When Waverly awoke, she was lying on a bed properly tucked in. At first, she was confused concerning her surroundings then everything came flooding back to her in quite a rush. She sat up and curled herself near the edge of the bed. She remembered the room, she remembered how she had left it and where she had gone afterwards. She inched backwards wishing she could melt into the wall. Her eyes trailed around the room, assessing it as though she half expected to see a large ugly lioness crouched somewhere.

There was an iron table next to the window where a medium sized jar was laid with fireflies in it. Next to the jar were a few scrolls, a writing quill, small flower vases, a tray filled with a cup of milk, bread, grapes and fish, a neat napkin and two swords; one long and green, the other short and wooden. They were Waverly's blades.

Beautiful flowers rimmed around the circular window frame; buttercup, carnations and bluebells. The rest of the room was adorned with flowers enough to decorate a wedding scene. Next to Waverly's bed, a pair of sandals woven out of vines rested as if waiting for someone to slip their feet into it. Waverly sniffled and pulled the covers up to her chin. They smelled of winter's bark. The sound of dripping water and a crackling fire serenaded the atmosphere. It seemed unreal being in such a nice place after the ugly things she had just witnessed.

Waverly tried not to think but it was impossible. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she gazed pointedly at the knob of the door which was beginning to turn slowly. It slid open, rather gently, and someone's head poked in.

It was Selene's.

She had changed out of her white silk dress into a light blue one. It still had symbols of the crescent moon and stars all over it but it was much longer and graceful. She had a silver circlet pinned in the middle of her lush curls and she appeared a lot less shabbier than she was before.

Waverly stared at Selene in mild shock because her mother's skin tone was now lighter making their resemblance even more striking. She inched backward uneasily but there was no more space for maneuvering as her back was already plastered against the wall. Selene came over to her and sat on the bed. She held a greyish vial in her hand.

"I will not ask if you are alright because with what you have just survived, it is impossible to be alright."

She handed Waverly the vial. "Drink! It will calm you to an extent."

Waverly accepted the vial and drank from it. It tasted like a freshly made concoction and reminded her of the one she had received on the raft in the Gateway realm. She longed to have a taste of that one again. The effects of the medicine kicked in almost immediately. It settled her nerves a lot more than she expected it to but it did nothing to clear off the tiredness she felt. A ghostly type of weight rested on her shoulders that made her turn at every instant fearing Oculmus was behind her.

"Do you feel. . . better now?" Selene asked noticing her uneasiness.

Waverly stared at her. "Why do you appear different now?"

Selene lifted a questioning brow then realized what Waverly meant. She looked down at her bare arms as if checking for spots.

"I have not yet bothered to master control over this ability of mine. It is called Plecteri."

"Plecteri?"

Selene chuckled. "Yes. You see, Plecteri is the ability to alter aspects of one's appearance but it is a dangerous thing."

"Why is that?"

"Well, Plecteri is a delicate power and i was the first one to possess it. Now, a lot of other deities have it. It can be used for deceitful purposes, Waverly and that is what makes it dangerous."

"How were you not able to master it if it was yours originally?"

Selene hummed. "I am afraid it always escaped my notice and happens whenever it wants to. I do like it nohow and yet i do not feel the change take place."

Waverly nodded and buried her face halfway into her knees. She inhaled the sweet smell from the covers and shut her eyes. Her mind threatened to combust from all the things she had seen.

"Waverly." Selene started calmly but she did not look up. Her eyes remained glued shut.

"I must thank you for your selfless bravery. What you did in The Abyss. . ."

Waverly opened her eyes but she kept them focused on the sandals near the edge of the bed. She hated to think of that dreadful place and all the horrifying creatures that lived in it.

". . . no mortal has ever done that before. Even i could not have done that. Do you recall anything?"

Waverly sighed shakily. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She felt paralyzed by the amount of fear that was starting to grip her. The effect of the concoction suddenly wore off like oil slipping off the edge of a table.

Selene placed a hand gently on her hair.

"You can choose whether to talk to me about it or not but i wish to share this burden with you. You have bought the whole world a lot of time. The seven realms will have a chance to prepare for the Emperor of Chaos because he will not be so easily defeated. You are a hero, my daughter."

"I do not wish to be a hero." Waverly sobbed, her voice breaking. She wiped under her eyes with the covers. Selene stroked her arm affectionately.

"I only left home so that i could save you."

Selene smiled warmly. She climbed atop the bed and engulfed Waverly in a tight hug.

"You have done that and more. Even if you do not wish to be a hero, you are one to me."

Waverly savored her mother's embrace for a long while then wriggled away slowly. She sniffled and looked up at Selene. "Where is papa?"

Selene's face darkened. Her eyes became momentarily silver. She looked over at the window where the moonlight illuminated the garden behind the house.

"I do not know, Waverly."

"Will you at least. . . tell me what happened?" Waverly asked.

Selene sighed. The tattoo under her eyes glowed sharper. "I met your father some thirty years ago."

Waverly frowned. She was not really good at calculations but she was certain her age was only twelve. She kept quiet nonetheless urging Selene to carry on with the story.

"He was the most adamant believer in Hil Amra-Vir Alluna."

"What is that?" Waverly asked.

Selene smiled and took Waverly's hand. "It is what mortals of old called the place where they used to worship me. The Temple of The Moon. It is rarely used these days. Your father was the last one to oversee the Temple."

"What was he like? Was he anything like my Pa?" Waverly asked again.

She realized Selene might not know whom she referred to as Pa but the goddess laughed heartily and knowingly. Her teeth shone so bright it looked like they blended into each other.

"HalfHyde is a good man which is why your father left you with him. Your father was very kind, considerate and yet very stubborn."

Selene had a wistful smile on her face as she spoke. Waverly was grateful that the memories of her father the goddess had were good ones.

"Even when the entire realm was against him, even when they casted him out - he still held a strong belief in me."

"Is that why you came to him?"

"Well, partly. I had overheard a couple of gossips in Enton saying i had a crazed follower. News of your father's behavior spread even to the realm of the gods."

"Really?" Waverly asked with a gasp. The story of her father was beginning to make her relax.

Selene chuckled. "Indeed. I came down to try to talk him to a diminish."

"But was it not good a thing that he believed in you so much?"

Selene sighed and slowly stroked Waverly's hair. "My dear, sometimes even a good thing when done in excess can be bad. Your father had no idea he had cultivated an obsessive sort of devotion to me. His faith pulled me to him and away from my duties. I had no choice but to go. I thought i could run back just as quickly."

"Why did you stay?"

"There were a lot of reasons, dear. One thing was that a foul creature attacked me and your father saved me from it. I was wounded and he tended to my wounds. He would not let me leave until i was back to good health. Staying with him made me see just how much good things there were about me."

"How?"

"Your father sang my praises every day. He did not know i was the woman he worshipped. He highlighted all my greatest deeds, the kindness and love i had been identified with that even i had forgotten about. He made me believe in myself again even though the world was already forgetting about me. I stayed with him because of this."

"Did you want to have me, mother?" Waverly avoided Selene's eyes as she spoke.

She realized with a little bit of uneasiness that her mother's multicolored eyes looked unsettling.

Selene chuckled and lifted Waverly's face. "I had to have you. I had achieved many great things over thousands of years. Having you was my greatest blessing. . . but it was also my undoing."

Waverly frowned deeply. "Oculmus. He sensed my birth. That is why you had to leave."

Selene smiled weakly and nodded. She knew that absorbing Oculmus' essence had showed Waverly certain things including the things she was not allowed to see.

"I had to leave so he would not find you. My actions triggered a lot of mistakes. Your father was distraught because he had no knowledge of where i had gone. He left you with the Elf and tried to search for me. . ."

Selene swallowed. She looked truly hurt.

"What happened?"

"Did you not see?" Selene asked quietly. Waverly shook her head in response.

"Oculmus captured him and requested me to come rescue him myself. He knew it was the only way to hold me captive and the one possible way to get to you, see. He needed a way to rise again."

"Why did you go to him if you knew this then?" Waverly asked.

A lot of things seemed complicated to her. She understood that the world worked like that. HalfHyde had once told her that the balance of things, despite being widely accepted, was beyond human understanding. If one made a mistake, it created a chain of events that would go on forever. If one did something good, it also created the same effects. She was beginning to see that in her mother's story.

"I had to. I knew in my heart that one day, you would come to challenge Oculmus and you would defeat him in his agenda."

"What did he do to papa?" Waverly asked. She felt like crying but the tears were so hot in her eyes that they instantly dried up.

"Whether he turned him into one of his creatures or killed him, I do not know which. Stump did not deserve any of the things he was made to suffer."

"Stump!" Waverly muttered. A memory came back to her. The strange hooded man on the raft had called her Ms Stump repeatedly. He had known who her father was.

"That was your father's name. You are just like him, Waverly. You are a good person and i want you to always believe that. Show it too. Your heart is the strongest weapon you have. If anything were to happen to it, the only other thing you have as a recourse is your brain."

Waverly nodded. "I have heard you mother. But i still do not understand one thing."

Selene nodded, urging her to ask whatever question she had in mind.

"I know you had the power to leave that place but you remained. Why?"

Selene chuckled. "I had the power, like you say but my greatest weapon was broken. My brain was befuddled and this caused my power to weaken. I had no comforter, my will to continue to exist, to keep fighting - i let it leave me. I was only ready to give up. That is the difference between you and i, you see. Even though you had a million reasons to turn back - to abandon your quest - you still persevered. When i saw you, my faith was restored. I found strength again. Even the gods, Waverly, can be rendered impotent which is why we need mortals. You lot are made of tougher stuff than we think."

"I understand mother. I am glad i did not give up. All i wanted was to see you."

"But why, you did see me all the time."

Waverly tilted her head. "No i did not."

"Indeed you did, Waverly. You gazed upon me every night, you know this. You allowed me a chance to watch you grow even when you did not know who i was yet."

Waverly stared bewilderedly at her mother but also in awe. She had indeed gotten her greatest wish after all - she had come face to face with the moon at last.

"Before i forget, there is someone who very much wants to see you. He was quite adamant on speaking to you first before i did." Selene announced whilst standing up. She was indeed very tall. Waverly wished to be as tall when she grew up.

"Who?"

Just then, the door opened and standing in the doorway was Judson. He wore a bright red shirt with the large image of a cherry threaded ontp it but that did not hinder his many pockets. His hair had been neatly combed so that it lost a lot of curls and was falling over his face. When he saw Waverly, he smiled in relief.

"Jud!" She screamed and jumped off the bed to tackle her best friend in a hug. When she pulled away, he was frowning at her.

"What have i done this time?" She asked with a look of guilt.

"She told me what you did." Judson said quietly, reverently nodding toward Selene.

Waverly let her eyes drop to the ground in a manner of embarrassment. She had left Judson behind without a warning and it was normal that he would get upset but then again, she had left without her own consent so it was not entirely her fault.

"Do not ever attempt that again. You are no Outcast." He said firmly.

Waverly looked up and when she saw his mouth twitch, she knew he was only toying with her. "You are most welcome."

"Now come, you both. We must speak with our host." Selene said ushering the pair out the door.

They headed outside where Waverly spotted Tunis speaking to a woman dressed in an elaborate skirt of leaves. It was Nalie. The moon shone brightly in the sky, beautifying the hillside. As Waverly walked beside Selene, she saw that her mother radiated the same comforting light. She also noticed that the goddess had no shadow. She was about to point this out when Nalie walked up to them with Tunis behind her.

Waverly realized like a punch in the gut that she was standing in the midst of three powerful deities. The same deities she had regarded as mere stories. She had met two gods (the second one she did not know) and had also encountered the ancient Emperor of Chaos himself. It was a miracle she was alive with all that she had suffered through.

"My dearest. You have done an incredibly kind service to men and to the gods." Nalie said gently grappling Waverly's shoulder in appreciation. Her light green eyes looked sharper near the fire that Waverly could now see was burning only a few feet away from the house.

"Some of us, sadly have been unappreciative of this kindness."

Nalie looked at Tunis pointedly. The goddess walked over in her orange flowery dress but when she came closer, Waverly realized the dress was plain. Tunis bowed to Selene in respect.

"Did you have something to say to redeem your foolish and disgraceful act, Tunis?" Nalie scolded gently. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at her daughter from the corner of her eyes.

"I apologize for my disreputable behavior towards your daughter, My Lady." Tunis said to Selene. The way she fidgeted with the hem of her dress suggested that she was afraid but the goddess showed no anger.

"You owe me no apologies, Tunis." Selene said calmly.

Tunis turned to Waverly. Her expression was unreadable. She had flowers in her hair that was now braided at the roots.

"Forgive me for how i treated you. It is a disgraceful thing for a deity of Enton to mistreat one who has done her no wrong. I release your friend back to you and bid you a safe journey back to your realm."

Waverly was not sure if the others felt it but something in the air changed drastically. It was like the entire universe was holding back a sneeze, a very large sneeze for that matter and it would let it out sooner than expected.

"I forgive you. I hold no grudges against you and i must thank you for the kindness you showed me and Judson when we first arrived in Gahb Alde." Waverly said.

"All is settled then, i say." Nalie concluded with glee. "I am so relieved things can go on smoothly now."

The goddess turned to Selene and smiled gleefully. "I am very glad to see you, my dear."

She gave Selene a long, motherly hug.

"It is good to be back." Selene replied.

"Come with me now. You must tell me everything." Nalie prodded and took Selene's hand, leading her away from the others.

Judson nudged Waverly. "Your mother is very kind. I will go and make preparations for our travel in the morning."

Judson vanished into the house leaving Waverly alone with Tunis. The pair looked at each other, an intense energy building up between them. Tunis stared on with the same unreadable expression but the way her eyes moved made Waverly believe the goddess was thinking of many other different ways to plant her.

As soon as she turned to go into the house, Tunis suddenly grabbed her arm and spun her so that they came face to face with each other.

Tunis's eyes glowed an unnatural blue when she began to speak in a low tone.

"You have caused me to be scorned before my kind, before my mother and before yours. You have made me look beneath, a scoundrel and a villain. Your kind has taken away my joy twice to render me lonely. Because of this i curse you, daughter of the moon!"

As Tunis spoke, her touch grew hot and a sharp blue glow the same color as her eyes surrounded the both of them.

"I curse you with the same curse i suffer. You stubbornly claim your heart cannot be broken? The one you love will be torn from you for all eternity. Your heart will be shattered beyond fixity. You will suffer a pain greater than you can endure and no amount of baby's breath in the earth or the heavens will heal you of it."

The blue light died off. Tunis pulled away just as Selene and Nalie appeared from behind a rise. Waverly stroked her burning arm and stared in horror at Tunis. She had felt the curse etch into her very soul.

The universe had sneezed.

"I bid you a good night, Waverly." Tunis said in a nice, friendly tone. She disappeared into the house leaving Waverly standing there, fazed and shocked.

"Dear, have you seen a ghost?"

Waverly turned and found Selene staring at her with a worried look on her face. Nalie was gone. Her mother's question seemed very literal because she had indeed seen ghosts, more than she wished to see.

"I-I think i need a little bit more rest. I have a long and tiring journey ahead." Waverly managed. Her mouth was dry from the heat and she could taste blood from a tooth in the roof of her mouth.

"I have spoken with Lord Edsel. He is now obliged to grant you safe passage as you wish."

"That sounds very assuring." Waverly said absentmindedly.

"Daughter, when you get back you must warn them." Selene said. Her voice suggested she was concerned.

"I must warn who?"

"Warn men! Nalie foresensed bloodshed. The most horrible the world has ever seen. The race of men and creatures alike must brace themselves and prepare for war. Oculmus has only been incapacitated for a short time. He will rise again and when he does, no realm will be spared."

"Who do i warn? Who would pay attention to me?" Waverly asked wearily.

Selene's eyes glowed powdery white then returned to normal. "You will be summoned by the Blue Haired upon return, a gift from the unseen makes curiosity burn. Warn the cities and towns of men, the sands of time churn backwards again."

"What does that mean?" Waverly asked looking perplexed.

"It is a vision." Selene rolled her hand as if wanting the topic to drop. "I can see glimpses of the future sometimes. You have to try. Spread the news of Oculmus' rise or else the entire world as you know it might cease to exist."

Waverly nodded. She did not need to be told twice what the world would look like if Oculmus ruled. She had seen it first hand. She touched the doorknob and made to turn it.

"Daughter?"

She turned to look at her mother. It took her a while to realize - Selene had to go as well.

"I cannot stay and you know that." Selene revealed quietly.

Waverly suddenly felt like crying. She felt she had only come all this way just to let her mother out of her own reach again but she managed to put on a brave face.

"I am aware."

"Is there anything you wish to ask of me before i go? Anything at all?" Selene asked. She wore a look on that made Waverly believe she knew something but was refusing to share.

Waverly was very tempted to tell her what Tunis had done. She wanted to ask for Tunis's curse to be reversed but held back for a reason even she did not understand.

"No. I do not wish for anything." Waverly replied.

Selene nodded. Her curls began to move. They pulled back and rolled into a large bouncy bun causing her face to become more defined and beautiful.

Waverly saw that there were multiple tattoos across her neck just like Oculmus's but she recognized most of the symbols on Selene's skin. They were Lunoglyphs.

"Very well then. I do not know when we will get the chance to meet again but if this is the last time then you must know that i love you, Waverly. More than i do anything else in the world and i am very proud of you."

Waverly smiled. Selene came forward and planted a light kiss on her lips.

"I have left you a gift back at home. Do with it what you will. Goodbye, my dear."

With that, Selene dissolved to dust.

Waverly gasped in awe. It was moon dust and it was pure silver. She tried to catch some but they only passed right through her hand until nothing was left. She inhaled deeply and glanced up at the moon. At least she could still see her mother every night where she was safe and hopefully, far from the reach of Oculmus.

She averted her eyes and remembered Tunis' curse. It sent a horrible chill up her spine. She could already feel the universe weaving out a own chain of events the same way her ship had been woven from wind and water. She dreaded what the outcome would be. She thought about the possibility of changing her own destiny, getting to a point where she could be beyond the reach of any curse or bad luck. Tunis might be a nice person in truth but she was just as dangerous as any other goddess or god. She had reached into her dark side and unleashed her anger. Waverly wondered if all the good deities also had a bad side. She wondered if her own mother could get so angry as to lay a curse on someone the way Tunis had done.

Waverly stared at her hand. It was warm now but the pain she had felt still lingered. She looked at the quiet house wondering if Tunis had ever been mean to Judson in her absence. She had a lot to tell him the next morning and together, they had a lot of things to do and study. Waverly's adventure had taught her to never take education for granted again.

"One day after another." She whispered and ventured into the house.

The Moon Spawn|
Book 01