Boy and Beast

beyond the farthest village, beyond forgotten lands and nameless plains, the Igudu forest begins — stretching towards the unknown.

At night, some mothers tell stories about that very forest. On one such night a mother lays her child to sleep, right in the maw of that wicked forest. Eyes drenched in compassion, she runs away screaming incoherent curses into the still night air.

The child doesn’t stir, he sleeps peacefully oblivious to the terrible fate he would soon wake up to.

the night passes.

Instead of his mother’s arms, the boy awakens to the cold embrace of the forest floor. He immediately begins to sob, feeling confused, afraid and alone. Missing the only person that ever held him, the boy began searching for his mother.

Hours blurred into days, and then weeks, yet his mother never returned.

“Should I just give up?” the boy would often ask.

Determined to see her again, the boy chose to live.

When he was thirsty, he drank from puddles and streams. When famished, he scavenged for fruit. No matter how sick, no matter how tired, he continued this daily routine.

After a long day, he would rest within fallen logs, praying to see the morning. Alone and unsure, he patiently awaited her return.

After weeks of struggle, the boy stumbles upon a cave.

Desperate for shelter, he almost ignores the bones at its entrance, warning those brave enough not to venture in.

Hesitant, the boy turns to flee. Sadly, he had already been found.

A great black shadow rose before him, cutting off his path. Before he could scream it leapt forward and pinned him down with one giant paw. The beast thrusted its nose against the boys skin, huffing heartily to take in his strange scent.

Seeing it press so close to him, the boy passed out from fear.

The beast pays him no mind, lowering his head to feast. Just before sinking his teeth into the boys neck, a sudden whimper froze him in place. He had never heard his prey make such a pathetic expression, the sound intrigued him.

Staring intently at the boy, the beast began to think. The creature Infront of him looked useless and fragile. It would probably struggle to catch rabbits, so what use could he be to him?

The beast knew well enough, but still couldn’t fight his instinct to protect that pathetic creature.

After a long moment of stillness, the proud hunter bows his head. Not to feast, but to carry the boy into his home. A small warm spring ran along the innermost part of his cave. The beast set the boy beside it gently, letting the warmth soothe his trembling body.

After some time the boy got up. At first he thought his encounter to be a terrible dream. As he scanned the cave, he soon locked eyes with the beast from before — watching him patiently from a distance.

The boy lurched backward and fell directly into the spring.

He thrashed about in blind panic, sending water in various directions.

The beast exhaled slowly, disappointed to have been right about the boy. Using his tail, it dragged the boy out and set him on the stone to dry.

As the boy gathered himself, the beast brought some fruit and piled them at his front, gesturing awkwardly with its massive paws. The boy did not hesitate, soon giving in to his rumbling stomach.

The sweetness of the fruit amazed him. Before long he had almost devoured all the food in front of him.

Satisfied, the beast laid down beside the boy and watched him quietly.

Time marched on and the both of them soon grew fond of one another. The boy was so happy to finally have a friend he could play with and talk to, even though the beast never talked back. The beast was satisfied with the boys progress, everyday he would grow a little less pathetic than the last.

After a long day of hunting and playing they would lounge at the spring. To pass the time the boy would even share stories of his home and the world he once knew. The beast only stared, it didn’t really understand, but it was happy to hear his friend speak so excitedly.

before long, years had passed.

The boy grew tougher and fitter. He had learned to craft proper weapons and tools to catch more impressive prey. His eyes now easily tracked even the most elusive prey, while his legs could easily keep up with the fastest.

In just a few short years, the boy had become an outstanding hunter.

Sadly, as the boy grew to take his place, the beast began to fade.

The signs were slow, but ever looming. The subtle limp in his walk. The splashes of grey that began to grow in his proud black fur. The shrinking of his once impressive teeth. The boy could only stare on, powerless to stop it. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he knew it was inevitable.

Although faced with the inevitable, he still did what he could.

He hunted more, and started cooking his friends meals to soften them. For many weeks he cared for him attentively, dreading the silence he knew would soon swallow his world.

When that silence finally fell, the boy needed no warning. He could feel it in the air before even checking on his friend.

He sat beside his friend for a long time. He waited, praying that his chest would rise again. Praying that his yellow eyes would open and look upon him one last time with their usual warmth. He waited long past the point of reason, long past sunset, long after his disbelief had quietly given way to certainty.

After the waiting, came the tears. He wept thinking of the years that felt so fleeting, for the many adventures they would never again share and for the friend that saved his life and gave him a reason to smile again after his whole world came crashing down.

After burying his friend, the boy stood at the mouth of the cave for a long time, wondering how things should go from here.

First, he looked toward the cave; at the smooth ashy stone, the warm spring, the life they had built together in silence. He could stay, but he didn’t want to continue living such a lonely life.

Next he looked outward, thinking of the mother he once begged so desperately to see. Thinking of the place he once called home. Deep down he knew that he could never go back, that he would never go back.

Finally he thought of seeing the rest of the world, specifically what lies in the west.

Far towards the west stood a kingdom that had inspired tales of wealth and endless possibility. A place where men came to chase old dreams and build new lives. The largest of all seven great kingdoms.

Jekki, the land of the Waning Moon.

He turned back to the cave one last time, then bowed to his friend. Holding back tears, he turned and finally walked away.

He knew that somewhere above the canopy, beyond the dark tangle of ancient trees, the sky opened wide and the world even wider.

The boy and the beast had concluded their story. Now it was his turn to begin a better one.

The story of how he became a legend.

The story of Akoni, the king of heroes.