The Tragedy of Yinx - Prologue. The Moon's Marking

Helgrof Dunbrali- Older Brother of Yinx

I am woken up from a voice singing and a soft chill kissing at my cheek. I rub my eyes from deep sleep and look around my room. The curtains by my window dance around as the wind pushes them around.

I frown. It seems a bit brighter than normal. A strange white glow radiates outside.

I toss my sheets off of me and poke my feet around for my slippers. The stone floor is much too cold.

I brush my dark hair from my face and quickly hurry to my closet. I pull out a thin, brown robe and tie it at my waist.

I hear servants murmuring outside my door and footsteps rushing up and down the stairs.

What in the world is happening? Everyone should be sleeping. It is awfully late. I hope they have not done anything they should not have. Mother will be very cross with them for it. I really don’t want to see anyone be whipped in the morning.

I yawn and glance out the window once more. I try to look at the light that is shining above the palace. It is the moon?

The singing has begun to echo and grow.

Has the Moon God finally chosen a champion? Is it my Mother? She has waited for so long. Prayed the most, given the most offerings, created yearly shrines to Morgoren. If anyone deserved it, it should be her.

The singing repeats a series of notes that we have all grown to learn. It is a song that is enchanted so that only one person can sing all the notes by themselves. It is the Moon God’s song. Only his chosen my sing this song.

The voice sounds too young for it to be my Mother. Is it one of the servants? They are pretty young. They participate in our rituals as well. I guess it would not be surprising if one of them were chosen.

The singing echoes out into the night sky. The moon seems to shine down on top of the palace and only there. Everywhere else on the palace grounds is cast in a soft, dark shadow. The sand dunes on the horizon seem to blend in with the night sky.

A thump goes off on the other side of my door and then I hear hushed voices scolding each other. Their footsteps quickly begin to climb the stairs.
I wonder if my parents are awake. Surely they are. They have been waiting for this moment for years.

If it is not my Mother, she will not be happy for whoever has been chosen. She has wanted it for quite some time. She tries to play it off that she would be fine if fate chose someone else. Everyone sees through it, however. Mother wants it and she thinks it will be her.

I push open my door and stumble into a servant girl. She yelps and pushes herself flat against the center of the spiraling staircase.

“Oh gods!” She covers her mouth to muffle her scream. When she calms down she bows her head to me “Forgive me, Sir. You frightened me.”

I make a sour face and just nod before walking up the stairs.

I hate when they call me ‘Sir’. I am not a Sir. I am thirteen. I am pretty sure I am younger than the servant as well. The titles just make me uncomfortable.

I make my way to Yinx’s room, only to find his door wide open. I glance inside and see that his bed sheets are all over the floor. The moonlight that usually casts over his bed is no longer there. It is just dark and empty.

Yinx’s favorite toy is laying on the floor by the window. The little plush camel sits lonely by another wolf toy.

Strange. Yinx never goes anywhere without his camel. Has he run upstairs to see who has been chosen? Perhaps he ran to Mother and Father’s room. No doubt scared from all the commotion.

I walk into the dark room and reach for the camel. If he is scared, Yinx will want his little friend.

When I walk by the window, the air seems to feel...still. There is not the usual chill of the night. Not a breath of air.

I quickly step away from the window with the camel in my hands. I run out of the room. It was not feeling right.

The singing has not stopped. If anything, a strange echo has begun to speak beneath their voice. As if they are single into a cave.

I run up to my parent’s room and find their door is closed. I open it gently and peek inside. Mother and Father are still sleeping in their bed.

Well, Mother will not be happy at all.
I chose to wake the one that would not freak out and walk to my Father’s side.

“Dad!” I whisper. I even shake his shoulder. I glance at the doorway and see servants tiptoe past the door.

I guess I see why they are still sleeping.

I shake his shoulder again, “Dad, wake up!”

All he does is groan and try to brush my off. Somehow that happened to wake Mother.

“What it is?” She yawns and brushes her hair away from her eyes and mouth. She sits up and squints down at me. “Are you and your brother ok?”

“I think so. I am fine at least. I thought Yinx was here with you.” I lift up the camel.

The singing voice outside seems to reach past the walls. The Moon God’s song reaches into my ears. The voice is both sweet and haunting.

Mother’s face hardens. She shoves at her husband’s sleeping form.

“Get up, Jeriko!” She throws the blankets off of her and pulls a robe on. She grabs another and throws it at Father. It hits him in the face. He just sighs and rubs at his eyes.

“What is it?” He asks while lazily putting the robe on.

Mother slips her slippers on. “It has happened. Morgoren has chosen his champion.” She says everything with a small bitterness. “We must hurry and see who it is.”

I am starting to have a feeling as to who it might be. Why else would he not be here right now?

“Go find your brother and bring up here.” Mother says as she pulls father along behind her.

I guess I should wait a minute before following behind them. No doubt Yinx is upstairs.

~~~
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Natzalia Dunbrali - Mother of Yinx

“Hurry up!” I call behind me.

Jeriko grumbles behind me. Something about how I am an impatient she-devil.

I continue to climb the stairs. This is our tallest tower. The voice can be heard right above it.

Who could it be? Who could have stolen my place? What did they do that I have not? I have done all that I could for the Moon God. Instead some low life has to take away my destiny. It is not fair at all.

I can not exactly kill them. It would be obvious it was me. I could always use other ways. Creating a contract with a demon, Trick the champion into working with an Angel, or I could just hire an assassin. It could be easy. Surely the Moon God would see my devotion as a reason to think about me.

Whatever is needed of me, Morgoren would get it without question.

A small crowd of servants has begun to form on the stairway. I groan in frustration. Some just take one look at me and turn back to whoever is in front of them. I realize then that most of these are not just servants. Townspeople are here as well. I know our palace is open to our people, but must they really do this now?

I know that no amount of orders or screaming will do anything. I just wait along with them. Curse Jeriko for having such loose laws.

The line moves agonizingly slow. It is not even a line. Just a bunch of Serendians who want to see the Moon’s Champion.

I purse my lips at the faces I receive. I know everyone possibly thought it would have been me. Maybe not even that. They know how much of my life I have given for this, only for it to be for nothing.

It is not fair at all.

“My Queen, your face is revealing your thoughts.” Jeriko says behind me.

I turn to him and just glare at his face. I could care less about that. I do not care if everyone were to think I was bitter for this. I believe I have every right to be bitter. Hearing the Song of the Moon God sung perfectly just feels like a slap to the face.

I see a familiar head of brown hair.

I reach past Jeriko and grab the ear of Helgrof.

“What did I tell you to do? Did you just leave your brother alone?” I keep ahold of his ear.

Helgrof whimpers and keeps one of his hands on my wrist, not daring to pull my hand away.

“I could not find him and I think he already ran upstairs!” He quickly lets out his words and when he is finished, I let go of his ear. The brown skin has turned red like clay.

How on Thymestrys did he manage to get past this crowd? He did not even bother to wake me! How dare he. Perhaps a good hit with the whip will do him good.

The crowd continues to slowly move on. How anyone is managing to fill up any space is beyond me.

This stairway also leads to the gardens. A perfect view of this tower. Perhaps we should go there instead.

I grab Helgrof by the hand and push my way down the stairs. Jeriko calls above me and follows.

We easily make our way down the stairs, the people make way for us instantly, happy to have three bodies less to wait on.

I push past the doorway and march my way towards the gardens. There is a perfect circle of light that hugs close to the tower. The singer’s voice is even louder out here. How their voice manages to sound so strong is no doubt because the Moon has chosen them.

Outside of the circle of moonlight, people all stand together and keep their gazes on the very top of the tower.

The burning hatred disappears when I see the familiar black hair standing on a pillar. Instead great fear settles into my mind.

How did Yinx get on there? He could fall! Who the hell let my youngest child out like this?

I grab Jeriko’s arm to keep myself from possibly fainting.

Yinx just stands there on the pillar and then it hits me.

His voice carries out into the sky. He has his eyes on the Moon. Sparkling, white light surround him. For the amount of waiting we have done, his voice never falters. It continues to sing the Moon God’s song.

The single pillar of moonlight shines bright on top of him. The wind begins to swirl around us. The enchanted grass beneath our feet dances like the ocean waves. The sands begin to fly into the air and I have to cover my eyes.

I keep trying to stare at Yinx, afraid that he may possibly fall.

The wind blows hard in his hair and even from here, I can see that it is changing color. It starts to change from the family’s black hair into a bright white. Never have I see this before. Not even the elders have hair as white as this. Theirs are mainly dark greys.

A strange flicker of light hovers over Yinx. It makes out the shape of a man. Immediately I kneel down to pray. It is him! It is Morgoren!

I do not even turn to check if anyone else has kneeled in respect. I concentrate on my prayers. Worshipping the Moon God for blessing us with his presence.

In the middle of my prayers, I can not help but feel a small spark of hatred and jealousy. After forty years, all of this, instead my own son is chosen. What mockery is this?

I glance up, my son continues to sing, somehow even louder. Yinx is singing his heart out for his God. He is my son, so he had better be singing his heart out.

Should I have seen this coming? Is this some kind of revenge for not teaching my children to worship as I do? I simply wanted to make sure I was chosen. Why must I be punished?

Morgoren did not even pick my good child. He chose the one whose eyes are blind. Who constantly causes trouble with his elders. Yinx never wants to listen to anyone. He constantly wants to do this his own way.

I smile at that. Morgoren will be in for quite a surprise. Once Yinx is of age, Morgoren will have to deal with those troubles on his own. When he does, he will realize that he should have chosen me.

I watch the light begin to die down. Yinx has stopped singing and instead he stands there as if he is in a daze.

The pillar of moonlight begins to spread out, it shines on everything that it can possibly touch. It no longer concentrates on Yinx.

Jeriko and Helgrof rush back into the palace, in hopes of grabbing Yinx incase he were to possibly fall to his death.

I just stand in the middle of the gardens. My eyes never leaving Yinx’s small form.

Would it be so wrong to hate one of your own children? They took what was supposed to be mine after all.