The Beast and The Brain.

I woke up in the heat of the day disoriented and starving. I kicked off the blanket that was stifling me only to remember that I had no pants on. I quickly grabbed the blanket back and looked around the room, but I was alone. I wiped my forehead; the mud was coming off in beads from my sweat. I spotted my pants and boots folded next to a tray of food with a note. I stood up with the blanket wrapped around my waist and went over to it.

Asher, do not leave this room. You’ll be safe so long as you keep quiet and don’t leave. I’ve left you some food and filled a canteen for you. I will return this evening and then we can talk. –Grace I smiled and pulled on my pants. I checked the bite first and was pleased to find there wasn’t a mark left to show that I had ever been bitten. I wondered why Grace Hadn’t healed my gashes too, they were mostly healed themselves but still. I shrugged and went for the food. There was a smoked fish, a slice of bread and cheese, and a green fruit that I didn’t recognize. I saved the fruit for last and ate the rest in large mouthfuls. I was still hungry when I finished, which didn’t surprise me. But at least my stomach wasn’t empty and I wasn’t dying anymore. I laid back down on my bed and listened to my surroundings. I tried to stay as calm as possible, but every time I heard a shout or someone came close my heart spiked. I forced myself to nap throughout the heat of the day, but by the time the sun started going down I was ready to pull my hair out. Where was Grace? She should be back by now.

I paced for a little while but there was one squeaky spot on the floor so I was forced to stop. So I sat down and tapped my fingers against each other. When I heard to front door slide open I jumped to my feet and stood ready to attack just in case. But when the door slid open, it was only Grace. I let out a breath of relief. She was carrying a bucket of water and a clean towel. “Sorry.” She said noticing my relief, “I didn’t mean to make you worry. But there wasn’t a good opportunity to come here without raising suspicions. They bumped up patrols because of last night just in case, but they don’t know you’re here, and I want it to stay that way.”

She placed the bucket on the floor and tossed the towel to me. “Clean yourself up. And I’ll get you some fresh clothes.” She left the room and I went to the bucket and stripped my dirty clothes off. I scrubbed the mud off using the towel and water. It felt good to get the mud off my skin and hair. Even if it wasn’t a very good bath, at least I wasn’t plastered anymore.

“Do you have clothes for me?” I said through the door. The door slid open a crack and Grace passed through a folded pile of clothes. “Thanks.” I changed into them quickly and was slightly repulsed when I realized they were clothes that the cult wore. There was a symbol of a snake with a sword through its mouth on the left chest. Just wear J’s tattoo would be. But of course it made sense, what other clothes would Grace have been able to get me?

I stepped out of the room and Grace looked at me and nodded, “they fit well, come here and I’ll cut your hair.” I sat down on a short stool and put my hands in my lap. Our silence stretched as the scissors clipped and my hair fell to the floor. Questions that we wished to asked one another seemed to make the air around us thicker than fog and there was fear too. Fear of what we might discover if we asked said questions. I wrung my hands together and looked around the small house. It was relatively empty, except for a few necessities like some utensils and a small table. There was a mattress in the opposite corner and I assumed that was where Grace was slept last night.

Finally Grace broke the silence. “I feel like I’ve done this before.”

I smiled, “Yea…only last time you did we didn’t part on very good terms.” Silence again. I finally decided that my desire to have answers was stronger than my fear. I cleared my throat, a spot in my chest tightened, knowing somehow that these next words were going to hurt. “Charles…he’s dead isn’t he?” I asked.

The scissors stopped. And I stared hard at the floor at my fee. There was a silent moment where Grace regained her breath and then started cutting again. “Yes.” I closed my eyes.

“I’m so sorry Grace. I swear I’m going to kill all of them…” Grace slipped her arms around me and hugged me. “Please” She said, “Don’t…” I felt tears on my neck, “Don’t say that. I can’t…I spent so much time being angry, but I don’t have the energy anymore. I can’t find the bitterness; I don’t want you to be the same. I don’t want you to kill all of them, because there are a lot of good people here. Many of them have similar stories to our own. Some down want to be here and others don’t have a choice. But yes, there are some who relish in what happens here, what they stand for. But listen Asher, I’m only going to help you get J. You focus on what you want to do and I will be happy because we want to same things.” I found that my tears were mixing with hers as they dropped against my arms. Charles was dead. Grief filled my heart, he was gone, I owed Charles so much, and not he was gone. I gripped onto Grace and together we silently cried.

Finally she stood back up and I turned and watched her wipe the tears from her eyes. I was amazed at how much she had grown. She was taller and fuller, her hair was wild and the scar on her face made her even look wilder and mature. She was beautiful and I wished her father could be here to see her this way. “You deserve vengeance.”

She shook her head, “No. I deserve happiness. And I deserve to be a woman my father would be proud of. And I deserve the chance to return to my father’s grave and give him a proper stone.” I frowned. “What?” She asked

“It’s just…You deserve a better life than the one you’ve been handed.” She smiled.

“Yes I do…and I believe that you and J are the key to that life. Now turn around and let me cut your hair, we’ve shed enough tears. We must keep our heads up, it’s all we can do for now.” I did as I was told and while Grace cut my hair I said a silent goodbye to Charles. He was a good man who did everything for his daughter, so I swore on his death that I would do the same.

“When you go back to him…I would like to come with you.” I told her.

“Sure. I would like that…I’m sure he would have too.” When she finished chopping my hair she gave me a straight knife and let me shave. I felt like a relatively new man. Grace checked my wounds, “They are healing nice.” She said examining them.

“I meant to ask why you didn’t heal those last night as well.” She let my arm fall and took a breath.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me now. A lot has happened, but I didn’t heal you because you don’t really need it. You body will heal on its own. I don’t use my power unless it’s absolutely necessary, so if a body can and will heal itself, then I let it. I’m a Healer, on all accounts now. I’m being trained by an older woman with the same ability. She is teaching me about herbs, and medicine, and anatomy. To use my power is a last resort.” Grace took a deep breath, “And that’s not all…not only it is a last resort, I am forbidden to otherwise use it, without permission. David is the leader here, he’s the one who want you, he’s the one who wants J captive, and he’s the one who ordered my father’s death.” She took a small breath to steady herself; I am surprised at her strength and will power.

“He’s powerful Asher…I can’t explain it, but he’s powerful, and to help his strength he required his healers to use our power on him. So every day we go to him and feed him our energy, because just like you, he’s a Beast.” I lock my jaw and clench my fists together, in the dying light Grace lights a small candle. “So he knows when I don’t give him all of my energy I normally do, which is why I didn’t heal you entirely. It was a risk as it was to get the poison out, I had to make up an excuse.”

I unclench my hands, “I understand…you don’t have a choice, its fine Grace. But listen…if he has a food source here, why would he require your power?” Grace frowns, “Our power is more sustaining than food. He can store our energy so when the time comes for a fight he will outlast all others.” That made me from as well.

“What does he turn into?”

She shook her head, “I don’t know actually, he doesn’t turn unless he absolutely has too, and he hasn’t had a reason to for a long time.”

“Well that’s frustrating. I would have liked to know what I am up against.”

Graces eye widen, “You can’t fight him Asher. You wouldn’t last, J must be the one to take him down, she’s the only one strong enough.” I snorted.

“So you say, I turn into a dragon Grace, even if he could last days longer than me it won’t mean a thing if I take off his head.”

“Listen to what you’re saying Asher, use your head. Even if you are the largest and strongest Beat, what if he’s like the gryphon you fought? Imagine turning into a human after being torn to shreds by his talons? What happens when all of his loyal followers decide to help him? You really think you’ll just be able to turn and all of it will over?” She shook her head, “It’s not going to be that easy.” There was wisdom in what Grace was trying to tell me. She tried giving me wisdom once before and I didn’t listen and that didn’t turn out so well, so I decided to use my head this time.

“Grace, you told me once that there was something powerful between J and I. what did you mean?”

She paused a moment to think. “I saw a power inside both of you, a connection, I can’t explain it properly. But every time I use my power on someone I connect with them, and in a way, remain connected. It’s how I knew you were hurt a few days ago, and it’s how I knew you were dying in the tree. When your life is in danger by means of sickness or health reasons my power senses the need for healing. The more I use my power on someone, the more I remain connected to them. You and David are the two strongest bonds I have with someone.”

That made sense. I can hardly count how many times Grace had saved my butt and helped me. “Speaking of which, why did I feel you a couple of days ago? I assumed it was because of those wounds, but those would have killed you without the cure and your no healer. So what happened?” I shrugged, and told Grace about the fight and what happened when I turned back into a human afterwards. When I finished my story Grace was holding back laughter.

“What?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes.

“I don’t find almost dying alone in a swamp to be very funny.”

Grace shook her head, “Not funny, just…unbelievable. This sort of stuff only happens to you. It’s just the frogs, they were the cure.” She grinned and started chuckling, “See they emit a special type of oil from their skin that is a natural antidote, they are normally very hard to catch, and the fact that they came to you and…well healed you is…astonishing to say the least.”

My mouth dropped open, “You’re kidding me right?”

She shook her head, “I’m not, you’re lucky to be alive actually.” She tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully, “I wonder if it was your fever that attracted them to you. They are naturally drawn to heat because they are cold blooded, so it’s possible.”

I let out a sigh and smiled, “I wonder what J would have to say about that…”

Grace said, “Oh I’m sure she would have some clever smart remark…” And we both smiled.