Of Moonlight and Shadows

There is a tale as old as the Earth and the Sky, told by those who live in the shadows. A tale of a being born of an unnatural union, who watches from the dark and guards a secret greater than any treasure trove.

On a night that only comes every thousand years, a group of women gather under the full moon, dressed in long dark cloaks, heads bowed. They come together in a circle and clasp hands. As they do, the luminous full moon starts to go dark. One figure looks up to the sky and begins to chant. A haunting melody that chills you right to the bone. The others join in, and the wind picks up, carrying the sound up to the heavens.

As the moon is swallowed whole, the sky turns red, the color of flowing blood. The women raise their voices, carrying the chant higher to the sky, through the trees surrounding them, all the way into the darkest shadows of night. As they go on, the ground around them glows in the same color of the sky. One figure startles, but continues with her sisters. The ground glows brighter, brighter than a thousand stars in the heavens, and condenses in the middle of the circle. The glow grows brighter still, until out of the dark, a bolt of deep shadow pierces the form.

The women falter, but the leader speaks up. "Keep chanting, we mustn't stop now!"

They pick up, chanting louder and louder, until it's the only thing in your ears. As they continue, the shadow swirls in the light, mixing through and tainting the pure color.

Suddenly, the orb pops, light dissipating, leaving a still form lying on the cold grass. In the sky, the dark shifts away, leaving the moon glowing brighter than before. The women stop chanting, silence resonating through the forest. A shaft of moonlight shines down, illuminating the figure left behind. At first glance, you would think it a normal girl. Small in stature, almost frail, limp on the ground. But upon a closer glance, her skin was as bright and pale as the full moon, her hair as dark as the deepest night.

The lead woman steps forward from the circle. Approaching the girl, she says "Awaken, creature. I have called you forth, you will do my bidding."

The girl doesn't move. Not even stirring an inch at this brash command.

One of the other women speaks up, "Lufellia, are you sure it worked? It looks like a corpse, not a..."

Lufellia interrupts, "Silence, Willow! The ritual worked, I'm sure of it. We just need to give the beast an incentive to rise."

With a wicked grin on her face, she approaches closer. Rearing back, she kick the girl firmly in the ribs. Taking a step back, Lufellia waits a moment, willing what she calls a creature to stir to life. When nothing happens, she yells and kicks the girl again, even harder. Kicking over and over, she bellows, "Why. Isn't. It. Working?!"

The woman called Willow steps forward, gingerly placing a hand on Lufellia's shoulder. "Maybe we did something wrong? Or perhaps the gods willed it not to be."

Lufellia throws off the hand, "willed it not to be? Willed it not to be, you say?! I've dreamt of this day for years. Years! I've suffered and toiled away, all for this moment, and I get stuck with a bunch of incompetent hens and a half baked spirit? I will not stand for this!"

As she draws back for another kick, the wind howls fiercely. The women's robes whip about, the trees bow as the force cuts through everything.

Distracted, no one notices what happens next. With a shudder, the pale girl's eyes snap open. Like shining sapphires, her gaze roves about the clearing. Slowly turning her head, she takes in the breathtaking sight of the shining moon above her. Then, she hears a whisper through the wind. She turns her eyes towards the forest. Within the thick trees, the shadow and darkness condensed, forming what almost looked like a man.

The strange figure seemed to hold a finger up to invisible lips, urging her to stay quiet still. Then, another whisper in the wind, "my sweet child, though you are new to this world, you have a rough journey ahead. Take heed and follow your instinct." With that, the figure disappeared, leaving no trace of ever having been there.

Blinking in confusion, the girl went to turn her head again, but instead found a swift kick to the side.

"So you are awake, you useless cow!" Lufellia reaches out, grabbing the girl by the chin, pulling her forward. "Now let us see what you can do."

Lufellia releases the girl and steps back. "I command you to go forth and slaughter those who have wronged me!"

The girl stares forward blankly, showing not the slightest hint of an expression, nor sign of understanding.

Lufellia growls, stomps forward and grabs the girl by her long hair. "I told you to go forth. Are you truly so stupid that you don't understand even that?" She reaches her other hand into the folds of her cloak and draws a small dagger. "If you cannot even follow a simple command, then there is no point to keeping you."

The aggressive woman hold the blade to the girls throat, putting just enough pressure to draw blood. It drips down the girls neck, almost black in color. As it drops to the ground, the shadows surrounding them rush closer, condensing around the circle, swirling quickly in agitation.

Lufellia's grip on the blade slips ever so slightly as she looks to the shadows around her. Looking back at the girl, she says, "is this your doing? Trying to threaten me, are you?"

The girl looks up at Lufellia, a dark glow forming behind her eyes. She grabs the wrist of the hand holding the dagger and wrenches it to the side, making an ugly crunching noise. Lufellia falls back with a holler, cradling her injured hand to her chest. Fear overcomes her as the frail looking girl slowly rises to her feet, as steady and graceful as a gazelle. The dark light behind her eyes brightens as she looks upon the frightened woman, a calm but determined expression on her face.

"I take orders from no one, least of all, you."

She raises her arm out to her side, and clenches her fist. With a rush, the shadows converge upon the women gathered. All that can be heard are their screams as they're attacked by what lurks in the dark, and a low, quiet laugh.