Shadow of a New Moon
By, Miotis Kain
What had begun as a pleasant mist had quickly transformed into a relentless storm, which seemed to delight in tormenting the land with its chill touch. At least, that's the last thing Ashton remembered thinking before his body had given out. As he woke now, the first thought that came to his mind was, Warm. The second thought was, Why am I naked?
Familiar arms tightened around him. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on the floor of a shallow cave, wrapped in a blanket; Dias was also under that blanket, and –like Ashton – was completely naked. Considering the circumstances, his first thought answered his second: exchanging body heat was the quickest and easiest way to fight hypothermia.
Rolling over, the smaller man draped himself across the larger one, and took in the details of his surroundings. Dias had somehow managed to find enough dry wood to build a descent fire, and its orange glow filled the small space with a cozy atmosphere. He had also set up a rudimentary clothesline using Ashton's swords and a rope; the various pieces of their attire hung from it near the flames to dry. Beyond the cave's mouth the storm continued to throw its tantrum.
"How long was I out?" His voice was slightly hoarse, and he winced to hear himself.
"Not sure. I'm guessing a few hours."
"You carried me here?"
"Of course. We couldn't stay out there."
Ashton suddenly felt completely useless. When they had decided to search for a way to detach the dragons, he'd never intended to make Dias carry his weight – figuratively or literally. "I'm sorry to be such a burden. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't even be out here."
In a tone that was half scold and half consolation, he said, "If you were a burden, I wouldn't be with you. So, don't ever think like that." Pulling the blankets closer about them, he kissed the top of Ashton's head. "Get some sleep. It looks like we're going to be here a while."
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From the ledge outside the cave, the two travelers looked down on the ravaged scenery. The landscape looked wretched. What had once been a lush forest cradled in a deep valley now looked more like an inhospitable bog. The downpour had caused the river to flood, and the water had risen to such a level that the only signs of trees were eddies in the muddy currents.
"Um, where are we?"
Dias nodded in a general direction – somewhere toward the middle of the flood. "We came from that way." He looked around, thought for a moment, and then said, "Well, maybe a little more that way," and indicated another direction. "Either way, we should be fairly close to where that cave is supposed to be."
"Okay. Which way do we need to go?"
A half-hearted shrug was the only response. "She said it was near the top of the mountain, so I guess we go up."
The two men shouldered their packs, and began their ascent. The trail was worn – barely discernible from the surrounding landscape – and the previous night's storm had only compounded years of erosion, transforming the mountainside into a veritable obstacle course. As they picked their way up the crumbling slopes, Ashton remembered the encounter that had led them there.
One step ahead. That's where Dias stayed as they rushed to where they had heard the scream. True, Ashton was far more nimble in his dexterity – and for their daily trekking, his wiry step well compensated for Dias' long stride; but when the blue-haired swordsman broke into a full sprint, the smaller man was hard pressed to keep up.
The trees gave way to reveal an elderly woman being assailed by a small group of monsters. Their pace didn't falter as the two swordsmen drew their weapons and threw themselves into the fray. Dias reached out and yanked the woman to her feet – even as he struck out with his sword, cleaving the nearest monster into two bloody halves. Ashton positioned himself at his lover's back, preventing a rear attack.
Seven monsters possessed by hunger and mindless violence. One old woman frightened for her life. One claymore swung with powerful precision. Two short swords danced in practiced circles. All came together to result in one very large mess of splattered demonic blood and body parts.
Wiping the ichor from their blades, the two men regarded the person they had just saved. Strangely, the woman regarded Ashton with a combination of respect and gratitude reserved for old companions – as though they had once been close confidantes. Her reaction to Dias was even more peculiar; her eyes lit with awe as she reached out to take his hand and kiss it – paying no heed to the blood and dust that caked the gloved appendage. "Once again, you save me, Lord."
The taller swordsman raised a questioning eyebrow at her behavior, but said nothing. Sheathing his sword, he stated in his usual manner, "If you can't defend yourself, you shouldn't be wandering around on your own."
"Of course, Great One," she apologized as she bowed low. "But if I had not, I would have been forced to wait another three hundred years to find you. Or another twelve hundred to find the two of you together. Truly, for the sake of time, I had no choice but foolishness. Please forgive me, Lord."
Dias' eyebrow arched even higher, and this time he did ask, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Ashton, Ururun thought warily, there is something very strange about this woman.
She looked at the blue dragon. "Be at ease, Evil One. I wish only to serve my god. I will bring them no harm." Her eyes fell on Ashton's shocked face. "On the contrary. I believe I can help you with what you seek."
The lovers exchanged glances. They said nothing, but no words were needed to communicate what they were thinking. What the hell? Who is this woman?
"There is an island surrounded by a wall of mist," the woman said, "forty miles south of this continent's southern most tip. On the highest peak of the eastern mountain is a cave. This cave will lead you to the knowledge you need to find the power that is already yours. But be warned: this knowledge can only be obtained during the new moon."
"Who are you?" the brown-haired man questioned, dumbfounded.
"Me? I am but a humble servant of the god Syrak. I serve as oracle and advisor to his high priest – Craysus."
"An oracle? A fortuneteller?"
She laughed. "Fortunetellers are peddlers. Even those with true power see only a single possibility for the future. As an oracle, I do not see the future. I read the present for tendency, and use that knowledge to determine which actions will most likely bring the desired result. And as I learned from Syrak's great wisdom: tendency does not truth make. Even with my knowledge of the present, I cannot accurately predict which of the infinite number of futures will actually occur."
Kissing Dias' hand once more, she said, "I hope to see you soon, my lord. I hope to see you whole." She looked at Ashton and smiled, displaying a mouth full of crooked teeth. "Yes, I think I will."
The island had been easy enough to find. Getting transportation had proved a little more difficult. Finding a suitable harbor for the ship to stay and wait for them had been very difficult. Climbing the goddamned waterfall that was the only outlet into the valley had been a downright bitch.
And to top it all off, neither one of them could explain why they'd decided to listen to some crackpot old woman and come out to this godforsaken place to begin with. During monsoon season, nonetheless! What the hell were they thinking?!
Perhaps you were desperate for some new form of endangering your lives? Gyoro suggested.
Shut up, Ashton mentally hissed.
No, dear Ashton, Ururun interjected, I think my brother has a point. Humans in general tend to be a self-destructive lot, but the two of you seem to go out of your way to find trouble. Especially Dias.
Shut up, the human repeated.
The dragons continued. We mean no offense. We're simply concerned with your well-being. You've had your big adventure. Wouldn't you rather settle down to a peaceful existence?
Dias would be miserable, Ashton countered. And, truthfully, I'd probably get bored. We're not even thirty yet! People our age shouldn't be thinking about retirement.
Of course not! Then, with only a hint of sarcasm, With the way you're going, the two of you won't live long enough to be concerned with the matter.
Shut up.
"Huh?" The smaller man focused on his lover, who was a little ways up the trail. "Did you say something, Dias?"
"I said, watch out for the loose" – Thud! – "gravel." He returned to where Ashton had slipped, and crouched down to check on him. Save a few scrapes and some new tears in his robe, he seemed no worse for wear. He kissed the other man tenderly before taking the time to rub a salve into the damaged skin. To the dragons, he said, "You two were distracting him with your nagging again, weren't you?"
The two suddenly found the hazy sky very interesting, and proceeded to watch it in earnest. At one point, Gyoro dared to glance in Dias' direction; when he saw those steel blue eyes scrutinizing him, he quickly returned to counting air molecules.
Shaking his head, the blue-haired swordsman took a seat on the rocky dirt and pulled Ashton to him. "We've been climbing for hours. Let's take a break." The smaller man briefly rested his head on his lover's shoulder before deciding he'd much rather make-out than cuddle.
Dias purred happily, and pushed Ashton back so that they could lie on the ground. Cushioning Ashton's head with one arm, his free hand fell purposefully to the belt that held the black robes closed. As his fingers began to worry at the leather bonds, the heraldric swordsman broke their kiss. Looking up questioningly at his lover, he asked, "Did you feel that? I could have sworn I felt the ground move."
The Arlian answered with a definitive, "No," and followed it up with a playful, "Not yet, anyway." They resumed their previous actions, and this time Dias got as far as unnotching the belt before Ashton stopped him again.
"There it is again. Are you sure you didn't feel the ground shift?"
"No. But you're closer to it than I am."
"Maybe the terrain's not stable. I mean, with all the rain and flooding…" And that was as far as Ashton got before the earth beneath them gave way – dropping them into a very dark, very muddy cave.
Picking themselves out of knee-deep muck, Dias commented, "You know, I think you're right. The flooding definitely destabilized the terrain."
Quickly discovering that it would be next to impossible for them to climb out, they resolved to start walking. Who knows, it might even be the cave they were supposed to look for. Once away from their newly made entrance, they were forced to light a torch. As they pressed further into the depths of the earth, the darkness intensified – gaining an almost tangible presence that diminished the flame's aura to a near useless flicker of light.
What few creatures stirred in those blackened depths lingered just beyond the torch's reach, casting them in the safety of obscurity; only the squish of mud beneath their inhuman feet and the occasional twinkle of light reflected from a malicious eye spoke of their presence. The monsters parted around them as they passed, then followed like some macabre honor guard.
Strangely, despite their company, the humans felt no danger. Though their blades were unsheathed and their defenses high, all their instincts told them there was nothing here to hurt them. In fact, the further they went and the more oppressing the darkness became, the more relaxed they felt – until they ultimately put their swords away. The dragons, however, were increasingly agitated.
The tunnel seemed to go on forever. No forks in the path. No fallen stones to bar their way. It simply continued on, spiraling downward into shaded mystery.
Hours passed, and finally there was change. The passage suddenly widened, the ceiling vaulting up into nothingness and the walls spreading outward into the void. The floor blended with the darkness, the torchlight unable to define its character. And though they couldn't see it, the ground changed; the pliancy of mud gave way to unyielding stone.
The fiends surrounding them began to chitter in surreal voices, alien languages that echoed in the back of the mind with human understanding. Very close now, they seemed to say. The time approaches.
They moved on, ushered along a hidden path by the creatures on either side. This way.
And they came upon a temple, beautifully crafted of obsidian and black marble. It radiated an air as old as time, and yet there were no flaws in its architecture. No cracks or chinks sullied its strong walls. No unevenness disturbed its foundation. No mud or moss clung to its surfaces.
The torch picked out writing in the swirls of volcanic glass that ornamented the doorway; the words danced in the firelight, their movements whispering of ancient knowledge and power. Enter only thee who hath no fear of the darkness.
The swordsmen stood transfixed by the sight before them. Looking upon the structure, something deep within them both stirred – something mysterious, and yet familiar. Ashton's hand found Dias', and their fingers wove together in a comforting grip. Against the mental protests of the dragons, they approached the doors.
As they took their first step onto the dais, the torch flickered and then died. No light may enter this sacred place. The words were spoken from the very darkness, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. This was followed immediately by the scraped of stone against stone.
Casting the torch aside, they made their way up the steps and into the temple. The monsters didn't follow, but hovered about the structure like living gargoyles. Inside, viscous nothingness greeted them, pressed against them. Further, the blackness urged.
They didn't see it, but both men knew when they came upon the second set of doors. Knowledge seeped from the darkness, embedding itself into their human minds. The inner sanctum, it told them. Only when the world is encompassed by His power shall the truly faithful be allowed to enter. Yes. Only under the new moon, when all the world is cast in pitch, only then shall the doors open.
Ashton squeezed Dias' hand tighter, and the larger man gathered him into his arms. What was this place? What was this sensation awakened within their souls, this feeling that impelled them to enter this strange temple?
The dragons nudged the swordfighter. Ashton, are you all right?
He didn't answer; he was too busy listening to the voice that spoke to his very heart. Now is the time, it whispered seductively. Enter, and embrace the darkness.
They moved forward. Passing the threshold, a sense of belonging washed over them both. The darkness reached out to welcome them. Here, it told them. Here is what you seek.
Holding one hand out to blackness, Dias' fingers closed about the unseen object presented to him. Carefully placing it in his waist-pouch – and with Ashton still clinging to his side – he turned and retraced their invisible steps back to the entrance of the temple. The monsters were still waiting for them; and like before, they allowed the humans to pass and followed behind.
Wordlessly, they trekked through the tunnel – not even bothering to light another torch – and traced it to its end. The cave deposited them at the mountain's summit. They looked out to a moonless night, and the only indication that they were no longer underground were the stars that punctured the blackened sky.
"Let's head back to the boat," Dias stated.
"Yeah. Let's," Ashton agreed.
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The object Dias picked up turned out to be a scroll. And, surprise! None of them could read the writings on it. Surprise, again! They decided to take it to Keith.
They waited at the inn. Dias sat on the bed, his back braced against the headboard and Ashton curled up in his arms. Neither had dared to talk about what had happened back in the cave, despite the pestering of the dragons.
What they experienced was something neither of them could put into words. And neither of them felt they had to. It was something they shared, something deep and unfathomable – like their love. In fact, both of them could swear their love had something to do with it.
A knock on the door announced Bowman and Keith's arrival. "You guys ready to hear what the scroll had to say?" the linguist asked.
Ashton pulled himself away from Dias enough to respond. "Yeah. Does it have a cure?"
He shook his head. "Sorry, guys. This doesn't have a way to remove the dragons."
The swordfighter's heart sank. Dias kissed the top of his head. "Hey, it's okay. We'll find a way… eventually."