The Great Hero Axolotl
Axol embarks on a mythical quest to achieve godhood, riding through a world where nature, people, and spirits live in harmony.
The forest was thick with ancient spirits. Under the light of the crescent moon, Axol guided his faithful horse through this hallowed domain. He was tense, ready for his enemy.
Suddenly, a patch of dark undergrowth erupted as a demon sprung up. Its face was twisted and green like the forest’s buried roots.
Axol swung off his horse. He had done this battle many times before. Body against body, he wrestled with the demon, staring into its fiery eyes and struggling against its bulging, scaly arms. The horse galloped around the duel and chanted praises for the great hero Axolotl.
It was an age-old battle between the hero and the wicked, which ended with the demon lying vanquished in the mud. In a final chant, it vowed, “I will always come back!” before bubbling back into the earth.
Axol was known among his people as the Great Hero Axolotl. His victories against demons were as plentiful as the leaves in this forest. With his big, calloused hands, he tugged and strangled evil back into their slumber. He battled every day for peace. But Axol's soul ached for some permanent escape from this ceaseless cycle.
On his horse again, Axol patrolled deeper into the forest, in search of awakened demons that might dare head into the plains, hungering for the sweet taste of Axol’s people.
His horse trotted as quietly as a shadow beneath the arched trees. The night’s moonlit mist teemed with wisdom.
“Axol,” the moon spoke, her voice twisting through the treetops. “Why do you burden yourself? If you stay in the plains, the demons will not surprise you. There, you can ride your horse fearlessly.”
Axol’s horse huffed, “You dare presume Axol has fear! He does not sweat, does not fret, even in the darkest depths of this forest, where your moonlight cannot touch.”
“There, there,” Axol consoled his upset horse. “I agree with the horse. And should I leave my post in the forest, the demons would only grow bolder. They would drive us from the warmth of our campfires and the safety of our tents.”
The moon riddled further, “Then why not bring your people beyond the plains? The desert would be far from the wicked’s reach.”
The horse huffed again, “The desert has no water except the mighty river. No food except the measly fish that swim in it. The desert is not fit for strong creatures like us. Only the toads and the lizards can live there.”
The moon chuckled. “Ah, my friend, then you must cross the river. If you go to that land on the other side, Great Hero Axolotl, you will be stronger than anything you encounter. This is the land where new gods are made.” The night air cooled, as the moon’s voice slipped away.
Despite all his virtue, the suggestion seduced Axol. He led the horse back to the plains, back home. It was the horse that broke the stillness. “My good friend, I will follow you wherever you go. But I must warn you against the moon’s offer. She is a trickster god. That is why her face always changes and she hides behind tree boughs.”
“We’ll go to the river and our hearts will guide us from there,” Axol replied decisively.
Life thrummed with innocence in the plains. A girl ran through plum trees along the path. She chased a spotted ocelot, who chased a blue bird, who chased a pair of butterflies.
These were the good creatures that Axol fought to protect. He felt the weight of his years in his bones which ached from a lifetime of warfare. He could not be the bastion against darkness forever. That is unless he pursued the moon’s offer.
The butterflies fluttered over the path, prompting the horse to halt. The bird, the ocelot, and the girl followed in their playful chase. They weaved through the horse’s tall legs in quick circles.
“Excuse me,” the horse whinnied. “We are on an important quest and I do not wish to trample you.”
All the little things stopped their play when they realized it was the Great Hero Axolotl who rode atop. They mumbled hurried apologies. Then, the girl asked, “Where are you going, brave horse and brave hero?”
Axol warmly answered, “To the land where gods are made. I shall rise to their ranks, and I will forever shield people from the night’s terrors.”
The bird whistled her concerns, “No good things last forever. The gods and demons are immortal but not nearly as good as you. They demand praise. They like to trick us.”
A defiant fire blazed in Axol, as he proudly proclaimed, “But there has never been a hero as virtuous as I! Once I reach godliness, I will demand no praise and I will play no tricks. I will sculpt goodness into everything I touch.”
The horse nodded in agreement with his rider, “The Great Hero Axolotl’s strength will banish the wicked forever. Do not have any doubts.”
Axol pressed on with his horse, the plains receding behind them as the desert loomed ahead.
In the red desert expanse, Axol rode under a cloudless sky, bathed in the unforgiving light of the sun.
Here, the sun addressed him, “Axolotl, are you not content with the world? Why do you seek godliness?"
Beneath her heaty gaze, even the stoic horse wilted with thirst. His long legs quivered with the hope of water. The river was close.
Axol squinted at the sun as he boomed back, “You are life but you are a tyrant! Why must we sweat and suffer when you could temper your brilliance?”
The sun patiently offered her wisdom. “I am a single force in the world’s balance. My light inspires plants to rise and calls creatures into action. And each night, I hide so that the moon can let the creatures rest and dream. Together help the world breathe, bearing cycles of change. We do not command life.”
At last, they reached the river, a crystal ribbon of salvation amidst the dry dirt. The horse welcomely lapped at the shallow bank.
As the first stars pricked the evening sky, the sun surrendered to the night. Axol taunted, "You give up so easily. You accept a flawed world as is. You do not use your power to change it. When I cross the river, I will change the world to my liking.”
The sun sighed with pity as she sunk behind the horizon.
During the cool night, Axol and his noble steed traced the river’s slithering path, searching for an easy crossing. They grew hungry and tired as they searched.
Then, the moon whispered her cool advice, “There is no easy crossing. But the bond you share can brave the fiercest currents. If you swim together, strength alone can bring you to the land across the river.”
And so, with trust as deep as the river ahead, Axol and his horse stepped into the dark embrace of the waters. Axol encouraged his horse whose long muscles worked against the river’s tug: “Keep going, my friend! We are almost at the shore!”
The horse kept his head high out of the water, panting, “Yes! We will make it together, Great Hero Axolotl.”
When they finally emerged on the bank, soaked but unbroken. Axol looked around, expecting old gods to welcome him into these foreign lands. But there was only silence.
The sun rose in the east, and Axol cheered, “Alas! I reached this sacred realm despite your threats.” But the sun had no response.
“It seems we humbled her,” Axol said to his horse. But his horse too bore no words. Confused, Axol explored further into this world, a mirror of the one they'd left. The desert reached the plains which stretched to a forest. But in the plains, the animals gave no remarks. The forest was absent of demons and spirits.
As the day passed on, hunger crept on Axol. He had not eaten since they left the plains. Axol dismounted his horse and went on a hunt. He snuck up on a great deer with ease. The animals here were mute and dumb. His power was absolute, only because the rest of the world had dulled to simplicity. In these lands, nature did not converse with people. It simply existed, submitted, to the might of man.
Axol looked back to the river. “Can we go back?” he pleaded with his horse. But the horse did not understand and would not cross a deep river for a rider whose name he did not even know.
This blog post is part of Daniel Rowe's Blog, Offworld, exploring the realms of science fiction, fantasy, and more.