Zombie and the Beast

- 10 -

Minho cleared his throat and stared at her for a few seconds while walking. He almost tripped on a fallen branch and looked away, smoothing his shorts. "This is going to sound crazy, but I've also read a lot of fairy tales, you know, since they were in the castle's library. Usually in those stories a true loves kiss can solve everything and break any curse." He coughed awkwardly. "I'd like to try just in case there's some truth to it."

Lara wrinkled her nose. "We literally just met so there is no way my kiss will be filled with love," she said.

"I know, I thought it might still be worth a try," said Minho, looking dejected. "People in fairy tales sometimes don't even talk before kissing. What they have is future, fated true love."

Lara looked at his furry face. She could understand his hope. She'd try anything herself if it even only remotely looked like it could help her. Minho' facial features looked a bit like a dog's. A scary one with giant teeth, but still a dog. She'd kissed a dog before; a beast couldn't be that much worse. Sighing, she stole a glance at his lips, as black as the darkest night sky, just like the rest of him. If only they didn't cover those teeth. Deep down, she wondered if he didn't have it worse, since he'd be kissing a walking corpse.

Minho scratched the back of his ear, hiding his face from Lara in the process. She noticed he also slowed down his pace just enough for her to be walking at the front. She bit her lip and twisted her fingers together. She seriously doubted that a kiss would work. If it were that easy, people would be lining up to get cursed just so they could find their fated true love. Then again, she had also never seen a curse like this one. None of the rumours and stories about Shinseg had prepared her for this. She had expected the curse to be magical flesh-eating plants or a giant energy-sucking pit rather than a cursed prince who'd been alive for centuries. So everything was possible.

"You're right," she said. "We should try everything we can, no matter how unlikely. I promised I would help, so let's do this."

They stopped walking and faced each other. Lara took a deep breath, bracing herself.

"Wait," said Minho. "Do you think a true love kiss could also bring you back to life?"

She considered it for a second. "I doubt it. Mine's not a curse."

Minho nodded. "No, you're right. I'll still try to put as much love as I can into the kiss, just in case."

Lara smiled, her heart warming up at his eagerness to help her. While she got on tiptoes, Minho leaned forward slowly. Lara closed her eyes, trying not to think of his teeth and claws. Their lips met. His were warm and hairy, which felt even weirder than expected. She fought the reflex to push him away and put her hands on his shoulders. He embraced her waist, interlocking his fingers so she wouldn't feel his claws. Lara started counting in her head. Would five seconds be enough? Then, she chided herself. She had to take this seriously, like him, and put her heart to it. Thinking a simple kiss might not be enough, she got closer to him and hugged him. He smelled like the forest. She moved her lips slightly. His hands went up her back, bringing her even closer.

Suddenly, a squirrel squeaked over their heads, making them jump apart. They stared at each other expectantly, waiting for something, anything to happen. A few heartbeats later, seeing that nothing had changed, they resumed walking.

Minho grunted. "Thank you for trying," he said with a sad smile.

Lara shrugged, unsure what to say.

Soon, the road stopped climbing and even started to go down a little. Lara wondered if that was the reason why Shinseg wasn't visible from Degawey or any of the other towns she'd been to. The giant trees forming that part of the forest could also be the cause. Whatever it was, it had contributed largely to the air of mystery that shrouded the lost kingdom.

They reached a large white boulder. The Kingdom's crest had been carved onto it, a badge shield surrounded by Dragons. 'Welcome to Shinseg' stood over it in capital letters. Below it, the slogan of the Kingdom was forever immortalized ornate writing. Lara stopped to read it.

"'The Kingdom of Equality. Treat everyone with respect for each of us is someone's precious child, family, friend, lover, neighbour, or co-worker'... That's a nice slogan. A bit long compared to most others," she said with a smile, making Minho chuckle.

A fortress wall made of large yellow bricks on top of gray stones came into view as they followed the next curve in the road. The immediate change in atmosphere was nothing compared to the sight awaiting Lara. Dark green ivy climbed on the wall in multiple places in the distance, but nowhere close to the gate, where even the wall had a gray tinge. Everything around the gate was long dead and gone, leaving nothing but a large stretch of infertile soil, just as gray as it had been around Lara's grave. Even the birds seemed to avoid this part of the forest. Lara froze in place and stared at the tall wrought iron gate that blocked the road. Each door was adorned with an exquisitely detailed representation of a translucent Crystal Dragon.

"Is this real crystal?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," said Minho. "It was imported from Heimdrach by the first King of Shinseg. I read somewhere it was an inauguration gift from the Dragons themselves."

"It's beautiful," she said. She'd never seen such large pieces of white crystal before.

Minho pulled a key out of his shorts' pocket. "My mother was really proud of them. They always remind me of her."

"You must miss her," said Lara quietly, thinking of her own mother who would also have loved them.

"You have no idea," he said.

"And this is where Cinderella cursed you?" asked Lara.

"Exactly."

Lara looked at the desolation surrounding them while Minho opened the gate. The crystals seemed to have strengthened Cinderella's powers to the point that she could cast a curse that had not only survived her, but also the passing of time.

"Then it's no wonder her curse was so strong. She really used all the energy she could find," said Lara.

They both looked around in silence for a while.

"She really drained everything," said Minho after a while. "Nothing has been able to grow here ever since. I didn't even know something like this was possible. Sometimes I think I'm lucky she didn't just kill me by taking away all my energy too. Other times, I wish she had done just that and left everyone else in peace..."

Lara touched his arm, hoping to comfort him a little. "I'm sorry you had to go through this. At least petrification isn't irrevocable. There could have been worse ways to make sure you were lonely."

"Thanks. You're right."

She cleared her throat and pushed her hair back. "May I touch the gates?"

"Sure. I don't see why not," said Minho, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Lara put her hands on one of the crystals. Even though she was standing in the middle of a complete energy void, she could still feel the trees and plants beyond it faintly thanks to it. She wished the gate was somewhere else, where she could use it to self-heal and gather enough energy to break Minho's curse. Unfortunately, it didn't look like the crystal could easily be removed, nor the gate taken apart. She sighed.

"Are you alright?" asked Minho.

"Yes," said Lara, taking her hand away from the crystal. "I'm ready to go."