The curse of the blood moon

“Curses are never born from hatred but from love corrupted”. The primal forest knew no rest that night but was filled with trembling. Under the primal sky where the blood moon bled in fury, the woods run silent and cold like never before almost like the trees were holding their breath. No wolves howled, no birds chirped. Varrick stumbled through the woods soaked in sweat and grasped in fear. The strong wind reminding him of the wrath he had awakened. He cried to himself “what have I done” His boots were muddy and his clothes were torn. The weight on his shoulders was not just from the fear and fury of his pack but was from a choice he made for himself. His father’s throne was empty and he was the reason. But he never worried for such things because of Rachel was waiting for him while being heavily pregnant with their child. He should have been happy but he only feared what would happen. Without him noticing, she came. Hartia the powerful forest sage moving unnoticed like a shadow, her platinum blonde hair, lush golden eyes beaming with fury as she could see right through Varrick. She could sense his love for Rachel, the guilt he felt for betraying his tribe and the child growing in Rachel’s belly. She said to him “you can turn your back from your tribe but you can never hide what grows within your lover for the punishment would not be yours alone to face, you shall suffer the consequences for your betrayal” Varrick in all fear begs Hartia not to hurt them. “I would never but that child would be punished for being born out a forbidden love” she said. She draws her power from the moon with all her might and the forest darkens instantly. The breeze chilly as winter season as the forest ran cold. “You have a final chance, reclaim the throne of the kantuni tribe” Varrick remains firm on his love for Rachel and his unborn child. I would never want my child to be like me and grow up in this life” he said. “I want him to be free.” Hartia remains unhinged by her decision to punish Varrick. She channels her power to the moon which is her source and speaks the words Varrick fear to hear. Suddenly, a red mist fills the forest. Animals around the area flee in fear and the forest grows darker. It wasn’t a blood moon’s night but the moon turned completely red. “your child born on the night of a blood moon will live forever but would never truly live. He would remain immortal watching his loved one’s wither and die as the years go by. He would walk through centuries looking and begging for death and would never find it” she said. Varrick begged for her mercy but it was to no avail. A child was coming and nothing could ever remain the same. “Your child would carry your sin for eternity and the moon would witness your shame” she said. Hartia then places her hand on his head forcing him to relieve the day he fell in love which was the sole reason for the curse. Varrick appears to be in the southern woods on a hike, where he sees a beautiful woman. Slender with a fair skin. Her eyes glowing like the northern lights in the night’s sky. He is unable to take his eyes of her. “What is this feeling I have never felt before. Is this what human folks call love at first sight?” he asks himself. But that question can only be answered by him alone. He follows the beautiful woman who elegantly collects pretty flowers in the woods and places it in her basket. He watches her with dreamy eyes admiring her beauty. The woman suddenly slips and falls but before he could go to her to help her up, she gets up on her own. “Get it together Rachel you’re so clumsy” she said to herself while giggling. He keeps following her but lost track of her along the way. Suddenly Rachel appears behind him. “And you are?” she asked sternly. Varrick jumps up in shock but eases himself out. “Just a passer-by admiring pretty flowers in the woods” he said. She gave him an unconvinced look and he expressed “by pretty flowers I mean you.” Rachel gazes into his eyes and they both lock hands while taking a stroll in the woods. Varrick regains his senses from Hartia’s hypnosis. “Stop messing with my head” he said. Hartia continues her hypnosis. “You will dread the day she confessed her love for you” she said with a smirk. Varrick’s surrounding changes again. This time he’s at the kuli water fall with Rachel. “I don’t care who you are or what you are.” Says Rachel. “I only want us to be together forever Varrick, I love you.” Varrick gives Rachel a warm hug as they share a passionate kiss beneath the night’s sky. He then snaps back into reality as Hartia laughs at his anguish. “Begone and suffer this eternal curse on your unborn child “she said. “But how would I save my child from this fate” he asked. “There is only one way to break such a curse but I would be stupid to reveal that to you” she replied with a devious smile on her face as she disappears into oblivion. In all fear for the unknown Varrick paces the woods restlessly and finally joins Rachel in a nearby town where she waited for him. He kisses Rachel on her forehead as he gets to their cottage. Varrick reveals everything that happened to her and they dread the curse hoping nothing would befall their unborn son when he’s born. Months came by so fast after this day and Rachel was already due for a delivery. Varrick still remains tormented by Hartia’s curse as it rings in his ears relentlessly. Soon enough, the sun went down and the blood moon rose in anguish. Varrick could sense what was coming and he quickly rushes to be by his lover’s side. Rachel eventually goes into labor on this night just as the curse said. The wind blew strong and the blood moon in the sky tainted the atmosphere. Rachel enduring hard labor pains gives birth to her son. The northern lights suddenly appeared bright in the sky. “Our primal ancestors had blessed our son with their powerful lunar essence” said Varrick as he lifts up his son. “What should we name him?” Rachel asked in a soft tone. “Kieran. It suits him perfectly” said Varrick while kissing his son’s forehead. Kieran’s lush golden eyes sparkled like stars. Few days after Kieran’s birth Varrick and Rachel decides to move to Edensburg a small town in the south with less residents where they can raise their son in solitude. Years had passed and Kieran was all grown up. His werewolf abilities became more defined and known to his parents as he could move as fast as the speed of light, fly, transform to a wolf during full moons and even had super strength. He was never aware of the powerful lunar essence that roared within him given by his primal ancestors. Kieran eventually finds out he is immortal when he stops ageing but his parents continue to grow older and older. Just as the curse foretold Kieran watches his loved one’s wither and die. This awful fate begins with his mother. Kieran gets back home after helping his dad in the woods to find his mother laying helplessly on the floor. He rushes to her side and feels her cold body. His hands tremble in fear as he finds it hard to accept his mother’s death. He lets out a loud howl to alert his father, letting out painful tears. After Rachel was buried, Varrick spends his time trying to find a way to break the curse before he dies too. He finally decides to go back to Hartia who is the only person that has that information. He travels to Hartia’s fortress which is far behind the primal woods and he finally meets with her. “You!, how dare you come back here” she said. “But I know what you seek which you shall only get in return for your life.” “I accept any condition of yours but please give me a solution to this curse.” Hartia forces Varrick to enter a blood oath with her in return for his life and he agrees. “Very well. Your son would have to break this curse on a blood moon’s night, same night he was born” she said. “He must find a girl born on the night of a lunar eclipse that bears the moon gem beating in her chest. She must fall in love with him despite what he is (a werewolf) and they must share a kiss on the night of a blood moon for the curse to be broken.” Varrick falls to her feet thanking her. “Do not thank me for you have given me your soul for this information. Go from here you now have 24 hours to live” she laughs and smirk as she disappears into the wind. Varrick desperate to save his son hurries quickly to Edensburg to tell Kieran everything. After his long journey he feels weak as his final hours draw closer but he manages to get home to his son. Kieran rushes to him after noticing his father wincing in pain. He helps him inside. Varrick tells Kieran about the curse put on him. “I know I’m telling you this late but please understand I don’t have much time left” said Varrick as he holds his son’s face. “What do you mean you don’t have much time left? Mom already left us you can’t leave too dad.” Varrick’s pain gets worse but he manages to tell Kieran about the curse, his blood oath with Hartia and how to break the curse. Varrick’s body suddenly runs colder than before. At this moment Kieran realizes his father’s gone for good. Kieran weeps in anger mourning his father. Suddenly Kieran’s lush golden eyes beamed with so much rage. The weather grows dark and gloomy. The trees rustling like never before almost like the woods is consumed with rage. He elevates into the air as his eyes spark brighter and the lunar essence within him surges through his veins. The northern lights suddenly appear in the sky. People around the area worry for what’s happening. And with a bright light, he releases the essence within him destroying everything around the area to ashes almost like a massive explosion. “What am I doing I have to stop” he said as he tries to control his anger. He proceeds to the woods where he worked with his father and buries him there, covering up the grave with stones. “I swear Hartia or whatever you call yourself I’ll make you pay for this someday” he cried as he left his father’s grave. Meanwhile Hartia at her fortress laughs to herself. “He may know how to break the curse but he doesn’t have a clue what happens to the girl after they kiss” she said while smirking at the lost souls trapped in her prism gate. “Surely the moon gem beats in her heart as the source of her life. A kiss would only move the moon gem to him leaving her to die and get petrified.” She continues to laugh and her minions join her in her laughter. “While a true love kiss breaks a curse it would kill his true love in return” she said. “But I would never let Kieran find her and break the curse he needs to be punished for his father’s betrayal and I would see to that” said Hartia as darkness slowly consumes her fortress. Would true love prevail over fate?