Breaking the Ice (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-One (part two)

LUNA

The people hardly noticed her as she wandered through the camp, they probably didn't give a shoe about her existence. But this made things easier for her. The camp was filled with grim hooded figures and with tents made of tree branches and animal skins.

Luna poked her head into the nearest tent and immediately drew back. There were figures doing target practice with miniature cannons they carried in their hands. Pistols. She had never seen one before, but heard rumors. If one of those bullets hit a vital organ then you're dead on the spot.

In another tent, three little children practiced fighting with sharp and pointy instruments that they shouldn't be using. "Picture this as the weak's throat. Focus, then attack!" The adult in the room commanded in an incredibly deep and raspy voice.

Luna put as much distance between herself and that tent, but she accidentally stumbled into someone. She just gave Luna a glare. She had white hair cut in a short bob, a hair pigment that was much like an Icee's. But her eyes were a cold, ebony black and white freckles splashed her already pale complexion. She had weird looking horns that Luna had never seen before, they were the closest to Scorch's but much more pointy.

Like a demon.

"Watch where you're going, freak." She snapped, looking around her Scorpian companion's age. Then she brushed past her, Luna noticed a cut on the side of her arm. It wasn't that deep, but it could get infected.

Were they all this grumpy? Who stuck a pine cone up her nose?

Luna walked on, peeking through tents until she came upon an interesting conversation between two people. More like an argument.

"I've warned you to stop this mission!" One yelled, sounding female.

"No," hissed the second one, a male.

"But Zodiac-" the male interrupted her.

"-doesn't matter. Everyone here knows that they have sacrifices to make. He knows the stakes."

"No. What about the...." She went into a whisper and concluded her sentence with something Luna couldn't hear. Who was Zodiac? What was the mission?

Luna wanted to know more, but her hour was nearly up. And she couldn't return empty handed. She crept toward the last tent on the row. She poked her head inside. There were two people in this one, looking exhausted as they slammed their durable barbed tails onto metal to forge weapons.

Could these be Scorch's parents? Luna slowly tiptoed in, the shorter one, the female, spotted her first. The Scorpian drew her tail up in attack mode, scowling menacingly. "What do you freaks want now?" She spat at Luna's feet.

Luna, unfazed, lifted her head. "Question, are you Thorny Devil and Armadillo?"

The woman seemed taken aback then returned to looking hostile, the colossal man gave the Nightling a weary glance. "Maybe, maybe not." The woman hissed.

I'll take that as a yes.

"Do you by any chance know a Scorpian named Scorch?"

The man dropped the unfinished weapon in his hands, but quickly caught it with his tail before it made a noise.

"Touch one hair on his head AND I'LL-" Luna quickly cut the woman off.

"Oh he's fine," she whispered. "And worried about you." The woman gave her a confused look, then realization dawned.

"He's here?" She whispered, her peanut-colored eyes wide. She grabbed Luna's wrist and tugged her forward. "He can't be here! There's something those bloody demons are hiding. No one is safe here!"

Luna slowly nodded, she wanted to insist on escaping with her, but she didn't get the chance when there was yelling.

A hooded figure entered the tent and tugged Luna away. "Child! Come one, we're under attack!" People sped past them to counter the invaders who were shooting...fire and ice?

Oh no.

Had it been an hour?

No one is safe here...

Luna had to warn the others!