December's Moon

28 | DECEMBER

| DECEMBER |

December's ears rang as the battle raged around him. Pain shuddered through his body, and the slice in his neck burned, but he forced it to the back of his mind. He didn't have time to think about it right now.

He ran his hand over the ground as he searched for the knife, finding nothing but rough, flat stone. Then, his thumb grazed over something protruding behind him. The shape was some sort of large cylinder—smooth like it was carved of stone. It radiated heat like dying embers in a furnace. December's stomach turned when he realized what it was. It was a statue—a basilisk statue.

No.

It wasn't just a statue.

He drew his hand away with a shudder like he'd touched hot coals, continuing his search across the rough, cool ground. The sounds of growling and hissing echoed around the room, and he quickened his search. Where was it?

His heart skipped a beat when his fingers finally traced over something cold and metal—the knife. December closed his fist around the handle, his pulse racing through his wrists.

As the ringing in his ears died down, he pushed himself to his feet. His body burned with pain at the effort, and the slice in his neck leaked blood down his throat. The wound ached with each thud of his heart.

His mind tugged at him to shift. His body begged for it—to take on a stronger form—but he pushed it to the back of his thoughts, refusing to give in. If he did, he would end up like the snake shifter behind him—forever frozen in stone.

Suddenly, a howl pounded through the tomb, and then the sound of a wolf colliding with the basilisk filled December's ears.

The monster cawed as Aurora released a bark, followed by a feral growl. The whine of teeth grinding against scales was like claws scraping down a chalkboard. Then, a snap like bones breaking and a pained yelp erupted into the air.

"Aurora!" December yelled, his heart racing as whimpers echoed through the dungeon. He tightened his grip on the knife and dove in towards the sound, reaching his free hand out in front of him. He needed to be sure when he struck something with the blade, it was scales and not fur.

His hand met soft and smooth fur first, soaked with something hot and sticky. Then, his fingers traced over the teeth plunging into Aurora's body. December felt like he was going to be sick on the spot. His stomach turned over inside him, and pain raged through his skull.

"Let her go!" he screamed. He slammed the knife into where he assumed the face of the serpent must be. There was a squish of soft flesh before the knife jolted to a stop against hard bone.

The snake shifter emitted a croak, and the tension in her jaws released beneath December's grip.

Before Medusa could strike again, he shoved his shoulder into Aurora's side. In her wolf form, she was heavier than he was as a human, but not by much. With a grunt, he pushed her out of the way.

"I will kill you!" December yelled, spit and blood flying from his mouth. All he wanted was to shift into his wolf form and shred the snake to bits. He imagined his claws slicing through scales, and his teeth cutting into meaty flesh. He imagined the taste of poison blood on his tongue.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. The thought of it was sickening, but he didn't care.

He clawed at the monster's face, his fingers grazing over slimy scales, searching for eyes. If he could blind her, she'd be powerless. He'd be able to shift into his wolf form and destroy her.

His thumb found a depression of a socket, but before he could claw into her eye, the head of the serpent jerked beneath him, tossing him to the side.

December braced himself as he fell. He landed on his side and rolled to dampen the impact. The rough ground grated and scraped his skin like sandpaper. His heart raced in his chest as the space around him hummed like an orchestra rising to life. The air hung heavy and damp around him in an oppressive haze. He tried to move his arms, but it was like his entire body was weighed down.