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"Shadow wolves spawn from gods"

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THE MEMORY OF Mr. Ogustus's fiery red eyes was fresh in everyone's mind I was sure. Claire pushed open the door to her room, inviting me in.

"Mr. Ogustus is so cool," she gushed, a wide smile on her face. I looked up waving momentarily to Lira seated on a chair by her study desk. She nodded in reply before heading back to chewing on her pen, turning her back towards us to continue whatever it was she was doing.

Claire rolled her eyes at the action with a slight chuckle, and I grinned alongside her. Sitting opposite her cross-legged on her bed, I proceeded to open my food pack, unfolding my plastic forks and knives from the napkins they had given us. Claire did the same only she was double tasking, chattering on about Mr. Ogustus-

"I thought he was like a freak or something," she suddenly started and I paused, looking back up at her confused, raising an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes for the second time in ten minutes, "you know what I mean," she huffed, "unless he's some sort of fire shifter? Greens are freaks and oranges are Elementals and benders. How is he a mix of both?" she struggled to piece together, causing Lira to turn in her seat, leaning back, "what are you blabbing on about?" she huffed lazily.

Claire glanced at me for a second and I nodded reading her mind. I didn't see why had to ask me about it.

She excitedly turned back to her roommate, explaining all that happened, from the Shadow Wolves to Mr. Ogustus's glowing red eyes that made us think he was a special kind of freak- in Claire's words.

"Ah, yeah the Shadow Wolves-" Lira huffed turning back to her work, seemingly not interested in everything that Claire had just explained.

Claire and I exchanged confused looks.

Lira was a pill, but she was the one person we could rely on to explain all the lingering questions we had about Kingsland. She was supposed to be our advantage. Sure, she was a critic most times, true- but above all else, she was our guidance into this mysterious place we had found ourselves in.

"That's all you're saying?" Claire asked, looking at her roommate unconvinced. After all, it was unlike Lira.

"oh-also your food is getting cold," Lira responded, leaning in closer to her books as if to get a better view of whatever equations Blues were taught to solve, " Better start munching."

I glanced down at our food and shrugged, picking up a juicy hamburger- they should stop serving junk foods, I could already feel constipation coming on.

Claire looked at me in betrayal and my eyes widened at her as I chewed not knowing what I did to deserve that look. Well, that earned my third eye roll for today, as she swooped back to her roommates, her hand draping around the bedpost.

"Come on, Lira," she persuaded, poking her roommate's back with her index finger, pouting,"tell us!" she dragged.

Lira turned around looking at Claire calmly, her tone dry, "Do you want to lose your finger?"

I chuckled at this, but one look from Claire and Lira shut me back up again. Lira sighed, folding her arms, as she leaned against the table, "seems like it was all explained to me," she grunted, "Shadow Wolves spawn from gods, and travel by dimension and shadow which makes them one of the fastest species on earth, they have excellent senses that track both supernatural and natural specimens. They are not friendly at all, only loyal to one being, though they may show respect to others like Mr. Ogustus. No one knows how on earth he did that- the best I can guess is the incredible heat range that made him exceptional to so much as stand near them."

She took a breath in, keeping up her ramble, "They guard Kingsland, which is one of the many reasons why the Fareborn forest is off limits, especially at night when it's too dark to even see them. They do not mingle with other wolves-" she noted, immediately shutting Claire up who looked like she was just about to ask a question along those lines.

I, on the other hand, kept eating as she continued to explain-

"They are not shifters either, so they pretty much stick to themselves. Okay, more like shifters stay away from their vicinity," she corrected, "as they are more powerful than ordinary shifters could ever be. I mean it's a literal soul of a god in wolf form," she muttered with an obvious chuckle, "heavens knows how long they've existed or which god spawned them, and why they choose to guard Kingsland instead of being by their patriot god. I would like to think they sure ain't called loyal for nothing," she huffed, her mind seemed to be turning wheels in her head as she spoke, but she was raising some questions I don't believe I bothered to think through until now.

She had a very valid point. If Elek and Eri were loyal to the gods that spawned them, why did they dedicate their lives to guarding Kingsland instead? Furthermore, if it was true that the gods, or rather A god had indeed carved them out of his soul, it was safe to say this god was probably still alive, and if the gods were alive then where were they?

If the prime Dilectus truly still walked this earth where were they in all this chaos? Where was Zeus or Olorun or Odin, or whatever he chose to go by these days when the Conversion happened? It was his mess so technically he along with all the other Prime Dilectus where responsible for all that happened to humanity especially in those dark five years after the conversion when humanity was at its greatest loss, both humans and converts alike.

It had to take people like my Father, to put this whole Kingsland thing up to save the world, but where the heck was Zeus?-

"Talanda, you're dripping sauce!" Claire screeched and I quickly saved my burger from total collapse, but not in time to prevent the sauce from creating a puddle on Claire's sheets. I bit my lip looking up at her with my utmost sincerest puppy eyes initiated an apology well, ladies and gentlemen I didn't get an eye roll but I did graduate to a heavy sigh, accompanied by a napkin which I used to dry clean the stain.

Not much of a difference but enough to allow Lira to continue with her story.

"I figured maybe the prime Dilectus aka the gods did send them to guard Kingsland, it's the least they could do right?" she shrugged.

"I think they could do more, they are gods who have infinite powers and we are practically their kids," Claire huffed, her eyes still on her roommate.

Lira scoffed at this, "Have you read any books on mythology? If you have then you probably should know that gods never really gave a damn about most of their children, especially those they had with humans. It was either an inconvenience or a game they liked to play- heck, some killed their kids- titans were worse, they ate them," she finished.

She wasn't lying about that part, I had read quite a few mythologies, some from my African heritage and most others from Greek mythology or Norse. Either way, there was always a child that a god either disowned, wanted to eat, cursed, or killed.

"They probably think giving us an Island far away from the government and two Shadow Wolves is more than generous on their part-" she spat, her tone much colder, "but hey, I can't blame them, if our parents can sell us out to the government, what more all-powerful gods?" she huffed turning back around to finish whatever she was doing.

Claire seemed to be in deep thought about this, turning back to her food robotically. I took this time to replay all that Lira had shared. I wondered what it would be like to meet a prime dilectus Aka, the gods. What were they doing now that they had been pushed to only myths by the outside world? Were they still in Olympus and if so, where on earth was that located? I mean if it was true that the prime Dilectus were aliens, did Olympus even exist?

"Aren't you curious to know who your patriot Dilectus is?" Claire asked, turning back to Lira.

Lira shut her eyes for a second, sighing at the question I presumed, "Nope, not at all because you're told the first day of Color Class."

"Color Class?" Claire echoed raising an eyebrow at this as mine arched in confusion as well.

"I know right? Who came up with these names? A one-year-old? Certainly not a blue," she huffed, " but I prefer Abilities Class- according to your color, that is," she replied, " my patriot god is Athena- goddess of wisdom. Of course, her name differs according to the various mythologies from Chinese to Armenian to Norse, but Athena is easier for me to quip," she popped the p, eyes darting across her page-"for you reds, I presume it's the goddess of magic, whichever name they decide to introduce her to you is none of my business," she added, " now If you please, I need to finish this," she stated, her eyes now fully submerged into her work.

Claire went back to eating, though with a lost look in her eyes. I was just about down with food, but I wanted to get to bed early tonight so when I finished, I informed Claire I was going to leave soon.

"C'mon stay a while longer, it's only 7:30," She huffed, "besides, you're going to be all alone in your room for at least three more hours. Daya is probably not going to show up early again," she explained and I pinched her leg, my eyes widening at her statement. Her eyebrows arched at this seemingly confused-

"Daya?" Lira paused, her hands freezing in the process of writing.

"Daya Lawrence?" she repeated suddenly turning to face us, her eyebrows arched at this.

I gave Claire a sharp look. I had told her of Daya's late nights in confidence. I didn't want any rumors to start up. I had watched my fair share of Netflix, heck yeah, I knew how rumors began.

Her jaw dropped slightly, and it was her turn to have an apologetic look on her face.

"Daya Lawrence is your roommate?" Lira asked, her tone deep and honestly a tad bit dramatic.

It was my turn to be confused by her question. Whilst it was true, I had never really told her that Daya was my roommate, not that I ever thought it worth mentioning.I did think at least Claire's blabbermouth may have brought it up in their in-room private conversation but judging from the current expression on her face staring at me right now, this was not the case.

I awkwardly nodded, not understanding why this fact should be deemed so important-

"Why am I just hearing of this now?!" Lira exclaimed.

I honestly didn't think it was on a need-to-know basis.

Her face suddenly contorted to that of pity, "Oh, you poor thing, gods have mercy."

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