Hidden Moon

C H A P T E R 1

GODDESS LOST

Baku

The sun continued to rise and set in its accorded time, without fail. Stars shone ever constant in the background of the favored moon at night. Creatures thrived in the routine set. Constant until beset by the course of nature or by the reckless act of man. But then, it was all in the plan, the ever-changing plan.

Life in the realm of mortals was as mundane as I have always witnessed it to be so it interested me so little. The immortals however, were an entirely whole new story. Exciting and entertaining.

It had to be.

How excruciating time could be if no gods and goddesses fought for fun? Lesser deities could join the play and yield – only defeat, no victories. No weaker being has ever won in the game of power against the ancients.

That has always held true.

The most notable show of might between Sidapa and Malandok was one fought to claim the beauty that was Búlan, one of the supreme sky god's children. A contest to woo her was orchestrated by no one but partaken by many as bewitched.

Sidapa, the dark goddess of death whose commands lowly creatures dread, ordered the birds in the skies and the mermaids of the sea to sing sweet melodies. Fireflies flocked and danced in tune as the flowers bloomed delightfully fragrant. Who knew the terrible goddess has the softness to woo Búlan with passionate display many would come to envy.

Such theatrics!

Malandok, the god worshipped by warriors, on the other hand, has no need for such travesty. No one shall mistake the war god and the plunderer of the land and sea for love's fool. Bronze skin lined with tattoos and a fearsome countenance, Malandok believed that all the riches of the world and all beauty belong to him and with him alone. So follows, the superior beauty, Búlan, was his to claim.

Vanity!

I, too, had the tip of my tail and fang on that one however; I was solely driven by boredom. Briefly, I almost had their prize captured but Haliyah interfered and fought me off while the great Sidapa won against the mighty Malandok and took Búlan.

All was well.

I did not mind having lost for it was just all fun for me at that point.

All in the name of a little game...

At least, it was for me.

That was when our paths first crossed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the last

* * *

Venturing out of deep dark sea after that fiasco, I was in no hurry to return lest the supreme god of the immortals had something planned for me. I avoided the enchanted territory as well the skies. In my ascent, I've meet with a dear friend, the sea turtle, who was on her merry way to an island from afar. It was a journey we often took and again, it was just something to do given so much time.

Like always, I travelled with her only until where the sea kisses the land but no further. The tides follow me in my serpent form and had I crossed the shore, it would have taken a large area of the island. As it is, my arrival had already made the tide rise. My continued presence would be detrimental to its inhabitants and so I left and then continued traveling south.

Leisurely resting for a bit, I idly watched sea traders bartered by the floating homes on shallower waters. The usual scene which always bored me had made me cook up another mischievous plan. Disguised as a man, although remaining unseen, I boarded one of the sea traders' vessels and spent the time sleeping on its acquired riches as it sailed back to its origin.