Talking to the Moon ✔

-Chapter: Forty Nine-

We walked back in silence; the silence that overwhelmed Qamar. My mind was reeling with the emotions that he had dumped on me. The myriads of emotions were confusing to me, but I was worried; Qamar had heard a woman inside his head, she had laughed, she had talked about betrayal.

The same way she had done inside my head.

We walked towards the horses and the sight  struck in my gut. I could feel my heart getting ripped. My brother was on his knees, beaten and bounded, his eyes wide in apprehension.

Three men surrounded him, they wore dark cloaks that flapped with the breeze and their faces were covered except for their eyes.

"You make a lot of noise for a King, Your Highness." One of them spoke addressing the Monarch.

"Leave him," Qamar said but it didn't come out as strongly as he had expected. He was weak; he couldn't fight these men. I could feel dread seize my heart.

"No," the man said, his accent was thick and his voice was muffled, "We cannot. You and your friends need to come with us."

Asad said something against the gag and one of the men hit him on his back. My brother fell on his face and I gasped as fresh tears poured down my eyes.

"Take me," Qamar stepped forward, "I will go willingly."

"Our orders are plain and simple, your highness. Whether you come willingly or not." The man said as he bent down to pull my brother by his hair. My brother's throat was exposed and I could see the dagger that the man had.

"Where is the other one?" The man asked.

"Who?" Qamar asked coolly.

"The other woman."

Asad said something again and within the flash the dagger was in the man's hand.

"Say a word and I will kill you." The man hissed.

Qamar stepped forward hands raised, but I could see them trembling slightly. However I didn't care, my gaze went back to the dagger in the man's hand inches away from my brother's neck. I couldn't lose another brother! I couldn't! This was too unfair!

"We don't know what you are talking about! It is just us three." Qamar said.

"Our scout says there were four of you." The man snapped.

"Look," Qamar pointed at the horses, "Three horses for three people."

I could see hesitation cross the man's eyes but it was only for a second. He looked at each one of us, reading our faces and emotions like an open book. Could he see things that I didn't want to show? Could he see that if I could, I wanted kill him? I wanted to grab the dagger and pull it against his neck. I wanted him to feel the touch of the blade the same way my brother was. But I couldn't.

"Take me," The Monarch said, "Leave them."

The man chuckled, it sounded more horrifying than the one I had heard from Qamar.

"So that they can go back and alert the army to quicken the pace?" The man shook his head, "These two are coming with us too."

He turned towards his men, "Bind them and cover their eyes. Our leader wants to meet the Monarch, finally!"

__

We didn't know where we were or how far we had gone. I just knew that darkness had enveloped me, my hands were bounded and I was pressed against someone. The hot winds against my skin indicated that the sun had ascended to it's apex. The sand in my mouth indicated that we were still in the desert.

I could still hear the echo of the woman's voice in my head. The way she laughed, it wasn't vibrant, it was hollow. It was haunting.

It made me shudder in the heat too.

I knew the body that I was pressed against wasn't my brother. It didn't give me the comfort that his arms usually did; no, this was someone else. Maybe one of them.

I could feel disgust rile up inside me. Murderers! Traitors!

Really? Her voice echoed suddenly inside my head and I could feel my disgust increase tenfolds.

Fancy accusations! She laughed again and I cringed. I hated the sound of her laughter. I gritted my teeth against the gag. I closed my eyes under the cover and tried to block her from my mind.

My reach is stronger in the desert, little one.

I froze at the word. Only one thing called me that and it was the Voice of the Moon. I felt tears in my eyes. Was she the Moon?

Two voices, little one, the woman replied, Mine and yours; constant tiring battle to influence you. You were simply too strong.

I could feel myself getting confused. What did she mean? Was Wali right? Did that mean that I did, indeed, have some powers?

But why couldn't I feel it in me? Why couldn't I control?

You could, the woman seemed elated by my questions, but not anymore. Thanks to Qamar. My Moon!

She said the last words as a jibe. I gritted my teeth. I was confused, angry, scared and bothered. No! I hadn't grown so much for some dumb woman to reprimand me. Who was she? I knew who she was. I didn't need to guess it, Wali had talked about her. The woman from the oasis; the woman who had told him about the powers, the woman who had shown him things, the woman who was supposedly dead. Had he been lying?

Oh, I was supposed to dead, the woman interrupted my thoughts, the damn dwarf had made sure of it. But I didn't. I am here, inside your head, reading your thoughts and talking to you. Feels good, isn't it?

Why? I wanted to scream. Why was she talking to me? Why was she answering my questions? Why was she inside my head?

Because I want you to know everything, she replied with a chuckle.

What did she want me to know? Why was she doing this? What were her reasons?

I just want justice for our kind! She sang in her hollow voice.

Our kind! What did she mean our kind? I wasn't her kind. We were not the same!

Oh, but we are, little one. Different and yet the same. You'll know. You'll see.

I felt her leave my head. The blank feeling in my head. The numbness, the lack of emotions that I had felt. It was her! It has been her! She had been changing me, influencing my behaviour.

She had been doing the same with Qamar.

How? Wali had said that our powers were not too much. It wasn't meant to domineering. It wasn't meant to ruin the natural balance.

Her voice echoed in my head even though she was gone.

I will know. I will see.