Dream's Light (COMPLETE)

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Priestess at the Kirin Shrine

As Morpheus and Eternity came up to the porch of Kaname's house behind the priestess, two young people came out to join the three of them from an opening on the side of it.

Once again, Morpheus found himself astounded, although it didn't show on his face.

This time, he was taken aback to see a male doppelgänger and another female one, both in Eternity and Kaname's image, shyly approaching them, instead of a hideous half dead woman and a giant black wolf or a humanoid version of some kind that he knew from the stories about Hel and Fenrir.

Furthermore, if these children were Loki's cursed offspring, then that meant Eternity was once the trickster's wife and was the mother of these children, not Kaname.

So, Loki had been the cruel husband she had tried to love, but ultimately had to break free from, an event that had eventually lead to the tricks death.

Intrigued by this development, Morpheus took the time to observe the two children, mildly wondering why the third child Eternity had mentioned having was not present at the shrine.

The boy, as tall as the girl, had doe eyes the color of sapphires and a curly mop top of thick snowy white hair to go along with a snowy pale complexion. He was dressed in a black haori and grey hakama and partially hid behind his sister, as if afraid. The child glanced at Morpheus, but quickly looked away in fright.

Apparently, Fenrir didn't like strangers. The boy certainly wasn't the fearsome beast of legend, in fact, he seemed quite the opposite.

The girl, on the other hand, had the same wavy snowy hair as Eternity, but it was cut shorter, hanging just below the girl's shoulders and she too carried the same large sapphire eyes as her mother and Fenrir. Her complexion was pale, but not as pronouncedly so as her sibling or her mother. She did have a bit of peachy color to her skin that must have come from her father.

Hel was adorned in a lovely light pink kimono with purple flowers printed upon the silk fabric and a bright green obi with shimmery gold stitched into it in intricate designs. Her snowy hair was partially pulled back with a silver comb.

Her face was stern and unreadable, as if she were masking all emotion.

When the pair saw their mother, however, the fearfulness of Fenrir and the coldness of Hel vanished, immediately replaced with the bright, loving joy of children who were excited to see their beloved parent.

"Mama!" The two shouted at once, as they scrambled down off the porch and came running toward Eternity.

They collided with her, nearly knocking her over as they embraced her tightly together in one large family hug.

Morpheus observed that both children were taller than their mother, by nearly three inches — the boy a little more so than the girl.

"Oh, my darlings," cooed Eternity, in a lovingly motherly way, as she pulled back to look at them both. "What a surprise it is to see you! How are you, beloveds?"

"I'm well, Mama," Hel replied with a subtle smile.

"As am I," chimed in Fenrir with a broad grin. "But why are you here?"

Eternity smiled at them both as she answered, "We have come to speak with Cousin Kaname about an important matter, one pertaining to the terrible conflicts that have cropping up all over the Immortal Universe."

When she said 'we', both children looked at Morpheus with a cool mistrust of him that was barely veiled behind a false neutrality they tried to put upon their faces.

At once, the ethereal beauty glided over to his side, threading her arm through his and hugging him close to her as she introduced him to Fenrir and Hel, "My darlings, this is Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless and the King of Dreams. He is aiding me on this most important mission since it does not just affect the Universal Kingdom, but his realm as well. And he's —."