The Cursed King

Two

I flinched and leaned back, hoping it would create some distance between us. Getting away from him was out of the question. There was no room for escape. I was caged under him and I’m afraid one wrong move from me would result in my death. Not that I’m not already on the door of death.

The wolf-man (let’s call him that) was looking over me carefully. Like a predator watches its prey. The feeling of being at the lowest of the food chain is not pleasant at all. It left a bad taste in my mouth. And I was a little regretful. If I had known I would die so soon, I would have enjoyed life a little more.

The wolf-man growled ferociously, baring its sharp teeth. I screamed and shut my eyes. I’m going to die.

“No magic,” the wolf-man said suddenly. Huh? Magic? What is he on about?

“Who are you?” he asked in his monstrous voice. His voice scared me more than anything. It was haunting. It was something I have never heard.

And I should be the one asking “who are you” or rather I should be asking “what are you.” How can a strange creature like him exist? He looks like a creature straight out of horror movies.

*sniff*

The creature suddenly started sniffing me. Do I smell bad? I cried inside.

Would he eat me if I smell good? What if he has a strange taste and likes to eat smelly things? He does look like someone who has OCD and to clean his territory he would gobble me up and poop me out the next day then throw that pop into the galaxy.

Is that what my life is worth?

*growl*

He sure does love to growl. He is torturing me mentally.

*gasp*

Don’t tell me he is a sadist who likes to build up the tension before hunting its prey.

I took a peek at him and found him clutching his head with one hand- or paws.

“WHO ARE YOU?” he roared, punching the ground near my head. My body shook in fright and when my eyes landed on the ground he punched, I almost fainted.

There was a hole- a big f*****g hole in the ground. If he punched a little to the right, my head would have been smashed into tiny million pieces. For him, smashing my head is as easy as smashing a watermelon!

His strength is scary.

“A human?” I squeaked in a barely audible voice.

“Lies,” he roared, “humans don’t have the power to share their thoughts.”

What is he on about? Power to share their thoughts? What voodoo s**t is he talking about? Is sharing thoughts even possible?

He must have been agitated by me because the next thing I knew, he had his claws out, ready to strike at me.

Jesus, here I come!

I watched with my eyes wide open as he aimed for my head. But before his claws touch my neck, he stopped.

I looked at him in question. Not that I want him to tear my head off. I’m just genuinely curious why he stopped halfway. It’s not every day you see a predator let its prey go. Or does he have another plan in mind?

“Stop thinking, for f**k sake! I won’t kill you,” he huffed. Oh, so he knows other things than growling?

“Would you really not kill me?” I asked for confirmation. He nodded his head in reply. I'm a little doubtful if he is telling the truth. But for now, I'll believe him. I'm out of options right now. I don't see an out yet. So I'll believe him just a little. Just a tiny bit.

“Then can you tell me where I am?” I asked him the question I’m most curious about. First, I need to figure out where I am. Only then can I plan my escape (if there is an escape, that is.)

The creature took his time replying to my question. I waited for a whole damn minute (it felt like a lifetime though) for his reply. Was it such a hard question? Or is it that he doesn't trust me? I mean I wouldn't be willing to talk about my homeland to a complete stranger either but I desperately need to know my location right now so I can plan my future escape.

“Moonland,” he replied in one word. He isn’t talkative, I see.

“So, I'm on the moon?” I asked. The creature gave me a look that screams “are you serious.”

“Right. Just because it’s named Moonland doesn’t mean I’m on the moon,” I nervously laughed. My nerves are all knotted in tension. Somehow after knowing that he won’t kill me, I’m more on alert. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken on so many psychopath cases. Now I'm questioning his intention to spare my life.

And I'm back to square one, having no choice but to trust him. He does look a little trustworthy. Or maybe he knows how to hide his intention well?

I should stop thinking. All this thinking is making my head throb in pain.

“That’s the Moon. This is Moonland,” he pointed towards something. I followed his line of sight and found the moon shining brightly before my eyes. The moon looked awfully close and quite beautiful from here. But because of my resentment, I can't admire its beauty. Admiring it was the last thing on my mind.

It's because of that damned moon that I'm stuck here. I cursed inside. If only I hadn't looked at the moon. If only…

*growl*

The wolf-man growled again.

What now? What did I do? Did I offend him somehow?

"Don't disrespect my mother," he warned in a dangerous, threatening tone. Okay? But when did I disrespect his mother?

"Um- who is your mother?" I asked. He pointed towards the moon. I could not help the laugh that bubbled in my throat.

"So, your mother is the moon, huh?" I chuckled, "Who's the dad? Sun?" I joked. Perhaps, I should have shut my mouth and taken his word as it is because the next thing I know, the creature growled and held me above the ground by my neck.

"No one disrespects mother," he roared at me. He was clutching my neck so tightly that it was getting harder to breathe. My vision blurred and right before I lost consciousness, he hurled me to the ground.

His eyes were flashing bright yellow. What escaped from his mouth next was something between a growl and a whimper.

I tilted my head to the side, trying to read the strange creature in front of me. He was trying to kill me just a second ago, was he not? So, why is he whimpering now?

I mean, judging by his serious reaction, I guess he was telling the truth that the moon is his mother. I can understand his reaction if what he was telling me was true. Not that I agree with his behavior but what would I expect from a half animal? I mean if he has features of an animal it is possible to have animalistic traits too. K

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "it's just that I never thought that the moon could reproduce. I've never heard of it before and I thought you were joking about it."

The creature calmed down, his eyes back to being dark and gloomy. So, his eyes flash when he is angry.

"My mother is the moon goddess, Selene," he said.

"Moon goddess?" I asked in confusion. Now, there is a goddess of the moon?

The creature looked baffled at my confusion.

"You humans don't know about the Moon Goddess?" He asked me. I shook my head, no.

"I can't say about others but it's my first time hearing about it," I replied.

"I was never a religious person so I wouldn't know about gods and goddesses," I added.

"But, do you live here alone?" I asked him curiously. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. The creature's moon dampened.

I'm more baffled at myself for recognizing his mood. How am I able to read his expression while his face is that of a wolf and is expressionless?

I must have lost my damn mind. Or did I hit it hard when I fell?

"I live alone," there was a loneliness in the creature's words that tugged at my heartstrings.

I have lost my mind if my heart is hurting for him. I clutched my heart which seemed to throb in pain suddenly.

What is this pain? I frowned at the discomfort.

This is not my pain. A thought crossed my mind. It is his pain.

~•~

A/n- One of my readers have offered to help me with editing and now I have time to write more chapters so I'll update this book once a week (on Friday) as well.