Red Moon ~ A Twilight Fan-Fic

Chapter 3 and ½: The Discovery

Author's Note: Another halfing. Some dialogues are Spanish, some Portuguese. (Huilen speaks Spanish, Aku speaks Portuguese). You can read the translations in the parentheses of course. Enjoy!

Nessie

Chapter 3 and ½: The Discovery

Early April – Amazon Jungle, South Brazil

When Kachiri arrived, it had already grown dark. No light came from Aku's hut. He was asleep. She perched herself on a tree nearby, at a spot with full view of the hut, and waited. It was odd. Where was Lilen? She couldn't locate her fluttery heartbeat.

Lilen was like that new girl, Eshe, that was in the jungle with her parents. Her brother, Nahuel, had personally requested that Kachiri would look after her. He did not ask that Lilen lived with Kachiri, no. What he asked for was merely that she would keep an eye on the girl, since he wasn't around. To keep away. . . unwanted company. . . such as his father.

Joham had created his fair share of daughters to convince that what he was doing was normal. Lilen wouldn't be yet another one.

Time passed slowly, and Kachiri was beginning to lose her patience, a rare phenomenon really. She didn't move from her hiding spot though. She shouldn't startle Aku, or Lilen with her presence. Neither of them knew that she was looking out for them.

She heard twigs snap. Someone was walking. Her head turned towards the direction of the sound. She was on the ground immediately. From her face, one could tell she was as startled as the man in front of her. They stared at each other for a few seconds, registering what was happening.

"Nahuel," Kachiri finally said.

"Kachiri," Nahuel replied, nodding at her. They both took a few steps away from each other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I decided to visit my sister." His eyes glistened in the moonlight.

Kachiri looked at him suspiciously. "You're hiding something from me, Nahuel," she said in a heavy, sharp voice. "You should know Lilen isn't inside Aku's hut right now."

Nahuel's breath caught in his throat. He didn't seem surprised though. Somehow, he knew that already. Kachiri sensed Huilen somewhere in the shadows, discreet as always.

"You tell me what is going on right now," Kachiri demanded. "Where is Lilen?"

Huilen approached her nephew. "Dígale, (Tell her,)" she encouraged him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Nahuel seemed a little skeptic. He tsked many times before actually doing as his aunt said.

"Lilen is gone," he admitted.

Kachiri's fists curled in anger. "When did that happen?"

Nahuel licked his lips. "It must be at least three months now."

Kachiri grabbed him, and pinned him against the nearest tree. It shook from her force. "And why didn't you tell me?!" She snarled. "Nahuel, this is my jungle. I need to know everything."

Nahuel seemed to be gasping for air, but her grip loosened only a little. She needed to show him who was in charge here.

"Kachiri, por favor, comprenda, Nahuel era muy propio malestar. Dale un minuto yexplicar, (Kachiri, please, understand, Nahuel is very confused himself. Give him a minute to explain,)" Huilen pleaded.

Kachiri let go of the hybrid, who stumbled back. "Only because you asked it, Huilen." She nodded at his aunt. "Fine. Now, Nahuel. Last chance to tell me what happened."

"I didn't find out about it until recently either," Nahuel started. "You know that Aku doesn't have a phone. He sent me a letter, but it took almost two months to get to me. He said vampires showed up. He said Lilen went with them so that they wouldn't kill him."

"I don't understand. Aku is there right now, right?" Kachiri pointed at the direction of the hut.

"Yes."

"And who were the vampires?"

Nahuel shook his head. All of a sudden, he looked very, very tired, and much older than his looks should allow. "I don't know. That's why I came here. I was hoping Aku could tell me more in person."

"This is important. I should have known. Someone invaded my jungle right under my nose..."

"I know. I'm very sorry. I didn't have time to contact you. I tried to get here as soon as I could. I planned to learn as much as I could from Aku, and then I would come to explain the situation to you."

"I believe we should wake him up. This is more important than a night's sleep," Kachiri said quickly.

* * * * *

Aku jumped out of his bed the same moment Nahuel cracked the door open. Kachiri was impressed by his reflects. They were remarkable, for a human. The small room wasn't tidied, the empty bed next to his was unmade, the thin sheets wrapped in a big bundle, sloppily left on the foot of the bed.

The man looked tired. Kachiri could make out the dark circles under his eyes, and the fresh worry wrinkles on his forehead.

"Aku, relaxar, sou eu, Nahuel. Irmão do Lilen. Recebi sua carta. (Aku, relax, it's me, Nahuel. Lilen's brother. I received your letter.)" Nahuel helped Aku sit back down while Huilen reached for a candle and lit it.

Aku started talking fast, each word tangled in the previous, and his voice was so low, merely a hissing whisper. He was crying, and kept apologizing for a long time before noticing the fourth person in the room. He got upset, realizing there was one of the demons other than Huilen there. Nahuel needed while to explain that Kachiri was there to help, not harm, and to get him to tell them what really happened.

"Vamos protegê-lo, Aku. Kachiri virá buscá-lo em poucos dias e você vai ficar com ela até chegarmos de volta Lilen, (We will protect you, Aku Kachiri will pick you up in a few days and you will stick with her until we get Lilen back," Nahuel told him.

Before parting ways, Nahuel and Huilen walked with Kachiri for a while. "Do you realize what you promised the human?" she asked, directing the question to Nahuel.

"Yes." Nahuel nodded. 

"Do you think I can guarantee the human's safety if he is at my feet, all the time?" 

"I am trusting you with his life, to bring my sister back. You have my word, that as soon as this is all over, I will never ask anything from you ever again."

Kachiri sighed. "Never say never. Especially when you have all eternity stretching ahead of you." 

"Is that a yes?" 

"I assume it is." 

"Thank you." 

"A hybrid is living with Zafrina right now. She and her parents came looking for answers." Nahuel looked at her, intrigued. Other than his crazy father and the Cullen's, he hadn't known others who were parents of hybrids. "How long have they been here?"

"Long," was all Kachiri said. "I need to send them away though. I'm afraid I know who took your sister." 

"I think we're suspecting the same people."

"Perhaps. I won't say or do anything until I'm sure about it though. For the time being, I need to send the hybrid's family to the Cullen's. They'll be safer there. No one will be able to touch them."

"Should we tell the Cullen's then?"

"No need to spread panic just yet. After all, we don't even know who is behind the kidnapping. We shouldn't say anything if we don't confirm our suspicions."

Huilen tugged at her nephew's sleeve, and murmured that they have to go the other way now. Nahuel nodded to her. "Thank you, again, for your help."

"Don't thank me just yet. There will come a time when I will need you to pay back the favor."