The Lycanwolf

The Changing Luna Ceremony

At 4 o'clock that afternoon, the stylists arrived to do her hair and makeup, and they had decided to make her Auburn hair pop with some red highlights to go with her scarlet dress. They spent the full 2 hours they had transforming her into a ravishing beauty, ready for her coronation on the full moon.

Her dad would be making her Alpha today, one of the few things the Elders had agreed to, because they would be offering him a seat soon. He was not aware of this yet, and as his daughter had prepared, they would allow Brian to assume her duties until she was able to recover from her change tonight.

At 6 sharp her mom walked into the room, and they had just put the finishing touches on her makeup now that she was fully dressed.

"Beautiful my lovely daughter." Luna Daisy said. "That dress fits you perfectly."

"Thanks mom, she said as she looked into the mirror and saw herself for the first time. They had only done light makeup on most of her face, except for the scarlet lipstick and eye liner, that accentuated her beautiful stormy blue eyes, and brought out the scarlet highlights they had done through her hair, that made it almost look like it was on fire. They had curled it and framed her face so that she looked as stunning as she felt.

"Thanks everyone, it is absolutely amazing." she said as she turned to her mom.

"Well, shall we go celebrate your birthday now?" her mom asked leading her to the banquet room inside the Castle.

When they entered the entire room cheered and shouted a Happy Birthday at her. She was slightly taken back as there were nearly 500 people in attendance, and she recognized most of them. They mingled and ate finger foods, as they all knew this was only the precelebration event for what this night truly was. At 7 they bell chimed and her father stood on a Podium that had been set up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to celebrate with us. I am sure my daughter was very surprised that you all cam to celebrate with her, even though not everyone knows what all this entails.

"For this special girl, things will be changing very quickly. As such, normally a young wolf going through the change is given every accordance to come to it on their own time. However I must say my daughter, I hope is does not take you long, for you will be made Luna and Alpha on this night as well." Jon said to the shock of the crowd. "Therefore, we ask you to head to the Changing Luna Ceremony, where we will confer this beautiful girl with her powers."

Her mom slid in beside her as she began walking to the Ceremony Pavilion, she knew with the Alpha Blood she wasn't required to have her father's powers deliver with the moon, but it would be done just as the moon rose that his blood would be drawn.

"He is really going to do it, isn't he?" Jane asked her mom as they walked.

"Yes we are, the moon will begin it's rise within the hour, and with all the Ceremonies taking place, we will have time to do it just before the moon reaches the Pinnacle." Daisy said knowing exactly what they had planned.

As they walked in, Jane saw all of the origami swans and moons that had been made and strung throughout the hall. Candles were hanging as well, and the flicker of their lights cast a warm glow over everything. She laughed as she saw they had done representations of each of the full moons, the Scarlet Blood Moon the most significant and domineering in the room, almost the same shade as her dress.

She sat on the stage with her mother and father, as her m had made her, and she noticed that their thrones were separated, and a new one was covered under a scarlet drape behind theirs.

As the tent began to fill, the gong was sounded three times, indicating the ceremony would begin in 15 minutes. Jane stood at the base of the stage, as many of the party goers chose now to form a procession and congratulate her on everything that has happened. It went by so quickly, that she had not even heard the other gongs to indicate the time, and she was finally approached by Ingrid to come take her seat.

"Welcome one and all, to the biggest event this Pack has ever seen. First we will be performing the Welcoming ritual, as my daughter here joins our pack on this night of her birth, 19 years ago." he said as Gamma Jason brought up the first chalice that was silver. It had the very appropriate athema on it, that was very sharp at the tip, as only a drop of blood from the Alpha was enough to establish a link with the pack.

"My daughter, it is with great pleasure that on this night. I, Alpha Jon Esvolt, here do by welcome you into the Dragonian Pack as you celebrate your birth on this 19th anniversary. It is with great honor that we will be celebrating this achievement with you as your night will be very special." he said as he jabbed his thumb and let a drop of blood fall into the chalice, before he filled it with the ritual wine.

"With this Chalice, we welcome you into the Pack, as you establish your bond." he proclaimed as she took it from him and drank the entire contents.

As soon as it touched her lips she could hear the murmuring of the pack link, and knew that it would take a moment for her to get used to it.

"Let the feast begin as we prepare and wait for the next ceremony as the moon makes it's ascent into the night sky.

None of them knew that in 20 minutes, the Blood Moon would be making it appearance for the first time in 78,000 years when Dartanion had been the first man to survive the Change.

Omegas brought Jane and her parents a plate just after the announcement, and people quickly grabbed a serving as they knew that time would be crucial tonight. Most of the pack was in attendance, and each of them managed to get a serving within 10 minutes, so they could quickly eat.

Just before the moon began it's ascent into the night sky, the gong sounded again indicating the time for the Luna Ceremony had begun.

"Normally my family, the Luna Ceremony happens at the apex of the moons cycle, however we must break with tradition tonight, as my wife and I will be stepping down. My daughter has proven that she has what it takes to become the leader of this Pack, and it is with great honor that I get to do so on the night that she will officially change for the first time. Brian, if you would please." Jon said as he grabbed the microphone and turned to where the bronze chalice was placed.

"Jane Anna Esvolt, please rise." Jon said as the crowd grew silent. She rose and took the few steps too his and the Chalice, as her mom came too stand beside her husband. "The Dragonian Pack has voted, and they have accepted the retirement of Alpha Jon and Luna Daisy. You have been called to lead us, do you accept this calling?" Jon asked her in a booming voice, amplified by the microphone so that all could hear.

"I accept the call of the Alpha." she said clearly and loudly, so that she could be heard as well.

"Do you swear that you shall protect this Pack as your family, that you shall train them in war, and protect them in peace? That you shall lay your life on the line if it is needed to save all those under your rule?" he asked in the oath of the Alpha.

"I swear I shall lay my life on the line to ensure the Dragonian Pack lives in peace. I swear I shall train them, so that they shall be prepared should war come calling at our gates. That I shall save all those under my care to the best of my ability." She called as her father slit his palm with the athema and filled the Chalice 1/4 of the way with blood before the wound healed.

"Do you swear that you shall be the beacon of Justice for those that are wronged? That you shall treat those under you with strength and compassion, trust and love?" Luna Daisy asked as she took up the athema her husband had set down.

"I swear that any who are wronged shall achieve Justice. That those under me shall be shown respect, strength, compassion, trust and love." Jane said solemnly as her mother slashed her palm and poured the blood into the goblet as well. The Chalice was now half full of her parents blood, and Brian handed her father a bottle of wine that was not often used.

He opened the bottle, and poured the spicy smelling wine into the Chalice, so that it was filled nearly to the brim. "With this wine we seal these Oaths, and ask the moon goddess bless the new Luna." Jon said as he presented the Chalice to his daughter as the Crest of the Blood Moon peaked over the mountain. It's red light infused the cup just as she took it into her hands and lifted it to her lips.

As soon as the liquid hit her lips, she felt the change in the Pack Link, and knew she would now be able to command them all. She drank half the liquid, something telling her to save the rest for what was to occur.

"Brian, save this for later tonight." Jane whispered shocking him and her parents. "Trust me?" she asked.

"May I present Luna Jane, new Alpha of the Dragonian Pack." Jon said raising her hand.

"Thank you, it will be my honor to lead this great pack as we find our way into the future. Normally we would now commence the pack run, however..." she trailed off as the Blood Moon had now risen fully and she felt the first pangs of the change rack her body.

"However she will not change until the pinnacle of this..." Daisy said trailing off as she saw the scarlet Blood Moon was nearly the same shade as Jane's dress. "Blood Moon?" she finished more as a question.

And with that statement everyone turned to look at the moon, as Jane heard the distinct high pitch of the crystal prison through her mate link.She knew that it was vibrating in a resonance frequency, and it would shatter soon. She looked at the moon as she felt the next pang rock her body, and no one noticed.

'It will not be long now my love, do not worry, I shall soon be there to hold you.' Tantalus said through the link and her heart yearned.

'I better not have to wait long, this s**t hurts.' she nearly screamed as her back popped for the first time.

Just as she recovered from this episode, the 6 elders rushed to the stage, and began speaking with Jon. Jane couldn't hear what was being said, as she was finding it hard to concentrate through the ringing in her ear, when it suddenly stopped and she felt a sense of falling and exhilaration through the mind link.

She stood up and walked over to where they were standing.

"...the omens are becoming too much. We knew she would be special, but this?" Elder Gweneth finished as Jane approached.

"How did you know?" Jane asked.

"What you are is rare, few are born on a full moon and change with that same moon 19 years later. Most often the days do not perfectly line up in the Lunar Cycle, every time one has has been a portent of change for the Wolf Nation." Elder Stephen answered her.

"The last occurrence was Lawrence, he signed the Treatise with the humans." Elder Thomas said of the occurrence 12 millennium ago. The Treatise that had maintained the peace for so long.

"And the blood moon?" Jane asked curious.

"Belief is that the last time a blood moon rose on the mortal realm was when Dartanion was changed by Tantalus." Brian said knowing full well she knew.

"As I said, the omens are becoming too much." Gweneth said again as Jane fought to control another tremor. "My dear, you should change before the moon rises much more." she said.

'No, the dress will be fine. I have a feeling why she said to wear it.' Tantalus said through the bond.

'Very well my love. What has happened?' she asked as she could feel like he was falling.

'You shall see.' was all he said back.

He fell through the space between the realms, as his prison had shattered with the first pangs of her change. He had been suspended from the base of Olympus, hanging over the mortal realm. When it had shattered he had begun to fall.

It was not like how an angel fell, although he had met the Angel Galadreil while they had battled the Titans. He had fallen as he had disobeyed orders when he joined the war.

He knew he would land near her just as the moon reached the Pinnacle, and she would be forced to change with the moon.

For nearly an hour she mingled with the guests, as they all knew that she would change as soon as it reached the Pinnacle, and than she would lead the Pack in a run through the territory. Or that was the theory as she would be freshly changed, and it was said the pain of it could drive a wolf insane.