Magic and Monsters

Messenger of the Night

"Someone is definitely after you, and I can bet that the werewolves are linked to the voice in the fog you were talking about right before the outbreak. Silver fangs don't appear in this dimension unless summoned. Heck, maybe the outbreak is linked too!" Beatrice ranted. 

They had made it safely back to the protection of the castle and somewhere along the way the silver fangs gave up their chase. Charles and Beatrice were alone in the deserted barracks courtyard after leaving the horses in the stables. Tomorrow morning the party would be returning to the Capital. Charles was annoyed that their last moments here in Abbotsford were interrupted by a werewolf. At least the werewolves could have the respect to attack at a more timely moment.

At the same time Charles was developing a fear of losing Beatrice. Perhaps it would be better if he distanced himself to protect her. Luckily the castle had magical borders which repelled monsters.

"Charles? Are you even listening? We need to be on the watch out during the entire trip to the Capital. The werewolves won't be all that's after you. The last time we had a hero over a century ago, the monsters from hell hunted him to every corner in the lands. As you get stronger and more powerful, more of the monsters will recognise and sense your presence." continued Beatrice.

"CHARLES!" she yelled, startling him from his thoughts.

"Beatrice, I'm sorry for getting you involved in this mess. Perhaps we shouldn't be together, I'm putting you in danger just by being here." said Charles as he looked at the floor.

Beatrice fell silent for a moment, before brutally slapping him across the face. The fresh, hot stinging shocked him.

"YOU IDIOT!" she screamed. Beatrice was glaring at him, but it wasn't hatred behind the action. It was the fear that she too would lose Charles that drove her.

"Stop being a hero for a moment! If you shoulder everything yourself, the weight will only grow. Soon you'll be shouldering the entire sky, and you'll follow the same path of the last hero to his own demise! Please don't walk the path alone!" she cried. Tears streamed down her face as she tightly clutched onto his clothing as if the wind would suddenly whisk him away.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been in my right mind lately. I won't ever leave you." whispered Charles as he comforted her. He didn't realise how deep Beatrice's feelings were. "Tomorrow we'll head to the capital together, and we'll fight enemies after enemies together. Nothing will separate us."

"Do you promise? Swear upon Styrax that you'll never leave me?" Beatrice whispered back as she tilted her chin up to look into his eyes from the gentle embrace of his arms.

"I promise. Nothing will get between us." he confirmed.

Beatrice suddenly leaned up and quickly kissed him on the lips, delicately. The kiss only lasted a second before she pulled away, but it felt like an eternity of bliss to Charles. The scene was so perfect, with nobody but the moon to witness. Charles was more stunned from the sudden kiss than the slap.

"That's for slapping you. I'll hold you to your promise! Nobody can get between us, not Harrison, not the monsters. Not even the gods will be able to stop us." she said.

"If I get a kiss for every slap, please slap me again!" 

"Yeah nah. You gotta earn the rest. Now let's get to the dining room before Baron Burns sends out a search party." she said.

The two of them shortly arrived just in time to settle in with Baron Burns for dinner. Harrison was also at the table, who was occupied with trying to squish a bug on his plate.

"Ahh there you two are. How was your short stay at Abbotsford? I must apologise for the disruptive outbreak. Doesn't usually happen 'round here." said Baron Burns dismissively. He took a big swig of his favourite mead.

"I had the utmost pleasure to be in your hospitality, and it is a regret that the stay was not any longer. Unfortunately, I do have business to attend to in the Capital." replied Beatrice.

"A shame. However you will be coming more, due to the new engagement right? HARRISON! YOU FUCKER! STOP SQUISHING THE FUCKING BUG AND JOIN THE FUCKING CONVERSATION! THIS IS ABOUT YOU!" he roared. Harrison looked up like a startled pig. His third chin wobbled, and the surprise turned to a sneer.

"Yes, I knew that Beatrice would come to me in the end." he said. Charles stiffened in his seat but said nothing. Beatrice was disgusted too, however she had had decided to play along for the time being.

"Indeed, my father has an eye for opportunity as always." she replied curtly to Harrison's comment.

A servant brought in a giant roast leg of lamb with potatoes and gravy. Neither Beatrice nor Charles could eat much. Baron Burns was always ready to fill the silence at the dinner table, whether it was boasting his feats from when he was young or telling legendary tales of butchering monsters like walkers and the kittens. 

Charles was still in shock at the sudden development between Beatrice and himself. He pinched himself several times to make sure he wasn't in some dream. Finally dinner came to an end. Baron Burns was sincerely sad that Beatrice and Charles were leaving. 

"Alright, I suppose the two of you should get some sleep. I'll see ya off tomorrow morning!" he called as they headed their own ways.

Charles was lost in thought as he walked to his bedroom. What would happen between Beatrice and himself when she was already arranged to be married to Harrison? Perhaps the two of them could just run away and leave everything, but they would be gored by monsters before a week had even passed.

Beatrice was right. The stress of shouldering everything was already weighing him down. He had been pulled into a new world, hunted by monsters, died in a cave full of walkers only to be resurrected and unable to tell anyone, and was now dealing with the arranged marriage between Beatrice and Harrison. If he separated himself from Beatrice and everyone else, he'd definitely go insane sooner or later. Charles wondered what happened to the last hero.

He crashed onto his bed without bothering to change out of his clothes, and immediately fell asleep. The exhaustion caught up to him. He began with a rather strange dream of being chased by a pack of wild puppies.

Charles was suddenly jerked away from his dream, except he was no longer in bed. He was standing alone in the throne room of a dark, abandoned castle which would have been grand and impressive in it's prime. A layer of dust coated the floor, and cobwebs lined the ceiling and corners.

A cold, leathery hand suddenly rested upon Charles' shoulder, sending chills down his back. He couldn't move to turn his head, nor speak.

"Chosen one." a wickedly dangerous yet seductive, feminine voice said from behind him. The voice sounded slow and calculated. "You wish to protect those close to you, don't you? The monsters which hound you, they will only grow in both numbers and strength."

"I can give you the power you need." she continued. "You can have the power to turn the tides alone. The sooner you join me, the sooner we can prepare you for what's to come. We shall meet again soon, and I will eagerly await your answer. Consider my offer well, chosen one!"

Giggling followed, and he suddenly felt a long, snakey tongue run down the side of his neck. 

"YES! You are the chosen one!" she cried loudly, as if he had a distinct flavour of a hero.

The cold hand on his shoulder clenched, digging sharp talons into his skin. Charles couldn't even wince from the pain, it was as if he had turned into stone.

Charles snapped awake for the second time. This time he was thankfully back in his bed, but coated in a layer of sweat. The vision he had was too real to be a dream. He looked out the window to see that it was still late, with a full moon hanging in the sky. A distant wolf howl reminded Charles of the dangers waiting ahead. He closed his eyes and eventually pushed away the worries before falling asleep yet again.