The Sun's Shadow (A Magics AU)

Prologue

The Phantom Forest was never a lively wood. There was hardly any life growing within the trees, except from the towering structures themselves. Where the forest floor wasn't a tangle of thorny vines, it was rocky and hazardous. No man made it through the woods without an injury, let alone alive. It was a place that no one ventured, despite that there were no known predators to kill a man. Anyone who stepped foot in the desolate forest never returned, and none could understand why. 

But tonight, the wood was alive. Crickets and cicadas shrilled loudly from all directions, and even the birds chirped their eerie songs, all under the light of the moon. The trees themselves seemed to be humming, as if they were droning a solemn melody. Lightning bugs floated lazily through the air, blinking like stars that had come down from space. Frogs from scattered ponds croaked proudly, occasionally breaking their pattern by leaping into their pools. 

The Mother Tree, the largest tree in the forest, was buzzing with activity. Nocturnal and daylight animals skittered among the branches, birds fluttered from place to place, and crickets shrilled out their nightly chorus. The leaves glowed beneath the moon's shine, giving the tree a mystical appearance that would be beautiful if the wood were not called the Phantom Forest. 

Deep within the thick limbs of the Mother Tree, glowing dimly underneath the light of the moon, were two slanted red eyes. The owner was crouched stealthily in the thicket, holding herself steady with one hand above her head and the other beside her. She did not dare shift into a relaxed position; she did not know what would happen next. 

When the wood was alive at night, let alone at all, something was bound to take place. Luna had learned this many moons ago, when the forest had last had its feast. Almost half an hour before a lost young man had wandered into the forest, the animals had acted as if they'd been raised from the dead. 

Luna had only seen two people since then, but something about them had been different. The forest had done the same when they had arrived, but it had chosen to keep them alive. The inside of the Mother Tree, entirely hollowed out, had become like a home to them. 

Despite herself, Luna had chosen not to be bothered by it. Her home was the branches of the Mother Tree, where she could swing and jump and be free. As long as the couple didn't do anything against her, she welcomed to the warm embrace of the Mother Tree. They knew nothing about Luna, and she intended to keep it that way. 

But tonight, she figured that they would probably be leaving.

Something within Luna told her that whatever the wood was sensing, it would do no good to the couple beneath her. She had learned from a little girl to always follow her gut, and her gut told her that this would not end well for the Mother Tree's newest residents. Luna wasn't sure if she felt bad about it or not. 

Suddenly, the sounds of the forest grew almost deafening. The birds interrupted their singing with screeching, as if they were hoarding off an enemy. The screaming of foxes echoed off the trees surrounding the Mother Tree, and the animals within her branches leaped from limb to limb. 

And then, just as abruptly, all noises ceased entirely. For a moment, Luna thought something had covered her ears, but when she glances around, she saw that all of the animals around her had stilled. 

Luna crouched lower in the branches, scanning for any movement below her. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but soon, her eyes caught on several human silhouettes. They were a hundred yards away and struggling through the undergrowth that surrounded the Mother Tree. 

"I really don't get why we're out here," said one of them, the deep voice of a male. He sounded nervous but annoyed as if someone he feared had ticked him off. 

"You know why we're out here," a woman responded, her voice husky and firm. To the others, Luna was sure she sounded fearless, but Luna could hear the anxiety underlying her tone.

Eighty yards from the Mother Tree, Luna calculated silently, watching their steps.

"This is practically a death sentence already!" said another one, this one a younger man. In the darkness, Luna saw him toss his hands upwards in exasperation. "They've basically sent us to join him in h-"

"Hush!" hissed the woman, snapping up her closed fist. They stopped seventy yards away, all of them breathing quietly and evenly. 

Eventually, the woman lowered her hand and continued forward. All of them were silent for a few moments, stepping cautiously forward in the thicket.

"Orion is right," the first man agreed aggravatedly. "All we're doing out here is finding his dead body, realizing our job is done, and then figuring out just how it was done for us." 

Forty yards away. 

"We will not die," argued the annoyed woman, her short hair whipping slightly as if she turned to glare at the men behind her. "This is a forest. It isn't alive. I don't care what you've heard; forests don't eat people." 

Thirty yards to your demise, Luna thought, smiling wryly down at the invaders. 

"Hmph," the youngest man scoffed. "I don't care what you say. I still don't think we should be here. It's a waste of time." 

The woman whirled around suddenly, striking her comrade hard on the face. When he lowered himself into a grimace, holding his cheek, she leaned down with him. "Remember who you're speaking to, boy," she spat in his ear. 

"Y-Yes, sir," responded the young man, not daring to straighten until his superior did. 

"Good." The woman stood up again and turned around, once more setting the pace toward the Mother Tree. As she walked, she tilted her chin back and gazed into the Mother Tree's tangle of branches. 

Luna held her breath and didn't move an inch, even though she knew there was no way the woman could see her. She was hidden well into the darkest haven of the tree, silently watching as she always did. 

Ten yards.

"There," the woman whispered in a hushed voice, gesturing to the entrance of the Mother Tree. Within, a dim light was shining; the couple was home. 

They were here to kill them.

Luna wondered if the forest would kill the newcomers first, but as she looked around again, she saw that the animals remained as still as statues. Like herself, they were watching the invaders were beady, eager eyes. Not a single muscle twitched within them - even the jittery mocking jay's wings stayed closed. 

The three attackers crept close to the Mother Tree's hollow trunk, and all creatures in the tree held their breaths. Luna heard them collectively breathe in, and like her, they did not let it out again.

They watched.

They waited.

They waited.

And then the screaming began.

~

WELCOME TO THE SUN'S SHADOW! (Personally I am very proud of that title.)

This one is going to be new...

Different...

SO FUN TO WRITE!

Thank you for reading!! 

We're just getting started, folks~~~