Chapter 13

Elana and Xiumin startled awake. The scream of desperation barely slipping past the large library doors, but just enough to wake them both from their deep slumber. "What was that?" Xiumin noted the slight tremble in Elana's voice as she spoke out her question. Carefully, she stood from her chair stepping around Xiumin's figure, heading up the stairs towards the doors.

Xiumin felt panic beginning to set in. He could feel the full moon, and he knew what that meant. He really didn't want Elana too. Leaping up off the floor, Xiumin chased after her. Moving to block her off before she had a chance to leave. Right before she reached to grab the door handle did he slide in front of her, growling and whimpering softly. Elana retracted her hand back, slightly shocked by Xiumin's actions. "What?" Xiumin let out a whine, stamping his feet against the floor. Elana watched confused by his actions. Why didn't he want her to leave the library? It was at that time that another scream reached their ears, this one much closer than the last.

"You have to take me back! Let me go!"

Xiumin and Elana froze, both staring at the closed doors. The voice had been female.

"Not possible, now stop screaming, it will do you no good."

The warning went on blind ears as yet another scream echoed through the halls.

Elana acted, she slipped passed the still frozen Xiumin yanking open the giant doors. To be faced with a sight she really had hoped she wouldn't see.

-----

Hours earlier

The forest surrounding Daor Town was still, too still. Even the birds that sang their evening songs were quiet. It would seem abnormally eerie for anyone that was new to the area. For Kris, though, this was a regular occurrence. The dead emptiness of the woods, was strangely calming to him. Kris would never admit that. He couldn't because of what would follow in the night.

Tonight was the night every villager resented. It was the time that had been labeled as The Collection. Labeled as so because of the horrible creatures of the forest, the Beast-men. They would enter into the town forcing a young female from her family. To what she was subjected to, nobody knew. All that was known, was she would never be seen again.

Many believed that, the girls were nothing but food. A few others thought they were taken to pleasure the Beast-men. Yet, these were just rumors. The true facts of what happens remains unknown. Kris had a few theories of what would happen, but he never shared them with anyone, not even Luhan.

"Hey, Kris. We only have a few hours left. You should go get something to eat." Luhan's hoarse voice pulled Kris's gaze from the forests depth. When he turned to look at his friend, he couldn't help but feel guilty. After what had happened with Elana two nights ago, Luhan had slowly begun to wither. He hadn't had any sleep and had hardly eaten, as he cowered over books. Luhan was determined to find out for what reason the Beast-men had taken Elana. After two days of constant searching he had found nothing. Luhan's condition had plummeted during his search. His skin was yellow and pasty, his hair oily and full of dirt, He had deep rings around his eyes, and his voice, scratchy and dry.

Kris hurt inside, because his decision had done this. If he had just decided to fight, none of this would have happened. While he felt terrible for letting an innocent traveler into the claws of such monsters, Kris knew he couldn't dwell on it, or he would look as bad as Luhan. Yes, he made a mistake, but if he possible he would never make it again. That was why he was in charge. He could make the difficult decisions. Kris knew that he would have to make one more tonight. He needed Luhan back to normal. And that would only happen, if Luhan discovered what had happened to Elana.

"Alright, I will head down, but you have to come with me. You have not eaten in days. You will need your strength tonight."

Luhan let out a sigh, looking out towards the forest. "Not until I find out what happened to Elana."

"Why are you so obsessed with her!?" Kris cringed, he hadn't meant to yell, but really he hated how that girl was affecting Luhan. He needed his friend back. Kris couldn't handle tonight alone.

Luhan sighed again, running his hand through his hair. "Because, she was a traveler. She did not understand the rules of our town, so it is my fault that she was taken. I know I cannot save her now, but I just want to know what happened. I want to know for what I need to blame myself for. So that I can work to fix my sin."

"So, if you found out what happened, you would go back to normal?"

Luhan and Kris meet gazes, Kris seeing the deep regret in Luhan's eyes. "Yes."

Kris swallowed, he was ashamed for what fell past his lips next. But being the leader called for tough decisions. "I had not wanted to tell you this, at least not now, but I need you Luhan." He took in a breath before continuing, "A scout came back from patrolling the forest yesterday... He found her."

Luhan stopped breathing. Anxiously waiting for the answer he did not want to hear, but he felt he knew what Kris was going to say. "And what?"

"She was dead, Luhan. Torn apart, barely recognizable. She was their toy."

Luhan pressed his lips together, he knew it. That was why he hated the Beast-men, they were vile creatures that disrupted the flow of nature. "What about the body?" Despite the topic, Luhan's voice remained strong, only a wolf could have heard the tremble that he hid.

"I buried her, or what was left."

"After tonight, I want to go apologize. Take me there?" Kris placed his hand on Luhan's shoulder, letting out a soft smile.

"If you can wait a day. The village leader scheduled a meeting with me tomorrow." Luhan nodded, taking a deep breath to hold back his emotions. He was a part of this village's' defense, he was a warrior. Now he had to act like one. "Great, let us go get ready for tonight then. If we are lucky, the vermin of the forest will not show up tonight." Luhan nodded at Kris's words. Following silently behind.

-----

Beda slipped passed the crowds congesting the streets of the village. She held a parcel wrapped in cloth close to her chest, as she weaved about the frantic people. Everyone was trying to finish up their work early today. Like always, on the day of the full moon. All of the villagers were eager to head home, the sooner the better.

Beda had just finished up her work, and was now heading home to her husband and two daughters after a long grueling day as the Village leaders top handmaiden. She had worked under him since the age of ten, She had started off as a nursery maiden for the village leaders daughter. From birth until the age of marriage, age 15. That was when she had been promoted to the lead handmaiden. That had been four years ago, before all of the terror that came in the form of The Collection had started.

Not very many remembered the times before The Collection, and those that did never spoke about those times.  Instead they chose to be fearful like everyone else. More afraid of what would come to them if they spoke up of the past.

Beda turned down the last street to where her house was located, passing the villages only water fountain. As she passed, she gave a subtle glance at the stone benches that surrounded the fountain. The tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she felt exult in her decision. Her glance didn't last long, though, before she walked passed the stone benches and the fountain pretending that she didn't remember, but she did.

-----

Corliss ran about their small house, her younger sister Delwyn, following curiously behind. Delwyn was only six, and very naïve. She believed all the happy fairytales that their mother told them. Which was why, Corliss believed, Delwyn couldn't stop asking such irritation questions.

"Why are you bringing the food down to the cellar again? Are we going to play hide and seek again? Mommy said I would get to play this morning, but we have not played yet."

Corliss sighed, she hated her mother's behavior towards her sister and herself. She was tired of the dumb stories that would never come true. Corliss really wished that her mom would just tell them the truth. Not try and fill their heads with make belief. "Yes, Delwyn. We are going to play hide and seek again."

"Why? Why tonight, why couldn't we play last night?"

Corliss hurried back up the stairs to grab some blankets to keep her and her family warm. Her sister hoping up one foot at a time after her. "Well you see, tonight is the full moon. Did not mother tell you that we can only play hide and seek during the light of the full moon?"

"Yeah, but why?"

Corliss bit her lip, took in a deep breath and then released, "I do not know Delwyn. Ask Mother when she arrives home."

"When is mommy home?"

"Any m