Vance woke up with a start, jolting out of his bed, a sheen of cold sweat on his body. He took a few deep, gasping breaths to calm himself down. He ran his fingers through his hair to calm himself, his scalp drenched in sweat. He slowly felt the usual fear pass and he took one last deep, relieved breath. He had woken up like this for years now, always terrified of a nightmare he couldn’t remember. He rubbed the back of his stiff neck, sighing heavily. He stood from his bed, stretching his back until he heard the usual satisfying pops. He dressed himself and looked out of the window, noticing the lack of sunshine. He had accidentally made a habit of waking up before the sun, like many of the farmers around him. His family owned the fields around their home and a small pen of animals, but they let the other farmers use the land in exchange for some of the profits and some of the crops. The children of the farmers had always woken up this early, so he had woken up this early to play with them in his younger days.
He smiled fondly at the memories, the distant past feeling much closer to him in the dark of the hours before dawn. Once he was strong enough to work the fields himself and keep the animals, he had stopped meeting with the children. It wasn’t long after that they did the same. He turned away from the dark window, wondering what he should do for the day. He had cleared all the overgrown fields and the few animals they kept were already fed, since they kept out a food trough it took days to empty. He frowned slightly, rubbing his jaw with a thick hand. It had been quite a while since he hadn’t known what to do with himself.
After a moment’s consideration, he decided to go for a walk and watch the sun crest over the horizon. Without the work, that seemed to be the only thing he could do in his small, quiet village. If you didn’t work, you quickly found yourself bored. He walked over to the chest of clothes and opened it, his eyes searching through its contents. After a moment, they had landed on the thick, long coat his mother had given him. It was his father’s coat, but he had grown into it rather well. He pulled the dark brown coat onto himself, feeling the hem of it smack against the back of his thighs. He turned away from the chest and left the room, trying not to make any noise so he wouldn’t wake his sleeping mother.
He silently crept through the main room and out of the home, closing the door behind him carefully. He turned and saw the silhouettes of the farmers working in the dark, oblivious to his presence. He thought to wave, but he doubted that they would see him in the darkness. He strode off into the fields, toward the tallest hill with the best view of the sunrise.
He stood at the top of the hill, looking into the forests surrounding the village. He watched as a few playful bats soared through the open air and the birds began to wake. He listened as the forest came alive, little by little, the symphony of the early morning cutting through the air. Vance stood there for the better half of an hour, listening. Then, his attention was snatched away from the sounds by the first golden beams of light, shining over the top of the trees. He felt a smile play on his lips as he looked up into the brilliant sky, a mixture of blue, purple, and pink, stars still twinkling faintly as the sunshine began to pour over the fields. He watched the golden sun rise far above the forest's trees, smiling down on the fields and gently warming Vance’s face.
“Vance,” He heard from behind him, pulling him from his peaceful state, “I didn’t think you’d be up this early.” Vance turned around to see the smiling Edwin standing at the foot of the hill, carrying a large bucket and a fishing rod. He smiled at his friend warmly, waving down to him.
“Good morning, Edwin. Doing some fishing?” Vance asked as he descended the hill. Edwin rolled his eyes at him, smiling.
“No, I’m going to herd the sheep.” He answered, chuckling. Vance rolled his own gray eyes and continued toward his friend, standing a few feet from him.
“I heard about this great spot in the forest to the south,” Edwin said, jerking his head in the direction, “they say you can catch the biggest, tastiest fish in all of Hospiria there!” He stated, an excited, hungry look on his pale face.
“You wanna come with?” Edwin asked with a hopeful shine in his eye. Vance knew that his friend would never admit to it, but he was terrified of the forest. He had been ever since he had been chased from it by a pack of toaders. Vance smiled warmly at his friend, knowing he finally had something to do.
“Give me a moment to gather some things. Stay here.” Vance said to his ginger haired friend before he ran off to get his father’s axe and a knife. The axe for protection against the meaner things in the forest and his knife for the fish. He could clean them there and use the guts and heads for bait on the bigger fish. He opened the shed and retrieved the axe, its shaft familiar in his hand. He threw it over his shoulder and looked under the work table. He found his father’s skinning knife and attached it to his belt, then ran back to his friend.
“Ready?” Edwin asked as he approached. Vance nodded and the two of them set off into the south, looking for the fishing spot. They passed through the village and pressed on, first following the road to the kingdom of Nereaval, then leaving the road and entering the forest. Vance saw his friend’s mood change the second they crossed the woodline, not half as confident as he was moments ago.
“Say, Edwin,” He began, trying to distract his friend, “how are things with Gloria?” He asked. At the mention of his love’s name, Edwin’s face softened. He smiled gently as they continued to walk through the forest.
“They are good. We’re going to the winter festival together. Did you know she has a fascination with different types of bugs? She says the little blights actually have more use than I think. I can understand spiders, they kill the other bugs. But flies? Centipedes? Weevils? Mites? I think a little of her mind fell out of her pretty little head.” Edwin told him, smiling broadly. Vance found himself just as amused, wondering what use she could find for the many bugs.
“A fascination? Like what, she keeps a load of them as pets?” Vance asked, looking at his friend out of the corner of his eye.
“No, even worse,” He answered, a light chuckle escaping him, “she farms them.” Vance felt his face twist in confusion.
“Farms them? For what?” He asked, his voice higher than usual in the unexpected confusion.
“She says it’s for study, but I think she plans on releasing them into Fanny’s room. She just can’t get over that grudge.” His friend said with a shrug.
“I wouldn’t be quick to forgive her either,” Vance admitted, “they were nice shoes.” He said. Edwin laughed at that, not a loud one, but a good one.
“Her mother didn’t think so! She did everything she could to keep her from wearing them.” He said, a broad grin on his face.
Vance and Edwin continued to chat as they walked, searching the forest for the fishing spot. After a moment, Vance noticed a clearing in the trees, with water’s sparkle shining in between them. He nudged Edwin and pointed over to the clearing.
“Could that be it?” He asked, a hopeful expression on his face. Edwin took a moment to stare at the spot with squinting eyes. After a moment, he smiled broadly.
“I think so. Let’s go see.” He said, walking through the brush toward the clearing. Vance followed close behind, glaring around for any sign of danger. After they broke the woodline and passed into the clearing, Vance swept his eyes over the scenery as Edwin sat down by the water and began his fishing.
It was a lake that covered most of the clearing, the water a deep blue green color. It was full of fallen trees and large rocks that created small islands in the water, where small birds and other creatures lay and sun themselves. Vance supposed that the lake was sure to have large creatures swimming in it, due to the sheer size of it and the availability of prey. He doubted that the lake was visited often, as the many snags of the rocks and trees would keep most away. But, Edwin had always been one to try his luck, for better or worse. Vance noticed that the areas around the water seemed to have indentions in the grass, like deer had been sleeping in the area. But, these nests were much too small to belong to deer. He rubbed his stubbly jaw with a strong, calloused hand as he thought how odd it was. But, he pushed the thought from his mind, instead choosing to sit down and take in the peaceful surroundings. He leaned up against one of the trees at the woodline, watching his friend wait for a fish to bite.
After a few moments, Edwin cried out and tugged the rod hard, yanking a fish from the lake. It was a big one, easily as long and thick as Vance’s arm. Edwin beamed at him as he held the writhing fish down on the grassy floor. Vance quickly stood up and pulled the knife from his belt. He approached the wriggling fish and pushed the knife through the back of its head, dispatching it quickly.
“How’s that for a first catch, eh?” Edwin laughed as he took the hook out of the fish’s mouth, a piece of bait still on it.
“Wonder if this is the biggest one you’ll catch.” Vance said out loud as he began to field clean the fish, putting the filets into the empty bucket that Edwin had brought.
“We’ll see.” His friend said over his shoulder, grinning happily out over the lake. It continued like that for the better part of an hour, Edwin pulling in massive fish again and again and Vance cleaning them. It wasn’t long after that the bucket was filled to the brim with large filets.
“I think that’s enough for now,” Vance called out to his friend, throwing their latest filet into the bucket, “I don’t think we can carry any more.” Edwin turned his head and looked at the bucket, his face falling. It appeared that Edwin had rather liked pulling in the fish, like it was a sort of game.
“Alright, I’ll-” Edwin stopped suddenly, turning back to the rod he had stuck into the ground beside him. Vance stopped to give his friend a confused look, then the both of them began staring at the rod. Vance heard it as well this time, the line creaking harshly against the pole. It was different from the tugs of the fish, somehow seeming playful. When the fish had pulled that hard, it kept the line taught and meant they swallowed the hook. But, now the line kept being pulled just as hard and then going limp, like it was being plucked up and pulled by fingers. It happened again, this time hard enough to bend the end of the wooden pole. Edwin shot up onto his feet and backed away, still staring at the pole with a look that mixed confusion with a growing anxiety. He looked between Vance and the pole, his face drained of the little color it usually had. Vance stood up slowly, staring at the pole with a grim set to his face. He put the knife down and started to reach for his father’s axe. At that moment, the pole was pulled so hard that it was yanked out of the ground and pulled into the water, disappearing beneath the surface with a splash. Edwin fell backward at the sudden sound, letting out a startled shout as he did. Vance snatched the axe up and rushed over to his friend, pulling him up onto his feet.
He watched the water’s surface, his eyes searching for any danger. He motioned for Edwin to grab the bucket without taking his eyes away from the water. Edwin nodded and slowly made his way over to the bucket, walking as if any sound would cause the thing in the lake to attack. Vance took a quiet step back, watching the completely still water carefully.
All of a sudden, the pole came flying out of the water, thrown so violently that it made its way all the way to the treeline, snapping as it collided with a tree. A piece of the snapped wooden rod rammed into Edwin’s face, knocking him onto his back. Vance looked between his friend and the water, a silhouette growing underneath the surface.
“Edwin, get up, we need to leave!” He cried over to his friend, turning and running over to his side. His friend didn’t move though, he didn’t even flinch as Vance grabbed his shoulder roughly. He was breathing, but he wasn’t responding to anything. Vance knew that he wouldn’t be able to run away from the thing in the lake, he couldn’t leave Edwin behind. He grit his teeth, tightening his grip on the axe as he stared out into the water of the lake. He felt the terror grip him as the thing finally revealed itself.
Glistening, bumpy green and black skin clung to the fat body of the thing. Its long, fatty arms hung down at its sides, its hands brushing against the knees of the things' short legs. It had a wide, thick head on its shoulders, without a neck to separate them. Its maw had half a large fish hanging from it, still wiggling to get free. The thing’s amphibian yellow eyes stared stupidly at Vance, as if trying to decide if he was food or not. It opened its toothless mouth once more and snapped it shut, breaking the rest of the fish's bones and putting an end to the struggling. It swallowed the fish in one gulp and looked like it was considering Edwin next. He barely recognized it at first, but this was without a doubt a toader. He had never seen one so big or alone, usually they were only around knee height and in packs. But, this one stood chest level with Vance.
Vance felt his stomach drop into his feet at the sight of the toader. It looked strong, stronger than the bear he had fought. He knew it would take a miracle to win against the creature. When the village had killed the toaders that chased Edwin, they had to burn them alive in a barn, because their weapons did nothing to get through the rough, slimy flesh of the monster. He felt his heart lurch in his chest as the brooding thing came a step closer, wading through the water. He had to come up with a plan and fast. He had to unroot himself from the spot he found himself in. He had to get out alive and make sure Edwin did too. He felt panic rise in his chest as the thing continued forward, getting closer by the moment. He felt his last desperate option in his mind. Maybe he could scare it off with a loud noise, or make himself seem like a pain to eat. He set his jaw and took a deep breath as the beast took its first step on the shore.
He took a step forward, bellowing gibberish as loudly as he could, brandishing the axe in front of himself. The beast cocked its head to the side, but was otherwise unphased. He continued to scream gibberish and swing the axe in the massive toaders direction. It looked between him and the axe, then took another step forward, as if it knew that the axe couldn’t hurt it. It was too close to him now. If it suddenly leapt at him or ran toward him, it would be on him before he could do anything. He felt his fear catch in his throat, nervous sweat rolling down his brow as he tried to come up with a better plan, but found nothing. It took another step forward and started to reach its hand out toward him, reaching for the axe in his hand. He felt his panic rise in his chest. It was then he started to feel something different, something he had never felt before. It was a strange pulsing feeling, like an echo from inside his body. He felt the pulse grow until it was almost a roaring, hot feeling in his very soul. He felt a single word come into his mind with the echo in his very blood as the toader’s fingers were mere inches away from the axe’s shaft.
“Leave!” He bellowed out, his voice louder than it had ever been and unfamiliar in his mouth. Vance felt all the echoing and burning in his veins escape through his voice and his eyes, tearing through the air like a thunderclap. The fingers of the toader stopped instantly, the eyes of the creature growing wide. It stepped back, pulling its arm over its chest in a protective manner. It continued to step back, slowly, not taking its eyes off him. All of a sudden, it turned around and ran off, sprinting right past the very lake it crawled out of.
Vance stared on in confusion, watching the thing run away. It was then he noticed how drained he was feeling, like he had pulled the plow through all the fields in the village. He felt a shuddering cold sheen of sweat on his skin as he fell to his knees, the axe dangling loosely in his hands. He felt like he might find himself unconscious in the next few moments. But, no matter how much he felt like it, he couldn’t let himself fall. He had no clue if that toader would come back or not and he still had to get Edwin back to safety. He grit his teeth and tried his best to stand, his legs nearly failing him. It was as if he had been sapped of all his strength, even the familiar weight of the axe felt like a lead bar in his hand. He grit his teeth and hefted the axe once again, making his lurching way over to his friend.
He shook Edwin awake, waking him up confused and afraid. He looked up at him, his green eyes blinking up at him with a dazed glaze over them.
“What happened?” He asked in a groggy voice, rubbing his eyes, “did we go fishing?”
“We did and now we have to leave. Get up, grab the fish.” He told his ginger friend, struggling up onto his feet. Edwin nodded in a stupefied manner, then stood up and walked across the shore to the bucket of fish and hefted it up. The pair struggled through the forest and back to the village, silent and keeping a careful watch over the woods around them.
After what felt like an age, they stumbled into the village square, catching the attention of Ruth and a few passersby. Ruth approached them both, a worried look in her warm blue eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Vance spoke first.
“We went to the lake, south of the village. We got attacked by toaders, Edwin took a big hit to the head. Worry about everything else later, get him to a healer.” Vance instructed, his eyes and posture showing no room for questions. Ruth looked between the two young men in front of her, then nodded. She took Edwin by the arm and began to lead him to the northern edge of town, where the doctor stayed. Edwin gave him a look of concern and thankfulness over his shoulder as he walked with Ruth. Vance watched them go, trying to fight off his strange exhaustion. He ignored the stares of the many passersby, who had never before seen him so drained. He set his jaw once more and set his sights on his home, keen on crashing into his bed and resting.
The hills proved to be more of a challenge than they had ever been. He nearly toppled over himself many times, floundering to keep his balance on the slight incline. After what seemed like a lifetime, he had finally made it to the top of the slight hill, where his home sits. He gasped and wheezed, sweat pouring from his body. He struggled onward, the only thought on his mind being the comfort of his bed.
He dropped the axe beside the door to his home, unwilling to make the trip to the shed. He opened the door and nearly fell into the main room, his knees buckling under his weight. He stood firm though, trying not to scare his already stupefied mother any further. She gawked at him and he knew she was talking to him, but he couldn’t understand the words. He knew from the look of her she was shouting, but he only heard muffled mutterings. He struggled past her, ignoring her weak attempts to stop him. He threw open his door and collapsed onto his bed, wheezing harshly. Slowly, he felt the world around him grow black and he finally succumbed to sleep.
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