One

Prologue

Not far from the two friends, a face poked out of the brush, peering past thorny rose bushes. It was late, and both of them seemed oblivious to the world around them. The creature took in every move; every weapon; and watched for any hints of companionship. The pair seemed to be very close. Although they were silent, there was an unspoken conversation going on between them. When one of them stopped, the other followed in his shadow. They could have been brothers, or twins even; connected by blood and birth.
They both carried two swords, crossed over their back. Knives were fitted in their leather sheaths and hung from their belts, tapping and swaying with their master's movement. The creature saw that the horses they rode weren't noble steeds, which confirmed that they weren't knights nor noble men. Instead, the animals had long, elegant legs; eyes that were so large the moon was reflected in them; long straight necks; and small hooves which hardly touched the ground in their strides. Each step was taken cautiously and slow; as if stalking invisible prey. The stallions were quicker and lighter than the usual steeds from palaces or farms and were loaded with bundles and pans. It was strange to see two fully loaded horses walk without making a single sound; no clanging from the pans and cutlery, no groans or grunts of discomfort from the two men. They traveled like a well-oiled machine, silent except for the dull thud of hooves hitting the rutted track.

With elf-like steps, the creature flew from one shadow to another, keeping a safe distance from the path. It swung from tree to tree, clambered over rocks, and slithered under bushes with a certain elegance. The beast followed the men patiently, waiting for them to stop.

The creature's patience was rewarded when the moon started to sink and one of the men raised his hand as a signal to halt. With a small tug of the reigns both of their animals stiffened like statues so the men could drop to the ground. Their joints were stiff as old men with arthritis when they waddled with smaller steps into the woodland grounds. It was hiding there. In a few swift, invisible movements, the creature moved to the forest canopy where it would stay unseen.
The men tied their animals to one of the trees and loosened the straps of their saddles. Now they were in the forest, the beast could have a closer look. Swift as a tree-climbing monkey, it glided down one of the trunks and looked straight into the strangers face. Unseen. Invisible. The man wore a hood that only hid the less prominent features of his face. His eyes were glittering black marbles in the shadows, he had a shaved, square jaw and broad shoulders. His arms were knotted with lean muscle, still visible through the tight material of his suit. His armor only seemed to protect his chest and abdomen; it wasn't heavy either because he held his back up as straight as a plank. On the back of his cape, which hung over his shoulders and reached his knees, there was a symbol of a wolf circling a sphere with his mouth stretched wide open. The man's friend wore exactly the same cape but the similarities between the two men ended there. His face was partially hidden, he had a long black beard, braided loosely and a large crooked nose. The man was a titbit shorter, but seemed just as capable to wield the weapons on his back.
Once the men had removed their blankets and stowed away their swords for the night, the creature decided to emerge from it hiding. It took a deep breath, as if to gather courage, and stepped into the small clearing the men had created. It was the bearded man who noticed the creature first, immediately pulling out a knife and raising it in warning.
In a soft, warning tone, he murmured something to his partner. Now all eyes were on the creature who stood before them.

It was a boy. A young boy who probably just reached the age of ten. He had blond hair, parted right through the middle. A leather coat, covered his entire body and the sleeves swallowed his arms whole, yet it was still clear that the boy was very skinny. His face was covered in scratches from thorny shrubs and his cheeks were as pale as the moon. But it wasn't the age or height of the boy that had the two grown men tensed. The image of the boy was flickering, ever so often, he would disappear completely, only to reappear in less than a second. The image of the creature looked unsteady, flicking on and off like candle light. What's more, the boy seemed to lack eyes. Where the eyes should have been, there were two lidless, gaping round holes; staring but unseeing at once.
The creature tried to open its mouth, as if to explain something, but the men spoke before him.

"Who're ya!" the bearded man demanded, his eyes wide.
The creature noted that it probably seemed supernatural, perhaps as a ghost, a demon, a horror from religious belief. The men eyed it wearily, one of them inched closer to their swords. For a moment, the creature was frozen in fear, shaking uncontrollably. Being out in the open was not a normal thing. Indeed, it was perhaps one of the bravest actions he had ever carried out. But suddenly, standing there in the dark with two men in front of him, armed to the teeth and ready to attack, the creature wasn't very sure if he was as brave as he thought he was.
The taller of the two had reached his swords just when the creature opened his mouth to speak. The next few seconds happened very quickly... The bearded swordsman caught the weapon his friend tossed and swept at the creature with a sword. The creature stumbled back and let out a strangled cry. Another blow hit him in the back of his head. Before he knew it he was lying on his back, his face a mess of blood, cuts and bruises. Where the creature had looked ghastly before, it was worse now. Tears were leaking from its hollowed eye sockets; its body was partially revealed from under the thick jacket. A pile of small skinny bones lay heaving on the ground. Before the beast could unleash another strangled cry, the bearded man heaved his swords and sliced off the creatures head in one fluid motion.

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After a long, tedious night, the two men tightened the straps of their saddles and rose onto their stallions. Their swords were plain and seemed to be recently cleaned; blades shimmering in the sunlight. There were no tracks left behind other than a small mound, big enough to fit in a small animal and an ancient looking, wrinkled, leather jacket.

The forest seemed to come to life just like the men started to wake from their washed-out trance. Their voices could be heard from miles away, rough grunts and dirty jokes were exchanged between the couple. Birds perched on the thin branches beside the muddy red track, singing and chattering, showing off their bright, flirty colors. The sun warmed up quickly, creating a sheet of thick heat which was trapped under the fluffy white clouds. There was no trace of death, no smell of the rotten flesh, no corpse to be seen from a mile away. Nothing could break through the enchantment which the sun brought upon the forest every morning and the birds carried in their sweet voices.

At the abandoned campsite a small object had rolled beneath the shrubs. It was round, and looked a bit like a shriveled football with two large holes and a skeleton grin. Where the head had been attached to writhing body, there was now a large splotch of blood. Blackened by the heat. In a matter of seconds, the head started to decompose and melted into a stinking puddle of grease. The remains of the beast disappeared as if it had been nothing other than a bad dream.

That was my first chapter! :) I haven't edited it or anything so please forgive me if it's a bit messy. So what did you think? Who were those men? What did the creature want from them? Was it a monster, or asking for help?

- Luca