The Moon Goddess [3] ✓

☾Land of the Rogues

So this was it.

I was being carried through the woods on someone's shoulder while shivering to death as frosted air hit my bare skin. My heart was racing like crazy and my mind was running through all the unimaginable scenarios of my death and bracing for the worst.

Where were they taking me? Would they kill me in one move or torture me? Why were they even kidnapping me?

I hadn't found out one thing about my kidnappers with the exception that they were insanely fast and didn't mind the merciless cold.

We must've been running for miles, I wished I knew. I was getting a little tired of the unknown, I wanted to tear the cloth around my eyes and see where the hell I was.

Suddenly, they stopped moving altogether. I heard howling and cheering and if I didn't know better, they were cheering for my death. I wanted to hide away, to never be seen again, but at the same time I wanted to take them all and fight back.

They took the cloth out from my mouth and I bit down on my kidnapper's hand as hard as I could.

But all I got in return was a bitter laugh. "Fiesty, I see,"

The person carrying me dropped me to the ground and I could finally exhale. I stood up on shaky legs as goosebumps rained down on my skin. I swallowed my fear and tried to be brave but I couldn't stop myself from shivering.

I was going to die.

I heard some rustling as they shoved me through a tent.

They finally tore off the binding over my eyes and I was left staring at a young woman covered in exotic animal furs. Her black hair was tied up in braids and there was a touch of brown at her roots. Her face was caked with black paint and savage piercings climbed up her ears.

Everything about her screamed danger.

"So this is the Moon Goddess they claim to have?" The young woman asked while sharpening a wooden stake with a knife. I gulped.

I didn't know why but I was a little surprised. I had imagined their leader to be older and crueler and bigger. Don't get me wrong, they were still terrifying in their own way, but just not what I was expecting.

"You think I'm the Moon Goddess?" I gaped at them but their faces remained emotionless.

"Why else would we go through such lengths to get you?" A tall Asian woman interjected.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not what you're looking for." I replied and hoped that they would let me go now.

They all froze and looked to the young woman with the black braids. She stopped sharpening her wooden spear and stared into my eyes.

"Do you know who the real Moon Goddess is, then?" She asked after studying me carefully. She threw her knife down and used her wooden staff as a scepter to get into my personal space. As if she could see through me.

"She's my sister."

The tall woman spoke again, "Maybe we could use her to lure the real Moon Goddess out of her hiding place." Now I understood why we had to have bodyguards, there really were people out to get us.