The beast and the town

Beta-read by ColdWinter12.

The sun slowly rises as bright, red streaks overcome the dark blue of the night sky. My eyes flutter open slowly, still disoriented. My throat burns as I splutter and gasp for air. I lay on the cold harsh ground and feel the way my clothes, drenched with sweat, mud and blood, stick uncomfortably to my skin. In a panic, I bolt up at the realization that it's my blood, but I quickly regret the quick action. I grind my teeth preparing for the pain, but it doesn't come.

I glance down at the dead grass flattened under my weight. The stench of my dried blood is thick and overwhelming. It smells sickly sweet, and I could almost taste the metallic hint of copper. So much blood…

The summoning ritual. The beast. The mysterious man.

Kabila.

Memories of the night before all come back to me. I carefully reach out to inspect the gash on my stomach and slowly peel away my tattered, blood-soaked shirt. My breath hitches at the sight of white unblemished skin. Was I healed? By that man? But, to heal an inch deep gash so perfectly...

Through the years, I had my fair share of trips to the Tabib*. From watching the village's Tabib*, Raja, I know how draining and difficult Tib* is. As talented as she was, Raja was never able to heal deep wounds completely.

But there's not even a trace of where the gash used to be. It's almost like it never happened. That's impossible...

It doesn't matter. I need to make sure that the Bab was destroyed.

Quickly, I push myself up and bolt forward. Anxiety and fear crawl at my skin as I think about the Bab connecting to Kabila. But my thoughts pause as I spot something red in between the extended roots of trees and slow down to walk towards it. I find the bag I had with me yesterday but discarded when the beast appeared. I take it and run quickly to the Bab.

The Bab is old and dilapidated, moss covering the edges of the gate. But, it stands tall and proud, and my eyes widen in horror as my hearts palpitates.

It should've been destroyed to make sure the beast didn't reach Kabila. My heart thumps in fear and horror crowds my senses at the thought of the potential chaos that ensued in my birthplace.

I step into the gate without hesitation. My body feels light and pins prickle at my skin. All my senses are cut off from the outer world for a very short moment. When I reach out to the other side of the gate, the first thing to greet me is the shocked face of the guard.

The small cots and shops surrounding the Bab are intact, and the villagers seem to have been calmly going about their daily routines.

People stop in their tracks and stare at me. My face twists with fear, and my clothes are soaked with dried blood and mud. Quickly, a crowd accumulates around me. The guard inspects me with wide eyes, stepping away from me. In the midst of the crowd, a flop of curly brown hair appears. My little brother Youssef jumps on me, crushing me in a bear hug.

"Khaled! I knew it!"

His face is brimming with tears and snot sliding down his nose. "I… I… they said you weren't coming back! That the summoning ritual went wrong— that there was a beast and it—"

"Slow down," I tighten my hold around him and pat his wild curls. Relief washes over me. He's safe. The eight year old fights back the hiccups and tears with a tightened jaw and sniffs then freezes. He steps back from me suddenly and stares at me with wide eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine—" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I saw Jahith and Samad yesterday. They were pale, and they looked so scared. You weren't with them. They said that there was a monster… that you're dead," he mutters, and my blood turns cold with shock and anger. "But the monster never came... I didn't believe them..." I note the escalating panic in his voice and quickly make to pull him into another hug. His nose scrunches at the smell, and I opt for a reassuring hand on his shoulders and crouch down.

"I'm alright," I start and suddenly too aware of the crowd watching us curiously. In a sudden moment of rashness, I say, "I killed the monster."

Youssef's eyes widen in surprise.

"Yes, you're safe now." I insist.

As I hold onto my brother, the onlooking villagers gasp and murmur, many surprised and shocked. Kabila is a very small village, and my struggle with my limited Riaf is not a secret. I might've succeeded in joining the neighboring city Medina's Hami Academy, but I'm far from talented. Though I'm good with theory, I'm barely good enough in my practical classes to pass.

This is a terrible lie. Why did I say that?

Youssef beams at me, and his eyes lighten up. "What? Really?"

I swallow anxiously and force my lips up into a smile and nod. The crowd buzzes with murmurs, but as I prepare to flee with Yousef, an officer with a robust stance and sharp eyes approaches us.

"Khaled Ben Sakir," The officer looks me up and down. He then gestures for me to follow him as the crowd grows quiet. I nod hesitantly, and my hand trembles slightly as I pat Yousef's wild curls.

"Yousef, mom must be worried. Tell her I'm fine, and I will be back soon." The eight-year-old nods bravely and turns around dashing back home.

I trudge up to the official and follow him. That stupid lie I told him must already be spreading through the village as I'm walking. Kabila is one of the small villages belonging to the neighboring city, Medina. So of course the officer takes me to the Inter-Bab*.

Unlike the old Bab* that only connects Kabila to the forest, the Inter-Bab* has a wider reach and connects it with the other neighboring villages and said city. There isn't much difference in their structure other than the number of inspecting guards, though.

We take the Emergency Portal that's only allowed to be used by officials to Medina's Investigation department. As we reach the walls of the Investigation Department, I try hard to ignore the whispers of the crowd. A woman in her fifties of short stature that I immediately recognize as Raja stops us in the halls.

"This young man needs medical attention." She states turning to the officer, "Where are you taking him?"

"To 1st class Sergeant, Ramzi Mouhib. And, he is fine." The officer insists, "I heard him proclaim so himself."

But, Raja pulls me aside and quickly adds, "I'll be the judge of that!"

The official reaches to grab me back, but one of his colleagues stops him. I hear him mutter something about not wanting to get in trouble with the Academy for endangering the health of one of its students again.

Raja sits me down on a seat. She takes off my bag and scans me with a calculating gaze. Her hands prod me gently.

"What happened?" she asks.

A/N:

*Tabib: healer

*Tib: healing magic

*Founoun: banned arts

*Irsal: Telekinesis

*Rafik: familiar

*Anasir spells: Elemental Spells