My Sudden Monster Convergence

I couldn’t help but stare. The thing was just so weird and familiar….it had an arm or maybe a wing? A mouth that opened up where a stomach or groin might be, filled with dozens of long needle like teeth, shark teeth, saber teeth and even a few that looked like swords. It had one human like arm that was stretched  into a winding cave with long fingers clutching a glowing gem. It had red glowing eyes on stalks coming only from the left side of its oddly beaver shaped head. And down its belly were rows of cockroach legs? Maybe grasshopper legs? 

I really wasn’t sure what the thing was but this diorama was labeled, ‘The Beast of Froth and Chill’, written on a gold plaque.  This one guy was selling it for five hundred but was also offering it as a grind prize to taming the wild Ox horse. The animal in question had a picture of something horse shaped if it was mixed with a bull's muscled shoulders and the head had two horns that crossed over and twisted into a single horn.

Walking past this stall was another one where my mother was at. She was holding a marble between her pointer and thumb while aiming at small figures on the board. The board had a forest starting from hills down into a wide green plains with several rocks and boulders where several small figures grouped around. They were mostly of large squirrels, mosquitoes and beavers….. I looked back at the Froth beast and then at the chubby beaver figure on the board.

It was then that Mom shot her marble at the beaver near the back by the forest. The marble shot like bullet but the beaver figure on the other hand grew long arms and its claws turned into spider like legs. The figure reached out with clawed hands to stop the marble as it rocketed into it and pushing the beaver monster back, its claws grinding against the spinning marble and actually creating sparks. But its struggle against the marble wouldn’t last as its arms crumbled, its chest and head were caved in like a deflated plastic toy. The figure crumbled into little pieces like brittle clay while Mom’s marble flew right into the rock behind the figure’s remains and punched through that too.

God! Was that at her best? Or was that just her holding back?! I stared at my mother like she was some bionic super soldier from eighties action films. I couldn’t help but gulp. Okay! Just an ordinary day at the town with my incredible mother just gotta play this cool.

“Here ya are young Miss! The grand prize for sticking down the terrible, Terrific Duke Vermaination! OoOoOoOoOoOoOHhHh!” The stall tender said as he handed a medallion ridged in metal and with honey colored sun and the silhouette of a girl with a staff floating in the middle.

“Thank you Sir. I was missing this one from my collection!” Mom smiled warmly. “You just completed my set!” She happily said as she posed like some proud detective holding their chin in thought.

I watched as my mother quickly waved goodbye and rushed off to another stall. This one with rows and columns of balloons painted with squirrels and wolves, all of which had gaping maws and limbs with different proportions. This stall was giving out a trio of fairy girl keychain made from  what looked like a polished golden yellow geode. I would’ve argued the point of the thing being such a small grand prize. My Mom deserved something that was three-five- no, at least seventy times more expensive or grandiose! 

“Welcome Miss! This is my grand sword the sun hero used to destroy the heart of evil and freed the world of distator!” Called a little pudgy Brown Mole who had on a bowtie with green dinosaurs on it. Or chibi lizardmen? The Mole held up what looked like a dart sized dagger or sword then he motioned to the keychain. “The grand prize if you can claim it, is the enchanted keychain of three Sun Maidens as interpreted by the anime ‘Doki Pure Flame.’ And yes it is enchanted to boost your physical endurance! It also works as a flashlight.” He eagerly explained.

Mom smiled. “My, an enchanted item from a sprite?” The mole nodded. Mom’s smile grew until I saw her canines. “I’ll have to play~.”

“Thanks Ally! Take care!” Waved the friendly stall keeper.

“It was a fun challenge, Randal! Say hi to Soapia for me!” Mom waved back as she pocketed another grand prize into her purse. 

Like that, Mom won twelve more different grand prizes at all the game stalls she went to. Each one was based or themed on magical girls, fairies/pixies and magical enchantments. I didn’t know what to say about this, if she saw anymore stalls she might just rake in all the prizes if they were all magical, fairy girl related. And from the looks of several groups, I’d say they thought the same. Some gave worried faces, some whispered and one group just sorta starred? But instead of searching for more she began making her way to the edge of the event grounds and back towards the town.

“Oly?” She called and I tapped her shoulder twice. “I was thinking of getting tacos and I know just the best little shop!” She loudly announced before making her way down a smaller street. But that group that starred seemed to watch us go? Guess they aren’t so happy about Mom winning so many prizes. But they didn’t just watch her, they started walking in our general direction. I looked back at Mom but she wore a peaceful smile on her face as she went forward, she wasn’t even looking around.

“You know Oly. There’s a legend about the sun hero, who ever he or she was wasn’t fully known. Maybe the hero was two people or someone who converged. But what is known is they traveled with at least one goblin, nya-jin, a small Oni and several conventions of fairies.” She said with a calm voice but her smile seemed smaller now. I looked back and that group had shrunk to five but they were definitely following us. Maybe going the same way but their gazes were glued to my mother. And my scales felt like a colony of ants ran between them.

“So the legend goes that after saving the land from a legion of Mor. The hero chose one cherry betula tree and decorated it with small toys they brought with them in remembrance of their friends. The fairies overjoyed from the decorations all flew into the branches of the tree and each pair enchanted a single toy until the tree glowed like a mini star. They say that after that, the hero wa-”

The moment we reached the middle of the street, a group of four people at the end of the street walked out, blocking our way. The group behind us also blocked us in and there weren’t any side roads or alleys we could use to get away. Even though I was basically invisible to them, I stood at my full height and pulled open my wings as wide as the small street would allow. My mind was getting jumpy as I realized what would happen nex-

“Hey pretty Miss.” Started a bright green goblin in a puffy jacket and sunglasses. “We couldn’t help but notice the sudden drought in Love Favors.” Her shiny blue rimmed sunglass gleamed in the sun as she chuckled. “Well we just happened to notice how you have at least twelve. So we were hoping you’d be kind enough to share eleven of them with us so we could all have a little love come our way.” She explained with a big smile someone selling you a bad deal would give.

“How sad. But I thought you could win one regardless of your score at the game stalls?” Mom said with fake worry. “Or did the policy change the last time I saw them five minutes ago?” She tilted her head with an innocent look of worry.

The goblin adjusted their bangs, their smile slightly shrinking as they did so. “We just wanted things to be more far for all the folk. Perhaps we can come to some agreement? Before things get a little, uh messy.” She added while two people from in front and behind us took a few steps forward. Three of them were either tall or really muscular while the last one was shorter and slowly put their hand into their pocket and his mouth slowly moved.

“You know we locals don’t take kindly to visitors stealing. You can easily buy a charm if you need one.” Mom’s innocent face dropped, replaced with pointed eyes and a large frown. The air around her felt a little warmer? But I wasn’t too sure as I moved closer to the short guy.

The goblin backed up and even moved their arms in front of their body. 

“Ehm! Fuck being nice! I’m not going to waste the ten hour drive to get those romance toys!” Shouted a taller girl as she rushed forward from the group. One of the four moved forward with the girl, forming tight fists.

The girl charged my mother with a fist raised and my mother just let her get close! I was already next to the short guy and quickly spun on my feet to rush back but I was too slow. The girl had already threw a punch that flew right at Mom’s face. My wings stretched open and my legs tensed up but Mom’s hand grabbed the girl's wrist. 

Mom then turned her body, pulling the girl with her. Making the girl stumble forward, Mom followed it up by stretching her leg out, knocking her off her feet. Her body jerked as she flew to meet the ground below her ending with the girl faceplanting into the concrete. 

“Agh!” The girl clutched her face as she shouted.

The other guy threw his own fist in an uppercut but mom quickly stepped back. Just narrowly avoiding the fist by inches. But he didn’t stop as he quickly turned at the waist and shot a jab at her. Mom quickly turned to the side, grabbing his wrist and then pulled. The guy flew right into another guy, knocking him on his ass and sending both of them sliding down the street a little ways.

“Benny! RRRRrAGGHHH!” The short one I was next to whipped out a large flashing wand from his pocket and pointed it at my mother as he shouted.

Mom’s head shot back to the guy while my tail poked into his gut, blasting him into the group behind him and knocking them over like bowling pins.

“Oh GOD! How’d a human do that without a wand?!” Screamed the goblin as she fell on her ass. Everyone that saw it, either tried to get some distance or froze in place.

“Some sort of advanced slime?” “But I don’t feel any mana coming from her, can’t be that!” “I think shapeshifter!”

They all started arguing while mom looked at the group in front and did something because they all froze, maybe she smiled with her teeth again? But as I watched her play up my help, I noticed the girl on the floor was slowly moving and trying to pull herself up. Gritting her teeth and she quickly stood up, an angry glare shot out as she twisted her body and launched a kick.

But a hand shot out and easily snatched the girl’s ankle mid kick. Mom continued stepping forward as the girl was forced to hop behind her on her free leg. She walked all the way up to the goblin with the girl barely keeping up. She leaned forward, making the hoping girl moan and groan as she started to fall over. It looked like she was saying something to the goblin before she let the girl fall to the floor.

With that, Mom passed the group which gave her a wide berth as she glided down the street. Then my gut grumbled a reminder why we were going down this way. I quickly followed after her but as I passed the frozen group, I looked at the goblin. Her face, it looked like she withered from dehydration and her eyes were almost pin holes. Guess you learned your lesson. I smiled as I happily mouthed the words. ‘Don’t fuck with me.’ I slammed my tail on the ground a foot away from the goblin, easily denting the street.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The goblin jumped to her feet and dashed down the street in the opposite direction of my mother. The rest of her group slowly backed away before running away too.

Bye-bye!

Rushing after mom, I found her casually walking up a few stairs a few meters from the street. Catching up to her, I tapped her shoulder twice which brought her to a stop. She looked up at the sky or on of the buildings and sighed.

“Oliver? Please don’t solve every problem with violence……” Her eyes followed a few birds with curled headfeathers slowly flying by. “But, be ready in case you have to.” She said with a soft, almost regretful voice.

Heh…… if only I never had to………