THE VROL TRILOGY (93 page)

"
I believe we
can have a leisurely breakfast, my boy. Being as we are slipping to
the location there is no great hurry. Perhaps young Liliana could
assist me in the preparation of another morning meal for our
friends here before departure
?"

"Yes, Grandfather. I would
enjoy that a great deal. Shall I also make more delicious rabbit
smoothies? It seemed yesterday that everyone enjoyed theirs
immensely
," asked the little girl, apparently unaware
that everyone had earlier dumped her liquefied
creations.

"
If you want
to I think it would be fine, sweetie
," said Jennie,
not wanting to ever discourage her daughter from being creative in
any way - but at the same time hoping that Draagh would distract
the girl from making her noxious concoction again. Jennie had eaten
raw rabbit on many occasions, but couldn't really take them
liquefied. Something about it was so wrong.

The Gunnarssons walked down the stairs from
their room and met up with Draagh and Michael, who were, oddly
enough, sitting at a table and playing backgammon.

"I trust you all rested sufficiently, yes?"
asked Draagh, in his usually odd manner.

"Yes, Grandfather… and Abuelito. I am
personally excited for today's excursion. Another location to
explore," said Liliana.

"Lili loves travel. When we get home, we'll
need to take her to the Caribbean. You up for it, Max?" asked
Jennie. "I already promised her, so it's not like you really have a
lot of choice in the matter."

Max snickered and kissed his wife on the
cheek, more than willing to go anywhere in the galaxy with her.

"Where we are going today is quite cold, is
it not?" asked Liliana.

Draagh and Michael both nodded in agreement.
It happened to be late winter, so their target destination would be
sufficiently chilly.

"Hey, I'll be right back," said Max as he
walked outside and Draagh took Liliana to prepare breakfast. Max
wanted to chat a bit with Jessica and Gabriel, as they had been
spending an unusual amount of time together.

Going into Seven Sins he saw the two seated
on a couch, where Gabriel was recounting a tale of a battle fought
centuries before. Jessica had always been fascinated with
historical facts and fiction, and was relatively certain that
Gabriel's stories were accurate.

"Hey you two, enjoying some down time before
the team heads out?" asked Max.

"Yes we are, Max. In fact, as we are merely
3D slipping to our destination I would like to take Jessica with
us. I believe she will enjoy the scenery."

The archangel looked at his lycan friend and
continued, "You will need to bring warm clothing. Do you possess
any?"

"I have a sweater and a jacket. Should that
be fine?"

"If not we will simply conjure something up
for you. In fact, do not even worry about extra clothing. We will
simply address the situation as we encounter it."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. Draagh
wants to go up north, and I never really told him that I was
feeling a pull to go there anyway. Can you tell me what's
happening?" asked Max.

Gabriel looked at him and shook his head.
"No, it is not my place. Why do you not ask him? There is a reason
you feel the pull, and he can feel it through you."

"Sounds good. Let's go have some breakfast
across the street."

Arriving at the coffee shop, Max, Gabriel and
Jessica noticed that Bagatelle had joined his sister and Michael.
Before they had even sat down, Dons and Pandy also entered, with
the latter skipping off to the kitchen to assist Draagh and
Liliana.

"So, um… did the little one make liquefied
rabbit guts again?" Dons asked sarcastically.

"I think her grandfather did a little
redirect, getting her to stick to more standard food items today,"
Bagatelle answered.

"Well, that's a relief. Pandy adores the kid
so much she was practically begging me to at least take a drink of
the slop just to make the child happy - if she made it again."

"Oh, I can request a smoothie for you, if you
like, Dons," Gabriel said laughingly, causing the diminutive clan
leader to shudder in feigned disgust.

Draagh, Pandy and Liliana brought out
breakfast for the group and expertly laid it out on the table, with
the little lycan assisting Pandy with her manipulation of magical
abilities via her power bracelet. There was no arrogance in the
youth's actions - only a mature caring way beyond her few
years.

"
Desa
for everyone!" Liliana cried out, probably more excited that
anyone about the day's upcoming activities.

Plates of food were handed all around, and
one could almost note a sense of sadness at the long table.
Although his days in Los Angeles were few, Max had made an extreme
impact and would be sorely missed. But everyone was truly happy for
him, being as he was reunited with his family.

When everyone was done and all packed up
(wearing their expedition clothing, and all being armed to the
teeth), they walked out into the street, dead center between Seven
Sins and Hotel California. Pandy gave Liliana an affectionate hug
before backing away. Draagh looked out at everyone in his group -
Michael, Max, Jennie, Liliana, Bagatelle, Gabriel and, temporarily,
Jessica. It was a formidable collection of individuals - a mash-up
of various beings, from the very young to the very old.

"Heya Maxie, take care mate. And you come
back anytime you like, got it?" yelled Dons as the group popped out
of view.

Dons looked over and saw something he thought
he would never witness in his life. Marko was uncharacteristically
hugging Cassandra, the two apparently lightly sobbing. Rolling his
eyes, he took his girl's hand and walked with her to their new
hotel.

"Ya know, Pandy. I reckon things are gonna be
better from now on."

A thunderous boom accompanied the rather
large group, as they instantly appeared on a small, cold beachfront
in southeast Alaska. Looking around, they saw dozens of bald eagles
flying around, scavenging for whatever they could find. The tide
had just begun to recede; so numerous mollusks were left stranded
on the wet sand, unwillingly becoming part of the ecosystem's life
cycle. The ruins of a small city were visible to the north, and
there was cold, light rain falling.

"Ah, what a lovely town, I must say. It is
wonderful being here," exclaimed Draagh.

"Huh? You've been here before?" asked
Max.

"Oh… no. I have not," responded the ancient
Primulus.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I have
had a feeling I needed to go north for many days, and you magically
know this, take us all here, and bammo - here we are. Explanation,
please?"

"My dear boy, we are here for you. Lead the
way, please. Just take us where you feel."

"Ok, let's hit it," the lycan-mage
said, as he started to walk up out of the sand and onto an old road
that had been surprisingly well maintained. There was a sign that
said
S. Tongass Hwy
, but the
name was immaterial. It was simply a road, and it somehow beckoned
Max to walk upon its surface. The group all silently followed Max,
apparently knowing more about the purpose of their visit than he
did. Going to the southeast for roughly twenty minutes, they
encountered no intelligent life, such as any normals, but finally
arrived at the town of Saxman. There was nothing outstanding about
the area, except for the numerous totem poles lined along the
highway. The group looked at them, but Max seemed more interested
in a carved pole back off the road. Running down, he followed the
draw - the pull - the enticement. It was a feeling of magnetism he
had never known before. Something grabbed his stomach and drew him
in.

Liliana held her mother's hand and watched
her father take off down the pathway that led to a lone totem pole
in the midst of a wooded area. Curious, but understanding, she
looked up at Jennie and asked, "Mami, is this where he becomes an
angel?"

"How do you know that, sweetie? Does anyone
know that?"

"Grandfather hinted at it, but I do not
believe even Papi understands quite yet. I do not wish for him to
leave. Please, promise me that he will always be with us."

"He will, my child," said Draagh, as he
placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"
Head's up,
people. I smell lycans
," Bagatelle said over the
comm.

"
They're in
the woods, waiting to see what we do, obviously. In any case, I
detect no fear,"
added Gabriel.

Max approached a handsome, and surprisingly
well-maintained carved wooden pole, roughly fifteen meters in
height. As he neared the object, he noted the detail. It apparently
had creatures and faces carved into it, with the wings of an eagle
at the very top. However, before he got within five meters of the
totem the previously hidden lycans slowly walked out of the thick
forest. Then they did something strange - they started to sing. It
wasn't a song like Max had heard before, performed by a modern
musical group, but it was singing.

"
Pops, what
are they singing?
" asked Max.

"
They are
descendants of the Haidas, my boy. It appears that they are singing
a blessing. You have been expected
," Draagh responded,
very matter-of-factly.

"
I think it
sounds quite cool!"
added Liliana, who thought
anything different was cool. The child always put a positive spin
on the new and unknown.

Max stood in place as six men and six women,
all of lycan blood, circled around him. Their movements were not
threatening, and the travel team could tell that this was a
welcoming ceremony of sorts. Then, they suddenly stopped their
singing and took seats on tree stumps that formed a perimeter
around the totem pole - all except one - the oldest male, who
approached Max.

"Greetings, young one. We have been waiting
for you. The sky bids you welcome as you spread your wings for the
first time," the elder said in a gentle voice.

"Um… hello. I have no wings, but thanks. I'm
Max, and these are-"

"We know who you are, young one. We also know
who they are," he said, while pointing at Draagh, Michael and
Gabriel, who had moved together off to the side. "It has been many
years since we have been visited by those from the sky. We are
honored by your presence," the old man humbly continued.

Turning back to his grandfather, father and
uncle, he said, "Huh? You've been here before?"

"Not personally, my boy, but others have. We
are easily recognized by tribal elders," said Draagh.

The old man looked at Draagh and asked if
they would show their true form before the tribal council, as it
would be a great honor for them to see. The three looked at each
other and then did something that neither Max, nor anyone else in
the group had ever seen before.

Draagh, Michael and Gabriel transformed
into glowing beings of pure, golden energy, while taking on the
classic forms of angels, their ethereal wings spreading out many
meters on either side of their
bodies
. The group nearly had to shield their
eyes from the light, but the tribal elders sat watching, wearing
looks of contentment upon their weathered faces. It was like they
had seen the heavens and were satisfied that all was well with the
universe. What surprised Max the most was that Draagh also had what
one would call
wings
. He had
never seen the old mage take on such a form in the past, even
though he had been told that his grandfather had utilized many
names and many different
looks
during his eons of existence.

"Oh wow. This was unexpected," stammered
Jessica. She knew Gabriel was an angel, but never thought that she
would be looking at him in that manner.

The three then floated up and surrounded the
main totem pole, with Max following them, but remaining on the
ground. Getting up close, he noticed a crack in the wood that went
at an angle across the carved face of a wolf. Before he could study
it further it started to glow. Max stood, frozen in place as the
ghanlo exited from the pole, much like glowing, liquefied energy,
and flowed down to the forest floor. The energy slowly built up in
height, it forming into the figure of a humanoid, the same size and
shape of Max, but completely featureless. The light was intense,
and was nearly identical to that of the three angels floating
above. Then, without understand why, Max had an urge to put his
hand up, palm open and out, which he did, as the glowing figure did
the same. It was as if Max were looking at a glowing representation
of his own shape - his energy twin, one could say.

"Choose the vessel, my boy," Draagh said.

"Do I have to? Can't it simply coexist with
me?" asked Max.

"No, my son. You need to provide it with a
physical home," said Michael.

Figuring his sword would be as good a
container as any, Max reached back and pulled his katana out of its
scabbard. Holding it up, the ghanlo then slowly morphed into the
form of a snake at Max's feet and started to flow around him,
beginning at his legs and wrapping around his body until it reached
the hand that held his sword. After Max's katana had shone
momentarily with a beautiful blue-colored glow, the ghanlo simply
disappeared.

"Was that it? That was why I felt this pull?"
asked Max.

"The ghanlo is yours now, my son. It is bound
to your eternal soul. You will be able to communicate with it,
command it, and nurture it. Remember, it is a living being, and
although not sentient, it is to be cared for and respected,"
Michael added. You shall always be connected to your vessel in
which it resides, and it shall go to you on your command."