A dark sky with hundreds of stars and one dim moon loomed overhead. Several large clouds sailed their way through the cool night. Gentle breezes blew through the area, carrying with them the thick smell of smoke. Despite the absence of the sunlight, bright orange glows illuminated the scene. Aridean was frozen with eyes wide and mouth agape having fallen onto her knees.
Crackling fires surrounded the minotaur and frightened screams could be heard in the distance. Billowing, black smokestacks ascended into the star-filled sky. The pungent odor of the smoke choked the air all around Aridean, but the unpleasant scent did not seem to bother the minotaur. She could not find it in herself to move a muscle. Stunned and confused, Aridean continued to stare at the sight before her.
Thellia’s marketplace was burning, each and every shop that Aridean knew was entirely engulfed in flames. Familiar faces ran past her, screaming as the village around them was set ablaze. Impish, pitch black gremlins gave chase to the fleeing villagers and had chosen to ignore Aridean. What did not seem to ignore Aridean, however, was the man approaching her. This particular individual was clad in armor that reflected the flames in the burning town and was brandishing an elegant longsword.
No words were shared between the two, the man in armor simply raised his blade in Aridean’s direction. He assumed a battle stance in preparation for conflict with the astonished minotaur. Aridean herself did not stand up on her hooves. She did not speak nor scream. She did not do anything voluntarily. Without thinking, and even without willing it, Aridean felt her right hand moving about without her command to do so.
The limb stretched out without Aridean’s consent and she felt her fingers wrap around something laying on the ground beside her. Whatever her hand was grasping for, it was large and heavy. She managed to pry her eyes from the sight of armored combatant long enough to examine what her hand was taking. Fear and confusion washed over Aridean as she gazed upon a large battle axe that her hand was now firmly gripping. Her body then began to move without input again; the minotaur slowly began to stand up on her hooves. Aridean’s disobeying hand moved the massive weapon up to her face.
Aridean was entirely mortified by the reflection she witnessed in the shining metal of her axe. What she saw was not the reflection of her terrified and bewildered face, but her face was still present. Reflected in the metal of the blade was a sinister and wicked-looking Aridean, a dreadfully cruel and sadistic expression on her face. Was this the face that she had been wearing back in Thellia?
Panicked, Aridean quickly shut her eyes tight. Shaking her head back and forth, the minotaur refused to believe what was presented to her. The roar of crackling fires and screams of frightened villagers slowly began to die down. When all of the horrendous sounds had finally come to an end, Aridean hesitantly opened her eyes again. Unfortunately, the surroundings had not changed. She still stood in the middle of the burning marketplace as now silent citizens fled. It took Aridean a moment to notice the first change that had taken place since she closed her eyes. A dark red liquid now coated the massive weapon she held, large globs of the liquid fell from the blade to the ground.
Gasping, Aridean looked to the ground at her hooves. Just a few feet in front of her, the man in a suit of armor lay in a growing crimson pool. Aridean felt her entire body trembling and she could barely breath. Deep and unfamiliar laughter could be heard from somewhere nearby. Aridean looked into the reflection of her axe blade again to see that her twisted reflection seemed to be cackling uncontrollably. The distraught minotaur dropped the weapon to the ground. She fell to her knees again and lifted her head to the sky. Her throat began to hurt as she tried to scream, but all that could be heard was the dreaded laughter.
Aridean jolted upright with a gasp. She could hear her racing heart in her ears and her entire body was shaking. One of the horses pulling the wagon let out a quiet whiney and the wooden wagon rocked from side to side as it was pulled across an uneven road.
“Are you okay? That must have been a really bad dream you were having,” came Vidor’s familiar voice. While taking deep breaths, Aridean turned to see Vidor looking in her direction. It was readily apparent that the male minotaur was concerned by the worried expression on his face. Beside of him sat Magdalene, who was eating a small hunk of bread and also looking at Aridean curiously. Rana sat in the driver’s seat of the wagon holding the reins to the horses. She had a worried look on her face but turned her attention to the fog-covered road ahead.
Heart still beating faster than normal, Aridean took a few more deep breaths. As she began to calm down, the minotaur looked to her companions and put a smile on her face. Her attempt to non-verbally bluff that everything was fine did not succeed, however, as Magdalene’s expression was altered to show her confusion. Vidor, however, leaned in close to Aridean.
“Aridean… are you okay?” Vidor asked again as he lifted a hand to Aridean’s face. He gently wiped away a tear that was rolling down Aridean’s cheek. The smile that Aridean had forced vanished immediately and she let out a depressed sigh.
“I… I miss Simon…” replied Aridean with a solemn tone. Magdalene swallowed the bite of her bread she was chewing on before turning away. The young girl’s confusion had been replaced with a sorrowful expression of her own after hearing Aridean answer Vidor. Vidor himself hesitantly withdrew his hand from Aridean’s wet cheek and his ears fell flat against his head. He shifted his position in the wagon so that he was sitting beside Aridean now.
“I… I’m sorry,” Vidor apologized as he wrapped his arm around Aridean’s shoulders. Aridean leaned into her friend, her head resting upon his shoulder. The female minotaur let out another saddened sigh as her heart began to ache in her chest.
If only we hadn’t gone back to Thellia, then I wouldn’t have… But you couldn’t have known what was going to happen. I should be the one apologizing for making you feel guilty again, Aridean thought to herself. She wanted to reassure Vidor but found that she could not open her mouth to speak again. Instead, Aridean simply stared off into the distance as she tried to clear her mind.
Surrounding the wagon were many large and shady trees. Every time the wagon was pulled over a root that was exposed along the road, everyone was sure to feel it. A light fog blanketed the forest that the group was traveling through and what little daylight forced its way through the tree leaves overhead was slowly fading. Luckily, the group was nearing their destination. While squinting her eyes at something just off the road a few meters ahead, Rana let out a relieved sigh when she noticed a signpost.
“We’ve finally made it to Cortonne,” Rana announced as she pointed out the sign to everyone. The large greeting sign appeared rather elegant as it was made of chiseled stone and was adorned with flowers. Carved into the stone was the text ‘We welcome you to Cortonne’. The town itself was a bit blurry through the fog, but a small collection of wooden and stone structures surrounded the road beyond the sign that the wagon was now passing.
“This place would probably look more inviting if it weren’t so foggy… and if that weren’t there,” Magdalene commented. The girl was pointing to something on the opposite side of the road from the signpost. Aridean followed Magdalene’s finger to see a wrought iron fence. Enclosed within the sturdy bars was a great number of gravestones. Many of the tombstones within the large cemetery had bundles of flowers laid upon them. Each of the flower bunches that the graves were gifted seemed to be the same kind of white flower. While it seemed that many people must visit the cemetery, Aridean had to agree with Magdalene that it did look quite grim being the first thing they passed on their way into a town in the middle of a fog-filled, gloomy forest after nearly a full week on the road.
As the wagon rode past the graveyard, Aridean noticed a single man through the mist. While it was not easy to see through the fog, the man could be seen walking along a stone pathway. This man held a bouquet of white flowers and stopped at a grave that did not already have a bundle of white flowers. Aridean was not able to make out many features describing the man besides a long, silver-colored ponytail, a blue coat, and white pants.
“Wow, look at that. I’m guessing that’s where the noble family that owns this town lives, huh?” Vidor gawked as the team passed by the graveyard. Aridean followed Vidor’s gaze to see a magnificent example of noble architecture.
As the wagon reached the end of the iron fencing that enclosed the cemetery, they found that the fence connected to a sizeable brick wall. Beyond the wall was a majestic courtyard with walkways of cobblestone and expertly maintained hedges. A large fountain which contained clear and clean water was located in the center of the yard. Behind the courtyard was a towering manor that nearly matched the height of the many trees in the forest. Aridean noted that there were no trees in the estate’s courtyard and if it were not so foggy that this might be the only place in the forest that sunlight might readily shine upon the ground.
“I just don’t get aristocracy; who really needs a house that big?” Magdalene rhetorically asked as the wagon traveled past the enormous manor. Aridean felt the wagon jostle somewhat as they must have hit another rock or tree root.
“Well, I hope you can pretend you do since you’re still acting our master for this assignment,” Rana stated with a short laugh. Aridean noticed Vidor rolling his eyes at his sister’s attempt to make a joke. Looking across from her, Magdalene quietly groaned and was turned away. Aridean could see her cheek had a slight red color to it.
For someone who can be so blunt, she gets flustered really quickly, Aridean thought to herself. Not wanting to be caught staring, Aridean turned her attention to the small town ahead. She found herself somewhat surprised by the town that the team was entering.
Even through the fog, Aridean managed to make out the entire town. Only several buildings sat on either side of the dirt road. Of the few structures, only three had signs that named them the town inn or a store of some kind. Aside from the inn, there also appeared to be general supply store and workshop of some kind. Aridean speculated that the remaining buildings must be homes for the people who live in this town. Many windows in the buildings had small planters hanging up; they were all occupied by white flowers.
Only a few people could be seen either walking the small, dirt pathways or tending to vegetable gardens. A couple disappeared inside of the general store and Aridean noticed that the team had been spotted by a man working his garden. This man wiped his forehead with the back of his right, gloved hand before giving a courteous wave to the four travelers. While the man did not look particularly pleased to see newcomers to the little town, Aridean was still somewhat surprised by his modest gesture. Cortonne, like Thellia, was located in Empire loyalist territory. Aridean wondered if the southern reaches of the Empire were less dedicated to the Empire than the west or if perhaps the small size of Cortonne gave its denizens a sense of hospitality to strangers regardless of their race.
Rana pulled on the reins and directed the horses to pull the wagon toward the inn. Luckily, there was small stable that guests could use to park their carriages. Even more fortunate for the group was that there were no other horse drawn carts within the shelter. Once the wagon had been pulled into the stable, Rana pulled up on the reins prompting the horses to halt with a whiney.
“Vidor, Aridean, could you two see to the horses? I’ll take Maggie inside and we’ll see about any open rooms,” Rana spoke. Although her voice carried its usual gentleness, it was clear she was ordering and not asking that Vidor and Aridean hitch and feed the horses. Aridean and Vidor both nodded to Rana, who smiled and began to get down from her seat. Vidor, Aridean, and Magdalene began to collect their belongings.
“Yeesh, here I thought Thellia was a small town. Guessing not a lot goes on around here,” said Vidor as he jumped to the ground from the back of the wagon. He deftly landed on his hooves and immediately began to stretch his arms and back. Just as his arms returned to his sides, he let out a yawn.
“Well, Cortonne is just a small hamlet. Maybe it means we won’t have to stay long with such little ground to cover,” Magdalene stated as she slowly descended from the wagon. The young girl hit the ground and was annoyed to find that she landed in a small mud puddle. She grunted frustratedly as she noticed some wet dirt on her ankles.
“Aridean and I will take care of the horses. You going to get our room or what, Rana?” Vidor asked his sister with a playful tone of voice. Aridean noticed that Magdalene had a confused expression on her face now.
“Is… is he ignoring me?” Magdalene wondered aloud. Rana let out an annoyed sigh as she gently shook her head.
“Honestly, Vidor, how is it that you can act like such a child?” Rana muttered to herself yet not out of earshot from the others. Vidor snorted his frustration after hearing his sister’s quiet reprimand. Looking back to her companions, Rana smiled, “Come along Lady Magdalene, your faithful servants will see about getting you your room and taking care of your horses.”
“You… can stop that,” replied Magdalene with another slight red hue in her face. Rana laughed as she and Magdalene made for the inn, leaving Aridean and Vidor with the wagon. Aridean finished collecting her things in a large backpack and slung the bag over her shoulders. As she descended from the wagon, Vidor continued to watch Rana and Magdalene as they entered the inn. Once the two were out of sight and the door to the building was closed, he grunted loudly.
“Maybe I am being a little petty but I probably act that way because you treat everyone around you like a child. Rgh, that was embarrassing,” Vidor grumbled aloud. Aridean, not wanting to upset Vidor further, quietly began to detach the horses from the wagon. Vidor shook his head before turning to see Aridean taking care of their chore, “Hey, you don’t have to do that all by yourself.”
Quickly, Vidor moved around the wagon to detach the second horse. Together, the two minotaurs led the horses through the small stable to a convenient water trough. Both horses took their time enjoying a nice drink; Aridean could not resist petting her horse as it drank. After watering their faithful companions, Aridean and Vidor led the farm animals to small stalls within the stable. After removing the leads in their mouths, Aridean gave each horse one last friendly pat on the head before turning to a smiling Vidor.
“Well, that’s done. What do you say to heading in and seeing if we can get some dinner?” Vidor asked with his usual goofy grin.
“I could eat, but could I ask you something? What’s going on with you and Maggie? You almost seemed like you two were getting along when we left Thellia. Why are you suddenly so dismissive of her again?” asked Aridean with concern in her voice. Vidor took a deep breath and exhaled in one long, drawn-out breath. The goofy grin on his face had been replaced with a more stern look.
“You really gotta ask? Yeah, I thought maybe she was alright when we were leaving Thellia. But after that circus act in Hunlio, I’m not so sure anymore,” Vidor answered bluntly. Aridean was a little worried that she maybe should not have brought up the subject as Vidor continued, “She says she’s trying to pay us back and grow as a person. Thinking about it, I don’t why I believed any of that for even a second. All it took was a stranger to point out that you are a minotaur to get her to slap you.”
“Vidor… I-I’m sure it was just--,” Aridean began to speak with a soft, if hesitant, tone. Vidor sighed again and shook his head.
“The heat of the moment, right? Maybe so, but I’m just not sure about that. If there’s something we can be sure of its that she’s a thief and hates minotaurs. She’s got a lot of growing to do if that’s why she’s really here,” stated Vidor, bluntly and abruptly. Aridean remembered Magdalene during their scene in Hunlio. The young girl had hatred in her eyes almost as frightening as when she held Aridean captive in Byrden.
Does she still hold a hint of the wrath she showed me back then? Is Vidor right about her? Aridean wondered to herself. Vidor had made a bit of an argument that they did not really know the half-elf that accompanied them. But even so, Magdalene had put forth some effort to help the team out, if reluctant or hesitant. Regardless, Aridean thought it best to save the subject for later discussion. She shook her head before looking to Vidor with a smile on her face.
“I-I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what her intentions are. Anyways, why don’t we go get some dinner?” Aridean suggested much to Vidor’s delight. Her friend’s silly grin returned to his face.
“Now you’re talking… I wonder if they got fish and apple cider. You care for another date if they do?” Vidor jovially joked with a laugh. Aridean quietly giggled as the two began to make for the front door to the inn. Vidor pulled the door open and gestured Aridean inside with a smile.
Aridean entered the inn with Vidor right behind her. She took a moment to examine the quaint room she found herself in. Almost immediately, Aridean thought to herself that this inn was vastly different from the one back in Byrden. The décor was modest and homely but there was no front lobby with a checkerboard or fireplace. A friendly-looking, young woman stood at the reception desk, yet her station was scratched and the age was visible in the wood. Sitting on the desk beside the woman was a vase that held more of the white flowers that appeared all over the town. Having made her first impressions, Aridean felt a little disappointed with the inn’s accommodations given her previous, and only other, experience at the Byrden inn.
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I guess they don’t see much business in such a small town that they don’t really need to liven the place up. This is a really small building after all; not even half the size of that other one. I still remember the man in Byrden saying something about how that inn wasn’t fancy, but compared to this… Aridean thought to herself as she finished surveying the scene. Rana and Magdalene approached Aridean and Vidor from the reception desk. Aridean noticed that Rana held two room keys in her hand.
“Maggie and I have got us our rooms; they actually had a lot of vacancies for whatever reason. Anyway, let’s get ourselves something to eat before they close the dining room,” Rana spoke as she began to guide the team toward the back hallway. Aridean could see down the hallway only a few doors. Given this inn was so small, she wondered which door led to her room. Exiting the foyer and entering the hallway, Rana immediately took a right and passed through another doorway.
Having entered the small dining room to the small inn, Aridean instantly judged the room slightly better kept than the dining room in Mutt’s Tavern. Although the floors were clean and the walls were free of stains, the furnishings were clearly old and slightly scratched up. There was a single doorway that must have led to the kitchen on the far wall. Disappointingly, one could not smell the delightful scent of a freshly prepared dinner coming from the kitchen door. In the center of each wooden table sat a small vase with few white flowers. There did not appear to be any other guests in the dining hall.
Vidor quickly moved around Rana and grabbed the first seat he could get his hands on, everyone else joining him soon after. Within seconds, a staff member emerged from the kitchen door and proceeded to take everyone’s order. As the employee disappeared back into the kitchen, however, a strange silence seemed to fill the room. The silence did not last long however as the sounds of kitchen utensils clanging and meals being made could be heard coming from the kitchen.
“So, this has been on my mind for a little while now: anybody know what’s up with the flowers all over the place?” Vidor asked as he collected one of the flowers from the vase on their table. Aridean and Rana both looked to the small vase, both of them had been curious about the reason for there being so many small white herbs as well.
“They’re white lilies, symbols of love in the language of flowers,” answered Magdalene, looking to Vidor from across the table. It had only just occurred to Aridean that Magdalene had mentioned something about enjoying flowers previously. Each of the three minotaurs looked to the half-elven girl curiously, “I already told Ari: sis liked planting flowers. I don’t know why the entire town is covered in them though.”
“I’m a bit curious now, do you know the language of flowers well, Maggie?” Rana asked with a gentle smile on her face. Magdalene was quick to shake her head before responding.
“Sis always liked orange lilies the best, but I only remember what white lilies stand for because I thought it had the easiest meaning… I do like planting flowers but really liked spending time with her more,” replied Magdalene, her tone growing more somber as she spoke. Aridean grew a bit worried by Magdalene’s depressed expression but was surprised to see Vidor’s reaction.
Vidor had remained silent as Magdalene explained the flowers. But to Aridean’s surprise, he did not look annoyed by the girl as she had expected. The male minotaur looked to his sister for a few seconds before allowing his eyes to drop to the table the group sat at. A thoughtful expression appeared on Vidor’s face as he let out a sigh.
“They might not be orange, but… do you want to take some with us when we leave?” Vidor hesitantly asked Magdalene. Having heard his question, Magdalene looked up to Vidor with surprise in her eyes. The girl seemed to pause for a moment to process what she had just heard but eventually responded by nodding to Vidor. Both Rana and Aridean also looked to Vidor with small smiles on their faces. Shortly after, the kitchen door swung open and the kitchen staff member appeared with a small food cart carrying the group’s meals.
With their dinners in front of them, the team began to eat. There was little chatter among the four as they ate, the sound of forks hitting plates was more common than voices at the table. Eventually, everyone had cleared their plate. Aridean wiped her mouth clear with a napkin while Vidor failed to muffle a quiet belch. Magdalene looked across the table to male minotaur with a slightly disgusted look on her face.
“Rana, what is our plan now that we’re here?” inquired Aridean as she set her napkin back down. Both Magdalene and Vidor then turned to give their attention to Rana who looked out a nearby window. Beyond the glass was darkness as what little sunlight breaking through the forest overhead was now absent.
“It’s already late and the sun seems to be down. I already mentioned it to Magdalene, but I think we should just rest for the evening. We need to come up with a strategy for talking to the people here about the Empire soldiers that came and disappeared. We’ll have to pick our words carefully, of course,” replied Rana with a serious tone. Both Vidor and Aridean nodded their understanding while Magdalene examined the three minotaurs.
“I guess that really means I’ll have to do the talking, huh?” Magdalene spoke as she crossed her arms over her chest. Vidor rolled his eyes but did not voice any opinion on receiving Magdalene’s assistance.
“You would have the easiest time but we won’t force you to do anything if you don’t want to,” Rana responded with a gentle smile. Standing from the table, Rana handed a room key to Magdalene, “Here is the key to Aridean and your room. You two will be right next door to Vidor and me just down the hall.”
Magdalene accepted the key, nodding to Rana. Aridean and Magdalene began to stand from the table as well but noticed that Vidor was looking to his sister. Aridean thought that he looked a bit confused by something. Before she could ask what was wrong, Vidor spoke.
“Hey, Rana, why can’t I room with Aridean?” asked Vidor. Rana looked to her brother with her ‘do as I say’ eyes. Practically instantaneously, Vidor seemed to back off with his ears drooping down in submission and eyes widened with worry.
“Do I honestly need to answer that, Vidor? I don’t know what you two may have been up to in the barn back in Thellia, but we’re here on business. ‘Date night’ is going to have to wait,” Rana responded with a stern tone. Aridean could feel her face warming up with embarrassment and thought she could see Vidor looking a little flustered as well. Magdalene, however, looked to Vidor with a smirk.
“What’s the matter, pervert? Upset you won’t get any goodnight kisses?” Magdalene teased with a smug expression on her face. Vidor grunted his annoyance and took a deep breath.
“Hey… it’s not like I—we didn’t… s-shut it,” replied Vidor, his frustration readily apparent in his face and voice. Magdalene and Rana both laughed as the group began to move out of the dining room.
Back in the hallway to the inn, Rana directed everyone further down the hallway toward their guest rooms. There were only a few rooms on either side of the hallway and it seemed that the team had the last two at the far end of the corridor. Rana and Vidor wished Aridean and Magdalene good night before entering their room. Just as Magdalene put the key into the lock of their room, Aridean let out a quiet gasp.
“Huh? What was that about?” Magdalene asked as she pushed open the door to their guest room. Aridean had begun walking back up the hallway, much to the young girl’s confusion. The female minotaur did not stop, but she did slow down and turn to Magdalene.
“I need to make sure the horses have enough to eat. I wasn’t paying attention to whether or not there was any hay out for them,” answered Aridean as she passed the doorway to the dining room. Although she did not see it, Magdalene had shrugged and entered their room, gently closing the door behind her.
Aridean made her way though the hallway and out of the lobby. Outside again, she initially believed it to be a dark night. It did not take long for her to notice the small streams of bright moonlight that managed to break through the tree leaves above her. All around Aridean was the fog that had followed them into Cortonne.
The minotaur deeply inhaled the cool, moist air before making for the stable that housed her faithful horses. Upon seeing the two equines, Aridean smiled and patted them on their heads. She looked around their stable stall to see that they did have some hay laid out, but her expression changed to one of disappointment. Aridean took just another moment to find a stack of hay in the back of the stable and quickly collected more than enough to sustain her horses. Upon receiving the delicious treat, one of the horses began to stomp the ground with one of its front hooves while the other let out a, presumably, grateful whiney. Aridean giggled as she turned to leave and return to her guest room.
“Glad I remembered that. I’d have felt so bad if we had to get going tomorrow morning and they hadn’t eaten,” Aridean spoke aloud and to herself. Aridean’s hooves treaded through cool mud as she made her way back to the front door of the inn. Just as she reached for the doorknob, Aridean heard a rustling in some nearby brush. Although startled, Aridean took a deep breath and began to think to herself.
It's probably just a wild animal… but I should probably check it out anyway. I doubt it’ll have anything to do with the disappearances we’re here to investigate, but it wouldn’t hurt to check anyway. P-please just be a squirrel or something, Aridean nervously thought as her hand slowly returned to her side from the doorknob. Hesitantly and reluctantly, Aridean slowly began to approach the brush from which she heard the sudden movement. As she drew closer, the brush began to rattle some more.
“This way.”
Aridean’s eyes went wide as her body froze up. Hairs were standing on ends on her tail and she could feel her heart starting to race somewhat. Aridean slowly turned both left and right to see that no one was around. Gasping in surprise, Aridean’s attention was returned to more violent shaking of the brush. Whatever was in the foliage was making itself known. Even more surprising, however, was that the movement in the brush began to move. The entity within the leaves was on the move around the inn, leaving Aridean too startled to make a move.
“Follow… please.”
That v-voice… why is it familiar? W-why does it want me to… follow it? Should I follow it? Mngh… I don’t like this, Aridean pondered as she watched the rattling brush continue. Despite what she truly wanted to do, Aridean managed to lift her hooves and start to slowly and cautiously give chase to the entity within the brush. Aridean continued to follow the brush until she found herself somewhere behind the inn, just a little way away from any other building in the hamlet. Her legs tensed up in fright when a hearty laugh began to ring out from somewhere nearby.
“Is this our chance to introduce ourselves properly?” a deep and ominous voice called out. Aridean felt her entire body seized up and her eyes went wide with shock.
T-that voice… I-it can’t be… N-no, that thing isn’t real, r-right? Aridean mentally told herself in an effort to calm herself down. She noticed that the rattling in the brush that had led her here had ceased. Her arms were frozen at her sides and even her tail, with hair standing on ends, was stone stiff. A cool wind blew by and the already thick fog seemed to envelop the startled minotaur. She was unable to even see the inn despite only being about ten meters from its wall.
Aridean heard leaves in the surrounding trees rustling and the uproarious caw of a crow from somewhere nearby. Slowly, the minotaur turned her head to one side; eventually her body followed as she hesitantly and reluctantly turned around. Fear invaded her mind and it shone in her eyes as Aridean set her sights upon it. Sure enough, the unknowable creature that she had encountered hiding under her bunk in the Stonehaven barracks was standing behind her.
“It’s so nice to get to speak with you again. I’m looking forward to discussing a few things with you, Aridean,” spoke the creature in its deep voice with an unsettlingly chipper tone. Aridean was unable to move, her heart had begun racing and breathing intensified to the point she was practically hyperventilating. While the creature’s otherworldly head and features remained the same as they looked during their first meeting, the monstrous entity had now revealed the rest of its body.
Terror had taken hold of Aridean’s mind as the monstrous form before her leaned in toward her. Its half-skinned head, empty eye sockets, and torn right ear looked exactly as it had when they first met. This time, the rest of the abomination’s body was visible to Aridean and it seemed to follow a similar, macabre theme just like its head. The creature stood on two legs and had muscled arms that were thicker than Aridean’s slim waist. Its legs ended with two-toed feet that sported long claws like its hands. Where flesh covered its bone, there was white fur; there were multiple spots on its right arm and left leg that did not have fur. There were three large, spike-like bone protrusions emerging from its back that looked as though they could impale someone if they were to upset the beast. The creature stood maybe two to three feet over Aridean. Being a minotaur, Aridean could wrestle a bear, and actually did once per her rebel training, but this monstrosity looked strong enough to take on five bears at once with one of its clawed hands tied behind its back.
Aridean was frozen in place, unable to move and unable to call out for help. She watched, petrified, as the dim glow in the empty eye sockets of the monster shifted to the left and right. It appeared that the creature was checking their surroundings before taking a deep breath. Aridean’s already wide eyes bulged further as the beast returned its attention to her, the brows over its empty sockets furrowed. After a moment of examining the minotaur, Aridean was startled by a boisterous laughter.
“Ahahaha! You still get spooked so easily! I remember when you were but a child and all it took was a single crack of thunder to get you huddled under your bedsheets,” the creature teased with another laugh. Aridean’s fear was very slowly starting to change to confusion. While the boom of thunder did not bother her anymore, it certainly had scared when she was a young child. But the only person who ever knew that was Simon; how could this thing possibly know Aridean’s childhood fears?
“W-what are—hnn?!,” Aridean began to hesitantly ask. Before she could even finish her question, a clawed finger was pushed to lips to silence her. The monstrous form surveyed their surroundings again before locking eyes with Aridean. A cold wind blew past the two, the monster’s long left ear and Aridean’s mane were whipped about by the breeze. Aridean could see the creature’s brows furrow again and she thought she could hear a low growl coming from it.
“Perhaps now really isn’t the best time. True introductions will have to come later. Just know that I am a dear friend of Simon Gray’s and I am here to assist you on your journey through this world,” the beast gently spoke with what Aridean could only assume was a friendly tone. It was hard to tell what ‘friendly’ was when an intimidating monster such as this was speaking to you. Suddenly, the tone the creature used shifted dramatically, “In all seriousness, you must watch yourself while in this place. There is something evil in this town and I would be devastated to lose not just my master, but his cherished daughter as well.”
T-this thing… is looking out for me? W-where did it come from? W-what is it? Please, someone, tell me this just a dream, Aridean thought to herself as the monster drew its long, clawed finger back from her lips. Confusion had now matched the fear Aridean was feeling but she had developed a sense that maybe this creature was not out to harm her. The beast raised its head and surveyed the foggy surroundings again before looking out to the towering manor that loomed just over the trees and fog in the distance. Aridean wondered if the beast could see through the fog as it seemed to constantly gaze out into the thick, cold, wet mists. Her muscles tensed up again as she was startled by the cawing of a crow again; the loud bird sounded much closer than before.
“I must be going for now. Fret not though; I won’t be far,” the monster said as it turned. Aridean watched as it lumbered into the thick fog and forest.
“W-wait! W-who are you? What are you? W-why do you call yourself Simon’s servant?” Aridean asked in a bit of a panic. However, the beast did not respond, not yet at least. As the form disappeared into the night gloom, Aridean heard its hearty laughter once again.
“I too am growing impatient, but I have already told you that introductions will have to wait yet again. Just watch yourself for now. I don’t know what it is exactly, but there is something horribly wrong with this place,” its voice replied. Despite the creature having receded into the dark, mist-covered trees, its voice sounded strangely close. Aridean thought about following the beast into the forest, it seemed to know a lot and curiosity was starting to take over. Just as she lifted a hoof to move, it spoke again, “Return to your friends quickly and sleep well. But I warn you: be careful of who you trust in this cursed place.”
Be careful of who I trust? Cursed? What is that thing talking about? More importantly, was I really about to follow it into a cold and fog-filled forest at night?! Aridean thought, having now become more confused than afraid. Although her breathing was still a bit erratic and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest, Aridean felt relief that the beast had left. Even so, she kept her eyes trained on the space in the fog that it had disappeared into as though she were expecting it to reappear. A moment passed before Aridean took a deep breath.
She kept her eyes focused intently on the place where the monster had vanished but began to cautiously back away. Although the fog was thick and visibility was limited to just a few meters in front of her, Aridean was certain the inn was somewhere behind her. Her hooves, cold and caked in mud, slowly carried the minotaur through the foggy night. After a moment on her backward trek, Aridean felt a slight dizziness slowly building in her head. She did not think anything of it as she intended to return to her and Magdalene’s room to rest for the night.
It can’t be much further… I didn’t think I walked that far away, Aridean mentally told herself as she heard her hooves hit the ground again and again. She had startled herself as her right hoof backed into a shallow puddle and splashed some water onto her left leg. Having taken her eyes from where her monstrous acquaintance had vanished, Aridean merely glanced back up from her wet leg to see nothing but fog still. Uncertainty and worry were trying to take control but the minotaur finally managed to turn around in her search for the inn.
Aridean stopped dead in her tracks and froze as she turned her head. Her face was now inches from the beak of a dark crow that stared back at her with red and menacing eyes whilst perched upon a tree branch. The ominous looking bird examined the startled minotaur before letting loose a loud, near deafening, caw. Aridean stumbled backwards, covering her sensitive ears and shaking her now throbbing head. The slight dizziness she had developed quickly evolved into a particularly nauseating pain. Still fumbling backwards, the minotaur had stumbled into a tree.
Ugh! My head is killing me… am I getting sick or… I… I don’t feel so good, Aridean internally commented as she lifted her head to see that the crow had flown away. Although the creature and crow were now gone, Aridean still got the sense she was not alone. A horrifying sense of paranoia was eating at her already on-edge nerves. The minotaur grunted her frustration at her predicament before trying to stand up straight again. Unfortunately, it was no good as the world was starting to spin beneath her. The aching in her head had rapidly morphed into a splitting pain and she desperately fought back the rising need to vomit.
“Ow, ough, w-what is going on?” Aridean asked no one in particular. Slowly, Aridean slumped down to her knees, still clutching her head in pain. From here, the minotaur fell to the cold, wet ground, failing to catch herself in the process. Surrounded by the thick, cool fog, Aridean lay on wet grass and cold mud. Although the chilling sensation of the moist terrain did provide some relief, Aridean found that she could not keep her eyes open much longer. The entire world seemed to be spinning as her eyelids slowly closed. Just before her eyes shut closed and she slipped into unconsciousness, Aridean saw something moving in the mists nearby. A small, bright red glow was floating in the mists and drawing nearer to the distressed minotaur.
“Young lady, you mustn’t be walking these streets this late… you may never know who may happen upon you in our little hamlet,” spoke a man’s voice in what sounded like a rather dignified tone. The voice, accompanied by the tread of boots over the damp mud, had been the last things Aridean heard before fading entirely. Although unable to hear any longer, the familiar caw of the black feathered bird resounded uproariously throughout the fog covered scene.