70 Silent Night
"HELP!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Ortho watched from on top a rooftop as the man in front of her had found himself at a dead end, blood trailing behind him in the snow as he screamed out for help frantically. Anyone that would have stumbled upon this scene would have thought he was a victim.
Ortho knew different though. The man was being hunted by someone she hadn't been able to see yet. The blood that trailed behind him was not his own, but instead the blood of his victim he had been chewing on not long ago.
The horror that had been unfolding in front of her looked out of place with the city Ortho was currently in. Moonlight City was magical, the whole city had something called Christmas lights and Christmas decorations everywhere you looked. Lighting up the main streets and buildings. The city was apparently preparing to welcome a man named Santa Clause. According to what she had heard from others, he was an old jolly Saint that gave out toys to kids who have been good.
Ortho was technically a teenager and she couldn't help but wonder if the fat man in a red outfit would bring her something as well. She had been good, so she secretly hoped Santa would bring her and her family some gifts this year. Sadly, the place they were staying didn't have a chimney or a front door, so he probably wouldn't be able to visit.
She had been cold and so she decided to go on a walk when she first discovered the man in front of her transform into an earth animal and try to eat a human. The earth animal/man had bitten the fingers off of a young woman's right hand, but when Ortho had decided to stop hiding and go help the human, a small transparent orange and naked male creature with a long nose and sharp teeth, took a bite out of the animal/mans side.
Although she couldn't see who spoke, a voice that was no louder than a whisper echoing through the night was heard from somewhere. "ˢᵗᵒᵖ, ᴵ'ˡˡ ᶠᶦⁿᶦˢʰ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵉˢᵗ". After that, the pot belly creature laughed as it watched the animal/man change back into a human and then run away screaming.
Curious, Ortho followed the man as she hoped to catch a glimpse of the one that had spoken earlier. As the man found himself trapped due to the dead end, he could only cry and scream for help.
Suddenly she heard the voice again. "ᶠᵒᵘⁿᵈ ʸᵒᵘ" The voice was still as low as a whisper as it echoed through the night and bounced off nearby buildings. One of the echoes sounded like it was directly behind her and she quickly looked back to see nothing there.
Somewhat scared and no longer curious, she was about to leave when she saw it. It's head was like that of ghost, it's big eyes gave off a white light, It looked like someone had just ripped the bottom of his face to make a mouth, what appeared to be his skin or some sort of cloth was stitched in many places as if to keep his body from falling apart, and even though it was very small the crescent moon on his chest seemed to stand out to her.
She watched in horror as the person that had just come out of the shadows pulled out a flute and began to play a tune that made her feel gross. She watched as the animal/man fell into a trance and started to follow the newcomer. Curious again, Ortho followed behind as she watched the newcomer continue to play the flute with the animal/man following behind who was no longer screaming for help, but instead slightly drooling with glazed over eyes.
When they had reached downtown, suddenly the newcomer and the animal/man disappeared. No matter where she looked, she could not find them again. As she walked to the space they disappeared at, she looked around for about ten minute's as she tried to retrace the way they went only to still not find either of them.
"ᵂʰʸ ᵃʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᶠᵒˡˡᵒʷᶦⁿᵍ ᵐᵉˀ ᴬʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ʷᵒʳᵏᶦⁿᵍ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢʰᵃᵖᵉˢʰᶦᶠᵗᵉʳˀ" Asked the whisper like voice from behind her. Spinning around at superspeed she saw the scary person she had just been trying to find. Scared but still more curious, Ortho replied. "I don't know what a shapeshifter is, but if you are asking if I am friends with that horrible thing that tried to eat that woman, you are mistaken".
"ʸᵒᵘ ᵐᵘˢᵗ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʷʰᵒ ᴵ ᵃᵐ, ᵃʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ⁿᵉʷ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᶜᶦᵗʸˀ ᴵ'ᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᴹᵒᵒⁿˡᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵂʰᶦˢᵖᵉʳ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ᶜᵃⁿ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᶜᵃˡˡ ᵐᵉ ᵂʰᶦˢᵖᵉʳ ᶠᵒʳ ˢʰᵒʳᵗ. ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵃ ᵈᶦˢᶜᶦᵖˡᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᴹᵒᵒⁿˡᶦᵍʰᵗ ᴷᴺᶦᵍʰᵗ. ᵂʰʸ ᵃʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᵒᵘᵗ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᶠᵒˡˡᵒʷᶦⁿᵍ ᵐᵉˀ"
Ortho had never heard that the Hero King Moonlight had disciples. "My name is Ortho, I actually just came to this planet not long ago thanks to a kind space explorer. As to why I am out this late when it's so cold out....I'm currently homeless due to just arriving here not long ago. I was only following you out of curiosity. I am sorry if I did something wrong, I am still trying to learn earths laws".
The Moonlight Whisper was silent for a second before speaking. "ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵐᵉ, ᴵ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵈᵒ ᵒⁿᵉ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉⁿ ᴵ'ˡˡ ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵖˡᵃᶜᵉ ʷᵃʳᵐ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ⁿᶦᵍʰᵗ".
At first Ortho had been scared of the Whisper, but now she wondered if she judged him too harshly. Feeling that she could trust him, she began to follow him until they reached the area where the woman had been previously bitten.
"ʸᵒᵘ ᶜᵃⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁿᵒʷ, ᴵ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗᵃᵏᵉⁿ ᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵒᶠ ʰᶦᵐ" Said Whisper as the woman who had been bitten before walked out from behind a dumpster with tears in her eyes. Whisper pulled out his flute again and this time played a beautiful but different melody that felt otherworldly and calm. The woman's arm healed in a matter of seconds after hearing the melody.
As the woman stood perplexed at her arm having completely healed, Whisper put away his flute and called out to me. "ᴼʳᵗʰᵒ, ᴸᵉᵗ'ˢ ᵍᵒ". As Ortho walked away with Whisper, she couldn't help but look back at the woman who had just been healed before asking the questions on her mind. "I heard this City heals good people so why didn't she heal? Is she bad?"
Whisper shrugged his shoulders. "ᴵᵗ'ˢ ᵃ ᵐᶦⁿᵒʳ ʰᵉᵃˡ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵈᵒᵉˢⁿ'ᵗ ʷᵒʳᵏ ᶠᵒʳ ᵇᶦᵍ ʷᵒᵘⁿᵈˢ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ, ᵇᵘᵗ ˢʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵇᵉ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵒʳ ᵇᵃᵈ, ᴵ ᵈᵘⁿⁿᵒ".
Ortho understood and asked another question. "She didn't even thank you, why do you help such people?"
Whisper stopped walking for a second appearing to think a second before he started walking again. "ˢʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᶦⁿ ˢʰᵒᶜᵏ, ᶦᵗ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿˢ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗᶦᵐᵉˢ. ᴾˡᵘˢ ᴵ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏᵉᵈ, ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵈᵒᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᴵ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵐʸ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰᵉʳ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵉˡᵖ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳˢ ᶦⁿ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ".
"Why did you ask me to follow you?" asked Ortho.
"ᴵ'ᵐ ᵃᶜᵗᵘᵃˡˡʸ ᵗᵃᵏᶦⁿᵍ ʸᵒᵘ ᵗᵒ ᵐʸ ʰᵒᵘˢᵉ ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ⁿᵒʷ ᵗᵒ ᵍᵉᵗ ʷᵃʳᵐ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵃⁿᵍ ᵒᵘᵗ. ᴵᵗ'ˢ ˢᵒᵐᵉʷʰᵃᵗ ᵉᵐᵇᵃʳʳᵃˢˢᶦⁿᵍ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᶦʳˢᵗ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒⁿ ᴵ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵉᵛᵉʳ ᶦⁿᵛᶦᵗᵉᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳ. ᴹʸ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰᵉʳ ˢᵃᶦᵈ ᴵ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᶦⁿᵛᶦᵗᵉ ᵃⁿʸᵒⁿᵉ ᵒᵛᵉʳ ʷʰᵉⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᴵ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᶦᶠ ᴵ ᶠᵉᵉˡ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵃʳᵉ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ. ʸᵒᵘ ˢᵉᵉᵐ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴵ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ʰᵒᵐᵉˡᵉˢˢ ᵐʸˢᵉˡᶠ ᵇᵉˡᶦᵛᵉ ᶦᵗ ᵒʳ ⁿᵒᵗ".
Ortho stayed silent as the two of them walked to his house. As she looked up at that skinny and not so wide back in front of her, she couldn't help but feel the back had grown a bit broader and stronger since she had last looked at it. A boy/hero who appeared to be her age was treating her who happens to be an alien so kindly. The thought alone made her head heat up. It wasn't the first time a boy had given her attention, but for some reason, this time it felt different.
Whisper realizing Ortho had gone silent turned around to face her. "ᴼʰ, ʸᵒᵘ ᵐᵘˢᵗ ᵇᵉ ᶜᵒˡᵈᵉʳ ᵗʰᵃⁿ ᴵ ᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰᵗ. ʸᵒᵘʳ ᶠᵃᶜᵉ ᶦˢ ˢᵒ ʳᵉᵈ. ˢᵒʳʳʸ, ᴵ'ˡˡ ᵖᶦᶜᵏ ᵘᵖ ᵐʸ ᵖᵃᶜᵉ".
Hearing Whispers words made Ortho feel a bit embarrassed as she sped up to keep up with him.
