The Last Moon Goddess

Chapter 7

Chandria had trouble sleeping last night, which surprised her after her long trip to Georgia. It wasn't because she was in an unfamiliar place, but rather a strange feeling of déjà vu that bothered her. Every time she shut her eyes, pictures from her recurring dreams filled her mind, leaving her feeling anxious and agitated. The peaks of the mountains, the thick forest with tall trees that looked like giants, and in the center of it all, she saw them — the werewolves

Unable to quiet her racing thoughts, she decided to work last night and browsed through the photos and videos she had taken during her travels. As she scrolled through the images, she couldn't help but shiver as she realized the similarities between them and the vivid dreams that had been haunting her as a child. The only thing lacking was a loud howl from a werewolf, and her dream would be a replica.

Eager to uncover the mysteries of this mythical beast, she picked up the book on werewolf lore that she had brought along. She soon discovered that tales of werewolves had been around for centuries, dating back to the time when witches were being hunted and persecuted across Europe during the Middle Ages.

As she delved deeper, she couldn't help but feel more uneasy. What if my dreams were more than just figments of my imagination? She asked herself.

"Looks like someone's daydreaming." Chandria jumped at the sound of Nate's voice, his sudden appearance jolting her out of her thoughts. He chuckled at her reaction before settling down across from her at the lounge area of the guest house. Chandria went out as soon as the sun rose, desperate for some fresh air.

"It's been a long night," Chandria muttered, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her ips. Nate's expression darkened, and she could sense that he too had experienced a difficult evening.

"Yes, it was," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on the mountains in front of them.

Although Chandria knew being an outsider who would be gone after a few days shouldn't interfere with the affairs of a foreign land—she was taught a lesson several times in the past—she just couldn't ignore the question in her head since last night.

"So, what were you up to last night that made it so long?" Chandria asked, trying to keep the mood light. Nate's brows furrowed, and for a moment, it seemed as though he was lost in thought. Although Chandria saw him emerge from the shadows last night, she had no clue where he had been in a village where everyone seemed to have a similar fixed sleeping schedule.

"I was out helping a friend of mine," Nate said finally, his voice heavy with regret. "But I wasn't able to."

Chandria wanted to ask him more about what happened, but something in his tone warned her not to press the matter. Instead, she offered him a small smile of encouragement. "I'm sure your friend was grateful for your help," she spoke in a soft tone. "You did all that you could."

Nate's facial expression relaxed upon hearing Chandria’s words, as though she had somewhat lifted his mood.

"Speaking of friends," Chandria said, clapping her hands together, eager to change the subject. "When am I going to get to meet some of the locals? I'd prefer it if you could introduce me to at least one person who can speak English. I don't want to tire you out by having you translate everything for me."

Nate stood up, his eyes alight with interest. "Actually, there's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, reaching out his hand to help her up.

***

“This is Anastasha,” Nate said, gesturing towards a woman sitting outside a small lodge. “You can ask her anything. She's one of the most interesting people I've met here. Everyone knows her.”

Anastasha looked up from her work, a needle and thread in her hand. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at her two guests, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. Despite her weathered face and graying hair, there was an air of intelligence and confidence about her that was intimidating.

“Welcome to Ushguli,” she said in a strong, clear voice with a distinct accent. “It's always good to see new faces around here."

Chandria managed to smile at her. But then she saw her looking at her with intrigue. “Is she the vlogger you couldn’t stop talking about?” Anastasha asked Nate with a teasing smile. Chandria didn’t know Nate was talking about her, so she looked at him in wonder. He seemed a little embarrassed.

“Yes, she’s Chandria. I told you about her work. She's amazing,” Nate confirmed, avoiding Chandria’s gaze.

“Yes. You made that clear a number of times,” Anastasha commented with a chuckle, as though there was more to it. She then turned to Chandria and spoke in a friendly but frank manner, “So, Chandria, how do you plan to compensate the people who help you with your vlogs?”

Her question caught Chandria off guard, and she looked at Nate, feeling surprised. Chandria wasn't expecting Anastasha to ask for money upfront. She thought they would just talk casually, and she would document everything like she usually does in her travels.

Before Chandria could clarify, Anastasha started laughing, sensing her discomfort and wanting to ease the tension. "I'm just joking, my dear," she said, still chuckling. "So, what would you like to know?"

Taking a deep breath, Chandria asked, "Nate said you know everything about Ushguli. Can you share something interesting about this village?"

And so, their conversation began. A few children gathered around, listening intently despite Anastasha speaking in English. It was as if they were watching a foreign movie without subtitles, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves so innocently. For the first time since Chandria had arrived in the village, she felt like she belonged.

"You also have local folklore?" Chandria couldn’t help but confirm when Anastasha mentioned something about werewolves.

"Yes, dear. If you understand our language here, there's a story about werewolves," Anastasha said, her voice tinged with a hint of fear to share the story. But before she could continue, Nate interrupted, his voice serious.

"I don't think she would find that interesting," he said, his eyes darting between Chandria and Anastasha as if he was guarding some secret.

"Are werewolves real?" Both of them looked at Chandria, trying to discern whether she was serious.

"If you're asking if they exist, then maybe. There are many unexplored parts in the mountains that could be home to creatures we don't yet know of," Nate answered, making Chandria shiver.

Anastasha leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a hushed tone. "There have been a lot of disappearances in this village, mostly of people who ventured into the mountains. Those who attempted to go to a particular part of the mountain vanished, never to return. We can only speculate that it was the work of werewolves or some other creature. But these stories are not taken lightly around here. So just be careful."

As they continued talking, Nate's attention suddenly shifted to a woman walking down a narrow alleyway. At first, Chandria assumed he was admiring her beauty with her long, flowing hair and slim figure. But as the woman drew closer, she noticed her puffy, red eyes as if the woman had been crying.

"Excuse me," Nate said urgently before hurrying towards the woman. Perhaps he knew her or felt compelled to help, Chandria thought. Feeling a mixture of curiosity and worry, she followed them both. She heard the woman speaking in a language she didn't understand, her words filled with emotion as if she was mourning someone's loss. When Chandria turned to look at the people they had spoken to earlier, she noticed they had all retreated to their homes, seemingly afraid of something.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Chandria asked Nate, her heart racing. But before he could answer, the woman collapsed, her body crumpling to the ground like a discarded rag doll.

Nate quickly scooped her up, his arms strong and sure as he carried her towards a nearby stone house. Chandria followed him, desperate for answers, her mind reeling with questions. What was wrong with the woman? And what was it about this town that seemed so strange and secretive?

***

Even though Chandria knew she shouldn’t be there, she couldn't leave after witnessing what had happened. She waited outside the woman's house until Nate came out a few minutes later.

"How is she?" Chandria asked, worried about the woman's appearance. She looked beautiful but thin and exhausted.

"She'll be okay," Nate replied with a confident tone that made Chandria wonder if he was keeping something from her. "Let's go, you haven't eaten anything yet." That was when she realized that she had completely forgotten about lunch.

They walked back to the guest house in silence, the weight of their unspoken conversation hanging heavily in the air. After a while, Nate spoke up.

"She's Emma. She's one of my closest friends in this village," he explained, and she finally understood why he had been so affected earlier. Suddenly, it hit her - Emma must have been more than just a friend to him, she thought.

"I shouldn't have followed you, Nate. You should have stayed with her," Chandria said, feeling guilty for potentially interrupting their private moment.

"It's okay. I wanted to come with you," Nate reassured her, his hand reaching out to touch her arm. Her heart raced at his touch. She couldn't help but feel drawn to his warm smile and gentle demeanor. She knew it was strange to feel this way so soon after meeting him, but something about being with Nate just felt right.

"I know you're doing this because of Lasha's favor, but don't worry. She wouldn't know," Chandria said, smiling softly.

"I'm doing this because I enjoy your company," Nate replied, his eyes locking with hers. The warmth in his gaze made her heart skip a beat.

"No, really, I can manage on my own. You might miss your chance to be there for her because of me," Chandria said, worried. "Don't worry, I'm good at directions. I know I need to go left from here--"

"Actually, you need to go right," Nate corrected her, pointing in the opposite direction from where she was headed.

Chandria felt embarrassed but laughed it off, wishing she could just disappear. "Yeah, I know. I was just confused between left and right. I feel so stupid," she admitted, feeling foolish.

As Chandria turned to leave, Nate's voice stopped her once more. "Emma is just a friend. I'm friends with both her and her husband."

She let out a sigh of relief. He didn't have to clarify, but her reaction had encouraged him to.

“What happened to her?” Chandria couldn’t help but ask.

They started walking side by side as Nated began to fill her in on Emma and her husband's situation.

"Yesterday, her husband went up the mountain with some travelers to accompany them," Nate explained. Chandria already had an idea where his story was going.

"And he didn't come back?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"They didn't return," Nate confirmed, his voice heavy with sorrow. "It seemed like she tried to look for her husband again after I failed to find him last night."

Chandria shuddered. "So, the stories about the mountain and werewolves are true?" she whispered.

"We can never be certain," Nate replied gravely. "But we have strict rules in this village to never cross a certain boundary. When I checked last night, it seemed like they had gone past it."

"Have you attempted to search for them beyond that boundary?" she asked, hoping for a glimmer of hope.

His expression grew dark, and he shook his head. "No one is allowed to cross the boundary."

As they continued walking, Chandria couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than what met the eye. Something mysterious and dangerous was happening in this village, and she had a gut feeling that she was about to get tangled up in it.