Blood Moon

Amalia

Silence ensued as the child trembled before them. Legosi had a confused look on his face while Luna and Augustus paled. After a few seconds Luna bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind her. “I’ll just-”  Augustus’ eyes drifted from the child and at the door, finding the right words to say. “Keep her safe here, Legosi.”

With that, Augustus followed suit, leaving Legosi and the distressed child alone. He could hear their muffled voices as it faded over the distance. Luna’s tone was panicked and frantic, Augutus’ calming.

He ached to follow them, to know whatever it was that only the two of them knew, but it felt as if his feet were stuck on the ground. The sound of the child shivering kept him in place. He looked at her, her body curled and her fingers shaking on her lap. Sighing deeply, he sank down on one knee. He placed a reassuring hand on the child’s face, smiling warmly. “It’s alright, you don’t have to talk about it again if you don’t want to.”

Her dark eyes which were focused on staring at her intertwined fingers slowly rose, meeting his with uncertainty. Tears were brimming in her eyes and her lips were slightly pouted. He sank lower on the ground, spreading his arms wide. She looked at him, unsure of what to do, then she edged closer and closer to him until she snuggled up to his neck. He embraced her in his arms, soothing her.

Outside, Luna paced all over the tall grass, her breath coming in fast and shallow. Rigel whimpered at her side, his eyes following her panicked movements. “He knows I’m here, I’m sure of it.” Her fingers curled in her scalp, her eyes wide and crazed. “The deceiver told me so, they know me, and they know I exist, Augustus. He’s here for me!”

“You were going to come after him anyway, Luna.” Augustus tried to calm her, failing at it so horribly.

“Not this soon,” She whispered under her breath. “Not this soon, Augustus.”

“We’re not sure whether it was a sentinel yet, Luna-“

“What else could it be?” She snapped, her eyes ablaze. “Is there anything else aside from their King himself, who’s strong enough to bring down a group of Baganis?”

“When I met Legosi, he was possessed by a demon, that demon told me they were trying to find me, and that they knew who I was. Back then I thought it was because I was killing them off, but with everything I discovered, it can’ be just that.” She shook her head, stopping in her tracks. “They want something from me.”

“And what do you plan on doing?” Augustus stiffened, his eyes glaring at her. “Leave?”

“What else?” She asked incredulously. “It would be much safer if I left, God knows how many of those beasts will swarm down her just to take me away.”

“And you’ll just leave us here to fend for ourselves? Legosi is determined to learn and to fight once the blood moon starts, for once, there might be a chance that there will be no deaths and you’re just going to let him do this on his own?”

“I’m trying to make it easier for you!”

“No!” He snapped back, his voice echoing. From inside, Legosi froze as he was tucking the girl in. The little girl stiffened when she noticed his alarm so he went back to smiling, caressing her forehead. “It’s alright you can go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up.

The child looked up for a moment before sleepiness overcame her system and she fell to a deep slumber.

“You’re trying to run away, Luna!” Augustus bellowed, silencing her. “You want to leave, not because you are concerned for the well-being of the people here, but because you’re scared.”

“If you were truly concerned, you’d stay. You should know that no matter if you go or stay, they will come here. It knows that you are here, this will be the first place it will raid to find you. Every single person in this place will die, and their blood will be on your hands if you leave.” He breathed heavily, his skin tinted red with anger.

Luna slowly sunk on to her knees, her heart pounding. Rigel approached her, l*****g her hands and pushing his warm fur close to her cheeks. She stayed like that for what felt like an hour until she raised her head, the expression on her face now calm. She caressed Rigel and swallowed the lump on her throat. She bit her lip and drew a long breath before meeting Augustus’ gaze. “I’m sorry.” She ran a hand down her face and started massaging her head with her fingers. “I didn’t mean to do that, I was just...”

“Scared.” He finished for her. 

It took a while before she nodded her head shamefully, burying her face in her hands. “I understand how you feel, but this is no time to feel disheartened. I will not allow you to leave, we’re relying on you, and many of us here are. Now, in no means is it your responsibility to keep us alive, but running away is not much of an option and you know you need help.” Augustus gently lowered himself in front of her, placing his hand on top of her head. It felt so much like having a younger sibling, warming his heart.

They heard the sound of footsteps behind them and they turned. Legosi looked at them, his eyes questioning. The look on his eyes said that it would be useless to lie to him. Augustus sighed, “This will be a long explanation.”

“Tell us now,” King Ulysses urged him, staring him down. King Xerxe’s lips quivered for a moment before he straightened himself.

“The last time we had a sister was eighteen years ago.” He said, his voice trembling. He spoke as if every word that came out of his mouth was making his tongue rot inside his mouth. “She came to the church as a young girl from one of the noble families. She grew up under the care of the sisters and has been serving the church since then. She said her vows when she came of age. During that time the church was still writing annual prophecies. When she aided on the making of the prophecies, she soon became recognized. She became a pivotal part of its making. Her name was Sister Adaline. She was known to be the one who had the gift of God’s wisdom, receiving more than half of the prophecies written. Then it all stopped.”

King Xerxes’ stopped for a moment, his eyes sweeping the room. “I will not claim to know the truth and I am not certain that the words that will come out of my mouth is true, it is mere tell-tale stories passed down in hushed voices on the streets and I don’t recommend that you believe them.” His face was stern but beads of sweat formed on his temple.

“It was told that she was possessed…” gasps filled the room, even King Harold looked shocked.

“A woman pledged to God, possessed inside the church’s walls?” King Alexus had disbelief written on his face.

“As I’ve said, it is merely a rumor. These are not my words, I will not dare soil the Church!” King Xerxes bellowed, panic evident in his face. His kingdom relied a lot on the support of the church, what he was saying could lead to his demise.

“Finish it quick, King Xerxes.” King Michael himself was showing curiosity.

King Xerxes pursed his lips and then proceeded. “It was told that she was possessed by one of the seven sentinels. The priests gave no confirmation and before we could delve deeper into the incident, she disappeared. The Church won’t say what happened and they’re even denying her existence now, but my opinion remains the same. I can’t prove to you that the stories were true and I don’t think it means anything to us now.”

“No one could prove that it is true just as much as it can’t be proven to be false.” King Xanadu interrupted him.

“Why is it important that we get our hand on this child, suppose that she exists?” King Michael questioned him. “Is it to kill it?”

“We’ll have to figure that part out when we get a hold of it.” King Ulysses said.

“And what would you have us do? Search for this child blindly?” King Alexus asked.

A smirk appeared on his face and he shook his head. “Oh, we won’t need to search for the demon’s offspring. She’ll show herself soon enough.”

Luna, Augustus, and Legosi sat by the fire, their faces grim. “So what you’re saying to me is that there’s a possibility that we may face more than what we bargained for on the blood moon?” Legosi asked Luna.

“Yes.” She replied.

Legosi slumped on his seat, running his fingers in his hair. “Do you still want to continue?” Luna asked him.

“You speak as if I have much of a choice. It doesn’t matter if things became worse, I had already decided to fight. There’s no changing that now.” He said confidently. There was no contempt or even a tiny sliver of fear in his eyes, just frustration. Luna felt surprised by his answer, but his silver eyes gazed at hers with certainty. He was not backing down.

“I haven’t learned much yet, but I’ll do my best. The blood moon is only a few days away. I’ll be sure to do as much as I could and more to improve.” Legosi continued. He was frustrated that he was not as strong as they were, placing no blame on Luna for causing more danger. Augustus smiled gently on his seat.

The sun was setting now and exhaustion was creeping into their systems. “I think it would be best if you stayed here tonight Luna.” Legosi suggested. Before she could reply, Rigel made a big yawn and slumped his heavy body on the floor. She chuckled. “Yes, I think so too.”

As the night progressed, Luna chose to settle on the floor. The child was still on the bed and even flinched when she came in but she made no move. On the floor, Legosi laid out some hay and covered it with a thick large cloth which served as her bed. Legosi did the same downstairs which he and Augustus will be sharing.

Rigel also came into the room, refusing to be hauled out. Any attempt to pick him up from Legosi was considered as a gesture of affection which only prompted him to bounce more energetically until Legosi decided to let him be. The large dog even snuggled up to the child, easing her nerves despite Luna being in the same room. But just in case, Luna tucked a dagger underneath her bed. Not soon after that, she fell asleep.

When Luna opened her eyes, she stood in the middle of a clearing in the woods. Thick fog settled on the forest floor, covering up to the bottom of her knees. There was no one else around. The light shone only on the clearing but the woods that surrounded it was shrouded in darkness. When she looked up, the moon was shining brightly at the sky, so large and intimidating. Then, what seemed to be a drop of blood appeared on the center of the glowing moon, spreading outwards into the sky until the whole horizon bled red. “This is a dream.” She whispered to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to wake herself up, but then she heard something.

“There you are…” A sinister voice spoke. Luna tensed, her eyes looking around. “Do you not know who I am?” The voice spoke again. The voice was oddly familiar, but hoarse and faded.

“No.” She replied curtly. From behind the darkness, a figure emerged. The figure came closer, her head low and her hair concealing her face. Luna moved to a fighting stance. “Do you truly not know who I am?”

“I said no!” She spat angrily. But then the stranger lifted her face. Luna froze. It was her, but not quite. It was monstrous. Her ears were elongated, eyes with slits in the middle like a snake’s. Sharp teeth protruded past her lips and her skin was scaly and smelled of rotten flesh. “You know who I am.” The figure mockingly said. “I am you.”

“No!” She screamed, trembling anger. She laughed. “Look at yourself.” With a wave of a hand, the fog cleared. Water emerged from underneath. In it, she saw a reflection of herself. Her eyes were a normal shade of brown now, skin a natural tan. She looked more human. “I am you, you are me. We’re two different parts of a whole.” She tried to approach her, but Luna stomped her foot on the ground, her eyes ablaze. “Don’t go near me!”

Wind gushed and the monstrous woman stopped in her tracks, as if being held back by a force. She scowled for a second but then her lips immediately stretched.

“I don’t have to,” She smirked. “I am inside you.”

“Do you think you can save these stray dogs you picked up on the side of the road out of your so-called pity?” it laughed. “What’s the name? Legosi? Augustus?”

“You’re only helping them out because you need them for something. You are not as kind as you think. You’re just doing these things to assure yourself that you are capable of emotions, that you are set apart from the other hybrids.” She cackled. “But you’re not.”

“You know nothing.” Luna hissed.

“Oh, but I know everything,” A slim tongue that resembled a snake’s darted past her lips as she smiled menacingly. “After all, I am you.”

“Silence!” Luna screamed. Another gush of wind swept past them, but this time, it was much stronger. It continued to swirl around the clearing, lifting up the fog and shaking the trees that surrounded them. The smirk on the woman’s face faltered. She tried to take a step forward, making Luna tense even more. “I said stay back, you monster.” Her chest heaved as her fists curled on her sides, staring the demon down.

Her grotesque face warped even more as she scowled at Luna, trying to push against the strong wind that was pushing her away. Her clawed hands reached out to her, eager to strike. Every step she took was heavy, a growl erupting from deep inside her chest as she tried to approach her. Luna took steps backward, her skin crawling at the sight of what seemed to be her evil counterpart. The creature roared, black saliva dripping from her maw as she roared at her like a deranged beast. She pushed even harder, closing the distance with every step. Luna trembled, but she decided to hold her ground despite feeling weak on the knees. When her claws were finally close enough to touch her, Luna felt a force pull her out of that nightmare. Before everything turned black, the woman smiled widely, exposing all of her hideous teeth. She heard a voice in her head. “We will meet again. Eventually.”

When she woke up, she was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It took a while before her eyes were able to focus. The first thing she saw when her mind cleared was a pair of brown eyes, looking down on her. The child blinked, her face just inches away from Luna. “You fight it back.” She mumbled.

Luna blinked up at her, confused. “What?”

Her small forefinger reached down to her chest, tapping it gently. “The demon, you fought it.”

Luna placed a hand on the child’s chest and pushed her back gently before sitting up. She looked over to the girl and realized that she was sitting on the edge of the bed, only leaning down to look at her. Om her hand was the dagger that Luna hid underneath the mat. “Why do you have that?” She asked.

The child ran a finger on her small teeth. “You bared your fangs, you were growling. I took it to protect myself.”

Luna looked at her up and down. No matter how measly she looked, Luna was impressed that she had the foresight to pick up a weapon to protect herself. ”You did the right thing, I’m surprised you didn’t just stab me to death immediately.” She commended her.

Silence reigned for a moment before Luna asked the child, “What’s your name?”

She stared up at her for a moment, contemplating whether it was alright to tell her her name. She pursed her lips and twirled her fingers on her wavy hair. “Amalia.”

Luna smiled when she heard her name. “That’s a beautiful name.” She smiled weakly and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Are you not afraid of me anymore?” She asked.

“The warlock trusts you.” Amalia answered.

“And because he does, you would too?”

“And you fought it.” She answered vaguely. “How did you know?” Luna asked.

“I felt it, that’s why I woke up. You were shivering and your teeth were growing past your lips. I felt the presence but it did not last long, so I knew you were fighting it. That’s why I woke you up.” She whispered.

“It was you…” Luna mumbled.

“He heard you too, you know.” Amalia said, gesturing to the corner of the room. Luna followed her finger and saw Rigel, sitting at the farthest end of the room. His large eyes scanned her face for a moment before he slowly approached her. “I’m okay, Rigel, I’m fine now.”  She caressed his large head and nuzzled him. He whimpered before slumping down on her lap, making her grunt from his weight.

She turned to Amalia and gave a small smile. “Thank you for not stabbing me.”

Amalia gave a cute chuckle and then smiled serenely. “He needs you.”

“Who?” She asked, c*****g her head to the side.

“Kuya Legosi.” Amalia replied.

“Kuya?”

“It means brother.” Amalia replied shyly.

“Would you like to call him that?” Amalia only nodded.

“I’m sure he’d like that.” Amalia smiled and went back into the bed, covering herself with the blanket. “Good night, Ate Luna.” She whispered in a small voice.

“I reckon that means sister, right?” Luna said, smiling warmly for the first time in the longest time. Amalia did not reply. “Good night.” She said before settling herself back into her make-shift bed, a slumbering Rigel on top of her.