The full moon part 5

It was a matter of seconds before the pleasant background noises of the pub turned into a terrible mixture of screams and shouts that could send shivers up your spine. The blond-haired stranger took Bennett by the arm and, trying to sound louder than the uproar of the crowd around him, he shouted," We have to move! Follow me! In less than a few minutes, this place will be swarming with castle guards. If we stay, we might get quarantined."

Bennetts hastily ran after the stranger, pulling the hood of his cloak all over his head again. Together, they stepped out in the cold, glistening street and quickly got away from that horrible place.

When the screams from the pub and the sound of the soldiers's running feet were not audible anymore, the stranger finally stopped dead in his tracks in a dark, dingy alley. The rain kept hitting them both in the face as relentlessly as before. Bennett, who was still quite frightened, asked," Why did we stop? We're not far enough yet!"

Slowly regaining his strength, the stranger said," You knew that's sick man, didn't you? You named two others. Who are you? What did you bring with yourselves to this god-forsaken city?"

" We did not bring anything! We were just a small theatre group that was supposed to put on a show at the main square this morning. But the rain ruined everything! That is al! There is nothing else I could tell you."

The stranger kept brooding in silence and staring at Bennett's face until he asked," How long have you been working with them? Have you ever seen any of them act or put on a show somewhere?"

" No, not eaxactly. I've only seen there auditions, if I'm being honest. I have been working for them for only a week."

" Have they ever treated you in a different manner than usual these past few days? Why did they even hire you?

"Because I can... ."

At that moment, Bennett's pupils dilated as he went on excitedly,"Hey! Thomson said those other two, Edgar and Summer, have taken the groups largest cargo outside the city. That wagon must have been off limits for a reason. Before I left them,they were talking about visiting Wing Port in the north of the island. They wanted to have some sort of a vacation there, I suppose and then leave the island on one of those commercial boats. They would never let me hear that wagon. Thomson was the only one allowed in it and he is the one who got sick before anybody else. Maybe the sickness comes from the damned thing! Maybe they brought it here to set it loose like plague or something."

The stranger quickly replied," We cannot be sure. The northern port is hundreds of miles away from here. Even with the fastest horse , it is still the worst idea. Moreover, you are free of no charges unless you're proven innocent. I, commander Carlos Blacksmith of City Guard, have enough charges against you without the attempt to escape a City official. In fact, the right thing for me to do would be taking you to the High Court of Lunarfield."

As if someone had struck a fatal blow to his pride, Bennett raised his tone as his light grey eyes turned to a shiny blue in the dark of the alley, " I do not know who you are or what you're supposed to be doing in this pathetic mess of a city, but believe me when I say you are no threat to me! How dare you call me a coward? I never run away from anything! Ever!"

Although the rain fell nonstop on all the rooftops and trees around them, it seemed as though there was not a single sound in the entire universe. Commander Blacksmith was staring, open-mouth, at Bennett's eyes that were shining like two blue magical diamonds. Those beautiful eyes belonged to no human.

Carlos nodded at him admiringly and finally broke the awkward silence," So... your a half-blood too!"

Bennett's glowing eyes immediately turned to normal as Carlos continued," And from the looks of it, you are most definitely, of some sort of an ancient bloodline. What are you? A Homa? Anqa? You're not a phoenix, are you?"

Bennett sighed impatiently and answered," Do you want to catch the actual culprits or read my family tree instead for the rest of the night?"

"I told you that before, we can't get to the northern port even with the fastest horses of the castle. Those two in charge of the wagon, will probably leave the island before dawn. There is nothing we can do about it."

Bennett smirked and not knowing why, felt a deep feeling of trust toward that man as he answered him, " Yes, there is. Just do me a favour, Mr. Blacksmith of the city guard, and don't...well, blab."

Having said so, he stretched out his arms gracefully, flapped them astonishingly quick in the air and transformed by a fast swing of his cloak.

Carlos saw the young men before him grow in height in an instant like a looming shadow and turn into the biggest eagle he had ever seen. The godlike creature had the same glowing blue eyes he had seen on Bennet before. He was magnificent: A falcon three times the size of a battle horse with his enormous, black beak adorned by silver talismans.

The fantastic creature stretched out a wing and Carlos was on the falcon's back before he could put two and two together. The High Commander of the City Guard had no clue what was about to happen, but he knew very well that by chance or a touch of destiny, he had met that day, one of the greatest, most powerful creatures of the Nine Isles : A Sovereign. A direct descendant of the Seven Ancient Demigods of the universe. An Anqa.