The Red Moon Always Shines

Chapter 20: The vow of a poet

Cleo tried to call for help, but her communicator kept glitching so nothing came through, "It's not working! That thing is doing something to it!"

"Then we'll just have to fight it," said Rodger, pulling out a long obsidian dagger, much to the shock of his companions, "What? They are more common than you think"

"We can all discuss this later," hissed Cleo, pulling out her diamond sword, "Right now we have to fight"

"Thêrê īš ñø ñêêd tø fīght," growled the furry Enderman, it's giant claws flexing, "Ÿøú'łł łøšę, ñø qûêštīøñš äškêd"

"Really?" said Rodgers confidently, a cooky tilt to his voice, "Then why don't you fight us with your fists instead of your words then?"

"Brävê wørdš, før šømêthīñg thät'š ñøt äłīvê," the robot growled at this, he was alive! "Bút Ī šúppøšê Ī'm ñøt øñê tø täłk, Ī'm ñøt äłł tø rêäł êīthêr"

"What?" gasped Cleo, surprise, "What do you mean? We can clearly see you!"

"Júšt bêçäúšê ÿøú çäñ šêê mê, dôêšñ't mêäñ Ī'm rêäł," chuckled the Enderman, it's magenta eyes remaining unblinking, "Ÿøúr äçtúäłłÿ ñøt êvêñ äwäkê rīght ñøw"

"Then what are we?" asked Rodger, dagger still tightly clutched in his hand.

"Ÿøúr úñçøñšçīøúš, äšłêêp øñê çøúłd šäÿ," said the tall creature, a hint of amusement in their voice.

"Why are we here?" asked Joe, feeling that there was something more to be said, "You brought us here for a reason"

"Īñ ä wäÿ," said the Enderman, "Ī brøúght ÿøú hêrê før ä rêäšøñ, thê øthêr twø júšt häppêñêd tø çømê äłøñg"

"Me? Why me?" asked Joe.

"Ÿøú whêrê at Śīłvêrhärbør-" the poet froze up at the name, "-ÿøú šävêd hīm. Ÿøú šävêd øúr łīttłê Xêłqúä"

"How do you know that name?" growled Rodger, raising his dagger to point it at the black creature.

"Ī çøúłd ñêvêr førgêt īt," said the Enderman sadly, a wistful tilt in their calm voice, "Hê wäš øúr łīttłê Śpītfīrê. Bút hê wäš täkêñ frøm úš, wê äłł thøúght hê wäš gøñê"

Their voice cracked here, splitting into two distinct voices, one male and the other female. Joe could tell where they were going with the conversation, and he could also tell that they couldn't finish it. So he did it himself, "But he wasn't, he was alive. And he washed ashore on Silverharbors beech"

The Enderman nodded at this, "Ÿêš, thät īš whät häppêñêd"

"I don't get any of this! Joe what is it talking about? What's Silverharbor have to do with any of this? And who the hell is Xelqua?" cried Cleo, desperate for some kind of explanation. And she got one, just not from who she was expecting.

"Sixteen years ago, Xenagoras Void raped and then threw his son, Xelqua Void, of a cliff near the town they lived in," said Rodger, his voice being exactly what you'd expect from a robot without emotions, something that was only telling information, "Xelqua survived the fall, and the consequent trip down the sea. A day later he washed ashore on the west side of the Silverharbor beach, and there he was found by a sixteen year old Joe Riordan Hills," finished Rodger, voice still sounding robotic, more than normal.

The zombie blinked at this, she already knew all about what happened in Joe's last week at his old town, but how did this random robot made by Grian know all of that? She decided it wasn't worth asking at the moment, there'd be time to do that later, "That's all nice and dandy, but I still don't know who Xelqua is or what he has to do with any of this!"