[Luna]

Just 1 year ago I was proudly returning home with my parents after the reunion with the elves. I remember how I was thinking on the future I had in front of me. How I eventually was going to inherit the leadership of the clan. How I wanted to become the strongest among my peers, even stronger than my grandfather. How I was going to make my parents proud.

Now. Now I was hiding behind what I was told was a bookcase. Fighting back the tears of keep falling from my eyes. Tears of impotence. Impotence of not being able to face those people. Those people who murdered my family and loved ones.

There is nothing that I want more than vengeance against them. But I’m not stupid, I know that I’m not strong enough to defeat them. Besides, I understand that they are just mercenaries, meaning that someone is behind all of this. Killing them wasn’t what I had to do to feel accomplished. To feel some peace of mind.

*Pum Pum Pum*

A loud knock could be heard from the front door. Those people were here, looking for me. I couldn’t do anything besides hope for the best and have trust in the boy… The weird boy who caused my actual dilemma.  

After the betrayal of that old human couple I was absolutely sure I would never trust anyone again, especially humans. And here I am, trusting a human boy with my life in line. It’s true that I had no other choice at the moment, and that he somehow provoked me to go out of my safe place. But, my instincts told me he was trustworthy, and my instincts have keep me alive until now.

“Hello boy, we are looking for someone. A really elusive person and especially very dangerous” A voice who obviously belonged to one of the mercenaries said “There is an adult who we could talk to?”

“My master should be here in any moment. He needed to go somewhere close by” The boy said. He was very emphatic in telling them that in any moment someone would come by.

I was trying my best to hear everything, in case I needed to escape. That way I noticed that another conversation took place a little further away from the boy “…we don’t have time. She could be already out of the town for everything we know. It wouldn’t be the first time that she escapes” One of them said in a low voice.

“We have people in every exit of this town, she shouldn’t be able to escape… I know this is extremely tedious after 1 year searching for her, but if we want to get fully paid and keep our reputation, we need to retrieve her family necklace” Another one replied also quietly.

After I heard that, I couldn’t pay more attention to what they were saying. I lost focus and concentrated in my own thoughts instead. They were talking about my family necklace. They needed my necklace. They knew about my necklace.

I’ve always wondered how the ambush we suffer back then was so perfectly timed. It was like they knew everything about us, our fighters, ours weapons and especially the route we were using. Now, everything makes sense.

The realization of my current situation hit me hard. I’ve lost my family, but returning to my home, to my clan, was something that kept me going all this time. The tears that I had previously under control, started to flow with no sign to stop anytime soon. This time, my tears were of sadness. I didn’t care anymore. I took off my mask, pull the collar off my neck and throw it away. I didn’t want it anymore. For the first time, I feel really defeated.

[Matthew]

It was a really scary experience. When I saw in front of me the big group of hooded people, all the alarms in my body were telling me that they were really dangerous. I tried my best to act normal, but it was extremely difficult this time around.

They wanted to enter the store, but I tried my best to convince them otherwise. I used all the techniques I could think of to buy some time. At this point my only hope was that Carl appeared to save the day.

Right in clue, when the ‘leader’ of the group was starting to lose his patience. Carl make his way towards the entrance. Then, he discussed with those people about what they were doing here. To my dread, Carl agreed to let one of them to look inside the store. I wanted to refuse, Luna’s safety was in danger, but I couldn’t think in any excuse, so I just went along with them.

The hooded man who entered was the ‘leader’ of the group, the one who was talking to me. He presented himself as simply Robert, a mercenary. The mission they were carrying, according to him, was to capture a beastkind who had infiltrate in the kingdom. I knew that it wasn’t exactly true, but I was surprised for the way he phrased his lie. I was a little touched by that, lying is an art that both of us understood perfectly.

In this world, there were countless groups of mercenaries. It could be a well-paid job depending on what assignment they took, and also, they were not attached to any kingdom or group. It was a kind of job that meant freedom in a way.

When Robert entered the store, he took a little white rock from his pocket, and with it, started to inspect every room. I didn’t know what that rock does, but I feared that it could react to Luna somehow.

“Why are you letting this person inspect the store?” I finally asked Carl while the mercenary was busy with other room. I just couldn’t understand why Carl was so permissive with them.

“I don’t know who they are looking for, but it has to be someone important” Carl said quietly “I returned early when I noticed this big mercenary group moving in the town… I have nothing to hide here and is better to not get in their bad side, so be quiet until he leaves” He finished and then turned his attention to Robert who just left one the rooms.

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“Is clear here. Are there any other rooms?” Robert said once he left Carl’s room.

“Yes, this one. But you will not find much here” Carl said while guide him towards the room Luna was in.

I just followed them. I didn’t have any plan, but I wanted to be there just in case a surge of inspiration hit me before something bad happens. Robert and the rest of the mercenaries were dangerous, I didn’t want any kind of confrontation with them, but that didn’t stop to keep thinking in a solution for this situation.

Once in the room Robert started to look in every direction, with rock in hand pointing in every direction “So, there is just a table and some chairs in this room” Robert said to Carl with a troubled face.

“That’s correct. I bought this store not long ago, I don’t have too many things” Carl answered him calmly.

“Oh… I’m sorry, everything is alright then… I will be going now. Have a nice day” He said his goodbyes and left the store just like that.

It was very anticlimactic. I was already hoping the worst and then just like that he leaves. It was like he couldn’t see the big bookcase on the corner of the room. I’m sure I saw him looking in that direction, but he acted like it was just another empty space.

I looked at Carl with an inquisitive look. I was grateful that Luna was safe, but the questions I had needed answers. How the mercenary was incapable of notice the big bookcase in the corner? Did Carl do something to cause that? Does he know about Luna hiding here?

“That’s a good look you have there, boy” Carl said clearly mocking me “If you are wondering why that guy couldn’t see the bookcase, well it’s because he wasn’t looking for books” He explain me, totally failing to make me understand what he meant.

“What do you mean?” I finally asked after a couple of seconds passed with him not explaining himself further.

“The books are enchanted boy. Is not that simple to see them, only me can do that normally, and after you signed the contract you can too” He said.

I tried to get more information, but I was dismissed by him. It was just my first day of learning and Carl told me to go step by step, and that I had to be patient.

After that, he gave me a basket that he had brought with him when he returned. There was some food, he told me to eat and don’t work too hard for the rest of the day. It seemed he was impressed with my advance in translating the book.

He said to me that one boy from the orphanage will come here to pick me up so I just needed to wait for him. Apparently, Miss Cleo didn’t want me to go back alone and give the task to accompany me to another kid. I wasn’t too happy about it, but I was more impressed about how this boy will know where to pick me up.    

Carl for his part has to go out again, he had to come back to deal with the mercenaries, and thankfully for him it didn’t take that long. He’ll come back late at night so he told to leave the door closed and return at the same time in the morning. I guess he expected me to remember how to get here all by myself. I’ll have to try to prove him right I suppose, or I will have to rely on the kid with super orientation who will pick me up.  

After all, it seems like Carl never knew about Luna being here. Maybe I could’ve told him, but I really didn’t know what he thought on the subject. If he lost someone close to him by some beastkind it wouldn’t be rare that he has some unjustified hatred towards them. It was a possibility. So, for now I’m on my own.

When some time passed after Carl left the store, and I was sure no one was close after looking by the windows for a couple of minutes. I went to the room Luna was in.

“Luna, we are alone now, you can come out” I called her.

My expectation of Luna jumping flawlessly like she did the first time weren’t met. In fact, Luna didn’t even respond. If I didn’t know she was there and couldn’t have leave on her own, I would’ve think there was no one.

After a minute passed and there still was no answer from her, I decided to jump to the other side. I manipulate the mana inside my body towards my legs and then jumped above the bookcase. My jump was just perfect, the perfect high to not hit the ceiling and enough to pass close to the top of the bookcase. My training was really paying off.

The first thing I saw when I landed was a beautiful girl of short silver hair, a little tanned skin and some wolf hears popping out of her head, it was a really mesmerizing sight. I would have appreciated more her beauty, but her poor condition didn’t allow me to do that. She was sitting in the floor hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were closed, but the tears fought the way out.

What was I supposed to do in this kind of situation? In the movies, I could remember from my previous life, the guy in this kind of situation, would hug the girl and tell her some insightful speech about how everything was going to be alright. But, I couldn’t think of anything to say to her, I didn’t really know anything about her, nor why she was being persecuted. Now that I think about it, why am I so attached to this girl? Whatever, I’m too deep in this plot to leave now.

I opted to just hug her and hope for the best. I didn’t know what to tell her, so my next best guess was just stay close to her and wait. To my surprise, she reacted to my hug, and the next thing I knew, she had her arms around me and her face was buried in my chest. I instinctively patted her back and held her reassuringly.

“I have no one…” She finally said. I didn’t know what she meant, but I knew for a fact that there was a deep meaning to that.

I continued caressing her back and with my other hand started to pet her fluffy ears “You are not alone now” I finally said. I couldn’t tell her that everything was going to be alright, the lack of information about her situation didn’t allow it. I just can offer her my support from now on.

We remain embracing each other for a couple more minutes before she talked again “What’s your name?” She asked, now with a calmer tone. She didn’t know my name! I asked her to be my friend yesterday and she didn’t know my name. I really need to improve my friendship game, give the other person your name should be on the top of the list. In case there is a list of how to make friends.

[Luna]

Matthew was his name (althought I think I've heard it before). The name of the weird boy that somehow knew about my race, and after that just ask me to be his friend, like it was a natural thing to do. The boy who has just saved me from those people. The boy in who I’ve decided to put my trust on, after I’ve lost my trust in everybody else. Maybe is a hasty decision to trust someone so easily, but for me right now he was someone I wanted to trust. Someone I needed to trust.

I decided to tell him my story. I needed to vent to someone about my new realization. About how it was people from my own clan, my own family the ones who betrayed me. Who betrayed my parents and lot other ones from the clan. I just couldn’t understand why they did that, it was something everyone knew or just a bunch a people from my family planned. Not knowing was driving me crazy.

I didn’t know how much time passed since I began to tell him my story. All this time I was in the same place though, it gave a sense of security being here, like it had some magic who helped me pass unnoticed. Matt just leave me once, after I calmed down, to get some food that I realized I really needed.

Matt’s very mature for his age. I was always told I was really intelligent, but I feel like he is in a whole other level. I am happy about it though, I feel at ease talking to him and when he gave some advice or encouraging words I could feel he really meant it.

“Thank you…” I finally said once I was feeling a little better after talking with him. I knew I was still in danger with all the mercenaries in town, but in this place and moment with him by my side I found a little happiness.

“Don’t worry, we are friends after all” He said with a little smile on his face. Then, he took my necklace from the ground. I had already told him all about it, how it was enchanted to identify others family members necklaces, and show that you belong to the main family “So the mercenaries are looking for this, right?” He finally asked me.

What is he planning? He can’t be possibly thinking on going by himself to deliver the necklace to the mercenaries. Is just too dangerous, besides they could have someone with the ability to read if someone is lying. Or worse, they could torture him! “What are you thinking…”

*Pum Pum* Someone was knocking the door.

“It should be the kid who comes to pick me up. I should be going then, Luna” He said to me. We’ve already discussed that I needed to stay here. His master could find me, but there was no other place safer than this one for now. At least until the mercenaries leave the town.

He jumped to the other side and walked fast towards the entrance. Then I realized he took with him the necklace! I couldn’t go out now, he was about to open the main door. Damn I got distracted. Now, I could just pray for his safety.

“Matt! I’m happy to see you” Someone said to Matt. I recognized the voice, but it was strange. The excitement on the voice didn’t match the character of the person.

“Brook… Are you ok?” Matt asked, I guess I wasn’t the only one to notice the change on his personality.

“Yeah I’m ok! I’m just excited about what happened today. Thanks to you I was able to gain some money and even better, to being of help in trapping one of these monstrous beastkind” Brook said. I could guess what he meant by that, I didn’t blame Matt for it. But all the timing of recent events was terribly bad.