Blood Moon

Chapter 20 - Waiting

Chapter 20

Waiting

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Ariel POV 

The world around me has changed so much in the last few days.

   I walk alone now, through the town that used to be so peaceful twenty-one out of the twenty-four days of the red moon cycle. Now everyone is fearful scuttling from post to post. Afraid to be seen, to be accused.

   This Blood Moon no babies will be left in the alter jars. For no babies have been born during this cursed cycle. Normally the town would lock it's door's extra tight and pray no Tyrii attempts to get in.

  Uncle has ordered in a master stonemason and his crew from out of town to see if the stone canopy can be fixed. No town's worker will go up there for fear of Tyrii attack. The imported crew scoffs at our superstitious ways, but what would they know?

   Local workmen are feverishly working to fix the Town gate. Reinforcing it against attack.

   It has been five days since Leira's trial, five days of being alone, getting ready, being watched.

   Everyone is being watched. Draggore was not happy I was acquitted, the only one so far.

DAY OF THE TRIAL

    "She is trying to corrupt my son, making him do her bidding!" the woman points accusingly at us. Side by side with our wrists tied behind or backs she has no way of knowing who was who.

   "Who do you speak of woman?" Tewahi demanded.

   "Of the High Councilor's daughter!" the crowd hissed in awe.

   All wondering how would Uncle react to this news, will his justice be fair or will it be bias? Uncle's time had come to make the choice. He did not even blink an eye.

  "Daughter, Leira Janset Captianson you have been charged with being unnatural how do you plead?"

  "Not guilty."

  "This woman before you states different, what say you?"

 "She has no proof, I am innocent."

 "Proof! You want proof, just now my son and I were in our home, safe from the likes of you or so I thought! Them my son, my innocent Roland comes up to me to say that LEIRA! Had asked him to come find her! 'Find her?' Says I. 'When did she ask you?' For I know that she is safely locked up here waiting for trial. 'Just now mummy, I heard her in my head' well I screamed and ran down here demanding justice!"

"Justice! Justice!" the room begins to chant.

  "Then the child must an unnatural too, seize him!" Draggore demands.

  "You will do no such thing," the woman turns around shielding her child from his touch. Rolond clings tighter to his mother scared of the man and his boney hands.

  "Don’t touch that child, he speaks true. I can send my spirit out into the world and speak to a persons mind; I can also predict the future. This child will be a great hunter of our kind and I had wished to do away with him before I was condemned." Leira's face had gone wicked, her eyes dark with malice. "I had planned to take you all down, one by one. There would have been nothing you could have done about it, either."

   Leira jumps over the rail and runs at the crowd, screaming the whole way till she was tackled and a struggling Kassalik, skin bright pink with rage, is brought forward. It bites the first thing it can, Leira's arm. I looked into her eyes as the light in them quickly faded.

    'Now it is your turn' her mind whispered to me. And she was gone.

PRESENT

   It will only get worse.

   ‘My neighbour told me my plant will die and it did. He can predict the future, get him!’

  ‘Weverull always wins at cards. He must be able to read minds. Seize him!’

   There won’t be anyone left if this doesn’t stop soon.

   Griffin was condemned too. He would have been acquitted if he had kept his mouth shut, but he could not bare being away from Sofi while she was in so much emotional pain. I don't see her recovering but Griffin and Leira still have not given up hope. At times like these hope is all they have.

  This plan is stupid; I don’t think it will work. There is but six days till next Blood Moon.  But here I am preparing where I can, why?

Because I too have hope.