TBT Legends:
Children of the Forest
A short story about two sides in conflict
Nobody remembers how it started, who killed who first. The settlers tell stories of the monsters in the dark forest—the Myrkrlog.
They come at night and steal our children, eating them and displaying their remains at the forest's edge as a warning not to enter, or you'll be next.
They describe these monsters as human-like but darker and unable to stay in the godly warmth of the sun for too long. They are demons who eat children, rape women, and murder for no reason.
Randomly at night, they launch objects at us using ancient weapons, but our technology and magic have gotten much better, and we can intercept them in time before any tragedy strikes.
We burn the forest down bit by bit each year, hoping to end these creatures and their evil, but the dark forest is like a never-ending shadow. It constantly regrows as if Mother Earth or some black magic protects it from us.
A colossal wall has already been built to keep these monsters at bay, but for how long? We have raised a dam to cut off all water supply from the great river that runs through our magnificent kingdom into the dark forest, hoping they will die off or move on. Without any water, how will they live?
Legend speaks of a time before our forefathers arrived here by sea. The forest was much larger and more dense at the time. Many settlers were lost in the woods and never returned. We built our capital, Elysium, in a hilly area; now, it's a beacon of hope for all to see. Numerous trees and animals had to be killed for us to thrive in this environment.
Our ancient texts talk of a people who once ruled these lands. Some could bring the dead back to life and even split the river and moon in half! Those beings are now long gone, or maybe they became these night creatures in the forest.
The Myrkrlog have been around since before we arrived, or at least that's what our elders told us. Nobody knows why they hate us so much. We only have first-hand accounts of what they look like. There are stories of them shape-shifting into animals and otherworldly beings.
There are debates about going full-scorched earth on the Myrklog and burning the whole forest down, but it is an almost impossible task for now.
We have sent multiple soldiers into the dark forest to hunt these creatures down. Most operations happen during the day when the Myrkrlog beings sleep and are at their weakest.
All must join our royal army when they reach the age of 16. They must defend Elysium from any threats coming from the dark forest. At 18, they are sent into the forest on missions beyond the Great Walls.
I have just turned 18, and it is my turn to go on an incursion. I am not afraid; the sun will be up, and "God is on our side."
At least, that's what I tell myself as the gates to the Great Wall open.
A shiver runs down my spine. I have always gazed at the vast forest from above the walls, but now, as the gates to the unknown open, I feel a menacing and oppressive aura emitting from the forest.
The trees towering up to the heavens looked like ancient sentinels guarding a dark secret. Although it was still daytime, inside the forest, it looked like night. The air felt thick, and there was a mist of sorts resonating from the forest. The silence was eerie; all we could hear was the leaves rustling.
I thought I saw movement, but they were just shadows, most likely of the trees and branches dancing around in the wind; it was initially disconcerting. Then I remembered there was nothing to fear. We had weapons that could cut down anything in front of us. Armor that could withstand even the swipe of a ferocious bear.
As we moved beyond the gates, the sound of them shutting behind us again made my heart race. This was my first time stepping outside the gates; I thought, "Could it be my last?"
Panic set in; we were between the colossal walls that had protected us our whole lives and now the dark forest where all the nightmares and horrors lurked from our ancestors' stories.
Again, I clinched my weapon of war. We moved forward.
Our mission was clear but, at the same time, cloaked in mystery. We were to raid a cave in the forest where intel reports state several Myrkrlog reside. They tend to sleep in caves or underground because they cannot stay in the sun for too long. We were to leave at the break of dawn.
We were to capture, kill, and destroy whatever we could. These were our orders. Capturing a Myrkrlog was a top priority for the higher-ups, killing anyone or anything that came our way and destroying any weaponry or infrastructure they had built.
The man who led our group was a highly skilled and decorated warrior; under him were three more seasoned hardcore fighters. They were known as the Four Horsemen. The rest of us were just grunts. This was to be our maiden mission after two years of weapons training.
The Four Horsemen were a legendary bunch. Their stories have been told for years; being with them was an honor and privilege. My fears or reservations were kept locked away, knowing we were in safe hands with these warriors on our side. Commander Marson was their leader and, for this mission, ours.
As we moved through the foreboding forest, I looked above; I could see the towering trees looming overhead, with their twisted branches creating an everlasting shelter from the sun's eternal light. Having shade from the beaming heat felt good, but then I realized we had entered the enemy's domain.
The darkness is where they strive, where they gather their strength. We were beyond enemy lines now.
As we traversed deeper into the heart of the forest, the noise of broken twigs and dead leaves beneath us echoed throughout the eerie silence. We could sometimes hear strange sounds and whispers, tricking our senses. Our superiors told us to ignore them and march on; they spoke with experience.
Benji, a fellow grunt, started feeling anxious. He kept looking up at the trees and whispered, "These trees look alive, and their crooked branches look like limbs trying to grab us." I told him not to worry; we have Commander Marson on our side." The forest was playing tricks on all of us. Now I remember why our superiors back at the base told us not to stare at the trees too long. It felt like the trees were watching us; although they had no eyes, we could sense we were being watched.
We were all on our toes; none other than the Four Horsemen knew what the Myrkrlog looked like. Every rustled leaf and every distant shadow might be a threat.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we had reached our destination.
The cave was before us; it looked quite unusual in this environment, full of green and brown. We saw a foreboding black maw in the heart of the woods. We all stared into its eternal darkness; even the light seemed too scared to enter it.
Commander Marson reminded us of our ROE, Rules of Engagement. "Soldiers, whatever you see in these caves, fear not, for God is with us today, and what we do now will forever be known to our people and the Myrklog kind for generations to come. We must capture one of these vile beings, maybe even two if possible, kill everything else you see once that mission is achieved, and destroy as much of their weaponry and base as possible."
We had brought with us a cloud box. A container that the emperor's personal Warlocks created. It was a top-secret creation made just for this mission. We were to capture a Myrkrlog and place them in it so they could be taken back to our base and studied further. The box itself was said to have some magic in it, which allowed light to be emitted but dimly as if it was a cloudy day. When the sun is blocked due to these clouds, these creatures love to come out of the forest but are considerably weaker during these times. Too much light will kill the subject, and too little will make it impossible to contain.
As we were about to enter, a small child-like figure emerged. At once, we all stood still and looked in confusion. I was in awe; it looked exactly like a little girl. She had long dark hair and looked grungy. Maybe she found her way beyond the walls and got lost here. I was about to retrieve her from the cave entrance when Red, one of the Four Horsemen, stopped me. He said, "Don't be fooled by its appearance. It is a demon child. Either we must capture it or kill it. You choose."
As soldiers, we are to follow orders, and that's it. We are not meant to question our superiors or the emperor; this is blasphemous. They point, we go, they say, and we do. I was given the choice, and I decided we should capture her.
As I approached the Myrkrlog girl, she said, "We are mostly children now. All of our elders have died because the soldiers came and killed them. Can you help us? We need food and water." I told her we'd help "enter this container," pointing to the cloud box. She looked into my eyes, and I into hers; I could tell when someone needed help, and she genuinely looked like she was in dire need of it. She told us about her brothers and sisters inside.
At this point, Commander Marson came and put a muzzle over her mouth. Precautions, he said, "They have been known to eat human flesh. We can't take our chances," and led her into the cloud box and sealed it.
Our task was mainly complete. Most of us wondered if we should return to base, but the Commander signaled to march on. The mission was to continue.
I contemplated what the Myrkrlog girl said and how other younglings, her siblings, were inside. Were we going to capture them as well? The box could only house two, maybe three Myrkrlog max. We were told after capturing a couple, we had to kill the rest. Were we sent here to kill children?
With a heavy sense of confusion, we steeled ourselves for what lay ahead. Our torches flickered as we entered the cave, wavering light on the darkened walls.
I am acutely aware now that we are stepping into the unknown, into a conflict where the lines between good and evil are blurred. I decided that whatever happened next, I would try to reason with Commander Marson. I would explicitly tell him I am against killing younglings.
As we ventured deeper into the dark cave, we saw an unexpected sight. Instead of menacing creatures, we stumbled upon a group of young Myrkrlog huddled together. Far from the monstrous images painted by our elders, these children appeared frail and frightened. Their eyes glistened with tears, and their faces were etched with fear.
The stark contrast between our orders and the reality before us gnawed at my conscience. I felt disgusted
I stepped forward, my voice quivering but resolute, and declared, "I cannot do this. These are children, not monsters. I refuse to be a part of this." My fellow soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, torn between their orders and their humanity.
The next thing I felt was a strange sense of pressure; something cold had entered my body, and then a warm feeling as if something was gushing out from me. I turned around only to see Commander Marson, his blade red with my blood.
He then spoke, "This is a prime example of weakness. I won't allow him to infect your minds. These are not humans. They are Myrkrlog devils; they feast on our souls and must be eliminated immediately for God, the emperor, and Elysium!
At that moment, I fell to my knees, my vision blurred, my hearing muffled. I saw hazy images of blood, limbs, and guts flying everywhere. Who was being killed or who and what was doing the killing was unknown to me. All I knew was I was dying. I prayed to God to save me so I could stop this madness. So I could help the children of the forest.
To be continued….
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. — Friedrich Nietzsche
I hope you enjoyed this story story. I've wanted to write a fictional story for a while now. I have so many ideas in my head, so I'm giving it a go. It's pretty basic; hopefully, I'll improve with experience. I might continue this soldier's journey, and I want to include and share a lot of world-building with you all. Follow, clap, comment, and look back here for more short stories like this. Thanks for reading! 👏✍
