"Pirates Forest" Finale

"Good morning fog, welcome early snowdrops, goodbye love."

"I thought it was one of the possibilities."

"You were wrong... most are wrong. Let's go to the forest, then I will tell you everything. "

"I am forced to refuse a tempting offer! Haven't you heard? This place is cursed... "

"How are you, sir! This place is blessed. I have heard that good souls live there! "

"Legends ... but people disappear. This is disturbing. "

"They will disappear and disappear. Such their nature! "

One of the enormous forces has the ability to give orders to the other, the relationship results from the rule of the universe. What can be changed ... it is dangerous to play with the laws of nature and even more so try to control even a small patch of the blue vault. Many have tried, most have failed. Unfortunately, some will have power over human duality. His mortal body and eternal soul are pawns in the game of survival. Knowledge is winning ... ancient knowledge about the beginning of all things.

It wasn't long before those who wanted to find the gaps appeared. Outstanding people, acquired in mystical arts, experience gained through shortcuts. They require a lot of talent to be tamed by a fragile body. Several people succeeded. They were unique individuals whose worldview reached beyond the conceivable horizon. They founded a gathering in the heart of the unexplored wilderness, unattainable by the filthy human eye. They called themselves "Druids", masters of forbidden arts of nature magic. They accumulated knowledge about the world overwhelming potential. They drew pure energy from moss, trees and every other organism living in the forest.

There was a time of great emotion when their assembly encountered problems. An impassable barrier in the form of social development. Right next to the very border between meadows and forest, the English population began to settle, expanding into eastern areas from the nearby metropolis.

Ten years have passed since the village of Hilldawn was founded and given the rights. Since then, the number of druids began to slowly shrink. No one in the congregation understood what exactly was happening to the members... they melted in the air, leaving all their belongings behind. The secret of the forest was only discovered when the five chosen ones remained. The druids' final path was to connect with mother nature. The extremely painful process of body decay guaranteed a free soul to take root in the depths of the forest. After a while, when the whole congregation entered a new path, something happened... the number of souls absorbed by the forest gave birth to brood guided by basic senses. The nature of the terrifying beast is unknown. The only witness to contact with the "Beast of Hilldawn" was the first village mayor who took his own life in the act of "penance for sins," as he himself declared.

"I can't understand why you believe in this bullshit?"

"It ain't bullshit! This is Hilldawn's legacy! "

Two gentlemen were sitting near the cemetery, talking about matters of importance and greater importance, sipping, from a sticky conversation, from a bottle of hooch. On the right was a deep forest, reaching all the way to the horizon. On the left, the mayor's wife, laundering dirty laundry on the track, made them more pleasant.

The weather promised to be bar-like. The newly lit sky was slowly covered by dark storm clouds. 'Well ... I have to go! One more grave to dig and the work hasn't even started!', said the gravedigger.

'Wait for a second! I'll help ya!', fellow promised to help the gravedigger. They went together to dig the grave of a village woman who died of epilepsy. One of them was sitting covered by a thick coat, his hands wrapped in faded gloves. The second villager gravedigger, unimpressed by the incoming rain, dressed in an old canvas shirt full of holes and old flax pores.

They were digging a good half hour when the rain came. The gravedigger rubbed his face, looking up at the sky, 'Well... we have to go find some shelter if we don't want to get wet.'

'How was that night?', strange fellow spoken to the gravedigger, seeing him searching for shelter.

'Wha?', he didn't hear what was stranger saying. 'Dear sir... my dear. You don't know how she suffered then.', the stranger came closer to the guy standing next to the freshly dug grave.

'What are you telling me about, buddy?', a peasant hadn't understood the meaning of the stranger's words.

The gravedigger threw the shovel aside, began to head towards the massive tomb, under which he sought shelter from the rain. The other man stopped his way, his head hidden under an unnaturally huge hat.

"Rose suffered ..."

The gravedigger's hands went numb and his face paled.

"Whence...?"

"Everyone has their own secrets, but every secret is like a well-hidden treasure. Just find it and the truth will bring results. "

The stranger pushed the undertaker into a freshly dug grave, slowly began to cover him with sand. Muddy soil, filling the intestines, began to enter the man's mouth. Earth movements did not seem normal. It moved with tailor's precision as if she were controlled like a puppet. It can be said that the goal of nature was to eliminate this undertaker using all possible means. It started raining down, flooding and sinking the poor man even harder. The gravedigger's fate was sealed.

The stranger left no trace as if falling apart in the air. The death of the undertaker Rupert has never been resolved.

"Holt? Where have you been? Dinner is ready..."

"I went to the forest for a while."

"What for?"

"Look, beloved Teresa ... from this piece of oak I will make a beautiful ship as I have seen in Colombia!"

"What will you do with him?"

"I will give it to my firstborn. I would like him to feel the same passion as I have for the sea! "

"Well ... far from here to the sea! Have you lost your mind? How will this poor child even know what it looks like? "

"It's enough for him to have this ship figure ... the visions will come to him ... the sea is at his fingertips. That's what Grisha told me. "

"That whole pirate?"

"He was called so! Ha! In fact, he was a simple fisherman. I am glad that thanks to him I got to know the sea. Maybe we'll call our son like that! "

"In honour of the pirate ?! Have you gone crazy! You'd better sit down to dinner. "

The fire spread its seed in the wind, giving the Hilldawn landscape a cold tone. Rocky hills, once covered with green feathers, now lie dormant under a thick layer of ash. The fertile Ustrav River, flowing crystalline water through the heart of Hilldawn, took on a bloody colour. On the banks were the bodies of dead villagers, grotesquely massacred by neighbours. Most of the inhabitants either burned down or were killed. Only a handful of survivors managed to escape the hellish embrace.

The only escape route was the forest, which did not differ much from Hilldawn. All wild animals went insane, tearing each other apart. Most of those saved were facing another nightmare... facing the unrestrained and destructive power of nature. Zack lay on a meadow in the dark, deep in the middle of the forest, by the obsidian bowl. Hunched like a terrified dog, waiting for the arrival of deliverance from a stalemate. Grisha's body lay next to him. Worms slowly began to creep into the crushed boy's head, eating the dead man from the inside. Above them a red moon shone, heralding the approaching end.

'I didn't mean it... sorry Grisha. Please, forgive me. I don't know what we got up to.', Zack straightened his body shakily. He looked at Grisha's distorted body in disgust. The murderer felt terrified fear caused not by the act of murder, but by memories and events that shaped the course of history. Commit a terrible deed and he was awaiting a punishment.

'I'm begging you... stand up. We'll go to my mother, she will help you. Mother will... mother will know what to do.', Zack approached the corpse slowly and crouched next to him. The boy grabbed Grisha's cold hand. Bitter tears flowed down his cheeks.

There were many sharp fragments around the siblings, results from the constant banging of Grisha's skull on the granite sculpture. Zack grabbed the long, black piece of granite and slowly cut his forehead. Unaware of the movements of the body and blood dripping from the cut. The density was spilling over his face, showing his act of penance.

Shocked to his feet, he raised his little brother. The siblings started their march towards Hilldawn...

At the northern edge of the forest, where the remnant of Hilldawn society had gathered, the fire had not yet arrived. Mayor Terence and Jaspar were among the survivors. The man's hand required immediate medical attention, death knocked on the door. Were it not for the help and dedication of the mayor of the village, the young doctor would not live long.

'Here we should be safe for a while. We need to quickly notify a nearby village so that the local people can help us.', Terence Wight spoke to a tiny crowd of people. His hands were shaking mercilessly.

'The nearest is Groovpill... we will make it within two hours on foot.', one of the villagers spoke, his name was Carpo, he stepped out of the crowd with his brother Jack, 'My brother and I should get there in less than an hour if we go alone.', the peasant said harshly, it was visible by their postures that the brothers Carpo and Jack were the strongest. They always had great stamina, so they were the perfect candidates for that task.

'It's a good plan... we can't risk the whole group. It will be good if we stay here at the glades. We will have a view of the village and the forest, we will avoid predators from both sides. Carpo and Jack, run as fast as possible... it depends on you how much more we will lose.', the two men went straight deeper into the woods along the path to Groovpill. They took with them simple weapons in the form of forks and shovels. Their silhouettes quickly disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

'Good... now we have to deal with the wounded. Let the elderly and children relax... we have gone through hell. The rest of the able-bodied people will take care of the victims.', what the tough ones quickly started to erect simple fortifications made of scattered boards and ropes saved from the fire. Others helped the wounded to treat the ailments and to stop the bleeding, which was the biggest challenge.

The symbol of the curse always becomes human blood so much desired by cracked earth, ready for the greatest sacrifice in defending greenery. It is hard to forgive the killer of the crime committed, but it happens that this nasty deed is the best solution for an example situation. Adversities are getting closer. Night becomes day and blood turns into water that will refresh the lips of future generations.

Zack carried his brother's body in his arms. Behind the siblings hovered the familiar scent of sweet blood mixed with an even sweeter odour of the night forest. The combination of both fragrances formed a miasm, which slowly began to draw predators towards the source of sweetness. Hordes of forest animals began to gather around Zack and Grisha. They did not fight with each other or react to the world around them. They were constantly staring at the brothers' journey... one would think that they were waiting for something. Like a church funeral march, extending behind a coffin supported by the strongest, they held the area in a rush, as if the most outstanding musician had started with a prop. The whole world lost its value, the monumental moment counted, which actors Zack and Grisha became. Two inseparable souls were intertwined, showing the mother nature how much shame she became. The moonlight lit up the path ahead, revealing a beautiful, picturesque image of the night forest. Wonderful chicory sprouted under their feet.

"Grisha... forgive me. Give me a moment... I'll fix everything! "

"You don't have to fix anything anymore. You haven't broken anything..."

The animals accompanying the siblings fled in panic when a terrifying roar came from Hilldawn. It seemed extremely unnatural as if someone had a group of people shouting through a huge tube. The uniquely distorted mix of sounds combined into unity generated agony in the heart of every organism.

"We are approaching, dear brother..."

"Everything will end soon..."

Forest powder fell from the canopy covering everything in its path. The brothers consciously and confidently followed the path, unconceived by hostile noises on the horizon.

The villagers quickly set constructing makeshift buildings to protect them for one night. Under the leadership of Terence, the work seemed to show the first results. People who needed help received it quickly. The villagers gathered food and basic herbs that were saved from the fire. The terrible wounds finally closed and the fire slowly faded. The people of Hilldawn thought it was safe. Their hope quickly fell when a scream from Carp and Jack came from the forest. For a few seconds, their calls for help resonated with the trees. The villagers froze, no one knew what to say.

'My god... what was that ?!', Terence started watching thicket with the rest of the group.

Finally, one brave woman broke the silence, 'Mayor Terence! What was that?!', the whole group quickly retreated from the forest border. People squeezed in formation. Jaspar woke up during the tangle, barely living could not move or make a sound. He looked slowly at what was happening around him.

Terence noticed his sobriety and hurried toward him before he reached his destination, his body numb. The brain stopped processing information and blood began to flow from the nose. 'People! The village leader is bleeding from the nose! It's just like the others!', Villagers' attention was diverted to Mayor Terence.

A loud struggle began. The villagers prepared to attack the major, terrified of his symptoms. It wasn't long before everyone started bleeding from their noses, ears and mouths. The whole group went crazy, they started to fight and jerk each other. Finally, the weaker individuals began to die. Everyone grabbed for any weapon... all hell broke loose.

Only Jaspar, unaffected by the struggle, and sitting in the centre of the action, looked at the forest. His empty gaze caught the silhouette moving in the bushes. As if a huge bear standing on its hind legs, covered with earth and unknown plants. It was hard to understand for herbalist what he was looking at until the "Beast of Hilldawn" decided to show its image. With a heavy step appeared to the moonlight... the sight of the Beast caused a panic attack in Jaspar.

At a height of about seven meters, larger than the largest bear. Black skin covered with earth, goat-like legs, huge clawed paws, covered with unfamiliar vegetation, and eyes... huge, glowing like torches, glowing unnaturally pale yellow. Despite the lack of mouth, Jaspar heard its voice... it whispered stories to him.

"Haven't you heard what they say? Supposedly she's crazy and wants to blow it up!"

"I've never known a lazier pack leader ..."

"Drowned ...? This can't be true ..."

"Sometimes I wonder what would happen... if this reanimation spell succeeded."

The beast was approaching Jaspar. None of the crowd interrupted the fight, as if the frenzy forced them to skip the existence of that brood, which was probably behind all the commotion.

"Good morning Jaspar!"

The voice of the Beast became louder and louder in Jaspar's head, slowly drunk, listening to soothing sounds.

"I prepared your favourite pumpkin pie!"

"Dear brother, congratulation on starting that medical education! Uncle Oswald would be so proud!"

"Please, Teresa, stop it! No...!"

The voices died down... Jaspar's consciousness returned to its former place. Fear reappeared in the man's heart when he was forced to meet the Beast face to face. Most of the "survivors" were dead or bled to death. There was nothing left of Hilldawn's population but Jaspar. However, that was not his biggest concern... the infernal brood looked straight into his soul.

The Hilldawn Beast seemed to cover all the moonlight that would reach Jaspar. Her yellow eyes stared at the herbalist.

'What do you want!', Jaspar Gil shouted at the Beast with his last efforts.

"Goodbye Jaspar. I'll be back in an hour, I still have to buy apples at the market. "

'Matilda... little sister, oh... I understand now.', Jaspar grabbed a knife sticking out of the dead Terence's pocket and cut his own veins on his wrists. The beast returned to the forest, leaving Jaspar Gil calm.

Herbalist suffered a catharsis after contact with a mystical creature. He slowly slumped to the ground, watching the Beast disappear in the thicket. He smiled one last time and whispered a word...

"MATYLDA"

Zack corpse approached Hilldawn with Grisha's dead body. They bypassed the great oak gates and continued their journey in the midst of burning, death and destruction.

'Grisha look! This is our home...', Zack turned his brother's broken head toward the incinerated estate. There was a smile on the boy's lips...

'Mom had to go to the market.', Zack whispered, still supporting Grisha's broken head. They walked on, admiring the destruction that surrounded them. They bypassed the old mill, flooded with corpses, came to a church full of skeletons, found themselves in a square filled with even more dead people, and finally reached the market. This place was most damaged by fire.

Zack, walking on the white ash, left prints behind him. He admired the artistry at which Hilldawn was devoured by the conflagration. He dropped his brother to the ground while dirtying him with the remains of human tripe, bone dust and debris.

'Mother is nowhere to be found... she left us, just like dad.', Older brother spoke softly.

Zack fell to the ground, began to cry and scream with all his might. His tears mixed with blood, covering all new works of self-destruction.

The Beast appeared before him. This time it became visible as a pirate, looking at the sobbing Zack.

'Dear, did you like my ship? The crew seemed to enjoy the cruise!', The Beast said with a harsh voice and the deep tone.

Zack looked up. His red, sad eyes looked regretfully at the pirate, 'Please... take me... I don't want to be here!', Zack banged his hands on the ground, raising ash that settled on his hair and clothes.

'Would you like to join my crew? Just like the rest of you? You were so full here. Fortunately, you can now sail with me! Isn't that great?', the spectre approached the whining young man. It opened its nasty mouth, showing rows of rotten teeth. Zack rose slowly from the ground with a piece of granite shining in his hand that reflected the moon's rays.

'Oh Boy... where did you get it from?', The beast stepped back a few steps, looking for a safe distance. It was evident that the creature became nervous at the sight of the black skewer. It growled menacingly... its face began to shape into grotesque figures.

The young man, with a smile on his face, quickly minimized the distance between the black blade and the heart of the Beast. A granite dagger pierced the heart of the wraith that flew into the air. The Hilldawn Beast's body slowly began to burn. Along with the flames was accompanied by the terrifying roar of the monster. The form of this degeneration began to change into various shapes and senses. After a moment, the ethereal body of the creature dissolved into the air, there was a momentary silence, suddenly interrupted by a huge explosion that threw Zack into the air. The fall broke his right hand.

"You just paid for my death with something extremely important... boy. Enjoy the victory, Zack!"

Zack stood in the middle of the once-incinerated house... he thought about various things... "Is it interesting to be with me now?" Red gout began to drip from his chest slowly. A piece of black shard pierced his heart, leaving a black hole devoid of love and other feelings. The boy fell to the ground, covering his entire body with ash. He was looking at the cloudless sky. Grisha's head obstructed the view, standing over him safe and sound. The younger brother cried bloody tears, and the older brother began to sob too.

"Will you forgive me?"

"I already did it ... can we go home? It's so cold here. "

"Yes ... let's go back home."

The boys went to their family home. They sat at the burned table, holding hands. Their embrace was so strong that even after their death, the corpse lay entwined all the time. Indissoluble love will endure every worst storm and even death.

Their bodies slowly fell to ashes, protecting them from the disgusting world...

"I love you... Zack"

"I love you too... Grisha"

The End of Part One "Pirates Forest"