dingtheirwindows．

    "DeanobeafraidofMedusa．Why?pened?"

    "Doyoureallywanttoknow?It’salongstorybutifyouhavetimeI’mwillingtotellyoufromthebeginning.”Shestoppedhimbyputtingherfioherlipsandwhisperingspiratorially，

    "Sh...Whydon’tyouletmegothereandseeformyself?"Theyatehastilyandfiheirwine．Pushingbacktheirchairs,theywenttothebedroom．

    WhiteFairy:

    TherainpoureddownamidfshesoflightningandpealsofthuwasasifGodwasoncemryatthesinsofmanandwassendingdowntorrentsofraintowipeoutalltraanevil．ButDimitriandRomilockedinatightembracewereobliviousoftheirsurroundings．TheirbedwaslikeNoah’sArcfloatingonaturbulentsea．Romiofferedherpetal-likelipstoDimitriaheirfourlipswerepressedtogether，thethuedonunheeded．AllmundanesorrowsfotteeredtheKingdomofDreams．

    7

    Itwasadarkwindynightandaprocessionofglitteringlightscouldbeseenmakingtheirwaytowardsthewideexpanseofwater．ThiswasDimitri’sfirstvisittotheunnamedwildernessandhewascurioustoknoasgoingon．Walkingtowardsthelights，hefoundtohissurprisethatagroupofnativeswerecarryingaoetowardstheke．Theoewasoredonbothsidesbylightedtorcheswhichillumissoleoct，anashenfaakedvirgin,staringhopelesslyaheadwithwildfrightenedeyes.Sheytherei，likeanunscaledfish，hypnotizedbyfear．Dimitriwalkeduptoanoldmanwholookedlikethechieftainoranelderandasked，

    "Whatareyoudoing?Isthissomekindofritualorceremony?"

    "Youmustbefromafaracesir,ifyoudon’tknowwhatisgoingon．Foryourownsake，Iwouldadviseyoutogoonyourway,asitwouldbebetterifyoukhing．"

    "Iamjustapasserbyandwillsoonbeonmyway,butIamcurioustoknowwhatisgoingon．Ihopeitisnothumansacrificeyouare.”Theoldmansighedandnoddedsorrowfullyinacquiesce．

    "Assir,thereisahugemohetopofGiantHill．Ifwedidnourmostbeautifulvirgineveryyearandofferherupashumansacrifice，itwillcauseterribledisastersandmanymoreliveswouldbelost.”

    "Really?Whatkindofmonsterisit?"

    "Itisahugebirdwithhumanheadandsnakesforhair．Go，beforeitesdownforitsyearlysacrifice．Wewillbeleavingsoontoo.”Turningtothegirlhesaid，

    "Good-byeDeanna,mysweetgirl．It’sapityyouaresobeautiful.”Dimitrilookedatthebeautifulgirlwhowastearlessnow,andtoopetrifiedtomove.Hefeltapangofpityforitwasinhumantoleavesuchabeautifulhelplessyounglifetothemercyofthemonster．

    "Beautyisnotasinandshouldnotbepunishedandsacrificedtoanevilmonster.”

    "Butbeautyisherundoing,asthemonsterwilltakeonlythemostbeautilulvirginas.”

    7

    "No"saidDimitri"Iwillnotallowthistohappen.”

    "Buthowareyoutosaveher,sir?"TakinghisbowandarrowfromhisbadhisswordfromhissideDimitrisaid,"Bythese.”

    "Ahsir，youareindeedkiedandbrave．Butforalmostaturymany,manyyoungmenhadtriedtodojustthattosavetheirlovedoheyonlydiedinvain.Themournspeopleintostobylookingatthemwithitsevileyes.”

    "Mymindismadeup．Youotdissuademe．Iotstandbyaheweakandthehelplesssacrificed.”

    "Youareastubbornman.”saidtheoldman,withrespedadmirationglimmeringinhiseyes．"Asyouwillthesir．Iwishyouthebestofluck．Ifbyamiracleyousucceedinriddingusofthismonster,youwouldhavesavedthepeopleofourentireareaandwewillmakeyou

dingtheirwindows．

    "DeanobeafraidofMedusa．Why?pened?"

    "Doyoureallywanttoknow?It’salongstorybutifyouhavetimeI’mwillingtotellyoufromthebeginning.”Shestoppedhimbyputtingherfioherlipsandwhisperingspiratorially，

    "Sh...Whydon’tyouletmegothereandseeformyself?"Theyatehastilyandfiheirwine．Pushingbacktheirchairs,theywenttothebedroom．

    WhiteFairy:

    TherainpoureddownamidfshesoflightningandpealsofthuwasasifGodwasoncemryatthesinsofmanandwassendingdowntorrentsofraintowipeoutalltraanevil．ButDimitriandRomilockedinatightembracewereobliviousoftheirsurroundings．TheirbedwaslikeNoah’sArcfloatingonaturbulentsea．Romiofferedherpetal-likelipstoDimitriaheirfourlipswerepressedtogether，thethuedonunheeded．AllmundanesorrowsfotteeredtheKingdomofDreams．

    7

    Itwasadarkwindynightandaprocessionofglitteringlightscouldbeseenmakingtheirwaytowardsthewideexpanseofwater．ThiswasDimitri’sfirstvisittotheunnamedwildernessandhewascurioustoknoasgoingon．Walkingtowardsthelights，hefoundtohissurprisethatagroupofnativeswerecarryingaoetowardstheke．Theoewasoredonbothsidesbylightedtorcheswhichillumissoleoct，anashenfaakedvirgin,staringhopelesslyaheadwithwildfrightenedeyes.Sheytherei，likeanunscaledfish，hypnotizedbyfear．Dimitriwalkeduptoanoldmanwholookedlikethechieftainoranelderandasked，

    "Whatareyoudoing?Isthissomekindofritualorceremony?"

    "Youmustbefromafaracesir,ifyoudon’tknowwhatisgoingon．Foryourownsake，Iwouldadviseyoutogoonyourway,asitwouldbebetterifyoukhing．"

    "Iamjustapasserbyandwillsoonbeonmyway,butIamcurioustoknowwhatisgoingon．Ihopeitisnothumansacrificeyouare.”Theoldmansighedandnoddedsorrowfullyinacquiesce．

    "Assir,thereisahugemohetopofGiantHill．Ifwedidnourmostbeautifulvirgineveryyearandofferherupashumansacrifice，itwillcauseterribledisastersandmanymoreliveswouldbelost.”

    "Really?Whatkindofmonsterisit?"

    "Itisahugebirdwithhumanheadandsnakesforhair．Go，beforeitesdownforitsyearlysacrifice．Wewillbeleavingsoontoo.”Turningtothegirlhesaid，

    "Good-byeDeanna,mysweetgirl．It’sapityyouaresobeautiful.”Dimitrilookedatthebeautifulgirlwhowastearlessnow,andtoopetrifiedtomove.Hefeltapangofpityforitwasinhumantoleavesuchabeautifulhelplessyounglifetothemercyofthemonster．

    "Beautyisnotasinandshouldnotbepunishedandsacrificedtoanevilmonster.”

    "Butbeautyisherundoing,asthemonsterwilltakeonlythemostbeautilulvirginas.”

    7

    "No"saidDimitri"Iwillnotallowthistohappen.”

    "Buthowareyoutosaveher,sir?"TakinghisbowandarrowfromhisbadhisswordfromhissideDimitrisaid,"Bythese.”

    "Ahsir，youareindeedkiedandbrave．Butforalmostaturymany,manyyoungmenhadtriedtodojustthattosavetheirlovedoheyonlydiedinvain.Themournspeopleintostobylookingatthemwithitsevileyes.”

    "Mymindismadeup．Youotdissuademe．Iotstandbyaheweakandthehelplesssacrificed.”

    "Youareastubbornman.”saidtheoldman,withrespedadmirationglimmeringinhiseyes．"Asyouwillthesir．Iwishyouthebestofluck．Ifbyamiracleyousucceedinriddingusofthismonster,youwouldhavesavedthepeopleofourentireareaandwewillmakeyou