Moonlight on Vuori

""*Μιλιούνια από φαντασμαγορικές, φρικαλέες σκιές και πνεύματα έχουν μεταμορφώσει το βαθύτερο βουνό σε ένα λουτρό άυλης κόλασης. Το δολερό φεγγάρι, ολόγιομο στον αδιάφορο αιθέρα είναι η μοναδική πηγή φωτός, το μόνο μου όπλο έναντι του σκότους που έχει κυριεύσει κάθε Σπασμένο Μονοπάτι και με οδηγεί σε συνεχείς πτώσεις στο κυνήγι μου για το Λιοπύρι, το Στενό Δρόμο και τελικά το Στρατόπεδο.*""

Moonlight on Vuori is the third and final story in the Eli Tales trilogy. It was the long anticipated finale to the stories with the Eli POV amongst others, and the conclusion of his participations in The Vuori Chronicles and the Vuori stories altogether. Recounting the final showdown with the *δαιμονες*, the tale appears as a non-canon continuation and conclusion of the thread that opened serendipitously as a hint in Vuori: Tale of the Shadow Slope, explored fully in Vuori: Amidst the Groves in Liopyri, expanded upon in The Secret in the Cypress Trees and concluded in this tale.

*Word Count*: 3879

*Preceded By (non-canon)*: The Secret in the Cypress Trees

*Succeeded By*: N/A

## Release

The story released on October 18, 2019, after a long anticipated wait following the release of the second Eli Tale, The Secret in the Cypress Trees in September 2019.

## Plot

Moonlight begins with a flashforward scene, as told from the POV of the Human, who is surrounded by the Partridge of the Rain and Eli somewhere off the Evening Paths by twilight. Several hosts of fire are scattered around them, as part of a mission not yet explained and the trio is emotionally preparing for the showdown with the malicious demon spirits that have returned upon the order of the evil god of the wood, Cernounos, first appearing in The Secret in the Cypress Trees. Eli is leaving his usual quirky comments on the impossibility and the likely fatal outcome of the plan they are about to carry out, and the Partrdige retains a rather reserved, fearful approach to the oncoming events. The Human claims he is ready to face whatever challenge is waiting for them on the other side.

Earlier, the Human recounts how he was met up by Eli and the Partridge and directed to visit The Monastere, where according to the Partridge the use of the mysterious feather of its ancestors, the same one that allowed the conversation with the fox in an unknown timeline of the 8th Vuori Chronicle, Vuori: The Warehouses, will grant them access to the spirit world that lays hidden under the cypress trees at the temple. While skeptical, the Human is convinced they are about to witness the supernatural when even Eli, himself once the most realistic of the protagonists admits to the existence of plenty of maddened coincidences after the events of the previous two Eli Tales.

Eventually, the spirit of the temple's Reverent, Antonios Gremos, who is entombed amidst the flowers of garden patches near the sanctified building, appears to tell them of the predicament the Mountain is facing. He explains how the spirit of Cernounos has terrorized the woods of the Mountain from time to time and that, unless the three of them put a stop to his existence, nights on the mountain will always be teeming with horror. They listen carefully as he explains the plan he has formulated to beat Cernounos and his army, which involves the use of *phosphorus fire*, a self-inflammable substance that will expunge itself after an appointed amount of time. They are supposed to create such hosts of fire all across the Western and Eastern borders of Vuori, including the Krimnaia Ypsi, the Cypress Grove, the Evening Paths, the Korydallaia Ypsi at Korydallos Antennae and the areas beyond Kaskantami. In turn, the fires, bound by Holy Water, will keep the demons at bay and therefore force them to retreat in a circular position to the expanses of the Army Field, turning the ensuing battle to a single location instead of a mayhem all across the Vuori woods.

Following upon that, they are all meant to be equipped with branches of honeysuckle from the grown patches at The Monastere which, blessed with Holy Water too they will annihilate demons on contact. The plan appears out of hand but they reluctantly agree, and Reverent Gkremos makes one last reference to the most important of the troubles they need to address, which is the means to kill Cernounos himself. The Human listens carefully, realizing the only means, according to the ghost's words to end his existence would be to stab him with a blessed wood, but contrary to the honeysuckle, it would have to originate from the Olive Tree the Reverent had once planted atop the hill of Panagia Foinikiotissa next to the Holy Gazebo. The tree was supposed to be the sacrificial wood any pagan ritual would require to Kill the essence of a spirit, and would therefore constitute the sacrifice of any other living being useless since the Reverent was already deceased. With such ambiguous notes on religion and the mystical nature of the pagan religion as opposed to the Christian beliefs of the priest, the teams sets off, armed with their weapons and the knowledge of the plan to save the Mountain.

The description shifts to an animal POV, the last Eli POV in the series, and follows Eli in his exploration of the urban woods and the knolls in Korydallos to start the fires. Various locations previously appearing in the Chronicles are re-visited here, including the Korydallos Antennae, the rails and relay telecommunication networks, the expanses dealt with in The Charms of Vuori and many more. When the mission is complete above the plains of Chaidari, the narrative switches back to the Human for the final showdown.

Having completed his share of the mission at the Eastern borders, the Human has been left behind to deal with the rest of the areas, while the fox den forces, the partridge covey and the rest of the animal defenders of the mountain have already been facing off the immeasurable forces of demons at the Army Field, under the elusive moonlight and the scant light of the Final Antennae. When he arrives at the scene, he is struck by torrents of demons and a frenzied battle ensues, in which he frantically looks for Cernounos. Eli has been slaughtering masses of demons on his own, and the Partridge is surrounded by masses of enemies. Cernounos' sinister form appears , horned and blackened at the woods around the Warehouses above the Army Field, but does not consider the possibility of a hit from the darkened woods behind him. This is where the Human surreptitiously dashes into and re-emerges to strike the evil god with the Olive Wood, destroying him once and for all, but not before his crumbling body gives off vast amounts of resurrected spirits and demons for the Vuori troops to face, laughing even when reduced to ashes.

The Human is struck down by the innumerable forces and looks upon the bitter scenery dazed. The Partridge forces are decimated, Kili and Balin are slain and Eli is taking all the forces upon him, ironically shouting bravely and triumphantly, willing to sacrifice everything for the mountain. In the hazy debacle, the Human sees Eli leading the entire sea of demons right behind him and all the way to the slope of Zacharitsa, where on top of it the biggest fire host was previously set. He screams for the glory of the mountain, killing thousands of demons and standing proudly at the gates of the fire core. Every demon that touches it vanquishes from existence, but not before they each fatally hit Eli who is standing right before them.

Finally the Humans' vision clouds completely before the Partridge of the Rain comes to his assist, and after screaming to Eli he should be with him- to which the fox replies someone has to stay behind and tell his tale. He then spots the brave Reynard being consumed and lost amidst the attacking forces, never to be seen again, but effectively evaporating every last one of the demons before the flames go out, under the ghostly light of the moon. Thus, the prophecy that he would say goodbye to the Mountain facing the mysterious forces is finally fulfilled.

The following Dawn the rosy colors reign once more above Vuori and the Mountain is free once and for all from the malicious influence. Several accounts of the animals are mentioned, and Selena appears to be nursing little fox cubs, speculated to have been Eli's. Time is assumed to have passed between the various visits the Human makes back to the mountain, and yet no one has heard of Eli again. While rumors run wild about potential sightings of his presence across the Long Road and the Evening Paths, it is ambiguously confirmed that Eli did indeed die, after a skeleton matching his physique with remnants of his fur is found at the exact site of the flames close to the Final Antennae.

The story ends in a bittersweet note, as the Human tries to find the Partridge of the Rain which has yet again vanished after the fight. Echoing the Vuoriors' experience at the End of the Rains, the Human turns to look for it after hearing its harsh cry, but the fowl has already disappeared back into the forest.

## Style

The story belongs to the second type of storytelling, mostly told through the personal viewpoint of the Human, with an exception of an Eli Pov in the middle of the story. Teeming with nature's descriptions typical to Vuori stories, the tale explores themes of spirituality, a nod to religion during the priest's comments about paganism and Celtic rituals, as well as a historical hint to the glories of the now vanished Byzantine Empire and its flag of Palaiologi still waving melancholically atop the monastery.

The fight scenes reach a climax in the story, heavily accentuated comparted to The Secret in the Cypress Trees where action was quite more limited. The character of the Partridge is explored, more than simple appearances for the first time and the story is filled with a nostalgic feeling for the earlier, youthful years of Eli who was now old and weary, thought none the less active and passionate about his home.

Its bittersweet note echoes the rather sad, melancholic writing style of author James Kingston and the concept of the beautifully tragic that tinges most of his stories.

## Timeline

A universal timeline for all Vuori chronicles has long since proved a subject of debate. While no clear indicators are present, one can assume the presence of the mysterious Human across the stories to be that of writer James Kingston. This idea is somewhat confirmed in Moonlight on Vuori, with Eli's words to the human on the posterity of his Vuori writings. If one assumes that to be true, then the conclusion would have to be drawn for Vuori: The Warehouses and The Vuori Chronicles' finale, Vuori: Woods of Albaedinan, where an old, dying Human appears, to have taken place way later than the events of the Eli Tales.

Such speculations are, however, still unconfirmed.