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     Lucretia was the beautiful goddess of the moon. She was as stellar as the night sky with her dark complexion and stunning silver hair. She was a powerful ruler of the twilight realm, but caring and calm. Everyone loved her, for she lit the otherwise dark hours so people may see.

     One night, people didn’t receive as much light as they usually did. They glanced at the sky and saw a sliver of the moon shaved off. Murmurs spread across cities, towns, and kingdoms. To reassure themselves, people said she was merely turning her head. Though, the pattern continued every other night. They continued to lose more and more light, and the sun grew smaller and smaller until there was no moon at all.

     When everyone looked to the sky and saw no moon, they panicked. Nocturnal, evil creatures strayed from their dark, moonless forests to farms and towns. The monsters ruined homes, destroyed crops, and harmed people. Some slaughtered villages and attempted to invade kingdoms. During the daytime, the people would salvage what they could, tend to the wounded, and bury the dead. Then, the cycle repeated every night for several days.

     In a town named Neverwinter, a small boy no older than ten nervously flipped through every book he had on the goddess. He did his best to block out the chaos from outside as he poured over every word. There had to be a reason for her disappearance. There had to be a reason she abandoned ter realm and left behind destruction to reign free. He hoped to find out that was going on.

     A triumphant cry escaped him as the boy, Angus McDonald, found what he was looking for. He scanned the passage over again, making sure it contained everything it had to offer for him. He read:

     “Lucretia, the goddess of the moon, is on occasion known to slip away from her spot in the sky for a couple of days if her duty requires it. She will retreat to a home in the sky, which has only been visited by her fellow gods.”

     Angus chewed on his bottom lip. That certainly was not enough information. He needed to know where he could find the home of the goddess. He was sure there was a book that could tell him.

     He riffled through books until he found one that gave him the answers he was looking for. He pushed up his glasses that began to slip down his nose as he read:

     “The home of the moon goddess is said to be located on the tallest mountains in the land, so tall that they can almost reach the sky. It is a small home that shimmers from stardust, and build from moon rocks. The place is often left empty, but it hosts her when she needs it.”

     Angus grabbed the rolled up map at the edge of his desk and opened it up, using books as paperweights. He scanned it for the location of the mountains, finding the most likely candidate: the Startouch Mountains. It was a little ways from Neverwinter. Far enough that he couldn’t walk, but he could hitch a ride.

     He hopped off his desk chair and grabbed his backpack, stuffing it with a couple of books, food, and extra clothes (just in case.) He grabbed his wand from his bedside table and began to practice defensive spells until nightfall. He would need to be able to protect himself as he searched for the home. He would hate to be killed by a monster on the way there.

     When night fell, Angus slung on his backpack and trekked outside. He watched as the townsfolk shut themselves into their homes, and as the fighters and rogues geared up. The wizards and mages readied their spells, and joined the others. He noticed a small supply cart about to leave, the man who drove it, climbing back on top.

     Angus hurried over, calling out to the man. “Wait!” He cried. “I need a ride!”

     The driver raised an eyebrow, looking down on him, his face cold. “Why should I give you a ride?”

     “I think I can stop all of this!”

     The man’s jaw tightened, wanting to hold onto any glimmer of hope. He nodded. “Where to?”

     “The Startouch Mountains, please.”

     The ride was relatively safe, they only ran into a few monsters, which Angus was able to take care of. The man dropped him off at the bottom of the mountains, driving away to his destination. (Well, that went his only way to get home.)

     Angus looked up at the steeps and let out a sigh. He guessed it was time to start climbing. Thankfully, there was a path carved into the side. It wouldn’t be that hard to hike up. He would have to be careful not to fall.

     He was out of breath by the time he reached the top, but awestricken when he saw Lucretia’s home. It was as the book described, but way more beautiful in person. It shimmered and shone, looking way more like an illusion that an actual building.

     The boy scrambled up to the door and gave it a particularly hard knock. He received no answer for several seconds, but it was soon opened by none other than the moon goddess herself. She looked rather confused as to who and why someone would be knocking on her door. Though, her face softened when she saw Angus.

     “Hello madame!” He greeted, a smile on his face. “I’m Angus McDonald, and I’ve come to find you!”

     “What for?” Lucretia asked, motioning for him to follow her inside the house. She closed the door behind him, and sat down on her couch.

     Angus joined her. (The couch felt like clouds.) “Well, ma’am, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but you have been gone for a while. Monsters are starting to kill entire towns! I’m not sure how much longer we can hold them off.”

     Lucretia let out a sigh. “I would return,” she started, “but I’m afraid my grief has anchored me to the Earth.”

     He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

     “My friends have forgotten who they are. They walk like mortals instead of gods.”

     “Well… I think you should return to the sky. Even if they walk like mortals, you can still protect them. You can light their paths at night and make sure they are safe. Maybe, then, they’ll look up at the moon and remember.”

     Lucretia contemplated this for a moment, and just when Angus was worried he upset the goddess, she smiled. A new glow seemed to wash over her, and she stood up from the couch. She held out her hand for the boy, which Angus took.

     “Thank you, Angus. You’re right. Watching over them is the best plan of action.”

     “You’re welcome, madame.”

     “May I take you home?”

     “Yes please!”

     Over the next few days, the moon returned, sliver by sliver. The monsters were driven back, and towns regrew. After a week, the moon returned, brighter than anyone had ever seen it. Paths were illuminated, and the nights were safe again. No monsters invaded or harmed anyone. No one died.

     All was well.

     Angus visited the moon goddess again, the next time she left for a couple of days. He got the names of her friends who had forgotten, taking it upon himself to find them. It had taken a few days, but he was able to find the first person. He followed him to a clothing store, choosing the right moment to walk up to him.

     “Hello, sir! Are you Barry Bluejeans?”