Book 1. The long dark nights. RE-EDITING

20. The veil. EDITED

Artos fell asleep. Boy was he tired. The days events was not to easy. He saved people, ran through an ever changing maze, shifted into his wolf form. Yeah. He was entitled to a good sleep with zero percent weirdness of dreams. That was all he asked for. No dead wolves, no murderous family, no being in places or situations that he was never in before, no bears, no hunters, no pack of wolves that he never even seen before.. Wait. He never seen that pack before. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted no weird.

"This is not weird. Trust me." A voice said. It sounded like Talia. He turned around. Nobody was there. He looked back at this pack. Talia was walking out from them. They walked up to each other.

"Are you in my head?" He asked.

"Well, technically, yes. But in actuality, we are in each others head."

"Thats not creepy at all."

"You need to know about the veil. But you cannot tell anyone. Got it?"

What was the big deal? Not telling anyone? "Why not?"

"Because the veil needs to be kept safe. If the humans find out about it, a lot of innocents will die. Now, give me your word that you won't tell anyone."

"Alright. I give you my word."

"Okay. Now, long ago, wolf and man lived in peace with each other. There was a few things though. There were the Dire Wolves. There were the Great Wolves. There was even Dragons. When the humans started killing them off, the veil was created. It was an escape for those innocents who needed protection, else they go extinct. There is a lot more than the Dire Wolves the Great Wolves and the Dragons in the veil. They are all safe from the dangers here."

"Then why, if they are safe, can't I at least tell Maria? I trust her."

"Thats another thing. The less that know, the better. The Chosen protect the portal to the veil. Its our job to keep hostile individuals out of the veil."

Huh. This was strange. "So, how does one find or get to this portal?"

"You don't. Only those who are in the veil can go out and in. We merely guard the portal."

Artos laid down. Everything over the last few days was a bit overwhelming. Wolves who can shift into humans, he found his Aunt, visited the human world, he may or may not have had a strange dream about his family, and now, a safe place for wolves. And you get to that safe place through a portal of some sort.

"Wait, if you don't want all kinds of wolves to know about it, why are you telling me?" He asked in confusion.

"Don't let it get to your head, but you are a pretty powerful Chosen. There are five of us that know this much about it."

"Oohh okie."

Talia laid down next to him. She was detecting pain coming from Artos. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

He let out a sigh. "Yeah. I'm just tired. I'm tired of all this. I want my family back. I want the humans to go away so we all could just live in a pack together. No more suffering, no more pain."

"I know what you mean."

"Why can't we put those who we love in the veil? They'd be safe there."

"Its our responsibility to keep the portal safe. When the portal was created, the regular wolves and the werewolves decided to stay behind to guard the portal to the veil."

"Its not fair."

"Whats not fair?"

"Our ancestors made a choice and we're stuck with it."

"You do realize that even if you send the ones you love there, you would never be able to see them again till both you and them die and are reunited in Gahanna."

"Yes. But at least they would be safe."

Talia seemed to be drifting away now. Everything she said was going through his head. He wished that his family had escaped into the veil. They would be alive. But this wasn't what he wanted to think about. His family was dead, he was in a strange place, and he was told to protect the humans. The humans slaughtered his father and his siblings. How could he even forgive that? He wanted nothing to do with any humans who murdered wolves. It would be an abomination to help them.

Artos made up his mind. He will go along with the Chosen. He will protect the indigenous people. But he will also help defend the innocents.

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Another Edited Chapter