Chapter 4 THE THREE HEADED VULTURE

"There are times that I wound myself

The pain that I feel will ensure that I'm alive

The way I scratch and bleed

I loved the way I bled

Loving the color of running deep red

Red that can be seen as life

I find myself alive during those small times

However, being alive doesn't mean being free

I may be imprisoned, maybe

And maybe one day, I will still not be free"

The forest was wide and thick. Everywhere you looked beasts reside. Demons danced. killed and revived. It was a picture of the apocalypse that one cannot hide. But it wasn't beginning. It wasn't ending. It was happening.

In the gloom of the forest path, lay a gate of bush and thorny roses. In the middle resides a keyhole, dark and rusty mosses. Beside it sat a behemoth three headed vulture of death and unholy vices.

The creature did speak, yes indeed, but in riddles and trickeries so carefully proceed.

The first head's name is said to be Tasp. His features present a young bird. With the sharpest beak that is never unheard. With a deadly gaze and breathing haze, he says his riddle in a trance like pace,

"Mistakenly sharpened, mistakenly done. My beak is a curse and a blessing for none. I do not use it for I am coward. Tamed and knowing for dangers foreboding."

And as if just like a clockwork, the second head arise and began to lurk. Looking for prey that could be dismembered, anything that tries to approach the gate shall not be remembered.

The second head's name is said to be Repents. His features present a mighty bold vulture. A vibe that sends a murderous intent, his riddle reverberated he sent,

"Defining one, defining not. I kill anything that moves near the gate's spot. Although, I do say that is. Who knows? My mind may change as is."

It rested and lay on the ground. As if a lifeless loyal hound. With unwavering gaze it just sat. Ready to kill by the drop of a hat.

The third head lay asleep and motionless. As if it was just dead. But legend says that this head shall move, if one's own mettle shall they prove.

The third head's name is said to be Feturu. His features present a wrinkly old vulture. If seen not knowing thy legends, it would seem that this head had its' end. But nonetheless it's just sleeping. Waiting for that one person to open thy keeping.

The girl looked around, no longer saw a way. No way around the danger at bay. Fearing the second head's warnings, she thought of a plan to escape such fate. Even if it involves one would hate.

Up and down she went to find, no stone unturned to fulfill her mind.

There upon the trees she saw a brown blur. A scurrying small animal with fur. Holding in its' paws is its' hard earned breakfast, an acorn so small that it would not last.

A squirrel so gullible and cute, the girl had found her perfect victim of refute.

"O squirrel, o squirrel! What a lovely day today! Why art thou just holding one nut?"

The squirrel winced at the weird girl's gesture. But the squirrel thought it rude just to ignore the kind feature. So he stopped and stood, speaking in a squeaky voice he said,

"Good day to you as well young lass. I only have one nut for in this forest it is hard to find. I must store this away or I'll be in a bind!"

With this the girl's thought raced. She formulated the ultimate plan to solve the problem with haste.

In a split of a second she spoke,

"Well today is your lucky day! I had just chanced upon a tree full of bounty. If you partake of it, starving to death is but a mystery. But before I tell you of this sanctuary, you must help me with my own mission. But you must do it with your own volition."

The squirrel, gullible as I said, agreed to do his part of the quest. Not knowing that it was just a test. The tree full of bounty is just a jest.

"I agree then lass. Tell me now, what do I do?"

With those words the job was done and true, the last thing was to say this last part and see it through.

"Small little squirrel, won't you help me find? My missing key to the gate yonder is where behind? This is what we shall do. I shall look here away from the gate. Search near the gate and with that we are sure to find, my missing key that is bugging my mind."

The squirrel jumped off and agreed so quickly. Leaving behind his nut he ran quite hastily. Towards the gate that the girl had said.

And with a big crunch.

The squirrel was dead.

There the girl learned not to gamble with fate. Minds changing or not, a take back might be too late.

In her long journey towards the troll, she did not know this would be a toll. Thinking back deeply lost in thought, she had found a hint that she had sought,

"Maybe all those riddles may not have been naught?"

She thought of the first. Then the second. Hoping to find the right answer she beckoned.

And then it hit her like a flash of lightning. If one head tried to kill her, then what about the other?

Skillfully she tiptoed towards the first head. Keeping her eye on the second's beak red. Slowly, slowly. Be carefully stealthy.

She reached her arm and touched the first's neck, and then she said,

"What the heck?"

The bird didn't budge or move. It just looked at her with eyes that approve. Tis true the bird was tamed and a coward, but the second was not, but the girl had a new plot.

Seizing the first's head with great strength and glory, what's about to happen next is bloody and gory.

Using the sharp beak of the first brother, she beheaded the elder. With his oath only to kill ones who approach his gate, gave his own doom, his bloody head fell unto the un-walled room.

As such the deed was done, one hindering her way was gone. The only problem now is how to proceed, which was quickly answered by the third head's heed.

But it did not move, it just laid there, its' monstrous voice came from everywhere.

"Spelled destruction, spelled salvation. One wrong step calls for annihilation. Within the second one's throat is a key. Would you please take it out for me? For this key leads to the one that you had covet. But not all paths that you see is the one that you set. Death awaits those who came unknowing, a beautiful light can always be blinding."

Yet another trap she was laid upon, just after her first problem was gone.

She stepped towards her victim's cadaver, thrust her hand with reckless maneuver. Inside the bloody flesh of the killer, was a golden key that the third did holler.

Now the girl felt unease with that very last riddle. She had just realized that she was in a pickle. If she pulls through the gate that she sees, would she be at the place that she needs? She thought and thought. In a great big loop she is caught. Meditating and thinking, an answer she is yearning.

And suddenly, when she repeated the riddle to herself for the fifteenth time, she noticed a line that did not quite rhymed.

"Death awaits those who came unknowing, a beautiful light can always be blinding."

She stood and stepped. Step, step, step, she made. Towards the sleeping head she gave, slipping inside the beak the golden key, the true door opened, her reason for glee.

The true door was in fact, the sleeping vulture. It opened its' mouth to reveal, the labyrinth that leads to the troll's hill.

Inside the wide mouth the girl entered, proud and accomplished that her heart hasn't faltered.

Now before we continue, let me explain. The last few moments is a bit disdain. The key opens two ways, the mouth and the gate.

The gate of bush and roses was actually the third head. If she opened the gate she would be dead. But through cleverness and wit, she found the real door and escaped a death pit. And now we continue our story towards the Labyrinth of Whispers. The place that would lead her to the fate that was hers.