Chapter 89: Moon’s Pearl

After a while, he suddenly jolted up, almost poking Ugo’s rib with his arm joint bone.

He asked in a low voice, "Isn’t this the Black Sea Gorge you are singing about?"

Ugo’s laughter echoed in Moon’s ear again as he pulled Moon back down onto his chest. "Don’t jump up. Just rest."

"But... who told you this rhyme?"

Hearing this, Ugo’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

"My mother. This is indeed about the Black Sea Gorge. But this rhyme is not well-known. Only some prestigious packs know it."

"What is so secretive here?" Moon asked in confusion.

Ugo’s eyes became sharp for a moment, then softened.

"The Moon Goddess is the one and only ruler of this world. And all people believe is the Moon.

What do you think will happen if someone starts to claim she has a lover, even a husband?"

Ugo said softly.

"Mooney, in the eyes of a werewolf, the Moon Goddess is so ethereal, pure, and an existence that no one can even imagine someone beside her."

He paused, then continued,

"But we are still creatures of passion and love.

Our bond is born from love, whether anyone agrees or disagrees.

The love is still there.

The bond can’t lie. So they may accept the rhyme as truth and believe her tears are for her lost lover. But the problem arises just after the belief."

He paused again.

Moon nudged him. "Don’t just pause. Damn it, say it."

Ugo chuckled and sighed deeply.

"In the past, and still in the present, big to mid-grade packs, whoever found this rhyme, tried to venture into the Black Sea."

"Umm... wait." Moon shifted, his voice confused. "How can they be sure it’s the Black Sea?"

"Didn’t you notice there was no ice or winter sign there?"

Now that Ugo mentioned it, Moon became stupefied.

He was constantly running and running; he hadn’t even noticed it was winter in this realm, yet the sea water never froze, and no snow was on the shores or cliffs. Even inside his Lost Realm, there was no winter.

Moon felt his heart becoming cold all of a sudden.

A lingering heartache or agony was gnawing at his bones. He shook his head to expel the illusion and asked again, "So some people get inside the sea? Why? Don’t tell me it’s to search for a moon pearl?"

Ugo raised his brows and scoffed, "Indeed. To the maximum, and some unlucky rogues, they went there to search for the Moon’s teardrop. It’s incredibly expensive. In fact, you can say it’s priceless."

"Hmm. More than the Stardust Cinder Lily?"

"Mooney, the Stardust Cinder Lily is only considered a bit of dust in front of the Moon’s tear. You can’t even find one."

"But didn’t you say the Stardust was a legend?"

"Yes, but that was extinct by nature. What we are talking about is a direct Moon’s teardrop. A Goddess’s tear! Can you even imagine how holy that can be? People believe this pearl can even make you immortal."

Hearing ’immortal’, Moon jolted.

Wasn’t his path also immortality? Should he also grab one in the sea?

[You can just ask me to cry a little.]

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.

Moon’s body shivered slightly, hearing a woman’s soft, gentle, and almost guilty-sounding voice, especially when he was just heartbroken from her words a little while ago.

He didn’t reply to her.

Instead, he turned his attention back to Ugo.

"Then?"

"Then what else? All died.

The Black Sea is cursed. Big pack masters stopped going in, and their adventures ended after an elder gone missing and never came back. He was with the High Priestess of that time. Both held a significant position in this Monalis Celestia."

"Hmm, but people still go there?"

"Men are greedy, always."

"Are you greedy?" Moon asked amused.

"I am," Ugo didn’t deny.

"Oh! You also want the Moon’s tear? That holy pearl?"

Ugo was silent for a moment.

Then he leaned down to Moon’s ear and asked softly, "I want you. I am greedy, Mooney."

Saying that, he paused for a moment, then nibbled on Moon’s ear.

Moon shivered.

His hand clutched Ugo’s still-interlocked fingers tightly.

"You don’t want that star lily sanctuary?" Moon scoffed.

"Why would I need that when I have you?"

"Damn it." Moon cursed at his shameless talk.

"Yes, damn it all, Mooney," Ugo chuckled.

"I am taking that sanctuary all by myself," Moon threatened.

"You take all of me. And that star lily too."

"Damn it, I am really going to take that."

"It was yours to begin with." Ugo knitted his brows.

Confusion was all over his gaze. He didn’t even know why Moon was mentioning that stardust lily pond.

"What if it’s yours?" Moon pressed, looking at Ugo intently.

"Then it’s still yours," Ugo said. "I swear to the Moon Goddess; I will never claim that from you."

Moon’s mood lifted hearing this.

Ugo saw him smiling so freely and also became momentarily dazed.

"Then take me. You can. You know that already," Moon mumbled.

He clung to Ugo’s neck and kissed his jaw.

His hand clutched Ugo’s still-interlocked fingers tightly.

The two bodies fell slowly onto the bed, intertwining in a dark that was utterly useless to hide anything from those two sets of divine eyes.

Moon’s body hummed in a tune that was not any of those special rhymes.

All he thought was, ’Fuck the trust, and just go for lust, since my body wants to devour this plant.’

That was Moon’s last thought before he couldn’t think anymore.

Because the winter was also fleeing from this abode.

Because the air was turning hot.

And because Moon wanted to be his, and just for himself for now.

.

.

.

But somewhere out there, on the high wall of the courtyard, Nox wasn’t so much himself.

He had an unwanted guest behind some bushes, and he was not happy to deal with them.

"Damn it, let me rest," Nox cursed.