Chapter 4: A Wolf and its Master

Empress Maria and Avery spoke for more a while at the Sky-Docks. Maria had pulled back the researchers when Avery gave her the Frost flower or now named "Ghost flower". Maria was ecstatic, while the scholar mages were having a complete meltdown. Their excitement over it made Avery feel awkward over it. It was a common plant to her, but from their reactions, not to them. Parked in one of the open bays that resembled a large airplane hangar but with elven architecture, was a something like a modified boat.

It was made from wood but had strange contraptions installed on the side and didn't have a mast. It also didn't appear to be any apparent weapons on it, but it had ornate carvings on the hull. Avery only glanced at it but wasn't too interested. Maria tried to talk her into a dinner date with Desmond. She only waved it off, saying maybe another time. Taking away Empress Maria's title, she was just like a doting mother. This made her relaxed a little, but her mind was still swirling around how she came to be here.

After managing to part with the royal pair, she walked back through the now empty gardens and the sun was beginning to set as she found herself back in front of that large tree. The evening sun's glow illuminated the statue and the tree. Below on the garden path that circled around the tree were scattered blue leaves and pink flowers. Scenes from that night that seemed to be just the other day kept replaying as she placed her hand on the base of the statue, which came up to her waist. She chuckled sadly, thinking about how large the statue was.

"Hey, guys... I did it... I'll make sure to find a new raid for you guys..."

Heavy thuds could be heard to her right. Turning her head she saw a Stone Golem, with its large ape-like arms, use almost silent wind spell to blow the fallen leaves and petals into its other hand. As if noticing Avery's stare, it's head slowly turned towards her. Its single glowing red eye glowed faintly. A cheery chime emitted as if greeting her before turning its attention back to tending to the garden. Avery let out a sigh before walking around the tree and heading back to the city.

Having to get her emotions in order, she felt a sense of loneliness overcome her. She was the only hot-blooded being in the gardens. Insecurity and anxiety also began to grip her over what her future would be like. Wondering about how she would be living from now and why she was here started to get thrown around in her mind. The mixture of thoughts and emotions made her sick to her stomach as she passed through the gates into Heart's Rest.

Avery found herself standing, staring at the ruins that once was her Guild's Hall. In its hay-days, it was similar to a large roman-catholic cathedral. It houses over one-hundred members that stationed themselves in the city after the island was created. She could see the phantoms of its past as players exited and entered. There were some players preaching the beauty of cat-girls, some of the lolis. "Shit-Posters" they were called in the forums, but here that sort of humor was welcomed.

She used to shake her head at them every time she passed. Leaving them with words of reprimand. Now it felt even more desolate with their liveliness. The stones they posted themselves on when preaching were now overrun with moss and vines. The only sign that they used to was a faded diagram about cat-girls. Seeing this diagram, a smile blossomed before she continued into the guild's ruins while stepping over scattered stones and overgrown bushes.

Once inside, the scene wasn't any better. With its tall ceiling half collapsed and large piles of rubble beneath. Avery could picture were every table, chair, and the counters were. All of which were either covered in rubble or turned to dust. She had to climb over some smaller piles of rubble while the dust was kicked up with each step. Some steps she would slip as debris became dislodged and others because she didn't have a good foothold. She managed to make her way to where the reception counters were.

The counters were rotten to the point that they could turn to dust at any moment. Beyond it was the storerooms and other administration rooms, but all of it was blocked with rubble as the back end of the cathedral had collapsed. The other large buildings behind it had toppled over onto the backside, causing it to collapse. She decided to just sit on the pile she stood on. She was tired, mentally. She had hopes that maybe if she explored a little, maybe she would find someone. In the end, she gave up.

She lightly searched the main street's shops and homes and ended the search at the guild hall. She was mentally fatigued and close to losing it. She sat for a few moments as the last of the sunlight leaking through the collapsed roof disappeared. She let out a quick huff of breath before getting up and dusting herself out. Taking one last look at the ruined hall that once was so homely, was now so foreign, left the ruins the same way she came.

As she stepped past the entrance of the Guild's entrance, she turned while placing her hand on it. She wanted to say something but decided against it. She took in the destruction, once more. As the last of the sunlight had faded, moonlight illuminated the ruined city in its place.

"Master..."

A man's deep soft voice came from behind her, causing her to jump slightly. Turning around quickly, Avery's eyes spotted a familiar figure standing on the street, looking towards her. Its eyes glowed a soft silver. It was the figure of a wolf. A large world, the size of a mid-size SUV. It's fur was a silvery shine. It was Fenrir.

"Master..."

His voice became a whimper as he bowed down before her. Avery was awe-struck seeing him. His muzzle touched the paved-stone street below him, his eyes downcasted. It was only for a moment before he lifted himself up and approached her.

"... Fenrir..?"

"Yes! It's me, master! Your most loyal hound!"

Fenrir's large tail began to sway with happiness after hearing his name be called out once more. His once eyes gleamed with joy, but it only lasted for a moment.

"Where have you been?!"

Fenrir immediately bowed in fear, as Avery's upset voice roared in his ears. Unsure of what he had done wrong to offend her.

"Answer me! Where have you been!?"

"To answer Master! I've been scouting the lands below! I came as soon as I felt the seal on Master's bedchambers break!"

He took a look at Avery's face, but there was only pain. He felt taken aback. Why was his master making such a face?

"You stupid dog!"

Avery suddenly embraced him tightly. As if she believed he would disappear if she loosed a little. Fenrir felt her tight embrace and was dumbstruck. he imagined every day his god-like master would awaken and show him her beautiful smile once again. This outcome was not something he saw. For a few minutes, neither of them moved as Avery's muffled sobs sounded from Fenrir's neck. Her Tears wetting his fur.

"M-Master... Why are you crying?"

He couldn't take it anymore. Why was master crying? Master never cried! Who hurt her! He would make them die a billion deaths!

"Because of you!"

He regretted his previous thoughts. He couldn't take his own life, he had to use it to protect her!

"Master, what have I done to hurt you..?"

"You weren't there! I woke up and no one was here! I looked for everyone, but no one was here!"

Avery was almost screaming now. Each word only made Fenrir regret every action up to this point. He scouted out the areas below for her. he amassed a following for her. He wanted to speak these things. They never left his throat though. Each one was just an excuse. After so long, none of them believed she would ever awake again. They believed they were dupped by that God.

"I am sorry master, please punish me for being a disloyal hound..."

•

After Avery had let out all her pent-up emotions. She finally released him from her death-grip. They ended up in the dining hall back at Heart's Rest Keep, her home. Fenrir sat happily as Avery was eating some meat he had procured. He gave her detailed accounts on the events after she.. Died. Avery only sighed as she listened. She felt much better now that she wasn't alone anymore.

To sum it up. After Avery had died and the other players had left, a darkness gripped the island. They could not leave or see out past this darkness. Having counted who was still on the island, it was about ten-thousand citizens. A mixture of Dwarfs, Elves, Fairies, and humans. Humans accounting for almost nine-thousand of the population. The island was able to support them, but no one was able to ascend to the High races anymore.

Thus after thousands of years, the human population began to dwindle. Children were no being born and they ended up dying from old age. Fenrir did stay by her side throughout the thousands of years she laid in the pool. Jessin was overcome with grief and never showed herself in the city while Athena took over managing the remaining population. Fey-Races only lives less than six-thousand years

With no children being born, they eventually died out about five hundred years ago. The city also began to deteriorate as there were fewer people were here to maintain it. Avery didn't know why it felt foreign. Like those people didn't matter too much. She desperately looked for them. Maybe it was a sense of closure. She never spoke a word throughout his debriefing.

But she could feel that Fenrir was leaving something important out.. Yes. The events that led to her being placed in the pool.

"So are you going to tell me how I ended up in that pool to begin with?"

Fenrir, who had been a chatterbox, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. After a few moments, it was obvious Fenrir was unwilling to say.

"Are you unwilling or you can't speak if it?"

"I cannot speak of it."

"Why?"

"Athena has forbidden we speak of it should we ever see you first."

"Where is Athena?"

"In the lands below..."

"I believe you know I was meaning specifically..."

"Athena has tucked herself into a temple in the human Captial of the Two-Dragon Empire..."

"Why didn't they come like you did?"

"Athena and Jessin both removed their seals from the door. They said they didn't any more false hope... Jessin disappeared, neither of us knows where she went off too. I hear rumors of her from time to time coming from the south-east."

There was a silence, not even the fork in Avery's hand made a sound as she picked at the food on the plate. She thought it over, but she felt a little betrayed. At the least, she believed they should have left their seals on the door. It wouldn't degrade with time. It was a magic in-game without a time limit and could be set only in homes. It more of a lore thing if anything.

with only one option left, she pushed Athena and Jessin to the back of her mind. Right now, Fenrir was here only. They went off on their own. Fenrir, who was still in wolf form, sat happily on a wide bench watching her. He kept himself calm, understanding that the world had changed too much for her.

"Fenrir."

"Yes, master?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Yes, Supreme one."

"No."

"As you wish, commander.

"Just call me by my name."

"That would be sacrilegious."

"What do you view me as?!"

"God. My god. The God."

Avery let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm joking with you master, I would be honored to call you by your name."

Fenrir let out a chuckle as his tail swayed side to side.

"Yes, please call me Avery."

"As you wish Avery."

"So Fenrir, do you have a name?"

"Fenrir is the name Avery had bestowed upon me. I have never wished that changed."

"Ah.. Say, do you know what I was before... that happened?"

"You were a supreme being."

"No I wasn't, that was my avatar."

".. Ah I do believe you've mentioned that before with your parents."

"You knew about my parents?"

"Mr. Randal and Mrs. Genie, yes?"

"Yes, them."

"I have heard you call them as Mother and Father. We had dedicated it to memory."

"You can also call them mother and father. So you know my avatar wasn't my real body."

"Yes, but it was only closer to the end did I find out. Athena and them... I'm not sure. Mrs. Geni- I mean Mother had spoke to Father about it around me. Your real body was in a different world and it was sick."

"Ah... Pretty much, how did feel about that...?"

"It doesn't change a thing. If anything... It makes me feel helpless that I could not reach into that world and protect you..."

Avery felt her heart warm. New tears began to roll down her cheek, but they were happy tears. Fenrir only turned his head in confusion. Not understanding how one could cry while smiling.

"I'm feeling tired. I will not order you around and I believe the right thing is to let you go. Let you choose your future..."

Avery's voice turned into a whisper as she looked at Fenrir. She wanted to treat him like she did before in-game. She couldn't bring herself to accept that though. He was a sentient being now. She wished happiness for him, the first follower she ever got.

"I refuse. You've awoken after so long, I'm fine staying with master until my last days."

"Ah.. How long would that be...?"

" I have close to a thousand years left.."

"..."

"Athena has close to a hundred as she is the oldest. Jessin has even less since she isn't a dragon and older than I."

"..."

"I believe that is the biggest reason for them giving up hope. To die without regrets..."

Avery sighed, it was something she worried about, but now that it was confirmed she could only deal with the cards.

"Fenrir."

"Yes?"

"I can't promise you that life will be as peaceful as it was before."

"I like peace, but I will rather be with you if there was a danger at every corner."

" You still will sleep in my bed."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Speaking of that, do you have a human form?"

"No, and I'm not interested in master like that."

Avery felt a little embarrassed with the conversation, but she was a maiden who didn't want something to happen.

"I have had my love, had my children and buried them as well. I've lived long enough to see the children of twenty-something generations... I've grown tired of burying my kin. I also can no longer have children as I'm considered a very old man in both human and wolf ages."

"Ah.. I see."

Having ended on that note, Avery and them chatted about what they would be doing next. Heading to find Athena was picked out, since she was already going to be there. Jessin was put on hold until they could find out where she ran off too. Then they headed to Avery's bedroom and cleaned it up. Avery took off all her clothes without reserve. Fenrir did not pat an eye as this was the norm. Avery often changed in front of them and he only sat by her, assessing the condition of her stored clothes.

She ended up standing by the large window, looking out over the ruins and the Gardens. Fenrir joined her and she ended up telling him everything that had happened in her world. From the reality of what he was, how they came to be and why. Fenrir asked very little questions. Having understood the gravity of the situation, it was the only thing he could do from feeling bad,

"But this is all real now Fenrir... I don't know if we could be as we were before. We have to watch our backs and our words. They are real people, with lives and families. So many things to consider."

"I think that's going to be a fun adventure."

"Yes... It's going to be fun."

The two stood peacefully overlooking everything, they no longer spoke, but their hearts were at ease now. Tomorrow would be the start of a new journey for them both.