THIRTY-ONE - Xanthus VIII

Xanthus attempts battle with a Bareland Beast.

The low, gruff breathing of the Bareland Beast was unmistakable.  Even from across the water, it was clear they had found what they were looking for.  Xanthus crept slowly along the edge of the lake, careful not to make too much noise and frighten the beast away.  Or worse, cause it to attack.

And to think Emeric had these people convinced that all the Bareland Beasts were dead.  Of course, you aren’t going to find something you aren’t looking for.  Once you’ve decided the only food is your friends and family members, that’s exactly what you’re going to find.  Once the rest of the Hunters see a real Bareland Beast, they’ll be back on my side.

From behind him came the sound of a rock plopping into the lake.  He whirled his head around to see which of the people in his group was putting them all in danger.  His company consisted of Valleaux, Alaric, a fairly well-built man, and two burly women.  He looked each of them in the eyes, but none of them was willing to admit to having kicked the rock, and none of them was pointing a finger.  At least they have some semblance of honor.

He held up a hand to signal for them to stay put.  When he was sure they understood what he was telling them, he continued forward silently into the darkness.  He came around the bend in the lake, still crawling, still silent.  The Beast’s breathing grew louder with each passing second; surely the creature wasn’t far from him now.

I just have to make sure I don’t lose it in the darkness.  I just wish I had a torch, then at least I’d be able to see what was right in front of me.  But it may have scared the Beast away.  Now I have to get close enough to be able to see it but not so close that it knows I’m there…

He still couldn’t see a thing in front of him, but the animal was loud enough now that if it tried to walk away, Xanthus would hear it and be able to follow without losing it.  Or so he hoped.  If I manage to lose this thing, no one will ever let me lead them again.  As soon as he was sure the Beast couldn’t move without him hearing it, he stopped crawling and lay perfectly still.

The creature stood on all fours beside the lake.  Xanthus could feel the heat from its body.  Either I’m closer than I thought, or these things give off a lot of heat.  The sound of the creature’s tongue lapping up water reached his ears.  The sound alone made him realize how thirsty he was.  I should have had a drink before I crawled all the way over here… but I can’t do it now.  The creature will notice that I’m here.  He pushed the thought of water out of his mind and focused on watching the Beast.

It let out a lout snort and whirled around quickly.  Did it hear something?  Xanthus held his breath, acutely aware of how loudly his heart was pounding inside his chest.  Please don’t let it hear me…

But the creature let out a small shriek and returned to the lake.  Do they always make those noises?  Do they always travel alone, or is this one just an outcast?  There’s so much we don’t know about that… I’ve never even seen one alive before.  I’ve never seen one in one piece before…

Once again, there was a loud plop sound from behind him.  He and the creature both turned toward the sound at the same time.  What did I tell you?  You can’t just stay still for two minutes without�" but he didn’t get to finish his thought.  The Beast shrieked and took off towards the sound.  Whoever that was is about to have a very bad day.

Xanthus felt the massive size and power of the creature as it blew past him.  It’s faster than I would have thought.  The force of just the air would have knocked him off his feet if he had been standing.  He got to his feet and chased after the creature, following only the sounds.  What I wouldn’t give for a torch right now.

His mind was racing almost as fast as he was running.  He could hear his blood pumping through his body�"it was louder than the Beast.  He stopped, trying to calm his heart and hear the creature.  Then he heard the screams of some of the Hunters and a massive, horrifying roar burst out of what was surely the Beast’s mouth.

“Valleaux!” Xanthus called.  “Get everyone out of the way!  Head for the lake if you have to!”

There was no reply, only the continued screams of the Hunters and the roars of the Bareland Beast.  He heard a man moan�"the sound a man makes when he is stabbed through the stomach.  The Beast must have gored him with its tusks.  Without another thought as to how he would stave off the monster, Xanthus ran towards the battle raging beside the lake.

He reached the group.  Alaric and both of the women were lying dead on the ground.  The women’s skulls were crushed, as though they had been trampled, and Alaric was torn open from the stomach to his shoulder.  He was coughing up blood, tears streaming from his eyes.  Xanthus knelt beside him.

“Alaric.”  Alaric turned and looked him in the eyes.  There was nothing but fear behind them, and Xanthus’s heart skipped a beat.  “I am so, so sorry.”

Alaric opened his mouth to speak, but only blood poured out and spilled onto the ground.

“Don’t speak.  Which way did the creature go?  I’m going to kill it.  I promise, you won’t have died in vain.”

Alaric raised his hand to point.  His eyes followed his finger off into the deeper part of the Barelands.  Then he took his last breath, his lungs filling with blood, and he gurgled softly and died.

“Thank you,” Xanthus said, and turned to follow in the direction the Beast had gone.  I’m not going to lose you.  I can’t.

He ran.  He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear any sounds in the distance, but he wasn’t going to let the Beast get away.  He didn’t think, and he didn’t stop.  Finally, he couldn’t run any longer.  His legs were tired, he could barely breathe, and he slowed to a stop, panting heavily.  I failed.  How could I have failed?!

He let out a massive scream and kicked at a rock, sending it flying off into the darkness.  He collapsed onto the ground and remained still.

Footprints!  There must be footprints around here somewhere.  He felt the ground around him, crawling to find any signs of the creature, but there were none.  Impossible.  Unless this is the wrong direction.

He screamed.  The sound disappeared into the cold dark of the Barelands, just as the Beast had.  I’m never going to find it.  We’ll just have to wait for another one to come to the lake.

He turned to head back when he saw a torch approaching.  Someone had followed him.  The flame flickered and bounced in the distance.  Whoever it was was running to catch up.  Xanthus walked towards the person.

When he got close, he saw that it was Valleaux.

“What happened?” Xanthus asked.

“Alaric knocked a rock into the lake, and that was it.  The Beast came running.  It killed him, the two women, and�"”

“I saw.  I was there.”

“When we saw it coming, we ran.  I’ve never been more terrified.  There was so much happening in just those few seconds, I didn’t know what to do.”

“I might have done the same.”

Valleaux looked at him as though realizing he was human for the first time.  “Did you see which way it went?  Is that why you ran out here?”

“No.  Alaric pointed this way.  I hoped I could catch it.”

“They’re too fast.  I never thought… I didn’t even think they were real before today.  And even hearing the stories, I never could have imagined what we saw out there earlier.  It was enormous.”

“I’ve never seen one alive, either,” Xanthus said.  “I never realized how dangerous they are.  When I was young, the food was plentiful, and the Hunters would always come back with plenty of meat.  I just assumed… I didn’t know how much they were risking.  I never knew.  There’s so much I never knew.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the flame flickering and crackling at the end of the torch.

“What do we do now, Sir?”

Xanthus perked up hearing his title.  I’m still in command here.  I need to make a decision.  I can’t… I won’t give up.

“We keep going.  Alaric said the Beast came this way.  I have no reason to doubt him.  If we don’t find it, we can always head back to the lake.  But I don’t want to sit around and wait for another one to happen by.”

“What about the others?”

“Leave them.  I don’t trust them not to do something stupid to get us killed.”

“We can’t fight one of those things on our own.”

“We don’t have to fight it.  We have to find out where they’re getting their food.  Once we do that, we can put a team together.”

“I don’t like this plan.”

“I don’t like it either.  But it’s the only plan we have.”

“If you leave the Hunters alone… they’re going to collect the dead and prepare them.”

“And if I go back to stop them, I won’t be able to follow the Bareland Beast.  I can’t do everything at once.  After we’ve found a new food source, they’ll be punished.  They’ll have to live with what they’ve done.”

Valleaux said nothing, and Xanthus turned to continue walking.  He saw in the corner of his eye that the light from the torch was staying with him, and knew that Valleaux was following.  He smiled.

It seems he is truly on my side.

After another ten minutes, Xanthus broke the silence.  “Do you think I’m a good King?”  He turned to look back at Valleaux, who looked shocked by the question.  He seemed unsure how to answer.

“What does my opinion matter to you?  What I think doesn’t mean anything.  Or it shouldn’t.”

“Answer the question.  Be honest.  I promise not to hold it against you if the answer is no.”

“This feels like a trap.”

Xanthus laughed.  “I promise you, it isn’t.  You could tell me I’m the worst leader you’ve ever seen and I would take it.  I’ve been told that exact thing before.  Heard it a hundred times.”

“You’re not the worst leader I’ve ever seen,” Valleaux said.  “I think the fact that you were willing to come out here and lead us at all shows that you’re trying.  I think we both know that it should have happened a long time ago, but it’s better late than never, I suppose.”

“What if I told you that I’m starting to think there is no solution?”

There was a long pause.  “Sir?”

“Not a good one, anyway.  I’m out here telling myself that we’re going to find something to solve all our problems, but I’m lying.  If a viable solution existed, we’d have found it already.  I’m sure the Bareland Beasts are eating something, and we may find that, but it won’t be enough.  Not for everyone.  We’re going to lose hundreds of people.  Almost everyone in the Outskirts is dead.  Half the city will probably go, too.  It’s too late for any real solution.”

“But maybe we can rebuild,” Valleaux said.  “Maybe not to what we were before, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Perhaps.”

“Then why come at all?”

“For my daughter.  For me.  If the only food we find is enough for the two of us to go on living, it will have been worth it.  It would be nice if we find more, but if we don’t… I’ll do anything to make sure my daughter and I survive.  Anything.”

“What about your wife?”

“Oh, she’s a miserable b***h.  It’s a little known fact, but if she weren’t alive, there wouldn’t even be a food crisis.”

Valleaux laughed.  “Why did you marry her?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice.  Do you know how many women were even allowed in the castle when I was young?  My father, at a certain point, stopped allowing them to come at all.  He wouldn’t set up the meetings.  I don’t think he wanted me to get married.  He really started to go towards the end.  When he died, I remembered a girl I had a crush on when I was a child, and I called her to the castle and I married her.  I assumed she would be able to give me the heir that I wanted.  Xanthus IX, I thought, the next great King of Xantom.  But after Xanthia had our daughter, she stopped being able to have children.  There won’t be a Xanthus IX, not from my blood.  I’ve failed my line.  And I’ve accepted that.  Now, I don’t care what happens to the world after I leave it, as long as I make sure Cassiopeia lives a good life.”

“Cassiopeia can rule.”

“I wouldn’t be able to bear it if she took the name.  Xanthia doesn’t suit her, not now.  Not after her mother ruined it.  No, she’ll remain Cassiopeia.  Daughter of a former King.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Why not?  I have to tell someone.  And if we’re both about to die, it’s not like it’s going to do any harm to tell you the truth.  Even if you won’t say it, I can.  I’ve been a terrible King.  Truly awful.  Possibly the worst this city has ever seen.  It’s a load off my chest, to be honest.  I’m selfish, I look down on the people I’m supposed to be protecting, and I allowed things to get so bad that we’re all likely to starve within the week.”  He couldn’t help it, but he started to laugh.  “This is all my fault.”

“It’s not all your fault, Sir.”

“Don’t lie to me, Valleaux, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not…” but he didn’t finish the sentence.  There was no point in arguing.

“Do you want to hear something funny?  I adopted two new children from the Outskirts just because I knew it would upset Xanthia.”  He laughed even harder at that, he could hardly breathe.

“Are you alright, Sir?”

“I’m great!” he said between breaths.  “I’m just realizing how funny it all is!  Our lives, this world… it’s meaningless!  Everything we do is just… nonsense!  We’re all going to die, and everything any of us has ever done will mean absolutely nothing.”

Valleaux looked concerned, but that only made everything even funnier.  Xanthus collapsed to the ground, violently shaking with fits of laughter.  By the time he finished, his face was wet with tears.  He took a deep breath, dried his face with his hands, and looked up at Valleaux.

“Nothing matters, Valleaux.  Always remember that.”  He sat in silence.

Valleaux let him sit still as long as he wanted.  Finally, Xanthus got to his feet and clapped a hand on Valleaux’s shoulder.  “Should we continue tracking the Beast?”

“I’ll follow you, Sir.”

Together they continued walking into the darkness.