Finding Monsters (7 page)

Missy tried again, this time with vorac
i
ty.

“Better,” The Devil said. “You are small and agile; your movements should be quick. You only block when I throw a punch but you should move faster. Strike your opp
o
nent if you get the chance, block when you need. Again.” The Devil aimed several blows at Missy’s head. She blocked using short a
c
curate strokes. She managed two hits in the process, one made The Devil wince. “Good! Again, try to knock me down.”

She tried, but he stood rooted in place. He had one foot planted at all times even as she circled and inflicted blow after blow upon him. “I can’t.” Missy panted.

Elyen came forward and pulled the girl away to rest. She handed her a goblet of cool water, then went over to The Devil. “You are being too hard on her, Vrag,” she said, her eyes bur
n
ing into his. “She’s so young, too young to fight against you or anyone else.”

“She will learn, Elyen, or she will die. Which would you prefer?” he asked.

Elyen couldn’t keep the tears from pooling in her large eyes. She nodded then returned to the sideline as Missy r
e
turned to her training.

“Again!” Vrag bellowed.

They practiced for hours. Missy learned and adapted strategies to use against larger opponents. She even succeeded in knocking The Devil off his feet, once. Missy limped back to her room with Elyen lea
d
ing her. They entered, and Missy all but collapsed on the bed. The doe offered the girl a thick liquid to drink.

“It will help you sleep and relieve the pain,” Elyen said as she probed the girl for injuries. She healed a cracked rib and seve
r
al nasty bruises. “Rest, dear one,” she said as she kissed Missy’s forehead, placing the furs over her body.

The sun was shining long before Ginger woke Missy. She rose wordlessly and fo
l
lowed Ginger to the bathing room. She sat in a warm pool not focusing on the task. Ginger washed her back and shoulders and then urged Missy to finish up. Snapping back to reality, Missy washed and clothed herself in a clean white tunic with dark le
g
gings. The pain in her chest was strong this morning. Missy, slow to understand its signifi
c
ance, was brought up short when the memory emerged through the haze.

“Where’s Charlie?” she asked. Quickening her pace, she hurried back to the room. Sir Alastaire, ready to leave, stood waiting. “Where’s Charlie?” she asked again. Sir Alastaire looked pained. He walked over to Missy and took her hand in his.

“He had to go home, girl.”

She remembered the way he fought to get to her. “Is he ok?” she asked, a tremble in her voice.

“We don’t know. Let’s go, child,” he said. Alastaire and Ginger left the room with Missy automatically following. Elyen stood waiting as they neared the fighting chamber.

“The Devil would like to see you before you leave,” she said, gesturing for them to follow. As they entered the chamber, the crowd cheered on the latest contender. Vrag saw the new comers and made short order of the current challenger, a hyena, who at present was no longer laughing. As the attendants ca
r
ried the whining animal away, Vrag caught sight of Missy and motioned her to come forth. The crowd parted as she made her way to the center of the circle.

“Ready to try again, human?” he asked.

Missy readied her staff as The Devil did the same.

“If you can knock me down, I will give you what you seek,” he said. Without wai
t
ing, he attacked. Missy used swift, vicious strokes to deflect The Devil’s blows. She struck him se
v
eral times as she blocked. Then she was on the offensive, mo
v
ing and striking in short, swift movements. The crowd cheered and egged her on as she fought. Her blows were hard and exact. The Devil’s swings were vicious. She knew from the night’s e
x
ercise that he would injure her if he hit her. He would not give her an easy victory; she would have to earn it. Vrag tried to keep his feet planted but Missy forced him backwards. She fought unrelenting and soon he stumbled several more steps. Missy saw her chance and increased her attack u
n
til she was able to use his momentum to topple him. With one quick move, she blocked his staff and threw her shoulder i
n
to The Devil. Using her staff, she swept his legs, sen
d
ing him sprawling to the floor. The crowd erupted in cheers, the loudest shouts coming from Sir Alastaire. The Devil got to his feet and moved forward until he stood inches away.

Raising his massive paws, palms out he said, “Strike.”

Missy punched his outstretched palms one then the other.

“Again, harder,” he said. She complied.

“Again, harder.” She squared her stance and did as he asked. The Devil no
d
ded.

“You already have courage and determination, but you need strength to become a monster,” Vrag said. Reaching out, he took Missy’s hands in his. The familiar blue light shone from them. It enveloped Missy and she felt the warm comfort it a
l
ways brought. As the light faded, she felt no different. Raising his paws, Vrag instructed her again. “Strike as hard as you can.”

Missy concentrated and hit his right hand. Vrag staggered backwards from the blow.

“Again, harder,” he said. Feeling the power sur
g
ing, Missy hit his left hand as hard as she could, sen
d
ing The Devil around and to the ground. He rose and walked forward.

When he was close, Missy bowed respectfully. “Thank you,” she said.

Vrag leaned forward and whispered. “Your next challenge will not be so easy. You must fight not with strength, but with inte
l
ligence and wisdom.

“Yes, sir,” Missy said.

Vrag went on to detail the next challenge in Mi
s
sy’s quest to become a monster. As she left, what could only be described as a smile, played at the corners of his mouth. Elyen caught a glimpse of it just before it flickered away, and The Devil growled for his next challenger.

M
issy and her companions reached the outer door to The Devil’s dwelling. A small, mouse-like se
r
vant waited for them.

“Your winnings, My Lady,” he said as he handed a pouch to Missy.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Gold, of course.”

Missy smiled, relieved she would be able to keep her promise to the troll. They headed south toward the squirrels’ new home. As they neared it, something o
c
curred to Missy.

“Sir Alastaire, why did you help me in my quest? You didn’t need the help moving to your new home, did you?”

Ginger gave her husband a soft smile then walked ahead. Sir Alastaire glanced at Missy and sighed.

“I haven’t always been a fighter, girl. I was like most squirrels; skittish, nervous, quick to run away and hide at the slightest scent of danger. Then it happened one day, Ginger and I were gathering nuts. I wasn’t paying attention as I should have, and two hyenas a
t
tacked us. We ran, of course, but they were too close; we had no escape. Even at full height, we couldn’t fight them. It was only by chance, Atian happened u
p
on us. But by then we were pinned and bleeding badly. Atian drove away the hyenas and took us back to the Bullclan territ
o
ry where we were taken care of.” Sir Alastaire trailed off. He sighed and continued, “I feared for her,” Sir Alastaire said as he watched Ginger reach their tree and ascend. “I promised myself that if she pulled through, she would never have to be afraid again. So Atian trained me to fight. My repayment to him was to help someone else,” he smiled over at Missy, “and you def
i
nitely needed my help.”

“I’m so glad you helped me, Sir Alastaire. I shall never forget it,” she said, laying a hand on his arm as they reached the tree.

“Take care of yourself, girl,” Sir Alastaire said. Ginger scurried down the tree, grew as big as she could, and gave Missy a large hug.

“Thank you both for your help,” Missy said, sad to be leaving them.

“You’ll see us again soon enough, girl. Now go, before it gets dark,” Sir Alastaire said. Ginger wiped escaping tears from her eyes as Missy turned and ran toward the bridge. Sir Alastaire hugged his wife and kissed her before they went up and into their new home.

Missy ran. She had never been able to run before, but now her strength had been magnified by The D
e
vil’s gift. She wasn’t tired even after running several miles. She couldn’t co
n
tain her excitement. Charlie must feel better and stronger now that she was also stronger. She saw the bridge and slowed as she a
p
proached it.

A group of caped travelers were already crossing it. The troll had his hand out for payment but they ignored it. The tal
l
est of the travelers growled and a
t
tacked the troll, knocking his club away with ease. The others laughed as they pushed past the troll and made their way across the bridge without paying.

When they were out of sight, Missy continued t
o
ward the bridge. The troll watched as she approached. Missy walked up, and with a big smile on her face, handed the troll the pouch. “As promised, gold.”

The troll looked at her in astonishment, and then peered into the bag. He pulled two coins from the pouch before han
d
ing the rest back to Missy.

“You kept promise. Most do not. You not like most,” the troll said.

“I always try to keep my promises. I saw the other trave
l
ers. Do you ever get paid for guarding the bridge?” she asked.

He looked away and shook his head. “I am small,” he said, frowning. “My brothers will not be happy. If I do not collect my share of gold, they will not give me meat.”

Missy’s heart ached for the troll. He stood at least a foot taller than her and was probably twice as strong. She could tell that a little confidence, a few pointers, and a li
t
tle luck were all he really needed.

“I’m small too, but I can teach you how to defend your bridge.”

“You will help me?” he asked, suspicious of her now.

“Yes, The Devil and Sir Alastaire Henry helped me. It’s o
n
ly fair that I help you. What’s your name, troll?” she asked.

“Belinak,” he said.

The troll scratched his arm and followed Missy from the bridge. She demonstrated a few quick movements, repeating some of Vrag’s midnight le
s
sons. The troll watched eagerly and soon trusted her enough to let her teach him. He learned quic
k
ly, and within two hours, he moved with faster, leaner swings than before.

The sound of another traveler rustled through the woods. Turning, they saw a badger coming toward them. Missy reco
g
nized him from his fight with Vrag. Belinak went to the center of the bridge and waited. When the badger tried to cross wit
h
out pa
y
ing, Belinak stopped him.

“Must pay gold to pass,” Belinak said.

“Out of my way, runt,” the badger said as he tried to muscle his way past. Belinak pointed his club at the badger’s chest.

“Must pay gold.”

The badger swatted the club away. Belinak smashed the tip of the massive club down on the badger’s paw then jumped back. The badger howled in pain and pulled his staff to the ready. He swung wildly at the troll but never hit his mark. B
e
linak blocked the staff. He bellowed a maddening war cry and snarled at the badger who jumped back in alarm. Belinak snatched the staff from the bewildered badger and, swinging both we
a
pons, advanced on his foe, knocking him to the ground and pinning him with his own staff.

“Must pay gold,” he said with more heat this time.

The badger threw his hands up in surrender and fished out two gold coins from his money pouch.

“Thank you,” Belinak said, as he took the gold and helped the badger to his feet. He handed the staff back and stood aside to let the badger pass. The bad
g
er ran limping from the bridge, down the path, and was soon out of sight.

Missy applauded as she came from behind a tree, co
n
gratulating the troll. “That was great, Belinak. There will be plenty of meat for you tonight,” she said.

“Stay. I will share meat,” he said.

“I’d love to, but I must go before it gets too late. Maybe next time. Goodbye,” she said as she hurried away from the bridge. The little troll flashed a crooked smile and waved goo
d
bye.