Chapter 3: A Shadow's Revelation (Part 1)
727 Words
__________________________Sub-chapter: The Beast In Me____________________
'That insolent fool!'
The king's voice echoes throughout the throne room. His eyes bear madness and his face wrinkled furiously. His tone is loud and harsh and his grip on the throne chair is tight. The knights, kneeling before him, have seen this side of the king before in the past. Which is why they know that this is what he looks like when he's truly mad at something. They call this The King's Rage.
'I gave him knights. I gave him power, status and money and now...he's dead? Who's the knight in charge of protecting him?'
'Uhh...'
'Tell me!'
'It's Sir Frederick, Your Majesty. But, he's currently unavailable to be in your presence. So were the other knights under him.'
'A fool only makes a fool out of others! Summon every knight to return to the palace immediately at once! And tell them that I want Frederick's head...'
'How about the killer? Shall we bring his head before you?'
'No! I want him completely chopped up and burnt.'
'Yes, Your Majesty.'
The king sits back into his chair, relaxed and pull the cloth on his head over his face, watching as the knights in the room disperse to their respective tasks. If anyone could see the face hidden behind the cloth covering his face at that moment, they would have realised that they are dealing with a pure evil at heart. For he is no longer wearing the former face, instead, a grin can be seen curving on his lips as he mutters 'More...more blood.'
'Let me... feed on them.'
I have reached the fenced forest. In fact, I am already walking in it. The forest is dark, overlapping with shadows from unknown sources. The leaves are black and, so are the branches and the leaves. As if the forest is dead. Even the grasses are turning blacker by the second. I am about halfway through the forest when suddenly, I feel a tinge of coldness somehow. Something is here. And it is watching me.
'Spare my life, wild ones. I have but one wish that is to leave this place alive.' I said, knowing that if I am to fight, her body will undoubtedly be involved in it. And that I do not wish to happen. 'Please.'
I know that begging will be of no use, especially when one is dealing with a beast. Unless, you are an animal- whisperer. But, what else can I do?
The sounds of footsteps inching closer tell me that they are not letting me go. Along with them is the growling of some sort of animals. I step back slowly as they advance towards me. Then, I realise that something is amiss. Despite the sounds lasting for at least a few minutes now, I have yet to get a glimpse of their owners or the animals behind them. That's strange, I thought.
A sudden roar throws me off my balance. During the fall, I see it. The two eyes glaring back at me in my shadow and the mouth gradually emerging to the surface from my shadow. The wolf's face followed by its body, it is pouncing on me from below. Midway in the air, for a fraction of a second there, I could have sworn that I could hear her words in my head that said...
'Save him.'
Electric currents burst out from my entire body.
The black wolf growls loudly for one last time before it disintegrates. Into thin air. Thud! I fall onto the hard ground on my back. Struggling, I pull myself up to a sitting position then hit my back softly to ease the pain. I see. This is the beast you told me about. The beast that you sacrificed your life for to save me from. And this is without a doubt the same beast from my dream on that day in the tavern of which I heard the voice. The current from the lightning, I can recognise it.
I can recognise what? The lightning? What is wrong with me?
I know I sound like a fool but, somehow, it feels right. It's as though I can see the blurred reflection of my face as a façade for that of a beast. I can see a lion in me.
That's right. I can see a beast in myself.
- Writer
