Luna Eclipse: the deserter's offspring

"I can still remember the first time it happened. I mysteriously found myself in the woods, following three hooded men in the dark. The moon was full, and their shadows formed long, eerie figures on the ground as they walked quickly, their feet crushing the dried leaves in their path. I could not see their faces, but I could make out their figures.

The one in front seemed pretty tall and exuded a domineering demeanor. He walked with an elegant gait and grace that suggested royalty. He was clearly in charge.

"Pick up your pace," he called out to the two men following him. "We need to make it to the Bloodrink before midnight."

As soon as the words left his mouth, they increased their pace.

The two men had not half the elegance the first man had, but they looked pretty strong. Even with the hooded cloaks they wore, I could still make out their physiques, and it was the real deal!

From the way they moved, it was obvious they were going after something, or something was after them.

Fast and steady, they walked; stealthily, I followed. To be honest, I had not the slightest idea why I was following them, but my instincts would not let me stop.

It was almost as if my body was moving on its own accord as I crept behind, fast enough to keep up with them and, at the same time, far enough to stay out of their sight.

They got to a clearing in the middle of the woods, and the first man stopped.

"We're here," he announced.

The two men came to a halt and proceeded to take their places behind him.

On all sides, the clearing was surrounded by huge boulders of rock. There were inscriptions on them. I could not make out the markings, but they seemed ancient.

The tall man put his hands into his cloak, and when he withdrew them, he held a dagger in his right hand and a red gem in his left.

He walked to one of the boulders, traced the markings on it with the dagger, and then placed the gem on it.

Instantly, the atmosphere changed. It was as if the moon shone more brightly. The wind howled, and the rink turned red-the colour of the gem. The man raised the dagger to the sky and started chanting quietly. The two men joined in.

Their voices rose steadily as they chanted, and soon, they were howling at the moon.

The ground shook with so much force that I had to hold onto the tree next to me to avoid falling.

I could see them changing form as they turned into beasts. Beasts I had only seen in drawings and movies; werewolves!

They paced around the rink, their eyes bloodshot red, sniffing as though they were searching for something.

Just then, a lady appeared, dressed in white garments. I remember thinking she was beautiful. She had eyes that shone in the dark, and skin that was so fair that it was almost white. She had a tiara on her head. She was the 'Mona Lisa'.

"What do you want, Ferguson?" She called out. The words rolled out of her lips so gracefully.

The werewolves stopped prancing around and stood still. They were changing their form again. In a twinkle of an eye, they had shifted back to their human forms.

Something about the fair lady captivated my attention to the point where I was unable to tear my gaze away from her. You could say her appearance was bewitching.

I am sure the tall man did not feel the same way I did, because he did not flinch, not even one bit.

"I am your alpha Orchid," he barked at her, his face straight and unsmiling. "And the sooner you learned to address me as one, the better for you."

He said all this without batting an eyelid. He meant business.

"Oh, pardon me, my Lord," Orchid made a little bow, albeit sarcastically. "What can I do for you?"

"You already know what I am here for. Let's not beat about the bush. Tell me what I need to know."

The fair lady looked up at the sky. The moon reflected on her face. It was as though she could see something others could not. Finally, she looked down and faced the alpha.

"The woman you seek no longer dwells in our realm." She paused. "She is far gone, but rest assured, she will be back when the time is right, before the stars in the galaxy align for a lunar eclipse. The eclipsed Luna's light will shine forth in her seed, and not even the howling wind nor the dying moon will cut it off."

After she had said these words, Ferguson stared at her in silence. The two men with him looked at each other in bewilderment.

The alpha shook his head.

"I detest it when you speak this way. You say a lot of nonsense, and you expect me to decipher it somehow. You make me regret my decision to come to seek your counsel. I know I should have met Zonda instead. He would have..."

His voice trailed off as he kept speaking. I could see his mouth moving, but I could not hear a thing.

The fair lady also started speaking, and I could not hear her words either. At that point, I made the decision to move closer.

And so, I crept closer to them, making a conscious effort to stay hidden and out of sight. I got considerably closer, and I could now figure out what the fair lady was saying.

"She did it to protect herself," I heard her say.

"Who?" I remember thinking.

I leaned in closer to listen. My heart was racing, and my blood was rushing from all the adrenaline. Suddenly, my mouth felt dry.

I crept up to a nearby tree. I now had a good view of everyone in the clearing.

Just as I was about to get comfortable behind the tree, someone grabbed my arm, and I screamed!