1 Matthias meets a giant man-horse

Tatin was introspecting now that Isabella was gone. He made the right decision. He had better let her go because she was a controversial woman, first daughter of a first wolf-alien marriage in the wolf town. Was he washing his hands, trying to escape from his own responsibility or was he really protecting her by doing away with her? He couldn't ignore that he felt both. He made the right decision sending her away to the future.

Matthias entered the hall. This time, he was with Marilyn. The entry of the two made Tatin smile. Strange, love is. It comes at an unexpected place and time. He knew about them. He knew the fact that they came from different timelines.

"What's a trusted friend doing at a time like this?" Tatin asked Matthias. "I remember your father. You now look very much like him."

The comment elicited laughter from Matthias.

"He was our go-to person when we needed things done and he had always made himself accessible no matter where he was or no matter what happened, a real brother so to speak."

"And what are you doing at a time like this?" Matthias asked Tatin.

"What sends you here?" Tatin interrupted.

Matthias looked at Marilyn who was on his side. "We plan to marry."

Tatin was not surprised at all. He had seen them so sweet and inseparable. He smiled.

"When would you like to hold the wedding?"

"As soon as possible so we can have a baby very soon," Matthias was trying to make Marilyn and Tatin laugh.

"Ha ha ha …" his laughter resonated the banquet hall.

Marilyn frowned and smiled.

"Yes, a baby, maybe that is what we need now to change the ambience in this mansion, after all that happened lately." Tatin stood up from his seat and said: "I shall make an announcement of the wedding tomorrow."

"Thank you. I shall make the preparations for everything here at the banquet hall." Matthias said.

Marilyn was surprised at the speed with which everything was being concluded. She was all smiles to Matthias whom she had professed to love, and they were ready to make all the formalities.

The battles with Zep, the giant octopus, then, with Rep, the giant crocodile, were a test. Thank God they were alive. He and she hoped that things would be all right.

xxxxxx

On their way to Kala's house where Marilyn stayed was a wilderness known also to be enchanted because here was a man-horse who was said to have always sat on a tall tree. He had the head and body of a man on top and half down below, the body and legs and feet of a horse. The nine-footer creature smoked pipe.

The man-horse stood tall by the tree when Matthias and Marilyn passed by.

Matthias wasn't stunned although Marilyn was. He'd heard of his tale, another enchanted creature, but he hadn't heard about what he was capable of doing.

The giant sneered as he smoked his pipe. He billowed once and a giant hole of white smoke filled the air.

"Uh hu…" Matthias coughed, Marilyn did cough too.

"What brought you here?" He asked in an also gigantic voice that seemed to come and echo from under the ground.

"Oh, none, we just happen to pass by."

"Why so late?"

Matthias didn't know if he would reply or ignore. In the end he decided to be polite.

"We saw a friend."

"Who?"

"Tatin."

"The head of the wolves."

"Yes."

He didn't say anything. He smoked his pipe and made another billow. "Be careful on your way."

The two continued walking. But while walking in the wilderness, they happened to trip on a big stone, then, a net burst forth catching them and pulling them up in the air.

"Ohh! Marilyn screamed.

They were hanging on a tree.

"Treacherous a...e," Matthias muttered. Matthias wasted no time. He used his fire creating power to destroy the net slowly. In a little while, by burning the net, he had created a big hole and they both fell on the ground.

"Uh!" Marilyn grunted.

"Let's go and avoid this way next time."

They ran until they reached Kala's place. Kala was sleeping when they arrived. But the heavy knocks on the door were enough to wake him up from sleep.

"Huh… huh… huh…" They were panting because they had been running as Kala opened the door.

"What happened to you?" his hair was disheveled and he hardly opened his eyes. He had a deep sleep.

"You didn't tell us that there was a monster on the way to this place," Marilyn said.

"Monster?" His eyes finally opened. He walked to the kitchen to get some water. He turned to a giant clay pot jar and put the glass he got from the cupboard under its faucet. When he came back, he was carrying two glasses.

"What monster are you telling me?"

The two drank their water.

"The man-horse," she said. "I never thought there are other creatures here other than wolves, giant crocodiles, and octopus."

"We met a man-horse in the wilds coming here," Matthias added.

"Which way you passed, the path on the left coming here –Oh! I forgot to tell you, yes, the beasty man-horse?"

"Now, you're awake. So you know?" Marilyn shook her head. Matthias was just looking.

"Was he mean?"

"No, but he betrayed us."

Kala straightened his eyes on Marilyn and said, "Be thankful you are alive. Once trapped, he gives his victims to the stray wolves. You can just imagine what they do to them. Pray you don't meet him again."