Shifters: The Overture of Sedition

Part 6

I stared at the wolf, my eyes wide. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"I can't shift now to show you but trust me, I am your mother," Ember answered. "I know my own daughter when I see her."

I felt a hand on my uninjured shoulder and looked up. Marcus was looking down at me. He nodded as if he agreed. "She's right. She's your mother, princess," Marcus said.

I looked back down at Ember. Tears were starting to form in my eyes and I wiped them away. I knew she was my mother, I just couldn't believe it. I squatted down in front of Ember, smiling. Ember walked up to me and licked the tears away from my eyes. I smiled and wrapped my uninjured arm around her in a half hug. I saw my mom wag her tail and smiled. I heard applause but chose to ignore it. I finally found my mother after years of being parentless. Marcus was a good mentor and raised me well but I was missing the love of a parent.

"It's been years sense I saw you," Ember said. "I've missed you so much."

"How many years has it been?" I asked.

"It's been 11 and a half years," my mother answered. "Ten years sense I've seen you."

I pulled away and looked at her. Looking into her eyes I could see that they were a mix of love, happiness, sadness, and anger. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Why are you sad?" I asked. "And angry?"

My mother shook her head. "It's nothing. I'll tell you later. Follow me."

I stood up as Ember turned around and started walking away. I turned to Marcus and saw him walking towards me with both of our bags in his hands. I reached to grab mine but he shook his head, insisting that he carry them. I didn't argue and let him carry them. I then turned and walked to where my mother was waiting close to one of the cottages. I then followed her and the other Shifters as they walked off.

I followed the Shifters as we walked through the ruined village. I looked around at the village, wondering what weapons could cause such destruction. Vines and plants grew in all different places of the village. It looked like the village has been destroyed for awhile. I didn't ask though and followed the Shifters who seemed to know their way around. We soon exited the village and was walking through a flat grassland. We then reached a forest and had to walk through that until we reached a clearing.

The Shifters led us to a stone wall that towered high into the sky. I looked to the sides and saw that the wall stretched a ways before a tower ended the wall. I guessed that the wall surrounded something. We continued walking and went through the wall. Right as we passed through, I heard voices and my eyes widened as I looked around at what was beyond the wall.

On the other side of the wall was a small medieval village. There were small wooden stands set up and crowds of people, I'm guessing Shifters, walking around the stone pathways, shopping at shops, or sitting outside at wooden tables eating. I stayed close to Marcus as we walked, not wanting to get lost. I followed Marcus as we walked through the village. We walked farther and farther into the village. As we did, the buildings got nicer and nicer.

We then got to another, but smaller, stone wall. Two guards opened the doors and we were allowed inside where there was a flower garden. We walked on a cobblestone path up to a huge castle. We walked past two other guards that opened the huge wooden doors and entered the castle. My jaw dropped as I stared at the interior. The walls had massive stained glass windows that depicted different scenes. At the end of the hallway was a gold throne and we walked on a red carpet. I looked above me and saw that it was lit up by a massive chandelier.

"You like it?" I heard my mom ask. I looked back down and saw that she was sitting a few feet away while people in white were rushing around her with medical kits that I assumed were doctors.