Another work day spent dreaming of things and places elsewhere had come to an end for Tuvas as the fat orange sun made its routine descent behind the serrated black silhouette of the Gallows Mountains. He sat up from his uncomfortable chair in the elevated lookout perch atop Fellgard’s front wall, stretched and yawned. With daylight fading fast, one final scan around the gate area below found no one in sight. Tuvas stepped over the murder hole in the floor of the perch, and slid down the pole to touch ground – easily his favorite part of every work day. With the sun now asleep for the evening, the gatekeeper grabbed hold of the massive crank and began to lower Fellgard’s front portcullis.

“Excuse me,” a tiny voice said, jumpstarting Tuvas’ heart.

“What? Who is it?” he asked, looking around frantically. It must have been coming from the other side of the gate.

“I seek shelter,” the voice said. Tuvas could now be sure it was female and that it belonged to someone young.

Her face appeared suddenly, peeking through one of the square sections in the gate. Tuvas was startled again, but was just as suddenly soothed by her angelic beauty.

“Where’d you come from? Looked all over and didn’t see you,” he said.

The young girl’s tone changed. It now exerted an aggressive urgency. “Never mind talking. Please let me in. I’m hurting!”

What would Grampy do here? Tuvas thought. The answer came to him in his Grampy’s voice. I’d let the girl in, you dolt!

“Of course you’re welcome in Fellgard,” Tuvas said. “In these bad lands, we turn away no one.”

Tuvas cranked the opposite way, lifting the portcullis back up again.

Although a grin spread slowly across the girl’s sweet face as the gate was lifted, there was still an aching in her voice when she spoke. “And what about my family? There are two others with me now. Are they welcome as well?”

Tuvas hesitated, but only for a moment.

“But of course, my dear girl. Like I said, anyone is welco-”

A massive arm shot in from around the corner of the wall and seized Tuvas with unbelievable force. The keeper was yanked outside his own gate.

Before Tuvas could make a sound, the large arm strapped across his chest while a giant hand clamped over his mouth. These arms belong to a man of enormous size, apparently one of the little girl’s family members. Through wide, frightened eyes, Tuvas saw that next to the little girl stood another, older looking man. Her grandfather, perhaps?

“Well, what should I do with him?” bellowed the big man who held Tuvas.

“Prepare him to be drank,” said the older looking man.

The big man pulled Tuvas’ head back and wrenched it to the side. Tuvas screamed out behind the massive hand that covered his mouth as pain exploded through his head, then shot down his spine and out through every limb. The big man was bending Tuvas’ head so far back and to the side, that his neck sprained and the skin on his throat began to split open.

At the site of the gatekeeper’s exposed and bloody neck, three sets of fangs flashed.

Paralyzed by fear and a damaged spinal cord, Tuvas had become nothing more than wounded prey waiting to be devoured. His heart thumped in his chest, pumping more blood to the vulnerable artery in his neck.

“He’s mine, Matrik!” the little girl claimed.

“Yes, yes, he’s yours, Kitten,” said the old looking one. “And I must say, well done! Convincing him to invite us in without even using your power of charm.”

“Oh, spare me! Who would turn away a little girl this deep in the Barrens?” asked the big man. “And how dare you make me hold him here while she eats!”

Tuvas tried to cry out, but behind the big man’s hand it was but a pitiful groan.

“Patience, Brodi, your turn to drink is coming very soon,” said Matrik. “Now feast, my dear.”

Then little Kitten did just that, and did so quite viciously.

Intrigued? Of course you are!