by K T Durham
Elly was now shivering not from the cold but from all that she was hearing. “So Gutz ultimately wanted to get to you and the other Guardians. That’s why Gutz tricked me to get to the portal and teleport to Gaya with me,” she said in a whisper. She swallowed hard, then looked at Graille. “But how did Gutz manage to trap you here?”
“I came into this forest of my own accord. I have nobody to blame but my own folly.”
Elly frowned quizzically. Graille titled his head. “When we are least on our guard, the Beast can see into our hearts, Ellanor. It sees what we most desire, what we most want to protect. The Beast uses our vulnerabilities against us.”
“Is that how the Beast got Gutz to … lure you?” she asked in a whisper. “The Beast preyed on your … your weakness?” She couldn’t imagine that a Guardian could have any vulnerabilities.
“Yes. I was led to believe a person of great importance to me was trapped in this forest.”
Elly gawped at him, astonished. “A person of great importance?”
Graille went very still, and his eyes were sad. “Jong-Min’s mother,” he said softly.
At this, Elly’s head snapped up. “What?” she cried.
“Gutz shape-shifted into Soo-Min and led me into this forest. The Beast had concocted a powerful spell for Gutz to unleash on me. I failed to see the deception before it was too late.”
“But why Soo-Min?” she asked, burning with curiosity.
Graille closed his eyes, recalling some treasured memory. “Soo-Min is one of the exceptions I mentioned. When every human shunned me, she showed me a great kindness that I shall never forget. I have been wanting to repay that debt.” He smiled at her. “Thanks to you, Ellanor, Jong-Min and his mother now have a chance at being reunited.”
And so Graille, the Guardian of Light, recounted his strange, remarkable story.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Curse
“Eight years ago, which passed me by like eight hours to a human, I was wandering on the shore on the south of this island. It was a starry midsummer’s night. It would have been a soothing walk along the beach if it had not been such a difficult day.
“In the course of a week, a series of disasters had ravaged the land, and I had been attending to the aftermath of the damage. I had just returned to Jejudo from my journeys across China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, tending to the broken and polluted lands and seas as best I could.
“But even with my powers, I could not undo the extensive damage, and I could not resurrect the dead. There were so many that perished. Two devastating earthquakes in the region elicited a destructive tsunami, killing thousands upon thousands. The tsunami uprooted a nuclear plant in Japan, resulting in a serious leakage of radioactive materials that poisoned the seas, far and deep.
“So much death, so much despair, so much ugliness. I saw many children, babies even, washed up on the shores. Yes, it was a very difficult day, and I was spent in body and in spirit. As Guardians, we are immortal and possess much in ways of magic and strength, but we are not invincible. We are not incorruptible. Though blessed with immortality and foresight, evil as well as premature death can still come to us.
“Perhaps that was the last straw that broke the figurative camel’s back, for I was weary, so weary. As I wandered on that cold beach, I felt weighed down by all the grief and suffering that I beheld. Oh, I had witnessed countless other tragedies in the past, terrible things that make up the bulk of human history. But no matter how difficult things became, I could always see the light of Freya and find comfort.
“But not that day. All I could see was darkness. I had been forewarned of something like that happening, but in my arrogance I did not think it would ever happen to me. Surely, a Guardian of Gaya would never succumb to such blinding grief, despair, hopelessness? Surely, we would know better and turn to prayer and ask Freya for strength and endurance?
“But alas, I succumbed to that terrible darkness, which we call ‘the dark night of the soul.’ In secret, Marah the Beast had placed the Four Guardians under a curse as retribution: if a Guardian ever succumbs to the dark night of the soul, their physical body transforms as a reflection of their internal strife.
“I lay down on the frozen sand of that beach and fell into a dark, restless slumber. In the morning when I awoke, the sun was shining in my face. It was not the sunlight that woke me but the sound of terrified screaming and shouting.
“I was not yet aware, but overnight my human form had become horribly disfigured. I was later told that I resembled a human manatee. Since real manatees are adorable in appearance, I suppose that is not a fair comparison – for them. My head was twice the size than normal, with wrinkled flabs of skin drooping where cheeks should be. My eyes, tiny buttonholes, were several inches below where they ought to be, and my nose and ears were almost non-existent. My skin was the colour of mud, my wet straggly hair hung from my head like dead seaweed, and my arms were stumpy limp things. My legs were short, skinny stalks protruding from a bloated, lumpy torso.
“I was the most grotesque thing any human could behold. Worse than the Elephant Man, surely.
“I scrambled up from the sand. The screams grew louder, and then I could feel rocks being thrown at me. “Devil! It’s the devil!” the voices cried. I looked up and saw that I was surrounded by a dozen humans staring at me with revulsion and fear. The very people that I have loved and protected. My heart broke at the sight of their disgusted faces, and the darkness of Marah’s curse inside me grew.
“There was one person among that crowd that was not looking at me with revulsion but with pity. I must have been weeping, because the crowd started jeering and spitting. ‘Look, the sea monster is crying!’ One of them came up and started kicking me, and that started an avalanche, because then suddenly half a dozen of them launched themselves on me. If I were a mere mortal, I might have died. They shouted terrible things.
“‘This monster must be the reason why we’ve had such a bad abalone season!’
“‘That ugly face must have scared off all the good luck that should’ve come our way!’
“‘Get rid of it!’
“‘Throw it back into the sea! Feed it to the sharks!’
“Then a clear voice rang out, strong and furious. ‘Stop it! That’s not a monster! Can’t you see he’s badly hurt?’
“I looked up and saw that a girl with long, black hair and dark eyes had stalked to the front of the group, her loose, blue summer dress billowing in the breeze. She must have been someone they respected, because almost immediately the crowd parted for her as she walked up and offered me her hand. I shrank from her, and when I tried to teleport back to my cave high up on Hallasan, I realized with horror that I could not. I had lost my powers. Now, I was truly at their mercy. For the first time, I felt vulnerable and afraid.
“The girl rebuked the crowd, ‘Shame on you! No matter what he looks like, a person is still a person just like you and me. You should treat each other with respect and dignity. Otherwise, how different are you from a beast?’ There were murmured apologies, and it was only then that I realized the group looked young; many were teenage boys, and they looked shame-faced when the girl stared them down. ‘Sorry, Soo-Min,’ they muttered, but they still hovered and glared at me.
“I finally found my voice. ‘Thank you,’ I croaked, reaching out my flipper of a hand, startling the crowd. Even if I looked like a monster, I could still speak like a person. The girl looked down at me with surprise, and then she smiled. I will never forget her smile.
“The crowd emitted a collective gasp at the sound of my voice. ‘That thing can talk!’
“The girl swivelled around and glowered at them, and they cowered. ‘Shush! This is a person; of course he can talk! Now, get out of my way! Who’s going to help me take him home? He’s hurt, no thanks to you!’
“The
re was a great deal of whispered muttering and murmuring. Then I heard one boy stutter, ‘S-S-Soo-Min, he-he could be d-d-dangerous!’
“‘Well, if you’re so worried for my safety, why don’t you be so kind as to help me take him home?’ she retorted. This seemed to shut the boy up as he reluctantly stepped closer.
“‘Are you all right?’ she asked, her voice kind. She reached out and took my flippered arm. I don’t need your help, I almost scoffed, but when I looked down at my ugly body, I realized she was right. I was covered in bruises and cuts, and I felt pain for the first time.
“‘Here, let’s go back to my house. It’s not too far a walk. We better tend to those wounds before they get infected,’ she said gently, and I acquiesced.
“She and the boy with the stutter helped me up, and when the boy touched me, I felt him shudder. It was only later that I realized my skin felt horrible to the touch, cold and reptilian. I looked at him and said, ‘Thank you for helping me.’ He was startled, and there was guilt in his eyes as he stared back at me speechlessly. The girl, who was much taller than the boy, smelled of lavender, and I would always remember her by that scent.
“We reached a small, handsome cottage at the top of a round hill. At the front stood several enormous ceramic jars for fermenting kimchi. ‘Grandmother is out selling her abalone,’ the girl said as she pushed open the front door. There was a small, plain wooden cross hanging on the wall, and though the house was small, it seemed like a bright and happy place as the sunlight streamed through the open windows. The girl told the boy to get some food and water for me. She helped me to a narrow bed that was soft and clean. I could smell something sweet and tangy in the air and spotted many tangerines piled on the kitchen table.
“She sat on the bed and looked down at me, and she never flinched. ‘I’m Han Soo-Min. What is your name?’ She was talking to me like I was just a regular person.
“I touched my deformed face and winced. ‘My name … my name is Graille.’
“‘That’s an unusual name,’ she observed, cocking her head. ‘Where do you come from?’
“‘I come from around here. I live up in the mountains. This island is my home.’
“Soo-Min looked surprised. ‘How come I have never met you before?’
“‘I have lived here much longer than you have,’ I replied indignantly. ‘I was wandering on the beach late last night, and I … I must have passed out.’
“She nodded. ‘Thankfully, I don’t think there are broken bones or anything too serious. But you shouldn’t leave until you’ve recovered.’ She smiled. ‘I trained as a nurse in the city,’ she explained. ‘May I?’ When I nodded reluctantly, she started tending to my wounds.
“‘Thank you,’ I said quietly. ‘I will go home when I’m well enough, and I will repay your kindness.’ She opened her mouth to ask me something but hesitated.
“I read her mind. It was like a bright, open book. ‘You’re wondering why I look like this.’
“‘It’s all right if you don’t want to talk about it,’ she said, and suddenly her eyes turned sad. ‘I had a little brother. Jong-Min. He died when he was 5 years old. He was born with a disease that deformed his face.’ She shook her head. ‘But I loved him! He was just the sweetest. It took the villagers a little while to get used to his face, but when they did, they came to love him, too. So they really ought to know better,’ she said angrily, glancing at the boy who had just put down some barley tea on the table. He bowed his head sheepishly, mumbled an apology, and shuffled out of the door. Soo-Min sighed.
“I was surprised and touched. ‘I am very sorry to hear about your brother. But he would be very proud of you, seeing how you came to my defence.’
“Soo-Min was taken aback, and her eyes grew moist. She smiled. ‘Here, why don’t we eat something?’ She went into the kitchen to prepare some food, ignoring my feeble protest.
“Jejudo dishes are made with simple ingredients, and the taste is generally salty. Raw seafood called hae is often included in the meal. Main dishes in Jejudo cuisine are porridge, called jeonbokjuk, made with seafood, seaweeds, or mushrooms. The porridge comes with various salted dried fish called jaban as side dishes, and a soup based on soybean paste. Gamgyul is a fruit similar to tangerines, which are commonly harvested in Jejudo. The meat from black pigs is a great delicacy on the island.
“So as Soo-Min and I sat together, we ate some jeonbokjuk with abalone, a small serving of cooked black pork followed by sweet gamgyul. We talked. I had never been able to talk to a human like that before, and it was never to happen again.
“Soo-Min was 19 years old, and she had just gotten her nursing license. She dreamed of travelling the world. She enjoyed playing the piano, and she regularly played for her church during Sunday service. Several times I noticed her hand straying to her stomach.
“I mostly listened. I was grateful she didn’t ask many questions. She let me talk on my terms. I liked listening to her voice. She told me about the myth of Seolmundae Halmang, which is well known in Jejudo. I know this myth well, as I was the one who created it. But I enjoyed listening to her tell the story, so I pretended that I knew nothing of it.
“‘According to this myth, Grandmother Seolmundae could cross the island and reach Hallasan in two strides. She was very strong, had five hundred children, and built Hallasan with seven scoops of earth. One day, Grandmother Seolmundae was making soup for her sons while they were out hunting. While they were gone, she fell into the pot and drowned. On their return, they hungrily ate the soup, without knowing that it contained their mother. However, the youngest son found out. He told the truth to his brothers, and the whole family cried and eventually turned into five hundred stones. So that is why Jejudo is covered with those rock statues.’
“As the sun set, Soo-Min’s grandmother came home, and her wrinkly jaw dropped open when she saw me propped up on the bed that looked much too small for me. Soo-Min explained to her who I was. The old woman’s eyes grew soft. ‘Ahh, he reminds me of Jong-Min,’ she said quietly. She nodded at me and smiled and then shuffled off to the kitchen, where she washed her hands and began to prepare dinner, humming a tune while she cooked. Her baechu-doenjangguk is the best I have ever tasted.
“After the meal, we sat out on the grass and looked at the stars. Her grandmother retired to bed early, and Soo-Min and I enjoyed the silence for some time, interspersed with comments here and there. ‘You know, women are greatly respected on this island,’ she said. ‘Over here in Jejudo, women are in charge. Not like in Seoul.’ She smiled. ‘The women of this island are strong and independent, as you can see.’ She giggled when I raised my eyebrows. ‘In the past, while the men were away at sea, the women of each household kept the money coming in by diving into the sea to harvest abalone and conches.’
“Of course I knew of all this, having dwelled in this region for thousands of years. I smiled and gestured towards the small house. ‘Do you live here alone with your grandmother?’
“She shook her head, and the light in her eyes dimmed a little. ‘I’m just here to visit. Grandpa died a few years ago. I was raised by my grandparents after my parents passed away in a boating accident when I was ten, so I’ve always been very close to Grandma.’ She paused, and that was when I noticed the ring on her finger.
“I was surprised. She looked too young to be a married woman.
“This time, she seemed to read my mind. ‘I’ve been married for a year. Actually …’ She put a hand to her belly. ‘I’m not really showing yet, and I haven’t told anybody else but my grandma … I’m almost three months pregnant.’ She smiled. ‘If it’s a girl, I want to name her after my mother. If it’s a boy, I want to name him after my brother, Jong-Min.’ She looked down and put a hand on her flat belly and smiled tenderly.
“She already loves her child very much, I thought. ‘What wonderful news,’ I said warmly, happy for her. ‘Where is the child’s father
?’
“I was surprised when her face hardened. ‘My husband is in the city, in Seoul.’ After that, her voice became quieter, and I didn’t ask about her husband again. It was only later that I found out her husband was a drunk. And when he drank, he would hit her.
“How did such a strong young woman like Soo-Min end up with somebody like that? It made me sad and very angry. I wished I could protect her. I wished I could take care of her. But as a Guardian, I could not be with a human, not in a way that a man and a woman could be together. As a Guardian, I am forbidden from intervening in human affairs. But still, I wished.
“Soo-Min and her grandmother were very kind to me. They did not once make me feel unwelcome, nor did they ask when I would be leaving. The other villagers were curious, and some of them tried to peer into the windows just to take a look at me, ‘the freak.’ But Soo-Min would chase them away. Later, I learned that Soo-Min’s grandmother was regarded as the village matriarch, so it’s no wonder they were so respectful towards Soo-Min.
“After three days, I had recovered enough to help out around the house. Grandma Han, even at her age, was still sprightly, often out free diving at sea with the other sea women harvesting abalone and conches. Soo-Min and I would talk while she did her chores or sat around and knitted. I didn’t venture out of the house with the way I looked, for I didn’t want to bring any more trouble on Soo-Min and her grandmother.
