Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 22

Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 22

…

Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Sivantic.

…

Averi, despite all the monsters and creatures that I met in this new life, seemed the best fit for fairytales. Unblemished skin, eyes like rubies, and pearly-white hair upon a form closer to a ballerina than a warrior. Clad only in underclothes, the Knight that fed upon Wyverns and was sent to quash rebellions, looked more like doll for a young heiress.

A living doll carved out of marble.

I could only wonder how such a creature came to be, how were the traits chosen and husbanded across countless generations, so that such a creature could be made. Averi had all the power and might of a normal chieftain of the Great Desert, but her form was closer to human than Kan’Is or his daughter.

The chieftain of the As’Kari was mighty and peerless, but he could not be hidden amongst the populace.

This knight could do so with ease by simply covering herself in the armor of a knight unaffiliated with the crown.

How many generations of careful breeding had to be made to create this creature? Were the inhuman features a result of their desire to keep the frame of the subject inconspicuous? Was it always planned for this branch family to be the hidden blade of the main family, so that they could destroy dissidents without sending forth their more obvious guards?

Many questions filled my mind, but I held them in check.

My curiosity abounded, but the most eminent question I had was far simpler: how do I repel the force that she heralded?

In the eternal darkness, beneath the faint light of the immense tree of light, I sat before Averi. She was bound to a post by my strongest wires, in my “territory” within the fledgling town. My domicile was unpacked from my mount’s back, and my mount’s stable combined with my tent to obscure the vision of any who would peer into my “backyard.” I settled against the wall of the town, so that I could respond quickly against any threat that arose, and monitored my wires set on no-man’s land even as I slept.

The same wires that found Averi’s hidden forces and captured her along with them.

I stared at the creature for a long time, before breaking the silence.

“How long before the main force arrives?”

The sharp-eared young woman had been silent since her capture, only silently wallowing in her own despair. A part of me had considered holding her people against her by not releasing all of the soldiers she had brought along. Such were the tactics of the As’Kari during war. They would separate commanders from their troops, holding both sides hostage against one another, and promising fair treatment and even inclusion for surrender of information.

I wasn’t foolish enough to think that the As’Kari did not use torture, but the Great Desert was a harsh land and every Warrior alive was another measure of protection for tribes. They were not to be killed, unless they broke taboo or refused to yield on a point of honor. I witnessed the former when the other tribes attacked the As’kari in the dead of night, with killing as many of the As’Kari as possible in mind, before I left.

I threw aside the terrible thoughts, just as Averi managed to speak.

“The main force? Do you think my people have the strength to spare for an army for the south? I was sent because there was no one else.”

I had no means of verifying fact from fiction, so I merely nodded at the words. While I heard them and recorded them in my mind, I would not take them as either truth or falsehood. It was simply information that I had to discern for myself, until I grasped the truth.

“How many will come to your rescue?”

“No one. If I am captured, then I am lost. If I were true to my lineage, then I would end my life before my blood was stolen by another.”

A glare settled on me, through my mask, as Averi remained bound in smallclothes.

Stolen blood?

I considered the word for a few moments, before realizing what the young woman meant.

“Such actions are punishable by death in the Great Desert. I claim no lordship over this place, but if they wish to force themselves upon you to steal their children, they will revoke my aid.” My blood ran cold at the thought. Of course, children inherited much from their parents. Kan’Is’ daughter was set to be mightier than himself, not only because she benefited from her father’s accomplishments and the As’Kari’s growth, but because she began life greater than him. The same went for the children of Warriors. “You are clad as you are because this village has no clothes to spare for prisoners.”

“And, no women to guard me instead of you?”

“None are as strong as me. Neither is there one almost as strong who I could trust not to slit your throat.” I confessed and shook my head. My words made a frown form on Averi’s face, and she cast her face downward in acceptance. “Now, tell me of this great magic above us. How long until it fails?”

Averi’s eyes widened at my words and a snarl left her lips.

“Fail!? How dare you imply that it would fail! It is the greatest piece of magic the crown has constructed! Countless generations of careful breeding, coin after coin spent, and the efforts of the greatest minds ensured that the Tree of Light will not fade until the sun returns to the world!”

I nodded at those words. They were reasonable actions of a nation with the foresight of the tragedy that was taking place.

“I do not doubt that it could last forever as it is now… but how long will it last after your lands are put to siege and those who maintain it are lost or sent elsewhere?”

All the mightiest works of countless empires have fallen. Repeatedly, war and destruction claimed all the glory and honor nations had. No matter how hard someone struggled, no matter how much a nation squeezed their people for more tithes, no nation lasted forever. In more auspicious times, without an eternal night and such a grievous crime, more potent and capable empires have fallen.

Even if this world was different, its inhabitants were still all human, and so I had no doubt of what would become of their own empires.

Everything ends, then something else comes to take its place, until it was replaced as well.

I only hoped to quell the suffering that came between those moments, and cherish the peace that came between beginnings and endings.

But just like my last life, in this one, I was facing a time of conflict, misery, and pain.

All of which, I hoped to somehow, even infinitesimally, hold back.

So, I needed to know how long the only source of light in this world would last, if those who held it was deemed unfit to do so.

Averi most have grasped a semblance of my concerns and bowed her head, shook it, and refused the thought that entered her mind.

“No. Even if they rebel against us, the crown wouldn’t be mad enough to send away the people who are keeping us all alive! Whatever rebellion arises would never seek to cut down the tree!” The knight insisted and I listened, but spoke no words against her. I only knew what I knew. Perhaps all that she said was true, perhaps it was all merely mad ramblings. All I did was listen and gather information, as I tried to grasp at the truth. “The crown and capitol will burn and be hurt… but they wouldn’t be completely destroyed. They wouldn’t.”

My silence… my silence proved to be more than just a means of gathering information.

The knight suddenly tried to stand, to get out, and bled as she struggled against her bindings. The wood that she was held against cracked and broke, but when it vanished the threads binding merely tightened around her and completely bound her. She fell onto the ground, while I continued to stare at her.

“It can’t happen. It won’t. The tree will never fall.” The Knightess insisted, half-mad at the mere suggestion, and she struggled towards my mount. Even though she did not know how to ride it, she seemed to see it as her goal, to get back to her people. Tears crawled down her face, as she struggled futilely… until a sob left her lips and she let her face fall against the packed dirt. “Please, tell me that it won’t. Please… tell me that what we did didn’t anger the people so much that they’d die just to kill us all.”

I answered the young woman honestly.

“I don’t know.”

Another cry left her lips, but this time she did not move, and I pulled her back and readied another post.

I was only asking her questions as she remained captive, but her spirit was weakening and she was becoming increasingly frail.

I did not mean to inflict torture upon her, but the results were clear.

So, there was no choice in the matter, besides staying my next questions and letting her rest.

The mind is a fragile thing, and despite the strangeness of her form, Averi remained human.

This could not continue.

…

Erucic took a deep draught from a flask.

A still had been recovered from a nearby village and some towns close-by had unused grain in silos. Alcohol was an important form of disinfectant, and beer was a good resource to keep in cellars in times of crisis, especially when their alcohol content was limited. Therefore, I gave my aid in the project, thus the village had a limited source of basic medical supplies, luxury, and a means to distill water if needed.

But that did not matter now.

I relayed what I gathered from Averi to the older knight in private.

He’d listened to my words in complete silence and relayed his thoughts only after.

A grimace was on his face when he provided his thoughts on the matter.

“Your fears are well founded. The crown has caused too much pain and suffering. In all the towns I visited, until I proved that I was exiled for my beliefs, most were hesitant to accept my help or offer their own.” The years seemed more evident as he spoke. Erucic was a well-built older man. He carried himself with great experience in a body that was built for war. Sometimes he complained about his aches and pains, but his ability to move and fight was without question. However, he seemed every bit of his age and more as he recounted what he saw. “This was in a place where true knights came forth, displaying that their vows meant more than their oaths to the king, and yet we were feared… and some even hated us.”

“People are rarely rational at times of peace, let alone in times of crisis.” I offered my own thoughts on the matter. Erucic chuckled at the words and shook his head. “Does the thought amuse you?”

“Aye, it does. Whenever I speak with you, it feels like I’m being mentored by my mentor who died twice my age.” Erucic mused and gazed upon me. I became aware of my childlike features under his gaze, but I disregarded the matter without so much as a twitch. There was little I could do about the difference between my mind and my body. I accepted this fact long ago and strove to simply mature as my body willed. “You’re right, though. People can’t be expected to be reasonable in unreasonable times. I understood that, went to help, and gained friends and allies. The crown… the crown will suffer for not understanding that, and we just might lose the last light our people have left.”

“Rulers derive their strength from their people. Their decision to abandon so many was their downfall.”

“It was impossible to save everyone, but we could’ve done more. Kept their soldiers there. Reinforced them. Made battle lines and positions to fall back. Hired tribes from the Great Desert… trained more soldiers and knights.” Erucic sighed and shook his head. Each word was practiced and carried a faint semblance of passion. “But we did not. We chose the path of subterfuge and hoped that none would realize our misdeeds. Sometimes… I imagine that it would have been less cruel to go on a warpath in the last few years and cull ourselves.”

At those words, I shook my head.

“The path that has been chosen is cruel, but it is less cruel than that.” The destruction of an individual is not an act of mercy. Some in my profession believed in euthanasia. They deemed those who are limited in bodily functions and those with disorders of the mind are better put to death. I believe that choice can only be made by those of sound mind and who understand what they ask. Those who are enduring incredible suffering, who have lost their ability to move due to some terrible struggle, and whose lives are irrevocably damaged. However, in most cases, I believed that people have the right to struggle, to fight, and to wish for a cure or a miracle, no matter how impossible. “I am glad that such a course was not taken.”

Erucic managed a light chuckle at my words, but soon he shook his head.

“War is coming. There’s no doubt about that. A mad, bloody, and crazed war where we’ll kill each other, while we’re being killed by an endless army of monsters.” Erucic whispered his fears to me and let go of his flask, before his hand crushed it. Already, his fingers left dents in the metal. Then, he turned his gaze on me, with a fire in his eyes. “Gale spoke to me about your first plans, before you decided that saving these people are better. She told me that you’d wished to storm the capital and bring low the crown, so that they could be replaced.”

I sighed at those words, especially as Erucic’s aim was obvious.

“It is better to save others, than to destroy them. Every moment I spare to destroying the perpetrator of this crime, is a moment that I do not spend saving others.” I insisted, but I was surprised as Erucic shook his head. “You don’t agree.”

“I do, but I believe that it’s better for you to bring low the crown and take yourself, instead of letting the land drown in the blood of those who can defend it against the night.” Erucic’s words surprised me and it must have shown, as he nodded at me. “Think on it, lad. Just how many people can you save, if you convince them that those who harmed them is gone, so that they could face the true monsters and sparing them from killing their own kin?”

I barely spared the question a moment before the answer engraved itself in my mind.

More than I was helping here.

Far, far more.