Chapter 1
On a cold September night, under the glow of a seemingly larger moon, old man Roji made his way back to the mountain. The howling wolves in the woods added an eerie atmosphere to the blood moon night. Roji quickened his pace, eager to reach home. A sense of unease nagged at his mind, but he dared not entertain the possibilities.
Upon arriving, Roji was greeted by a pack of wolves at his doorstep. Not just any wolves, but the Raito Wolf clan. They were different from the others, larger in size and with purple wine-colored fur. Six of them sat calmly, sending shivers down Roji's spine. Fear paralyzed him, preventing him from making a move. The Raito wolves were known to be the smartest and strongest, and entering their territory was said to be a death sentence. Legends even spoke of their ability to speak in human language, although no one knew the truth behind the stories.
"W-what do you want from me?" Roji stammered, grabbing a nearby stick in a feeble attempt to defend himself.
The wolves remained silent, showing no signs of aggression towards the old man. Gathering his courage, Roji cautiously approached them. As he drew nearer, he noticed a rattan basket next to one of the wolves, its contents concealed. Curiosity piqued, Roji witnessed one of the wolves, likely the youngest, approach the basket. It gently removed the blanket, revealing a three-month-old baby peacefully sleeping. The child looked adorable and utterly vulnerable, seemingly aware of the wolves' protective presence.
"Oh my, what is this? Where did you come from, little friend?" Roji dropped the stick, his fear melting away as he tenderly cared for the baby.
The baby slowly opened her eyes, revealing a startling sight. They were scarlet, a taboo in Simban village. Scarlet eyes were associated with the Blood Witch, a legendary figure believed to have brought destruction to the village over a century ago.
"Blood Witch! I... I cannot keep her. She doesn't belong here. She should be destroyed!" Roji exclaimed, his voice filled with fear. But as he gazed into the innocent face of the baby, his resolve wavered. "What am I thinking? There's no way this harmless child could be a witch." He cradled the baby gently in his arms.
Suddenly, one of the wolves stood up and spoke, revealing himself as Reicus, the leader of the Raito clan. "I am Reicus, leader of the Raito clan. Remember my name, for I will come again from time to time," the wolf declared.
"You... you talked! Baby, did you hear that? The wolf just talked!" Roji exclaimed, marveling at the unexpected phenomenon.
The other wolves rose to their feet and departed, leaving Roji alone with the baby in his arms. It was as if they knew the child would be safe under his care. Roji watched them fade into the distance, and as they disappeared from view, the baby began to cry.
"There, there. Don't cry. You will see them again," Roji soothed the baby, her cries gradually subsiding. "The moon tonight is so wonderful, with your scarlet eyes sparkling under its light. Your name shall be Luna Scarlet." And so, her extraordinary journey began.
Days turned into nights, and five years flew by. Roji did his best to provide Luna with a normal life, shielding her from the knowledge of her origins. He never mentioned the legend nor the truth to her.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Look at me! I'm a princess!" Luna danced joyfully, a flower crown adorning her head, albeit not perfectly arranged.
"Ohoho! Look at how beautiful you are. Is that a crown on your head? Where did you get it?" Roji, setting aside his book, looked at Luna with affection.
"Yes, isn't it pretty? Azul made it for me," Luna beamed.
"Grandpa, what is that?" Luna's attention shifted to the book in Roji's hands. The aged pages revealed its antiquity.
"This? This is called a book, and it happens to be my favorite. It's a collection of wonderful poems," Roji explained, his voice gentle and patient. "Poets express their ideas and emotions through these written words. It's like when you sing your songs at night, except they don't sing their poems like you do."
"What does it say, Grandpa?" Luna pointed to the words on the book's cover. Having never been to school or learned how to read, she was filled with curiosity.
"It says 'The Mist by the Hills'," Roji paused, observing Luna's innocent face. "You've never learned how to read, have you? Would you like me to teach you how to read and write?" A warm smile adorned Roji's face as he posed the question.
Luna looked at Azul, her companion. "Azul, you have to teach me how to read," she declared.
Azul let out a sigh, realizing the responsibility placed upon him. Reluctantly, he nodded.
"And write too," she added.
"What? How can I teach you to write? Look at me, I don't even have fingers! How am I supposed to hold a pencil?" Azul displayed his paws, eliciting a playful response from Luna.
Roji chuckled. "Azul does have a point there. Don't worry, dear. I will teach you how to write," Roji reassured her.
"But I don't want to learn now, Grandpa! Can we go play in the woods? Please," Luna pleaded, sitting next to Roji.
"Of course, just make sure to be back before dinner," Roji caressed her hair gently. "Azul, I'm counting on you to look after Luna," he said, his smile directed at the faithful wolf.
"Aye, sir!" Azul acknowledged, his loyalty unwavering.
"Be careful, and don't venture too far or go down the mountain!" Roji warned, concern etched in his voice.
Luna hopped onto Azul's back, and together they ventured into the woods, leaving Roji behind.
"Hey, Azul, why does grandpa always warn us not to go down the mountain? What's down there?" Luna asked, her curiosity piqued.
Azul let out a playful growl. "Well, there are scary wolves down there. They'll tear your body apart and gobble you up, gwarr!" Luna chuckled at the thought.
"But Azul, you're a wolf too, silly," she said, petting his head affectionately.
"Oh yeah, you're right. I am. How about tigers then? There are big, ferocious tigers roaming around. Rawr!" Azul playfully imitated a tiger's roar.
"Aren't you supposed to be stronger than a tiger?" Luna questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course! We're the strongest around here," Azul boasted proudly.
"Then why can't we go down? I really want to see what's down there," Luna leaned against Azul, her curiosity burning.
"Well, dad always said there are annoying creatures down there. I've never seen or met them myself, but if you want more details, you should ask him," Azul answered, licking Luna's hand. "Do you want to go see dad?"
Luna hesitated for a moment, then leaned toward a yes. "Um, wouldn't I be bothering uncle Reicus?"
"Nah, he's got nothing better to do anyway. Let's go!" Azul stood up and started walking, with Luna following closely behind.
"Dad! Dad! We have a super serious question! It's a matter of life and death!" Azul exclaimed, bouncing around Reicus as he groomed his fur. Fiera, Reicus's mother, couldn't help but be amused by his dramatic statement.
"Don't exaggerate. We know you never have any serious questions, let alone ones that are a matter of life and death," Reicus replied, continuing his grooming. Luna stood quietly beside them, gazing at her toes.
"What is it, my child?" Reicus asked gently, looking at Luna with care.
"Uncle Reicus, what's down the mountain? Azul said there are tigers and annoying creatures," Luna asked, sitting next to Reicus and looking up at him with her innocent puppy eyes.
"Humans," Reicus responded simply.
"Eh?!" Azul and Luna exclaimed almost simultaneously.
"Are you saying there are other humans besides grandpa and me?" Luna was shocked by the revelation.
"Yes, my child. But you must remember, not everyone is as kind as Roji or as good-hearted as you. There are rude and hateful people out there. You should never go near them," Reicus warned, giving Luna a serious look. "And don't go down the mountain," he added, resuming his fur-grooming.
"Right, dad," Azul rolled his eyes, accustomed to the cautionary words.
"Okay, uncle. See you!" Luna and Azul walked away, their voices hushed. "We should definitely go down," Luna whispered in Azul's ear.
"They better not go down," Reicus thought to himself. Fiera, however, spoke up to Reicus.
"My love, you know she'll learn the truth sooner or later. You have to tell her," she urged.
"She's still too young for such knowledge. Let her enjoy her childhood," Reicus responded, stretching his body. "I'm going to see Roji."
As Luna and Azul approached the foot of the mountain, they heard waves of laughter not far away.
"Azul, did you hear that? Uncle was right. There are other people here! We should definitely go down," Luna exclaimed with excitement.
"I don't know, Luna. Dad said we shouldn't go down. Even grandpa Roji said so. If they find out we've even thought about going down, we'll be in big trouble," Azul hesitated, reluctant to take another step. "Besides, dad once mentioned that humans aren't supposed to hear us talk or come near the Raito clan," he added.
Luna climbed down from Azul's back and peeked through the bushes, spotting children around her age playing happily.
"Azul, look! I really want to go there!" Luna said excitedly.
"I don't think that's a good idea. We're... different. Dad told me to stay away from humans," Azul expressed his concerns.
"But I'm a human too. Come on, they won't even know you're a wolf. Your fur is still black, you look like a normal dog. Please," Luna pleaded, giving Azul her most persuasive puppy eyes.
"Ugh! Fine, but we have to make sure no one finds out we went down," Azul reluctantly agreed.
Luna and Azul approached the other children cautiously.
"Um, hello?" Luna greeted, causing the kids to stop playing and stare at her.
"Heyyy, your hair looks so cool! How did you do that?" one of the kids asked in amazement.
"I was born with it. Grandpa said it's a lilac color," Luna replied.
"We've never seen you before. I'm Titan. This is my brother, Tristan. That's Maria and her sister, Hanah. The one with glasses is Andy," Titan introduced their group. a he added.
"I'm Luna, and this is my friend Azul. Please don't tell anyone that we're here. Grandpa Roji said we shouldn't come down here," Luna explained.
"The old man Roji is your grandfather? He's weird," Titan giggled.
"Mama said old man Roji doesn't like people, but he's not a bad person. He only comes down once a month. Last time, he even gave us candies," Maria shared. "Your dog is huge. What breed is he? How old is he?" she bombarded Luna with questions, trying to touch Azul, who growled to protect himself.
"I don't know," Luna replied. "He doesn't like to be touched by people, so you better not try if you don't want to get hurt," she chuckled.
From that day on, Luna and Azul would occasionally come down the mountain to play with their new friends. Azul gradually opened up to the other kids, allowing them to ride on his back. Maria was overjoyed when she first got the chance to touch Azul.
