Beauty in a Beast

Ch 8 - The Beast

Everyone killing everyone.

Humans and animals, fighting themselves, each other.

Death and blood saturating the air and ground.

Until the sky opened up and the sun fell out.

His landing caused the ground to shake and crack.
He roared and every living soul quieted.

He glared down at the creatures as they blinked up at him, squinting in the too-bright light.

A monster, with four legs, four wings, and no one could count the frill and horns radiating from his head. A long tail whipped back and forth as his head lowered. An eye the size of a cruise ship scanned those nearest to him.

A voice resounded in their heads, deep, guttural, terrifying: "Why do you fight?"

Silence.

A small human boy, braver, or dumber, than the rest, approaches, saying, "I do not know why we fight nor how this war started. I know I have killed too many."

"What is your name?"

"I was born without a name. What is yours?" The boy walked ever closer.

"I have any names, but you may call me Adaro. I am charged with keeping you all safe. But a war rages in my home as well. I have come here to end this fighting and to ask for help."

A low growl erupts as a streak of orange and black races toward the boy.

A tiger, angry, leaps at the boy, claws and teeth bared for the kill.

He freezes, midair, suspended. The boy flinches and then looks at the large cat. "Magic?" He asks the giant creature.

"We call it Power. Why have you attacked the only one willing to speak to me?" He asks the cat. "Speak up, so we can all hear you."

"Hear me?" The tiger tells.

The humans surrounding gasp in shock at hearing the animal speak.

"Power." The boy says, understanding.

"I wish to kill him, that is why." A low growl.

"Why?"

"His people killed my family."

"Then you shall both be punished. You all will be punished." The tiger is unfrozen and his leap continues. The boy flinches, unable to get away before the tiger is upon him. But he doesnt feel claws or teeth sink into his skin. He feels a burning, pulsing, wave of movement, anger, pain, crash through his body. He falls to the ground screaming in terror and anguish. The burning subsides, the pain dulling to an ache.

He looks around, clearing the tears from his face. "Where did he go?" He asks.

"Call for him in your mind, bring him out." The giant says.

The boy closes his eyes and inhales sharply. A low scream bubbles up as his features twist into gruesome angles. Suddenly the tiger is sitting in his place, teeth bared.

"Why have you done this?" The animal snarls.

"Time will teach you my reasoning. Now, listen, all of you. I am a dragon. I and my mate were assigned to watch over you and you have disappointed us with your violent ways. We have been told to separate all of you and to erase these events from the minds of the humans. Based on your heart, you will be separated to different worlds. Humans and animals will remain on here, on Enaus, without your memory. You will start over here. Build the land again. Some of you, those deserving, will be paired with an animal and transformed into a Shifter. Your home will be Yeero, a land you must also build. Some animals, deserving, will be given the permanent ability to think and speak on level with Shifters. You will be free to travel between Yeero and Acnan. Shifters, since you will contain some degree of Power, you may travel to and between any of the five worlds."

"You only listed three." The tiger, now with the boy's voice, pointed out.

"Sombran, my home, the home of the dragons, is the fourth."

"And, the fifth?"

"The fifth world is not a place you need to worry about just yet. In fact, the fifth world is a problem that a successor to your throne many, many years from now will have to worry about. You have enough to do as it is."

"My throne?" The boy asked.

"All will be revealed with time..."

"This story is just beginning."