In Pursuit of Kronos' Scythe (Completed)

III - Tale of the Child Eater - Part II

Piotr Mikolaj

The creature was three feet in height, standing on two short black donkey feet. He wore a straw hat with two holes, where his donkey ears poked out. His brown hair looked like it was made of a bird's nest. His yellowish toga was tattered and was stitched with dried banana leaves, which surprisingly was still sticking to his body. He looked as if he hadn't eaten for days, and he eyed the berries on the floor with red lustful eyes. 

Piotr took pity on the gnome-like creature. When he was still a child straying around in the wild, some wayward teens had scared him with the tale of Kobaloi. They described Kobaloi as mischievous creatures with donkey ears and feet, fond of tricking people. This must be one. He didn't think he would see one in the daylight. This beast must be really hungry.  

"Easy, Koby." Piotr came out with a name to get familiar with him. Smiling congenially, he pointed to the berries. "You can have them if you want."

He didn't know why he felt so affectionate towards the creature. Perhaps he understood how awful it felt when one's stomach twisted in hunger. Crouching down, he picked up the berries, when a spanner fell out of his wooden chest without him asking for it.

The Kobalos bared his fangs. Misinterpreting Piotr's hospitality, he leaped towards Piotr, his furry arms swinging, his black tail slashing the air. Piotr dodged the blow and took shelter behind Hercules. Koby hissed louder and clawed at Hercules' metal surface, like a little standing donkey possessed by the spirit of a dog, trying to search for hidden bones within the hard skin.

Getting no response from the automaton, the Kobalos went berserk and found another victim. He bounced up Calyssa's neck and began plucking her fur; his tail slashed through the air in a greater vigor this time. "Horrible... Human..." he slurred. He was too fast that even Calyssa couldn't attack him back. In split seconds, swear words and rough panting infused the air. Calyssa spun her head around to get rid of the Kobalos but failed. 

After teasing the lynx, Koby hopped down her body, circled the cave, and darted towards Tharalea. The princess unsheathed her blade but before she could make any heroic strikes, the Kobalos stopped in mid-way. When the shout of fight dwindled, Piotr could hear the drumming sound from Koby's stomach. The Kobalos winced and clutched his toga, biting his lip. 

"Hate... Human... Hungry..."

Koby's voice, to Piotr's surprise, possessed the sneaky quality like those salesmen that hopped from door to door. It gave Piotr a deceitful feeling, but that didn't deceive Piotr into believing that Koby could take care of himself. That petite creature was sending an invisible SOS signal with every of his body movements.

Smiling friendlily, Piotr lifted his gaze to look Koby in the eyes. That was how people tamed wild creatures and gained their trust. But Koby just glared at Piotr, his eyes shining with unshed tears of anger and suspicion, laced with a tinge of weakness and fear, which he tried so hard to hide. Baring his teeth, he threw Piotr a final resentful look before collapsing on the floor.

"Is-- Is he dead?" Tharalea crouched next to him. When she realized that his chest was still moving in even rhythms and his nose was wet, she sighed in relief. Her blue eyes lit up as she flipped the Kobalos' hairy arms up and down. "Oh, he's injured. I think he'd have some fights or what." She pointed to the long red wounds covered by Koby's hair. 

Piotr frowned, his brows tenting. Those wounds were fat and short. If Koby had a fight with other Kobaloi, his wounds would be thin and claw-like. These injuries looked like those being caused by a whip. Piotr's grey eyes traveled up to Koby's neck, where another circular red wound appeared. Who on earth would be so cruel to torture such feeble creatures?