Hazel was sitting around the fire with the pack of the Desert Wind. Hazel poked the fire shifting the new fuel that had just been tossed on. Enid was quiet but the rest including Hazel were celebrating the death of the fallen one and the near annihilation of the tainted ones. Hazel took another drink of the wine. The wolf-born weren’t getting intoxicated of course but the spirit-kin were. They were dancing and celebrating. Every so often one would shift to wolf and howl in celebration.

Enid sat with one knee up with her elbow on it and she was leaning her face against her palm, her other leg dangling from the rock she was perched on. She was watching the celebration, but she had a distant look in her eyes. She heard footsteps behind her and glanced back and was a bit shocked to see Sextus approaching. The wolves noticed him and paused in their celebrations but when he gave them a wave they went back to singing and dancing. He approached Enid who had turned back to the celebration. She was still in her platinum blonde haired Sarah body. She heard his footsteps beside her. She couldn’t bring herself to look in his direction. She kept watching the werewolves celebrating while she spoke.

“I did not expect to see you again.”

“Nor did I expect to seek you out. I realized what you did for the world and was worried you had used too much blood magic. I sense a kinship with you, like…you’re my child. Yet here you are unscathed. No black veins on your flesh.”

He paused and she heard his hands clench and unclench.

“Can’t read my mind, can you?”

“No.”

“I thought it was because I…am your equal in every way, but then I realized I am not.”

“My equal?”

“You are God’s second son, I thought…I thought we were twins. But now I realize I am more than that now.”

He stepped forward. His rough woven cloths filling up her vision. She followed them from his chest to his face. He was looking down at her with concern in this dark brown eyes.

“You are troubled.”

“If I wasn’t I would be worried. I just killed millions of people with a thought.”

“They were already dead, corrupted by the blood Lilith stole from me. But you already knew that.”

Enid nodded.

“You also sounded like you know what it was to be betrayed.”

Enid nodded.

“Would you tell me about it? I am finding it difficult to deal…with the emotions.”

Enid quirked her head to the side.

“You? Having trouble dealing with emotions?”

He nodded. Enid shrugged.

“There is not much to tell. I believed my husband and father betrayed me for thousands of years. I did not deal with it well. At first, I did what you did, I ran away. Then I threw myself into my work, then eventually I had children. I learned to be human again, I learned to love again, and trust again. Then I lost everything. Betrayed by someone I thought cared about me again, but this time I didn’t give up on love.”

Enid’s eyes drifted to Hazel who other than glancing at the pair every so often was dancing with a male spirit-kin in a way that a mother should be concerned about.

“It is all that is keeping me sane. Love. Family.”

“Who is she too you? Really?”

“My daughter. I gave birth to her, I raised her.”

“She is a wolf-born…”

“Yes.”

His brow creased and he looked to Hazel as well.

“I do not have children, not the normal kind. I did not think…”

“The fruit of life, and the help of the spirits.”

“You have been to the Garden?”

Enid nodded.

“Several times. It is where I seek to return to, but our way is blocked. It is why I needed your blood the ritual calls for it. Your ritual.”

“Surely yours would work.”

“I believe it will not. Yours is the key to paradise so to speak.”

Enid still couldn’t meet his gaze.

“You seem uncomfortable.”

“My behavior towards Tiamat and Remus was…reprehensible. I know it was wrong, yet I am not… I do not feel guilty. I am still so angry I want to fly back to his temple and tear the blood from his veins. I am as bad as Isis.”

“What will you do?”

“I’m going to kill him when the time is right. I’m going to drain his blood then his soul. Because that is apparently who I am.”

“I suspect I am in no position to judge you. I sense a great power with in you. It is why I mistook you for an angel earlier. What you’re contemplating is a dark act, almost beyond measure, yet I sense you have done it several times.”

Enid nodded.

“First with…the blade of our brother, now with one I crafted with my own hands. But this is visceral, like Tiamat I want to feel his blood in my mouth. Not rinsed through a soul blade.”

He looked away from her.

“I have had similar… dark impulses.”

Enid sighed.

“It is like I’m trying to take back the blood. Like his existence offends me so much that he needs to be removed from the world and since his blood is mine, I need to do it.”

“I know that feeling. It is there at the back of my mind with every vampire I meet. Yet it is absent with you.”

Enid looked up at him and opened her mouth but then closed it.

“Like I said, I am…something more then you.”

He nodded then looked to the celebrating wolf-born again, his eyes lingering on Hazel.

“Your daughter truly felled a Fallen One?”

“Yes. She snuck into his camp, kept my sword hidden from view then when she had the opportunity, she stabbed him in the back. They are a match for us in every way, more than a match for a wolf-born cub. Her deception made him overconfident, and he bled for it.”

“Then she has much of yourself in her. Remus underestimated your power and you pretended to be weak. Even after you promised to kill him and told him you would drain Tiamat dry he still thought himself a God compared to you. He also bled for it. I do not understand the claw…or Tiamat however.”

“All of that was pre-determined. I was just playing my part as were they. Tiamat’s death, Isis’s child, the pogrom. All of it was destiny waiting to be fulfilled.”

He shook his head.

“Free will is the very basis of our existence, it was forced onto us, there is no such thing as destiny.”

“That depends on when, and where you are doesn’t it?”

“I do not understand.”

Enid shook her head.

“I cannot explain it to you. I had no choice, I mean I did, but the other choice was unthinkable. You’ll understand one day… when you have children.”

He rubbed the brown beard on his chin and nodded.

“You seem to have a great amount of wisdom.”

“I have just gone through a lot of therapy.”

Mai motioned to Enid who nodded.

“If you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for my daughter to receive her true name.”

He nodded and watched her go, he leaned against the rock. The wolf-born didn’t seem disturbed by his presence. Mai smiled at Enid and whispered to her.

“As her mother and pack mate it is time for you to request the spirits give her a true name.”

Enid nodded and sat in the prepared spirit circle and crossed her legs she closed her eyes and pulled herself into the spirit realm. Something she had been incapable of months before in her timeline anyway. She appeared in a swirling sandstorm, the world around her was a shimmering shadow world of the physical world. Out of the sand swirls appeared the moon spirit. She smiled and pulled Enid close hugging her tightly.

“Mother you have come to us finally.”

Enid looked around and could see other greater spirits, and lesser spirits shimmering into existence. Each touched her as if she were some religious icon.

“I have come to ask for my daughter’s true name.”

The spirits seemed to stir as she spoke each looking at the other. Enid could sense an uncomfortable silence falling over the gathered entities.

“What is the matter? She has more than earned it, she has slain a fallen one, countless tainted ones, rescued innocents, was willing to sacrifice herself for her pack. She has done everything she was asked and more.”

The spirts looked between each other and even the whipping desert wind seemed to slow down the sand falling out of it. The moon spirit seemed to get nudged forward by the gathered spirits and seemed almost frightened of Enid.

“Mother… we cannot grant her that which she has not found yet.”

“I do not understand.”

“She is a great hero of the spirits, but she has not found her true name yet, so we have no name to give.”

“What do you mean? Wolf-born come into this world with their true name they just do not know it until it is spoken by the spirits.”

“Mother.”

The moon spirit took Enid’s hand and hugged her again.

“You are… wrong. A wolf-born finds their true name and then we speak it. If she has not found it, it means she still has deeds to complete before her true name can be found.”

“I never found my true name, I just got dragged into it by…by my adoptive pack.”

“You found your true name when you fought the demonic horde mother. It is but one of many names you possess mother. It became clear to us. As it will become clear to the spirits once our sister has found hers.”

“What other names do I possess?”

“Names which we cannot speak, it is forbidden to us. Others may.”

Enid blinked at the moon spirit and frowned.”

“You’re as bad as God and Angels.”

“I am sorry mother; It is the way of things.”

“I’m sorry. I am not angry with you. I am just not looking forward to telling Hazel you think she is not ready.”

“Oh mother, we think she is ready, it is she who thinks she is not ready.”

“Thank you…”

Enid paused and looked over the still growing number of spirits who had gathered to witness her presence. Each of them had eyes that reminded her of all of her children. The look that spoke volumes about how much their parent means to them. She was slightly uncomfortable. She wondered if this was what God felt like with the humans who worshiped him.

“Thank you, my children. I love all of you.”

She saw the wave of contentment that passed through the spirits. The same contentment and comfort her children would get in their eyes when she would hold them and tell them she loved them.

“You are always in my heart. Until we meet again.”

Enid held out her hands and each of the spirits touched them as they passed and then she let herself fall out of the spirit realm and gasped for air, but none came because she was a vampire. In the spirit realm she had been mortal again or at least alive. She recovered from her momentary panic and stood up looking around. Mai was nearby looking a bit subdued.

“You heard?”

“Yes… I thought she was ready.”

Enid sighed.

“I will tell her the bad news.”

Enid looked to her daughter who was having more fun than she had in a while, so she shook her head.

“In the morning.”

Enid walked back to her rocky outcropping which Sextus still leaned on she jumped up on top and perched there again settling into a sullen silence she watched as Mai glanced Enid. Her eyes went wide as if she had an epiphany. Mai turned to the assembled and started to sing loudly the drums started to match the beat of the new song. It was one Enid had heard before, one passed down through the wolf-born and the spirits. It wasn’t typically a song sung at celebrations. It honored the great spirit of life, a spirit that had many names, Gaia being one of them. By the stories she breathed life into the spirits, the world and the wolf-born. Mai looked to Enid as the song finished and kneeled. The rest of the assembled celebrants did so as well. Enid blinked. Mai spoke.

“Gaia, Mother of the Spirits, Avatar of Life. You gave us the spirits. You gave us life. You extinguished the servants of death and brought back the sun this day. We honor you.”

Enid almost fell off the rock she saw recognition start to dawn in the eyes of the assembled wolf-born. She felt trapped there as Mai declared her the greatest spirit and the closest thing to God the wolf-born had. Sextus looked up to her now too and then back to the wolf-born and their kin and he took a knee as well. Enid looked down to him and back to the wolf-born and froze. She started to remember other songs she’d heard while among the tribes of wolf-born. One legend where a strange red wolf appeared and brought sun back, the wolf turned out to be Gaia. She wanted to shake her head and deny it, but then she saw it in the eyes in the assembled. The rapturous joy, tears, she couldn’t break their hearts, much like the spirits she felt compelled to just let them believe.

“Thank you. But this is not a celebration of me, it is a celebration of you, you killed a fallen one on your own. This is the greatest accomplishment of any pack in history. Even I struggle with them. So, rise, celebrate your victory.”

A cheer went out again starting with Crushes-his-Foes and radiating out. The party began in earnest and Enid breathed a sigh of relief. Sextus looked up to her and smiled.

“I see now.”

Enid looked down at him with narrowed eyes.

“What do you see?”

“I see what you were trying to tell me. Balance must be maintained. My feelings are secondary.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

“You don’t believe you are this Gaia, you wanted to fight against it, but instead of yielding to your feelings you let them believe. As I should with my kind. I want to wallow in sadness, but I should be keeping things under control. My children…even my unwanted ones should be kept under control. You have given the world a second chance. I will do my best to ensure we use it well. You may not want it, but you seem to be a Goddess to the wolf-kin. And as you’ve shown me today, what we want is secondary. If I had a mother, I think I would have wanted her to be like you. Wise and loving, yet strong enough to call her children out on misbehavior. Hazel is lucky to have you.”

He looked to the sky.

“The world is lucky to have you. You brought back the sun.”

Enid sighed and whispered.

“But I can’t even get myself home.”

Sextus looked up at her and put a hand on her foot.

“Perhaps you don’t want to go home?”

Enid quirked an eyebrow.

*****

Hazel sat with Enid on the rock that the ancient vampire had claimed as her own. Enid had her arm wrapped around one of her knees as she looked down at the werewolf camp below.

“Mom, do we have to leave already?”

Enid nodded.

“We could cause a lot of harm back here. So far it seems like everything was meant to happen this way. I think we need to avoid extended stays if we can.”

Hazel looked to the camp then to her mother. Enid glanced at her. She could tell her daughter wanted to ask her something but was scared.

“Just ask Hazel.”

“You spoke to the spirits last night, did…did they name me?”

Enid sighed adjusted her currently platinum blonde hair.

“No.”

“What did I do wrong?”

“You haven’t done anything wrong hon. They told me you haven’t found your true name yet so they cannot give it to you.”

“But the spirits tell us our true names, how does that work?”

“You know how the spirits are, never a straight answer. They said, they cannot speak your name until you have found it. Or something close to that. It just means… It means you aren’t ready yet. You will be one day, hon. They promised me that.”

Hazel’s shoulders slumped.

“Do not rush child.”

“Most have their names when they are two-three years younger than me.”

Enid nodded.

“And most haven’t killed a fallen one. Maybe the spirits are demanding more of you then they have of others because they know you are capable of more.”

“That isn’t very comforting.”

Enid wrapped her arm around Hazel’s broad shoulders.

“You’re looking for comfort in a world where you were raised by a blood-sucking weapon of mass destruction? Boy are looking in the wrong place.”

Hazel laughed while wiping away a few tears.

“I wouldn’t trade you for any other mother. When I see you, no matter what is happening, I know everything is going to be alright. I was pretty worried with that demon. But then I saw you in his mirror and I knew I could do what I needed to do and that you would make everything alright. And you did, you sent the pack with just what I needed.”

Hazel leaned against Enid heavily. Enid kissed the side of Hazel’s head.

“I will always do my best to make everything alright hon.”

“I know mom.”

Hazel wrapped her arms around Enid’s waist and hugged her tightly.

“Mom, are you really Gaia?”

“No, but why break their hearts?”

“I think you are. You brought back the sun. Who but a goddess could do that?”

“An angel, but I’m not one of those either.”

Hazel started humming a song Enid had heard before. She knew the words well. ‘Mother of Darkness, Mother of life…”

“I’m not her, hon. But I’m very pleased you think I measure up.”

“Get your armor on, I need to make the doorway now, or we’re going to be stuck here another day.”

Hazel nodded and pulled away from her and stretched. Then walked down off the rock and vanished into one of the tents.

Poor girl. Its never easy to hear you’re not good enough for something.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a strong kid.”

I know, still I feel for her.

Enid shrugged and jumped off the rock landing on her feet several feet below. Mai noticed Enid was starting to pull out ritual kit.

“Are you leaving so soon?”

“It is time.”

“I understand. Thank you for bringing back the sun.”

“You’re welcome.”

Hazel approached wearing her armor and had her sword strapped to her back. Enid nodded to her then started making painting the doorway on the flat side of the rocky outcropping. She finished her chant and touched it with her palm, and it flared to life. The trees of the forest could be seen behind it. She grabbed Hazel’s harm and stepped through. There was a pause and they were falling again. It was nighttime. The wings on their armor deployed and they started slowing down. The ground beneath looked black but as they got closer, they saw that the black was two clashing armies. Enid ended up doing a superhero landing. Easy to do since she was not mortal. Hazel landed rough, but unharmed. Enid was shocked to see they were surrounded by twisted demonic figures. Hazel didn’t take long to react and shifted to her half-wolf form and let loose a war howl. Enid drew Lucius the pair moved back-to-back.

“Mom, this doesn’t look like some place we want to be.”

“No but I have a feeling is someplace we need to be.”