FAINE

“What in the name of Gods? Those bloody humans are terrorizing one of my charges again! Damn it, this is the last time. No more!” I roared when I heard the eye-tearing and woeful screech. I never understood how a living being could torture another for the fun of it.

The Loreans in my world killed for a reason, and having fun was never one of those motives. As the guardian of the woods, I protect all creatures, and not one single being came to any harm. The beasts swiftly hunted for food. That was it—end of the story.

I was horrified that there was an innocent creature screaming with misery in my domain. The blessed Mother Earth granted me the gift of guardianship, and I have no intention to let her down. I must get to the creature before its cries wake Mother Earth and turn her ears deaf from the loud wailing. But, gods, before saving her ears, mine needed saving!

I usually left humans alone and only tended to what was mine. Although I can walk among people, they never see me in my proper form, and I can assume any animal form I desire. Running in my deer form would be too slow, so I changed into a raven and flew to the source of the noise.

I trilled loudly, trying to let the creature know that I was nearby….hoping it ceased its unearthly wailings that turned my forest mute with fear.

As I flew even closer, I nearly hit a tree after being assailed by its final scream. The sound belonged to no animal! It was a human’s shrill. No, the human wasn’t calling the ghouls or wendigos, either. I was even able to understand what the words being screeched were, “You can count on meeeee. I’ll be there!”

What kind of sorcery was he chanting about? I wondered but couldn’t find an answer.

The chant quickly changed to another moan that was close to bleeding my raven ears…any ears!

“Gangnam style! Hey! Bro! Bro! Broooooo!”

Having returned to my natural form, I whispered in sheer despair to stop the male from chanting, “What’s Gangnam? Where is it? I must find it immediately!”

“Whoop. Whoop.”

Whoop? Whoop? What does that mean?

In the hope of understanding this Gangnam thing, I changed back into my raven form, searching the area as much as my beady bird eyes allowed. I connected with nature to understand what it might represent.

Nothing. There was no Gangnam in my forest. I took a deep breath in case it was a spirit. I’ve seen these humans coming to my woods to conjure spirits and failing, thanks to my spells.

The more deep breaths I took, the more I smelled something clean and earthy—a hint of masculine musk in the vicinity. I was exhilarated by what I sensed, forgetting my caution that I was near a human.

My gaze zeroed on him at that moment.

This person who sings like a tortured spirit in the Earth realm smelled rich, tickling my lungs, causing my manhood to be on alert, hardening.

He enchanted me!

I wondered how an earthling could enthrall me, considering they were fallible, bleed so easily with their fragile skins and all. But, I couldn’t help myself and took in another breath as I salivated with the male’s earthy cinnamon-daffodil-like scent.

By now, I was transformed back to my natural form, trudging carefully, so he didn’t hear my cloven-foot sounds and frighten him. No human ever saw me in my natural state, so I had to be extra careful. We were part of a myth for them, and Mother Nature insisted that we kept that secret.

I walked ever so slowly and quietly to remain hidden, hoping for a better view of him.

Heavens above, he was a vision to behold! I’d never seen a human as beautiful as this one. He was a tiny thing in desperate need of some serious feeding, but that wasn’t the only thing that got my attention. It was the way he danced without care and his beaming face that captivated me. I remember once seeing a grasshopper trying to hop after a bird snatched one of its hind legs. This male danced like that crippled grasshopper. His dance had no rhythm- if that was what he was doing.

His voice was so distractingly scratchy to the point that I was surprised the trees didn’t strip themselves from their bark to end their misery. Even the worms desperately tried to crawl away from him.

But, despite all that, I saw his innocence. His heart held no malice, and that’s what charmed me because it was rare that a grown-up human could maintain their innocence since childhood.