The Red Moon Always Shines

Chapter 34: You know my name

<This is late, but still! I have some things I want to say/promote, but I'll do that after the story. So enjoy!>

Alastor walked the halls of the castle quietly. He wasn't trying to hide or anything, he just didn't want to draw attention to himself. Ever since he'd talked with Hills that fatefully night he hadn't been able to focus.

When he was informed about what had happened to Xenagoras he had immediately looked for something he could use to defeat Fallacy and free himself. And of-fucking-course there was no way to do that. Which meant that Alastor was stuck with that blasted serpent till the day he died!

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed where he was going, and even if he wouldn't have been lost in thought he still wouldn't know where he was.

At first glance it looked like an ordinary cell hall, rooms with only heavy obsidian-fortified iron doors leading in. But as he walked farther in it started to change. Some cells now had pure obsidian doors, some with bars, and some just had glass. And as much as these things stood out, Alastor was more focused in the runes carved into the walls.

There were all sorts of them. Binding, magic binding, ones to keep someone awake with a keyword, some to give shocks if orders weren't followed... The list went on. Alastor could do nothing but gape at them all. To have carved these tunes so perfectly must have taken years, and many failed attempts too. It was honestly kind of impressive.

"Heh, you must be new." Chuckled a voice from behind the wolf. The blond quickly spun around to see who was behind him, only to find no one, "I'm in the glass cell child."

Alastor watched as a tall humanoid owl walked out of the shadows of the cell, talons clicking against the cold stone brick floor, "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I would be lying if I did."

The blond wolf blinked at the white and cream feathered being for a few minutes, trying to figure out why he felt something weird when he saw the owl, "Do I know you?"

The owl hummed a negative, "No, you don't. Though I do believe you've heard of me."

"I do believe I haven't, actually. So please do introduce yourself." Said Alastor, tone both snappy and sarcastic.

The avian laughed lightly at his demand, "I would, but you wouldn't believe me."

"If you don't want to tell me, just lie." Hissed Alastor, "That's what everyone here does, plus it would give me something to call you."

"Lie?" Asked the owl with a laugh, "I'm afraid I can't really do that, it's not my thing you see."

Alastor looked at them with calculating eyes, which were hidden from view by his mask still, "You can't lie? Like, at all?"

"Well I can." Explained the humanoid, "But I also can't, my own morals stop me from doing it."

Alastor walked to stand face to face with the owl, which meant he had to look up. With one swift moment he removed his mask, making his dark magenta eyes visible, "Why are you here?"

The blonde tone had been harsh and demanding, but the avian didn't seem to acknowledge that, "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean?" And the owl honestly didn't seem to know, which was a surprise, "Would you mind explaining?"

"What I meant is why you are so heavily locked in? Your cell has enough types of runes I'm sure Fallacy themselves would have a hard time breaking out." Explained Alastor, tracing the engraved runes on the wall, "What have you done to warrant such heavy magic?"

"It's not what I've done, child. It's what I can do."

The wolf raised an eyebrow at the other, "What? So Fallacy fears you or something?" It was said in a slightly cocky tone, but the genuine curiosity and shock seeped through.