Heart of a Monster

“Mngh… ohhh…” Aridean moaned. Despite having just woken up, she felt like she needed to go back to sleep. Not only did she feel some pain in her leg and arm, but her head felt like it was about to split in two. She decided five more minutes would be alright before realizing something important: was she not just about to be killed by strangely hostile wolves? How is it that she is, presumably, still alive after that encounter? Aridean’s eyes slowly opened upon considering her situation. What she saw was darkness overhead lit by many, many stars and one dimly lit moon. There was a dim light somewhere behind her, but she could not crane her neck to see the source. Strangely, the stars seemed to be moving, if slowly. She also felt the ground beneath her rocking and, on occasion, seemingly jumping. Too worn out from her encounter, she merely looked around from her laying down position. Short, wooden walls on both sides and the ‘ground’ beneath her was also wooden too. Aridean surmised she must be riding in a wagon. Further, she took note that she was covered in a blanket and was using a folded towel for a pillow. Aridean needed a minute to take notice that there were people speaking nearby.

“… just glad we were able to catch up to her in time. All those bites must hurt, especially on her tail. You’ll never know just how tender these things are, Captain. It’s a shame, she’s got a nice tail,” spoke one voice, it seemed to belong to a man. Someone snorted and another snickered after the first man’s comments.

“What? What’s so funny?” the same voice asked.

“Oh, nothing. But I bet she’d love to hear that you think she has a nice tail end,” answered another man’s voice as a woman began to softly laugh.

“Huh? Oh… oh! Hey! You know I didn’t mean it like that! Ugh, it’s every time I bring up a girl with you, Captain! Rana! Stop laughing, c’mon,” came the first man’s voice again, complaining. Despite the man’s complaints, the laughter did not cease.

Without thinking, Aridean, still trying to fully wake up, spoke, “Where… am I?”

“Hey, Rana. Rana! I think she’s waking up,” the first man’s voice came from somewhere in the dark. It seemed that Aridean had been made someone’s guest while she was unconscious.

“If she is, then leave her be. I’d imagine she’d like a moment or two to gather herself after an evening like that,” spoke a feminine voice, presumably belonging to this ‘Rana.’

“You sure? You don’t think maybe she needs some water or something? I can take care of that,” came the man’s voice again.

“Just let him do what he wants, it’s what he’s going to do regardless of what you say,” came the other man’s voice.

“Fine, fine. But when she starts snapping at you, I told you to leave her be,” Rana responded. After finishing her statement, some movement could be heard somewhere behind Aridean as she tried to sit up from her spot in the wagon.

“Ahh… ow,” Aridean quietly groaned; it seemed that the pain she felt in her arm and leg were a bit more than just some aching. Just trying to sit up was a bit of a challenge as her arm felt like it was about to break when she applied any amount of pressure to it. Having removed her arm from under the covers, she noticed that someone had dressed her wounds for her. Although she did not see it, Aridean could feel her leg was wrapped snuggly in bandages as well. Further, she felt something wrapped around her torso and the shoulder that the wolf had bitten into. Aridean could even feel her tail wrapped where it had been bitten.

“Hey, take it easy, you’re okay now. I mean, a bit tore up, but you’ll be fine. Rana knows how to take care of wounds like this easy,” the man’s voice came, clearly directed at Aridean. Aridean, having finally sat up, began to rub her head. She found that she had a bit of a lump from where she had struck the stone that knocked her out. Just touching the lump also made her feel sore, so she stopped and turned to look upon the man who was coming to check up on her. Aridean let out a short, quiet gasp when she took note of who her rescuer was. The man that was approaching her was another minotaur, in fact, it seemed to be the same minotaur that she met at Mutt’s Tavern a few days prior. Aridean’s face froze with an expression that relayed shock and uneasiness to her savior.

“Uh… are you alright? Uh, well, I guess you’re probably a bit confused about where you are and maybe how you got here,” the minotaur spoke. “So, you’ve been out cold for a few hours now. A pack of wolves jumped you and I’m pretty sure they were going to eat you if we hadn’t stepped in.”

Aridean’s eyes only seemed to grow wider as the minotaur spoke to her. She had pushed herself into a corner of the wagon, curling her legs into a fetal position. No words could escape Aridean’s mouth, rather the sounds of deep breaths were all that came from her throat. Her rescuer looked at her with a bit of confusion as he waited to see if Aridean would speak to him.

“Um… could I interest you in some water or perhaps something to eat? What? Is there something on my face?” the minotaur spoke, hoping to elicit any response from his guest.

“Perhaps you should slow down and introduce yourself first. She just woke up in someone’s wagon under moonlight somewhere unknown and going elsewhere unknown. To her, we’re just a bunch of strangers, you know,” the feminine voice came from the front of the wagon. Looking beyond the minotaur before her, Aridean could see two more figures in the front seat of the wagon, one of which also had horns. Aridean felt uneasy; her head felt like it was splitting open from where she had hit it and she felt the urge to vomit.

“Oh, right. Well, my name’s Vidor Stonehoof, it’s a pleasure meeting you. I’m joined by my sister, Rana, and our captain, Bryn Smithson. We heard you screaming back in the forest and found you just in time to stop those wolves. Well… not before they could rip you up a bit; sorry we didn’t find you sooner. But don’t worry! Rana knows first aid and practices healing magics; she’ll get you fixed up right as rain when we get back… Oh! No, no! Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking when she was wrapping your back,” the minotaur said, Aridean’s expression never changing.

“Wasn’t looking much,” came the other man’s voice, presumably this Bryn’s. Rana chuckled a little at the man’s tease. Vidor had turned back around to look at his captain with an annoyed expression. However, the captain did not look back at Vidor as he kept his eyes firmly on the dirt path the wagon was rolling down.

Captain? The only other person here doesn’t have horns… so their ‘captain’ isn’t a minotaur? Who are these guys? What exactly were they doing in the forest? And just where are we going now? I’ve got a bad feeling about this… Aridean pondered, worried about the relationship between the band that had saved her and her current predicament. Despite the introduction, Vidor could see that Aridean was not budging. He turned his back to Aridean as he reached into a bag sitting atop a small wooden chest near the other two strangers at the front of the wagon. From the bag, Vidor pulled a water canteen and some bread, both of which were offered to Aridean. Hesitant, Aridean slowly reached for the canteen. Vidor gave a small smile as Aridean’s fingers touched the canteen.

“Oh… oh no,” Aridean quietly spoke, quickly retracting her fingers from the canteen. She covered her mouth as the sheet covering her fell to the floor of the wagon. Underneath the sheet, Aridean was still wearing the pants she had set out in, but she was not dressed in a shirt and was covered solely by the bandages that Rana had wrapped her in. Fortunately, Rana had done a thorough job in covering Aridean, but it would not keep Vidor from staring.

“Oh, uhm… y-you alright?” Vidor asked, his smile had been replaced with a confused expression and he was visibly trying, and failing, to avert his eyes. Rather than answer him, Aridean quickly turned her back to him and leaned over the railing of the wagon. Quick motions in both her injured arm and leg caused considerable discomfort, but she had to turn over quickly. With her head outside the wagon and several feet above the ground, she began to vomit. After having learned what the retching sounds were, the two strangers in the front of the wagon gave a quiet chuckle.

“Oh… well, it’s here for you when you’re done,” Vidor said with a nervous smile as Aridean continued retching over the side of the wagon. After she was finished purging the remaining contents of her stomach, Aridean simply fell limp over the railing of the wagon. Feeling drained, she watched as her hand swayed side to side in the air above the ground. A long glob of drool hung from her lower lip. Aridean did not have the strength to clean it up at the moment, so the drool just swung above the ground like her arm before finally dropping. Perhaps not the most pleasant of introductions on her part, but she could not help but feel so much better with it out of her system.

“So that’s the effect your brother has on women, huh? Quite the charmer that one,” the other man’s voice joked from the front of the wagon. Rana could be heard laughing again whereas Vidor seemed to take offense.

“Hey, I heard that, you know. I’m not trying to be a creep or anything! Ugh, this is so unfair,” Vidor replied in response to the teasing from his captain. In order to back up his statement, Vidor had effectively turned his head away from Aridean.

“Ugh, gross,” Aridean complained as she started to lift herself back up into the wagon. Her arms felt a bit weak as she pushed off the wagon railing, but she managed to get herself back up from her slumping position. Once she was comfortably reseated in the back of the wagon and recovered in her sheet, Vidor again offered her the canteen and bread. She took the offerings with a little less hesitation than she showed during the first attempt. Aridean unscrewed the cap on the canteen and proceeded to take a large swig of cold water before biting into the bread. Although the bread clearly was not fresh, it still went a long way with Aridean after having cleared her stomach; she really wanted the vile taste she had in her mouth removed. She finished her bread and had another gulp of water from the canteen before returning it to Vidor.

“Thank you,” Aridean said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Vidor gave her another friendly smile before turning to put the canteen back in its bag. Despite the friendly atmosphere she was in, Aridean still could not help but feel uneasy. Wolves had just tried to eat her alive, but now she’s woken up in the back of a wagon headed for an unknown destination and was surrounded by three strangers. Something about the situation seemed a bit off, but for other reasons than the obvious.

“If you’re up to it, why don’t you tell us your name or what you were doing out there by yourself? I mean, no rush or anything. If you prefer to just go back to sleep, that’s fine too,” Vidor said, turning back to Aridean. Another hunk of bread was in his hand, this one he proceeded to eat himself.

“I… uhm… well,” Aridean began, but could not figure out how to start. Frankly, she was not even sure if she wanted to answer. As Aridean stammered, she began to hang her head low; all she could see was the wooden floor of the wagon between her legs.

“Vidor, perhaps it’s best if you just let her rest. We should be getting back before daybreak. You can ask her about her story then,” Rana’s voice came from the front of the wagon. Vidor turned to look at the third minotaur as she spoke and huffed, seemingly disappointed. Clearly, that was not what he wanted to hear, but it seemed that he agreed to do as his sister said.

“Okay, you’re probably right,” Vidor spoke as he finished his hunk of bread.

“M-my name is Aridean Gray,” Aridean said, unable to look Vidor in the eyes. Despite the environment she grew up in, Aridean hated nothing more than being rude to others and given these people saved her life she felt she owed them this much. “I-I was traveling east… I-I’ve… got business out there.”

“Heading out east? On foot? You’ve got a long way to go if that’s the case. What kind of business do you have to take care of out there?” Vidor began questioning with enthusiasm. Technically Aridean had not lied to Vidor, but he seemed particularly interested in hearing more about her ‘business.’ The one thing she did not want to discuss was that the kind trio had just picked up a fugitive from Thellia.

“Gray? That’s an interesting name for a minotaur…” came Bryn’s voice from behind Vidor. Although he had not looked back at Aridean, she could feel he wanted to hear more about how she came about her name. But Aridean did not find the idea of sharing her origin and life with Simon appealing; she’d likely look like a raving lunatic with such a bizarre tale.

“How about we all just leave her be for now? Aridean, do you see any red in your bandages? I’ll change them now that you’re awake if blood has been seeping through. After that, I’ll keep these two off of you so you may rest until we get home,” Rana gently offered. Aridean looked over her bandaged arm and leg but found no red color to them. While the wounds underneath the dressings still stung somewhat, she was more concerned with the lump on her head that was giving her a massive headache. A bumpy road and the occasional jostle of the wagon was not doing her any favors either.

“Th-the bandages are fine, thank you,” Aridean called to Rana, who had only just turned to look at her. Rana was an almost fully black furred minotaur like her brother. She, too, had a patch of white fur across the bridge of her snout. But unlike Vidor, Rana also had white crescents surrounding her bright, green eyes; like quarter moons wrapping around small Earths. Her horns were just a few centimeters shorter than Vidor’s and she was dressed in a linen dress of sorts with some peculiar, purple pattern sewn into the fabric. Her lower body was obscured from Aridean’s vision as she sat behind the wagon railing in the front passenger seat beside Bryn. Bryn himself wore a small, plumed hat atop a head of wavy, black hair. He was also wearing a leather tunic with a white, cotton shirt underneath. However, Aridean could not discern his race from the back of his head. Obviously, Bryn was not a minotaur, but he was also too tall to be a dwarf. The only other races that fit would be elf, human, or half-elf.

Why would any of those races associate with a minotaur? What’s the deal with him? Just who exactly saved me from those wolves and what am I getting into now? Aridean thought to herself, concerned yet curious. Jean, Simon, and Finn were about all the humans that had ever treated Aridean, a minotaur, with any degree of kindness. All other humans looked at her as though she was a criminal in stocks walking through the village. Every elf Aridean had ever met while working in Mutt’s Tavern was too stuck up to give even humans the time of day. That said, the elves had rarely ever registered Aridean’s presence despite serving them their meals. Aridean settled on guessing that Bryn might be a half-elf; she had never met one but had heard they were somewhat distanced from both full-blooded humans and elves. Perhaps a half-elf could relate to the sort of treatment that humans and elves show minotaurs?

“Alright then, if your bandages are still fine, perhaps you would like to lie back down for a little while? You hit your head pretty bad, and I can’t imagine the wagon ride is helping with any lingering headache. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?” Rana said with a kind and soft voice. Her tone was sweet but also exuded an air of ‘do-as-I-say’ which compelled Aridean to simply nod and agree that lying back down for some rest would be best.

“Oh, Aridean, before I leave you alone: what are you going to do when we get home? Are you sure about heading east when you may run into more trouble like that? Some of the northern roads are starting to see more trouble and traveling alone can be dangerous. If you want, we could set you up a place to stay,” Vidor commented as Aridean began to lay her head back on her towel-pillow. It was at this moment, her eyes, just above the wagon floor, noticed the equipment that sat underneath the wagon seats. These people were armed to the teeth and then some! Arranged in neat piles were each of the trio’s gear. The pile nearest to Aridean consisted of a large, metal shield and hand axe, the size of which suggested that it would be too small for Rana or Vidor. Their next equipment stash was made up of some kind of brass knuckles that had a large, razor-sharp blade across the knuckles apart from the usual teeth-breaking studs. These ‘knuckles’ sat atop a few old looking books that had clearly seen much use; Aridean could tell that these were spell tomes from the glyphs written on the spines. Aridean did not know much about magic, but Simon had shown her how to identify some basic aspects, such as these tomes.

Aridean felt especially unnerved looking at the final pile of weaponry: a longbow and quiver underneath a small crossbow with its own quiver and multiple large daggers. Whomever this pile belonged to seemed to be equipped well enough to go to war. Aridean, feeling a bit uncomfortable in the company of her hosts now, had not realized that her eyes had gone wide at the sight of the mini-armory under the wagon seats. Aridean had also not realized that Vidor had made a note of her discovery.

“Oh, you saw all that? Okay, yeah, maybe we carry a bit much, but it’s always best to be prepared. Lately, roads have been getting pretty dangerous because of an increase in animal attacks and monster sightings. Don’t worry, we don’t draw any weapons unless we really need to,” Vidor said, trying to alleviate Aridean’s concerns.

Prepared?! What are they preparing for? Even this is a bit much for defending oneself against bandit gangs! There must be something more to this group. Are they going to kill me? I could be in danger now. But why would they have saved me if they just wanted to kill me? I don’t even know where we’re going or how long until we get there. Should I try sneaking away now or wait for my chance at their home? What do I do? Father, what should I do a situation like this? Aridean internally panicked. Although she did not respond to Vidor’s last comment, she had at least managed to give a tired, forced, and awkward smile in an attempt to tell Vidor that she understood their situation. Vidor, seemingly convinced by Aridean’s pitiful smile, returned his own before moving toward the front of the wagon with his sister and captain. Despite not having answered his questions verbally, it seemed that Aridean’s surprise at the weapon stash told Vidor everything he needed to hear about her plans to move east. She realized that she was going to need to revise her strategy in a manner that had not been previously anticipated. Aridean turned on her side, back facing her hosts, as she lay back down.

Well… assuming they didn’t just rescue me from wolves just to kill me themselves and that I will be granted the option of leaving I’m going to need to be prepared for any more trouble like those wolves. Do I need to learn how to use a weapon? But even if I do, I’ve never killed anything before and I don’t want to either. Aridean began considering her options, hopeful that the trio had not just rescued her to endanger her wellbeing themselves. She jolted forward as the wagon must have hit a particularly large rock or bump in the road. Another wave of nausea crashed over her throbbing head.

Ugh, my head hurts… maybe a little more rest would do me good. I’m not in any condition to make any move right now anyway. Aridean thought to herself as she closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep.

Whilst sleeping, Aridean had another dream. This one was not that recurring dream where a knight struck down a female minotaur, but one far more familiar. Aridean stood at the road before Simon’s farm. A bright, beaming sun lit the countryside, save a few patches of shade from some white, fluffy clouds in the sky overhead. Pleasantly warm air circled around Aridean as she looked toward Thellia and then down the road she had been walking for most of a day.

“When… did I get home?” Aridean asked herself as no one was around to hear. Confused, Aridean watched from the road as the barn door opened and Simon emerged. The man was leading the sheep from the barn toward the pasture gate. Aridean watched Simon as he pushed open the gate to the pasture and ushered the obedient flock in. Quickly, the sheep had taken out to the pasture and began to graze on the long grass. Seemingly satisfied, Simon closed the gate back behind the last little lamb that lagged behind the rest of the flock. He then turned and walked to the water well where he splashed his face with some cold water. As he wiped his face clear with his sleeve, Simon looked up to where Aridean was standing. Aridean could make out a rather depressed expression on his face despite the distance between the two.

“F-father,” Aridean called as she began to walk towards the well. Simon turned and walked toward the farmhouse without a sound. Aridean, watching Simon leaving her behind, began to pick up the pace as she chased after him. As she reached the base of the porch steps, Simon had already entered the house. Aridean reached the door but heard the click of the lock sliding into place on the other side of the door.

“F-father, it’s me! Please, let me in,” Aridean called, but heard no response. Simon had not seemed to register her calling out for him. She began to knock on the door as she called for Simon to let her in. Worried, Aridean moved to the window beside the door and looked in to see what her father was doing inside the house without her.

At the kitchen table, Simon sat in silence. He was reading over a letter he held in one hand and taking swigs of alcohol from a flask held in his other hand. Mott was sitting on the table facing Simon but turned to look at Aridean as she peered in from the window.

“Mott! Get father’s attention, get him to let me in! Please,” Aridean shouted to her cat. Strangely, Mott just sat perfectly still on the table. The cat did not dare make a move or sound. Watching Mott for a while, Aridean noticed that her cat had ceased blinking as it just stared at her. Starting to feel a bit scared, Aridean turned her attention back to Simon who was finishing the letter he was reading. Simon’s lips began to move as he balled up the letter with the hand that held it. He tossed the balled-up letter into a trash can, lips still moving; Simon was speaking, but Aridean could not hear a word of what was being said and she was never any good at lip-reading.

Simon leaned his head back and put his flask to his lips. He must have drunk the last of whatever was in the flask as he held it over his head for what felt like a long time. Having finished his drink, Simon dropped the flask on the table beside Mott, who was still silently watching Aridean in the window. At this point, Aridean was starting to hold her breath out of fear; what had become of her father and cat? What exactly was it that she was witnessing?

Simon reached into his shirt for something. Aridean could not quite make out what he was reaching for until she noticed a bright glimmer from around Simon’s neck. Small chain links around Simon’s neck had produced the familiar glimmer. He had pulled out the locket that she had given him for his birthday. Aridean felt a bit relieved to see that her gift to her father was truly appreciated. Simon looked the locket over, opened it up, and began to move his lips again. When his lips stopped moving again this time, Simon’s grip on the locket tightened to the point that Aridean could see veins on his hand pushing against the skin that covered them. Simon gave a forceful yank to the locket wrapped around his neck, breaking the chain. Whatever relief Aridean had felt seeing her father wearing the locket instantly dissolved as her gift was broken before her eyes. Mott had begun hissing from her perch on the table. Aridean’s faced filled with horror as she watched Simon forcefully throw the locket into the fireplace.

Aridean’s eyes filled with tears as Simon stood from the table and moved to his bedroom. Mott continued to loudly hiss from the table as Aridean began to sob. She could not believe what she just saw; her father, who said he loved the gift, had just thrown it into a fire like it was trash. Knowing she did not want to see anymore, Aridean turned from the window and began to run from the porch. She ran, crying, back down the road she had been traveling the previous day. She ran and ran and ran until she came upon a large tree just off the side of the road. What made her stop was an unsettling sight. From behind the large tree stepped a man clad in a suit of armor. The man held in his right hand a sword that was dripping blood from the blade. Aridean took only a second to recognize the figure before her: it was the knight from her other dream. Lying on the ground behind the knight was the female minotaur he had slain. Aridean fell back in fear as the knight approached, armor clicking with every movement. Slowly, she watched as the sword the knight held was raised over his head, just as he had done in Aridean’s dreams. With a fierce cry, the knight brought his blade down towards Aridean, who tried to shield herself with her hands.

A loud gasp and Aridean was awake again. She quickly looked over her arms and legs to make sure that her dreams had not physically scarred her somehow.

“That… that was too much. Just a dream… just a dream,” Aridean quietly told herself with a sniffle. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she tried processing what it was that her own mind was showing her. Darkened sky still lingering overhead, Aridean lay her head back down as she finally began to calm down.

“Are you alright? You must have had a bad dream, you’ve been tossing and turning for a while now,” came a voice beside Aridean. Eyes wide open again, Aridean took a moment to remember that she was not alone; Rana was sitting beside Aridean with a calm look on her fuzzy face.

“Y-yes, I’m sorry. Everything is fine, just… a bad dream is all,” Aridean replied, though she could still feel her heart racing and she was trying her best to hold back tears.

“Don’t worry, everything is okay now,” Rana spoke with the same soft voice she had used earlier. The minotaur turned and reached into Aridean’s bag that was sitting to her side. Rana pulled out a clean, white shirt which she handed to Aridean. Aridean took the shirt and looked beyond Rana to see that Vidor had also fallen asleep at some point. Bryn was still at the front of the wagon, having a drink from a canteen.

“Don’t mind them, Vidor’s a heavy sleeper and Bryn’s too busy steering the wagon to watch you dress yourself,” Rana said with a smile. With a silent nod, Aridean pushed the blanket off of her and put on the shirt that Rana picked out for her. Despite having Rana take her shirt off to patch up her bleeding back, Aridean had no need for a fresh change of pants as the leg the wolf had bitten was rolled up Aridean’s leg. Since Aridean seemed to be awake, Rana began to speak again, “I’ll understand if you don’t wish to talk, but what were you really doing out there by yourself, Aridean?”

“I… uhm,” Aridean stammered; the perfectly legitimate question had entirely caught her off guard. Hearing Rana speak with her kind, but ‘answer me right now’ tone, Aridean felt like an insect trapped in a venus fly trap. She was not entirely sure how to answer the question, or subtly avoid the subject entirely.

How do I tell her I ran from home because they wanted to imprison me for something I didn’t do? Even if they believe me when I say I didn’t do it, would they really be okay with hearing that I’m running from the law? Aridean’s mind buzzed like a swarm of bees as she desperately thought of a means of avoiding the question.

“Do you really think heading east will solve your problems?” Rana asked, the expression on her face had shifted to a more serious look. Aridean, stunned, just looked at the minotaur after hearing the question.

Solve my problems? Aridean thought to herself. It’s almost as if she—

“We know why you’ve decided to leave that small town; Thellia, right? A shame really, Vidor said the restaurant you served him in served some great sausage,” Rana said, interrupting Aridean’s train of thought. Aridean’s eyes simply went as wide as they could after hearing Rana’s confession.

“Why I left? I really--,” Aridean started, but was cut off as Rana’s bright green eyes began to look directly into her own. As if her very being was cut simply from Rana’s gaze, Aridean just fell into a stunned silence as Rana began speaking again.

“Please, don’t try lying. Vidor’s given me plenty of practice calling out lies over the years and you don’t seem the type to bluff easily. You are Aridean Gray; the adopted, minotaur daughter to the shepherd and former Empire military man, Simon Gray. Both of you have lived in Thellia for nearly seventeen years now,” Rana began as Aridean’s jaw slowly began to drop. “You attended school in Thellia for at least eight years and picked up a job as a waitress at the restaurant called Mutt’s Tavern. You only managed to start working there because the owner owed Simon, who used that favor to allow you a job. Furthermore, despite living just outside the village for years, you’re too afraid to show your face outside that tavern without someone close to you. Does all of that sound about right, Aridean?”

“H-how did y--,” Aridean fumbled over her words as she tried to ask Rana how she knew so much about her life. Only a few people could know all of those facts, it was even less likely that someone from outside of Thellia could know any of it.

“Vidor told me all about you. Your meeting with him in Mutt’s Tavern was not coincidence. I’ll admit that I do not know the specifics beyond that; you may ask him when he wakes up. But for now, I want you to answer me: what will heading east accomplish?” Rana spoke without the kind voice she was using earlier. Rana had become something truly terrifying, yet familiar. She did not sound objectively angry, rather disappointed with Aridean. It took Aridean a moment to realize why Rana seemed so scary: it was just like the time when Simon had found out she was skipping school to avoid the other kids. Simon was dreadfully horrifying that day as he reprimanded and scolded her behavior.

“W-what will it accomplish? I-I hope that it will allow Simon to live peacefully in Thellia again,” Aridean responded, still trying to sort out how Rana, or Vidor for that matter, could know so much about her. These three people were complete strangers to Aridean, but they seemed to know her life story about as well as she did herself.

“Really? That’s noble of you, but what does that accomplish for you, Aridean?” Rana asked, her determined and resolute stare never having faltered. Aridean felt more and more uneasy by the questioning and the authoritative tone Rana was using.

“F-for me? What does that matter? I’m doing this for Simon,” Aridean replied, uncertainty and shakiness in her voice. Upon hearing her answer, Rana proceeded to fold her arms over her chest and grunted. Clearly, that was not the answer Rana wanted to hear.

“It does matter, Aridean. What if you couldn’t even find the life you’re looking for out there? Did you even consider what may become of you if you did make it? Was your goal when you left Thellia not to reach any of the towns out east at all? Was your goal to die in the Konarch Forest as a meal for some rabid animals all along?” Rana snapped as Aridean curled up in the corner of the wagon she was sitting in, hugging her legs tighter and tighter as Rana berated her actions.

“I-I-I was scared,” Aridean responded, unable to look Rana in her eyes any longer. “I felt trapped, cornered. It was like being locked in a dark room with no doors, just a single window. I didn’t care if the glass cut me on the way out, I didn’t care how far down I fell; I needed to get out. I just wanted to escape… escape from a town that had never welcomed me to begin with… and all the lies.”

Aridean’s face grew hot, and she could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes again. She quietly began to sob into her hands as Rana let out a loud sigh. Rana seemed a bit upset after seeing Aridean start to cry. Gently, Rana grabbed the blanket that Aridean had been sleeping under and slowly wrapped Aridean in it. Now sitting beside Aridean, Rana wrapped her arms around the sobbing minotaur. The two sat in the back of the wagon for a while as Aridean calmed down in Rana’s arms. Bryn had turned to see what the commotion was from his seat at the front of the wagon, but upon registering that Rana had things under control, returned his focus to the road. Vidor, somehow able to sleep through Rana’s scolding, simply shuffled a bit and was quietly snoring.

“Aridean, I’m not about to lie to you. I’ll never get the chance to experience exactly what it was you had to put up with. I’ll never understand exactly how much it must hurt you to have had to constantly suffer the abuse and hatred. But I’m a minotaur, too. I know it’s hard to live out here in this day and age. I’ve suffered my share of prejudice from people who would condemn me for just being born. I’m doing everything I can to keep Vidor from having to see what you have, but I can’t protect him from it forever,” Rana spoke with the gentle tone she used earlier again. “I can tell you that we know your background, but we don’t know you as an individual. That said, I’m sure you’re a smart one who just made a lapse in judgement when you decided to run. Everyone makes mistakes, but whatever comes next for you, please, just think it through. Think about how your decision affects you just as much as you considered others.”

Aridean’s crying had mostly subsided by the end of Rana’s lesson. Although she did not reciprocate the hug that Rana was giving her, Aridean thought to herself how gentle Rana was despite housing the overwhelming strength of a minotaur in her black furred arms. Finally quiet again, Aridean wondered if this is what having a big sister was like. Despite the comforting atmosphere that Rana had shrouded Aridean in, Aridean still felt disturbed because of the one question on her mind. Normally, Aridean would not ask something that she feared would be offensive, but the uneasiness began to gnaw at her until she finally decided she would speak her mind.

“Rana, why do you act like you care about what happens to some stranger like me?” Aridean asked with a sniffle. Though her hands no longer covered her face, she was still unable to look Rana in her eyes.

“We may be strangers now, but I would like to think that we could be good friends. We wouldn’t have that chance if we left you in the forest, would we? There’s a lot more to it than just that, of course. But I’ll just say that I’m sure we’re a lot more alike than you might think, Aridean,” Rana answered with a smile on her face.

“F-friends? Y-yeah…” Aridean nervously responded, all she could think of was the one friend she had left behind. “Rana, could I ask one more thing? Why were you guys following me?”

That figure I saw the other day in the pasture and then the broken branch back in the forest just before those wolves appeared… those had to be one of these minotaurs, Aridean thought to herself. Rana began to giggle, her quiet laughter slowly evolved into a vocal chuckle.

“Aha! Ha, ha, ha, ha! Heh, so you noticed? Vidor’s trained for a while to master tracking and hunting, but subtlety is simply beyond him,” Rana replied with a short laugh, she also finally removed her arms from around Aridean. “We were following you because we wanted to ask you something.”

“What? What would you want to ask a minotaur-farm-girl?” Aridean asked, uncertain as to why on earth the group would be looking for her for anything.

“Well, Vidor wanted to be the one who talked to you about it. That said, I’m glad we had this chance to talk,” Rana responded, not answering the question. Now that Aridean had finally calmed down, Rana got up and returned to the front of the wagon with Bryn who pointed out that the sun was starting to come up. Aridean took the moment to look out to the sunrise over the horizon; a bright orange began to slowly creep its way across the land and trees that Aridean could see.

“Vidor, time to wake up, we’re home,” Bryn called from the front of the wagon. Aridean saw Vidor stir a little and groan as he repositioned himself; seems he liked to sleep in just as much as she did. Vidor did mumble a bit, something about wanting just another few minutes of shut eye, but Aridean could not entirely make out what it was he had complained about. After watching the sleeping minotaur ignore his wake-up call, Aridean fixed her gaze ahead of the wagon to see another dense forest.

Home? I don’t see a house or anything. What are we doing way out here? Wait, where is ‘here’ exactly? Aridean began to ponder. It only just occurred to Aridean that she had no idea where the wagon had taken her as she had lost consciousness deep in the Konarch Forest and woke up on a country road. Without hesitation, she grabbed her bag and began sifting through the contents until she found her heavily annotated map.

Position of the sun tells me we have been traveling north, perhaps a little eastward… I don’t see anything that may tell me where we are. How far did we travel while I was asleep? Aridean thought to herself, a bit too nervous to ask.

“You can put that map away, Aridean. You won’t find this on there,” Rana said, having turned to see Aridean studying her map. Aridean looked up from her map to see that Bryn had stopped the wagon and Rana was stepping down from her front seat.

“Rana has the key to the house; she’ll just need a moment,” Bryn said, finally revealing his face to Aridean. He had dark blue eyes, a small scar across his nose, and a friendly smile surrounded by a goatee of black hair. Aridean wondered what he meant by key as there was no keyhole on the dirt road or on any of the trees before the wagon. It was not until Rana waved her hand with a bright green glow surrounding it that Aridean understood it was a metaphor.

Before her widening eyes, Rana had channeled magic that caused the dirt path to split horizontally a little longer than the width of the road in front of the horses drawing the wagon. Aridean’s jaw visibly dropped at the sight; it was her first-time witnessing magic in action, and she was having a hard time believing what she saw. As Aridean gaped in awe of the magical prowess, Rana then raised her same hand which still glowed a bright green color. This time, the road on the opposite side of the split raised from the ground to reveal a tunnel just as wide as the road that had been magically buried. Walls of the tunnel appeared to be smoothed out and were lit by torches on either side. Once the rumble of the moving earth had ceased, Rana gave a quick exhale before examining her handiwork. She then returned to her seat in the wagon.

“I really should practice this more, but we’re good to go now,” Rana said, sounding a bit upset with her use of magic. Aridean, still in awe, could not even begin to ask what part of her casting needed any work.

Wh-what was that?! Why does their front door need to be hidden underground?! What are they doing living underground? Wait, do they actually live underground? Aridean’s mind began buzzing with questions concerning the reasoning for magic being the key to opening the strange group’s home. However, still stunned by the display, Aridean could not ask any of the questions that filled her head.

“Nicely done, Rana. Aridean, could you make sure that Vidor actually wakes up? We’ve a report to give and he’s not about to sleep the day away in the wagon again,” Bryn said, sounding a touch annoyed that Vidor was still sleeping in the back. He then whipped the horses pulling the wagon to start moving again, into the secret underground tunnel.

“Oh, uhm, yes,” Aridean responded after the initial awe of Rana’s magical exhibition wore off. Given her task, Aridean turned around to see Vidor on the wagon floor, eyes still shut. Hesitantly, Aridean reached for Vidor’s shoulder to shake him awake.

“I’m up, you don’t have to bother,” Vidor said with his eyes still shut. Aridean jerked her hand back, startled. Vidor then gave a long yawn as he began to sit up right.

“G-good morning,” Aridean spoke, nervously. As she greeted the minotaur, the wagon began to enter the underground tunnel; Aridean examined the smooth, rock walls surrounding the group. Once the wagon had fully entered the tunnel, Bryn stopped the horses and Rana got down from the wagon again.

“Morning! You sleep well? The wagon isn’t the best bed, but I hope you didn’t have too much trouble sleeping,” Vidor said, finally opening his eyes. As he spoke, he went for the bag he seemed to keep rations in. From the bag, he pulled out a different canteen from the one he had offered Aridean previously and began to drink from it. Aridean saw Rana walking to the back of the wagon where her hand had begun to emit a bright, green glow again. Waving her hand, Rana was closing the tunnel with her magic. The wagon beneath the group shook as Rana moved the entire tunnel back underneath the ground. After the shaking ended, Rana returned to the front of the wagon and Bryn ordered the horses move further into the torch-lit tunnel.

“I-I slept fine, I don’t have a problem sleeping on… firm mattresses,” Aridean said, thinking back to how often she would sleep on the wooden floor of the barn loft at home. Thinking about it, she probably used the barn loft more often than her own bed. As she finished answering Vidor, he had offered the canteen from before to Aridean. Aridean accepted the canteen and had a few gulps of cool water before returning it to Vidor.

“Well, that’s good news,” Vidor responded with a short chuckle. He then looked at Aridean for a moment before the smile on his face faded, “Oh boy, you still have a bit of a lump on your head… hope that doesn’t hurt too much.”

Upon hearing this, Aridean gently reached for her head and began to rub the area around the bump on her head. While it was not massively painful, Aridean did feel a bit of discomfort when pressure was applied to the bump. Aridean spoke, “I-it’s not too bad, but I hope it heals soon… ow.”

“We’ll get someone to check you out after we get you settled in. In the meantime, I’m guessing Rana’s already spoken to you; about me wanting to speak with you,” Vidor said, his carefree smile had been altered into a more sympathetic expression. Aridean looked at him with a quizzical expression on her face. She understood what Vidor was talking about, but she still could not fathom what it was the group came to her for. Although no one was speaking, silence was disrupted by the creaking wagon and tread of horses pulling said wagon.

“Well… yes, she did. She mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something, but I have no idea what you would want to ask me. Y-you’re… not about to tell me that you guys are kidnapping me or something, right?” Aridean asked, worried by Vidor’s nonchalant attitude. Several reasons the group may have picked up Aridean crossed her mind: kidnapping, slaving, or even bounty hunting for Thellia. None of those sounded ideal, but Aridean could not picture an ideal outcome for her.

“What? No! You really think we were going to save you from wolves just to kidnap you? Look, what we want to ask you isn’t going to affect your freedom or anything. You’re free to say no and move on, but we would like you to consider our offer,” Vidor said, trying to calm Aridean down. “I’m sure you’ve probably already guessed that something was off with a group of two minotaurs and a human traveling together. You probably thought it stranger that the minotaurs referred to the human as their captain.”

“He’s… human?” Aridean said, slowly turning to look at Bryn in the front seat of the wagon. It was as she turned she noticed the bright light at the end of the long tunnel the wagon was moving down.

“Ha, you thought I was a half-elf, didn’t you? Sorry, but I’m pure-blood human,” Bryn said with a short laugh, Rana had joined him in laughing. “That means I won the bet, Vidor. You’re paying for dinner on our next assignment.”

“Dammit,” Vidor muttered under his breath with mild annoyance. Aridean had completely lost interest in the two as she looked beyond the wagon and could make out a rather peculiar image beyond the end of the tunnel.

“A-anyways, like I was saying, I’m guessing you probably figured out that we were no ordinary group of travelers. We were hoping you would come with us and maybe join up with us. We’d really like to have you on our side; I’m sure there’s a lot we could do together. But I guess I should probably warn you that we… well… how do I say this?” Vidor rambled as Aridean’s eyes went wide as the wagon exited the tunnel and entered the well-lit area beyond.

“You guys… you’re with the rebellion,” Aridean said trying to take in the sight of her hosts’ home. Aridean found that the group had transported her to an underground settlement with structures made of smooth stone. There were all sorts of inhabitants that Aridean could see going about their business throughout the hidden township; there were mostly dwarves, humans, and minotaurs, but even a few elves scattered about. Their underground base was illuminated by bright, magic orbs that dotted the stone ceiling; seems that the rebels relied on magic to light their home.

“Uhm… well, yes. How did you know?” Vidor asked as Aridean continued trying to process the sudden epiphany.

“C’mon Vidor, she’s a farm-girl, but I doubt she’s stupid. Three strangers, the captain being a human, with enough weaponry to fight a town militia and enough supplies to feed three families saves her from wolves and drags her to their underground home. Either she thinks we’re the most well-equipped band of mercenaries or she pieces together the only other logical conclusion. The whole mercenaries bet is a bit shot with the whole underground HQ anyway,” Bryn answered for Aridean. Bryn continued to drive the wagon to a sort of stable where several other wagons had been parked. Stable hands approached the wagon as Bryn stopped the horses pulling the group’s wagon.

“Welcome back, Captain Smithson. Welcome home, Stonehooves,” spoke one of the stable hands as he began to unhitch the horses from the wagon.

“It’s good to be home,” Rana responded as she descended from the wagon. Bryn also got down from his seat on the wagon and turned to address his squad.

“Alright you two, grab your gear and help the crew here with the clean-up. After things are done here, you’re free to grab some breakfast at the mess. Just make sure you’re prepared to give our report to the General when he’s ready for us,” Bryn commanded as Aridean, still a bit stunned from her discovery, sat silently in the back of the wagon. “Aridean, you’re free to join me or help Rana and Vidor. If you’re coming with me, then let’s be going.”

As Bryn began to walk away from the wagon, the same stable hand that had greeted them looked up to see Aridean sitting in the wagon and spoke, “Oh, you’ve brought a new recruit home? Well, it’s nice to meet you. Welcome to the city of stone, Stonehaven. Not the most imaginative name, but certainly fitting. My name’s Joseph and I manage the stables here.”

Aridean returned a forced, nervous smile but found herself unable to speak despite the friendly atmosphere she found herself in. Nothing about this situation sat right with her. As Bryn said, she had been trying to deduce who the group that had saved her were and members of the rebellion was one possibility that she considered. But having the truth she somewhat hoped had not been true revealed to her left her mind buzzing with questions and concerns.

New recruit?! I can’t let myself get wrapped up in the rebellion! I don’t know how to fight a war and I don’t want to learn how to either! There’s got to be some way to get out of here. If I just ask to leave, would they just let me go? Surely not, I know where their base of operations is now; I’m a liability if they just let me go. What do I do to get out of here and keep moving as far as possible? Aridean began mentally calculating her next move despite an overwhelming paranoia.

“Oh, she’s not a recruit, Joe. Not unless she wants to be anyway,” came Vidor’s voice behind Aridean. Upon hearing this, Aridean turned to see Vidor collecting his weapon stash; turns out he was the one sporting a bow, crossbow, and several daggers. With gear in hand, Vidor jumped down from the wagon, hooves clopping loudly as they hit the stone floor.

“Aridean, could you hand me my books? I forgot to grab them before getting out of the wagon,” Rana asked from the ground. Aridean, still a bit stunned by the predicament she found herself in, shook her head as if to wake herself up from a dream before quickly collecting Rana’s magical tomes. One at a time, Aridean passed the old books to the minotaur sorceress who then stored them in a backpack. Aridean also correctly assumed that the brass knuckles belonged to Rana and retrieved them for her as well. With all her own gear in hand, Rana spoke again, “Thank you very much Aridean. Why don’t you get down from there and go catch up with Bryn? He’s probably filling out some forms in the building next to the stables.”

“Oh, come on, Aridean’s not interested in watching the captain fill out a bunch of dumb papers and talk mission stuff with the higher ups. Why don’t you stick with us for a bit? We’ll go get some breakfast and you can tell us all about living in Thellia! Or we could even show you around before we have to give our report,” Vidor chimed in with enthusiasm. There was something about the excitable tone and happy-go-lucky attitude Vidor seemed to give off that made Aridean feel a little better about her situation.

“I… I’ll stick with you two for now… i-if that’s okay,” Aridean responded nervously. She was by no means mentally prepared for what the day had in store but sitting around in the wagon was going to get her nowhere. With her decision locked in, Aridean first grabbed her bag before slowly descending from the wagon and anxiously eying her surroundings.

“Well, if that’s what you want to do,” Rana said in her gentle voice.

“Yes! I can’t wait to show you around! But first things first, I’ll bet you’re ready for something to eat. The head chef makes the best omelets! You’ll never guess his secret ingredient when he makes a chef’s special though. Rana, let’s take her to the mess hall first,” Vidor suggested with a wide smile on his face. Without waiting for the other two, Vidor turned and began marching in the direction that presumably the mess hall was in.

“He just wants to go because he’s the one that’s hungry,” Rana said with a sigh, but as she finished her statement, Aridean could hear her stomach rumble. Clearly a bit embarrassed, Rana added, “Uhm… well, I suppose I’d like something to eat as well. Come along Aridean.”

Aridean slung her backpack over her shoulders and followed Rana away from the wagon. Although the initial shock had worn off, Aridean could not help but internally panic over how she had associated herself with members of the rebellion. She could not stop considering her options about how to distance herself as quickly as possible. However, she quickly reminded herself that she was underground now and had no means of digging her way out without causing some kind of scene. It did not sit right with her, but Aridean surrendered to the idea that she would have to wait and see if they would just let her go.

Whilst internally contemplating a method for escaping, Aridean followed Rana past several stone structures. Engravings on the buildings labeled them as different departments, one reading “Armory”, another reading “Training Hall”, and another reading “Archives”. Many different people were bustling about their business, moving from building to building with supplies or papers. As the pair passed by the Archives building, Aridean found herself standing in what appeared to be a city plaza, complete with a fountain, park benches, and trees. Almost immediately, Aridean began questioning how they maintained trees underground but assumed there was some other magical explanation that she probably would not understand. Aridean continued to follow Rana, but as they passed the fountain, Aridean heard a shout from somewhere nearby.

“Look! It’s Rana! Hey, Rana, Rana!” came a loud, young sounding boy’s voice. Aridean turned toward whoever was shouting to see a group of children racing toward her and Rana. The group consisted of two human kids, a boy and a girl, and a juvenile, male minotaur. Upon reaching Rana, the boys wrapped their arms around Rana’s legs while the girl took Rana’s hand in hers.

“Hello everyone, how are you all doing?” Rana greeted with a chuckle, hugging each child as they released their captive. Aridean slowly moved back and even tried to make it look as though she was not associated with the group by sitting on the edge of the plaza fountain. However, she was failing to be subtle about watching the kids and Rana as they converse.

“Rana, you said you’d be back yesterday! That means you owe us an extra game of hide and seek,” said the human boy.

“Welcome back Rana, do you have time to play with us?” asked the girl.

“Hi Rana, do you know where Vidor is? He said he’d teach me how to shoot his crossbow when he got back,” came the minotaur.

“First things first,” Rana said in her sweet voice which immediately shifted to a tone of annoyance as she continued, “I’m going to have to have a word with Vidor…”

As though throwing a switch, she returned to her cheerful and kind voice, “Second, I’ll play with you all in a little bit, okay? I’m showing a new friend around today; say hello to Aridean, everyone.”

Aridean’s body tensed up after hearing that she was being made the center of attention. Not only did she hate being the in the spotlight, but children made her nervous. It was not that she did not like kids, rather she was afraid of upsetting them. On multiple occasions back in Thellia, village children would look at her like she was a monster and break down crying. Further, if the children were upset with her, the adults were upset with her as well.

Feeling a bit stressed, Aridean managed to muster a rather goofy looking, anxiety-filled smile and waved her hand hesitantly as the kids looked in her direction. Both boys returned smiles of their own and waved, but the young girl turned back to Rana.

“Is she nice like you?” the girl asked Rana while tugging on her fuzzy hand.

“Yes, she’s shown herself to be a very nice person,” Rana responded with a smile. “Why don’t you three get to the school building? Class should be starting soon. We’ll play whatever games you want after your classes, okay?”

Each child moaned at the mention of the school but seemed to obey Rana with minimal resistance. With another hug to each of the children, Rana sent them on their way to school. After the kids had left the plaza, Rana motioned for Aridean to continue following her. Only now did Aridean even begin to question what it was she had just witnessed.

Children? A school? Why does the rebellion keep kids and offer schooling? Rather, how does it afford to do so? Aridean thought to herself about the scope and reach of the rebellion’s organization. It was hard to fathom that a rebellion could make space for children and organize an educational institution while also fighting a war. Aridean had always thought the rebellion consisted of warmongering brutes, at least that was how newspapers depicted them. This revelation was a bit of a surprise considering the empire’s reporting on the rebellion. That in mind, Aridean found it difficult to wrap her head around the idea that the kind strangers that had saved her from a rabid pack of wolves were capable of any brutish behavior. Although they did carry plenty of gear, the group had seemed like pleasant enough people. Perhaps there was something more to them than Aridean initially suspected.

“Don’t worry, they’re good kids. But could you do me a favor and let me know if you see Vidor with them? It’s not that I don’t trust him to teach safety, rather I don’t think they need to learn how to shoot,” Rana spoke as the two continued walking through the plaza. “Anyway, we’re almost to the mess hall. Hopefully, Vidor is waiting for us and saved me a blueberry muffin.”