Sun & Moon

Chapter 24 - Bianca

After the elders seem to approve of me, Guru orders Ganzorig to return to the town below, which he seems hesitant about but does so. I can tell from his face that he expected a little more for having brought them 'The White Wolf'. Whatever that means.

Guru comes over to me, appearing to be around the same height as Ganzorig, but slightly hunched over in old age, and leads me to a room further inward from the hall where a woman is making a sort of hearty soup, which smells fatty and like a whole lot of umami. He sits me down on a table next to him as the woman serves us up a bowl each. He tells me to eat it.

"What is it?"

"Cheese, mushrooms and beef," Guru answers as he takes a big slurp.

I copy him and soon find myself devouring the whole bowl. I sit back and feel my aching body rejuvenated by the hearty meal.

"What is my purpose here?" I finally ask Guru.

"You will train with me," he says. "Now that you're here, it's time to start counting down the days."

"The days to what?"

He frowns. "Your Moon Goddess has not told you of the impending doom that threatens to eradicate both our races?"

"How would she? She doesn't talk to us."

"Not even her beloved Lycans?"

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"But they are your, so to say, leaders, are they not?"

"Just because they're leaders, doesn't mean they divulge every bit of information to the rest of us. Do you tell every citizen here what goes on in your meetings back there?"

"Why, yes."

"Okay." I cross my arms, a little defeated at my argument. "Do you speak to the Moon Goddess?"

He laughs and I hear the faint wheezing in his throat from old age. "We do not speak to the Moon Goddess. We speak to the Sun Goddess."

"Sun Goddess?"

I'd never put much thought into the heavenly realms, to be honest. From birth, we are told about the origins of our race from the Moon Goddess and nothing more. No Sun Goddess, no other Gods or Goddesses. For a second, my mind goes reeling through the possibilities up above. I never assumed there would be others since I know even vampires were her creation and the witches conjure their power from the moon.

"Yes, she created us. Tigers."

I nod as my mind wanders on all the different Gods and Goddesses that could be in existence. Is there a Star Goddess? A God for the elements? Of life itself?

"I'm surprised you don't know very much about tigers," Guru continues, "considering your pack houses a few of us, daughter of Silver Bow."

"How did you know?"

"It was foretold. And you don't have the particular energy or pride that Sigmas possess," he adds.

I scoff in offense. "Well, I am a Sigma."

"If you insist." I observe the faint turn of his lips as if bemused by me. "Anyhow, your past is not important anymore, but you may be our only hope for a future."

"And how do I know anything you've said is true?"

"Would you like to speak to the Sun Goddess herself?"

I blink in astonishment, discerning whether or not the old man is pulling my leg. "Is that possible?"

"Come," Guru stands up, "let me show you."