The monster's eyes were bloodshot and full with rage, its skin grey and engorged as if its human façade was finally tearing from the pressure of its villainy. As it stared at its victims– a boy and a girl that had sinfully entered its lair, it let loose a wicked roar that shook the ground and knocked them off their feet. Remembering the pain this monster brought, the girl felt an inferno building in her stomach.
They had been a village of 100 strong in the clearing of a dense forest of oak and pine and wore linen tunics bleached white by the sun that contrasted beautifully against their caramel skin and dark hair. Their small population and isolated circumstances allowed everyone to know their neighbour; everyone worked for the other, every child had friends to run through the streets and explore the forest with, and every elder had a coterie to smoke their pipes and gossip with about the most recent happenings. As such, the arrival of a stranger in their village was an entire affair, such was the case when a stranger leading a donkey-pulled cart of cloaked luggage arrived on the eve of the planting season.
The man was soft spoken, claiming he was a simple travelling Shaman and asked for a room to stay in for a short while while he planned the rest of his voyage. Visitors were rare, but always kindly received, and so the Shaman was graciously offered a room to stay in at the village's townhouse. His appearance was initially scant; for the first week and a half he was scarcely seen outside his room, although eavesdropping children said they could hear him sauntering in his room or clinking glass crockery when they stuck their ears to his door, much to the dismay of their parents. For a time, the people of the village almost forgot that the Shaman had even arrived, only being reminded of his existence by the gossip and rumours that circulated about.
Eventually the Shaman began making appearances around the village, occasionally making conversation with its people and asking questions about their health and their history, even sometimes exhibiting the mastery of his craft through firework displays or small alchemical experiments before disappearing into his room again. A select few learned that the Shaman had been preparing to reveal the fruits of his travels, and news of the event quickly became the talk of the town.
The next day a crowd formed in the square to watch the Shaman unveil a series of gold trimmed wooden stalls. Each were populated by vials and beakers containing vibrant liquids that changed colour when disturbed, hefty metallic tools for measuring the cosmos, bracelets, necklaces and clothing from distant countries placed on mannequins and plants resembling green, thorny towers that the Shaman called "Cacti", among other peculiar articles of unknown function. The crowd cautiously approached each stall and examined the objects, while the Shaman stood at a podium at the fore and prepared to address the sea of caramel faces.
"My friends, my friends, I have brought to you priceless treasures and godly miracles that I have discovered in my many travels around the world! Elixirs capable of relieving hunger for a fortnight, apparel that grants superhuman strength, tools that can guide you out of any labyrinth and idols that ward off evil! Invaluable riches, I bring to you! And I would offer them all." he bellowed
At this, murmurs circulated through the crowd, and the Shaman saw curiosity morph into concern and confusion.
"Do you not crave these godly gifts?" he asked, in an attempt to quell their apprehensions
A man standing at the front of the crowd approached the Shaman, who prepared to make another speech, and elected himself the speaker for the rest of the people.
"We are grateful for your offer, Shaman, but you speak of problems unknown to us. You offer us elixirs capable of relieving hunger, yet we have never known starvation. You offer us superhuman strength, yet no single man has ever needed to carry something too heavy for himself. You offer us tools to guide us to any point of interest, yet we never need to leave our forest, which we are well enough acquainted with. You offer us idols capable of warding off evil, yet nothing wicked resides among us. We are sorry, Shaman, but we will respectfully decline your kind offer, there are surely those less fortunate who would have great use of these miracles." he explained
YOU ARE READING
The People and the Shaman
Short StoryA small village is ravaged by disease, and the villagers must rely on a visiting Shaman to help them overcome it. (10 pages)
