The Moon Has Awakened

Chapter 13

Hugo was left behind the cave, unsure what he should do about the issue, he couldn't betray Varian, ever, but he knew he could never live on the streets again, the painful memories and trauma when he was out there, all alone, convinced he would starve forever. Donella gave him something he didn't believe even Varian could replace, a true home. But Hugo was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard an anxious Varian call out his name from the tent in the distance. "Hugo.. Can you come in.. Ah!" He exclaimed. Hugo dashed toward the tent hearing Varian yell in pain, and saw him on his knees, his lower arms completely encased in black rock. "Goggles? Are you okay?!" Hugo asked in concern, kneeling beside his friend. Varian looked back, only for Hugo to see that his left eye was slowly turning entirely light blue. "Um.. Varian. Your.. Your eye.." Hugo stammered nervously. "Hmm?" Varian mumbled, tilting his head in confusion then turning towards a mirror, and to his horror, he sees his left eye, the white in them slowly being eaten away and being engulfed with the same blue as his iris, the pupil still there as well. "Ahh! That isn't normal! What's happening to me??" Varian thought to himself as he shuddered. His fear turned the rock over his arms red and a barrier of red moon rocks surrounded Varian. "Varian! What are you??" Hugo asked. "I DON'T KNOW!!" Varian interrupted, screaming. Hugo backed away as the alchemist tearfully looked back at him, the red rock spreading across his body and the ones around him growing taller, almost reaching the top of the tent. "Goggles, I get you're afraid right now but.." Hugo comforted, but he was interrupted once again by a distressed Varian. "AFRAID?! No, I'm terrified, I don't know how I received this curse, but it's consuming me in ways I don't know how to stop it, all I know at this point is that I am going to be dangerous and I don't want to be, I don't want to hurt anyone, I never have!" He admitted as a tear escaped his normal eye, the red rocks creeping up his neck. "I will NOT hurt people again, I CAN'T hurt anybody ever again!" Varian thought, red rock now crawling up his cheeks. Hugo didn't know what to do, he knew that his friend was giving up, he was succumbing to this curse, he was DYING. He narrowed his emerald eyes seeing a gap between two of the red rocks and knew a way to get in there, despite the ground begin to darken. He darted toward the gap, seeing the red rocks about to submerge Varian in a statue. He was able to enter, however not without a small scar over his eyebrow and stood over Varian, who was shivering. He stooped down to his friend, looking at him sadly and tightly hugged him. Varian's shoulders rose in surprise, his quick breathing slowly to a normal pace as the red rock began to retract off of him and the rocks surrounding both of them shrinking. "Hugo.." He murmured. "Don't speak, just please calm down, and promise me you'll NEVER do that again." Hugo told him, placing his hands over Varian's shoulders, looking intensely at him in concern. "You know I can't completely help that, but I will try to fight it from now on." Varian told him, "I promise." TO BE CONTINUED..