“Our turn,” he said trying to control his own laughter as he slipped a bear cloak over his head a pair of men were holding out for him. “Come on, Claire. Help me vanquish the invaders.”
James ran out the door with a roar that was drowned out by the cheering of the guests. She had no idea what was happening, was breathless from laughing and let whatever was supposed to happen just happen. She didn’t question anything and didn’t spoil the fun, she rolled with it.
The men grabbed her bear cloak and held it out while a woman quickly unzipped the dress and hurried her out of it. Comfortable walking shoes were slipped on her feet and she pulled the two hair sticks. As promised, the elegant bun fell and her hair bounced around her shoulders. The party dress was slipped over her head, the cloak over her shoulders and the rushing slowed for a second as they placed the mask on her face and made sure her hair was over the straps.
Outside the doors she heard the laughter and roars of James as he vanquished the barbarians who had invaded the lands. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do but when she heard the crowds shocked gasps and James cry for help, she realized what her role was. She was going to save the King.
“I don’t know what to do!” she said as the men sprang to open the door.
“Just make some noise and chase after them,” the woman said with a laugh. “They’ll do the rest.”
Claire bounded out of the door with her best roar and ran directly for the barbarians with their swords raised high, ready to cut down the bear king. They fell over themselves in mock panic, stumbled and ran for the exits as she and James chased them away. As the wild men left the hall, the king and his lady paused at the top of the stairs and bowed to the cheering and clapping crowd. They’d had a treat, it had been a decade since the last telling of the tale of Galadors beginnings in the palace and this time it had been a little different. The added bear queen was something none of them had seen, even the oldest dignitaries who had been going to balls for years. With a final wave, they left the grand hall and started the short walk to the village.
“That was so fun!” Claire exclaimed. “You have to tell me the history, what was that all about?”
Frank and Dana joined them, their own bear cloaks draped over their shoulders. James tried to get Frank to recount the story but he claimed he didn’t remember it very well.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he said. “But feel free to interrupt and set me straight if I mess it up.”
He quickly told the legend of ancient Galador, then an isolated farming village with a wooden fortress. The people led a simple life deep in a vast uncharted forest. A band of barbarians discovered them and came to rape, pillage and plunder. They killed many, burnt down homes and when the villagers thought all was lost, the creatures of the forest came to their aide. Because they had been kind to them, the bears, wolves and lions charged out of the woods and drove the invaders away. No one suspected it was the King and his guardians in their animal forms. Over the centuries, it became traditional for the King to dress as the wild beast and chase away the marauders.
“The celebration is held every year here in town,” Frank added “It’s a little like your Halloween but all of the costumes are animals, no witches or monsters. There’s no door to door knocking for treats but the parties are known for elaborate cakes and chocolate candies.”
“This year is the most crowded I’ve ever seen it,” James said. “Between the funeral, the coronation and the Animalia Festiva, we’re near to bursting.”
“I hope the infrastructure, the water pipes and, um other facilities can stand the extra load,” Frank said. “The treatment plants are working overtime.”
“They will or they won’t,” James said and pulled his mask on. “No talk of kingdom business, Frank. Tonight, we mingle, we drink and dance until the cock crows.”
It was another ancient tradition that had meant a lot more centuries ago. The royal family would come out of the castle, hidden behind masks, and socialize with the common people. One never knew if they shared a drink and a laugh with the King or a farmer. A prince or a cobbler. In the modern times, the royal family was known to everyone from the papers, social media or occasional appearances on the news and it wasn’t quite the thrill it had been hundreds of years ago but it was still one of the biggest events of the year.
It usually didn’t take long as they wandered from bar to bar and party to party for them to be recognized. The revelers would be congratulated, selfies would be taken, and then everyone would be sworn to secrecy as the royal entourage hurried off to another gathering.
Claire was having the time of her life. She tried not to over indulge, only sipped at drinks that kept filling her hand but by four in the morning she was tipsy and her face hurt from so much laughter. It turned out that Frank was a fantastic dancer and didn’t hesitate to grab Dana’s hand and pull her to the dance floor or create his own if there wasn’t one. They discoed and waltzed, tangoed and salsa’d and a few others that she’d never seen before. Frank bellowed laughter, seemed to know everyone by their first name and turned the dullest party into one that would be talked about for weeks. James wasn’t quite so gregarious but once they realized who had dropped in on them, the merrymakers would surround him, wish him well and ladies from nine to ninety would want to dance with the King on the one night he was approachable.
“In here,” Frank said, a little bit unsteady on his feet as he led them through a darkened alley. “I need to rest a moment, catch my breath, this is a quiet place.”
He pushed through an unmarked door beside a couple of overflowing trash cans and into a cool, dim room with low ceilings. Fragrant hookah smoke hung in the air and quiet conversation instead of loud music filled the room. The walls were lined with books, ornamental medieval weapons, musical instruments and the room felt ancient. They were in the old part of town with cobblestone streets and squat buildings that hadn’t changed much since the middle ages. Conduits ran along the walls for electricity and bathrooms had been added hundreds of years after the original construction. Most of the people knew Frank and greeted him warmly. They recognized James also but no one rushed over for a picture or to shake his hand. It was an older and more dignified crowd for the most part who acknowledged him with nods or a raised glass of mead.
“A pale ale for me,” Frank told the barkeep as he sat on a padded stool and groaned in relief. “And whatever his majesty and the ladies are having.”
“Something without alcohol!” both girls said in unison and giggled.
“Your Grace?” the barman asked.
“Just James tonight please,” he said “And I’ll have one of your house brews. Frank tells me they are the finest in Galador.”
“Which way to the ladies?” Dana asked then grabbed Claire and dragged her along with her when Frank pointed down the stairs to the lower level.
“So this is the infamous Green Dragon I’ve heard you talk about,” James said and looked around the bar. “Longest continually open establishment in the kingdom? It’s been in business in the same location since the fifteen hundreds?”
“Fourteen eighty-seven, sir,” the barman said as he placed the drinks in front of the men. “Even during the plague, the fire of sixteen twelve, and the prohibition of alcohol during the reign of King Thalmud the unloved and then again during the fires of eighteen twenty-five. This building has been repaired and modernized but it’s the same one that has stood since the early days of the kingdoms founding. We’ve always been here and have always been open for business.”
“Here’s to another five hundred years,” James said and raised his glass then slammed it back down when he heard Dana scream.
The men launched themselves from their stools and ran for the spiral staircase that wound down to the lower level.
12
Becoming
“Oh Claire bear I think I’m in love.” Dana said airily as they finally made it to the bottom of the dizzying circular stairs. “I don’t care if he’s
old enough to be my dad and has a Santa Claus belly, I haven’t had this much fun in forever.”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he liked me back? Do you think he does?” she asked a little wistfully as they tried to adjust their eyes to the gloomy lower level. They were alone, all of the booths and tables were empty. The bathrooms weren’t lit up with a sign so they started circling the huge room. They’d run into them eventually.
“I think he does.” Claire said. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. You may have found a good one this time.”
“If only he didn’t live ten thousand miles away.” Dana said, the reality of the situation chipping at her happiness. “Story of my life. The good ones are already taken or unavailable. Whatever. We have a few more days before we leave, we can have fun, right?”
She pulled open the nearest door to see what was behind it and froze.
A group of hard looking bikers, long hair and leather jackets, turned to stare at her. They were in a storage room, racks of wine and barrels of beer covered most of the walls but the gang stood around a monstrous looking man chained to the stone wall. He was bloody and almost unrecognizable as human. He had a misshapen face and towered a full head and shoulders above the tallest one. His skin was piebald and mottled and when he looked up at the petrified girls, his mouth opened showing too many teeth and too many tongues. He roared and before she started screaming, Dana recognized one of the bikers as the naked man at the lake. The bold one who had tried to flirt with her. He ran towards her, concern on his face but the giant black and red spotted man ripped a chain out of the wall and swung it wildly. It surprised them, they thought he was weakened and they were caught off guard. Half of them were sent flying by the chain and bodies slammed together in a bone breaking crunch. With one hand free, it ripped the other bonds loose in seconds, and started swinging the chains with big chunks of stone still attached. Bodies flew and Dana shrieked, hands to face, eyes wide as the thing that looked a little like a man came straight for her. Its jaws spread wide and triple rows of glistening fangs hungered for her flesh. Dimitri shifted, dug teeth and nails into its’ scaly back and was whipped aside, slammed into a hundred bottles of wine. The others were recovering with snarls and growls. Fangs and claws flashed out where teeth and hands had been a moment before but the beast was halfway across the room, thundering towards pure human blood and hot, juicy human flesh. For ten thousand years he had hungered and nothing would stop his feasting.
The floor shook and his horned head was lowered to clear the rafters and the dust falling down from them. Dana still screamed and Claire stood frozen in place, death a half second away as the thing raised a mighty taloned hand to bash her away. It swung a chained fist at her, a behemoth flicking away a fly that stood between him and his food.
Claire saw her death coming.
Claire knew her life was over.
Claire could do nothing but watch.
But then Claire wasn’t Claire anymore.
Something changed.
Something shifted.
She lunged at the beast on instinct, her powerful hind legs ripping away the shreds of clothing that seemed to explode away from her as she launched herself at the monster with a black burning hatred that drove her to kill. She met the mottled beast in midair as it dove for Dana, its’ ugly mouth wide to rip and tear. A thousand pounds of pissed off she bear slammed the demon aside and it howled in rage, sank four inch long fangs deep into her shoulder. She barely felt it, her own anger blinding her and turning the world red with apoplectic rage. She slashed at him with her talons, sent an arm flying across the room as blood coated her cinnamon fur. She reared on her hind legs, bashed her head against the rafters and dove in for more. The demon thing tried to flee but the wolves were all over it, ripping and tearing, shredding it to pieces. It snapped at her, tried to slice open her belly but she crushed its’ head in her mighty maw. Brains and eyes and blood splashed the walls and filled her mouth with a horrible, burning taste. She effortlessly batted away one of the wolves, sent it sprawling across the room. This was her kill and she’d destroy any of them that tried to take it from her. She stood again and roared a challenge, gore and blood soaked her fur. More dust shook down from the rafters and she was prepared to fight any or all of them. They darted away, out of reach of her savage claws and one by one, they turned back into humans. A man stood before her with a calming hand extended.
A man she knew.
A man she loved.
James was saying something and she shouldn’t have understood the words but she did. She was a bear, a mighty hunter but somehow, she wasn’t. Her shoulder hurt and she cocked her head to concentrate on his words. He was telling her to turn into a human like the wolves had. To change. To shift. She was a bear, she wasn’t human. What was he talking about? A girl was staring at her, eyes as big as saucers.
“Claire bear? Is that you?”
Claire. She remembered that name. It was her name. Claire the bear. Her head hurt. Her shoulder hurt. It was hard to think and she was tired. So tired. Everyone was staring at her. She dropped down to all fours, fell to her knees and kept falling. Blackness surrounded her and she welcomed the nothingness of dreamless sleep.
Afterword
Some mysteries solved, others to ponder. The final novella will wrap the series up in a (hopefully) satisfying conclusion. I’m not a super-fast writer, life seems to get in the way, so I hope you can forgive the long delays between books. I would like to wrap up the story by the end of the year, maybe by Thanksgiving.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and will consider leaving a review. They are one of the only ways others can judge whether they want to spend their time or money on the story.
Have a wonderful day, week and year.
We all have super powers, I hope you can find yours.
Adrianna Adore
July 29, 2020
Heart of the Guardians: Adoring Destiny Page 9
