The two wolves just stood, face to face, waiting for somebody to respond. The white wolf stood smiling, and Ireena not knowing what kind of smile that was, and if she could trust it. But the sparkle in his eyes chased away her doubt. He was so magnificent, how could he be bad? But Ireena was old enough to know there is not always an angel behind one's smile.

The white wolf chuckled. "Oh, do not worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Trust me." His beautiful voice was calm, yet it reached for miles. "I was sent from The Master Himself."

Ireena gasped deeply. It was a while before she spoke. "Then what do you need?" she asked in awe.

The white wolf's face turned serious. He turned around for a moment, his back to Ireena. He turned back around, and held an extraordinary item in his large paws. It was a necklace. It was a big, fantastic blue gem encased in gold, hanging on a thin, simple rope. The moonlight from above the surface shone down on it, the reflecting light performing a glitter dance. The white wolf held it out to her. "For you," he said. Ireena did not even want to touch the precious item, for fear of somehow ruining the beautiful item. But she gingerly held out her paw, and took it in her own paws. The grandeur of the moment silenced Ireena. She finally responded gratefully, "Wh-what is this? Why is it for me? It's so, beautiful.."

"You will see later. Put it around your neck, little blue one." said the white wolf. Ireena complied. It matched very well with her form, a stunning item on a stunning being, like the finishing touches on a piece of art. She swam a little distance, seeing how well it suited her.

"What is your name, by any chance?" Ireena asked casually, no longer anxious.

The white wolf mused over this for a moment. "Call me Soulglade," he finally said.

"Oooh," said Ireena. "Is that your real name?"

"No," Soulglade responded. "At least, this was not my name when I walked Earth as a mortal."

Ireena gasped again. "So, you're like, a dead wolf?"

"Hmm.. You could say that, I guess. I would prefer, spiritual guardian, my rank given specially by The Master." He said.

"Ooohh, so, you're from Heaven? Coool.."

"Well, I guess I should be giving you the message I should have given to you when I first showed myself to you," said Soulglade, his face turning stern.

Ireena's smile faded. Her heart began racing. "What..what message?"

Soulglade's entire body suddenly beamed with the force of a star. He hung in midair, the ocean water supporting him. He spoke in a loud, clear tone.

"Ireena. If you do not already know, Heaven has been at peace for millennias. Centuries ago, after we threw the damned souls into their rightful place, Hemmorhide-- where damned souls go for their eternal punishment after death-- Heaven's peace has lived on. But all that is changing. Those evil spirits are beginning to escape. They are possessing and killing whoever they can get their filthy grips on."

Ireena's heart stopped. This completely explains her parents' death! And the unusual grins on their faces and their mysterious eyes! All at once the puzzle pieces in Ireena's mind were coming into place...

Soulglade continued, "The Master allowed the ruler of Hemmorhide to have a second chance at being good again and returning to his rightful home, Heaven. But as you can see, he is taking advantage of this opportunity. He is sending his evil minions down to Earth to consume all the souls they can before he is thrown back into his eternal damnation. The Master commands us to do what we can, but the good forces in Heaven are not enough."

"Then what is The Master doing!?" Ireena cried. "He can do anything-- why doesn't he just banish them all back?" Tears of fear welled up in her eyes.

Soulglade sighed, and went on with his message. "I believe this is a test to see which side we are all really on. He has not abandoned us, though. We just need to ask for His help and strength to save people from this sudden epidemic. And He has picked one very special creature to play the biggest part."

"Who is it?" Ireena whispered.

Soulglade swam close to her face and whispered back.

"You."