Madness! “You really think leading me around, blindfolded, will-“

The persnickety fellow interrupted me! “-Just hear me out!”

I nodded, before realizing Andy hadn’t been looking in his shield and had missed the gesture. “Carry on.”

His voice was filled with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to see the world, to know its mysteries. You have been terribly wronged, left to a dreadful fate unjustly. I have seen that your mind is as keen and empathetic as any human’s; you deserve to be free! So let us unite! I can accompany you, be your guide. Together, we can quest to gain you a humanoid form, to free you, and to avenge your family!” His eyes were bright and very blue, even seen only through a reflection.

I hesitated in my response. I had never known anything other than these forests and loneliness. With my mother gone, the burden had only worsened. The chance of true freedom, to go wherever I willed, no matter how slim, was an incredible temptation.

I decided to start with the obvious. “You realize how implausible that is? Where would we even start?”

Surprisingly, Andy had an answer ready. “Let me go on a small journey of my own to gather some information. There is a famed seer in the village North of here. I will go speak to him, get his advice and guidance. I don’t know how I would pay him-“

The hope burning in my breast made me interrupt him, “-I do. Many, many humans have lost their lives here, over the years, either by my mother’s or my own doing. I have treasure…”

I trailed off, instantly realizing I had said too much! Surely, now, Andy would try and kill me, so as to have free pick of my belongings! Curses! They writhed anxiously as I waited to see how he would respond to such a revelation.

His tone was only mildly curious. “Treasure? I was planning to pay any fee by myself, but if you wanted to contribute, I suppose that would be fair enough. So this all sounds like a good plan? I would be gone for several days.”

I shifted, acutely uncomfortable with experiencing this newfound optimism; this was something I had stopped dreaming of ever truly coming to me. When I finally spoke, it was hesitantly. “Andy, I don’t even know where we are, how far it is to Mount Olympus-“

I was significantly less surprised when Andy had an answer to that ready as well, “-I do! I like to read! We would have to travel by land and sea, and the journey would be long. But imagine all the things we will encounter, all we have to gain! You never know, perhaps one of my peoples’ gods could help us? The seer will be able to tell me more, I’m sure of it!”

I was struck keenly by the goodness in Andy’s heart. “You would really risk everything, just to help me?”

Andy just laughed, though I saw a blush on his cheeks. “It sounds fun! An adventure!”

---

Long after Andy had left to return to his village, the fire of this newborn, slim chance for a real life burned in my breast. Was there really any possibility that I could ever travel among humans freely? That I could stop being a monster?

Tired of my mind pitching about so wildly, I decided to try and do something concrete before Andy’s next visit. First: I had to find him something of value.

Every person my mother had ever killed, she had stripped them of everything they had, and left their bodies to the ravens. Their clothes, their purses, were all decaying, gathering dust, in my caves. There were a variety of ancient weapons moldering away as well.

Most of the people I had killed could not have their clothing removed without tearing it, as it covered a petrified body of stone. I had left most of it to rot off of them, though I had taken any satchels or weapons. Occasionally I had found fabrics I had liked well enough to cut off of the petrified forms.

I had no idea what Andy’s people would find valuable. Though I was certain something I had would be enough, there was nothing for it. Somehow I would have to guide Andy into my caves to pick out the appropriate items.

With that settled, I went to peruse the clothing and fabrics I had collected over the many years. The vast majority of it had decomposed to threads, but a fair amount could, perhaps, be fashioned into some sort of sack to cover my head. They bristled at the idea initially, but were soothed at the idea of a possible happiness to come as payoff.

As I picked out bits of intact cloth to consider, it struck me that the very idea behind all of this was beyond madness, it was desperation at its worst! And yet, Andy seemed so confident and hopeful… Perhaps indulging him was not too terrible a thing to do? It would mean that I would get to spend far more time with him, at least for a short while…

Notes

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