Magical Creatures 2

Magical Creatures

In a huge lake, deep in an unknown forest, the surface glinted in the setting sun. The setting could be described as peaceful, but deep in the depths lay the legendary but not so mythical Inkanyamba. The beast was massive, with an impressive 100m in length and a full meter in diameter. One of the oldest of its kind, the creature had been given many names over the centuries. In the modern day, it was named Babomkhulu, loosely translating to the Great One, by the few who had been unfortunate enough to sight it. The creature had remained in the depths for well over a decade, but its food supply had run out, and it had to move. The once clear skies suddenly grew darker as it made its way up, unfurling its enormous wings. The head beached the surface just as the sun went down and water flowed of its body as it rose, higher and higher. A bystander stood with their mouth open, transfixed by the magnificent sight. The young girl, with buckets and a wheelbarrow at her side, instantly went insane. Her family would find her there the following day, frozen in the spot. Black clouds gathered, shielding the ascending beast from view. Below, a tornado was brewing, getting stronger as the creature ascended higher.

You probably didn't think there would be a part two to this story. Yeah, I know, I didn't either. But here we are, brandishing our swords and polishing our shields for the last time (hopefully). Before we dive into that though, let's clear up a few misconceptions you may be having. Firstly, you may be hoping that after my tragic experience, I wrote a book detailing my adventures or at least started research on the creatures we met previously and became very rich from the best seller. Well, I hate to break it to you but things didn't go do down so well. After my little incident, I wanted nothing to do with the creatures. I tried very hard to forget them, even going as far as to undergo a bit of therapy. After a rather unfortunate event (to be explained later), I moved from my home village to Durban. Secondly, you may have guessed that my incident would do nothing for my social status and you would be absolutely correct. As you can imagine, trying to convince people that you crossed paths with a shape shifting dragon puts you on the no. 1 spot for the clinically insane. So, I had long ago stopped trying. Finally, if you thought there would be a happy ever after from the first one, you'd be dead wrong (after all, we all wouldn't be here if that had happened now, would we?). I told you about my lifetime limp but what I didn't tell you about was the paranoia I had developed. I became suspicious of everything and everyone. To try and aid my concerns, I had recently fitted a retractable blade on my walking stick. But even worse than the paranoia, I had started to display strange traits in recent years. Something the doctors had diagnosed as multiple personality disorder. Nothing could've have been further from the truth. Anyway, now that all the explanations are out of the way, let's begin our story.

As aforementioned, (fancy word, that one) this story begins on a rather sad note: the passing of my mother, almost 20 years after my little incident. That's not something I feel like reliving right now so we will skip the details and fast forward to a week after her funeral. I was back in Durban, trying to enjoy the setting sun on Addington beach. Apart from a few cleaners, I was alone. The beach was relatively empty during the Winters. I watched my feet making footprints on the wet sand, wincing each time my weight transferred to my bad foot. Spotting a bench nearby, I hobbled over and sat down, groaning with relief. My thoughts lingered on the fiery sky for a moment, then turned to recent events. Tears welled up in my eyes as images of my mother filled my head.

Then suddenly, someone sat down besides me on the bench. I quickly wiped my tears, trying to hide the fact that I had been crying. "Terrible thing, what happened to your mother," the stranger said. I risked a glance, expecting to see someone I knew. But the stranger hid his features well with a wide brim Stetson hat and a pair of large sunglasses. A neatly trimmed gray beard was the only thing that hinted at his hidden identity. He wore an expensive designer suit and sucked gently on a cigar before puffing out a plume of smoke. "Emmanuel Vilakazi," he said, pulling something out of his pocket. It was a business card. When I didn't take it, he placed on the bench besides me. "Listen, I know what you went through, and I am one of the few people who can say I believe you." I looked up, but said nothing, keeping a tight grip on my walking stick. "I can help you." The man stood up to leave, then turned around and nodded at the stick, smiling briefly. "Nice trick," he said, then he walked away.

I looked the card over. It was gold, with a black star logo in the middle. Mphephethwa Research Institute. I recognized the clan name from isiZulu lessons back at school. The man had said he believed me. He had also said he could help me. I know I should have been asking questions like how he had found me or how he knew about my mother but only one question was in my mind: Did he know about my illness? And if so, could he cure it? I turned the card over. On the back was the address. 23 Henrietta Street, Pietermaritzburg. There was only one way to find out.

UBabomkhulu flew high in the sky. Apart from the occasional lightning bolt, accompanied by a rumble of thunder, the area around the creature could be described as relatively peaceful. 10km below, the tornado sowed turmoil and destruction in its wake. Trees were torn from the ground and scattered around like dolls. Roofs were ripped off houses and fluttered through the air like pieces of paper. Occasionally, the creature would glance down, searching for a new home. A glint of a shiny surface drew its attention. Suddenly, a drumming noise reached its sensitive ears and it reared back up. This slight jolt caused a huge gust of wind that travelled all the way to the earth's surface, plowing through a cluster of shacks, reducing them to nothing but rubble. The beast flew on. It could feel water nearby. Just a little bit further...

Finding the research institute proved to be difficult, but after a couple of hours of wondering aimlessly around the small city, I found it, quite by luck. I had been on the verge of giving up, when I heard two women walking past talking about the work being conducted in one of the buildings opposite us, and how it was highly classified. After one of them mentioned the surname 'Vilakazi', I knew it was the right place. The building didn't look like much. A medium-sized, one-story building with a sign that hung at an angle, with only three letters: M.R.I. The building looked like it had been abandoned years ago, with windows that were nailed shut and a single door under the sign. I approached the door, thinking I had come to the wrong place, when suddenly the door burst open and a security guard walked out. I say 'security guard' but the man was dressed more like a bodyguard and had the physique of one too. He was dressed in a black suit that failed to hide the muscled limbs underneath. A wire snaked up his neck to his ear. "Mr. Vilakazi is expecting you," he growled. It had sounded more like a command then an invitation to come in. I closed my eyes, breathed out, and walked in. The interior wasn't so different from the outside. We walked down a corridor that had crumbling walls on either side. A flight of stairs led below ground level and to a steel door with a keypad on the side. The security guard tapped in a few keys and the door sprung open. We entered a room that almost knocked my breath out. The entire room was white; white tiles, white walls, white ceiling. It was filled with sophisticated equipment placed on sliver tables. In the middle of it all was the strange man I had met: Emmanuel. This time, he had no hat and no glasses. He had black pupils surrounded by yet more white, and a completely bald head. His skin looked perfect, with no wrinkles in sight. This was a man who loved himself more than anything else. He smiled, flashing a set of purely white teeth, "Mr. de Villiers. Welcome. Sorry about the exterior, but you must understand that what we do here is highly classified and need not draw any unnecessary attention. Oh, and that behind you is Mandla. Apologies for his rather...unwelcoming...behavior, but in our line of work, it comes in handy."

"We?" I asked, looking around. So far, I had only seen two people in the room.

"Of course," Emmanuel said, stepping aside. "This is my daughter. I believe you two have met." At the other end of the room, stood a young girl, about my age, but slightly taller. Her twinkling eyes and her warm smile were instantly recognizable. "Queen?" I said, feeling my heart skip a beat. Even after all those years, I still felt something. "Hi Oli," she replied. I pointed at her hair, "You grew an Afro." Her smile broadened and I winced at my own awkwardness. Then her father stepped between us, saving me from further embarrassment, "There will be more time for catch-up later. Right now, we have important work to do." He clapped his hands and a floor to ceiling screen, posed as a wall, switched on, displaying a village. Sheets of corrugated iron lay scattered everywhere, along with trees flipped on their sides. Buildings had collapsed and rescue teams were pulling survivors out. "What is this?" I asked moving closer to the screen.

"This is a live feed, showing the aftermath of an F6 tornado that just blew past Roosboom, near Ladysmith. Authorities believe it was caused by weather abnormalities. But we know it was caused by something way more dangerous. The same creature that attacked you." I turned to him, not believing my ears. "You're telling me a flying snake caused all this?"

Emmanuel laughed, "The inkanyamba is not just a snake. Sure, the myths may paint it as simply large snake but it is more than that. As you know, it can change shape, taking the form of both inanimate and live objects. We also suspect that it has the power to control the weather, or at least cause huge storms, as you can see." I looked back at the screen, struggling to reconcile what I had experienced with what I saw on the screen. My experience had been frightening but it was nothing compared to this. "If this is what I faced, then I should've been torn to shreds."

"Well, you were a bit lucky...relatively speaking. The creature you came up against was a young buck, barely a decade old, according to our estimations. What we talking about year is a creature that has been in existence for well over 900 years." This should have been shocking, but somehow, it wasn't. Strangely, it was as if this was something I had known my whole life. I ignored the feeling.

Now, I will take a moment to issue a warning here. When something doesn't feel right, it's because it ISN'T right. So, it's best not to ignore it, like I foolishly did. Like that sixth sense that alerts you about traffic cops ahead when you driving at 120 km per hour in a car that has seen better days or that feeling that tells you you're about to take the wrong exit. Little things, true, but quite meaningful. So, for any layman out there who is bit hard of hearing, I will repeat it: DON'T IGNORE IT.

So, I ignored the feeling and was drawn closer to the picture, feeling a strange tingling at the tips of my fingers. "Inkanyamba is known to have two major weaknesses: sensitive eyes and sensitive ears." I thought about the lifesaving floodlight my mother had carried. "How do you know all of this?" I asked, trying to convince myself that the tingling that was now up to my elbows was simply my imagination. I shook my arms a little. "Research," Emannuel replied, seemingly oblivious to my behavior. "Interviews with people who have heard or perhaps seen these creatures. But you, Mr. de Villiers, are the only person on this entire planet, to have come across one and come out sane at the other end."

"So, you brought me here for an interview?"

"Not quite. See, Mr. de Villiers I need you to help me catch one." Suddenly, the tingling feeling built up into a rage. "Do you have any idea of what I been through?" I walked towards him. He barely even flinched.

"Well not personally, but I know enough...."

"You know nothing! You know nothing!" With surprising speed and strength, I grabbed Emmanuel and tossed him against the wall. I reached for my walking stick and held it against his neck. And, dear reader, by now you should have noticed that I was no longer in control of my actions. I was powerless to stop myself. My eyes started to fade out of focus as something took over my limbs. And then I blacked out. I woke up a few moments later, with my eyes screwed shut and my hands clamped over my ears. After a few seconds, my senses returned and I realized that a bright light was directed at my eyes while a loud metallic banging sound was playing in the background. I stood up groggily. Emmanuel turned off the flashlight and the banging sound stopped. Queen led me to a chair and gave me some water. After a long drink, I managed to calm myself down. "What happened?" I asked feebly, though I was afraid I knew the answer. "Well Mr. de Villiers," Emmanuel sat down opposite me. "Our worst fears have been confirmed. That bite on your leg not only disabled your leg, but it is also turning you into one of them."

The water body was not far now. Babomkhulu could feel it. The creature renewed its efforts, flapping its wings faster, wreaking even more havoc beneath it. A low rumble that closely resembled that of thunder escaped its mouth. It was only a matter of time...

Even at the best of times, being told you're slowly turning into a monster is not a good thing. Well right now wasn't the best of times, so you will excuse me if I wailed like a little kid. Once I had settled down, Emmanuel stood up. "I might, however, be able to develop an antidote. I just need a few ingredients from the creature itself." He turned back to me. "So, Mr. de Villiers, will you help me?"

"If I agree, when do we go?"

"Right now."

20 minutes later, I was strapped in the backseat of a jeep as it rolled out of a mechanical lift and entered the road. Queen sat besides me, while Emmanuel sat in the passenger seat, with Mandla at the wheel. I glanced over at Queen and our eyes locked. There was something in hers. It could have been concern, or it could have been fear. She moved her hand closer, placing it over mine. I quickly retracted my hand, looking away guiltily.

I know what you're thinking: the girl you have liked for years finally shows you how she feels and suddenly you too scared to dive in? Yep. That definitely was part of part of the reason. I chickened out. But before you condemn me, the other part was the fact that I didn't want hurt her. Having seen what I became on video, I knew that anyone too close to me could become physically and emotionally hurt, and I didn't want that to happen to her.

The jeep took an hour to get to the destination. A lodge, tucked away behind two mountains. Ordinarily, the place would be teeming with security, but right now, the whole place was a wreck. Gates hung on one hinge, the buildings, which had been recently vacated, had windowless frames and rooftops filled with more holes than actual roof. The monster we were tracking was right ahead. How could I tell? Because a heavy gust of wind was blowing past and the skies looked dark. A lightning blot flashed and a long shadow briefly appeared, tucked above the clouds. When I had asked Emmanuel why we had to go for the largest one, he had promptly responded, "It's the only one whose location we know. And you know what they say, go big or go home right?" I had not shared the same enthusiasm for the trip, yet here I was. The lodge was built next to a large lake, and Emmanuel's theories were confirmed when a mist befell the area. The creature was descending.

The car stopped and Mandla stepped out, taking equipment and setting it up, as if what was happening didn't concern him at all. Amongst the stuff was a big stereo system, a large light that had to be attached to the roof of a car, and finally, missile-sized tranquillizer darts. "One way or another, we're taking one of them with us today," Emmanuel had said, determination shining on his face. I only had one thought: We're all gonna die.

The creature cast a final glance down and sure enough, a large body of water lay below. It changed its trajectory, dipping its head low. The earth's surface drew closer. A cloud of mist hid the monster's descent, but it also hid the humans tracking it. As its head touched the water, a metal object slammed against its side and lodged itself between the scales, barely penetrating them. The creature rumbled, annoyed, and, fortunately for the humans, slid into the water. But not before the tail lashed out, straight towards the lone car and its human occupants.

Mandla fired a shot, and the dart flew towards its target. All around us, the storm was getting stronger, and my clothes were already soaking wet. But I had bigger troubles to worry about. The tingling sensation had returned. A whistling sound suddenly distracted me. I glanced at the others. They were focused on the shape disappearing into the water. I focused on the sound again. It was getting closer. "MOVE!" I shouted, jumping out of the way. The end of something slammed the car, crushing it beyond recognition. It dawned on me that we had bitten more than we could chew. I pulled myself to my knees. I had ended up near the lake. A wall had been built around the lake to prevent people from falling in and the lake from flooding the lodge. But it had been destroyed in the storm. The water in front of me was inky black and appeared to be boiling. My hands fluttered around, searching for my walking stick. That's when I noticed something was wrong with my skin. Small, black scales had started to appear, and my hands were webbed. The transformation was spreading around my body like an infection. I heard a crunch behind me and swirled around. Emannuel! I reach out my hand, but he didn't take it. Instead, he stopped a few paces away from me and pulled out some sort of hand-gun. "You see, Oliver," he said using my name for the first time. "...I never work without a back up plan. I told you we're taking back one of the creatures one way or another. Fascinating how this little excursion has sped up your transformation." He took aim. I couldn't move; my legs seemed to be glued together. Before he could fire, Queen appeared out of nowhere, standing between me and him. "Dad!" she shouted, struggling to make herself heard above the howling wind. "Dad, you promised you wouldn't!"

"Move away girl!"

"No!"

"Fine, have it your way." Emmanuel fired. The slug caught Queen on her shoulder. She staggered backwards, and tripped over the remnants of the wall...right into the lake. "Noooooo!" I screamed, dragging myself to the edge. My consciousness was starting to lose control of my body, but I forced the blackness consuming me back. I had to save her. I flung myself in. sliding through the water without a splash. Had my mind not been set on Queen, I would have marveled at my newfound ability to breathe under water. I swam deeper into the lake. A green glow aided my search and I was surprised when I realized that it came from me. It must have been an automatic response. There she was. Her body was sinking further down. But it was moving slower than I was. I started to wonder where the large creature would be when its head emerged, the mouth open, sucking Queen's body in. I renewed my strength and swam faster. My hands had shrunk to fins on my side and would be useless, so I opened my own mouth and closed it around her gently, careful not to penetrate her skin. I ducked up just as the mouth slammed shut, and swam as fast as I could. The monster did not give chase. It simply receded back into the shadows. It had been only a warning. My head broke the surface and I swam back to the wall, gently placing Queen's body on the ground. She wasn't moving. I slithered out, cursing my form. Mandla stood a short distance away, his eyes, wide open. I nudged Queen towards him and he seemed to understand. As he performed CPR, my eyes searched for Emmanuel. He stumbled out of the darkness. "Mandla! W e have to...." Then he noticed me. His hand went to his side for the hand gun but I was quicker. Anger was building up inside me and I was failing to contain the monster within me. I had no doubt that Emmanuel would be torn to shreds, but I didn't care anymore. "Oli!" I whipped my head around. Queen was sitting up. "Oli.... I know you're in there." She stood up and weakly walked towards me. A low growl escaped my throat and she stopped. "Oli listen to me. You can fight this." And fight I did. If this darn creature could change shape, then surely, I could change back to human shape. I screamed, something that was between a lion's raw and a cow's moo. When I opened my eyes, my arms had grown back, even though my fingers were still webbed together and my skin was still scaly. My legs had separated again. I stood up. Queen smiled. Mandla was shaking with terror and shock. Then he decided he'd had enough and bolted into the forest. Queen walked towards me. As she approached. Emmanuel struggled to his knees. "Queen. My daughter...how can I ever thank you?"

She looked at him, and landed a punch across his jaw. He rolled back onto the ground. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for him."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome," she smiled. She caught me looking at my scales. "Don't worry, we will find a cure.... together." She reached out for my hand. And this time, I didn't pull back.