CHAPTER 38: UNDER THE FULL MOON

The next evening Elira emerged from her lab.

"The pills are ready." She announced.

Calen looked at the sky.

"The full moon will be tomorrow, should we prepare in anyway before taking them?"

"Just keep drinking the mint."

It wasn’t a very tall order, they’ve been drinking the purifying infusion every evening since they’ve made it for the first time. Because they got rid of most impurities back then, every subsequent drink wasn’t much different from a regular tea.

"While we’re on the topic, did you read the book from Lydia?" Isara asked Elira.

"No, I papered the herbs according to what I know - why?"

"Well, I’ve been reading it, and it’s quite fascinating. Every plant has at least a few legends associated with them, and they’re all in that book."

"I think I know what you’re talking about, the herb almanac I have back home also had a few myths and fables attached to some of the rarer species."

Isara seemed to consider her next question.

"Do you... do you know if someone of those stories are true?"

Elira looked at her fir a bit before responding.

"I assume you’re refering to the one about the moon rose?"

Isara nodded.

"Well, there’s no evidence of the more fantastical effects."

Seeing her friend’s face fall she quickly added:

"But that’s mostly because there are very few cases of properly documented moon rose intake."

"Um, sorry to butt in, but what are you talking about?" Calen asked.

"Nothing." Both girls responded in unison

"Well, now I need to read the story and learn what the fuss is all about."

He reached to grab the leather bound tome, but Elira was quicker and snatched it from under his nose.

"Um, I need it actually - for a long, long

time."

"I thought you said you didn’t need it?"

Elira straightened.

"Cal, are you questioning a professional?"

"Um... No?"

"Good then, I need to consult the book now." She grabbed Isara’s hand. "And I need her help."

After that announcement both of them unceremoniously left the room, closing the door with a loud bang.

Calen looked at equally confused Cassian.

"What the hell was in that book?"

His friend shrugged.

***

That nights Calen was visited in his dreams once more - by Guardians this time, not the ominous golden figure.

"You managed to deal with the scheming Elder, congratulations are in order." The Matriarch smiled.

’I think it would be incorrect to say that me or my companions dealt with Trent, since it was the other Elders who actually killed him.’ Calen tried to act nonchalant, bit it was rather difficult without a body.

"Your actions were the thing that pushed the Elders into a confrontation, like it or not you’re directly responsible for this outcome." The Shadow commented.

’I suppose so...’ Calen changed the topic. ’why did you call me here anyway? I thought you were going to meet me in Mountainfall.’

’That’s still the plan, but we’re here today because of a... concern we have." The Matriarch explained.

’Did I do something wrong?’

The Queen shook her head.

"We’ve just noticed that you’ve come into contact with someone you shouldn’t have - please tell us about your other nightly visitor."

Calen would’ve shrugged if he was able to.

’I remember very little details about them.

"Just tell us what you remember."

Calen tried to recall the dream.

’I think the person was rambling about someone else, and they used words like anomaly when they addressed me.’

"So even they doesn’t understand what went wrong this cycle... anything else?"

’I think I saw one of their memories.’

The Queen perked up at that.

"Really? What was it about?"

Calen described the idyllic scene he witnessed to the best of his ability. When he was finished the shadow stepped in front if him and said:

"Thank you for your cooperation, now it’s time for you to go." The figure waved his hand, and Calen returned to his unconscious state, leaving the Guardians alone.

"That’s rather strange, wouldn’t you agree?" The Matriarch started.

"I think we’re well past strange. I was under an impression it was all their doing, but if they have nothing to do with it then I’m completely lost." The Shadow addressed the Queen. "Am I correct in assuming that memory was...?"

"Yes." The Queen replied shortly, clearly unwilling to dwell on the topic.

"I see. Do you know why he would show it to the boy?"

The Queen sighed.

"I know exactly why he did it, and what’s his end goal - Forgive me that I can’t tell you more, but I can promise you he won’t succeed."

The other two could only nod.

"I think we can all agree that it wasn’t the last memory they will show to the kid?" Asked the Shadow.

"Definitely." The Matriarch confirmed. "Should we try to interfere with their plan?"

"No." The Queen responded firmly. "Their plan will spell their own demise, let them do whatever they want."

The other Guardians looked at each other, but didn’t question her decision.

"If you say so. We shall simply observe, but I will have to interfere if the boy’s life is in danger." The Shadow sai.

The Queen gave him a cold look.

"If they try to do anything to him I will personally rip out their throat."

The Shadow chuckled.

"Too bad they wouldn’t stay like that for too long..."

***

This visit from the spirits was perhaps the most bizarre one to date - no, it certainly was the weirdest.

Instead of recieving guidance like before, he got interrogated, and thrown out of his own dream.

When Calen woke up it was almost noon, but he wasn’t in hurry to get ready. The only thing the party had on today’s agenda was the pill taking at midnight under the light of full moon.

Well, Cassian had some additional plans - apparently he agreed to help Baor train his new students. Calen wasn’t sure whether the decision was made out of the goodnes of his friend’s heart, or he was simply looking to give back the beatings he recieved from Baor himself.

He almost felt bad for all those teenagers who were about to face the combined wrath of the feral Elder and a fully armed fledgling swordmaster.

They spent their entire life reading dusty tomes and cultivating plants, which meant they were completely unprepared for actual combat. In all likelihood most of them would give up before the end of the first training session, but that was okay - from what he heard not everyone was suited to become s shifter.

Since Calen didn’t have anything better to do, he decided to head to the public arena to watch the training.

***

Just as he predicted, the whole thing was a bloodbath.

Well, just metaphorically, there wasn’t that much actual blood on the sand covering the arena.

What did surprise him was the tenacity of the new recruits - out of the eight that showed up for the training seven still remained on the field. Even the last kid didn’t resign, but instead got knocked out by Baor by accident.

The trainees were all laying on the floor, breathing heavily. Some were in better condition than others, but at the end of the day, they were all scholars and the Elder’s training was just too much for them.

Baor clapped his hands.

"That’s it for today folks, I’ll see you here tomorrow at dawn, so go get some sleep."

There was a collective groan but nobody protested. Slowly but surely the arena emptied, until only Cassian and Calen remained.

"Is it time already?" Cassian asked.

Calen looked at the dark sky.

"Not yet, the sun only just set. You should hurry if you want to wash yourself before we start though."

His friend nodded and left the arena - a few moments later Calen followed.

***

A few hours later all four of them were standing on the balcony connecting Calen’s and Isara’s rooms.

Everything around them was bathed in a silver light coming from the large disk in the sky.

"So wait, we don’t have to actually wait for midnight?" Calen asked.

"I mean I double checked and the only requirement is moonlight from a full moon - I have no idea why we all thought we have to do it at midnight." Elira shrugged.

She took out a piece of cloth from her bag any unfolded it - inside there were two perfectly spherical pills. They were silver with spots of of brighter and darker colors, and what’s a bit eerie the pattern was identical on both pills, they looked like miniature moons.

...well, almost. If one looked closer there was a net of thin golden veins adorning the surface of each pill, making it appear like it was made from a very strange marble.

They were essentially miniature marble moons.

’Neat.’ Calen thought as he an Isara picked up the pill.

They held them and looked at each other.

"Should we just eat them or...?"

Isara rolled her eyes, and simply popped the sphere into her mouth, before swallowing it whole.

Calen looked at his pill, and followed her example.