The Moon Fell (Zatz x reader)

Chapter 11

It was hard not to feel awkward as you picked at the eggs on hot stone over the fire, trying to make sure that they fully cook and not to burn. Maria gingerly stepped towards you, after Zatz's helping taking her tent down the lady had found herself glancing at the spiders, you, Maya, and then Zatz. She must feel the heavy awkwardness as well, having settled next to you instead of the couple drifted further away from each other. One trying to keep the peace and another refusing to speak as of yet. Maria found herself apologizing to you for some odd reason, saying that she should have been there to help or something along those lines.

But she was a scholar, you had told her earlier. There wasn't a need for her to put herself at risk when she hadn't had proper training. She wasn't ready for combat so to put her into a situation where she may have to fight wasn't a risk she should take. Never the less she still felt the need to apologize so with hesitation you had excepted to make her feel better.

"Let's head out, I want to get to the jungle kingdom as soon as possible" Maya finally spoke, finishing her breakfast.

Quickly finishing your own eggs and setting the rock down you made hast of leaving. Maybe when your finally on a horse you could escape this tension. Saddling up with Zatz and Maya with Maria you headed out on the trail, spiders hanging out on your travel bags. The tension was not cleared however when you all were finally moving. Though it was quiet with Zatz he wasn't rude, he continued to offer smiles while maintaining a kind of comfort in the silence. However, Maria looked uncomfortable sitting with Maya who's strong headed adittude caused her to not only ignore Zatz but everyone.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Zatz finally asked quietly to you.

"Pretty well for what happened last night, and you?" You whispered back.

"Well, I don't sleep a lot normally so it felt more like sleeping in if I'm honest" he replied.

"Really, why is that?" You asked.

"Always had tasked during both day and night so never had a set sleep schedule. Plus being a demigod has some help" he answered.

"Hm, you know I always thought there was a large difference between demigods and normal mortals" you though aloud.

"Why is that?" He asked.

"Well the stories they told me growing up made you seem unearthly. Like the air around felt different and were hard to grasp the concept of you. But you both don't really do that. You're as human as the rest of us. You feel our own emotions and make mistakes like us. Not really like people depicted you both" you explained.

"I guess people just focus on what they think they see and how they feel in the moment" Zatz shrugged.

"Or maybe they only see your bloodline and not the humanity in you" you added.

Zatz stayed quiet, given something to think on for a moment and you were sure you had caught Maya listening in to you two but missed the lightened expression she wore. The trip didn't take much longer before you entered the jungle kingdom. Now, the kingdom never had walls, they never needed them. The kingdom instead, in times of war, would just stop maintaining the paths which quickly would cause travelers to be lost and cases of madness were common. There were huts surrounding the temple that sat on the left side of the entrance.

Dismounting off the horses and taking them by the reins through the streets. Unlike the stone built houses, the homes here were mud bricked with stick roofing. The markets were that different however with tent like tops of fabric tied to poles over their table setups. There were spices, pants, baskets, qnd tropical foods being sold and loudly announced as you walked by. The spiders almost hopped off the saddle bags when they saw a chocolate covered bug stand.

After finally crossing though the crowd and making it to the temple you all began to make your way towards the entrance. There was surprisingly no one there, no guards or people. That was until you stepped on a string that rung a bell. Suddenly people shot up from the ridges at the top levels of the temple, arrows pointed down at you along with more people with swords filling out from the sides of the buildings.

"What the, hey!" Maya yelled as they surrounded us.

The people wore or were painted to look like skeletons. They all where silent, hardly making sound as they walked and hardly could hear their breaths. It was as if they were hardly there though in the broad daylight they were very visible. They didn't say a word.

"We are looking to seek a meeting with your ruler" Maya started.

"It's us, Zatz prince of Bats and Maya, daughter of death" Zatz added when there was no answer.

They continued to be silent and instead hit Maya in the back of the head with the butt of their sword, effectively knocking her out. Maria yelped and caught her only to follow suit. One of the spider jumped on the two unconscious individual and hissed defensively. The other moved in front if you. Zatz drew his sword, moving to defend any attacks as you did with your axe.

"So much for diametrically dealing with them" you muttered as you both began to cross swords with the skeleton army. You both were surprisingly working through them, with plenty of help from the spiders whom only had to bite them to paralyze them. It was only when the arrows and darts started raining down that the struggles began. One arrow pined Shroud down and a dart put the other to sleep. From there you both were swarmed before Zatz was darted. With what little time you had you raised your axe and took out the biggest most useful person you could find before too being darted.

"Fatherless behavior" you groweled before passing out.