Chapter 3: The Beast of Hiraya
The memories of the great outdoors slowly dissipate towards the far horizon. We're just a little shy of a few months and we're now living in this cave for exactly half a decade. I haven't been able to go back out there since that dreadful day when the townspeople drove us away and forced us to live in this secluded area on the far end of the island. No matter. I enjoy my stay here. All this time, I've been honing my skills both in craftsmanship and in fighting as well and both are doing exponentially great. At the age of ten, I'm confident enough that I can sculpt a life-size statue of Calista and, if I'm really on top of my game, I can even make an intricate replica of Mother's head. My impeccable dexterity, agility, and strength also translate to combat. Though I don't have anyone to spar with, Mother always tells me that I'm improving. That's definitely something.
I never learned what truly happened to Mother's vibrant amber eyes. She told me that it was caused by an accident while she was on her Harvest. This I highly doubt because of all people, she wouldn't have that kind of slip up. She's too cautious when it comes to her bizarre yet sophisticated craft. Besides, she commands the island. Or that's what I want to believe. Nothing bad should happen to her especially not as bad as losing her eyesight. She just eased my worries by confirming that even though she lost them, she can still see and that is through Calista. An enchantment was placed on both of them linking their senses together making Mother able to see through her familiar's eyes. Since then, the snake has never untangled herself from her.
"Vatic, please be a dear and pass me some of that fertilizer over there." Mother instructs, pointing to a sack of dirt resting on a pile of rocks to my left. Calista hisses, gripping subtly around her neck. I nod and bring a scoop of combined dirt, food waste, and animal manure to her.
One of the things we enjoy doing together is gardening. I may not be able to memorize every plant Mother nurtures but at least I know what they look like. I swear their names sound like her spells. I'm afraid that if I mispronounce any of them, something bad will happen. Instead of me giving the plants life, I could accidentally make them all wilt and die so I leave it to her when it comes to their names. My favorite is the vivid red ones with spikes throughout their stems. Asor dubmac is I believe what she calls them. This specific flower reminds me of her for some reason maybe because at first glance, it's eye-catching but looking deeper it can prick you. Just like her. Suhtnaid Sullyhpoyrac is her most favorite of all. She says that it symbolizes her love for me, her beloved child.
"Mother?" I look at her, hopeful. "Today's your Harvest, right?" She must've figured out what I'm about to ask because the curves from the sides of her lips vanish. "Do you think I can co–" She cut me off immediately.
"Absolutely not!" The sternness of her tone is undeniable, stiffening all the muscles in her body. This is the first time I'm thankful that she's now wearing that black silk cloth over her eyes. If she doesn't, I can only imagine her sharp piercing glares stabbing my very core.
"But Mother," I try to reason with her. "I haven't been able to go out there for almost half a decade now. I etched the entire perimeter of this cave into my brain. My mind longs for something new. Something more." As if I tug something from Mother's conscience, she loosens up a bit.
"I know what you mean, my child." She gently grabs my shoulder. "I would want you to come with and explore not just the rest of the island but even the rest of the world if the circumstances allow us but it doesn't."
"What do you mean?" My eyes narrow, trying to make sense of her words. From her tone, she's not just talking about the outraged inhabitants of the town.
"There are forces in this world that are bigger than us. Out there, we're not safe. That is why I chose for us to live in here where it is out of harm's way." I tilt my head in confusion. Catching onto it, Mother finds other ways to explain the situation further. "I know that you've been training your skills and I'm beyond proud of you for that but combat isn't enough to fend off the perils from out there. You need protection and that's what this place provides."
"I can protect myself, Mother. I can protect both of us now. Besides, I learned magic from you so I can utilize that as well." I proudly counter. She just smiles at me as if telling me that she really wants to grant my plea but she can't.
"Vatic, you've only learned some of the basics of the lesser magic I'm teaching you. You may be very capable with your hands for your craft and fighting but for some reason, it doesn't really translate that well with handling magic." She teases.
I admit that even though Mother is teaching me some of her ways, I'm having a hard time grasping them let alone the entire realm of witchery. The only thing I'm able to do is brewing dissatisfactory healing potions but other than those, poof, worthless as a sack of animal manure for fertilization. Reading into her lines deeper, I remember something peculiar the last time I was roaming around the library. There's a local folklore that says that a flesh-eating monster lurks amongst the shadows of this island. With its pointy ears, harpoon-like teeth, and inhumane bulky frame, no one lives to tell their tale once they laid their sights upon it. Maybe that's what Mother is referring to.
"Dalakethnon." I mutter to myself. "Are you talking about the Beast of Hiraya?" Something in Mother shifts. I can sense that her aura is changing. I double down trying to change the subject. "I read about it from the library. I know it's just a myth, Mother. Don't worry about it." It worked, hopefully.
She slowly faces me, making her face visible as some of her freckles peak through from underneath the silk cloth over her eyes. "You're right, my child. Those kinds of stories are just myths created to scare the children into submission. Pay no mind to those." I really thought she would lash out at me which never happened but still. It's nerve-wracking. She manages to avert her emotions somehow –if there's really something to avert. "I assure you that even those are true, they won't lay a finger on us especially if we're inside this cave. Even the Gods themselves wouldn't dare step foot in here." Proudly, she gestures her hands at our surroundings.
"Really? Wow!" I genuinely am amazed, looking around as I admire this new knowledge that's been here all along. A barrier.
"I've built a strong protection over this very cave and I'm fortifying it religiously so you don't have to worry about those kinds of monsters. You're safe here. We're safe here." She hugs me. She won. I didn't push further about me going out there… for now. "You'll understand even better once you have your own child. You'll do anything for that kid."
"Mother," I blush, ripe as a tomato. "I'm too young to have a child. Besides, I hate kids so that will not happen." I read about caring for an infant in one of the books from the library and it is too much work so no thank you. Dreadful.
"I know, silly." She grabs my wispy dark copper hair, tousling it. "I meant in the future. You'll see." Beaming her bright smile at me, she turns around and continues her work.
As years pass by, I can only imagine that my features are becoming similar to Father's. I may not have any good memories of how he looks like but I surely don't take after Mother. She has long glossy black hair and that unforgettable amber eyes while I have wavy copper hair and emerald-green eyes. If I got something from her, it's probably my wits and hunger for knowledge. I remember her telling a story about Father being silly all the time. She may want to sound irritated about that but her giggles say otherwise. She loves him with or without those flaws of his. I know would too if he's still with us. Even if he's not, I can tell that I love Father. Thanks to Mother's stories.
I'm admiring the last of the Asors as I finish tending to them when I feel a gentle but jolting sting from my left thumb, I hiss inaudibly. I twist my hand so I can see where it hurts and sure enough, the tip of my thumb is reddening with a tiny splint on it. I see a bulb of red starting to slowly gush out. I'm enthralled. I can't take my eyes off of it. It's as if the rest of my senses seize. Everything went radio silent and the only thing I feel is the pounding of my own heartbeat. Mother doesn't seem to have an idea what has happened as she still has her back on me, finishing her own work. I felt a sudden whoosh of air passing right in front of my face. Something fell from the sky but I couldn't really tell what it was as my eyes were still locked onto my bleeding thumb.
A chirp. A dying one is what I heard as it touched the ground. Mother heard it too as she looked around to face me. As soon as she realized the situation, she rushed towards me, grabbed the right side of her long black cloak, and gestured it towards the bird lying on the ground, covering it with its train. Seeing my bleeding thumb, she grabs my hand to pull in closer to her abdomen and lets it suspended in the air. With her left hand, she grabs something underneath her cloak, tucked well below her neck. It's a golden necklace with a strange yet elegant carving of an unfamiliar insignia. Her left arm clutches it firmly while her right-hand hovers over my bleeding thumb. I feel a surge of aura like a stampede of emotions rushing from her and directly right at me. It's… soothing.
"Leah sith s'dlihc dnuow…" I barely hear her chant as she words the rest of it. A final wave of gusts reverberates from all around us. Then, I snap out of that odd reverie. "Are you alright?" She asks, lowering her right hand and unclutching her left from the necklace after she snuggles it back beneath her cloak. Glancing at my thumb, it reveals to not be bleeding anymore. It's as good as new again.
I nod. "Yes, Mother." Although amazed by her healing spell, I couldn't take my eyes off the right train of her cloak where the bird was supposed to be lying, hidden. What happened to it? As she sees where my sights are locked now, she instructs me to go back inside and tidy up which I oblige. I'm feeling bleary anyway.
I hurry to my room and watch Mother from my window to see what she'll do to that bird I clearly heard dropping violently on the cave's floors. If it wasn't for her cloak, I could've seen what that bird looked like. I hope it's fine. Maybe he's been playing with some other more arrogant birds hurting him in the process resulting in him to fall to like it did. Mother will surely heal him if that's the case just like what she did to my wound. I wonder if I'll be able to do that too one day. I sure hope so. Brewing isn't really my cup of tea. As I was discreetly watching Mother, I saw her step a few paces back, squat, and scoop something from the ground. The bird. She cups it in her hands and whispers something to it.
My pride and excitement snuggle me knowing that Mother is healing that poor helpless creature but they are superseded by mind-bending confusion. After she whispers something to her hands where she's cupping the bird, bright white light seeps aggressively through them as it gives off ghastly glimmer to everything around it. The plants, trees, nearby rocks and boulders, and Mother cast ominous shadows as it happened. The lights lasted for only seconds but it felt longer than that. She eventually opens her hands ever so slowly revealing… nothing. The bird is gone.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone