DEAD MYTHS

For twenty years, Cersei's heart had known no peace.

For what she feared the most lurked beneath her shadow.

Hearing the sound the wind hummed, she wondered if the rumors were true.

A boy about her son's age, seen in the forest bearing a strange mark that glows under moonlight.

Striding across the courtyard, she saw her son training and was pleased by the strength he showed in battle. But still she feared his position was threatened.

Her hands pressed her lips lightly as she called out: "Damion…"

Damion taking a bow: "Yes, my Queen."

"Send in another troop," Cersei said, folding her hands behind her back.

"My Queen. In total submission and due respect, we've been sending in men for years now, and most of these men never come back alive. The ones that did, you chopped their hands off and silenced them," Damion said as the weight he felt could be heard in his words.

"We are short of men, my Queen! All we have are a bunch of boys still trying to hold their swords properly."

"Please, my Queen, spare them. Let them be strong enough to protect this great Dynasty," as he laid flat on the ground.

Cersei laughed nonstop in a hysterical manner.

Placing her boots on his head: "Do you think I care about a bunch of soldiers? Damion, you've grown soft! But even as frail and old as you're getting, you should remember that my word is law! And you will obey them." Her eyes narrowed as she walked away slowly.

Taking a glimpse back at the soldier still on his face, she said: "Send in another troop and be quick about it before the dementia gets the better part of you."

"Yes, my Queen." Taking a stand, he rose to his feet as he slowly walked away.

"Neeeeighhh!" It cried out,

its legs scattered across dried leaves stubbornly as it fell to the ground.

"These horses are tired. They haven't eaten or drank in days. We need to find a stream."

Tagin barely looked at him.

"They are animals. We stop for no reason."

He turned toward the exhausted horse.

"If one dies… we move with the rest."

Daruz stared at him. "You can't be serious."

Tagin's eyes narrowed.

"If not for the horses, can we at least stop to rest…"

"You talk of resting, my good man?

Didn't you hear what happened to your fellows?"

Daruz said nothing.

"Their hands were chopped off."

Tagin smiled coldly.

"Would you rather have your balls chopped off before you finally understand how merciless our Queen can be?"

"Very well then, we march on!

One more thing, Daruz!" Tagin turned toward the rest of the men.

"Men like you survive because stronger men carry you."

"We don't stop because an animal is tired," he said as his eyes returned to Daruz.

"And I'll make sure weak men like you either leave the army..."

He paused as a wicked grin crossed his lips.

"...or die serving it."

"Let's go, boys!

It's either we die by the forest or the Queen!

Choose your path!"

The men rode on their horsebacks deeper into the dark forest…

Behind them, the exhausted horse struggled to stand.

No one looked back.

Except Daruz.

For a moment, he watched the animal trembling on the forest floor.

Greeted by night and day, they never stopped.

On a quest to find who threatens the queen — or should one say, there's something out there who threatened them all!

Deep within the black swamp of the forest, something awakened.

The stagnant waters began to ripple.

Something moved beneath the black surface.

Slowly, painfully, it dragged itself out of the swamp.

At first, it almost looked human.

Almost….

It had no eyes, only two pale, hollow openings embedded in the front of its head. Yet somehow, it seemed to see.

Its head swayed from side to side, searching, listening, sensing.

There was no neck.

Its head hung loosely upon its shoulders, moving unnaturally with every step.

Then came the limbs.

Twelve of them.

Long, twisted arms and legs unfolded from its body one after another, scraping against the wet earth as it crawled forward.

Its skin was rough like the bark of an ancient tree, yet slick with a thick, glistening substance that clung to it like swamp mud.

It dragged itself farther from the water.

Then it stopped.

Its hollow face lifted toward the sky.

"ARRRRGHHHH!"

The sound that erupted from its throat was neither a howl nor a scream. It was something older.

Birds exploded from the treetops as they flew in every direction.

Deers bolted through every corner.

Within moments, the once lively forest became eerily still.

The creature had awakened!

Mondeigo gasped. His body convulsed violently as his eyes rolled backward.

"Mother! Father!"

Vagos called in a panic.

"Mother! Father! Please!"

Agatha burst into the room and immediately pulled Mondeigo into her arms.

"Mondeigo! Mummy is here. I'm here,"

she said as tears streamed down her face as she held him tighter.

"Breathe with me... breathe... with me."

But Mondeigo couldn't hear her.

He was somewhere else.

Black water surrounded his feet, and something moved beneath the surface.

Ripples spread across the water as the forest went silent.

Too silent.

He lifted his head as screams suddenly tore through the darkness.

Staggering backwards, the words escaped his mouth: "What...?"

The sound of steel striking the ground quickened Mondeigo's breath as he felt something was behind him.

He turned but saw nothing. No one. But he could feel it!

Cold, cranky breath brushed against his ears as he screamed.

"MONDEIGO!"

Vagos' voice broke through the darkness.

"Please! Wake up!"

The visions flickered for a brief moment; he saw a figure running between the trees.

Something moved behind the trees as he watched the figure vanish.

"Father!"

Vagos turned toward Welsfar.

"Father, we can't possibly leave him! Please!"

Welsfar stood frozen.

"Your son needs you!" Vagos said, staring intently at Welsfar.

He dropped his cane and slowly crouched beside his son.

"You control it," he whispered.

Mondeigo's breathing grew ragged.

"It doesn't control you!"

The forest began to disappear as the darkness trembled and the screams faded.

Mondeigo heard his father's voice one last time:

"It doesn't control you!"

His eyes snapped open as he lurched upright, dragging in a desperate breath as though he'd just been pulled from the deep waters.

His entire body trembled.

Cold sweat streamed down his temples, and for several seconds, he couldn't speak.

All he could hear was the terrible screech...

"Oh, thank the gods," Agatha said as she hugged her son.

"What did you see?" Welsfar asked.

Trying to speak, but Mondeigo felt the words stuck in his chest as he hit hard, one blow after another.

"Dear god, please stop hurting yourself," Agatha said.

"We all leave for Fussway this instant. Vagos, pack all you and your brother will need! Your mother and I will handle the rest."

Watching her husband leave, she clung to Mondeigo.

"You'll be alright," she said, but Mondeigo could see the uncertainty in his mother's eyes.

"Clop-clop-clop…" The sound of hooves thundered through the forest.

Hyahh! Hyahh! The soldiers charged through the forest.

But were immediately stopped in their tracks as the horses refused to move farther.

Tagin pulled hard on his reins.

"Come on." The horse wouldn't budge.

"Move!" He kicked its side.

The animal reared violently.

Tagin barely remained in the saddle.

"What the fuck is wrong with it?"

"They're afraid," Daruz said, climbing down from his horse.

Tagin scoffed. "Afraid of what?"

"Trees?" He asked mockingly as a few men laughed.

Tagin shook his head in disdain.

"After everything we've faced, you men are going to let a few frightened animals scare you?"

Tagin turned toward the forest.

"I don't care what your imagination tells you is hiding in those trees."

He drew his sword.

"If something is out there..."

He smiled.

"...let it come."

"Easy boy, easy!"

He stroked its face gently. The horse trembled beneath his touch, taking a few gentle steps backwards as its hooves sank into the mud.

"Tagin, don't you see? These horses are restless. Something is frightening them," Daruz said.

Tagin watched him for a moment, then a slow grin spread across his face.

"Wow!

So the rumors are true," Tagin said as he twisted his face in amusement.

"What rumors?" He shot back at Tagin.

Tagin walked toward him as the others exchanged glances.

Tagin stopped directly in front of him.

Close enough for Daruz to feel his breath.

"I heard you have a certain... relationship with these animals."

"Watch your mouth."

"What? I'm only asking," he said, chuckling.

The rest of the soldiers whispered amongst themselves.

Tagin, leaning closer to Daruz, said:

"So you don't fuck them?"

The laughter grew louder.

"Enough!" Daruz yelled, shoving Tagin.

Tagin stumbled back half a step.

Then he smiled.

"You really are a cunt."

He spat the words at Daruz.

"You can't even take a joke."

Daruz's fists clenched.

"You've been looking for an excuse to humiliate me since we left."

"And you've been looking for an excuse to prove you're not weak."

Tagin stepped forward.

"Maybe this is your chance."

Daruz pounced but was no match for Tagin.

Tagin grabbed the back of his armour and slammed him into the ground, punching him again, again and again as Daruz struggled beneath him.

The other soldiers watched, some laughing, others looking away.

Finally, Daruz shoved Tagin off and scrambled to his feet.

"Run along."

Daruz stared at him with hatred, wiping the blood from his mouth as he mounted his horse.

"Yeah, you better run!"

The laughter of the soldiers followed Daruz into the forest.

Tagin turned back toward the others.

"Now let's continue our journey."

None of them noticed the horse behind him trembling violently.

A low, frightened whimper escaped its throat.

Tagin turned. "What now?"

He walked toward it.

The horse suddenly reared.

"Whoa!"

Tagin grabbed the reins. But the animal fought against him desperately.

It pulled backward, nearly dragging him with it.

"What the hell has gotten into you?"

He struck its neck as the horse screamed and broke free!

"Coward!" he cursed at it as it bolted into the thick forest.

Tagin watched it disappear between the trees.

"Tagin..."

"What?"

"I think we should leave."

Tagin turned slowly.

"You too?"

The soldier swallowed.

Everyone fell silent, and not even the sound of the wind could be heard, just total stillness.

One of the soldiers whispered, "Where did all the sounds go?"

No one answered.

All of a sudden, steel clattered against the forest floor. They all spun around, and behold: one of their comrades was gone!

His armor lay abandoned among the roots, still trembling from the impact.

The frightened men huddled together as their armours scraped against one another.

A soldier stepped forward cautiously.

"Where is he?" None could answer.

The soldiers slowly raised their swords.

Tagin's grip tightened around his.

For the first time since entering the forest, he didn't have anything to say.

Then one of the horses screamed in the distance.

Within seconds, the remaining horses broke loose and fled as soldiers helplessly watched them disappear.

A cold silence settled over the forest again. One soldier whispered, "We need to go."

Tagin looked into the darkness.

Then he heard it.

Thump! He froze.

Thump! The sound came again.

The soldiers looked at one another.

"Whose... whose heartbeat is that?" The sound was heard again but closer this time.

"Yours," a deep, cranky voice responded.

Arrrrhh….!

The soldiers froze. Something moved between the trees.

A long limb dragged across the forest floor, then another followed.

The creature emerged from the darkness as its hollow face tilted toward them.

Its mouth slowly opened, revealing a long, wet, slimy tongue.

"Run!" Tagin screamed as he watched his men being devoured one after the other.

"Oh my God, oh please just let me live," he cried as he ran.

"Oh, you will live," that old eerie voice spoke to him…

At that moment he turned purple as he unintentionally shit himself.

"Dear god," oh!

Arrrrhhh-ghhh!

Steps faster than the wind were heard behind.

Being held by many hands was worse than doom. His blood flow ceased as he realized he was levitating.

Meeting the hollow eyes of this creature, he shouted as he prayed to the gods of the six clans.

Its tongue brushed roughly on Tagin's cheeks as it was forcefully shoved into his.

Tagin screamed. Pains shot through his body, and he could feel something moving down his throat.

The deeper it went, the more he clawed at himself desperately.

Watching the creature's figure disappear, he felt something crawling inside his soul as he felt his rib cage being crushed as his abdomen shifted.

Gathering his last strength, he walked with sheer determination to survive.

The crawl underneath his skin burned. The farther he walked, even the sound of the wind made him scared… it moved again.

Something was alive inside him.

Tagin forced himself to his feet and ran as he dragged himself heavily outside the forest.

Seeing the enorm

ous gates, he was hesitant.

He knew they would likely kill him for trespassing.

But whatever was inside him frightened him more than death.

Taking a step forward, he collapsed.

Then collapsed again.

"Halt! Man down."

"Cease fire!"

Rushing towards him, one of the guards spoke:

"Is he alive?"

"I don't know," the other said, turning him over.

"By the gods..."

"Is he... pregnant?”