A young girl's screams echoed through the old hunting cabin.
"Daddy!"
The cries yearned for her father's comforting embrace on that cold, well-lit night.
"I'm here, Princess. What's wrong?"
The father sat on the edge of the bed and rest his calloused hand on his daughter's quilted blankets.
"Daddy… Hic!" Her small voice trailed off into hiccups as she squirmed her way into his lap. She wrapped her small arms around his large body and snuggled close.
"Serena, tell Daddy what's wrong." He moved her away from him and bent down to look into her tear-filled eyes.
The girl fidgeted with her hands and glanced about the room nervously, still hiccupping. Eventually, her gaze rested on the lone window beyond her father's figure.
"There was something, hic! In the window. Hic!" She said as she moved her hands to her mouth and began to play with her lip.
"What did you see, Princess?" Her father said as he pulled her back into his embrace.
"There were these, hic, glowing eyes, Daddy. They looked right at me, hic!" The girl pulled at her father's shirt, clenching her hands into small fists.
"Yes, Princess? What color were these eyes? Do you remember?"
"Hic! They were orange… or maybe… yellow?" Serena pulled away and plopped her chin on her hand dramatically and squinted, furrowing her tiny brows.
Her father looked down and smiled.
"It's okay, Princess. They're gone now. Want Daddy to stay with you tonight?"
The girl looked up into her hero's face, eyes wide.
"Yes, please…"
"Want me to tell you a story to help you go back to sleep?"
The girl bounced up and down, a smile on her face, "Yes, please!"
"Okay, after I tuck you back in."
The girl settled down under the covers, and her father pulled the covers back up to her chin.
"Alright, Princess. I'm telling you the story about two clans of people who lived in this land long ago. I heard it from my Dad when I was your age."
A small face peeping out of the covers smiled up at him, eager to hear more.
"One of these clans inherited some special abilities that some believe came from God himself. These were found in a chest, long forgotten. While the other clan inherited similar abilities from the moon itself. The ones who inherited from a chest are few and far between. Once a month, they take out their inheritance to use for the glory of their ancestors. They were also granted permission to use it to defend their homes from intruders."
A small gasp came from the wide-eyed girl. The man chuckled and continued.
"Apart from their inheritance in the chest, they have nothing interesting, but with it, they can rival that of the clan directly blessed by the moon. The ones with the inheritance from the moon are a bit more emotional and prone to outbursts if not controlled. They pass the inheritance through marriage and other similar rituals."
"Like you and Mommy?"
He stroked her bangs away from her eyes and smiled.
"Yes, like Mommy and Daddy. They live apart from society and once a month will become one with their inheritance. They can control their abilities better than the other clan can, but they have the same strength."
"Then which one is better?"
"That's a good question, Princess. But that depends on which clan you belong to. I would say they are both great in different ways, and I am sure Mommy would agree with you. But one day, you will need to figure that out for yourself. Now. Time for bed. Good night, Princess." The man said as he got up from the bed and flipped the light switch. The room plunged into darkness, fed only light by the stars and full moon outside. Crickets and the occasional howl lulled the girl into a deep sleep of chests, forests, animals, and wedding ceremonies. No more glowing eyes in the window, that she could see.