Untold Legends: The Moon Coven’s Yule

Chapter 2 - Of Beast and Men

I headed to the river to catch a fish or two but intuitively felt something was off. A looming dark shadow towered over the frozen river bank draped in long, greasy, auburn hair. Enormous horns protruded from its large head, making it appear even more demonic. Twelve small golden bells lined a dark green and maroon tattered cape that hung disheveled on its slumped shoulders, and heavy shackles dangled from his wrists and ankles, rattling together with every step.

Cold sweat drenched my palms as my knees quivered and my heart sank in fear. I immediately hid behind a cold boulder, sitting between the river bank and myself, just out of sight from the beast.

My heart was racing as a familiar voice entered my thoughts, “Control your breathing, Zander.”

Ecstatic with the realization that I was thinking of Mom when I hadn’t thought of her in days, relieved my anxiety just enough to slow my breathing.

As I peered around the boulder to see what the creature was doing, a twig snapped from underneath my foot and the soft snow. The monster, startled at the sudden muffled sound, quickly spun around on its hooves to investigate what had happened from behind it. Its face was gruesome - a human form twisted with a goat’s snout and matching slitted pupils. It looked as if it could pierce my soul with a glance. I quickly darted myself out of sight, hoping I was quick enough for it to see me.

For good measure, I held my breath in the tense moment. The monster huffed steam from its nostril and began walking away at a slow, unnerving pace. The eerie jingle of its bells was drowned out by the iron chains clanging against each other. When I was certain I could no longer hear the creature, I decided to move closer to the river and inspect the footprints left behind.

Approaching the area cautiously, I crouched down and faced the way I heard the chains and bells moving, making sure the demon was truly gone and not just lying in wait. My excitement grew as I wondered what kind of tracks the beast left, picturing a human’s foot, given the way its face looked. To my disappointment, there was nothing. No sign it was there at all, just perfectly packed powdered snow as if it had just freshly fallen to the ground. After looking around one last time, thinking I was nearing insanity, I decided the gods were punishing me with visions of the demons that await me in the underworld because I broke my vow to never use magic again.

I thought it was best to calm my nerves, and what better way than by fishing? Getting lucky, I caught a large fish within seconds of my hook falling into the water. So, to help calm my nerves, I chose to cast another line. Oddly, I felt closer to my mother and sister when I was at the river. Probably because my father despised being around it, always badgering me, saying I would one day drown in the lake to be with Mom and Sis. My fingers began to feel hot at the thought of him, sparking in a sudden rage. Until finally, the brittle wooden fishing pole burst into flames. Startled by this, I threw the rod into the river and took a long, deep breath.

“I realize now. I broke my vow I made to myself thirteen years ago, and here I am abusing that scorched promise,” I sighed in disbelief, “I’ve failed you, Mom. Sis. I’m sorry.”

As a tear fell down my cheek, the mysterious raven from before soared just above the brilliant turquoise river. Suddenly, it reached its claws from beneath it, ready to grab onto something in the river. It neared the water gracefully and latched onto another large fish. As it continued to fly over me, it dropped a second fish down to the sand.

I looked up and shouted to the raven, “Thank you, come back later for a treat!”

Amazed and excited to eat, I ran back to my little fire pit, thinking about the curious raven. During my walk back, I halted to a grinding stop, my reeling thoughts doing the same. A muscular, pale man stood just in front of the fire with an outstretched hand. Unsure of who this was, I crouched down, preparing myself for anything to happen. I silently neared the camp, staying in the shadow of the woods.

As I got closer, a nagging anxiety intruded my thoughts, causing my hands to get clammy. The only thought I could think of was - protect yourself. I reached behind me and unsheathed my knife from its sheath on my belt.

He was slightly taller than me and far more muscular, too. His tunic clung to his frame, casting his large chest and tight waist into sharp relief in the shadows of the flames. At his side sat a deep blue and golden sword shimmering in the flickering firelight. The flames made his blonde wavy hair look fiery while also outlining the stubble against his face.

I confidentially walked into my campsite with my knife hidden behind the fish I was holding, hoping this charade would work.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned the man in a stern tone.

He turned around suddenly, startled by my voice. I immediately realized his tunic fit his frame exceedingly well, with the cusp of his sleeves fitting perfectly around his large biceps. The fabric fell over his muscular pecs and tight around his waist, highlighting his chest to look even bigger in the shadows. Each muscle in his thighs was outlined and prominent, pushing his bulge forward in his pants. I was in awe, not only was the man handsome with a chiseled jawline, but he also had the physique of mighty Hercules.

I weighed the possibilities in my head - Maybe he was just passing by and not expecting to find a campfire out in the middle of the forest, or maybe he did and was stalking me. Either way, I felt uncertain about his sudden arrival and remained cautious of the handsome man standing before me.

“What is your business here?” I sternly demanded despite a wavering fear left on my tongue.

“I am just passing through,” he responded, unsure, “Looking for someone.”

His uneasiness about the situation washed my fears away in an instant. However, it did pose the question of whom he was looking for. I walked past him and placed the fish on the fire.

“You have a name, sir?” I asked more comfortably, with the final syllable lingering off my tongue.

“Kastion,” he responded in a nervous stutter, “Kastion Callos.”

Interesting, in the back of my mind, I had a feeling that he was going to say some name that would mean handsome or masculine. But instead, it was a more feminine approach, a name meaning beauty. That was something special, something unexpected even.

“What are you doing in my camp?” I interrogated Kastion.

He waited a moment before responding, probably contemplating if he would tell me the truth or not. For as long as it took, I expected a lie to come from his lips. Nothing but the fish sizzling over the fire and the occasional squirrel squeaking sounded for what felt like an eternity.

He furrowed his brow and finally said, “I wanted to investigate some strange reports of a beast from a nearby village.”

My eyes narrowed in front of me, with flashbacks of all the times my family was harassed in Theropos. The heat of my anger burned in my chest as I struggled to internalize it within. I couldn’t lose control when I was uncertain of the context.

I said in a joking tone, “Are you inferring that I am a beast?”

Kastion immediately got red with embarrassment, “I would never! There is a literal beast around here somewhere!”

In a sudden relief, my body cooled down as I stood up straight and faced him, wiping the sweat from my brow. I cracked a cheesy smile, thinking of how ridiculous I was to think everyone passing by knew I used fire magic.

“Oh, I see what’s going on here,” I jested, “You were seeking help from the locals”

He looked at me blankly and slowly lowered his mouth, “You got me.”

I chuckled as I smelt the fish start to burn on the fire. I slyly reached past Kastion, brushing against his waist to grab the fish from the fire.

I smirked proudly at the fire, “Oh, excuse my reach.”

His pale cheeks turned bright red after I touched his side. For a strong man, he quickly turned over sideways - suddenly stumbling over his words and acting giddy all of a sudden. I hadn’t expected him to loosen up around me so quickly or at least lower a few of the mental walls he placed. I certainly haven’t and won’t until he proves to me I can trust him. I gave him his fish after prying out the eyes of the raven.

“Why did you do that?” He asked nauseously while pointing at the four fish eyes left on a rock near the fire.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly, hiding the fact that the bird caught half the meal, “It’s for a friend.”

His eyebrows furrowed as he pursed his lips in contemplation - even this confused expression was attractive. I stepped closer to him and the fire pit, waiting in watch to see if the raven would come. It didn’t.

“So, have you seen anything strange around here, Zander?” He asked to break the awkward silence between us.

Something in me told me I could trust him, but I wasn’t sure. A gnawing feeling that I knew him from somewhere chewed into my thoughts, but I couldn’t place him. It wasn’t his voice or appearance that brought this feeling, but the aura around him. Because of this, I decided to tell him about the weird couple of days I had - excluding the parts about my fire magic.

I finished my retelling with, “But with the letter being burnt and my camp not safe anymore, I’m not sure where to go.”

“Well, I might be able to help, do you have the letter still?” He asked with his soft, stormy grey eyes looking into mine and a calming, generous smile.