Fall Harvest Moon

Chapter 6: The Ritual

Aurora's mind was spinning, Axel was trying to break the Moon Goddess's curse and his plan included her, her sister's blood. Chills ran through her body as her eyes focused on the claw marks on the walls, her mind was screaming at her look away as horrible thoughts ran through her mind that would have caused scratch marks that deep into the walls.

Shutting her eyes and internally screaming, Aurora felt a surge of energy rush to her limbs and she managed to make a complete fist and move her legs. Then right after, it felt like a wave had crashed over her and made her feel weak again as she continued to exhaust her muscles against the potions magic that limited her body like a doll. That thought made her angry, she didn't want to be Axel's doll, his sacrifice nor want to help him in any way to break the curse. Another powerful anger filled surge helped her make another fist as she let out a grunt of frustration she heard a sound that made her heart stop.

"Tsk tsk," Axel was back, Aurora couldn't help to be surprised, he was so silent for such a huge wolf. "This little wolf can't sit still, like a good little wolf should" She scowled at him, only her family ever called her that name. She hated the way he called her that, she kept her hand clenched in a fist. He picked up a small pot that was on the table, "This should help you relax" Suddenly he was standing beside her in the room, he was so fast. Aurora looked at the open door behind him and wished she could fly. Axel placed the pot on the floor beside her, removing the lid and then quickly left the room as green fog slowly started to rise. "Wouldn't want you to to get lost out there at night, never know who could be out there" he chuckled.

Auroras heart sank as she thought of who could be out there, someone looking for her. Her parents must have noticed she was gone by now. The green fog swirled around Aurora as she felt like it was carrying her afloat. Axel chuckled "Witches truly are amazing, are they not." she couldn't fight against it as her eyes closed and she drifted further into her unconscious.

Aurora felt so exhausted from trying to regain control earlier, drifting through the green fog felt peaceful and quiet. She wanted to relax and let it carry her away. Something was itching at the back of her mind preventing her complete comfort. The more she tried to push it away, the more it bothered her. Everytime she felt an itch, she thought she heard something, like a faint whisper. It bothered her and she wanted to drift away from it. She opened her eyes and saw a celestial display of shimmering purple sky above her. Like million shimmering stars, inviting her to float away forever. It felt as if the green mist was carrying her closer and further in. she was willing to follow the flow but that pestering itch kept her looking back. Behind her was a dark abyss that felt cold and scared her, the green mist was so inviting like a field of green cotton, she just wanted to lay back and stare into the purple shimmering sky, something was beckoning from the abyss, causing her to look back and stopping her from fully enjoying the experience.

Staring in amazement at the scene in front of her, she had a dawning realization... Is this heaven? Did Axel finish her off too? At that thought, a sudden shock changed the once beautiful scene into a dark environment that gave her chills. The once bright green mist that was inviting to lay back upon turned into a foggy green swamp that she didn't want to touch. The purple shimmering sky turned into dark dull violet clouds that she wanted to get away from. The pestering itcb that she tried to get away from overtook her body and made her extremely uncomfortable. A voice from the dark abyss she first wanted away from, broke through the surrounding clouds "Aurora!!!!"

Feeling the chilling green swamp mist around her feet, Aurora turned towards the dark abyss and ran towards the voice calling her. It was like running through quicksand or deep snow, Aurora struggled against the surrounding clouds and once she broke though into the abyss, she felt herself falling. She closed her eyes again and hoped she made the right choice.

It felt as if she landed against a cold hard surface, her limbs felt so heavy, they were no help, she barely felt them beside her at all. She was afraid the fall broke them, then she became aware that it all happened in her mind. She tried to open her eyes but something was blocking her vision. Did Axel blindfold her? She tried to move her limbs but an intense burning made her stop. Wolfsbane? Silver? God it hurts...

"Are those too tight? Good... Don't know how you did it, but the last batch wore off too quickly." She heard Axel in front of her as she sat tied to what she thought was a chair. He lifted her blindfold and replace it... with a veil? It was thin enough Aurora could see they were no longer in the cave and now outside. Aurora looked down at her arms and saw the stinging pain was coming from the ropes that had her tied to a chair. What is this? Shimmering lights that reminded her of the place she just was, shone in front of her. Are those people?

Aurora mind was so foggy and she wished it everything would stop spinning for one second. Every movement brought pain to her tied arms and legs, whatever the rope was made of stung her like salt on a wound. Struggling to even her breathing, the gag over her mouth made it more difficult calm down. It made every breath sting her throat, it felt like she was inhaling glass. Aurora's eyes widen in shock, she tried to scream but couldn't.

"About that ... couldn't have you interrupting the ritual, wolfsbane's not so bad .... once you immune to it."

Auroras eyes watered and the tears could not be stopped, everything hurt and she wished she didn't come back for this. Who's voice was that? Surely it wasn't Axel who cared to help her, the voice brought her comfort as she felt it was so familiar. An involuntary sob cause her to take a deep breath and the pain almost knocked her out. Her eyes rolled back and she felt like she was going to pass out again. With her eyes closed she felt that pestering itch in the back of her mind demanding her attention, away from what was happening she thought she should finally just focus on it.

The more Aurora focused on that itch, the more it began to pound in her head, once it got to be too much, Aurora wished she hadn't bothered it at all. Just as she was about to black out from the pain from the ropes and the pounding headache, she internally screamed as she did not dare inhale more wolfsbane from the gag. She collapsed against the chair she was tied to as she felt the pain in her head pulse on more time before a shock cause her eyes to open once again. "AURORA!!! You did It!!! You broke the barrier that damn wolfsbane potion on me."

Aurora's was in bliss as she finally heard the voice she desperately wished to hear once again "...Zara.... I missed you .. I'm so tired.... can you please take me home?"

"I'm so so sorry love... I can't help you. There's silver in the ropes, I can't break them. Get out of the ropes, and remove the wolfsbane, I'll get us away from here" Zara was anxious to get out, she was circling like a wild caged animal and Aurora wished she could help her. "These damn ropes" she thought. "what the heck is going on? what is this woman saying?"

Aurora tried to focus on the woman she heard speaking in a strange foreign language, Aurora had no idea what she was saying but she didn't like the tone and when she opened her eyes again she saw more detail now with Zara's help. Through the veil she saw a crowd of people standing with in robes and holding candles. They spoke in unison whenever the woman finished a verse. It gave Aurora chills, the chair was cold and hard, it felt like solid wood. "Maybe we can break the chair if not the ropes" . Zara eagerly agreed and tried to help look for an escape.

The ropes and gag made it extremely difficult to move without causing stinging pain. "how could I even move enough to break a chair?"

Aurora's eyes widen and her heart beat faster as she realized the woman behind her stopped speaking and all was quiet. Axel/Rune stood beside her and started to give a speech stating as they waited for the blood moon at midnight, he wanted to thank his loyal followers for supporting him on this special night.

Aurora could not stop her body from shaking which was causing waves of pain from the ropes to burn through her. She had to somehow get herself out of this mess, she tried to fight against the crushing waves of pain and focus on gaining strength like what she did earlier in the cave using anger. But to her surprise, Axel swiped the ropes and they fell to the ground in a heap. It was like the silver had no effect on him, and that scared her. What wolf was immune to wolfsbane and silver? Zara didn't like that thought either and she couldn't not help but slightly bow against the power aura Axel was emitting. How is he strong? Aurora gasped as he picked her up and held her arms pinned to her side, he spun her around to face the crowd and to her horror she saw the moon was started to turn red above them.

The woman whom Aurora assumed was the witch that was for some reason helping Axel. Started a chant and the crowd was repeating after her.

Axel lowered his fangs next to Aurora's ear and growled "Soon I'll be a full hybrid and you'll carry my mark, like them you'll share your power with me. Everything owed to me will be mine.'

Aurora had no idea what he was talking about, her mind was racing at the thought of him being full hybrid and she will be his mate, she would rather die on this spot then to let that happen. Zara was snarling trying to shift but Aurora still had the gag on that was preventing her to fully take control. Aurora could not scream as she felt Axel's hot breath trail down from her ear to her neck, she cried despite the pain from the gag as she felt his fangs over the her marking spot. Her arms still pinned to her side. The last thing the witch said to Axel was "Remember, don't drink too much, SHE needs to live!!!"

Auroras knees gave out as she felt Axel's fangs pierce her skin. She felt herself go limp in Axel's arms as he lifted his head and let out a deafening howl.