The Beast Of Briovera
Christopher Grady

 

Every small town has a ghost story, as does ours, but unlike most ours is world renown, as the story of Beauty and the Beast. Though, here in Saint Lô it goes by a different name. As long as I can remember the story of ‘The Beast of Briovera’ has been told around town, as a deterrent to little kids wanting to stay up late and other such times. The story has been told many different ways by many different people but I hope to set it all straight now.

Before Saint Lô was known as such, it went by the name Briovera it was a small farming community dependent on two large farms. Two different families owned the farms. Lord Philip D’Arque owned the northern and smaller of the two, he managed his farm with a kind and compassionate heart. However across town at the farm of Felice Le Fou, things were a completely different story. While the D’ Arque felt themselves no greater than their workers, and would often treat them to dinners and such, Le Fou just wanted to become wealthier, at any cost. Often pushing his workers to their very limits and beyond.

Most of the towns’ people hoped for jobs under D’ Arque, but dew to the small size of his fields when planting season would roll around only a hand full of people could work for him.

Though Briovera was small it was the only town for a good distance, so during the harvest times the town would come alive with people from all over the countryside buying for the winter. All the extra income during the fall months would be almost evenly divide between the D’ Arque’s and the Le Fou’s, and this would infuriate Felice Le Fou. He was always thinking of new ways to stop people from buying from the D’ Arque. His task was made easier when Philip’s second son was born.

Avenant D’Arque was born with an unknown medical condition; but it was not seen until he was about nine. He would, with out warning, fall to the ground and start convulsing; afterwards he would be disorientated and incoherent. Philip took Avenant to Caen, a near by city, to have him checked out by special doctor. The doctors there had never seen such an aliment; they could not say what was causing the convulsions. All the doctors could do is offer help when the condition acted up, the doctors told Philip of a former nurse that was looking for a job, and who could help take care of Avenant. Dishearten Philip returned home with his son and the hired nurse, a man named Basile.

As soon as Felice Le Fou heard of Avenant’s condition he began a rumor it was demon based, he told people, Lady D’ Arque had been practicing witchcraft and summoned a demon that was trying to take over the young Avenant. When Philip returned with Avenant and Basile, Felice told people that Basile was the evil wizard in control of the D’ Arque household, and in a town as small as Briovera word spreads quick, and a rumor, even faster. Before long, half the town believed not only was Avenant filled with an evil spirit, but Lady Avenant as well. Both were always being stared at in town and some times even refused service, especially in many stores that were frequented buy the Le Fou’s.

It did not take long for Philip to catch on to what was happing, he refused to sit by and idly watch Le Fou ruin his family name and eventually the town. So in order to clean the air Philip called a town meeting the day before harvest, asking every one to show up so the truth could be told about everything. Fearing what might become of him if the truth got out about his deceit, Felice went to visit Philip. He tried to work out a deal that would keep him form being implemented in the truth of the deceit, asking him to blame it on one of the local farm hands or a stranger in town. But of course Philip was unyielding in his plan to expose Felice as the true demon behind the story.

With a couple of weeks till harvest, Felice began planning a way to stop Philip; he began planning an event that would drastically change the future of the family D’ Arque and of Briovera.

Felice, seemingly out of nowhere started making his son Ludovic go over and play with Avenant, and even though Philip did not trust having a Le Fou in his house he felt it was good for Avenant to have the company. A few days before the planed meeting Felice took a trip out of town, he claimed he was shorthanded for the harvest and would return with some extra workers by harvest and hopefully the meeting. Not wanting to travel all night with his son, he left Ludovic with the D’ Arque until his return. Little did Philip know Felice’s return would come before morning and would bring with it the end.

It was raining, that night and was exceptional dark. Around two o’clock in the morning Felice and about twenty hired mercenaries burst in to the home of the D’ Arque. Dressed in red flowing robes and masks they proceeded to hack, slash, and kill every one they found. When they made it up to Avenant’s room they found only Ludovic a sleep in the bed. Felice grabbed his son, awakening him, and began smearing him in blood; Ludovic fought himself free and ran. Felice followed him out the door and to the gate, shouting gibberish and calling Avenant’s name. Once he had left eyesight Felice removed his mask, and returned to help finish the massacre. After the last servant had fallen Felice noticed neither Avenant nor his nurse Basile were among the dead, fearing they may be hiding in the house he had his men set it a blaze.

When Ludovic ran all the way to town, his screaming brought everyone out to question him, but all the poor child could get out was “Demon Kill…Avenant” the towns folk gathered up arms and set out for the house. Along the way thy met Felice and his ‘new farm hands’. Together the angry mob continued on to find the former home of Philip D’ Arque half burnt and no signs of any survivors. Someone suggested going inside, and searching for survivors who may be trapped, but Felice was quick to suggest his men looking until morning. After every one returned home Felice told his hired killers to take some of the dead and bury them out in the fields, then they could take their money and return home.

Fortunately at one thirty just prior to the slaughter, Basile went to check on Avenant and found him in the middle of a seizure. He comforted the young boy until he calmed down, it was then he heard a loud crash from downstairs and then a scream, not knowing what to do Basile hide both himself and Avenant. It was from within their hidden wardrobe he saw the true faces of the attacking demons, he saw Felice Le Fou. Long after the men had left and the sun came up Basile came out of hiding to find the house in ruins, the roof had burned away to expose the insides of the crumbling house to the rain of the previous night. Charred and mutilated bodies covered the floors. Basile, almost unable to bare the gruesome scene himself, he blindfolded young Avenant and walked him down to the basement.

Back in town Felice told every one that his men had found a few survivors and they were in route to Caen for treatment at the hospital there. He also told them he finally got Ludovic to talk about what happened. He said Avenant woke up screaming and attacked Basile killing him and getting blood all over Ludovic, than chased him all the way to the gate but would not leave the grounds. So Felice told every one to stay away form the house fearing the demons may return and he did not want anyone else to die. Felice had the gates locked, hoping forever locking the truth within. Little did he know how hard it was to hide the truth.

As night began to fall, Basile left Avenant in the house and went into town to see what was going on. The entire town was talking about the beast Avenant and how he slaughtered his entire family. There was even talk about people going up to the house to finish destroying it and making sure the beast would never return, but they would never go against Felice.

Knowing it would be unsafe to take Avenant into town or even show his own face, Basile decided to try and leave town and go to Cherbourg, a large city due north. When he returned to Avenant to tell him what was going on and of his plan on going north, Avenant refused. Though he was young and did not yet truly understand the events of the previous day, he did not want to leave his home, just because everyone else had. Avenant wanted to stay and rebuild his fathers’ house and to one day retake what taken form him. Basile tried to convince him of the dangers and the eventual hardships they’d face by staying there but Avenant was set on staying.

So inside the confined walls of the former D’ Arque manor under the burnt shell of a house Avenant and Basile made a home. As Avenant grew, his condition subsided and he’d only have a seizure when he got really excited, which wasn’t often. He mostly tended their garden and read the books that they had scavenged from the library at the house, and for near ten years that’s how they lived. Through out that time, once a week Basile would sneak into town and steal a few previsions. Form the local shop windows and houses, he had become an accomplished thief and was rarely seen and never caught.


While they ‘prospered’ in their humble abode, things were not going so well in Briovera. Under the leadership of Felice Le Fou both the farms had doubled in production, but the town was falling apart. Felice was forcing any able bodied person into the fields, then after long hard hours in the field they would go home and almost starve. One time an older man finally got tired of it and confronted Felice, and again something strange happed. For almost no real reason they’d move in the middle of the night, the entire family just up and moved. Some people said the beast of Briovera ate them, little did they know.

With every trip Basile made into town he saw the town as a whole decline into a pale shadow of its former self. With every new month more people would leave, attempting to get out from under the oppressive rule of Le Fou. With The absents of D’Arque to keep Le Fou in check, he worked the people day and night relentlessly pushing them to work harder and longer with less incentive. And when they believed it could get no worse, Le Fou would push them farther.

Le Fou relied on the town workers for the first few years, but after a trip to a large plantation down south he brought back an outsider. An inventor/ mechanic named Jules Aquinas from La Rochelle. He was hired to build and maintain the farm equipment on both the southern (Le Fou) and northern (D’ Arque) farms. The word around town was that Felice only hired Jules because his now sixteen-year-old son liked, the beautiful, Adelaide Aquinas, Jules’ daughter.

Adelaide was the most beautiful young girl anyone in Briovera had ever seen, her long brown hair flowed in the air like the wigs of doves and her eyes were blue, bright like the summer morning sky. It was easy to see why Ludovic was in love with her. She quickly became known as the Beauty of Briovera. Even though she was loved by all Adelaide was very shy and did not spend much time with other people, she often would be seen in corners or up stairs with her nose in a book oblivious to the stares of the people around. All save one set of eyes, she could almost feel the eyes of young Ludovic and she did not like it.
  
It was mid spring and the Aquinas had been living in town a couple of months when, late one night during one of his scavenging trip Basile ran into Jules and they became quick friends. Soon every time Basile would come into town he’d meet Jules and they would talk. Basile was curious about the goings on in town, Jules would fill him in. It was strange though Jules would never ask Basile where he was from or why he only came out at night.

Working on both farms Jules had to travel all the way across town and pass the old D’ Arque house every day. A lot of times he’d take his daughter out in to the fields with him, at her request. She knew the only way to keep Ludovic from antagonizing her was to go where there was work to be done. On one trip pass the D’ Arque house Adelaide walked up to the gates of the house and asked her father if he believed the story of the Beast. Being of an educated mind he told her that there is some truth to all stories, but what part is true and what is not, that is the question you need to ask. Peering through the darkness she caught a glimpse of some thing darting behind a tree, it startled her and she turned and sped up to rejoin her father.

Avenant was stunned as he watched from the bushes next to the house, not only was Adelaide the only woman he had seen in years, besides pictures, she was beautiful. He had to get a closer look so he ran up to hide behind a tree, but she turned and hurried a way. Avenant then ran to the wall and climbed up and peeked over to watch the two walk the rest of the way into town. Later that night he asked Basile why, after all this time dose he still have to hide from everyone. After so much time surely no one remembers what Basile looked like, much less would they know who he was. When Basile asked him why he suddenly wanted to leave, Avenant told him of the girl he had seen and that he wished to meet her. Still unwilling to risk letting anyone find out about them, he had a different idea.

The next night Basile meet with Jules, and for the first time Jules asked him what he knew about the old D’ Arque house, and Basile smiled. All along he had know Basile was connected to the house and he knew when it was time Basile would tell him. So when Basile asked Jules to bring his daughter to the gates of the old house and he would tell them the story, Jules was eager to.

When Jules and his daughter met Basile in front of the crumbling house he filled them in a little, telling them he and his friend had been living there for over ten years. He told them that his friend is a little shy, being that they were going to be the first people he had seen in all that time.

He lead them through a hole in the wall and around to the back yard to a large door leading down in to the basement. Inside they found a simple home, a couple of chairs, a table, and two beds against the wall. Adelaide noticed the numerous piles of books and asked who the reader was, Avenant stepped from the shadows frightening Adelaide, and told her he had read every one at least a dozen times. Avenant apologized for frightening her again, and they set down to eat. It wasn’t till after dinner, when Basile asked Avenant to take Adelaide outside and show her the garden, that he told Jules the whole truth to their simple yet complicated life.

Outside Adelaide walked arm and arm with a nervous Avenant as they strolled through the garden, much like what was going on inside, Avenant was telling her of their past; and about the evil people in town that wanted to kill him just because he was different. It surprised her how little Avenant knew about what was going on outside the walls he lived behind. She started to tell him of the rumors and stories that everyone was spreading in town. About how he supposedly is a demon and how he killed every one in the house. The news proved to be too much for him to bear and he went in to a seizure. Adelaide ran and got Basile to help him. The three of them ran to his aid, when they got their the seizure had subsided and he was just laying there.

Jules told Adelaide to stay and help Basile with Avenant, while he ran into town. After leaving the house Jules rode straight to the home of Felice Le Fou, and burst in.

He confronted Felice and asked him if what Basile said was true. Felice turned white as a sheet and called for his son, at that moment Jules realized his foolishness, could tell by the look in his eyes that Le Fou would not let him live, much less let him out of the house. Still he turned to run, but Ludovic was blocking the door holding a large knife and a bat. Ludovic started after Jules, who was running for the open window, catching him just before he leaped over the rail. Felice walked out on the balcony and asked Jules how he had learned the truth, and Jules said nothing. It wasn’t until Felice threatened Adelaide that Jules told him he had been meeting Basile at night on his way back from the north fields. Jules begged for his daughters life don’t worry your daughter will be safe with me Ludovic sneered then with one hand he pulled Jules head back and slit is throat.

Ludovic then went into town and yet again told every one the Beast was back and that it had killed Jules and was keeping Adelaide the beauty of Briovera. It did not take long before the entire town was up in arms and ready to march on the house. And so that they did, headed by both Felice and Ludovic. The war party reached the gates just as the sun was going down, they tore the rusted gate off the hinges and advanced up to the house. As they closed in Ludovic stopped them and told them he’d go in first and if he did not come out in fifteen minuets the beast had got him and to burn the house down around them.

Basile could hear the crowds’ shouts and knew someone would be soon crashing through the door with the intent of killing them, all of them. He ran over to his bed and retrieved a sword; he told Adelaide to hide with Avenant and not to come out until every thing was over, with that Basile readied himself.

Ludovic stood over the doors for a second than kicked them in, as soon as he did Basile attacked, wounding Ludovic in the right arm. In his prime Basile may have been a challenge for Ludovic, but instead the first attack was the only one that hit, Ludovic easily ran him through with a laugh. He then began to search the basement for Adelaide.

Behind the door, under the steps, Avenant had awakened with a jerk and kicked the wall, Ludovic heard the sound and walked over to the door and opened it. When he did Adelaide jumped out hitting Ludovic in the face with a pan, she turned and ran to the door, with Ludovic right behind her. Avenant stepped out of the door with sword in hand and called out to Ludovic, the sound of his voice stopped him in his tracks, and he turned to face his old friend Avenant.

They stood for a second sizing each other up, then with a shout charged each other and began to fight, though Ludovic was more skilled, Avenant vastly over powered him. Every attack made by Avenant was blocked, but was so powerful it left Ludovic staggered to the point he could not retaliate. Avenant was relentless, blow after blow, and then finally Ludovic fell to a knee. He looked up to Avenant and begged for forgiveness and started to cry. Avenant took compassion on his old friend and put his sword down, turned and started to walk to Adelaide. After his back was turned Ludovic picked up the sword and leapt at Avenant, who with warning from Adelaide turned and slapped the sword form his hand and pulled him into a headlock. There he told him he was sorry and wished it did not have to end that way and broke his neck.

It was then the smell of smoke filled the air. Avenant and Adelaide ran for the door, when they made it out they stood face to face with Felice and half the town. The crowd was motionless, not knowing what to think. Avenant grabbed Felice and pushed him to the ground and held the sword to his throat. He looked around at the people and then looked back down to Felice and smiled. He told Felice to confess or die, he told him to reveal the truth behind the death of the D’ Arque, and the missing towns people, he told him to reveal the true beast. Felice did just that he told of his hired hands and the slaughter, and even the unmarked graves in the north fields.

The crowds of people stood amazed at the truth, after Felice’s confession the crowds cried out for Avenant to slay the beast. Unwilling to sink to his level and kill an unarmed person Avenant refused and told everyone it would be a greater punishment to let him live and feel the stares of hatred from every one. He threw down his sword and reached down to help Le Fou up.

The towns’ people glared at Le Fou as he slowly walked through the crowds heading back to town. After he had passed the first of the people an older shopkeeper asked Avenant who he was, and where he came from. It took a second for him to respond, he wasn’t sure they would accept him even after the truth was out. So he told him his ‘father’ Basile had never named him, he was just called son. The shopkeeper shook his head and said that would not do, since he cleared the name he should take on the name of Avenant D’ Arque, and asked him to reclaim the lands that once belonged to the family.

That he did, moving into the former house of Felice Le Fou and taking charge of both farms, he became as loved as Philip D’ Arque once was, but the love of the town was not the only he had won. Adelaide and Avenant were married and soon had a son.

My father told me to always remember the story of my grandfathers’ death and never let the truth be forgotten, or let it be tainted with the stories of the people. I still don’t understand why people feel the need to cling to fairytales of myth, magic, and beasts, nor will I ever, for this will be my last telling of the story. I regret I will not live through the night. I pray this story does not die with me

Basile D’ Arque

 

 

Copyright © 2001 Christopher Grady
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"