Declaration on the full moon

A full moon looms in the air. What effect does it have on the Earth below? Do witches gather to complete a spell? What mythical creatures come out at night?
Prompt

The moon shone like a giant silver plate in the skies, illuminating the dense dark forest beneath. Critters of the night hid underneath the trees, slunk into their holes and covered themselves up, for this was not the time to be out and about.

In the nearby village of Nishapur the old palace stood forbiddingly out, glaring at the hamlet that surrounding it. It was only eight in the evening, the owls were hooting, unknown vulpines from ledges faraway howled like there was no tomorrow. The palace was silent, the lights were turned on in only a few rooms. An outsider would not guess that it contained four dozen residents getting for dinner.

And yet, nobody made a sound.

The ladles didn't clink against the plates, there was no chatter demanding more rice, no teasing about the heaps of ghee that went on top of everything. No complaints about the oversalted tomato achaar, nobody moaned about how the green veggies were perhaps a little undercooked. The eight dozen eyes stared at the plates with great intensity, they frittered about here and there never settling at one particular place, on a particular person.

The old man in the tattered poncho cleared his throat. Eyes darted about him not a single one daring settle himself into his frail figure.

He began talking. The heft of his voice would shock somebody who were to judge the speaker solely on his physical appearance. For his arms were wasting away, his jowl sunken, one could make each individual rib through his tight shirt. The place where his fourth rib had broken uncountable winters ago was obvious.

The old man shivered.

Things are not going to be the same, he said, staring directly into their faces as they avoided making a contact with his view. I am going on a journey and in my absence everything is going to change in the outside. Our land will turn into a city I can see that, there will be outsiders who will take ownership of everything we care about. The government will interfere in our matters, the order we have established over the centuries will crumble.

He paused. The speaker took several gulps from the jug and began.

Let me assure you nothing will differ in the long term. You might think since I am gone you can go about your own ways do whatever you want. I no not want to see that when I return. I intend on returning, from the journey we're going to tomorrow, I'll be stronger and our glory will be like it used to be back in the olden days. Our family will have the same level of influence it swayed in the lands around the forest, and grow beyond.

You all know what to do. Retreat, but strategically. I have set the instructions with the lawyers and the accountants, but make sure the part of the property that has gone to you now has requirements around how it can be consumed. You cannot go about the ways of the monkeys, doing whatever you wish.

Pause.

We must maintain culture and tradition, the ways of our ancestors. The rules that have bound us for thousands of years, led us to such greatness and prosperity. You know what they are, I will not explain to you for you are not little kids.

Cough cough, somewhere at the back. Somebody else clears their throat. Sounds of people popping their fingers and arms and backs.

I will be keeping a watch on all of this, you can have my word on that. I do not yet know how long I will be gone for, but when I am back, we shall rule stronger than the Kings did back in the day. Do not give back on the family tradition, don't allow your families to get corrupted. The family is as important as all of this, our empire. Little as it may be right now, it will reach great value soon, and we will lord over it. The ways of the world will be dictated by us.

Pause. Drink of water. The thin necks contract and expand as water glugs in.

I will invite you all and let it be known when I'm back. It will take time to gather the state of the affairs. Make sure whatever you engage yourself in between now and then, you are ready to liquidate and come back to take care of the state. The people need us and our guidance. The future will be ours.