Blood Moon

2. Strong Spell

Luna's red eyes burned and a sharp pain pulsed in his neck, making him kneel in agony. What is this? A tremor took over the body he possessed and he convulsed on the floor. He felt his control slipping as a force started to pull him forward, away from the body. Silent incantation went past her lips and his eyes widened. What creature is this?

"Come out." The moment those words left her lips he was pulled out. From Legosi's body, an apparition was extracted. As his body slumped to the floor, the smoke like figure started to take shape. He stood on full height, his humongous body covered in green scales with ooze flowing out from it. His face was snake like but his mouth was filled with many sharp pointed teeth. Saliva dripped from his maw as he stared at her in disbelief. Luna scrunched her nose at the overwhelming smell of rotting corpse that emanated from him.

A furious expression appeared on his already hideous face and he lunged forward, fangs bared and hands equipped with sharp talon like nails stretched forward. Luna's hand moved. The sound of blade cutting through air was all that was heard before something fell on the ground and the devil jumped away in alarm. He looked down and blanched in surprise. It was his arm. His eyes darted to his left side and then the pain registered. He yelped, clutching his decapitated arm. I didn't see her move!

The rage in his eyes faltered, replaced by fear. A cruel smile appeared on Luna's face as she twisted her scimitar. She laughed and said, "Go back to hell."

Then she lunged forward.

When the other townsfolk arrived, they were overcome by the putrid smell that filled the place, some even wretching by the fence. Only a few managed to reach the door and when they spotted the mutilated devil's corpse, the numbers lessened even more. Luna stood by the fireplace, Legosi's unconscious self dangling at her shoulder. On her hand, Luna clutched the witch's prayer book.

The chief rushed inside, Rigel following right after, making the others back away. "Are you alright, lass?"

"I am. But someone must clean this up fast before it attracts anymore danger."

"Yes, of course." The chief gestured to the men and the ones with stronger guts started cleaning the mess. Luna stepped out and slung Legosi's sleeping form on Rigel. "Hold him for a bit will you. We'll keep an eye on him until he wakes up." She pat his head softly and he huffed, stomping happily ahead of her.

They settled him on a sycamore tree just a way away from the borders of the village. There was a knot on his forehead and his face was set on an agonizing grimace. Luna sat on the tree adjacent to him, waiting for him to wake up on his own accord. Rigel laid himself down beside her and placed his massive head on her lap. Luna scratched him behind his ear and he snuggled closer. Exhaustion creeped into her bones, willing her to close her eyes and succumb to it.

That was the scene that Legosi woke up to. His raging headache made his eyes lose its focus and when everything steadied, his vision was met by an ethereal face resting by the shade of the tree infront of him. He recognized her face. It was Luna, both feared and admired in his village. Asleep she looked as if she wasn't strong enough to kill devils on her own. He looked down and blanched. "That's one hell of a beast right there."

The wolf was the height of a stallions shoulder with back the size of a backgammon. His paws were the size of a human babe and his sharp teeth glinted under the sunlight. This was a beast worthy of leading a pack yet there it was, snuggling close to a girl not even half his size.

Legosi's gray eyes remained trained at Luna's face when suddenly, memories of last night came rushing in. The demon! And he stopped for a moment.  Vaga!

He bolted upright, clutching his head when it throbbed at the sudden movement. He was about to run towards Vaga's home when someone spoke.

"Stop."

Legosi looked down and saw Luna, her amber eyes gazing lazily at him. "She's dead. You wouldn't like what you would see if you went there."

Like a puppet cut of from its strings, he slumped back down. He was shaking everywhere, beads of sweat forming near his brows. "I-I killed h-her?"

"No, the devil did." Luna tossed something to him, landing on his lap. When he looked, it was Vaga's prayer book, stains of blood decorating its covers.

"He used your body, you are not responsible for the actions it made when you were not in control. If I had any choice I'd let you sulk here to your heart's content but you can't. The blood moon is arriving sooner than expected and Vaga's not even half done on placing barriers on all the homes in here."

Legosi's jaw tightened, his fist clenching around the small book. "I don't know how to cast spells yet."

"I know. Your magic, its faint. It's understandable that you haven't awakened yet, it hasn't been long since she started teaching you. But we don't have the leisure of waiting until next year for you to learn, as of now you only have two weeks to finish casting spells." Luna relied, slowly rising from her seat.

"I need more time than that, as of now all I'm capable of is healing illnesses here and there-"

"Casting barriers is not very different from healing incantations, the difference is that you place the protection on a piece of land and not a person." Luna walked up to him, kneeling one knee infront of him. She placed a gentle hand on his chin and slowly lifted his face, looking deep into his eyes.

This is one kind man.

His eyes were clouded over with worry and fear, but not of the evil that approaches, but fear of not being able to protect his fellow men. Warmth radiated off him, the coldness in his eyes only a front. She sensed gentleness within him but he didn't lack resolve or braveness. A witch with a qualities of a warrior. Luna nodded in approval. Vaga had made a right choice.

"I can help you. You have enough resolve and faith, that is all that you need to conjure strong spells. You are young, no matter how great a witch Vaga was, age had decreased the strength of her spells and that is one you have yet to worry about. Do you accept my help?"

Skepticism was etched on Legosi's face as he gazed at her. "You're no witch. How would you be able to help me?"

"Witches uses emotion to conjure strong spells, I can help push all those out. I've known Vaga longer than you did. I've seen her at work and learned a lot from her. She knew this might happen and prepared before hand. I might be an unlikely coach but I am your last chance. I repeat, do you accept my help?" She stood up, extending a hand to him. Legosi seemed to have an internal struggle, breathing deeply. He looked up at her eyes, his blazing intensely, then back at her hand. He started to raise his hand when Luna cut him off.

"Before you accept my hand, there's something we must agree with. There will be some personal secrets I will be forced to show to you if I am to help you become a witch. You need to swear on your honor and in Vaga's name that you won't reveal it. It won't be nice for you or any of the people here if you open your mouth." She said sternly, staring deeply to his eyes.

Determination was clear in his eyes and he nodded, clutching her hand.

She brought him back to the village, looking about. "Which of these houses has the most number of children?" Luna asked him. He appeared to be confused but he replied. "That would be Mr. Jefferson's house, he has four young boys and three girls, two of them only a babe." "Let's go there."

Once they reached the home, they were greeted by the Father of the house. "Luna, Legosi, what a very unlikely pair."

"If you may allow us, Mr. Jefferson, we would like Legosi's to cast his first barrier here, in your abode."

Mr. Jefferson and Legosi's eyes widened. "What!?"

"It would be my pleasure, but I must admit, I do not think I deserve such privilege."

"Ah, but it is not you that we worry about, Mr. Jefferson, but your children." Mr. Jefferson looked behind him where his children were playing and genuine gladness appeared in his face. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"What are you talking about!? I just told you, I don't know how to cast barriers yet!" He whispered to her harshly.

Luna looked at him impassively and pushed him forward. "Do you have your book of incantations?"

"Yes, but I already told you-"

"Pull it out."

"I told you-"

"Pull it out. You want me to help you? Do as I say." Legosi breathed deeply, his jaw tightening. He pulled out his book of incantations. He flipped to the the page where the Barrier incantations was placed. He looked in front of him and saw Mr. Jefferson's and his children's expecting eyes and he shivered.

"I can't do it, Luna."

"Do it."

He trembled but he clenched his teeth once and started reading. Wind gushed through the house and green smoke rose on the fence. Sweat trickled down his forehead as the wind got stronger. He was nearing the end of the incantations and the barrier has not yet solidified.

"Is that all you got? A month of training under Vaga and you can't make barriers? Look infront of you! Those children are going to die! If you don't learn now, you won't learn ever!" Legosi trembled, struggling to finish the words. The smoke was already diminishing, a few phrases and it will end in vain. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to meet the disappointed looks on the children's eyes.

"Open your eyes! Look around you!" Reluctantly, he opened his eyes looking around and seeing the crowd that gathered around them. "They're all going to die and you know it, Legosi! The same way Vaga did, mutilated and terrified. Can you bear with that?" An image flashed into his mind. It was Vaga's face, filled with grief and terror as a hand with talon like nails ripped her apart. Anger surged within him and the smoke intensified once more. "Every children, women, and men, dead before we reach the 14th. Can y our conscience handle that?"

Flashbacks appeared in his mind. Dark room only lit by the small fire in the furnace that was slowly being extinguished by the blood that pooled around it. Him hiding under the bed as he watched his family being torn apart. Grief and anger coarsed within him and the incantations went past his lips in a blur. As he neared the end of the last phrase, he felt heat rising to his chest, his voice getting loder as he said the last words. The smoke rose higher until it covered the whole house. The smoke started to clear from the bottom until it disappeared with a loud force, making the people take a step back. But the same time it did not disappear. Around the home the air seemed to thicken, the people behind the barrier almost being blurred out. The barrier was visible.

Legosi looked up at his creation, barely believing it. He huffed, turning around to look at Luna with wild eyes.

What just happened?

A small smile appeared on Luna's face and she approached him, tugging his arm so they could

walk past the stunned crowd. "W-what was that?"

"Every first time you cast a particular spell, it comes out stronger than the next time you make it. But of course, after years of experience you can surpass it. I just wanted your first barrier to be cast on the home that would attract the demons most." Luna slowed her steps and turned to him.

"But I must say, that was pretty strong. It was the first time I saw a barrier that was visible, not even Vaga was able to do that." Before Legosi could reply, Luna let out a low whistle. Rigel hastened his steps and went to her side. She ran her fingers on his head gently.

"I'm a bit tired, mind if I ride on you?" Rigel lifted his head and huffed, scraping his paws on the ground. Luna then took it as a sign of approval and settled herself on his back.

"Wait, where are you going? We're not done yet!" Legosi said.

"I'm going up the mountain to scout for any remaining demons. Stay here and take a rest, you need it. You can continue casting barrier spells when you're done." She tapped Rigel's neck and the big animal lunged, running into the woods and up the mountain.

Legosi slumped on his bed, finally feeling the exhaustion. he reveled in both relief and gladness after being able to cast a barrier. but still, in the back of his mind, he still saw the images burned at he back of his mind. the same images that never let him be at peace. as he laid there in his bed still as death, the howls from the mountain came.

The sound traveled great distances, reverberating from the peak of the mountain down in to the bottom, sending warning for the coming bloodshed that as about to decorate the land. then, a girl entered his mind. ebony black hair and amber eyes, the girl was a beauty. she reeked of intelligence and secrets, seeming to know the darkest part of your soul with one look. without her, he wouldn't have been able to escape the demon's clutches. he would've been stuck in his own body powerless, only a spectator of how the demon plans on doing with his body until he is finally devoured completely. he owed his life to her, the while village does. yet, oddly enough, she is treated with repulsion and fear by the villagers except by the high chief and chieftess. she gave of an aura of danger and mystery, but it was not enough reason for them to forget that without her, they would be unguarded and vulnerable to the creatures that lurked in the darkness of the forest.

She was the one who warned them of any incoming calamities and curses that would sweep over the land. Her inhumane abilities gives her the power to perceive the warnings the nature is giving off. Despite her beauty, she was not able to capture the hearts of the villagers and those who dared to cross her, their animosity were thwarted by the humongous wolf that always stood beside her. She was a

mystery. As Legosi's eyes fluttered shut, she was the last thing in his mind.