Moonlight Warriors (English)

Prince Joven's fast strides and heavy breathing could be heard in the dark passage of their palace. His sweat was flowing from his forehead as he kept looking back, fearful that the ones behind him had caught up with him.

When he heard the voices of the people chasing him, he raced even faster. He crept approached their castle's tower through a tunnel. A tall, spiral stairway appeared in front of him. He climbed it quickly but carefully till he reached a small room. When he entered, he instantly scanned the surroundings for a hiding spot, but the room was empty except for the big dusty bed.

His chest yanked when he heard a loud bang on his door. The door was almost smashed due to the intensity of the knock from whatever was behind it. He hastily slid beneath the bed and covered his mouth.

"I know you're in there, Prince Joven," a woman's voice said. "Why are you hiding from me since you said you wanted to marry me before?"

When the prince recognized the owner of the voice, he burst into tears.

(Flashback)

A masquerade party was held in Prince Joven's kingdom five days ago. For that momentous event, his father invited almost all of their kingdom's wealthy households.

While sitting on his throne, Prince Joven's attention was drawn to the wine he was drinking. He refused to choose a girl to dance with, no matter how much his King father insisted.

He spotted a woman wearing a long black cloak while observing the dancers in the pavilion's midst. Because of her huge veil, he couldn't see what the girl looked like. He gave her a brief smile, but she abruptly turned around and went away. His curiosity about the mystical woman looked piqued. He adjusted his mask and followed the damsel.

As the maiden made her way down the peaceful hallway, Prince Joven's footsteps became more abrupt. Even though he hadn't seen her face yet, he appeared confident that this was the woman he wanted to bring to his father as his wife.

"Wait, my lady!"

The woman came to a halt but did not return her gaze. "How can I help you, dear Prince?"

As he approached her slowly, Prince Joven flashed a smile. "I'm relieved to learn that you recognize me."

"Is there anything you want?" the woman said once more, her back facing him. She bent and covered her face with her cloak.

The prince stood in front of her. "What's your name?"

"It's Martha, my Lord."

Prince Joven nodded. "Martha... What a lovely name. Whose ancestry are you from?"

"I am one of your servants here in the kingdom."

The prince raised his brow and inspected Martha's physique with interest. Martha's body is in fine shape, so he doesn't mind if she's a slave.

The Prince stated emphatically, "I want you, Martha."

"But my Lord, I am only a humble servant."

Prince Joven moved closer to Martha. "It doesn't matter. Tomorrow morning I will let Father know that we're getting married next week..." He held Martha's hand.

Martha had a strange feeling in her heart. The loud beating of her chest and the warmth of her cheek were obvious. This is the first time she has heard a man profess his admiration for her, and she never thought it would come from such a handsome prince.

"Could you please show me your face right now? I'd want to see your majestic beauty."

Martha was obliged to remove her veil even though she feel uncomfortable with it. She gradually raised her head to meet the prince's gaze.

When Prince Joven saw Martha in her true form, he was taken aback. For him, everything he witnessed was a nightmare. Martha's face was almost completely covered in curly, long, and thick hair. She has thick eyebrows, blackened teeth, and rashes all over her face.

Prince Joven stared at Martha with disgust.

"What's that?! How can my Father like that nasty face?!?"

Martha's heart seemed to be ripped apart by the prince's words. She reached out to touch him, but he pushed her away and threw her to the ground.

Unbeknownst to Prince Joven, Martha is a witch.

As a result of the hurtful words he said carelessly, the girl grew resentful toward him.

(End of flashback)

The door to the room where Prince Joven was hiding suddenly fell on the floor, alarming him. One by one, several pairs of feet entered the room. He kept his mouth tightly shut to avoid making any noise.

But moments later, he shrieked when his foot was suddenly yanked out of his hiding place. His slaves appeared in front of him, who had been subjected to Martha's black sorcery.

"I found you."

Prince Joven flinched out of his stance when Martha suddenly appeared beside him and whispered to his ear.

"Aren't you delighted to see me again, my beloved Prince?" Martha asked in a seductive tone.

Prince Joven did not respond. He searched the area for a direction to flee.

"Don't waste your time looking for a way out; you'll never be able to get away from me," Martha whispered in a teasing manner. "I came here to find out when our wedding day is."

When Prince Joven felt Martha's warm breath on his skin, all of the hair on his body seemed to rise. As a result, he pushed her, causing her to become enraged.

Martha's overall appearance garnered Prince Joven's attention. His face expressed his absolute disgust. "I'd rather die than have to look at that face every day!"

Prince Joven climbed out of the enormous window without hesitation. He jumped out the window with his eyes closed.

As he awaited his demise, his heart almost stopped beating. But after a few seconds, he didn't feel anything. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself floating. When he looked down, he realized he was only a few feet from the ground.

He heard Martha scream, "Do you think I'll let you die so easily?"

Prince Joven looked at the window where he had fallen and saw Martha standing there. One of her hands was raised as she looked sharply at him. When she flapped her hand down, he fell flat on the ground. He screamed in fear when Martha suddenly jumped on top of him and pinned him to the ground.

Martha brought her face close to the trembling prince. She pressed her lips to his mouth and emitted a cloud of black smoke. She stood up and grinned when she was done. She was now staring at the prince, who was speechless.

"I hope you like my little gift for you, Your Majesty!" she wickedly laughed. "And may that gift be passed on to your descendants!" she added before disappearing into the darkness.

Prince Joven twisted on the ground a few moments later, complaining of extreme pain in his body. His scream became louder as he felt every bone in his body snap as if they were being deliberately molded into a new shape. As he watched his arm sprout white fur and his nails lengthen as if they were the nails of a wild beast, he was terrified. His exquisite face was also affected by the changes in his body. His handsome face had become disfigured. It steadily moves forward as it grows a snout. His teeth began to elongate when fangs began to burst through his gums.

The wretched prince's screams reverberated throughout the realm. As he stares at the moon, his cries grew louder and louder until they became a piercing howl.

CALISTA awoke after having a dream about Prince Joven, their clan's founder. The nights she dreams about him become increasingly frequent for no apparent reason.

She turned to the bed next to hers when she heard her closest friend Hera grumbling. She was talking in her sleep again.

She grinned and shook her head before turning to face Althaia's bed. She was dumbfounded when she realized she wasn't there.

Even though it was late at night, she had no worries for her cousin because werewolves were known to roam at such times, especially when the moon was full.

She was about to return to sleep when she noticed a shiny object on the table, resting on a cushion. It was her crown. She sighed as she pondered the responsibilities that will befall her as the new queen of their tribe starting tomorrow.

(Flashback)

Werewolves were cheerfully celebrating the Queen's 108th birthday in the large yard of her home in the heart of the woodland of Montgomery. Aside from the moonlight, lanterns hung from trees, poles, and banners provided additional illumination to the dark surroundings.

Calista, Hera, and Althaia were happily chatting at their table while sharing the prepared food. Calista glanced over at their Queen Mother, who was sitting in the large, polished chair they had prepared for her, in the middle of their discourse. The Queen smiled as she examined her present, it was a headpiece composed of flowers she had picked from their school's garden.

Despite her age, the queen maintains a youthful appearance and a healthy physique. After a while, she stood up and walked up to the small stage in the center of the yard. Her two granddaughters, Calista and Althaia were visible in her peripheral vision.

"Good evening," her opening greeting. "First and foremost, I truly appreciate you; your preparations are excellent..." she paused and looked at her entire tribe. Everyone was attentively listening to her speech. "I understand that the goal of this gathering is to celebrate my birthday... But I would want to take this opportunity to inform everyone that I have decided to abdicate my reign."

Everyone was temporarily silent at what the queen had said. Calista and Hera exchanged shocked looks. Just like the other werewolves, they had not expected their Queen Mother to retire so quickly. Despite her age, they know she is healthy and still capable of leading their tribe.

After some moment, the Queen called out to Calista authoritatively, "Calista, my child, come here."

Calista was taken aback and stared at Hera and Althaia, puzzled. Everyone else in the yard was also staring at her.

"Go on, Calista," Hera urged, her face beaming.

Calista reluctantly followed the queen onto the stage. As she faced everyone, the queen extended her hand and smiled. "I am thrilled to announce that I had chosen my granddaughter Calista as my heiress."

Calista's eyes expanded to the size of fists as she gaped at the Queen Mother, who was now praising her with an ear-splitting smile.

Calista's hearing appeared to fade as she watched her fellow tribesmen applaud her. She couldn't believe what had just occurred. She looked at their table for her peers, but all she saw was Hera, who was also cheering her on from the crowd. She looked for her cousin Althaia but couldn't find her.

Calista never imagined herself as the tribe's queen. She acknowledged that their Queen Mother had chosen her to be the heiress to the throne as a tremendous honor, but she was also cognizant of the duties that came with it by the time she sat on the throne. Another concern she has is that taking this role will require her to give up her dream of living a normal life.

(End of flashback)

Calista came to a halt in her thoughts as she heard something outside. She could hear practically everything, even if it was far away because werewolves had exceptionally strong and sensitive hearing. She flinched when she heard a whimper.

She snatched up the black cloak that hung from her chair and went outside. As she stepped outside their house, she was greeted by a fierce chilly wind. She could only see big trees and her neighbor's houses, all of which had their lights turned off.

She went for a walk while wearing her hood. She came to a screeching halt when she walked by the trees and heard another whimper. She moved her gaze to their Queen Mother's residence. She was perplexed and afraid of what might happen next for some unknown reason.

She could still hear the whimpering sound as she crossed the trail towards their Queen Mother's house, but eventually, it had diminished. She continued to walk despite her knees shaking from her unreasonable anxiousness. When she saw the queen's large home, her nervousness increased. The lights were still on when she peeked out the windows of the house.

She was ready to take another step when she noticed a tall person rushing away from the queen's house, into the woods.

She scowled as she fixed her gaze on it. She recognized the red robe the person was wearing. "Althaia?" she said. She was sure it was her because that robe was the present she had given her on her previous birthday.

She was ready to follow her when she noticed something strange in the yard of the Queen Mother.

From the corner of her eyes, she cautiously turned there. Her eyes widened in terror, and she stumbled to her feet when she saw the horrifying scene that would haunt her for her whole life.

The poor Queen Mother was pierced through the iron bars of the yard's gate. She was lifeless to look at, even though her eyes were wide open.

"No!" she screamed.

"I DIDN'T mean it."

Althaia huddled in the corner of her fiancé Henry's house, sobbing uncontrollably. Even though it had happened a few days ago, the accident that happened that night was still vivid in her mind.

(Flashback)

Crying and furious, Althaia threw into the tree a deer she had met in the forest. She banked on the poor animal the pain she was feeling. She repeatedly stepped on the dead deer while still in tears. She was very upset because of their Queen Mother's decision that her cousin Calista should be the next queen.

"Why?! Why?! Why?!" She wept and knelt on the ground.

From the beginning, she dreamed of becoming the leader of their tribe. She made every effort to get the queen to notice her. She studied hard, trained tough to be skilled in combat, and became a responsible alpha of her pack. She has spent almost her entire life preparing herself for the throne.

She believed that she possessed the qualities of an exemplary leader so she became complacent that she would be the one that would be chosen to be the next queen. But she was wrong. It never crossed her mind that her favorite cousin Calista would be her rival for the throne she had long hoped for. She could not figure out why their queen had chosen Calista because in her eyes she was weak and above all, she had no interest in power.

She is now starting to feel a great hatred for her cousin.

She turned her attention to the house of their Queen Mother. She saw the old queen standing in front of the open large window and was staring at the big moon. Because of the resentment she felt, she decided to confront her.

When she reached the queen's house, she didn't bother to knock anymore and just went inside. She found the queen on the second floor of the house and was still standing opposite the window.

"Everyone is asleep, why are you still awake, Althaia?" the queen calmly asked her without taking her eyes off the big moon. It seems like she was waiting for her to come.

Althaia violently wiped away her tears. "W-why Calista?"

The queen smiled wistfully before turning around. "Why? Do you think I made the wrong choice?"

Tears welled up in Althaia's eyes again. "I know that you are aware that I wanted to be the next queen. You know that I'll be hurt by your decision! But why did you still choose her?!" she resented the Queen. "I did everything to get your attention! I trained hard! I led my pack well! What else do you want me to do for you to notice me?!" In a fit of rage, she threw the large vase beside her causing the shattering sound to echo the whole place. "Why Calista? Why?! She doesn't know anything about being a leader! She doesn't even want the throne!"

"You're too thirsty for power, my child." The queen stepped closer to her. "Your greed for power will ruin you..." She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks but she avoided her face. "I don't want you to get hurt, Althaia... Either of you. Please don't let your anger swallow you."

Althaia did not like what the queen said. She burst into tears and angrily threw anything that strike her sight. The queen tried to stop her but she pushed her away violently.

"Althaia_."

Althaia got on her knees and screamed.

A few moments passed before Althaia had calmed herself. She wiped away her tears, then stood up and paid attention to the surrounding. She was upset when she didn't see the queen. Once again, she felt resentment towards the Queen Mother and thought that she really didn't matter to her.

With a heavy heart, she got out of the house. She was about to pass the gate when she heard a voice. She looked in the direction where it was coming from and was shocked at what she saw.

She saw the Queen Mother lying on the iron bars of the gate. One of her hands was holding the iron that was pierced in her stomach and the other was reaching out to her.

Althaia looked at her trembling hands as she recalls the moment she pushed her away. Is she the one who did it?

Althaia shook her head several times and denied to herself the crime had committed. "N-no... I didn't do it."

(End of Flashback)

Althaia was surprised when the door to the living room suddenly opened, causing her to squeeze more into the corner of the house.

Henry gasped in shock when he saw Althaia inside his house. "What are you doing here? Why did you didn't attend the Queen Mother's funeral? Everyone's looking for you there."

Althaia bit her fingernails and could no longer sit still. "Why are they looking for me? Are they blaming me for that old woman's death?"

Henry stared at her, confused. "W-what are you saying? Why would they blame you?"

Althaia covered her mouth when she heard people outside the house.

Uncertain of what was really happening, Henry stood up and closed the door. When he returned to his girlfriend, she was now walking back and forth while still gnawing her nails. He stopped her by grabbing her arm. "What did you do, Althaia?"

Althaia violently withdrew her arm. "I didn't kill her!"

Henry was silent because of his girlfriend's bizarre behavior. Is the Queen's death wasn't an accident? Is she the one who killed her?

Again, he asked her to clarify his suspicion but she just fell to the floor and burst into tears. "It's her fault... It's her fault..."

*****

AFTER exhaling a puff of smoke, Henry flicked his burning cigarette out of his small window. He silently watched his fellow werewolves walking and getting busy with their respective work from the window of his room. They were all wearing dark clothes, a symbol of their mourning the death of their Queen Mother.

He looked at Althaia who was lying sideways on her bed with a red blanket wrapped around her naked body. Her stare was far away and tears were still streaming on her face. He still couldn't believe what his girlfriend had confessed to him. He knew that her savagery could have bad consequences but he did not expect it to happen this way.

He looked outside again when he heard two old ladies talking.

"Now that Queen Mother is gone, does that mean Calista will be the one to lead us now?" asked one of the interlocutors.

"Probably!" the respondent replied.

"But is that child ready? The Queen Mother didn't even get the chance to teach her how to lead us."

"That's also what I'm worried about. I actually thought that Althaia would be the next queen. Apart from that girl being smart and brave, I think she will protect us better in case our enemies attack."

"Calista is also smart and also kind. It just happened that she's not as brave as her cousin."

"Without Calista, perhaps Althaia would be our queen today."

Henry turned to Althaia after hearing the elders talk. An idea popped into his mind.

He approached Althaia and supported her to sit down. She's still silently sobbing. He cupped her face in his palms and stared deeply into her eyes. "Do you really want that throne?"