When the ship became whole at last - the winds died and the water fell. There was absolute silence for a long time. Nobody dared to move or speak. It was Waverly who finally broke the silence.

"I can understand why they all look so shocked. I felt the same way when the oar did that." She said to Judson whose mouth looked like it would soon unhinge from his jaw. He had only witnessed Estoso change into an oar and not the other way round.

Even Waverly who had seen the transformation once before felt gooseflesh raid her skin.

Pepinguild was flabbergasted the most. His mouth hung open and his eyes looked like they would escape their sockets anytime soon. He was so stunned that he fell on his knees.

"This is impossible." A Human finally said but her tone evidently carried shock.

"It is a ship. It is not an impossible thing. Surely you lot see ships everyday." Waverly chuckled. She turned to face the Elf.

"Mister Pepinguild, this ship is my payment to you for lending me Hilda. I apologize for losing her to begin with. We faced a terrible storm. Tumut was merciless. Anyhow, this ship is named Estoso. She will serve you well. I do hope you accept her together with my sincere apologies."

Pepinguild slowly turned to face Waverly but head seemed to disagree with the action because his eyes were still glued to the golden oars and silver plated hull of Estoso.

"Ye has. . . wherever has ye found tis. . . tis. . . tis. . . sh-sh—"

"Ship." Waverly completed for him.

"Tell us child, how did you come to possess this vessel?" A buff Human asked coming forward with a serious scowl on his face.

A few of his buff brethren were behind him and they all wore the same expressions. They were dressed in orange and gold uniforms. Waverly recognized them as King Asherah's palace guards. She wondered how they had come to the harbour so quickly but then word spread fast in town and the King's dwelling was not so far away from the harbour.

"I received her as a gift during a recent travel." Waverly replied. She tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice. She had faced Fear itself. The King's guards were nothing in comparison.

"A gift from whom?" Another guard asked.

The whole town watched intently but a lot of them still had their eyes on Estoso. A couple of seagulls had come to rest on the ship's masts, circulating the ship like it was now their home. Waverly had never really seen seagulls up close. They were always out in the farthest parts of the ocean but now, at least twelve of them fluttered on and around the masts.

"I speak the truth that I do not know him. I never saw his face because he was a hooded stranger. He gave me the oar that now stands as the ship's mast." Waverly explained pointing at the oar which stood out amonst the rest of the masts.

Another round of agitated whispering passed through the crowd but the guards calmed the people. The first guard looked at the ship. Despite his stern face, Waverly could tell he was also astonished by the sight. Also, Estoso was beyond beautiful and aroused suspicions because it was much too expensive to have come to the possession of a child.

"You three must come with us to the King's palace at once. This is a matter beyond country folk." The guard said at last and turned to go.

"Nobody touches the ship." He ordered without looking back.

The crowd began to disperse as everyone reluctantly returned to their procession to the palace.

Waverly looked at Judson and whispered to him. "This might be our opportunity to see the King himself and deliver my mother's warning."

"What about HalfHyde? We need him to support our tale." Judson whispered back.

"Excuse me, Sir but can you send someone to fetch my Pa? His name is HalfHyde and we have a matter to present the King, My Lord Asherah, with."

The guard grunted disapprovingly but his eyes moved to ship again. He sighed and turned to one of his comrades.

"Might as well! Send for the Elf immediately."

Waverly was led into a red carriage meant for the King's guards. It was pulled by three horses; one in front and two behind it. Pepinguild was also allowed to ride. Waverly believed the carriage was usually used to transport prisoners and criminals and she felt quite uneasy. She was indeed being arrested somehow. She prayed HalfHyde would come quickly. She could not speak to the ruler of Bremeton on her own and of course it was also Levy Day - every household from every town would be present at the palace.

The ride was not as delayed as Waverly thought it would be. People simply parted a way for the carriage to pass. Coming up to the King's home was like walking into a different realm. The palace was built entirely from marble and bronze. It gleamed dimly in the light of the morning sun. It was located on the top of a large hill and so the carriage had to ride up a different road to the courtyard. The people took another road the guards called the Leeway because it was much wider to allow a great number pass through.

The carriage finally halted in the courtyard which took about half of the entire palace grounds. Asherah's palace had no gardens. Behind them was a high wall and a ninety foot drop into the sea below. The ground was perfectly cobbled making the horses go clip-clop as they walked. Waverly found this noise interesting. She had never ridden a horse before and hearing the animals trot away made her wish she owned one.

The head guard led them around the courtyard to the front of the palace. The structure appeared to be even higher up close. There were so many bronze statues on pedestals lining the side of the palace walls. All of them stood at attention with a long sword raised above their heads in salute. Waverly randomly thought of how much they would have ached in such a position were they humans instead.

It was a trifle walking through the front doors. They were as huge as fences and fashioned from oak. The large symbol of a scepter and a crown was etched into the door to form a huge lock. The palace itself was impressive but everything was either made from bronze or marble that Waverly quickly got bored of looking at all.

At the far end of the throne room, a throne rested. Two thrones actually. Sitting on the right was a young girl. She looked to be a woman but when Waverly walked a few steps closer, she realized the girl was much much younger. She had big brown eyes and a pointy nose that seemed to move whenever she sniffed. Her hair was jet black and her ears held six different earrings each. Waverly knew at once that she was an Elfin but also wondered why an Elf sat next to King Asherah since he was never known to be married.

The ruler himself was not as impressive as the girl. He was of average Human height and so his throne practically towered over him. He had shining eyes and a handsome face despite his age. His hair was also jet black. He wore a gold crown on his head and held a scepter in his right hand. He was looking at a young woman who spoke while her hands made furious gestures. Where she sat and opposite  was a long line of stately chairs. Waverly counted twenty in all - ten on each side. The woman was the first in her row.

". . . Lameth to travel here. That is madness. He listens to no one." The woman was saying. Apparently, she was a Lady of the High House. A member of the elaborate House of Lords in Bremeton. She was dressed in so many colors that she looked no different from a rainbow peacock.

"I have heard your voice, Lady Minarez." King Asherah spoke. He sounded upset.

Another man stood up from the opposite end. He was an Elf. Waverly easily noticed how the Human members sat adjacent to the Elven girl while the Elven members sat adjacent to Lord Asherah. This signified a sort of balance. There were more Elves in Bremeton than there were other races and so the Council had chosen to recruit the Elves. Also, Elves were born wise and so it was only fit that they were a part of the King's Court.

The Elf voiced his own opinion and sat down. King Asherah pondered on the matter and began to say something. Waverly looked behind her and realized that the people were not coming into the palace as she initially thought they would. They had stopped in the courtyard.

The first guard walked up to the assembly and bowed. He whispered into the ear of a servant who stood next to an Elven member. The servant looked strangely at the guard then at Waverly before passing the message across to the Elf. The Lower Lord had the same strange expression on his face. He reluctantly arose and requested permission to speak out of turn.

"Proceed, Eoktan." King Asherah permitted.

"My Lord, heavy a matter comes to ye household. The guards report a strange occurrence of recent. Signs they have seen of the presence of an Elemental godhead."

The entire room gasped in unison.

"Nonsense talk!" A Human Lady dismissed with a flick of her hand.

"I must disagree with ye, Lucy." An Elven woman countered. "We must see first proof of tis presence the guards tell of."

The room erupted into an argument but a quiet one. King Asherah raised his hand for silence then glanced at his guard.

"Peter!"

The guard bowed in response. "My Lord!"

"Tell me, is this news false? Because if it is then you must face the consequences of interrupting this meeting and bothering the Council with false news."

Peter the guard bowed again. "It is true, My Lord. I have seen it with my own eyes."

"Who showed it to you?" Asherah asked.

Peter turned and pointed at Waverly. "The young girl over there, Sire."

Asherah's gaze bore into Waverly's, rendering her speechless. He examined her for a short time then rolled his eyes as if the whole thing was nothing but a childish prank to him.

"You bring news to me of this weight from a child?" King Asherah asked Peter. The guard fidgeted but said nothing.

The slight tapping of intruding footsteps from behind Waverly made her turn. It was HalfHyde. She felt instantly relieved. The King looked the same too.

"Ah, it is the Elf HalfHyde. Come to me, the wisest Elf of his time. You must tell me if you have seen the things I am being told."

HalfHyde bowed to the King and his Council. Waverly wondered why her father was not made a part of them. The King himself had even publicly acknowledged HalfHyde's wisdom.

"Indeed, My Lord. I have seen the things ye has heard from ye guards. We have been visited by an Elemental godhead. Gayl, Sovereign Lord of the Winds and The Sea, Bringer of Storms and Tamer of Tumut. I do not speak in favor because tis child is mine but because tis the truth and nothing more or less. A warning from the gods have reached us first, My Lord. We must hearken. A time of great peril comes and Bremeton must prepare for it."

The room was plunged into silence. King Asherah ran his eyes across the room for a short time then settled on HalfHyde.

"This presence of Gayl - show it to me." He demanded.

HalfHyde bowed. "As ye wishes, My Lord. It sits in the harbour."

The King stood up followed by his daughter and marched toward the palace doors, his golden robes flowing behind him. His Council members and bodyguards did the same. On his way out, the townspeople bowed before him raining eulogies and paying homage as he passed.

Waverly walked towards HalfHyde when the throne room was near empty. "You saw the ship, Pa?"

"Ye should have told me earlier of it but indeed I did. She is a beauty and ye must consider ye form to be absolutely lucky and greatly blessed. Waverly, no living creature in the history of the world ever has encountered the godhead of the Waves and Wind himself and told tale of it. Come now, we quickly must follow the King."

Waverly followed HalfHyde who trailed behind the King and his assembly all the way to the harbour. King Asherah did not even bother to take a carriage. He simply walked, and with such haste that Waverly wondered if he was indeed as old as he appeared. When they got to the harbour, Estoso was still sitting in the waters gleaming gold and silver.

"By the Light of Cret!" Asherah muttered breathlessly.

He ordered his guards to draw the ship to the docks so that he could go on board. When they had done so, Asherah and his assembly took a fairly long time admiring the ship and touching every inch of it.

A Lower Lady admired the foremast which was the oar and traced her fingers across the markings on it.

"Waves and wind! The marks of Gayl!" She muttered but everyone heard.

"I never dreamed a day would come when I would see with my own eyes, the famous legendary vessel of the god Gayl. What do you call her, child?" Asherah mused looking straight at Waverly.

"She is named Estoso." She replied.

The King walked over and placed a jeweled hand on her shoulder. "Come, you must tell me how you have acquired this ship."

Back at the palace, Waverly retold her encounter with the hooded stranger to the whole Council. She also made sure to mention the warning vision from Selene but left out the part of Selene being her mother.

"Recite the lines again." King Asherah commanded. His index finger was pressed to his lips in deep thought. His eyes flashed with seriousness.

"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." Waverly recounted.

Asherah hummed from the base of his throat. "It is indeed a true vision. The goddess Selene was once known for delivering those in the form of rhymes."

"Was? No one reverences her anymore. That is unfair." Waverly spat.

HalfHyde placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it but Asherah ignored and looked at his Council for support.

"Can anyone decipher what this vision means?" He queried.

"We know nothing of one who is blue haired, My Lord. A gift from the unseen clearly means the ship from the god Gayl. I believe him to be the unseen." A Human woman spoke.

Waverly was not sure whether it was the woman's words or the angle from which she stood but she suddenly began to notice a change in Lord Asherah's hair. Behind him, a large window allowed light into the room and it reflected off the back of his head like a night lamp. In the sharp yellow light of the sun, his jet black hair took on a shade of blue.

"You are the blue haired." Waverly said absentmindedly whilst pointing to the King.

Slowly, the rest of the Council began to notice it too.

"The child speaks the truth. My Lord indeed is the blue haired." An Elven Lord said.

"The rest of the lines in tis vision, Sire, if I may. . ." Another Elven Lord interceded whilst rising to his feet. He had been quiet the entire time.

"Galard, you must." King Asherah urged.

Galard was older than everyone else in the room but it only showed from his posture. He had long snow white hair and wore a yellow sleeved tunic. His frail hands moved to rest by his side.

"The rest of the lines clearly translates to a war, My Lord."

"How do you mean, Galard?" A Human woman asked. She was dressed in a stylish pink gown that was split open at both sides of her thighs to reveal her delicate caramel skin. Waverly wondered if that was a proper way to dress in the King's court.

"Warn the cities and towns of men - we are receiving a warning right here now. The sands of time churn backwards again. As ye are all aware, there was a time of the Great War when terrible battles across the Seven Realms raged plunging mankind into an era dark, full of suffering and darkness until the goddess of peace was sent to heal the earth. Bremeton herself the most suffered greatly from this war. I believe tis be reason warning has come to her first before anyone else, more as a form of foresight. We cannot allow the sands of time to churn backwards a second time, My Lord. We cannot allow ourselves be victims to desolation as once we were."

The room remained silent and what with the shrill way Galard had spoken, it seemed his words had burned peppery holes into the minds of everyone present. The Elf sat back in his seat with the help of the Elfin by his side.

"We cannot be entirely sure that the vision means a war. The last Great War happened over a thousand years ago. We have known entire centuries of peace since then and we will know a thousand more, perhaps a million. Does anyone really believe another war is about to surface again all because of a ship?" A Human Lord said.

"It is indeed a vision, ye has not gone dim eared, has ye?" An Elven Lord countered.

"You will speak to me with utmost respect, Adansé." The Human ordered.

"Respect plays not a part in tis matter. Ye wishes to sit idly whilst the land burns to ash. Ye will see the land wither away till only six realms remain."

"To the edge of Nys with you. You speak falsities against me." The Human Lord said pounding his fist against his armrest.

"I speak the truth." Adansé defended coolly.

"That is enough, I beg of you." Waverly spoke calmly. Every eye turned to her. She walked forward and bowed to the King.

He nodded calmly as though he shared a silent understanding with her.

"The Great War took millions of lives not only in our realm but in every other. You all sit here and speak of the possibility of peace for another thousand years when you do nothing to secure it. You will sit and watch our realm - your children - burn and die like animals. We must consider ourselves lucky that we have received a message from the gods this early. I did not believe in the gods before now not until I began to see and understand certain things myself. I am only but twelve years of Human age but I assure you all that I have seen things no one here has even dared to dream of."

The Human side of the council shifted uncomfortably but the Elven side listened to Waverly earnestly. They were natural warriors and it was normal for them to perk up at the mention of a possible war. The Humans, on the other hand, were laid back and carefree. Waverly believed this was why they had suffered the most of all six realms. They lacked coordination, battle instincts and strategy.

"The forces of a great evil are being rallied from every corner of the earth and beyond. If I were you, I would begin to live everyday with my sword, my bow and my brethren by my side because any moment could be the last moment."

Waverly turned to Asherah and bowed. "I may be young, My Lord and deemed unfit to partake in this upcoming war but I pledge my loyalty to Bremeton. Should the war come tomorrow, I will fight for my country until my last breath."

King Asherah arose with his hand in the Elfin's delicate ones. "I admire your courage, youngling. Your father has taught you well but my conscience will not allow me permit this. My daughter here, Luanda, is only but a few years older than you are. I cannot permit on you what I will greatly hesitate to permit on her. This matter will be discussed further and a decision reached at the end. I and my Council thank you, young one, for wisely presenting this to us with haste."

Waverly nodded and turned her gaze to Luanda. She was completely Elvish without any signs of a Human feature and was already taller than her father. Waverly did not know the woman who bore her but guessed that it was definitely a tough Elfin because Luanda had a look about her that Waverly recognized to be forceful composure; like that of a restrained cat with a mice within its sight. The Princess probably wished in secret that she would be brought to the front lines as it was in her blood to answer to the call of battle.

"My Lord." Waverly said with a courteous bow. She turned to leave with Judson and realized Pepinguild was still there. He stood behind HalfHyde.

"I hope Estoso brings you some peace and profit for your loss of Hilda." She said quietly.

"No. My loss of Hilda only is but a personal lesson. I plead fearfully with ye to take ye ship back. An Elf as me is not worthy to handle a supernatural gift as Estoso. I just cannot."

Waverly tilted her head. "Well then, will ye keep her until when there is need of her again?"

Pepinguild nodded satisfactorily. "I will do the best i can to sustain the ship until whenever ye comes to reclaim her. This I promise."

Waverly shook hands with Pepinguild then turned to face the Council. "We deeply apologize for interrupting the Council, My Lord. We must take our leave now."

King Asherah nodded permissibly.

With that, Waverly walked out of the throne room with HalfHyde, Judson and Pepinguild.

Pepinguild kept his promise afterward and looked after the ship whilst Waverly proceeded to take more lessons with HalfHyde. She pleaded with the Elf to allow Judson take classes too.

"At least, ye takes lessons to be important now. I am pleased with that." HalfHyde commented. He drew up a new animal on his makeshift board with a white chalk; a half-pig half-goat hybrid creature.

"Pa, the Cing has just a horn now." Waverly said.

"What? What does ye mean tis creature has just a horn?" HalfHyde asked, looking perplexed at his own drawing.

Waverly and Judson shared a knowing look and tried hard to suppress their laughter whilst the Elf cross checked his book for a Cing with a missing horn.

THE END

The Moon Spawn|
Book 01

WAVERLY WILL RETURN