Secret Of The Crest (9 page)

   ‘Thanks for being honest but believe me there will be no need for you to come into that position’ Gregor said. 

Rebecca was envious. She wished she had been the one in danger and that Gregor had run off to rescue. Then she was taken in by the lovely memory of her and Gregor right before the screaming started and considered herself fortunate. She thought to herself what might have happened between them had the incident not occurred with Cassie. Had she even screamed five minutes later. Rebecca day dreamt on and on wondering when their next chance to continue what they started would come.

   ‘Right, Becca?’ Cassandra asked for the third time waking Rebecca up from her daze.

   ‘Excuse me love, I was somewhere else for a moment. What was it you asked me?’

   ‘We all agree to hearing the rest of Gregor’s story, right?’

   ‘Why, yes. Of course we do. I remember that you left off saying that you always took your whistle because-’ Gregor abruptly turned to look down taking a thick chain out of his pocket which had interrupted Rebecca’s statement. He then lifted the chain up in them what was a long chain with a small black whistle hanging off the end of it.

   ‘This is that very whistle. I have carried it with me ever since. After all, a promise is a promise!’ he said smiling.

   ‘I never left it behind but I never was in need of using it either.’

   ‘You mean to tell us that you have never been in danger after that one incident?’ asked Sam.

   ‘No Sam, I have been in danger more occasions than can be said but I always felt that once I used the this whistle it would mean that I was afraid of facing things myself. As a result of that feeling even when I was in a very serious situation I broke the promise I had given to my grandmother and faced every situation by myself no matter how frightened I was.’ Gregor turned away and continued walking. ‘After that very first account in the woods with the ghouls and the hunter I had become quite fearless anyway. I realized in a short time that for some reason the ghouls wouldn’t harm me when we crossed paths.  They spoke to me. I was innocent.’

   ‘That is like what happened today with me!’ said Cassandra.

   ‘Are you saying that they are friendly?’ Rebecca asked.

   ‘On the contrary, you can never put your guard down with these creatures. They may be thirsty and take advantage of the situation or even worse, they may just rip their victim to shreds, that is their nature. There are some ghouls though that keep in hiding. Hidden from all human sight, they usually come out during night to feed on the blood of animals. For this reason we call them the shadow ghouls. These creatures never want to be seen and will drink from a human only if all other options are unavailable to them.

   Ghouls are nothing like werewolves. Ghouls are intelligent and what ever they do, they do it consciously.  As I grew older I would go into the forest after it was dark out searching for one of the shadow ghouls. I wanted to quench my thirst of curiosity as to what they were like. Finally, one night after many that I had brought myself in the deep woods, I saw a shadow come up out of the bushes into the moonlight. It took no notice of me what so ever, it only focused on a small animal which I could not see very well to distinguish the kind. It striked the animal quicker than lightening and with its claws ripped its upper torso and drank from it.  The creature then stood up and started back into the bushes when I caught its attention as my foot crunched over a maple leave on the ground. It stood there just watching me, as I, it. I slowly started to move in its direction, unafraid and wanting to see it from a closer distance but as I closed in a few more feet it vanished in an instant. It was gone.  

   Here we are. A few more meters and you will see the most beautiful of scenery in these parts.’

   They had now reached the top of the mountain trail. Sarah and Sam had been holding each other’s  hand the whole way but now they let go of each other taking out each of their camera’s and started to ask questions one after the other.

   ‘What is this point called?’ asked Sam.

   ‘Yes and what is the altitude up here?’ asked Sarah.

   ‘We are at a seven hundred and twenty meters altitude. The mountain itself is called Xirovouni which means the dry mountain but this very point is called Billy Goat Station because at one time many billy goats grazed here.’

   ‘There aren’t any now?’ asked Cassandra.

   ‘Unfortunately no, but we consider ourselves fortunate because of their nonexistence gives reason to ours. By this I mean that the shadow ghouls have fed on them instead of us. Take your shots and we will move on to the next point called catarachtes which means waterfalls’ Gregor explained.

   After a small shoot of multiple photo shots the group moved on swiftly finally reaching the end of the trail. What they saw before them was breathtaking. There in front of them was the waterfall surrounded by the greatness of the mountain rock and the greenness of the plentiful trees. They weren’t maples or elms but tall pines and evergreen trees at each side that stood between the rays of the sun and the ground.

   The cold waters fell into a circular crevice at that point of the mountain creating a spring. Then, in turn the suns hot rays that shot through the trees on the spring lifted a hazy like fog that appeared just over the surface of the glimmering waters. An eagle flew over their heads surprising them and circled around them many times as if to impress his rarely seen audience. Everything about this point was heavenly. Not many people knew about it and if they did it was difficult for them to reach the destination without a guide. Each of them was left in awe as they gazed at the wondrous topography.

   ‘We will carefully follow this path and continue under the falls into a cave where we can picnic; let me warn you all to be cautious because it is very slippery due to the mist of the waters on the rocks so, please watch your steps’ Gregor warned them.

   The friends agreed and started to follow their guide down a grassy path which was wet and slippery covered in a coat of moss and mud. Each of them took small steps being as cautious as possible as they learnt watching Gregor lead. They were so close to the falls now that they could not hear the birds chirping anymore for their voice had been smothered by the waters roar. They all stood still for a moment as they took the most magnificent pictures yet. Cassandra had forgotten everything that had happened earlier as she was ecstatic with the view that she was now taking in.

   ‘
If this doesn’t get me the scholarship then nothing will
!’ she thought to herself.

Chapter Four

   Gregor lead them under the falls through the wide opening into the cave. From inside the view was unexpected. None of them had ever seen through a waterfall before and it was a delight to see nature from that angle. As they continued doing so, Gregor set down his backpack, took out a table cloth and set it down right at the very edge of the cave so that they could slightly feel the waters mist as it came down abundantly. They all took out their lunches and canteens spreading a picnic feast.

   ‘I have been coming here since I was twelve. I had then stumbled upon it by accident. I explored every inch of the cave and many times I took a sleeping bag with me and stayed for hours at a time’ Gregor said.

   ‘It’s fascinating!’ said Rebecca. ‘But how could you possibly want to be here alone? Although, it is very beautiful and serene still, I would never want to be here alone.’

   ‘You are right to think that way because, as reality has it, most dangers could be found in a cave. Snakes, scorpions, wolves and even bears. Worst of all, Ghouls. Which might come here on a full moon’ came the reply.

   ‘How do you know that for sure?’ asked Sarah.

   ‘Like I said before, I came here often. I once saw that on a full mooned night, ghouls gathered here. I then stopped coming during the fullness of the lunar. I would return with the new moon as to be sure that I would be alone.’

   Sam grabbed a second sandwich and with a full mouth he spoke.

   ‘If we stay here after dark tonight we may be accompanied by ghouls?’

   ‘That is most likely.’

   Cassandra looked at the both of them.

   ‘It wasn’t that frightening to meet a ghoul now that it has passed me but I really wouldn’t want to live through it again so now that you informed us of that possibility, I say we eat and quickly get the bloody hell out of here!’

   ‘We sure will. We need enough time to reach our next point called pigadaki which means little well.’

   All of them agreed, continued eating and conversing for a while longer. Gregor was now quiet. He didn’t want to talk about ghouls anymore. He didn’t want to know what his sister would think of him once she knew the truth. He surely didn’t want Rebecca to be afraid of him. Not now that he had fallen for her. As the friends made small talk, Gregor was drowning in his thoughts.

   All of them at once turned their head toward the right side of the cave’s opening where they heard a conversation. The voices approached quickly. For a moment all of them were silent as dead. They watched as a couple walked through the passage under the water and into where they stood. The woman stood tall and confident. She spoke first looking very surprised.

   ‘Gregor! What a lovely surprise!’

   The woman, a beautiful slender woman with long curly brown hair and emerald green eyes smiled at him. 

   ‘Elizabeth, my dear Elizabeth. I haven’t seen you in ages, you look stunning as always’ Gregor said.

   ‘Thank you, I could always count on your lovely compliments unlike Giorgio here. You look pretty good yourself by the way.

   ‘Giorgio, you stand well too old friend. How is it that every time I see you, you look younger? You must tell me your secret’ said Gregor while shaking the mans hand.

   ‘Well I wouldn’t say I look all that young anymore but thanks for your kind words. Your kind words about others always came easy to you. It is good to see you Gregor. Eliza and I have been travelling a lot lately trying different cuisines all over Europe. Very potent indeed. You must join us sometime. Now, would you like to introduce your friends or have you been dumbstruck by our appearance?’

   Giorgio looked at the rest of them but his eyes were now fixed on Cassandra.

   ‘Yes, of course. How rude of me’ Gregor replied with a tone of agitation in his voice. These hypothetical friends were in reality ghouls who drank of humans and not of animals. In the past, Gregor and Giorgio had had a falling out on the matter. He knew that Giorgio was restless when it came to feeding and could find no logic in a moment of hunger. 

   ‘This is my cousin Sam and his fiancée Sarah. Her sister, Rebecca and my fiancé Cassandra’ Gregor said. They all greeted.

   ‘Good heavens Gregor, I never thought you were the marrying type!’ Giorgio said reaching out to lift Cassandra’s hand to his lips and kissed it.

   ‘It is my pleasure to meet you. I’m sure you will make a lovely wife. He always did have good taste.’

   Then he reached over to Sarah and Sam and at last he took hold of Rebecca’s hand, kissing it softly.

   ‘You, my dear, are a vision of beauty. I am fortunate to be making your acquaintance. Are you also attached to a fiancé somewhere?’ he asked. 

   Before Rebecca even thought of answering Gregor jumped to answer.

   ‘Of course she has her fiancé back in England and he will be coming this weekend. Now how, could you possibly think such a beautiful woman would remain unattached and free? That’s silly’ Gregor added.

   Gregor’s tenants had no idea why he kept going on and on lying, but they went along with whatever he said. 

   ‘Oh really, that’s too bad, I could have been a great companion for you, but perhaps in another life!’ he said staring into Sarah’s eyes like a mad man.

   ‘Aren’t you two together?’ Cassandra asked in a nervous voice while taking Gregor by his arm and holding his hand tightly as to prove that what he had said was indeed true.

   ‘Thankful I am that we are not!’ snapped Elizabeth. ‘Giorgio and I are cousins. We both lost our families at a young age and have been together ever since. Seems like forever actually.’