NOVEL FROG Chapter 78: Meeting
My hand rested against my face as I sat in bed, staring down at the messy blankets before me. My breathing finally calmed, and the sweat had dried, leaving me with a cool chill. Across from my bed, I could see the grandfather clock ticking away, the time displayed on it showing that it was only a little bit late in the evening.
Either it's the same day, or once again, the Master time skipped me forward. I thought, almost expecting a snide remark from the Man in Black, but I got nothing.
"What the hell was he talking about?" I muttered. I knew what he said, yet I couldn't understand it. He didn't even seem to comprehend what he was saying fully. A god of gods? The Other Side? For fuck's sake, the world just went to war, and now I'm being told there's some rogue deity wanting to destroy all of existence? But why?
"To bring an end to pain and suffering, to rid the world of death, and finally to cease all wanton violence," Charity's distant voice echoed in my head, and I let off a groan.
"No more death and suffering can happen if everyone's dead, I guess," I said sarcastically. "Guess she isn't wrong there." I shook my head in disbelief before gripping my hair with both hands. "But why me? Why am I being dragged into this?"
"It's not about who you are, Luna Ashflow; it's about who you were?" The Master's voice said it on repeat.
I whined. "What does that even mean, though?" I hissed to myself. "Is he talking about the guy who got shot in the gas station? Or before? Did I have a ton of lives before? If so, how many?"
I clapped my cheeks with both hands and huffed. "Don't fret over it; focus, Luna!" I sighed and looked toward the door. A small pang of guilt struck me as I recalled what happened before.
I must've made everyone worried sick, freaking out like that. I bit my lower lip. I should get up and go check on everyone.
I threw my legs over the side of the bed and slid off of it and onto the floor. Looking around the room, I found my dress laid over the study desk and went over to it. Taking the time to get dressed properly, I pulled on my stockings, making sure they were taught, before stepping out into the hall.
The house was quiet. The only noise I could hear was the muffled ambiance of the city and the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room.
"Hello?" I called out.
For a moment, there was no response, and then Isa's voice came from the living room. "Luna, you're awake," she said as I heard her rise from the chair, and I audibly sighed with relief.
I did not want to be alone in this house. I stepped out of the hall and came face-to-face with my mentor, who looked worried, and she kneeled before me.
"What has gotten into you? What was that?" She asked as she hesitantly reached out to place her hands on my shoulders.
I took a deep breath and cast my gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, I-I panicked when the Man in Black started speaking to me again."
"Man in what?" Isa asked.
My eyes widened—that's right, I never told them I'd seen him before!
"The Master," I said softly. "I've seen what he looks like, at least partially." I glanced up at Isa, who looked very confused. "He's pale as chalk, and he wears a dark cloak and hood, and I've only seen the lower part of his face… I've seen where he is, or at least, I think, a tower in a field shrouded in twilight."
Isa's eyes widened. "You can't be serious…" She muttered.
I nodded. "I am; that's what he's shown me… and I know what you taught me, what momma taught me…"
"The Dark Lord," Isa whispered, and I nodded. My mentor pulled back and shook her head. "No, no, this can't be real; surely it can't be."
"But it is, Isa," I said, looking at her. "Back when we went camping, he manipulated me and controlled me into going to the cave. I didn't faint when I went there; I almost died, but it was he who helped me avoid the Timberwolves; he led me to the ruin you talked about. At least a piece of it, and it was there I met him."
"But how?" Isa asked. "That evil monster is locked away in Garlay, deep on the southern continent. How is he here?"
I shrugged. "I don't know; he said his prison has gaps in its bars. That he can reach out if he's careful, and that when we're near places of power, he can more easily communicate."
Isa groaned. "Of all beings that could attach themselves to you, it had to be him… I had hoped this was some Lord or Lady, or perhaps an Arch Fae." She groaned.
"Lord or Lady?" I asked with an arched brow.
"Very powerful fae, borderline deities from the Fae Wylde," Isa grumbled as she sat back on her calves on the floor in front of me.
I nodded slowly. "He hasn't been bad, though," I said softly. "He's helped us this far. He saved everyone at the prison—"
"Luna, we're talking about a diabolical man who tried to conquer the world, a man who unleashed a viral plague and killed millions in order to achieve his goals. He was a greedy man who became corrupt with power; he'd do anything. He'll lie, he'll cheat, and he'll do anything to get us to trust him."
My eyes widened as Charity's voice rang in my head along with Isa's words. I bit my lower lip and said, "But what can we do? He's done nothing but help us; he helped me save you. He's nothing like what the books said."
"That's because he wants you to trust him," Isa said. "Just because he has done great things so far to help us doesn't mean we should trust him."
"So what? Should I stop listening to him? Isa, he can take over my body!"
"I know," Isa said shakily. "And that's what's fucked up; I don't know what to do."
I stood back, stunned, as Isa brought her hands to the side of her head, her clawed fingers scratching at her skin. "When I died…" She said it softly. "I felt like I was drowning; my body was being swept away as if down a river… Yet I wasn't alone; hundreds, thousands, maybe a million other people were screaming with me…" She began to shake. "I couldn't breathe; I couldn't see the surface yet. Something reached out and grabbed me. A dark silhoutte."
"It was him," I whispered. "He saved you. He brought you back."
"So it was…" Isa sighed and looked at me with a terrified look. "But we shouldn't trust him. Gods work in mysterious ways, but many of them do so for selfish reasons."
"I know why he's doing this," I said. "He told me bad things are coming—very bad." I glanced around us to make sure we were alone; seeing no one, I looked at Isa. "How long was I out for?"
"A couple hours, why?" Isa asked.
I nodded. "I think it'll be best to have my mom and dad around for this talk."
"What about Varis?" Isa asked me, and I froze up.
"I don't want to scare him," I said quietly.
The wait was stress-inducing, to say the least. I could tell by Isa's expression as we waited for the family to return home that she was eating herself alive internally. Sitting in the armchair, she held a book in her hand, which she could hardly keep still as her hands trembled.
On the other hand, I was not doing much better. I paced around the living room, nervously anticipating how my parents would react. Would they act like Isa? Would they reject me? What if they turn me in? Would they still love— I clapped my cheeks with my hands to put an end to the thoughts.
Calm down. It'll be fine. I told myself and took a deep breath. Do what you used to do in the old days. I know I hate thinking about that time, but this worked. I told myself as I sat down in the middle of the floor and crossed my legs. I then closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and held it before letting it out slowly. I repeated this over and over, clearing my mind and focusing on nothing but breathing.
"Luna?" Isa said questioningly.
I popped one eye open. "What's up?"
"What're you doing?" She asked.
"I'm meditating," I said. "It sometimes helps calm me down."
She pursed her lips. "I never saw you do it before."
"I never had time on the road to do it," I said as I took another deep breath. "It helps with clearing my thoughts and anxiety." I hummed as I released another breath just as the front door below the steps began to open.
Isa perked up as the sounds of my family returned home. I could hear my mother laughing along with my aunt, which I had never heard before. He seemed to have just finished a joke.
"What does he mean, Papa?" I heard Varis ask our father.
"You'll learn when you're older," I heard him say with a chuckle as the door closed and they removed their shoes.
"Well, I'm glad you're going to be working with us, Sister," The man, who I assumed was my uncle, said as he began to move up the steps. "Maybe you'll make all those other gear heads ease off of us grease chus."
"Well, no guarantee there, brother. They can't be that bad, right?" She asked.
Aunt Saria chuckled. "The foremen are always compared to slave drivers."
"Yeah, maybe you should tell them to hold off," Uncle Aenorin said as he reached the top of the stairs. Sure enough, he looked like my mother's brother. Hell, they looked like identical twins, save for him being a man. His shoulders were slightly broader, and his muscles were visible through his black button-up and overalls. His hair was short, dark, and mostly covered by a dirty flat cap, and sticking out beneath the cap, I could see his hair held similar blue highlight streaks as my mother's. His face was covered in stubble and grime, and his hands were caked in oil. "No offense, dear, but you and those pencil pushers have me and the boys constantly working those twenty-four hours."
Aunt Saria cooed and said apologetically, "I know, I know, love. I pray to the Father every day that work will lighten up, but we are behind schedule. You know I'd put myself at risk if I even showed you special treatment."
My uncle rolled his eyes and sighed before saying softly, "I know… I need to go rest. You there, little guy."
"I'm not little!" I heard my brother huff.
My uncle cracked a smile and said, "I'm putting you in charge tonight; hold down the castle while I go snore. Okay?"
I heard Varis breathe in sharply, and I knew immediately he was puffing his chest out. "Aye! Will do!" Though I couldn't see him, I could imagine him saluting.
My father snorted and said, "Well then, man of the house, you're blocking the stairs. Go on up."
"You need to ask for permission first!" Varis huffed.
"Oh, my apologies. May I please go up, sir?" My father played along, and I could hear my brother chuckling with satisfaction.
"Permission granted!"
As the adults and my brother finished climbing the stairs, my uncle turned towards Isa and me. For a split second, his deep, exhausted blue eyes looked at us in bewilderment before suddenly, I could see the invisible light bulb go off behind them.
"Madam Soza and the young mistress Luna," he said tiredly as he removed his cap and placed it on his chest. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the both of you."
"Luna's awake?" My mother said, her cheery tone before going too concerned as she stepped around her brother and into the living room.
Still sitting on the floor, I looked at my uncle and then at my mother and blushed faintly. "Hello, Momma."
"Hello, Aenorin," Isa greeted him and stood up as she turned to my mother. "She woke up just a couple hours ago."
My mother nodded and said, "How're you feeling, dear?"
I opened my mouth to speak when my stomach audibly growled. "Oh, she's just as loud as me!" Varis blurted.
My blush darkened, and I said, "I feel hungry."
My mother visibly relaxed and smiled gently. "Well, then everything is working out for us."
"What do you mean?" Isa asked as my father gestured for Varis to follow him down the hall, leaving me alone with the rest of the adults.
My mother smiled. "Aunt Saria was talking about taking us out to eat tonight to show us around the city?"
My uncle visibly rolled his eyes. "Oh, did she now?" He then glared at my aunt. In an overly dramatic tone, he said, "Oh, the one time I see my sister for the first time in almost half a century, and I don't even get to go eat with her."
"Oh shut up," My aunt snipped. "You can still come with us."
"I haven't slept in twenty six hours; I'm practically undead. And you want to know whose fault that is?"
"Aenorin, don't you even start with this! We have guests!"
My mother rolled her eyes as well before getting a smug look on her face. "Aenorin, I know a trick that'll let you stay up longer. That is, if you don't mind a little magic." She hummed as her smug smile grew wider.
"Little sis, I have no interest in your spells," he said bluntly.
My mother playfully pouted. "But, c'mon, you made it sound like you wanted to spend time with me. Just this once?"
My uncle's eyes narrowed on her as he squinted. "Is this another attempt at a prank?"
"I would never," my mother said in an exasperated voice. "I haven't done such a thing in almost two decades."
"Don't listen to her, Aenorin!" My father shouted from down the hall. "She's a siren trying to lure you into a false sense of security!"
Isa, who this entire time was trying to keep a serious expression, finally cracked and began to giggle. Even I couldn't help but snort and laugh.
"Slyran!" My mother barked. "I'm not! I swear, I just wanted to give you a Neki-Nap."
"A what?" My uncle asked.
"This." My mother said, and before he could protest, she poked him in the forehead, and his eyes widened before rolling back into his head.
Before he could fall, my mother held out a free hand, caught him with an invisible force, and held him in a standing position.
"Oh, that's impressive, Cailynn; no incantation either?" Aunt Saria asked, who was, to my surprise, unphased by what just happened.
"Yeah!" My mother beamed. "It's probably one of my most used spells."
I sat on the floor stunned, and even Isa stopped giggling.
"You monster!" I heard my father shout from down the hall. 'How could you do that?" He asked clearly, feigning anger.
My mother giggled. "There was no way I was going to let him just go to bed after seeing me again." She hummed. "His sleep schedule might be a little fuck—oh, children, uh, messed up, but we can fix it later."
After a minute, my uncle's eyes stirred and his head twitched as he came back into consciousness and grumbled, "What the hell just happened?"
My mother released her magical hold, and he immediately swayed a bit but was supported by my aunt, who was rushing towards him. "Cailynn, what did you do?" He asked groggily.
"I gave you a neki-nap. A full night's rest in just a little over a minute, you'll feel a little stiff, but in another minute, and maybe after a cup of coffee, you'll feel as good as new!" She hummed. "Very useful spell, especially back in university, but, uh, don't get addicted to it. There are bad side effects if done too much."
"I didn't ask for this." He grumbled.
My mother snickered. "Well, you implied you wanted to come eat with us; now you can. Now go get washed up."
Uncle Aenorin nodded and began to shuffle towards the bathroom in the hall, just as my father appeared at the entrance and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," I heard him say. "She once made me stay up for a month straight after I angered her. The first time isn't so bad."
I gulped. Mother can be scary.
"Cailynn," Isa said, "I don't mean to intrude on a nice moment, but…" She glanced at Aunt Saria. "My apologies, madam, but I must speak to Cailynn privately. It has to do with Luna."
My aunt blinked but nodded. "Okay. I'll be in the kitchen prepping Aenorin a coffee once he's out of the bath." She turned and walked off into the kitchen.
Immediately, my mother's impish expression faded and grew serious. "What's going on?"
Isa gestured to me and motioned for me to get up. I nodded and pushed myself to my feet as she said, "It'll be best if all of us go to your and Slyran's room. Except for Varis."
"Why?" my mother asked.
"I think it'll be for the best, Momma," I said in a hushed voice. "It's kind of scary."
This seemed to make my mother look visibly concerned. Though she closed her eyes, she recomposed herself and nodded.
"Alright. I'll go get Slyran."
"What do you mean I can't join in?" My brother complained as my mother was closing the bedroom door.
"It'll only be for a couple of minutes, Varis; we'll be back out," she said.
"But I want to join in too; Luna and I are a team!" My mother sighed and shook her head.
"We're having a girl talk, Varis; no boys allowed."
"But Papa's in there!"
"That's because your father is a girl at heart."
"Damn right!" My father said this as he sat on the bed beside me, beating his chest with one fist. "A true man knows how to be a girl when the time is right," he said with a wink. "But a man also knows when he isn't invited, boy. Now listen to your mother. We'll be out in a few minutes."
Varis was visibly confused but knew he wasn't going to win this. He huffed and turned away as my mother closed the door. Muttering under her breath, my mother then traced her fingers along the gaps of the door before a faint blue hue began to glow from wherever her fingers glided before finally flashing as she said, "Silence."
Turning to face us, she said, "Alright. No one can hear us now."
The cheerful feeling in the room vanished as my father and mother looked at me with serious expressions. Isa sat to my right on the bed, her eyes down. She twiddled her fingers. My mouth felt dry, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to say—that is until my father spoke.
"What happened, Luna?" He said it, not in an angry or intimidating tone, but in a soft and gruff voice. "Your mother told me you fainted earlier after having a panic attack."
My heart skipped a bit and gripped the bedding beside me; already, I could feel myself heating up with anxiety as my skin began to itch and sweat formed. Finally, I said, "The Master returned… or the Man in Black, as I remember him."
Both my parents shared a glance, and before they could ask anything, I continued, "Back when we went camping. I remember exactly what happened," I said as I began to recount the story.
I told them everything that happened, from how I began to have thoughts that weren't my own. I was driven to walk up the mountain, to have the voice of the master guide me out of danger, and eventually to stumble upon the ruinous tower in the cave.
Their eyes widen as they listen with anticipation. I continued to tell them how I entered the tower, climbed the steps of shattered bells, and eventually had the first encounter that I can remember with the Master."
"After my talk with him, he said he had to wipe my memories." I looked at them. "He said he had to do it because he didn't trust that I could keep his knowledge safe."
"Yet you're telling us now," my father said in a low voice.
I nodded. "Now, he seems to trust me. He said he wanted to extend an olive branch."
"A what?" everyone asked.
I blinked, and at this moment, I had used the English word for a plant that most likely didn't exist in this world. Not to mention, the phrase probably didn't exist either.
Damn the Man in Black, always using a mix of words from the old world and here. I sighed.
Thankfully, I think I knew of a good way to spin this. "It's a phrase he used; it means to make peace. It means he wanted to come to common ground with me and find trust."
My mother thought for a moment and said, "Oh, I get it, like a wine ritual. When two parties exchange their finest wines," My mother smirked, and like usual, she decided to add to her fun fact. "Back in the Age of Lords, two warring families would end with an exchange. Or, when one side wished to sue for peace, they would send the opposing lord a bottle. If they received one in return, that was usually a sign that the war was over."
I smiled a little. "Yeah, that's pretty much what it is."
"So let me get this straight." My father laced his fingers and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "You were led to a ruin; you climbed a tower, arrived in an alternate dimension known as the Infinite Twilight, and spoke to a dark hooded figure who gave you a boon. You said you were special and that you and him were going to save the world? Anything else I missed?"
I slowly shook my head. "That was my supposed first meeting; everything seems right."
My mother took a deep breath, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms beneath her bosom. "I don't want to believe it…"
"But it's true," I said softly.
Isa looked up at my mother. "Cailynn, you know what she's saying, right?"
"I do, Isa." My mother sighed and shook her head. "It doesn't make sense, though. Of all the people in the world, why my child? What does the Dark Lord want to do with my beautiful angel?"
"There's more to the story, Momma," I said, looking at her.
"Go on, Luna," my father said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"After the war started, Oren blew up." I gulped "When I was in that little coma, I met someone else. A being known as Charity."
Isa's eyes widened. "You never told me about this."
"That's because I forgot," I said. "Not of my choosing, though. Because of the Dark Lord—Master's curse on me. It was due to those berries that Dr. Kegan gave Mother. They sent me into a deep slumber, so much so that I slipped into some realm and encountered her."
"Is anyone familiar with that name?" My mother asked. "Charity sounds so familiar to me, yet I can't recall."
Isa pointed to my bag. "Luna, the suicide note."
"The what?!" Both of my parents shouted in surprise.
With my father right next to me, I flinched when he shouted, and I blushed and began to rifle through my bag. After a moment, I pulled out the crumpled sheet of paper that Isa and I found in the abandoned cabin.
"It's this here," I said, passing it on to my father. "When we got separated, Isa and I found this building where a man killed himself. The place was riddled with religious stuff that matches what Aunt Saria worships."
"The Church of the All-Father," My mother mumbled as my father passed her the note.
"Man sounds like a damn lunatic," Father whispered.
Mother skimmed the note a few times and visibly cringed as she passed it back to me. "Truly awful… Heaven? Garden? I have never heard of such things."
"Maybe, Saria would know," Father said, "She worships this god."
"I wouldn't do that," I said to them. "This being, Charity, she wanted me to avoid the Master. To stop doing his bidding. She tried to get me to live a dream life after he took over my body; she told me he wouldn't give it back, even though he did. She told me that she and her "Father" wanted to end all death and suffering, to stop all war."
"That'd be really nice about now," my father said jokingly. "This is not the first time I've heard a villain say something similar."
"That's what the Dark Lord proposed back during the Twilight War—no war under unity. At least that's what the scriptures said," Isa said huskily.
I gulped. "After I fainted, I had another dream with him," I said. "He knows that I spoke to Charity, and he decided to tell me part of why he's doing this." I took a deep breath. "The Man in Black said that Charity and her Father, God, not like a god, he said they're like The God. A god of gods." As if to add emphasis, I threw my arms into the air as if to gesture at how big he was. "Was going to come to our world from the Other Side and take back everything, and I believe he was telling the truth. The Master seemed genuinely scared."
"Luna, I told you," Isa said. "He's a master at deception."
"I know, but I still believe it," I said. "The master said that all the other gods are scared and that some of them are even running away. He didn't tell me everything, but he said he wanted to. During our last talk, he said he was too tired, but if I can make it to the heart of the city, I can speak to him there. He said there's a place of power."
"That's where the construction site is," My father said, looking at my mother. "The magrite."
"Speaking of which," I said, "Before the dream ended, he said I had to guarantee that whatever Uncle Aenorin and Aunt Saria are building, that needs to be finished, but also…" I shifted nervously. "He said to keep an eye on Aunt Saria. He doesn't trust her."
My mother frowned deeply. "How so?"
I shrugged.
"Well, think about it, Cailynn," my father said as he pressed his fist into his palm. "She worships whatever Luna just told us that wants to kill us all. All the reason to be suspicious."
"Slyran, do you know how big that religion is?" Cailynn asked. "There's churches to that all-whatever around every other block. Why her specifically? She's my sister-in-law."
My father shrugged, and I said, "I know, Momma; all he said is that he didn't trust her. We don't know if she's bad or not."
My mother groaned and shook her head. "By the gods, this is too much." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Our home got blown up; we're being invaded, and now my daughter has been chosen by some dark being. Why?"
I lowered my head and sighed. "I asked him that. He told me it's not because of who I am, but because of who I was."
The room fell silent for a moment, and Isa looked at me. "The cycle of reincranation. The Current," she whispered, speaking up louder. "At some point in one of your past lives, Luna, you must've been someone important, maybe to him or whatever this Father, True God being, whatever it is. You were important to them. It makes sense as to why they reached out to you directly."
"Maybe," I said as I looked at the floor. "But I don't think I would've been someone special."
"We don't know that," my mother said.
"We could always find out," Isa said, "back in my homeland—"
"No." My mother said it bluntly. "Awakening someone is dangerous. It can lead to madness, and I do not want my daughter locked away in an asylum."
"But if she can persevere, Cailynn, this could be a boon—"
"She said no, Isa," My father said, "And I am on her side on this. Awakenings rarely ever succeed, and you've seen what happened to Pomni."
"Excuse me," Isa hissed, and her brow furrowed as she and my father glared at her.
"You know I'm right." My father said sternly, "It's the truth. Remember how she's living life now? With all those other voices in her head—"
"Enough!" Isa turned her head rapidly away, her voice cracking. "I know! I just…" She took a deep breath. "Nevermind."
"Slyran," my mother growled. "That was uncalled for."
"Sorry," he huffed. "I just wanted to get my point across."
My mother looked at me. "Luna, is the master present now?" She asked.
"I… I haven't checked," I said softly.
"Please see if you can call him here." She gestured with a roll of her wrist.
Master, Man in Black, are you here?
"Hardly, I see you haven't begun your move yet." His voice was distant and shallow.
It's still the same day; have patience.
"It is hard to have patience when knowing the truth is so close… I cannot communicate for long, what is it?"
"He's present," I said, looking at my mother.
"Can he hear us?"
The Master hummed "I see you have an audience," the master hummed. "Yes, I can hear them."
"He can hear you," I said, looking at my mother.
My mother nodded and took a few steps towards me, knelt before me, and stared right into my eyes. "I don't know why you chose my daughter in order to fight whoever these beings are. I will play along, but only because it's my little girl you have in your clutches. However, if or when the chance arises that I can rip her free from you, I will, and if you get her killed, I will find my way to the Twilight, I will flatten your tower, and I will break every bit of you, Ousted One."
Suddenly, against my will, my head snapped upward, and my body stiffened. My heart began to race as my head came back down and my eyes aligned with my mother's. Isa pushed away from me, her face fearful, as my father watched with stunned eyes. Yet my mother's face remained firm.
And in my voice, I could hear the Master say, "I'll hold you to those words, Madam Moonweaver; together, I am confident that will not happen."