Daughter of the Moon

VI. The Cavalry

"What the hell?" Leon asked, looking at the other four warriors. "Can someone tell me what's going on?"

Anastasia stood silently, staring off in the direction the harpies left. Her staff had fallen from her hands, lying on the ground beside her.

"The Second War," she whispered, partially in awe, partially completely terrified. She dropped to her knees, her breaths weak.

"You mean the one the magicians talk about?" Leon asked, disbelief in his voice. "No, it's too soon for that."

"Obviously not," Alexandria commented with an eye roll. She went up to her sister, placing her hand on the younger's shoulder. "Come, Ana, we must go."

Anastasia stood and turned, and when she faced them, they saw her eyes were completely white.

"The Second War," she said again, louder this time. "The monsters of the ground, sea and sky shall come to land to face the five chosen warriors, who will save the Moon race and every being upon the Earth."

"Anastasia, what are you talking about?" Andreas asked cautiously, approaching her slowly. 

"The Son of Apollo," she said with adoration, her eyes turning purple as she tilted her head to the side. "Her biggest weakness, her source of strength. Our other half."

The other three watched in awe as a smile came across her face, though they knew it was not Anastasia talking. She was not in control.

Her eyes then turned black, and she turned to her sisters. "My Luna Warriors. I would say you two are the ones we are proudest of." She reached up to touch their faces, as they looked at her in shock. "Do not doubt your importance."

Anastasia turned toward Leon, her eyes glowing with flames as she spoke to him. "The Cavalry. Though you know not the power you possess within... you shall find out soon enough."

Then, like never before, her golden eyes returned, but not as they had been before. But it was now as if liquid gold flowed like a river in her irises. She looked around at the others, eyes darting to find an emotion in their eyes.

"Guys?" Anastasia's normal voice returned, though she sounded frightened. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Andreas and her sisters were silent, but Leon scoffed. "You just spoke to us like you were 500 years old."

"What do you--oh." Her knees buckled, and suddenly she felt as if she hadn't slept in years.

"They spoke again, Ana," Alexandria said softly, going to support her sister's weight.

"Again?!" Leon exclaimed, giving out a nervous laugh. "You mean she's gone full goddess before?"

"Can you ever shut your mouth, Leon?" Andreas asked angrily, taking Anastasia from her sister. Anastasia was putty in his arms, all of her control gone.

"Andreas, what did I--what did they say?" She asked breathily. Allera set up camp, knowing her sister would not be able to ride. She lay out a blanket for her sister to rest on.

"You just spoke prophecy," he said in amazement. "Imagine if Selari had seen it."

Anastasia let out a weak laugh, looking up at him as he laid her down gently. "He'd probably be jealous," she said quietly.

"I'm going to go get--"

Anastasia reached out to Andreas, her fingers wrapping lazily around his wrist.

"Stay, please," she whispered, eyes desperate. "I... I need to tell you something."

Andreas nodded. He told Leon to start a fire and a meal, before sitting next to Anastasia.

"What is it?" He asked her, leaning in to hear her.

Anastasia looked around before sitting up. Andreas tried to stop her, but she swatted him away, already feeling better. Her sisters were caring for the horses and Leon was setting up a fire.

"I saw things," she said to Andreas quietly, her heart pounding in her chest. "Unspeakable things, Andreas. Bodies piled, the five of us standing in the middle of the carnage. We can't win. We can't win, Andreas."

Andreas put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in her eyes. "Why, Ana? Why can't we win?

"There were cyclops, hydras, sirens, gorgons... Every creature you've heard of that can't be killed by a human alone, they were there. They were killing everyone but us five. They tried but we always beat them. They just killed everyone else, Andreas. Why weren't they able to kill us? What is the point of us living if everyone else is dead?"

"Anastasia, while you saw those things, the goddesses told us our roles in this all," Andreas told her, looking down in confusion. "I think it was Artemis... she told me I was your biggest weakness. But the source of your strength..."

Anastasia looked at him in confusion, and she felt sick. She could still see the faces of the dead.

"Your sisters, Selene said they were the Luna Warriors they were proudest of. She said they shouldn't doubt their importance. And... Hecate. She looked at Leon and called him the Cavalry. Said he doesn't know his power."

Anastasia's head snapped up to Andreas, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. 

"The Cavalry?" she asked in disbelief. "No, you heard wrong. The Cavalry can't... it can't be Leon... he can't."

"What's wrong, Ana? What the hell is the Cavalry?"

"The Cavalry is of legend..." She closed her eyes, trying to remember what she'd been taught. Suddenly, she felt a pressure in her head, and she cried out in pain, her hands reaching up to hold her head. "The... The Cavalry..." 

"Anastasia?" Andreas asked worriedly, his hands over hers.

Images flashed in her head of flames and magic. She could see the Underworld.

"I don't know, Andreas. But I don't think it's good."

Anastasia finally looked up at Andreas, her hands dropping onto her lap. Andreas' were still over hers, and he rubbed her thumb against her palms lightly.

"We'll figure it out, Ana."

He put his forehead against hers, sighing. 

"We'll figure it out."