Free The Mask Wearer by Bryan Perro Page B

snake-haired women were unable to truly fly. He imagined another ambush.
    Ditches encircled the tilled fields around the city. These were filled with water through a dike; the water was used to irrigate the farmers’ land. Aware of this, Beorf dug several large holes in the fields and covered them with twigs and hay to hide them from view. The following night, eight gorgonsfell into the holes. Beorf opened the dike. The water flooded the ditches and holes. All of the gorgons drowned.
    Tonight Beorf planned a different snare. He had raided the knights’ armory and had planted spears into the ground and hung sabers and swords from tree branches. The only way to avoid these sharp blades was by using a particular path through the branches. Since the gorgons attacked only at night, Beorf had all the time he needed to conceive and set his trap. He trained all afternoon to make sure he knew how to escape the blades. The moment of truth was not far off now.
    Beorf could hear the gorgons approaching. He couldn’t run fast on two legs. At least his snare wasn’t far off. He just had to maintain a good speed to save his life. Out of breath, he took the safe path through the branches. The gorgons, on the other hand, didn’t suspect what awaited them and entered the forest of blades at full speed. It was a success! Not one gorgon survived.
    Pleased with himself, Beorf returned to his father’s library—his main hiding place—to rest for the remainder of the night. He opened the trapdoor, went down the rungs of the ladder, and looked for his lamp of fireflies. Instead, a red light flooded the room.
    Seated at his father’s desk, a bald man was looking at him. His luminous eyes were a pale yellow, with elongated pupils that dilated and contracted constantly. Scales covered his hands, arms, and neck up to the back of his head. Beorf noticed that the man’s eyebrows joined together above his nose, just like his own. The man’s nails were horribly long, and aforked tongue came out of his mouth, which was filled with pointed teeth. His bare chest displayed strong muscles, and he wore dozens of gold necklaces adorned with precious gems around his neck. He also wore two large shiny and gilded earrings. Legless, his body ended with a very long, gray, snakelike tail covered with black spots.
    Beorf tried to flee at the sight of this monstrous being. But as he turned on his heels, he was caught and immobilized by the man’s huge snake-tail.
    “
Ssss
, you already want to leave, young friend?” hissed the snake-man. “It’s very,
ssss
, impolite to rush off without letting me,
ssss
, introduce myself first.”
    The tail relaxed its stranglehold on Beorf, who turned around to face the hideous intruder. Beorf was shaking.
    “Good,
ssss
, you’re a courageous boy,
ssss
, it’s very good. My name is Karmakas, and I traveled far,
ssss
, to come here. Don’t be afraid, young friend, I don’t want to,
ssss
, harm you. Like you,
ssss
, I am what humans call a humanimal. I would not hurt someone of my own race without good reason. You seem surprised to see me!
Ssss
, is it the first time that you are in the presence of another member of,
ssss
, your species?”
    Unable to utter a word, Beorf nodded.
    “It’s very unfortunate,
ssss
. Do you know why humanimals like us disappeared one after the other? It’s because humans hunt us. Humans are,
ssss
, jealous of our gift,
ssss
, jealous of our power. Me, I am a naga. Which means in,
ssss
, ancient parlance,
ssss
, a snake-man. You are a beorite, a bear-man. You have power over,
ssss
, bees and some other insects. My power,
ssss
, is over every crawling, biting, and venomousanimal that slithers. I control the gorgons because of their hair. But I have to tell you a secret that,
ssss
, you may already know. I am also a powerful magician.”
    Beorf took a step back.
    “Don’t be afraid, I’m a nice,
ssss
, sorcerer. I hurt only,
ssss
, those who hurt me. I turn nasty only,
ssss
, when