The Tale of Tales

Chapter 45

Jellal looked up at the moon. It was a waxing gibbous moon which meant soon it would be full and Jellal found himself dreading the night of when it would arrive. You see the moon was the source of a wolf's strength and power and when the moon was at it's fullest that was when the wolves of the cursed race would be a their most powerful but it would also be when they were dangerously close to losing control. Over the years he had learned to stay in control even during the full moon but it was especially difficult and there were moments when he did lose control. He had been so swept up in what had been happening lately that he almost forgot that a full moon was well on it's way.

"Is everything okay?" He looked behind himself to see Erza standing there.

"I'm fine." He told her.

"You don't look fine. In fact you look very nervous. What's wrong?"

"It's a waxing gibbous moon tonight."

"Yes it is."

"A full moon is expected to rise next week."

"Yes."

"My pack and I need to get as far away from here as possible."

"Why?"

"A full moon is when all wolves are at their most powerful but it is also when they are at the most risk of losing control. When it rises my pack and I are at high risk of losing control and when that happens we have to be extremely cautious because the minute that one or more of us loses control nothing and no one is safe."

"What exactly are you going to do?"

"We're going to leave for a cave that's high up in the mountains and in the evening before moon rise we intend to seal ourselves in that cave until morning."

"Will you return when the full moon phase ends?"

"Yes."

"Jellal when this is all over what do you plan to do?"

"I don't know."

"Once we destroy the mirror and the curse is broken you'll be able to live among people again."

"Yes but I don't know where I'll go. My parents are dead, I have no family. I have no one."

"That's not true. You have me and Reverend Makarov and my grandmother."

"Your grandmother doesn't like me."

"I still think that Granny likes you but she doesn't want me to be close to you."

"She's right. I'm nothing but trouble you know?"

"Well so am I."

"You're not like me Erza. You're loved by someone who's still alive. You can still have a life."

"So can you."

"How can I? I have no job, no means of providing for myself or anyone else."

"I could help you. You could live with me and Granny. We could move to Fiore where you could get a job as a blacksmith."

"Live with you? Are you serious?"