Lunation of Fate

Chastine was about to be killed as tribute. Bound in a prison cell, her flesh and blood was going to be offered to the god of the werewolves in the morning. After being experimented on for their self-serving motives, her final day ends on the tribute stone to be slaughtered and eaten. The wolf god prefers a vestal offering for this ritual and she fits the bill. And there she was in chains, as her hope for survival dissipates. All she wanted was to be a free human since that was what she hadn’t achieved in her waking life. But cruel fate just won’t let her have it. A chinking sound of bolt and hinge being unfastened was heard within Chastine’s earshot. The noise echoed within the chambers of the underground jail. It seems to be that someone had opened the main gate of the dank and dreary slammer. A pair of footsteps drew nearer towards Chastine’s cell. Louder had those footsteps became, then it halted in front of the gated side of her room. She saw the pair belong to a male fellhou

“There. See what I mean?” Chastine was massaging her wrist as they were freed from the heavy chains. “Now, the second lock: on the door.”“Are you kidding me?” Chastine’s eyes was wide with unbelief, ”I need a thicker needle for this. I know you have the key.”Juste answered quick, “wrong.”“What?”“Key room’s heavily guarded.”Chastine was disappointed, folding her arms in the process. “So much for your plan of escape.”“If you could break through here, you pass the final test.”“…do you have a thin knife?” She decided to give it a go. After all, it was the option to break out of her prison.Juste reached from his side pocket and handed over his knife pen. “Here, will this do?”Both her brows raised up and she smiled, out of a happy surprise. “Perfect.”Chastine successfully opened the gate to her cell. She swung open the prison door and waited for Juste to come in.But Juste, on the other hand, grabbed her right arm right away. He hurriedly pulled her out of her cell.“What? Wait,

“Juste, why?” Lord Abirham asked Juste about his disgraceful behavior. He was his only child, so it was very hard for him to get totally angry with him. Juste wanted to tell his king father that he hated his own kind, for eating human flesh out of greed for their supernatural gifts. But his lips couldn’t choose the right words to say. Deep down, he knows he will be insensitive to his own if he badmouths the nature of the fellhounds. So he bowed his head and kept silent. But his father wanted to reason out with him. “Juste, if you wanted the girl, you could have told me. You can have anything you want in this castle.” Lord Abirham had thought Juste merely needed to release his s*xual urges. He added, “There are better female fellhounds for you here. Do you want to run away with this frail witborn?” By this time, Chastine was getting more confused. She had no idea what was really going on. What was Juste’s motive to get out of here? Was she preoccupied of her own escape that she

“That’s my condition. I’ll help you find the cure if you take me to Nhraim safely.”Chastine wanted to get to the open city of Nhraim.Like Juste, she also wanted freedom for her life.Sold off from the bankrupt orphanage at 5, she was enslaved by many masters since.She was taken cared of by them, even letting her learn their occupations.But for her, being an enslaved human in an open city has apparently more perks than that of a slave in other human cities.She can roam around the town without being imprisoned in the four corners of a roomShe can buy the things she wants.She can live an independent life without following others’ command at will.Going to Nhraim was somewhat her ticket to her lifelong dream.“Why Nhraim?” Juste grew inquisitive of her goal.“I’ve read it in books. Nhraim is the ideal place for those who want freedom.” Her eyes glimmered as she describes to Juste how awesome the open city is, to her opinion. “You can also live there if you want.”But Juste was dism

“W-why are they attacking me?” she asked Juste what was going on.“Didn’t you forget?” Juste was catching his breath. “Don’t put your guard down.”“H-have t-they found out?” Chastine was fumbling with words.“Yes, ah!” Juste let out a sharp cry as he pulled out a dart from his right thigh. He was hit before he even came for Chastine.“Juste!” Chastine was frightened for his life.“I’ll be fine. Poison don’t really work well against me.” Vigilantly panting, he continued, “they must’ve sensed the shadowcasting presence from before.”“H-how?”“Beats me. You should know co'z you’re a witborn, ah!” Juste winced from his other wound, a small shrapnel embedded in his left shoulder blade. He removed it, shaking and with effort.Shadowcasting is a taboo art developed by the fellhounds. It’s akin to the dark arts that bloodhunts are capable of.Chastine couldn’t figure out why they have sensed fellhound taboo arts. Someone must’ve been gifted in that village sensitive enough to sense such skill