the cranium. Dark blood gushed from the beast’s mouth. I pulled back my sword and neared my ear to its face. I heard no more breathing.
I left the verdant peak, and as I walked down the hill, I looked back one last time. The gargoyle was still standing, but only as a stiff cadaver.
#
The sun was already high in the sky and the Pegnions Mountains to the west were bathing in its gentle light. I wobbled down to the path, practically dragging my feet from exhaustion. The man with the red tunic and his friend, a short chubby man, were trying to repair their carriage. It was scratched and torn, but the main frame was still intact. They had already flipped it up right. Now, they were trying to attach one of the wheels the gargoyle ripped off.
“Hey,” I called, but I only startled them. The chubby one jumped and the other fell to the ground again with a girly scream. When they realized it was me, they got overrun with joy, “Warrior, you’re alive! Are you fine? What about the demon?”
“The ‘demon’ has been dealt with… thank the heavens for sunshine. I, on the other hand, could use a drink.”
The chubby man opened the back door of the carriage. It was a mess inside. Jars were both broken or misplaced, fabrics and carpets hanged from the walls, and a chest with an iron lock rested tilted on the back. It would take some time to sort everything out, but with so many items, it was clear these men were merchants. They gave me wine, and ointment for my aches. They also shared me their names. George was the chubby one, and Louis the one in the tunic.
“So it was a gargoyle, not a demon,” George said after the three of us talked about the incident, “When it floated over and crashed onto us, I thought it was not of this world.”
“We cannot thank you enough,” Louis told me.
“We can’t thank you enough,” George remarked, “but maybe we can show our eternal gratitude with a small gift.” He ran back into the carriage while Louis wondered what his colleague would fetch. George then came out with a pair of ornamental gauntlets. They were made of thick black leather, decorated with smooth azure crystal plates. Light reflected off their surface with a cobalt flicker.
“I have never seen gauntlets like these,” I said.
“You can’t give him that!” Louis shouted, “It’s very valuable merchandise!”
“He saved our lives, Louis! Saved my life. You cowardly ran away like a headless chicken, while he, as a total stranger, came and fought the monster”. Louis shunned and looked away. I kept ogling at fine gauntlets.
“Here, take them,” George placed the gauntlets in my hands. “Just by your expression, I can see you like them very much. It is said that they were made by a powerful wizard, and that they can protect you from any magical attack.”
“Really?” I replied astonished.
“…I personally don’t believe it. This is the pitch I use when I want to sell them. But, since we haven’t found a decent buyer for them, I think a splendid warrior like yourself would appreciate having these in your collection.”
I would have humbly rejected the gift, but after receiving a beating from a gargoyle and surviving the night, I think I deserved a damn prize.
Down the path we saw the horse peacefully pacing back to the carriage. The merchants were so happy; now they didn’t have to push the merchandise by themselves.
#
“Well then, gentlemen, may I know where you’re headed?” I asked before they departed.
“We’re heading south to Morloc,” George answered, “At the beginning of autumn, many merchants gather there. It’s like a carnival. What about yourself? Where do you plan to go?”
“I have to go to Vidana. But, with the bridge broken, I don’t know how. I guess I’ll also have to go south and find a way around the mountain range.”
“You could take the Gnome Passage,” Louis said.
“Aw, come on, Louis. Those are just rural legends,” George laughed.
“Listen, Erik,” Louis continued, ignoring George, “it is said that gnomes live deep within the Pegnion Mountains. That they are more intelligent than any other being and that they travel all over the world using secret underground tunnels.”
“Really? Well, I don’t need ‘all over the world’. I just need ‘the other side of the mountain’. Where is the entrance to this passage?”
“That’s why it’s a legend,” George smirked, “Nobody knows and nobody has seen it.”
“They say that the entrance will be shown if you overcome its guardian; the beast of infinite appearance,” Louis added.
“The beast of infinite appearance?” I slowly uttered. I took a deep breath and tried to relax, for it was ridiculous how many monsters this country had. I decided to try my luck on this Gnome Passage, so we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
16- I and Eye
Parting ways with the merchants, I commenced my walk to the foot of the Pegnion Mountains. By noon I came about a stream. It had to be one of many that funneled to the large river where the bridge was. I followed it upstream until reaching a waterfall flowing out of the mountains. The place was all muddy and swampy. There were puddles everywhere and the air was fetid and damp, which was unusual for this type of environment. I started searching at the foot of the mountain for the gnome passage. I looked for anything suspicious, like an odd rock or marking, but I discovered nothing. Afterwards, I climbed up the mountain. I only got so far since it was so steep. The higher I climbed, the fiercer the wind blew and the more difficult it was to step. I saw nothing of interest and
decided to stop before a gale sent me tumbling down. I then doubled back to where the waterfall was. I checked under rotten logs, eyed around the water, I even checked the wall behind the cascade. And once again, nothing. It was a whole bunch of nothings for one day. I started to believe that the secret passage might just be a rural legend like George said. Its guardian was supposed to be this beast of “whatever” appearance, but after rummaging around, I saw no trace of such creature.
Night fell with a partially cloudy sky. I took shelter under a bent tree with curvy roots. I carefully inspected my belongings before taking my rest. My shield’s arm strap was broken. I could only fling it around my back. With a rock I filed my sword to its proper edge; and unfortunately it still had the smell of troll barbeque. My dagger was no longer with me, since I left it stuck on the troll’s thumb. And my bag was completely full; I had the Book of Beasts, Yang’s box with the egg inside, the little bag of money from the outpost, my newly acquired crystal gauntlets, and the small quilt. The weather was getting chilly and it looked like it was going to get worse. I set out to find some dry wood and rocks to make a fire, when the full moon burst from the clouds. It brightened the place with its glow. The dim light let me notice a deer drinking from a pond across me. Its antlers were magnificent; they rose up and bent forward with seven horns on each beam. I hadn’t eaten much during the day, and I could sure eat some fine deer stake.
I had to move silently. Deer have acute ears that could detect the lowest of noises. I cautiously stepped around a leafless hardwood tree to get a better view. The deer stood in the moonlight, when I had a scary realization: How could this night have a full moon when the night before had a half moon? It was much too quick for the change of phase. I looked up and searched the sky. I confirmed the half-moon to the east, slightly hidden behind passing clouds. But, floating high in the air was this white sphere. It was so similar to the moon, even emitting its light. It started to lower smoothly towards the deer, without making any sound. It was almost celestial. Could this entity be the guardian of the passage?