《Blue Moon》


 00: The plague

    In the desolate wastes of Dekia, a land grasped by the stinking grip of an unrelenting plague, some survivors clung to existence with trembling hands and hearts heavy with fear. Among them, a man, who had forgotten his name in the chaos that had engulfed their land. He is wandering the wastelands, searching for morsels to sustain himself and his family, clinging to the fragile hope of a cure.


    As the sun sank behind the horizon, the man set out on a hunt. He left his modest shelter, a makeshift hut cobbled together from scrap wood and metal.


    His footsteps echoed in the silence.


    As the man ventured into the putrid desert, the air thick with the stench of decay and desperation alarmed him and he felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. A chill hung in the air, warning of dangers lurking in the shadows. Yet, driven by the primal instinct of survival and to provide for his loved ones, he continued


    He hunted 5 jungle rats and returned to his humble home, his arms full of meager loot. But as he approached the threshold of his home, a suffocating terror gripped his heart. The once familiar sounds had been replaced by an eerie silence that sent shivers down his spine.


    With trembling hands he opened the door, the creaking of the hinges echoing like a dirge in the silence of the night. What he saw inside destroyed the fragile hope that had sustained him through his darkest days. His family lay writhing on the cold earth, their bodies twisted in grotesque agony as the Awakening Sickness''s tendrils trapped them in its merciless embrace.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Panicked, the man stumbled backwards, his mind is reeling from the nightmarish scenario before him.


    He ran away.


    He arrives at the nearby beach, and prepares to set sail in his small boat


    But in the midst of desperation, a plaintive cry pierced his suffocating mind: a voice, soft and fragile, but imbued with a desperate plea for salvation.


    His little daughter.


    Driven by a rush of determination, the man put aside his fear and returned to the cabin, his hands searching for a weapon to recover his daughter. Yet, when he reached out to open the hut, his fingers closed in fear


    He enters the hut and finds no one, the daughter who had cried out so much to her father for help was not there.


    He comes out of the cabin and sees his family, or rather the rotting remains that looked like them.


    He had been deceived by those evil spirits.


    With a primal roar of defiance, the man fights tooth and nail against the wave of malevolence that threatened to overwhelm him, every blow of him was fueled by the desperate hope that somehow, amidst the chaos, he could escape


    But in the end, amidst the carnage and despair, there was only silence, a deafening emptiness that echoed the empty pain of a father''s broken heart.


    He was being eaten alive


    And as the sun was about to rise above the horizon, casting its final blessing on the desolate wastelands of Dekia, the man died.


    A few seconds later, what was left of his corpse stood up looking around, the dead man had returned to the world of the living.


    His eyes had turned completely black

 01: Market

    In the sinister meanders of south Ekia, among the monasteries of beggars, where the echoes of pain and the smell of desperation hovered like a heavy shroud, a macabre trade thrives


    Deep in these monastic halls, where prayers whispered like desperate pleas in the void, the clanking of chains and the shuffling of chained feet marked the passage of the slaves. Prisoners torn from their homes, from the streets or simply sold by their families, prisoners whose lives were now nothing more than commodities in the eyes of their captors, marched in a somber procession. Heading to the central market of the Serpent Kingdom, where their fates would be sealed by the cold jingle of coins and the callous gaze of their new masters, their journey was one of silent suffering and broken dreams.


    The beggars received a message carried on the wings of a pigeon, a harbinger of news from the neutral lands. In the sacred halls of the mendicant monasteries, where the air was filled with the scent of incense and penance, the arrival of this messenger aroused fear


    The message it carried spoke of terrible news from the nearby continent of Dekia, a now desolate land, untouched by the factions because it was plagued 5 years ago by the second of the deads. Sentinels sent to Dekia had come across tracks, ominous signs that heralded the resurgence of a long-dormant plague: the Awakening Disease.


    Whispers spread like wildfire among the beggars, their hushed tones emanating a deep-seated fear gnawing at their hearts.The Awakening disease was no mere affliction of the flesh, but a malevolent force that preyed upon the very essence of one''s being, twisting mind and soul until nothing remained but an empty shell of madness and despair.


    As the specter of this ancient plague loomed ever closer, casting its shadow across the land, the beggars found themselves faced with a choice: heed the warning and prepare for the dark days ahead, or turn a blind eye and continue the their dirty business, the relentless slave trade.


    obviously they were only interested in business.


    In the underground cells, once they received the news, many beggars laughed as if it were normal... one of them said that Dekia has now been an uninhabitable place for years and that the second of the dead has completely destroyed any possibility of life in that place .


    The beggar took the ax and started cutting limbs off a lizard man, "don''t worry they will regrow you and we will sell your limbs" laughing while that being was suffering enormously


    Among the labyrinthine corridors of the ancient monasteries, where the shadows danced with malevolent joy and the air was thick with the weight of desperation, a solitary beggar came across at the top of the tower, where no one could reach, a "newborne", naked and devoid of senses, lying on the ground in a fetal position


    "that smells bad"


    The boy is shrouded in darkness and an aura of terror, a foul miasma that recalled the very essence of the goddess of corruption, a scent that spoke of ancient evils


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.As the beggar approached, their hearts heavy with trepidation, they could feel the tentacles of the aura reaching out from the boy


    Cautiously, the beggar takes the boy, gives him a beggar''s clothes and takes him inside


    With each passing moment, the beggar could feel the chill of the boy''s touch seep into his very bones, an icy grip that threatened to drag him into the abyss.


    the beggar knew he was at a crossroads: sell this prized commodity and make a fortune or make him his personal slave.


    And so, with trembling hands, the beggar made his decision, a decision that would shape the fate not only of the boy, but of the entire kingdom.


    He takes a dagger and decides to proceed with a third option, killing that abomination that emits an aura of corruption.


    As he is about to slit his throat he suddenly stops


    "you should obey the orders of the southern lords, idiot"


    the beggar falls dead on the ground , while the mysterious figure, wearing a dark cloak, takes the boy and puts him in the cart that will arrive at the central slave market of the kingdom.


    Meanwhile, curious beggar, clad in tattered robes and with a weathered face etched with lines of wisdom and hardship, sat cross-legged upon a threadbare rug with his eyes fixed upon a book cradled in his hands.


    The book, weathered and worn from years of handling, told the tale of the ancient family Twinquetz, rulers of the lands of south of Ekia. As the beggar traced his fingers over the faded pages, he delved into the rich tapestry of history that had shaped the destiny of House Twinquetz.


    At the heart of the family''s legacy stood the symbol of an oroboro, an ancient emblem of eternity and renewal. It was said that the oroboro represented the cyclical nature of life and the eternal quest for balance in the world. For generations, House Twinquetz rule was marked by prosperity and stability.


    Yet, it was not merely the history of House Twinquetz that captured the beggar''s attention, but the enigmatic figure who currently reigned over their lands: Queen Leda. Her name echoed through the annals of time like a whispered promise, her rule shrouded in mystery and intrigue.


    As the beggar immersed himself in the lore of House Twinquetz, he couldn''t help but wonder about the queen who bore the name of their realm. What secrets lay hidden behind her regal facade? What trials had she faced on her journey to the throne?


    Scrolling through the pages of the book, he discovers the parents of the current sovereign: Chillma, the mother who died after giving birth, and Xatl, king of the anacondas, who died 5 years ago in the battle of the red moon, leaving his young daughter in charge of the lands.


    Something strange capture the attention of the beggar... the mother did not belong to any noble house, her lineage is unknown


    "stop reading and come help me with the slaves, lazy idiot"


    The clandestine market operated under the streets of Leda''s capital, hidden from the prying eyes of the authorities. It was a labyrinth of hidden passages and hidden alcoves, where whispers of forbidden transactions echoed through the dimly lit corridors.


    When the light of dawn began to paint the sky with shades of gold, the first carts loaded with goods rumbled into the underground market. These were not mere goods for sale, but living souls bound by chains of oppression and desperation. Slaves of every race and origin, captured from distant lands or born into slavery, were auctioned off.


    Among the buyers were wealthy merchants and powerful sorcerers, looking for laborers, concubines or subjects for dark experiments.

 02

    In the sinister corners of Queen Leda''s capital, a tragic tale unfolded. At its heart stood a namelress boy, whose destiny was entwined with the cruel machinations of fate and the insidious grip of a dreaded affliction.


    Sold into servitude to Baton, a court advisor with a heart as dark as pitch, the boy found himself thrust into a world of intrigue and darkness


    "Whats your name?", Baton, with a resolute tone of voice.


    "Lord Baton, the boy doesn''t seem to respond to commands, but good choice with him, his aura is disgustingly powerful"


    "Shut"- Baton giving a slap to the beggar - "you are not in the position to give me advices"


    "sorry lord Baton, it wasnt my intention... anyway someone told me the slave could have been infected by Solsurge disease, thats why he seems disconnected"


    "That might be true. I''ll do my reasearche"- Baton- "Wash and clean him, then bring him to my mansion" and then he left the monastry


    Among the hallway, beggars talks about that disease


    The boy was infected with the dreaded SolSurge disease¡ªa curse that gnawed at the core of his being, consuming his memories and name.


    As Solsurge''s tentacles tightened their grip around the boy''s mind, he found himself adrift in a sea of ??forgotten memories and shattered dreams.


    Baton, a master of manipulation and deception, saw in the boy''s affliction an opportunity for his own sinister designs. Under the guise of mercy, he bought the boy with the intent to use him as a pawn in his deadly game of courtly politics.


    Even though the boy mind have been ravaged by the scourges of SolSurge, his  spirit remained unbroken¡ªa testament to the indomitable strength of the human soul in the face of adversity.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.But there is something far more interesting that beggars start to talk


    "The awakening disease is coming to us?"


    "No, that not the priority... the important message we got is the succession to the emperor"


    "Whoever conquers the 7 kingdoms will become emperor and will rule Ekia with the aim of taking back the desolated lands of Dekia"


    "Why so suddenly? There wasnt even a hint about the succession coming right now"


    "The message received from the carrier pigeon speaks of sentries of the empire who have seen the cult in the lands of Dekia. Specifically, the madness vector thugs. They''re stealing the dust"


    "Oh, this is bad right, the dust... a drug of unfathomable power, which allure is as seductive as it is  deadly, promising escape from the harsh realities of existence to those who dared to partake and which allows an encounter with the goddess of corruption"


    "Don''t believe these stupid rumors"


    "But i agree, its a bad news, the dust is famous to enhance the power within, its said to grant visions of unparalleled clarity and strength beyond measure, the object of obsession for many"


    "Old man, seems like you tried it before and look at the consequences, you''re so ugly and decrepit"- the small group of beggars laughs


    "Oh, still in a good mood eh, let''s see if it passes while you wash this slave''s dirty ass"


    "i want to see lord Baton face when i tell him you said its not your task, you know he likes them clean and in good shape, right? Wanna become one of his slaves too?"


    "never, i heard about the stories around him, he is a degenerate"


    "then keep cleaning the dirt pig"