All Is Revealed

The following morning was a wet gloomy start to my day. Pane woke up a few times in the night screaming in agony. Luckily for him, Jerell has a pain relieving potion for him. It was late in the night when the thunder came. Water seeped into the ground and dripped down on us.

The putrid odor from the dead, above us, wreaked havoc in our little setting as their blood and body fluid dripped down with the rain. It made my stomach turn and turn until I vomited.

"Here." Jerell hands me a potion flask.

"I don't think I can eat or drink anything right now." I said.

"This is eucalyptus oil mixed with Lavender buddings. You don't drink this, but instead, sniff it. The oils will conceal the smell of death around us. It will help your stomach settle." Jerell opens up my hand and places the little flask in it. "Give it a try." he said right before going to clean up my vomit on the floor.

I popped open the top of the flask and took a good whiff of the oils. The strong menthol cleared my sinus and the lavender came in afterwards, giving me a sense of calm.

"Lavender. Reminds me of my mother. Reminds me of London before Iceland." I said. "I miss her so much. Thank you, Jerell."

"You're welcome." He replied, " Seer, I will have to go up and look for more supplies and, hopefully, catch dinner. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Pane. My Unicorn's Milk is all in that case right there. He gets a half flask each time he needs it."

Jerell starts to gather his things and then finishes his preparations by covering himself up with his cloak. He gives me a quick kiss on my lips and climbs up, leaving me and Pane in the dark and leaky hole.

*

Bjork and a few of his men had beaten Czechvi so badly that he was on the brink of death.

Clint lays helplessly on the ground next to Czechvi, "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry, Czechvi. So sorry." No other words were spoken, but Clint's sincerest apology to Czechvi.

Outside, Bjork and his men were still sleeping through the rain. They all had a long night of manning the whores and drinking. The rain had smothered the fireplace and Riverway was in complete disarray.

A ship docks a mile down the river, as armored men make their way to Riverway. They enter the huts and silently kill or capture Bjork's men. They swept through the whole establishment and rounded all the captured men in the square of Riverway.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Bjork yelled. "I WILL KILL YOU ALL! TRAITORS!! I WAS SENT HERE FROM THE NEW KING HIMSELF!! HE WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!!"

"Yes, I'm sure he will." A man walks up to Bjork, who is now tied up and kneeling on the ground, drenched from the rain. Bjork looks up at him, trying to keep his eyes open as the raindrops hit his face.

"Merluc." Bjork whispered. Standing tall and in the most glamorous armor, with his blonde hair and blue eyes was Merluc, King Leifae Arkson's weatherman and also left hand man as Pane was his right hand man. The two were both the King's most trusted men.

"It's been a few months hasn't it, Bjork?" Merluc replied.

"How dare you! YOU TRAITOR! YOU COME TO TAKE THIS ESTABLISHMENT FOR YOURSELF?" Bjork yelled.

"Bjork, you never know when to stop. You're too stupid to keep your loyalty true. Always chasing your own greed. How very stupid. Everyone can see right through your idiotic ways, including, King Leifae Arkson himself." Merluc said loudly as people started to peep out of their huts.

One of Riveryway's citizens asked, "Had the King sent help? Are we free from these barbaric men?"

"Yes, miss, we are here to annihilate these barbarians." Merluc said cooly and calmly.

People ran out of their huts to celebrate, cheering and jumping around in the rain.

"LIES! How can he send you when he sent me? You are just trying to take over the establishment." Bjork said and then received a hard slap across his face with Merluc's glove covered in diamonds.

"Well, you need to know when to speak and when to shut up. Now your filth is on my glove. Ugh, someone please rinse this shit from my glove, is going to ruin my diamonds." Merluc hands the glove to a girl, who quickly runs up to take it. "Hi there, beautiful." he winks at her and her blushing face reassured his ego of his handsomeness.

Merluc turns his attention back to Bjork. "You know, you've always been a bad liar. How can the king send you here, when your job was to find the Gypsy?"

The remainder of Bjork's men glared at one another and then at Bjork.

"I guess you never told your men about your very very important mission. I guess they never saw through your lies. Well, Bjork's men, please, let me introduce you to your King…" Merluc moves aside as servants holding up umbrellas to cover a man, walks towards the establishment. "KING LEIFAE ARKSON!"

Everyone bowed their heads.

"This place seems prosperous, but will need a lot of work." King Leifae Arkson announces, "We will start work tomorrow." He walks towards the biggest hut.

"Your grace, what about Bjork and his men?" Merluc asked.

"Kill them all." King Leifae Arkson said as he left the square.

"My pleasure." Merluc smirks and turns toward Bjork. All of Bjork's men get an instant death with a throat slash from Merluc's men, but not Bjork. Merluc bends down to Bjork and pulls his hair back, "oh, you don't know how much fun am I going to have with you."

*

Wawa waits patiently as one of the hen clucks loudly. It's been hours since the clucking has started, but with no eggs. Suddenly, the hen let out a loud ,"GRAWK" and a single egg dropped onto the floor.

"Oh yes, patience is a virtue." Wawa swat the hen out of the way and stole the freshly laid egg and left the hut to announce, "I GOT THE EGG!"

Wawa made her way to the wooden bowl and poured in some fresh water. She grabs a bark with flames flaring on top and whispers a chant while circling the egg. She places the flamed bark into the water and the fire hisses dead. Then she cracks the egg and drops its contents into the bowl of water. Lifting the bowl, she whispers the chant again and again.

"Why have you summoned me?" A voice could be heard and every tribe member that was gathered to witness the ritual, went quiet.

Wawa peeked into the bowl and she could see a face, an entity. "Reveal yourself, for we will not harm you. "Wawa said to the bowl.

A deer hopped from the forest and made its way to Wawa, then bowed. "I am a deer spirit and I do not belong here." the spirit said.

"That is why we have summoned you. We need an unbiased spirit to show us the way of the Ma'iingan. You are very worthy and pure, therefore, you have been chosen. Now, please answer these few questions…"

"Three, I can only give you three answers." said the spirit.

"Alright. Question one, is Niiganii the alpha of the Ma'iingan?" Wawa asked.

"Her death was that of one breath when she was brought back to life. Her title disowned her, for she was not worthy of that title to begin with. A new alpha had been chosen."

"Question two: Is Gikendaaso the new alpha?"

"Gikendaaso is but a man. He cannot be an alpha and is NOT the alpha of the Ma'iingan."

Everyone gasped, "Then who is the next alpha?" Wawa asked.

"Is that your final question?" The spirit wanted clarification from Wawa.

*

Jerell finally returns after several hours after the rain had stopped. I have been sniffing the oils and giving Pane unicorn's milk for each time he woke up in pain. I tried to eat some jerky, but just the thought of the taste of the jerky mixed in with the smell of rotting flesh, changed my mind.

"Seer. We have to pack up and go."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Just do as I say." Jerell is rushing to pack all his things into his bag. I help hand things to him as he organizes them into his bag. "Alright, I'm going to drop down a ladder. I will come back down to grab Pane. I need you to hold the ladder in place so we don't slip." I nodded.

I watched him in amazement as he lifted Pane with ease and made his way up to the top. "Alright, come on up, my lady. Jerell reaches his hand down to me and I grab hold of it climbing up."

Surrounding us was a group of armored men and King Leifae Arkson. The sun reflected the silver and gold on his armor and I partially blocked my eyes from blinding glare.

"My lady?" Lei called out to me. Next thing I knew, he had me in his arms, embracing me. "Oh I'm so glad you are alright. How I've missed you." He pulls back and studies me.

"Amazing how you've grown. You've changed so much, yet so little has changed about you. We need to get you washed up. Let's return to Riverway and fix things to the way it was supposed to be. I love you my lady and I'm so thankful to god that I have found you."

I look over at Jerell. His head is bowed down like a loyal dog waiting patiently to receive his bone. I didn't know what to think or how to feel at all.

I was escorted to Riverway. Upon arriving I glanced around, so much has changed about this place. The houses and huts. The storages and gardens. It's like its own little town. Everyone had their eyes on me as they waved and welcomed me back.

I have no idea who these people are, but apparently they all know who I am.

"Welcome back, my lady." they'd all say.

I remained dull and emotionless. They bathed me, powdered me, and dressed me but I felt nothing. After getting all dolled up, I was led into a room on Lei's boat, where I was to wait for Lei. From the window I can see the moon light was out and about, lighting up all the darkness. The water bobbed the ship up and down.

I didn't have to wait long at all when Lei knocked on the door before letting himself in.

"Ah, Lady Sereen, you are most beautiful tonight." Lei walks towards me, my back to him as I face out the window.

I'm sure he is talking about my body shape and how in the few months that had passed, I have developed more curves and my breast has grown in size, protruding out of my corset more than usual.

He places a soft kiss on my exposed neck and shoulder. "Oh how I've longed for you. Sereen, you have no idea what you do to me."

I don't react to him.

He puts his arms around me, cupping over my bosoms as he continues to kiss my neck, shoulder, and ear. "You are so beautiful."

"My innocence is no longer with me." I announced. His kissing stopped and he gaped at me.

"I heard. Pane said a few things to me, but he seemed very drugged up. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I am more than happy to marry, so it doesn't become a scandal." He replied.

I don't reply. How could I? How could I retell this man that I am already bound to another man? I keep my silence.

"The boat is leaving tonight. In seven days' time, we will arrive at Newtown Mansion. There, I will marry you, but for now, I will take you for my own."

He took me to the bed and made love to me. I remained emotionless and felt almost nothing for him. When he was done he rolled over and fell asleep. I stayed awake all night. Just confused in all of this, as if Giken wasn't real. As if Jerell and I never…

Where am I?

Who am I?

*

"Is that your final question?" the spirit asked.

Wawa looked at the whole tribe for an answer, but no one interjected. Wawa turned her attention back to the spirit.

"Yes, that is my final question. It is for the tribe." Wawa said.

"The alpha for this land and the Ma'iingan tribe is not from here. She was a chosen one from a land far away, where dragons reign to protect the land. She is the dragon that will be leading this pact. She is Emilia Sereen Jaqueson of the Zaa Clan from the land they call Asia. It is not her that will bring the wolves up to new heights, but the heir she carries within her.