Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Aerial lifted Hala in his arms and raced towards the healer's wing with Kathy hot on his heels. The wolves were forgotten as they kept running to the healer. When they Got to Cynthia's room, Kathy opened the door without knocking. Aerial placed Hala on the bed and sent a guard to go get the healer. Kathy sat beside her mother and held her cold hand.

Hala was alive but barely breathing. The black veins kept traveling down her face. Kathy feared for her mother's life. She had never seen anything like that and was worried about losing her mother.

“Father, will she be alright?” she whispered still staring at Hala's face.

“Yes, ” Aerial replied but Kathy could feel how scared he was.

“I’ve informed your brother to end the training and meet with the wolves. He will join us after the meeting.”

Cynthia came in and examined Hala. She looked at the veins and Hala's eyes.

“Do not worry for she will be fine. The person who did this perhaps wanted to issue a warning because the spell is a weak one. I will prepare a potion to cleanse her system and rid her body of the black magic. She will wake up after a few days, ” Cynthia explained after her examination causing relief to immediately wash over Kathy and Aerial.

They watched as Cynthia crushed several plants then mixed them. Aerial tilted Hala's head back a little and Cynthia poured the light mixture into her mouth. Cynthia then left to get other ingredients.

“Something is coming.” A shaky voice said from behind them.

Kathy turned to see a creepy old lady. Her hair was white as snow with an extremely pale face. She walked with the aid of a cane and wore a long flowing white robe. Her eyes were pure white and Kathy wondered if she was blind.

“Acting Oracle, ” Aerial greeted with nothing but respect in his tone but the acting Oracle didn't pay him any mind. She kept her white eyes on Kathy.

“Beware, Luna Princess, for the one you know will become unknown. The enemy has been let in and evil has befallen the land, ” the Oracle continued, scaring Kathy who listened with undivided attention.

So that was the Oracle. Kathy thought she looked like a regular old lady except for her white eyes which looked creepy.

The white moon disappeared as soon as the oracle finished talking. Aerial looked up at the red moon from the window that was left standing alone, casting a red glow over the land.

“This is bad. This is extremely bad, ” he said shaking his head.

“What is, father?” Kathy asked, finally taking her eyes off the Oracle.

“The old moon is gone. Tomorrow a new moon will arise.”

The red moon glowed on his face, his blue eyes staring down at Hala with worry. Waves of apprehension poured off him and Kathy could sense it so greatly that it choked her. What could be so bad about a moon disappearing?

Kathy still didn't understand the problem.

“How is that bad, father?” she asked again.

“The Luna Queen performs the ceremony of the new moon. If she doesn't, Lunae will be cursed to a season of famine. Plants would cease to grow and the animals would be barren. Women would not bear children for that season. And worse of all, there would be darkness because the red moon alone would be able to light up Lunae, ” the Oracle explained and Kathy was stunned. All those could happen because her and Lunae would be doomed.

“It is all my fault, ” she whispered sadly, still holding her mother's hand.

“No, it is not, Precious. It is not your fault that someone is out to get you, ” Aerial said sternly.

“No, father. Mother is in this state because of me!” Kathy insisted and that pissed her father off.

Aerial stood up quickly and pulled Kathy up. He grabbed her shoulders causing her to stare at him in shock.

“Listen to me, Kathy. Your mother would choose to lay on that bed instead of you over and over again. She would give her life for you if it gets to that point. So, don't blame yourself for something you had no hand in.”

He then left her and went back to Hala's side. Kathy stood still for a few seconds, trying to digest what her father just told her. At the same time, Triton walked in, shirtless and sweaty. He lightly squeezed Kathy's shoulder and went to meet his father.

“Father, what would be the fate of the kingdom after tomorrow?” he asked, not noticing the Oracle standing by the door.

“She would do it, “ the Oracle said, pointing to Kathy who was still standing. Everyone turned to the Oracle, identical looks of surprises plastered on their faces.

“I apologize but I doubt my daughter would be able to perform the ceremony. She hasn't made a connection with the moon yet and she doesn't know the process of the ceremony, ” Aerial said and Kathy agreed. Having her do whatever ceremony it was would be a disaster waiting to happen.

“She would do it.” the Oracle repeated, her white orbs staring at them.

Kathy opened her mouth to disagree but the Oracle walked out of the room leaving the words hanging in her mouth.

“Rude much, ” she muttered under her breath.

“You heard the Oracle, we have to prepare you for what determines the fate of Lunae. It's already late, Precious. Get some rest for you have a busy day ahead of you.”

"No, father. I'll stay with mother," Kathy argued.

"Don't be stubborn, Precious. You have a busy day ahead of you. Go to bed," Aerial told her. He kissed her forehead and gently pushed her to the door. She looked back at Hala, not wanting to leave her side. The black veins looked like they had already started fading or she must have been imagining things.

“Sleep well, sister, ” Triton told her.

Reluctantly, she peeled her eyes off Hala and left the room. On the way to her room, she stopped by her mum's room. She knocked once and entered after a soft ‘come in.’ She found April laying on the bed when she got in. She sat on the bed and stared at her mum.

“Hello, sweetheart, ” April greeted in a voice that made Kathy feel better almost immediately.

“Mum.”

Series of emotions washed over her and she pulled April into a hug, breathing in her familiar scent.

“What is wrong?”

Strangely enough, Kathy couldn't find it in herself to explain to April what had happened to her mother. She wondered when she started keeping secrets from April.

“I just miss home, Brianna and Stacy, ” she lied.

“I know, baby girl. Go to bed now, I will see you tomorrow.”

Kathy nodded and was about to leave when she saw that April didn't kiss her goodnight.

“Mummy, ” she whined pointing at her forehead. She may have sounded like a kid but she loved her goodnight kisses.

April chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“Such a big baby, ” April remarked.

Kathy smiled satisfied and went to her room.

****

The next morning, two women woke Kathy up. They were not maids but elderly women. Hesitantly, Kathy followed them out of the room. She didn't get the chance to wish April a good morning or even see Hala.

Earlier, the women told her that they were there to prepare her for the ceremony. She was nervous but tried not to let it show. She only felt a good aura from both women and that calmed her nerves a little. They introduced themselves as Lo and Helena

They took her out of the palace accompanied by her two guards. The guard told her that her father was in a meeting with the council and Triton was meeting the warriors with Atlas.

"We would ride three horses to the moon pool," Lo told Kathy who wondered what pool they were talking about.

She didn't have to wonder for too long as Helena whistled and a rumble was heard from nearby.

The horses came as Helena whistled. She hadn't noticed before but Lunae's horses were larger than regular horses. They looked stronger and had more shine to their skin. They also came in different colors.

"You will ride with my sister," Lo said to Kathy. Lo had golden eyes, with the mark of a water drop on her forehead. Her sister, Helena also had golden eyes but her mark was the symbol of the wind. She knew immediately that they were elementals.

"I apologize, Leader but the Princess would ride with us for safety reasons," one of her guards replied.

The women nodded and both of them climbed onto a white horse and galloped away. The first guard climbed first and the second guard helped Kathy onto the horse then climbed onto the last horse.

Kathy held the first guard by his waist so as not to lose balance and fall off the horse. They rode through a lonely but colorful path. Kathy kept a watchful eye on the road, fearing that the shadow magician could pop up at any time. The guard pulled the reins and the horse stopped in front of a cave.

The second guard helped her off the horse. A statue of a woman stood proudly at the entrance to the cave. The woman was pointing to the moon with a torch in hand. Kathy walked into the cave with the guards following her but Lo stopped them.

"We go to the cave without you men," she said, sternly. The men gave her skeptical looks but finally nodded and stepped out of the cave after scanning for threats.

Kathy walked in alone with the women. She tried to imagine what would occur inside that cave. The walls were wet and slippery, so were the floors. She could hear splashes of water from inside the cave. Heart beating fast, blood rushing in anticipation, Kathy walked deeper into the cave.

"I thought only Luna's had powers," Kathy said, desperately trying to end the silence.

"Every subject of Lunae is gifted by the Goddess with a power that suits them. We have over two thousand elementals in the whole of Lunae. The rest of the population comprises trackers, seers, magicians, and other powers. However, blessed Lunas are gifted with more than one power," Helena explained to Kathy who nodded in understanding, even though they could not see her under the red light.

Bright light caught Kathy's attention as they got to the pool. She could see why they called it the moon pool. The pool was shaped like a crescent moon with stones placed around the pool. She moved close to the edge and peeped into the pool. The light emanating from the bottom of the pool lit up the place. The pool was beautiful and magical like everything else in Lunae.

"Sorry, Princess. Like every other ruler, you have to make the connection with the moon on your own," Helena told Kathy, making her turn to Helena curiously.

"What do you mean?" Kathy asked, leaning away from the edge of the pool.

"Look into the water," Lo instructed and Kathy did as she said. Kathy moved again to the edge of the pool and looked into it.

"Then wha–"

She didn't get the chance to complete her question when someone pushed her into the water.