I’ve put together something special for today. A two-in-one combo! I spent a good long while piecing up a collage of what a chimera might have looked like in my world. Albeit, only one chimera, in only one part of the world.
Then I moved on with my day. I dedicated some time to writing some of my next chapter. Made really good progress. I thought about posting just my collage and something didn’t feel right. I wanted to do it justice. So, I gave it an excerpt.
Please remember that all original writing published here is protected under copyright by virtue of authorship.
“I have accounted many of my adventures for future Beastiers or the occasional adventurous soul. In times when I find myself injured, I’ve found to be the most profound times of reflection. This injury, as so described in my last entry is but a temporary one. My legs will heal, I will hunt once more. But there was a time when I thought one injury quite like this could have ended my days early. I was much, much younger than I am now, and full of daring. It was my first and only expedition to The Silent Sea. I have never had a great love of the sea, and this expedition only made me solidify this opinion.
There came a point, on the ninth day of our journey that the winds finally died and the water turned murky. Our oars were useless then, and many of the men drew closer to despair. In the end it was the storm that saved us, but only barely. It was nearing midnight when the slightest rocking of the ship awoke me from my dreams. As I escaped the hold to behold night sky, I was almost convinced my sleep never ended. The sky was blank and dark. No clouds coated the stars and there were no stars. The only light was the unearthly shimmer to the murky water. The world felt wrong, and although I was alone, there was the nauseating sensation I was being watched.
It was what I saw next that convinced me I had lost my sanity. The horizon line became an eye and that eye opened to an iris larger than the sun. It filled every conceivable crevasse of my mind, seeing my body, my soul, my mind. It understood me. I was alone inside a Veilless Place. This was the destination, and the home of the chimera.
I saw it come up from the surface of the water but instead of struggling to swim towards me, the creature climbed upon the water itself. It was no longer swimming but walking atop the water towards me. It was the most demented creature I have ever seen. A body of a great lion, but protruding from the mane came a second head, this one of a human baby. It was pale, sickly and came off at an uneasy angle. When it blinked its little eyes I saw the eyes of my nephew, which terrified me beyond all hope. Upon its back the chimera adorned feathered wings and was completed by a the rearing head of a snake as its tail. Each step of its paws sent ripples out across the water. It was coming straight for me. It was then that I started praying to our Goddess. The Hunting Spirit, Goddess of all, I called out to. How often can a man repent for his hubris? I can say only once and been blessed enough to survive. For when my prayers left my lips, the clouds began to choke the eye in the sky. The creature began a wild sprint for the ship but the wind was already whispering its cold relief. The rain came then, and I saw the chimera faltering back into the sea. It was then that I vicious light sprung from the lion’s eye to hurdle into upon my figure. It blinded me until all I saw were shapes and stayed so long I doubted if it would ever return to me.
I still cried out my joyous praise from being alive and found myself soaked through to the bone, amidst the hollering crew. The ship was being battered by the storm and I’d appeared from thin air. I was, of course, no help and when I’d nearly fallen overboard twice, one man dragged me limp into the hold to stay until the storm passed.
It was only when I touched dry land to my face another nine days later did my vision open to colours. I saw my hands, my feet, and the earth. It was then that the men believed my tale of the chimera and of our Goddess.
It was that day I became a true Beastier.”
— Excerpt from ‘Chimera of The Silent Sea’ by Beastier Nithmar of Clan Thane.
This was one of the most creatively engaging days I have had in my life. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed the process of making it.
Thank you for reading to the end! If you feel like leaving a like or comment, (even if it’s a scathing critque) I’ll tell you a secret. It means more than you know.
Andy Montajes 
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