* Media pic is what a soul-star might look like.
Ruuni clasped Nordin's hand as the goddess pulled them closer. She felt equally terrified and curious. But, a new thought crept into her mind that began to pollute her curiosity. Were she and the others dead? Was this the beginning of their afterlife? Did the Moon goddess greet all her faithful subjects like this when they left their mortal husks behind?
The thought that she might be dead and could not return to the pack grieved her. She did not dread the next stage of her existence. Being reunited with the Moon goddess was what everyone dreamed of and looked forward to from early childhood. And, at this stage in her life, she'd lived long enough and experienced enough to be entirely open to moving on when the time came. However, the Orthos pack was in crisis. The thought that they may not return to help support Alpha Troy, Penn and the pack at this difficult hour weighed heavy on her heart.
Before she could mouth a word of her concerns to Nordin, the Moon goddess spoke. This time, her voice passed over them like a warm summer breeze brushing against cool skin. Ruuni felt her anxiety dissipate instantly.
"You have questions," she stated kindly.
It sounded very much like an invitation to speak freely, but no one said a thing. It wasn't that the elders had no questions. Rather, it was that they each had too many and did not know where to begin.
It was Nys who finally plucked up the courage to ask the goddess something. She nervously cleared her throat and the rest of the elders turned to look at her with great expectation.
Ever the empathetic one of the six, she asked, "Are you here alone? Is everyone you know gone?"
The goddess laughed gently. The sound was sweet and left a tingling sensation that resonated inside them.
"Not at all," she replied with a touch of amusement in her voice.
"But those ghostly figures outside the temple?" Lofgren objected, understanding intuitively the turn of Nys thoughts. He had experienced first had what it was like to pass through one of those apparitions. The thought of it even now chilled him.
The goddess response came as quite a surprise. "They aren't the ghostly figures in this realm," she explained. "You are."
The elders gasped and Ruuni feared the worst. "Are we dead, then?" she uncharacteristically blurted out.
"Not at all," the goddess assured her. "You are merely spirit-walking. In my realm, the immortal realm, until you ascend, you can only exist here in your spiritual state. Your mortal forms are at rest in the mountain shrine."
Ruuni and the others felt a tremendous sense of relief. It wasn't that they truly understood what the goddess meant by spirit-walking, but rather that they instantly understood they were not dead. This put them all at ease and they smiled at each other despite their confusion.
But, the realization that the anthropomorphic wolves on the temple grounds were living, breathing immortals who resided with the Moon goddess here in the heavens, had their minds buzzing. Who were these immortal residents? What was their relationship to the goddess? Were these biped wolves related in any way to their own kind?
Lofgren could not abide the mystery any more and quizzed the goddess, "If not ghosts, but your immortal subjects, are they then related to us in some way? They don't look like us, and yet, why do I feel they must be our ancestors?"
Lightly complaining, the goddess said with a little huff, "these things are impossible to explain to a mind still caged in mortal thoughts."
Her lament went totally unheeded. Instead, Lind asked in amazement, "Did we once walk as wolf people?"
She had lived long enough to know that there was a constant struggle, whether obvious or subtle, between their skins and their furs. One state always had precedence over the other. And, over her lifetime, she saw packs, not just Orthos, choose their skins over their furs more and more often. The wolf identity was diminishing with every new generation. But, to think there might have been a time when they didn't have to choose, when they were just wolf people, boggled her mind. She had never considered it before.
"Yes," the goddess replied wistfully. "In the beginning, there was no separation among those in the mortal realm as you see there is none among the immortals. You were neither human nor wolf. You were simply langren - the wolf people."
This was a revelation. The elders were in shock.
"What happened?" Arvid inquired with a note of regret in his voice. "How have were strayed so far from our ancestors?"
"Now, that is a philosophical discussion we simply don't have time for," the Moon goddess interjected with a little chuckle. "We have other pressing matters to consider at this time."
The elders looked to one another. What could be more important than talking about their beginnings? Especially, when they had gotten it so wrong for so long.
"But," Lind pressed, knowing where Arvid's thoughts were leading, "we were taught and have taught in turn that you created us with this dual identity, blessed us with the ability to shape shift from the beginning, and that you cherish our wolf nature above all because of your great love for your wolf companion - the moon wolf," her voice dwindled off as she looked to the others. Their own faces were a mixture of uncertainty and woe.
"That creation story," Lind continued bravely, "has been our story and our identity all our lives. And now you are saying that we were meant to be wolf people and not shape shifters all this time? Is there even a moon wolf? " she asked, feeling more and more desperate to understand the truth.
The Moon goddess' reply astounded them still further. "There is no moon wolf. That is another mortal fiction," she confessed gently.
"But what about Penn?" Ruuni asked. "We thought, we were so sure," she began as she looked to the others.
"Yes," Nordin confirmed, "Yes, we all thought she must be the reincarnation of the moon wolf of legend."
"Aah," the Moon goddess breathed sweetly. "You are talking of Lang Ling." Her voice sounded wistful.
"Who is Lang Ling?" Ruuni asked.
"Your beloved Penn is my Lang Ling. She's the very heart of my soul," the goddess replied with longing.
"What dose that mean?" Nordin pressed.
Every answer the Moon goddess gave them created more questions and he felt overwhelmed by all that he did not know about the goddess he worshipped as a child.
"It is complicated and I fear you will not be able to comprehend it all," the goddess returned sincerely.
"Please try us," Lind asked earnestly. She was desperate to know the truth and she guessed the others were as well. The Moon goddess couldn't stop now. Not after so much had been revealed.
The goddess acquiesced though without further prompting. "Immortals, gods and high gods are spirits, who have souls and possess qi. Does that makes sense?"
The elders nodded. These concepts were not foreign to them in the mortal world.
She continued on explaining, "In the same way that you try to improve yourselves mentally, physically and spiritually throughout your lives, we immortals are not content to stay as we are. We cultivate ourselves daily that we may advance to higher and higher levels of enlightenment and spiritual power."
"It's the same as those who desire to advance in the pack," Runni offered. "They must discipline their bodies and minds, as well as, hold themselves to a higher moral standard continually if they want to rise through the ranks."
"Yes, the principle is the same," the goddess agreed. "We must cultivate all three aspects of our beings - our spirits, our souls and our qi. And, to do so, we often use a number of tools to help increase our chances of success, like cultivating ourselves in holy places, experiencing heavenly trials, and finding some sacred weapon or object in the heavens that we can use to enhance our spiritual power."
"In other words," Nordin chimed in thoughtfully, "you can speed up the process of enlightenment through various methods - holy methods."
"Unholy ones too," came the goddess' dark reply. "But yes, you are getting it."
"And what does this have to do with Penn?" Ruuni asked cautiously. She still wasn't able to make the connection between the goddess' soul and Alpha Penn.
"I'm not immune," the goddess confessed. "I too want to grow in spiritual power and reach higher levels of enlightenment just like my fellow gods. And, I've also used many of the same tactics as they have. In my case, in my early years, I searched everywhere for a soul-star. They were reputed to be very rare but have immense power. If one could swallow one, they could advance in cultivation by 10,000 years in an instant, and then, afterwards, all their efforts at cultivation would be doubled for their lifetime. Well, so long as the soul-star remained with them."
"But, a soul-star is a living thing. And if you take it by force it will pollute your qi and eventually shatter your spirit. So, when I found Lang Ling, I had to convince her to become a part of me - to live forever integrated into my own soul - to become part of my will, my mind and my emotions - my very heart, if you will."
The elders' mouths fell open in astonishment. They had no idea how to even begin to process this startling new information. Penn wasn't a shape-shifting wolf at all. They had no equivalent for a soul-star in the mortal realm and it was difficult to grasp what this meant for Penn and for them as a pack. But, it seemed clear that she did not belong in their world, which distressed them exceedingly.
Nordin, even more perplexed than ever, cleared his throat and asked, "If she's been integrated into your soul, how is she in the mortal realm with us. And why did she come to us in such a wild state not knowing anything about herself?"
The elders knew Anex, the Master At Arms, was the first to acknowledge her regal disposition, which others witnessed themselves afterwards. And, the pack saw first hand on the day the children arrived just how powerful Penn was. Both attributes were out of the ordinary for a wolf of her background and circumstances. Then, after her very recent return, there were clear signs that she had undergone some kind of supernatural transformation while away from the pack evidenced by her glorious silver coat.
But, there was no indication that she was aware of her true nature. Something as powerful as a soul-star could rule the whole of the mortal realm if she chose, and here she was living as an outcast on the the neutral territory of one pack or another for the past ten years - just barely surviving.
"Aah," the goddess exclaimed with relief, "and now we are getting to the crux of things little ones." She paused momentarily. Her voice became troubled, "I could not have known or predicted what would happen to her when I undertook my most recent attempt to fast track my cultivation."
She sighed heavily and the elders' hearts were pricked. They grieved for the goddess without even knowing why.
"We immortals can undertake three heavenly trials: first, the Sui gu; second, the Xin sui; and third, the Jingshen cuican. Roughly translated, they are the Bone Crushing, Heart Crushing and Spirit Crushing trails. The first tests our qi, the second our souls, and the third our spirits. If we pass these tests of strength, fortitude, and endurance, our spiritual power will increase exponentially. However, these same trials can also kill us. So, no immortal volunteers for one unless they have already proven themselves and have a reasonable expectation of success."
"I had already passed Sui gu many millennia ago. Lang Ling was with me then. She had already been an integral part of my soul some thirty thousand years at the time of the trail. Nothing adverse had happened to her then. So, I didn't know we would be separated like this when I took on the second of the three trials."
"How long has it been?" Nys asked sadly, her heart breaking for the Moon goddess.
"Five hundred years," she whispered anxiously. "She has been caught in an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth in the mortal realm with no memory of me or her life as a soul-star. And, her life has been full of calamity and misfortune. Enough to dim the brightest of soul-stars," the goddess lamented piteously.
"And you can do nothing for her?" Nordin questioned skeptically. This was the Moon goddess wasn't it? She was more than an immortal. She was a god. Surely, she could do something for Penn, or Lang Ling.
The Moon goddess respired deeply, as if she'd been asked this question a million times before and was tired of it. "I cannot interfere with her fate. It is forbidden and I will be exiled if I do," she explained. "Though we entered the Xin sui trial as one, now that we are separated, she must overcome her own test."
"But," Nys interjected with some excitement, "you can alter our fate."
"Yes, to some degree," the goddess gladly confirmed. "I cannot make any major changes. For instance, I cannot alter the day you were born, whom you fell in love with, the number of trials in life you will need to face, or when you will die. Siming, the Master of Fate, is in charge of those details. However, I can enter your dreams, give you visions, and help guide you in life if you seek me out."
"Like we did in the mountain shrine," Ruuni whispered as this entire encounter began to make sense.
"And give us out-of-body experiences," Nordin tacked on with a little laugh. He was getting the big picture now too.
"You've been watching and waiting all this time," Nys concluded, "hoping for people to come into her life whom you could connect with in order to change her fate indirectly."
"Yes," the goddess answered with a tide of warmth in her voice that washed over them and buoyed them up. "I've been waiting for her to find a pack who will love her. A pack who want only the best for her. A pack who will stop at nothing to see things set right for her."
"That's us," Lind and Avrid said in unison. They smiled at each other.
"What can we do to help?" Lind asked expectantly.
"Help her to remember herself," the goddess replied sweetly.
"That's it?" Avrid inquired with surprise. It seemed like such a little thing.
"It's a promise," Ruuni interjected. "We the Elders of Orthos will do whatever is in our power to help Penn remember who she is and where she comes from."
"Starting with reminding her of her true name," Nordin added thoughtfully.
"Yes," the others agreed in unison as they nodded their heads.
"It's settled then," the goddess remarked with resolve.
And, no sooner had she said those words than the elders found themselves in their furs curled up on the floor of the moon shrine deep inside the mountain caves. The runes that covered the smooth stone walls were still pulsating and glowing a icy iridescent blue. Only now, the elders could read the ancient writings. There on the walls was the story of the Moon goddess, the langren, Lang Ling, and so much more. It was the evidence they needed to know in their hearts that this hadn't all been some corporate hallucination on their part.
They had just spirit-walked, met with the Moon goddess, and been given a heavenly task only they could complete. The elders scramble to their paws and shook out their white coats. It was time to find Lang Ling and tell her all that they had seen and heard. They didn't have a minute to waste.