Hunter of Midnight

Ch.13 Questions

I feel nothing, hear nothing, and see nothing. It's like I'm floating. It's a struggle to open my eyes, like I'm asleep or in some state of it. I don't get what's going on, but I feel calm... like my heart isn't capable of picking up its pace. The floating sensation stops when I feel my back touch something. The first thing I can hear is the wind rustling through leaves, the first thing I feel must be grass.

Did I not make it out of the forest?

The sky above me is dark, streaked with purple and glittering stars dancing like they're at a festival in the heavens. Beneath me, the grass is such a dark green it almost seems black. The willow trees have leaves that glitter like starlight, their iridescent shimmer providing a faint glow. The calm lapping of water forces me to sit up. An expansive lake rests just to my right. Glowing purple, blue, and green topped mushrooms reach past the treetops. It's so quiet, so calm as well. Getting to my feet, I step closer and closer to the lake until I can see myself within the surface of its waters.

For a moment, I'm not getting air in. I don't recognize myself.

A glittering crown of silver stars encircles my head, its metal seemingly glowing against my dark hair. Robes seemingly made from the night sky hang off of my shoulders, exposing the high collared shirt beneath. A silver belt hangs off of my hips, its charms shaped like the moon phases. My boots and pants seemingly blend, both a sleek and crisp black that swallows up any light that shines upon them.

"Stunning, isn't it?"

Now, I can feel my chest tighten. I recognize the voice that speaks to me. I've been hearing her for months now, only this time, she is not an echo in the back of my head. I hear her plainly. She is in this place with me... wherever this place is in the first place.

I turn and the air is sucked from my lungs. I feel myself falling, but I'm caught before I can fall into the lake behind me.

The female who sits in front of me is gargantuan, perhaps taller than Oakwald's tallest tower. Her dark skin reflects the pale blue glow of the moonlight above us, her long dark hair set in numerous beautiful braids. Charms colored like starlight are woven into her braids, making her hair like the night sky around us. Her eyes are calm and dark like the waters of the lake, the silvery crescents drawn under her eyes making them seem all that darker.

"Hello there, young one," she says calmly, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. "It is so good to finally see you here."

If it weren't for the sudden lightheadedness, I never would've realized I'd stopped breathing. It takes a while for my breath to finally come back, and even when I do feel the air start to flow in and out of me, I'm still no closer to collecting my thoughts than I'd been before.

This was her? This elegant woman, capable of holding me in the palm of her hand like I'm a field mouse. This is who has been speaking to me? She speaks as if she knows me and... something about her feels familiar. This calmness I feel. Even being over ten feet in the air, I feel secure and safe in her hand. I can't quite place how, but I swear I know her. If not her, then I know this feeling she is giving me. The calmness; the tranquility.

"You have questions, don't you young one?" Her tone is smooth, like pure silk flowing through my ears.

Her question seems laughable to me. My breath comes out like a scoff, and I can't help the shake of my head as I just stare at her. "O-of course I have questions, who wouldn't have questions after all of this?"

"You've got the time, young one," she says, her tone still soft and her smile never wavering. "Calm yourself. Take deep breaths, and once you are prepared, ask your first question."

I do as she says. I even count a few of my breaths as I take them. There's so many questions I need to ask, but the first...

"Wh... who are you?"

That smile grows wider, the dimples on her face reminding me of the dark dibits on the face of the moon. "I have been called many names in my lifetime, young one. You will know me as Nyx, the Goddess of the night and all the things and creatures that thrive within its darkness."

A Goddess...?

My heart picks up its pace again. It only races faster when she starts to chuckle. She lifts her head, shaking it slightly while her features turn feather soft. "Calm yourself, young one. There is no need for you to be frightened of me. I've no intention of harming you in any way."

"Wh-why are you calling me that," I ask her. A pit of fear drops into my stomach. I've read stories of Gods coming into contact with mortals before. In almost every case... "A-am... am I your child?"

Nyx raises her brows, a wider grin taking form on her face for a brief moment. She hides her smile behind pursed lips, her chest heaving as she holds back the chuckles. Nyx regains her composure fairly quickly, ensuring the look on her face is still gentle. "Forgive me for laughing, young one," she apologizes, taking an extra moment to breathe. "You may not directly be my child, but I consider you to be mine. I have loved you as mine since the moment you began to take form within your mother's womb. At that time, I loved you not as mine, but as something of hers. Her darling little wolf pup."

My throat closes up right when I go to swallow, the lump choking me and making my throat hurt. Thinking of her voice, how faded it is in my mind... it hurts. I shut my eyes, trying to struggle against the burning tears as her sweet voice creeps its way back into my mind.

"My little pup," she'd call me. "My sweet little wolf pup."

"Y-you—" I gulp. "Y... you knew m-my... my mother?"

Nyx nods her head, smile softening. "I did," she says, "your mother was a follower of mine. She devoted much of her life to me, even when it was dangerous for her."

"H-how would worshiping you be d-dangerous?"

Nyx frowns, looking me over with saddened eyes. "As a Goddess, I am only allowed to tell you so much. I can not say why it was dangerous for her, for telling you would mean the end of our relationship."

"R-relationship?"

I'd been avoiding the question, because in truth, I didn't wanna know the answer, but I can't anymore. I can't look at Nyx, I don't wanna look at her. I swallow hard on the lump in my throat, fighting to keep it down long enough so I can speak. Already fearing the answer, I ask, "Wh-what... what do you want with m-me?"