Monster

Hero's Trading Day

Hero stood and waved farewell to his friends. Craning his neck, he still tried to spy their wagons on the trail leading away from the village, a while after they already vanished from sight already.

"Go back home." Rangil directed sternly. Grake frowned at his tone but didn't protest. Obediently, the child went to the barn and closed the door.

Rangil went to the house and began to take apart the extra tables and chairs and sending the supplies back to the Kin inventory.

"Kari, what's wrong?"

Rangil paused, his lips drawing thin and gestured to the house.

"We need to talk, uncle."

Glancing at Margol and Tnul, he pointed to the village. "Go and see if uncle Kiroh needs help."

Glancing at Hero, Margol took his brother's hand and drew him away, saying nothing. Hero went to the barn and sat on his new old bed, which atta Beor once made for him. He stared at the square of sunlight that shone on his rough beam floor from the small window that now adorned his barn. Kyle and Jin's fellow villagers had completely rebuilt it, so now it resembled a small house rather than a barn. And they had built another barn for uncle Rangil nearby. Now Hero had a house.

He was completely alone in it, though. He glanced at the place where Kyle and Jin had their two cots and pouted.

In the house, Rangil glared at his uncle. "Uncle, when were you going to tell me?

"Tell you what, kari?" Old Grake wearily looked away, his hands starting to shake a little.

"About Hero! How the witch not only told Beor that he is a Monster who killed villagers. About his scary dreams that she made Beor see. And about the Bindings that she put on his power to keep his magic from returning!"

Grake dropped his gaze. "Oh..."

"Yes, I overheard! When elder Jalil was here and you both talked. No wonder he didn't want to take him after that! No one will want to take him after something like that, uncle, and for a very good reason! And if your old friend tells about this to anyone else, then not just Hero and you, but what remains of our family will get banished out to the woods to live with the monsters! They might even curse us to become pale-faced upon our next respawn!"

Grake heavily sighed beneath the younger villager's glare. "He promised not to tell anyone. For my sake and..."

"He is first of all an elder." Rangil firmly pointed out.

"And on his hope of rebirth." Grake finished firmly. "He promised me that as long as Hero does nothing truly wrong and shows that he is not becoming that Monster, he will not tell. On his hope of rebirth, Rangil. That's the greatest oath any villager can make."

Rangil breathed out with relief, his shoulders sagging and his posture stooping where he stood. With weary steps, he went to the chair and sat down on it. Old Grake winced, rubbing his left wrist where he felt a strange numbing pain. It ached, going up his arm and pressing heavy on his chest. He did his best to ignore it.

"Why didn't you and Beor ever tell me about this?" Rangil asked, this time much calmer, or maybe just more tired. Grake shrugged.

"We didn't want to burden you even more than you already were, kari."

Rangil nodded, accepting this explanation as he wearily ran a hand across his face.

"And now. What am I going to do, uncle?" He helplessly looked at the older villager, his expression hurt and lost.

"What am I going to do? I am only twelve years old, and I have three children to take care of, one of whom might be a mysterious Monster from scary tales. And the other two who do not listen to me in the slightest. And although other villagers in our village are supposed to help, they laugh instead and often call me a fool behind my back... They are wondering why I simply won't go back home to my old village."