The Dark Beast's Love

I avoided him for the rest of the day and used the time to explore whatever was within the wall of mountains. It became clear rather quickly that he had been here for enough time to organise the area for the benefits of his own survival. He'd a crop field where I spotted a variation of seasonal vegetables growing, some even ripe enough to be picked for the day. Then there was the chicken coop in another end of the place, where six living chickens walked around pecking at the ground and laying eggs, as well as a rooster that gave me an aggressive side stare while I was watching them. If it weren't for the fact that I was purposely ignoring Riven for the day, I would have asked him where he found chickens in a place like this.

Except for the main building that was his home (a stone building larger and grander than the Wallaby's house but smaller than the average mansion that the rich would live in), there was a wooden barn nearby, one that seemed handmade with one single purpose, storage. The barn itself was rather impressive, considering the fact that he had done it himself, but I didn't let myself dwell on the loneliness or effort that came with the project as I continued my exploring. There was a place that was most easily described as a small forest as well, even if a closer description would probably be a field with growing trees that Riven probably used for wood when the house got too cold during the winter day. How he survived winters without crops and with a limited amount of wood was another mystery that formed in my mind, and for now, it seemed like the mystery would remain.

I knew that I couldn't avoid him forever because as much as it hurt my pride to admit it, I needed him to survive this place, not only for food but also because the small caves that the mountains offer would guarantee death either of hyperthermia or of a disease. The house was the only one there was and a bed or a couch was a far more comfortable option than the grass or stone ground. Besides, my stomach had started growling again since apparently the small meal I had before wasn't enough to satisfy it considering everything that happened last night.

Last night...

I wondered how my family was. The damages to the house had been critical, and my father had been thrown through a wall which must have led to a heavy injury. I didn't even want to imagine what Varius was going through with our house destroyed, a sibling missing and a father that needed medical attention I knew we couldn't afford. Perhaps Varius would ask his employees at the town's guard for an early salary, but even that wasn't enough to keep them safe until next month.

My mind continued wandering to Nathan. By now he definitely knew what had happened, and I could barely imagine what he must be going through. No one knew about us, and no one even knew that we knew each other so Nathan would have no one to talk to. In reversed roles, I think it would have driven me crazy to lose him and have everyone think that he meant nothing to me. The number of times I've had nightmares about the beast taking him was uncountable, and every morning when I woke up from those particular dreams, my instincts to kill the beast had burned brighter than the night before.

Looking back at the house, I wondered if Riven was as untouchable as his werewolf form. Something told me that he wasn't, but if I was wrong, I was dooming myself to a certain death. Still, I could not let go of the fact that this might be my only opportunity to fulfil what I promised myself those years ago. Perhaps I wouldn't survive it, perhaps I would only to later die within these mountains because I hadn't learned how to maintain this place, but if killing him meant preventing the beast from taking more lives, isn't my death worth it?

Perhaps I could do it and survive? I mean, Riven survived for years in this place alone and it is rather clear that he has the resources necessary.

Speaking of the devil, Riven came out of the house with a large knife in his hand, startling me out of my thoughts. Our eyes met for a second and he gave me a nod to acknowledge my presence, I gave him nothing in return. Unfazed by my behaviour, he continued heading towards the barn I passed earlier and to my surprise, he came out carrying the body of a full-grown headless deer, the fresh blood still dripping on the green spot as he headed to his desired destination close to the river.

I might hate the sight of him, but I was far too intrigued not to figure out what he was doing, and why, so I took a seat and leaned against the trunk of an oak tree while he sharpened his knife against the rocks that surrounded the end of the river. He started skinning the animal almost immediately, his technique a little rusty from where I was but it got the job done. His focus was on the deer and the deer only. While his hands worked as swiftly as he could, his jawline was tense with concentration and his eyes dutifully followed the movements of his hands. After a long while, he was halfway done and a part of me found pride in knowing that I could have done a better job skinning it with even less time, but I quickly pushed the thoughts away and continued watching him work until the skin was completely off.

When the first task had been done, he continued with the meat. He silently cut it up into reasonable pieces and collected all edible parts in a large bucket for later. I started asking internal questions about where the deer had come from when the answer suddenly hit me, the beast. Of course, it wanted its host body to be well nourished and fed, how else was it supposed to be able to use the body next month? Looking at the mountains, the werewolf's strength was probably the only thing that could get us out of here without help from another but as Riven had mentioned, the beast only had its full potential during full moons.

What I couldn't wrap my head around was whether the beast was a part of him or another person entirely that shared a body with him. Because of the way Riven spoke, he talked as if the werewolf was one and he was another, but Riven had made the mistake of mentioning how the witch had said that she was taking out his true self, and that meant that he was him and the beast. If the truth was the latter, then there was no way that killing him would be an easy mission. But if it was the former... His human state would technically be just as vulnerable as any other human.

The promise burned in my chest as I directed my eyes back at him, and every breath he took felt like a stab of betrayal against everyone that had fallen victim to his claws. Perhaps he had only been naive back then and was now suffering an unjust punishment, but it did not go over the fact that his survival meant at least twelve deaths every year. One life did not overrule the rest, and it is my destiny to stop the beast from its murderous rampage. But first, I need to learn how to survive, and I need to do it before the next full moon