Judson was able to weave a bag out of a bunch of thick vines that Waverly spotted growing out from a corner of the cave. It took him an hour or two as weaving bags were much harder than weaving bracelets. Waverly whiled away time by sitting on a wet rock and watching water drip unceremoniously from the cavern roof.

When Judson was done at last they packed as much food supplies as they could from the ship (which was nothing more than a few slices of bread and two bottles; one of milk, the other of water).

Before they ventured into the cave, Waverly revealed that she was worried about leaving Estoso behind.

"We cannot bring a ship with us to dry land, Waverly. You know that." Judson pointed out as he put some finishing touches to the strap of the bag.

Meanwhile, Waverly was staring intently at the ship. The top of its middle mast was high but the cavern roof was even higher and because they had sailed closer to the cave, the rocks seemed to have sheltered the ship from whomever might sail past without looking its way. Albeit, Waverly did not feel any better.

"We can always come back to her." Judson offered.

A few large drops of water fell into his hair. He moved from his standing spot but it did no good. Water still rained on him. Judson frowned up at the cavern roof and the water stopped dripping immediately but Waverly did not notice this.

"I wonder. . ." She mused quietly, biting her lip whilst staring hard at Estoso.

She climbed toward the ship and placed a foot atop the rigging then grabbed the halyards and lowered the sails. When she took hold of the original mast, the entire ship startlingly collapsed to mere water leaving only the mast which had become an oar again in Waverly's hand. She stood waist high in the water, grinning satisfactorily.

The image of Estoso's birth replayed in her mind and she shuddered in excitement.

Who was the god powerful enough to raise a ship from mere wood, wind and water?

"That. . . that could work!" said Judson, absentmindedly gaping at the scene. "How did you. . . ?"

"I do not know but the man who gave me the ship created simply it from this oar. It is a good thing that i can carry Estoso around with me now so that no harm can come to her."

"You still feel guilt over Hilda." Judson concluded knowingly as Waverly waded out of the water. Her boots made squishing noises when she surfaced, dripping wet from the waist down.

She cast a sad glance at him and walked past. "Pepinguild was kind to me. I had no right to let his boat come to chaos like that."

"Tumut was the one to blame. He caused Hilda to sink and tried to kill us." Judson comforted.

"Of course. But now we need to figure out where we are." Waverly nodded, scanning the cave.

It was incredibly large and covered in beautiful green vegetation. Tiny flowers of white and blue blossomed along the stone walls and crept into the roof. There was a single clear body of water running from a deep drain where the salty sea spilled into and became fresh water. This stream wove its the way deeper into the cave and into a sickly green forest that was not far from sight. Waverly could spot tiny colorful fishes swimming inside the stream. The sound of water trickling from above - being the only noise in the place - had miraculously seized.

Waverly looked up, wondering where the leaking water had been coming from.

"It is too welcoming." She stated, disconcerted and alarmed by the sudden serenity. Her voice echoed gently off the cave walls.  "I do not like that."

Nonetheless, she ventured into the cave with Judson and realized that the beauty of it did not end with flowers and colorful fish.

They came out of the other side on the top of a large hillside and below them a beautiful scenery spread out - there were gardens of every kind of flower blooming as far as the eyes could see; most of which were heather, orchids, bluebell, lotuses, dandelions, daffodils, roses, tulips, daisies and thistles. Many trees dotted the ground - some small and some giant; apple, sycamore, tea trees, peach and ash. Beyond the flower gardens and the trees was a wide strawberry field and a small barn where goats and sheep grazed near. Beyond that - a large lake where the stream from the cave flowed into. The lake was so far away that Waverly baffled at the possibility of how the two bodies of water reached a meeting point. The valley scenery was completely surrounded by other hills where Waverly spotted more goats and sheep and more flowers. The landscape was so peaceful that it seemed unreal.

Waverly glanced at Judson for any information regarding their current location but he shook his head, appearing to be totally awestruck.

"We have to go down the hill, there is no other way." He suggested with a shrug.

Together, they made their way down the hill where a path had been cleared to resemble a road although it was still strewn with cut leaves and vegetation. It led them through a layer of wet bushes that looked blue and low hanging trees before finally revealing the heart of the hillside.

The smell of strawberries and blueberries and cooked meat wafted through the air so strongly that Waverly felt hunger tease her stomach.

"Maybe we should still go ahead and find out who really dwells here." She offered nervously.

Judson nodded in agreement. The delicious smell seemed to have had an effect on him as well. He trudged alongside her as they approached the garden. Farther down the lake, a house that resembled a hut stood occupying a massive length of the land but with the great distance the shelter merely resembled a long strip of brown leather in the horizon.

The pair walked along the beautiful open gardens, taking their time to admire the flowers.

At the sight of any particularly rare flower or plant, Judson would pull Waverly with him and excitedly show it to her, explaining as much of its properties as he could salvage from his memory.

"And this one," He said, holding up a small plant with white and pink flowers for her to see. "It is named baby's breath. This one heals a broken heart."

Waverly cackled. "A broken heart? I do not believe that. You joke a lot."

But Judson only stared blankly at her making her smile melt off.

"Are you certain that it does indeed heal a broken heart?"

"I am and you can always test it out by getting your heart broken. Then maybe you will believe." Judson said pointing at Waverly's chest. He flipped open his bag and stuffed the flower in it.

"Oy! Nothing can break my heart." Waverly countered poking at Judson's chest when he turned round again.

A light giggle came from behind Waverly making her turn sharply.

"I would not be so sure if i were you." The intruder said. She spoke with a funny, foreign accent.

Waverly wanted to say something but the words seemed to stay stuck in her throat. She thought the girl before her was very beautiful and held a striking resemblance to the goddess Juniper. She quickly concluded that the intruder might be Juniper.

"I am honored but i am not the goddess of nature. I come not an inch close to being that wonderful." The new girl said with a playful roll of her eyes.

Her thin lips were rose red and her ginger red hair was held up in the messiest bun one can ever imagine. She wore a short orange dress with simple flowery designs on it and her sandals were made from green vines. They laced all the way up to her thighs like green snakes. Her skin was incredibly smooth but very red from excessive sunburn. Snuggled under her left arm was a straw woven basket filled with flowers she had obviously been picking.

Waverly flinched. She hated when deities read what she was thinking.

"Have you two come from the Gateway realm?" Inquired the girl.

She was young but much older than Waverly and Judson. Her voice carried a light playfulness, like the summer breeze, and her hair concealed most of her facial features. The only unsettling thing about the girl were her eyes. There were as yellow as sunflower petals with incredibly tiny, black pupils. Waverly hated to imagine just how strange those eyes would look at night.

"Yes, good miss. We have crossed from there but now we do not know where we are." Waverly said. "I should assume that this is your dwelling."

The girl inclined her head gracefully like an esteemed Lady of the High Houses in Bremeton.

"Indeed it is. My name is Tunis, the goddess of flowers and plants. This is Gabh Alde - the mouth of the Gateway's edge. I can see you travelers are worn out. I offer you the shelter of my hut and food from my field. If it would please you to follow me."

Tunis led the way and Judson happily followed. The new girl smelled like the only things on earth that he found pleasing - flowers and plants. Waverly, on the other hand, was more reluctant and so she walked behind them. Judson seemed relaxed and asked a lot of questions as Tunis led them past the gardens, the field and the barn.

Waverly grouchily listened to hers and Judson's hearty conversation. She could not entirely guess if the deity was someone to avoid or trust and she hated it. She placed a firm hand on Karya in case their host decided to change her mind and kill them instead.

The girl brought them to the house which was adorned with flowers - doors, windows, floors, roof and all - and led them inside, offering them seats in her simple living room. The chairs were the only things flowers did not touch and Waverly was thankful. She was beginning to get an itchy nose from the overly sweet smell. Tunis explained that bees could sting visitors if she were to place flowers on the chairs.

"We cannot have my very rare guests running away and screaming in pain. No one ever stops by here." Tunis joked, her tone later taking on a sad note.

She offered to cook them a meal and Judson volunteered to help thus Waverly was left alone to gawk at the impossibly glorious flower covered house. Everything was impeccably neat and almost reflected Judson's own tree house back home except that Tunis was indeed a much truer expert at plants than he was.

She had numerous contrivances made purely from plant life to assist her with various tasks. There were ornate decorations on the wall and carpet. Her fireplace was adorned with daffodils, dandelions and sunflowers creating a sort of violent clash amonst the color yellow. It made Waverly wonder whether Tunis spent all her time staring at the fireplace. If so, then it was understandable why her eyeballs were yellow.

Waverly averted her eyes quickly for fear she might get yellow eyeballs too.

There was a gentle sound of flowing and splashing water that seemed to come from everywhere. Waverly did not see it at first but after a close look, she noticed the shimmering yet translucent glass tube that ran across the walls and the roof, stretching the entire length and width of the house, twisting in such a precarious manner that Waverly feared they would break. Inside this tube was water as clear as crystal and the same colorful fishes she had seen in the cave. She wondered if these were the same ones and if they had swam all the way from the lake. The sea was salt water and the lake was fresh water. Waverly doubted the two mixed in the lake.

"Your friend here, he cooks like he invented the art." Tunis commented with a giggle as she entered the room again with Judson, both of them holding trays full of delicious meals.

They set the trays down and Waverly glared at the ornate plates filled with freshly baked bread, spiced fish, sandwiches, sliced tender fruits, milk, creamy sauce dips and some other condiments she swore she would not touch. She feared they could be poison in disguise.

When she looked up, Tunis was staring at her with piercing yellow eyes. If there had been no smile on her face, Waverly would have thought the deity was thinking of ways to cut her like the fruits on her plate.

"You find it difficult to trust me, do you not?"

Waverly gasped quietly. She had not moved her lips at all but Tunis's voice sounded in her mind - loud and clear.

Judson stopped chewing. His cheeks bulged as he stared at Waverly. "Will you eat or you are not hungry any longer?"

Waverly slowly peeled her eyes off Tunis and stared at the food. She took a cautious first bite and before she knew it, she had dug in with vigor despite herself.

Judson recounted their adventure to Tunis as they ate. The goddess sat with both hands under her chin and stared at him in awe as though he told a tale that had never been spoken in ages. At intervals, she would react in accordance with giggles, gasps or head shakes.

Waverly watched the goddess and even though it probably meant nothing, she realized Tunis was now shoulder to shoulder with Judson. She also noted that they were about the same sitting height as well. As Judson spoke, Tunis carefully slid plates of different meals to him and he would ceaselessly eat them while talking rapidly. Waverly found the latter a bit disturbing - Judson never spoke so much unless he really had to.

Tunis was doing something to him.

Waverly kept her budding suspicions in check. However, she was quick to notice a flash of pain across Tunis' face when Judson mentioned Edsel and the difficulties he gave them.

"You have been through so much." Tunis commented sympathetically after Judson was done with his tale. She placed a hand affectionately atop his but he did not flinch.

Waverly's right eye twitched in alarm. Judson hated physical contact unless he was the one reaching out. She stood up with haste.

"We must travel on immediately. We have not an hour to lose."

Something felt very wrong now and she could feel it in full swing.

"Oh, but you have just gotten here. You have to rest first and then you can continue on your journey at dawn." Tunis objected sweetly.

Judson nodded in agreement.

"We can always rest when we arrive our destination." Waverly said with a forced smile then turned to Judson, hoping he would sense the urgency in her tone.

"We need to leave, now!"

"I am truly tired." He yawned. "Can we stay for a while longer? And like she has spoken, we can leave at first light tomorrow." Judson pleaded.

He appeared to be truly exhausted.

She finally heaved a sigh and sat down in defeat. "Alright. We can stay for the night but we leave first thing in the morning."

"Oh joy! This is good news! We will have so much fun together." Tunis squealed but as she said this she looked only at Judson.

Waverly did not know what the goddess was up to or what she was excited about but she promised to not catch a wink of sleep in order to find out.

Tunis indeed treated them like true guests. She showed them around Gabh Alde which comprised of several hillocks, a waterfall and a beautiful yet entirely purple everglade beyond her village. Judson found all of it wildly interesting and for his sake, Waverly did not whine.

When they got back from their tour, Tunis made a huge fire appear in the fireplace and even though her hut had no chimney, smoke still managed to escape through the roof without effort. She offered them a nice change of clothes and a restock of food supplies for their journey then showed them to the rooms she prepared for them.

Waverly's room had been designed to resemble that of a princess's. It was all pink, peach and blue. Waverly did not complain but she hated the idea that she would not get to see Judson until morning. He had voiced how content he was with the tour before deciding to turn in early. As Waverly prepared to go to sleep - on a very nice bed piled with layers and layers of comfortable flower petals - Tunis knocked on her door and strode in.

"I hope everything is to your liking." Said Tunis who held a pair of sandals in her hand.

"Yes. Many thanks." Waverly replied.

Tunis walked forward and offered her the footwear.

"I made these. I noticed you came in almost barefooted. I do hope they fit nicely."

Waverly cautiously took the sandals and set them down near her bed. "I will try them on in the morning."

Instead of leaving as Waverly expected her to, Tunis plopped down next to her making her shift uncomfortably. The goddess smelled strongly liked the expensive, fruit scented perfumes that Elven women wore in Bremeton but hers had a breezy scent to it. As predicted, Tunis' yellow eyes were unnerving at night. They made Waverly think queasily of serpents.

"The flowers did that to me." Tunis explained in her funny accent. She seemed to place very little pressure on the words as she said them which made them sound a bit incomplete.

"What?" Waverly asked quite taken aback.

She had forgotten Tunis had the ability to read her mind. Every deity probably had the same ability. Mortals could not lie to them or think out of place. They simply heard everything.

"The flowers by my fireplace. They gave my eyes a yellow stain. I spend a lot of my free time staring into the fires." Tunis explained. Her expression was a pained one and for a second, Waverly was curious to know why.

She blurted out the question she had been itching to ask. Tunis seemed to have been living in the hillside for a long time.

"Can you not leave this place?" She asked but kept her guard up regardless of the atmosphere that had turned melancholic.

"I can." Tunis chuckled then her eyes dropped to the ground. "I only linger in hopes to see him again."

Waverly was confused for a few minutes then she realized who Tunis referred to.

"Edsel."

Tunis nodded with a weak smile. "He was my lover."

Waverly frowned and blurting out. "He is mean and insane and i dislike him. He tried to kill me. I only managed it because Judson got to me on time."

When she noticed the look on Tunis' face, she cleared her throat and whispered. "My apologies."

"He is not always mean." Tunis offered calmly.

"What happened? Why was he mean to us then?"

Waverly was not sure she wanted to know the answer to that but she had since held the impression that there was a good reason Edsel acted crazy.

Tunis sighed and opened her hand. A dandelion grew right out of the middle of her palm. Waverly thought the process must have hurt but Tunis showed no sign of pain or discomfort.

"A long long time ago. My mother asked me to visit the Gateway realm and bring news to the god in charge there. There was to be a council meeting in Enton, the realm of Light, and he was excused to leave his guard duties and attend. When i got there, i never expected to fall in love with that god. He simply made me happy, happier than i had ever been. He was kind and caring and loving. After the council, we met more often. I paid him frequent visits and created islands in the In Between so we could meet without him really having to leave the realm."

Tunis stood up at this point and walked over to the window. In the dim light of the fires, she seemed to look like the translucent water tubes on her roof.

"Edsel and i, we agreed to marry. My mother did not approve of this but she did not disapprove either. The gods were not allowed to marry one another, it was an ancient rule. I could only be his lover for as long as he wanted. Things went smoothly for us until a time when he came to me, here in the Gahb Alde. He refused to leave me. He wanted us to be together forever."

Waverly could hear Tunis sob at this point. She wanted to say something but did not know what. The atmosphere was very awkward but she kept shut.

"He forgot all about his duty to gatekeep and that was when a dangerous Zanaan crossed it." Here, Tunis' voice took on an edginess that could be likened to sharpened blades.

"She became the cause of so much chaos that the gods themselves found it difficult to control her. She almost ended our existence. Lucky enough, a way was found and the Zanaan was put in check."

Waverly found herself sighing in relief even though the events happened eons before she was born. She had no idea there had once been a Zanaan who was that powerful and threatening. She had no idea a Zanaan could be that powerful and threatening, enough to almost end the gods. She crossed both legs on the bed and listened to Tunis. There was a certain enthusiasm in Tunis' tone that made her tale worth listening to. It felt to Waverly like she was living in the story told right then.

"As punishment, Cret tore Edsel away from me and forbade him from having any dealings with me. We have remained apart for thousands of years since "

"But you never left this place because it is here your happiest memories lie." Waverly completed for her.

Tunis nodded in agreement.

"I remain here because i hope against hope that one day we might be reunited." Tunis said calmly. "But i also know our separation was because of that Zanaan. I have a burning hatred for every god's blood in the seven realms. They are a curse and nothing more."

Waverly felt her heart pound at that point. She was Zanaan and so was Judson but she suspected that Tunis had not sensed it yet. She looked at the table next to Tunis where her Karya and short sword rested.

"You know. . ." Tunis started in a dangerously slow tone. She turned to face Waverly, her pupils seemed to dilate in an attempt to focus better.

". . . You mentioned earlier that Edsel had tried to kill you."

Waverly swallowed. "He tried."

Tunis tilted her head slowly - exactly the same way Edsel had done when they first met him.

"He allows people cross the realm with permission from the Lordly Kings of their realm. Those who cross without said permission are feasted upon by the Triad and if they manage to evade the beast, they will face even greater, deadlier threats. The only time Edsel would attempt to kill is if. . ."

Tunis lifted her eyes and her pretty face turned pale as stone. "You are Zanaan."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Waverly felt herself being yanked roughly off the bed. She was brought to her knees where a huge crevice burst open on the bedroom floor, spilling sand and earth against her clothes. She attempted to scream but a fury of thin vines wrapped across her mouth, shutting them tightly.

"You might have evaded Edsel by some means of subterfuge but you will not evade me. I will kill you but i will spare your friend. I can tell now that he is also Zanaan but he is a son of Spring and i have a loyalty to the goddess of nature therefore i will not harm her offspring. I will be kind to him and i will take care of him. You do not deserve a soul as kind as his. You overlook him and even though you do not realize it - you need him more than he needs you."

Waverly realized from how the fissure widened underneath her that Tunis was trying to bury her. She struggled with the vines but they kept maneuvering around her untill she was a bundle of pain and scratches.

"No one will ever see the likes of you again. You will grow to make a very nice tree someday, maybe an apple." Tunis concluded with a giggle.

The fissure widened like a yawn and before Waverly knew it, she was plunging deep into the earth and the hole above her snapped shut.

Waverly never knew the true power of plants until she was being mercilessly dragged hundreds of leagues underground. Dust, earth, bacteria and droplets of water covered her, clouding her vision and making her new clothes rip. This rough pull went on hours and barely permitted Waverly to think of anything other than her new burning hatred for Tunis.

At last, the pull abruptly stopped. The vines slowly released Waverly but she could barely move. There was utter and complete darkness and no air. The space in the ground was only big enough to contain two grown chickens. It was not wide enough for a human being but thankfully Waverly was petite.

She struggled to look up and crustless pieces of subterranean layers broke and filled her eyes. She let out a cry and tried to reach her eyes but her arms were tightly pinioned on either sides of her.

With rolling waves of panic, Waverly realized she had already begun to suffocate. It happened sooner than she expected. She heaved and huffed with her eyes closed, attempting to focus on her breathing but the more she tried, the more she was assured that she was going to die anyway.

Tears burned in her eyes.

"Let them flow!" A silky voice whispered.

Waverly did not dare open her eyes. Her blood ran cold. Someone had spoken to her despite how deep she was under the earth. Fear gripped her so hard that she began to sob silently. She was only twelve and here she was; on a dangerous quest to find and rescue her mother whom she did not even know and now, she was buried underground by a goddess she had only met during the day. Her train of thoughts quickly derailed to Judson - she would never see him again. She sobbed hard.

He was better off without her. She thought. He deserved someone who would appreciate him and share his interests. Not someone like her, who only saw him for what he could give. This made her sob even harder. She sniffled and opened her eyes then realized that whatever had gotten in was now flushed out by tears. She also realized that she was breathing a bit better.

"Let your anguish bring you. Let your anger bring you." The voice whispered again.

Waverly did not quite understand but she felt agony both in her body and mind. The feeling grew strong that it pulled her with a violent jerk and she found herself falling again and then into open air.

The Moon Spawn|
Book 01