Cecil,the shapeshifter

Cecil, the shapeshifter

Sounds of boots stamping the ground, music and cheers resounded in the distance. Bonfires burned brightly in the area. Mugs clinked against each other while other mugs were raised in the direction of the dancing celts who were singing as they danced in circles around the flames. It was Halloween the night where they celebrated their hard work which was their tough physical labor. Even to do that they disguised themselves. While they looked to be enjoying themselves they could only do so through wearing animal skin and smearing black charcoal and soot on their faces and skin, straw suits to look like winter harvest spirits. The ones who didn’t have ash on their faces wore the heads of stags, bulls, and horses as their helmets. Since it was Halloween they believed the veil which separates the living and the dead had come down letting lost souls and evil spirits roam freely. They were scared and they thought that by disguising themselves they could in turn use it to scare the dead was interesting to me. It was just their belief was all but how I wish I could scare the blazes out of them.

It would work I could transform into an eagle and swoop down on a couple of them and drop them in a valley somewhere or a bull ; just entering the clearing and bellowing would be enough to cause their celebration to end. It had been going on like this for years now and still no spirit had attacked any of them. It could be just a fun prank not causing them any serious harm. I felt annoyed by their antics sure but I would laugh afterwards.

Suddenly I heard a sound behind me in the trees. It was the sound of a horse drawing a carriage. Perfect another innocent, unsuspecting traveler to frighten out of their wits. I closed my eyes and in a second I had transformed from a small rabbit sitting on the grass to an eagle perched on a tree branch. I soared over the trees until I landed on top of the first tree in the thicket and looked at what was happening right below me.

A black horse was standing in front of a carriage whose curtains were drawn. I was tempted to swoop down, transform into a black horse and greet my companion. It would only distract me though perhaps next time. The carriage lights were on but since the curtains were drawn I couldn’t see who was inside. The only thing I heard was discussions on where to stay tonight like a bruidean or a village home. I heard a reply that a bruidean was about two miles from here. Complaints were heard from the traveler they wanted a closer one and how they couldn’t stand to hear the villagers celebrating the harvest. Now I myself was quite peeved with the villagers but hearing the harvest get insulted now that just wasn’t it. I didn’t know how to attack without the other person getting hurt.

‘ We need to get going.’ The traveler said.

‘ The horse needs rest dame.’ Another traveler said.

‘ I’m tired I need rest.’ The dame replied.

‘ Marissa stop.’ Her companion insisted.

She had gotten down and was walking toward the horse no doubt trying to get it to forcefully move. Her friend another woman was getting down behind her. Marissa bellowed at the horse and had her hand raised in position to beat it when the horse caretaker shoved her aside and stood protectively in front of his horse.

‘ You will pay for this.’ She glowered at him her hands wiping the mud from her dress.

‘ Nobody abuses my horse.’ He replied.

‘ I will-

Whatever she said she would do to him was interrupted as at the moment I swooped down and grabbed her taking her with me through the forest. She was screaming I heard her friend screaming in the distance. I had to do this I had to dump her into a field miles from here where she would be forced to walk in order to find somewhere habitable. At that moment I heard gunshots in the distance. I dropped the dame in alarm; she fell to the forest floor. I soared above the trees into the night sky till I was back in the bonfire site.

‘All of you get back inside the village it’s getting late.’ A security guard was dispersing the villagers.

‘Nah I’m absolutely knackered and plus the dancing was just too entertaining.’ Said a villager.

‘ Kings orders now get up. ’He said sternly.

‘ Screw the kings orders.’ He replied grumpily.

‘ Do you want me to call him here myself?’ he asked .

‘You’ll get a jolly good walk I’m sure,’ he replied.

‘Fine fine I’ll get up.’ He said when the guard looked ready to beat him with a stick.

‘Everyone has left we better put out the bonfires.’ He said to a fellow guard.

‘ Quickly since we aren’t dressed up the Puca will come.’ He replied.

Great ,they were talking about me again. My Dangerous spirit self. I only carried away travelers wandering through cross country roads. I better carry them and throw them onto the floor of the king’s timber palace.

Soon they left and the landscape was barren. I better get back to my traveler but she would have gotten up already so I ought to find another traveler probably some drunkard wandering the country roads alone. I circled the sky just when I was turning in the direction of the forest I heard a scream. Below me in the field were two men carrying a girl who had ropes tied her arms. Just when she was about to scream again one of the men put a duct tape to her mouth. They dropped her to the ground.

‘ We better get going before the king finds out.’

The other man muttered something and took a step forward a doorway no actually a portal opened up before him. They walked through it taking the girl with them. The portal vanished a second later.

Where did they take her? They used magic to conjure a portal. That was rare. I landed on the field to look for clues. However I didn’t find anything after looking. I transformed into my human form, looking human except for my animal ears which I hid with a cap. I reached the other side of the field and entered the village. On this side of the village there was no gate. On the other side there was a gate before the king’s timber palace. It was the only way to enter as a Puca. The gate was put to ward off Irish and Celtic spirits besides security against Vikings. I entered the first village lane. It was empty; the streetlights were still on. I was walking down the lane wondering which way to turn at the intersection when the door burst open at the first house next to the intersection. A frantic looking girl stepped out a boy next to her trying to console her.

‘ WHERE IS SHE? We shouldn’t have left her alone in the house. We shouldn't have gone to the bonfire!’ The girl was crying hysterically.

‘ We’ll find her I promise.’ The boy looked determined.

‘ You must be her family. I came here to look for clues.’

‘ YOU SAW HER DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS? TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!!!’

She shook my shoulders hard.

‘Relax we’ll find her she’s-

‘ I saw two men taking her to the field then opening a portal and vanishing.’ I said.

‘ What portal? What are you talking about?’ She asked

I explained that it was by magic.

‘ Then why didn’t you save her?’

‘ I was up in the sky.’

‘ WHAT?’ she asked in bewilderment.

‘ I’m a shapeshifter.’

‘ You’re a shapeshifter!’ The boy said.

‘ Yeah I have multiple forms.’ I said.

‘ Like a Puca? Are you a Puca?’

‘Well yes.’ I admitted.

‘ No you’re behind this. You kidnapped my sister!!’ she pointed her finger at me accusingly.

‘ No if I did I wouldn’t be here right now trying to help.’ I replied.

‘ Why would you try to help?’ The boy asked confused.

‘ She didn’t look like she did anything wrong. I only teach a lesson to wrongdoers.’ I said.

‘ What’s your name?’ He asked.

‘ I’m Cecil.’ I said.

‘ I’m Cian and she’s Roisin.’ He said.

‘ Our sister is Aisling. We have to find her.’ She pleaded.

‘We will. First we have to find out where they took her.’ I said.

We went across a highland. I transformed into a horse and carried them first through the forest then through the vast highland. As we traveled they looked at the dark landscape with fear in their eyes. We then crossed a small hill and at the top stood an ancient stone circle where two stones met to form a narrow archway.

They got down. I transformed back into my human form and walked up to the stones.

‘ I don’t know where they took her but I will ask the stone it’s descendants will let me know.’ I told them.

‘ How?’ Cian asked.

‘ By casting my hand that’s how they’ll wake up.’ I said.

I touched one of the stones with my left hand closing my eyes.

‘ Ancient stone where is their sister Aisling?’ I asked.

‘ In Scotland. Whithorn, Scotland.’

‘ Where is she in Whithorn?’

‘ Use your scent detecting skill it will guide you.’

I sent them through the archway one after the other and then went through myself. We were in Whithorn now. I took a deep breath inhaling the Scottish air. They were beside a loch. I told them and once again transformed into a horse. We crossed a highland then went through the woods. After a while my sharp eyes noticed a break in the trees, the loch was right there.

I came to a halt and looked at them. They got down but Roisin was afraid not for herself but for her younger sister. I transformed back into my human form.

‘ Listen Cian and I will talk to those kidnappers try to reason with them. In the meantime while we distract them you untie Aisling and take her. Run as far as you can and try to get help from the townspeople.’ I said.

‘ It won’t be easy. We’ll fight them off.’ She said.

‘ We don’t have any weapons.’ I said.

‘ I’m not sure about this.’ She said.

‘ You were desperate.’ I reminded her.

‘ I don’t want any of us to get hurt.’ She said.

‘ Then it’s good we don’t have weapons.’ I said.

We went to the nearest tree and peeked. The kidnappers were talking amongst each other a few feet away. Lying on the trunk of the tree next to us was Aisling who was still gagged and bound. I looked at both of my companions Cian nodded though he was afraid. I stepped out into the open. Aisling’s eyes widened when she saw us she started to speak but her words were muffled.

‘ Let her go.’ I said.

‘ Would you look at that? We have rescuers trying to negotiate.’

‘ That’s right. Why have you kidnapped this poor, innocent girl?’ I asked.

‘ That’s a good question.’ He replied.

‘It’s a warning to your king. Tell him to back off to stop waging battles against the Vikings.’ His companion replied.

‘ You shouldn’t have said that.’ His companion glowered at him.

‘ She’s my little sister and you are using her as a warning!’

‘Yes we had actually meant to abduct you but you weren’t in your house so we settled for a smaller, meeker target.’ He said.

Roisin lunged at him. Cian held her back and looked at me.

‘ Are you going to kill her?’ I asked .

‘ No we’re waiting for the Kelpie to do it.’ The second man said.

The Kelpie my fellow shapeshifter, appeared in a beautiful form tricking travelers by convincing them to ride on its back and then taking them for a watery ride underwater.

‘ Look we will convince the king you know negotiate get a deal for him to stop the battles but leave her out of this.’ I said

‘ No it’s the only way he’ll understand.’ He said

‘ ARGGH!’

Roisin ran forward taking a stick from the ground and aiming it at the second man it hit him in the face.

‘ That’s it!’

He lunged at her but was blocked by Cian who punched him. They started to fight. The first man tried to help but I threw a punch of my own. We started to fight as well. Now was the perfect time for Roisin to take Aisling away. But Roisin started to aid Cian hitting the kidnapper with rocks.

Despite being a shapeshifter my opponent was stronger than me. He threw me to the ground kicking me.

‘NO!’ Roisin screamed when he whacked Cian with the butt of his knife. She pushed the man into the lake where a kelpie was sure to find him.

‘ UGGHHH’ My attacker turned toward me. He put his hand around my throat exerting his vengeance on me.

‘ NO YOU DON’T!!’

Roisin ran forward and shoved him off me. He lunged for her throat lifting her off the ground.

‘ Go’ she croaked looking at me her eyes bulging. I looked at her weakly from the ground not able to move a muscle which was my mistake as with a howl he threw into the lake. At that moment, the kelpie surfaced. It caught Roisin and rode in a circle like a whirlpool ,taking her underneath.

‘ NO MY SISTER!’ Cian screamed!!

‘ She’s dead I think that’s as good a warning and also revenge for drowning my companion.’

The man said that with satisfaction then he took off running through the trees.

‘ NO !’

Cian fell to the ground bawling. Aisling’s words were still muffled. I took the fallen knife and cut through her ropes.

‘ Oh Cian,’ she took him in her arms where he sobbed.

After that we walked through the trees. I told Cian there was nothing we could do to save Roisin. We had to get out of there before the kelpie feasted on us. Roisin had sacrificed herself to save us. We would honor her sacrifice by telling the king who would hopefully undergo a manhunt for the runaway kidnapper. I would hopefully let Cian kill him if not myself. But for now we needed rest. We would head to the local town and then decide what to do after that.