Lunar Heart, Shadow Bound ✓ [when the moon lies]

Ch.30: Rauvuren Yava

Note: Underlined parts are Kathula tail sign language. Above is the sign. You'll see ;)

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A whistle shot through the air, startling her. The sky lit up as a blossoming firework illuminated the area. It turned out to be nothing but the aftermath of a battlefield with old and rusted swords, broken shields, and rocky debris, along with some scraggly dead trees. A gravel path wound upwards and disappeared into the thicker darkness.

"Greetings, Kathula," the Rauvuren male said at last. "I am of the Halfhuman race, Asaves specie, Rauvuren sub-specie, Emphrelius den Rauvuren of Rauvuren Yava. 'Yava' is 'nest', if you must know. No one calls it Rauvuren Trude anymore." A side of his beak twisted up into a look of disgust. "And you must address me as Emphrelius den," he said. "It means, 'Lord'," He brushed his shoulder, "and I know that may sound pretentious but it's the truth."

Pinti glanced at Daero and back. Could they trust him? Emphrelius' beak moved slightly. A breeze ruffled Daero's fur.

"I see, very curious. You have another inside. Rather, you are the parasite. But the host... Luè."

Immediately Daero bristled and a hissing spark of purple light flashed, hitting Emphrelius. He jumped back with a yelp, rubbing his arm. A reddened wound slowly closed.

Emphrelius sniffed. "Well, how hostile! I was just trying to have a bit of fun. But fine. Alright. And now you..." he said, and bare Human feet covered to the ankles in black feathers appeared from under his cloak.

At once, a breeze touched Pinti's tail, cheeks, nose, and paws like it was checking her out. His eyes widened when the breeze lifted her bangs. His body quivered and he sucked in his breath.

"Pure Kathula," He breathed out after a pause. "The time has come, seems," he said and turned his back. "Though it pains me, still. Come, I shall escort you to the Yava." He looked over his shoulder, but not at them. Pinti followed his gaze and saw a wooden sign floating toward them. Emphrelius let out a light chuckle.

"You could find your own way there, but the sign is a sneaky thing." Emphrelius gestured to the sign and it came to stand next to him. Letters appeared on the sign in a puff of purple smoke.

'Rauvuren Yava' it said in angular lettering with the 'u's almost indistinguishable as the 'v's. A floral arrow twisted around as though taunting them.

"Stop it, you silly thing." Emphrelius chuckled and the bottom half of his beak quivered. "Do you want to help or not?"

The sign floated up the path, adjusting its arrow to match the direction. "Good boy," Emphrelius said in a light tone. "Come, I shall take you to the Yava."

Pinti glanced at Daero who shrugged. "Well, he is a Rauvuren," he whispered. "If not the kind we're looking for, I can take him on, don't worry." A hint of smile rest on his lips and he followed Emphrelius up the hill.

A dense fog sat before them, concealing beyond. Emphrelius waved his arm before it, and the fog parted like a delicate lace curtain to reveal a castle with tall towers and heavy forts. A gargoyle sat on either side of the broken, crumbled path. Tall wooden doors with splinters of wood cracking away from the surface, opened with a heavy moan and a piercing creak.

The pungent stench of fowl bombarded her nostrils. Pinti covered her nose with one paw and reached in her pouch to dig up a perilla leaf—that somehow made the entire Forest Crup ordeal—and smothered the oils under her nose. It only half erased the scent, but it was better than nothing.

Emphrelius led them into a room filled with empty armor. Pinti recognized this as ancient Human armor used back in the day when wars between races never ceased. She had read stories in picture books at the Human libraries in the First Ring. It was told that when peace was settled, every race threw away their armor to never fight in such brutal ways again.