Date: Mon, 14 May 2012 17:38:36 -0400 From: Randy Zak Subject: Chimera: Prologue "Chimera" Prologue: A History Lesson In stories of ancient mythology, there were tales of a creature made up of several other creatures. It was probably thought up by a committee, and no one could agree on what kind of animal it should be, so everyone got to pick one and they stuck them all together, and damn if it was viable or even attractive. Everyone just wanted to have their say; like one big mythical compromise. This creature was called a chimera, a mishmash of animals combined to create an entirely new thing that looked like something a drunken taxidermist concocted. It could be part lion, part snake and part goat. I can't think of any configuration that an animal like that would make any sort of sense, or be any sort of help to anyone. I'm not giving you a history lesson for no reason. I'm introducing you to the concept so maybe you can understand a little more about me. I'm not unlike a chimera. As far as we've been able to tell, I'm a mutt -- part human and part demon with just a smidgen of this and a drop of that thrown in for good measure. I have absolutely no idea how I was created -- or what really goes in to my makeup - unless I was another one of those damn mythical compromises. The one thing going in my favor is that you wouldn't be able to pick me out of a crowd as a monster. Whatever unholy process created me, I was at least favored with a human-like appearance. At least most of the time. Some of the blood running through my veins will make itself known at times. When I get really angry, or caught up in a battle, the demon part of me surfaces and will alter my appearance somewhat. Luckily, it is generally a useful thing at that part of the game. Sprouting horns in the middle of a fight can sometimes tip the tide in my favor. And the glowing fire eyes are a pretty impressive parlor trick as well. My name is Dominic Bennett. Yes, a rather ordinary name for such a strange creature. It was given to me by the young priest who raised me. Apparently, Dominic means something like "Belonging To God" and Bennett means "Blessed One." I often wonder if the good father had any idea of what I was and felt that my soul needed a double dose of saving. Pity it didn't work. When he found me as a child, Father Liam was a young man of 26, just beginning his life as a priest. He lived in a monastery in the woods just outside the city of Hurtgein, the capital of our fair country. He had been walking through the woods in meditation one day when he discovered me, dirty and hungry, trying to steal an apple from the orchard the monastery tended. I expected he would be angry and run me off, so imagine my surprise when he took me in, gave me a bath, food and a name. And he gave me the one thing I never expected to have -- a home. So for the first years of my life, I lived at the monastery. I helped the monks with their chores, learned alongside them as they studied the holy writings of the gods, and tried to keep myself from being bored out of my skull. Okay, so I spent more time on the last thing than any other. But I couldn't help it -- the place was dull! Who wanted to walk around chanting all the time? And the endless hours of silence was almost unbearable. It didn't take long before the other monks began to complain to Father Liam that I was a problem. He was forced to defend me on many occasions. Yet he never raised his voice or his hand to me. Whenever I had been in trouble, we took a walk through the forest and talked. Father Liam was convinced that I just needed to talk my problems through and I would figure them out. I liked those walks most of all, and sometimes I would let myself be caught at doing something just to get him out of his work so we could walk. My life was pretty good, even if I did have to grow up around all the sanctimony. Father Liam was the only one there who didn't make me feel like I was anything less than a person. As I grew and my unknown origins began to make themselves more visible, the rest of the monks grew scared of me. I knew they didn't like me at the best of times, and if it weren't for my guardian, I would not have lived in safety for as long as I did. Father Liam passed away at the age of 37, from a very bad case of pneumonia brought on by a rough winter in the forest. Without the buffer of my protector, the rest of the priests there were less than welcoming. Even back then, I knew when to take a hint, so at a fresh, young age of 17, I hit the road, fending for myself. So, what kind of work is available for unholy creatures these days? Well, I'm a bit of a freelancer. I take whatever I can get â€" bodyguard, demon slaying, monster tracking, the occasional damsel in distress calls. I'm the guy they come to when no one else is stupid enough to take the case or was already wiped out by whatever was waiting for them. I'm not really sure why you're interested in my story, but it's your time you're wasting, so go for it. I'll try to keep it as entertaining as possible, but no promises. I can't say that I'm the most interesting creature there is, but at least I have a cool job. My story starts out like it always did -- with the offer of a job. However, this job would turn out to be one that would change my life forever, in a way I truly never anticipated. This is the story of when I fell in love. ------- Author's note: Thank you for your interest in my story! I have high hopes for this one and have been enjoying writing it! I will post chapters as quickly as I can finish them, and will try my best not to leave too much time between postings. Chapter 1 should be up within a week or two. If you have comments or questions, please feel free to email me at beyondanytherapy@gmail.com, and to keep up with any news on my stories, check out my blog - http://randyscorner.blogspot.com. Thanks again! Randy Zak