The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 9

“…Your Highness?” Dora, her voice trembling, called out.

Stella pressed a shaking finger to her lips. A strange chill brushed her skin, not from the sharp northern wind.

“It’s the Black Beast! Seven of them ahead!” a voice shouted.

“Draw your swords immediately!” came another fierce command from outside the carriage, followed by the sharp sound of metal sliding out.

The ground rumbled as if something massive was charging towards them, and the desperate cries of hungry beasts clawed at their ears.

Black beast? What could that be?

Stella’s breath quickened, her face paling. Dora, terrified, burst into tears and threw herself into Stella’s arms.

The cacophony of terrifying noises quickly mingled. The snarling of beasts drew near, accompanied by the sound of weapons striking thick flesh.

Stella clung to Dora, curling into themselves. The previously sturdy carriage now felt as flimsy as a piece of paper. It seemed like at any moment, monstrous creatures would tear apart the carriage and drag them out.

The carriage shuddered violently as if something had struck its side. A moment of eerie silence followed.

In the hellish quiet, Stella looked up. At that moment, the roof of the carriage was ripped off entirely.

The two women screamed in unison. The fierce wind blew Stella’s hair into disarray.

Something leaped onto the carriage.

“……!”

Struggling to maintain her balance in the jolting carriage, Stella looked up.

Silhouetted against the dim fog, the figure seemed almost human. It stood on two legs, breathing heavily, looking down at them. It even squatted slowly, making eye contact with Stella.

But it wasn’t human.

Where a human face should have been, there was the muzzle of a beast, like a dog. Coarse fur covered its entire body, and its fingers ended in claws longer than two spans.

Just as Dora had described, the creature had black fur and blood-red eyes.

It resembled that man.

“Peruno…” Stella whispered his name involuntarily, looking up into the red eyes. She couldn’t believe it. A creature that was neither animal nor human stood before her.

They say a person recalls their life in flashes before death. Recent memories that tormented Stella whirled in her mind.

A man driven mad and consumed by his instincts for desiring a priest’s daughter. A bloodline cursed to turn into monsters.

It was said the Peruno lineage inevitably became monsters. Islay Peruno was searching for something, laying out glass bottles, making strange demands of her.

“Identify the bottle with water.”

He wanted her to distinguish something, as if testing her abilities.

Stella exhaled slowly, watching the beast reveal its teeth. Behind it, something similar but different caught her eye.

For a moment, time seemed to slow as Islay swung his sword.

Blood splattered across Stella’s face. Dora screamed, her voice piercing.

Stella snapped out of her daze, gasping for air.

The man who had decapitated the massive beast disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Outside, something heavy thudded and rolled.

Stella looked up at the violet sky beyond the torn roof of the carriage. Sleet whipped around in the fierce wind.

***

After the assault by the mysterious creatures, the newly repaired carriage traveled for some time before halting in a nearby forest. Stella, wiping the blood from her face with the hem of her skirt, gazed out the window.

It appeared the men were preparing to camp for the night, setting up tents. Watching them lift the thick tree trunks, twice their height with one hand, was a testament to their extraordinary strength. Some men, moving with ghost-like speed, gathered firewood and lit a bonfire in the center of the campsite.

Stella keenly observed the men’s eyes, glinting like a cat’s even in the pitch darkness. The tales of northern people evolving drastically to survive in Calis seemed to be true.

“Dora, are you all right?” Stella asked, wrapping her arms around the still-sniffling maid’s small shoulders. Dora, her lips trembling, managed a weak nod.

“I’m… I’m okay. It feels like I just had a nightmare I will never forget,” Dora said, recalling the unbelievable scene from earlier and closing her eyes tightly.

“But why has the carriage stopped?” she asked.

“It seems they plan to spend the night in the forest,” Stella replied.

“What if those dreadful monsters appear again?” Dora whispered in fear.

“They probably judged it safer to stay here than to travel through the night,” Stella said. Perhaps it was because of Stella and Dora. With their strength and speed, the men could have easily pushed through, but with the added burden of the two women, they had to camp.

“I’m scared, Your Highness,” Dora whimpered, clinging to Stella. “I’ve never seen such strange creatures in my life. I don’t trust these northern men either.”

“They saved us, didn’t they? They seem very strong and unlikely to harm us,” Stella said, trying to reassure her maid while swallowing her own fears.

Despite her brave words, Stella felt the same dread. She had witnessed the very monsters spoken of in myths and legends.

She desperately wanted to escape, but the possibility seemed increasingly distant. Even if they managed to steal a horse and flee, surviving the monster-infested snowy wilderness would be the real challenge.

Just then, the carriage door creaked open. Standing against the cold wind was the man with a long scar across his eyebrow.

His name was Mikel, she recalled. Islay’s subordinate spoke quietly, “We’ll stay here until morning.”

Stella and Dora exchanged glances and silently climbed out of the carriage. They were led past the crackling bonfire to a tent.

The spacious tent had two cots and a round table. Mikel placed thick winter cloaks, leather water bottles, and dried meat on the table, finishing with two small vials. Dora’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“What are those?” she asked sharply.

Mikel’s eyes flicked to Dora, his gaze steady and intense.

The bold maid flinched and retreated behind Stella, who, despite being as small as Dora, stood tall to protect her.

“They’re a warming potion and a sedative. The captain ordered me to give them to our guests to ease the cold and fear.”

Cold and fear? Not inaccurate, but the remark stung. Mikel glanced at Stella.

“It’s a small dose, so it won’t cause any harm.”

Stella’s cheeks flushed, embarrassed by the memory of earlier events. Islay’s mocking face seemed to appear in her mind.

“We… we can’t just drink anything you give us!” Dora shouted.

“Then throw them away.”

“What… What?”

“If you don’t trust them, you can dispose of them. That was also part of the order. I’ll take my leave now.”

Mikel, having delivered his message, turned and left the tent. Dora, her fists clenched, glared at his retreating figure.

“Who’s going to drink that! And I won’t sleep a wink, because I have to protect you, Your Highness!”

Despite her words, Dora didn’t touch the potions but finished the water and jerky. Wrapped in a cloak and blanket, she eventually dozed off on the cot.

Contrary to her resolve, the exhausting ordeal of being kidnapped and brought to Calis, and then facing monsters, had taken its toll on her.

Before long, soft snores came from the slumbering Dora. Stella carefully placed her own blanket over her maid.

Is this what it would feel like to have a younger sister? Despite her fear, Stella found herself wanting to care for someone else. The desire to protect another gave her strength and courage.

A sudden, distant memory surfaced like a cloud.

The feeling of caring for a younger sibling. Although those warm emotions belonged to a long-forgotten time, to Stella, they were treasured memories, akin to a precious box hidden deep within a closet. These memories were her anchor, barely holding her fearful and timid self together.

“You look surprisingly fine,” a voice said from behind.

Stella whipped her head around.

“I thought you’d be trembling like a frightened rabbit, so I came to check,” Islay said, having entered the tent without her noticing, standing a few steps away.

His black hair, brushed back, and dark eyebrows accentuated his striking red eyes, making him unforgettable.

“…Ah,” Stella gasped, instinctively stepping back. Islay watched her retreat with a steady gaze.