“Noble girls do not cry and heandrixs cannot fly,” are the two biggest lies I have ever heard.
Lady Stultus was the second daughter of Baron Regalia. Yes, it is important to note that she is the second daughter and not the first. Fathers and mothers never care as much for second daughters. What was inferior than a second daughter, was a third daughter or a fourth daughter, and so on and so forth. But what was lower than even that in a family? Me. I was a son, yes, but a bastard son. Not that it was well known. Perhaps no one knew except myself and my father, Baron Regalia. My mother didn’t know, because the whore had died. No, I do not mean that as a slur. Rather a simple statement. That is what she was. Just as what I am, is a bastard.
It was miraculous that my father took me in. He counted himself a blessed soul, you can be certain of that. He tasked me to be my sister’s aid, her guard, her servant. Lady Stultus was not always uncomplicated to watch over, but I didn’t mind. Serving in any manner was well enough for me. I had to be the one to comfort Lady Stultus when no one else could. When her father scolded her and her mother told her that “noble girls, do not cry.”
One evening, Lady Stultus dragged me out of bed. Quiet, as not to wake the other servants, we left the castle. She had me gather a rope, without any explanation. She only informed me she had a stupendous discovery she desired to share with me. The girl rarely showed so much excitement, but I couldn’t imagine what could be so stupendous for such a stupid girl.
Lady Stultus halted in front of a large hole bored into the ground. Piles of dirt sat on the opposite end we stood and large rolling smoke billowed out from the dugout flesh of the earth.
“What is this, my lady?” I asked her.
She pointed to the hole, as if I couldn’t see it. “A heandrix den,” she said.
“What? B-But my lady, heandrixs are dangerous! Fire breathing creatures who dwell in molten lava!” My recollection on the lore of heandrixs then made me realize she was speaking truly. The smoke curling up from the well of magma had to be a heandrix den.
“Yes, yes, we must only take a peek. Why else do you think I had you bring a rope? You will lower me down and then yank me up after I glimpse the beast.”
“But, my lady, the heandrix will surely come after us.”
She gave me a painful glance. As if I had struck her. “Oh come now, don’t be a dolt. Heandrixs cannot fly. I can hardly make out anything through the black steam, but I can at least tell that no creature is capable of jumping out of this pit.”
I hesitated, then nodded. Who was I to question my lady? I quickly fastened a rope to a nearby tree, tying a constrictor knot. I tried many times to tear the rope from the tree, making certain it would suite the lady. I tied the same around her, but not as tightly, as I did not want to harm her tiny body.
“All is well,” I said. “Are you ready?”
“I am.” She nodded and stepped to the edge, then slid down to sit as she waited. I prepared myself, standing at the end of the rope beside the tree. I was confident enough in my strength. I was seven years older than her. Her weight wouldn’t be strenuous to hold.
As Lady Stultus glanced back at me, the two of us gave each other one final nod. I grasped tightly to the rope as she slid down. Gently, I lowered her deeper into the chasm to hell. Suddenly, I worried her body might touch the liquid flame below. As I hesitated, I heard her yell to go lower. I did as she commanded until I reached the edge and looked below.
There was silence for a time and so, I hollered down to her. Stultus gave a squeal of excitement, then a hush for me to be quiet. I then continued to wait. Until, a scream. I rapidly began to pull Lady Stultus up, feeling my heart pound as my hands congruently crossed over the other. Eventually, I snatched her body and tossed her to the side. She breathed heavily, drenched in sweat. She gave a sigh, then laughed.
“I-It was brilliant!” she laughed. “I’ve never seen such beautiful scales. Not like a lizard’s or a fish’s, rather, closer to a pinecone.
Suddenly, a roar came. Bursting from the smoke was a large beast, its body blacker than the night. Outstretched from its shoulders were two large black bat-like wings. The face it bore was something akin to a lion’s with a mane of long quills like a porcupine’s. Its scales were indeed something like a pinecone’s and fletched all across the rest of its body, save the end of the tail that bore more quills.
Lady Stultus squealed, crying as tears streamed down her already dampened face. A second roar came from the heandrix and then, a blast of flames. The heat alone singed the hairs off my arms as I raised them, as if to defend myself. But I should have endeavored to protect my lady instead. As I opened my eyes, no even before that I knew . . . I had heard her cry of agony and smelt her flesh burning. I watched as a blackened corpse fell to the ground beside me.
And then.
I ran. I ran hard, only sparing a single glance backwards, as the large monster mangled my sister in his jaws and crept back into his den.
What a farce. Noble girls do cry and heandrixs can most certainly fly.
