Chapter fourteen: The truth.
It was night for some time. Alexandria and Chris had just finished a their late dinner. Because of their new friend all their food was frozen and took forever to defrost. They exchanged small talk every now and then, but nothing more. They still felt very awkward about the new way they saw each other. After the clean up, Alexandria's urge to ask was unbearable. She had to know the truth. They sat in front of the fire. Not saying anything, not moving. Just looking at the crimson flames until Alexandria finally asked him. "Is it true about what he said?" she asked. "Are you really infamous among the monster race?"
Chris sighed. He knew he'd have to tell her about his past one day, but he never thought it would be today. "Yes," he said at last. "I am the most hated among the entire monster race." Alexandria didn't like it. Her best friend, her only friend, was hiding things from her. "Why haven't you told me?" asked Alexandria, her voice was full of curiosity as well as anger. "I thought we were best friends. I thought we weren't supposed to hide anything from each other." Chris grew annoyed. "This is not just anything, Alex," said Chris, "this is far more than you could possibly comprehend."
"And why not? Is it because I'm a girl?"
"No…It's because you're human."
Human? she thought. What does that have anything to do with… She suddenly realized it. "You're not human, are you?" she said, her eyes stopped blinking. Chris let out another sigh. "No," he said with his eyes closed. "No, I'm not. I am a member of the monster race." Now the tears began to flow. "You're right," she said. "I wish I'd never asked." Alexandria wiped some of the tears away, but more came to take their place. Once they started to die down she spoke again. "Now that I know," she said, "I'd like to know the rest. Why are you so infamous?" This time there was no sigh. Chris took in one deep breath and began to speak.
"It all started a little over a thousand years ago. It was during the time of the War of the Monster's Fall. Back then I was known as Lord Woodsmaster, Dark Lord of the forests. I was the sixth of the monsters Lord Shabranigdo had made. During the war I was assigned to patrol the forests around the Katato Mountains for Dragons in hiding. After scouring the area several times I discovered a small group of black dragons that were in human form hiding behind some rocks. I was getting ready to take care of them when I felt a presence of immense power behind me. I turned around and there was the Water-Dragon King in human form.
"I couldn't move. His power was so immense that I wouldn't even stand a chance against him in a battle. He just stared at me. His eyes are what changed me. They were caring and full of love. Even though he knew how many of his kind I've brutally killed without mercy he still looked at me with those eyes. He put his hands on my shoulders and I felt a surge of emotions going through me. And something happened that I couldn't believe. 'I forgive you,' he said. 'I know that your mind has been corrupted by evil. I shall rid you of your darkness and bring you into the light.' His eyes shined white and pierced my heart and soul. I felt like I was being relieved of a great burden. A part of me tried hard to resist, but it was useless. The evil that flowed through my veins began to disappear and I felt free. The Water-Dragon King took his hands off my shoulders and turned towards the battlefield. I looked and saw Shabranigdo staring back at me. He let out a blood-curdling growl. 'Traitor!!' he yelled. 'How dare you allow yourself to be changed. I shall destroy you for your insolence.'
"Shabranigdo opened his mouth and blasted a crimson red beam of power at me. I thought it was the end for me when all-of-a-sudden, the Water-Dragon King cast a protection spell around me that absorbed the beam. 'I will not let you destroy him,' said the Water-Dragon King. 'He deserves a chance to live a free life without having to follow orders from you, or anyone else.' Shabranigdo looked at me with his ruby eyes. 'You will regret this day, Christopher,' he said. 'You are now labeled a traitor of the monster race.' There was a blinding flash of light and the Water-Dragon King and Shabranigdo were locked in a fierce battle that I witnessed from afar.
"Once the war was over, I wondered the lands in search for something to be worth living for. When the War of the Monster's Resurrection began I took up arms against my own people. Until then, a monster fighting against his own was unheard of and I was despised by all. Many tried to kill me, but were unsuccessful. I managed to help win the war by striking down Lord Hellmaster's his general and his priest. After the war, the monsters didn't want anything to do with me. They torched libraries, churches, anything that liked me with the monster race. That's why everyone thinks there were only five monsters created by Shabranigdo. All the text containing information on me was destroyed, but my name would never be forgotten. In honor of my bravery, humans named their kids after me.
"Even though I became a hero to the humans, I still never found anything worth living for. I wandered aimlessly throughout the lands, looking for my reason for being. Then I met you." Chris turned to Alexandria and began to tear up. "When I met you three years ago while you were lost in the woods, I felt something. The feeling I felt reminded me of the Water-Dragon King's eyes, but it was something much deeper. As I got to know you better, I soon realized that I found something worth living for. I wanted to live so that I can see your face once more. So I could be with you for as long as possible. But I was afraid that if you knew about my past you'd leave me and that I'd lose the one thing that I thought was worth living for…worth fighting for. So I decided that I would not tell you until the right time. But I guess that plan didn't work out so well."
Chris wiped away some of his tears. "What I mean to say is," he continued, "I didn't want to tell you because I loved you too much. And if you left there'd be an empty hole inside that would never be filled because you're the one, the only one, who I love and will ever love." Chris looked at Alexandria with a smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes. He put a hand on Alexandria's shoulder. She saw the hand on her shoulder and shook it off. Quickly, Alexandria raised her hand and slapped Chris across the face. "You Bastard!" she yelled, standing up. "Do you think I'll forgive you after lying to me. After all the years we've known each other you never lied to me, you always gave me the truth. And that's why I fell in love with you. But now, I realize that I've been living a lie; an empty life that was built on lies. You're not the man I loved. The man who I fell in love with was kind, gentle, and always told the truth. I'll never forgive you for taking him away from me. NEVER!!!" Tears rolled down the Alexandria's face. Chris literally felt his heart break.
Without even a second thought, or a good-bye, Alexandria grabbed all of her stuff and walked out into the darkness of the forest. Chris was all alone. He began to cry uncontrollably. Why did I have to tell her? he thought. Now I've lost her forever. He cried even harder, for he now had lost the person he loved and felt like he was about to lose his mind. In the shadows lurked Dynast, who was watching the whole thing. Just as I planned, he thought. That's what you get for betraying the monster race.
It was night for some time. Alexandria and Chris had just finished a their late dinner. Because of their new friend all their food was frozen and took forever to defrost. They exchanged small talk every now and then, but nothing more. They still felt very awkward about the new way they saw each other. After the clean up, Alexandria's urge to ask was unbearable. She had to know the truth. They sat in front of the fire. Not saying anything, not moving. Just looking at the crimson flames until Alexandria finally asked him. "Is it true about what he said?" she asked. "Are you really infamous among the monster race?"
Chris sighed. He knew he'd have to tell her about his past one day, but he never thought it would be today. "Yes," he said at last. "I am the most hated among the entire monster race." Alexandria didn't like it. Her best friend, her only friend, was hiding things from her. "Why haven't you told me?" asked Alexandria, her voice was full of curiosity as well as anger. "I thought we were best friends. I thought we weren't supposed to hide anything from each other." Chris grew annoyed. "This is not just anything, Alex," said Chris, "this is far more than you could possibly comprehend."
"And why not? Is it because I'm a girl?"
"No…It's because you're human."
Human? she thought. What does that have anything to do with… She suddenly realized it. "You're not human, are you?" she said, her eyes stopped blinking. Chris let out another sigh. "No," he said with his eyes closed. "No, I'm not. I am a member of the monster race." Now the tears began to flow. "You're right," she said. "I wish I'd never asked." Alexandria wiped some of the tears away, but more came to take their place. Once they started to die down she spoke again. "Now that I know," she said, "I'd like to know the rest. Why are you so infamous?" This time there was no sigh. Chris took in one deep breath and began to speak.
"It all started a little over a thousand years ago. It was during the time of the War of the Monster's Fall. Back then I was known as Lord Woodsmaster, Dark Lord of the forests. I was the sixth of the monsters Lord Shabranigdo had made. During the war I was assigned to patrol the forests around the Katato Mountains for Dragons in hiding. After scouring the area several times I discovered a small group of black dragons that were in human form hiding behind some rocks. I was getting ready to take care of them when I felt a presence of immense power behind me. I turned around and there was the Water-Dragon King in human form.
"I couldn't move. His power was so immense that I wouldn't even stand a chance against him in a battle. He just stared at me. His eyes are what changed me. They were caring and full of love. Even though he knew how many of his kind I've brutally killed without mercy he still looked at me with those eyes. He put his hands on my shoulders and I felt a surge of emotions going through me. And something happened that I couldn't believe. 'I forgive you,' he said. 'I know that your mind has been corrupted by evil. I shall rid you of your darkness and bring you into the light.' His eyes shined white and pierced my heart and soul. I felt like I was being relieved of a great burden. A part of me tried hard to resist, but it was useless. The evil that flowed through my veins began to disappear and I felt free. The Water-Dragon King took his hands off my shoulders and turned towards the battlefield. I looked and saw Shabranigdo staring back at me. He let out a blood-curdling growl. 'Traitor!!' he yelled. 'How dare you allow yourself to be changed. I shall destroy you for your insolence.'
"Shabranigdo opened his mouth and blasted a crimson red beam of power at me. I thought it was the end for me when all-of-a-sudden, the Water-Dragon King cast a protection spell around me that absorbed the beam. 'I will not let you destroy him,' said the Water-Dragon King. 'He deserves a chance to live a free life without having to follow orders from you, or anyone else.' Shabranigdo looked at me with his ruby eyes. 'You will regret this day, Christopher,' he said. 'You are now labeled a traitor of the monster race.' There was a blinding flash of light and the Water-Dragon King and Shabranigdo were locked in a fierce battle that I witnessed from afar.
"Once the war was over, I wondered the lands in search for something to be worth living for. When the War of the Monster's Resurrection began I took up arms against my own people. Until then, a monster fighting against his own was unheard of and I was despised by all. Many tried to kill me, but were unsuccessful. I managed to help win the war by striking down Lord Hellmaster's his general and his priest. After the war, the monsters didn't want anything to do with me. They torched libraries, churches, anything that liked me with the monster race. That's why everyone thinks there were only five monsters created by Shabranigdo. All the text containing information on me was destroyed, but my name would never be forgotten. In honor of my bravery, humans named their kids after me.
"Even though I became a hero to the humans, I still never found anything worth living for. I wandered aimlessly throughout the lands, looking for my reason for being. Then I met you." Chris turned to Alexandria and began to tear up. "When I met you three years ago while you were lost in the woods, I felt something. The feeling I felt reminded me of the Water-Dragon King's eyes, but it was something much deeper. As I got to know you better, I soon realized that I found something worth living for. I wanted to live so that I can see your face once more. So I could be with you for as long as possible. But I was afraid that if you knew about my past you'd leave me and that I'd lose the one thing that I thought was worth living for…worth fighting for. So I decided that I would not tell you until the right time. But I guess that plan didn't work out so well."
Chris wiped away some of his tears. "What I mean to say is," he continued, "I didn't want to tell you because I loved you too much. And if you left there'd be an empty hole inside that would never be filled because you're the one, the only one, who I love and will ever love." Chris looked at Alexandria with a smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes. He put a hand on Alexandria's shoulder. She saw the hand on her shoulder and shook it off. Quickly, Alexandria raised her hand and slapped Chris across the face. "You Bastard!" she yelled, standing up. "Do you think I'll forgive you after lying to me. After all the years we've known each other you never lied to me, you always gave me the truth. And that's why I fell in love with you. But now, I realize that I've been living a lie; an empty life that was built on lies. You're not the man I loved. The man who I fell in love with was kind, gentle, and always told the truth. I'll never forgive you for taking him away from me. NEVER!!!" Tears rolled down the Alexandria's face. Chris literally felt his heart break.
Without even a second thought, or a good-bye, Alexandria grabbed all of her stuff and walked out into the darkness of the forest. Chris was all alone. He began to cry uncontrollably. Why did I have to tell her? he thought. Now I've lost her forever. He cried even harder, for he now had lost the person he loved and felt like he was about to lose his mind. In the shadows lurked Dynast, who was watching the whole thing. Just as I planned, he thought. That's what you get for betraying the monster race.