I scowled as the blood moon mocked me from above for the third night in a row. The lunar eclipse lasted for three nights. The first; a red tide swept across the moon and slowly inched across it as the night progressed. The second; the sky was dominated by a full moon that was like a drop of blood from a sky god. And finally the third night, and the tide of blood was creeping away until the moon was pale apart from a bloody ring at it's very edge. Like a broken nail.
"Bloody eclipse!" I snarled from his perch on a windowsill. I am in my chambers right above the guild hall, yet it gave me no peace. It was unusual for me to seek solitude. 'This damn thing has troubled the land and me...'. Wolves howled at night to the moon as did other darker creatures, begging it to leave or stay no one can tell. Vulcans stayed holed up in their caves and trees, cowering from the moon. And not a single creature approached the sea in this time. But it wasn't only troubling the creatures of the land. I noticed it was effecting Elfman. It was mild and only temporary, but as the wave of red crossed the moon Elfman grew more and more agitated, and on the second night it effected him physically. His eyes turned blood red, his pupils narrowed like a wolfs. Making him an albino in all but skin colour for the night. His nails grew hard, sharp and long. His hair longer and thicker, he never stepped foot inside at that time and preferred to sit under a tree to gaze upon the moon and breathe. His sisters worried and sat with him long into the night, trying to speak to him, but he ignored their words. Until I approached them in the cold winter night.
"It's the blood moon that is effecting his beast soul" I had said. Elfman glanced at me and dug grooves into the snow with his long claws.
"Okay that makes sense, but it wont effect him permanently?" Lisanna asked. I noticed Elfman's now pointy ears twitched at the sound of her voice.
"No it should fade over a few days after the blood moon, maybe even immediately. It effects him because it rises his beast blood".
"Um okay. But why doesn't he speak?" Mirajane had asked. Elfman now turned to her and bared his teeth. They had turned into huge fangs that had barely fit inside his mouth.
"He would probably bite his tongue out if he tried" I tried sympathetically, and Elfman returned to polishing his claws in the snow. "Let him rest" I continued, "I don't think he would want you two freezing yourselves just to sit with him". Elfman turned to his two sisters and nodded.
"Okay but Elfman don't do anything silly" Mirajane had demanded and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't catch cold now". Elfman smiled at her, his canines pocking out from his upper lip and pressed his palm into the snow, the snow hissed and melted away until grass was visible. His blood has risen to boiling from the blood moon. "Oh" Mirajane giggled an pulled Lisanna up.
"Take care Elf-nii chan!" Lisanna called and the two walked away to the guild which was banging and crashing in the quiet night. I smiled at Elfman as he continued to stare at the moon and polish his claws. It was uncanny watching a beast soul mix with the human soul this night. However I noticed that Elfman's red eyes looked at this moon, almost like Elfman's blue eyes sometimes look at a certain green fairy. However there was some unnameable difference between the two looks. Was it bewitchment he saw in the red eyes? And was it endearment he saw in the blue eyes? I couldn't tell.
I shake my head and returned to the present, old eyes focusing of the bloody nail of a moon. "You are starting something aren't you" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "It started with Elfman like a warning. And now I bet you are clawing up something from the darkness" an image of Elfman's claws digging in the snows flashed in my mind. A blood moon hadn't occurred in many hundred of years in Fiore or so Levy says. And any text or history she could find on the matter was vague or half destroyed over the years.
"It says...I don't know, something about a 'turning'..." Levy explained and ran her forefinger over the old runes on a stone tablet during the second night.
"A turning? What's that gonna mean Shrimp" Gajeel asked over her shoulder. "The only one I see who is turning is Elfman". All three of us looked out the window and watched Elfman as he stared at the moon and polished his claws continuously on the bitterly cold snow.
"That's temporary..." I began, when Elfman suddenly looked at the window. The light reflected off of his eyes like a dogs, catching the light of the bloody moon. The rest of his face was shadowed and his body dark. The eyes peered at them like headlights. Levy swallowed and shivered under the gaze.
"It's alright child" I pulled the two from the window. "He just senses us looking and is looking back" Elfman returned his gaze to the moon and I just hear the crunch of his claws passing through the snow.
"I don't like it" Gajeel muttered.
"Neither do I" Levy muttered sympathetically. "But it says something else...'Dark tide'...".
"Dark tide? What like the sea?" Patherlily jumped on Levy's shoulder.
"That's what confuses me. The character for 'tide' is partially broken. I can't tell if it says 'tide' or 'tidings'..." Levy trailed off.
"And those words could mean two completely different meanings!" I ran his hand over my mustache in frustration. Tugging angrily on the coarse hair.
"Master, whatever Levy is reading happened hundreds of years ago. That doesn't mean it will happen again" Happy flapped up to me jovially. "Here have a fish" the cat dumped a small slimy fish in my hand. It was all I took not to scowl.
"I like you optimism cat" I smiled at the flying cat and politely placed the dead fish on a table. 'But with dark omens and changes among our own people' I thought and glanced at Elfman. 'Optimism from young green cats isn't something we should put our faith into...Especially with this sinister history'.
I shook my head and returned to the present. "Tide. Or tidings. Those words mean all the difference", I supped my beer. "The word 'dark' though...There is an ocean called The Dark Sea. And there is an old saying 'dark tidings'...Both are relevant. Maybe both are related" tapping my mug I look at my hands. They were old and liver spotted, marked with thin silver scars and dark blue veins, each wrinkle a passage in the book of my life.
"Maybe I'm just an old and paranoid fool that stares at shadows too long. Shadows that may not even be there" the mage thought of The Dark Sea again. "That isn't something to take lightly, strange things happen there...Strange drownings, strange creatures, strange people. Perhaps it is something to look into..." I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes and my head snapped around again. A large figure with thick spiky hair stepped out from under the tree and crunched forward and through the snow. I breathed a sighed of relief and felt my pent up nerves ease slightly. I placed my mug on the window sill.
"Ah Elfman I see you have finished your moon gazing" I called from my perch with a slight smile stretched on my face. Light glinted over Elfman's eyes as he nodded.
"Still can't speak huh?". Elfman shook his head and pulled his lips apart. Murky moonlight bounced off of his sharp and long teeth that made him mute.
"They should turn to normal soon" Elfman smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. His claws also sparkled in the light. "And your claws too". Elfman turned to the blood moon again and I watched as steam poured from his mouth as he sighed. I frowned at Elfman and wondered if he was feeling anything ominous that could foreshadow a dark future. 'It could be just a lunar eclipse, or it might not be...'.
"Elfman are you feeling-" the old man stopped when he heard a knock on the door.
"Master" A light and honest voice called from beyond the door. I notice Elfman's ears twitch at the voice and his red eyes blink in surprise. "May I come in?".
"Yes come in child" I half turned and watched the door. A person that can only be described as the epitome for womanliness walked into the room, holding a black envelope in her elegant hands. She has breasts that could match Lucy's, a perky arse and hips that match and better Levy's and is hypnotizing to watch as she moved. And long shapely legs that rivaled even Juvia's sexy length. The only thing that separated her from all three was her hair. Which was fairly less outstanding compared to Lucy's sunshine yellow, and Levy and Juvia's bright sky blue locks. The woman's hair was dark chocolate brown and fairly ordinary compared to the other three, and rolled in waves down her back like a glossy waterfall, making up for colour in length and luster.
'Oh yes, this generation of female wizards are certainly more...Alluring than mine' I thought as Evergreen of the Raijinshuu approached, she had clearly just returned from one of her long missions with her team. Evergreen smiled sincerely down at me, her respect given more for being the grandfather of her team leader than me being one of the ten wizard saints.
"Good evening Makarov sorry for interrupting you..."Evergreen trailed off as she saw the familiar figure standing in the snow not ten meters away from the window. "Elfman?" I swear I saw her eyes soften briefly as she said his name. But they quickly hardened up.
"Why the hell are you outside in the snow?!" Evergreen shouted down and Makarov flinched at her loudness. Elfman just shrugged.
"Jesus aren't you cold?!" the young lady shouted and wrapped her thick coat tighter around her. Elfman shook his head. He was only clad in his dark blue shirt, made of thin material. "Oh that is bull shit!" Evergreen swore and leaned further out. "I've been outside dressed warmer than you and even I felt the cold make my bones rattle! So quit acting tough and come inside!". I felt a slight smile tug at my old lips as he observed her. Before I never understood Evergreen's hobby for yelling at Elfman, but since I saw that soft look in her eyes hidden behind her glasses, I may have an idea...
"Evergreen, it's the blood moon" I pointed to the last of the red waves as it inched its way back from the moon. "It has raised his beast soul and because of this he has been watching the moon for this night and the last" a wolf howled eerily to the moon, as if to prove my point. "Oh...I've been watching that moon on the way back from Crocus" Evergreen sighed up at the moon and looked at Elfman. "But you have been out there for nearly forty-eight hours? Aren't you at least hungry?" Evergreen's voice was steel as she placed the letter to the side. Elfman nodded vigorously and I felt happiness or some other emotion stir my belly as the two didn't break eye contact as they watched each other in a rare moment of silence.
"Why can't you speak?" Evergreen asked. Elfman moved forward suddenly and jumped up twenty feet onto the window sill, nearly knocking me off and startling Evergreen.
"Oi! Elfman watch it!" I scold and just caught my beer from falling off. Elfman opened his mouth and showed his teeth to Evergreen who blinked in surprise and disgust.
"Fuck you let your teeth get out of whack" Evergreen grimaced. Elfman shrugged sheepishly and scratched his scarred face. "Oh and your nails! Jesus Elfman what the fuck! They look like claws! Honestly if you can't take care of yourself...".
"Evergreen..." I tried to interrupt.
"Then I don't see how you are going to live long...".
"Evergreen...".
"I swear you make me so mad!".
"Evergreen!" I bopped her sharply on the head and she stopped. "This isn't his fault. It's the blood moon, It has raised his beast soul to the surface and has altered his appearance temporarily. He will be fine. In fact" I stood up and looked at Elfman's eyes. "His eyes may be returning to normal". As the last dregs of the red wave pulled away so did the red in his eyes, leaving a stunning blue.
"Oh..." Evergreen rubbed the top of her head and shuffled her feet.
'I think Evergreen just likes shouting at him to have an opportunity to talk with him' it was strange that I felt so curious about the two but then I shook my head. 'No, if Evergreen just wanted to talk to him she would, she isn't one to bulk from a thought of speaking to a guy. He must genuinely annoy her...' the soft look of hers flashed through my memory and I looked more closely between the two. 'Or not...'. Despite the fact that Elfman was being yelled at he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. Shaking my head I pulled my head from the cloud of young love and looked at the black envelope to Evergreen's side.
"Evergreen, where did you get that letter?" I gestured to the black letter.
"A strange man in Crocus recognized Laxus while we were there. He gave this letter to us to give to you. He said something about giving it to you himself but his town needed him back before it was too late..." Evergreen trailed off and her eyes grew distant in memory.
"What did he look like child?" I felt his stomach begin to worry as he eyes the black parchment, sealed with a pure white blob of wax.
"He was...He was..." Evergreen blinked. "Dark. He was completely covered with dark cloaks, and furs, some of them look like rags. We couldn't see his face and his hands looked near dead. Like his skin was stretched to tight over his bones. His skin was even black, like the night sky".
Worms dug into my stomach and that shadow of unease on my back grew darker.
"Give it here girl".
The parchment was rough and leathery, made for use far more arduous that a simple letter. 'Why couldn't they send a simple lacrima?' I turn the letter over and look at the white wax seal and my heart nearly stopped. Pressed into the wax was the imprint of a barren tree.
"R'gnarsher" the words flew from my mouth before I could stop them. 'That's why they couldn't send a Lacrima...' .
"Rignerrshair?" Evergreen butchered the name with her untrained tongue.
"No R'gnarsher" I could hardly feel my heart thumping and barely heard Evergreen's words. A clicking noise filled the air.
"What or where is R'gnarsher?" Elfman voice was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on my head. Clicking filled the room and Makarov watched sternly and Elfman crouched tightly on the window sill, his teeth and claws retracting back into place. Looking at his expression, somewhat painfully.
"R'gnarsher is a village located at the very center of the The Dark Sea bay" I explain. "And that's why they didn't send a lacrima. Their magic is primitive but powerful and they don't have the resources to buy lacrimas". I ignore their further questions and snap the wax seal in two and fold out the paper. 'Dark paper, dark words' I thought superstitiously. The blotted white ink used to craft the words filled my vision, and as my eyes near the end of the page dread and horror filled me to the bone. Jumping down from the sill I nearly screw the paper up into a ball and shouted at the moon.
"DAMN YOU, YOU BLASTED CURSE!".
"Makarov what's wrong?!" Elfman stood up next to Evergreen.
"I knew that damn thing was starting something, that damn blood moon!" anger and fear for anybody living near or in The Dark Sea made me shake with fury.
"Master!" Evergreen exclaimed and looked anxious.
Calming myself, I shook the paper at the two of them. "Dark tides, dark tidings, there is no difference. They are both true. Dark tides and darker things".
"Master?" Elfman extended his hand, "let me see".
Sighing I reach up and handed the leathery paper to Elfman and watched his face grow pale.
"Draugr..." Elfman gasped and let the paper fall.
"Aye the Draugr are rising to the blood moon" the words stuck in my throat and Evergreen raised a brow.
"Draugr? What are those?".
"Elfman do you know much about monsters?" I ask and the tall man shoots me a look.
"That's like asking if a florist knows much about flowers". Elfman rubbed his pale face and stared at the parchment. "They are un-dead things of the sea Ever. Men and Woman died at sea and their ghosts inhabit their own bones and lye dormant. Waking only to kill other living things and eat them".
"What?!" Evergreen looked aghast and looked at the moon which thankfully returned to normal. "And they rose because of that?!".
"If it effected me it will sure as hell effect them" Elfman nodded and looked at the paper. "They have already killed..."
Sickness filled my stomach and I shuddered at the dreadful news written on the paper. 'Those poor children'.
"Who have they killed?" Evergreen demanded but couldn't bring herself to look at the paper.
"Two children, not related and living close to the shore in R'gnarsher " I explain and pull out a map from the pile on my desk. Scanning the leather, my old eyes slowly pick out a strip of land and the little dot with the name R'gnarsher strapped to its side like a burden. Pointing to the spot I look solemnly a the two young ones. "One ten years old, the other only three".
"Only three!" Evergreen covered her mouth with her slim hand and gasped. "That's horrible...How?..." She couldn't continue.
"The letter says they were dragged from their beds and out the window, the parents only finding this from broken windows shattered inwards and their beds or cribs shattered to pieces" I explain and roll up the map and felt my heart tug painfully. 'Those poor children...' .
"But, how do they know about the Draugr?" Evergreen shivered and Elfman closed the window for her.
"Their bones were found on the rocks of The Dark Sea, but they were as dark as ink and picked clean, some bones snapped...". '
I couldn't bring myself to say 'bones snapped for marrow in front of them'.
Evergreen lent against the wall and looked at Elfman. "Only three...". Evergreen calmed herself and looked at me. "How does that explain that it's Draugr? Someone could've taken them for ransom money and threw them into the sea when they realized the parents couldn't pay?".
I took a long and mean pull of the beer and felt the bitter barely match my bitter mood. 'A fine old ale, for a less fine old man'.
"Because Evergreen dear child. On the second night when the blood moon was full. The children's bones began to walk again".
Why hello avid Elfever readers. Thank you for reading this chapter, it is my third Elfever fanfic, and this one has got me all excited. This chapter may be lacking in romance but it is a wonderful slow burn this story. Thank you for reading and I shall post a second chapter hopefully soon.
San-of-the-forest.