Survive As The Brute's Wife

The small hill, the stone house at the far end of the big field near the big oak tree, the whispering breeze, and the clear blue sky above…

[Home…]

But…the place in front of her although appeared the same, has changed.

The lush greenery that used to surround the house is now replaced with greyish wilted weeds peppered around. Only the trunk of the oak tree remained while the dry branches harrowingly swayed in the dry wind. A pungent scent rose from the once-fertile soil which is barren and parched now, twisting her stomach.

It smelled like death and looked like evil is occupying this place. It looked cursed.

[300 years…]

She closed her eyes as she remembered the good old days of her past when this place was filled with life.

At this time of the year, there would be a blanket of golden wheat shaking their heads to the tune of the wind. This entire plain would be filled with a colorful aroma of fertility. Cheerful songs would be sung as they prepared for the bountiful harvest.

Her grandfather would be sitting under the tree on a bench with some of the village wastrels and be drinking merrily. He'd proudly speak of the valiance of his brothers and his in the war long ago. Sitting on a wooden swing, she'd be listening to his stories while Tubby would nag her to come and play with him.

Her heart twisted in pain. This is where she wanted to return to after the war ended. But she never got the chance to return. 

The place that once was very close to her heart - her home, is now turned into a wasteland. Time is a powerful thing. It brings healing to some and for some, it would cause merciless devastation.

"This place…"

Maximus' voice made her tremble as fear washed her insides making her stomach hurt. She felt it in her a fear so dark that it almost engulfed her soul. Fear, distrust, and pain brewed in her heart. 

[Why did he bring me here? How does he know of this place..? What is his obsession with the Hashomer? All the words he spoke and all the care he showed… What is he hiding?]

Controlling her twitching eyebrows and bearing with the pain in her stomach, she forced a smile on her face.

"It is-"

Before she could form words, the horse started to bolt. It started snorting looking to its right.

[What made the horse scared?]

She was not left to wonder for long. From the distance, she could see the ground trembling and cracks forming on the hard, barren ground.

[What is happening?]

She turned to look at Maximus and with his knitted eyes he was staring at a particular spot. She followed his gaze and she could feel the intensity of the tremors increasing.

With a pop, the ground split open and out came a big monster that looked like a worm with no limbs or it could be a serpent. It stood tall with its cylindrical body above the ground, covering the sun.

As she watched in bewilderment, that beast opened its mouth and revealed the bottomless pit. As it moved, the slimy segments of its body pulsated and glistened in the sun. Out came a screeching noise that was like a scream of a banshee and it hurt her ears.

She covered her ears and yet the screech made her head throb. And in that screech, she thought she heard something. Something of a whisper that pleaded with her. Her eyes blackened and her entire body felt pain.

The horse became further restless and Maximus' hand wrapped around her waist. Her pain was insurmountable and the whispers intensified as the beast screeched.

Wails… wails of tortured spirits is what she heard. Those mouthy wails were filled with darkness and malice.

{Blood… Kill… Death…}

Those were some of the words she could discern.

When she came to, she was standing behind Maximus on the ground. Shielding her behind him, Maximus pulled out his sword and set the horse loose.

"Don't move. It can't see," Maximus spoke in a soft low tone and walked towards the monster. Felixa noticed that the monster didn't have eyes. She slowly retreated to leave the fighting to the one with the sword. As the beast lunged towards Maximus as he approached it, she felt the pain in her head reducing.

She was amused to describe what she is seeing. She's lived long enough in her past life to know that there is no such being as the one in front of them now. At least not in this size.

Dust rose from the ground and mixing with the dry wind that swirled, it was hard to keep the eyes open. But the monster thrived in the dust, like a fish in water. Its ruddy, segmented body glistened in the sunlight as it darted towards Maximus running towards it with his sword.

Sparing the size, Felixa found the monster pretty familiar. She just didn't know how it is familiar though.

Holding the tip of the sword towards the approaching head of the big beast, Maximus ran towards it. Felixa retreated farther away from the fight.

*Thud*

The monster hit the ground with its head but it missed Max. The impact stunned the monster and it gathered itself before lifting its head back up. Maybe because it is ginormous, its movements were very slow and it wiggled like a worm. And it appeared to be blind as Maximus said. It was figuring out the movements by something else.

With no hesitation, Maximus pulled out his dagger and sunk it in its head and as it lifted its head up, he straddled on its head as if he has done it a thousand times. The next moment, the sharp blade of his sword sunk into the head of the monster as easily as a sharp knife sinks into a slab of butter.

Felixa's head started to throb once more as she heard the wail once more. She held her head and bowed. She wanted to scream unable to bear the pain. 

"Get back!" Maximus shouted as the monster started to wiggle. Its tail that was under the ground slithered out and as the monster writhed in pain, and smashed hard on the ground as it moved forward.

The thirsty ground swallowed up the black blood dripping from the wound as the wind spread out the blood throughout the field. Everywhere the blood dripped, bubbles formed on the ground as if the blood is corroding the sand.

As the blood of the monster got gobbled by the earth, Felixa started hearing more of the wails. The sound was so heavy and loud, it made her nauseated.

Holding her temples with her hands, she tried to focus as she saw the dying monster approaching her in high velocity. She could see that the monster wanted her dead before it dies.

Maximus, with his sword that was implanted in its head, guided it to the side, but it focused on her.

[I thought it could not see… How does it see me?]