Blind and the Beast

The After

*** A Few Months Later***

-The Beast-

Now that his web of spies were again spread throughout the forest, he started getting reports of the Coven crossing the southern most border towards farming land. The coven had a longstanding tradition of trying to kidnap and eat children, so the sooner he could put a stop to it the better.

Normally he would have waited along the border until he caught one in the act of trying to escape, but he had found that he no longer wanted to spend hours wasting his time lying around waiting while he had a wife waiting for him to come home.

A wife. Those were words that he had still not gotten used to. Sometimes his happiness felt like a far off dream. Sometimes a dark voice threatened loomed in the back of his head. It could all be gone tomorrow. Sometimes that thought woke him up in the middle of the night. On those dark nights when he sat up gasping and reaching, she was always there. She would always be there.

The Coven had a ravenoak that was carved in ritualistic symbols that wrapped all the way to the top of it's branched. Their colony was never far from their sacred tree which made it very easy to find them when he needed.

Their tree was short and old. It looked bullied by the surrounding trees. There was a distinct circle of herbs and blood sacrifices that circled the tree. If any outsider crossed that line, every Coven within the forest would kill them in the longest most painful way possible.

One of the perks of being the King Beast was that no place was off bounds for him. Every inch of the forest was his. He had walked straight up to the ravenoak and waited.

"My Lord King, a pleasant surprise."

The Coven did not have leaders. They all worked towards similar purposes autonomously, but every Coven born with the sight was revered. Hylal was gifted with the sight and she was also their chosen advocate between the Coven and the King of Beasts.

"Is it really a surprise Hylal?" He asked.

She smiled, "It was unfortunate I was not able to attend your wedding. My apologies, the Coven do not recognize marriages. I'm sure you understand."

"I'm not here about that."

"No?" She asked, feigning surprise. "What could you be here about?"

"You're leaving the boundaries. It will stop now." He growled.

"I don't know the rumors that have spread around. We have never left the sight of the great mother tree."

"My spies report differently."

"Your spies are trying to lead you astray while you are weak."

She wasn't just insulting him. With her words she offered a challenge and with every challenge offered, he would demonstrate his power. He was at her side in a moment with his claws around her neck. "Weak?"

She pulled at his claws, but he did not move. Perhaps he would kill her to send a message, perhaps he wouldn't. He wondered if her sight allowed her to see his decision already. 

"Weak. Weakness is the cost of your complacency." She struggled through the words with a partially blocked windpipe. Every word she said made him squeeze harder and harder.

"I will give you a moment to see your death before I kill you." He hissed. 

"I will take your gift to give you one final prophecy. Your happiness is temporary."

He let go of her and she slummped to the ground, bleeding from punctures in her neck, breathing out wet raspy breaths. A quick death was too good for her. Perhaps he would instead stake her to the ravenoak and burn her.