Moonrise

Thoughts played on Seth's desperate mind. He envisaged daring escapes; his name being cleared. But they were naive fantasies. There was no way out. He'd never see Rita or his family again. He curled up miserably on the ground. Moire, please. Please.

His guard barked aggressively. "You have a visitor."

Seth jolted out of his misery. His litter-mate was standing in the entrance way. Hope surged through his body. "Drake?"

"Hello, brother," Drake said cooly.

"You have to help me!" Seth said, struggling to his feet.

His brother made no move to aid him."You really have no one to blame but yourself, you know."

Seth froze. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you got accused of worshipping Lesset. It's just unfortunate that there's no outcome that allows you to prove your innocence and live." He said it in a very matter-of-fact way, devoid of sorrow.

A dark feeling built up in Seth's stomach. "What did you do?"

"Me? I merely informed the prophets of Miore that there was a heretic living in the Risen clan, That he could be identified by the scars running down his back, and... that his name was Seth."

The world fragmented before his eyes. "Why?"

Drake spat at the ground. "You know why. Your mate is the reason Eva is dead."

"Eva was a subordinate, she wasn't meant to have pups, Drake," Seth said. "I'm sorry about what happened to her."

His brother's eyes flashed. "You will be. When Rita moved the clan, she left Eva and her pups defenceless. I'll be sure to return the favour."

"Don't you dare touch Rita," Seth growled.

"Touch her? Who's going to stop me? With you out of the way, no one else will question it if I claim what is rightfully mine."

Seth imagined his treacherous brother in his place. With Rita. The thought filled him with revulsion.

Drake caught Seth's expression and snickered. "Not like that, brother. Your mate won't live to see the rising of the sun tomorrow. You see, I've struck a deal with someone much more powerful than Moire. Someone who can bring Eva back."  

Seth couldn't speak, the revelation struck him still.

"What? Speechless, brother?" Drake leant close to Seth's face."How tragic," he sneered. "That even in possession of the truth, no one will believe it."  A forked tongue snaked out of his mouth.

Seth recoiled at his brother's tongue. Forked. The mark of a true follower of Lesset. Rage swept over Seth, freeing him from his immobilising shock. He threw himself at his brother.

"Traitor!" he yelled. "Traitor!" He tried to bury his teeth into Drake's neck, but his brother easily batted him away. Seth was thrown against the wall.  "You're weak." Drake spat on Seth's fallen form. "and you will die. But don't worry, brother, I'll send Rita to join you in the tunnels of the afterlife."

Drake called to the guards. His face morphed into one of grief. "I did not believe it till now," he said to Kith as she lead him away. "We were family. I didn't see it coming."

Seth yelled in helpless rage. Betrayal stung greater than the poisoned barbs, like a meat cleaver had cut his heart in two. He yelled for the guards.

"He'll kill my mate," Seth shouted. "Please, you have to help me."

The guards turned away.

Rita. be careful. Please, please. He cast a prayer to the silent entity. Protect her. Even if you have to take my life. Protect hers.

***

He was summoned. In the fading of the light. Seth shivered. The darkness brought hidden dangers: beasts stalked the flat lands for food.

Kith pushed him roughly from the tunnel mouth. "Climb Moire. Let the great watcher pass judgement on you."

Seth glanced at the empty ground  leading towards the tree. "I'm more likely picked off by a night beast than I am to reach the trunk." Seth said.

"So be it." Kith said harshly.

Seth hesitated in the entrance way. "My brother is the true follower of Lesset. If you leave now, you could catch him, prevent him from killing my mate."

"If only I could believe you, traitor," Kith remarked. "Moire's touch does not extend into the darkness. it is the domain of Lesset and his kind. Of your kind. It would be suicide to cross the flat lands in darkness. "

"It would be suicide to climb a tree." Seth countered. He watched the prophet's eyes flare in anger at the use of such a causal term. Seth considered his options. If there's even the slightest chance I can save Rita... He heard Kith cry out in fury as he stumbled out into the exposed flatlands, away from Miore. Seth set off towards his home.  He knew they wouldn't pursue him.

Moire had shrunk on the horizon when Seth drew to an agonizing halt. The fear of being too late had spurned him on longer than he'd thought was possible. His body cried out for energy that he did not have. His tongue felt as dry as the dirt beneath his feet.

He heard a splash. Some part of him questioned his sanity for hearing such a watery sound in the middle of a desert. It was close. Cautiously, he nosed his way through the thin grass. Another splash. Seth's mouth panged with thirst. Maybe I've finally lost it.

Then he saw the frog. Standing peculiarly on two legs,  it struck the cactus for a final time. The cactus burst, coating the earth in water. The chance of both a meal and drink all-in-one proved too much. With no regard for his safety, Seth pounced. The frog never stood a chance.  When he battered its body, glorious wetness flooded out. Water. Never caught a frog like this before. Just before he brought his jaws down onto the frog, he heard it.

The frog spoke: "By the flippered gods, not again."

I must be mad. Gone mad. A piercing pain shot through his mouth. Instinctively, Seth spat the frog out. It righted itself, and dropped into a low crouch.

Completely bonkers. Seth thought. Crazy.Round the bend. His mouth felt glued together with coldness, the opposite of scorpion venom. Was the frog poisonous?

"Don't move," said his intended meal, eyes fixed on a spot directly behind Seth.

Dread flooded Seth's body. He sniffed the air. A night beast. He heard a twig snap behind him. Oh Miore.  

The frog started swaying like a piece of grass in the wind. It looked between Seth and whatever loomed behind him. "You're the creature that saved me from the snake yesterday," the frog said, seemingly unbothered by whatever monster was about to eat them both.

Seth's nodded fearfully.

"You look awful. What happened to you?"

The last thing I'll ever see will be this frog, Seth thought detachedly. Protect Rita, Moire.

"We can have this chat later, I'm sure," the frog said. "Hang on," Without warning,  the cactus water shot out from the ground, it surged through the air with immeasurable speed,  spearing whatever was behind Seth. He heard a strangled yelp, and hot liquid splattered his back. Blood. Seth listened as the beasts cries faded into the distance.  I'm either mad, or that frog is not what he seems.

"Now we're even," the frog said.

"Wait!" Seth cried, an idea dawning on him. "I need your help. My brother. I have to catch him. Please."

"If you agree to help me afterwards."

Impatient, Seth nodded. "Anything, as long as we stop my brother."

"Is it far?" The frog surveyed the horizon.

"We are two dens away," Seth said. "You seem to be able to fend the nightbeasts off. If you keep watch, I can run for us  both."

Before they set off,  Seth drank the cactus juice, it was bitter, but nourishing. While he lapped it up from the baked earth, the frog approached him. Using the night beast's blood, he painted patterns onto Seth's fur. Seth's whiskers twitched in distaste. The smell was predatory, dangerous, it felt wrong to wear it.

"I'm Lars, by the way,"the frog said.

"Seth. How did you do that?" Seth asked the frog, gesturing to the blood-stained ground.

"It's just something I've always been able to do."  With an effortless leap, the frog's cold weight settled between Seth's  shoulders.

Seth felt absurd, letting a frog ride him. But he needed to be faster, and that would only happen if he had someone keeping watch. The unlikely pair travelled through the flat lands at full speed. They were visible: a dust trail marked their presence to predators flying and ground set, but none approached. Maybe they were afraid of a creature that smelt of so much predator's blood. Seth noticed their joint shadow in the moonlight. A warped knight and steed.  Please let us get there on time.

When they drew near the old den, Seth was filled with memories. Rita had led the clan away without warning, leaving Eva and her illicit pups to fend for themselves. They hadn't lasted the night. Seth noticed a familiar silhouette in the distance.

"It's Drake," Seth told the frog. "He's my brother. A  traitor, follower of Lesset."

"Le-who?" Lars asked. "I don't need his life story. Are we killing him, or not?"

The suffering of his brother's actions still fresh on his mind, Seth's eyes flashed with malice. "We're sending him to meet his unholy maker."

Seth stumbled into the clearing, confronting his brother.

Drake seemed shocked as he took in Seth's matted, bloody coat. "How did you-?" he noticed Seth's new companion. "I see that even your prey walks over you now."

"We can finish this between ourselves," Seth snarled. He launched himself at his brother.

Drake darted out of the away, flickering his forked tongue to taste the air. His eyes seemed to burn black. "If it is death you want, I shall give it to you."

They clashed again, Seth cried out, as he felt his brother's teeth gain purchase deep within his shoulder. He raked at his brother's belly.  Abruptly, Drake pulled back, shrieking in fury. Seth gasped in shock. A shocking blue spear protruded from his brother's eye socket. The wound wept blood, black in the moonlight.

Seth wasted no time in biting up into his brother's exposed neck.

***

When it was over, Seth felt empty. He'd protected Rita, but at what cost? There could be no returning. He could not risk the Moiren prophets punishing her, or the  clan for his misdoings. Seth stared at the lifeless body of his brother. The tongue that had condemned him lay slack against the ground.

He turned to the Lars. Fearful of his power, yet relieved. Thank you for sending him to me, Moire. he thanked the great watcher, a black shadow against the horizon.

"Flippers to snorkel, come in." Lars said, apparently speaking into his arm. "We have our Ken. Initiating travel suit." To Seth's horror, the frog reached into his skin, and produced a collection of strands. They looked as thin as root tendrils, except infinitely smoother. Seth moved backwards when the frog tried to wrap one around Seth's arm.

"You promised you'd help me out, Seth. We just need to get you there first."

Seth reluctantly allowed the decorative bands to be wrapped around his arms and legs, and finally around his neck.

"Just hold still," With the click of a button, the bands let out a beep, and strange covering began to enclose his body. It surged out between the bands, covering him from paw to tail tip.  Now he had a second skin, remarkably similar to the frog's.

"Flippers to snorkel, come in. Travel suit is at go. Transport as soon as possible."

"Where are we going?" Seth asked.

"Not where," Lars corrected him.  "When."

The world disappeared in a flash of blue.

I can only hope you enjoyed the conclusion of Seth's saga. Let me know what you thought of it in the comments! Well readers, only one question remains: what do you want to read about next?