Waverly tried to hold on to Judson's hand through the next phase of their journey but it proved a bit difficult. They made it halfway to the bridge of Bridge a day after at sunrise and surprisingly, Judson was able to walk on his own. In fact, he seemed much better than he had been the last few days.

He had walked up front with Brijjet who still remained as a girl. They tossed stones at each other and Briggs, who was faster, would always dodge them. Judson taught Briggs how to juggle acorns and she taught him how to walk on his hands (which did not turn out so great as the weight of his wings kept pulling him down). They held a swimming competition with Waverly as the moderator. Nobody won. Briggs turned out to be a lousy swimmer. She explained to them how she had pulled off her trick on the Outcasts.

"My mother is gender fluid." She said whilst hopping on one leg with a stick balanced on the other.

"What does that mean?" Judson inquired. His wings were still wet even after he managed to shake the water off (which left Waverly half soaked as a result of standing near him).

"It means that she can switch between being male and female. I can do it too. It's complicated but it's who i am."

"It is Plecteri, is it not?" Waverly asked.

"Yeah." Briggs nodded. "At least you get it. I sort of inherited the ability."

"What is Plecteri?" Judson inquired.

Waverly rolled her eyes. "For once i know something that you do not."

"And when i'm a girl, you have to say her and she whenever you're referring to me. You should know what to say when i'm a boy as well." Briggs added.

After that, nobody spoke about Brijjet's mind boggling ability. It was still amazing and frightening to Waverly whereas Judson accepted it as a fact. He seemed to like Briggs more than Brijjet which also made Waverly jealous. They got along so well that Waverly began to feel left out and angry.

Briggs spent so much time teaching Judson to climb. They got so noisy about it that they accidentally unleashed a Florkion - an underground scorpion. It was as large as a cow and yet incredibly lightweight. It climbed atop Waverly's back and she screamed until her throat burned. Briggs casually grabbed the scorpion and crushed its head with her bare hands like a simple bug. This left a disgusting pool of fluid smeared about her arms and Waverly's face.

"You could have squashed it farther away, you know." Waverly pointed out trying to blink the disgusting goop out of her eyes.

"Uh, sorry. Maybe next time." Briggs replied. Judson came to stand next to her then held her goo covered arm up, his face contorting in an amused kind of irritation. He muttered "eww."

"Next time?" Waverly yelled. "There will not be a next time. I have had enough with the two of you."

Waverly stormed toward the lake ahead of them to wash off the goo. The water stretched across the entire length of Dakriton and acted as a division between their territory and the bridge of Bridge. Daks hardly crossed the border so they treated it as more of an alien interference than a part of their realm.

Waverly plunged into the lake and did not surface for a long time. She was a better swimmer than her friends but she did not brag about this.

Briggs and Judson stared at the lake then at each other in complete bewilderment.

"What's wrong with her?" Briggs asked.

"I think she is vexed that we have wasted much time lagging behind instead of trying to. . . ."

"I get it." Briggs cut in. "We're just trying to have fun. I mean, a war's coming right? Who knows, this might be our last chance to have any type of fun. I don't wanna live a boring life knowing the world's gonna end anytime s. . . ."

"What is that?" Judson interrupted peering up at the clouds.

"What?" Briggs asked looking up. She raised a very sticky hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun and have a better look at what Judson spoke of. In the distance, an array of blazing objects raced across the sky. At first, Briggs mistook them for hailstones but then, the biggest hailstones she had seen were the size of snowballs made by hand. These flying balls were much bigger.

Her eyes widened in terror. "We have to get Waverly!"

She grabbed Judson's hand and ran as fast as she could toward the lake but the approaching objects intercepted. As soon as they touched down, each one released thousands of sharp tinders that immediately began to explode in every direction.

The explosion blew Briggs and Judson apart and shook the ground to its core. Trees went up in flames and a wild fire raged deep into the forest, setting everything ablaze.

Waverly surfaced from the water right before the flame balls hit and the impact had thrown her out of the river,  a couple of meters away from the forest. She stood up dizzily, gasping for air. Up ahead, thick black smoke billowed from the forest and the fires travelled deeper and deeper at a dangerous speed toward the city they had just left.

Waverly touched her ear where blood now pooled. The high pitched sound that followed the explosion was the only thing she could make out amidst the noiseless falling of trees and crackling flames. She staggered forward calling out for Briggs and Judson but her own voice had been reduced to a silent whisper. The world spun and Waverly held out her arms in a bid to grasp on to anything that might keep her from falling.

As she lugged forward, a blur of silver and blue materialized in front of her. Briggs held on to Judson who was miraculously unhurt meanwhile she had sustained a lot of tears and cuts across her armor.

"We have to go." She said taking hold of Waverly's hand. Waverly did not object. She let Briggs lace an arm across her neck and the world melted into a blur.

When the atmosphere cleared into blue skies and a warm breeze, Waverly fell to her knees. Her left side hurt badly and her head still throbbed with a painful ache. The noise from the explosion rang in only one ear now which was annoying. She turned to look at the forest but this part of it was free from harm.

A hand tapped against her shoulders urgently. Waverly looked up and found Briggs gazing towards the distance with a disturbed look on her face. "Uh, uh, i think we'll have to rest later. Nasties up ahead."

Waverly stood up and gasped at the bridge in front of them - it was swarming with Epeiras. She tried to count them but the creatures made it difficult by walking zigzaggedly into one another in a weaving pattern. There was no way they could walk past without getting caught or smashed to paste. Waverly had faced these creatures the previous year and one of them had almost weaved her into a living swaddle. She hated the memory. It was not a happy one.

"How do we get across?" Judson asked. His face and clothes were covered in soot, dirt and grime much like everyone else.

Briggs ticked her head sideways. "Well, the odds are strongly in favor of those nasty things since we're on their home turf."

"So what now?" Waverly asked.

Briggs remained silent. She released her stick from absolutely nowhere. Waverly realized the weapon would sometimes go missing then appear whenever she needed it. She glanced down at her own belt where Karya and her short sword dangled. It was a mystery how she had never lost any of them despite all she had been through.

"We have to cut our way through." Briggs said at last. She turned to Judson. "Can you do that thing you told me about?"

Waverly perked up, her ears burning with curiosity. Judson had been telling Briggs a lot of things about himself. Waverly's jealousy increased alarmingly. "What thing is that?"

Judson looked uncertain but he did not answer neither questions. He stared at the creatures with distaste but also a hint of pity. "I do not want to hurt them."

Briggs rolled her eyes briefly. "Not hurt them, just keep them in check. Moonshine and i will do the rest."

"Moonshine?" Waverly asked looking perplexed.

Briggs glanced at her. The mask on her face did very little to hide the mischievous look she had quickly grown accustomed to.

"I figured you'd need a nickname, you know, being pals and all." She said with a lazy shrug.

Waverly did not know whether to complain or accept it so she kept shut. Besides, it was the very first time she had gotten a nickname and Moonshine did not sound bad at all.

"Alright." Briggs started. "Whoever released those things definitely is on the enemy side of this war. We can't let them win before the fight begins. Aim for the heart."

"The heart? You said 'not hurt them'." Judson complained.

"I meant you, not us." Briggs said. "Get ready."

Together, they charged toward the bridge. As soon as they came up to the wide platform, three Epeiras cobbled down. Brijjet lunged at one with a yell and plunged her dagger into its throbbing chest. The creature wailed and fell. Waverly swerved past two and slid out from under their legs. When she came out of the other side, she threw Calaire. It severed the creatures and returned to her hands.

"That was awesome." Briggs yelled from somewhere. Waverly could not tell where but she appreciated the enthusiasm. The bridge shook and erupted with a blast. Vines began to find their way from beneath the stone ground, wrapping and weaving the creatures into bundles. Judson stood in the middle of the fight in perfect stillness with his arms outstretched. His face was strained but he did not look to be in pain. All around him, vines erupted like boiling springs. It was a chaotic yet very interesting thing to watch.

"How can he be like that? It's blowing my mind." Briggs groaned excitedly as she sliced the legs off an Epeira with her dagger. The creature completely burned up upon contact with the blade.

Waverly unsheathed Karya and threw it toward her. "Catch!"

Briggs did not look but she caught the blade and ran it through one of the spiders. "Cool sword. Can i keep it?"

The creatures seemed to double each time one went down. More kept swarming from the side of the bridge to join their brethren. Judson's vines began to do very little to keep them at bay because the reinforcements started to snap at the things to free their comrades.

"We have to move. Don't stand at a spot. Head toward Arwen." Briggs announced. The creatures stamped their powerful legs against the ground creating fissures wherever they walked. Waverly hoped the mighty bridge would not cave in so easily.

An idea suddenly struck her. She tumbled midair and came up standing near Judson. He was white with effort but had not blacked out yet which was a good sign.

"Remember the last time we crossed the bridge of Bridge? You told me the Epeiras had a tunnel underground that we could go through?"

Judson kept his bloodshot eyes focused. "If this is not all of them, then it is suicide."

"Going this way is suicide. They'll trample on us soon enough." Waverly said.

"Not if i can help it." A new voice added. Waverly and Judson turned to find Lord Edsel behind them. He removed his quartz necklace and slammed it on the ground. The gooey substance inside it spread and slowly began to take form.

"These things are about to trample my bridge." He added in an unhappy tone.

A large faceless monster came into being from the quartz. It glided across the bridge and began to suck the Epeiras into itself one after the other. The remaining creatures ran for their lives, shrieking as they climbed over the bridge and descended into the water below. Waverly's eyes scanned the bridge and found Briggs whacking an Epeira with her walking stick. One of them suddenly came up behind her. Waverly did not understand why she acted so slowly but before she could move, the spider had grabbed Briggs and spat something thick in her face. Her body went limp instantly.

"No!" Waverly yelled. She turned on Jud with a tremble. "Get it."

Judson winced as he stretched a hand toward the fleeing spider. Vines shot out from the water and whacked it in the face so hard that it fell backwards. The plants climbed around the creature and broke off its legs. It squealed and let go of Briggs who fell like a washcloth.

Waverly hurried to grab her but Edsel held her back. "I joined in does not mean the fight is over. It has only begun."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bridge shook. The sound of rushing water filled Waverly's ears and a thunderous shriek threatened to shatter her eardrums. She pressed her hands against her ears to drown out the sound.

"They bring their queen. Take your friends and run for your lives." Edsel warned.

"Why are you helping us?" Judson asked drowsily. He too, was beginning to sway. Waverly caught him before he could fall.

"Some of the gods are taking sides. This war will be like nothing we will have ever witnessed." Edsel stated bitterly. It seemed as if he spoke to himself. The rising creature lifted its ugly head which was just as tall as the side of the bridge.

"Please, we need to get to Enton. Show us the way. Let us through." Waverly shouted above the noise.

Edsel shook his head. His faceless monster returned to him as a necklace but he began to glow purple as soon as the pendant clamped around his neck.

"I cannot grant you that. You must achieve success first therefore the one who can lead you is Adunar. Go. Present your seal of passage and ask the In Between to lead you to him. If you are lucky, he will tell you what you need to know and show you the way. But i doubt the snub likes to help anybody. Now, take your friends and go! I will take care of these overgrown pests."

Waverly ran with Judson as fast as she could, which was only as fast as an earthworm, to get to Briggs. She took her hand and pulled her but she could not travel that way when both of her companions were heavy as tree logs. Edsel saw Waverly's struggle and blew a violent wind from his mouth. The wind pushed all three of them forward with speed until all Waverly could hear was the distant shrieking of the queen spider and the tremble of the bridge.

Soon, they were sliding roughly down the other end of the bridge of Bridge. Briggs fell face flat in muddy water. Waverly pulled her out and propped her against a boulder. She did the same for Judson. Thankfully, he was half awake so it was less strenuous for her.

By the time she was done moving her friends, Waverly panted like a cheetah that had run for hundreds of miles. Her body still ached but the pain had gone dull. She suddenly remembered she had no traveling bags and she had used her scroll of permission the first time they crossed Arwen.

Waverly gasped and looked at her hand where the seal was miraculously still visible but had almost completely wiped off. She prayed it was still valid that way and raised her hand up toward the forest and swallowed the dryness out of her mouth.

"I ask to see Adunar." She said. The seal blazed to life midair and vanished. The forest groaned and Waverly waited for a path to appear. Instead, the forest began to turn. It rotated clockwise until she found herself staring into an opening where a cliff dropped into a wide beach, the violent ocean covering every inch of the horizon.

Waverly ran to Briggs. She was still covered in spider saliva but most of it had wiped off because of the water she had fallen into. She passed her hands around Briggs's torso to grab her then placed their foreheads together. She could feel the warmth from Briggs's mouth.

"You're not trying to kiss me, are you, moonshine? Because that would be very awkward." Brijjet said with a weak chuckle.

Waverly was shocked to hear his voice because. . .  She fidgeted uneasily. Brijjet was a boy again and she was somehow certain of it. He felt sturdier and something else that she could not pinpoint but she was certain that he was no longer Briggs.

"No, i just want to help." Waverly said receding her head.

"Proceed then." Brijjet nodded weakly.

Waverly returned her forehead back to his. It was a long time ago when she had last summoned the power of Selene in The Abyss but that had been for light. Now, she needed it for healing. Selene was not only a goddess of the moon - she was also a deity of health, protection and prosperity.

Waverly shut her eyes and focused. She reached out to all the good things above and within the earth itself and called it to her. A plate of moonlight shimmered on her forehead then expanded with a burst of light. It continued to expand until it was on and around Brijjet like a protective shield.

"This is cool." Brijjet commented weakly and tried to reach for the plate but his tired hands fell back against his chest. Waverly whacked the plate with a tree branch but the shield blazed like lightning and roasted the stick.

"This is way cooler." Brijjet noted with a chuckle. His eyes drooped as he spoke then his head lolled to the side.

Waverly ran to Judson and put the same plate of protection around him. When she stood, she felt even weaker than before but tried to hide it.

"I will be back. I just. . . need. . . to. . . ask this person about. . . You two wait for me." She said, gasping for air. Using her powers exhausted her more than fighting with a sword.

She took one last glance at her friends. The shield plate around them was invisible but Waverly knew it was there. She prayed it would strong enough to hold and defend them from whatever might attack while she was gone. She squinted her eyes at the cliff and began to walk towards it. When she came into the landscape, she was bone shocked by the blistering cold. The wind whipped about her arms like painful lashes, stinging her eyes so that they shut involuntarily. The wind was so strong that Waverly made use of every energy left in her body to move her legs forward.

She managed to walk down the sloping cliffside and only when she had reached the bottom did she notice the man sitting on a boulder on the beach, a few walks from the ocean. Waverly could have sworn he was not there before. He had curly maroon colored hair that was strangely not affected by the whistling wind. It stretched down his back in a sloppy, unkempt manner. His clothes were pure black and seamless. There was a disturbing stillness that Waverly felt as she approached him. If he noticed her presence, he did nothing to show it.

"Excuse me, good sir?" Waverly started. The sands of the beach were incredibly sharp and she could feel them even through her boots. The man did not make an attempt to move or turn and Waverly thought she might have come to the wrong person. Besides, it was too easy the manner in which she had found him. She sensed that something unkindly lurked in the atmosphere.

"Sir? Lord. . . Adunar?"

The man finally turned but he did so as if his limbs had gone rusty. Waverly gasped in shock and moved backwards. She was not expecting what her eyes beheld. The man was hideous. He arose and glared at her. Flames licked the corners of his face, his hair, under his ears and above his eyebrows. His expression was angry and his face as pale as ashes. His black clothes (which Waverly now saw was a coat) was also being licked by flames but they did not burn. In place of fingers, he had grey claws. His obsidian eyes burned like a pool of crude oil lit up by fire. In total, he looked like a cross between a zombie animal and a dying human. It was the first time Waverly had ever seen a deity that did not look at all pleasing to the eyes.

"Who are you supposed to be?" He asked in an angry tone.

His voice echoed and resonated all around Waverly. She felt a cold chill run up the length of her back. His voice sounded strangely familiar to one she had been struggling to forget for a year.

"My. . . my name is Waverly. And i wish to know the way to Enton."

The god chuckled in a calm yet malicious way. "You wish? This is no place for wishes, Zanaan. What makes you think i will grant you this wish of yours?"

Waverly swallowed. The man looked intimidating enough. She would hate to find out what he was capable of. She racked her brain for a good answer.

"I do not think you will but i do hope so because the life of a dear friend of mine depends on me." Waverly replied.

The god's eyes clocked to her feet then back to her face. He seemed to hate everything about her. "Hope? Your words are alien to me."

"What do you mean?" Waverly asked.

The man crossed his hands behind him. A single flame dropped from his chin and landed on the sand, roasting them upon contact. Waverly flinched slightly.

"Tell me Zanaan, do you know who i am?" His tone sounded menacing now. Waverly knew she was treading dangerous waters. She ran over her mental list of deities but there was no memory of any Desi. The god glared at her impatiently.

"I do not know." Waverly confessed.

He chuckled again. "Exactly! No one knows who i am because not many people seek the long road i offer. They all clamper to get quicker results believing that it is the best way."

Waverly was about to speak when the god suddenly roared at her.

"MY WAY IS THE BEST WAY."

She whimpered and fell to the ground trembling. The shardy sand pierced the length of her arms but Waverly barely noticed. The god before her was already frightening enough. Flames roared around him but he somehow managed to put them in check.

Waverly vaguely recalled what the red essence of the flames were. Adunar was being controlled by a godhead. He regained his composure which was no different from his enraged state.

"Now, you seek a way to Enton." He said then laughed mockingly. "The naive lot of you always think you can make it there whereas you always fail. I am Adunar, deity of success and victory. I have seen your kind struggle time and time again to see the Realm of Light with their very own eyes but alas, they never make it. Their own flaws prevent them."

"I will make it." Waverly said and stood up. She was already losing her cool. This god had annoyed her the very minute he opened his mouth but she had shoved the feeling away. Now, she would not let him intimidate her any further.

"You will, eh? And you are so sure of this because?" He inquired amusingly.

"Like you care." Waverly spat. "Listen here mister, i am not sure you noticed, but a war has broken out. It might be none of your business seeing as you lounge by the sea of your own loneliness but it is a lot of mine. Now, you can either show me the way to Enton so i can get out of your hair or continue running your mouth and leave me stuck here with you. We both know you do not want that so - your pick!"

Adunar did not look surprised. He sized Waverly up and she did the same to him. "You are not easily aversed, are you? You have very little faith in your own strength yet rely greatly on that voice in your head that tells you that you can do it all."

"I do not care what you mean but i am running out of time. Now what must i do to get to Enton? There is always a catch with you gods."

"Eh? I see. You want to get to Enton so badly? Fine! I will release the Trials for you. Your actions alone will determine entirely if your so called wish can be granted."

"What Trials?" Waverly frowned.

"Dare i say it but good luck, Zanaan." Adunar snarled then disappeared. Waverly heard the sound of something bubbling from behind.

She turned and found a person rising out of a black pool, staring at her with a look of distate.

It was herself.

The Honor ofLight|
Book 02