Child Savior

Ethan J. Roberts

 ‘Tis early morning as I sit beside our king. The king often considered ranking me up as second-in-command. I liked that idea, however, I did not see myself making good choices like that of our elders. “Beast,” said the king, “I can sense your fear and concern; do not worry. Everything will be planned for you.”

“Is that so?” I asked, my paws fiddling against each other.

The king nodded. Suddenly, his head whipped around at the sound of bushes rustling. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Danger is afoot.” He mumbled.

Once I heard this, I immediately stood up, and so a shadow vanished. It was then my fur arose from slumber. Something was wrong.

Later that day, I strolled about the bright and joyful forests where tall Titans graze upon the grass. I examined each and every one of them: some had scars from the battle a few weeks ago, whereas others had blood still trickling down from their head. There was one Titan that I noticed; they were grooming themselves, minding their own business as others picked crops and chowed down on rotten meat. I was tempted to approach them, but when I looked away in embarrassment, the Titan said something. “Searching for a culprit?”

I was startled at first, but I nodded. “The king told me that there lay a thief in these forests.”

“What do they look like?”

I was quiet for a moment.

Then, another Monster interjects, “I heard that Gluttony knows where the thief comes from. Rumor has it that the thief came from the Badlands.”

“Where is Gluttony now?” I asked.

“In the castle,” the Monster sounded so lenient and nonchalant–just like Gluttony, “He’s working right now, so I doubt you’ll get anything out of him.”

I had thanked them before I left, giving my blessings to both Titans. Gluttony was a Demon I knew very well, but he’d constantly relocate. This would make it hard for me to know his whereabouts. In a private room, I talked with the Demon. He was gnawing on a bone, “So, you’re saying there’s a thief on the loose?”

I nodded, “One of the Titans told me you know where the thief comes from.”

Gluttony cleared his throat, “I do; I used to work with them at some point.”

I widened my eyes, “How so?”

I could tell that there was something in Gluttony’s throat that refrained him from speaking. He said, “Them and I used to work with children before we became guards for the Badlands. . . until children started suddenly vanishing out of thin air. It was then that I realized that they were taking children and torturing them.” There were more gruesome details that followed, but I dared to not think about it.

“If we can search the outskirts of the Fantastical Kingdom, will we find the kidnapper there?” I asked.

He nodded, “But we mustn’t be cocky nor foolish about our task. Children’s lives are at stake.”

I understood everything that Gluttony had stated, and so I was quite surprised. Gluttony was never this focused on a mission, as he’d eat instead of be responsible.

After weeks of planning and training, we were prepared to set off for our mission. It was a stormy night; both of us were cold and hungry. We held our lanterns, swords, and essential belongings close to us. Hours of walking made us more than worn out, but it didn’t seem like enough for Gluttony. Those hours turned into two days of nonstop walking. Of course we ate, but it was little. Despite being very little, it was enough to sustain us. I was about to faint when Gluttony suddenly stopped. We had made it to the border of our kingdom. The border was a large desert that led to the humid Badlands, so if you were to see sand at the tip of your hooves, that’s how you know you’ve made it.

Once we set foot in the Boney Desert, my body was shaking and my vision was blurry. Before I knew it, I face-planted onto the sand. When I woke up, Gluttony was gone.

To be continued…