The monster had no eyeballs, but Dielh could feel that the Wendigo’s eyes were looking at him. The smell of fresh blood from Dielh’s wounds stimulated the Wendigo to emerge and dominate Greraver’s body. Dielh’s body trembled with fear.
His face was as white as cotton. He realized now they were in the jungle. Anything happened. There was no one there but the two of them. They were not in the palace Castle, and this was the wild. He must protect himself from the Wendigo in front of him without hurting Greraver.
“Gre! I haven’t showered yet, ok! My smell is rotten, and my flesh tastes bitter because I often drink potions. You remember that, right?” Dielh raised his hand. He tried to talk to Greraver even though he knew it was useless. Dielh wasn’t sure that the Wendigo before him could hear. The Wendigo’s skull did not show that it had ears.
“Grrrrrrrrrrr...” the Wendigo growled and slowly approached Dielh. Death seemed closer in front of him. Every step of Wendigo became a threat to his life.
Dielh looked to the right and left for help. Of course, there was no one there. They were in the middle of a quiet forest far from human settlements. Shouting out loud could have been more helpful. Dielh’s gaze tried to look behind Wendigo’s body, trying to find hope that did not exist. Sweat flowed profusely on Dielh’s back. The forest that initially felt cold gripped could no longer dampen the heat because of the fear in his heart.
He must solve Wendigo’s hunger. He won’t die. Greraver still desperately needed him. If he died, then Greraver would be a lone vagrant in the jungle. The wendigo curse would take hold of him even more. Greraver would be helpless if Dielh’s life ended today.
“Don’t force me to do anything bad to you, Gre! Stay back!!!” Dielh pulled out the sword and tucked that into his waist. He tried to stand up while brandishing a sharp sword toward the Wendigo.
Dielh frantic mind. Panic and fear filled him. If he attacked the Wendigo, it means he attacked Greraver. If the Wendigo was injured, it means the Greraver as well.
The Wendigo continued to growl and approached Dielh. A shadow showed passing behind the Wendigo. Dielh’s eyes simultaneously observed the Wendigo and the shadow behind it. Dielh massaged to straighten his back and see more clearly.
He tried to be more calm and full of anticipation. Just as the Wendigo prepared to jump towards him, Dielh threw his sword at the shadow behind the Wendigo.
“Take that!!!” Dielh shouted.
A groan of animal sounds rang out behind the Wendigo. A long roar broke the forest’s silence, like the sound of pain from a wild animal. The voice echoed throughout the dark and silent forest. The birds in the trees flew. They were frightened and tried to escape the sound’s come from.
Dielh’s movement successfully distracted the Wendigo. He turned around and looked towards Dielh’s thrown sword. A movement was seen under a tree. Painful movements of the four-legged animal that then collapsed to the ground. The animal seemed to calm down for some time as it died—a relatively large animal, more than a human body.
The sword stuck to The Beast. Fresh blood flowed from it was the body. It was a tiger that was stalking them. The tiger that had intended to prey on Dielh and Greraver was now dead. Dielh’s sword stuck right in the middle of the tiger’s body, making it die instantly.
The tiger’s blood distracts the Wendigo. It was blood was fresher than the blood of Dielh, which dried. The Wendigo stepped closer to the tiger. He touched the lifeless body several times. Then, without hesitation, he started tearing the tiger’s body apart.
There was the sound of the Wendigo’s claws tearing apart the tiger’s body. The skin and flesh of the tiger became a terrible sight. Fresh blood gushed out when the Wendigo’s paws and fangs came into the tiger’s body. He ate the tiger’s flesh like a starving monster.
The thick tiger skin was not a problem for the Wendigo’s sharp claws. He also used his pointed teeth for ripping apart. Blood flowed between the Wendigo’s teeth and claws. A horrifying sight. The tiger was a ferocious beast, but its ferocity was incomparable to the Wendigo.
Dielh used the time as an opportunity. When the Wendigo was busy with his food, he hurried up the large tree behind him. Dielh reached the top of the tree in just a few minutes. His breath was so fast.
From the top of the tree, he saw the Wendigo enjoying his meal. Dielh shuddered in horror and disgust. Greraver would be a problem for Dielh if they were together in the forest. There must not be the slightest mistake, or he would die at the Wendigo’s hand.
After eating all the tiger meat, the Wendigo turned around. He was looking for Dielh’s whereabouts. But Dielh was not there. The Wendigo looked agitated. He growled and walked around the tree.
He could smell the human scent, but he couldn’t find the existence of Dielh. From above, Dielh watched over the Wendigo. Unfortunately, the branch on which he sat suddenly broke.
Crackkkkk!!!
“Woo hoo!!!” Dielh screamed, his hands trying to grab whatever kept him from falling.
Luckily, Dielh had time to hold on to another branch. He was hanging so as not to fall. While looking at him, the Wendigo growled. The monster was ready to welcome the food that was Dielh’s body. The atmosphere became very panicked and tense. Dielh was trying not to fall, while the Wendigo hoped that Dielh would fall soon.
Several times, the Wendigo directed his hands to reach Dielh’s body, but not high enough to reach it. Dielh tried his hardest to hold on and hold on to the branch.
“Aww! Easy, man. You can’t be noisy. The forest dwellers are sleeping now.“ Dielh shouted at the roaring monster below.
In response, the Wendigo below him roared louder. He started climbing trees to get Dielh. The monster’s paws stuck into the tree and tried to reach the top.
“Oh, shit!” Dielh became worried because he saw the movement of the monsters approaching him. Then he grabbed the branches of other trees around him and tried to climb higher.
Dielh felt trapped. There was no higher place. His hands were trying to reach whatever was around him. Dielh’s face looked desperate. He felt his life would end in Greraver’s hands. At the very least, he should try to do something before losing his life.
He broke several tree trunks and twigs and threw them at the Wendigo underneath. But that didn’t have any effect on the Wendigo. The Wendigo continued climbing and almost reached the tree branch where Dielh was.
Dielh kept trying to find anything to make the wendigo stop climbing. Accidentally, his hand touched a bunch of fruit on a tree branch. Fruits were shimmering black, like a grape, with a stiffer texture. He picked the fruit and threw it at the Wendigo.
Dielh despair. If the branches of the tree did not affect the Wendigo, let alone only small fruits in his hands. But miracles happen!
Once the fruit hit the Wendigo, he would roar in pain. Dielh looked confused. He blinked quickly because of Wendigo’s scream. How could such a small fruit make the Wendigo in pain? To make sure, he threw the fruit at the Wendigo again.
“Aaarghhhh!!!”
The sound of the Wendigo’s cry broke the silence of the forest. The Wendigo moved his hands and head to avoid Dielh’s attack. He got confused and in pain.
A smile appeared on Dielh’s face. The fruit was like a gift to him. It was the help of heaven that the Lord showed him. Dielh laughed lightly at the fruit in his hand before throwing it back at the Wendigo. His face was very enthusiastic because he saw the moans of the pain of the monster.
“Yeah!!! This is the one we’re looking for. Something that can knock out an ugly monster like you without hurting my friend. Hop! Hop! Take this! Yeah!”
Like a child throwing a ball, Dielh threw the black fruit at the Wendigo continuously. Quite a lot of fruits were around Dielh. He saw the fruit now. The fruit came from the tree he had been on.
The barrage of attacks on Dielh made the Wendigo fall to the ground. Then it turned into a Greraver figure. The Prince of the Vain Dominion Kingdom looked in pain. He lay on the grass with a grimacing face and a moaning voice in pain. A lot of blood on Greraver’s face and hands.
Dielh rushed down. He crept up and embraced the agonized Greraver, piercing his friend’s body with a feeling of fullness of happiness. They rolled in the thick grass. The dark forest became bright in Dielh’s eyes because of his happiness.
“Gre! I found the magical fruit! My protector!” Dielh was screaming like someone who had just won the lottery. He didn’t care about Greraver’s moans.
“Hey! Let go of me! You can’t see I’m in pain?! My body felt like hundreds of people had just beaten it.”
“Aww! Sorry! Sorry!” Dielh immediately released Greraver. He was lying on the grass next to his best friend. Their eyes looked up at the leaves and branches of the trees that danced to welcome the morning. Their breathing rose and fell quickly and then became slow.
The morning sun slowly shone, and light entered the forest between the leaves and tree trunks. It was like a new hope for Greraver and Dielh. The first time the Prince of the Kingdom of Vain Dominion enjoyed the light of the sun in the wild.
The tense night was over. Greraver was already calmer and became himself. Dielh breathed with relief. They had survived gripping, life-threatening situations.
A gust of wind made peaceful air flow on the day. The sound of forest birds singing brought a wonderful morning atmosphere. Suddenly, there was a sound from Dielh’s stomach.
“You hungry?” Greraver asked.
“You think? I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I was busy serving you food, helping you escape. And you want to eat me?” Dielh said, annoyed.
Greraver sighed sadly. Everything that happened was beyond his control. But Greraver could remember everything that happened when he turned into a wendigo. Memories that made him angry and disgusted with himself.
“I’m sorry, Dielh ...” said Greraver softly.
Sadness filled Dielh, hearing the soft voice of Greraver. No one wanted to be in Greraver’s shoes, falling victim to a curse for a mistake he had never made. The Prince, an heir to the throne, threatened to lose his right to the kingdom.
“Come on!” Dielh got up and stood up.
“Where to?”
“We are looking for food.”
“For you?”
Dielh squinted at Greraver.
“For you too. As a human being, you also need to eat. Forget what you ate when that Wendigo got the better of you. When you’re human, you have to act normal, ok!.”
Greraver scratched his head. Even it was not itchy. He didn’t understand what Dielh was saying. But he believed in his best friend.
Dielh requested that the two of them take off all royal attributes. He did not want them to be recognized as royal family members. If anyone recognized them, then there was a high probability that they would be immediately arrested. News of Greraver’s disappearance must have spread all over the Vain Dominion Kingdom.
Dielh and Greraver walked out of the jungle on opposite sides of where they came from. They would head to a village. The village was not in the territory of the Vain Dominion Kingdom. The two of them in the area were unknown.
They entered the market like ordinary people. Dielh wanted to buy some bread and meat to satisfy his hunger. They bought a lot of bread and went into the butcher’s alley.
The smell of meat being cooked suddenly made Greraver’s face blush. At the same time, Dielh was busy bargaining with The Butcher. He didn’t notice the change starting to happen to Greraver.
Then suddenly, someone’s hand pulled Greraver’s arm away from Dielh! A few seconds before, Greraver turned into a wendigo.
Greraver needed more focus. Someone pulled him towards a narrow alley. His eyes turned dark, and his face, which turned red, returned to normal color. Greraver could not smell the smell of meat from where he stood now.“Don’t make a mess here. People in the market could have killed you,” said the man who pulled Greraver.The man whispered. They were in a crowded market. Sellers were shouting offers, and buyers were busy talking to each other. Even if that man didn’t whisper, no one would hear the man’s words.Greraver felt surprised and gazed at the man. How dare he pull his hand in such a rude manner! His forehead wrinkled, and his face was tense. He tried to remember if he knew the man in front of him.“Who are you?” he asked.“I’ve seen it all, and I know who you are. If the monster shows up now. You’re gonna kill many people. Or even you get killed.”Greraver’s brows coalesced at the man’s words. He thought that this man knew a lot about him. But how was it possible? This was the
“How do you know everything?” Greraver needs more patience. From then on, the man did not answer his question at all.The man stood up and headed for a closet in the room. He opened the door and revealed a neatly lined row of Swords. He picked up a sword and closed the cabinet door.Then the old man sat down in front of Greraver and Dielh. He put the sword on the table. Judging by the color, they made the sword of gold. They carve the sword’s hilt in the shape of a wolf’s head. It was luster indicated that they preserved the sword well.“I make this sword of one pair. One for the King of the Vain Dominion Kingdom and the other for the Crown Prince of that Kingdom. The king himself ordered this sword for you. I made this sword twenty-one years ago when your mother, Queen Venes, was rumored to be pregnant.”Greraver’s eyes did not blink looking at the sword. It filled his heart with happiness. It turned out that his father had prepared him to become crown prince. Even when they had just
The food on the table was so strong that it smelled of the four people sitting around it. They examined the food on a serving plate and copper with bare eyes. The hungry stomach and the delicious dishes Silvia had just served did not interest them in eating immediately.“Contemplating the problem does not make the problem solved. We’ll figure out how to deal with it.” The older man opened the silence at the dining table.Greraver, Dielh and Silvia simultaneously looked at the man.“What’s your name?” asked Greraver. He just remembered that they had not yet known each other.The man put his hands on his chest and slightly lowered his head, full of honour to Greraver.“I am the Teraus. I was a designer and a weapon maker in the Vain Dominion Kingdom. When the Vain Dominion Kingdom was in the hands of King Destian. The vain Dominion Kingdom was the most modern kingdom on the European continent. I am always innovating and designing new weapons of war for the brave warrior.” Teraus said wi
Greraver’s body began to rise. He could smell raw meat. Silvia placed the meat on the stone, as Teraus ordered. The smell of raw meat stirred Greraver’s mind. Hunger took hold of him. His face turned red, and his blue eyes darkened. Greraver knew the Wendigo got ready to take over his body. “Keep calm, Prince. Master yourself and your mind!” Teraus shouted behind him. Step by step, Greraver was getting closer to the stone in the middle of the yard. His heart was beating faster. Two steps before he arrived at the stone, Greraver’s body convulsed. Greraver’s back curved backward. He cried out in pain. A few seconds later, Greraver’s scream turned into a roar. He turned into a Wendigo figure. Quickly, the Wendigo jumped onto the stone. He grabbed the meat and tore off large pieces of meat with his teeth. The tearing of the flesh due to the Wendigo’s sharp teeth made Dielh shudder. He turned to look at Teraus. The man looked seriously at what the Wendigo was doing. Teraus’s gaze was s
Dielh’s face went pale. What would he tell his father if Greraver died?“Teraus! Greaver died?!”Teraus approached Dielh’s body. He crouched down and checked the pulse on Dielh’s neck. Then shook his head slowly.“He is fine. Pick him up and lay him down in that house. Silvia has prepared everything. You can stay in my second home,” Teraus said while pointing somewhere.There was a house smaller than Teraus’s house. In front of the house, they saw Silvia coming out. She had just finished cleaning the house. Dielh immediately picked up Greraver’s stocky body and rushed him into the small house. Teraus followed them.“There are two beds for you both inside. I have prepared everything,” said Silvia softly.Dielh smiled faintly, nodded, and rushed Greraver into the house. The front of the house was higher than the land in front. The floor was made of wood, and the walls were stone.No room inside the house. When Dielh entered the house, there were two wooden beds and a table set with four
The girl showed a cold face to Greraver. A beauty that has an aura of killing made Greraver admire and shudder at the same time.“For a long time, you just think about your life and yourself. You have no idea that the mess of your life has messed up.” The beautiful girl said in a flat tone. In her voice, there was a hidden emotion.“What do you mean?” asked Greraver.It was their first time meeting. This girl had accused him of messing up someone’s life?! Greraver always thought his life was the worst in the world.“Sit down.” the girl ordered.He sat in a chair closer to a window. Greraver followed the girl’s wishes. He sat down on the chair opposite the woman. Reflexively, he turned towards the window.The view outside the window took Greraver by surprise. He almost bounced off his chair. Greraver kept winking. His mouth dropped open in astonishment at what his eyes saw.“You are at my father’s castle, Prince Greraver. As you can see, this palace is indeed above the clouds. We are li
Again, Torture threw Greraver from a great height. He fell in the backyard of the Teraus house. He rolled over on the grassy ground to avoid more serious bodily injuries. Somehow, the gigantic bird didn’t look friendly to Greraver.After throwing Greraver, Torture shouted loudly, flew high, and disappeared behind the clouds. Torture’s voice startled people in the Teraus house. It was almost midday. The sun had risen, and warm light hit Greraver’s body. He was still lying on the ground.“Gre! Where have you been?!” Dielh screamed as he ran from the Teraus house. He was so worried. When he woke up in the morning, Greraver was gone.Behind him, Teraus and Silvia appeared from the door. Their faces looked tense. At first glance, Teraus saw Torture’s shadow creeping into the clouds.“What happened?” asked Dielh. He panted and crouched down beside Greraver.“I… I just came from the first sky palace.” Greraver looked at Dielh.He felt like he had just woken up from a dream. Greraver was worr
The noise woke Greraver and Dielh from their deep sleep. A cold gust of wind came in through the window.“Did you forget to close the window?” asked Greraver in a lazy voice.“I always close it before going to bed. Maybe the wind made it open.”Dielh reluctantly stepped toward the window. As he was about to close the shutters, he saw a man sitting in the middle of the backyard of Teraus’ house. The man sat on a large log. His hand hit a bucket made of iron with a stick of wood.That was where the noise that disturbed their sleep came from. Dielh’s eyes narrowed. He tried to clarify his vision. Who was the person making the noise? Did that person not know that it was almost midnight now? Everyone was resting, including him and Greraver.Seeing Dielh silent at the window, Greraver sat up on his bed.“Why? Quickly close the window!”“Someone in front of our pavilion. It looks like the person was deliberately making noise,” replied Dielh. His eyes kept watching the person who made the noi