Children of the Moon

The Beginning

Alain's POV:

I was not feeling well. I felt hot and pushed my blankets off of me. My head hurts so much tears came to my eyes. Everything hurts. I turn towards the window and I shivered. It was open and the curtains blew slightly in the wind. I thought about calling out to my parents.

Stop it, Alain, I thought. I am seven today and I am a big boy now. I would not call for them. I jump as I hear my door open and hear my father's foot steps coming toward me. I hear the scrape of a chair beside my bed.

"Alain? I know you are awake, son," he said. "Look at me, please. I need to tell you something important." I turn towards him and my night shirt clings welty to my legs.

"I know what you are going through right now and I have to tell you what is going on with you." He rubbed his face and looked at me. "You have a choice to make, son. Do you want to learn our family secret or not? Be warned though. If you choose not to learn, you will definitely die. If you want to learn, you will be immortal. It is your choice and you don't have much time."

"I want to learn it, daddy," I said in a quiet voice. My father smiled at me and picked me up. He took me down the grand stairs and turned to go behind the stairs. I frowned since I knew that there was nothing there. I was about to say something when I saw the glowing blue door where there had never been one before. It looked painted on the wall. My father took me through the wall there and it turned pitch black. I was afraid at first but then I saw a glowing blue circle on the floor. My father sat me down and came down to my level, looking me in the eye.

"Do you see it?" he asked and I nodded. "Good. I want you to walk in there and find your destiny. When you get it, don't tell anyone about it. Not even me. It is yours and yours alone. I am very proud of you, son. Now go. I will be right here." He gives me a small shove toward the circle and I step into the middle of it.

I feel a slight pull and find myself in a forest grove surrounded by very large and old trees. I look up and see the bright, full moon directly above me. I smile. I have always loved the full moon. I hear a slight sound behind me and turn around. A beautiful, tall woman dressed in a long white gown and white, flowing hair stood in front of me, smiling. I bowed to her and her smile got brighter.

*Are you Alain Deveraux?* she asked with a kind and gentle voice in my mind.

"I am," I answered her. " Who are you?"

* I am the Moon Goddess and I am happy to meet you. I am here to help you find your destiny,* she said and came closer to me. She touched my forehead and her eyes change from emerald green to white. She frowns and blinked her eyes a few times. She steps back and her eyes change back to green. Her smile turns a little bit sad when she looks at me. My heart starts to beat rapidly. What is wrong? I asked myself. Am I not worthy of her?

*Not worthy of me?* she asked me incredulously. *You are more worthy than all the ones who came before you combined.*

"But you looked so sad when you looked at me," I stated.

*I am sad for you, child,* she said and sat down in front of me on a glowing white throne that hadn't been there before. *You have to learn more than all those before you did. You have to learn everything and to do so I will give you a mind to go with it. You will only have to see anything once and you will know it,* she says and touches my forehead again. *Your destiny will come in stages and I will guide you. You will feel a pull towards those who you have to gather to you. A stronger pull when they are my children, the new Gods and Goddesses.*

"Where will I find them?" I asked her. *They can be here or in any of the worlds you will journey to.* she answered *Watch for the blood red moon during a full lunar eclipse. The last part of your destiny will then be revealed.* She then touches my forehead a final time and I fall asleep.

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It has been fifty years since I had been home the last time. I have lived for 207 years so far. I looked out the window in the back seat of the cab at how much New Orleans had changed. A few days ago I was in London, meeting with my best friends and staying at their home. My training was complete. 200 years of training was completed. But I still felt like I needed to learn more. While I was staying with my friends, I woke up to the gentle voice of the Moon Goddess. I followed where she led and I watched the full lunar eclipse. At its height the full moon had turned a blood red, making me remember the Moon Goddess' words to me.

I stood n***d under the blood red moon and projected myself to all of my siblings, none of whom I have ever met. I told them to come home, my home, in New Orleans. I had been astonished at how many siblings I actually had. And I had thought the Celts, my friends with whom I had been staying with, had a lot. After I had called my family home, I had felt Altewen come up behind me with my robe. I had turned to him and was still in awe that he became my companion and friend. He wasn't human but was a prince of the Seelie court. He would be joining me later today.

"Is this your first time in New Orleans, sir?" the cabbie asked. I turned to look at him and smiled.

"No, it is not," I answered. "I was born here." He looked at me in the rear view mirror and smiled. As soon as our eyes met I felt a tingle up my arms. He is a were-something or another. I also felt a familiar pull towards him.

"Where you born in the US?" I asked him curiously.

"No, sir. I have been here for about six months," he smiled. "I came here with my family. We have green cards and everything."

"Have you joined a faction yet?" I asked him. He looks back to me and starts to sweat.

"Your eyes... Magus..." He started to shake. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"Be calm, my friend," I told him gently. "I am not a hunter. I was just wondering if you had joined one. If you hadn't, I would have you and your family join us." He relaxed a little and shook his head.

"No, sir, we have not done so yet," he said and looked at the road. "We are still in the process of checking them out. If I may ask... what would you offer us?" I smiled at him.

"That's easy... housing, protection, training, jobs and, as soon as I have found someone, medical and dental. Travel may be a possibility and I am not talking about Earth only," I answered watching his eyes. I saw a lot of interest in them. Just then he turned into the driveway and stopped. I looked up front and get out of the cab. I walked up to the closed gates and opened them up wide. I got back in the cab and he drove through the gates. He whistled in appreciation when he saw the vast grounds. I thought he was going to drive me into the ditch as he tried to see all of it. When we neared the manor I thought his eyes would bulge out of his skull and I laughed. He turned into the circular driveway and stopped at the front door.

"You live here?" he asked, looking at the manor in awe.

"I do indeed," I answered, getting out. I looked up at the windows and frowned. Everything was still boarded up. No one had been here to get it ready for my arrival. The cabbie got out and took my luggage from the trunk of the cab.

"It looks like it hasn't been looked after, sir. Will you be staying here tonight?" he asked looking at the manor in doubt.

"I will indeed stay here," I answered. "My companions will be here shortly. We will get everything cleaned up." I turned to the cabbie. "What is your name?"

"Claude, sir," he answered. I pulled out my wallet and handed him $2000. His eyes bulged and he stares at me.

"This is way too much, sir," he stammered and I grin at him.

"Take it," I said and also handed him my card. "Call me by this number when you and your family decide on joining us." He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you. I will sit down with my family as soon as I get back home." He got back in his cab and waved at me while driving off. I turned back to the manor and sighed. I just wanted a shower and get ready for my companions to arrive. I walked up the front stairs and carefully took the boards from the stained glass on the door. I unlocked the front door and walked into my home.