User blog:Theory of everything/The Grimm Trilogy: Part One "Grimm Past"

SOMEWHERE IN BRAVIA

1638

The lightening bolt struck with a voracious flash, splitting an oak tree down its middle and quickly illuminating the stone castle nestled amongst the thick forest trees. The rain came down in torrents that created minor rivers that flowed down wagon ruts in a dirt road now turned to mud. The muddy road snaked all the way up to the castle gate.

A figure, covered in a black, hooded poncho, rode a black horse up the muddy road, on past the castle gate, and right up to a great wooden door. The figure dismounted and heads top the door. The figure takes the brass knob and pounds it loudly, rattling the wooden door.

After a continuous thumping, a door slate is slowly opened and a slight sliver of light, from the burning of a torch somewhere deep inside, lightly illuminated the entrance. A harsh voice spoke from the slate.

“What do you want at this time of night?!”

The figure pulls back its hood, to reveal the face of a pretty girl with long, black hair. Her eyes are dark and hollowed.

“My name is Nicholasia Burkhardt”, she softly yet firmly replied, “I am here by your request!”

The voice is impatient, as it answers from the slate.

“We have not request the company of a female! This is a monastery!”

The girl cynically smiled.

“But you did request someone, did you not?!”

“Yes,” the voice replied, “we have requested a Grimm!”

“Then that is who I am!!”

The slate immediately slapped shut. Then the sound of unbolting locks preceded the slow motion swing, as the wooden door opened.

“Come in, please!’ the voice invited.

Nicholasia quickly entered.

An old man with a long white beard and longer gray hair, wearing a flowing robe and carrying a torch, greeted her.

“They sent a female Grimm?” the old man stated with surprise.

“You have a problem with that?” Nicholasia replied, because I assure you I am qualified. I am a seventh generation Grimm.

The old man sees in her eyes a coldness that bellied her delicate, beautiful face.

“I guess not,” he replied, “I am Brother Paul. Please come in!”

“I am not planning on staying, Brother!” Nicholasia said, “you sent a letter stating you have something in your cellar you wish to be taken care of. So, I am here to take care of it!”

“Very well. Follow me!”

Nicholasia slipped off her coat. She wore a leather like vest and tight black esquarian pants. A dark flint pistol was hooked upon a brown leather belt around her waist. Strapped over her shoulder was a pistol crossbow with a pouch containing ten bolts.

“It is downstairs,” Brother Paul said, as he opened a side door that led to a flight of stairs spiraling down into a darkened cellar.

He went down the stairs. Nicholasia followed.

“How many other brothers live here at your Monastery?’ Nicholasia asked.

“There are a dozen more, including me!” Brother Paul answered.

“Have any of them been in contact with what you have in the cellar?”

“Only myself and Brother Siris. Who was charged with its feeding.”

“Hmmm!” Nicholasia mumbled.

As they reach the cellar floor, Brother Paul walks over to a large iron door and takes a set of steel keys of a rack and inserts the key into a rusty lock. He struggles to turn the key, but finally the lock snaps open with a thunk.

With all his strength, he slowly swings the door open and enters a dark dungeon.

He reaches in the dark to feel for a torch that hangs on a hook. He finds it, then takes a match and strikes the tip of the torch. The flame bursts, illuminating the dank room which, in turn, revealed a steel cage.

In the cage was a figure.

“Awaken, you devil!!” Brother Paul called out, “your executioner has arrived!”

The figure rolled over to reveal a young pretty girl, with long strawberry colored hair.

“I don’t understand!’ the young girl replied, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Don’t believe anything this devil child tells you!” Brother Paul sternly said.

Nicholasia looked closely at the child. She appeared normal. Appeared innocent. Until suddenly, for just a second, Nicholasia thought, at first, that maybe it was the flicker of the torch that cast a slight and sudden shadow across the cage but she had seen an image. It was for only a second, but it was long enough.

She immediately grabbed her pistol crossbow, took aim and fired. The bolt, loaded with Apitoxin, hits its mark, as it embedded itself into the neck of Brother Paul!

Paul let out an Ungodly scream, as he immediately morphed into a Hexenbeist. It tried to escape back into the hall but the poison coursed through its veins, as it quickly fell upon the floor. It attempted to crawl a few more feet but stopped just short of the door and died.

“Thank you, kind lady,” the young girl replied, “I have been so frightened! They have kept me in this cage for weeks. Beware, there are others about, posing as Monks, but they are in reality nothing more than goblins!”

Nicholasia smiled.

“And you are nothing more than a Mellifer!”

With that, Nicholasia took the flint pistol and fired point blank into the girl. The girl screamed, as a dark mass bulged out where her human eyes had been. The girl’s soft skin turned leathery, as she slumped over into the cage…dead.

Nicholasia was sure, however, there were others about!

She immediately and quietly moved back up the stairs and into the entranceway of the castle. She quickly put her poncho back on then exited out into the pouring rain.

Upon her horse, she rode off back down the castle trail. It had turned out well. Two less creatures of the night to worry about. But she would report there may be others lurking about back in that castle. But she would return. On a drier night. With reinforcements. But it was nights like this, that she was proud she was a Grimm.

Next: Part Two: "Grimm Present"