The Gift From Poseidon: When Gods Walked Among Us (Volume 2) (23 page)

*****

Many had approached the Land of Abomination to test his or her cunning over the past few millennia.  Precious few returned.  Even fewer did so with all their fleshy bits and pieces still attached.  Those foolish enough to get close to a Yeturi had long ago gathered most of what Terra Australis knew of them.  The wasteland where they lived was a level island where little else grew but the hardiest grasses.  Frozen into the island’s bedrock at its northeastern edge towered a single massive glacier.  A series of carved out caves in and around this glacier made up the Yeturi colony.

Atop the tundra to the west of the island roamed wild bison.  A grey-white wooly coat covered the white skin of these foul creatures.  As did the Yeturi, they too owned orange-red eyes.  The ancients caught sight of them nibbling on grasses every now and then, but wrote that these animals were, for the most part, carnivorous.  A disease that had luckily never reached Terra Australis caused a good many of these bison to suffer bloody mouths and noses that never seemed to heal.  Somehow, someway – Penelope had no idea how such mindless filth could do so – the Yeturi had long ago tamed these bison and rode them bareback.

“Even from far away, I can smell the monster’s stench!” Penelope complained.

Could it smell her too?

Penelope did not know how long she and Kybernus sat dumbfounded at the stern of the ship watching the Yeturi, but the sinking sun suggested it was quite a while.  Not particularly thrilled that only the portly first mate was still close by, she would make use of him, nonetheless.  And perhaps even teach him a thing or two.

“Do you know how Sapiens first discovered the Yeturi?”

“No, but I would be honored if you told me,” Kybernus answered eagerly.  He was not much to look at, but an educated Mermaid who wished to learn more counted for a good deal in her mind.

“Well,” Penelope began, “although these revolting creatures swim well, the gap between the Land of Abomination and Terra Australis is far too wide for them to cross.  Until their ships began to venture north, Sapiens of old had never seen a Yeturi, but neither fish nor any other type of food is what lured them here.  They searched for a creature that is quite real, yet considered more legend than not.”

His attention gathered fully, Kybernus’ eyes grew wide with wonder.

“Elkabydos well on its way to becoming a great city, the first Sapien queen, Cynisca, had done near all anyone could possibly do in a single lifetime.  Even one that spans as many years as that of a Sapien.  The world was then so at peace that all manner of animals and birds found comfort inside the walls of the first city.  This was true for
every
kind of bird aside for one.  Snow petrels much too skittish to come anywhere near us, a very special one dared to do so.

“As if a sign of goodwill from the gods, on any given day, this single snow petrel found Queen Cynisca near anywhere she happened to be.  Whether inside or outside, it yearned to be her pet, her companion, whatever you may wish to call it, and she adored it as such.  Under her care, it could often be seen flying freely about the city.  Although petrels do not live very long, this one never died.  Not even after she did.  Instead, its sightings became less frequent, and as the years passed, it became ever larger.  Soon none referred to it anymore as a mere petrel, but as the ‘Rukh’.  Sapiens believed that, upon the death of each gifted witch or wizard, his or her magic was not lost, but instead given to the Rukh to keep for his own; that
this
is why the bird grew with what seemed no bounds.

“On occasion, it still flew amongst the men and women of Elkabydos, but hearts growing colder leads to minds growing bolder.  Regents imprisoned the first few who shot at the Rukh with their arrows, but this only made such crude men more daring.  It was not long before this trophy that would be theirs but never was had had enough and abandoned them.  The old writings say it took up refuge in the north, and this was why Sapiens began to venture here.  Alas, they met not the cooing of the Rukh, but the shriek of heinous monsters – the Yeturi!”

Penelope smiled wide upon finishing her tale and gazed at Kybernus.  He appeared entranced, but a poke to his belly with her stylus quickly woke him up.

“I never knew of such a story,” he said in breathless gasps.  “Sapiens never said anything about a Rukh during my studies with them when I was young.”

“Well,” Penelope said with a playful pompousness in her voice, “we historians have to know
some
things others do not or else what use would we be?”  Kybernus smiled.  “Having given you this quaint history lesson, I now require something in return.”

“Sure, anything,” he answered back as if expecting Penelope to ask him to court her.

“We are close to home and I have sketched nothing more than the Yeturi’s outline.  Just look carefully upon the monster, describe all you see, and I will draw it.  Can you do this for me?”

“Oh – sure, I can do that,” Kybernus returned softly.  Penelope was sorry to disappoint him, but she had eyes for another.

“Good.”  His back to the Yeturi, he still looked at her.  “So … carry on.”  She shooed him away with her right hand.  Most Mermaids ambidextrous, Penelope favored the left hand she now held her stylus in.  With a drawn out grunt, he finally turned around.

“Well,” Kybernus drawled as if thinking hard.  “I don’t remember reading about Yeturi as tall as this one.  What am I missing?”

“You are right!” Penelope squealed.  “A select few Yeturi can grow to be as tall as a Mermaid is long, but most of the snow devils are a few hands below a pike length.  HA!  How lucky – this Yeturi is one of these few!  The largest usually leaders, I wonder if this one once led the colony, but was overthrown.”

“To banish and not eat it,” the first mate howled back, “who would have guessed that such nasty creatures had any sense of mercy?”  After a few more chuckles, Kybernus began to describe the Yeturi in earnest.

“Long, thick white fur covers our homeless troll from head to toe.  I can make out dark grey skin in a couple of places, but only on its face and the insides of its hands.  Its crazed eyes are oval-shaped and sit inside slanted eye sockets.”  He paused.  “WHOA!”  Kybernus’ excited voice became slow and a hint of fear weaved about each word.  “I just watched it move its eyes inside those sockets to the side like an eagle and then straight at me as would a lion.”

Penelope looked up and saw Kybernus shiver as if the sun gave off cold only to him and not warmth as it did to all others.  Finished sketching the eyes, she expected the first mate to continue, but he did not.  With a long sigh, she shrugged off this quirkiness, looked over his shoulder, and continued to draw the Yeturi’s face.

Its large mouth dominated the lower half of its ugly mug and formed an almost perfect circle.  Inside this circle, sat multiple rows of triangular teeth.  It had been written that foul smelling saliva coated each one of these triangular teeth and that the jaws holding them could move outward – same as a snake – to fit in oversized chunks of flesh.

This mouth should terrify you much more than its eyes, Kybernus!

The centerpiece of the Yeturi’s face was a massive nose that looked to be made entirely of exposed bone.  It ran up the middle of the face and branched off into mouflon-like horns on each side of its head.  This one’s horns quite large, it was obviously an adult.  Yeturi could use their nose like a trumpet to warn the colony, gain attention, or simply show off to others.  The ridge of its nose was wide and rose above and into the forehead.  This caused the eye sockets to be half on the nose bone and half on a raised part of the cheekbone.  Claws as sharp as daggers stuck out from hands attached to arms that appeared longer than they should be.

“Although Sapien-like in appearance,” Kybernus noticed, “this Yeturi seems to be anything but.  Aside that they walk upright, is there anything else Sapiens have in common with them?”

“The histories,” Penelope answered, “suggest they can control fire, but rarely use it.”  She smiled and her eyes grew wide.  “Raw and wiggling –
this
is how they prefer their prey!  Their simple language is of mostly clicks, grunts, and squeaks, but aside from this, unbridled savagery makes them much more a beast than anything else.”

The only weapons anyone had ever witnessed Yeturi wield were broken pieces of mammoth tusks.  Living mammoths were long gone – Queen Gorgynna had made sure of this centuries ago – but their bones were not.  As far as anyone knew, Yeturi understood neither the concept of armor nor the creation of weapons.

The setting sun now half below the sea and half above, Penelope looked up one final time to ensure her sketch was just right.  It was, of course.

“And just in time!” Kybernus announced joyfully, “our home is in sight.”

“They sure were right,” Penelope drawled after a deep sigh.  Finished putting her stylus and charcoal away, she gazed upon the sketched hideousness in her lap and cocked her head to one side.

“Who, Historian?” Kybernus begged.  “
Who
was right?”

“Sapiens who first wrote of them in their travels – travels in which a good many turned into disaster.  ‘Tis true beyond all doubt, my friend: Yeturi are just as disgusting as the ancients described.”

*****

Was it wise to bring a live Yeturi to Atagartis?  WHO CARES!

To tame the unknown, especially to bring a wild Yeturi inside the city walls, brought about great pride.  Such pride swelling in every chest ready to explode – Theodoric’s bold action greatly pleased Queen Diedrika.

Once inside Atagartis, the monster acted almost docile.  Having a handful of chances to strike at its handlers before locked in its spacious cage, not even once did it try to.  As Mermaids above poured soapy water onto its stringy, matted fur, the Yeturi just whimpered a sad song of sorrow.  Word spreading overnight of this grand prize, upon the next morning, near all demanded to see it.

And where better to show it off than at the center square of the most popular marketplace in Atagartis?

The Yeturi became an instant sensation.  At first, as if pleading for help from the ogres that banished it, the Yeturi blew its horn from dusk until dawn without pause.  A week after its capture, the fluffed troll had stopped doing this and appeared to have accepted its fate.

As expected, feeding time brought the largest crowds.  Small knives for claws, it happily made a bloody mess of whatever poor, still living animal its handlers gave it.  Aside from when it ate, the savage beast on the road to taming was mostly quiet no matter the crowd.  Even on days the market was full, it just sat in its cage and watched the waves of engaged Mermaids going about their lives all around it.

Not just Mermaids clamored to see the Yeturi.  Gryphons, Centaurs, Arachna – even Sapiens – flocked west to gawk at the monster as well.  So proud of the displayed beast, Queen Diedrika allowed one and all to enter Atagartis to view it.  All could do little more than marvel at how its handlers ruled over the caged troll.
 
In triumphant glory, Mermaids succeeded where the other nations would have most likely failed.

Quite epically, of course.

We’s did it!  Ha, ha!  We’s did it, and we’s did it well.  Is only fair it does so.  Is only fair the monster gets to drink from the same waters as we’s once did.  IS ONLY FAIR!  The Pool of Torment and Discovery is a gift for all.  Is just a bit of fun!  Let us see, let us see!  Just what will happen when we’s introduce a little chaos into this happy, shiny world?

– Betrugen and Verrator, Mermaids

– Mid-Summer, Year 4,253 KT
[23]

A blue moon, darkened sky,

watchful night up on high,

Casts a twinkle,

a glimmer, in each darting eye,

Oh brother,

a bit younger, so so much dumber,

Perhaps youth has just made

your mind that much number,

Grab hold, Verrator! 

Take from what my hand offers,

A reward so grand,

it shan’t fit into coffers.

Why read?  Your eyes

foretell of mayhem this summer,

At last!  Has been so

boring, a humdrum glummer,

Older, yes!  But wiser? 

Oh, please, Betrugen, please,

A battle of wits –

better come armed, Mermaid sleaze,

You move like a sloth,

your skin’s hue more grey than blue,

Fat and quite ugly,

no words written were more true.