Status: I wanted to reinvent Beauty and the beast.

Blessings and Curses

Chapter 4

Chapter four

Lyneth walked through the forest, he wondered about The Beast. Why did he change his mind?
“Why did I kiss him?” Lyneth asked aloud confused.
He knew why though he pitied the poor Beast really. Lyneth continued to walk through the forest it was cold so he pulled his scarf over his head like a hood. He pulled closed his big oversized brown coat that belonged to his father. That was all he could do to keep the cold out. The snow made it impossible for his bottom half to get warm.

+++
Lyneth kept a steady pace as he realized he was close to the academy. He wanted so desperately to see the academy again it was like home to him and he had made so many friends there. He wanted to see Forlen again to, he wanted to tell Forlen about The Beast. Lyneth pushed his way past branches and bushes till he saw the top of the academy. He raced to the academy as soon as he saw the roof but when he saw the rest of the academy he was horrified.
The Academy was on fire, the building was lit with an intense glow as flames consumeed the entire building and below at its gate Lyneth could see all the students and teachers rounded up by people hooded in black. They rode on black horses and held evil looking spears.
Lyneth could hear one of them talking. He had a dark and menacing voice.
“Now you may join me and live or be like these five and be killed where you stand.” The man said looking at the students.
Lyneth hid behind a bush and could see everything. He saw five people two students and three teachers on their knees five hooded figures stood behind them holding swords where the blade was black. The man talking before snapped his fingers and at once the hooded figures dropped their swords and drove them into the five kneeling people.
Lyneth turned away frighten. He ran instantly he didn’t want to know how many others were going to die he didn’t want to be one of those people that were going to die. Lyneth ran back into the forest. He wasn’t sure where he was going he just had to get away from them. He ran realizing the academy his home was gone and his friends were gone as well.

+++

The Beast woke with a start, there were screams and shouts all around him. He could hear swords clashing. The Beast suddenly realized that a battle was going on at his encampment. He got dressed as fast as possible. He grabbed his large two handed sword and stormed out of his yurt. The Beast saw that almost everything was on fire around him. Many of his men were fighting figures hooded and cloaked in black. The Beast knew who they were the necromancer’s men. But why would he be attacking his encampment. The Beast slashed through the Necromancers men and roared at them. With his great strength he picked one up and threw him across the camp.
The battle went on till the morning. The Necromancers men fled into the forest once they realized they were outnumbered. Most of the encampment had been burnt down, but it wasn’t just his encampment that got attacked he could see smoking rising past the forest, the Hylia village, Lyneth’s village had been attacked. The Beast prayed to the gods for the first time in years, that Lyneth was not there.
“Sire your…”Karvel said pointing to his own face.
The Beast realized he wasn’t wearing his mask.
“Let it be, the men might as well know who they serve a beast of a man, a demon of the winter lands.” The Beast said
“And the Bain of the Necromancer.” He finished.
“Good to finally see you.” Karvel said standing beside him.
He looked where The Beast looked.
“Those poor souls.” Karvel said
The Beast and Karvel both knew nobody survived from the village. Hylia’s never have warriors, the capital never left soldiers there and the necromancer was a merciless man.
“I’m sure your little beauty wasn’t there.” Karvel said placing a hand on The Beast’s shoulder.

+++

Lyneth kept walking even though his feet were sore. He hadn’t stopped walking not once, he dare not he was afraid if he ever rested he would be taken just like his fellow students. Three days he walked through the forest. It was the early hours of the morning. Lyneth knew he was close to home. Close back to his mother. He wanted to feel safe again, he hadn’t felt safe for the past three days.
Lyneth walked wearily down to his village half asleep half awake. He didn’t look up he just kept his head down looking down at the ground. He began to notice ash in the ground little at first then large amounts to the point where the ground wasn’t green with grass or brown with dirt but grey and black with ash and charcoal.
Lyneth looked up and then fell to the ground. It was gone everything was gone. Burnt down to the ground. Everywhere he looked he could see the charcoal remains of the frames of houses. Like skeletons made of ash. Then looked to his side and could see the skeletal remains of some poor villager he wept at the sight. Lyneth wept until he heard footsteps coming from all around him.
Fog distraught his vison so he could not see anything. He pulled out the bronze dagger Forlen had given him and ready himself for what may come.
He whispered the goddess pray to himself.
“Hylia forever.” He said as heard the footsteps fast approaching.
“Death assassins!” He shouted as he charged forward at the nearest figure not caring to look at who it may be.
Lyneth’s wrist were grabbed and he was forced to drop his dagger. He struggled to get free.
“Calm down its okay.” Lyneth heard a familiar voice say.
Lyneth looked up expecting to see the familiar mask of The Beast but instead saw a frightful beast. It’s skin a grey and it’s hair a bright white. It had large horns coming out of the top of its head that twisted behind his head. It had a mouth filled with fangs. His nose was almost like a snout of a wolf. Lyneth looked at the beast frighten. He struggled once again to get free.
“Lyneth it’s me.” The Beast said to him.
Lyneth looked up at him once again and could see his icy blue eyes. He recognized them. It was The Beast.
“But…”
“This is how I look all the time.” The Beast said
Lyneth remained silent looking away from The Beast. He looked at the remains of his village.
“What happened here?” Lyneth asked about to cry again.
“The Necromancer attacked in the middle of the night, he attacked my camp as well.” The Beast said.
“Did anyone…”
The Beast shook his head no. Nobody survived the attack and Lyneth realized he was alone. Lyneth cried into The Beast chest. He cried for his people, he cried for his dead mother and he cried for himself for both of his homes were now destroyed.
“Come, there’s no point in you remaining here.” The Beast said guiding him back to his camp.

+++

The Beast looked at Lyneth fast asleep in the many furs. He felt an agonizing sorrow for the beauty. He had lost everything forever. The Beast understood that pain but only to a point. The Beast had lost everything as well but there was a shot in the dark he could get his life back. For Lyneth there was no chance and he had to start over and find a new life.
The Beast then wondered would he start a new life over with him. He looked back down at Lyneth. He looked so small bundled in the many furs. He looked so sick as well. He could tell that Lyneth hadn’t slept for days or eaten. He was pale and even thinner than the last time he saw Lyneth. He had some scrapes and cuts on him like he fell a few times.
The Beast decided to let Lyneth sleep and help his men out.
+++

The Beast returned to see that Lyneth was awake. He was curled up in a ball in the furs and crying. The pain must still sting. The Beast walked over to him wishing to comfort him but knew that he more than likely frighten the boy.
Lyneth looked over at The Beast as he sat down next to Lyneth. Neither of them said anything at first but then Lyneth spoke.
“Why do you look like this?” He asked a hint of fear in his voice.
The Beast sighed. Few knew that he was cursed.
“Because I am cursed. I am cursed to look like this till I find…” He didn’t want to finish the sentence
“I used to be a man in a land past the mountains far into the north where it snows almost every month. I was banished and cursed because I was selfish.” He said
“So you haven’t always looked like this?”
“No.” The Beast said
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Lyneth asked
The Beast was astonished by Lyneth’s question. The boy had lost everything but yet he was the one offering to help him, even though The Beast had been so rude to him, so arrogant, and mean.
“It is I who should be offering you help.” The Beast said
“There’s nothing that you can do to help me. My home here is gone, my home in the capital is gone. My whole life is gone.” Lyneth said trying to repress tears.
The Beast took notice of what he said about his home in the capital. Perhaps Karvel was right Lyneth did have mate in The Capital. But The Beast had to know had to make sure.
“What home do you have in the capital?” The Beast asked desperate to know what he meant, did he have a mate in The Capital.
“Are you asking out of curiosity or out of your own personal gain?” Lyneth asked
The Beast almost choked at the question.
“No I just wanted to know if you’re alright.” The Beast said hoping to avoid his question.
“I am a student of magic, my home in the capital was the academy there but the necromancer had raided that home as well and took my friends captive, I arrived late so they did not find me. In a way your arrogance and persistence saved me.” Lyneth said a small smile on his face as he looked up into The Beast’s fierce blue eyes. The Beast smiled a little.
“What will you do now?” The Beast asked trying to muster up the courage to ask Lyneth to stay with him.
“What else can I do but try and find a new home in a neighboring village and pray that it too won’t get destroyed.” Lyneth said solemnly.
“You could stay here with me.” The Beast offered feeling rather vulnerable for the first time in his life.
“You want me to stay with you?” Lyneth asked
“Well I just thought it would be better for you, safer to.” The Beast said
Lyneth didn’t say anything for a long while. The Beast could tell he was pondering his proposal.
“I would be honored to stay with you.”