The priest worked endlessly. Waverly and Brijjet shifted turns between aiding him and watching Judson. A couple of servants would occasionally filter into the room, bringing with them spell books and healing books so the priest could figure out the necessary items to make the needed potion.

At last, he found it -  an unbelievably long list of rare plants and odd spices that grew in the dreariest parts of Dakriton. The priest sent some of his messengers along with Brijjet to travel across the realm to find them all and bring them to him. It took them five days to find and the priest two days of sleeplessness to finish but at last, he succeeded in making six different libs.

First, he performed many sacrifices to their patron god, Zakoon whom Brijjet revealed was the god of physical beauty who also had the ability to take the form of whomever he wished.

"How exactly does that type of god help Jud in a situation such as this?" Waverly whispered.

"I don't know. It sounds lame, i agree but i guess it's wise to pray to their patron deity first before performing healing. It strengthens the healing power like some kind of energy boost or something." Brijjet whispered back.

"Do you think it will wake Jud?"

Brijjet stood with his arms crossed. He kept quiet as the priest continued to chant and burn incense. Finally, he spoke again.

"I think that it will."

Waverly nodded and looked at Judson, wringing her hands together in burning anticipation. The priest said Judson had gone too deep into his trance which was why Crillion's medicine could not wake him up when she had administered it. She stared at his statuesque form that laid flat on the mat. He burned no longer but she could almost visualize wisps of smoke escaping his black wing. The vision she had seen of Judson stuck to her mind like nails hammered into a wooden fence. He had done something absolutely selfless and brave at such a young age and as a result, received both a blessing and a curse.

Waverly began to wonder why Judson could not remember most of his childhood. She wondered if that priestess had raised him after she picked him up in the meadow. But then, Judson had been traveling all his life and had found his way to Bremeton all by himself when he was only eight so she doubted the possibility. She felt sad that he had spent most of his earliest years alone and probably afraid. He looked different from everyone else (including his Shade brethren) and so it would have been difficult for anyone to take him in. Still, Judson's hardship never once hardened his heart or stained his character. He remained the most tenderhearted person Waverly ever knew.

She balled her fists in anger. She hated Nys above anything else and wanted to stuff her godly essence into a rabbit hole and seal it up with cement. As she watched the priest apply the potions on Judson carefully, she realized he did so in a near replicative manner of how Crillion had done it. He poured some into Judson's eyes, his ears, mouth, nostrils and his hair. He massaged the potion into the skin on his neck, bare arms and legs then resumed his chanting.

As the priest chanted, the room began to shake. Brijjet stood like a tree and did not move whereas Waverly had to lean on the door to keep from falling. The shaking quickly escalated from a low rumble to a violent turbulence. Items broke and toppled over, vases rolled away and wedged themselves in irregular places, doors flapped open, windows flailed and pieces of the walls broke off in tiny chunks.

The disturbance finally came to a stop. The priest opened his eyes and peered at Judson. Waverly wanted to speak but she was too afraid to do so for fear that she would interrupt the magic. For a long time nothing happened. Judson lay as still as ever and white as plaster.

Waverly covered her mouth and exhaled a shaky breath. Tears rolled down her left cheek.

"Primordial powers are at work here, powers that are older than some of the gods themselves." The priest said breaking the silence. He stood up dejectedly and brushed down his robe. "Let the gods know, i have done the best i can."

With that, the priest walked out of the room with his head down and his hands clasped together.

Waverly walked sluggishly over to Judson, each step felt heavier than the last. She knelt next to him and watched his pale face, waiting for a reaction or a change but none came. Tears kept flowing down her cheeks but she did not try to wipe them off.

"I made a promise to Pa that i would take care of you." Waverly sniffled. She remained quiet and watched Judson. His skin had begun to produce cracks like it was about to break.

Waverly's lips trembled. She placed a hand on his forehead half expecting it to roast her fingers but his skin was cool against her palm. She concluded that it was only an effect of the numerous potions. He also smelled of everything the priest had mixed into the potions. Still, Waverly could distinguish that faint smell of jasmine that always hung about him. It was so faint that she believed she had only hallucinated the odor.

Judson suddenly grew warm and his skin turned peach and smooth. His eyes flung open and he looked at Waverly.

"I am thirsty." He croaked.

Waverly, who had not even noticed Judson was awake, retracted her hand in a second of shock.

"Jud!"

She yelped for joy and pulled him into a tight hug. "I am so glad you woke up."

Judson groaned and let out a weak laugh. "I still am thirsty."

From beside Waverly, someone stretched a water flask to him. It was Brijjet. Judson accepted the flask and drank from it.

"Good to have you back." Brijjet said calmly.

Judson gazed at Brijjet for a while then at Waverly. "How long was i. . . ? "

"Does not matter. I thought i would lose you forever." Waverly said smiling. Her face was wet with tears.

"No. That would be tragic." Judson said. He glanced at Brijjet again, his peachy skin brightened. "Thank you for your aid."

Brijjet nodded. "Happy to be of service." He stood up and walked over to the table to pick up his bow. "I should tell the priest his effort was not in vain after all."

With a slight nod, Brijjet left the room.

"What happened?" Judson asked. The Shades had relieved him of his cotton clothes so he wore simple ones that made him look more like his old self.

"I will tell you everything but first, you must wash. You were smeared with a lot of things." Waverly said. She helped Judson to his feet and took him first to the priest. The old man's eyes lit up with excitement.

"I knew i could do it." He stated with glee whilst smushing Judson's cheeks between the palm of his hands.

Brijjet gingerly relieved the priest's grip from Judson's face. "Yeah okay. We just woke him, we don't wanna smush him into soft center."

"The High Priest would be so glad to hear it was a success." The priest said with glee.

"Wa-wa-wait? You mean to tell us that YOU AREN'T THE HIGH PRIEST?" Brijjet asked, his eyes widened in surprise.

The priest shrugged. "No. I only wish. I am just a junior priest but i know a lot more than the rest of us here."

"Then why on earth didn't you take us to the High Priest instead?" Brijjet asked.

"Because he is too old to see or hear or even speak." The priest revealed gleefully.

"But you mentioned that you were about to report the news of your progress to him." Waverly noted.

"Indeed i was. He is the High Priest and he deserves to know." The priest said. He went to an old wardrobe to pull out a cloak and a hat.

"He's senile. You just said so. He's deaf and dumb and blind. What point is there to even. . . . " Brijjet inhaled deeply and put his arms up. "You know what? I gotta go take a bath."

He scoffed and walked out of the room.

"You two need to wash too. We must all go to see the High Priest. He can give you some advice about your coming journey." The priest said.

"What journey?" Judson asked. His voice was still weak but he looked fine.

Waverly took his hand. "I will explain that also to you but after. Come."

Two Shades led Waverly and Judson to their respective rooms. They fetched hot water for them, found new clothes too and served them a tray of fresh fruits cut into dices. Waverly was more curious to know how they managed to dice bananas. The Shade that attended to her was much younger than she was. She had wings the color of ember and her eyes were large and droopy. Waverly stared at her in awe as the girl moved around the room.

She had seen Gypsy Daks - Shades with Gypsters as their parents or ancestors but she had never seen an Elven Shade before (besides Judson himself but Judson lacked prominent Elven features).

The girl was as tall as Judson but she revealed in her tiny singsongy tone that she was only nine years old. Her name, as she shyly revealed, was Isabeth.

"Why are you serving in the temple so soon?" Waverly asked. She wondered if the girl's parents approved of her presence in the temple since children could not serve there until they were at least eleven or older.

Isabeth's wing twitched. Her head dropped so low that it almost touched the tray she carried. "Mama says i will be High Priestess one day."

Waverly relieved her of the tray. "I am sure she is right."

Isabeth's eyes brightened. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You believe it?"

Waverly nodded. "I truly do. Do you know which deity you will serve then?"

Isabeth frowned. Her eyebrows were so straight that they showed no movement when she did. "Mama says he has not been appointed yet."

Waverly jerked her head backwards in confusion. "A god that has not been appointed yet? Do the gods have to get appointed first?"

The door opened. "Of course. Well, most of them do." Waverly looked up and found Brijjet leaning against the doorframe. His hood was gone revealing his curls. They stretched down to the dip in his back. His face mask was still on but he had shed most of his armor. Waverly realized the sleeved part of his armor had only been a jacket. Underneath, he wore a plain silver vest. A thick belt was wrapped around his waist where his green pouch hung from.

Waverly caught herself staring at him for too long. He was elegantly tall and without too much clothes on, he looked almost delicate. There were only a few traces of the popular canonical manliness in him.

"Your master says to bring the offerings immediately, Izzy, tut tut, off you go." He said shortening the girl's name. Waverly wondered how he had learned it. Isabeth turned and scurried out of the room in panic as she had forgotten she was not permitted to waste that much time attending to her guest.

Waverly stood. The dull room seemed to brighten as Brijjet walked into it. His hair, she realized, was wet from his bath and he smelled roseal. He walked over to the chair by the window and sat on it. He leaned forward and rested his hands against his knees. His blue eyes bore into the evening weather.

"So, you wanna tell me what priesty means by all that talk of a special time and whatever?"

Waverly sat on her bed facing Brijjet. He turned to face her and she felt her mouth go dry. She was not entirely sure if what she felt toward him was just high admiration or a budding attraction. His skin was snow white and silky.

"A year ago, my mother warned of a war that was to come. I believe it has already begun." Waverly revealed.

Brijjet looked away. "What kind of war?"

Waverly sighed. "A repeat of the old days, she says, The Great War of Realms."

Brijjet scoffed and turned to Waverly. He seemed to be unsurprised by the news of a war. "Uh huhn. And what do the gods plan on doing about it?"

"I do not. . . ."

"You ever wonder why the first war lasted that long? A thousand and forty five insane years of pain and suffering with no interference or help of any sort from the gods?"

Waverly swallowed. She did not understand why Brijjet was so angry all of a sudden but she suspected that it had something to do with his mother.

"It's because they don't care. They're selfish. They only show up when it's convenient for them and they do stuff just because they want to and not because they have to."

"You have a hatred for them?" Waverly asked.

Brijjet looked away hesitantly. "Not all of them. There's a few that aren't that bad. Jolan for example."

"The goddess of peace?" Waverly asked.

"Yes. She saved me once. A long time ago. My own mother couldn't do anything. She let me suffer because it was necessary."

"What?" Waverly blinked.

"Just a bit of warning before we travel to Enton. The gods will always have a personal agenda. Don't be too surprised if they tell you that you have to lose an eye or a limb to get somewhere or something just because it's necessary. Believe me, it's not. They do everything for their own satisfaction. A bunch of. . . ." Brijjet held back and began to tap a stick rather impatiently against his palm. It was one of the sticks burned for incense.

"I used to not believe in them myself once." Waverly added. "Until i met my mother."

"Yeah? How was your life before that, huh?" Brijjet asked without looking at her. The weather darkened even though it was early evening. The stormy clouds cast a greyish gloom across the city.

"I cannot say but i did find some peace when i was reunited with Selene."

Brijjet nodded. "Good for you." He heaved out a sigh and Waverly felt all the tension leave the room.

His voice took on a lighter, less annoyed tone. "So, if this war comes, how do we know whose side we're on? I mean, the last time Outcasts were some of the troublemakers, naturally."

"I am afraid our enemies are not all mortals." Waverly stated.

"How do you know that?" Brijjet asked.

Waverly shut her eyes momentarily. Oculmus's blurry image floated through her mind, cackling like a wild beast. "I have seen them."

Brijjet seemed to understand. He nodded and stood up. "Whichever way it goes, i do hope we're on the same team."

Waverly smiled and nodded. "We are."

"We leave in ten minutes even though priesty can see how bad this weather is. I'm sure it'll only get worse."

Brijjet walked out of the room leaving the small stick right where he sat. Waverly inhaled deeply. The smell of roses still lingered in the air. It somehow made her smile to herself.

"I am afraid to ask what you find amusing. Can i come in?" Judson asked. He stood by the door like Brijjet had done but his wings prevented him from leaning against the frame. He looked clean and his brown hair was back to all its curly glory.

"Yes. We have to talk." Waverly said. Judson sat where Brijjet had been. He picked up the stick and admired it.

"Can you make it. . . ?" Waverly began.

Judson looked at her then back at the stick. He seemed to understand what she meant. His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration as he stared at the stick then tiny leaves began to sprout from it until he held a new plant.

"Balsam!" Waverly gasped.

Judson nodded. A look of satisfaction spread across his face but it died instantly when the plant suddenly shriveled to dust. The stirring wind took its remains out the window.

"Useless." Judson sighed. He sadly bowed his head.

"It will be fine. We will find a way to heal you. We already have." Waverly comforted.

Judson looked up hopefully. "You have? How?"

Waverly stood up from the bed and walked to him. She knelt by his side. The wind was now stronger than it had been and the clouds thickened with lightning. "The priest says we have to travel to the realm of Light."

Judson frowned. "Enton. No one can go there without being summoned by a god and besides, it is the most difficult thing to travel to a realm of power, nearly impossible. You know this."

"I do but we have to try. We have to heal you so you do not get worse." Waverly said.

"Get worse? How worse can i get? Whenever i fall asleep, i do not recall anything. It is just darkness and more darkness. It is almost like i have fallen into a place of no return." Judson stated.

His face was no longer pale but the weather made him look that way. "No one even knows what is wrong with me. I do not know either."

Waverly wanted to tell him right away but for some reason she held her tongue. How would Judson feel if he found out that his burden had come because he did something good as a child? All his life he had believed that good deeds attracted only good rewards but were he to discover that his good deed was what caused him to suffer now, he would be dispirited.

"I pray to my mother sometimes." He confessed staring blankly at his hands. "I ask her to tell me how to make it go away."

"And?" Waverly inquired with a glint of hope. "What does she say?"

Judson looked out the window. His face tightened. "Nothing. She has never spoken to me or tried to meet me. Not even once. I feel she does not hear me and even if she did, she does not care."

Lightning flashed against the city like the sky was about to break apart. For a second, the eerie light against Judson's face made him look oddly similiar to someone Waverly had seen somewhere else but she thought nothing of it. After all she did not know a lot of people.

Waverly pondered on Judson's words. Brijjet had also just told her the gods did not care and that they were selfish. Was Juniper also selfish to the extent of ignoring her own son in his time of dire need? Waverly recalled how excited Judson had been on Estoso when he first revealed Juniper was his mother. He had loved the goddess long before he made the discovery but now he was not so sure if she was all he thought she was.

Waverly wondered if Selene was also selfish. The goddess had showed up just before the Cuish attacked and had warned Waverly not to fight the monster (which she disobeyed). Waverly knew she had promised not to but if she had failed to defend Judson, the bear would have killed him. Was that what was necessary? Would Judson's death have prevented something bigger?

Waverly shook the thought off.

Selene had said that Waverly would be saving herself by walking away from the challenge. Had Selene truly meant Waverly or herself? Waverly recalled the look of relief on her mother's face when she had made the promise and wondered so many things at once.

"The least we can do is try. I cannot sit back and let you suffer when i know i can do something to help. We have to travel, no matter what." Waverly said gently gripping Judson's hands. Her fingers interlaced with his. His skin turned pink and he suddenly refused to meet her eyes.

"Okay then. We will go. But what about HalfHyde? He does not know we would travel that far."

Waverly nodded. "Yes but Pa told me before we left that i find treatment for you, however and wherever i must."

Judson's eyes bulged in surprise. "He said that?"

Waverly smiled and nodded. "He cares for you as much as he does me but he is wary of showing it. I think he is only cautious that you might request to live under him."

"We both know you are enough work already." Judson stated with a half smile.

Waverly laughed. "I agree that i am. Now come on, let us go get Brijjet. We must visit the High Priest before it starts to. . . "

Outside, the clouds gave way at last and the rain poured down heavily. Judson hurriedly closed the window as bits of rain water splattered into the room.

"Too late." Judson said.

The door opened and Brijjet poked his head in. He did not sound happy. "Hey you two, priesty says we have to leave. I'm not sure he sees this rain or cares. I don't mind getting wet but i'm not moving an inch until i get something to eat."

Waverly folded her arms. "Did you not get a tray of fruits?"

Brijjet rotated his eyes like a clock as if trying to make a calculation in his head. He looked at Waverly. "Yeah i did but it wasn't enough. I'm still starving."

"You said you can survive on an empty stomach for weeks." Waverly reminded him.

"I can if i eat a good meal right before but when i get hungry, man, it's like a Triad feast. I eat a lot. "

Judson walked over to a corner the room and picked up a large straw basket. As he walked towards Brijjet, he concentrated with his eyes shut. The basket turned leafy green and began to fill itself with fresh bread, sandwiches, nuts, grapes and huge slices of roast chicken.

He handed the basket to Brijjet who stared at him with an expression that was either one of pure terror or euphoria.

"You are welcome." Judson said.

Brijjet stared into the basket then back at Judson. "No. . . freaking. . . way!"

"What is a freaking way?" Waverly asked then chuckled. "You should eat before it all crumbles to dust. Jud's power gets rusty nowadays."

Brijjet disappeared from the doorway, literally, leaving behind a blur of silver and blue.

"I think he loves food. I only transported those from the temple kitchen." Judson revealed.

"Then maybe you two have found common ground at last." Waverly added. She took Judson's hand again and led him out of the room.

The Honor of Light|
Book 02