Blood Moon Rising: Curse of A New Dawn (Xnarrated & Nightsorceress)

[XNarrated]

For centuries and centuries as far back as time itself can remember, a descendant from the Northen-most tribe of thr Cursed Blood Wolf Clan, ruled the Ivory Throne of Blood & Bone. A rare and mighty, mythical, magical race of Shapeshifting Were Wolves who trace their linage back to the foundation of this world; Blood Wolves have lived and ruled the continent of Cannistopolis for over a Millennium!

Everything began with Zagalous Cannis I, who founded Jor Cannis, and build the Bone Towers and the Castle Frostbane, he built the Empire one Bloody Brick at a time; mercilessly vanquished his foes and marking his territory he would over see many Blood Moon Rituals! The sacred and holy sacrament which takes place every 400 hundred year, when the Heart of Ha’Weh “Blood Goddess”, creator of the universe, begins to weaken. The power of the Emperor, and entire Empire, rest in that stone.

The waning power of the Stone coincides ominously to the beginning of the Blood Moon, and 4 long months of darkness, when the moon eclipses the Sun, singnaling the start of Mating Season, and the Battle of The Bloodlines! Alphas from far as the eye can see, congregate on the hallowed grounds of Jor Cannis, to mate, and make a claim for the throne! Only a hand full of times in the many Millennial Year History of Cannistopolis has an outsider ever sat on the throne, and History tells that in those times, evil was at an all time high. Emperor Roowly IV became lazy, and fat, and contempt, losing the heart of the people, and betraying the Will of Ha’Weh. This, he was beated in combat, and the Empire fell. His Virgin bride the “Blood Bitch”, Empress to be, become a captive to the outsiders and made into a slave. The enemy tortured her, and bred the Empress defiling her, and consequently defining the Headt Stone, and the pure bred lineage of the Cannis-Folk, leading to a dark and terrible time for alll Cannis-folk!

As the Law and Prophesy ststed:

He who mates the Blood Bitch in the Holy Hour is the the Sacrament, effectivly restoring the power of the Heart Stone, through the siring of a son, and rightful heir, will ye have the Right to claim the Throne...

His Holiness, Ennikah (Anna Ka) Cannis II, Lord of Cannistopolis closed the hard leather bound book and locked it back by the clasp, securing the secrets and stories to be told again at another candle-lit bedside reading. Placing the book by the bedside table, Lord Ennikah reared his tireless hands over its surface, tracing along the inscription engraved into wilting weathered cowhide. One might have thought it to be some encyclopedia or some academic text, just by the sheer size of the it! It weight half as much as she, he joked every time Lord Ennikah and his darling Great Great Grand Child begged and pleaded he read her a something form from the History of Cannistopolis—I wan to carry it, let me do it she would pout and sulk, wishing to be an adult when she was just a pup, now all grown up my little Empress still loves to have her GranGran tell her bedtime tales!

Her room was the kind of place any princess would dream of, filled with any and everything she could desire. Times were tougher than he like to admit, and the Kingdom definitely wasn’t what it once was, it term of wealth and means, but it still had many more resources than most! Dim candle lights flicker back and forth, his big hulk in shadow projected onto the Rose Wall! 50ft wide The Rose Wall was embedded with flora and funa from all over the continent, it made her room smell of paradise and spring—Spring was coming, and winter to a close, and that was the Silver Lining. However, as with all silver linings, they only exist in the darkness of clouds...dark ominous clouds, which forecast of dark days to come; no matter how resolutely one might set their sight on even the slimmest sliver of hope, things were only but so bright for Lord Ennikah and the Cannis-folk.

He brushed a silky strand of hair from her face, and kissed the sleeping beauty on the forehead. “Good night and sleep well, my sweet, sweet Princess....Soon to be Empress.

“I can’t believe it has been 400 years already, my how time flies...Tomorrow your 16th name day, will usher in new area...and along with it, a New Blood Moo! He hadn’t hoped that it would have to come down to this, but Lord Ennikah knew what he must do, and I’m his own way, he hope, that story to her that story as he had a thousand times before, that deep down she would be able to know...” a gentle breeze in the gloomy night air whispered through the window “that reminds me, I should close that before I leave...”

The Emperor stood up, and just looked over her, pulling the sheets up tightly around her neck, making sure she was warm in the night. The Winter has been harsh and not letting up no time soon, the next Four Mouths were going to be HELL! As she layer there his mind began to drift off into the pass, he was an old Wolf who’d lived a long time, seen a lot, but never this...But for the sake of the Kingdom—

“It must be done!” And deep down he always knew he would.

Before departing her, the powerful man would wish her one last good night; leaning over he kissed great great grand daughter not on her forehead or cheek, but he planted a kiss on her cute little lips on—mouth partly open as she snore gently, he slithered himself into her mouth, maneuvering his tongue like slippery snake slinking through the grass, Lord Ennikah could taste the wet spit of her adolescent breath—As he always had since she were little on the open mouth. But not always with such sensuality.

 

[nightsorceress]

She loved her grandfather she always had. He showered her with attention and love, something he never done with anyone of his children or his children’s children. Maybe it was because she was orphan and she had no one else to love her. She didn’t know but Lillian, Lily for short, felt special knowing she had her grandfathers love.

He wans’t the typical grandfather, he didn’t look old and was still rugged and handsome almost like a father would look, but he was very old, in fact old enough to be some distance in their bloodline. She loved to hear the sound of his voice she loved when he read to her, even when she outgrew the need for such bedtime stories. She just loved to hear his voice before she went to sleep.

She didn’t know what awaited her the next day all she knew was tomorrow was her 16th birthday. But tomorrow her life was going to change more than she could understand she was going to become extremely important to the world around her. Not just to her grandfather either.

 

[XNarrated]

The very next morning, Lord Ennikah burned incense at the Ancient Altar, high atop the Tower Of Bone, he prayed; contemplating the Blood Moon which would be upon them by night fall. Never the less, there was still Time! The sun had yet to even dawn on the new day—and still he was already up, tending to business of the Realm! With a heavy heart he sighed a great breath into the frosty atmosphere. Outwardly he seemed calm, but inwardly his mind raced a million miles per second and all his emotions were in a mess.

Mostly he felt apprehension, fear, doubt! But deep down, somewhere in his darkest recesses, if he were to be honest, the Emperor could feel something else stirring up inside him; thought he ought not admit to himself or any other—

A knock at the chamber door disturbed his sacrificial rite, for it was not only Lillian’s name day, it too was his own. 600 years is a long time, and it’s hard work, dedication, and the ways of the ancient which help to persevere his strength. “You may enter...” his eyes parted slowly, to embrace the shining new sun, full of wonder and Hope just beginning to crack open the night sky

“My Lord A Thousand Blessings to you this day, your sacred day, the Day of your great house, and your birth and the birth of the Princess, and many more blessings.” The guard announced as he entered

“Empress Lillian has just awaken from her slumber, and she’s a bit grouchy, I don’t think she likes being up earlier than usual, especially since she can’t perform her normal routine...your presence would be helpful to the attendants, your Lord Grace”

“Does the carriage await us to Rose Brook—“ Lord Ennikah responded.

“Of course my Lord Grace, we have been ready for hours! The cooks are just finished the breakfast meal, which should be ready to eat once everything is....complete—a beautiful private meal for the two of you will await at Thorn Hill just beyond Rose Brook”

He closed his eyes and said one final prayer “.....May Ha’Weh watch over us all during these dark days...”

Then another attendant who was new, and green behind the ears, nearly older than his precious Lily in fact, when the two where younger pups, they played in the fields near Marygold Marshlands, on trips with the nursery

As he blew out the candles and incense Lord Ennikah was approached by the young boy, cloak in hand, to help the Emperor don his Royal Garments. As traversed down the Hallowed Hall the thunderous sound of his size 18 boot clomped and clacked with a great echo; the dazzling floor to ceiling sized windows, creating a kaleidoscope effect through stained glass, as the colors danced along the walls with a beautiful exuberance.

“Am I truly going to go through with this...Do I truly have another choice?”

He stood just outside her doors, again, like he had every Sunday Morning, since the death of her parents, to greet the girl with love and affection, have their Intimate Time.

Bein Emperor is a busy job, and being so hands on makes it even more difficult, but Ennikah promised Lillian he would always make time for her for the whole day, it would be their alone time to catch up and spend however they wished. And today no different even if it were more soecial.

He entered her room, with almost a dozen attending servants all about the place doing one thing or the next.

“As beautiful as the 1st day of creation, I’m am honored to be in your presence my precious princess! How do you like your beautiful new Born Day Dress?” Has it shipped from Valandia it’s no other dress like it in the world home world!”

She didn’t need any make up but still they put applied some to her skin, so delicate and fair, the sun would scorch her alive if not. The winters were difficult to forecast in Cannistopolis, some days would be 7 inches of snow, and windy, and then the next a bright sunny day would melt it all away, even if it was still freezing cold the suns rays where always being down on clear days. The dress was laid out on her bed, as some attending ladies sewed in the house sigil and added the last finishing touches to her garment before she would put it on. Other combed and decorated her hair, while a few other ladies painted her hands and feet.

“This morning we shall bathe in the Waters of the Rose Brook—it is our tradition and custom, I’ve bathed you every Sunday since you were a baby, but you’ve never seen the Brook before, you should be excited, and not so grumpy, you’re to gorgeous!”

 

[nightsorceress]

Lily typically always slept till after the sun rose, sleeping until the sun filled the sky and kissed the earth with its gentle rays bring all sorts of of creatures to life. However on this day she waas awoken early, over and hour earlier than normal. She hadn’t expected it and so when she was awoken in such a way it did not start her day off right.

Then there was such a fuss being made over her. A much bigger fuss than normal, even for it being her birthday the fuss was extreme. She wasn’t enjoying it. She just kept hearing over and over how this was going to be a day for celebration and how her life was going to change but no one would tell her what was going on.

As her grandfather entered the room she looked at him. “Good Morning” she bowed her head in respect for her grandfather. Then she looked at him “please can you tell me what all this fuss is about this morning, it has been nothing but a whirl wind in my room since before dawn”

 

[XNarrated]

“Well my darling,” he appraoced her, with a gentle peck on the forehead. “I know all of this isn’t your cup of tea, Lily but you list understand, the reason today is so important is because your 16th born day marks the beginning of a Sacred Tike for us Cannis-folk...it is the beginning of the Blood Moon, and that means tonight you and I must complete the sacred ritual....under the light of the Blood Moon...” he grimaced, took a deep breath and let out another heavy sigh patting her on the head.

“It’s unfortunate at such a tender age you will be forced to come of age quickly, and endure such darkness...” He continued, silently to himself, inside the safety of his mind—unable to bring himself to tell her now, he would wait for further details until they were all alone

“It is the only way the realm will continue to prosper for another 400 years!” He bent at the waits to lean closer to her lever, as she sat in a chair while being attended to. With a soft and loving embrace he cupped her face by the chin, and tilted her head up to him a bit—But Gran-gran is here for you and I always will be, because I love you so very much! Today woll
Be marvelous, after we return from out Breakfast there shall be a tournament, and a feast for the ages!” He kissed her again, this time on the lips, a harmless peck really, very tenderly....and turned as one royal guard intruded to deliver a message. After a short exchange the messenger left, excusing himself.

 

[nightsorceress]

She listen to her grandfather her confusion clear on her face as she looked at him. “Ritual? But you always complete the ritual’s on your own, I dont understand what I can help you with. Please I will only be in the way, and something as important as you say this is I shouldn’t be in the way” she was confused after all these years what could she help with.

She drew a breath as he continues. “Our realm has prosper for a long time under you, surely it will continue and you wont need to do it, I am just a girl” she remembered all the stories he told her, everything from those books. She wanted her home to prosper but she diffently didn’t want to be in the way of whatever ritual was tonight.

 

[XNarrated]

“Well my darling, all will be explained better, at the Rose Brook”

Once the attendants were finish with her they left. “Let’s go my Princess, the carriage awaits,” as they left her bedroom chambers there were rose petals of all sorts decorated decedantly across the hallway floor. He held he hand as the gracefully made thier way to the carried, pulled by 2 mammoth sized Elephat-Hounds, these large but gentle creatures are only breed and groomed by the Empire, very rare beast indeed. In the back of the carriage, luggage for the trip and breakfast, and ceremony at Rose Brook.

 

[nightsorceress]

She shook her head she didn’t like when he didn’t tell her things, not because she was spoiled and needed to know everything, no she was just a worrier and it would eat at her mind till there was nothing to worry about.

As they left the room she looked at all the rose petals she looked at her grandfather “what are the rose petals for?” She looked at them as they walked. As they made the way to carriage she noticed the luggage “were are we going where all of this will be needed how long will be gone?”