Piercing through the air was a bald bald eagle that traveled above the sky so high that it could whisper to the gods. The sky, clear of clouds allowed the bird to see far and move freely without anything to block its path. Below the egal was a forrest with twendilgn leaves steadliy falling off into the dim decaying ones underneath it,in the midst of all was man who bore red and black pigment across his eyes.
Blackness-dulled with a mixture of desperation and anger fueled his spirit along with his strength and accuracy with his bow. Creeping quilty towards the eagle in the thick dense decaying forest. Picking up on his presence it began to hover around him on the gentle winds. Meeting together there eyes would conflict with each other, one trying to allow passage while the other refusing entry.
Clinching on to his bow, he began to level it stiffening his muscles and leveling the bow to were it was parallel to the bird. Pulling the bow back with massive force that turn his hands red. Releasing the bow and halting the wind the bird jerked upward into the air before falling down into the dimming forrest.
Exhaling out in a staggering manner, the man collected himself and search for his prize. It was without luck he looked around til dusk came and went.
Until a man with a similar attire came out of the depths the forrest to ask him, “Adahya where have you been? The moon has fallen twice since the last time I saw you.”
Faintly smiling Adahya replied to him “I’ve been journey further into the woods to improve my hunting and spirituality.”
“Ah, you should have brought Songo and Swilli along with you, so they can grow up and be a fine hunter like you.”
“Maybe next time, this was more so for me”, Adahya said as he turn his back towards his clansmen getting ready to continue his search.
“Before you continue your journey the Chief would like to have a word with you.”
“Did he say why?”
“No, he was very cloudy about the request but it would seem urgent for he ask several of us to come find you.”
“I see, let me address him then, and see why he has called upon me.”
Adahya made his way to a huge wigwam where the chief and tribes headsmen would meet to talk and meditate. Most of the man were mild aged but the chief was the eldest amongst them. He sat in middle of the two rows of men with his eyes closed. Essence surrounded him emerging from burning herbs.
With a soothing yet powerful voice he command Adahya, “Come” and so he did.
Standing before the elder a gust of wind crept into the room brushing past him, stirring the smoke around the chief until bonding with him. They move together leaning into Adahya’s face and demand him to answer the question,”Why did you do it?”
Acting baffled responded saying to the man, “Your words are broader than this smoke. What do you mean?”
Infuriated by his response the elder exclaim, “Why did you kill the egal!”
Blood rushed passed his lungs as he began his defense,“It possessed the gift that was once promise to me at birth! I’ve waited for the spirits for countless seasons! I grew tired of waiting and went to claim my gift so made the bird relinquish it.
“The spirits didn’t bless you with the ability to talk to them. In fact they saw you were corrupt just as I did. I tried to protect you just as any father would do for a son but I have failed and you have now been consumed by hatred and anger.” He looked away momentarily and resumed, “However, I won’t fail the tribe, the spirits and I curse you.”
“You’ve already done that when you chosed them over me.”
“The spirits and the tribe will always take priority in my life before my on flesh and blood. Now go! Leave this village and stray away from the winds like you were born to do!”
Adahya left and went to wiguam were his wife and son’s were preparing for dinner. Fixating there eye’s on him out of fear, they were able to see his veins pulsating.
“We’re leaving the tribe grab your things and let’s go.”
They decided not to question why nor look him in the eyes out of inspiring from the influence he held over them with his relentless beatings.
The wind watched them silently as they traveled south down the Ozarks. Treading for a while the trees began to look more decayed within each passing. One tree caught everyone’s eyes for it had jagged branches with sharp angels. Adahya began to study and observe its abnormality. Each step he took the branches would slowly shift into another position,yet passing the tree he witness nothing special. Swili his eldest son stop for a monument for he was snared by a invisible chain that hooked and weighed into his flesh and spirit. Attempting to flee the boy felt a jolt of pain biting into him worse than a hungry lion. On impulse he turn to see his captor. Creaking aloud, smirking from branch to branch, the tree hollowed eyes rushes at the boy alongside a murderous wind.
Adahya jerked him off the ground, dangling him in the air by the arm and slapped him causing his cheek to turn red. “What’s wrong with you! I told you to keep moving! Next time you don’t listen to me I will break a branch across your back. Do you understand?” Swilli remain quiet as warm blood filled his mouth. Shaking him like a violent earthquake he forced him to answer while blood poured down his lips, “Yes sir.”
Adahya dropped him to the ground pleased and snarled at the boy, “ Good. Now get up and walk with us and don’t you dare fall behind again.”
Walking a few more hours as the night fail the family would to until the next morning.
Dense and heavy was the fog that came along with dawn cautioning to the signs of an early winter approaching the Ozarks, as dead trees fall, and harsh chilling winds blew against the land. As Old Man Winter grew near, an the family prepared by gathering and hunting what they could find. The rations they had were very scarce, due game moving to more favorable conditions. Fortune eventually struck the family when Adahy, the man over the household, discovered a pregnant cow in a frozen pasture. It stood hefty and firm among the cold dead bodies of the rest of herd. Adahy saw this as a bad omen, but he insisted to himself that his family needed the cow to survive so he lured the animal back home. He thought about bringing the dead cows too, but he feared that they might be cursed.
When he arrived home, his wife Halona greeted him with cheerfulness along with his two sons Siwili and Songoa. They knew Adahy stumbled upon a blessing. Halona wanted to throw a celebration for him, to give him thanks and praise. She told Siwili to fetch some firewood. The child griped under his breath as he proceeded to do his mother’s wish. Adahy thought about all the things the cow could provide for his family however, he wanted to make sure that they would be able to survive the winter. After convincing himself to go back, he asked his son Songoa to help him bring back the dead cows.
Adahy and Songoa reached the field where the corpses laid. The stench of death tackled them both before they were in sight of the cows. Adahy didn’t quite remember the cows smelling like this the first time. He looked at Songoa and said “They’re not any good for us to eat, but they are good enough for bait. Come, let us go back and celebrate for now we’ll hunt tomorrow.”
Walking along a dim path of tall dying trees whose shadows stretch across his body, stitching his shadow among theirs. The sound of a twig breaking caused the young boy to freeze.He turned around quickly to see nothing was there. He paused and let his eyes lose focus, so they could catch any movement possible. When he saw nothing, he went back to searching for firewood. Siwili continued his task until he noticed a compelling shadow embodied with a lifeless tree. He approached it slowly with silence. Before he could figure out what it was, the shadow pierced his soul with amber eyes. Emerging halfway from the shadow of the tree a sinister fox greeted the boy with a dampening voice by saying, “Hello young one.”
“Hello, Fox,” Siwili replied back with cold sweat running across his body.
“Would you like to play a game?”
“Shh… sure. How do you play?
“It’s easy, all you have to do is kill the largest animal, and you’ll win.”
Siwili began to ponder on the cow that his father recently brought home.
“What would I get if I win the game?”
“The winner will win enough food that would last several winters.”
“That would be a great blessing to my family!”
“So will you play,” the Fox said with a faint smile that grew on his face.
“Of course.”
“Good, here’s my prey that I’ve already killed.” The Fox rolled out a large raccoon with his paw and pushed it in front of Siwili.
Siwili knew that the safest way to win the game was to kill the cow his father captured. He journeyed back to the camp to find his mother getting the fire pit ready for the celebration. Quietly he snuck past her into the hut where his father was sleeping on a wooden mat. Siwili looked around the hut in hopes of finding one of his father’s daggers. Snooping around the area, he eventually found one underneath his mother’s mat. Without a sound he crept outside the hut and towards the cow. The distance decreased between him as he was a few feet away the creature gazed into his eyes with a blank expression. Chills ran throughout his body as he grew even closer to the cow. He thought about the risk that he was putting him and his family in but the reward the fox promised was too tempting for him to ignore. A drop of sweat raced down his face along with fear inside his gut. He cut the creature’s throat in a hasty motion feeling nothing but the compelling need to provide for his family and to gain their love. Blood scattered through the air and plastered itself against Siwili’s face as a motion of anxiety erupted inside of him like a volcano.
“Siwili,” Songoa yelped in shock.
Halona rushed to the area to see what the commotion was about. She saw the aftermath of a horrible deed that transpired. Before Siwili could explain Songoa ratted him out as he said, “Siwili did it. He killed the cow, mother.”
“Is this true,” Halona asked in dismay.”
“Yes, ma’am but…”
“Not another word until your father gets here. Songoa go wake your father,” she demanded with a high authority tone in her voice. Songoa took off towards the family hut while Halona gazed at Siwili with such tension it made his muscles stiff. Within a short moment he saw his father coming from the hut. Adahy approached the scene with stillness in his legs. Within each step of his father’s approach Siwili felt as if a dagger was carving into his soul. His father was still flustered from being woken but he had gained an immense amount concentration once he gazed upon the corpse of the cow. Silence grew dim around the family to the point only the brief whispers of the wind could be heard. The father remained calm and collective of the situation. “Who did this?” Adahy beckoned upon to them.
“Siwili,” Songoa uttered.
“Son, what was your reasoning for this heinous act?”
“A fox had made a wager with me and he said the winner gets enough food for several winters.”
“Where is this food the fox promised you?”
Siwili didn’t think about asking the fox where the food was or how he could actually get it. He became shameful in front of his family because he didn’t have an answer for them.
“Did you not known that these lands have been scarce of creatures!”
Siwili started to tremble before his father in fear of what he was going to do to him.
“Blood must be shed for this act of trickery. Find the fox that made you that ridicules promise and kill it and if you don’t return by the high moon then we shall spill your blood.”
Siwili nodded to his father and ventured into the forest in search of the fox. Heaps of moonlight began to pass through dense interwoven branches of Oak trees. Chilling winds danced around the young man as he journeyed deeper into the woods. He began to grow unsure if he would ever run across the fox again and pondered the thought of traveling far away so that his family couldn’t reach him. He even thought that if he roamed around long enough, he might just die of starvation, thus repenting for the crime he had committed.
A crack emitted from the forest “Who’s there?” Siwili asked as he turned around to brace himself for what was lurking in the darkness. The wind answered him as it began to howl like a wolf chilling the marrow of his bones. It died down for a moment as the weary sullenness returns. Siwili turned back to the trail he was following only to be greeted by the fox that he had encountered earlier.
“Hello boy…,” the fox said in an assertive tone.
“Where’s the food you promise me,” Siwili uttered out.
The fox began to circle around him trailing his shadow as he tried to not turn his back towards him. The fox paws made rustling noises with each step he took that stirred the blood in Siwili’s body.
“The food I promise is already lying dormant in your home.” The fox said as he sat down on the ground.
“What do you mean my family and I didn’t see anything?” Siwili ask in frustration.
“O little boy your lack of understanding is quite humorous. Did you think I would lose a challenge to a mere human like you?”
“What do you mean? I won the game, therefore I deserve my reward!”
The fox tilted its head to the side and responded back by saying really? I didn’t say you be the winner I said there will be a winner and that would be me my boy. For you see, the cow, you, and your family will last me several winters by myself.”
“But… but… fox don’t even eat people,” stuttered Siwili.
“You fool,” the fox said pridefully. The fox began to change into something deadlier. Fangs sharper than daggers crept out of his mouth. He rearranged his posture to become several feet taller.
“If I were a fox would I be able to do this?” The creature said smugly as it began to howl to the moon. The howl echoed loudly throughout the forest.
“I’m a wolf.”
Siwili began to back away from the creature and pleaded, “Please my family are about to hunt me down.”
“Good they can join me!” The wolf said as he pounced at Siwili. Siwili jumped out of the way, but tripped over a branch and tumbled down a hillside.
He crashed into a tree, preventing him from going further down the hill. Before he could recover the wolf lashed at him again. Siwili moved his head just in time, causing the wolf’s claws to get stuck in the bark of the tree. He pushed himself off the ground before the wolf could bite him. Running for his life he looks up to see the moon sitting high in the sky. “Oh…no.” He said while trying to hide from the wolf. He knew his family was looking for him. Siwili also knows he’s a great distance away from their home; therefore, he became a little bit comfortable about his situation. A sharp pain arose from his leg as he yelled out in agony. Blood and drool where pouring out of the wolf’s mouth as Siwili looked down at the wolf who had buried its fangs that had sunk deeper into his ankle severing a tedon. The animal removed his fangs from Siwili and regain its posture.
“There, that’s all I wanted to do,” the wolf said as it smiled at Siwili before creeping back into the woods. The wolf had given him a severe wound that would make it impossible for Siwili to run. He was determined to keep moving away from his family since he knew that they were still a good distance off. The night grew longer, and the winds became harsher along with the temperature. A thick fog escaped Siwili’s breath as he slowly trotted along the forest. He gazed up at the moon to see that it hasn’t lowered an inch from what seems like hours ago. His muscles harden as the cold wrapped itself around them. Siwili dropped to the ground for he had become fatigued. His wound hadn’t closed yet and he felt like this was the end for him. A rush of air brushed past his ear to leaving it ripped open and leaking blood. He felt the little warmth of the blood coming out of his ear with his hand as he was baffled by what happen. Another rush of air moved beside him. He looked in its direction to see an arrow stuck in the ground beside him. Immediately he ran into an open field without thinking. He thought about running back, but it was too late for he saw them emerging from the woods. Tears ran down the boy’s cheeks when he was faced with the fact that he was going to die. He knew he had nowhere to run or hide for his family had come to kill him. Another arrow rushed through the air, then it pierced his shoulder blade pinning him to a tree. Blood oozed onto the ground as a third arrow flew from the darkness of the forest nailing his foot to the ground. Siwili could no longer move nor did he have the will to keep moving. He heard footsteps approaching him, but he couldn’t make out their faces for the moon gave off just enough light to reveal the outlines of their coyotes’ cowls and the figures of clothes.
Adahy and the others silently drew closer to Swilli in the manner of a slow pace. They were all in an opening of the forest in a field with tall grass and dead wheat.
He trembled wildly as his father’s gaze matched that of the eyes of the coyote that was mounted on his head. The stare alone was enough to kill Swili but that wasn’t enough for Adahy. His father drew his makeshift bone knife that he had made from the coyote’s teeth that he had slain many years ago. The blade had every tooth from the creature laced in one direction as well as a sharpness to cut the very essences of the wind itself.
“You a have brought great shame and a curse upon this family and for that we will offer you to the Spirits of this forest in exchange for a peaceful winter.”
The blade raced its way across Swili’s face gouging out his eyes, causing them to bleed from their damaged sockets. Adahy then motioned Songoa to strike two flint rocks together to start a fire. In the matter of seconds the field was covered in fire and the family crept back into the thickness of the woods leaving Swili to scream in agony.
A spirit of death made his way towards Swili and began to examine him. The boy’s flesh was narrow to none, crisp, and blended in with the burnt bark of the tree. His hair had been mangled and destroyed, leaving thin patches. The spirit grabbed him by the chin and raised Swili’s skeleton head up to look him in his hollowed eyes.
“Poor child it was your father that brought this upon you. Your betrail was only out of innocense not intent. He knew this of course but he want us to have you instead of him. His anger that he brings onto you is a result from the fear he has from us. Tell me child would like to require that fear, that understanding? Would you betray them again?”
“… yes”
“Very well my child.”
A chant began to ring from the spirits of the forest as the being of death raised his hands into the sky causing the stars to be engulfed by darkness. Swilli’s flesh began to rapidly to repair itself. His limbs began to break through the arrows as his bones grew bigger.
“O save me from the cow head man
for he kills love one’s with his very hands
O save me from the mad cow head man
for his sins bore greater than any man
Innocent was he
until fate made him, flee
on the walk, on the run, until brought to his knees
a jester on the peak of vim whose actions
that delivered him to the hands of grim
Silent as lamb before
crossing into a foreign land
Death whispered near his ear
quiet and dear for his last chance
He only wished he did it again.
Turned the grains of sand did he
birth a creature only omens could see”
No longer did he had the structure of a boy, but that of a man with the head of Cow.
“MOOROARUHHH!”
His call shook the forest and caused the moon to have darkness slowly eat away at it as the night prolonged.
“Father, did you hear that! We are cured from the curse the spirits of the forest have blessed us once more.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no? There’s another cow for us to tame.”
Adahy gave Songoa his torch and began to climb a tree. At the top of it, he saw that the sky was empty of stars and the moon was starting to erode away.
“Go with your mother now to the hut.”
“But I…”
“Now!”
Adahy raced back to the fields to see that his son was no longer there, but rather a man with the head of a cow. The black spot on its face covered the entirety of its eyes, leaving him to wonder if the creature knew that he was there. An intense fear stopped his body from moving, causing him to be still. He felt danger, not from just the creature, but all around him in a heavy pressure. Struggling to break free he grabbed his knife with a rattling hand and pierced himself in the leg. The pain gave him enough of distraction to draw multiple arrows, but he began to drop some them as the fear was starting to creep back in. He managed to get one ready, but the trembling had made it hard to keep the arrow nocked in the bow. Drawing in a quick breath, he pulled back the string with the remnants of his power and released it. The arrow soared the sky fiercely, but shattered when it struck the creature’s head. Responsing to this action the creature slowly raised up its hand and pointed at Adahy. Slowly rasisng it’s hand in a errie manner it pointed at Adahy
Re-emerging into the woods without a moment’s thought Adahy ran back towards the hut but he knew it was a good distance away; however, he knew that he had a head start on the cow head man so didn’t fret any trouble. He looked back to see nothing but a grove of trees, but when he looked forward again, he saw that he had run back into the open field again. Except this time he didn’t see the creature.
“Moo”
Frantically he searched to see where the sound came from to ready himself to run the other direction. He found that it only had been a regular cow standing in the field. He looked up to the sky in a moment of relief to see that the full moon had now became a half moon.
He turned around getting prepared to be on the move again, but the cow head man was right in front his face glaring at him with his presence. The creature picked Adahy up and threw him into a tree, causing it to fall down. The man’s back was shattered, embedded with splinters, and tree bark. Broken was his conscience of thinking he was going to live through the night. The beast kneeled down and leaned towards his face looking over him. It began to stretch its mouth wide enough to fit over his head as saliva stained parts of Adahy’s face. In calming manner the creature began to put great pressure onto the man’s head as he screamed from the top of his lungs. Finding it displeasing to listen to it pressed its hand the Adahy’s diaphragm forcing all his air out of his body. There was a short pause of silience until the man’s head exploded into the creature’s mouth.
“Do you think father will be back soon?”
She couldn’t think for her eyes were glued to the fading moon wondering if it would die with her.
“Mother! Do you think he will be back soon?”
“I don’t know! Now, please hush.”
Stretching its last bit of the light the moon has nearly departed from the voided sky, leaving the campfire to be the only source of light. Their shadows slowly sunk further and further into the ground until they disappeared into the darkness.
Halona covered Songoa with her arms as he fell asleep. She gazed only at the fire for it was now her only source of light and it wasn’t even enough to omit a shadow from their bodies. Images deriving from the flames began to shape into something unfamiliar to her. She looked closely to make out what the images were of a man and a creature. The man who was running away looked like Adahy and the creature looked to be that of a man with the head of a cow. It picked up Adahy by the neck and began to rip into his soul, causing great agony that she wanted to scream for him.
“Adahy…”
The creature stopped torturing Adahy and began to look at her with an evil intent dwelling around it. She edged her head away from the fire, but the image of the cow man grew bigger along with the fire. Reaching out to her with its open bloody hand. Grabbing a pot full of water she doused the fire.
Staggering breaths leapt out of her mouth as they synced with the loud thuds coming from her heart. Tightening around her body was the overwhelming darkness that consumed her and Songoa. A breath of wildness and anger brushed down her face, causing her to urinate where she stood. In desperation of hope she crouched down to feel around for a piece of firewood. Before she grabbed one, she felt something cling onto her hair as another cold hand collapsed around her jaw. Before she could scream it popped her jaw out of place, causing it to hang as the rasp of air and blood came poured out.
Songoa woke in a haze of the commotion to see what was wrong, but he couldn’t see anything. He clinched his hands to make sure he was awake. He startled around his pouch to pull out some flint rocks and started strike them together to see what was going on. Sparking the area, he saw a man leaning over his mother.
“Father, is that you?”
He struck the stones again moving closer to the where he last saw them. Sparking the rocks together again reavled the beast with blood running out of his mouth and his mother face burrowed out. In anger he tried to tackle the beast in an attempt to get him away from his mother. Songoa striked the rocks once more to see what had happened, the sparks hit their hut causing it to catch on fire. Mercilessly the creature feasted on his mother.
“Stop it! Stop it right now!”
Songoa charged again hitting the monster over and over in futile attempts. Frustrated, he ran into to their burning home to get some of his father’s knives. Each one he thrusted into the beast broke upon contact. Yelling in a fury of rage in the response of feeling powerless to stop the continuing of the fatality. Tears dripped from his face down to the ground as he felt defeated.
Morning sun had peaked across the sky in breaking the voidness of the sky. Songoa didn’t even realize it for he sat and watched Halona get consumed by the beast in front of him. The cow head man finally stood after finishing the last bit of her body and looked at the boy. He eased his way towards him and sat with its legs crossed in front of Songoa.
“Why?”
The creature took out his father’s blade from the pouch of its undergarments and presented it to him.
“Swilli?”
The creature nodded slowly and placed its hand on Songoa’s shoulder before instausly slitting his throat. Songoa cuffed his throat, trying to stop the bleeding as he watched his brother walk away into the woods leaving him to die.
Hours later a roaming group of hunters came by and start to scavenge the campsite until they found Songoa.
“Hey boy are you alright?”
“John why you even foolin with this brat, I bet he doesn’t even speak a lick of English.”
“It don’t matter, he still just a kid. Let’s bring him to camp and get him fixed up.”
“I guess. Reckon he may be able to help out with some chores?”
“Will talk more about that on the way just put him on the horse and let’s head out for now. Besides ain’t nothing here but dirt and air anyways.”
Songoa began to mumble quietly to them in his native tongue to which they didn’t understand
“O save me from the cow head man
for he kills love one’s with his very hands
O save me from the mad cow head man
for his sins bore greater than any man
Innocent was he
until fate made him, flee
on the walk, on the run, until brought to his knees
a jester on the peak of vim whose actions
that delivered him to the hands of grim
Silent as lamb before
crossing into a foreign land
Death whispered near his ear
quiet and dear for his last chance
He only wished he did it again.
Turned the grains of sand did he
birth a creature only omens could see
O save me from the cow head man
chanted aloud of the victim close to death
who’s left to be the next cow man.”