The Guardian: Full Moon

The night was calm, yet a tension hung in the warm summer air. Just as the tide is ever changing, this night would change the lives of three women. One was a human, a Seer, gifted with the power to see the supernatural and mythical creatures of the world. The second was a werewolf, strong and respected amongst her kind. The final was a pheonyxian, a creature born of the fears and darkness that plagues the hearts of human kind. It was on this night that our story begins. Dissonantia stood atop the cliff, glaring at the sea as the conversation she had had moments earlier runs through her mind. “What do you mean you won’t accept this baby!?” Dissonantia screams at an annoyed looking Poseidon. “I meant exactly what I said Dissonantia.” Poseidon answers back coldly. “You used your power to trick and seduce me. I don’t want anything to do with that bastard child!” He yells angrily and walks into the surf. “Don’t you dare walk away from me Poseidon!” Dissonantia yells over the crashing sound of the waves. “Goodbye Diss.” He says as he sinks below the waves. “POSEIDON!!” She screams, but to no avail. He is long gone, and she is alone with a broken heart and a fatherless child in her belly. A fresh batch of angry tears falls from her eyes. “I will not be ignored Poseidon!” She yells out to the sea. A wave rises up and soaks her from head to toe, Poseidon’s doing no doubt. Angry, frustrated, and now wet and cold, Dissonantia stomps her foot and screams as loud as she can. Releasing a surge of her power in all directions around her. Unbeknownst to her, her fit of rage would set off a chain of events that would change the future of the world. Just a ways behind her in the woods, a pregnant she-wolf walked along a well trodden path, on her way to the beach to look for the father of her unborn child. Rosetta walked slowly and awkwardly along the dirt path. She had finally managed to track down the man who had once saved her life nine months ago, and who had laden her with child. She did not regret the existence of the baby as she once again felt a strong kick, and lovingly caressed her stomach. She did however, regret the hard life that lay before her child. The man that gave her this child was neither a wolf, nor her true mate. It would be too dangerous for her child to live with her amongst the other wolves. She could only hope that the child’s father would be able to protect it and raise it well. “Not long now my little star.” Rosetta said stroking her belly. “You'll be born tomorrow night, and I can’t wait to meet you.” Suddenly she feels the ground shake, a woman in the distance screams, and a wave of dark power strikes her knocking her down. Rosetta bites back the scream that threatened to escape her throat. She could not allow herself to make a sound. Whatever or whoever was the source of that dark power was strong, and she could not afford a conflict in her weakened state. She gets up painfully, holding her belly, praying that her child was not harmed. She carefully ventures in the direction of where the power came from. Through the trees she can see a woman in the distance, standing atop the cliff surrounded by a cloud of darkness. “A pheonyxian.” She thinks, gritting her teeth as another wave of pain washes over her. She wraps her arms around her belly, silently asking her baby to give her a sign that it was alright. She waits with bated breath, and finally feels it, a subtle movement. Rosetta lets out the breathe she was holding, and quietly whispers a curse at the pheonyxian woman for nearly costing her the baby. Satisfied that the woman would pay for her mistake, Rosetta sets off once again to find the child’s father. Little did she know that the same wave of power that nearly killed her child, would also be the child’s saving grace. Poseidon had felt the wave of darkness that came from Dissonantia as it wreaked havoc on the sea life in the area. Angry and annoyed that Dissonantia was harming the creatures of his domain, Poseidon called out to his brother Zeus for aid in creating a storm that would drive Dissonantia away from the sea and back to the realm of shadows. Zeus, who also held a grudge against Dissonantia, readily agreed to his brother’s request. A strong wind being the only warning to anyone along the coast to seek shelter before they were caught up in the wrath of the two gods. And so it was, that is was the only warning to a human family who were sailing back home after their vacation. The Dragos were a family of Seers. They had decided to take a year long trip as a family to unwind from the stress of daily life. Three months into their travels, Mrs.Drago had become pregnant. Rather than end their vacation plans to accommodate the upcoming addition to the family, Mr. and Mrs.Drago decided to continue their vacation, and would head home near the end of her pregnancy in July. Mr.Drago steered the boat easily along the course that he had charted. They may have ended their vacation a bit early, but he was excited to have another member of the family arriving soon. He felt a strong wind against his back and he looked up to the sky. Something didn’t feel right about the sudden change in the weather. He increased the boat's speed, but even at full speed they were a few hours away from shore, and it would prove to be too little too late. The sky and sea roiled in unison as the storm raged on. It was early morning, yet the sky was dark as night. The rain pelted down in sheets and the sea swelled as the storm raged on with full force. The Drago family was struggling to keep their boat afloat amidst the turmoil that surrounded them, yelling as loud as they could in an attempt to communicate with each other. Mrs.Drago was doing her best to help her husband navigate towards land. “Get below deck!” Mr.Drago calls out to his wife from his position at the helm. “It’s too dangerous out here!” “I won’t leave you alone!” Mrs.Drago shouts back as she unsteadily makes her way across the slippery deck towards the bow. “Don’t be stubborn!” Mr.Drago shouts irritatedly at his persistent wife. Mrs.Drago frowns, rolls her eyes, and looks towards land once again. Suddenly she sees a small light through the rain, and an excited smile spreads across her face. “I see a light!” She calls back excitedly to her husband. At the same time, another deafening wind howled and Mr.Drago did not hear what his wife said. “What?!” He calls back to her. Mrs.Drago walks back towards the helm and tries again. “A light!” She shouts pointing towards land. Mr.Drago looked into the distance, in the direction his wife was pointing. His heart swelled as he too saw the light, a small beacon of hope. He looked back at his wife with a smile on his face. Suddenly, another large wave washed over the deck, nearly capsizing their boat and knocking Mrs.Drago over the railing into the dark depths below. “NO!” Mr.Drago cried out in agony as he rushed from the helm to the railing where his wife had just been standing. He scans the water frantically. “She’s alright.” An unfamiliar man's voice calls out from behind him. Mr.Drago spins around to see a man with sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes holding an unconscious Mrs.Drago in his arms. Mr.Drago staggers towards the man and places a trembling hand on his wife’s head. “W-Who are you?” Mr.Drago manages to ask with trembling breathe. “My name is Adrian, a sea nereid.” The man says. “I’ll help you towards shore.” The sea nereid named Adrian escorts Mr.Drago down below deck and leaves Mrs.Drago for him to tend to. Making his way onto the deck, he easily navigates towards the helm. Steering the boat towards land, he uses his power to protect the boat from the onslaught of waves. By the time Adrian had finally managed to dock the Drago's boat it was already midday. Adrian ties the boat off to the small pier and heads below deck to check on the shaken family. “We’ve reached land.” He says as he enters the cabin. Upon seeing him, Mr.Drago jumps up from his place at his wife’s side on the bed. He rushed towards Adrian and grabs hold of his shoulders. “Please, help my wife!” He cries, tears creeping into his eyes. Adrian looks from the terrified man to the unconscious woman and nods. “We’re at my cabin on shore. I can tend to her there.” Adrian says, looking Mr.Drago in the eyes. Together they carried Mrs.Drago onto the deck. Then Adrian and the Drago family made their way along the boardwalk to the cozy safety of Adrian's seaside cabin. Once inside, Adrian and Mr.Drago carefully carried Mrs.Drago into the bedroom and placed her on the full sized bed. Adrian placed one hand on Mrs.Drago's forehead, and the other on her swollen belly. She moaned softly at his touch. Adrian looked up into the worried face of Mr.Drago. “Your wife is safe in my care.” Adrian says calmly. “You and your children are welcome to help yourselves to a hot drink in the kitchen.” Mr.Drago nodded slowly and left the room without saying a word, closing the door behind him. Looking towards the living room where his children had seated themselves by the fire, he caught the gaze of his eldest son. 15 year old Ensio stands up from his spot on the couch and walks over to his father. “Is mom okay?” He asks his father in a hushed tone. “Mister Adrian will take care of your mother.” Mr.Drago assures his son. “Take your sisters and brother to the kitchen, and get them something warm to drink. I’m going to stay nearby and wait for word on your mother.” “Sure dad.” Ensio says and walks back to his siblings. “Come on guys.” He says, grabbing their attention. “Let’s go raid the kitchen and see if we can find some hot chocolate.” Mr.Drago watched as his children filed out of the living room and into the kitchen. He grabs a nearby chair, positions it facing the bedroom door, and sits down. After a time that felt almost like an eternity to Mr.Drago, Adrian opened the bedroom door. “Mr.Drago.” He says, rousing the man from his seat. “Is she alright?” Mr.Drago asks standing. “She’s fine.” Adrian says calmly. Mr.Drago sighs, relieved. “However,” Adrian says somewhat hesitantly. “the shock from the trauma she just experienced, has caused her to go into labor.” Mr.Drago sinks back down into the chair, listening intently to whatever Adrian had to say next. “She’s already started having contractions.” Adrian explains with a smile. “I expect the baby to be born within the next few hours.” Mr.Drago stared wide eyed and mouth open, caught somewhere between dumbfounded and awestruck. “Mr.Drago?” Adrian says slowly, waiting for a response from the man. “Huh?” Mr.Drago says waking up from his shock. “Your baby will be born today.” Adrian says with a chuckle. Mr.Drago grins widely, his excited smile like a beam of sunlight. Adrian patted the man on the shoulder and walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Mrs.Drago's sweat drenched brow. “Don’t you worry Mrs.Drago.” He says looking into her eyes. “You and your baby are going to be fine.” He says reassuringly. “Thank you.” She says breathing heavy. Outside the storm continued to rage on, unable to dampen the newfound happiness and excitement inside the cabin. It was, however, making things difficult for those who were not as fortunate as the Dragos. At the other end of the very same beach, inside a small cave nestled in the cliff face, rested a drenched Rosetta. “This storm couldn’t have come at a worse time.” Rosetta says, breathing out a heavy sigh. She had smelt the storm as it was rolling in, but the added weight of her belly and her injuries from earlier that day had made the trip excruciatingly slow. “We’re lucky this cave was here, weren’t we baby?” She says, leaning against the rocky wall. Her eyes closed, hands stroking and rubbing her stomach. “Selene,” She thinks to her inner wolf spirit. “can you tell if my baby is alright?” “The child is as much mine as it is yours Rosetta.” Selene chides her. “The child’s father may not be our destined mate, but that does not mean that I would reject the child.” “I know.” Rosetta says with a chuckle. “Now, about the baby?” She asks. “The child is fine Rosetta.” Selene soothes. “I've been protecting it with our power for months now.” “Thank you Selene.” Rosetta says aloud and breathes out a heavy sigh. “It’s going to be a long night.” It was almost sundown when the first cries were heard from the bedroom of Adrian’s cabin. Mr.Drago and his children were seated in the living room, waiting with bated breath for news on Mrs.Drago and the baby. Adrian opens the door and is met with five pairs of curious, waiting eyes. “Well?” Mr.Drago asks. “Congratulations, Mr.Drago.” Adrian says with a cheerful smile. “You have a son, and your wife is doing fine.” Cheers erupted from the four children, and they embraced their father in a tight hug. Overjoyed, Mr.Drago begins to cry, returning his children’s embrace with abandon. “Can we see mommy and the baby now?” Messina, his 10 year old daughter asks. “Yes sweetheart.” Mr.Drago says wiping the tears from his eyes. From the moment Mr.Drago opened the bedroom door to the moments after, could only be described as beautiful. The children all rushed into the room and gathered around the bed, anxious to meet their new brother. Mr.Drago gazed at his wife lovingly from the foot of the bed. Mrs.Drago looked up from her baby to her husband, and as their eyes met there was a break in the clouds, and she was bathed in the warm light of the sun that had just begun to set. “Dad, look!” His 13 year old daughter Akia exclaims looking out the window. “Yes, I see.” He says smiling and walks to the head of the bed to stand by his wife. “The storm is almost over.” “A good thing too.” Adrian says as he leans against the open doorway. “The clouds should completely clear up in time to see the moon tonight.” “What’s so special about the moon tonight?” 7 year old Shiro asks curiously. Adrian looked into the wondering eyes of the young boy and smiled. “Tonight we get to see something that only happens once every few hundred years.” He says as the Drago children look at him excitedly. “Tonight is the night of a True Blood Moon.” The moon was high in the sky, and the scent of fresh rain and sea water were working well to mask the smell of fresh blood. From inside the cave, where Rosetta was now nursing her newborn daughter, she could see the world dyed crimson from the light of the moon. “She’s so beautiful.” Selene says, gazing at the child through Rosetta’s eyes. “She really is.” Rosetta says aloud, eyes never leaving her baby girl's face. “Selene, I don’t know if I can do this.” Rosetta says as her eyes begin to water, and she sniffles. “You know we don’t have a choice Rosetta.” Selene says, her voice laced with sadness. “I know, but…” Rosetta’s voice cracks, her lips tremble, and the tears she had been trying to hold back spring forth. Rosetta cries aloud, holding her daughter close and rocking back and fourth. From inside her mind she could hear Selene howling in agony. Neither wanted to leave their daughter, but they knew they had to in order to keep her safe. Adrian walked along the shoreline, enjoying the night scene. The wind was calm and carried the smell of the sea, and the waves washing onto the sand was soothing to the ear. He had decided to take a night stroll in order to give the family privacy to bask in the presence of their newest member. Yet the farther he walked from his cabin, the stronger a feeling of unease crept into his heart. Every fiber of his being was telling him to turn back to the safety of his home, but something was convincing him to keep walking. Then, suddenly, over the sound of the waves, he heard a faint cry. He walked a bit further and heard it again, a baby’s cry. The next thing he knew, he was running towards the end of the beach and into a small cave. Inside, wrapped up in a blanket and nestled in a basket, lay the most beautiful baby girl he had ever seen. Alongside the baby was a letter, and a moonstone pendant necklace. To say that the Dragos were surprised when Adrian returned to the cabin, would be a gross understatement. “Mister Adrian, where did this precious child come from?” Mrs.Drago asked as she stole the child from Adrian’s arms. “I found her abandoned in a cave at the other end of the beach.” Adrian explained slowly, watching Mrs.Drago. “Are you going to care for her?” Mr.Drago asks while rocking his newborn son. “I would if I could.” Adrian replied. “Unfortunately, I do not possess the means to care for, what I can only assume, is a human child.” He says sullenly, eyes downcast. “Darling?” Mrs.Drago says, grabbing her husband’s attention. “Yes dear.” He replies. “I know this is sudden, and selfish on my part, but could we take her?” “I don’t see why not.” he says striding over to where his wife sat on the bed. “You would do that?” Adrian asked the couple, eyes wide. “Of course.” Mr.Drago says smiling. “You did save our lives after all.” Mrs.Drago chimed in. “It’s only right that we repay the kindness you showed us, by extending a loving hand to this poor child.” The next morning, Adrian helped the Drago family get their boat ready to sail. “So, what did you end up naming them?” Adrian asked while gazing at the pair of sleeping infants. Mrs.Drago chuckled, then said, “It’s a bit silly, but we named them in honor of the moon last night.” “Our son's full name is Kai Luan Drago.” Mr.Drago says, beaming with pride. “We decided to name the girl Enya Lucine Drago.” Mrs.Drago says with a cheerful smile. “Both are good names.” Adrian complimented. “Well, we should shove off while the weather is fair.” Mr.Drago says looking out to the horizon. “Good idea.” Adrian says and extends his hand towards Mr.Drago. “And good luck out there.” Mr.Drago accepts Adrian’s hand and the two men share a firm handshake. “We’ll come back to visit sometime.” Mr.Drago says, and climbs aboard his family’s boat. Adrian stood at the end of his pier, watching as the Dragos sailed away. It was only when the Drago's boat was out of sight that he broke his cheerful façade and began to cry. As the tears rolled down his cheeks, he sat down, took out the letter that he had found with the baby girl, and read it for the fifth time since last night. Dear Adrian Calder, I've been trying to track you down for months now. My name is Rosetta. I’m the werewolf you helped, and slept with nine months ago. As I’m sure you figured out, this child is our daughter. Due to circumstances, I am forced to entrust her care and safety to you. I wish I could wait around to explain everything to you in greater detail, but I currently don’t have the time. I was injured on my way to find you, and it took all of my strength to protect her. In my weakened state, I only had enough power to cast a protection spell on the moonstone necklace that I left with her. We may not have been true mates, and that night may have been a mistake, made out of a mutual sense of loneliness. But I do not regret it. Nor do I wish you ill will. Our daughter is a precious gift, and I thank you for that. I've given her the name Maristela Chantara. Rest assured, I will return for her one day, when my power and strength have both returned. Until then, please keep her safe. Sincerely, Rosetta “Don’t worry Rosetta.” Adrian says aloud as he finishes reading the letter. “Our daughter will be safe with a family of Seers.” He folds up the letter, stands up and walks back to his cabin, wondering what kind of future his daughter will grow to have under the guidance of the Dragos.