The Moon Spawn #1 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

Chapter Fifteen

Waverly did not expect a peaceful travel back home but that was what she got. Edsel kept his word and allowed Estoso sail smoothly through the Gateway realm. Waverly had no idea the realm could be crossed by water but then remembered that she had half crossed it by sea with a raft.

Only a few days passed before the familiar view of the harbour came to focus. It was past midnight in Bremeton and so half the town was asleep, the other half partied for some reason Waverly did not understand. Lights glimmered from every end of the town making it appear as lively as daytime. She shrunk down Estoso into an oar and began her walk with Judson back to their homes since the carriage services were closed for the night.

However, with luck they found an empty abandoned wagon and borrowed it for a ride. It was much better than walking. Waverly noticed how the air smelled different - almost sweet - tinted with slight dew. Grasses were growing, flowers showed blooms, swans filled most of the lakes and birds crowded the trees. Waverly guessed Bremeton had come into Spring for quite a while. She tried to guess the exact time she had left home but it was difficult. The concept of time greatly differed in every realm and it was easier for a traveler not to dwell on it more than was necessary. She might have been gone only a few days or possibly a month by foreign standards.

Waverly yearned to see HalfHyde again but she also guessed he would be asleep given the time. The wagon rolled noiselessly to the part of town where they lived. It had no official name like a few towns in some parts of the country because folks just called their dwelling Bremeton in general. Waverly liked to think of her home as Lake Borough because it possessed many lakes. Her town alone had up to fifteen different lakes - she had counted.

As she stared at a group of partying Humans and Elven-Humans, Judson gently nudged her. He demonstrated with his hands, asking if she feared that HalfHyde would be outraged when they returned.

Waverly sighed.

"I hope he is not."

Judson shook his head then made a few demonstrations again. He asked if she would tell the Elf of her adventures.

"I suppose i must. He is my father anyway and he taught me everything that kept me alive. I owe it to him to let him know that his time and energy was not wasted."

Judson nodded in agreement. Then, he tilted his head and made short gestures. Waverly's face clouded over. He had asked if she would retell her experience with in The Abyss. During their voyage back, she had explained everything to him; from Tunis' attempt to bury her alive to how she had found her mother and freed her from the godhead of Chaos.

"I do not know but my mother has asked me to warn everyone that a terrible war is soon to come. I figured Pa should be the one to help me spread the warning."

Judson nodded again. He seemed to have returned to his mute state as they reached the shore. Waverly did not want to ask why but she figured it was because he felt more comfortable keeping shut. His kind was nowhere in Bremeton anyway so it was useless trying to communicate with people who would only ever perceive at him as a strange creature.

Soon, Waverly was staring at her own house on the other side of the lake. Nothing about it looked different except for the new batch of green leaves decorating the roof and walls. Some even sprouted tiny white flowers that looked like picks.

Judson's tree house, on the other hand, looked very different. All the seeds he had planted before he left Bremeton had grown to full maturity. Around the tree, fruits were so ripe that they threatened to burst. The sweet scent of flowers, mixed in with the evening breeze, gave the atmosphere a comforting smell.

Waverly could understand now why Judson's plants grew favorably better and faster than others. His mother's blessing was the reason.

"Spring came already." He muttered but he sounded pleased and looked it as well. He glanced worriedly at Waverly when he realized the lights in her house shone from all six windows.