[IC] The Scent of Prey

[Lethe]

Lunari couldn’t remember anything from before the Temple of the Moon had been her home, the smooth sandstone walls a haven from the cold mountain wind outside. She didn’t remember the face of the woman who had presumably left her in a bundle of blankets on the temple steps as a baby. She remembered only the melodic voice and gentle hands of Diana, the High Priestess, braiding her long black hair and singing her to sleep with hymns to the goddess.

Of course, none of that implied that the Temple of the Moon was a happy place to grow up for a young orphan.She always seemed to be getting into trouble, whether being reported by the other sisters of the temple who disliked her quiet, sullen manner (“Inappropriate for such a young child,” they insisted.) or fighting with the other young women whose rich families sent their daughters to the temple to be educated in the old ways. To these girls, Lunari was nothing but a bastard, and should be treated as a servant at best. Lunari chafed under their mockery and abuse, and try as she might, she could never quite master the “humility of spirit that brings serenity,” no matter how Mother Diana admonished her in her quiet but stern manner. In fact, nobody in the Temple of the Moon seemed to like or trust Lunari, save Mother Diana, whose infrequent attention was the closest to a mother’s love Lunari had ever known.

And now, as she was blossoming into a pretty young woman, the torments of the other girls were worse than ever, driven-- though Lunari didn’t know it-- by the jealousy of plump, pale, strong-jawed young ladies who envied Lunari her dark skin and eyes, her long shining tresses and delicate features. Meanwhile, Mother Diana was scarcer than ever, occupied with the matters of the Temple and the nearby village whose crop shortage after the dry season had left the villagers ravaged with disease. Lunari saw little of Mother Diana anymore, and, not wanting to be a bother, tried to keep to herself and do her chores in the kitchen while the other girls went about their lessons. Nevertheless, despite her efforts, one or two of the rich young ladies were relentless in their sport, and on this particular afternoon, Lunari found herself at last face to face with the High Priestess, after having bloodied the nose of a young woman who had been trying to trip her in the corridors.

Mother Diana looked wan this cold evening, and older than Lunari remembered her looking the last time she had had a moment to visit with her (that time she had left scratches on the cheek of a particularly pig-nosed blonde girl named Polly, who had cried for a sister’s aid, pretending she had not been throwing stones at Lunari as she worked in the garden). Mother Diana assessed Lunari periodically between perusing the parchment note Sister Abigail had sent with Lunari to the High Priestess’ quarters. Lunari began to fidget as the quiet stretched longer. Surely, Mother Diana must have finished reading the note by now? How much had Sister Abigail written?
Finally, Mother Diana sighed, removing her spectacles. Lunari was shocked at the dark bags under her caretaker’s eyes. Mother Diana did not look well. Caring for the ill must have been taking quite a toll on her.
“Lunari, this is the third time this month you’ve been sent to me for fighting with the other girls,” Mother Diana said quietly. Lunari looked down at her fingers, twisted in the folds of her simple white robes, the same that all the girls wore who had not yet pledged themselves yet to the service of the Moon Goddess.

“Yes, Mother Diana.”

“You have been here with us for seventeen summers now, yet you seem to have made no progress in learning to live peacefully within these walls.”

Lunari winced at this comment. “But Mother, the other girls do not--”

“The other girls were not raised here in the blessing of the moon’s rays. You were, Lunari.”

“...yes, Mother Diana.”

Lunari studied her fingernails intently, painfully aware of the gaze of the High Priestess on her face. She knew she should keep calm and serene even in the face of the abuse of the other girls. But something within her would not allow her. When they made fun of her, laughing behind their sleeves and calling her names when the sisters were out of sight, Lunari could not help herself. She saw red, her temper flared, and she could no more control it than she could the path of the Moon Goddess herself. She had long since given up trying to explain this to the High Priestess or any of the Sisters of the Moon. It was a hopeless endeavor.

Mother Diana sighed again, and Lunari glanced up, surprised to find a look of surrender on her caretaker’s face, where she had expected only exasperation. “I suppose there is only so much one can do to change one’s nature,” Mother Diana said. Lunari frowned.
“What do you mean, Mother?”

In response, Diana stood and circled the desk, taking Lunari’s thick braid in her gentle hands and sweeping it to the side. Her cool fingers fished the chain around Lunari’s neck out from it’s place nestled beneath her robe and between her breasts. On the chain hung a small charm, which Lunari understood to be the sole belonging her mother had left her when she had abandoned her on the temple steps.”I had hoped to wait a few more days until your birthday to tell you this, but… I suppose it won’t wait.” Mother Diana seemed almost to be talking to herself, and Lunari twisted to study the older woman’s face. It was guarded, and Lunari felt her stomach knot in anxiety.

“Mother?” she replied, questioningly.

“Come, child. It’s time I showed you the truth.” Mother Diana guided Lunari to stand before the full-length mirror, and she stood looking with concern at The High Priestess. The older woman unclasped the chain around her neck, speaking softly in her ear as she did. “I hope you understand I kept this from you all these years for your own good. I was warned that there was no use in trying, that you could not grow beyond your nature, but the Goddess teaches us that all being deserve a chance to find peace, and you were so young.” Lunari raised a hand and clasped the necklace to her throat, turning to look into Mother Diana’s eyes.

“What are you saying, Mother?”

The High Priestess’ eyes dropped to the charm, and she gently took it from Lunari’s fingers. “This was not a gift from your mother, child. I bought it off a traveling peddler. She was gifted with magic, of the glamour variety. Popular with the local rich families. She’s often called on when a child is born with a club foot or a crooked nose. Still… she said this was the biggest challenge she’d ever had. There was a lot… to hide.”

Lunari stared at her benefactress now, frightened. Mother Diana turned her back toward the mirror, slipping the chain off of her warm skin. As if looking at a ripple in a pond, Lunari’s image in the glass seemed to shimmer for a moment, and suddenly… Lunari screamed as a demonic face stared back at her from the mirror. Pitch black eyes leered at her out of a face that mocked her own, sharp teeth bared beneath two curved horns that arose from her forehead and swept back along her crown. Lunari stumbled back away from the image, and the creature likewise stumbled away from her. Slowly, the realization dawned on Lunari that the… creature… in the glass… was herself. Gaping, she reapproached the mirror and touched it’s cool surface. “Mother…?” she pleaded, voice quavering.

“Half-demon,” Mother Diana said matter-of-factly, laying a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Your mother, poor soul, must have lain with an incubus and become pregnant with you. You are luckier to be a bastard than to have been raised by such a fool.”
Before Lunari could stop it that red rage rose up in her, stronger and quicker than she had ever felt it before. “How dare you speak of my mother that way! You don’t know that this wasn’t… done to her! And you… you never told me!”

Mother Diana, somewhat taken aback by Lunari’s sudden outburst, backed away slightly. “I had every intention to tell you on your eighteenth birthday, child. At which point you would be old enough to undergo the vows of a priestess or leave the temple.”
“And this is what I was, the whole time? Yet you sat there lecturing me about serenity and truth…? Hypocrite!” Lunari took a step toward the High Priestess, who seemed to stumble back, the charm hanging from one frail hand.

“Now, Lunari, get control of yourself…”

“Control!” Lunari spat at the older woman. “Wouldn’t the other girls love to know? That the little bastard they’ve tormented for years truly deserved it. That she was nothing but a beast. How entertaining!” Suddenly, the abomination that was Lunari sank to the stone floor, claw-tipped fingers covering her face, sobbing. “I’m nothing but a beast!”

Mother Diana paused, then took a step nearer the girl. “Now Lunari… don’t say that. I’ve never thought you a beast....” The girl only answered with sobs, and Mother Diana took a step closer, laying a hand on Lunari’s shoulder. Suddenly, the girl lashed out, growling “Don’t touch me!” The older woman gasped, backpedaling, and tripped over a small statue of the Goddess near the window. Lunari lunged for her hand, but it was too late. The sound of the window glass shattering was drowned out by Lunari’s own scream as the High Priestess fell from the Temple Window, still clutching the necklace charm. There was a sickening thud as her body met the courtyard below, and Lunari gaped, heedless of the broken glass cutting her fingers as she gripped the sill. “Mother Diana!” she screamed. Across the courtyard, windows lit up as the sisters were called from their beds by the noise. A sob arose in Lunari’s throat, but as she saw Mother Diana begin to stir, moaning, it broke into a laugh of joyful relief. Suddenly, Lunari heard Sister Sophia’s voice calling to the other sisters as she ran toward Mother Diana’s broken form. Looking up, her eyes met Lunari’s and she screamed. “Monster! It’s a monster!”

Realizing what she now looked like, Lunari obeyed the instinct that rose up within her… and ran. Out of the High Priestess’ quarters, down the stairs, and out of the main doors. She ran down the same temple steps her mother’s feet must have touched nearly eighteen years ago as she fled from the creature her own loins had created… Ran out into the open fields that surrounded the village which provided for and guarded the Temple of the Moon… Ran into the sheltering shadows and dark embrace of the forest, which would hide her terrifying form from prying eyes. Lunari ran and ran… until she could run no longer. She did not know how long she ran, where she was going, or where she was. Finally, out of breath, she collapsed to the ground, robes muddy, face and hands scratched from the tree branches that tore at her passage… and sobbed herself into the merciful embrace of sleep.

[Torack]

It had been in a tavern when the rumour reached him, come to him by way of an informant who went under the guise of a tavern owner that couldn't help but gossip. The perfect cover, a person that always kept her ears to the ground and every time he passed by would offer him information for a bit of coin on the side. And because of the business she was in, all kinds of news came to her, and she was the type of woman that was sharper than most and could discern a massive pile of bullshit from something that actually had merit. And when he heard that she'd gotten the story from multiple sources, his curiosity was almost instantly piqued.

A demon had appeared and terrorized the sisters in a Temple of the Moon to the south and nearly killed the High Priestess of the establishment. The moment the story reached his ears, his mind was already racing, trying to draw up possible conclusions as to why a demon would appear in such a place to begin with. Possibly someone had summoned it by accident, or it had come to pay its dues to a foolish priestess that had made a deal. Humans were, in the end, incredibly prone to do just about anything to get ahead. Someone perhaps sought to take the High Priestess' position but couldn't do so without a bit of help. And eventually lost control of the demon.

It was a theory, but it made sense for the moment. He'd have to do further investigations to confirm or deny, but one thing was certain. Demons were never fun to deal with. It was only luck that they all had a common weakness, but that was just about as common as they were to each other. Every demon was almost completely unique from another, coming in all shapes and sizes, from child looking monstrosities, to beasts that would scare any poor civilian that had the misfortune of seeing them into death.

Rake took a couple days to collect all the gear he would need, and a couple more to plan out how he would trap the thing. That was the problem with demons. Because of their extreme variety, anything and everything was possible. Usually, he'd have an idea of what the demon looked like before he even planned out anything like this, but all the stories he got from his informant were inconsistent on its appearance, meaning no one knew. And that was trouble waiting to happen. He'd prepared as best he could, nearly spending all his coin on gear alone. A massive amount of iron crossbow bolts, rope and traps, holy water to fill an entire fucking river, and more salt than the Queen needed in a month.

And now he rode through the thick forest, approaching the Temple from the north, behind him a pack mule that carried all sorts of items that he would possibly need. He just hoped the priestesses knew what it looked like.

As he rode he noticed the trees around him were dying, few evergreens dotted the forest with the rest having golden and brown leaves fall before him in showers. And as darkness approached, the cold was biting sharper through his coat. A couple of hours later, as the moon rose over the Temple he handed the reins of his horse to a stable-hand and was led through the temple and into the High Priestess' office.

"Please, sit," The Priestess said, signalling to a simple chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you, Mother," said Rake as he walked in and took a seat.

"How may the Temple of the Moon help you, my child?"

"I've come investigating rumours of a demon that attacked the Temple. Do you know if there's any truth to it."

He noticed something cross her face, whether it was worry or fear he could not exactly tell, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. "There is," she said with a sigh, "unfortunately. But, far more concerning than the attack is the demon took with it a girl. Young, barely an adult and we fear it may do her great physical and mental harm if we don't get her back."

He never heard that part of the story. That just made everything far more complicated didn't it just. "How long ago was this?"

"A couple weeks at most."

Best he assume she was dead then, the poor girl. Or too fucking addled from the horrors the demon forced upon her. He hoped she was gone, for her sake. "Unfortunate. I'm terribly sorry, Mother. Do you know where the demon took her, and what it looked like? Any details at all will help me destroy this thing and get the girl back to the Temple."

"I can't say for what it looked other than it was... humanoid? As for where it went, south into the forest. Beyond that, I'm afraid I cannot say."

Humanoid. That narrowed things down a little, and it was a start. "Do you know how it appeared?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Demons rarely appear where they're not wanted... so to speak. Someone must have required its aide."

"Are you suggesting a ritual was cast to summon such a creature in our Temple?"

"I don't mean to offed, Mother. I've been doing this for a long time, and one eventually notices a pattern. I simply want to get to the end of this, all I ask is your cooperation."

"No such ritual was made here, hunter, I can assure you of that."

A ritual was definitely fucking cast. "Very well. Thank you for your time, Mother. I'll see myself out."

"May the moon guide your way, my son."

He nodded his head reverently then stood and walked out. Minutes later, he was on his horse with all the materials he would need to catch a humanoid demon, the pack mule left behind.

[Lethe]

Lunari woke up shivering. A bleak dawn light was beginning to seep through the thick tree cover above her, along with a cold rain. Lunari forced herself to her feet, every joint aching. Glancing down, she realized she was covered in mud. For the first time, she hesitantly inspected her new... real?... appearance. She ran her hands along the horns that protruded from her forehead just above her temples and below her hairline. She examined her hands, less monstrous than she had originally found them to be. Her nails were longer, yes, and her fingers as well, but not so much so that she couldn't probably blend in. The horns could easily be covered. Reaching back, Lunari pulled up the hood of her simple robe. The hardest bit would be the eyes, she knew. Looking into those black depths, she had nearly screamed at herself. How could she possibly pass for human with such demonic features?

Lunari wasn't sure where she was, or how far she had run. She didn't recognize anything about her surroundings, but that's didn't mean much. She had rarely ventured outside the walls of the temple, and then only to accompany the High Priestess on ministry runs to aid the sick and poor in the nearby village. Lunari turned, inspecting the woods, and realized she may as well simply pick a direction. So she did, picking her way down what looked like it may have been a a game trail at some point, though it was overgrown now. As she walked, she tried to force her foggy mind to clear, to decide what she should do, where she could go.

Though she had never been further than the village, she knew there was the great city of Sundreda to the north. Supposedly a major highway led all the way there from the village. Not that she had any idea how to find it now. Lunari's stomach growled, and she realized that the one thing she must urgently find was food, and shelter. It had been a mild winter so far in the Fasriddian mountains, but the days had been growing colder of late, and she could not risk being caught in a snowstorm with nothing more than her thin robe. She marveled at the fact that she had not already frozen to death, but dismissed it as another symptom of her breeding: perhaps she burned hotter than a human.

Admitting to herself that she was not, in fact, human, felt strange. In a way it was freeing. Lunari never had felt as if she belonged, yet she had always felt as if it were her own failing. Now... it was easier to excuse her temper, her awkwardness, her inability to get on the good side of the other girls and priestesses. She had been born strange to them, and no amount of effort could change that. But remembering her true physical appearance, she shuddered in revulsion. It would always be that way now, she realized. Now she could not risk allowing anyone close enough to care about. Who could possibly care about a monster who had murdered the only person who ever cared about her? Lunari felt the tears well up again, leaving tracks as they slid down her dirty cheeks. Pausing, she reached down and used the hem of her robe to wipe her eyes. An idea dawned on her, and she began to tear the bottom hem of her robe into a strip of cloth a few inches wide. Pulling down her hood, she fitted it around her eyes,like a blindfold, then pulled the hood back on. There... she could pretend to be blind. An old woman she had seen once in the village wore a similar strip of cloth to avoid giving others a shock when they looked at her milky white cataracts. And with the cloth over her eyes, she was certainly close enough to blind to pass as such. Pushing it up to her forehead for the moment, Lunari satisfied herself that if she came into contact with anyone, she would rely on this disguise.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap, and she froze. There was a grunting noise that came from the trees to her left, and she peered around, straining to see in the dim dawn light. A large shape moved in the mist, and Lunari instinctively felt the urge to run. Before she processed the thought, she was already stumbling down an embankment, panting in fear. The grunting noise grew to a roar behind her, and she risked a glance back to confirm her fear: a bear. The creature, much more graceful in moving through the woods, was gaining on her and she felt panic snake through every limb as she sprinted through the trees, limbs and rocks tearing at her clothing and skin. She took a few sudden turns, and the bear, whose hot breath she could nearly feel against her back, had to double back to catch up. Having gained a few feet, Lunari suddenly spotted what looked like a clearing through the trees, and she ran toward it, hoping to gain distance. The bear followed, grunting and growling aggressively.

Suddenly, the world turned upside down as Lunari had the wind knocked out of her and landed roughly on her shoulders. She had run full-speed into a fence without even noticing it. Unable to breathe, much less regain her feet, Lunari shuffled back in horror as the bear broke from the woods and came galloping toward her. Surely its massive bulk would break right through the fence and she would be devoured. But the bear abruptly slowed, looking around itself in what seemed like confusion. After a moment, the bear sniffed around the weeds on the ground, then turned and headed back into the forest.

Amazed, Lunari stood, watching the bear go, and completely shocked at the apparent miracle of its loss of interest. Distantly, she heard a bleat, and turned, to see sheep grazing nearby. "Oi! Are you alright?"

Lunari jumped at the sound, and groped immediately for her blindfold, turning as footsteps approached. "I saw the whole thing, miss. You were nearly that brute's breakfast. Are you okay?"

Through the thin white fabric, Lunari could vaguely make out the shape of a young man. She stammered, unable to come up with a response, and instinctively reached out a hand to steady herself.

"Must be in shock. And blind too? It's a miracle you outran it! Those things are fierce. We wouldn't have any of our sheep left if my mother hadn't charmed the fence." He took her warm hand in his own cool ones, and muttered something about her running a fever.

"Charmed?" Lunari managed at last.

"Aye," the young man replied, starting to lead her carefully toward what she assumed was his house. "Ma's a decent slight. The charm was her idea."

"what dos it do? It's like the bear forgot I was there."

"That's basically it. Soon as you look at it you forget whatever you saw. Obviously it doesn't work as well on people, but it keeps the dumb animals away from our herds."

Lunari murmured in amazement and allowed herself to be led closer to the farmhouse, praying silently that her meager disguise would protect her from discovery.