Monsters in the Dark

[Minerva]

Alternatively Titled: "Hunger"

There was a distinct quiet as two beasts- one a frail mouse, the other Minerva- stood across from one another in the arena's center. From the stands, the weight of a thousand eyes bore down heavy upon the otterwife's back, and she lowered her head as she tried to shut out the audience's raucous cheering and laughter. No matter what she did however, the clamor continued in her ears.

"Lovely ladies, gentlebeasts. Residents of Northvale, and denizens from beyond." Minerva turned her head towards the podium in confusion as Nire Borean's booming voice carried throughout the arena and hushed the din. Blazing torches cast the cat's face in dark shadows as a cruel grin curled upon his maw. "It is my pleasure- no, my privilege- to welcome each and every one of you this evening to my humble Crater..."

Nire paused for effect, his gaze falling upon Minerva.

"...and to this season's Culling."

The otterwife's eyes went wide.

Nire smiled at her and then looked to the crowd. "Now, some of you more 'infrequent' visitors may be confused," he said and took a sip of wine. "You might be wondering, 'where's Hammerpaw? Isn't he the beast who usually conducts the Culling?' You are right, but sadly, that is not the case any longer. Hammerpaw has left us. So, I had to find a replacement, and who better to replace the mighty wearet in the Cull... than the beast who slew him?"

Minerva noticed for the first time a spear in her paws. Across from her, the mouse trembled.

"No. No no no," the otterwife pleaded beneath her breath.

"So." Nire stood up from his chair and clasped his paws together with an eager smirk. "Shall we begin?" he said, and The Crater nearly shook from the crowd's approval.

The roar breathed life into Minerva's footpaws as they started through the sand without her consent. She circled with the mouse, her spear trembling in her paws as she desperately willed her legs to stop, but these pawsteps weren't hers to control.

The crowd cheered, and Minerva found herself charging straight towards her opponent. The mouse swung weakly at her with his sword, but the otterwife parried it with her spear haft and sent the inexperienced beast off balance. Once more, her paws moved without her permission as Minerva turned the spear in her paws. She spun on her heels and swung the butt hard against her opponent's jaw, sending the beast reeling into the dirt with a resounding crack.

Minerva stood over the writhing mouse as he wailed and clutched his jaw. Seconds passed, and still the beast made no motion to get up. The otterwife felt her paws moving, turning her spear so that the point was at the beast's neck.

A look of realization came over her face. "No," she said to the defeated creature. "Ye have t' keep fightin'. Slap the spear away, swing at me, somethin'. If they see ye're beaten..."

Minerva's eyes widened as her head began to turn towards the podium. She met Nire's dissatisfied gaze as he rolled his eyes. Without a second thought, he raised his paw and curled his thumb down.

With a thrust of her spear, Minerva stained the sand red. The otterwife looked down in horror at the carcass at her feet as the crowd around her cheered. "Mon-ster! Mon-ster!"

Nire smiled and called for the next beast.

One by one, Minerva cut through each new opponent that was brought before her, until the bodies of a hare, a stoat, a bat, and a vole littered the sand along with tens of others. She yelled at all of them to fight, but none ever did. The otterwife pulled her spear free from a weasel's carcass and muttered a soft apology to the beast as her next opponent appeared.

It was Silas.

Minerva stared at the rat in shock as her legs began to move. "No, no. Not again! Please."

The rat threw aside his two sickle swords into the sand and got to his knees.

"Silas, no. You have t' keep fightin'. Remember? I told ye that," Minerva begged.

He shook his head. "Do what you have to. Save her."

As Nire thrust his thumb downward, Minerva did the same with her spear.

The otterwife fell to her knees in the sand.

"Truly tragic..." Nire said, "The Culling is about to end. But there is one more match this evening. Minerva versus The Monster of Mossflower Woods!"

Minerva looked up in confusion. She shrieked as Silas' eyes rolled back in their sockets. Around her, the blood pooling from each carcass began to move as if it were alive, flowing and collecting into one living entity. It squirmed like a snake without a head, and had sharp, curved teeth sticking out from every orifice. The otterwife couldn't believe her eyes.

Slowly, it turned towards her and charged.

The spear in her paws trembled, and, though she tried to get back to her feet, Minerva could not stand. "You... have to keep fighting," she told herself, but still she made no move to. Minerva cowered under Nire's gaze as the monster lurched back it's head.

And the monster consumed her.

~~~?~~~


Minerva shot up from her bunk with a gasp. Sweat drenched the otterwife's brow as she tore her paws frantically across her chest until she found the familiar steel of Orran's fishhook. She cradled the object close, watching as dim torchlight gleamed off the curve.

"Just scary dreams. Just scary dreams," she whispered to herself. When her panting slowed, Minerva let the hook fall back dangling around her neck.

The sound of beasts sleeping soundly in the Drag was a welcome contrast to the screams in the arena, but it was haunting all the same. Already whispers of FTN drifted from ear to ear, bringing talks of escape and hope to Nire's slaves. But when night fell, each of them went to sleep in unawares of the monster that lurked in their midst. The monster that would tear that hope apart, and slay each and every one of them at a single motion of Nire's paw.

Where she hid them in her vambrace, the wrinkled paper of Silas' letters rubbed hot against her flesh.

Minerva buried her head in her palms, tears welling in her eyes from the guilt of what she did to the rat. The beast who brought her hope when she most needed it, the one who taught her letters and sounds, slain by her own paw. Every night she tried to recall his lessons as she stumbled through the words on the pages but, without him beside her, the sounds were lost on her lips.

Minerva told herself a story, one where Orran came walking home, but it did little to ease her worries. She wondered if anything could. Maybe... a song?

The otter looked to where Komi slept on the opposite bunk. Minerva opened her mouth to wake her but stopped herself short, watching as the sleeping stoat's chest rose and fell comfortably and a slight smile curled on her maw. Since her 'battle' with Aldridge, Komi's worries were pushed to the back of her mind. Not once did she tremble from a nightmare. It would be wrong to take that from her.

On restless nights on her farm, Minerva would often take walks by the stream to ease her mind. But there was no stream here, only sleeping beasts whose company brought her more dread. So, tonight, the Monster would be alone. Without a sound, she stood from her bunk and slipped out of the cave, and towards the gate at the end of the Drag.

The guard, Tegue, looked up as she approached and regarded her with a polite nod. "Evening, ma'am. A bit late for a stroll wouldn't you say?"

Minerva met the beast's curt smile with a frown in suspicion. "Aye, couldn't sleep. Nightmares." There was no collar on the rat, he chose this job. Despite this, a look of genuine concern still fell over him, and Minerva hesitated, before deciding to elaborate. "Figgered I could at least use this time t' get in some extra trainin'... if ye'll allow it."

Tegue nodded. "It's not like you could escape from the training grounds anyway. Escape would be easier through the main corridors, I think." At a look from the otterwife, the rat thought for a moment and added, "If you think training will help, by all means. At the very least, when the time comes, you'll be more prepared to Fight Those Nightmares."

Minerva regarded the strange phrase with a raise of her brow. Was that the cypher? Quickly she tried to recall the alphabet that Silas showed her and piece together the sounds with each letter. EFFF. TEEE. ENNN. The otterwife looked back to the rat and tried to hide her own dread as she stammered out a reply. "A-a-aye. Maybe. T-though if I had the choice, I'd take my daughter and Flee This Night."

The rat nodded. "Maybe not this night."

Nire's leash tightened around her neck and bile rose in her throat. "When?"

Tegue spoke in whispers. "Very soon, ma'am. Nire is getting anxious, as are the beasts of Northvale, so he's working on something big to keep them unconcerned with us. We know he's commissioned hundreds of banners, bards, and dancers, so whatever it is, he means for it to have spectacle, and that isn't good. We aim to strike before then." The rat produced a ring of keys from his waist and unlocked the gate. "Go take your walk. Clear your head. I know I've had to do the same many times before."

Minerva nodded and strode towards the training grounds, but the FTN member's words did little to help her clear her mind. Everything he said was just more fodder that she would have to feed to Nire once he called for it.

Moonlight fell from the open roof of the empty training grounds as Minerva strode across it towards the set of carved stairs at the other end. Though the otterwife had only stepped down them once before, weeks ago when she was still chained to Komi, memories of the Fell Wing, the nightmarish place where Nire kept his monsters, were still fresh on her mind. Not once since that first trip did she ever have the desire to go again- nor did she have the desire now, and yet, she stepped forward bravely into the darkness of the tunnels. If Silas could fight these things, then maybe she could face her fears too.

Between the rows and rows of cages that lined the walls, Minerva moved, watching as monster after monster stared back at her from behind the bars. There was a strange sense of belonging that filled the otterwife as each new creature looked her over. It was as if they recognized her for what she was, as if they knew she was one of them.

Minerva shook her head. No. She was no monster. Killing Silas, she had done what she was made to. What choice did she have?

Further down the hall, the cell belonging to Bessie began to come into view, but what surprised Minerva was the other figure- that of a hulking marteness- that sat against the wall. Commander Nix sat in complete silence, watching as the terrifying creature slept.

Before the otterwife could turn in the other direction, Nix gasped and startled backwards with a look of surprise. A moment later, she recovered and was on her feet. "What are you doing here?" A second passed and she rephrased the question. "What is a slave doing here this late? Why aren't you in the Drag?"

Minerva looked back the way she came, wondering if it would be best to make a run for it. "I couldn't sleep. I asked the guard if I could go fer a walk," Minerva said, deciding against it.

Nix narrowed her gaze at the slave suspiciously. "Aye, and you're walking in a place where somebeast tried to escape before, or have you forgotten that?"

Minerva swallowed the bile in her throat and shook her head. "I couldn't leave even if the doors were wide open for me."

Nix regarded her for a moment before she sighed in understanding and crossed her arms over her uniform. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand the feeling," she said. "You're lucky you stumbled across me and not some other guard. They'd have you- no, your daughter- flayed. Be glad I'm not one to want to put in that kind of effort."

Minerva looked up at the marten, remembering how she made a similar excuse months ago when she let Aldridge's villagers inspect one of the wagons. Nix ignored the look, turning her gaze back towards the massive spider as it slept with its many legs curled into itself.

Moments passed in silence between the two mustelids as they watched the unconscious creature, until, finally, Minerva turned her head and braved a question. "Ye asked what a slave was doin' here this late but... what are you doin' here?"

Nix's eyes didn't leave the spider. "You're not the only one who has trouble sleeping," the marteness said. "And when I think of why, it always comes back to this bloody creature. So, sometimes when I'm restless, I come down here and watch her. I think of different ways I might be able to kill her."

"Why haven't ye?" Minerva asked.

Nix shrugged. "Nire would never let me, even if I wanted to. Bessie's exotic, one of a kind. Her life's far too valuable for Nire to gamble with, so he only appeases crowds by putting her in fights he knows she'll win. Besides, even if Nire were to let me fight her, I don't know if I would be able to do it. I used to think so, I used to dream of it, but... I don't know if I can anymore."

At Minerva's silence, the marteness elaborated further. "Bessie's a simple creature. There's not much else she wants besides a full belly and to survive another day, and yet, Nire starves her. He keeps her hungry so that when she's put into the arena, she'll be more ferocious. I don't think she has any want to be here, but when your wants are dangled in front of you by a string, what are you to do? She may be a monster, and that's what I thought too for the longest time, but here... she's still a slave."

The chains dangling around the marteness' waist rattled as she leaned against the wall.

"I think he gets off to it too," Minerva said. "Doesn't matter who ye are, he just wants t' hurt ye, t' turn ye into a monster. If it weren't for him, I might still have my readin' teacher."

"And Marik would still have his father."

Minerva turned her gaze towards the marten. "I'm... sorry."

Nix shook her head. "I was popular in the arena, and Nire offered to give me my freedom if I defeated my husband. We talked it over. Marik was still young, and my husband thought he needed a mother more than a father. So, it was decided. The next morning, after breakfast, I slew my husband and Nire gave me my freedom."

Minerva's eyes traced over the worn stitching on Nix's blue uniform. She looked down at her feet, remembering the collar that the hunchbacked marten still wore snug around his neck. "But he didn't give ye Marik's."

"No." Even without a collar, Nix was a slave. Minerva thought of the pine marten's son, wondering what sort of deal must have been in place to keep him from being thrown in the arena. With his crippled back, he was certain to not last long. As if she read the otterwife's thoughts, Nix added, "Nire is a cruel beast."

Both beasts stared at Bessie as one of her legs twitched in her sleep.

Just like her, Nix simply wanted freedom for her child. Maybe... was it possible? "Nix, I have a question. About fightin', if ye'd be willin' t' answer," Minerva said.

"Shoot."

Minerva recalled Silas' alphabet as she thought over her words and sounds. Moments passed, and finally she asked. "Me and Komi were arguin' the other day. We were havin' a contest, throwing spears and knives. She thought that a knife could fly further, I thought the spear. So, what do you think? Do spears fly Further Than Knives?"

Nix stayed quiet, a look of disbelief on her face, as the words hung in the air. Minerva's heart pulsed in her chest as suddenly the marteness' gaze narrowed.

"Knives doesn't start with an N."

Without warning, Nix drove her fist hard into Minerva's stomach. Minerva gasped from the pain and shock of the sudden blow, and stumbled backwards only one step before the marteness grabbed her by the arm. Reeling the otterwife back close to her, Nix delivered a powerful backhand across Minerva's snout that sent her stumbling to the cold floor.

Nix spat as she hoisted her to her feet and pinned the otter's arms tight behind her.

Minerva's eyes widened as the marten marched her towards Bessie's cell. She struggled against the marten, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break from Nix's powerful grip. Roughly, she was shoved against the bars to the spider's cage, and Nix forced the otterwife's head through the space between the bars.

Holding her there, Nix kicked the bars.

"No. No no no!" Minerva squirmed against the marten's grip as the spider began to wake. Bessie cocked its head at the otter pressed slightly through the bars, and then, lunged forward.

Nix pulled Minerva back just as the spider crashed into the bars. Long, spear-like legs struck out from between them as the creature hissed in rage at the denied meal.

The marteness casted her aside roughly as she panted with rage. Turning towards her, she clenched her teeth at the beaten otterwife.  "Don't you dare, ever, affiliate me with those beasts again. Do you hear me?"

Minerva nodded frantically. "But- but ye said... and ye knew the cipher. I thought ye might be..."

"A member? Do you know what would happen if Nire even suspected I might be a member?" Nix asked. "It wouldn't be me who would be punished. It would be Marik, your daughter, and every other child he watches over in this Vulpuz-forsaken place! Their lives are not mine to gamble with. As for the cipher, I'm not bloody deaf. You think I don't notice when slaves and guards talk nonsense?"

"But, you could save him. Isn't that what ye want?" Minerva asked. "Hellgates, ye're next t' Nire nearly every time I see ye. Why don't ye just kill him? Then ye can leave with yer son."

"And if I do, then what? Somebeast will just replace Nire, somebeast possibly worse, like Blasio Timberfell," she said in disgust. "What if whoever replaces Nire says that there shouldn't be any children in the Crater? What if he thinks beasts shouldn't be allowed to go free, or that smaller beasts don't make good fighters and should be killed on the spot? What if they think only woodlanders should be made slaves, or vermin? If there's one thing Nire does do, it's that he gives everybeast a chance. It doesn't matter who they are, he gives them a choice to pick up a sword and fight."

"And yet ye've cast it aside," Minerva said. "Ye're more willin' t' parade with a caravan for Nire and bring more innocent beasts t' die in his games, then fight t' save yer son. Ye're nothin' but a bleedin' coward."

"Aye! I am! And so are you," Nix spat. At a look from Minerva, the marteness continued. "I know all about what Nire's making you do. You'd rather sacrifice everybeast here than risk your daughter."

Heat flushed in Minerva's cheeks. "I don't have a choice."

"Of course you do. Everybeast has a choice. You could lie or you could tell Nire what he wants. You could save FTN and bring the Crater crumbling down, or you could save your daughter. Nire won't give you her freedom, but at least then you can watch her grow up... just with a collar around her neck," Nix said. "I made my choice. And I know which one you'll make too. How? Because I know you. You're just a wife who lost her husband, whose child is your sole purpose for even living. Without her, you have nothing. You are nothing. And soon, you'll be wearing a blue uniform, just like me."

"You don't know me," Minerva spat.

"Then prove me wrong. Lie. Take that risk," Nix said. "Just leave me and my son out of it."

Without a word, Nix turned and left the Monster alone.