Chapter 7 Child of Moonlight
ARC II THE JESTER'S GAME
The broken puppets lay scattered across the forest road. Pieces of painted wood. Snapped strings. Shattered porcelain masks. Yet nobody felt victorious. The laughter still echoed in their minds. Someone had watched the battle. Someone powerful. Someone who knew exactly where they were. The northern wind carried away the last traces of the strange voice. For a moment silence returned. Then the bells rang again.
Jingle.
Jingle.
Jingle.
Kev immediately swore.
"That is becoming annoying."
Gret's hand tightened around his greataxe.
Toivo raised Frostfang.
The sound came from everywhere. Ahead. Behind. Above. The forest itself seemed to laugh.
Moon slowly turned.
His jet-black eyes turning silver eyes narrowed. Then he sighed. A rare sign of irritation.
"They found us faster than I expected."
Toivo looked at him.
"They?"
Moon did not answer.
Instead he looked toward the trees.
"Stay close."
The forest exploded. Not four puppets this time. Not ten. Dozens. Clown soldiers poured from every direction.
Black-and-white uniforms. Painted masks. Silver bells. Wooden weapons glowing with dark magic. The road vanished beneath a sea of enemies.
Toivo stared.
"There's too many."
Gret grinned.
"Good."
The giant warrior rolled his shoulders.
"I was just getting warmed up."
Then the horde attacked.
The battle erupted instantly.
Toivo charged first.
Frostfang flashed silver.
One puppet lost its head. Another lost both arms. A third shattered beneath a powerful kick. Yet for every puppet destroyed, two more appeared.
The forest became a nightmare of ringing bells and painted smiles.
Gret fought like a living avalanche.
His runic greataxe crushed enemies with every swing.
Wood exploded. Masks shattered. Entire groups vanished beneath his attacks. Still they kept coming.
Kev transformed completely. Shadow spread around him like black smoke. Crimson eyes glowed. Claws flashed. The elegant steward became a demon of the battlefield. He moved so quickly even Toivo struggled to follow him.
Puppets were torn apart before they understood they had been attacked.
Yet even Kev frowned.
There were simply too many.
Moon remained near the center. Watching. Calculating. Waiting. Daylight weakened him. The small child-like form he wore beneath the sun was far less powerful than his true self. Normally he avoided fighting during the day. Normally others protected him. Normally. Not today. Because something stronger had arrived.
The bells stopped. Every puppet froze. The forest became silent. Then footsteps echoed through the trees. Slow. Deliberate. Confident. A single figure emerged. Unlike the others, this puppet looked almost human. Tall. Elegant. Dressed like a carnival ringmaster. A black coat decorated with silver embroidery. A porcelain mask painted with a wide smile. Its eyes glowed crimson. Dark strings extended upward into empty air. As though someone far away manipulated it directly.
Kev's expression darkened.
"Wonderful."
Gret frowned.
"What is it?"
Kev stared at the puppet.
"That one is actually dangerous."
The puppet leader bowed dramatically. Then spoke. A familiar voice emerged. The same voice from before. Playful. Cruel. Laughing.
Matias. Though unseen, his presence filled the battlefield.
"Found you again."
"Hahahahaha!"
The puppet spread its arms.
"Let's see what happens when the moon is trapped beneath the sun."
Its crimson eyes focused directly upon Moon. Not Toivo. Not Gret. Not Kev. Moon. Only Moon.
Toivo immediately stepped forward.
The puppet vanished.
A blur. Too fast. It appeared directly before Moon. A blade flashed.
Toivo couldn't reach him in time.
Neither could Gret. Neither could Kev.
For a split second everyone saw it. The attack was going to land. Then Moon moved.
The world seemed to slow. Silver silk erupted from his sleeves. Dozens of glowing ribbons spiraled through the air. The blade struck them. Failed.
The silk wrapped around the weapon. Moon stepped lightly into the air. Not jumping. Not flying. Dancing. Gliding.
Toivo stared.
Even after everything he had witnessed, the sight left him breathless. Moon's child form looked delicate. Fragile. Almost harmless.
Yet the battlefield transformed around him. Silver ribbons danced through sunlight. His long black hair flowed behind him. The silk carried him through the air as though gravity no longer applied. He moved like water.
Like moonlight reflected upon a lake. Beautiful. Impossible. Terrifying.
The puppet leader attacked again.A storm of blades. Moon spun gracefully. Every strike missed. Silk wrapped around branches. Trees. Broken stones. The battlefield itself became his stage.
The ribbons pulled him effortlessly through the air. Gliding. Turning. Dancing. Never remaining in one place. Never allowing his enemy to touch him.
The puppet leader grew frustrated. Its attacks became more violent. More reckless. Dark energy erupted from its body.
Nearby trees shattered. The ground split apart. The puppet roared. Moon merely tilted his head. Almost curious.
Almost disappointed.
"You are noisy."
The puppet froze. For a brief moment.
Moon's pitch black eyes turned silver and glowed. The forest darkened. Not with shadow. With moonlight. Daylight itself seemed to weaken around him. As if reality remembered what he truly was.
Then the silk moved. Thousands of glowing threads appeared. Not dozens. Not hundreds. Thousands. The air became a silver web.
The puppet leader suddenly found itself trapped. Every limb bound. Every movement restricted. The strings controlling it stretched tight. For the first time the puppet struggled.
Far away. Somewhere beyond the horizon. Matias stopped laughing.
Moon floated gently downward. His bare feet touched the road. The silk tightened. The puppet leader cracked. Wood splintered.
Dark energy leaked from its body. The mask fractured. The smile broke.
Moon raised one hand.
The puppet stared at him. For a moment something almost like fear appeared in its eyes.
Then Moon spoke softly.
"Go home."
The silk contracted. The puppet exploded.
A burst of moonlight filled the forest. Wooden fragments scattered like leaves. The dark strings connecting it to its master snapped.
Far away, something screamed. Not loudly. Not physically. But Moon heard it. And so did Kev.
The remaining puppets immediately collapsed.
Every single one. Like marionettes whose strings had been cut. The battle ended. Instantly. Silence returned.
Toivo lowered Frostfang.
Gret stared at Moon.
For several moments the giant warrior said nothing. Then he laughed. A deep booming laugh.
"So that's why people worship you."
Moon blinked.
"I'd rather they didn't."
Kev sighed.
"Too late for that."
Toivo simply stared.
The image remained burned into his mind. Moon gliding through sunlight. Silver silk dancing through the air. A child defeating an entire army without taking a single wound.
Beautiful. Terrifying. Untouchable.
Far away. In a dark place beyond the forests of Elyria. A hidden figure sat before a mirror. A white mask covered his face. A massive scythe rested across his shoulders.
The figure laughed quietly. Not because he was amused. Because he was excited.
"Hahahahaha..."
The mirror reflected Moon's image.
The silk. The moonlight. The victory.
"Found you."
The hunt continued.
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