Dominion of the Moon

by Kostas Krommydas

  Vasilis pointed out that the signal now seemed to be down a small gorge with no easy access. “I don’t want to hold you up, Andreas. I think I’ll wait for you in the car. It’s a difficult trek for me. You go ahead, but please be careful. Give me a call when you find her. If she is in the gorge, don’t go down by yourself. There is no safe way in or out. Come back, and we’ll go get some help.”

  “I’ll do that. You take care on the way back.”

  He turned his flashlight toward me. “Be careful, my boy. The moon will be out soon, and it will be easier to see where you are going. Find her, and then immediately return to the car. Be careful.”

  Vasilis slowly lowered his flashlight and started to walk back down to the car. A half hour later, the moon was my ally, rising in full glory behind the mountain. I would be seeing this special full moon in the end, at the place to be, according to everybody, although under less than ideal circumstances. I paused to catch my breath, watching the majestic moonrise. I had to admit, it was the most impressive full moon I had ever seen.

  Following the signal, I found myself off tangent in relation to the point from where we had set off. It would be difficult to find the car again. In the distance, the Chora and its castle were the only visible signs of civilization. All around me, all I could see was the gully and a silver expanse of water.

  Finally, after an hour, the red dot seemed to stop moving. I headed in that direction, stumbling in my haste. I forced myself to slow down and carefully pick my way. It was hard to keep my eyes on the screen and the ground at the same time.

  I cupped my hands around my mouth and bellowed out Destine’s name. I thought I heard a distant bark, but it could have been another dog. Ten minutes later, the location on the map finally showed that Destine was some distance above me. The steep climb that separated us seemed near impossible to surmount. Again and again, I called out her name as I scrambled up on all fours.

  Finally, on the edge of a rock, I saw her bright eyes glowing in the dark. She was growling, and nervously pacing up and down. I kept calling her name, but she did not seem to want to come near me. It would have been easier for her to climb down than for me to struggle up the nearly vertical slope.

  I did not stop calling her. Just as the distance between us seemed to be getting smaller, she gave a small bark and disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

  I finally reached the spot where I had seen her. I took out my flashlight and scanned the landscape around me. Large rocks rose before me, barring my way like castle walls. I was surprised at Destine’s reaction. It was the first time she had ignored my calling her to me. I shone my light all around the tiny plateau, trying to understand where she could be. There was no way but down from here.

  Suddenly, I noticed a small opening in the rocks, like a tiny cave. It was the only possible hiding place. I crouched down and shone the flashlight through the opening. Her eyes reflected the beam of light. I kept calling her, but she kept ignoring me. I crawled through the opening on all fours, gripping the light in my mouth. Once inside, I saw that this was not a cave, but a long corridor. Another opening, as if someone had carved out the base of the tall rock, stood at the other end. Destine stepped through it before I could get to her.

  A strange light glowed beyond the second opening. I realized it was the light cast by a fire. Puzzled, I saw a narrow path wind down from the opening, a large bonfire burning further down the path. The sound of crackling wood echoed against the rocks.

  I stood upright and took out my phone. The red dot was moving wildly, appearing next to my location, and then miles away a few seconds later. I checked to see whether there was no signal, but it was strong and steady.

  The path split in two. No one seemed to be attending the fire. In fact, there was no sign of life anywhere. I called out to Destine once more, and waited to see if she would appear. I walked to where the path split and hesitated, trying to decide which way to follow.

  I turned back, and my heart jumped in my throat. Two shadows seemed to follow my movement. I thought one must have been the shadow of someone nearby, and I turned around, alert to danger. I felt the flames warm my face. My pulse settled down when I realized both shadows were mine—one cast by the flames, the other by the full moon.

  As the sound of the roaring fire filled the air around me, Vasilis’s words rang in my ears. On the night of the full moon, tread the path where two shadows follow you. One is yours. The other is the shadow of the one you will never meet. The shadow that warms you will lead the way. But first, tread the path.

  I thought I must be dreaming. Two shadows before me, the burning flames against my face showing me which path to follow. I looked around suspiciously, trying to understand whether I was the victim of an elaborate prank. No one was around. Slowly, I moved forward, following the path that led to the fire. I stood next to the roaring flames and looked at my phone once again. Same as before. At this point, I had no option but to walk ahead.

  The path widened into a small opening, tall rocks rising on either side. The sound of people’s voices made me stop in my tracks. I thought I spotted someone walking in my direction. I hastily climbed up the rocks, hiding behind a boulder. A man walked right beneath me, holding a flaming torch. He walked up to the fire, planting his torch in the ground. He picked up a bundle of wood lying beside it and threw it on the flames. The red and orange tongues rose toward the sky, lighting up the tiny gorge.

  I crouched even lower, trying to remain completely hidden. Although none of this made any sense, I assumed it had something to do with the ceremonies taking place all over the island this evening. I heard chanting in the distance, and realized many people were gathered further down the path. I could not follow the path there without giving myself away. My hands were already scratched, and the wound on my arm had bled during my climb.

  I slowly stood and climbed further up the rock, where the light of the flames could not reach. I stared, open-mouthed, at the sight that met my eyes.

  A large number of people dressed in white tunics stood in a circle around an enormous pit. A large clay bowl lay at its bottom. A woman in a crimson tunic knelt at the edge of the pit. A white mask covered her face. The people forming the circle held small lanterns. Torches had been mounted on the faces of the rock all around, lighting up the space. The soft sound of a drum came from a woman sitting apart from the group, enhancing the air of mystery. She seemed to be the only one sitting outside the circle, on a slightly raised rocky mound across from where I stood.

  Absorbed as I was by the imposing sight, I forgot the reason I was up here for a second. I looked around to see if Destine was anywhere to be seen, but I could not spot her. Carefully, I rose to my feet. That was when I noticed the man sitting on a large rock right beneath me.

  The group continued to chant, in a whisper as irregular as the fluttering of the breeze, rising then falling. I had never seen anything like it before, and I confess I was entranced. I could not understand what they were doing, but every movement seemed practiced, familiar. I was convinced they would react badly to my presence, so I kept as still as I could.

  The drumbeat died down along with the chants, and nobody moved. I guessed the ceremony was nearing its end. I decided to return to the narrow passage and get as far away as I could, then try to retrace Destine’s steps, whose signal had now disappeared. Fun show while it lasted, I thought, but it was time to go.

  Just before I turned my back on the gathering, I detected a slight movement. The woman who had been kneeling down stood up. Her tunic seemed to become a more vibrant red, as if a secret spotlight had been trained on her. The drum began its hollow beat. Some put down their lanterns and began to sprinkle liquid on the ground from small clay jars. When they stopped, one of the women walked up to the woman in the mask and loosened her hair.

  Someone else brought a torch and flung it into the large clay bowl inside the pit. Large flames sprang up, lighting up the faces in the circle. More women approached and began to undr
ess her, touching the naked body that was slowly unveiled in the moonlight. Glowing amber in the light of the moon and the fire, she looked like a statue.

  Unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacle unfolding before me, I crouched on my heels and watched the strange rites being performed.

  The naked woman, wearing only her mask, stepped down into the pit. The man sitting below me stood up and walked forward, passing fearlessly close to the flames. When he was in the pit beside her, she bowed her head as if she was kissing his hand. The beat of the drum got louder, the rhythm faster.

  The man, who must have been elderly, climbed out of the pit with aide from the others, and stood across from the woman. She kept her masked face turned to him, and I could only see her back. Her long, black hair reached her waist, emphasizing the milky whiteness of her skin. I felt goose bumps watching the ceremony unfolding before me.

  Another man approached behind the elderly man, carrying something on his shoulders. A cry like laughter rang out, and I realized he was carrying an animal: a large, black ram.

  The naked woman knelt once again, her back glowing red under the torches and the fire burning in the large bowl. The drumbeat reached a crescendo, and I could feel the rock vibrate under my feet. The man placed the ram at the feet of the old man, pinning its legs to the ground.

  The chanting picked up again, and the people in the circle stepped forward, raising their voices, until they formed a tight circle around the pit, vibrating with intensity. The old man took a dagger from his belt and raised it to the sky. He then bent down and pressed it against the neck of the ram, which began to cry like a terrified baby. In one swift movement, he slit its throat as if its skin was made of paper. The man who had been carrying the ram picked it up and placed it in the slaughterer’s arms.

  Blood was splattered on the old man’s face and white hair, but he did not seem bothered. On the contrary, he appeared to welcome it. He held the ram over the head of the woman and let the steaming blood wash over her. It trickled down her hair and over her naked body, dying her skin red, drop by drop. The figures, the voices, the blood, and the beating of the drum all merged, building up to a dense, hypnotic climax.

  Every now and then, I thought I could make out a word that seemed slightly familiar. Axieros.

  The man put down the carcass of the ram and brought the knife close to the woman’s neck. She instinctively pulled back, as if she had not been expecting it. In another swift movement, he cut something that was hanging around her neck, and held it up. She slowly raised her right arm, offering him her hand.

  The voices grew louder, and everyone raised their arms to the skies, swaying as if held in a trance by some unseen power. The white-haired man took her hand and, speaking loudly in what sounded like ancient Greek, put a ring on her finger.

  She turned to face the fire. Her body looked smudged, clumsy, like a child’s drawing. She brought her hands behind her head and removed her mask. I felt time stop. The hairs on my arms rose as if someone had just walked over my grave. Iro!

  I struggled to breathe. My mind refused to accept what my eyes were telling me. I thought I was hallucinating. Covered in blood, Iro stood naked before the flickering flames. She seemed frightened, but I could not be sure whether that wasn’t just the play of the flames, casting shadows on her face and distorting her expression. I ducked as she turned around, thinking she had seen me. I was wrong; she had turned to face the fire again. It all seemed to be part of the ritual.

  The image of the woman wearing the scarlet belt at the Sanctuary flashed before my eyes in sudden realization. That’s what she’d meant when she’d said we had met three times in all.

  A naked man stepped into the tight circle of worshippers, wearing a mask like hers. He walked down to Iro, without touching her, and stood facing her, hiding her face from my view.

  Forgetting all about hiding, I moved along the rocks until once again she came into view. She seemed surprised. Her body was shaking, and I could tell she was afraid, as if she was there against her will. The old man and some of the worshippers, no doubt the inner circle, came and sat on the edge of the pit. Even the woman holding the drum came and sat beside the high priest who had slaughtered the ram. My gut told me that he must be Iro’s father.

  I remembered everything Vasilis had said about Alexandros and his ancestry. The couple stood in the circle, beside the fire, which now burned low. In the absolute silence that reigned, all that could be heard was the crackling wood and the low whistle of the breeze as it skimmed over the rocks.

  The naked man touched Iro’s shoulders, pressing her to sit down. She turned to look at her father, as if she did not want to obey. The naked man grabbed her wrists and pushed her roughly to the ground. She tried to stand up. Two men who had been sitting beside the pit jumped down and pinned her to the ground. I could not tell whether what I was watching was part of the ritual, or happening against her will. Everyone’s calm demeanor seemed to indicate the former, but her struggle to free herself told another story.

  Impassive, her father spoke loudly: “We have gathered here today, bearing sacred soil from the four corners of the Earth, to celebrate the full moon and honor our new Great Mother in the moonlight. Tomorrow, a new era begins for all of us who have carried the legacy of our ancestors for thousands of years. For this reason, we all bear witness and participate in the union that will bring us the next generation, blessed by the gods who stand beside us this evening. Let us drink to that before the ceremony begins.”

  A woman handed cups of wine to everyone. It was plain to see that the old man was an expert manipulator, a demagogue who could sway everyone attending in his favor. My eyes returned to Iro. I saw her open her mouth to speak, but one of the men holding her to the ground slapped his palm over her mouth. I wondered whether I should intervene. Again, I was not sure whether what I was witnessing was real danger, or part of this incomprehensible ritual. Poised to run, I waited to see how far this madness would go.

  I felt my phone vibrate, and saw Vasilis’s name on the screen. He was obviously getting worried. I switched it off and returned it to my pocket, keeping my eyes fixed on the strange proceedings unraveling by the pit.

  Alexandros was standing up. He took a sip of wine, and emptied his cup beside him. Scarlet as the blood of the sacrificial animal, it splashed on the ground. The others followed suit.

  He signaled to the man in the pit, who stepped closer to Iro and removed his mask. To my great surprise, I recognized her fiancé, Miltos. He knelt between her legs. Iro struggled to keep her knees joined, to repel him; he struggled to push them open. Her cries occasionally escaped through the palm of the man keeping her muffled. Miltos overcame her resistance, violently prying her thighs open and trying to enter her.

  She suddenly freed her mouth and let out a desperate scream, like an injured animal caught in a clever trap. I stood up to shout at them to stop. Before I could open my mouth, I saw something move like a flash across the clearing, jumping over the seated men and falling on Miltos.

  Destine!

  She grabbed Miltos’s arm in her jaws and violently dragged him away from Iro. Commotion followed the stunned silence, as everyone tried to understand what had just happened.

  Iro escaped her startled captors and stood up, trying to cover her nakedness with her arms. A battle waged between dog and man, and I began to climb down toward them.

  That’s when I saw Alexandros approach Destine, holding a sword. Before I could even cry out a warning, he plunged the steel blade into the dog’s flesh. I doubled over as if the blow had gone through me. Destine let out a terrifying howl. She let go of Miltos’s arm and fell to the ground, panting heavily, still bearing her fangs at anyone who tried to approach her.

  A deafening roar escaped my throat as Alexandros raised the sword once again. It echoed against the rocks, amplified as it rippled to the top of the mountain. Everyone turned in my direction. Destine leapt out of the pit and vanished into the darkness.

 
I climbed down the sharp rocks as quickly as I could, and jumped onto the ground. Iro, smeared with blood and soil, was hastily pulling her tunic on. Miltos, blood streaming down his arm, was doing the same. Alexandros walked up to me holding the small sword. Destine’s blood glistened on the blade.

  “What are you doing here?” he screamed.

  I had no doubt he would not hesitate to use the sword against a human. For the first time, I regretted leaving my gun in the States, but it was too late. The others came to stand behind him, even Miltos, whose eyes were blazing with hatred.

  “What are you doing here?” Alexandros shouted again, coming even closer.

  “I was looking for my dog, and I heard her howl. I only wanted to help,” I said, trying to inject a touch of reality, of reason, in the insanity that seemed to have gripped everyone.

  “You have no right to be here. You are trespassing, understand?” He raised his sword once again.

  Miltos grabbed Alexandros’s hand and pulled it down. “This is the second time you’ve dared show your face to me,” he shouted at me. “You interrupted something very important. Who told you to come here?”

  I looked at all of them, and wondered whether I would get out of this alive. Iro remained by the pit, looking terrified.

  “No one told me to come here. That doesn’t mean I’m here on my own.”

  Most of them turned to look at the rocks. I took out my phone. “They already know where I am, and who else is here with me. So, if anything happens to me, they’ll know where to start.”

  Miltos grabbed the phone from my hand.

  I lunged at him, but felt the point of the sword press against my chest. I pushed the sword away and lowered my voice to a growl. “Give me my phone,” I hissed.

  Miltos examined it for a second, and then threw it to me. “I suggest you get going. Now. ”

  Varvis protested, but Miltos nodded that he knew what he was doing. “You have five minutes to get out of here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until I make sure she is okay,” I said, pointing to Iro.