Monster Girl World Ch. 10

Chapter 10-The Rough-Faced Griffon

Long before Britannian colonists and succubus merchants from Europa arrived, the Island of Delpoi was populated by a whole assortment of indigenous human and monster tribes who roamed the land, or settled in remote parts of the continent, from east to west. For the most part, they were isolated from the rest of the world, and thus only knew what they could explain about the world around them. Here, humans and monsters lived in harmony with nature...for the most part.

Our tale begins in a large village situated on the border of a lake. The village consisted of humans and griffons, who integrated into the tribe through a marriage between the chief and the nest mother centuries before, and the two races were inseparable since then. The men would go out and hunt, while the powerful griffons stayed and defended the tribe, for they were among the strongest monsters of the land. They were the Golden Eagle tribe, and they were one with the sky.

Within this village, there was a widower and his three daughters, all griffons born from their mother who was a protector of the village, who had died fighting a group of dragons laying waste to the land from the south. The youngest of which was Hula, who was an unfortunate girl in her family.

Like the other griffons of her tribe, Hula trained from birth to become a strong monster and a lovely woman for the humans to look up to and the men to court. She trained hard, and though she was small, she strong and her determination was something few could match. It wasn't until her seventeenth birthday that tragedy had befallen her and her family.

The Golden Eagle tribe was suddenly attacked one day by a powerful thunderbird, who lived in the nearby mountains. She lost her husband and daughter in an earthquake and caused untold amounts of destruction in her grief. Her thunderbolts tore apart the earth, split trees in half and set them aflame, soon enough engulfing half the forest in the inferno and threatened the tribe.

Hula, her sisters, and the rest of the able bodied griffons rushed to defeat the thunderbird before she destroyed the village. Maddened with grief and seeking only to cause destruction and pain, the thunderbird violently lashed out like a thunderstorm, striking down anyone who got near. Over a dozen griffons were killed in the battle, and all that were left were a handful of veterans and new warriors who were no match for the thunderbird.

Hula, who knew they could defeat the thunderbird alone, acted as a distraction while her aunt would deal the killing blow. She slammed into the thunderbird from behind and blinded her, which led to the thunderbird lashing out and severely wounding Hula. Her aunt dived in and ran her spear through the thunderbird's heart, ending the threat and giving the monster peace at last as she was reunited with her family in the world beyond.

It took hours for the tribal mages to put out the fires with water magic, even with the help of the undine that inhabited the lake, but soon the inferno was put out and the tribe was victorious...but not without a cost.

Poor Hula, who acted as a distraction to bring the wrath of the thunderbird only onto her, was affected the most. She paid the ultimate price, struck by thunder, riddled with ugly scars and painful burns, and unable to fly for the rest of her life.

Hula was seen as a hero by her fellow villagers for her sacrifice, but she didn't feel like a hero. She felt useless.

XXXXXX

"By the spirits, she looks worse than I thought."

"I know. The stories of her injuries were graver than I expected."

"Can she even fly with that wing?"

"Forget her wing, what about her arm? And her face! Spirits, what did that thunderbird do to her?"

Every year there would be a massive gathering of tribes to celebrate the coming of the seasons. With it being Fall, the need for meat and fur grew as the weather turned colder and the plants started dying. It was a time for relatives to reunite, for friends and rivals to meet up, and stories to be traded. For Hula, it was a time for the women of the other villages to whisper and gossip about her visible injuries.

Hula could hear it all and it only made her wish her sisters hadn't dragged her to this gathering. Everyone stared at her like she was some strange creature to be gawked at, like it was her fault for looking this way. The warriors were, of course, less scathing in their comments, more sympathetic given how she acquired her scars, but it still stung to listen to even other monsters snicker about her lack of ability to gain a husband and a family.

"Don't listen to them, Hula." Her eldest sister, Kaya, whispered to her. She was the strongest of the three sisters, tall and muscular with large powerful wings and talons sharp enough to cut through stone. Next to her, Hula felt even uglier, though she didn't make this feeling known.

"That's not too difficult, considering that I can barely hear out of my left ear." Hula muttered.

In order to hide her facial scars, Hula wore a red mask that completely covered her face. Her right hand was devoid of feathers, also burned away by the monster's lightning. Scars marred her leonine legs and the most crippling injury was her left wing, which had taken a thunderbolt directly to it and was bare and crooked, the nerves shot so badly that she couldn't even move it all the way. Bandages ran along her chest, stomach and legs to hide the scars there too. One would mistake her for a mummy with how much bandages and wrappings she wore to cover herself.

She walked with a limp and was slightly bent over like an old woman. The children wondered if she was actually an old woman behind that mask, a hag disguised as a crippled griffon. Hula became numb to these senseless labels, but that didn't mean they didn't leave their own scars.

"Can we just go back to the hut? All this is doing is drawing more attention to me." Hula pleaded.

"You need to walk around, little sister. Staying inside that stuffy hut is harmful to your health. Even father agrees with me." Kaya said. "And no one would dare tease or mock you with me close by."

"Not as long as you're looking at them." She muttered.

Suddenly the gossiping women went quiet and the sisters looked up to see who made them hush up so. It didn't take long to understand why, for they saw a very beautiful woman step into the village square.

Her name was Keemeone, Rain, and she came from a small tribe who lived on the far side of the island, where the dense forests gave way to wide open plains where buffalo grazed and wild horses galloped endlessly without care. She was a tall, slender human woman with raven black hair and smooth skin. Her eyes were her most startling feature; they were a bright silver, like starlight, that seemed to glow even in the daytime.

She was the only one from her tribe capable of making the journey to the gathering, as the rest of her tribe relied on the protection of a neighboring clan of centaurs to protect them from bandits and monsters. But her beauty wasn't why she was so well-know, however.

Hula could feel the gazes of every woman in the area focus on her as Keemeone walked over to her and her sister. The kind woman's gaze wasn't judging or disgusted, only polite, for she focused on Hula, who froze like a deer in a predator's gaze.

"Hello, honored warrior." Keemeone said, bowing her head to the two griffon sisters. "I am Keemeone, sister of Ti'am, the huntsman from the Bear Claw tribe."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Keemeone." Kaya said and nudged her sister forward. "It's often that we get visitors from the other side of the Black River."

"Few people are as healthy as I am and can make the journey here and back. Right now, my brother is protecting the tribe." Keemeone turned to Hula and smiled. "And you must be the Sparkstriker that everyone is talking about."

"Y-You know me?" Hula asked.

"Your deeds are well-known even across the river, noble warrior. Even the price you paid to ensure your people's survival." Keemeone's eyes briefly went to Hula's scars and bandages before looking back to her masked face. "My brother has professed to wanting to meet you, but his duties keep him close to home. Perhaps, if you feel comfortable, could you come visit our home?"

"M-Me?" Hula stammered. "Ti'am wants to meet me?"

Keemeone nodded, smiling. "If it doesn't trouble you. Hearing of your victory over the thunderbird has interested him greatly, and you would be doing him a great service. Please, consider it, at least."

Hula stood there still as a statue as she processed what the noble yet mysterious woman actually wanted from her. A chance to meet the famed Invisible One of the Black River. A hunter whom no one could see yet could hear and touch.

XXXXXX

Everyone knew the story of Ti'am, the Moose Hunter of the Bear Claw tribe. He was a chief's son cursed at a young age by a shaman to remain invisible to all but his Other Half, the one who would be his wife. His only family, his little sister, attended to all his wants, and she searched the land for any woman who was suitable enough for him to possibly marry...if they could see him.

Girls came from all over the island, seeking to be the "chosen one" for Ti'am. Keemeone would take these girls to her brother, and wait for his return from a hunt, since to her he was always visible. When she saw him arrive, she would say to her companions, "Do you see my brother?"

As it happens, none of these girls could ever see him. However, while some honest girls would say "no," most would answer that they could indeed see him.

Then Keemeone would ask, "Of what is his shoulder strap made?"

Or, as some tell the tale, she would inquire about other things, like his sled harness or his bowstring.

They would reply, "A strip of rawhide," or "A green sapling," or something of that kind, and each was a likely guess. But Keemeone always knew they had not told the truth, and she would turn her face away, and reply quietly, "Very well, let us return to my brother."

When they entered the hut, she would ask them not to take a certain seat, for it was the seat of Ti'am, the Invisible One. After they helped cook supper, they would wait with great curiosity to see him eat. Each would get proof that he was a real person, for as he took off his moccasins they became visible, and his sister would hang them up. They would also see food leaving his birchbark dish and disappear in mid-air, but beyond that they would see nothing.

Many girls had traveled far and wide to see Ti'am, only to be disappointed when they couldn't see the mysterious hunter. They could hear him, they could touch him, but they could not see him, and so Ti'am and Keemeone remained alone, unable to break the curse.

When Hula's father heard of Keemeone's invitation, he stared at his daughter long and hard to the point of making her feel uncomfortable before rushing to pack her a bag of essentials for her long journey, shocking her.

"Father, wait!" Hula pleaded. "Father, I'm not going."

"Why not? The spirits have granted you an opportunity, and you cannot deny this calling." He said.

"An opportunity for what?" She asked.

"For happiness." Her father was once a proud warrior and hunter, but after her mother died, he lacked the light that shown in his eyes when he ran through the forest like a wild horse. But now, his eyes were bright, his spirits lifted with the idea that Hula, his dear, sweet Hula, was asked to see a man who could be her husband. "You have suffered most in this village. More than me, who held your mother in her last moments. I refuse to see you waste away in silence after giving up everything to protect this village. You deserve a chance of happiness, Hula, but it is up to you to take that first step."

Hula was speechless, taken aback by the passion in her father's voice. "But...what if I can't see the Invisible One? What if I'm not the one for him?"

"How will you know if you haven't even made the attempt to go see him?" Her father replied, and that was the moment Hula made her decision.

XXXXXX

Clad in a heavy robe that her sisters had made for her to hide her scars, and wearing that same red mask, Hula left the village three days later to go see Ti'am of the Bear Claw clan. Her father kissed her brow and let her be on her way, and he didn't move until she disappeared into the forest.

Traveling with her injuries was hard, and at times the weather would irritate her burns and scars, but Hula ignored the pain and kept going. She walked for miles to the west in the day time, and rest wherever she could in the night time. Nature was not kind to her, but she managed just fine, still trudging forward despite the declining state of her cloak and her ragged, unkempt hair. Fall would turn to winter soon, and when the snow came, her journey would become near impossible.

For a healthy griffon, it wouldn't be nearly as difficult. Many griffons have been known to fly the entire length of the island on a full supply of food and demonic energy, but Hula had nothing, and her beaten body hindered her progress. The less said about her wing, the better.

As she passed through a forest of gigantic red leaf trees, Hula came upon an Ursa, who was preparing for the winter. Ursa were powerful ursine monsters, but this was a woman who was already feeling lethargic as the autumn winds blew through the trees.

"Hello there." The ursa yawned, hugging a clay jar of honey close to her bountiful chest. "I hope you're not here to steal..." Another yawn. "...my honey."

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your winter preparations, mother bear. I am traveling to the place where the river divides the island in half to meet with Ti'am." Hula said.

"The Invisible One? Oh dear, I hope it's not to see if you are his chosen one." The Ursa said pitifully. "Many monsters have tried to see him, but they've all failed. I should know, for I have tried to look upon him myself."

"Well, I am going to change all that. His sister invited me herself and it'd be rude to not come."

"With scars like that, I doubt you can find a husband at all. What is a monster without her strength?" The ursa said, not unkindly. She was stating what she believed to be a fact.

"How will I know it's fruitless if I don't try?" Hula said. She bade the ursa goodbye and went on her way.

XXXXXX

Thunder rumbled in the sky as the forest was assaulted by a heavy rainstorm. Hula's cloak was soaking wet as she trudged through the forest with gallons of water pouring down on her, making her clothes heavy and wet. Again, only her mask protected her face, while the rest of her body was cold and wet.

When the rain became too much to ignore, Hula took refused under an oak tree and huddled under the heavy branches that kept most of the rain off her, trying to stay warm.

"You're far from home."

Hula looked up and saw a short, petite, green skinned woman with short black hair, webbed fingers and toes and large frog-like eyes with a long tongue hanging out of her mouth. She was a Bullywig.

"What's a crippled griffon doing this far inland?" The Bullywig asked, not even bothered by the downpour.

"I am journeying to the lake that cuts the island in half to see Ti'am, the Invisible One." Hula answered.

"The Invisible One? No woman, human or monster has seen him. I am considered to be the most beautiful of my entire pod, yet I was not his chosen one." The Bullywig said, clearly displeased. "Do you really think a griffon riddled with scars will be his wife?"

"I don't know if I don't try." Hula said, resolute and determined.

"You can try, but you will fail." The other monster grinned, sinking back into her pond. "After all, what is a monster without her beauty?"

XXXXXX

The trees had started to get shorter and grew less in number. Hula, tired, hungry and ragged, knew she was getting close, for see could see the tall Coyote Mountains in the distance, where the water gathered from the mountain tops would travel down the mountainside and onto land, filling up the deep crevice that nearly cut the island in half.

Hula was a mess; her feathers were pinched together and falling off her arms, the fur on her lower body was dirty and matted, her black hair was shaggy and felt like rope, and her lame wing felt so nonexistent that she almost thought it had fallen off. There were blisters on her feet and her limbs felt heavy. Only her mask remained untouched, protecting her face.

Each step got harder and harder to take, but Hula somehow maintained her balance. Her cloak was just a raggedy torn mess hanging off her shoulders, and she almost looked like one of those old hags who would haunt the forests from those stories Kaya told her about. Had she had the strength to smile, Hula would have laughed at the image. Her mask was a frightening sight, wasn't it?

She heard the sound of hooves on the ground and looked up to see a centaur galloping towards her. She was a vision of beauty, dark skin with glossy black hair and a powerful frame with only a brown vest barely covering her large breasts. Her lower body sported a smooth brown coat that glistened in the sun and her muscles were very visible. Hula felt inadequate standing near her, but tried not to let it show.

"What is a griffon doing in our land?" The centaur asked, looking down at her curiously. "You are a long way from home, girl. And on the verge of death from what I see."

"I...came to see the Invisible One," Hula panted, her throat dry. "I came to see...Ti'am."

"Ah, you are not the first monster to travel so far to see him. And you certainly won't be the last." The centaur smiled bitterly at Hula. "I have tried to see the noble warrior who made my heart beast faster than ever before. I have heard his voice, felt is touch, but I could not see him. If I, a strong and fast centaur could not be his chosen one, what makes you think you have a chance?"

"I won't know...unless I try." Hula replied.

"You are a crippled griffon who cannot fly. You can barely walk and I can see that one of your arms are near useless to you." The centaur said. "How can you believe that you are the Invisible One's chosen bride? What good is a monster without her pride?"

The centaur left without another word, and when she was gone, Hula fell to her knees. She felt weak, cold, hungry, in pain. She felt like a tree having weathered a snowstorm, earthquake, and wildfire. Hula felt like she would die soon. Still, her heart told her to keep going, and on all fours she slowly crawled across the bed of reddish brown leaves on the ground in the direction of the lake. She wasn't going to give up, not when her only chance at happiness was so close!

"Please...mother...I don't want to give up." Hula began to cry. "I just want to be happy again!"

Hula had no idea how long she crawled, but eventually she made it to the massive lake that cut through the island and stopped at the Coyote Mountains. She couldn't find the strength to lift her head, and as she reached the lakeside, her mask fell off into the water. Her vision swam, but she regained focus when she saw her reflection in the water.

Her face sported the worst scars of all. Half her face had a large pink burn mark leading from her nose over her left eye to her ear. That same eye was white, completely blind, and the skin was slightly warped and sensitive. Another scar, three claw marks, ran from the bottom of her right eye down to her chin, covering her entire right cheek. It had come from the thunderbird's talons, and nearly tore the skin off her jaw.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she saw how ugly she was. What could Ti'am ever see in her, even if she was his chosen one? What use would a man have for a monster that was neither strong, beautiful nor powerful? A griffon who spent more time on the ground than in the air? She spent all this time coming to this lake and ended up looking and feeling worse than when she started. Death would be a mercy.