Fate

If you listen carefully, you can hear the whispers of Fate. Those were the words Ernas used to tell me. They were meant as an encouragement — I could do it if I only kept trying — but I took them as chastisement then. I wasn’t trying hard enough. I needed to do more.

Eventually, I did learn to understand the language of destiny. But I’ve since come to regret it.

They did not foretell my death or some horrific tragedy, no. It was much worse. They foretold that all my dreams would come true.

And now this life seemed, somehow, not enough.

Before Fate whispered in my ear, I was content. Why did my dreams make ordinary life so…insufferable?

Now, the whispers were speaking to me again. Not of my destiny, but the fate of my people. Tell them peace will come to your generation. Tell them to be patient, and keep their faces lifted to the sky.

Villagers shuffled their feet, as they stood watching me. It was an effort not to groan aloud.

“It’s the same as always,” I told them.

Some of the villagers did groan.

“They don’t give a date?”

“I’d even take knowing the year.”

“A generation is a long time.”

“Too long for me and my old back.”

“And my neck hurts from always looking up!”

The villagers continued complaining, but I swept through the crowd, heading away from all the noise. If I lingered, people would start asking to know what Fate said about them. If I thought about it, I might hear the answer. That would likely bring trouble. And what was the point of talking to them, building relationships here, when I was meant to leave this place?

If only it could be soon. I was sure I was ready.

My life as a Perceiver felt pointless. I foretold the same whispers over and over. I was helping no one here. I was wasting my own time; try as I might to go after my dreams, every effort left me right back here. I didn’t understand why Fate was making me wait.

Nearing the south end of the village, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. It wouldn’t bode well for me if the other villagers knew what I was doing in my free time. Things looked clear, so I hurried into the woods. The quiet restored me, and I took my time walking to a small cave deep in the forest. I stopped only to grab my pack and fill up my water pouch from the nearby stream.

Not a single twig cracked under my boots, as I made my way along the stream. After a couple of hours, I spotted some tracks. As I bent to examine them, my heart began to beat faster. These were not the tracks of a common forest animal. They were just the tracks I was looking for.

...

My movement through the forest was quieter than the breeze through the trees. I had to be sure that even an animal with supernatural hearing wouldn’t be alerted to my approach. It wasn’t long before I heard some rustling ahead. I slowed my pace and examined my surroundings carefully. There.

Ahead to the east was a magnificent creature. Its hindquarters were covered in golden fur with a whip-like tail with a tuft of hair at the end. Its back paws were sturdy and had small claws, while its front legs were thinner and ended in talons. It had the head of an eagle, with feathers covering the front of its body. Most awe-inspiring were its wings.

Each one was longer than I was tall. They were tucked along its body, but I could imagine the force of the wind as they pushed into the air. I would need to be quick, but careful.

I reached my right hand back to the side of my pack, pulling my rope from the loop attaching it. I moved to put the creature just within the reach of my rope, which was made with magic fibers to be unbreakable by even the strongest beast known to man. I had saved for years to purchase it, the staple of a Beast Master.

If I had been appointed as a Beast Master, I would have been given one by the Premier. Instead, I had been appointed a Perceiver, according to my natural gifts, and given a sum of gold to equal my expected talent. Which, apparently, was not enough to afford a lariat.

I began to twist the rope and, with a well-practiced flick of the wrist, launched it toward the griffin. It landed around the creature’s neck, and I gave it a sharp tug. The griffin began to pull against me, trying to yank the lariat from my hand. I held tight, calloused hands helping me grip the rope. I dug my feet into the ground, as I recited a spell to calm the griffin.

Once it stopped trying to pull away, I approached. This was the crucial part with the taming of a griffin: I must get it to let me ride it. I stroked its furry back, careful not to touch the feathers, and spoke softly to the creature. After a couple of moments, it dipped its head to the ground and slid its front legs forward so it was bowed low to the ground. In one quick motion, I mounted the griffin behind the shoulders.

It raised itself back up, and I gripped with my legs to steady myself. Grinning from ear to ear, I removed the lariat and leaned forward against the griffin. As soon as I was settled and holding on, it flapped its wings and pushed off the ground.

The powerful wing beats raised us into the sky. For an instant, I felt weightless, and my stomach fluttered. Wind whipped my hair and swept away my cry of triumph. This. This feeling was why I wanted to be a Beast Master: the thrilling mix of fear and excitement.

I was determined to fly my new griffin straight to the Premier and make him see that I deserved to be a Beast Master.

...

I landed the griffin near the dock on Ironwing Isle. It had been a long flight, and I wanted to allow the griffin to rest and take a moment to compose myself. I had spotted the Premier’s Keep from the air and led the griffin in that direction. All the buildings on the Isle were widely spaced, allowing for all manner of beasts.

As we walked along the trampled paths, I received more than a few odd looks. Despite having a rare creature and a lariat, I did not wear the official attire of a Beast Master. Everyone else on Ironwing Isle wore the soft leather clothing that protected them from stray claws and beaks. Perhaps more importantly, the leather vests displayed patches of all the creatures they had tamed. The sight filled me with a bubbling rage. I should have three badges, with the capture of the griffin.

Certainly, as rare a beast as a griffin would sway the Premier this time.

When I reached the keep, I was made to wait outside a long time. I wasn’t surprised. I accepted it because I knew this time would be different. A Beast Master with one badge on his vest showed me into the keep. I followed him to the second story, where we entered a cavernous meeting room.

The Premier sat on a low cushioned bench with a many-tailed fox spread across his lap. A large dog with three heads and a sharp tail curled at his feet, and on either side of the bench was a dragon — the one on the right had two heads. His vest was covered in patches.

A look of annoyance flashed across the Premier’s face when I was brought in, but then his eyes alighted on the griffin, widening. He reigned in his look of awe, before turning back to me.

“I’m beginning to feel insulted. Do you think the Beast Masters are incapable of taming their own creatures? Why else would you insist on bringing us these beasts, when you know you cannot be one of us?”

“I have tamed a rare griffin. Certainly, since few among you could tame this beast, it makes me worthy of the title Beast Master.” I couldn’t resist slipping in the insult.

The Premier stiffened. “No Perceiver,” he practically spat the word, “is worthy of being a Beast Master.”

“Fate seems to disagree.”

“Then you are clearly not worthy of being called a Perceiver either, since you mishear their whispers. Fate is not known for the clarity and can easily be misinterpreted by those without much talent.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the Premier cut me off.

“I thank you for bringing us a griffin for our ranks. It will be assigned to someone capable of training it.” With a gesture to the Beast Master who had walked me in, he continued. “Be sure to pay her on the way out.”

I stepped forward as another Beast Master looped his lariat around the griffin, but was stopped by a rumbling growl from the three-headed dog. The Premier flashed a cold grin at me. There was nothing I could do to stop them from taking another of my beasts.

...

You shall tame the greatest creature known to man, and become a legendary Beast Master.

The Premier was wrong: I did not mishear the whispers of Fate. That I knew. What I didn’t know was why they were seemingly doing nothing to help me come into my destiny. My people felt much the same, but since they couldn’t hear Fate, they took out their frustrations on me.

There was another raid while I was gone. They nearly emptied our stores of Desam, the unbreakable fibers used to make the lariat. It was a rare crop that could only grow in lands with magic in the soil, like ours. Though our village is small, it would be wealthy if we weren’t raided so frequently.

The townsfolk were angry that I was gone. They thought I could have heard a warning from Fate. I was in no mood for their grumbles and tried to go straight to my house. Footsteps followed behind me, and I hurried my pace.

“Eyonli, slow down!” a frustrated voice called out.

I turned to see my friend — if anyone here could be called my friend — following me. Islwyn and I had been close as girls. She was the only person in this town that didn’t treat me differently after I became a Perceiver. I waited for her to catch up, before continuing toward my house.

“What’s going on, Eyonli?” she asked.

“I’m just tired of the complaining. I want some peace and quiet.”

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve become distant this past year. You never visit me anymore,” her voice broke towards the end.

I stopped, surprised by the hurt in her voice. About a year ago was when Fate whispered to me of my own destiny. After that, I thought I would be leaving soon to become a Beast Master. I spent my time hunting beasts, and building friendships seemed pointless. I never thought I would spend another year here, and I also hadn’t thought about Islwyn’s feelings.

“I’m sorry,” I responded, feeling guilty now. “Do you want to go for a walk in the woods? I’ll explain everything”.

We walked a little way and settled ourselves by the nearby creek. We sat on a boulder, feet dangling in the water. For the first time, I told someone about my dreams and my fate.

It felt good to unburden myself of the fear and worry. Once I started, all of my thoughts and emotions spilled out. What if I was wrong about what Fate was saying? What if I was right?

Islwyn listened, nodding along. When I finished, she spoke. “Don’t give up on your dream, Eyonli. You have to keep fighting, despite what the Premier says, but don’t forget to still enjoy your life. Don’t wait until all your dreams come true to allow yourself to be happy.”

I was silent, letting her words sink in. She was right. I had been miserable the past year, focusing on what I didn’t have instead of what was right in front of me. I looked around me, seeing the leaves beginning to change color and feeling the refreshing breeze on my face as if it was the first time. I turned to my friend beside me, wondering when the last time was that we laughed together.

I hopped off the boulder, landed in the creek, and splashed water on Islwyn. Her jaw dropped, and she blinked at me, as water dripped down her face. I laughed at her expression and flung some more water at her. A mischievous grin spread across her face, and she jumped in after me. We waded through the creek, slipping and splashing, laughing and squealing. It was the lightest I’d felt in a long time.

...

Islwyn and I lay on a spot in the sun while we dried off. She filled me in on all the things going on in her life that I hadn’t noticed before. I hadn’t realized how much I missed our easy conversation and laughter.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement. I turned to look deeper into the woods, propping myself up on my elbows. As I skimmed the woods, even my hunter’s gaze didn’t spot anything, but something caught my eye with a second look.

A translucent horse was watching us warily, nearly blending into the woods. Its eyes found mine, and I didn’t look away. I tried to convey that we wouldn’t hurt it. Islowyn prattled on completely unaware at first until she noticed my silence and followed my gaze. Her mouth popped open, but she didn’t move.

The horse dipped its head in my direction, and on instinct, I dropped my head in return. It took a couple of steps forward into the light. That’s when I noticed the sparkling horn atop its head. A unicorn.

After a moment more, the unicorn walked to the creek and bent to take a drink. My thoughts turned to the lariat strapped to my pack. It was within reach if I sat all the way up and leaned over. If I moved carefully, I thought I could get it without startling the creature. But something made me pause. It trusted me.

I thought of all the other beasts I’d leashed and tamed and brought to the Premier, those creatures stolen and assigned to another Beast Master. For the first time, I wondered how they were being treated.

Somehow, it seemed wrong to tame this majestic unicorn.

I simply watched as it drank, then shook its iridescent mane. It was mesmerizing. A flick of the tail was all the warning it gave before it leaped across the creek to land near us. Islowyn gasped. I scurried to my feet, bowing deeply this time.

Without thinking about what I was doing, I reached out my hand. The unicorn came closer and nuzzled my hand. I began to stroke its silky mane. It shivered and a feeling of warmth spread up my arm.

I pulled back, startled.

The unicorn looked at me for a long moment, as if contemplating some deep question. It nuzzled my hand again.

“This time, do not pull away, Bestia Cognatio.” The unicorn’s voice was a song.

I had never heard a beast speak. I didn’t know they could.

“Bestia Cognatio?” I asked.

“It is what we call those who we choose to bond with, in your language it is translated as — ”

“Beast Master,” I finished.

“Yes,” the unicorn replied, “although I believe Beast Bonded is a more accurate translation. Though not of the bond between master and servant, but the bond of kinship.”

My mind was a whirl of emotions, but I tried to calm them and listen for the words Fate carried to me on the wind. I had heard the words, Beast Master, in the past, but it was known that Fate spoke in terms the Perceiver could best understand. This sometimes led to different interpretations based on who was hearing a prophecy. The whispers of Fate came again, this time with a new translation.

You shall bond with the greatest creature known to man, and become the Beast Bonded of legends.

The unicorn nodded as if it had heard the words also. “You must have heard the tales of those humans who bonded with us through a powerful connection that needed no spells or lariat?”

“I did, but I thought them just exaggerations of the Beast Masters’ glory.”

“To you they are legends, but to us, they are fond memories of a time when we willingly joined with humans. It is a much more powerful connection than that with a tamed beast. I should like to become bonded with you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached out my hand again. The unicorn touched its nose to my palm. The warmth spread from my fingertips up my arm. I did not pull away. I began to glow with soft light until warmth filled my entire body. Islowyn, who had remained silent through the whole interaction, gasped. There was one great surge of light, and the warmth dissipated, leaving my body tingling.

“Would you like to go for a ride?” the unicorn asked.

I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. With a shimmer, wings seemed to sprout from the unicorn’s body. They looked like clouds when sunlight reflected through them. I swung onto the unicorn.

“I’ll-I’ll meet you back at the village,” Islowyn squeaked before we launched into the air.

Gliding through the sky, a thought occurred to me. “I don’t know your name,” I told the unicorn.

“My name is Lunaria.”

...

Legend spread through the surrounding lands of the first Beast Bonded in generations. The Premier himself came to return the beasts I had tamed, and offer me the vest of a Beast Master with four badges. I declined, and told him I would be starting a group of Beast Bonded right here in my small village, by the woods where my bonded creatures call home. Our bond with our beasts would be one of mutual respect and kinship, given freely.

Mythical creatures and those who wished to follow the ways of bonding flocked to my town. Even some Beast Masters came to change their ways. Islwyn helped me feed and care for the creatures and even bonded with a phoenix that could often be found sitting on her shoulder.

The first time the raiders returned, the beasts defended our town. When I took to the skies with Lunaria, the villagers cheered. It was the last time the raiders came. The townsfolk came to respect me, but I stopped sharing the whispers of Fate. It was better that way. Now I realized that Fate had something better in store for us than I could have ever imagined or predicted, even with all my gifts.

...

What did you think of the story? Would you follow the ways of a Beast Master or a Beast Bonded? Which mythical creature would you like to bond with? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks so much for reading!

-Clever & WTF