Moonlings: A Clash of Meteors and Mages

Since Raii Shin was the only one who reacted, it was obvious she was the only one who hadn't thought of that possibility.

''What?''

Her voice was louder than she had intended and all eyes were upon her. 

''I mean, it makes perfect sense. Your description of your teacher--someone bewitchingly beautiful, every boy and girl in your class adores her, except you. And now, this.'' This time, it was a moonmage named Omega, a dark-skinned man who was a fresh graduate of JEWELS, Jazel's law school. He points to the screen that had Maam Ague's face in the 1800's and the 2022. 

''If I'm not mistaken, she is a… what's that type of Moonling again?'' He embarrassingly looked at the others for help.

''A gremlin,'' Artemis, the oldest of the Aspida Class, filled in. Artemis was a woman already in her thirties even older than sir Tanori but she still chose to be a base moonmage rather than acquire a seat and a peaceful life in the office department. Moonmages of her age were usually directors, senior consultants, or retired but her presence here proved that she still loved being out at night. 

Retiring means having all your memories of being a moonmage wiped out clean and retiring from your obligations comes in three ways: getting married to an ordinary human, getting kicked out, or getting killed in action. It was rumored that Artemis broke up with her fiance just so she can focus on being a moonmage. It was taboo for moonmages to raise a family. This is why there is almost no romantic love in any moonmage company.

''Right! Now we just have to confirm her identity and find out the reason why a Moonling is behind the kidnapping cases.''

Omega's voice was cheerful that they finally learned something but Raii Shin was lost. If being inexperienced was not really a bad thing as the others are saying, this was the proof that it is a bad thing. She couldn't believe that it didn't cross her mind.

''You are jumping to conclusions, Omega. She is not yet confirmed to be behind the kidnapping cases. We have to find her intent as to why,'' Sir Tanori chimed.

''Sir Tanori, does this mean that you accept that she is really a Moonling? I think the evidence that we have is not enough,'' Raii Shin spouted out. She just wanted to make sure.

''You being unaffected by your teacher's charm is more than enough proof. Remember your lectures and piece them together. The powers of a gremlin are ineffective against another Moonling or any specie that has the blessing of the moon.''

Raii Shin did remember one of her mentors explaining that. She just couldn't believe that boring lectures would come in handy. She only believed in actual combat.

''Also, you were the one who wrote it in your report. She has been giving you the death stares, right? She might just be the one to realize who you are.''

***

When it was time for Regina to go out into the night and do her noble duty as a guardian of the Earth, she couldn't concentrate.

This was the night that she received her most wounds.

In the third hour, her fingers were bitten by a small nightspawn which she hadn't realized was still alive. She went near to deliver the final blow but it jumped, aiming to separate her weapon from her hands, and tore her flesh in the process. In haste, she blasted it with moonlight magic, a little too powerful than what was needed and the blast struck down a tree. She would be scolded again.

Then for the next few hours, she lost track of how she got her other cuts. Being wounded during duty time was normal, but not this many and not deep.

Her mind was still processing that tomorrow she would be facing Ma'am Ague in a different way.

She might just be the one to realize who you are.

It was not impossible. Was that the reason why she was the favorite recipient of her teacher's killer eyes? Because she was not drawn to her?

'You're overthinking again.'

A familiar voice from a distant memory hit her juggled brain. Though it brought more mess because it affected her heart, she welcomed it.

It was a phrase always being thrown to her every time she was spacing out like this. Last night, she heard the voice whisper her name and now this.

Regina chuckled.

Geez.

Her nose picked up a nightspawn appearing nearby just beside the creek which was a corner away. 

Raii Shin jumped from one roof to another, her feet pumped with the power of the moonlight. She reached the spot and saw the pooling of white and black matter--the formation stage of a nightspawn. And there were lots of them.

Regina was midair and pointed the tip of her blade at the biggest one whose height was almost reaching nine feet and it was not yet finished forming. It had to be the Core. She was about to dive in that direction when she felt a wave of dark power knock her down.

The next second, she was already on the ground, pain flaring her right body as it fully received the impact of her fall.

Regina grunted and gritted her teeth, tears forming on her eyes as she could feel blood oozing out of her reopened wounds which she had just tendered a while ago.

''What the hell...'' was all she could say. At the count of three, she picked herself up and images of five growling white giant beasts met her. 

Standing there with her battered body, she knew she couldn't wield her heavy weapon properly in her state. Her left arm was still fully functional. That was her only hope. She still could extract power from the moon. Only if she is standing under the moonlight and not under the shadow of a house.

''Come at me, then,'' she challenged them.

Of course, she didn't expect any of them to understand what she was saying. They were just nightspawns, silver monsters formed by the moonlight when it is full moon. But what happened next was beyond more than expectations.

''Where are the sacrifices?''

At first, Regina thought she had hit her head too hard. But when the biggest of them, the Core, roared before repeating the question in the same tone of a gargled group of voices, she was dumbfounded.

''You-you speak?''

The Core inched closer with its four paws.

''Tell us where they are. And your life will be spared, little Moonling.''

Regina backed out a few steps, like she was afraid. In reality, she was just slowly coming out of the shadows into the moonlight. The monster addressed her as a Moonling. How come?

''I'm interested on what you can do, you mere monsters.''

Regina had hoped to keep the conversation longer for her to get more details on what they were looking for. This would be record-breaking. It was her first time to encounter a speaking nightspawn.

But her provocation didn't do it.

''Kill her. She's not the one.''

The others were too loyal. They immediately pounced on her as soon as he said his last word.

Regina leaped sideways in full view of the moon and snapped her fingers, a white beam falling down from the dark skies and disintegrating only two of them.

Still, the other two and the core were wiser.

''Curse it, you are a moonmage. Finish her off quickly!''