ZETAS

   Having never heard anyone so openly speak of such things, my youngest grandson inquired, “Grandfather, what are Eldrens, Yantuks and... Zetas?” His mother’s face turned cold as I instructed the boy in the lore that had orally come down to me; she left the room.

    The most devious of creatures were the Eldren. They are shape-shifters who pride themselves in being half deer and half elf. They lay in waiting for unwary travelers with their spell enchantments of deceit and forgetfulness for those who stumble upon their woods. The Yantuks are half men, half birdlike creatures that feast upon the flesh of disobedient children who come up missing in the night answering the exhausted prayers of frustrated crying parents who have lost their patience!
But the Zetas, they are the most hideous beast among the animal kingdom.
    After a longer pause my grandson dared to asked, “Grandfather… What did the Zetas look like?”
My own eyes widened at the request as fear overcame my own heart in trying to answer my grandson.
    Few have survived an encounter with them, and fewer still have been left unshaken enough to give a full account of their violent ordeal. A strange description is best given from all the stories at once! They were monstrous beast, cobbled together by the most ancient of gods; out of anger that they were no longer of use to men. Creatures made from the parts of other animals; themselves bitterly angry for having so been created for the sole purpose of pure hate. Vicious in their temper, surprisingly cunning in their speed considering their huge bulk; yet unlike animals they wear armor and brandish weapons like men. The curved sword is a Zetas’ favorite friend and elves their worst enemy.
   They have the bulk of the Rhino's hind legs, the hump of a camel, the body and neck of a horse, two strong arms of the great ape and the head -. Their head is like the outstretched hammered shark with cat eyes at both ends; oversized and taking everything into their view! Their mouths resemble a turtle shell or that of the Acadia locus! Their speech is unintelligible with blurring noises that fill the night with razor roars. Balancing them all is an alligator’s tail which is whipped about in their defense.

  One day, long ago time ago, a party of nomadic hunters quietly stumbled upon two creatures in a heated battle.  Bound up in their struggle the party of men could only watch in horrific awe as the fierce creatures sought the life of the other.  A brutish sword welding Zeta and a sharp taloned Yantuk fought like great enemies.
  The leader of the party one named, Minlo Shadol said to the other, "Behold! Demons of the night have come out to fight among themselves in the light of day."
   At sound of his breath, the monsters immediately ceased their dispute. Breathing heavily the badly wounded Zeta bellowed out, in his unknown speech, "Ce`zar za`resh zes`rah raz`sakh Naz`ghKh zar`cashesh!!!!"
   In answer the birdlike Yantuk rebutted with, "Never have we come to fall upon you as prey, but to desolate the kindred of men instead, and to forbid them from which entering these yellow woods. Upon the dwarf kind as well, let them be slain asunder!" Such was their screeching speech.
  There was only one, out of that party of seven crouching men that even escaped alive, a Nayalthan Shadol by name.  He was the second born son of that leader who died first; beheaded in front of his sons and the first to be flayed alive before the hiding Nayalthan.

   The next day, after the boy had wandered aimlessly in shock back to the mountainous caves of his kinsman could he not stop rambling his tale amid screams and weeping.  Because the boy was alone and his tale so filled with terror, an even larger party was formed to demand answers and seek revenge. They returned to the very place where the slaughter occurred; armed for conflict but found only the remains of shredded body parts. High in the branches of the trees about them was the flayed skin of Minlo Shadol.  He, who had once been the Judge of all the people, was now remembered as a great fallen warrior.  There were no survivors, and their torn remains were not enough to fill a carry-bag.

   From that day on Nayalthan and his sons were made the Judges of the Minloian Household.  In a pouched-bag he did always carry the back-skin of his father as a memorial in a pouch, so as to never forget that day; and as a sign that for all time his lineage alone should likewise be tattooed as his father was.  So is told the tale of The Judge’s Mark and when it came, along with the horrific lore of the Yantuk and Zetas; nightmarish shadows seen only in the dreams of children and those afraid of the dark.