Chapter 2
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She heard the wailing, unearthly cries that seemed to come from all around, and she sought to find its source. But everywhere she went, walls kept getting in the way, as if she were trying to find the end to some underground labyrinth. Every time she came to the wooden door with the small iron bar window, trying to get close enough to peek in, she kept getting warped right back to another wall. Determined, she tried again. This time, when she got to the door once more, she hurled herself forward, arms out. With all her might she clutched tightly to the iron bars, and...remained there. This time she did not get thrown back. The cries were very loud now, and they were definitely coming from this room. Lifting herself up, she peered through the iron bars.
Inside the musty, dank room were six men, dressed in very shoddy robes, all their hands covered in dark black liquid that had the sickening sense of being blood...alien blood. She tried to get a closer look, pulling her face closer to the bars. Then she saw it, right below her. A giant table, made of rickety wood, and a moaning figure strapped to it. It was no man. It was...
Goliathus.
She gasped, a sudden sense of sadness gripping her. She watched as one of the six mumbled something to another one, who picked up a horrendous looking tool that looked like something out of a dentistry horror movie. Without hesitation he plunged the tool into the abdomen of the creature, which promptly let out a bloodcurdling howl. He dug around with the tool until he finally lifted it back out along with what appeared to be some kind of small organ. She felt sick then, dizzy from what she was seeing, but forced herself to watch. This was important. She knew she was seeing this for a reason. And she already knew what it all meant before suddenly she faded from the scene just as the man was crudely stitching the area back up.
She materialized in front of a huge stake just as some villagers were pouring kerosene all over it. Ten, maybe fifteen men dragged a figure through the anxious crowd, though by their struggling she could tell they were having a hard time. When she finally caught sight of the victim she could see that again it was her winged captor. Violently they lifted him up and hurled him against the stake, and all of them worked quickly to tie Goliathus to it with thick ropes. Now she heard words, loud and clear, though everything slowed down, like someone was messing with time. "It is a demon! Burn it!" Cried one woman, holding tight to her two young children.
"Monstrosity! Kill it!" Cried another.
"Horrid, ugly beast!" Shouted another still.
As one of the men tying the ropes backed off, grabbed a flaming torch, and made ready to fling it upon the pile of kerosene-laden wood, more people came rushing closer, slinging curses and names at him. The excitement of the crowd built as the flung torch caught easily, igniting the entire stake into tall, blazing flames.
Goliathus screamed.
She felt tears well up, and spill down her face, feeling as hot as the flames that consumed him. Once again the world faded eerily around her.
Realization returned, and now she found herself in the same place, but it was morning. The crowd was gone. The stake was there, charred to a black cinder and barely standing, but Goliathus was not. She looked around, and as she turned to her left, she saw him, huddled in a fetal position on the ground. Trembling, she went to him, touching his shoulder lightly.
Words shot into her head. HATE THEM. HATE THEM ALL. I WILL KILL THEM ALL!
EVERY ONE!
Ami then saw time speed up, and she watched as it became night once more in a flash. Then she was inside a giant cave, much like the one she had seen before, and Goliathus was crafting his weapons. But this was the first time. The first 23rd spring.
She watched as he finished and gathered all the weapons, putting them into the pocket of a long robe. And off he went.
She witnessed it all, the hateful slaughter, the way he became overwhelmed by his rage and want for revenge. Soon, the killing became like a drug, it gave him twisted pleasure and a sense of power. If they would not accept him, then he would kill them. Perhaps until he had killed every one of them that there was.
Those humans.
Those wretched humans.
As blackness returned, and she knew she would wake from this vision, a strange mind's voice echoed through hers...
All those wretched, pathetic...but that girl...
...that Ami...
...that girl...
...whose not afraid...
...she called me "magnificent"...
...does she...
...care about me?
Ami awoke with a start, shooting up into a sitting position and with sweat all over her body. The dream had been very real, like watching a moment in time. In fact, Ami knew that's exactly what it was. Somehow, she had seen this. Somehow,she now understood. Ami looked through the bars of her iron prison and saw that Goliathus was there, carving something into what looked like a piece of driftwood.
It took her a few good moments to realize that Toby was still there, sleeping beside her. She shook him to wake him up, and he drowsily opened his eyes.
"Ami?"
"Yeah. You still ok?"
He nodded, getting up with a groan, for his wounds ached, but he quickly shifted his expression to fear when he caught sight of their captor.
"No," Ami said, shaking him. "Don't be afraid. That's what he wants. That's how he can smell what he wants from you."
"How—how can I not be afraid?" Toby whispered, clinging to her.
"Just...trust me on this. You may get out of here yet."
Toby seemed disbelieving by the look in his eyes, but he nodded anyway.
Ami urged him to sit back down before she got as close to the bars as was possible.
"Hey." She called out to the unknown being.
She was ignored, as the carving continued without pause.
"Hey!" She tried again louder.
This time her captor huffed loudly and jerked his head around to peer over his shoulder.
Ami's face saddened. "I saw what they did to you."
Goliathus' eyes widened. " They?"
"Yes. In the dream. The vision. Those people they...they did experiments on you. They didn't know what you were and so they experimented on you."
Those eyes were transfixed on her, but nothing was said.
Ami grew more crestfallen. " I watched as they tore things out of you and sewed you back up...just like you do with your victims. " Some tears brimmed over and fell down her cheeks. "Then they took you, and burned you at the stake...but since you can't die...you just burned and burned...for hours...until finally the fire had nothing left to feed on and died out..." Ami tried to go on but couldn't. It was as if she felt all the sadness and grief mixed with every other feeling, both hers and the creature's, as if she had actually been there when it happened. She sank to her knees, overwhelmed by everything that she had experienced in the past few days, and sobs wracked her body. Sobs that no one had ever shed for him.
There was an eternity of silence.
Feeling that he may have left, Ami slowly lifted her head, wiping tears from her eyes. He was still there, looking at her in an entirely different fashion. Instead of a hateful, evil malice, there seemed to be a confused, somewhat sad look.
"You..." Ami blinked at him, wiping away more tears.
"You...cry? Because of...me?"
She nodded, getting to her feet very slowly. "They...tortured you." She took a deep breath. "Where did you come from? How did they even find you?"
Goliathus' expression softened further. "I...I do not know where I came from. I do not...remember."
Ami thought for a long time before asking her next question, as if she tried to search every surface of her brain for the answer beforehand.
"What are you?"
His eyes briefly scanned the self-portrait on the table.
"I am..."
She waited, but he didn't finish. Her head tilted slightly.
"...I believe I was called a heradus." He said finally.
"What's a her-a-dus?"
"A creature of revenge, perhaps."
She blinked again. "But that doesn't make sense. You didn't feel you wanted revenge until after they started torturing you, until after they discovered you."
"I may have been born for some other purpose, child. I am not certain."
Ami shifted her position, wishing for all the world she could get out of the cage and closer to him. "It doesn't matter anyway." She softened her tiny voice to barely a whisper. "I don't really care what you are. It's who you are that counts."
His eyes narrowed, but in a more intent manner, as if carefully studying every curve of her face.
"You are not like other humans..." His voice was barely heard.
Ami just peered at him sadly through the bars.
Suddenly moving quickly he came up to the cage and unlocked the door. Then again he stepped back, slowly, as if she were a fascinating sculpture to be admired.
Her scents were confusing. They were not of the usual anger, fear, disgust, and hatred that he was so used to. These were all new. She did have a bit of fear...but it wasn't the same. These were so different, so new...so alluring.
Hesitantly Ami stepped out of the prison, and sat on a chair not very far from where he stood, still locking gazes with her.
There was another long moment of silence, that finally she broke.
"Do you ever...regret?" She asked him.
He snorted. "Regret?"
"Yes. Did you ever regret killing anyone."
"No." He laughed. "Are you serious?"
She frowned at him. "Yes I'm serious. Not even one?"
"No. I told you. Humans are NOTHING to me. I killed all the ones that were cruel to me, and now I will kill all of their descendants. Even those who are not their descendants."
"But you don't kill anyone." Her eyes looked hopeful. "Some you don't even bother with."
"The old smell bad, the very young are like little fish that need to grow up and be plump enough for the frying pan. There are few exceptions." His voice was icy again, but it seemed somewhat... contrived.
"What about me?" Ami wondered why she had asked that question, but the one she spoke to fell silent again.
"You...are strange."
She almost wanted to giggle, but suppressed it. "I'm strange?" She raised a brow at him.
The subtle humor seemed lost on Goliathus. He simply stared at her.
Ami shook her head, and sighed once more. "I doubt I could stop you, huh?"
"Why do you care about me?" He asked suddenly.
"I saw the vision, and even before that I felt things about you. Maybe I'm psychic, I don't know. But I know...somehow I know...that your cold heart does have a warm spot, somewhere."
"And you think that I do regret...somewhere?" His expression was unreadable.
"Yes." Ami nodded, though her voice was weak.
"I fear you overestimate me, then."
"I don't believe it! What about...Darry?" She blurted out. Ami knew all too well the story of the brother and sister. It was all over Poho county.
There was a flash of something in Goliathus' eyes. Could it have been sadness? He huffed. "Darry? What was he to me? Only a new pair of eyes."
"But Jezelle told all of us. How Trish tried to plead with you."
"Yes, she did."
"We know you took Darry anyway. But...you did hesitate...even Jezelle wonders about that. She too had these dreams about you, you know."
It seemed like Goliathus would snap back with an answer...but instead he looked at the floor.
"Didn't you...even for one moment...feel something for her, as she stood there pleading with you?" Ami asked desperately.
The creature sighed then, a sound she had never heard escape from him before.
" Perhaps. But since she was full of hatred and loathing...as all humans are...I took him anyway."
"But Goliathus...you were going to kill her brother. How could she not feel that way about you? And if all humans now don't know your story, like I do, how do you expect them to understand?"
"You have a point. But I do not care , child. I do not care about any of them!"
"But I care about you!" She yelled, frusrated, unable to understand. Her mind was wailing like a six year old with a temper tantrum. She just couldn't understand!
He got up, moving close to her. One clawed hand stroked the side of her face, and he seemed fascinated by the tears that streaked her soft skin.
"You are..." His voice was too silky smooth, like a serpent, "...a wondrous thing. A magnificent little piece of art." He grinned, but it was wicked. "I should start to cover these rocky walls, they have been bare too long." He eyed them briefly before looking back at her. "Maybe I should put you on the very top."
Ami felt a surge of fear but she fought it back. Unfortunately, it was enough for Goliathus. His malicious laugh filled the cave. "It is a shame I am this clever, is it not?" He turned away from her, then quickly spun back around. "Perhaps with your mind, or even that sweet-talking little tongue of yours, I would be even more clever!" He ran up to her and grabbed her by the neck. "Yes, maybe so."
Ami stared him in the eyes, angering her gaze as best she could, as her hands grabbed his and struggled uselessly. "You still think I'm lying? I think you know I'm not, but you try to pretend you don't see it."
"Hush now. It is time to eliminate you like all the rest. I am tired of talking." Still clutching her neck, and with Ami nearly gagging, he dragged her over to his little desk of handmade horrors and grabbed a blade.
Ami fought back her fears and tried to stay focused. She would not give up! Only moments before it seemed she was beginning to get through to him. She struggled violently as he held the blade high over his head, ready at any moment to bring it down upon her.
"Goliathus, please!" Her cry could be heard throughout the entire cavern.
"I said hush."
"You don't want to do this! You'd be killing your only friend!"
"I said SHUT UP!" The words were more like angry growls.
The knife hovered overhead, but the hesitation was evident, even as Goliathus stared at her wildly.
"I know what they did to you, I understand!" Ami spoke through sobs. "But if you keep doing this, what will it do? Will it ever change what happened? Do you want to be like this forever?"
With a loud, frustrated howl, Ami was thrown through the air and she landed with a painful thud on the floor. Goliathus continued to fill the cavern with his unearthly cries, as the knife was thrown down and he clutched his head with both hands.
Ami looked on, wondering what he would do.
It was all too clear now, what this girl felt. Long ago, he had felt it once before, only once. The strange woman, May. How she was kind to him. How he lusted after her but she still cared for him, and then he only knew the strange feeling in his heart. A heart he never knew he had.
But that one emotion.
Not hate.
Not fear.
Not loathing.
It was...
Compassion.
Ami got up slowly, and she daringly walked closer to him. Goliathus finally stopped his aggravated screams, and was now on his knees, slumped over in what seemed like defeat. Ami carefully came right up to him, and she too knelt, putting her hand on his shoulder like she did in the vision.
He did not respond, just trembled. She could practically feel all the confused emotions pouring out of him. Ami found herself exploring his reptilian-like skin, drifting along his shoulder, then she touched the wing which sprouted from his right shoulder blade. This caused him to finally look up at her, eyes so mixed with a myriad of emotions that he seemed like a poor, caged animal.
The fact that he was an emotional being...this caused Ami to believe in him. Just the slightest amount of hope.
"You..." he started, choking on his voice. "Just...leave me!"
"No." Ami answered quickly, moving her hand from him, though some small part of her wanted to admire those wings further. "I want to help you, Goliathus." She paused for a long moment before continuing. "I want you to know that someone does care about you...even if I'm the only one in the entire world!"
He continued to stare at the ground, his breathing heavy and ragged as he fought within himself.
"And I do think you're a magnificent creature. Whatever you may be."
A pained whimper escaped him as he got to his taloned feet, and slowly he dragged himself to his chair as if he had been injured and could barely move. Both hands kept rubbing at his face and head as if he was trying to wipe away the confused thoughts in his mind.
He then looked up at her as if he might say something, but it seemed the words drowned in his throat.
Ami sighed, allowing herself to smile. "I know its hard. You've been doing this for so long that ninety percent of you keeps wanting to do it. It's all you've known, the hate and anger you feel towards humans because of what they did to you. All your existence you've only known their cruelty." She quickly frowned, feeling sadness for him once more. "You've done horrible things, Goliathus, and killed many innocent lives. But you can change, even now. Even all these centuries later." She came up to him and knelt, putting her hands on his knees. "If you'll let me help you"
"As you say."
"Is that a yes, or a no?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"We shall see if you can help me."
" I don't have much time though, do I?"
"There is ten days left...if I eat."
"What?" Ami blinked at him curiously.
"I only am forced into hibernation if I eat any of you."
"How do you know that?" She looked at him utter astonishment.
"Well...once long ago...I awoke to find no one. I am not sure where I was. I had to survive on animals...I did not sleep. It took three months but finally I did find a small village."
"Wait wait wait!" Ami stepped back from him, her eyes wide. "You mean to say that one, if you don't eat any humans you don't sleep? And...you can survive on animals?"
"Yes..." He looked at her oddly.
"Then I can help you for sure!" She smiled then, all inhibitions fading fast.
Goliathus didn't seem to share in her enthusiasm. He simply stared back at the floor.
But Ami had a plan. A grand one.
Crazy perhaps.
But grand.
/
End of Chapter 2.
