Gorgon and the Great Beasts: A Tale of Dragons and Danger

It was a long time before Gorgon could stand the filth of the outside world and venture out of his house. He still was overtaken by nervous shakes every once in a while, which would render him a statue, unable to move, only able to feel as millions of tiny bugs overtook him.

Most of the torment he put himself through was purely mental. He had grown to believe that the world was a place that was out to get him.

It used to be effortless to stay in his house with his mother and father, they provided for him, they were his only contact with the outside world.

In reality, his phobia was unfounded. The filth of the outside world was the same as the filth of his house. Nothing could be done to help him. He had seen medical doctors, witch doctors, shaman, and even the mayor. Not that there was much the mayor could do for him, but the doctors should have had some answers.

It was like the fear was hard coded into his brain, he had learned to get past the occasional panic attack. He would focus on breathing or a cute girl who walked past. Of course, he was well known in the small town. One could never live in a small place and not be known by nearly everybody.

True to form, there was always the one old man or woman that was rarely seen. This town had an old man Kebur. The white haired old-timer was hardly seen outside and when he was he was spouting nonsense. He was one person that everyone regarded as a loon.

Gorgon lived next to the old man and could hear him talking to himself when he was on the east side of the house.

Most of what he heard was nothing but idle jabber which Kebur said to keep his mouth busy, but sometimes the old man would say something that sounded almost like a prophecy. He had children from a deceased wife that would bring him food once a week but other than that, no one cared to contact him.

"FROM the DEEP, A MONSTER." Kebur yelled from his house. Gorgon stopped what he was doing and looked out the window to see Kebur come busting out of his front door and kneel on the rocks that made the street.

"You crazy old coot." Gorgon said to himself, he pulled his hand and stroked his hair. His hair was a golden brown that went to cover his eyebrows. Kebur remained outside and bowed to an imaginary figure, all while spurting nonsense. He sat up and looked directly through the window at Gorgon.

The look terrified Gorgon. The old man had a reputation for smelling like a pig, which was one reason why Gorgon began to shake.

Kebur stood and began to lumber to the window, his long shirt making it look like he wore a dress.

"Please turn around you smelly old coot."

He didn't turn around. He continued on to the window.

"Come out here boy." Kebur said. His skinny arms hung limp at his side, and his hunched back made him seem short.

"Come out here now you son of a bitch!" Gorgon jumped. He had never been addressed like that by the old man.

Gorgon didn't have a choice, the old man was crazy and was at least strong enough to break a window. Gorgon could overpower him if it came to it, though it would take him weeks to get himself clean again.

Gorgon forced himself to the door, he would go out, but Kebur wouldn't go in. If he did, Gorgon guessed he would have to burn the house down to rid it of the filth. He took a breath and opened the door, where Kebur was standing, waiting.

"Stay out you fool." Gorgon said as powerfully as he could muster. "I won't hesitate if you come too close."

"Calm down your hyper bones boy," His breath assaulted Gorgon, "I haven't been feeling normal, like myself."

"You sound like a normal old man."

"You still sound like you have no respect for your elders." Suddenly he was inches from Gorgon's face.

"Your breath smells of alcohol old man, back up!"

"Drink is the only way I can drown out the voices, if only momentarily. I can't manage life anymore without it. Oh wonderful drink. How it completes me and makes me full!"

"You fool, backup! Your breath is rank." Gorgon said once again.

The old man paused, his mouth hanging open, moving slightly as he tried to place words to fill his voice. He stepped back, staggering.

"You are one worried youth. You could do well to wallow in your garden, roll around in the mud a moment."

"Remember you coot, you are on my property."

"Boy, you have yet to pay a tax on this land."

"And you pay on that old hut of yours?"

"I've paid off that 'hut', it's been years since I had to pay on it. I own the house, which is why they never could take it from me."

"My parents will not appreciate this intrusion,"

"Damn to your parents!"

Gorgon's vision blurred momentarily and he felt hit arm fly up. Before he realized, Kebur was stumbling back, grasping at his nose, while searching for his balance. Finally he landed on his behind, still holding his nose.

"Shit," he shook his head, "nice punch boy! I didn't think you had it in you!" He laughed.

"Get off this property old man," Gorgon threatened, "I am very much serious this time."

Kebur shook his head once again, attempting to rid his head of the cobwebs. He chuckled to himself still.

"You deliver a hard, firm blow," he smiled at Gorgon, "you shall do fine."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"The gods have not blessed you with a direct link to their conversations. The words I say don't originate in my own head. No, it comes directly from the courts of Salemu, from the head of Calú."

"Get to the point old man,"

"This land happens to be in its last days," he laughed and attempted to stumble back to his house.

Gorgon rushed and grabbed the man's shoulders, he turned Kebur toward him.

"Old man, if you don't explain yourself I am going to report you."

"This life you live, it will not be for much longer. A plague shall come and the plague shall decimate the population. Our dear nation, our beautiful lands, shall fall to its knees, and never rise again. It's meant to destroy our race, we shall never rise again."

"You old loon, get your ass out of my property. I never want you to come within twenty feet of me again. You spout nonsense and you need help."

The old man looked at Gorgon out of the corner of his eye. He cracked his knuckles and hobbled back to his house, muttering under his breath all the while.

Across the street a dog rummaged through trash, knocking over a trash can in doing so. Gorgon shivered at the sight of the trash laying on the ground.

He stepped back, after losing his balance momentarily and becoming dizzy. He swore he could smell it even from this distance, and it nauseated him. He retreated to the safety of his house.

Once inside he felt completely safe once again. His breathing became calm and less ragged. He took in the familiar paint of the walls, the tan browns and painting his father had made comforted him. He was able to take a deep breath and close his eyes.

A deep rumble from far away startled Gorgon. His eyes wide with fear, he froze in his spot, unable to move.

Dammit, dammit, not now. He thought. His mind tried to break down the barrier that had been forced up against his will. The rumble came again, only louder and more distinct.

The third time the rumble came, it was not a rumble, but a roar. A roar that sent chills through Gorgon back. He could not tell how long he stood frozen.

The wall crumbled as he felt his muscles relax and his body return to him. He moved to the window. In the street, Kebur danced, hands to the sky, jawing on in gibberish. In the sky, a black figure, with a slight glimmer to it, flew through the air. Fire escaped from its maw and it beat its massive wings.

The old man in the street danced and sang, "I told everybody, but they refused to trust me. I told everybody and now they will burn."

The .creature, Gorgon knew, was one of the legendary beasts of the four corners of the world. This one, the dragon of the south, had crawled out of its mountain for the first time in two millennia.

"By the gods, the old man was right."