Bryan Perro - The Mask wearer

“These warriors succeeded in their mission, and for many years, good and evil existed together in harmony. An eternal peace had been reached, and the mask wearers were not replaced. They discarded their masks and the power stones were shared between the forces of day and night. But recently the night creatures have taken up their arms again. The attack by the merriens against the mermaids is the very proof of that. This is why we wish to revive the order of the mask wearers.”

Amos remained silent for a moment, then he asked, “Earlier you mentioned a lady in white. Twice I’ve seen this woman. Who is she exactly?”

“She is a powerful spirit,” explained Gwenfadrille. “She is the conscience that guides the warriors of equilibrium. The Lady in White sponsors each of the mask wearers. She’ll protect you and show you the way. Today, if you accept the destiny that we envision for you, I’ll give you your first mask-that of air. In it, I’ll set the white stone that you brought to me, and the powers of this ancient object will be reborn. You will have to find the three other masks and the fifteen missing stones. The more masks you possess, the greater your power will be, and the better your control of the elements. Do you accept our offer, Amos?”

Amos thought it over. A deep silence surrounded him. The fairies were holding their breath; they did not move. The druids started to stamp their feet impatiently. And the new princess of the waters, the blue-haired mermaid, was wondering if Crivannia had made the right choice when she selected this boy.

Amos got up again. “I accept, under one condition!” he said.

“This is most unusual,” said Gwenfadrille. “But go ahead, we’re listening.”

“I want the fairies to give back to my friend Junos the childhood they stole from him. I want him to return to his family, where he’ll help his father with the vegetable garden, and where he’ll eat his mother’s delicious pancakes. He must also get his dog back.”

Right away, the queen of the fairies answered. “Your request is granted. My fairies will take Junos back to the home of his youth, where he’ll find himself exactly at the age he was when he fell under our spell.”

Junos burst into tears. “Amos Daragon has kept his promise,” he cried with joy. “I’ll get my childhood back! I’ll see my dog again! And my father! And my mother! Thank you! Thank you, my friend! Thank you with all my heart!”

As he let himself be escorted away by a group of fairies, the old man turned toward Amos.

“I’ll pay you back a hundred times for what you just did for me. I swear it on my life, on my soul, and on my parents’ heads. See you soon, my friend!”

Very solemnly, Gwenfadrille picked up a magnificent crystal mask that was by her side. It had the shape of a fine-featured man with a bulging forehead. She handed it to Amos and asked him to try it on. The mask adjusted itself perfectly to Amos’s face. The fairy then set into it the white power stone sent by Crivannia. Amos got the immediate impression that he was breathing in rhythm with the wind.

“This mask will grow with you,” the queen of the fairies declared. “It is your property and your dearest possession. You’ll discover its powers on your own. It’s not very potent yet, but when the four stones are set into it, you’ll have the ability to raise a hurricane and the strength necessary to walk on air. Now let us all pay homage to Amos Daragon and feast in honor of the first human in the second generation of the warriors of equilibrium!”

Everyone present stood up and applauded. Then a joyous music was heard.

Karmakas had installed himself in the castle at Bratel-la-Grande. With the gorgons’ help, he had placed all the villagers-more than one thousand statues-outside the city gates. They were displayed along both sides of the road leading to the capital. The scene was terrifying. Itinerant merchants, travelers, adventurers, and troubadours refused to come close to the city. Everyone who saw the ghastly statues doubled back, vowing never again to set foot in that part of the country.

The gorgons had ransacked the town. Houses were entirely demolished or burned to the ground. A deadly silence had replaced the shouts of children heard in happier days. There was no sign of life-no flowers in bloom and no human activity. Yaune the Purifier’s army had been totally defeated. A black flag in the shape of a snake, its mouth open as if ready to strike, flew over the city. The water from the river had been poisoned, the fields were fallow, and the birds had deserted the area.

Karmakas’s powerful magic had enabled him to double his army of gorgons. The city was swarming with snakes. Cockroaches, the gorgons’ food of choice, crawled over the walls of the castle, into the ruins of houses, and everywhere over the ramparts of Bratel-la-Grande.

For the last three days, Beorf had been buried up to his neck, and had been suffering terrible agonies. He had been blindfolded so that the stare of the gorgons would not petrify him. At night, the monsters often walked over his head and deprived him of sleep. During the day, the sun scorched his face. And every morning, the naga came to visit him. Karmakas was aware of the humanimal’s weak spot. He knew that bear-men had unmatched strength and physical endurance. The only thing they could not tolerate was going hungry. So every morning Karmakas tantalized Beorf with bread and honey.

“If you tell me where the pendant is, I’ll give you, ssss, all the food you want,” the sorcerer said. “Tell me where the pendant is and we’ll, ssss, become a team. I know that, ssss, you’re hungry. Talk to me, ssss, tell me, ssss, where my precious pendant is hidden.”

Blindfolded, Beorf smelled the fragrance of fresh bread. He imagined the taste of honey on his tongue. His stomach churned with hunger and his whole body begged for food. His taste buds filled his mouth with saliva. Every morning, the torture weakened his will a little more.

“I’ll never tell you! I’ll die before you get any information out of me,” Beorf answered day after day.

Frustrated, the naga always left hissing with rage. Toward the end of the fifth day, Beorf was so exhausted by the pain in his stomach that he wondered if he could hold out any longer.

“Have no fear, I’m here to help you,” the voice of a young girl whispered in his ear.

Beorf could feel hands digging around him to remove the dirt. The girl freed him and helped him up.

“I have to warn you that I’m a gorgon. Be very careful never to look into my eyes or you’ll straightaway turn into a statue,” she warned him. “To make it safer for you, I’m wearing a cloak with a hood that covers my eyes. Now I’ll remove your blindfold.”

Stunned, Beorf opened his eyes and saw the lower half of the gorgon’s face. She was lovely and had a beautiful mouth. Her lips were brown and lush. A few golden-colored snake heads that did not seem to be malicious were sticking out of her hood, moving the fabric gently. Her skin was a pale green.

“Come, we have to flee this place before the sorcerer catches us,” she said, extending her hand to him. “Do you know how to get out of this city without going through the main gate?”

“Yes, I know a way,” said Beorf. “Follow me!”

Together they made their way to the tunnel that Beorf had dug under one of the city walls. They fled quickly and reached the forest without any problem. Beorf led the young gorgon to a cavern that his parents had always used as a pantry. There, the humanimal plunged headfirst into the food rations, stuffing himself with dried fruit, nuts, honey, grains, and salted meat. Once he was full, Beorf remembered his manners and offered the gorgon something to eat.