The Moon Goddess

The Moon Goddess
"This stone comes from another realm, the realm where Selene herself resides and watches over us from. A bridge between, if you must." Tarquin waved towards the large altar we were sitting in front of and towards another smaller amethyst. "While our family lineage comes from Serene herself, Aurelia's lineage comes from the first wolf to walk in this realm."

My jaw hit the floor as he said that. I knew that our family was old, royal blood - however I didn't realise it was that old. It sounded like something that came from a fairytale.

I gave Malachi and wide eyed look and realised his eyes were just as wide.

"At the very beginning, the first wolf - Artemis Henley, held the stone with her and used the direct communication with Selene to build our lore as it is today. The first guardian - Elowyn Selene stuck by her side as protection of the stone which is how it remained for a long time, but eventually greed grew and it was decided that it was safest to hide the stone and let the knowledge fade from memory."

"Do my parents know about this?" I questioned, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.

"I highly doubt it, but I can't be sure. There would be traces of history kept at Whitebridge since it's apart of you - however there has been many, many generations since and all stories passed down are either eventually changed or details forgotten over time." Tarquin answered.

"May I- May I speak with her?" I tentatively asked and he waved his hand towards the altar with a grin.

"I thought you'd never ask." He smiled and Malachi squeezed my hand. He was still on high alert and this was a lot for all of us to process, so I understood his hesitation.

I shot him a comforting smile, which I knew would do absolutely nothing to calm his nerves and took a deep breath before following Tarquin who had already made his way to the altar.

"You will go into a trance-like meditative state, so it is important to have a guardian with you at all times. You will be at your strongest, however with strength comes vulnerability." He explained and I nodded my head, unable to speak from the nerves that were currently pulsating through my veins.

"Sit down here child, cross your legs and cup your hands in your lap." He directed, and I noticed a mat on the floor in front of the altar.

I followed his directions and sat down, shuffling a little to find some comfort before holding my hands as instructed. Tarquin carefully removed the crystal from the altar and stood in front of me.

"Are you ready?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, this is still crazy." I stated honestly and he chuckled. I looked at Malachi and my friends and they were all sitting on the edge of their seats.

"Close your eyes and clear your mind." He directed, which was easier said than done but the cold, rough texture of the crystal being placed in the palm of my hands quickly slowed my thoughts as I focused solely on that, rubbing the course edges with my thumbs.

I sat with my eyes closed for which felt like hours, before a gentle wisp of wind caught my hair.

"My darling, you're finally here. Open your eyes." A soft voice rang out from in front of me.

I opened my eyes, squinting as I adjusted to the light before a shocked gasp left my lips.

I was no longer in the cave, but sitting on plush grass in the middle of a meadow. There were dainty white, wild flowers dotted amongst the grass and the most vibrant coloured rocks that dotted a little babbling stream to my left. The small meadow was surrounded by tree's that whispered softly as they rustled in a gentle wind.

My eyes laid on the person who had spoken to me and I noticed three of the most beautiful women I'd ever laid eyes on, standing in front of me.

The woman on the left had flowing blonde hair with deep, gentle brown eyes and was stoic, strong and had the aura of a warrior. I knew that she was Elowyn.

The woman on the right had jet black hair and peircing blue eyes, she held herself similarly to Elowyn - however she had an elegance around her which could only be described as royalty. She looked like she could be my twin and I knew that this was Artemis.

The middle woman was angelic with platinum white hair, and soft green eyes that could rival Malachi's - I knew straight away that this was Selene.

All three women were smiling at me fondly, as if I was their own child who had just made them proud beyond measure and I gave them a gentle smile back. It felt different here, the air was lighter, the sounds of nature sung a perfectly in tune song together and I had never felt peace like this before.

"You know who we are." Selene stated, and I nodded - unable to speak as I continued to drink in the women standing before me.

"We've been listening to Tarquin explain to you." Elowyn added, with her own soft smile.

"It was you in those drawings, not me, wasn't it?" I asked Artemis.

"It was both of us, my child - this started with me and it will end with you." She replied, and I cocked my head in confusion.

"The stone must be destroyed, Aurelia." Selene spoke up and my eyes widened at her words.

"Wha- Why? Why now?" I stuttered, unsure if I heard her correctly.

"That stone was created as my way to guide my children from the birth of our kind - into creating the world as you know it. It was your destiny to complete this cycle and restore peace in a place that has held destruction, death and greed for centuries. If the stone continues to exist, that cycle will eventually repeat again - in the very same place this all began." She explained.

"How will you communicate with us then?" I blurted out, and quickly held my hand to my mouth as the three women chuckled delicately, as though it was the funniest joke they'd heard.

"Aurelia, I have been communicating and guiding you to your destiny this whole time, and I will continue to guide all of my children until they return home, here with me. There is no need for such a powerful tool to dangerously exist anymore. I have done my job, and now it is time to let go." She stated, as I tried to process this all.

"You're confused." Elowyn said and my eyes snapped up to meet hers as I burst out into a manical laughter.

"I- I just- It's just that I've been a puppet my whole life." I gasped through my laughter, and I felt panic bubbling up to the surface.

"Aurelia, you control your own destiny. You could have married Atticus, and would have achieved the exact same thing the inside out - but instead you chose love. You've always had a choice, but your fate would have remained the same. The journey there was completely you." Selene explained with a fire behind her words.

"There is always an easy path, or a difficult one, a happy path or a negative one and you have many blessings ahead of you - but this chapter needs to be closed before we can open a new one for you." Artemis said gently.

"So you're holding my happiness hostage until I do your bidding?" I snapped.

"You're overwhelmed, Aurelia." Elowyn mused, and I paused. I knew I was being a little frank, but I still felt like a puppet on a string with happiness out of my reach.

"Aurelia, You will find happiness and joy no matter what you choose - however this is your fated path. You have the chance to break this cycle and restore light to a darkness that has hung over your packs and your family for so long. The time is now and this all remains in your hands." Selene said and I felt the tension leave my shoulders.

"How do I destroy it?"