A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Forty-One

Alastor thought back to when he fought the alp that threatened Charlotte's life. There was something about the way he looked at Alastor that particularly stuck to him. It was filled with rage but also a sense of panic. As if Alastor himself was some terrible secret that creature was trying to keep covered up. 

"There is one thing, for a split second, I thought he knew me. But that's nonsense, you three are the only alps I've ever known."

That long eerie silence came back and the alps were suddenly looking at each other fearfully. As if they had just been informed that their worst nightmare had become a reality. 

"He found him." Millie finally said in a whisper. 

"Beg pardon?" Alastor said.

"Oh God he finally found him. What if he comes for him?"

"Now Millie don't panic." Moxxie said attempting to calm her. "As strong as his nose is, it'll be difficult for him to track anything in the pouring rain."

"What do you think he'll do to Alastor if he finds him again?"

"Forget the kid!" Blitzo said. "Think about what he'll do to me if he finds us!"

"Blitzo!" The couple said appalled.

"Oh come on, we all know I'm the one he's the most pissed at."

"But he never tried to kill you." Moxxie said. 

"Who never tried to kill...What?" Alastor asked reading the room. What's the matter with you all? You're all acting like you've seen a ghost."

The alps turned their attention to their ward. 

"Alastor we...We know this alp who tried to kill your friend." Moxxie said. "Well technically Blitzo knows him. Millie and I just know of him."

"Who is he?" Alastor asked.

"His name is Striker." Blitzo said. "And he's an alp who goes by the old ways of getting energy."

"You mean he feeds on flesh." 

"Yeah. He hunts down humans, kills them, eats them, and draws strength or speed or any special ability from that human. He's very dangerous and very clever."

"He's also a psycho for hire." Moxxie said. "When he not trying to satisfy his gluttonous hunger for power and bloodshed, he's doing jobs for certain humans who don't want to get their hands dirty."

"Like the queen no doubt." Alastor said. 

"There's more." Millie sighed nervously. "The day we found you, he was there trying to kill you."

Alastor looked at her confused. 

"So he does know me. Wait a moment, why was he trying to kill me?"

"We don't know. You were probably just another job." Moxxie said. 

"Or maybe you were just lunch." Blitzo said. "He never had any qualms about eating children."

"What exactly happened that day you found me?" Alastor asked. "You never told me the whole story and I know you don't mean to. We never actually discussed it. But I think now would be a good time to do so."

"I agree." Millie said sitting down in the chair next to Alastor. "We'll tell you everything we know and everything we saw. Don't get your hopes up though, we didn't see who your family was or where you offically came from. We only know how you ended up in the woods that day."

"I understand."

 "Though we always suspected that you might have been born in Poland."

"Poland?"

"It was about twelve years ago, I think." Moxxie started. "The people of Germany were getting wise to our tricks and scams so we decided to try our luck in Poland."

"Why Poland of all places? It's right next to Germany. Word from the people you cheated probably got around there."

"Yes it did. But Blitzo had the ridiculous idea that Polish people were natrually stupid." 

"Hey you guys believed me." Blitzo said.

"No we didn't." Millie said.

"We just pretended to because Millie and I wanted to make that trip into a second honeymoon." Moxxie said. "What a waste of a good trip. We didn't even get to go sight seeing. We just spent all day in that stupid wagon, working on that bogus tonic."

"We were not on vacation Moxxie." Blitzo said. "It was business."

"A terrible business. I told you no one would actually buy that gunk you cooked up. They figured out your con in no time at all and they were furious. We're lucky we didn't end up in the stocks that day. Or worse."

"Anyway." Millie said reminding the men to stay on topic. "It was a month after King Ludwick of Poland had passed away, and his son Vincent had ascended the throne. We were in town, trying out Blitzo's latest snake oil scheme. And of course it ended in disaster."