The Mourning Moon

Prologue

The moon was shinning brightly in the sky. Stars were twinkling in the night sky. A cool, gentle breeze blew over the trees causing them to sway. The forest was calm and serene. The chattering of the insects could be heard in the silence of the night. A woman, dressed in blue gown that flowed as she truged through the forest, was cradling a bundle in her hands close to her chest. The bundle squirmed and made an unsatisfied sound. She looked down, her bright blue eyes locking with tiny brown ones. She smiled and cooed at her treasure. Soon she came to a clearing where a huge bonfire was lit. As she neared the source of light her appearance became clear. She was a beautiful lady with dark skin and curly black hair that created a halo. Her eyes as blue as the clear morning sky. She could have been mistaken as the princess of some faraway land if not for her being covered in blood, her clothes in tatters, a long gash running down from her right cheek to her long slender neck. An empty sheath was hanging around her waist. She stopped near the bonfire, gently she held her child and kissed her child's delicate cheeks.

"My beautiful boy, mother and father love you and will miss you, our precious miracle", she said before laying the child on the ground close to the fire and continued walking forwards away from the bonfire.

Suddenly everything turned red. The woman who had put her child near the fire, looked towards the moon. The moon was blood red. It remained like that for a while before turning back to its original silver colour. The woman's lips broke out into a satisfied smile before continuing walking. She was almost out of the forest when she all of a sudden felt a piercing pain in her abdomen. She looked down and found a sword jutting out of her abdomen before disappearing. She let out a shuddering chuckle before falling down on the dirty forest floor, lifeless.

"She does not have the child with her," a male voice said.

"Then let's keep searching for that spawn of hers", a female voice answered.

The male let out a sound of agreement and both of them went away searching for the child.

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A group of hunters consisting of six men and five women, was passing through the forest. One of the six men was their leader who was leading the party back home. The group was talking about the weird phenomenon that took place just a moment ago when the leader heard a whimpering sound coming fom the clearing. He raised his hand to silence everyone. Everyone went silent and became alert. Once again he could hear the whimper. The leader cautiously followed the sound, his party following him closely. Soon they came upon the clearing, their bows and arrows, spears and swords ready to attack only to halt when their eyes laid on the the source of the sound. It was a baby in his colt, lying near what looked like a burnt out woods of bonfire. He was whimpering pitifully as if he was hungry. Maybe he was hungry, for who knows how long the baby was out here in the woods.

"Chief", a female voice called. "What should we do?"

"We wait", answered the chief, picking up the baby.

Everyone nodded and settled down after starting a fire to keep themselves warm. The chief send three men and women ahead with their hunt while five of them including the chief stayed behind. They fed the child with water and the extra food they had with them after grinding it to paste. The baby was at least four or five months old and the cloth that was covering the baby was of goood quality which means that the baby belong to either nobles or royalty. So what was the baby doing here? Was he abandoned? If so, why?

The group of five people waited till the morn, hoping that someone would come for the babe but no one came. The chief stood up, the baby cradled safely in his arms. The others got up as well. Looking at the child one of the men asked, "What do we do now, chief?"

"We take him back to our village," answered the chief.

"Your husband will jump with joy when you bring back another child," another man teased the chief as the others laughed merrily.

The chief glared at the man without any heat. But it soon turned into loving smile as he thought of his husband's reaction. "Let's go", said the chief. Everyone laughed at chief's reaction. Soon they left after gathering their things and putting out the fire, eager to go back home where their spouse and children were waiting for them.

On the other side of the forest, a dark skinned man was leaning on one of the trees as he watched his husband, a white skinned man filling water in the earthern pitcher. A woman was standing a few feet away from them. Her dark skin glowing in the morning sun as cool morning breeze played with her platinum locks. Her eyes, her silver coloured eyes were staring unblinkingly at the sun....