{Excerpt+Giveaway} A BEAST SO BEAUTIFUL by Carlyle Labuschagne

Leaves touch down on the forest floor in stark hues of red, orange, and yellow against the dark earth. The wind emits a slow whistle as it swirls around thick stumps of towering oak trees, kicking up a fine layer of silt that dances in the rays of the rising sun. From this day on, autumn will always be Prince Leif’s favorite season. It’s the season the young prince is now associating with hope and renewal after being buried in the dark, stifling tomb of grief, betrayal, and regret for what felt like an eternity. Autumn is also the color of Avelyn’s hair, the spirited heroine responsible for saving him from his devouring demons. Avelyn, the girl who knows his deepest, darkest secret and guards it as if it were her own.
When the temperature drops suddenly, Leif is pulled from his musings. Around the four Rurith warriors, the trees hunker in as if shielding themselves against the outside world; or shielding the outside world from something within. Ahead of Prince Leif and the three other riders, including his father, King Ivar, the soft haze of blue light dissipates in the shadows of the narrowing woods as they head in on horseback, their pure silver chest plates glinting in the last of the light.
The drastic change in the environment marks the border into uncharted woodlands. Beyond the Finmar Fields lies the dark Huntmar Woodlands— feared by peasants and warriors alike for its clawing branches that have been said to devour any man entering. But fear is a merciful luxury the high rank of his most deadly kingsmen need not indulge in. The king, his high guards, and the young price cross the threshold out of desperation to track, hunt, and exterminate their enemy.
A big, black beast has been glimpsed near the border of Rurith Kingdom a few times. Its existence has threatened the safety of their scouts, their livestock, and the villagers for far too long. No man or woman has survived an attack yet. It is now up to these four warriors to hunt and bring back the menace’s decaying body that has plagued their people for the last few years.
The melodic trot of the horses’ hooves reverberates off the dense bark of pine trees, the light fading by their clumping. The bigger birds and forest animals have been pushed out by the mesh of ivy and cutting holly. The forest becomes even darker as gigantic trees spike to the heavens strangling any light that may come through. The path thins until they have run out of a clear trail entirely. The tang of rich soil and a strange sent from yellow flowers circling tree stumps set the scene for what seems like a beautiful journey. For the first time in his existence, Prince Leif feels hope and pride swell his chest. Has his father finally forgiven him? He wonders why today of all days would he take him on a quest.
They zigzag through the thick of the forest, caved in by branches, brush, and thick, blanketing fog. Prince Leif takes in the lush surroundings, his eyes accustomed to the dark. His heighted sense of smell breathes in the pines, dark soil, and something else. He can appreciate the beauty of the outside world in any form. It has been nearly six years since he’s been inside a gloomy tower with little to no sunlight, and ashamedly, as a coming-of-age prince, he has to ride pillion with his guardian Eric due to lack of skill.
There is break in the darkness as the awakening day steals through the canopy of trees, the soft hoot of an owl makes its presence known, and King Ivar takes this as a warning sign to leave the horses behind. He’s always been a superstitious man, and no one can blame him after the strange circumstances to the death of his true love, the last queen of Rurith.