Beauty In The Beast

by Erik Schubach

  Chapter 5 – Travel

  The brothers explained as we walked that we should get clear of the area. That once the sun rose and the people came out of hiding, those I helped would be crying witch. So I collected my pack from the Ingram's cottage. It saddened me because I really liked Kernan and Lisa Ingram. Their daughter Alice reminded me of myself when I was that age. Even though I had defended them, people saw any use of magic as evil now, as the black arts. It never used to be that way, the druids and nature worshiping dryads used to be celebrated, until the dark insidiousness of the Lupus Curse swept the world. It was viewed that all magic was something dark, to be feared. Now it seems that anyone possessing even the tiniest spark of magic potential was persecuted and banished, or even worse, hung or drown. So I left Essex behind me, with these two men I still wasn't totally convinced were in full control of their mental faculties. I harbored hope that once I met this person they were leading me to, they would keep their word and tell me where my Lady was. I absently touched my chest where I could feel the power of the feather that was burned into my skin. But how would I return what was hers now? So we walked. And though I could hear the growls of the werewolves prowling about in the darkness, for some reason none of the cursed creatures attacked. As the brothers led me out of the township to the north, and deep into the forest beyond, they spun a tale to pass the time. I could not discern of it were true, or folklore meant to frighten common folk like me. Jacob seemed to do most of the talking, and he began as he tossed a pebble into the thick underbrush at the side of the dirt road we traveled. “Tell me, Belle, what do you know of demons? How they come to cross over into the mortal realm?” I shook my head. “About as much as I know about the heavens that spin around our world.” He nodded thoughtfully and said, “Ah, a misconception, but that is a story for another time. Let me tell you a bit about the demons who walk among the mortals in this realm and how they come to be.” I narrowed my eyes. “Do I need to know the horrors of it? What does that have to do with meeting this person you are leading me to?” I started to get nervous. Wasn't there always some sort of sacrifice given in all the stories of demons and evil? Were they leading me into something like that, to be sacrificed? Why was I following perfect strangers into the middle of a forest at night? The answer was simple, for how much I thought these men were fools, they struck me as earnest. Though they were hiding something, that much was plain. He replied cryptically, “Nothing and everything I suppose.” I was beginning to think they only spoke in riddles. He gave me a toothy smile then looked off into the darkness, then began. “Demons are manifestations of the souls of the damned, and only have a physical form in the underworld. They cannot normally exist in the realm of man. This is by design, to keep the damned from consuming the world and remaking it in their image.” We heard a blood-curdling howl no more than a stone's throw from us, and they paused to listen a moment before continuing, “But dark magic users found that by calling forth a demon from beyond the veil that separates the realms. Then by anchoring it in this realm with their will and by a sacrifice of an innocent soul to suffer in its stead in the underworld, they could physically manifest the demon here, bound to their will.” Why would anyone wish to call forth a demon? He answered as if he heard my thoughts. “They do this for many reasons, most self-serving. Take the Lupus Curse for example... you've heard the whisperings of the Five?” I nodded. There were always rumblings about the Five when speaking of the wolves. People have had many conjectures as to what the Five were. Five curses? Five bindings of evil? Wilhelm picked up the thread. “There were five men who desired power, brothers. So by calling forth a demon to do their bidding, the Lupus Curse was unleashed upon the mortal realm.” My eyes widened. Why would someone wish this plague of monsters upon the world like this? The numbers of the infected and dead grow each month on every full moon. Jacob was watching my reaction then took over the narrative. “The biggest obstacle for the summoner is that in order to call forth any demon, you need to know its true name; the name they had as a mortal before their soul was condemned to eternal damnation. This is how the demon is bound to their will.” He gave a wicked grin that had sadness to it. “If the summoner dies before they can send the demon back to whence it came, then that summoner's soul is forfeit to stand in the demon's stead, and the demon can run rampant in the world of man, unchecked.” Then his voice darkened. “And if the demon possesses enough power, once it is freed from the chains of will, it could summon other demons who are unbound by any mortal, using itself as the anchor for the others.” That caused a shiver to go down my spine. I asked, “But, wouldn't that cause hell on Earth?” Wilhelm held up a hand to ally my fears. “Only if they know the true names of the other demons. That is why the world has only seen two or three demons sowing discord at any given time.” Then Jacob added to wipe away the relief I was feeling, “But a demon who is ancient enough, powerful enough, who has terrorized even the underworld, would know thousands upon thousands of names. Since names are power, they would amass as much power in the underworld as they could. So if a greater demon were ever unleashed upon the mortal world instead of a lesser demon, then yes, hell on Earth.” A huge black werewolf stepped out in front of us on the path. On reflex, I could feel myself drawing the power of the talisman into me, prepared to defend. But the wolf stared right at us and acted as if it didn't see us. It sniffed the night air, taking in that air over its tongue as its nostrils flared. It drew its lips back in a snarl and growled menacingly. Then bounded off past us down the trail, nose to the ground. I could feel its rage and savage hunger as it passed by. Was it hunting... us? I looked at the men accusingly, what bewitchment did they have about them that was cloaking us from an apex predator like that as we walked. And why hadn't they used that trick back in Essex unless... they had been testing me! I was really starting to dislike the games these brothers played. Wilhelm assured me. “But as time rolls on, the memory of evil men from so long ago fades, and the names are lost to the ages. So the likelihood of a greater demon ever coming to the mortal coil becomes increasingly less probable.” I could feel some tenseness in me relax a bit, and I asked, “So why are you telling me this?” Jacob sobered and crouched for a moment to grab a handful of pebbles from the path and tossed one into the darkness. He shrugged and said, “It just seemed a fascinating tale to share.” I huffed. “I somehow doubt you didn't have ulterior motives, sir.” The men chuckled. Wilhelm said in mock hurt, “You cut us to the bone, lady. You do not even know us.” I shook my head and smirked. “I'm starting to get a good sense of your character, and my observation stands.” The men chuckled, and Jacob told his brother, “I like this one. Scrappy like a certain chambermaid we know.” Wilhelm nodded. “Not entirely dissimilar to Evelyn.” I pushed both men, causing them to stumble a bit. “I'm standing right here you louts.” They chuckled again then I shook my head in exasperation, and I asked, “If you will not give me plain answers, then at least tell me of this person we go to meet.” Jacob's face suddenly lost its smile, and he got very serious as he said, “Well, we'll get to that. First, let us share with you that men who crave power seek out the names of those whose souls are most likely damned. The more evil they were in life, the more evil in death. One Romanian man, here in Britain, has recently stumbled upon the secret of the Five. As his niece was the maiden taken from her bed to serve as a sacrifice, to summon the demon who unleashed the Lupus Curse upon the land. So he knows her name and knows her soul is suffering eternal damnation in the stead of the demon.” My blood chilled at that. I said in disbelief as I shook my head. “No man would call forth family member, to bind them to his will for power.” The two men looked at me sadly. The poor girl was suffering an eternity for something not of her doing. Now her family would use that suffering to their own end? People may say demons are the evil in the world, I put forth that there is no creature that can be as evil as man. The men exhaled in unison, then Jacob said, “This man is upsetting the balance of the scales by doing this. He was never supposed to
do this. We suspect he received guidance from a source that isn't supposed to interfere. Similar to your coming into the possession of something you should not.” Wilhelm nodded in agreement. “Too many random aberrations to be truly random.” I asked, “This is all well and good, but you still haven't answered my question. Who did you with me to meet?” They answered in unison, “First we must watch the fall of this would be summoner, then the introduction will be made.” That was a little unnerving. I exhaled loudly, I was obviously not going to get any answers from them. Jacob looked around then said, “We have enough distance from the village now, Belle, you should be safe. Let us camp for the night, we have a long journey to start in the morning.” So we found a little clearing in the woods which someone had used as a makeshift camp before, then bedded down for the night. I dreamed of white feathers and unbelievable women of power who championed the world. The last thing I remembered of my dreams, was the fluttering of a red cloak in my vision, with the ghost of a woman's voice whispering to me, “Belle, wake up.” My eyes fluttered open as the dreams faded, and the brothers were sitting across from the little fire, staring at me with shock on their faces. They schooled their looks and pulled up their cocky demeanor again, like a mask they wore. Jacob grinned and said, “We made you something to break your fast. Hurry now, we must be on our way in the next...” He looked at Wilhelm who was staring up at the sky like he could see something we couldn't, and he offered, “Seventeen.” Jacob nodded and finished, “Seventeen minutes.” He handed me a little tin plate with a mound of scrambled eggs and what looked like bits of ham. Where had they gotten the plate and the food? They didn't carry any packs. I shook my head. It was best not to ask, because they might answer. And I shoveled the food in. I couldn't believe how hungry I was. Did the use of the magics in the feather cause this hunger in me? Wilhelm handed me a tin cup full of water that I swear I hadn't seen earlier. They were rushing me. They seemed to be on some arbitrary timetable. I barely had time to umm... do my business behind a tree, and roll up my blanket before we were on the road again. Jacob asked, “Rumors have it, you've gotten pretty good with a stick since tripping a guard at the games in Nottingham.” I narrowed my eyes. “Just where did you hear these 'rumors' and how did you know about... you know what? Never mind, I really don't want to know.” I looked over to see Wilhelm tossing something at me. I barely had the presence of mind to catch the staff he had thrown. It was smooth as silk but had an uneven surface that made it easy to grasp and manipulate. I spun it through the air, jabbed, then swept. The contoured surface caused it to whistle in an unearthly tone as it cut through the air. It felt warm to the touch as if it were alive, and I swear it had a dim white glow to it as I held it. The feather embedded in my skin heated slightly. Then I swung it in a wide, low sweeping arc and caught it up under and arm. It was level with my shoulders, keeping a straight line pointing back behind me, parallel to the ground. My other arm was extended toward the men, continuing that same plane, my feet apart and slightly bent. I nodded. “I've no formal training, but I can fend off two unmoving straw assailants hanging on posts in the ground.” I had to grin a little at my flippancy as the two men smiled in mirth. I looked down at the staff in my hands as I stood up straight and swung it in front of me to get a better look. It seemed to be made of dozens of smaller dowels that were somehow twisted and woven together. The wood was like none I had ever seen, it felt alive and hard as forged iron. My eyes widened a bit when I realized what it was made of, but how had they been woven into a single staff like this. I offered it back to Wilhelm as I asked incredulously, “Are these... arrow shafts?” Jacob said as Wilhelm put his hands up to refuse to take the staff back, “Just some odds and ends your Lady Locksley leaves carelessly around.” His brother told me, “You keep it, for practice.” The two men were looking intently at my hand. I looked down, was the wood glowing where I touched it? Or was it a trick of the sunlight filtering down through the forest canopy? As we started back along our way, to Goddess knows where, Jacob explained, “The shafts of those arrows are from Perchta's garden. Stronger and lighter than any metal wrought by man. Unbendable, unbreakable.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Don't be daft man, then how were the arrow shafts cut? And then how are they now woven into this staff?” He chuckled. “Just a little coaxing is all, they are quite amenable to change if the cause is pure. I'm sure you've noticed it sings to you, as you are the one who wields the white feather. The two are of the same origin so they can absorb the magics you can bring to bear, and infuse itself with that power.” I looked away from him and accused Wilhelm, “So not an accident you happen to have this then?” He shrugged and just grinned. I muttered, “You two louts go out of your way to be aggravating, don't you?” I gave the staff a few more test swings and spins then slid it over my back, under the strap of my pack. It truly did feel as if the wood was reaching out to me. I inclined my head and exhaled, as much as I hated to, I said to them, “Thank you. I've been on this quest for a long time, almost too long to remember. I've never needed a weapon before, but it seems you may be leading me into peril.” They didn't say a word, confirming the feeling of dread that had been mounting in me since we left Essex. It was almost a physical thing, the way it pushed down upon me. Again, just why was I following these men whom I didn't know and who spoke of demons? The answer was the same as when they first convinced me. The promise of telling me where my Lady Locksley was, so I could finally rest. The next two days passed much the same as the first, they rushed me on a timetable that seemed almost random, as Wilhelm kept looking to the sky as we avoided the villages along the way. They encouraged me to practice with the staff, giving me instruction on some of the forms that opened me up too much to attack. They were so incessant that I growled at them, “It's been many long years since I taught myself. I've no formal training so hold your tongues.” I did another combination, the staff whistling eerily as it sliced through the air, and I noted a blessed silence. I looked over to see the two buffoons grinning at me like smug children as they held their tongues between their fingers. I admit I had to chuckle at the men. Then I jabbed at them probingly with the staff, to affirm some suspicions I had held since the night we met. Wilhelm sort of lazily stepped aside, my staff was traveling faster than his movement, how had he avoided it? I looped around, snapping the staff under an arm and swept the other way. Somehow Jacob was just an inch out of reach. He grinned like a loon and slapped the tip of the staff away. I grinned at the men, and the game was on. I was able to let loose with everything I had, and it felt wonderful in a physical way I cannot explain. I let all my fears and frustrations go as the exhilaration of attempting to strike the men filled me. It was like an absurd dance, they were never where I struck like they knew where the staff would be before I did. So I was able to not hold back and struck out with all my might as the staff whistled through the air. By their smiles, they were enjoying the game as much as me. I started to notice a pattern in how they avoided me and I hid a smile as I tested my theory. I spun first one way then the other, striking out at the air near each man and they moved the way I had anticipated. So, they weren't infallible after all. We danced some more, as I slowly manipulated them into position. Then I spun and dove windmilling the staff around me, and each man stepped aside to avoid the whirling strike... and right into each other. I jabbed and stopped the staff just a few inches from their faces. They looked beyond surprised, and I bit my tongue while I smiled and sauntered away with a self-satisfied swagger as I teased, “Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to work on their defense.” Jacob said in an odd tone, “That, dear Belle... was impressive.” I don't know why the praise meant so much to me. I did a few more practice movements, I felt happy. I pushed out my happiness as I thrust forward at a stump. It was like a flare of my emotion shot down from my breastbone into my arms and the staff burst into a white light as it struck the stump, and it exploded into splinters as I slammed the end of the staff all the way through the stump. I blinked and stared down at it, stunned. T
he glow dissipated and I withdrew the staff and just stared at it as I heard Jacob clap his hands together once and say with excitement, “Now we're cooking.” Was it... was it the emotion? Before I could test the theory, we were on the move again. The men's expressions had changed. They looked almost hopeful as we walked and they said, “We'll arrive at our destination just after sundown.” That was the only information I could get from them, but my mind was elsewhere. I could feel the warmth of the staff seeping through my light travel cloak like it was reassuring me I wasn't alone. I started to think about what they had shared with me so far, when we stopped for lunch. Wilhelm handed me a bread roll with thick slices of chicken and fresh lettuce in it. I narrowed my eyes at him. Where were they getting all this fresh food, and why was the chicken still hot if we had no fire? I decided not to ask as the chicken was making my mouth water just from the tantalizing aroma. It was leaps and bounds above the dried fruits and meats I had in my pack. We hadn't even needed to snare any rabbits or fish on our little trek. And I didn't miss foraging to ensure I didn't starve. With a mind on our destination, I asked as the men just sipped on what smelled like ale, “You had said that a sacrifice was needed to call forth a demon?” Jacob nodded slowly. “For lesser demons, animals, the more the better, as their souls are not as potent. For greater demons, only a human sacrifice will do. The more innocent the soul, the more control over the demon the summoner will have during the binding.” I paled. “And this man is about to kill someone to summon is his own blood...” Wilhelm nodded. I shook my head and spat out, “That is unconscionable. His own niece? Just for power? And by sacrificing yet another person, he will just be adding to the cycle of evil. Has he no humanity of his own? Has she not suffered enough for the gain of men with no moral core?” Jacob looked pained as he said in a somber tone, “Her suffering will know no end as she is bound to eternal damnation for eternity.” Then he whispered, as if to himself, “An innocent.” I stood and gave the tin plate back to Wilhelm. He took a bite of my half eaten meal as I said, “Then we must be off. We cannot allow another person to be sacrificed to the madness of power hungry men.” I shook my head and spoke my thoughts aloud on the subject, “And here we think the werewolves are the monsters.” The looks they gave me told me they harbored the same thoughts about mankind. I cocked my head, wondering if they were truly men... the things they could do... I blinked as I realized Wilhelm didn't have the plate anymore and their cups were gone. Yes, I truly believed that they may not be men at all. They started asking me questions about myself, but I prompted them, “This one-way line of information sharing needs some balance. What of you. I believe you to be something other than what you show the world. Tell me about yourselves, and I will answer your questions.” Wilhelm smiled, and Jacob's matched as he mused, “A balance. That is something that we can get behind.” He nodded once and bowed to me as we walked. “We come from a time and place that would be impossible to explain to you lest you lose your mind. But we are as you see us now, two men, walking the mortal coil in order to ensure that mankind maintains an equilibrium. We are the Scales the Elders have placed here to ensure the delicate balance of good and evil remain constant.” He looked away from me to the forest. “It is our duty to move the playing pieces on the board to ensure this. But lately, there have been some wildcards that have been introduced into the game that we need to try to understand. Children who should have died, have not. Women who were just supposed to lead a normal life are fighting alongside Avatars.” He smiled at me. “Girls who have gained abilities far beyond the natural design of things. All things we need to ponder.” Wilhelm looked to be in good spirits as he said, “Men who should not have been capable, about to summon something that should be impossible. But we have someone now who could possibly rectify the impending imbalance of it.” I blushed. I was but a girl seeking to end her long quest. I screwed up my face in confusion. “If you are as powerful as you seem, why can you not just handle this madman? Why do I need to come bear witness to it?” Jacob looked frustrated as he said, “We are forbidden to interfere, we can only make sure the right people are in the right place at the right time in an attempt to balance the scales. You, our dear Belle, are the right person. And this, is the right time.” He grinned in apology. I just marched ahead of them as I huffed out, “Must you always be so cryptic?” They chuckled then prompted me to tell them about my youth. I just grinned back wickedly at them and said, “I think it's time for you to know what it feels like, to only get part of the story.” Then I stuck the dagger in and twisted it. “It has a sort of poetic balance.” I had to grin as I heard the men laugh boisterously behind me. Wilhelm chuckled out between bouts, “I really do like this one.”