Finding Monsters (8 page)

Missy continued running. The light began to fade, but she had only a few more miles to go. She topped a hill and could see the Bullclan settlement in the next valley. The main stone mound, although not quite a mountain, still impressed her with its size. At first glance, most would assume the Bulls lived in caves. But once inside, the opulence rivaled any palace or castle. They carved the entire dwelling from a single stone mound, cr
e
ating interlocking halls and rooms to create a maze of exqu
i
site beauty throug
h
out. Missy increased her speed and closed the distance just as the sun slipped below the horizon.

Sophie and Atian stood waiting as she approached the outer door. Missy a
p
proached Sophie, whose outstretched arms were waiting for her. Missy threw herself into them. They held each other tight and wept.

“You’ve done well, Missy. I feel your increased strength,” Sophie said.

“Is Charlie alright?” Missy asked. It was Atian who a
n
swered.

“He was very weak when we found out what he was up to. When his reflection r
e
turned, we thought it best to keep him in sleep until you returned. He would be able to rest and not worry. Come.” Atian led the way back to Missy’s room.

“Why don’t you freshen up, dear? Then we will take you to see Charlie,” Sophie su
g
gested.

Missy didn’t argue. When they left her alone, Missy crossed to the wardrobe and pulled the door open. She smiled in amazement as fresh clothes waited for her. Missy pulled a full length silk gown, in a soft mint color, with a lacy trimmed bo
d
ice from the wa
r
drobe. A little note pinned to the front said ‘wear this one’. She smiled and laid the beautiful garment on the bed before heading to the washing room. Water pumped from hot springs made the bath soothing to her tired muscles. There were sweet smelling soaps and oils available for her use and she tried a few. Once cleaned and refreshed from the bath, Missy emerged to dress. Sophie sat waiting for her and helped the girl with the new clothes.

“The gown is so beautiful. Thank you,” Missy said as S
o
phie adjusted the lace up back.

“So are you, my dear,” Sophie said, smiling. When Missy finished dressing, S
o
phie kissed her cheeks softly and led her from the room. Atian stood by Charlie’s door waiting for them. He seemed pleased and opened the door for Missy to enter.

“He will awaken at your presence. Well done, Missy,” Atian said, shutting the door behind her.

Missy moved toward Charlie’s bed and sat on the edge. She ran her fingers through the hairs surroun
d
ing his face. He stirred a little as she continued to c
a
ress him. Finally, Charlie’s eyes opened.

“How do you feel, Charlie?” Missy asked in a wo
r
ried tone.

“Ok, I guess,” he replied. He sat up and ran his fingers down Missy’s arms, as though looking for signs of injury. “I saw the fight. I wanted to help you so badly but I couldn’t. You don’t have to do this, Missy. I can’t bear to see you hurt like that again. After surviving your world into mine, how can I risk losing you now? Losing you once was enough.” He pulled her into his arms and blinked back the tears stinging his eyes.

“But I did it, Charlie. I completed my first quest. I’m stronger now, can’t you feel it?” She pulled back. The hurt in her chest was gone now, he should feel it too. Missy leaned in and planted a small kiss on his hairy lips. A little blue spark popped as their lips touched. Tingles rippled through Charlie’s body. Then he felt the change, the strength returning. He did feel stronger. Getting out of bed, he walked the room, testing himself. He turned to face Missy and smiled. She smiled too and rushed to him.

“I can do this, Charlie. Trust me. I didn’t fight my whole life with cancer to come here and get taken out by some mag
i
cal creatures. I’ll fight, and this time, I’ll win.”

Charlie lifted her from the floor and whirled her around the room. He put her back down and wrapped his arms around her small frame, sighing into her hair.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too, Charlie,” Missy replied.

“And I love the horns,” Charlie whi
s
pered.

Missy drew back and felt at her head. Two small horns like a lamb’s were embe
d
ded in her hair. She rushed toward the mi
r
ror and stared in awe.

“I guess I am becoming a monster,” She said as she stared at her reflection, poking the horns with her fingers.

“They look good on you,” Charlie complimented. They both laughed.

Charlie led them from his room and down toward the cooking fires. As they entered, sounds of celebr
a
tion filled the large room. Warm smells wafted through the room sending spicy smoke up the high cei
l
ing to a venting window carved in the stone. Small birds sat on the edge and snatched small crumbs caught in the current. Sophie and Atian came forward and ushered the couple to the center table where a feast of sweet breads, warm butter, fruits, and sliced meats awaited them.

“We celebrate my son and his human today,” Atian shou
t
ed. “Her quest to become a monster has begun. May they live long and happy lives together in our world.”

The shouts and well wishes rang out as others of the clan came by to greet the newest member of the family. They laughed, danced, and enjoyed the m
o
ment for all too soon the next quest would begin.

Birds flew to and fro from the Bullclan territory. A pair of keen eyes watched from a distance, his mu
s
cles twitching in agitation. Soon, a sun yellow wren from the cooking fire’s wi
n
dow flew too close to the predator’s deadly grasp. He snatched his victim from the sky and squeezed the bird in his hands. A black smoky film swirled around the long muzzle otherwise hidden under the ove
r
sized cloak. The bird struggled painfully against the force holding him captive, lifting from him the sights and sounds he’d wi
t
nessed in the Bullclan’s territory just minutes before. A sinister grin spread over r
a
zor sharp teeth at the celebration and the newest member of the Bullclan. Sati
s
fied, he let the film dissipate and die away before he snapped his jaws around the small morsel in his hands. Climbing down from his treetop perch, he examined the u
n
conscious bull on the ground. Another animal joined him and pulled the large bull from the ground, and slung him over his shoulder with ease.

“Find out where the human girl child’s next quest will be,” he said before morphing and disappearing into the forest.

M
issy squinted against the intense su
n
light as she walked across the field to the enclosure. Tucked snugly inside her fur hat, coat, and boots, she’d grimaced when she first saw her r
e
flection in the mirror, thin
k
ing Chewbacca stared back. Once she stepped out into the cold morning air, she felt thankful for the warm clothing. She thought the fur might have been long haired yak but it might be rude to ask. Charlie and Atian looked up and smiled as she neared the pen.

“So, what’s the big surprise,” she asked, as she reached the empty corral.

“Your next challenge is in dragon territory. You’ll need a cabayo to make the trip,” Atian said.

“Cabayo?” Missy asked. Charlie let out a high-pitched whistle and several large c
a
bayo ran to the fencing. Jumping back in alarm and amazement, Missy gawked at the size of the creatures before her. She would have liked to call them horses but they dwarfed even a sixteen hand Clydesdale. Their sturdy legs resembled an elephant’s legs, not spindly and narrow like an ordinary horse, yet their movements were swift as a tho
r
oughbred.

“It’s ok, Missy, they’re quite tame,” Charlie assured her. Missy hedged forward and glanced up at the closest cabayo. Reaching out, she stroked the animal’s leg and marveled at how silky the long black hair felt. Missy smiled up at the beast. Cha
r
lie jumped the fence and mounted one of the cabas. It respon
d
ed and ha
n
dled just like a horse.

“They are easy to ride and very fast,” Charlie said, as he kicked the caba’s hinds and it began to gallop with incredible speed. They rounded the corral then trotted back to the fence. Atian climbed over and took the reins from Charlie as he di
s
mounted.

A screech echoed from the nearby barn, followed by se
v
eral shouts of panic. They all turned toward the barn and saw several others of the Bullclan running for cover. Behind them, a small cabayo snorted and bucked his way through the door.

“I thought we got rid of that runt!” Atian bellowed as he ran to help rein in the animal.

“Stay here!” Charlie yelled to Missy as he followed his f
a
ther. The other cabas bolted, giving the enraged caba a wide berth. Atian corralled the other animals, getting them out of the way, while Charlie helped contain the little beast. Missy knew at first glance that this was the right sized c
a
bayo for her, but how could she control the little terror? The animal’s temper would be a challenge. He snorted and raged around the pen, knocking over the bulls and biting anything that came near. Charlie co
r
nered it once but a swift kick landed him on the ground. He lay there stunned and muddy as Atian ran after the still out of co
n
trol animal. Missy hopped the fence and ran over to Cha
r
lie.

“Are you ok?” she asked, stifling a chuckle.

“Great,” Charlie said between clinched teeth. “He’s been this way since birth. He was the last of an unusually large litter. His mother had four young before she died, he being the smal
l
est. Other nursing cabas adopted three of the orphans, but he was so small he couldn’t reach the milk source. We fed him by hand for many months, hoping he would grow with the right care. After weaning him, we set him out to pasture again to see if one of the other cabas would adopt him. They ran him off and would have nothing to do with him. We set up a sep
a
rate corral for him, thinking perhaps he could be used for young bulls to ride and gain experience before riding the larger c
a
bas. We couldn’t break or tame him. Father wanted to get rid of him from the start. I always thought he would change.” Charlie sighed, sitting up slowly brushing his arms to dislodge some of the mud. Missy helped as best she could.

The whispered words in her head stopped her mov
e
ments. Curiosity overrode the unnerving alarm as she listened intently to locate the source. She looked around the corral, e
y
ing each of the Bullclan within hearing distance, not them. She looked for Atian who ran behind the small cabayo as it came closer. Her eyes fell on the rampaging animal, and she heard another whispered exclamation. She didn’t hear words, but Missy heard or felt his emotions. He felt irritated, upset, di
s
heartened.

“Charlie, can you hear him?” she asked, as she stood up facing the approaching a
n
imal.

“I hear him screeching and he’s co
m
ing this way,” Charlie said as he righted himself quickly and grabbed hold of Missy’s arm. “You need to get out of here.”

“I can hear his thoughts, I think. He’s upset because he’s unwanted.” She broke free from Charlie’s grasp and walked t
o
ward the charging animal.

“Whoa! Missy, no way, get out of here!” Charlie reached again for her arm. Missy dodged him then ran toward the small c
a
bayo.

“Stop!” Charlie called, as he ran after her. Missy ignored him. She focused intently on the emotions flowing off the caba; reje
c
tion, unfair, unloved. Missy wondered briefly if he could sense her thoughts or emotions as well. She tried projecting a few towards the animal.

“I want you,” she thought. The caba made eye contact with her as he came clo
s
er. His ears perked up and he increased his speed.

“I need your help for my quest,” Missy thought hard, as she slowed and waited for the caba to reach her. She held out her hands for him. “Stop,” she thought aut
o
matically, as the charging animal closed the gap.

“Missy, get out of the way!” Charlie yelled as he too closed the gap. Missy whirled, gesturing Charlie away. She turned back to the caba and beckoned him. She heard the whispered em
o
tions change. 
Wanted
?
She heard the emotion as a question in her head.