The Castle Under The Moon

Chapter One

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Jaiyana, The Moon Goddess, frowns as she looks over the sleeping children that lay upon individual cots scattered around a small room.

She bites her plump bottom lip as she searches all of their souls and then growls in frustration when she doesn't find what she's looking for.

"What you are searching for does not exist in anyone but you, Jay." Gheorgie tells her as he walks into the room with a platter of food.

"It has to." She states, smacking the top of the pool of water with her palm, making the sleeping children disappear.

"You think it is in a human?" Gheorgie asks, watching Jaiyana as she walks away from the five foot pillar that held the sacred water, and to her throne.

"I have checked thousands of others! All different types of people and creatures! Their not what I'm looking for, Gheorgie." She tells him as she grabs the crystal cup that was full of wine from the platter he was holding.

Ever since Jaiyana had laid her eyes on humans she has been captivated by them and how different they were. Gheorgie thought she was a little obsessed but Jaiyana says she's just interested.

"Jay, honey, I have known you since the beginning and I know what you seek to find." Gheorgie gets to his knees in front of her, after setting the tray down, and then grabs one of her dark hands into both of his.

"You will never find a better soul to take your place because this role is specifically for you. Made for you. You are one of a kind, Jaiyana."

Tears start to spill from her eyes while she looks into his.

"If I were to be the only Moon Goddess then why am I dying, Gheorgie?"

Gheorgie's heart breaks as he pulls her to his chest and holds her while she sobs. 

"None of us are safe from Death, little one." He whispers to her, his own tears slipping down his face.

"Which is why I need to find someone to look over our people, my children." Her voice cracks as she pleads to Gheorgie, wanting him to understand.

"Without a goddess, war will start on our world and theirs." She says, pointing to the pillar of water that now showed sleeping babes and small children.

The only reason the humans were allowed to grow and thrive was because Jaiyana staked her claim over them, without her they would either be extinct or used as a food source and sold like cattle.

Gheorgie sighs as he watches the young weaklings sleep, knowing how much they meant to his best friend.

"I will forever stand by you, Jaiyana, and if you believe that there is a human that is worthy to take your place when you are no longer here then I will help you."

"Thank you, Gheorgie. When I find them I want you to bring them to me and help me teach them all of our knowledge." She tells him, wiping at the wet trails on her face.

Gheorgie nods, and then with one last hug, he leaves.

Jaiyana takes a deep breath and then stands, making her way to the pillar while she sighs.

"Alright, my little one, it is time for you to come home to me." She whispers, moving her fingers through the water with closed eyes.

After about an hour of searching through the human world, she opens her eyes and removes her hand from the cool water a small smile forms on her face.

"Found you."

"Gheorgie!" She calls and listens to the scramble of people throughout her home, smile still intact.

"Jaiyana! Are you alright!?" Gheorgie shouts as he busts through the throne room doors with Valda right on his heels.

Valda had moved into the castle after their visit, Gheorgie had insisted. 'Just in case' he had said which really meant, 'we will not stop searching'.

"I am more than alright!" She grins, waving the newcomers towards her so that they could see into the pillar better.

"What are we looking at?" Valda asks, glancing at the sleeping human children scattered about the floor.

"I found her." Jaiyana tells them as she points to a small blob in the corner of the room.

Valda squints and leans forwards, closer to the water, as Gheorgie chuckles at the opportunity and dunks her head into the clear pool.

"Gheorgie!" Valda shouts, as she comes back up for air, her glasses slowly sinking to the bottom of the pillar.

While Gheorgie was laughing and Valda was cursing, Jaiyana snaps her fingers and Valda's glasses appear in her hand.

When they both notice Jaiyana glaring at them they stop and Valda grabs her glasses that were in Jaiyana's open palm.

Gheorgie clears his throat, "you scared me half to death with that scream."

Jaiyana smiles. "I am sorry but I couldn't help it, I have found my little one." She explains as she looks longingly at the small lump.

Gheorgie smiles a small smile as he looks at her.

The look she was giving the small child was the same look that she had given him when she saw him shift the first time all those years ago.

Jaiyana had been playing in the brush when she saw a young Gheorgie laying on the ground, half dead and completely naked, and took it upon herself to nurse him back to health behind the back of the woman she served, The Sun Goddess.

She had succeeded in keeping him alive but when The Sun Goddess found out she had called a council meeting to see what she should do with the young servant girl and the Lycan.

To The Sun Goddesses surprise, Jaiyana had gotten down on her knees and begged that she let the boy live, to take her life instead.

The Sun Goddess had never seen such love and compassion in one as young as her before, and had already thought very highly of the young girl, making her the lead servant.

She decided to make the strong girl The Goddess of the Moon, and the young boy her first in command.

Since Jaiyana was so infatuated with Gheorgie's kind, and had the powers of a goddess and not just a witch, she was able to create more of them, and others that were very similar.

Jaiyana now ruled over the Lycans and their lesser kind, the weres, as well as anyone else of any kind that wanted to live under her.

"That is her?" A now dry Valda says, bringing Gheorgie's focus back to the small lump that lay in the corner of the room and out of his memory.

"Yes." Jaiyana says in an authoritative voice, leaving no room for any arguments or disagreements.

"We shall retrieve her as soon as we are able." Gheorgie tells the goddess with a smile on his lips.

"Perfect." Jaiyana sighs, crossing her arms on the side of the pillar and laying her head on top of them so she could watch the small lump.

"It might be a while so why don't we place a shifter with her?" Valda asks.

"If you think that is best I have a few boys I can send into the home with her." Gheorgie tells the women.

"How long do you think it will be?" Jaiyana asks him, never letting her eyes stray from the sleeping child.

"Three weeks at the most." He states and all he gets was a nod from the Moon Goddess as she shoos him and Valda away with her hand.