Blue Moon Rising

Centuries

4th day of full moon

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Stop."

"It's like there's two Aiden now." Gary groaned.

"Any luck on that book, Aiden?" Chance asks, cutting the argument between his temporary guardian and new friend.

"A little." Aiden mumbles, his nose hidden behind a book while trekking the forest. "I don't think we'll be so lucky to have the leader of the Phoenix flock nearby."

Jerry grins, "It's because this land is mutual grounds."

"Mutual grounds?"

"Before all this chaos between shifters, this land was the centre of our origin, Thus why the Wolf Castle is located here, why the home of the Dragon King is here." Gary explained, clearing a path for the young ones at the same time looking around for prowlers. "There is nothing special about the place, aside from the fact that this is the area where all the deity of each shifter were birthed to."

"Even the merman?" Aiden asks.

"Mermen are not born with tails that's why Ken can live on land, and they are not necessarily born in sea either. Even for a being like them, there are a lot of predators under the sea." Gary answers. "Though, it was said that the King of the Sea, first convened with the Moon Goddess here."

"The actual Moon Goddess?" Chance asks.

"I'd like to think so." Gary nods, "Unless your mother had a thing for running around the woods..."

Gary glanced over his shoulder and caught Chance smirk.

"Forget I said that." Gary mumbled, "Anyway, in the old days, the leaders of the each kind encouraged unity between them, even humans. The vampires, believe it or not, were peaceful beings. But I guess, being immortal gets boring, and they've seen humans' thirst for war and saw them as a threat to the mythical world. They start to tell them stories about dragons and werewolves, scaring them enough for the humans to rebel and look for these monsters. Hell broke loose. Dragons were driven to near extinction, wolves pushed to the darkness, and the damn Phoenix watched and recorded the whole damn thing like they were expectators."

"Is that why the shifters aren't in good terms with them?" Chance asked.

"More or less." Gary nods, "Don't get me wrong, I haven't heard of a single account where the Phoenix took part of any bloodshed or wars, they are quiet beings, too quiet. No lust for fighting, no fear in dying. They're a damn paradox."

"Well, paradox or not, we need them." Aiden shrugged. "I can't see a way for a peaceful dialogue between us without them."

"Elves would have been better to deal with." Gary says, "Their sarcasm would put those merfolks in place."

"Elves are real?" Chance asks.

"You've met an elf?" Jerry asks at the same time, trying to jog up ahead.

"You'd be surprise how frequent you all have met elves." Gary says, "They're like us, trying to live among humans, though they are capable to survive in a small number with them being so cunning and resourceful. And since they have a biologically identical with humans, they are able to conceal their identity better."

"When you say nearly identical, what is the difference?"

Gary chuckles, "The forehead."