I woke up again on the same land I slept on last night. The fire flashed through my memories as I gazed upon the place.

"Did they like my dance, moon mother?" I asked

"Yes, darling. It is really nice. Your dance and that anklet bells and chains" I heared on my head

"Then moon mother, when can I finally see you?" I asked again

"Soon, darling. Just wait" she said and I lost her presence again

"Soon.. But, I don't know what soon means" I whispered and continued my walk

I stepped on debris and some carcasses that I don't even remember when all of these surrounded this place. A hand stopped me from walking. It grasp my chains that I can't take it back.

"Such a brute force.. Are you... defying the moon mother" I asked

He glared at me like it may kill me. I held his hand and slowly he loosen his grip. He looked at me with water on his eyes. I innocently took those water and tasted it. It seems like brackish water, but those water seems to grieve.

"Why do you shed water?" I asked

"I will find you! I promise that I will take revenge of my family" he shouted

"Revenge? Is that a kind of water too? I wonder if I could taste that too" I said

"I will... I will never forgive you even if I die..." he exclaimed and tried to stand only to fall again

I hold his hand and pulled him near the lake not so far on the village. He is not moving. I tried to poked his face, yet he've got no reaction.

"If I dance, will you let me taste revenge?" I asked

I started to pull the chains and dance in the harmony of my bells, he never woke up. I took care of him and let him drink and eat through me because he never chew his food nor drink the water directly. I wonder if this is what anger means like what the mother and father of a child said when they were shouting.

After I woke up, he's gone. I don't know how did he lost or maybe moon mother took care of him because everything moon mother did and said will always be out of love for the children like me.

I started my journey again because he's gone. Maybe other villages will know what kind of water that revenge he said, tasted like. Sun and then moon, darkness then light. There will be no more endings on my journey and all they did was to laugh, cry or do both things. I don't really get them or how should I feel. There's also this mother and father of no child who told me I was an orphan which I can't think of the meaning, because moon mother never told me about that.

I told them that moon mother was with me and the mother cried saying, it will be alright because you have us with you. They give me warm which then they told me it was a hug given to someone you love. I wonder if that boy I took care realized that I hugged him to warm him up, yet, I felt like I cheated him instead. I don't release warmth because I'm a child of moon mother. But, I have a good sleep with him. I wonder if I could get that sleep someday, too.

The next day, the village was turned to ash and I have to move again. I just don't get why did mother and father left me behind. Is it because I danced that badly? I can't remenisce what had happened on that night or if they pampered me with love like that hug. All I can remember is that it was all red and sticky. It smelled stinky, yet I think I've been immuned by it.

Day after day, it always happened. Until I've gotten to a spot where moon mother told me to stop.

"Why? Did I made a mistake, moon mother?" I asked

"No, darling. This is my home, thus, it will be a home for you" she replied

It was the color of the earth, cold yet I felt comfortable because moon mother once lived here. There was a small pool at the end of what moon mother called a cave. She insisted that I must bath everyday and soak my body.

It was painful. I always shouted in agony. Moon mother told me to stop all those noises and endure it, if not, I'll be exiled. I asked her what exiled means, but I received no response at all.

Later on, I found my body changing. My chest became bigger and kind of soft. My legs grew long but, as I my body grew, the same goes for the pool who became deeper and way hotter than before.

Finally, moon mother talked to me. She told me my next goal is to find the Blessing of Light. The blessing that she once told me, if I have, I can finally meet her. All I have to do now is to dance with him and let moon mother recognized it.

As I walk to a new path, I wonder if I can now taste the water the boy once said. Will the blessing know what revenge tasted like? I wonder if he also have those warmness that mother, father and that boy omitted. This time, I will make sure that when I dance with him, I will ask him directly if I my dance was the reason why people left me ot is it ugly. I will surely tell him about my adventures to finally found him. I wonder what kind of being will he be. Will he be humans on the village? an animal? a pig? a rabbit? or a beast? Well, it doesn't matter, because what moon mother told "soon", I think it is near.

I ended up getting lost in the forest, some wild animals were so afraid of me. Even that giant beast with big paws and sharp teeth hid when I walked onto her cave. I also played with her children and she almost cried out not knowing if she'll throw me or just let me. Then, I decided to leave.

As I walked on the plains, some mercenaries of goods passed by and asked me if I want to ride. I rejected them because mother of one village said to never accept rides. They'll deceive me and sell me in a high price. Those words that were really out of my vocabulary, yet I understand that I must reject.

They forced me which ended that I just allowed them to make me company. They told me that it will be dangerous especially at night, because some thieves and goons might kill me on the road. I don't think they could kill me because moon mother will protect me, I said. He tapped my head and just laughed on what I said.

I watched how the changes of the sky did until I saw the crescent moon, imagining that moon mother is watching somewhere close to it. The man told me to rest for a bit, but I just can't because the moon was inviting me to dance on its light.

I hid on some place near the group where the old man who asked me to join the ride slept. I started the sounds of the bells. I made my body harmonized as the rythm of the place enveloped me. Then I've heard a loud shout on the area where I left. I ran to help only to saw a group of people holding the old man on his sleeves.

"Give us your goods" the biggest one exclaimed

"This is all we have, Mr." the old man answered

"These were just a bunch of trashes. You don't even have a girl to spend the night!" he said

I feel sorry for the old man so I find something to disrupt his death and so he can run away. I found something similar

to my chains. It's a pity that the moon isn't on its full, if only it is, I can just use my own chains to make them bleed. I went down the cart and stood in front of them. They threw the old man and looked at me devilishly.

"You're good at hiding your granddaughter, but she presented herself" the big one said

"RUN!" the old man shouted

The other men kicked the old man and that made me feel something rashing all over my head.

"Leave him alone or you'll spill all of your blood" I told him

He laughed and acted as if it scared him. The old man never stopped shouting "run", so I answered that he should be the one to run because I can stop them with the chains I found on his cart. He just cried more awfully as the other men kicked him until a loud bang made my whole body tremble. The old man stopped screaming.

"He's dead?" one of the men with thinnest body questioned

"I think he is" the other one replied

I saw the red water flew on the old man's head that was hit by the nearby rock. It was oozing all over the old man's body and I felt pity because he wore a white shirt which mother said was the hardest to wash.

"Boss, he's dead!" the other man with a metal piercing on his lips declared

"Your grandfather is dead" the biggest one which named Boss said looking at me

I think he expected me to do something that's why he looked like somehow disappointed or confused. I looked at him and just let my guard down, because it will be useless if they can't hear my bells.

"Nevermind, I expected you'd cry, seems like he was not a good family after all. Come here, Little Kitty. Let me take care of you from now on" Boss said

"I'm not the child's cat kitty." I innocently said and all of them started laughing

"Such an innocent kid. It's a pity she'll be somebody's slave soon" Boss murmured

"Boss, why don't we just use her? Look at her. She has all it takes. May be she know how to dance or sing, let's make money out of her" the man said that looked like some kind of reptile because his tongue was out

"Yes, I think so too" the fat man motioned

"Then it is solved." the Boss finally decided

"Do you know about the myth?" I asked them

They looked like good people instead. They were concerned on me. Somehow, I sensed relief though I don't get the other words they have said. I'll work now so moon mother won't be disappointed.

"What myth?" the Boss asked and sit

"It's about the moon's child and blessing, do you by any chance know what that blessing is?" I replied

"It's just a fairytale. I thought you'll tell something. Follow me. You'll work the next day as we arrived on our destination" he said

I obeyed. I saw the shock on the other men's face and it was kind of uncomfortable, I think. They rode the cart of the mercenaries and let me sleep at the old man's cart. I wonder how do humans produce those kind of water. I'm curious if I can do that too. I looked at my wrist and started cutting it with knife. The thinnest man shouted and all carts stopped moving. The thinnest man which later I heard named Mark, hid the knife and stayed watch on me the whole time.

He gave me food and laugh with the others. We're still on the plains and I don't know when can I vividly see a new village. I exhaled a deep sigh. Mark sat next to me and gave me water.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather" he said

"Does the old man told you his name is your grandfather?" I asked, he laughed

"No, your means you own something. Grandfather is filial" he explained

"But I only have moon mother as my family" I said

"So she sold you to that man, therefore she's not a family" he mentioned

"How do you say so?" I asked

"A family never sell his own to gain money" he said

"Then, is boss your family?" I asked again

"He bought me, saved me from hunger so I think he is. That will be the same for the others as well as to you" he said looking at boss who's laughing near the others

"But you will sell me too?" I said

"We won't, everyone here has a role. Boss helped us and guide us on what to do. That fat one, Max, he is the cook. He's good at it, so everyone got a satisfactorily food everyday. The one with lips piercing, Aaron, he's good at knife. He's agile and can easily release killing intent which made our foes back down..."

Mark never stopped talking at all. He told me different stories of the other men on the group. I wonder if they will help me if I told them that I'm on a journey so I asked Mark. Then before I told my goal, he just smiled and said that I should tell it later to everyone. He told me everyone will be pleased to help me because I am now a family. That night I get all what it takes and stood up.

"I want to know where the blessing is as moon mother instructed" I started

Everyone looked at me confused of what I'm saying and I don't get why they made that kind of expression. Then Aaron came from his scouting shouting, ENEMY.

"Everyone prepare!" Boss exclaimed and everyone got sharp objects and circled protecting Boss and me

"It's suffocating" I whispered

"I'm sorry, you just need to keep up. We must protect everyone" Mark said to me

"But they are soft and squishy. I can make them bleed without those things you're holding" I said

Then everyone looked at me and get back to attention while laughing.

"Kid, you're a girl. Soft and fragile, how can we let you make them bleed. We are no man if that's real" Boss said

I stomped off my feet and stepped on Max back which made him twitched. Boss then get me and put me on his shoulders as those goons encircled us. We are fewer than them.

"Just watch my boys, kid. You must know that ladies don't fight, instead, men protect them" Boss told me

I then wonder if the blessing can protect me too. Will he treat me as a lady? Can he be a family? If he is a beast maybe, I can rely on him. But if he was a man like them, then I'll make him my lady. I laughed as I thought of it. Yet, I beast can kill his own family so I must hope he's not. Whatever it takes, I must find him for moon mother.

"They have a girl!" the bald man said

"She's hot" the other man with a brass knuckles added

"The knuckles can be broken when hit by a rock, can someone give me rock?" I asked

"Are you blind? This brass knuckles is brand new! Look it is smooth" the man with knuckcles debated

Boss ordered someone and gave me the rock. The other goons laughed at us.

"Look how disgusting your group is! Following a girl and the late boss becoming her throne" the muscular one said

I threw the rock inside his mouth before he closed it. It almost choked him. Mark and the rest laughed on how he tried to remove the rock.

"The one who talked much got bird's poop on his mouth" I said and they laughed again

The muscular one got really irritated and looked at me sharply.

"Do you still need more rocks? I can get you more" Boss asked me

I just shook my head and shrug. Boss laughed on what I did and the others smiled at me. I wonder if the story Mark told me affected the way boss treated me. Mark told me that Boss has a daughter who died young because Boss was weak. He said that Boss suffered a lot when his daughter died on that full moon massacre. I didn't get what massacre was, but surely it was a cruel and bloody night for him. Mark said that if his daughter were alive, maybe I'm on the same age as hers which I can barely understood.

"Get the girl!" the muscular one ordered

"Boss I'm sorry for my rudeness!" I whispered and stepped on his shoulder to fly

I rolled on the grass, snatching one rock and hit the knuckles the same time. I asked Max to throw the knife to the right as I kicked the face of the bald man. That kick made me flew enough that I caught the knife, I steady myself and bowed. The cloud hindering the moonlight already passed and it lit my white ash hair.

"Can you dance?" I asked

Everyone was silenced by that question. I requested my group to step aside. I guess this will be the sound of rage. I heard the sound of bells and my chains. I lowered my head and started the fast beat of movements as I became one with the sound. I gasped my last breath and did my final move. I turned and kicked the last man standing throwing the knife above and bowed again.

"Was my dance great?" I asked them, but they were not moving

I heard a clap. It came from boss. He looked sad, or maybe surprised. Others do it too. Was clapping meant for great? I went to their place and everything turned black. As I woke up, the carts were moving.

"Good morning" Mark greeted

"Is everyone fine?" I asked

"They are. They are just somehow down to your performance" Boss answered who's driving our cart

"Wasn't my dance good?"

"It was. It really was great. You definitely made them bleed, all TWENTY-FOUR men alone" he emphasized

"Mark, was twenty-four many?" I asked

"Boss meant all the men surrounded us last night" he replied

"So many!" I shouted out of shock

"Thank you" Boss said in a low voice

"I thought that night was my last battle with them" he added

"No, Boss. Thank you for letting me be part of the family" I said and smiled

Boss lowered his head. I saw the others did it. Then I saw the water gone out to the eyes of Mark. I immediately held his face and have some of those water. I squirmed because of the taste. Mark looked at me confused then hugged me. Unlike father, he was much thinner and he's not as warm as that boy on the village, yet I hugged him back. Aaron jumped on our cart and it experienced a small quake. He pushed Mark away from me which made me confused. Mother said, if someone needs a hug open your arms wide and so I did. Aaron didn't get close so I just move and hugged him too.

The cart stopped and Boss shouted.

"Everyone, come here and give me a hug!"

Everyone laughed, but I came first and hugged him. He is a warm as father was, but is bigger than him. It's really comfortable. The others followed too like there was a candy shop giving free candies. Everyone laughed as we hugged each other.

I wonder if the blessing also has a family. Will his father hug me too if he saw me? Will his mother be comfortable on doing my hair like mother did? If I ever found the blessing, will his family be able to willingly give him to me? I want to know if this is what it feels like to be on moon mother's side. I wish I can finally understand the world as it is. I hope that when I see the blessing, we can have this kind of moments together too. I believe this is what mother of the village said filial love.