Blue Moon’s Tale

"That's a large library if I've ever seen one", Nicolas thought early in the morning as he approached a large building at the center of the town.

The humidity in the air can still be felt from yesterday's rain upon setting foot at Yggdryas's public library or formally known as "Yggdryas Bibliotheca" as the large bronze colored sign says above the large marble, yet elegant archway.

It was a remarkable place. The coulombs are etched with intricate designs holding the whole thing up. The inside was wide and spacious, large shelves can be seen bearing thousands if not millions of books waiting to be read. Tables can also be found in every corner, some already had people in them looking stressed with dark bags under their eyes and frizzy hair. Nicolas could only judge that they might be scholars who are browsing for their studies and that maybe, they have been here since yesterday with no sleep.

"The Blue Moons Tale", Nicolas whispered to himself upon finding the book that caught his eyes. "I was just expecting to find some relevant information at most…", he took the book from the shelf and opened it, "I never thought that they would have an actual book about it."

"Can I help you with anything?", asked a woman.

She was a bit smaller than Nicolas but old enough to have white hair. Nonetheless she wore business casual clothes with a white blouse matched with her long black skirt and a red sweater. The glasses she wore and the way she holds the books close to her chest gave Nicolas the impression that she might be the librarian.

"No, not really. I already found what I was looking for but thank you", he smiled, raising the book while the librarian just eyed him from head to toe. She tried not to make it obvious, but it was noticeable. Even holding her glasses as she slowly examined the young man as if he's a parchment to be read.

"Hmmm—", she sassily fixed her glasses. "A children's book? how old are you? seven?"

Nicolas froze, perplexed, he frantically scanned placards above the isle he was on. As bright as the day he read it, "Children's Section", before looking back straight at the Librarian while projecting an awkward smile.

"I know there's nothing wrong reading a children's book. But considering her judging eyes, condescending tone, plus taking my attire in consideration, I bet she thinks I can't read or at least not that great of a reader—", he once again smiled, a smile growing awkward every second as the librarian again pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Or perhaps she thinks I'll steal it."

"Is that all you need?", she inspected the books she's carrying, breaking the suffocating atmosphere of suspicion and prejudice.

"Yes, just this book"

"Good, enjoy your book then", the librarian placed the books she was holding on to the shelf before walking away.

This made Nicolas feel a little better. "I guess she was not judging me after all. Maybe I just got the wrong idea—", as soon as he thought things were fine, his spirit again dropped like a ship's anchor with its chains cut, going straight to the depths of no return.

He could only feel pity for himself as the lady walked straight to the guardsmen at the door and whispered something, all while gently gesturing her head to the side pertaining to Nicolas, "She really thinks that I'm an illiterate fool trying to steal books from the library does she? I might not look like it but for your information, I was raised right."

With his spirit crushed like a pepper smashed by a pestle, he slowly walked towards the farthest and left most table at the establishment. Far from the judging eyes of the librarian and other people.

"The Blue Moons Tale"

Author unknown, origin unknown, not even the printing press who published and circulated it was written in the book; all there is to it was the year of publication, March 29th year 204. Despite the lack of information about its origin, the book was widely known, thus spreading the "Legend of the Blue Moon".

Nicolas started to flip the pages. It had been quite a long time since he last held a book, the rough unrefined paper it was made off, the smell of the ink, and the pleasing cover it had with the perfect design and font made him miss his life before. Nostalgia fueled his excitement as he began to read.1

Thousands of years ago, there lived a beautiful woman so elegant she would make the God's envy her beauty, but despite all that, she had been forsaken for death. All she could do was lie on her bed all day long for she could not walk nor she could even sit. She was just patiently waiting for death himself to take her. As she turned the leaves of her books, she waited and waited. The more she read every chapter, the more she wanted her suffering to end. Until one day. A mysterious figure appeared at the foot of her bed. The unusual cold breeze that night woke her up.

She found herself face to face with a dark figure wearing a long dark cloak that was hiding his face as it stood silently next to his scythe. It was death indeed. "Finally", the woman cried, "What took you so long", she weakly added with a smile on her face. The figure did not reply and still stood silently as it watched her smiled. But then, as unexpected as it is, it spoke, leaving the woman bewildered from what it said.

"For years I have watched you. For all the years that you tried to fight and be happy, for all those years I disobeyed the orders of my master in order to give you the chance to live". It lowered down its cloak revealing and illuminating his tears with the glow from his death scythe as it slithered its way down his face. For the most part he was human if not only for the fact that his eyes also glowed blue. Though it might be blue, it felt warm enough to know it's burning, "Why do you wish to die when there is still so much more there is for you to see and experience", the entity exclaimed but the woman does not seem to bother, instead she shouted back.

"Because I know that there's no hope for me anymore!"

"But why?", the entity asked, "If you really had no hope then why. Why did you keep reading those books and filled this room with paintings of the world outside!", he again exclaimed.

"Why can't you do your job!", the woman yelled back her voice dry and coarse, "Why can't you just end my suffering, Yes, at first I read those books because I had hope that soon enough I will be able to experience it myself, but then what?", she felt her heart racing as she catches her breath. "But then— the more I read them, the more I saw those damn paintings— they became a poison to me, they just reminded me of the things I will never have, the things I will never experience", she stopped when she finally had trouble breathing, her tears starting to build up at the surface of her eyes.

"Because I want you to live", the entity gently said, "Because I know you deserved more than being just like this— Waiting for death— Pitying your own self—", he looked the woman straight in the eyes as the tears finally flowed freely like waterfall on her cheeks until it damped her pillow.

Since that night, the bringer of death did not miss the following nights without a visit. Miraculously, the woman started feeling better each day. Slowly but surely until finally, after the long decade of being bedridden since she was 15, she's finally able to walk again, barefooted on the grass as she felt the calming wind cross her face.

But happiness does not seem to be eternal.

It that very same day they first met, the reaper again had come to visit, but this time he did not spoke and he just stood silently like a statue. It did not take long before the room suddenly turned dark and enveloped by mist as another otherworldly voice came to be heard. "I have been watching you from the deepest of the void, your job was to harvest these souls", it yelled like thunder, piercing their ears and shaking their spirits. "From now on, I have no more use of you, for you have disappointed me. If you love this soul that much then I shall take back your soul instead as payment for her existence". And so, it did, the room went back to normal. The reaper dropped his scythe as it slowly dissipates into the thin air. The woman rushed to catch him in her embrace as he fell to the cold floor, weak and unable to move. He turned bright blue, and like his weapon, he too slowly disappeared like dust in the wind.

"For all the millennia that I had been a reaper, you're the only one I spared for the reason I don't know", he weakly whispered before flickering a faint smile. "Live your life to the fullest this time and start over— so when the other reapers finally comes, you'll be glad for the things that you did and never regret the thing you did not".

The moon glowed blue that night. No one knew why except for the woman. She knew that it was due to the death of a reaper. The beacon of hope, the proof that she can start over, and a reminder to cherish every moment for the sake of her visitor that night that never gave up on her even though she herself did.

"What kind of crap is this, the writing is awful and the story itself is uninteresting", Nicolas whispered to himself. He tried to calm himself down but confusion and anger got the best of him, "BULLSHIT"

It was so loud that the whole library heard him. In fact, they all looked at him with the sharpest gaze they could show with their pointer finger raised in front of their lips reminding him to be quiet. Their eyebrows almost glued together in annoyance.

"Pardon me", he sat back down. "If only I knew the legend is this kind of rubbish I would have not even bothered reading it. Such a waste of time", he sighed as something came to his mind. He did not like the idea of asking but what else would he do. Closing the book, he hesitantly walked towards the receiving desk.

"Madam", he asked but the librarian only replied with grunt. "Do you— uh— happen to know anything about the Blue Moons Tale?".

The librarian, who still has suspicion in her eyes, let Nicolas knew that she was wary of him. Her actions confirmed it as she refused to look at him straight on and instead resorted to a sharp side eye, "What about it?", she asked.

"I— uh— just trying to learn about it—"

"Sure, I think I know something. I'm the librarian after all", she confidently stood up, clearing her throat. "The Blue Moons Tale— certainly that's not it", she explained pertaining to the book the boy is holding. "That book was made for children after all. To teach them about hope and not to give up even if life does not go the way you want it to be", she expounded as she forcibly took the book out of his hand, dusting and placing it on the table. "The real tale or should I say the Legend. It was never written in any piece of literature. The only way it was still known today is through oral tradition."

Nicolas leaned in closer as things finally sounded interesting.

"It was said that a long time ago when Yggdryas was the first ever city that had been built in this continent. The ruins was the said proof of that by the way. From then, it was believed that a certain civilization lived here with the power to—"

"Wait, ruins? do you mean the abandoned alleys at the far end of the town?"

"Do you really want to hear about the legend or not? and do you even hear what you are saying, are you born yesterday?", she cleared her throat this time with more force, as she calmed herself because of the sudden interruption. "Those are the remnants of the past war, what I mean ruins are the small wall like boulders at the entrance to the forest. Just that, provides the proof that there was indeed an old lost city somewhere."

"Sorry, continue"

"As I was saying, the first civilization that were to live in Yggdryas was believed to have some kind of mysterious ability."

"Ability?"

"The power to show the reflection of their soul—", this shook Nicolas's entire being, it's a big news to him and for this, he knew he had made the right decision to ask the lady. "The reflection of the soul is different from person to person. It varies in the way the soul is reflected; mainly it can take the form of a sword, a bow and arrow, or a shield. With each category having different forms but that's not important"

"What does that mean for me?", Nicolas's thoughts slipped out his mouth. There was a brief pause causing the librarian to look at him again with more suspicion.

"For you, what do you mean for you?", she raised her eyebrow.

He could only hide his sweat as he suffered the consequences of his action. "I— I mean— continue, I mean continue", he disregarded her question, hoping that she'd believe it. "I should just shut up. There's no way she'd buy that pathetic excuse", he thought while hiding his anxious expression.

"So— Shields"

He sighed in relief.

"The legend says that those that has shield as the reflection or manifestation of their souls are caring. One could say that they are selfless. They have this strong desire to protect others, and if given a chance it's said that those who has it would even offer themselves just to preserve the life of others, they are quite rare but such wonderful souls, right", she paused and waited for the boys approval.

"The Bows on the other hand, yes, they also have the desire to protect, similar to the shields but the legend says that they would not just go down without a fight. They are decisive and understanding and in case of a dead end, they would look for a way on how to save everyone including themselves. Unlike the shields they would not just stand and offer their lives. They will fight until the very end while thinking the best way possible. You know how bow and arrows work right?"

"Well— yes, maybe?"

"Good, since the weapon is most effective in long range, well, this is just my hypothesis. That makes them very critical as I said, because archers need to take count of everything. Every angle, the direction of the wind, and their position on combat. Of all the three, I think the Bows has the most view of everything unlike the swords which are impulsive."

"Impulsive?"

"Yes, impulsive. Meaning—"

"Acting or done without forethought", Nicolas mindlessly blurted.

This amazed the librarian to some extent that she suddenly turned her head towards Nicolas, as if she had seen a ghost. "Hmmm", she groaned as she again fixed her glasses, although this time, she flickered a faint smile, suddenly gaining respect for the boy.

"Moving on, the swords as I said are impulsive. They are truly strong and by strong I do not mean physically, but in a deeper sense, most people are like them. Their spirits does not seem to waver that much. It has a strong resolve, but—"

"But what?", Nicolas again interrupted but this time the librarian did not seem to be bothered by it.

"Unlike the first two, the swords are also the most unstable. Although having a strong resolve through and through, they can easily be eaten and overdriven by rage and vengeance. At least that was the legend said, this could happen if the person is not cautious and misguided"

Nicolas did not expect that to be so on point that he even pictured himself wielding the sword just yesterday, "They can become monsters"

"You could say that, but all I'm saying is that they might be the most vulnerable in terms of walking the wrong path. Anyway, despite having those abilities, they all died, or at least that's what the legend said."

"But how?"

"Since it's a legend, it is not surprising that they had come across an entity powerful enough that they themselves cannot defeat. Duncuel, the king of the underworld or the others would say God of darkness and destruction."

"What's the connection of that with the blue moon?"

"Interrupting again? is that some kind of your hobby young man?", the librarian sighed, not in annoyance but in relief that the boy indeed is earnest about asking her. "Individually, none of them can defeat the dark god and stop him from his rampage to purge all of humanity. He wanted to eat all the souls. But collectively they managed. In order to stop and contain Duncuel, they have sacrificed each and every bit of their souls to try and split the dark god's soul into three, giving way for the others to survive. By dividing him into three, Duncuel would need to build himself first in order to continue what he started."

"Still no blue moon though"

"Fine, the moon turned blue that night because of the sacrifices that that civilization had made. A collection of their souls. It also became a sign of a God's presumed death. But the Legend also stated that when the moon once again illuminates its blue light into the dark night, Duncuel will again rise to continue what he started— and anyway before you interrupt me again, some iterations of the legend also stated that the descendants of those who offered their lives long ago will also come to light in that same night, and he will be destined to finally end the dark God and free humanity from the threat of extinction."

"What if they did that just to make a better ending? what if there was no savior?

"I don't know, that's just what the legend said, that a hero will come to light. But if you heard me earlier, they all thought to have died, so this version is inconsistent."

"But still, a hero will be born?"

"Yes"

"Could it be—"

"Hold on young man, why are you so invested in this legend. I mean it is what it is, just a legend, made to entertain— and come to think of it, the moon turned blue almost seventeen years ago but nothing happened. The astronomers explained that it was a reoccurring phenomenon that can happen once in a hundred years. A once in a lifetime experience, but they are still yet to find an answer to why it happens, so again, why are you so invested?"

"Nothing in particular, its just— I thought that it's such a beautiful legend or so from all the small details I heard. This was my first time hearing it in its full glory", Nicolas scratched his head trying to evade the lady's gaze.

"Very well, do you still need anything?"

"No, that's all, thank you, but I think I should get going now ma'am—", he delivered his gratitude as he tried reading the librarians name tag. "Ma'am, Veronica, good day", he said, before finally walking away with a smile.

"I think I should really exercise the 'don't judge a book by its cover' more often, but I wonder, despite the way he's dressed I can feel that he knows a lot about academics. He's well educated", she sat back down, watching Nicolas leave the building. "And also… I think I saw his face somewhere."

"Finally, some explanation", Nicolas celebrated, stretching his hand into the air as he went out the door, paying salute to the guard that's still on high alert. "Well then, I'm off to find the rest of the ruins", and then he raised his cloaked.

On the bulletin board just at the side of the library's door, he noticed a group of people cramping over it. Standing at the far back, he noticed an announcement that appealed to him. "Missing" it said on the poster, at the bottom of the parchment was the reward. "1,000 gold coins"

"Now that's a quest I could do", he thought with a smile. "Maybe the ruins at the forest can wait while I do this—", he fought his way towards the front where he met the full announcement. He smirked, "On second thought, I'd rather find the ruins after all", with haste, he fled the scene.

At the other side of the bulletin board stood Alice, again following Nick, trying to understand why he killed those two innocent people. At least from her perspective, they were.

"I still can't believe he would have such resolve for murder—", she murmured. She was again puzzled on why he had such a look on his face as if he ate something bad or smelled something awful. "But then again, he pointed a knife at me just the other day. Anyway, since I'm already here I should probably check the news for a change"

To her surprise the first on the board was the news about the Murder, "News sure do spread fast"

According to the news, the woman was 26 years old, and a local of Yggdryas while the male's identity is still unknown. They did not find any evidence pertaining to any suspect and the authorities has offered a nice sum for any reliable information.

"So that's why he made such a face before leaving. He saw this announcement", she panned her vision again to the bulletin before she left.

The tower sounded the 12:00 noon mark.

As usual, the streets of the town was busy and was even more noticeable when Alice finally reached the market. The shop owners still barked like dogs as they desperately called for shoppers, while some may pay attention and listen to their sales talk, most of them never batted an eye or lent an ear.

This was Alice's usual routine. Watching people go by their day, sometimes when she finds something of her fancy, snatching it will always come to her mind but then again she gives it up for the fact that she'll never wear them anyway. She continued her adventure until she reached the foot of the Clock Tower. As soon as she decided to go home, she saw a familiar silhouette running at the edge of her peripheral vision. It was Nick.

She quickly turned around and blended herself with the nearest stall. "So, this is where the hermit hides himself", she smirked as she covertly gazed at Nick leaving the clock tower before sprinting down the town's gate.

As the young man finally went out of sight, Alice finally found a way to spend the rest of her day. Staring intently at the top of the tower, "Well…", she thought, "I guess I'm not going home then."