Of Fancies and Fate

Snowflakes stabbed his face like thousands of icy needles as he trudged up the steep mountainside. His long, black hair stuck to his face, frozen in tangled, wild strands. Weary blue eyes watched moving legs as if they were of another body, and stubble crept up unshaven chin and cheeks. His mouth held a grimace, from the cold and the pain his heart felt deep inside. Puffs of steamy breath came at intervals, hovering still in the blizzard. His black armor, clothing, and cloak were nearly white with powder, his mail stingingly cold against bare flesh. A long sword lay limp at his hip, tip dragging lazily in the snow that swallowed him from knee to foot. A blackened figure in the pure white snow, he made a poor example of a king’s knight.
Sighing, he stopped to rest, if only for a moment. Breath came ragged, his lungs burned with the sharp intake of icy air. Before him sat a large rock, only inches of it peeking above the snowdrift. He stumbled forward, collapsing onto the flat boulder, muscles aching and bones about to splinter. If she could see me now, he thought, she might finally understand.1

“Naria, please…”
“No, Sir Altemus, I shan’t listen to your ramblings any longer.”
“Naria, if only I could show you, prove to you, how I feel…”
“Then, pray Sir, show me.”
“What can I do that you will believe me?”
“My father dreads the beast of the north, bring me its head, then I shall believe your feelings for me are true; maybe then I shall feel something for you as well, but not before then.”
“M’lady…”
“Sir Altemus… Vailerian, question me no further and pester me not, I have stated the conditions and they shall stand. I shall see you when you present the head of the beast to my father, if not, God be with you.”2

How could she… My dear Naria…Why do you not feel the same as I? Why must I complete this task for you to even consider me in your heart? Alas, I shan’t ever understand…
Slowly, jerkily, Vailerian returned to his feet, his short respite ended too soon. Though his body wished only to lay in the snow and die, his heart would not allow him to fail so easily. Wearily, he continued his journey up the mountainside. It was a long way from the kingdom of Hasengrad to the wild areas of the north where the beast roamed, but for one as determined as he, there was no distance he would not travel.
Days went by, yet the blizzard and the journey wore on, seemingly without end. He traveled through the night to keep himself from freezing to death; he couldn’t die from the cold after he had come this far. Vailerian had no trails to mark his path; none had ventured so far into the unknown and unyielding mountains north of Hasengrad for fear of evil creatures, and of course, the beast. He wandered aimlessly; heading in the general direction of what he thought was north. It proved difficult to navigate in the blizzard, the sun hid behind deep layers of clouds, and flurries of white often limited his sight to mere inches.

“The beast of the north? It dwells high in the northernmost mountain of the Heruska Range.”
“Tell me where on the mountain dose the beast live?”
“Deep in the thickest forest, as folklore would have it, where one is hard pressed to see a foot in front of his face.”
“Rennalia, do you know how I could defeat it? What is its weakness? What are its strengths? How might I return with its head, and myself alive?”
“Vailerian… Must you go on this ridiculous quest? If she does not love you now, no head of any beast will change her feelings later…”
“Shut up! You know nothing of her! You know nothing of love, of the heart!”
“I only worry for you, Vailerian, I fear for you. You are my dearest friend; do not ask me to let you go so easily. For I…”
“Yes?”
“…Care a great deal for you.”
“And I care for you, but this I must do. Tell me all you know of the beast and the north, help me now and I shall return safely.”3

Rennalia, dear sweet soul, do not fear for me, do not weep, I shall return with the head of this monster. I can still feel you, cold and trembling, when I bid you farewell. Why, Rennalia, did you cry so often? Why did I feel so guilty when I left your side?4

One night, the blizzard ceased for a time, and Vailerian could see far into the distance by the light of the full moon. The Heruska Range stretched into the black sky, seeming to touch the ends of the earth. I shan’t reach the end, it is too far… Despairingly, he sighed, and continued on his quest.
As he trudged along, he thought he could hear footsteps crunching in the snow behind him. He stopped, then turned, searching the open area for signs of life. Nothing moved. My mind is only tired; I am hearing things that do not exist. Shaking his head to regain his senses, he turned back to venture forward.
Daylight seeped through crags in the mountaintops, shining bright upon the glittering white powder. Vailerian had made an impressive amount of progress through the night. With the sun barely peeking into the sky, he could see more clearly that the mountains in the distance seemed to taper off. Could it be I am nearing the end? With renewed spirit, he marched ahead, eager to cover as much ground as possible before the blizzard began again.
Suddenly, darkness swallowed the light of day and an explosion could be heard just over the ridge. Vailerian stopped, still as stone, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. What... of all things...Cautiously, he stepped forward, attempting to peer over the rocks to see what had happened. Finally he came close enough to lay flat on the edge of the ridge, head sticking out, hair caught in a light wind. Below, he could see a crater where something had blown up. The brown-red earth still smoked with the heat of the attack, and something ghastly lay in the center.
Carefully, he descended to the crater, nearly slipping on icy rocks and falling to his own demise. Upon reaching the hole in the earth, he leaned over to see a carcass laying twenty feet below. The body was mangled, charred and steaming, but he could still make out the shape of the mythical creature. But they only exist in children’s tales… This could not really be…a Mrythia… could it? Long legs lay tangled below a thin torso. The creature was barrel chested, so much so that if it could stand, it would have slumped over from being top-heavy. Its arms reached far down the legs; they would have brushed the ground if it were upright. Vailerian could smell the pungent odor of seared flesh and burnt fur, but as his eyes wandered further up the body, he realized the head had not been touched. Huge red eyes stared into the sky, their expression of surprise matching a gaping mouth full of razor sharp fangs. Painted on the face were strange markings, ones Vailerian had only ever heard of in stories. He couldn’t tell what they meant, but just looking at them made him shiver in fear. The creature was like nothing of this world, lanky yet strong, said to have extremely powerful magic.
What killed it? And why? Had I been on this side of the ridge, I would surely be dead. Was this luck or fate? He shook his head, stood straight, and wearily continued around the crater, looking back every few seconds to make sure the Mrythia was still dead.
Still more days passed as Vailerian inched closer to his destination. The rocky mountain terrain made it difficult to move very fast, especially with snow and ice. Soon after he passed the crater, the blizzard raged again, blowing full force at his front, nearly knocking him to the ground. His body ached more than he thought possible, his legs became numb with cold, his spirit steadily wore away with the wind.
Naria…
Just as he thought he would collapse from weakness, he finally reached the edge of the forest Rennalia had told of on the last mountain in the Heruska Range. Adrenaline rushed through his being, his heart fluttered, and a cold sweat beaded upon his forehead. This is it, the dwelling place of the beast. God be with me… May I come out alive with the head of this monster to win Naria’s love. Into the darkness of the thick forest, Vailerian disappeared.5

“Take this with you, Vailerian, for good luck.”
“Rennalia… I… You’ve worn this all your life, I cannot take it.”
“Please, do not argue, it shan’t work this time. Take this, I beg you, to remember me, to bring you home safely.”
“I… Thank you. It is beautiful.”
“My grandmother gave it to me when I was but a child. A tooth of the beast, she said it was, found near the outskirts of the kingdom, set among beads rumored to possess magic qualities. May it aid you in your journey, dear friend.”

He took the tooth between his fingers, rubbing it gently, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. A strange feeling flooded his mind, his heart. Confused, he put the necklace back beneath his mail.
Rennalia…
The forest was black as a moonless night, the air thick and hard to breathe. Vailerian pushed his way through brush, wove through huge tree trunks, ducked beneath broken, dead branches. His boots crushed twigs on the forest floor, the debris of a thousand years never touched by a human. It seemed an eternity he spent picking through the trees, trying to find the beast. He knew nothing of what the creature looked like, none had looked upon it and lived. The forest seemed to thin before him, light seeped through branches. Soon, he came upon a small clearing, hauntingly beautiful in such a bleak place.
A small stream trickled through the clearing, somehow thawed despite the freezing weather. The place seemed to have the aura of spring about it; lush green grass covered the ground, small flowers bloomed, and the air smelled of life. Surely no beast can live here, it is too serene, too gorgeous.
Just then, Vailerian collapsed, hitting the forest floor with a loud thud. The clearing dissipated into darkness, the air became heavy with the smell of decay. An illusion? What is going on…Beneath him the ground shook jarring him out of his stupor. Unsteadily, he attempted to rise. Before him stood the object of his desire, the climax of his quest: the beast.
As fierce as he knew it was, the creature was strangely alluring and pleasant to the eye. It could be compared to a dragon; long, slender neck, reptilian body, huge wings, as thin as paper, graceful tail swinging back and forth. Its eyes glowed yellow-green, set amongst sparkling scales. The beast seemed to be made of water, nearly translucent, skin rippling in the breeze. Huge fangs loomed from its open mouth, one clearly missing. Vailerian stood transfixed by the beast, wondering how this magnificent creature could be so malicious.
Dripping tendrils emerged from the sides of the watery being, writhing, almost dancing in the air, reaching for Vailerian. Though he knew he should dodge them, he stood still, welcoming the clear spears darting ever closer. His body shuddered as the ice-cold tendrils brushed against his cheek. His eyelids slid closed, his head tipped backward, hands limp at his sides; he gave himself over to the soothing calm the beast cast over him. The watery extensions suddenly sharpened, then pierced through armor, mail, cloth, and skin, lifting Vailerian into the air, gorging on his life spirit. He went limp in the grip of the beast; his mind told him to fight, but the magic of the creature would not allow it. I am going to die…Right here, I will die, and none shall ever know…
Abruptly, Vailerian felt the spears withdraw and his body hit the ground with an intensity that knocked the wind from his lungs. Struggling to regain his composure, to stand, he opened his eyes to see Rennalia in a battle stance before the beast. She held out her hands, palms open, summoning magic he never knew she possessed. He tried to speak her name, but with no avail; he couldn’t catch his breath from the fall. Helplessly he watched his dear friend fighting for both their lives, trying to remain conscious.
Faintly, he heard Rennalia scream with a fury he had never known. He forced himself to watch, to stay awake, if only just a moment longer. Rennalia seemed to have completely summoned her magic and began hurling a huge black orb at the beast. The orb moved slowly; Vailerian thought it would never reach the target. Before the orb reached the monster, its tendrils struck out again, piercing Rennalia through her front to appear again from her back. As she screamed in agony, the black orb hit the beast, swallowing it, sucking it into a vortex, and along with it Vailerian’s consciousness.6

Rennalia…7

When he opened his eyes, Vailerian saw the beast had vanished; no remnants of it remained. He also saw Rennalia lying in a heap just feet away. With a grunt and grimace, he pushed himself to his knees and crawled over to where she lay in a pool of red. His eyes reddened and watered as he used what was left of his strength to roll his friend over, to hold her head in his lap. Slowly, her eyes opened. Upon seeing Vailerian, she tried to smile, though he could see it hurt intensely to do so.
“Be still Rennalia, you must save your strength to heal.”
“Vailerian,” she muttered through a smirk, “You know I am not moving from this place, it is here I shall rest.”
Tears poured from his eyes like waterfalls. “But you will heal, I will take you home, everything will be alright, you shall see…”
“My dear, how I have loved you all these years.”
“…What?”
“Though you chased others, I remained by your side, too in love to ever give you up… I cried each time I saw you with another… every night… when I realized I could not be with you…”
“Rennalia, why did you not say this sooner? Before I set off on this quest… Before you…”
“I… I felt you would not understand. You were so enthralled with the others… I never could bring myself to tell you. I knew you would always come back to me if they rejected you… Even if only as a friend… Though it hurt… I just couldn’t…” She shuddered, brow furrowed, as the pain intensified.
He leaned close, cradling her head, running his fingers through her bloody, matted, auburn hair. Staring into her green eyes, the eyes he had always taken for granted, he realized he really loved her; he had traveled so far to win the feelings of another when he had always been loved. The tears flowed again, and he tried, without success, to hold back his choking sobs.
“Do not weep… I see in your eyes what I’ve longed to see for so long… Vailerian, I…”
He felt her let one last breath through her lips. Time stopped as he waited for her to take in another. “Rennalia?” His voice shook with fear, with anger, with expectancy. When she did not answer, Vailerian let out a wail that echoed through the mountain range, bouncing back and forth from ridge to ridge. Gently, he closed her eyes and kissed her lips, the warmth already fleeing, the cold clamminess of death setting in.
Why did I not see this? How could I be so blind? All these years I took her for granted; she was always there when the others turned me away. No matter the situation, she was there…Rennalia, forgive me, I shunned your love for my own selfish fantasies that would never come true…8

Upon his return to Hasengrad after he had healed enough to travel, and to carry Rennalia’s body, he found a quiet place for her to rest. He buried her body among a grove of trees where wildflowers bloomed in the spring. He remembered it was her favorite place to sit, think, relax, get away from everyday life and her problems. Kneeling down next to her grave, he kissed the marker he had made, tears again stinging his eyes. Slowly, he stood, reluctant to leave her alone.
I shan’t forget you, Rennalia. I shan’t love another in all my life. Thank you for saving me, for loving me…I am sorry you had to die for me to realize my feelings for you. I shall await our meeting again, someday…
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