Friday, December 20, 2013

3.4 Crusaders Book II - Dealer's Shuffle

3. Somewhere in the deep forest of North West Canada


The caribou took to the stream after sniffing the air for any predators. It took its sips of water as it eyes watches over the terrain. The creature should had registered the direction of the wind but its not something which all creatures are in tune to. But its constant alert soon brought its attention to the arrival of the wolverine which seeks the same waterhole. The caribou fears not the wolverine; as its a scavenger of the carcass. It picked up the scent of more wolverine so it ignored the senses. That was the mistake of the caribou when the large predator in the form of a man leap at its back with the long claws that slashed at the throat. The weight of the new form pushed the caribou to its knees before the next thrust was inserted to the back of the neck and into its heart. The killer then got off the dead prey and crouched on its knees to watched the prey draws it last breaths.

When the caribou had ceased to breath, the killer reached for the underbelly with the claw to slice it open. It pulled out the needed parts to feed on, and remove chunks of flesh to pass onto the wolverine. The killer then left the carcass to the remaining scavengers. Not today, as another predator have arrived; the great bear they named as Grizzly. The tall dark brown predator weighs over 200kg at over two and half metres tall growled its disapproval of the killer. The killer was not easily intimidated as its growled back while extending its claws. Both predators looked at each other for signs of any weakness, but soon the huge brown one lowered its paws and walked off.

The killer stooped back to its kill and removed the blocks of flesh for its later meals. It then proceeded on back to its hideout in the cave which it considered like its own den. It dropped the meat there and sat on the flooring. Soon its body transformed and all that remain was a nude young man in need of a bath to remove the blood stains and mud. The young man walked over to the barrel of water that was kept for this purpose.

"Clawler, your time to re-surfaced is now. Your new mistress have need of you." The young man named Clawler turned his back to see the apparition that appeared on the forest tree trunk. "I command you as the lineage of Black has been recalled to serve the House, so shall you served yours. Do your duty as what the dreams tells you."

Clawler clasped his fist while the protruding claws cuts into his palms. His mind clouded as he contemplates on his new task. Those dreams showed him as a monster in a foreign land. It was a series of recurring nightmares that plagued when he sleeps.

For over twenty years he had stayed here as a recluse with his father, as his father had done before then but now he is called for duty. A duty that his family had never fulfilled for four generations now.

"Beware my descendant. The time have changed the rules of conduct. Chivalry and fairness have been sidelined for personal glory. But your servitude remains the same; for the Black's and only them."

Clawler heard those words and walked back to his den. Inside the den, he nudges against his lover and kissed their new born.


No comments:

The Highland Tale Notes and onto Merrlyn

 The biggest challenge to re-writing or adapting a well known tale was to make it your own. As I had mentioned before, I wanted to do this t...