Soulless Creatures

“When the world was first formed, and the first lights gleamed. The gods ruled over various realms of existence. One day, they came together to discuss the lower realm, the plain of existence and what to do with it.

After long discussions, they decided to create a world and fill it with life and see what becomes of the things they create.

They combined their powers and formed the first living thing and those that descended from it were called “Bies” and “Nav”. They were thoughtless beasts that roamed the world, feeding on the plants created alongside them, and cannibalizing on each other as well.

The gods did not bother to interfere with the things they had made. But there was a day when two of these beasts broke through to the realm of a god, the god's name was Dziewanna, goddess of the hunt and harvest. The two beasts, one resembling what we now know as a deer, and one that took the semblance of a wolf, together they strolled through Dziewanna’s garden, stealing and eating whatever they could find.

They had gathered enough, and started their journey out of the garden when they happened upon a vine. This plant was pitch black and vibrated softly, soon both creatures were under the trance of its sound and turned to touch it.

The moment their hands touched the vine, their souls left their bodies and they became parts of the plant

Time passed and the gods held another meeting and after another lengthy discussion, they decided to destroy the monsters, because the monsters had nearly turned the Earth into a wasteland. Now they contemplated how to go about it, then Dziewanna came up with a proposal to use the beasts in her garden to curb the monsters. The other gods, not seeing a reason to disagree, went along with the plan and the two beasts were set down on the plain of existence.

No sooner had they touched the solid Earth did they begin hunting, no other beast was a match. They devoured without discrimination and by dawn the following day, peace was restored to the world, the name of these creatures were Veles and Volos, two beasts that had turned as dark as night, the gods feared their power, it could be felt that if they were to have to fight these beasts, not even they would survive.

These creatures were named ‘the Soulless Creatures, and would one day return to our world to restore peace when it is needed.”

My mother ended the story, and I, though scared, in my weariness went on to sleep.

ACT I:

It was the winter storm, and the world had been transformed before our eyes as the North calendar year read a new century.

We held a grand festival in honor of the Deer goddess ‘Dziewanna’, goddess of the hunt and harvest. We held a grand celebration for her and made merry even with the little produce from the harvest that had passed.

…

We were putting together wheat from last year's harvest and preparing our offerings to the priest, that was when they first made an appearance. The creatures born of the new century, we called them ‘ludzie’(people/human).

We, the last race of the true man, ‘Chort’(beast like, demon), have expected them, because of a prophecy from several years ago speaking about creatures like us with the power to create things that we could not conceive, and how they'll replace us in the times to come.

Indeed they were similar in appearance with us, except the fact they were smaller. When they first made a large appearance after the first time we had seen them, they came to our encampment with sticks that could pour out fire and with it they slaughtered my people and raided our lands. Unable to bear the oppression any longer, we cried out to our god.

Now, we have a history passed down from generations long gone. It says that our kind holds extraordinary power, equal to the great beasts of the forests and creatures of the sea, this was how our ancestors survived.

This power was one we could attain once more, but it required a sacrifice. For days I and my towns men contemplated on who was going to offer up their lives, finally I stepped up, I didn't have much to live for anymore, in the last raid by the ludzie, my parents died in a fire that had been set to drive us out of our homes.

As much as I would have loved to exact my revenge personally, this was the only way, and we didn't have much time because of news of the Ludzies planning another attack.

The priest of Dziewanna prepared the altar for sacrifice, first I was tied with strong ropes to the altar, and after the priest finished his incantation, he took a curved dagger and pierced my chest.

A shrill cry rang from the depths of my being, ripping through my entirety as the pain rose to an unbearable degree. My body felt cold, my brain felt like it wanted to explode from the pain. Hot liquid flowed down my body from where I had been stabbed.

Slowly, the pain rose as the blade was turned, carving me up. I screamed and begged for the pain to end, eventually it did and so did my screams. Everywhere fell silent.

I opened my eyes in a dusty plain, with wild vines I've never seen before, I reached out to touch one when a voice called out.

“Do not touch it, those vines will consume your soul.”

I noticed two wooden figures in the vines, a deer and a wolf. They seemed entangled in it, and had a semblance of life in their wooden eyes.

I felt a pull to touch them, but the voice that warned me had such an authority to it that my hand stopped in it's place.

I turned and there before my eyes was someone of such radiant beauty that I forgot what I had intended to say. She had golden hair with deer antlers protruding from her temples, and wore a top cloth made from what seemed to be wolf skin and a skirt of what appeared to be bear skin. Her body was thin but shapely and she walked with an alluring gait, each step she took seemed to mesmerize me and before long everything seemed like a haze.

I awoke again in a dark room but there was a softness reminiscent of a woman's and a radiance like the dawn that lay under my head and made it hard for me to open my eyes fully. I felt a hand stroke my hair gently, rhythmically, as though ushering me away to a dream. But I ignored the desire to give in to the pull and forced myself up in a haste.

I hit something soft and someone besides me drew back as though startled. Then I realized I had been on this woman's thighs and it was her glow that made me think it was dawn.

I remember now, I should be dead. If so, then where was this? I thought to myself.

“Miss, I'm sorry to have startled you, and I thank you for your care. Please where is this? I assume this isn't just a dream.”

She grabbed my hand and forced me back down to her thighs with minimal effort and continued stroking my head.

For a while I lay there allowing her to do as she wished with my hair, then finally she spoke.

“This is my realm, my garden. My name is Devana, goddess of the hunt and harvest.”

I jumped up once more and threw myself at her feet.

“Oh great goddess, forgive my insolence. How could I…”

“Be quiet son of Noah, your adulation is wasted here.”

Immediately I fell silent. On one hand she seems so endearing, but when she speaks, the authority is all too terrifying, I thought to myself.

“Listen” she said, “you wandered into my realm because your soul rejected the peace of death offered you. You desire something, but you're not ready for what you've asked. None of you are ready. There is a reason why your ancestors relinquished their powers, and chose to live normally.”

“Still, it's the only way we can survive these ludzie.”

“You can't change fate.”

“But we can strive to live a day longer.”

She took a deep breath, and stood up casually as she walked towards me and kissed me, pouring a part of her essence into me.

Instantly I awoke, back in my town. I looked around and saw some people vomiting, others with bloody mouths and hands.

I looked at my body and saw that I had a big hole in my chest. I pulled my hand and snapped the ropes like a twig. Surprised, I looked at my hands and I saw that it was covered with grey hair, lifting my head, I stared down at my body, and it was rather hairy and the hair was of similar hue. I sat up and saw that I could barely feet the altar that was nearly 3 meters in length and I felt it begin to crack under my weight.

I got down from the altar, and I noticed a shadow that fell on those before me, a shade caused by my frame obliqued against the setting sun. Everyone turned towards me, they watched me with awe and fear in their eyes.

"Dziewanna has granted you her authority it seems. It is now your duty to lead us to battle.”

Once he was done talking to me and addressing the lot of us, he handed me his staff and bowed low, the men around did the same.

I was told about the events of the ritual, how everyone ate a piece of my heart to gain power according to the instructions left for us by our ancestors.

Not long after all this did powers begin to manifest among us. Power unimaginable, able to rival the wild beasts of the forest and speed to match the swiftest horses.

We spent our days practicing and sharpening our fangs in expectation of the next raid by the ludzie. Food was no longer a problem for we had turned carnivorous and ate our meat fresh, hunting it ourselves without need for equipment or cunning.

We had become things to be feared.

ACT II:

On the 4th day of the 3rd month of the first year of the new century, the ludzie appeared for the third time, this time in numbers far exceeding the previous appearances. To us it had been 3 months, but maybe it was different for them because they multiply like rabbits.

“Creatures of the Polyeisia forests, your reign is over, surrender and we'll spare your young, otherwise we'll rid the world of your kind.” One of them on a white horse proclaimed, he seemed to be their leader.

Now, where they trooped, was a clearing near the forest entrance and our encampment was deeper inside. No one gave an answer to the man that spoke, no one was present.

Not long after, they began their march into the forest, heading in the direction of our dwelling.

With sharpened noses we traced their scents, stalking them from within the thickness of the forest.

“Arrrghhh!!”

A cry rang out from far ahead, at the head of the Calvary of invaders. What could have caused it, we had planned to ambush them the moment the entered our encampment, which was a clearing marked out by trees in a large circle.

The men with me looked eagerly at me seeking in me a command to launch the attack. The desire for blood and vengeance was clear on their faces, to an appalling degree, indeed they had lost their wits and had become nothing but wild beasts.

As we drew closer to the head of the now halted Calvary, we saw the cause of the commotion. A young man of ours had bitten the head of one of the Ludzie and was feeding on him before them.

“See the nature of these things. Do you understand why we must be rid of them? We cannot coexist with such things as them. All those who have grown a finger of sympathy for them, do you see what it will get you? Now be courageous and take up arms with me against them.”

After he said this, he pulled out his flame stick and shot a hole through the head of the young man. He was dead instantly.

Without hesitation, I gave the signal and from all around them, we burst forth tackling them off their horses and tearing up their ranks.

We made quick work of them and even their horses weren't spared. Like animals claiming their game, we took them back with us as spoils and fed on them.

Our appetite was ravenous and insatiable, I began to fear that we had lost the purpose of the power we had reclaimed.

I could almost feel Dziewanna laughing at me from her realm in the spirit forests. What a curse we had brought into the world.

…

And so with our powers, we avenged ourselves on the Ludzie that had attacked that day, tracing their villages with the smell left behind from the equipment of those that attacked previously, and killing and consuming every last one of them.

The purpose of our powers had been fulfilled, we no longer needed it.

ACT III:

I was greatly distressed for many months, as I watched the family that I had known turn steadily into unreasoning beasts that did nothing but hunt and mate all day.

Even our festivals had been abandoned, and our priest joined in the decaying activities of wild, unhinged desire.

Not long after, I began hearing talks going about some of our men attacking Ludzie towns and villages and making meals of the men and toys of the women.

This was unacceptable to me and so I confronted them about it. On a night I spotted some of them about 4 in number, sneaking into the encampment at the darkest of hours.

“Where are you coming from?” I asked calmly. They were young and wild, too much forcefulness would prove useless I thought.

“We were out hunting.”

“Is that so? Then would you mind showing me what prey you brought back?”

I said this while simultaneously reaching for the rope that was attached to something covered in grass.

Immediately the one with the rope drew back.

Suddenly, they turned violent, launching at me from all directions, bearing their fangs and claws and trying to mangle me.

I was not pleased with this. They all hit me at once, trying to topple me over, but putting one leg back, I was about to hold ground.

I swung one of them full force through the forest, he crashed through a large tree splitting it.

Another bit me on my torso. As the pain rushed in, I dropped my hands interlocked on his back, sending him straight down into the dirt, he was unconscious on impact.

By this time, a crowd had formed, watching in confusion what was taking place. One of the boys noticed this and withdrew from me, while the other clawed away at me,

I watched this one as he marked my flesh with each strike. For a while he ripped away strips of my hardened body, then mostly because of fatigue, he stopped and looked up at my face.

It was then I attacked, landing a slap on his face that made him that rang so loudly, it startled the crowd behind us. The young man I hit took a few calm steps back, before dropping to the ground.

I crossed over his body and headed slowly to the one that had withdrawn, suddenly, he cried out.

“Why are you doing this? We were just hunting games, if you wanted a share you could just ask and we would even give you all of it.”

“What are you talking about? What I smell is the blood of Ludzie, why do you smell like them? Why are you hunting those who haven't done anything to us?”

The young man's face broke into a wicked grin, and I had an inkling that it would become a problem if he spoke anymore.

“So you treat us, one of your people like this because of those who once destroyed our homes and murdered our families?”

“No, you're the one that attacked me, I was just there to inspect why you were out this late.”

The crowd had broken into an uproar of talks, some sending questioning glances my way.

“You're a traitor!” The boy voiced loudly, making certain he was heard.

“You don't deserve to rule over us,we don't need someone who could leave us to be killed in battle. Do you remember how he let one of ours die before he gave the signal to attack in our first battle with the scum?! If we let him do as he likes, we will all be…”

He had been screaming his words, inciting and putting ideas in their minds, but he was cut off, I cut him off.

Unable to hold back the rage boiling in me, I held him in place with my left hand, and lopped off his head with a straight swing of my right hand ending his life there.

I turned, and walked through the crowd that parted as I approached. I headed straight for my camp and entered the embrace of slumber.

When I awoke, I noticed I could not move, I looked up and saw a view that was astounding and shocking because it was one a person could see only from a mountain.

Where was I?

“You must be surprised, but this was the only way we could stop you. I and the others had a meeting after the events of the night and decided to imprison you here, till we were done removing Ludzie from this world. Your strength far exceeds ours, and you won't approve of what we have decided on doing, but we must do this nonetheless. Goodbye and may you rest in Dziewanna’s embrace.”

Based on the voice, it must have been the priest, then I must be frozen in ice. I remember how awestruck I was when he first showed me the powers he received from Dziewanna as a means of containing us if we went awry, now I was the target of it.

I stayed frozen in what was like a dream state, I saw the times change, winter, spring, summer, autumn, all experienced with my eyes that were frozen open.

Ever conscious but never present, I saw what my eyes could see, but I felt nothing, I heard nothing until one day a woman came walking towards me. She stained the snow behind her red and her steps were sluggish and heavy.

“Help me.” She said, her voice trembling and weak. “I don't know why, but I know you can save us. Please help us unless we perish.”

I looked at her pitiful figure, and I felt no sympathy, yet I spoke from within my frosted prison.

“What do you want me to do?”

She was surprised at my reply, but she was resolved and she spoke.

“Stop them, stop the monsters that are destroying us, I will give anything. I've hidden my child in the woods and they're coming, following the scent of my blood. Please save us.”

“You want me to kill my people? I would never. I understand that what they do is wrong, but I would not destroy them on account of you. Leave here.”

As I said this, from far away, I heard the cry of a child, following it were the grunts of bloodthirsty beasts and at last, I could hear everything. The screams of people oppressed, the cries of mothers and children. The sounds of feeding creatures and the shouts of those being made food.

What are they doing? The world would not forgive this, Dziewanna would not want this, it is nature that we pass and the Ludzie take our place, all we wanted was to live a bit longer. If this goes on, they'll devour the Ludzie from the surface of the world.

All these thoughts ran through my head, and I knew what I had to do. I looked at the woman, she had taken a seat beside my prison, and I could feel her laboured breathing. She would soon pass on, that was fine, it would make things easier.

“Woman, I can not kill my people on your account, but I will save your kind.”

“How? Tell me what you need, I'll do anything.”

Energy entered her dying body, as she forced herself up from the ground.

“Take a stone and cut your wrist, and pour the blood over where you see my arms and legs, do that and your people will be saved.”

“If I do that, I will die.”

“Yes, but your child will live.”

She bit her lips hard, resolving herself, quickly she picked up a sharp slated stone, and did as I instructed.

The hot blood flowed down melting away the ice from my limbs.

“What now?”

She asked, breathing harshly and deep, desperate to survive as she dripped blood on the snow.

“Patience, not much longer now.”

My limbs began to move, twisting and turning, ripping themselves off from my shoulder and hips.

A leg and arm merged as one, so did the other, then they formed into living creatures, snorting and grunting.

One was like a deer, towering over the woman, the other was a wolf, their name was ‘Veles and Volos’ the pet beasts of Dziewanna.

“Please creatures save us.” The woman cried out as she saw them, her eyes were dazed so to her they might have looked heroic, bent on her cause to deliver her people. But I knew what they were, the creatures of legend that devoured till peace was brought about. And now they had seen their first prey.

Immediately they turned and made a quick meal of her, Veles biting off her body from her right side, leaving her in half, and Volos devouring what was left.

Then they turned to me, waiting for my permission, not instruction.

To that woman, I told only one lie, her child would not be spared. These creatures had no heart to feel, or minds to understand, they are indiscriminately, feeding on anything that makes a sound, only the quiet would be spared. Tonight, the world will punish us for our sins.

“Go!!”

And at that one word they ran into the woods beyond what my eyes could see.

Tonight, the world cried for the blood of its children who were fed it. Tonight Ludzie and Chort alike fell asleep as one in the slumber of eternity and loud cries will be heard till dawn when peace is restored, by the hands of the Soulless Creatures.