A man lives deep in the forests of Monai.

What shape or soul he takes differs in tale, often leaving many to believe what they had seen was not real. He was a myth, a story told around hearths to warn children to never stray into the forest after the sun fades. He is a phantom, a ghost, within the night.

But every myth starts in truth, and the truth is there is a road within Monai, where footprints have treaded over decayed foliage and shedded pine needles. The pathway leads to a small, beige brick house, whose chimney always billows with smoke.

**

Monai grows and changes throughout the seasons. Today it is lush and full of growth, with all plants and vegetation in their blooming state.

Baskets surround the man, full of bright tomatoes, deep green peppers, a variety of mushrooms, golden carrots, yellow onions and potatoes. Aloe shoots point upwards, ensuring their precious juices stay within them, as they crowd the basket next to ginger roots, with their orange veins. Herbs tied in bushels let out a vibrant fragrance, causing the man to stop and inhale. This will be the last harvest this month and each picked earth has a role to play.

Especially tonight.

He started loading each of the baskets into a wooden cart, a stoic elk at the helm of it. One of the elk’s antlers was cracked, a chunk missing, causing his head to tilt to one side due to the uneven weight. The man opened up his satchel, which was bursting with the rare juniper berries he picked earlier, and offered a small handful to the elk. He ate them in one lick, nudging the man for more.

“You know I need these. I probably shouldn’t have given you any.” The man muttered, patting the elk’s nose before snapping his satchel shut.

He looks up to the tops of the trees, a hand over his eyes as the last sun rays poke through the leaves.

“C’mon, Thane, we’re losing light.” The man patted the elk, leading him back to the house, the cart creaking along the pathway. He unhooks Thane from the cart and he runs to the open pasture behind the house, where his female elk and calf were waiting for him.

The man only looks briefly at the three of them, seeing them nudge and run together, before turning towards all his baskets. The evening would be upon him soon and the travelers will be at his doorsteps the moment the sun is extinguished. He only had a few more hours left to prepare.

All the vegetables were cut, cooked, or jarred. The herb bushels were either hung from the rafters to dry or grinded down to powder. The precious juniper berries were mixed up with some rosemary to create a paste. The aloe shoots were juiced and placed in the ice box. He lit each of his hearths and placed pots underneath them. He threw in a few different herbs and plants in one, while vegetables and root boiled in broth within another. As the scent of cooked potatoes and honeyed lavender coated his home, he stepped outside into the cool, pine air. The sun had nearly set towards the west pines and to the east the rise of the New Moon was beginning.

There would be little light this evening, so the man lit different fires throughout his land. As he walked towards Thane, he pulled one small jar full of a red paste from his pocket and beckoned Thane forward. He placed some of the red paste atop his broken antler, coating it all until his antler had a red hue to it. Thane closed his eyes, relief flooding his body. The man muttered, “Best stay out here tonight.”

As he sat on the stoop of his house with a pipe in his mouth, the New Moon rose high above him. And a mass of weary travelers broke through the forest, their clothes ripped and their faces tired.

The man noted the blood immediately, and started towards them to inspect. He instructed the travelers, based on injury, to different areas. The unconscious and those with shallow breathing were brought inside. The rest were told to get something to eat and gather around one of the lit fires.

A man with a bright, fiery beard approached and said, “Brother Lu, how do you fare sitting atop your castle in the forest?” 

The man, who was ushering a young woman with a cut through her eye, paused and gestured to his brick house, “I hardly call this a castle, Bronn.” He turned to another man and asked him to bring the woman to his kitchen before looking back at Bronn, “This is more than usual.”

“Our territory grows, therefore our warriors and injuries do too.” Bronn growled. “I know you would not know of this, as you never leave.”

“As is not my role in all of this.” Lu said, before turning to go inside.

“And do tell me, what is your role?” Bronn said, following him through the kitchen.

“Steward. Caretaker.” Lu said. Bronn is well aware of this but refuses to grasp it. He believed all of them were meant to rage war. To kill. _But who would clean them up?_

__

The New Moon was at its highest peak, and all within Lu’s land glowed with anticipation. The pots were bright as moonlight and the different jars hummed. The healing factors within his herbs and pots were fully ignited. The New Moon provided, once again.

As the night progressed, Lu’s supplies dwindled faster than he anticipated. Many of them had aloe on their minor wounds whereas some had a mixed variety of pastes, herbs, and fig leaves. The red paste was used only on those with the most severe injuries, the paste healing them much faster.

Lu was outside with his last two travelers, one with a slashed throat and the other with a bleeding leg. Everything he tried on both of them was not working and he only had enough of the red juniper berry paste for one of them.

“We will use the paste on Delphie, to save her throat. Pharo will need his leg amputated.” Lu said, prepping his leg for the procedure.

His knife sharpened, he raised it but his hand was stopped by a tight grip.

“Monai always provides just enough for us. Why do you not have enough?” Bronn asked, his voice rising.

Lu shoved him aside and Bronn rose, about to thrust his sword into him. Hooves were upon Bronn, knocking him over. Thane snorted, separating Bronn from Lu, the red hue of his antlers shone within the firelight.

Bronn’s eyes grew wide before he spat, “You have betrayed your kind for this _deer_?”

Lu raised his knife again, the scream of Pharo escaping through the forest.

**

The Crescent Moon rose high above the forest, as Lu and Thane made their way to the secluded mines of Monai. Thane had a small pack on his back, along with the empty wooden cart, as Lu set up a small tent in front of the mines. As they entered the mine, Lu could see the luminous stones glowing bright, green, only alit once a month. He raised his pickaxe, the metal tip hitting stone, the glowing bits bursting onto the ground. Thane gathered them into piles and Lu filled up the cart entirely. The Crescent Moon provided, once again.

**

“Bronn wants your elk on a spike. And you out on the frontlines.” Tarrin said, between mouthfuls of potato and onion soup. “This could use some roasted chicken.” He added, bringing the bowl to his mouth. Four other travelers were behind Tarrin, loading up their carts with different spears, daggers, and swords. All with glowing, luminous stone tips.

The need for meat usually runs high when Tarrin visits. Lu made sure all the fowl were placed near the caves and mines, well out of view.

Lu was manning the forge, hammering the fresh ore into a sword. Sweat pelted down his face as he said, “Delphie and Pharo lived. He should be happy.”

Tarrin grunted, “You betrayed the lands of Monai.”

“I must give back to the lands for me to provide to your kind.” Lu said, wiping a hand over his brow. He stoked the forge a bit, adding in more of the ore, as he looked up to the night sky. The Half Moon radiating the heat for the forge to melt down the luminous ore. The Half Moon provided, once again.

“You mean your kind.” Tarrin said, standing up.

Lu didn’t answer.

**

The Swollen Moon rose high above, its diamond shine lighting up the whole forest. Lu sharpened a small, glowing stick, lifting it eye level to see if it was long enough. He had taken apart some of the old white, oakwoods, whittling it down until he was satisfied with its shape. Then forged it with some of the leftover luminous ore from the Half Moon, after Tarrin and his travelers left, creating a makeshift twisted rod.

He walked over to Thane in his pasture, where the calf ran up to him. He held up the piece to both of them to inspect. Thane sniffed and nuzzled it, lowering his head to offer his antlers.

As Lu placed the luminous white oakwood atop Thane’s broken antler, the moon shone bright, solidifying the horn to him. The Swollen Moon provided, once again.

**

The carts came first, stacked with dead deer and foxes. Then came ten wolves, led by one, brightly red furred wolf, as big as the carts. Behind them were a dozen travelers. Some seemed so young. _When did they enlist children?_

__

Lu gestured the travelers to the dais behind him. Flames were lit high, as Lu threw in bits of sage and thyme into them. “A sacrifice for a gift. A gift for the Pack.” Lu hummed, as one by one the travelers dropped their dead animal into the fire, the flames igniting high to the glowing moon. The red wolf howled.

The last traveler approached, with a wooden staff. It was Pharos, balancing on his one leg. It seems the Full Moon did not let him transform tonight. Attached to his staff was a long rope tied to a small, living, calf.

_Thane’s calf._

__

Lu’s eyes grew wide, as the red wolf encircled him, growling.

Pharos spoke, “The Full Moon blesses those who sacrifice in the name of their Pack. I offer a living sacrifice to the flames, to help rid Monai of this distraction. Of you, Lu.”

He started to walk the calf towards the flames yelling, “Full Moon, bless me on this day.”

The hooves of Thane and his lady thundered through the forest, but stopped suddenly, as a net entrapped them. A wail of neighs broke through, and Lu could see two black wolves encircling them.

Anger and rage filled up in Lu. 

_Had too much time passed?_

_Had the bloodlust driven them all mad?_

_Because they have forgotten. They have forgotten who he was_.

The Full Moon had reached its highest point, as several of the wolves howled.

A flash of light and where Lu was, stood a great, big, beast with paws the size of tree stumps and fur as dark as night. Atop its head were glowing, luminous antlers, with the phases of the moon etched onto them. Thane’s own antler glowed, cutting through the nets freeing him and his partner. They began to fight the wolves who caged them.

“I, Lunar, do not accept your offering.”

The Full Moon provided, once again. And the lush, glowing, green forest turned red.

**

The moon may appear to travelers as man or beast. A man to those who need healing. Forging. Or blessing. A beast to those who need warning. And when travelers see a juniper bush within Monai, the legends say they will hear a howl.