Beowulf and Grendel charge at each other. The glow from the torches showing Grendel's teeth barred ready to strike, meanwhile Beowulf's muscles bulge as he makes a grab at the beast before him. But right when the two combatants touch, a bizarre pulse radiates from within them and the duo finds the world around them darkens and they get a feeling of tumbling through the air….
Beowulf awakens with a start. His hand instinctively going to his sword as the sun flashes in his eyes. He rakes his hand across the oddly green grass
How queer "he mutters softly"
He slowly gets up, his mind a groggy mess of what has happened
Suddenly he remembers and begins looking around for the beast.
He sees tracks and begins following them when he suddenly comes across a blackened area of ground. He realizes it is hard and has strange yellow and white markings on it.
As he cautiously ventures out onto it he hears a rumbling sound. No. more like a growling.
Sensing the danger he unsheathes his sword and swivels toward the sound. What he sees only adds to his confusion as it is a shiny and oddly shaped creature, with rounded paws and a glossy gleam. Strangely enough its breath emits from the back of it and though it makes the roaring noise, nothing on it moves except for the rounded paws
As it draws closer Beowulf jumps out of the way but swiftly brings down his sword against the side. Causing what he can only assume to be one of its ears to fall with a shattering of shiny, metallic splintering.
As he examines the strange mal that has fallen, another beast, significantly larger appears and this time Beowulf jumps off the road onto the opposite side he first came on.
Pushing the strange creatures from his mind he resumes following the tracks and comes upon a village. A village with large houses and vastly tall mead halls. But a village nonetheless, as he makes his way through it he sees more of the strange creatures. Though going significantly slower and appearing to cause no harm to the people walking on the sides of the blackened ground. Deciding they will not harm him Beowulf relaxes and begins to notice the people
They are unlike any he has ever seen. Varying in height and size. Some spoke languages that sounded like gargles to him. Yet others spoke a language he recognized yet also didn't as strange vowels were thrown in and they had accents that were as foreign to him as the blackened earth.
Many of them stared at him as he wove around buildings, his sword swishing and his chain mal rustling, yet his eyes full of fear and bewilderment.
A group of what he assumed were young men approached him. They had on clothes that covered them fully yet they remained baggy and adorned strange markings that he could not decipher.
One begins asking him things such as: where ya headed freak
Though he did not understand the question he understood the insult and begins unsheathing his sword but the young men unseat small daggers
Beowulf swiftly cuts them down, not killing but causing significant damage that allowed them to flee.
"That was impressive"
Says a sudden new voice from behind
Beowulf swivels around, his sword outstretched until he sees the speaker.
It is a young maiden who had fiery red hair, and cold piercing eyes. She had lips that were inviting yet wore a look of caution. And her attire made Beowulf gasp in wonder as she had on a blue shirt that not only allowed her shoulders to be seen but it hung rather low. And though her jeans had not a stain on them they had various rips. Her shoes had odd strings and were rounded, the purpose unknown
Beowulf instantly gasped and began to apologize as the maiden began speaking
"Are you going to a comic con or something?"
She asks as she begins to fumble with a strange square box that has been pulled from the jeans.
'I'm sorry maiden I do not know what a comic con is but I the mighty Beowulf am tracking a monster that has been plaguing the lands" Beowulf says with confused look"
"Wait your for real?" she asks surprisingly"
"If by for real you mean am I who I claim to be and will do what I have set out to do."
"Follow me, we need to talk" the maiden says.
"So women here wear jeans like that…on purpose? Beowulf asks as he sips his coffee, as the girl he now knew was Rebecca had called it.
"Yes and this is what's called a coffee shop, it where people meet and get together. But enough about that, I mean, you're the Beowulf. The legendary monster slayer. How did you get here to New York? "Rebecca asks with some fear in her voice"
"Though I do not know what a New York is, "Beowulf says between drinks" it makes me proud to know my legend lives on. And though I don't know how I got here, I know the beast will feed. And when he does I will be there to attack."
"So much noise" Grendel says aloud to no one in particular
He wanders through the streets on all fours even though the people still flee him
Sigh... It's the same here as everywhere else…where is here I wonder?
He suddenly sees a man telling passerby's: welcome to New York!
"Grendel smells the man and realizes he hungers. He lunges at him, tearing his throat. But not before a gargled scream escapes"
"Beowulf suddenly springs up"
Where are you going! "Rebecca yells after him"
To full fill my destiny! "Beowulf says as he pumps his legs, racing towards the scream
He spots Grendel just as he finishes devouring the man, the blood gushing down his chest
Monster! "Beowulf spats out"
I WILL slay you, though I know not where I am nor why, I trust the creator to protect me while I purge your evil from this land!
"Beowulf charges but Grendel begins climbing up a near by building"
"Come and fight me beast!" Beowulf challenges
No thanks "Grendel says coyly" as he continues to climb" you see, I have discovered how our tale ends due to the…shall we say, help…of some individuals and I do not like the ending "he says with a final vault over the building"
"Beowulf begins scaling the wall as well"
Why do you run from destiny! "Beowulf yells in reply"
Maybe because I want to be known as more than Grendel, the monster killed by Beowulf "Grendel says as he jumps off the building and begins racing down the street towards the vast area of grass"
As Beowulf gets back on the street, Rebecca catches up and demands an explanation. Beowulf explains what has happened so far and Rebecca listens intently, occasionally nodding her head. At the end, Rebecca claims to have an idea of how to catch Grendel.
Looks like I'm a dead corpse walking
"Grendel thinks as he leafs through the story of Beowulf, rereading the scene of his death over and over, engraving it in his mind"
Even though I now know my fate, I still cannot avoid it.
"In anger he throws the book at a tree and leaves it where it lies, he begins brewing in his thoughts"
He suddenly hears a cry in the bushes behind him, his claws extended he sniffs the air and smells a human. A female human.
He slinks over. Approaching carefully
Her red hair takes him aback as she lies on the ground holding her blood soaked knee. The sight of blood awakens his primal instincts and he lunges at her. As he's mere inches from is prey, a sudden fist slams into his face, sending him sailing back.
Beowulf emerges from the shadows and approaches Beowulf
There is no more running monster "Beowulf says coldly" I will slay you and return to my own lands
"Grendel roars at the sight of Beowulf" YOU! He shouts, why is it history remembers you! Honors you! Speaks highly of you! Yet spats at my name!
I only longed for compassion and friendship, but was denied even the most basic on that, and to rub salt in my injury, man discards me as a crazed monster.
"Beowulf lowers his sword some" i. I had no idea…I apologize friend Grendel. And if you promise to leave the village, I will cause you no harm.
"While Beowulf was talking, Grendel was advancing on him, but his fur was relaxed and his fangs were not barred, and he had a smile on his face"
I agree "Grendel says patiently" you fool
"And with that Grendel swipes at Beowulf, but before Beowulf can raise his sword he is racked across the chest with Grendel's mighty claws. As Grendel lunges at him a second time, Beowulf swings his sword up. As the sword makes contacts with his claws, blinding sparks emit from it. The two combatants are knocked back from the force of each other's blows. As they charge again, the Rebecca watches in awe as she witnesses possibly the greatest battle in history. And then suddenly, the two are gone. Some say the fight carried them into the woods. But Rebecca knows better. Fate did what it was meant to do, and the two fighting caused them to return to their own times.
As Rebecca walked away she picks up the discarded book left by Grendel.
I've finally done it. "Rebecca says as she reclines in her chair, a laptop before her with a cup of coffee in hand"
"Two weeks later, the doorbell rang as the young man walked into the small book store. He begins wondering around and accidently bumps into a small table, causing a lone book to fall the floor. As he picks it up, the title mesmerizes him. After he checks out he sits on a bench and begins reading.
Chapter one "he says to himself" Beowulf, a ripple in time.