What's In A Name

My Hero is dead, killed by the Beast thundering outside the door.  I am just a Sidekick, Besnik the Loyal.  I can only wait until a new Hero arrives to take up his sword and save me. Until then, I must hide from the terror that has taken control of the castle.

The battle was fierce, the scaled and fire-breathing Beast,  Sepheron, was victorious and defeated the courageous Hero Kane. The castle grounds are littered with the detritus of the epic clash. The once beautiful gardens are scorched, burnt to blackened crisps by Sepheron’s fiery breath.  The Inner Bailey of the castle has arrows and spears piercing the walls and ground from the Hero’s errant throws.  Several chickens squawk and run free around the overturned tables and carts, all that is left of the industry which used to go on to support the castle.   The Hero’s body lies crumpled at the bottom of the Keep Tower, where he fell during the final climactic struggle. Sepheron was injured too. It is recovering on top of the castle wall, waiting as I am, for the arrival of the next Hero to combat.  I pull a rug over poor Kane to hide the shame. 

 Sepheron  infiltrated this castle, driving out the Royals, a few weeks back,  and has been terrorizing the entire countryside since.

My Hero Kane and I,  were tasked by his ally, the King Hammelech, to defeat the Beast. This was Step 8 on his Hero’s Journey, the ‘Supreme Ordeal’, after his  ‘Approach to the Innermost  Cave’, but before the ‘Reward’. If victorious, he would have the hand of the beautiful Princess Ksara.  He was so close!  

As I sit in the empty Great Hall, with no Hero to attend to, I clean my own clothes, and sharpen my own weapon.  It is just a short dagger. As Besnik the Sidekick, I do not have anything more deadly.  With no Hero,  who am I to be loyal to?  I often wish I was born with a Hero’s name, like my previous knights’, Sakata the Fearless, or Abhivira the Respectful Warrior.  Abhivira succeeded in his Journey,  and has great epic poems sung about him for his bravery.   Kane the Fighter was not so lucky.   I look around the Great Room and set beams against the front door.  One can never be too careful.    The Heros get all the glory and attention, while us Sidekicks do the work.  Not that they would ever notice, along with great courage, all the Hero’s I have met have been narcissists and prideful brutes.  As Hero’s go, this last one was one of the worst. 

flashback

“Sidekick- look on the map to see how long before we are at the Castle.”  Kane asks. 

“ It is the same two days ride I told you earlier, sir, since we haven't left yet “ I say. “The Innkeeper has asked if we are staying another night. If it matters, he has sent his daughter away, after what happened last night.”  

“Too bad, she was pretty one!  We will continue on then.” Kane says. “Have you polished my armor?  It had a streak. “ Kane asked.

“Yes, it shines like a mirror, sir.” I say.  

“Sidekick, tell me of the King’s daughter, my Reward for defeating the Beast. “ Kane says. 

“Ok. “ I close my eyes and begin in a dreamy voice, 

“Ksara, Princess of light,

The Poetess of night,

Educated by the most Learned of the age

She is both a scholar and a sage;

She is the arbiter of true justice

For her people like Caesar Augustus

She-”

“-Come on! What does she look like!” Kane interrupts.  

I roll my eyes, and in a singsong voice start again, 

“Princess Ksara of the crystal tiara, 

Her eyes are jewels that sparkle so bright.

Her skin is alabaster glowing in the moonlight. 

Her hair floats in the air as  golden fairies, 

Her lips are luscious as fresh picked berries. 

Her body is the shape of an hourglass,

You need both hands to hold her…”

I added a few more timbers to block the huge Great Room door.  Time for some dinner.   I find the kitchen, a large smoke darkened room with a solid wood table, and a black iron stove, all untouched by the current resident. “The Beast cooks its own food,” I say to myself.  I find the well-stocked pantry, and plenty of pans.   I can not throw a spear or draw the string on a longbow, but I can cook.  I rummage through enough items in the pantry, along with the chicken I caught outside,  to make myself a large chicken pot pie. The crust came out perfectly.  I begin cleaning up while it cools.   I wish my new Hero would show up. I have no direction without a Hero.   

I have never met the King’s daughter, Ksara, nor know what she looks like. She probably has a bad complexion from eating too many sweets, and is ignorant of how her subjects live.   Princesses are not sent to school to learn to read,  but to curtsy and sing.  They spend their time picking out dresses and planning dances. Their role is to wait, to be seduced by a Hero, and then have sons to be named as Heros'.

Not for me.  I wish for someone I can talk to, and a purpose for something bigger than just fighting Beasts and going to Balls.     

The Hero’s I am assigned are little more than ambition wrapped up in strong shoulders and cleft chins.   Each of us are born with a Name and then stuck in that role for their story. If only we could break out and take control.

Flashback

“We are here!  Behold the castle, and my foe, the terrible Sepheron up on the parapets!  Hand me my lance,   Sidekick!  I will slay this beast and claim my Reward! “ Kane yells triumphantly. 

Easier said than done,  I think in my head, but say “Noble Hero, sir, here is your trusty lance. And I am sure, sir, that you mean to attack at dawn, from the back side of the castle? You can then surprise the Beast and not attack  where it has the superior position, and the sun shining directly in your face-”

“- A knight does sneak around!  I will attack now! The Beast will be blinded by my terrible beauty and despair!” Kane cries out. 

I love the drama of a Hero. 

I am just sitting down to eat when I hear a faint knocking at the servant's door. I open it  slightly to see a slight figure in a red, hooded cape holding a wicker basket.  I look past her, however, she is by herself in the cold.   I open the door to let her in and she pulls her hood off.  It is a  young woman in rough woolen clothes, and battered wooden shoes.  She has dark braided hair, with almond colored skin, and deep brown, intense eyes. 

“Hello- I am Besnik the Loyal.  Are you a Damsel-in-Distress, or a Run-a-way-Princess?  You look too young for a Sage, or,”  I stop.

“Maybe just an unnamed Peasant?” I say.

She looks back at me. “But, I am not any of those things? I have a name, I am Mary-Ann, just a  person.  I was traveling through the countryside to bring these apples and cake to my Grandmother's house. I came up here to escape a wolf I met on the road, I saw the lights on, and, I hope it is OK? ” Mary-Ann says.  

“Oh, I have not met a Just-A-Person before.” I say. I look closely at her clothes.  “ I suspect you are a  type of Peasant.   I am expecting a Hero to arrive soon, you can wait here with me if you want. I must warn you,  there is a great Beast on the castle wall. Although they usually do not concern itself with Sidekicks and Peasants. “

I point to the kitchen table. “Do you like chicken pot pie?”

After dinner we were back in the Great Room when we heard the Beast stirring.

“Oh I hope the Hero gets here soon! “ I exclaim 

“What will this Hero look like? “Mary-Ann asks

“Well, my usual Hero's are men, tall with broad shoulders and bright armor. They are used to getting their way.  So, when the Hero shows up, we will pretend you are a Princess-in-Hiding.  Hero’s do not treat Peasants very well.  They are great in battle, but outside of that,they are just common boors. “  I say.

“I don't know if I should be more afraid of the Hero or the Beast,” Mary-Ann says. 

Sepheron roars, shaking through the castle.  It is clattering down from the Parapets. “ It seems like it is getting closer, should we prepare to fight, or hide? “

“Oh, Mary-Ann, I am a Sidekick!  Let us hide!” I say.  “But first, bang some pots and pans to make noise to lure it into the Great Room.  I have barred the far door, we can trap it in there, and then we will escape to the courtyard.”

We each grabbed several pans and made an incredible racket.  The Beast screams again, an ear-piercing sound  as it begins  stomping our way.

“Come on, push!”   We move the stove to block the door.  

“Now, lets go!”  I shout and grab Mary-Ann's hand to run outside to the Inner Bailey. I direct Mary-Ann over behind an overturned table. 

Mary-Ann points to a rug covering something, “What is that?”

“Oh that is the last Hero.” I say. “The next one should be here soon!“

“Besnik, are we safe here?”  Mary-Ann says. “I feel, we should do something instead of just sitting here-”

“No, we need to just wait to be rescued…”  I say, trying to pretend to be calm. I look out from the courtyard down the valley to the road. I strongly feel the Hero should be here any minute, yet the moonlit road is still, no sign of a dashing steed with a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day.  I hope the door holds!

“Besnik!”  Mary-Ann yells, as Sepheron with explosive violence, breaks though the Great Room barricades and is on our hiding spot in a moment.  With impossible strength, it throws off our protective table as if it was a handkerchief.  We are exposed and alone!

I pull my dagger, “Mary-Ann get behind me,” I say.  But Mary-Ann is gone.

I see her run to the side, against the wall of the Inner Bailey. What is she doing!

“Beast, I am over here!” Mary yells

Sepheron looks at me, do I detect revulsion in its eyes?, and then turns to Mary-Ann.

It leaps,  and then at top speed it flies at Mary-Ann, claws bared and razor filled jaws dripping with gore.  Oh, well. It was nice to meet her.

But then the Beast stops suddenly at the wall, and goes still, pinned in place.

I run to Mary-Ann, and she is alive!  I look at the Beast. It had run head first into a spear that was stuck in the wall.  Mary-Ann had used herself as bait to trick Sepheron to impale itself.  

I look at this Just-A-Person with new eyes.  “ You have the intelligence to trick the Beast. You have great courage to risk your own self.  You- you are my new Hero! “

Mary-Ann is looking at me skeptically.  

“You faced the Supreme Ordeal, Step 10 on the Hero’s Journey,  and passed! You get the Reward, the hand of the beautiful princess Ksara, daughter of  King Hammelech!”

In my excitement I begin reciting the poem, 

“Princess Ksara of the crystal tiara, 

Her eyes sparkle like jewels so bright,

Her skin -”

“-I don't want a princess as a reward. “ Mary interrupts. “ Why don’t we just clean this place up and take this castle for ourselves? “

“Why -that is step 3, ‘Refusal of the Call to Adventure,’ you are all out of order on the Hero’s Journey.” I say, shaking my head.  

“Maybe I am a different kind of Hero,” Mary-Ann says. “With a different kind of Journey…”

I pause to look at Mary-Ann again.   “I will be your different kind of Sidekick then! “ I say.

I throw my pitiful short dagger to the ground.  

“Yes,  Let's begin again with Step 1, ‘the Ordinary world’,” I say.  “  You brought some apples in that basket right,  how about I  make you some apple pie? “