Waverly picked up her Grogana and began to fill it with supplies. Grogana was an earthen based bag HalfHyde had crafted just for her. It was made from lightweight clay, molded with rogue fire and designed with strong Elven wood. It was so big that once a small person carried it on their back it reached down to the back of their legs.

Grogana could carry two weeks worth of supplies and a sleeping tent. It was the most effective luggage ever created and Waverly was grateful she had not thrown it away alongside all her older belongings when she was ten.

She packed up non-perishable fruits, food, water, herbs, Elven and Human coins, stockings and loose clothing, an extra pair of boots, two cloaks, her short sword, a quill, squid ink and some writing parchment. Although she was not quite sure the use of writing materials on a journey but she had heard stories of travelers making their own maps and she wanted to give it a try.

She smuggled a small tent right out of HalfHyde's room and although she spent a long time trying to fold it, she managed in the end. When her Grogana was full and ready to go, she pulled on the wood at the top. The bag squeezed itself with a sharp noise and became very tight. This allowed all the supplies to be crammed inside but very safe and unlikely to fall out.

Waverly changed out of her clothes into more comfortable ones. She would not endure any chaffing on a long journey as this. She quietly made her way down the stairs but just as she passed by HalfHyde's room, she stopped.

The Elf had returned from early from work and was already fast asleep and properly tucked in. He had gone through a long and tiring day at the market trying to sell his woodwork and many other products he made. Waverly began to feel guilty about leaving without letting him know. She knew he would get angry and become worried that she had gone on a dangerous mission but at least she would travel easy if he knew about it.

She sighed and walked quietly into his bedroom. His room was full of books and weapons and so much art that Waverly felt she would suffocate. HalfHyde was very brilliant and she was incredibly intimidated by the amount of knowledge he possessed. He seemed to know everything as though he had lived for thousands and thousands of years but according to what he had told her, the Elf was only two hundred and fifty five. That was indeed a long age too - in Human years.

Waverly picked up his quill and dipped it in ink. She looked around for paper but all of HalfHyde's books looked too important to scribble on. Without any other options, she tiptoed over to the door and wrote a short message on it.

"I mus save moder. For geve me, Pa!"

She placed the quill back on the desk, took a long uncertain look at the message as she was not very good at spelling out words yet and with a small sigh, exited the room.

As Waverly trudged past Judson's tree, she spotted him peeking from behind a thick vine that served as one of his many pillars. She shielded her eyes with one hand to see him better but then he was no longer standing there. She suddenly felt a strong urge to abandon her quest and run up his treehouse so that they could play games until midnight but shook the thought out of her mind as soon as it came.

She needed to focus.

Waverly hefted her Grogana and began her long walk into town. She first came upon one of the local markets. The biggest one yet. Bremeton was lively at every time of day. The sun was still high in the sky even though it was already early evening. The townspeople moved about trading and arguing noisily over goods. High stalls loomed over smaller ones creating numerous shades where tired farmers and merchants could sit and cool off for as long as they wished.

Several Human children ran helter-skelter in their worn out clothing and short hairstyles trying to catch up to one another whilst throwing play things and small fruits. The market was always the most interesting part of town.

Here, Waverly saw a mix of halfbreed creatures from nearby realms. There were the female Gypsies or Gypsters with their flowing skirts and beautiful headress. They usually worked in a particular section of the market performing tricks, magic shows, divinations and swindling unsuspecting traders out of their money or belongings. Despite this, the Gypsies were still respected and welcome in the town. There were usually more female than male Gypsies.

Scaling their way in and out of the crowd were Elves. A very few of these Elves belonged to some of the original race that had first married Humans during a time when interracial marriage was pristine and very widespread. They were much taller than everyone else in the crowd which made them easier to spot but most of their offspring were short as they often took on the genes of their Human parent. The only way one could define that an Elven Human child was not a normal Human child was that Elven Humans had unnaturally huge ears. The lobe of their ears pointed downward like the sharp point of a dunce cap. Their ancestors or parents who were pure Elves with no trace of Human blood in them had pointy lobes at the top and those ones were the keenest hearers like HalfHyde. They also had round watery eyes that reminded one of dew drops. Some of them had unfortunately ugly faces while others were pretty - very pretty.

Waverly luckily moved out of the way as an out of control barrow filled with vegetables, pushed by three Elven Human children rapidly hummed past her. Her nerves had caused her to begin to walk slowly, afraid of leaving the familiar sight of the market behind.

In a separate section of the market, a bunch of Outcasts were putting on a play for the children. Outcasts were said to be the original Humans that first lived in the mountains of Ezkaliepton during a time when the population of Bremeton was much smaller (this was millions of years before The Great War).

They had filtered out between both realms and became constantly confused with Bremetonians because both races looked the same. The Outcasts were born of powerful mountain spirits. They were a brutal, artful race and had the largest count of males in all seven realms. They spent half their lives scouring the seas, the mountains and the wilderness and being absolute daredevils at everything. The ones who remained in Bremeton softened up and became more like real Bremetonians even though they were the original Bremetonians.

Waverly began to approach the middle of town and the noisiness of the market behind her faded away. The upper town was much quieter and more comfortable. She considered Bremeton as the third most beautiful realm after Alpgeton. The first was Crysoton even though Waverly did not believe that the realm truly existed. She had never seen Crystal fairies in any of her study books.

Houses were built in all manners and in every fashion. There were earth houses like the one Waverly lived in, flower houses (a more expensive version of tree houses), large tower houses for the rich, bullion houses for the lower Lords and Ladies of Bremeton - these were extremely beautiful and so shiny that it was near impossible to glance at them for long or one could get an eye ache. There were ranch houses for the high farmers and barn houses for the low farmers, beautiful gated yards for Gypsies and numerous neutral playgrounds for the children. This part of Bremeton was blessed with an abundance of lakes and streams even though the entire country had only one sea.

Waverly walked past a ranch house and stared at the countless number of sheep and cattle grazing in the field. She wondered why ranch house owners were richer than barn house owners even though both raised livestock. Ranch house owners also raised exotic birds like peacocks and other strange animals. She figured that these were what distinguished them from their counterparts.

Finally, she came to the large harbour at the end of town where the ruler of Bremeton, King Asherah dwelled facing the East. Waverly's feet screamed in pain from walking for such a long time. She came upon a fisherman who looked to be just coming in from sea. He cast anchor and began to off-load his catch into large barrels. Waverly approached him with caution. HalfHyde had taught her that body language was just as important a first impression as any thing else.

"Pardon me, good mister!" She said.

The man turned and Waverly internally heaved a sigh of relief when she realized he was an Elf. Elves were usually the friendlier ones but not the whole lot of them according to certain stories she had heard.

"An evening of grace and pleasure, young one." The Elf greeted with a tip of his hat.

He looked very young. About twenty in Human years but probably eighty in Elf years. His face was a glad one and the crinkle near his slit set eyes made him look gladder than any other Elf one might come across.

"I wish to please request from ye a favor mister." Waverly said carefully, switching to Elven English. The Elf might have been a glad one but she could not go around asking for favors from just about anybody.

"Please, ye must refrain to call me mister. I by name is Pepinguild." At this, the Elf tipped his hat politely again.

Waverly noticed the Elf's hair and almost laughed. Pepin was a very delicious flower seed in Bremeton. Judson grew them in abundance in his backyard and he used them to make a special tea for headaches. Pepin seeds were slightly orange and was likely to stain teeth or clothing. The Elf's hair looked exactly like the Pepin flower itself.

"It is my pleasure meeting ye, mister Pepinguild. I by name is Waverly." Waverly introduced and awkwardly realized she did not have a hat on that she could tip.

The Elf knotted his thin eyebrows. "What name is that sort of? I never hear of Waverly a name here round before."

"Yes, indeed. My name very much is rarer than Pepinguild." Waverly said.

She eyed the sun. It was going down quicker than she had realized. She needed to cross over to the other side of town if she wanted to make it at least halfway to the border, that is, if she was headed in the right direction.

"Say, mister Pepinguild, what way to the border?" Waverly asked hastily. The Elf had completely forgotten about the fishes flapping around in his boat.

"Oy! That way there over, cross to the other side by boat there over and sail down straight until ye comes to the bridge of Bridge." Pepinguild explained using several hand gestures as he spoke.

Waverly frowned. "What is the bridge of Bridge?" She had never heard of a thing like that in all her years of living in Bremeton.

At that moment, Waverly wished she had never asked because Pepinguild suddenly climbed out of his boat and began to examine her in the way that grown ups did when they suspected a child was doing something he or she was not supposed to.

"Ye never has left town? Where does ye aim to go?" He asked. Waverly could see that Pepinguild would tower over HalfHyde any day because his funny hat completely blocked out the light of the sun.

"Actually, mister Pepinguild, i intend to. . ."

The Elf suddenly grabbed hold of Waverly's hand. "I know ye now. That good Elf child ye is. Wonder ye looked to be someone i saw once before. Is ye running away far from the good Elf?"

Waverly could have been afraid of the way the Elf grabbed her but Pepinguild had a grip like cotton swabs. She could tell that the only dangerous thing he had ever handled was his fish knife. He was no fighter like Elves usually were. She could slip her hand out of his without difficulty.

"Good mister Pepinguild, ye must hear me first. Do not take me back to where i come, i have walked long a way to get here over." She pleaded.

It was a good thing Pepinguild was a really nice Elf because he patiently listened to Waverly narrate to him all about her mission. After she was done, he looked to be in deep thought.

"So, ye is requesting my boat for travel so ye can go off to rescue ye mother from danger in lands ye never went to or hear of?" Pepinguild asked.

Waverly nodded and bit her lip anxiously. Pepinguild hummed and still looked to be in deep thought.

Finally he stood up. "Tis a noble reason ye gives me and i must give up to ye my boat."

Waverly was so excited that she almost hugged the Elf. She thanked him profusely even though she had never driven a boat or been at sea in her life.

"I leave fish for food for ye to use until ye returns." Pepinguild said loading a barrel into the back of the boat. "I must also warn ye. Hilda survive in calm water but rough seas she cannot handle."

"Ye boat is by name Hilda?" Waverly asked looking at the boat.

It was twice the size of regular boats, almost as large as a ferry boat. Pepinguild proudly admitted that he had built Hilda when he was much younger (this statement was quite confusing in Human terms because if Pepinguild were any younger he would have been no older than Waverly herself). He explained that he had built the boat for luxury as well as travel but Hilda could only endure little waves.

Waverly gave Pepinguild twelve Elven coins for his kindness and he showed her how to steer the boat. "Keep to the isthmus and ye will make it to open sea. Ye need not to walk but ye must keep to the isthmus."

"Many thanks, Pepinguild." Waverly called as Hilda roared to life.

"Journey well, Waverly! I wish ye luck in plenty!" Pepinguild called back.

Soon, the town was blocked from view by tall dark trees. The sun set completely and night came quickly. Waverly realized with tremendous regret that she had forgotten a most important item for travel - a lantern.

She trembled as the chill of night settled down on Hilda. The noiseless engine of the boat glided across the water leaving white foamy ripples behind. Waverly felt alone and afraid. For the first time, she began to regret leaving the town. She pulled out a cloak from her Grogana and draped it across her shoulders to keep warm. Hilda was a fast boat and Waverly made sure to keep her to the isthmus as Pepinguild had advised.

Trees and lands slid by on both sides until even those became like small strips of land behind her. In a few more hours, Waverly brought Hilda out to sea. The chill became even more intense in the vast open. A cold mist settled on the surface of the water and this made Waverly utterly confused as to where she was heading.

Still, Hilda glided gracefully without anything as much as a sway. Waverly noticed that the sky was dark and void of the moon. She could recall in vagueness Judson telling her of something like this but she had never paid him any attention. She did not know why the moon did not come out but she had a sick feeling that there was an odd reason behind it. Summer nights saw the moon as frequently as winter days were cold. For how many hours Hilda sailed on Waverly could not calculate for soon she fell fast asleep. Hilda kept on moving until she came to a brutal stop.

A loud bump jerked Waverly up from sleep. She rose in alarm when she realized she was back within the trees and land again. She tried to steer Hilda away but the boat was stuck fast to whatever it had struck onto. Waverly tried for several hours to no better result. She cursed herself for not studying about boats. A few more tries and still Hilda would not move. The boat only groaned and grated against the mouldy earth her engine was caught against.

Waverly soon became frustrated as well as tired. She thought about going back but she could not tell which way she had come. A heavy mist still clung to the surface of the water and she hated how it made everything look bland and white. She considered getting off the boat but did not know for sure if she had crossed the border into another realm or if she was still back in Bremeton.

"The bridge of Bridge!" She muttered gazing into the mist in an attempt to see through it.

She had failed to ask Pepinguild what the bridge was and how far away it was from the harbour. She wondered if Hilda had sailed past it. Just as she wondered this, the trees behind her ruffled gently.

Waverly gasped and quickly reached for her short sword. Unfortunately, it was the first item she had put into the Grogana which meant it was right at the bottom of the bag. Without hesitation, she dashed into the small cabin and hid near a tall box that she realized was meant to hold supplies. She mentally noted this and promised she would empty half the contents of Grogana into the box, leaving only the most important items inside the bag - if she survived her impending encounter.

The sound of the ruffling leaves ceased for a count of twenty then started again, much louder this time. Waverly steadied her breathing. Even though she was without a weapon, she would not disgrace her years of training and go down without a fight.

Footsteps began to approach slowly. Waverly waited for the right moment then slowly crawled to the front of the boat. As soon as the intruder was close enough, she pounced on them.

"Ahhh! Die, ruscum!" Cried Waverly.

Her opponent groaned and writhed under her. It took only but a few seconds for Waverly to realize the victim had large wings under him. She suddenly pulled away.

"Judson!" She exclaimed when she recognized her friend fully. He struggled to stand up and Waverly tackled him again but this time with a big hug.

"Oh, how glad i am to see you." She said.

Judson gently pulled away so he could look into her face. His expression was a mildly angry one. He quickly pointed to the water and back at the boat and to several other things at once. His hand gestures became so fast that Waverly could only understand the words wrong, turn and drown.

"What? What have i done?" She asked.

Judson carried a big travel bag with him and Waverly took this to mean he was coming along. She became internally relieved. A huge part of her had missed him terribly whilst she was alone at sea.

"Wrong direction!" He simply concluded.

"How can you know? You never left before . . ." She said, staring at Judson with suspicion in her eyes. ". . . or have you?"

He scoffed and smacked her forehead gently with a flick of his thumb and index finger. "I travel to buy seeds."

"So you have indeed gone out of the realm once." She stated in astonishment. "Why did you never tell me?"

"Only leave the market to neighboring towns. Not the border." Judson explained as he climbed aboard Hilda.

Waverly frowned. "Is that how you knew the way to follow me? How long have you been at it? It definitely has been a whole day or more already. Have you been walking?"

Judson took her hand as she spoke and guided her aboard the boat. As soon as Waverly's feet touched floorward, Hilda jerked and moved backwards as though something had given her a large push from under the water.

"She was stuck. I know she was!" Waverly gasped. Judson sat on the boat seat and gestured for her to steer Hilda.

"Where do we go from here since i have already come in the wrong direction?" She asked.

"Keep off the trees. Head for the bridge of Bridge!" He said. His clothes were the same ones he had worn the previous day when Waverly visited him in his tree. But now, he wore long ebony colored trousers instead of shorts.

"Where is that anyway? The bridge of Bridge?" Waverly asked. Judson pointed forward and she steered Hilda in that direction.

On and on they travelled and for what seemed like days, nothing adventurous or interesting happened. Waverly was thankful for Judson's company. Like a smart person, he had brought with him three lanterns and boxes of tinder amongst several hundred other things. He fixed some broken parts aboard Hilda and he knew how to anchor the boat.

On a very chilly morning of their fifth day at sea, Judson put Hilda to anchor and made breakfast. Waverly did not know how he managed to gather the firewood but he soon had a warm fire going. He picked up a few fishes from the barrel and cleaned them up then he made dough. When he was sure the fishes were thoroughly clean and dry, he placed them on the fire. Waverly laid on the small bed and watched as he moved about very quietly trying to set up plates.

He thinks i still sleep. She thought.

Judson filled each plate with the meal he had prepared and brought two more bowls with him on a wooden tray.

"Breakfast." He said when he saw that Waverly was awake. She sat up and stared with wide eyes at the small feast before her.

"Where did you get all of these?" She asked with a confused frown.

Judson simply pointed to his bag in reply whilst munching on his bread. Waverly stared at his bag and then at the plates. Her stomach grumbled at the welcoming sight of food. The fish had been properly dressedz with fillings of carrots, cabbages, grated sweet cheese and many other tasty vegetables and spices. She had three of these to herself. The bread was hot and smelled nicely of milk and butter. There were cream cheese sandwiches and tiny strips of mandarin oranges, apples and grapes. The twin bowls Judson brought held a delicious, cream filled vanilla flavored tea. Her favorite.

Waverly had little time to process every delicacy because she had already chewed down everything on her plate. She gulped down the tea and stared hard at the empty bowl, often sticking her fingers in to scrape out clumps of thick cream and lick them.

Judson generously handed her his bowl and she downed it too.

"They will make you very drowsy. I made them without maize." He revealed when she had emptied his bowl.

"What? You should have warned before you let me empty the contents." Waverly complained even though she secretly wished she had more vanilla tea. She did not care if they made her sleep until winter.

Judson began to pick up the plates and as he did so, Waverly felt she needed to stretch out on the bed just a little bit. She laid down on her elbows and stretched lazily. She had not realized until then how sore arms had become from steering Hilda for such a long time. They still had a long way to travel before they came to the bridge of Bridge and Waverly thought she could lie down for a few hours before noon came.

Her head touched the pillows and she fell into a deep sleep as soon as she shut her eyes.

The Moon Spawn|
Book 01