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

Ch.31.2: A Rauvuren Dinner

"She made a deal. They can take control over Kathula, but they must let Kathula live in peace and never kill them. She put all her power into the scepter to seal that promise. But now the time is up. Edglings have broken the promise. That means Kathula will die."

"But why hide the scepter? It can be used once in a hundred years, then, why not use it again, sooner?" Pinti bristled and stared at that Edgling blotch. "She could have, or you could have."

Xohr shook his head and rolled up the scroll. "No, I'm bound to this fate. If I stay as Keeper," He sighed, and didn't continue. "See here," He took out another, newer scroll, "a recent vision. This is me and you. Passing the duty of the Keeper."

Pinti saw a female Kathula and a male Kathula standing in a drawn circle. The male Kathula was obviously Cheripian. He had a Lunar marking in his paw and was about to touch the female's forehead.

"You saw this recently?"

Xohr nodded to Daero. "Two weeks ago."

The next drawing was of a castle with many ravens flying out of it. Then the female Kathula was shone holding the scepter up to a black blotch. The Scepter of Tamido in her paws, defeating Edglngs once and for all.

"This is true?" Pinti whispered. It sounded too perfect, but maybe things in life could be too perfect? She noticed Daero's eyes narrowing as he stared at the scroll.

"If it is me, Kathula will die. If it is you, they will live. Simple as that. What do you say?" He smiled and handed the scroll to Emphrelius who had been standing as still as a statue.

"This is the truth?" she asked.

"And being Keeper doesn't mean you have to be here for eternity. You can live anywhere you want."

If that was all it was, a passing of duty, maybe it was worth the risk. Daero was shaking his head and so was Pinti's conscience. But this wasn't a Sorcerer, but a Kathula telling her these things. Why would he lie to his own race?

And I need this. There's no other way to get the scepter. Pinti felt a warmth cocoon her body ever so slightly. It made her feel good about this. This was a risk worth taking.

"I'll do it," she said.

"Great! Emphrelius, get the room ready for the passing of duty of Keeper."

"Yes, I'm on it," Emphrelius answered and with a skip in his step, he left the room. Silence fell on them. Although she decided, Pinti still wondered about one thing.

Was fate set in stone that much? Couldn't it be flexible as things change?

"Xohr," Pinti said, "I'm not denying the duty, but couldn't you have done something sooner? Even before the Massacre? I mean, fate can't be that set in stone, can it? I could have died in the Third Ring, and maybe that was my fate," she paused, trying to work through her thoughts, "but I chose to leave instead. So, now I'm here."

Xohr's lowered his gaze to the fire. It crackled and popped. He waved his paw over the flames and they calmed down. The door opened and closed as Emphrelius returned with candles and a blanket. He set them down on the floor and got to work setting up the ceremonial space.

"Pinti Segnoshua, Shamala of Makiista Clan, you're a smart, smart Kathula," A smile played on his lips, "and not as gullible as I thought. Learned one. Foils with my plans."

She blinked at him, perplexed. "Your plans?"

"Yes, my plans. Kathula's fate is to die so I shall work towards that."

"So, you are lying!" Daero bristled. "All this about giving the duty of Keeper, and that scroll! A seer's vision isn't drawn by magically transferred onto paper. That was your pawdrawing."

"Emphrelius," Xohr said and Daero yowled as his body was lifted from the floor.

"You won't get away with this!"

Xohr barred his fangs. "Our existence upsets the balance of the world. Hatred is born because of us. Politics are divided. You probably saw it all in Syaraize! No one wants Kathula in this world," He snarled, "We are hated, and we cause anger and war and destruction. We must let Edglings kill us all.."

Pinti's thoughts went numb. Daero was struggling against invisible restraints. He yowled something to Xohr and Xohr retaliated.

What is he talking about? She tried to grab onto the phrases and words that did make sense. But it didn't! One moment she thought she was taking a possibly worthy risk and the next moment, now, Pinti heard Kathula were fated to die.

"It's already finalized!" Xohr growled. "I just needed her to agree to it in some form. This room has been prepped for ritual already."

Daero hissed as he writhed in the air. "Feigat! You're Kathula! You should be doing something foh Kattola more so than I am, not give up. You can't do that to your own—"

"I have not given up," Xohr said through clenched teeth, "I have merely accepted our fate."

Xohr was her solution. Now it seemed he may well be her enemy. Pinti bit her lip as her mind raced for something to say or do. She just couldn't understand why Xohr would just abandon Kathula. Fate wasn't set in stone.

It can't be!

"I changed my own fate," Daero said in a quiet voice. "I wasn't even supposed exist. Revival magick side-effects do not take on their own identities. I was supposed to disappear, but I found that I had the power to change my fate and here I am with my own name, my own thoughts, my own personality. I exist as much as the other." He said something in runic language and dropped down to the floor. He was bristling and such anger and sadness made her bristle, too.

Daero glared at Xohr as he spoke. "Life is not something planned or pfft," He bared his fangs, "told in silly visions by some god in the moon. Life is free from fate and destiny and prophecy and visions. If you have the power to change it, then do it!" He was breathing heavily, and purple lightning rippled across his back.

Pinti stared at her paws. "Heizak, I didn't come this far—" Her voice cracked, and she sniffled, but refused to cry. She didn't come this far just to give up. She didn't come this far just to let some Cheripian give her hope and snatch it away like a joke.

"If I give up now," She said in a quiet voice. "and, and I promised Father and..." She bit her lip and closed her eyes. The night of the Massacre resurfaced in her memory. The yowls of Kathula in pain and the cackles of Edglings filled her ears. She could almost see, again, the bodies of her mother and Tendri. She could almost smell the metallic scent of blood. And in her paws, the weight of her father's head as he died.

"That was just the start. You must let fate run its course, Pinti." Xohr cracked a smile. 

Before she could react, her arms were slapped against her sides. Daero's voice was muffled. A thin string of purple light stretched from Emphrelius to Pinti as he moved her to the center of the ritual circle. Her feet touched the floor, and the circle began to glow. A chill ran up her spine as she detected intense magick she had never felt before. It was all coming from Xohr.

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Note: 'foh Kattola' = 'for Kathula' in the ancient Kathulan tongue.