by Conny Conway
“Bondye Mwen, Mwen te siviv.” He mumbled, his hands dug in the sands below him.
“My God, Sebastian you’re a drama queen.”
Shiloh laughed, though secretly she was also glad to feel the ground under her feet. She glanced back to the ocean and saw how their raft just dissolved just leaving sea foam behind.
Inside she shivered how quickly their vessel had been gone.
Resolute she shook her head. They were safe from the water, which was what did count now. She hadn’t finished the thought, when she asked silently what the near future would bring, what adventures they would have to endure. Poseidon’s warning echoed again in her heart.
She looked from one to another. But she couldn’t find suspicions against any of them. True, she was not very fond of Sebastian. He and his concoctions were mysterious and somewhat unholy to her, but he had come through getting them safe through the swamps.
Willie, the willow wisp was a character on his own. At times he was so funny only to turn around and be grumpy, granted he had been mischievous, but now he was tame like a sheep, expecting his funky plant, which no one but Lann and she could deliver to him.
Whiplash zoomed into the field of her vision. So he was sphinxlike, but he had no mean bone in him.
Derwa, the druid, a companion given by Ruebezahl, maybe she was spying for the giant.
But again no. The green woman could have left them after they cleared the forest, but she had stayed, had worked hard to provide food. She could have poisoned them if she thought them ill. She rather shortened the rations to feed all of them, got up way before everyone else to collect berries, root and more. No, the druidess was goodness personified.
Lann was defiantly one of the best, if not the best, man she had ever met.
A unicorn couldn’t be evil, could it?
Especially one that hadn’t felt anything. Though this wasn’t true any longer. The white beast had laughed, cried, grieved and almost forsaken.
This would leave the baby, which had turned from white to black. Maybe this was an omen, but then again this couldn’t be, it was an innocent.
On the other hand they all had nurtured it. All, but Sebastian.
‘Darn you, Poseidon.” Shiloh cursed in her mind.
While she had been pondering, the others had gotten ready to leave.
They chatted as they walked, Lann ensuring Xylophia that the infant would be ok.
“But it is too young to know the difference. I had no time to teach it feeling, yet.” The unicorn worried.
“If the little stinker has anything in common with its mother, it’ll do fine.” Lann insisted as the approached the shrubbery, leading them away from the beach, away from a wet adventure.
A furious roar admitted from their way ahead.
Balor was in the worse mood ever. In his fits his eye savaged several of the lesser demons. His court cowered in the darkest corners, behind pillars.
The only one still standing straight and proud was Marcus.
Though his face was drawn into a painful grimace. He had been the first the king at leashed out on, after the Roman had informed Balor of the arriving of a siren zombie and the bad news the undead had delivered.
The demon god had jolted the gladiator with lightning until one arm was singed away. The stench of burning meat drafted through the big hall.
Marcus had hoped Balor would overdo it in his rage, but before the king had killed him with his general strikes out of his reptilian eye, the whiff had wavered to the unholy nose. Balor had turned his scorching eye to his court and shot flashes left and right, not caring who or what he hit with his electricity.
Marcus watched silently as Balor raged. Some of the columns had crumbled, groaning they were on the verge of tumbling.
“How could this have happened?” Some of his temper spent Balor inquired.
“The demigod and the human broke this cycle’s curse of the dolphins being beached by pulling the fishes back into the ocean. Poseidon felt obliged to help them in return and helped them over the ocean of tears.” Marcus gaze didn’t waver as Balor’s rage grew again.
“Poseidon! May he rot in the nine hell.” The demon god hollered, the sound hidden the crumbling support of the cave and the ceiling almost collapsed. “How dare he interfere with my prey? He will pay for this, damned Greeks. To hell with them all. Nothing good has ever come from that pack. They have given me more grief than any other boiling gentry, except the Titans, but again the blasted Parthenon had ruined my reign by locking them up. Cursed Zeus and his bastards, I wonder what they think who they are. How dare they to impede my plans each and every wretched time.”
Peebles hit the gladiator’s regal head, while Balor was fuming.
Dust collected on his armored shoulder, he wiped it off with disgust.
He could stand any pain, any torture Balor could come up, but he couldn’t stand dirt, grime, and dust.
Even in the dungeons, when Balor had done the worse to him, as soon as he was able to move, he cleaned himself, his armor and his toga.
“One day the infamous assholes will pay for their arrogance. And if I myself will have to instigate their doom. One day the revenge will be sweet.”
The king seems to run out of steam it seemed. “What else did the cursed crone have to say?” He thundered while his eye returned to Marcus.
“She said that the unicorn offspring turned black.”
“So?”
“No one knows why.”
“Is it still snoring?”
“Yes, my liege, it’s still passed out.” The Roman had never met the babe, but he thought unicorn majestic, more than Balor, and the infant had interested him from beginning. The first unicorn born since forever. He disliked the way, Balor spoke of it.
“Maybe it’s already rotting.” Balor bellowed. Parts of the ceiling caving in. His court scrambled out of the cavern to safety.
Marcus swiped the filth off, disgusted he glanced at his king.
“Blasted cave!” Balor said. “Fetch Teotihuacan and her spiders. Tell her to fix the darned ceiling while I’m gone. I will go see the worm.”
‘You mean torture.’ Marcus thought but kept his lips clamped together. Disappointed of not having died again, he took off to find the Mayan goddess, surely she won't be too happy to mend the top again.
Silence followed the harrowing howl emitted from the brush close by. The dark leaves curled up as heat singed their fragile bodies. The plants parted and a stench so foul emerged, it made them all gag. Their eyes teared up and blinded by their tears none had seen the monster materialized, which the reek enveloped.
The body was several shades of grey and black, long, dirty furred, the size of Lann. It was a dog at the first glance from the back, but the monster had two heads. The eyes in those gleamed red like charcoals. The ears pointed, one bit off halfway, the others not in much better condition. The paws ended in dagger sharp claws.
The whole monstrous canine was covered in wounds. Bitten, clawed, beat and kicked the sores emitted lava instead of blood. One head howled again, while the other growled dangerously.
Lann got used to the foul-smelling odor first. He blinked the tears away and lifted his head right into one face of the hell hound, this was growling, while the other howled. His wings spread instinctively, staying grounded he pushed Shiloh behind his own body as to shield her. Lann knew exactly which animal they were facing.
“What the hell?” Shiloh sputtered between clenched teeth.
She too was getting used to the stench, she heard the growl and the howl, held on to Lann, when he shielded her with himself. The human stood on her toes to peek over the warrior’s shoulder.
What she saw was unbelievable
. She knew it was Cerberus without Lann telling her. She was aware of the danger hanging in the air, felt more than seeing Lann pulling his sword out of its sheath, while Sebastian cursed in his native language. Derwa gasped as she heard the canine voices and also realized who their new opponent
was.
“Take the babe of my back.” Xylophia whispered to her when she nuzzled the druid. “Lann will need help with this one.”
Derwa did as told, without harsh movement she removed the black body.
The fiery eyes watched all of them and more rumbles came through both muzzles, deep and dark from the bottom of the monster’s chest, two sets of ears laid back in warning as it lifted one paw , sat it in front of the other. In this fashion Cerberus moved forward ready to attack and tear the friends apart. The bloodlust ached in its head and it has difficulties to stick to his master’s commands.
Perilously it approached closer and closer. One head held his stare on Derwa, while the other’s eyes moved to and fro so no one could move unexpectedly. The dog changed his direction and loomed closer to the druid, her body told it that it was drawing closer to her. The head snapped in her direction and she stumbled backwards, tripped and landed on her buttocks, the babe still in her arms. Her blind eyes looking nowhere.
Lann moved forward, armed, he blocked the monster’s way swiftly.
“No.” Derma said.” Don’t hinder it to come to me. Don’t you see? Hades minion! “She exclaimed. “Move away slowly, Lann. Let Cerberus meet the babe.”
Doubtful the warrior eyed the canine, but he moved away, setting the way free.
Shiloh held her breath as the hell hound got closer and closer to her friend. Xylophia had wanted to charge the dog at first, thought her offspring in danger, but she had heard Derwa’s statement to Lann. As much as she hated it, she too moved out of the canine’s path.
Lann stood again in front of Shiloh, she peeked around him to see the happenings as they unfold.
Sebastian sat in the black sand, yards away from the companions and Hades’ pet.
Finally Cerberus was in front of the druid, still planted firmly on her behind, the babe in her arm. She felt the dog’s hot breath singeing the hair on her arms.
“Now what, Cerberus?” She spoke softly.
It roared right into her face, heated stench almost knocked her out. Then it bowed its ugly head down to the beautiful, lifeless equine, sniffed it several times from head to tail, as to make sure this was his goal.
It lifted its eyes to Derwa again, saw that the green woman did not move suspiciously, turned its attention back to the unicorn and licked its eye lids so vicariously, lifted the skin and actually licked the eye balls, as to clear them out of sand or whatever might cause one to shut the eyes to protect them. Then he backed away, growled and waited.
The black eyelids fluttered open, the eyes clear and bright. The infant got up on its hooves, whinnied and went on its hind.
Xylophia also whinnied, happy to see her babe alive. She forgot about the hell hound, about her friends close by. She trotted to her off spring, muzzled its black nose with her white one. The babe returned the tenderness, then the dog barked viciously with both of its heads.
Xylophia startled and turned abruptly to protect her babe, but the small unicorn had nothing of that. It approached the hell hound, which barked again.
The Babe bowed its head, whinnied and then its look went from one friend to the next as to stare into their very souls.
Each of the companions had to endure the prodding glance for a wee time, each time the babe shook its black head, mane flying. Then it took a second round of glances.
Cerberus watched it with hungry eyes it seemed.
The exploring eyes took a second look at Sebastian and it charged. The Creole scrambled to his feet and ran along the beach, followed by the small equine. The distance diminished fast and soon the babe caught up with the brown man, blocking his escape it went again on its hind legs, whirling the front hooves wildly until it made contact with a brown forehead. Sebastian shrieked in terror and fell into the black sand. The babe went up again and came down with its front on Sebastian hard and heavy. He yelled for help, roared in agony, try to cast a spell, but couldn’t get to his dusts and oils.
Again the equine smashed it’s hooves on Sebastian’s soft body. Blood spurted everywhere, but disappeared as soon as it hit rather the black babe or the black beach. Again it trampled on him, over and over again. He had stopped moving and yet it kicked and thrashed his body. No longer was he a brown man, a voodoo priest, but a pile of blood and flesh.
When the babe finally calmed, it galloped back to Cerberus, lifted its head to the huge canine.
It growled low and licked the babe’s nose and lips. A glimmer of red and orange held both animals encaged, then the shine was gone, so was Cerberus. Instead of a baby unicorn there was a proud black steed, he spread his black wings and the whole body erupted in flames.
He went upright and said “Call me Night stalker, for I light up the night, the darkness, chase away the shadows and shades. I am the guardian of souls.”
Chapter 15
It was late that day as the little group set their camp by the side of a small lake. Night stalker had left them, following the call of his duty. There had been times when all of them had talked about the happenings at once, then there had been times when no one spoke, the only noise audible had been the rustling of the leaves under the feet and hooves. The terrain they followed was overgrown with dry and dead grass, about knee high, at times broken by patches of black pebbles and dirt. Black mountains in the distance, their peeks hidden by ominous clouds, grew a little closer over time.
While Derwa got their meal ready, Shiloh and Lann grew and fed the wisp, though the show which Willie normally displayed was not as bright and spectacular as normal.
Even he was depressed by the Pegasus’ leaving them.
Later they all sat solemnly around their fire, each to their own ponderings.
A rumble shook the ground softly, but not enough to raise any concerns.
“It’s like Mother Nature weeps,
For us to mourn the steed.”
The Matagot sighed.
“Aye.” Lann agreed,
Derwa took a deep breath. “I miss him.”
Xylophia’s whinny was also very halfhearted, while Shiloh yawned heartily, then the human shook her head, her long auburn hair glistening in the fire light.
She cleared her throat.
“Derwa, may I ask you a very personal question?”
The stony eyes of the druid transferred to where the voice had come from. She nodded and raised one eyebrow.
“How did you lose your sight? Why are the gems instead of eyes in their place?” First Shiloh’s voice had been small, but while she stated her inquiry it grew stronger, not doused in pity, but laced with real interest for her friend’s condition, building a bridge for all of them to cross from heartache to normality.
Derwa understood, she also heard Shiloh’s honesty and care.
“I was not born with them. I had regular green eyes. I saw the sky, sun and stars. I knew colors, recognized and differed faces. Not only feeling soft fur and feathers like now, but I could see the animals. I was unlucky though. Besides what you all see, I glimpsed into hearts, saw their goodness or sinfulness, their wickedness. One day while I went about my chores the former king and his court passed by. He was so handsome, and his queen a celestially beauty. Their children cute as buttons in their gowns and dresses. The throne prince so angelic, just like his mother. They were good rulers and the land was bright and fertile. We, the peasants happy and prosper, no one was left to starve. But just like every good monarch, the king was hated by those which were hungry for power. His general was one of them. He wanted to rule the nine hells. As the man walked by me, I saw his pitch black heart, saw how he planned to destroy the royal family and take the power. I cried out in pain, because I felt his hatred as such. His majesty turned his charger around and came back to me, inquiring if I was alright. And I told him no, told him what I had seen in General Balor’s heart. Balor was standing next to us, supposedly protecting the king. He heard every word I said, but he didn’t look at me, didn’t seem to hear King Gunther answered that he would check into th
e matter and that he would return, if there was any truth in my saying. He then went back to lead his caravan to the inn, where they would stay for that night. After the king had turned his back on me, Balor glared at me with his red eye. I felt his heat in that glower and it seared my eyes, turning them into stone.”
Shiloh laid her hand on her friend's small one, rubbing it with her thumb as to infuse confidence.
“I remember those times.” Lann sighed, letting the past roll in front of his inner eyes. “You must have lived in Dragon Ville.” Again he drew a deep breath, mumbled as to himself.” That’s where King Gunther died.”
“Aye, that night.” Derwa breathed softly.
Shiloh looked at the warrior, asking him to elate. He did.
“King Gunther and his family were brutally murdered. Burned alive and when they stopped screaming from the pain and fell unconscious, they were woken up by a pale of water. Then their limps were cut off in thin slivers. Again they must have fainted and again Balor had them woken by water. He then gauged their eyes out, first the princesses, which he devoured in front of the king and queen. Then he ripped the children’s hearts out and fed them to his hounds. The queen was bound spread eagle and rapped by his minions until she died. Last he killed Gunther.” Lann shook and swallowed hard. “He bound him by four stakes on the ground, rubbed honey and the blood of the children over the kings robes on his stomach, then…” Lann’s voice grew quieter.” He released the pigs on the man. They ate his intestines while his majestic was screaming.” The winged man was overtaken by shivers. “ Whoever spoke up to help was quartered right after Balor had gotten rid of the royal family. It’s said that the houses in Dragon Ville are not red because of paint, but because of the blood. Since then, the land has gone to... Well you know.” His voice trailed off.
Shiloh trembled in horror, Derwa held her hand now, cooing silly words to calm the human.
The little cat made a hissing sound as it took off of Shiloh’s shoulder, zooming like a bat out of hell all the time muttering,
