Golden Moon

Chapter 2

The full moon cast its silvery glow onto the darkened forest. Unlike most summer nights, it was cold. A thin layer of frost covered Tue surface of every plant, tree, and rock. Birds fretfully flitted in the half light creating grotesque shadows that made it seem as if there were hungry beasts above. There was hardly a sound in the ancient wood. Just the creaking of then old trees and the gentle whistle of wind in the froz n leaves. The forest slept, almost suspended in time, it seemed.

Soft footfalls of a lone traveller in the distance echoed, bouncing between the trees and magnifying the sound ever so slightly. They belonged to a man. His medium frame moved expertly through the forest, making hardly a sound. He had been here many times for the same reason he was here again tonight. He checked around himself constantly, checking for anyone following him. If anyone found wat he had found, then he would lose his invulnerability. Fear of discovery was his constant companion. He reached the edge of a clearing, wait ing a few moments in case someone or something was there.

Cautiously, he stepped into the clearing. The moonlight lit the clearing with a ghostly white; the ice magnifying every shadow and beam. He took a step forward, then another, until he was striding to the center of the frozen meadow. There, he bent down and took the pack that was from his shoulder. On the ground in front of the man, underneath a wooden log, grew a patch of flowers. Tall, slender, and delicately shaped petals. The aroma was a thousand different smells, all beautiful and complementary to each other. He quickly yet carefully removed two of the flowers from the ground, stem and all but left the roots. He gently placed them inside a metal container from inside the bag and promptly replaced it safely.

With a strong grip on his bag, he moved to stand up when a black leather boot smashed the flower patch, releasing a beautiful smell. Fear gripped his heart, almost paralyzing him. She found him. He jumped to his feet, ready to fight off whoever was there but not a soul moved. Did he imagine it? He looked down. No, the flowers were crushed. He shuddered as panic flooded his veins. He did not hesitate before he sprinted back to the safety and disguise of the woods.

Once in the grasp of the wood, he found the path and hurried back the way he had come. The gray streaks in his hair shone. He was old, and his heart disease should have killed him but ever since he had found those flowers on a hunting trip, he has outsmarted Death. It gave him vitality and energy he had not felt in years.

Several miles he ran before he was winded and was forced to a walk. His heavy breath froze on the air and his lungs felt as if on fire from the cold. Gasping, he walked quickly forward. He was almost to his home on the far edge of the wood from the meadow. Not long after, he saw the familiar stone brick home. Pine smoke filled his nose reminding him of the warmth that awaited him. With renewed vigour he pushed forward.

He reached the pathway to his doorstep and reached for the wooden door handle. A searing pain hit his arm as it was pinned to the stone and he cried out. Upon turning around to see wat it was, his other arm was pjnned. He looked around wildly bu couldn't see anyone. His gaze turned towards what was causing such pain. His heart skipped a beat. They were silver Hunga Mungas, with runes pressed into the blade and a gold liquid on each edge. Each Hunga Hunga was imbedded in his wrist and the wall, solid. He turned back towards the direction the attack came from.

From the shadows a tall figure emerged. No details were visible except the form of a woman. Her entire being was black, shimmering, and giving off golden tendrils, a!most like snakes. "Brunden Calypso, state your name before the Queen of Death."

Brunden took a deep breath to calm his beating heart andopened his mouth to reply but only a squeak of fear came out. He shuddered from the fear and despair this person radiated. He tried again, "I am the Mayor of this town, I don't need to answer to the likes of you." The moment his words left his mouth he knew he had made a mistake. Pain ripped through his chest. He feared to look down in case his thought was right. Unfortunately it was. Faster than his eyes could catch, this dark woman had thrown another weapon at him. The spike of it was embedded into his heart. He shuddered as his blood turned to ice.

"Do not anger me, I don't have patience for your comments. You have cheated my Master of your soul for far too long and he has sent me to retrieve it."

Kimi seemed to grow more grotesque in the eyes of Brunden, shadows dancing across her face. He took a shuddering breath, " I have done no such thing! Besides, what gives you the right to claim such things?"

He gasped. It felt as if someone was pushing the Hunga munga deeper into his heart. Kimi narrowed her eyes, a growl forming in her throat. " You must not be familiar with my name. So, perhaps you know of the Left hand, The Soul Reaper, Death's Messenger, the Very essence of the Darkness itself!"

Brundens heart skipped a beat but he didn't acknowledge the fact that he knew those names from recent horror stories. The Messenger of Death never lost a target. No one has ever seen her before until it was too late. Never a witness.

Kimi began gliding across the ground closing the gap between her and Brunden. "I am tired of this pointless conversa ion." She was now inches from his face. She reached up with her right hand and grabbed brunden by the throat. "Say hello to the Devil for me." With her left hand, she ripped the weapon from his chest. He gave a last shuddering breath before collapsing into the hands of death.

Without waiting, kimi yanked the other two weapons from the wall causing the body to crumple to the ground. She wiped the scarlet blood on a rag she took from her black leather belt. She replaced them in their holder and turned around to return to the land of the Dead. She walked through the trees away to where she had left kaida.

Kimi stroked the massive neck "Done. We did well tonight, girl." kaida snorted and began prancing nervously. Kimi instantly went on guard. She closed her eyes, using the Darkness within her to sense and feel around her. She twirled quickly and caught the young man her age by the front of his grey shirt, lifting him from the ground. "Who are you," she snarled as she shoved him into the nearest tree, his feet dangling.

A look of alarm crossed his handsome tanned face, his blue eyes startled. He nervously shook the sandy blonde hair from his eyes and replied, "Hey."

The Shadow growled. "Enough. Why did you follow me?"

"Because I saw you murder my boss. Also, we haven't talked in a long time."

" I have never seen you in my life. And my business does not concern you."

"Yes you have!"

Kimi took a deep breath, calming her anger. The Darkness in her veins was fueling her impatience. "Just shut it."

She loosed her grip and he fell to the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, take it easy!"

Kimi didn't reply. She had taken the glove off from her left hand causing him to stare at it. It was semi robotic from the wrist to hand. The fingers looked as if made in the shape of bones, a smoky silver. She walked over to him and grabbed his throat with her mechanical hand. Her eyes were a molten gold color, her expression blank. She began to speak in a tone lower than her own.

"Breath of life, sinking below. The horror awaits, those who know. The soul shall flee and rest with the Master while those who know shall be tortured."

Her gaze bore into his eyes and he felt as if his soul was trying to escape from his lips. He struggled, but the grip she had on his throat constricted his breath. With what he had left, he gasped out, "Kimi!"

She froze, fear overtaking her features and kimi dropped him like a hot potato. "No!" She took a few steps back as her vision tilted from side to side and black spots crept into the edges of her vision. "What did they do to you? I thought they killed you on the street that night. But now I see they created you to be my one weakness. I will destroy my downfall! They will not win!"

With that She stumbled away from him and climbed aboard kaida as they took off into the light of early dawn.