by Neo Edmund
“Who said I’m giving up?”
Red piled a few small stones near her feet. She then snapped a branch off a tree, creating a jagged stake about a foot in length. With her makeshift weapon concealed behind her back, she struck an innocent pose. “I’m waiting, unless you’re too much of a fraidy cat to show your face.”
“Don’t fear, little dear. I’ll be there to meet you just as soon as I can.”
“Don’t make me wait too long.”
After a silent moment passed, a nearby patch of bushes began shuddering. When her stalker emerged, he was nothing more than a decrepit old man. He stood hunched and walking with the aid of a twisted wooden cane. Red felt disgusted by the sight of his withered skin and long and crooked nose.
“Well, hello there, Little Red Riding. The master didn’t tell me you were going to be so darn pretty,” the old man said with a raspy voice. “This is going to be so much fun.”
Red eyed the old man oddly. “Master? Who are you talking about?”
He pointed to the moon hovering high above. “It doesn’t matter because you’re not going to be around long enough to ever meet him.”
Red cringed at the man’s foul stench. It reminded her of rotten eggs. She then spoke in a childish tone. “Gee, mister, I thought you were going to be something big and scary, like a hairy troll or a smelly old orc.”
“You mean I don’t frighten you, Little Red?” The old man approached her, standing only inches from her face.
“Not even a bit. You look much too nice to be dangerous.” Red’s body temperature began to spike as a primal force deep down inside took control.
“Would it give you a fright if I said I had eaten men twice your size and many times your strength?”
“I can’t believe a sweet old man like you would harm even a butterfly.”
The old man snickered. “Then you are a fool, and you will die as one.”
Red giggled like a child. “You’re funny. I like you.” She wanted to drive the stake into his heart, but her instincts warned her to wait for the perfect moment. “I think we should be friends.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Would you like to play a game with me?”
“We’re already playing a game, Little Red. My game. I always win.”
His mouth stretched open twice as wide as a normal man. The sight brought Red’s blood to a near boil, but she somehow managed to maintain her endearing smile.
“Have you ever kissed a girl, mister?” Red giggled. “I like kissing boys more than anything in the whole world.”
The old man twitched in impatience. “Little girl, do you have any idea what I am?”
“Granny said if she catches me kissing one more boy, I’m going to get a spanking,” Red said with a mischievous grin.
The old man’s massive jaw dropped open. He twitched in disbelief, unable to resist the lure of Red’s childish charm.
“Mister, would you like to kiss me?” Red gave her lips a pucker.
The old man trembled with excitement. “This better not be some kind of trick, or I’ll make you regret it in ways you could not possibly dream.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Red asked with a nervous crack in her voice. “I just thought a handsome man like you would be willing to grant me just one little kiss. Especially if you’re going to eat me.”
“Fine, if that’s what you want.” The old man looked around to make sure nobody was watching. “Don’t think I’m going to let you go over a little peck on the lips.”
“I’m waiting.” Red leaned forward. “Please don’t disappoint me.”
The old man began panting like a dog as he moved in to kiss Red. His face was so hideous that she lost the fight to keep her eyes open. As soon as his clammy lips made contact with hers, Red’s heart was overcome with furious intent. With a powerful yank, she grabbed the old man by the coat and pulled him close.
Their eyes snapped open at the same instant.
“Now who’s the foolish one,” Red said with a growl.
She stabbed the sharpened end of the branch into the old man’s chest. His mouth opened wide enough to swallow a person whole. He made a desperate grab for the stick, but Red kicked him to his knees. She watched through stone-cold eyes as he transformed into some sort of goblin with scaly, wart-laden, green flesh.
“Looks like I win this game,” Red said.
The goblin grabbed Red by the hair. He pulled her head towards his mouth with all his might. Red struggled for a terrifying moment as she got closer and closer to his razor-sharp teeth. Red raised a foot and kicked the stake deeper into his chest. The beast groaned and fell backward.
“You may have won this day, Little Red.” The goblin looked up to the moon. “He’s coming back to Wayward, and one way or another, you’re going to help him.”
“Who is coming back?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Maybe so, but you’re not going to be around when it happens.”
Red picked up one of the stones she had placed near her feet earlier and hurled it with all her might. It hit the goblin in the forehead so hard his eyes rolled back into his head. The vile creature that would have ended her life dropped to the ground with a thud.
Red stood trembling as its decrepit body withered up and turned to dust. The triumph of the battle overwhelmed her with a feeling so primal that it was impossible to resist a calling deep from within. “What’s happening to me?”
She looked down at her hands. Razor-sharp nails protruded from her fingertips. Empowered with immense strength, she swung an arm wide, slashing her claws through the trunk of an oak tree. With her arms raised high, she looked at the moon. The voices of the lunar spirits called to Red, and this time she knew how to respond. The howl that came from her was so deep and loud that it echoed out through the entire forest. When it was finally over, she dashed away at lightning speed, leaving behind only a gust of wind in her wake.
Chapter 6
“Wake up, Red Riding.”
Red’s eyes opened to see a million stars twinkling in the night sky. It was a majestic sight she could never enjoy under the blaring lights of the concrete city. The air was shivering cold, and yet she was burning with sweat, as if she’d been running for hours. “Where am I?”
A masculine voice with an Irish accent spoke. “The where isn’t as important as the why.”
“So why am I here?”
“That is the big question. I suspect you’re not going to much like the answer,” the Irishman said.
“Try me.”
The Irishman took a deep breath. “If I had to give it my best guess, I would say a dark force did something sinister to get you here.”
“How did I know you were going to say something like that?” A rather harsh odor hit Red’s senses and made her already queasy stomach churn a bit. “Look, whoever you are, I’m thinking you’re in serious need of a bath.”
“I hate to break it to you, Red, but that odor is coming from you.”
“Yeah right.” The idea of this was so absurd that Red shrugged it off. Just to be certain, she held her arm close to her nose. “Oh, rank. I smell like a wet dog.”
“Don’t worry. The stench will be gone before you know it.”
“Fabulous.”
This didn’t give Red a bit of reassurance as she pushed up to a sitting position. Her vision was somewhat blurred, making the details of her surroundings unclear. From what she could tell, she was outside a temple, constructed of grey stone and towering well above the tree line. There were stained glass windows that depicted celestial images of the moon in its eight phases. “What’s the story with this place?”
“When you regain your senses, I’ll do my best to explain,” the Irishman said.
“I can hardly wait.” Red could just make out the outline of a burly man standing over her, though her vision was still too blurry to see if he was human. After all that had happened since her arrival, she thought it best not to assume anything. “Listen, whoever you are, if you’re going to try to
eat me, you should know that I just slayed a goblin.”
The Irishman belted out a laugh. “Well, one day you will have to recount the tale for me. Not that such a triumph is unusual for a woman of the Riding Clan.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Everybody in Wayward knows who you are.” The Irishman extended a hand.
Red cracked a smile, feeling quite safe in the company of this stranger. She took his hand, which was three times the size of her own and rough with calluses. His raw strength felt quite astonishing as he pulled her up to her feet.
“Easy there, muscle man. You trying to pull my arm off?”
“I’m so sorry. I was under the impression that you were a rough and tough girl that could slay a goblin.”
“Okay, okay, leave the sarcastic wisecracks to me.” Red took a few quick stretches to loosen her sore muscles. “I know people around here don’t always like to give their names. If you could tell me yours, I’d appreciate it.”
“You can call me Ethan. I hope in time you will come to also call me friend.”
“Ethan is a good name. I could use a friend right about now.”
“Then you have one in me, Red of the Riding Clan.”
“What is this Riding Clan business you’re talking about?”
“Your family has a long heritage of great heroism and honor in Wayward. You should take great pride in knowing that their blood flows through your heart.”
“Maybe if I knew more about my family, I would understand what that means. Would you tell me about them?”
Ethan stood up straight like a soldier saluting a general. “It would be my greatest honor to aid the Alpha Huntress.”
“Alpha what?”
Red’s vision had cleared up enough to be able to make out Ethan’s features. He was well over seven feet in height and more than twice her age. His face was rugged and handsome, accented with a thick red beard. Leather armor covered his massive muscular chest and a huge axe hung over his back.
“Now I know I must be dreaming again,” Red muttered.
“I can assure you that this is no dream. Though I suspect you’ve had some rather confusing ones since your recent arrival.”
Red took a half-step back. “How do you know that exactly?”
“I knew your mother. Since you are her spitting image in both looks and wit, I would guess I know you just as well as I knew her.”
“Knew her? Does that mean she’s … you know … not alive anymore?”
Ethan took a long breath. “Grenda didn’t tell you of her fate.”
“Granny hasn’t told me much of anything yet.”
“Then the hard truth falls to me.” Ethan wiped a tear from his eye.
“Ethan, if this is too hard for you, we can talk about it another time. I’m sure my granny will tell me soon enough.”
“The strength of your mother is alive inside you, Red Riding.”
Red frowned. “From the way you said that, I get the feeling I’m not going to get a chance to meet her.”
“I’m afraid you are right, Red. But let us not dwell on such sad thoughts. There is much to rejoice upon today. The Alpha Huntress has returned to Wayward.”
“What’s this Alpha Huntress business you keep going on about?”
“It’s not exactly my place to explain that,” said Ethan.
Red snarled in frustration. “Well then whose is it exactly?”
Ethan shrugged. “I can’t exactly say. Just not me.”
“It sounds really important. So why don’t you cut the word games and just spill it already.”
Ethan belted out a laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I would think I was talking to Jenna herself.”
“Jenna?”
“That was your mother’s name: Jenna Riding.”
“Jenna Riding.” The name echoed a hundred times over in Red’s mind. It was the first time she had ever heard the name of her mother. It was like music to her ears. “So she was just like me?”
“In every way I can see. Though there are hints of your father in you as well.”
“You knew my father?”
“That I did. I vowed to him that I would stand by your side and give my life if necessary to assure your safety.”
Red looked Ethan in the eyes and had no doubt he was telling the truth. “Please tell me about him.”
“I will. But right now there are more important matters to discuss.” Ethan pushed open the massive double doors of the temple and gestured for Red to go inside.
“What’s in there?” Red couldn’t imagine that anything in that old temple was more important than learning about her father.
“You have to trust me, Red. What waits inside is vital to your future.”
“This had better be good.”
A gust of warm air shot by Red as she took a few cautious steps through the temple doors. A sea of a hundred flickering candles mounted on the walls illuminated the massive stone chamber. On the ceiling high above was a carved image of the Earth encircled by images of the moon in its eight primary phases.
On the wall there was a large wooden clock, counting down from—
5 YEARS / 0 MONTHS / 4 DAYS
2 HOURS / 3 MINUTES / 22 SECONDS
“What is the story with this place?” Red looked back to where Ethan was standing in the open doorway with his feet an inch short of the threshold. His expression made it clear he wasn’t taking one more step into the chamber unless he had to. “Hey, Irishman. It’s freaking me out that you told me to come in here, but you won’t come inside, too.”
“Trust me, Red. Nothing bad is going to happen to you.”
The honest look in Ethan’s eyes told Red that he was telling the truth; not that it made her feel any better about the situation. It took a few calming breaths before she was able to coach herself into venturing further inside.
She soon found herself standing in the center of five marble pedestals, each with a stone sitting upon it. Some were jagged and sharp, while others were rounded and smooth. The colors varied from bright and shiny to scorched and burned. Despite their many differences, the one thing they all had in common was an intense aura of power radiating around them.
Red then noticed that each pedestal had a unique marking carved into the base:
I Alpha
II Skoll & Hati
III Diona
IV Madonna Oriente
V Ragnarok
A strange humming tone rung out nearby. Red whirled, startled, toward a stone altar at the far end of the chamber. Upon it rested a large archway made of some kind of transparent metal. The sight of it consumed her heart with dreadful fear. Still, she felt compelled to walk across the chamber and up the four steps of the altar.
Red stood gazing at her own reflection in the archway. With a trembling hand, she reached out and touched its oddly hot surface. In a flash, an image of the moon blazing in the midnight sky filled her head. Standing before it was a silhouetted figure of a man in a black hooded cloak, extending a bony hand toward Red. She could feel his icy cold breath as he whispered something into her ear. His words were unclear, but their intensions were of pure evil.
“Get away from me.” Red leaped backward into the air, startled. She soared ten feet and hit the floor in a battle-ready crouch.
“Red, do not fear,” Ethan said. “There is nothing in here that can hurt you.”
“What’s going on here, Irishman?” Red asked.
“It’s difficult to explain. You won’t believe me if I do.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want you to try. You can start with that metal arch thing there.”
Ethan clenched his fist tight enough to cause his knuckles to crack. “Some call it a celestial portal. It connects this world to one hidden deep beneath the lunar surface."
“Are you telling me that thing goes to the moon?”
“It’s more like it comes from the moon. I suppose you could use it to go there if you needed to.”
“What
would be there if I decided to go?”
“I will not utter such terrible things to young ears. All I will say is that it’s a place I hope you never have to go.”
Red paced around in a whirlwind of frustration. “Is that the best answer you can give me?”
“It is the only answer I will give you about that place.”
Red stomped toward Ethan. “Listen up, buddy. I’m not some dumb little kid that can’t deal with the truth. I want to know what that thing is doing here. And who made it? And what’s with all these rocks? And what about that clock counting down? And what about the moon carvings on the ceiling? And so help me, if you say you can’t tell me, I am going to kick your butt.” Her threat came right as she approached Ethan with an arm extended and a finger pointing at his face.
“Spoken like a true Riding.” Ethan nudged Red’s hand aside and took a few nervous steps further into the chamber. “This temple was built by the followers of a vile sorcerer called Ragnarok. He was born a man, but through dark spellcraft, he became as powerful as the lunar deities.”
“Well that doesn’t sound weird.”
Ethan took a long breath to clear his thoughts. “It all started two hundred years ago when Ragnarok got the idea that if he could bring part of the moon to Wayward, his followers, mostly made up of werewolves at the time, could have the power to transform at any time, day or night, and not just during the full moon.”
“Werewolves that can run around during the day? Well, that’s different.”
“Red, do you want to hear this or just make a bunch of sarcastic comments?”
“Sorry.”
“Using a powerful spellcraft, Ragnarok created a mighty explosion on the moon. It caused thousands of moon rocks to rain down on Wayward and set the forest ablaze.”
“So that’s what happened,” Red muttered.
“You’ve heard this before?”
Red turned away, not interested in talking about her recent dream. “Just go on with your little story.”
“It’s not a story, Red. This happened. For three days, all of Wayward was engulfed in smoke and dust from the shattered moon rocks. Fifteen years later, the offspring of those who survived began to develop strange abilities. The most powerful were able to transform into creatures that stood on two legs and looked part human and part wolf. They came to be known as the Children of the Moon.”