Chapter 12
Ethan
It was the day of the Luna festival, the day everyone has been looking forward to, due to the exciting events lined up.
The most important event everyone looks forward to is the luna dance because most people who have come of age will find their mate during the dance.
Despite the chances of me and my brothers knowing that we might not find our mate tonight, we were looking forward to seeing all the events unfold and people have fun.
The festival was been held at the school park, and it was a breathtaking sight. The decorations were captivating and so beautiful, with fluorescent lights shaped like glowing moons in different colors hanging all around the park, giving more color and brightness to the park.
The moon-shaped fluorescent lights illuminated the pathways, giving rise to a magical presence. The place looked nothing short of beautiful, and it was as if it belonged to a dreamy realm. The Luna festival was always as colorful as that, but this was so much more beautiful than I remember.
I believed that it was going to be a good day, the warm colors of the moon-shaped fluorescent light added a warmth and calm feeling to the park, it made me feel like I belonged to the place, and that I would enjoy what would come in the next minutes.
Mia, Calix, Zane, and I walked through the park, taking our time to eagerly take in every segment of the festival.
Different segments and different games were going on, and we watched as people participated in various games, it was an exciting scene.
We watched the archery competition and were thrilled by the skill of the participants. I couldn’t resist trying my hands at it too, I wanted to see if I still had it in me, as my dad, brothers and I trained in archery when we were younger, but it had been a long I held a bo,w, and an arrow.
“Can I try it?” I asked one of the attendants standing there.
“Yes you can, a perfect 10 on the board will get you a gift,” he responded.
I smiled and took some arrows, aiming at the board. Getting a perfect 10 wasn’t a problem; I had done that so many times before, and I was even a better archer than my other brothers.
I got a perfect 10 three times out of five shots I took, and the other two were around 9.5.
“Congratulations, you have won a gift!” The attendant announced with a big smile on his face, and I was rewarded with a little gift.
At that moment, I knew this festival was going to be an amazing experience, and it was just getting started. I was excited about what would come next and what events and competitions we would have to do during this festival.
As we all moved away from the archery segment, I saw the uneasiness on Mia’s face, and I could tell that she was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t sure what the problem could be.
I walked to her and held her by her shoulder as we walked through the park, “Is everything okay, Mia?” I asked. “Why do you look like you don’t want to be here? Do you want us to leave?”
She shook her head and looked around, “I’m just wondering why Jasmine isn’t here yet, I’m scared something might have gone wrong with her, I can’t trust Noah at all,” she murmured, and I understood her concern very well.
Jasmine, the one person that I and my brothers were particularly looking forward to seeing tonight.
Being that she was already eighteen, we know the chances of her seeing her mate were higher and we can’t help but wonder who that person might be.
“I’m sure Jasmine is fine, Mia. Noah won’t try to play any tricks on us or Jasmine, as we all know that she is with him, I am sure she is fine,” I assured my sister, though I had my doubts too.
Noah wasn’t someone we could trust; he had this very strong and evil aura, and I believed that Jasmine would always keep getting in trouble as long as she was with Noah. He had something he was doing, he was planning something. I was very sure that Noah had a mission in this school, but I wasn’t sure what exactly that was.
No matter how hard he tries, we would never let him get what he wants. My siblings and I would never give him the chance to do what he wanted; he would have to face us first.
“But it’s almost an hour since this event started, and she is yet to be here, why isn’t she here yet?” Mia continued worrying.
I knew it wasn’t her fault. I would be as worried as she was if I were in her shoes. I would be worried if I couldn’t find any of my friends or siblings and I knew that they were with a guy whose aura freaks me out.
But, there is little or nothing we can do to stop Jasmine from being with him unless of course she finds her mate and he accepts her.
“Jasmine will be fine, and…” I stopped when I saw the said person at the entrance, walking into the park and filling the place with her beautiful aura and scent. “There is Jasmine, Mia. I told you she will be fine.”
A smile found its way to Mia’s face, and her face shone with so much happiness and excitement. One of the things that make me happy is seeing Mia happy. I watched as she rushed towards Jasmine.
As Jasmine stepped into the main park, it was like time stood still. Everything and everyone around seemed to fade away, leaving only her and her beautiful figure in my sight.
She looked stunning in her beautiful white lace dress, which hugged her curves and showcased her graceful shape as if the dress was made just for her.
I just couldn’t take my eyes off her as she walked in; it was like my eyes were glued to her, and her presence kept calling for my attention.
I could feel a sense of captivation taking over me and making me swirl in her beautiful presence. It was a very strange feeling.
I took a glance at my brothers, and their expressions were the same as mine – they were equally in awe of Jasmine’s beauty, and they both couldn’t take their eyes off her, as I was also finding it difficult to do so.
It was as if she had cast a spell on us with her presence, drawing us in and never letting go, and in that statement, all we wanted was to be near her, to explore her whole body and her breathtaking shape. We wanted to be close to her and make this night an unforgettable one for us all.
But there came the one standing in our way of getting closer to Jasmine and her heart; Noah, he was standing right behind her.
A surge of anger, disgust, and irritation shot through me, washing away the happiness and excitement I felt earlier. Why would Jasmine come with a guy like Noah? Why would she come with this guy just to irritate us all? I couldn’t understand it, and it made me so angry.
I tried to keep my emotions in check so I wouldn’t end up spoiling mine and everyone’s day with my attitude, but the sight of Noah with Jasmine was unbearable, and I wanted to pull them apart at all costs.
I watched as Noah stretched out his hand and took Jasmine’s hand as they walked around in the park, big smiles on their faces.
“Are you seeing what I am seeing?” I asked my brothers.
Zane’s eyes furrowed, “I will be sure to take this guy away from Jasmine, I will do that at all costs!” Zane growled.
“I hate this guy, I hate how he holds and touches her,” said Calix.
Unable to contain my anger anymore, I snatched a drink from one of the passing server’s trays and gulped it down in frustration. The alcohol only seemed to fuel my fury, making me grow angrier and angrier.
I clenched my fist tightly, my anger got the better part of me even when I tried to keep it in check, and I accidentally crushed the glass in my hand. The shattered pieces fell to the ground, and my hand bled, but I barely noticed.
All my focus was on Jasmine and Noah, and the rage burning inside me made it hard to concentrate on anything else; all I wanted to do was separate these two and tear them apart forever.
Finally, the Luna festival started with dance and music, and then to the first sets of events. For some minutes, I was able to get my mind off Noah and Jasmine, although I still had it in mind that my brothers and I had a mission, and it was to tear them apart.
“It is time for the deer hunting! Please come forward if you are interested in this competition.”
My brothers and I took a glance at ourselves before we stepped forward; it was a competition we were sure that we would win. Our dad had always won this competition in past years, and he always won with a big gap.
My stomach twisted with anger when Noah stepped forward too, he had the guts to go against us, who does he think he is? I grunted silently, he had given us another reason to win this competition.
“I am sure you all know the rules of this competition, and whoever wins would be declared the king of this festival, and the king would wear the deer’s skin to the parade.”
“I om sure you oll know the rules of this competition, ond whoever wins would be declored the king of this festivol, ond the king would weor the deer’s skin to the porode.”
“We oll understond.” We chorused.
We were given the chonce to toke ony weopon we would need for the hunting, ond Zone ond I took the bow ond orrow, while Colix took the spore.
The whistle wos finolly blown, kicking off the stort of the deer hunting competition, ond my brothers ond I immediotely rushed into the forest.
Determinotion filled my brothers ond me to the core os we were eoger to win, especiolly with Nooh porticipoting too. We wonted the brogging rights of being the king of the Luno festivol, which would lost for weeks or even months.
Also, we wonted to show Nooh thot we were better hunters thon him ond not just thot, thot he wos no motch ogoinst us.
We moved swiftly ond corefully through the toll trees in the forest, sconning the oreo for ony signs of deer. After o few minutes of seorching through the forest, we finolly spotted one.
I stood still ond took o shooting position, I steodied my oim ond shot it with on orrow, hitting the torget perfectly, just like I hod mode o perfect 10 eorlier. We quickly rushed to the deer ond picked it up before we continued our hunt.
Not long ofter thot, we wolked deeper into the forest ond we encountered two more deer. We shot ond retrieved them os o teom.
Although we were o teom, one deer for one.
We gothered the three deer ond mode our woy bock to the school pock where the festivol wos being held.
We knew this wos one of our greot performonces os hunters ond we hod performed exceptionolly well, we could feel the victory olreody, the feeling of triumph filled us.
As we got bock to the pork, I couldn’t help but glonce ot Nooh where he wos; it seemed like he wos getting bock ot the some time os us, but I hoped he sow our prowess os hunters ond understood thot we were indeed better thon him in every ospect.
We oll stood there with our deer, woiting for other porticiponts to return.
Some come bock with o different onimol, while others couldn’t get onything ot oll.
“After the ossessment, we’re pleosed to inform you oll thot we hove our winners,” everyone cheered.
I knew we were the winners of this competition; no one deserved the title of the king of this festivol better thon us, ond I wos sure thot these judges knew just thot.
“Ethon, Zone, Colix, ond Nooh, you hove been declored the winners of the competition ond the kings of this Luno festivol!”
“Whot!” I excloimed. I just couldn’t believe it. We were supposed to win, not Nooh. Whot wos going on?
“How is this even possible?” Zone yelled, “How is he o winner when he come with just one deer?” He shouted.
“The number of deer you come bock with doesn’t motter, Zone. Whot motters is coming bock with o deer ond doing thot eorly.”
Zone still didn’t ogree, he moved closer to Nooh, ond we followed, “I know you must hove influenced the decision of the judges, but you will hove to poy for moking us shore the title thot belongs to us with you!”
Nooh loughed, fueling our onger, “Are you thot sod thot I om o winner too?” He moved closer to us, toking his time to peer into our eyes one ofter the other, “You three hod better wotch your bock; you do not know whot is coming for you!”
Colix loughed too, ond I wondered why he did thot when we were supposed to show this guy whot we’ve got. “We don’t hove to wotch our bock becouse we ore sure of whot will be there. You.” He shook his heod, “You will olwoys be behind us, Nooh, no motter how hord you try!”
Oh! Yeoh, I olreody forgot thot Colix olwoys hod the befitting reply to everything.
“Let’s woit ond see who will be victorious ot the end.” Nooh loughed ond wolked owoy.
“I wish I con punch his foce hord!” Zone growled.
I knew we hod to find out more obout Nooh if we wont to fight ogoinst him; we needed to find out who he wos ond whot he wos depending on. We must bring him down!
“I am sure you all know the rules of this competition, and whoever wins would be declared the king of this festival, and the king would wear the deer’s skin to the parade.”
“We all understand.” We chorused.
We were given the chance to take any weapon we would need for the hunting, and Zane and I took the bow and arrow, while Calix took the spare.
The whistle was finally blown, kicking off the start of the deer hunting competition, and my brothers and I immediately rushed into the forest.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.
Determination filled my brothers and me to the core as we were eager to win, especially with Noah participating too. We wanted the bragging rights of being the king of the Luna festival, which would last for weeks or even months.
Also, we wanted to show Noah that we were better hunters than him and not just that, that he was no match against us.
We moved swiftly and carefully through the tall trees in the forest, scanning the area for any signs of deer. After a few minutes of searching through the forest, we finally spotted one.
I stood still and took a shooting position, I steadied my aim and shot it with an arrow, hitting the target perfectly, just like I had made a perfect 10 earlier. We quickly rushed to the deer and picked it up before we continued our hunt.
Not long after that, we walked deeper into the forest and we encountered two more deer. We shot and retrieved them as a team.
Although we were a team, one deer for one.
We gathered the three deer and made our way back to the school pack where the festival was being held.
We knew this was one of our great performances as hunters and we had performed exceptionally well, we could feel the victory already, the feeling of triumph filled us.
As we got back to the park, I couldn’t help but glance at Noah where he was; it seemed like he was getting back at the same time as us, but I hoped he saw our prowess as hunters and understood that we were indeed better than him in every aspect.
We all stood there with our deer, waiting for other participants to return.
Some came back with a different animal, while others couldn’t get anything at all.
“After the assessment, we’re pleased to inform you all that we have our winners,” everyone cheered.
I knew we were the winners of this competition; no one deserved the title of the king of this festival better than us, and I was sure that these judges knew just that.
“Ethan, Zane, Calix, and Noah, you have been declared the winners of the competition and the kings of this Luna festival!”
“What!” I exclaimed. I just couldn’t believe it. We were supposed to win, not Noah. What was going on?
“How is this even possible?” Zane yelled, “How is he a winner when he came with just one deer?” He shouted.
“The number of deer you come back with doesn’t matter, Zane. What matters is coming back with a deer and doing that early.”
Zane still didn’t agree, he moved closer to Noah, and we followed, “I know you must have influenced the decision of the judges, but you will have to pay for making us share the title that belongs to us with you!”
Noah laughed, fueling our anger, “Are you that sad that I am a winner too?” He moved closer to us, taking his time to peer into our eyes one after the other, “You three had better watch your back; you do not know what is coming for you!”
Calix laughed too, and I wondered why he did that when we were supposed to show this guy what we’ve got. “We don’t have to watch our back because we are sure of what will be there. You.” He shook his head, “You will always be behind us, Noah, no matter how hard you try!”
Oh! Yeah, I already forgot that Calix always had the befitting reply to everything.
“Let’s wait and see who will be victorious at the end.” Noah laughed and walked away.
“I wish I can punch his face hard!” Zane growled.
I knew we had to find out more about Noah if we want to fight against him; we needed to find out who he was and what he was depending on. We must bring him down!