The Goddess Prophecy

I live in a castle amongst the beautiful forest of Wisteria, in a kingdom by the name of Gaiaminelle. My charming and leafy room, adorned with crystals dangling in a beautifully neat sequence, flooded with softened sunlight as the dawn kissed our lands, painting my room in hues of rainbows. The halls of the castle outside my doors were humming with preparations for the day's activities, as well as the bustle of the forest awakening with synchronized and scattered chirps, yawns and scampers. The enriched smell of morning dew combined of roses and peach trees paired perfectly with the aroma of fresh baked breads and my favorite foods filled my nostrils as I stretched and groaned the sleep from my body. My sister Vixenia was my absolute best friend, and she boisterously flung open my doors to greet me. I can see she was disappointed I was awakened prior to this, as I have been dealing with this reaction for years at this point. I gave her a playful look, and she bleat out a raspberry.

She twirled, giggling, and draped herself onto me, smelling of bamboo and water lily; a calming scent to me, and a constant reminder of my accompaniment of this life. She is my greatest joy, as well as my greatest pain. Her hair smelled of roses, and she was the most beautiful woman in all our kingdom, and I had the massive privilege to share the same face. Yes, we are identical twins, but we look different in stature. As she holds her slim, toned figure, I am a bit plump and curvy. She motions for us to sneak away before our duties catch up with us, and I desperately agree and rush past our officials, successfully outrunning them. We are Royal Witches, set to take up the throne together with our brothers in just a few hours, but not until we have fully had our fun for the day first.

The halls echoed our raging footsteps and laughter as we dashed through to the luscious garden behind our castle, some castle members casually getting out of our way or just being bumped into and complaining. With each window tall and beautifully crafted with colors of the rainbow showing our ancestors along the generations. Outside was absolutely overflowing with beautiful wisteria trees, neatly shaped hedges and grasses cut to show the vanities of our wealth. The stone walkways were white limestone, polished and designed with beautiful patterns that resembled stained glass in pebbles and rocks. Still in our pajamas, we came to our secret hideout: Wysteria Ridge is what we always called it. No matter how many times we go here, I will never grow tired going on these little adventures with my dearest sister. Our fun got clasped shut once we saw our silent, irritated father, who was accompanied with our mother and his council, so we batted our eyes, apologized gracefully, then tagged him and stated in perfect unison: "You're It".

We sprinted back to the castle doors, giggles galore and butterflies clouding our stomachs. We went to our chambers to get the works for this special occasion: honeysuckle milk baths, lathered in the finest hand-made natural goat milk soaps, any hair removal services we desire personally, essential oils massaged into our skin and hair, intricate and precise makeup and hair fixtures that best complimented our faces. Manicures, pedicures, full body massages, and we got to choose our evening attire, as well as the attire for the day's event: the powershift from parents to children. The magic our family has kept for generations has a ritual to follow that only the royal bloodline may complete without fail: We get our parents' powers, along with everyone else's that passed down our family values. The castle maidens braided my hair so it beautifully draped on both my shoulders in the dual braids I requested, as my sister requested her hair be shortened and free to fall however it pleased.

My brothers had exfoliations, the same works we had received, and their facial hair was trimmed as sharp as possible, making them resemble our father's. Then, it became time for our descent to the ballroom for our communion. As we siblings were ushered to our doors, prior to opening them, we got inspected on our roles as well as our dress. We stepped out in unison, then compared our old looks against our new and improved ones. I teased my brothers of how the usual unkempt looks really deceived me, as I thought they were synonymous to goats and cattle on the day to day basis. We snickered and poked at one another while complimenting one another as well. We all cleaned up well, even though we weren't afraid to get our hands and knees dirty (no matter how frowned upon).

Our parents awaited our arrival with the Royal High Council, an elderly group of Elven witches and warlocks from our coven. They were a mix of stern and fun adults that never shared how old they really were, as they looked younger than they actually were. The High Elven Coven were the original spell casters of our coven, so naturally, they had the strongest and most self controlled powers. They were of no royal blood, but served the Royals especially. I wanted to be just like them once upon a time, to serve my people, but my sister and I now crave adventures outside of these castle garden walls. My father always tried to drive democracy into us since we were children, and my mother counter-drilled with having some adventures to have experience as leaders to our people one day. My parents got along swimmingly, but my father gave the most pressure to his sons, and so our brothers were always in the war meetings, the council calls, everything political was their focus. My brother Aldin, my younger brother, was more into hunting and archery, so my father would send him to lead scouts and other parties of our people to grab food and water for us, as well as let us know what was beyond our borders.

Aldin would always return with amazing stories, of how he saw the legendary Phoenix on his way back from Cauldron Bluff, or when he fought for his and his men's lives against enemies that rashly crossed their paths as they were gathering food and resources from the forest floors. My eldest brother, Aelfric, was set to be king one day, so he stayed involved with our war efforts, as well as our comfort efforts. If anything was amiss in anything, he would be the first to know. Now I know you may be wondering: aren't girls just witches? And the answer is no. Elven men can be witches too, they just get involved in less exciting things if they don't leave the castle. Aelfric was also in charge of commanding a fleet when he was just 20 years old! He's amazing as a brother to top these off, as he is very protective of all his siblings, even when we aggravate him to no end.

Today is the Ceremony of Witch Gifts. The grand ball is thrown for the royals next in line to get the revealing of their eternal gifts, and they serve those purposes throughout their jobs they are granted. My brother Aldin had the gift of Wilderness, so he became a Outer General on his birthday, and has loved his duty ever since. He has never wanted anything past a promotion with that assignment. My other brother, Aelfric was granted the gift of Protection, and was granted his Commander position on his birthday as well. Today is mine and my twin sister's turn to get our roles granted. I can't wait!

We were introduced by the Elders to step forward and to go as traditions to receive our gifts: we were to bow before the Tree of Life, give the offering of our blood and magical talismans we were granted on the day of our birth. Mine was a moonstone, and my sister's was a sunstone. Ironic, as were were twins, but the kingdom never seen the talismans since a few millennia prior to our arrival. The prophecy was told as "Sunstone to save the kingdom, Moonstone to preserve it", so it was no wonder why I was seen as the 'twin that needed to change her fate'. I was already rebellious, and I always drug my sister into them by trying to find the most fun around the castle. But back to the ceremony. We did all that was asked, but something weird happened when my sister and I gave our talismans over to the Tree of Life, hers being the moonstone and mine the sunstone.

The tree became agitated, and the ground began to shake. Everyone was losing their balance trying to stay standing, but a lot of our people fell to the marble floor and clung to their loved ones as they thought the end was near. When the quakes stopped, thankfully causing no damage, the Goddess of Elves appeared before us all and demanded which of the Elves had those talisman offers. The room pointed their gazes at my sister and I, which we bowed in respect quickly. She was the most beautiful, most powerful, and the reasoning as to why we could even have a civilization where we thought was best. She was adorned in the most beautiful silks and fabrics with gold and silver accessories gracing her exposed skin. Her dress was flowy and long, but the double-slit dress she wore held the coyly silver and gold twine, ebbing and flowing with patterns that resembles the roots of the Tree of Life.

She gazed at us, her galaxy eyes flickered to see us both. She asked if our names were Tinrinae and Vixenia, and when we confirmed her question, she stood up straight, at her 9 ft. height, looked to the Tree, and then began to float. We were a mix of terrified and awed, as our Goddess would visit us, but only at times of calamity or great upbringings that were great enough to reach her godly level. Her skin was smooth and mimicked the night sky with its beautiful Northern lights and her hair was the color of dawn. She was tall and thin, her body toned yet relaxed. She told us both a sentencing that shook our entire kingdom:

"You will take the placings of the Sun and Moon Goddesses and carry out their duties to rise and set all things that their light or darkness covers, and you will do this when you have reached your full potential. I will collect you both once it is time for your trainings." And with that, the quaking began again, and the winds swirled so ferociously, the ladies of the court had to curl down so they wouldn't be exposed to the men of the room. When the wind settled, the entire kingdom looked towards us, mixed emotions on their faces, whilst ours grew pale. Goddesses? She must be mistaken. My mother went elsewhere to collect herself, and my father just stayed in stoic shock, sitting on his throne, beckoning for a strong drink from one of the guests of honor. He kept his composure whilst my brothers were halfway along with the panicked questions, ranging from "what do you both plan to do as first time goddesses" to "will we ever see you both again" and others were to add to the bustle of emotions in all of the ballroom as well as outside of it.

Some elves were enraged, while others were just upset of the news initially to even comprehend properly, so they would all just...stare. Staring in disbelief, in acceptance, in panic, you name it. No words were conversed afterwards, but we had to end the ceremony traditionally as promised through each generation, and then we set to bed. Vixenia and I were at a loss for words. I was a bit distraught. "When I said I wanted to explore outside the castle walls, I didn't mean on the Astral Plane! I just wanted to see if there was a such thing as Candyland when Papa would tell us stories about them, not turn into a Goddess and never see my people again unless it's from above! This sucks!" My sister tried her best to comfort me as usual. "Look on the bright side: we will be Goddesses and see them every day and night, assisting them in however they will require, and they will send us prayers and still speak to us. It isn't the end of the world, Tinny."

"Vixi, I don't want to leave the castle anymore. I don't want to leave my life behind. I want to be a diplomat with Papa, or go to the berry harvests with Mama. I want to hear the stories our brothers have everyday. We can ask the Goddess if she would like anyone else to replace them, it just can NOT be us! We haven't stepped foot out of the castle but one time, and that was for the marriage of our eldest brother by the lakefront!"

I was starting to spiral, until Vixenia hummed a familiar lullaby alongside caressing my hair in long, smooth and kind strokes. She has always been the calm, cool, collected and nurturing one. My parents pride and joy as a daughter, encouraged to whip me into shape so I could be more like her instead of my rebellious, loud and disrespectful being.

"We will be fine, Tini. All we need to do is fulfill our purpose. If this is what is destined for us, there is no need to try and find something else. We are going to be GODESSES, genius! The Sun and Moon goddesses basically rule over EVERYTHING, not just our kingdom. You always wanted to explore, and now you have the ability to, and you're not ready now? Come on, we have got this under control! The Gods and Goddesses will lead us to success, there is no need to freak out so badly, sissy." She was excited for her role, as she never really wanted to listen to absolutely everything our parents guided her to beckon, hence why she would be causing trouble with me on occasion. She wanted freedom, but was too modest to ask for such things, whereas I demanded it. Her comfort was successful.

The next morning, everything changed. Our castle was bustling with our people left and right, handing things to one another to take to other places, talking to each other in rushed tones, and being ultra busy. Too busy to explain what was going on, so we went to our brothers for answers. They informed us that the goddess came to our mother and father and let them know to prepare for trainings on the garden grounds. She was preparing the castle for the goddesses of the sun and moon to arrive, and they were gathering offerings and payments for the ordeal. Weaponry had to be forged for us as well, to fit our proportions perfectly due to the gods being exponentially bigger than us both. And to think we were to grow into that! I was scared and ecstatic all at once, although Vixi stayed calm, cool and collected as usual.

When the Goddesses arrived, they looked even more beautiful than the murals and drawings. Both had tanned skin, one lunar-kissed and the other sun-kissed. The Sun Goddess had hints of gold throughout her entire outfit, and her skin even reflected the golden hues. Her ravishing blood red dress was adorned with gems of ruby as well as opal and amber, trickling down the puffy off-the-shoulder dress, her dress resembling a million embers as it shimmered in daylight. An absolute marvel, and when I realized her dress, the Moon Goddess came up beside her, just as beautiful.

Her outfit was a form fitted outfit to her ankles, riddled sapphires and hints of blue diamond all throughout the dress in a fading style, with a thigh length slit up the right leg. Her thighs had accessories that were both gold and silver, as well as a black underbust corset for her waist, holding carefully to her breasts and held a beautiful shall that draped over her shoulders like the silk was giving her a brush stroke on her canvas of a body. Her silvery hues popped beautifully in the sunlight next to the Sun Goddess, who smiled at her as if they had known each other prior to gaining their powers; they looked like sisters of opposition, yet were completely in sync with one another.

Vixenia and I gazed, not realizing our mouths were wide open in civil disgrace, but the Goddesses didn't seem to mind, as they only giggled to each other while being introduced. "Please, allow me to give my most humble introductions of my fellow Goddesses. Ithil, the Goddess of the Moon and of the Nightshade, and her twin sister Cala, Goddess of the sun and of the Daylight." The goddesses bowed in respect, smiling gracefully. Vixenia was beckoned silently by the Moon Goddess, who held her hand forward as if to ask for a dance. Vixi blushed so fast, I forget in a moment I was in front of Gods, and began to chuckle. The Sun Goddess then reached for my hand and I felt my face and ears heat up instantly as Vixi also started to chuckle when the Goddesses spoke in unison:

"We are the goddesses of night and day. Although it may be hard to tell, but we are also twins that received these same talismans when we were becoming of adulthood." Ithil took over, "We haven't really been much different than either of you, but we do have to uphold decency and respect for our fellow Gods and Goddesses, no matter the circumstance. I will be teaching you patience, etiquette amongst the Gods and hunting for survival as well as for sport and practiced. Then Cala chimed afterwards without a break. "I was a bit of a rebel myself, not as poised as my sister, but that comes in handy for my job, as it requires that exact trait; I'll be teaching you the combat of the Gods, what we eat, how to assert respectfully, as well as fly the Chariot of Clouds." The sisters spoke as one: "We both have one tailored to our gifts, and can be easily manipulated into anything that may be easier for you to personally meet with."

My sister was a bit hesitant, a response I was rarely faced with. I was a bit concerned, but Ithil interjected her thoughts, "You will be able to live the lives you wish to, even if it has your family close in proximity, so you will not abandon them until you want them out of your hair," and her statement had placed us both at ease, as well as my mother. Cala's shoulders relaxed, and her outfit began to change. Still adorned with rubies and such, her form-fitting armor was crimson and golden, and it was so marvelous, I failed to see the transformation of Ithil's attire, which she now wore a navy and silver form-fitted armor as well, still containing the gemstones previously seen. They looked like the Elven Stealth team, but they were possibly the original concepts as they looked immaculate.

They told us we were going to train in the same grounds as our home as they did a few millennia back. They proceeded to tell us that the introduction day was finished and we were free to roam, but starting tomorrow we would be separated and swapped once each role had been taught in slices as to not overwhelm us, but promised it would get tougher and tougher. We agreed, and ran to our secret spot in the garden. We had found the spot when we were just children. The wisteria met with the vineyard beautifully seeming as an archway of beautiful flowers and aromas of fresh, crisp grape juice as well as the other beautiful smells of clean nature. The sunlight was now high above the spot, in which when it hit the right spot would place the perfect lighting for us to accomplish anything we set our mind to, whether it be on or off a canvas.

My sister seemed troubled, so I asked for her well being. She took a deep breath in, and spilled every erratic emotion she had pent up her entire life, it seemed. She started inquiring a flood of 'what if' questions, as well as doubting herself. I held her shoulders, looked her in her face, and interjected, "What happened to 'fulfilling our purpose'? We are going to be deities in a few weeks, and we must be prepared. Nothing will change but our Elven roots, as we will be turned into Gods after our trainings are finished! No sweat, we can absolutely crush this role ahead of us!" I jumped onto her and we started to giggle together. I hummed the lullaby to calm her while stroking her hair, as she had done to me once before, many times before. If nothing else, we had each other. We had our family, we had something, as I was worried the exact same way with the exact same questions, but both of us being irrational would not solve anything for our situation.

For the next few weeks, our bodies, minds, and souls were exhausted to every trial and tribulation the Goddesses had to throw at us, no matter how many times we failed. We were to drive the Chariot of Clouds every dawn and dusk. I worked by dawn, while Vixenia worked by dusk. We both looked exhausted and burnt out, and the goddesses began to take notice, so they told us about the Lunar and Solar Commencements. Ithil started off with the Lunar commencement:

"With the winter solstice, comes the Lunar Commencement. That is when you can speak with the God of Time, Tolkien to alter the days and nights to be longer, or shorter. We can basically do whatever we please within the adjustment of those few weeks, and we always have alternates for when you need to visit familial ties, and even romantic tethers. The Lunar Commencement also includes the gathering of the creatures of the night, in which you will be their guidance, their beacon, their Goddess, and you will never have to fear any attacks ever again, as they will also act as your protection, so as you are to them. Fail them, and they will suffer. Be their beacon, and you will never fail."

Cala chimed in afterwards, "The Summer Solstice aligns with the Solar Commencement, and the opposing side of the same offers still rings. With the day, you rule everything it touches, and for whichever time limit you are granted. The animals of the day will become your children, protectors, and subjects. You will not have to fear interactions of any kind, as they worship and know your soul's scent, regardless of its changes." I was a bit confused, so I confronted the statement with a question. "You say WE don't have to fear anything, but what about our family? Does it change for them as well? We can--" I saw the looks on their faces, and instantly knew the rules would never apply to anyone outside of us alone.

Vixenia also came to the reality of our benefits, and that was the first time I saw her spirit shatter before my eyes. She sunk into an unrecognizable state, and the silence was deafening in the garden, winds and the murmur of insect wings in the lush vicinity. She crumbled with words escaping her lips, inquiries from the heart for her closure. "So we just...accept the fact that we cannot provide our benefits and protections to our kingdom?" The Goddesses looked at one another, then back at us with identical nods. My sister went silent, spaced out, and Cala called it for the day for the processing to initiate the best way possible: at one's own pace.

We went back inside the castle for supper for the night, and were told to get to bed, as we had more training in the morning. But seeing my sister at a distress, I noticed she tried to sneak away to another wing of the castle we usually do not enter, due to it not being permitted. I followed her stealthily, only to find her opening the forbidden doors of the old throne room, in which my father closed off due to the First Elven Massacre; the day my father watched his family and friends get slaughtered by Dire Wolves, leaving him and a select few as the only survivors. The room brought too much grief, so he had is closed to the public as well as inside family ties. The only one allowed in the room was my father, and he still refuses to step foot inside 175 years later.

When she went inside, I almost tried to stop her, but my father caught her first. He wasn't angry, just extremely sad to see his daughter so drawn to this room ever since she was born. When she felt distress, she told my father, our siblings, my mother and I that Grandfather lead her to his 'space of comfort', and so she found herself on the very throne that our grandfather was killed in. Years later, she's slowly but surely left the room inch by inch, remaining only by the thick porcelain doors to calm herself. My father saw this, and just embraced her while she fell to pieces in his arms, also trying to stay together, knowing full well he could say and do nothing to fix this feeling inside his baby girl. My mother came up behind me, and I buried my face into her arms as well, crying as well, but my cries were heard possibly through the entire castle.

The next morning, eyes puffy, we met with the goddesses as promised. They asked if we slept well, and when the answer was no, they gave us slight comfort, but let us know that it was a difficult time for them as well when they started at first. "When we stopped aging, we saw our people age and perish without us being able to help. Being a God isn't always beneficial or happy, but it is immortal as they say in the scriptures," Ithil stated, while also growing more saddened by the minute. She turned away, and Cala filled in as to why: "She also had to break her marital contract with the love of her life to join this role, and watched him fall for another and made a happy family they had always wanted come from a source not of her own volition." My heart ached for her, but she assured me that even though it was tough for her to see, she had told him to do so in order to gain happiness for his new life without her.

Cala also told us her betrothed was an empress of High Elves named Corine, but she had to leave her before they had the chance to an alter, let alone any plans of a future. "I loved her with everything I had in me, but I just could not have her the way I desired because I had a bigger duty to fulfill," she said it very flatly, as if she was angry of the role bestowed upon her. But she quickly shattered it by telling us that it was time to ascend to the God's Center Table to discuss not only our concerns, but theirs as well. We were nervous, as we had not yet stepped into the Realm of the Gods...ever. It was never meant for mortals to step into.

We headed to a mountain range, with taller valleys and such to make our way to the Center Table. They lead us to a majestic looking cave, bioluminescent walls and markings that lit up the floor. The markings were of older scriptures, not yet known to us Wood Elves. They informed us to practice our magical gifts as much as we could in this cave that had to do with our roles, and even if they did not. We practiced their fighting style, Magiblading, which was to channel our energy and powers into the weapon we chose, of different varieties, with the same intensity as one another.

We were very exhausted, spiritually and physically, as this training was now very intense and not basic leveled anymore. Our limbs felt limp and fragile, yet very heavy, knees wabbly, heads pounding, and we fell asleep in no time at all once we were dismissed to go home. The Gods informed us in our dreams that we were still not as prepared to visit, so they will decide to show themselves when they deemed us worthy enough to join their ranks. We were taught various, extensive fighting and defense styles for the next month, as well how to function alters and blessings from when we got prayers. Our bodies, minds, and powers grew in strength, and we were finally deemed worthy to join the Gods and Goddesses at their Grand Table. The Godly place, Galaxia, was real and absolutely breath takingly beautiful. It was clean, everyone was smiling and seemed very civilized with one another, and the ambiance matched the beauty of its inhabitants. They seemed to enjoy the company of us being the replacements of the Moon and Sun.

All except one major official: he went by Gilder. Gilder was the God of Signs and Messages, and he told me in a stern voice, "That temper and demeanor of yours is not of a worthy quality system for a goddess, let alone some measly queen." My sister was enraged but demanded respect on my behalf because she believed we could do our jobs properly with due time. But before she could get her point across, she was cut off again, this time by her mentor. Her look of disapproval towards us not only upset me even more, but I realized that we were out of line, and our anger was more of a selfish thing rather than helpful. I held my tongue and temper, but still shown my face as disappointed and angry.

Gilder looked at me, smirking, "The mortal vessels you have chosen are not even mature enough to realize the actuality of their sentencing, let alone any destiny calls. I'm confident this choice was rather brash and unnecessary-" someone struck the god into the opposing wall, creating rubble and debris to gush at the site of impact. The table of gods turned to the culprit whose remorse was non-existent: Cala. Everyone was in shock, but then she spoke. "I could say the exact words as if those rang true, yet me and MY sister were plucked at younger ages to serve YOUR prophecies, your Grace. The mistake was the mockery of the Goddess of Elves decision, it was not of our own volition. So watch your tongue."

She shook her hand twice, then adjusted back into a poised position, awaiting her Goddess to commence the meeting in her War Room. And as to summon her directly, she glided through the doors of gold and marble, graceful and majestic. She looked at the wall, then at the Gods and Goddesses for explanation. They all cowered as to not meet her lividity, ashamed for letting one careless God speak out of turn and ruin their Queen's domain. She turned to Cala, and simply asked what the meaning of the scene was. Cala repeated verbatim what the God had said, as well as hers. The Goddess just sat and shook her head; "Next time, Gilder, you REQUEST to say such foolish statements around my court, so as to prevent your own harm. I would ask if I have made myself clear, but you were already made the example."

She then turned to us, and smiled warmly. "My most humble apologies, we deities may be more mortal than most would admit, as we display the same actions as such beings," she looked gracefully to the entire court and requested any concerns of their realms that may need assisting or destroying. The Wind Goddess said she was having an out with a reckless nymph that was becoming as much a nuisance as the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, what with her many suitors beginning a killing spree just to not be able to find her for her deceptions against them. She requested someone assist her in catching her, as she was illusive even for her. The goddess looked to the Sun and Moon and requested they take us on this mission as a means of teaching about the small percentage of creatures we would be seeing throughout our time being with the Gods in our future.

The Goddesses had accepted, and it was time for them to show us their ability to shapeshift: they transformed into elves just like us, but they looked absolutely flawless: slender yet still with hourglass figures, wearing shimmery champagne and lavender cloaks that glittered in the sunlight. Cala wore an orange dress underneath, while Ithil wore a powder blue one. Their clothes were not the only factors to change, as their height was significantly shorter to be more on par with us, and they proposed they would pose as our Royal guard since it isn't unusual for Elves to be accompanied with a few skilled guardsman.

So when we got to Bresia, the Land of the Winds, we had seen some of the aftermath the Goddess of Wind was discussing, and there was so much blood. There was a young man ready to strike another man down simply for 'messing with his woman', but we stepped in to save both men from their ignorance, and asked of the woman in question. When they spoke her name at once, the names were entirely different, so we asked for them to describe her, and they both came up with similar descriptions: blonde haired, blue green eyed, hourglass shape, smooth pale skin, and the most enchanting laughter they have ever heard. We all looked at one another and confirmed it was the nymph, as nymphs were the only ones in this region to enchant men by their laughter.

We asked where they met her, and it was the same destination: The Waterfall of Pine. We asked the directions so as to narrow our search time, and they provided it easily, as they seemed more fond of Ithil and Cala rather than their shared muse. But when they thanked the men for their time, they asked to accompany us as 'extra protection' and were swiftly ignored and given thanks again. The men didn't seem to like that reaction, so they tried to stop Cala by force, and Ithil leg swiped them both to the ground, drawing her blades to both of their throats in one smooth motion. "Interfere again, and I will personally end your lives where you stand, my friends. Do not mistake women amongst you as damsels, for we are dangerous due to the fact we do not seem threatening." she swiftly put them back in their holsters, allowing us to walk in front of her as she followed still facing the men.

We turned away, chuckling to ourselves as we had seen one of the men had soiled themselves because of the encounter. We began to tread the hills and ditches as well as the slopes that lead to the vast and glorious waterfall. The lush greenery was beautifully matched with the surrounding crystalized rocks around the settling river at the bottom of the waterfall. The weeping willow trees kissed the edges of the water, and behind one was a nymph by the description of the culprit for these lustful killing sprees. She gazed at us with those beauteous eyes, her thickened blonde lashes batting her doe eyes out of curiosity. "Are you here for some wonderous laughter to share with me today?" she giggled when she walked out from behind the tree, her legs smooth and flawless. Her long hair, blonde and silky, swayed in the winds from the waterfall. She looked like a muse rivaled to the Goddess of beauty herself, yet something was off about her. My sister starting moving towards her, walking as if she was in a trance.

I tried to make her stay with me, but my feet were also moving on their own. I looked at the nymph again, but this time it wasn't a nymph: she was a beyond beautiful woman, and her laughter sounded so harmonious and tempting to follow, I couldn't help myself. Everything around me just vanished from view, except her lovely giggles, and her beauty was the only thing I yearned for. Then I heard a faint voice call my name, as well as my sister's, then I saw my sister come into view. She looked at me with a strange conviction, and before I could react, Vixenia drew her blade, and blocked my path to the beauty. I tried to reason with Vixi, my hand on my weapon as well and steadfast in my stance. Vixi stared at me with contempt, as she wanted the beauty to herself as well.

"Get out of the way, Vixi, you don't want to do this," I drew my blade for protection in case she wouldn't give me the chance to defend myself. I then heard another voice, calling my name once more, and everything blinked into reality, and I was extremely confused. Cala then summoned a Phoenix, who attacked the beauty, who gave out a shrill shriek, and broke my sister's trance simultaneously. She was also confused, and asking questions as to what happened, and then asked if she had hurt me in any way. Ithil apprehended the nymph, and snapped the nymph's body in half. We were both in shock, as the beauty gradually turned into an uglier, toothier, more feral version of the beauty we saw before. Ithil spoke matter-of-factly.

"This was no ordinary water nymph, she was what the eastern folk would call The Iele. Similar to the nymphs that mean no harm, they are very seductive to men, but they may also prey on women that find other women attractive. Seeing as you AND your sister had fell easily, we will have to give you trainings to prevent that from happening. She wanted your bloodshed to fuel her youthful and beautiful look, and you as demigoddesses almost granted it to her." Ithil was scolding us, yet not angry. She looked worried, and rightfully so. The Goddess of Wind would be elated to know her former problem had been solved, but to no help from my sister and I.

We had failed our first mission in my eyes, because we were entranced by the nymph look alike. Although it was not our fault openly, Vixenia looked ashamed, but Cala interjected. "It's alright, it happened to us as well, that is why we built a resistance against her kind a long time ago. Ithil almost killed me too, had I not killed the Iele we faced against," she poked fun at Ithil, but Ithil looked worried. "Had we not been present, we would have lost our predecessors, I fail to see how this situation is ideal-" Cala interrupted, "-because they are still alive and we informed them of the threat before they took any blows from one another. Would you rather focus on the alternative situation?"

We then reported back to the Goddess of Wind and told her the mix up and outcomes of the encounter with the Iele. The wind goddess looked relieved and was very bubbly. "My deepest gratitude for each and every one of you. Those tricksters are an absolute menace at times." The whole court nodded and muttered in agreement. "The last time I dealt with an Iele, I had been a fool to marry her and assist in her pregnancies to more of the monsters. No matter it half a God, it is always fully an Iele," the God of the Hunt, had spoken, gravely and half drunk. The court snickered and began to share stories as to how many deceitful encounters they had with the Iele, and Vixi and I no longer felt burdened by the failure.

We were then dismissed to tend to our families, as well as rest up for training the next morning. I couldn't sleep, so I went to the garden in my secret spot, just to find my sister right there with me. We exchanged no words, just wept holding each other in apologies. I felt a huge drop in my stomach when my mother had met us as well, but she soothed our thoughts with the gift of our favorite tarts and teas. My mother, the Queen of Gaiaminelle, was one of the most beautiful women, even with her left eye being scarred in the last battle she had been radiant. Her graceful movements as well as her luscious chocolate brown hair brushed onto her shoulders from her back once she bent down to check on them both, a shy smile on her face.

We were curious as to what was on her mind. She spoke in the dreamiest of voices: "I just want to make sure my girls are alright. I know it must be hard to gain the expectations of a princess, just to be bestowed a larger role at the request of the Gods. I cannot imagine how that must make you both feel, but I assure you, regardless of the emotions we all endure, I will always be on your side," she handed us both our favorite treats, and then left, patting our heads on her departure. Her gentleness made me get up and hug her from behind, as we may one day no longer be able to get this type of interaction as new Goddesses. We ended up both hugging her, as Vixenia ran behind me a few moments later doing the exact same thing. We both started to weep.

My mother has always been the nurturing mother, always within reason of punishments, and encouraged our growth process, no matter how rigorous the path we chose. And that went for ALL of her children. My parents met when he traveled to her kingdom, the one we are in now, and he was accused of stealing from the gem market and was nearly arrested, until she stepped in with evidence, as she had been following the handsome stranger for quite some time--starting when he entered the lower city during an outing for the upcoming queen. Once she crowned him and bore his children at her request, she was content at 4 pregnancies, as well as gaining 4 talisman on the way, one for each child to revert back to for their fates, just as she had prior.

The next morning was a bit slower, as we were learning the art of extreme patience so we may be able to not only control our chariots for when we had to ride them for the 12 hours it required, but as well as the phases of both the moon, sun, tides, and other elements. We even had to watch several animals hunt, birth, and wait for THEIR sakes. It was boring, but I knew it was necessary, as well as Vixi. We also had to practice riding in sync so as to not overlap the times (with proper guidance of course). They then began to tell us several stories of lore regarding the sun and moon as to regard accordingly in the moment we pass that region and hear prayers or anything from everyone else.

"We were destined to work our days away as god-like babysitters," I groaned after slumping in my plush canopy bed, exhausted from having to wait for everything before this point. "We can't eat unless the animal of our signatures eat, we can't speed anything up, or slow anything down, we don't have powers like the Gods and yet they want US as REPLACEMENTS?" I was getting annoyed, but then Vixenia butt in. "Oh, wow, this is the first complaint from the all-in sister of mine I love and hold so dear to me," she nudged me gently yet quickly. I couldn't help but giggle, as she was helping me out of my angered state. I reconciled instantly. "You're right. This is a large responsibility, and the tiniest details count for larger triumphs that come forth. I need to remember my manners, Goddess or not," I started to nudge her back and we began giggles that turned into boisterous laughter that startled the silent night, lit with a full moon above the wisteria trees. The gentle wind swayed the branches, gusting petals in from the nearby window, highly arched and sparkled in a rainbow with the moonlight beaming inside; I loved the night where the moon was at its fullest.

But when I looked at my sister, she no longer looked like herself, as she was silver lined, and her clothes transformed into the most beautiful hues of blue and silver adorned her slim figure. Her attire when we were training in comparison to now was unmatched. The cloak she had perched on her shoulders was black without sheen, but when she moved it, it was sprinkled with what looked like stars and flashing comets. Her dress was flowy and silk-like, colors of the northern lights flickered at her ankles. Her facial markings were more than what she had in the transformation before, as now it all connected in a swirled pattern that resembled tiny rivers, yet branched off like vines. It shown as a silvery pulse, and her feet were tattooed in an ancient art style of Elven culture.

I must have worried her, because she asked what was wrong before asking to take a look at a mirror. She rushed over before I had a chance to explain, but once she saw it, we shared the same response. We looked at one another in silent excitement as well as shock. Her transformation was magnificent, and it made me eager to experience my own, but I needed to figure out what fueled mine, and hers. "How did you do that?" I asked, desperate to know. She just looked confused. "I don't know, I was laughing with you, then when you admired the moon and the night, I changed into... this,' she gestured up and down her body at the attire. We were going to further the questioning when we heard a tapping noise from the window.

We shot at look at the window sill to see a majestically beautiful raven, except it didn't look like a regular raven. The feathers of the bird were of the night sky, with blue undertones and speckles of stars. It's eyes were a beautiful luminescent baby blue. The ringed pattern on the crow's face was that of a vine like tattoo, much like my sister's markings. I took a better look at the crow, and it wasn't feathery at all, but it did have wings. The feet were of a...cat? This realization came at the same time for us both, as this was a baby Gryffon. Or something similar? The more we looked at it, the less of a raven it became, and the more cat appeared.

"A shapeshifter," my sister guessed correctly. "You are absolutely right, Lady Lunar," said a very distinguished voice. The cat then became a young man, a bit taller than my sister, yet stronger. His eyes were a icy green hue, one that resembled an echeveria. His tanned skin had black tribal tattoos up both of his arms, decorating him perfectly. His medium length silvery white hair, contained locs with silver clips and accessories, complimented well with his galactic, nightlike garments. He wore a silky cloth at ankle length, designed as hers was. I couldn't stop looking at their similar dress, as I caught my sister continuously making eye contact with this very attractive stranger.

When she spoke finally, his attention was detached from everything else around him. He focused his almond eyes meeting hers. "So who are you, and why have you come to my room? Clearly you are of a god-like species," Vixi gestured as-a-matter-of-factly. He shook his head halfway, then made eye contact with Vixenia. "I am Axos, the vessel of the Moon. I was sent by the Goddesses to aid the Moon in her tidings for her descent for the night to be spread on this land. I may have made the first appearance, but your vessel, Mikhail, will arrive shortly. Once that happens, you will also transform as an indication of the beacon we are to be sent to." Just as he finished his sentence, I saw markings appear on my fingers and wrists, climbing up and everywhere.

My clothes are changing from my regular dress to a shorter, more vibrant colored getup that came to my lower thighs. My arms were draped with fiery arm bands that held a crimson, sheer half sleeve. My feet were tattooed as well, in curly vine-like lines, which looked like the sun was under my skin. Just then, a buck made of flames gracefully bounded into the room through the already opened window. When he showed his true self, a toned and also tattooed man, but his eyes were a beautiful deep brown, hooded and upturned. His jet black, straight, thick hair was held back in a half up-do by a gold band, his long hair brushing his toned lower back. He seemed to have an aura the colors of lava after an eruption.

He gave me a gentle yet intense moment of eye contact, having to look up slightly less comfortably due to his height. He was dressed in a red patterned and gold embroidered robe, a sleeveless shirt that cut halfway to expose his abdominal area, which were toned wonderfully, and with sandals of gold. He spoke warmly, "I am here to assist in ways you don't even have to tell me. I will just know what you would like doing, and check to confirm if that action is what you truly need in the situation at hand." Then he grabbed my hand, kissed my hand, and didn't break eye contact on his way to stand again, still holding my hand. "I was confident you would present yourselves as women to make it more comfortable for us. Men don't usually visit us this late-" and with that sentence, they turned to gender-bent versions of themselves, still looking absolutely amazing; distracting, even.

The women were beautiful, my vessel's hair was short, and Vixi's vessel had hair down to her thighs. She wore a blue and silver duo slit dress, exposing her thighs that were draped in several silver thigh bands, each with beautiful sapphires and pearls. Her silver white hair and her eyes together with the smoky look he adopted was beautiful enough to turn my sister into a stuttering heap whose face was pink as a strawberry and cream pie. But my vessel was dressed in a shorter, black and red version of the previously witnessed attire. Lady Mikhail winked at me, and I felt my heart flutter and jump. I looked around frantically, trying to refocus.

"Why did you get here so late? It's nearly midnight, and you climbed through as creatures, but now you look like us, but taller?" Vixenia was flustered, as the woman version of her 'vessel' was trying to tease her a bit. Possibly to bring light to the intrusion she declared. Axos spoke smoothly, "We could only arrive once the Goddesses felt it was time to be sent on your own to carry out your first duty as the moon and sun for the full phases of each." We looked at our vessels, then at one another. "So, we have to be left alone with you both?" I asked, confused, but then Mikhail answered. "We only attend who we are assigned. You are our life's devotion, and we strive to turn you into the goddesses you desire to be."

-----------------------------------End of Part 1--------------------------------------