Growing up, I’ve been told stories of a small, but dangerous creature deep in the woods. At first, it’s appearance is quite silly and that is why the most gullible have fallen victim. Even more so misleading about this creature is it’s little to no agility and slow stride. Due to a seemingly harmless appearance and passive motions most don’t realize the imminent danger.

The habitat is unpredictable resulting in little studies and an incomplete understanding of this creature. It has never been sighted beyond the forest, until one stowed away within the equipment of an airship crash survivor who managed to navigate back to our city.

Upon their return, the survivor was a mangled mess, no doubt due to the impact from the crash, but there was something off. At first, doctors suspected amnesia, but the details were adding up to be something much worse. The survivor was running in constant fear, harming themselves, and oblivious to their surroundings. It was only by the guidance of the guardians that this individual made it back alive.

After days in the infirmary, the survivor snapped out of their trance-like state without any recollection of their arrival or airship travels. Weeks passed and the incident was forgotten, then the unexpected happened.

Throwing a neighborhood into confusion and despair. Why was their community park concealed in a ghostly fog? No matter what time of day or night, the fog persisted. Families and children were told to avoid the area until further notice. Things only got worse when the furry inhabitants of the park’s woods would flood the neighborhood streets in a frenzy.

Once the frenzied animals were humanely detained, they too regained their former state of mind. A new piece of evidence was discovered on each furry victim, a thick, pink goo. Some had more than others, the unlucky few that appeared bathed in the goo had the longest, more gruesome side-effects. The local health officials inferred that the combination of the fog and goo caused psychoactive effects which inflicted trauma though hallucinations.

The park became ground zero, barred from any visitors, and guards were posted 24/7. Winter came and all signs of the fog, goo, and consequences were alleviated from the community. The following spring, the park would be reopened. The children would find the most beautiful shells and make “BFF” necklaces and bracelets. It is said that these shells were the remnants of the invasive species that wreaked havoc that one summer.

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It was a cold, rainy day. A child sat beside the street cradling a small furry body. “Wake up, Midnight.” The child sniffled.
A woman runs out of the house towards the child, holding her jacket over her head.
“Honey, I’m so sorry. Why don’t you two come inside the house.”
Sitting in front of a warm fire, the mother snuggled the child as they held onto their fur baby so tightly. The mom did her best to soothe the child’s broken heart.
Curiosity had gotten the best of Midnight. One small window of opportunity and Midnight dashed outside to explore the world with an abrupt end. Midnight was struck by lightning. Their fur frayed to the tips.
It was getting late. The mother tried her best to explain to her young child why Midnight wasn’t waking up and why they had to say goodbye.
“Goodbye?” the child questioned. “But where is Midnight going?”
When the child dozed off, the mother took the opportunity to prepare Midnight for their final resting place.
The next day, the family drove to the grandparents’ farm. This was where Midnight would be placed for their eternal slumber. After the family had settled in, everyone gathered behind the barn where other furry family members had their beds made. At least Midnight wouldn’t be alone. A wooden box containing Midnight was lowered into the ground, the child managed a few final words, then sprinkled some of Midnight’s favorite treats and dirt atop of it.
At supper, the child was clearly still in distress after their final goodbye to their furry companion. The family tried their best to console the child, but the child’s emotions got the best of them. Wanting to be alone the child ran to the large, somewhat dilapidated barn.
Hiding so no one could find them, the child tucked away high up on a landing behind some dusty, old storage boxes. The family was aware the child ran off into the barn and knew they were in no danger. Time had passed and out of pure boredom the child decided to search through these old belongings. Then a bright light flashed, followed by a loud BANG!
It startled the child causing them to knock over a tall stack of books they sorted. One book opened and appeared to be flipping through pages on its own. The child just stared, blinked a few times, and rubbed their eyes. Am I seeing, what I’m seeing? The child thought. No, it’s just the wind.
After the book settled down and sat open on a page, the child crawled over. The child was shocked with what they saw. Was this a way to wake Midnight?
A weird coincidence, but the specifications were depicted as follows:
Laying in a wooden box within the earth. On a rainy night, when lightning strikes. With a sprinkle of their favorite treat, soon to return from their sleepy retreat.
Another flash and a BANG! Glass shattered from the window at the back of the barn. The child screamed out in a fright. Silence.
A low, vibrating grumble was coming for a creature slowly approaching. “Midnight?”
As the creature stepped into the moonlight, the child became frightened.
They dashed back to their grandparents’ home, straight to their bed, and covered their head. Morning came and the smell of pancakes filled the house. Maybe it was just a dream.
As the family van left the farm, Midnight wondered why they were left behind. It is said that Midnight wanders in search of their owner, but due to their appearance, no one has ever shown Midnight any compassion. Upon the sight of Midnight, it is believed bad luck will strike again.

---

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"Maybe this isn't the best idea," I began. "Remember that this beast is considered almost a Guardian to some...it doesn't seem wise to toy with." My brother, a braggart, let out a laugh.

"Just as I would suspect from someone as cowardly as you. Remember, I know more than anyone! The Khiebus creature is no match for me!" I worried for my brother's safety. Yet, I knew reasoning with him would be near impossible. The sky shifted colors as the summoning began.

"Ahh...here once more. Again, I return." The Khiebus appeared before us. It looked over my brother - his arrogance plastered over his face. "Hmm, you are quite confident in your ability to defeat me, I sense. I do, I do. But what makes you so certain you can win my trial?" My brother scoffed, placing his hand proudly over his chest.

"I know all there is to know!" The Khiebus laughed - a haunting laugh that is burned into my memory.

"We shall put that to the challenge. A wager, however! I will take something from you...should you lose. I will decide, I shall, what that is. Yes!" My brother nodded in agreement.

The trial began, and my brother effortlessly answered each question. The Khiebus seemed impressed. The two heads curled their mouths into eerie smiles.

"I have but one question left for you. Indeed, I do." It traces a large claw across his chest. "Tell me...what was my wager? Hmm? What do I win, when you lose?"

For once, my brother actually looked nervous. He hesitated for a moment, thinking. Once more, ego washed over his face, as he stuck out his chest confidently.

"My life, of course! It is the most valuable thing to me!" The Khiebus chuckled - a low, growl like chuckle.

"That is wrong," it began. It circled my brother. "So arrogant, even when it comes to this. You are! Taking your life would be a mercy by compare. So unsatisfying! Instead, my wager was the very thing that makes you...you." My brother paused, giving the beast a confused look. The Khiebus raked a claw along his head. My brothers eyes shut for a moment, then opened once more. "I will give you a gift, however," it began. "I will leave you with one thing for you to ponder. I do hope you enjoy it." The Khiebus laughed, vanishing into the night.

I rushed to my brother's side, checking him for injury. He turned to me, no longer the confident and egotistical man I knew. He seemed a shell of his former self. I laughed slightly, anxious...sad. Surely the Khiebus was lying. He did answer all its questions, after all - it was just a bluff.

"Hey...how about making me look the fool I am? That always cheers you up."

Silence.

My brother's face twisted in confusion. He simply looked at his hands. He frowned.

The horror dawned on me. It was true. The Khiebus really did take the very thing that made him..him. I feared he did not even truly know who I was - who he was. He opened his mouth to say something. I waited with bated breath. He glanced at me, with furrowed brows. The only words to ever leave his mouth again:

"Why?"

As I roamed across the Realms of Voltra, I studied many fauna that inhabit the lands. I made it my life goal to study all of them.

I had been studying some of the local wildlife near a small farm in the Sound Realm. A local farmer was kind enough to allow me to reside with her as I researched. I had noticed some of her crops were missing, and decided to see if I could figure out the cause - a way to offer my thanks for her hospitality.

I spent much time examining the fields, not finding much out of the ordinary. Likely just overgrazing of some of the local fauna, I had suspected. I thought nothing of it at the time. I had begun to make my way back to tell the farmer, when I noticed something odd in the field. What appeared to be a small creature, tangled up in one of the crops. I approached the creature, thinking it was probably something akin to a rabbit judging by the size.

To my surprise, it wasn't a rabbit at all! I wasn't sure what it was. It had the appearance of a moth, but surely, no moth could be this large. The creature looked up at me, panicked, trying to escape more. I bent down, helping to release it from the tangles of the vegetation. It managed to wriggle free, limping away from me slightly.

The poor thing must have injured its foot when it got stuck. I cautiously approached it once more, reaching into my pocket and taking out a ribbon I had used to bind my notebooks. I carefully wrapped it around the creature's leg, hopeful that it would provide it with some relief. It glanced at me, then back to the ribbon, before flying off.

I was intrigued by what the creature could have been, and looked at every book pertaining to fauna in the area, but nothing matched the description. The farmer was preparing us a hearty meal and I had asked her if she had seen anything like that before. She was surprised by my description.

"That was a Wrori." A Wrori? Those are just creatures from stories. It must have been something else. Surely, she was mistaken. However, she was insistent. The Wrori had in fact, been the cause for many famines in the land for years, but also, good fortune for the farmers. She said I was very lucky to have a personal encounter with them and should expect a gift soon for the kindness I showed.

When I slept that night, I heard something at the window. I opened it, glancing out into the dark. I saw only a figure buzzing away from the window. My hand brushed against an object left on the windowsill - it was a notebook, similar to the one I had used to record my research. I had been in need of a new one. I smiled to myself. Folklore has to come from something, doesn't it? I decided that night to study what I could of the Wrori, in hopes of learning more about them.

Being from wandering stories, cautionary tales, or just simply a myth, the Nix has terrified kids since eons. Even adults have stayed clear of any lake or pond at dawn because of the stories that have been told.

The Nix is described as being a big, looming creature covered in flora found in the lakes it lurks in. Old roots, grass and rotting flowers cover its body, leaving only glowing, yellow, pupil less eyes.

Some say It plays enchanting music, like the similar Pan figure, luring women and children into lakes to drown them. Others say it can shapeshift and take the shape of a horse or a beautiful woman to kidnap and lure people into the lakes. Some even compare it to the devil, to lure and punish sinners and unruly kids.

While there's a few different stories depending where you live, historians speculate the legend originated from small villages to make sure their children stay away from treacherous bogs around lakes. Patches of water covered by moss that seem solid enough to carry a person could easily be a deep, muddy pond that would only drag you further down as you struggle to get out.

Some say it's a creation of the Nix, to trap innocent explorers and visitors, making them easy to prey on.

It didn't help when people found well preserved human child mummification in shallow bogs. The more superstitious people were sure it was the action of Nix and only strengthened their belief, while historians and scientists concluded it was the way they buried people that died from disease, or simply people succumbing to the deceiving floating maps. Although they are unsure about the reason, some of the bodies were tied and surrounded by sticks, making small underwater prisons.

It is said if you see ripples in the lake, a Nix already has its eyes set on you.

There’s a legend, in the backwaters of Voltra, that says a creature lurks in the waterways that loop around the city, a grotesque little thing, a monster. There are few reports, but the legend says that most who encounter it do not return. They say it has sharp claws, grabbing hands, a stench of stagnant water surrounding it. They say it takes you underwater to it’s algae-infested lair, and waits until you drown.

They’re wrong… aren’t they?

I’m not so sure. I came in search of this creature, against my better judgment perhaps. I’m thinking my next novel will be horror, and these creatures that are popping up around Voltra are the perfect inspiration. They’re only stories, after all.

They call it the Grindylok, from the ancient word for water. They tell children about him, when they’re naughty. Be good, else the Lok will drag you kicking and screaming under the water.
I approach the deserted river. No one comes down here, where the creature is said to live, just in case. It’s dark, getting late, and perhaps I should not be out so far into the evening. The river is wide here, and thick with moss and reeds, a kind of green coating on the water surface. It stinks of stagnant water and rotting plant matter, but I pinch my nose and move on. The grass surrounding it is wet against my feet.

Odd. There are no animals. Closer to the city, there are waterfowl and little insects, but out here it is eerily still and silent.

“Hello?” I call. Even monsters appreciate politeness, I’m sure, but there is no answer. “I’m from the city. I’m here to—“

A gurgle, like bubbles being released. I flinch, but catch myself. It’s just bubbles. Gas beneath the water, probably.

“If you’re there, I mean you no harm—“

Immediately, there’s a disturbance in the water, like something swimming under there. There’s a bulge in the water, where the bubbles came from, right at the widest part of the river. The water is green here, green and murky, and I cannot see what it is.

A head emerges from the reeds, small and skeletal, bony and greenish, like moss, like the river itself. It has stringy black hair, thin and worm-ish. It breathes out bubbles beneath the water, and then its eyes appear, large and yellow, like a belching frog’s, reptilian and clouded with a stark red center.

Its teeth, which emerge above the surface as it takes a gurgling breath, are as yellow as the eyes, old and decaying and deadly sharp.

“Hello,” I say again, hoping good manners will save me. I’m not in the water, yet; it can’t grab me.

It beckons with a thin hand, those fabled claws jutting out of the nail bed. Come closer.

“I’m only here to… I mean, I just came to—“ But why did I come? To see it? I can’t remember.
It continues to crawl out the water, heading for me, its long green limbs unfurling as it moves. It is so bony, how long has it been down there?

I back away, but I cannot tear my eyes from it. It wants me to climb into the water, to drown beneath the reeds. Algae drips from its body as it creeps closer, landing in the river and sending little green clouds of murk as it sinks. It smells ancient.

“I should go, I’m sorry for disturbing you, I mean—“

Why can’t I look away? Its yellow lizard-like eyes are suckering me in. I cannot so much as blink. I take a step closer, and another. My feet are almost at the bank.

Brrrring-brrrrring!

My phone!

The spell is broken and I flinch away. A name pops up on the screen, no doubt wondering where I’ve been. I look away from the cell and back to the river, but it is deserted. Not even so much as a bubble on the water’s surface. Had it ever been there at all? I back further away. My feet are soaked with river water. A close call, no doubt. I run, back to the city, with those yellow eyes forever burned into my vision.