Chapter 4
The grey creature, with four flat feet, one long nose of a trunk, tiny faded eyes, and a tail resembling a brush, was the most unappealing thing Cecil had ever seen. It was the impossible size of at least 20 Eduardo’s, Cecil prodded its skin to decipher whether this thing had been a reality to walk on land, or an elaborate art project. It’s skin was hard, but soft, the way dead animals are when rigour mortis begins to set in. “I don’t like it.” Cecil said to Eduardo. “Hello?" Eduardo called. “Help me please” the dead beast said “I don’t think we can” Eduardo said. “I’m stuck! Please it won’t take a moment” the voice cried out as a hand appeared desperately waving from the other side of the beasts belly. “This could be a trap” Eduardo said as Cecil walked around the beast, and shattered wood and metal poles that were crushed beneath it. On the other side of the creature there was a tanned man covered in black quarter moons, chains were stuck around his elbows, and one of his feet were caught between two metal poles. “I’m stuck” he said “please untie me.” “Who are you?” Eduardo asked. His eyes glanced over Eduardo and landed on Cecil thoughtfully “I’m just a spirit of a herd of horses, you can call me Carry please untie me.” “How did you get here?” Eduardo asked. “Got caught by a spirit hunter, this grey asshole fell out the sky, saved my life by squishing ‘em, but I’m stuck, it won’t take a second for you to just pull these chains off me, then I’ll go on my way.” Cecil nodded and leant down to pull the chains off him. “AH!” Cecil jumped up holding his hand, with a single slightly red finger held tightly to himself “no you’re dead.” “No!” Carry cried desperately “just use a stick and push the chains off! Please!” “No” Cecil said “come on Eduardo he’s dead.” Eduardo leant down to the man and pulled at the chains “how did the traders catch you Carry?” “I don’t talk to humans” Carry said and was silent. “Fine, then die” Eduardo said and paused. “W-wait, okay. Release me first then I’ll tell you how.” “Fine, but if you try to run away he'll eat you” Eduardo said and nodded to Cecil with his head. “Thanks but I’m not hungry.” Cecil said, but with a look from Eduardo he amended himself “but I’m happy to kill a tiny spirit such as yourself.” “I won’t scatter then, damn- who eats people? You need a doctor mate” Carry said, as Eduardo finished pulling the chains off him. Eduardo threw the chains on to the floor and grabbed one of the bars laying heavily on Carry, and lifted it just enough so he could pull himself out. Carry bounced up and joyfully dusted himself off, his arms to his hands were completely red from where the chains had been against him. He stretched and flexed his arms and legs. “Thank you” she nodded to Eduardo who held his own hands close to his own body, he nodded. “You folks heading down this road? I’ve got miles to go, so I hope you don’t mind if I gab and walk.” Carry said without stopping to confirm and began marching away. Cecil and Forest were quick to pick up speed, with a curious eye upon him. “I got caught by spirit traders because I saw a spirit in need of help. Can you believe that?” “Like you just now?” Eduardo frowned. “No not like me” Carry said walking quickly. She was much taller than either of the other spirits, and they almost had to jog to keep up with her long strides. “I actually needed help” Carry said “I doubt I’d have got out of that if that big grey thing hadn’t fallen from Up Top. A spirit called Cave made out like she was injured so I went to help her, and bam next thing I know I’m in a cage. Look out for caves folk.” “You went to help another spirit?” Eduardo asked confused. “Absorb” Cecil whispered behind his back. Eduardo rolled his eyes. “Why would a spirit help hunters? She can’t have been after gold.” Eduardo said. “No, she had some sort of agreement with the traders where they would keep letting her go back to her cave as long as she helped them catch other spirits, at least thats what I over heard.” “How’d they catch her then?” Eduardo asked. “You think I’m made of answers? Wait, what are you two even up to? What are you a spirit of?” Carry asked. “Marsh” Eduardo said. “I’ve been out here for days, I’m pretty sure she’s dead.” “Um” Cecil said holding his tree “the sky.” “Bullshit. Fine, keep your secrets, though I might start to think you are not as big as you misled me to believe. What are you doing out here?” “Spirit rescue mission” Eduardo said. “Boy don’t, no. They’ll catch you, and then you will die. Whole place is like a ghost town, but… without the ghosts, don’t be letting humans take you out for no good reason.” “We’re going to the big city. Top City. Large City-” “Up Top” Eduardo corrected Cecil. “I’m going to kill a whole bunch of humans up there, and brake out a spirit.” “You know that they have guns that shoot chains at you right? You can’t do anything once you get a pair of those on you.” “Oh. Eduardo?” Cecil asked. “We go in quietly disguised as humans and brake her out.” Eduardo said. “I guess that could work.” Carry said stopping in his tracks. He turned to them. “Or, maybe you should kill them, I mean with my help and a few others, who knows, we could wipe the spirit slave trade out. The only place they trade is Up Top, if Up Top doesn’t exist, we can go back to minding our own business.” “That sounds like a hassle” Cecil said “I don’t see it.” “Our kind is being wiped out, and for just a few months of human flexing. It’s disgusting. Perhaps it is fate our paths crossed, we will lead the revolution.” “Nah, we’re good, right Cecil?” Eduardo asked. “Yep.” “Thanks for your help though, bye.” “Bye? Ahh, you fellas want me to scatter now?” Carry asked. “You’re good I won’t hurt you” Cecil said, as Carry looked to the distant road as she walked, silent for a moment. “That’s jolly good of you to say chaps, but being a horse an all I sure do love to walk. What say I walk with you perhaps tell you more tales of humans, I could even protect you small folks from any bigger spirits.” “You don’t say?” Cecil asked sarcastically. “We’re good, maybe we should split.” Eduardo said. “I must insist, we are both on the same road for at least a day and- I can’t scatter. My arms” Carry said the act in his voice braking as he showed his red raw arms “they’re practically solid. I’m just as strong as ever! But… I couldn’t scatter before, and I still seem to be experiencing the effects….. I’m sure just for a little while, we are all good friends now, and from entirely different places from this country, we should stay separate, and friendly, and work together.” “Wow that sure is a sophisticated argument” Eduardo said. “Whatever, then but don’t be starting wars around us.” Cecil said. “Thank you” Carry said relieved.
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Prologue