Moth by Daniel Arenson

Author:Daniel Arenson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781927601143
Publisher: Moonclipse
Published: 2012-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

Koyee liked to think herself a strong woman, a huntress and survivor and warrior. Through hunger, theft, and misery, she had not cried. And yet when the Moon of Xen Qae rose, she could not stop a tear from falling.

"It is our moon," she whispered, standing in an alley and staring between the awnings. "The moon of my empire, of my village, of my family."

The full moon shone down upon her, the largest moon of the year. Upon its craggy surface, many claimed they saw the face of Xen Qae, a wise philosopher who had lived five thousand years ago, father of the Qaelin nation. When the great, glowing face was at its largest—only once a year—they said the old master looked down upon Eloria, blessing it with his wisdom.

Koyee hugged herself. "Do you remember, Eelani, the Moon of Xen Qae back home in Oshy?" When her tear touched her lips, she smiled. "Remember how we'd build sky lanterns of lichen-paper, place candles in them, and let them fly into the sky? I wonder if any of them glided to Pahmey."

Eelani embraced her cheek, saying nothing as always; she didn't need to. Her warmth was enough.

"I miss him, Eelani," Koyee whispered, and now her voice was choked. "I miss home and I miss Father. I miss those sky lanterns and the song of the river. I miss a world where I was not always so afraid, so alone." She looked up at the moon. "Please, Xen Qae, watch over Eelani and me . . . and watch over Eloria."

Did anyone in Pahmey even know of the wise man? Did anyone in this city of dirt, jewels, hunger, and glittering lights care to worship a humble old teacher? Shivering in the cold night, Koyee pattered toward the edge of the alley. She had been spending most of her time in the shadows, a bedraggled urchin, not daring to emerge into the wider, cobbled boulevards where the decent folk walked. And yet now in this moonlight, she peered out into a wide street lined with shops and houses, seeking a hint of peace, a whisper of home.

Her eyes widened.

"Look, Eelani!" she whispered.

Fresh tears budded in her eyes.

Hundreds of people were walking down the street, slow and silent—maybe thousands. They wore white silks, and they bore silken lanterns in which candles burned. The moonlight fell upon them. Soon they began to sing, a low and peaceful chant. Koyee stood listening, smiling through her tears. They sang the song of an ancient teacher living in the wilderness, worshiping the moon, a humble philosopher who now shone above. One by one, they released their lanterns, letting them float upward, past the roofs, and into the starry sky. Thousands of small lights glowed above, stinging Koyee's eyes and reminding her of home.

"We are Eloria," they sang. "We are the night."

A towering figure emerged around a street corner. Koyee looked and gasped. A great doll moved there, held aloft with poles and strings; it towered above the houses and buildings.

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