A NOBLE HEART AT DEATH'S DOOR by Laura Mattas From its depths it did arise a beast which brought about the horrid demise of many a village. Adorned in a raggedly torn cloak, being of color that even the night fears. It came from the dark infernal muck of the Blackspring. Its presence brought nought but dearth to the land, no matter the ferocity in which our farmers should toil, starvation came with every cold month. Few youths took kindly to it, worshiping it, fearing its power and hoping to please it. It took nought but their souls and left them but their bones and shackles to serve him in eternity. He never leaves the spring, it feeds him, gives him power, as does the villagers fear. They live in misery of the black forest, from the beasts that in the night come to steal away their children, from the terrible plagues caused by the spring’s dark waters. Evil has consumed this place, and in so doing fear has consumed the hearts of the people. It was in this bleak atmosphere that one lone hero rose. He was a knight, he was called Lumas. Upon reaching the desolate village of Pateikti, he found no warmth in the peoples’ hearts, fear and sorrow had replaced the light that had once shown in their eyes. He found a small child weeping near a well, upon questioning, it was found that her father went into the forest to fetch back her brother after wolves stole him off, but he returned not and three suns had passed. His noble heart decided then to go in after the child’s father. Upon entering the Forbidden Black Forest, the ever present feeling eyes of the animals watched as he made his way on the trail to the swamp. Getting ever nearer to dusk, the hoots and howls of the night came swiftly, and a dark shadowy chill wrapped around Lumas. After but half a day's journey, he had arrived. The swamp was cold, and peering downwards in its deep dark murk it seemed to be without end, dark fog seemed to rise up from it, surrounding the encompassing land in a veil of ominous mystery. Dark wolves with their eyes glowing a fearsome red encroached upon the noble hearted knight, who stood unmoving in his place. They were merely the trumpeters to the king, as were all deaths creatures whom followed behind. It was a gruesome sight, the youths who had given their souls were among the walking dead carrying on their bare- boned backs was the most horrific of entities, the embodiment of evil, the great beast. He came swiftly climbing over all, his steady pace never faltering as he crossed the black spring to Lumas. From it’s ragged form, a dark mist emitted that chilled Lumas to the bone, but still he stood on horseback, his noble beast loyally standing with him. He let out an eerie cackle that at once froze all things where they stood. They moved not again, for all but the wolves were stone. The entity was called Neviltis, and in his slow moving, dramatic manner, pointed the knight down a path to the girl’s family. The knight without second thought proceeded. Neviltis followed, floating up beside him on his horse pointing him the way. The scent of the beast was that which brought about the feeling of despair to Lumas, choking him almost completely out of air. When asked should the beast spare him, and in return the knight be one of his servants, he replied no, and finding again his reason, overcame the ghastly feelings. Again they rode, the beast then emitted a noise of that which brought to Lumas nothing but desperation, for he could not place it but the sound was that of a deeply troubled child whom was wrought with fear. He nearly found his pain insufferable, but again when the beast asked, he said no, finding his strength. Again then continued, the beast then pointed to that of a pair of dead bodies, one an elder man and in his arms that of a young boy. The knight suffered a deep depression that almost robbed him of his will to live, the beast once again implored, the knight turned to face it. He met its gaze and offered to him his final refusal, for he had found his hope in the desperate unknown where imminent peril seemed once assured. It was that hope that then emitted a light around Lumas, the beast fleeing, turned back just so that Lumas could see from where it eyes would be, a single tear had formed. The horrible illusion of the two corpses was replaced with that of the two living beings, huddled together for warmth. They rode back to the village, Lumas now a hero in their eyes. He returned to them something important that day, something they had all forgotten, hope, and with that they were again able to live. | ![]() ![]() |
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