Gods of Malcea ✔️

P A R T: M O O N

"I have seen the movement of the sinews of the sky, and the blood coursing through the veins of the moon."

-Xamdù
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Ake woke to the sound of a fire crackling and hissing under an iron hearth. The smell of the charring wood filled his nose, calming him in an instance. His eyelids were heavy and his head was filled with fog which seemed to grow each time he would try to press for a thought. There was a low bang on the floor making Ake jump from his daze and open his eyes to the sights around him. His eyes landed on a pair of women carrying small wicker baskets full of berries. Their eyes were wide as they saw that he was awake, but they settled down after a couple seconds passed.

After their nerves had settled, they said something in their human language that he could, somewhat, make out as "how are you feeling? Are you ok?" He knew this from all the times Karos would ask and repeat in his language. As they walked closer, Ake pressed his back to the wall. One woman shook her head and put the berries down speaking in soft words that caused Ake's eyebrows to furrow. His eyes went from them to children playing off to the corner to the floorboards covered with rags. They were all soaked with his blood. It caused his eyebrows to furrow even more. He was surrounded by humans, but that was not what troubled him. They smelled of death. Reeked of it. It unsettled him.

He looked around for the familiar faces of Oraanu and Fariel, but they were nowhere in sight. Ake was quick to become panicked as thoughts of Karos came to mind. He turned his head left and right stumbling off the bed and onto the floor. Still, he ignored the pain coming from his sides and tried to rise as best as he could. As soon as his vision became less blurry, he saw Oraanu coming from the other side of the cabin towards him.

"Thank the gods you are well." He pressed his hand to his cheek. "Settle down now. These humans are harmless and they had helped heal you as well." He paused mid-thought before continuing. "You seem to be getting hurt, more often than not, since coming down here to Ganash."

"Oraanu, not now. Later."

"Later is never in your mind. We will need to speak on this much sooner than later." His finger pointed to Fariel who had his hands clasped so tight together he could see his veins and the silver of his blood leaking from the inside. "Your time here ends now."

Ake shook his head.

"Do not try to stop the inevitable. The human is meant to die. He carries that blood."

"Enough! Oraanu... " His shout caused Fariel to turn his head in their direction. He knew then Fariel was livid. A mix of anger and sadness.

"Karos he is... he is well, is he not?"

Ake looked first to Oraanu who cut his eyes away from him. His eyes soon met Fariel's which massed with water. He rose and rush to where Fariel was hovered over. His eyes widened as he saw Karos breathing in shallow breaths while sweat came trickling down his face.

"What is wrong with him? Is he ill?" Still, no one bothered to meet his eyes. Ake pressed his hand to Karos' cheek as his teeth bit down on his bottom lip. It seemed no matter what he did, Karos always ended up in a way he tried to prevent. The passing thought of Oraanu being right was a sickening thought, but it was a thought nonetheless.

"What had happened? Tell me!"

After another wave of silence, Ake reached for one of Fariel's blades and pressed it to his wrist. Before he could draw blood, Oraanu snatched the blade from him and flung it across the room causing the women and children to break out into a panic.

"Have you not done enough? Leave him as he is and return with me," Oraanu hissed.

Ake shook his head with a fervor, but it only caused him to grow dizzier. "I cannot. No, I must help him."