The first light of dawn crept through the small window, waking Bryan and Aiden from their slumber. Today was the day of their meeting with the ruler of Reykholt.After a quick wash in the small, rustic bathroom attached to their room, they felt refreshed. Although the water was cold and there was no option for hot water at that moment, it did the job of waking them fully.After bathing, they dressed in clean simple shirts and trousers and once they were ready with the documents they needed, they left their room and made their way to the ruler's residence.The ruler's home was grand, no doubt, but still rustic. The exterior was built from stone and wood, its roof thatched and windows small, just like every other house in the village, except that this was more grand. Finally reaching the ruler's home, a pair of guards stood at the entrance. These guards were dressed in traditional garb, their swords at their sides.As Bryan and Aiden approached, the guards gave them a nod, already expec
Bryan wiped his mouth and stood up after they were done eating. "We should head out," he said to Aiden, who was already on his feet.They left the pub and made their way to the woods. The men earlier had described what part of the woods the old man would be in, so it was easier to find the man, but even without that, it was still possible that they could have just tracked him down."This place feels… off," Aiden muttered as his eyes scanned the whole place. "There is some kind of energy here."Bryan nodded in agreement. "We are getting close though," he said quietly as they kept walking.A small cabin finally came into view, its thatched roof sagging and looking old. They wondered how the old man managed to survive in the woods all alone."This has to be it," Aiden said, his voice low. "It's definitely it."Bryan nodded as he and Aiden went closer. But before they could knock, the door creaked open."Alphas." The old man's voice rasped from the doorway, his eyes sharp and clear despit
*Flashback : 1000 years Earlier*A very dangerous and dark witch named Dahlia terrorized four human villages every full moon. And today was another full moon as she emerged from the shadows like death itself. In the distance, the villages stood, and she watched them while licking her cracked lips. It was time, this was her night!Dahlia silently entered the first village, her figure blending into the night. She was not spotted by any guard as she passed. She reached the first cottage, and with a wave of her hand, the door opened as if welcoming her in. Looking around, her eyes found a young girl, barely six years old, tucked beneath a soft blanket and with slow motion, Dahlia reached out her hand and whispered an incantation. "Somnus."The little girl's breathing slowed as an unnatural sleep overtook her. She was already asleep but with the spell, it made her sleep deeper, almost to the point one would wonder if the little girl was still breathing."Sleep, little one," Dahlia hissed.
*1000 years Earlier : Continued*"How do you plan to stop her?" The second leader asked, his brow furrowed in doubt. They could not afford to make any mistake, whatsoever. "How?" He asked again and leaned forward, his hands gripping the edges of the table. "We have all tried before. Dahlia is too powerful, and we are just mere mortals, we stand no chance." "We do!" The first leader said, his face hard. "I have been thinking," he began, his voice lower than before. "Have any of you ever wondered why she only takes the children, and why she only takes them during the full moon? It's always the full moon, always."The other leaders exchanged confused glances, but none of them had an answer to that, until one spoke."Because she is evil," the fourth leader replied, shaking his head. "That is the nature of these creatures, she is even worse than most.""No." The first leader said and shook his head sharply. "No. It is not just that. Now hear me," he said to them as he began to share his
*1000 years Earlier : Continued*Dahlia's grip tightened around the man's throat as her magic squeezed his throat tighter. She aimed to kill him and whatever audacity he brought with him. The man continuously tried to claw at his neck, his eyes bulging with fear. He knew that he might not be able to stay alive for long, but he kept on trying."You dare shoot me?" she hissed, her voice loud and angry. "I will," she promised him with her voice low, dragging out every single word. "I will rip the soul from your-"Suddenly, before she could finish, the twang of another bowstring snapped through the air. Another arrow had whistled and pierced deep into Dahlia's chest with a sickening thunk, making her stumble backward. She clutched the arrow, which was near her heart, and groaned as blood seeped through her fingers, thick and warm. She was a witch, and she was certainly not immortal.Upon that hit, the man who she had been choking dropped to the ground, coughing violently as her hold on hi
*1000 years Earlier : Continued*As soon as the word, "Hunt" was whispered, the lead wolf let out a low growl. Instantly, all the wolves bolted forward. They all followed the scent trail of Dahlia's blood with terrifying precision.The villagers, armed with bows, swords, and spears on the first leader's order, charged after the wolves. The other three leaders were also present, holding their weapons strongly, and everyone else had torches blazed in their hands, lighting the way as they ran in formation."Move faster!" The second leader barked to the rest, "She cannot have gone too far. We cannot lose her."Dahlia, who was now deep in the forest, staggering as she ran, could hear the howls of wolves which were very much close, making her breath hitch. She tried to run as fast as she could, blood trickling from her wounds, and leaving small, wet stains."No," she whispered as the howls grew closer, panic settling into her bones, "I have never been treated this way before, I will never b
*1000 years Earlier : Continued*Dahlia's body jerked violently from the sudden release of pressure. She let out a strangled gasp as blood gushed freely from the open wound.The second leader then rose to his feet, satisfied with his actions. He turned to the warriors and gestured toward Dahlia's limp, bloodied form."Pick her up," he barked coldly. "We are taking her back to the clearing. Everyone should be present to watch the end of the one who took our children and made us suffer."Without hesitation, two warriors stepped forward and grabbed Dahlia roughly without care for the deep wounds scattered across her body. Now taking her to the clearing where she would meet her demise, she winced as her injured legs dragged across the ground.Her body was battered, weak and sagged like a rag doll, but the warriors showed no mercy. The world around her blurred with every move, blood dripping steadily from her wounds. Dahlia gritted her teeth, refusing to let them hear her pain.By the time
*Present Day*Bryan's thumb idly rubbed the rim of his teacup as he sat with his legs apart, head tilted slightly. The old man, Baba Razz, had served them some tea as he told them about the origin of their kind, and now Bryan was so calm, trying to process everything Baba Razz had told them."And that… is how our kind came to be," Baba Razz finished, placing his own empty cup on the table with a gentle clink.For a moment, there was this heavy silence in the room before Aiden finally exhaled through his nose and leaned forward. "So…" he said slowly, trying to find the right words to ask what he wanted to ask. "So, you are telling me… No, you mean to tell me that the evil witch Dahlia is…the moon goddess?"Bryan, who also had this question in his mind, lowered his teacup but said nothing. His brows furrowed as he patiently waited for Baba Razz to confirm or deny it.Baba Razz hummed deeply, already expecting this question. "Many have asked that same question, and many believe they know
Once again, the silence fell heavily on them after Lucinda was done talking, and Kira closed her eyes for a little moment, taking in a deep breath and letting it all out.Her chest rose and fell slowly as she absorbed everything, right from the pain she saw in Lucinda's eyes, the loss, her bloodline, and everything else. She didn't rush to speak. Instead, she let the silence stretch a few more seconds as she grounded herself and also wanted to find a way to reason with Lucinda.After the few seconds passed, she opened her eyes, her gaze locked onto Lucinda's, who was currently watching her with a blank expression. As for Kira, her eyes had no anger, just calm, and a deep, aching empathy.She couldn't lie, she understood why Lucinda was doing what she was doing, but for Bryan and Aiden to suffer for it also didn't seem fair to them."I am truly sorry that you both had to go through all this," she started, her voice warm and gentle. "I know my words aren't enough to heal you from that
Kira's face, which initially had the expression that she had guessed right, twisted to shock and from shock to visible confusion, her brows drawing together and her eyes darting over Lucinda's form as though she was trying to put the pieces together.There was a long stretch of silence between them, which Kira broke as she asked a question slowly and unsure. "I don't understand. Her twin sister?""Yes," Lucinda answered simply, watching Kira's confused state.Kira gave a short, humorless smile, not one out of amusement, but the one that was more like one of those reactions when something becomes too complicated to make sense."Even though you are her twin sister," she said. "I still do not understand how you are here. What exactly is going on? And why are you here?""I know that you know the answer to that question, and what you are thinking is right," Lucinda confirmed. "This is my revenge for my sister."For a good three minutes, Kira didn't say anything and just stared. Then she
At the first light of dawn, Kira's eyes opened, and she got up from her bed.The night before, after leaving the living room, she had headed upstairs, but then remembered she had to go get her weapons, and so, she made a quiet detour and went out to go see her horse."Hey," she whispered as she brushed her hand along his mane, smiling gently while looking at him.Kai responded with a low grunt and nudged her shoulder, happy to see his rider.Tied to his saddle, was a dark leather roll—her weapons pack.A warhorse like Kai didn't just carry a rider; he was also trained to carry a small arsenal for her, and Kira was genuinely grateful that no one had touched her stuff, as she rubbed Kai's mane for a little longer before taking what she needed.The leather roll was fastened to the side of his saddle, just behind the stirrup. It contained her bag of knives, her quiver of arrows, and her sword.Kira unhooked them carefully, one by one, checking each with her hands in the dim, stable light.
Kira folded the small paper and slipped it into her trouser pocket before she took one last glance around the marketplace, which was now busy again.Everything and Everyone had returned to normal, and with nothing much to do there, she walked, leaving the place.The boutique door swung open, the chime sounding above as she stepped inside, her eyes looking for Elara, who she finally saw near a display of long coats, holding up a deep burgundy one and checking herself in the mirror."There you are!" Elara called when she turned at the sound of the door and saw that it was Kira. "I almost went looking for you," she said, half laughing and half worried.Kira smiled and walked toward her, leaning in as she gently pecked Elara's cheek, a soft, affectionate gesture."I'm sorry, Mum," she said sweetly, brushing Elara's arm. "I'll explain everything later. Promise.""That's alright," Elara nodded, although she was clearly curious. "As long as you're okay.""I am," Kira assured her. "Now let's
The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores. It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought. Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head—the gentle breeze needed.She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the
Kira, who was already done with her meal and was taking the last bite, paused, her expression shifting."He's dead," she said, setting her fork down."But how?" Aiden inquired. "He was old but didn't seem like someone who could be easily killed.""Well, he was killed. Easily," Kira chuckled sadly and then went on to tell them everything from when she first met Baba Razz to how he died, how he was nice to her, and his role in her meeting the elves."I felt strangely comfortable around him," she admitted. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but I don't know. His death was painful, and I did blame myself, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do that, so… yeah.""I'm sorry," Aiden muttered as he and Bryan leaned in on each side and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head."May his soul rest in peace," Elara added quietly. "And I'm sure he will be very proud of who you are today."Blowing Elara a kiss, Kira agreed and decided to change the topic, not wanting their happy moments to be sour.
Stepping out of the room after getting dressed, Kira felt very comfortable in the oversized clothes Bryan had given her.She had also noticed the difference in the clothes—how the shirt smelled like Bryan, while the shorts were definitely Aiden's.She wondered if they had debated over if she would wear Bryan's clothes or Aiden's before coming to the conclusion of mixing them and giving it to her.The thought was so funny that she couldn't help but giggle as she made her way down the stairs, her hair packed in a messy bun."Sorry for keeping you all waiting," she said when she walked into the dining room, everyone already in their seats waiting for her."Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Elara said, waving for her to join them. "It's completely fine.""Yeah, it's not like we were starving or anything," Aiden added with a smile.Bryan gave him a look and just smiled while shaking his head before turning back to Kira. "Come on, sit. Quit acting like a stranger.""I am not acting like a stranger
Kira, Bryan, and Aiden walked through the pack lands, accessing the pack to ensure that everyone was safe and everything was still intact or not too bad. It had been years since she had set foot around the pack, and as they moved, they could hear the whispers from the pack members. Elders, warriors, and even children stared at her in surprise before approaching."Luna Kira, child, how have you been?" An elderly woman with gray hair that was braided neatly asked, placing a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "It is so good to see you again.""I'm very well, thank you," Kira answered while smiling, her tone soft and warm. "And how about you? How have you been holding up? Are you okay?""Yes. Yes," the woman answered, smiling back at Kira as she patted Kira's arm. "And we thank Goddess for you coming today. Everyone has heard of how you helped. We are truly grateful, Luna.""Oh, please, you don't have to thank me. It is my duty as Luna," Kira said sincerely and rubbed the old woman's hand. "Take
As the elves disappeared into the portal, Kira turned to face Bryan, Aiden, and Ryker, giving them a small smile. She was going to miss El'fiannor, Lythari, the friends she had made, the trees, every single thing, but she was also happy to be back home."So...this is Kai, my horse," she announced as if she was introducing an old friend. "Say hi," she urged them."Oh yes, hi," Bryan said quickly, laughing softly right after. "Hi Kai, very fitting name," Aiden added, laughing as well. "You suit... your rider too."Ryker, however, eyed the horse, thinking about something. "Well, he will need a proper home," he said. "I'll take him to his new place. There's a building we can turn into a stable for him.""That sounds perfect," Kira accepted and extended the reins to Ryker, who took them with ease before leading the horse away.Watching as Ryker left, Aiden turned back to Kira with a warm, eager expression. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure Mum and Dad would be very happy to see you.""As w