#always hungry and possibly slavic in origin

[frozen-fountain]

Inktober, Day Twenty-Seven: Beast

[grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales]

Balkan Bestiary: Ala

A creature, it is weather demon that can be found in Serbian, Croatian, Montenegrian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and Albanian beliefs, it is very popular and wide spread spirit which was immensely feared and important, because to population that relied greatly on their agrarian lifestyle to survive.

Ala, sometimes called hala,  has several etymological explanations behind it. Some think that name may have come from Turkish word for snake. Others think that it may have it’s origin in Greek word for hail. It may also be derived from proto-slavic word for terrible weather. There is obvious connection with alav, archaic word for very gluttonous person, but it is hard to determine whether creature was named after it, or word is derived from folkloric monster. In Albanian folklore there is creature known as kulshedra, kuçedra or bulla, which is very similar to ala.

Ala is powerful and dangerous serpentine  sky monster, responsible for creating tumultuous and chaotic storms that destroy harvest, bringing down thunder and hail upon crops. As such, it is very much problem for humans, and often has to be fought off by zmajevi (dragons, and it’s counterparts), or sometimes, eagles and saints. It can be seen as descendant of animist beliefs in storm spirits, as it sometiems seems as if ala is storm itself.

Another of it’s defining characteristics is it’s appetite. Ala in incredibly gluttonous, and ever hungry, which is why it attacks human dwellings, to steal away their crops. Some believe that destruction of crops and soreading of famine is how ala feeds, that it steals away vitality and life of earth’s bounty.

(Ala is often, in nearly 90% of tales, portrayed as feminine spirit, while dragons are primarily masculine. However, as there are famous tales of male alas, I will use it for sake of convenience. Worth noting is that in most Balkan languages the nouns are gendered, so ala as species being feminine might not apply to specific spirit, just as fish is feminine noun, and chair,  and rain... Nonetheless, fact that dragon-ala conflict can be seen as conflict between male and female spirit of same type is intriguing line of thought.)

The eclipses were often attributed to ala, sometimes claimed to be result of ala trying to eat Moon and/or Sun. People would obviously react negatively to this ( both because of scary folklore, but also, eclipse is very surprising and scary when you are farmer dealing with stubborn bull that refuses to be yoked). People would go out, bang on pots and pans to scare ala away, and recite ritual chants to banish it.

How does ala look? Well, that too can be ambigious sometimes, but thankfully there are more accounts of it, some quite descriptive. While sometimes invisible, or hidden spirit, it is also often described as black cloud or wind spreading across land, highlighting it’s origins as animistic explanation for storm. Often, it is a giant, monstrous serpentine monster, sometimes said to be so tall that it’s head remains hidden in clouds, while it’s tail drags across earth. It can have wings and several heads, and often can also resemble usual depiction of western dragon.

Ala’s origins are most intriguing to me. Like dragons, ala too begins life as ordinary snake, and then over long period of years, changes into  monster. Explanation is rarely given ( especially since period neccesary for becoming dragon is shorter than one for ala), but some tales claim that ala is born from snake that has remained in underground darkness, unseen by human eyes, for over a century. After those years pass, it shall ‘’reveal it’s legs’’ and unveil wings.

Ala’s main and most dangerous powers were it’s power over weather, the ability to cause storms and control wind, summon or take away rain, bring hail and disaster. It however had many other abilities, beyond that and flying, of course. It was believed that, aside from it’s immense size and strength, ala’s head was so horrifying that whoever looked at it would be driven to madness. It’s breath and presence were poisonous, and could cause men to fall sick and crops to wither. It was also capable of shapeshifting, mostly wild animals, but sometimes women too.

It’s most dangerous ability, however, was power to possess humans. It would sneak inside person’s body, sometimes in form of dark smoke or ill stench, and unknowingly hide inside, finding both refuge from enemies, and being close enough to terrorize commmunity. Often people affected wouldn’t notice anything, but their appetites would become enormous. One story claims that St. Simeon ( born Stefan Nemanja) was possesed by an ala, until St. Sava ( his son, born Prince Rastko, and maybe most important Serbian saint) cast it out.

This ability is connected to belief in aloviti, the ‘’ala-like’’ people, in some places also called zduhaci or zmajeviti ( the dragonlike). They are people whose souls leave body to become dragonlike spirits that defend village’s crops and weather. In traditions connecting them to alas, they are either children alas have with humans, survivors of ala attack or possession, or alas themselves. A claim amy even be made that all weather related demons and dragons are these men, protecting their own and attacking neighbouring villages.

Ala is usually malicious, and always unclean force, but it can be beneficial to humans. Whether due to debt, the bargain, pragmatics of living there, or even genuine connection, ala may particular region as it’s domain, and defend it’s humans from other spirits. Sometimes it may even develop attachment to particular human and aid them, such as helping a prince she grew fond of in quest, or deciding to become human girl’s godmother. In such cases ala is to be treated with respect and gratitude, but you should never forget that it is still violent and capricious demon, whose ‘’goodness’’ extends only to interests of it’s human friend.

In some fairy tales ala takes on roles of more classical dragon in caves, or monster demanding tithe of maidens at bottom of  lake ( a connection to azdaha is possible), or wicked witch in woods. In those cases ala will be antagonist, but can even be helpful if you fulfill it’s tasks. Some connection had been made with Baba Yaga, but whether it’s just coincidence of chtonic beings fulfilling ambigious functions in folktales, or both figures are derived from Proto-Slavic storm goddess, is up for anybody to guess and never find out.

[vesperlionheart]

Pompeii 43

Sakura propped the window open a fraction and inhaled. The weather had turned sharply, and in the morning there was an edge of chill that melted throughout the day. It almost smelled like snow, but it was too soon for snow, based on when the first flakes fell last year.

When it was still dim in the morning Sakura was the most hungry for that chill to corral her back into bed and help justify her staying under the covers. There wasn’t any other reason for her to get up so early, but she felt the drive to rouse and move even when her body was tired.  

There was another day empty of appointments. It was nice to have the down time, but too much down time with no place to go and no people to see had started to drive her stir crazy. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome with the few people she was still ‘normal’ with, but that number seemed to grow smaller and smaller each week. Ino was tied up with something that sounded oddly similar to house arrest and work was just busy enough to keep Sai.

Sakura pulled up the ends of her socks and they were fuzzy and long enough to reach her knees under the loose cut of her pj pants. She turned back to bed and climbed in, grabbing her phone as she went.

In her emails there were a few from fellow graduates answering questions she had about their current employment. She was fishing around for a possible in that she could follow in case things really did get bad. Rent and groceries were one thing, but the debt from college wasn’t going to wait and she was close to desperate. Even with Zetsu’s visit last week, she hadn’t had anyone else coming to see her.

She hadn’t talked to either Yamato or Sai about how bad it was getting, she didn’t want to worry either of them or make them feel like they had to help her. There wasn’t anything they could do that wouldn’t be charity. She didn’t want their charity, she wanted to be useful again and to actually work. She was a pretty damn good doctor when she thought about how well she had rolled with the punches in Pompeii, and adapted to the people’s unique needs.

There was work back in New York, not far from the city but far enough for it to not be the city. Sakura was confident she could land a job there if she needed to, but...the thought of it made her heart pinch painfully.

She didn’t want to leave Pompeii, no matter how bad it had gotten. She had thought it was her home, maybe even a forever home. When it had been good it had been great. She didn’t want to believe that it wouldn’t be like that again, even if the trees didn’t stop flowering in autumn when everything else turned colors and fell dead from the branches.

It was impossible to look out and not notice it-that something was wrong with the roots of Pompeii and maybe it was too late to do anything about it. There were even more sick citizens who weren't getting better and just as many mysterious sightings in her case, of a tree that was so odd ad out of season, it couldn’t not be a sign of something.

If she inhaled deeply enough, she could smell peaches somewhere outside and it reminded her of the pages in mythology texts she had bookmarked. Sakura had considered the trees being magical for all of a hot second before realizing that they had to be magical if they kept disappearing on her in the middle of a field in broad daylight. There were stories about trees with fruit shaped like men that would make men near immortal when they consumed the fruit, and long lived when simply inhaled.

There were plenty of suspicions and questions and even theories, but not enough answers for anything to make sense.

Sakura dropped her phone onto the bed covers beside her and looked out the window again, noticing the honey light streaming through. It’s later at last and she expects the noise of the day to rear up, but it never does.

Sakura cooks and eats and dresses, but by the time she finishes the world outside is just as quiet and dead as any night. It’s too much of a temptation and Sakura goes to the windows, checking through each one for as far as she can see. Almost all the shops are closed and most of the windows are dark, like plenty of owners hadn’t bothered to come into work before noon.

Watching from the branches there is only one crow left, far less than usual.

‘It’s the perfect time to go out without being hindered,’ she thought.

She finds her boots too quickly and starts to pull them on, followed by a scarf and jacket to protect against the chill.

With her hands in her pockets she starts to stalk off into the trees, passing under them and stepping through their shadows with a vague idea of where she needed to go. Thankfully, no one seemed to be watching.

There were plenty of trees still alive and oddly blooming, but there was still a coating of freshly fallen leaves on the ground to crunch as she stalked by.

A fork in the road appeared sooner than she anticipated and she recognized the way down to the mill where some of the runaways were living. It made her remember how she had promised to check in on them after her first meeting.

It doesn’t take long to step onto the property and it takes even less time to realize that the mill is just as abandoned as the rest of the town. Like Pompeii, it is left with a skeleton crew. Roosting high up in the rafters of the old mill, Sakura finds Kin propped up on a bag of debris reading. There is a blanket over her legs and more raggy pillows scattered around her, and for a moment Sakura fears that it’s the same sickness, but then Kin turns and there is enough color in her skin to chase that fear away.

“You,” she sneered. “What are you doing back?”

“Hey, how is it going? I said I would be back, didn’t I?” Sakura scooted closer and sat down on the ground next to the other girl. “How are you feeling?”

Kin shrugged, turning another page in her book. “Tired and sore and it hurts to breath sometimes, but that’s nothing new, I’ve been like this for years and it’s always worst this time of year when things get cold.”

“I...I have my bag with me if you would like me to give it a listen,” Sakura offered, slipping her napsak off one shoulder.

“Whatever you want. The boys are off spying on that stupid town hall meeting along with everyone else so you’re not going to be interrupted anytime soon.”

“Ah, so that is where they’re all at,” Sakura said, digging into her bag.

She found what she needed and set a small red box aside while reaching for her stethoscope. Kin moved without complaint and breathed deep just like Sakura instructed her to.  Unlike all the others, her lungs weren't filled with mucus as a result of allergies, and it sounded like she was just asthmatic, like Sakura first suspected.

“Take this, it’s an inhaler,” Sakura said, passing the red box to Kin.

Sakura pointed to the instructions and told the girl how to use it and when it would be appropriate to use it, citing various examples and stories that helped illustrate her point. Halfway through Kin looked up and frowned, but didn’t say anything until Sakura was finished speaking.

“I can’t pay you for this, you know. These things are hella expensive without insurance.”

It was Sakura’s turn to shrug. “If I’m going down I’d rather go down in a blaze of glory helping someone. I’d want to help all that I could until i couldn’t help anymore rather than stretch out my stay beyond its usefulness.”

Kin blinked once, and her eyes were dark enough to reflect nearly everything before she glanced back down at the book left open on her lap. “I don’t understand that sort of thinking, but I think you’re probably stupid. Thanks though.”

“I’ve been called worse,” Sakura huffed.

She glanced about and saw several other stacks and piles of books. Most of them had multiple bookmarks in them and looked well read. Most had split or broken spines and some were even colored with highlighter, but they weren't technical books. The title of one was a color and had faries.

The Green Fairy Book. Another book that was thicker than the rest with twice as many bookmarks had Grimm Brother’s in bold embellished across the spine. It made her think about Kin and her long, long hair, and how she sat in the rafter not unlike a tower.

“You like to read fairy tales?” Sakura asked.

“They’re alright. I guess it beats staying here alone in just the silence. What else is there to do?”

Sakura nodded along, glad to be amicable with someone new. “I guess I understand. I’ve been the opposite of busy these days and reading has been helpful.” she pointed to the book that was still flat with pages exposed and cover hidden. “What are you reading.”

“Myths from Slavic Mothers.” Kin held up the book to show off the cover before dropping it again. “But before that it was another version of Cinderella I think… Egyptian or Persian I’m not sure.”

“I noticed a lot of fairy tales. You don’t think that’s odd in a place like Pompeii where the fairies are free and the good neighbors are the Senju?”

“Stories are cycles, the same epic will be echoed again and again in new eras with new characters in new ways in new times. That’s how it’s always been and that is how it always will be.” her voice was low as her eyes fell shut.

“I’d think with how long some of you guys live, that those same stories would be recognized the second time around, right?”

Kin’s eyes lifted slowly. “We may not be human, but don’t be deceived into thinking we are all as long lived as the Senju. We are not immortal. Only stories will last forever.”

Sakura thought of the tales she had heard growing up and tried to remember where they came from, and how old they were. Beauty and the Beast was thousands of years old, having been first told in a language that was now long dead. But now there were new versions of the tale, much altered from the original text. There were newer, original stories that weren't quite so old.

When she looked up, kin was watching her keenly out of the corner of her eye and it prompted Sakura to speak. “What about the new stories?” Sakura asked.

“People look for things that are new and exciting to entertain them, but there’s nothing new, only things that are forgotten. Our brains, even our exalted brains, can’t hold everything in and eventually stuff falls out and we forget about the stories that have yet to echo.”

Sakura thought she would say something more but heard a crash down below as the door was slammed open so hard it slapped the back wall and wailed on its abused hinges. There was a chattering noise from down below before two different bodies staggered up to the loft.

Sakura recognized the two boys from the first time she had visited and waved to them weakly. Zaku saw her first and nearly tripped on his feet before the other boy, Dosu, punched his arm and growled at him to ‘keep it together.’

“You boys get lost on the way back or did you get chased out...again?” Kin growled from her spot on the floor, flipping to another page.

“You think they would have heard us?” Zaku scoffed, running a hand through his hair.

Kin stared at the boy through her thick lashes and Zaku flushed and the growled at her to stop looking at him like that. He looked to Sakura and then folded his arms over his chest with a huff.

“We could hear everything but weren't as careful about concealing ourselves and were chased off. We didn’t miss much and I doubt they said anything new for how often they beat the same dead horse, said Dosu.

“Same old same old, just like you said it would be, Kin,” Zaku added. “It doesn’t matter that we got caught. They don’t think much of us anyway.”

“You’re an idiot, Zaku,” Kin hissed, glaring at him with eyes that cut deeper than swords. It only made his blush bloom darker across the front of his face.

While the two bickered Dosu looked to Sakura. “Your name came up once or twice,” he added sarcastically.

“Only twice?” Sakura snorted, hating how bitter her laugh sounded in her own ears. “All good things I hope.”

“Oh yeah, only good things, all good things.” His words dissolved into a chittering laugh that might have better belonged to a hyena. “Yeah, they all love you, especially all those shrieking broads who love to mother hen their sons to death. I don’t envy the position you’re in with that guy being the mayor.”

Sakura flinched when she thought of Naruto, his mother, and her husband the mayor. It made a perfect problem for her to deal with. She had heard the Menma had even gotten worse, so as angry as Kushina had been for how Naruto got sick she was probably twice as pissed.  

“They said the same thing a hundred times I think. They talked themselves into a never ending circle with the need for proof, the lack of evidence, how little they cared, how much they cared about preserving integrity and all that, then someone wails about their son and it’s all a big freaking loop. They didn’t say what they were going to do about anything, though. I think another town hall is next week. We’ll be dropping back in for that one too.”

“And that’s next week?” Sakura asked, feeling tired all of a sudden.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t go if I were you. Some of those assholes can’t see reason anymore and more and more of the old geezers want someone to burn to appease the masses, the way politicians always do,” said Zaku.

“They are more interested in laying blame than in finding a cure,” added Dosu.

Kin snorted and returned to her book. “It’s the Senju way.”

Sakura stood and collected her things, claiming it was later than she meant for it to get and promised to come back another time. Kin looked up from her book and the other boys waved when she left, Zaku more so than Dosu.

Sakura could feel their eyes on her as she left, boring into her back. The sensation that they were waiting for her to be out of earshot to talk about her wouldn’t leave her and it nagged her back to the footpath between the trees.

Sakura stared up and saw that the sun was lower, sinking now. It was past noon and it was time she head back. She had been gone long enough and if the boys were back, that meant the town hall was likely over as well. Others would be filtering out into Pompeii and that meant more chances of an unlucky encounter. Sakura decided she wasn’t in the mood for one of those. The fight just wasn't there.

She was in the thick of the forest, where the shade and shadow is dark when she heard the voices first. More than one, mostly male, and mainly angry. The voices were snapping at each other and growing closer. Sakura couldn’t make out words but the tone was mean enough to make her want to avoid them.

But there was something more than that.

Sakura’s gut pinched. She felt cold in her veins and something flared in her with a primal need to run, run, run, and hide herself. She needed to get off the trail, she needed to make herself unseen and avoid the voices. She didn’t know why, she just knew she had a feeling and she needed to listen to it.

Before she can think twice she runs in the opposite direction. The voices are never far behind and Sakura sprints as quietly as the crunching leaves will let her. She ducks and weaves and stops when she realizes where she is. Sakura turns sharply and heads up the path to the shrine, feeling a sense of safety when she draws near.

The knights are there and turn to see her approach, but the voices are still behind her so Sakura ducked behind the stone structure and pulled herself into a ball. One of the suits approached her slowly and made a gesture. Sakura knew he was asking her if she was okay. The other knight was turned towards the voices growing louder and angrier.

Sakura shook her head ‘no’ and then buried it in her knees, pressing herself into the ground and making herself as small as possible.

Behind her, the two figures made of flower and metal planted themselves like guardians in the way to the shrine. The voices were loud enough to make out a word or two, but before they could come into the clearing, something pushed them away (subtle as magical suggestion), and they were fading. Sakura waited until they were gone entirely before letting go of her knees and crying.

‘I don’t care what the freak says. We don’t have time for proof.’

‘The forest isn’t safe but the Senju said she was last seen coming and going.’

‘Hurry up. She’s not at the clinic so she has to be out here.’

‘Damn precautions.’

-

When she got back to the clinic it was late and she felt more than just tired. Sakura felt empty.

There was no news and no appointments, only more hate messages on the recordings of calls missed in the morning, so Sakura drags herself into her apartment and starts to change for bed. It’s not even dark out but she doesn’t see the sense in staying her day clothes.  

Pulling her shirt up over her head Sakura paused when she noticed something on her body. The seal she had once upon a time been given for the case of emergencies was dead on her skin, cracked and faded in places that made it unusable. It hadn’t been like that recently, and the wear was too great for it to be a gradual thing. Her seal had been cut.

“Fine. Like I needed it anyway,” Sakura seethed, tossing her shirt aside.

She hated how it looked, no longer vibrant like a fresh paint stroke, but decaying like the little faith she had left in the citizens of Pompeii. Like a cancer, they had cut her out.

Sakura pulled on a new nightshirt that smelled like fabric softener when a sound made her pause. It was the bell from downstairs.

‘Shit, I forgot to lock it up front.’ She had only remembered to lock the back when she came in.

She tied her hair back and waited, hoping to hear them move away, but instead someone called out to her. Sakura opened her apartment door and leaned out, listening again as Shizune called up to her.

“Shizune?” Sakura called back. “Is that you?”

“Yeah Sakura, I wanted to talk to you with someone here.” There was a pause. “It’s safe I promise.”

Sakura didn’t feel the pull in her gut that told her when there was danger, so she crossed her arms under her chest and across her stomach and left her apartment behind her. She padded down the stairs and paused at the end, catching sight of who stood alongside her assistant.

“I’d apologize for the state of my dress but I don’t care anymore,” Sakura murmured, looking the taller woman up and down. “What can I do for you Tsunade? Are you here in an official capacity to charge me with something?”

The blond snorted and fit her hands over her hips. “Do I look like an Uchiha police officer to you? Even if I was I wouldn’t be here doing something like that. You know where I just came from?”

Sakura nodded her head before responding. “The Town Hall? I heard there was a meeting.”

“Yeah, and it was all about you, more of less. They said it was to talk about the plague putting so many down, but too many were too eager to point fingers and demand blood.”

“I heard something along those lines,” Sakura admitted. She was bracing herself for what was to come next. Tsunade had never liked her, and this was the perfect reason to justify that displeasure.

“They think you’re either some sort of evil sorceress, or seduction demon that’s here to drain their life source through these trees and sex. That last part was seriously suggested and I don’t want to have to explain it because I don’t understand it any more than the perverts,” Tsunade said.

Sakura swallows the bitter taste in her mouth and asks what’s been on her mind. “And what do you think?”

“I think you’re an idiot and not nearly brilliant enough to pull something this fantastically clever.” There is something new in the older woman’s eyes. “But I’m probably one of the most bitter people out there when it comes to Pompeii and its political sphere. You’re not the first girl to be burned by old men and superstition and shameful boners, and I doubt you will be the last.”

Sakura felt something drop and then explode in her chest and for the first time in a long time it was a good feeling.

“Wait, you don’t think I’m evil?”

Tsunade snorted. “I think you’re an idiot, it’s not much better.”

Tears spill over and Sakura laughed. “I’d rather be an idiot who’s faithful to her friends than what they’re saying I am. I’m not-I wouldn’t want any of this on them. I’m so sorry and I wish I could help but I don’t know how.”

“Yeah, well I thought it was about time I came by and showed you a thing or two. You’ve been persecuted enough, teasing you any more wouldn’t make me feel any good,” she said with a grin.