Under the moonlight

Messenger arrives

“Since when have you become an informant, Lord of Haran?” He has always been at the King’s beck and call whenever at the palace, licking his Majesty’s shoes at every chance he gets.

”The matter is of high confidentiality princess,” intonating princess in a mocking manner, “requires trusted people to do important matters. Well, not like women can understand…” he added.

“oh. Are you invited inside the chamber?”

The Lord failed to find the right words as it occurred to him that he was indeed not offered, “I- “

“A trusted informant then,” Riven quipped.

“Well, we got to go sir. Trusted people must not be late to do important matters, right?” At that, they left Lord Arturo with another reason to hate her guts besides the female genitalia, doesn’t mean she cares really.

After a few minutes, Riven and Alexandria arrived at the lodge where they were staying in separate rooms to freshen up and disregard the sweaty garments from sparring.

“Aren’t you coming with me? for back up?” Alexa opened up the door to Riven’s room, seeing him lying face down on the bed still in the sparring clothes, clearly having no intention of going.

“Nope,” come his muffled voice, “You don’t need back up, they do.”

“ha-ha funny.”

“Besides, I need my beauty sleep.”

She huffed, muttering fine to a now-asleep Riven. It’s been quite some time since she’s last visited the palace and intended to keep it at that. It was an aesthetically sweet place filled with bitter-sweet memories of hers. Somewhere along the line, bitter memories prevailed, so she kept her distance. Only going to the place if it was necessary and if her presence was requested.

Riven and Alexa are huntsmen, going to places with reported sightings and disturbance caused by different mythical creatures; imps, trolls, werewolves. And as vast as the 5 Poleis, they are constantly traveling.

She enters the palace to be greeted warmly by the servants. Although she’s no longer the heir to the throne by choice, the loyalty of these people still warms her. After all, they practically raised her.

“Your majesty,” Alexandria slightly bowed down, noticing the familiar and unfamiliar faces in the council’s room as she entered, “You requested of me?” Alexandria knows her father just arrived the day before from somewhere down the south, which no longer surprised her as the king himself travel frequently for political reasons.

“Yes my daughter, take a seat…” All of the eyes on her is making her apprehensive in her seat. Whatever they were discussing might truly be serious by the look on their eyes. It was determined- yet uncertain, she does not know what to make of it.

“An agreement has been made… Tomorrow, we ride at dawn to the fallen castle in the south.” Something doesn’t feel right about him, she thought as her gaze roam around the King’s face. His eyes look distant, like it was reliving a memory of fear. Although her observation had done nothing to stop her evident joy at the king’s words.

“To finally end the war with the werewolves? Am I leading the army?”

“To end the war, yes…” King Azar stated but Alexandria thought that there was more to it.

“But not quite what you were saying.”

—

“Selene!” Heusef barged through the doors into the candle alighted room. Signs of distress all over his face from hearing the news an unexpected visitor carried.

It was past midnight and the streets were already silent. The castle has closed its doors as the people retire for the day. Heusef was about to as well, up until he heard persistent banging on the doors. These insolent drunks, I swear to– his angry thoughts cut by the sight before him.

A young werewolf is slumped upon the doorstep, clearly immensely tired from running great distance, he deduced by its shaking legs. Werewolves have frightening appearances and yet, eyes still never lie. It looked hopeless, he thought, like a kicked puppy. The werewolf opened up its arms to reveal an unconscious young boy with bloodied neck, a sight that compelled Heusef from his momentary trance, immediately taking the boy from the furry hands and carried him into the castle’s infirmary.

"What happened?” He asked the girl wrapped around a blanket, who moments ago transfigured back into human form, and still carrying the same tired eyes. He couldn’t have prepared himself from the answer…

“If you weren’t my trusted confidant and friend, I would have already broken your neck,” Selene teased, unaware of Heusef’s distress as she stands in the balcony with her back facing the door, peacefully staring at the moon.

“My apologies for ruining your night, Selene,” Heusef toned down as he realized panicking won’t help the situation. At the corner of his eyes, he unsurprisingly saw tonight’s lover of Selene. It was a habit of hers to take a willing someone for the night. Although she hasn’t mated any of them, her prowess in bed have made her increasingly popular with the ladies. Some even coming back to hopefully seduce her, which is no use as she doesn’t repeat a night. “But there has arrived a visitor who brings with her a dreading message, I believe it requires your immediate attention,” Heusef continued, “Her name’s Arya Alastair”

“An Alastair?” Selene queried as she finally turned, her eyes meeting troubled ones. Her eyebrows creases in curiosity.

“What happened?” She walked to the door and gesticulated for the confidant to continue their conversation outside the room.

“That family haven’t been here for years to seek solitude, and rightfully so.”

“They were attacked, Selene.”

“By what?”

“Trauma has its effect on people, as you well know. I could only make out a few words… She said it was a giant beast with huge bat-like wings. Hell-bent that it was a demon”

“But demons are myths…” her features contorting in concern. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she thinks about various historical evidences that proved the existence of winged beasts, even if they were dated a thousand years ago.

” What about the mother and father?”

“She was carrying her injured little brother on the way here, and every time I ask the whereabouts of her parents, the girl doesn’t speak.” He shakes his head sympathetically.

“I have inspected the boy’s wounds along the neck. There was dark dry substance along the marks of his neck that wasn’t dirt or anything caused by other species we know. It was something I’ve never seen before. I fear It’s the fulfillment of the Eye’s prophe-”

“You know those people talk nonsense Heusef, always instilling needless fear on our people,” She glared, unintentionally letting out dominant pheromones, “We make our future. If we decide this challenge isn’t our species’ end, then it isn’t. We don’t let anyone else dictate it.” Her words seemed to properly chastised Heusef as he nodded meekly.

“See if there’s information of such creatures in the book shelves, Heusef. We must know what we’re dealing with,” Selene continued,” at the moment, we keep this to ourselves until we know more. I don’t want to cause panic among our people.”

“As you please.” He immediately went to leave to the east tower where the shelves were located.

Selene is left with herself pondering about the situation, she hoped it wasn’t as grave as her friend thought and that the attack would happen no more.

And oh how the following days crushed those hopes…