"Hello Wolf. Glad you found the throne room. Tell me, how have you been? What's Earth like, and why….why…why did you never come back?"
"Back? I did come back."
"YOU'RE TOO LATE!!!!
You're always too late.
What might I ask is your reason for tardening?"
"I was busy helping mothers vision be fulfilled."
"Her vision? Her vision included you….here….sitting on this throne which I am now occupying. Don't you think that she would've at least wanted you to, I don't know...see what your family was like?"
"I…..I..."
"SILENCE!!!!
Brother, Jesus says that if you want to keep My commands, there is no better showcasing then by loving your family. Through that, you will learn how much He loves others and will be able to fulfill His other commandments easier. Everything works off of love, but I guess you had none to give. You weren't with us then!!! You weren't with us now!!!! So, what makes you think that I'll just let you waltz in and lead these people to victory? The rest of your siblings were able to show up, even your brother; but no you."
"What love could I give, when all of you showed none towards me? Shadow was the only one who swooped down and cared enough that I was alive. Even then, everytime we met, we fought. I finally saw father face to face, and guess what? We fought. I met my siblings, we fought. I finally meet you….oh look…..we fight!!! If Shadow were the representation of my family, then who knows what my siblings act like? I didn't know and wanted nothing to do with it. Where were you when I needed you?
"You're right. I….."
"WHAT?"
"I….I'm sorry. You must've been through a lot these past few weeks. Here, let me show my love, by stepping off my throne and meeting you on the lower deck to personally give you a hug. Don't move."
"Abby, it's not your fault. I'm sure that if Shadow told any of you where I was word would've spread to my father and he would've come hunting to kill, just like he did when we met."
"Guess we both had our excuses."
"Oof
Hugging me a little tight, aren't you?"
"I don't care. You know, there were times when Shadow would shapeshift into you just to make it look like you have come home. The villagers' spirits were lifted, my siblings' spirits were lifted, but mine weren't. His fasade may have tricked the others, but I heard from someone that you and him walked differently, and that you had a slight limp because one leg was shorter than the other causing you to sometimes bend. He never bent.
I always prayed to God that instead of a silhouette of my brother, that one day I would finally get the real thing. Are you...the real thing?"
"I hope so.
I hope so."
"Although mother envisioned you to lead, and me to help….."
"Abby, you can lead. That is until I figure out how not to be led."
"Thanks. Also, this scepter is my height and not yours. Hope you like what I've done with the place. Don't know how much you remember when you were little, but I can tell you that, besides expansion,...not a lot has changed."
"Is my room still here?"
"We tried not to move anything out of place and locked the door so that your father couldn't come in and wreck it.
Shadow may have shown physical love towards you, but us girls always did the best we could to watch over your things and not let father in. I can show you the way if you'll just follow me."
"Their is no need. I remember the way."
"My Queen, there is a disturbance in the village. Your presence is needed."
"Wolf, I'm confident that you know your way and won't get lost. In any case, the rooms are down that hall. Take as long as you need. There is an issue in the village that needs my attention so I will be back shortly."
"Wolf!!!!!
Are you really…..him?"
"Sister, let me come with you."
"Brother, you have been away so long that even though all would be ecstatic to see you…..haven't you been through enough? The strain would be overwhelming. Please, sit, stay, rest. Relive some of your childhood memories. I'll call for you once I'm finished."
"My room can wait. It only holds memories of material things. The real memories are what we live and not what we keep."
"Go prepare the carriage for two, and get a suit tailored for Wolf."
"Yes, my Queen."
"HALT!!!!
Abby, a suit? A carriage? What are we?"
"Well I don't know about you, but I'm royalty, and this is how we always went down. Father would sit in the front with us in the back and we would….."
"No! Nooo!!! Noooooo!!!!"
'Wolf, do you not remember? I'm sure you rode like this as well. That is what kings and queens do."
"That is what earthly royalty supporting earthly ways goes, but we don't live in the bounds of earth dwellers. Jesus says if you want to know what I am, then I am not royal, but a servant. That is how you should act."
"Milady, should I….."
"Put the suits away…and the carriage. We'll try Wolf's method."
"If you want the villagers to like you then you have to first show them you're willing to see them where they are at. They can't look over a hill if they don't even have something to stand on to do such a task."
"How do you suggest we travel then?"
"Wolf style. Just climb on my back and I'll take you down, little sis."
"How will they know you're a good wolf and not another Bad."
"...They won't!!!!
Now hop on.
You may want to hold onto my fur cause we're about to travel the speed of light."
"I've teleported before with Shadow. I know how fast the speed of light…..woooo!!! Aaaaaaghhh!!! Slow down, Wolf. Slow down!!!!"
"I'm sure Shadow told you to close your eyes whenever you telported so that the middle passage would feel like just a drift and nothing else. Well, with me; there is no drift. You get to see and experience it all. Take it in. The scenery is beautiful."
"I can't see the scenery….Wolf!!! It's all just a blur."
"Errrrrrrrrrrhhhh!!!
What about now? We're here."
"Abby, hurry. Follow us."
"Wolf, stay here just in case, please. I have to see what's up."
"I see you've captured a lone wolf. Is it your slave now?"
"No. He's your servant."
"The culprits are in here."
"Complaining about food again?"
"Also, another house burned down. Abby, I can't keep housing more and more refugees. There are not enough beds….nor room. They're demanding your head this time, and to save my skin; I've brought you."
"Jace, it's not your doing, but mine. I can't heal all the houses, and rebuild landmarks wherever I go. I would rather build one big healer house then die instead of a bunch of small tiny houses that will never stand tall."
"I understand but others do not. They still hold onto the thought that when Wolf comes, he will make everything new and find a cure to also help you, Abby, live longer without having to sacrifice. For me, can you tell me where he is?"
"He's closer than you think."
"THERE'S THE EVIL QUEEN. WE WOULD'VE RATHER DIED IN THE FIRE, THEN BURN IN THE ASHES!!!!!"
"YEAAAAAAA!!!!"
"NIGHTMASTER MAY HAVE BEEN A CRUEL RULER…..BUT AT LEAST HE MADE SURE WE WERE ALL CLOTHED."
"YEAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
"HE WOULD'VE SACRIFICED HMSELF IN A SNAP TO REBUILD ALL OUR HOMES. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US? OH YEA. YOU RATHER BUILD UP YOUR CASTLE, THAN BUILD YOUR EMPIRE."
"I SAY OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!!! WHO'S WITH ME?"
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!!"
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!!!"
"TIE HER UP AND FEED HER TO THE BEASTS!!! ALL THEY REQUIRE IS A SACRIFICE. MAYBE THEN WILL THEY GRANT US A LIFE WELL LIVED."
"YEAAAAA!!!!"
"Wait, wait. Stop. I know someone who can..."
"GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"
"Woo…stay back. Nice wolfy. Nice wolfy."
"GRRRRR!!! RUFF!! RUFF!!!! GRRRR!!!!"
"That's no demon wolf. He's protecting her as if she were his own, but that's impossible. All your siblings died in the fire. No wolf that went in….came out."
"That's because....he never went in."
"ROAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!
Pschhh!! Raa!! Aaaghhh!!! Crchhh!!!!! Aaaaaaaghhhhh!!!!
It's good to be home."
"WOLF!!!!!!!"
"Oof!!!
Hey there, Avella."
"I knew you'd come home, I just knew it. When no one believed me…..I just knew."
"It's good to see you too, Munchkin.
Ummm….you can let go of me now."
"No."
"No? Stop looking up at me with your pleading eyes."
"If I let go, then you might float away back into a dream, and I don't want that. That's why I'm going to hold you so tight…..you can't leave."
"Did you keep my secret?"
"I kept every letter.
"Secret? Wolf, what is Avella talking about? Where have you been?"
"I've been here. I've always been here. You just didn't know it."
"Where? I have never seen you."
"That's because you weren't looking. NONE OF YOU WERE LOOKING.
For three weeks now since That Night, I've always been here. Like a Light that's been turned on, you never see it until it is completely dark...and then it shines."
"YOU WERE THE BAKER!!!! I REMEMBER NOW!!! Everything you made, you gave, and kept none back."
"It was you? You were the one sneaking into my house every night to feed my refugees."
"Jace, he didn't just feed us, but everyone in town. I've seen his house. Our piles of rubble always looked like mansions compared to his hole in the ground."
"Wolf, is this true, brother? You lived in a whole in the ground your entire stay?"
"Yes, sister. It's not new. I've lived in a hole in the ground my whole life. You want to know what I found when I lifted my head up out of the ground to take a look at what lay above?
"Wolf, it's not their fault."
"I LOOK AROUND AND ALL I SEE IS WEAKNESS. YOU LIVE AS IF THERE IS NOTHING TO LIVE FOR. YOU ALL HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, SHOES ON YOUR FEET, AND FOOD IN YOUR STOMACHS; AND YET YOU STILL GRUMBLE AND COMPLAIN.
WHY?"
"Wolf, we are starving. Our homes have just been ransacked and we've been left to die."
"BUT YOU'RE NOT DEAD!!!!!!
NOT YET, ANYWAYS."
"What do you suspect we do, huh?"
"LIVE LIKE SERVANTS.
Avella, what day is it?"
j8[88k"It's Sunday, Wolf; but why do you ask? Morning service is already over, and until we get set, there is no evening service."
"Then come to church with me.
ALL OF YOU, COME WITH ME."
"What do you have for us to do? How will Church help build our homes? Only Abby can do that."
"Uh…..let's see here. What do we got in this…ooh.. Here, take this."
"I can't lift a hammer. My hands are old and frail."
"Then lift a nail."
"You really expect us to build our own homes?"
"Magic can't fix all our problems. Jesus gave us two hands for a reason. Time to use them. The young will build, while the old can instruct. A nail may seem like a simple small task, but without them; homes cannot be built. They will just fall over."
"We can't all go."
"No. No we cannot. Some of you must stay behind to help. WE NEED THREE GROUPS. The ones who prefer to stay behind and tend the fields….stand in that corner. The able fit to build; stand in this corner. The rest who wish to accompany us...follow behind."
"Who shall stay to watch us, if Abby goes?"
"I'll do it."
"Ambrielle!!!"
"I'll do it, but I'll need some help along the way."
"I'll stay behind to help."
"Thanks Jace."
"OKAY, LISTEN UP. AMBRIELLE AND JACE WILL BE REPRESENTING US WHILE WE TRAVEL. Listen to them and they will instruct you. If you're uncertain about anything...…. then use your head. THE REST OF YOU…..FOLLOW ME!!!!!!"