| Fiction |
Tomorrow's Light
Written by Drew Clements
Conceptualized by Drew Clements and Bryan Hester
(Part Seven - V)
“Me?!” Tomorrow stopped
walking, “What do you mean “me!?”
“You are the daughter of Thomas Hawthorne, eleventh direct
descendant of Mand H’wtn, creator of The Council.”
“But my father died years ago.” Tomorrow’s voice shook.
“A cover story created to allow him to return from his
“sabbatical” in order to again take the reigns of The
Council.” Augustus explained.
“Sabbatical?” Tomorrow asked.
“Each of The Council Presidents takes time away from their
posts to father children that will continue on the bloodline
of Mand H’wtn. Your father had two children, one of which
was produced by his official wife, Catherine Hawthorne, full
blood of the Tudor bloodline. You, the other, were produced
by your mother, a woman of excellent Celtic ancestry; a
direct line to the Druids that were so helpful in the early
days.” Augustus explained.
“This is too much.” Tomorrow dropped to her knees.
“I understand your emotional dilemma.” Augustus placed a
hand firmly on her shoulder.
“My father, he’s alive. Or, he was alive until recently?”
She asked.
“Your father, though it has not been confirmed by his
kidnappers, is believed to be dead.” Augustus shook his
head.
“You knew him?” Tomorrow asked.
“Yes, very well. I fought and served alongside your father
for many years. He was a man of power and excellence.”
Augustus reassured her.
“Yeah, then why did he abandon us?” Tomorrow stood, jerking
away from the elder wolf.
“It is the way of The Council. The President must have one
child that is public and one that is unknown.” Augustus
explained.
“Why?” Tomorrow asked.
“One is meant to take the Presidency from the elder once
their life has been extinguished or they are deemed no
longer fit to rule. The other is kept in hiding just for
security in case the other two are eliminated. The Council,
as you have seen, is not without its enemies. The bloodline
must persist.”
“I’m the back-up plan?” Tomorrow asked.
“In a sense, yes.” Augustus nodded in agreement.
“But why must the Mand H’wtn bloodline be the one? Why can’t
they switch to someone else?”
“It is the way of The Council. The H’wtn bloodline is forged
of the last relations between the “blessed” and The Gods. It
is strong and fit to lead.”
“Who…” Tomorrow choked, “Who were the kidnappers? Who are
the people after me?”
“They’re part of the Fenrir Group.”
“Fenrir Group?”
“Yes, they’re an organization that believes they can revive
Fenrir, the prophesized world destroyer. They wish for the
“blessed” to not only be back on top, but to rule with a
cruel, iron fist.” Augustus explained.
“But who is Fenrir?”
“Fenrir, according to our archives, is a creature of great
power in the shape of a gigantic wolf. It was said, during
the days of the Gods’ reign, that Fenrir would one day
destroy the Earth.”
Tomorrow listened and shook her head in disbelief. The elder
wolf had been right when he had said this would be a lot to
hear. Most of it was outlandishly insane, but then again,
she was now an upright walking fur-covered behemoth.
“In response to this prophecy, the Gods imprisoned Fenrir at
an undisclosed location far beneath the Earth’s surface, so
that he might never realize what had been prophesized to be
his true purpose.” Augustus finished.
“If he is so powerful, how did the Gods catch and imprison
him?” Tomorrow asked.
“They had a special cage constructed that, once he was put
inside, placed him in a negative area between worlds. He is
not truly here nor anywhere else. There is truly no way for
him to get out on his own.” Augustus explained.
“I see. Okay, so why does the Fenrir Group want to free him
so he can destroy the world?”
“They believe he can be swayed to act on their behalf. The
Group seems to adhere to a totally different set of beliefs
regarding Fenrir. Unfortunately, The Council has never
penetrated the group in order to find out what those beliefs
are. Whatever they may believe, it’s in total contrast to
the archives.”
“You said The Council is relying on archives for information
regarding Fenrir?” Tomorrow asked.
“Yes, the archives are the true history of our people.”
Augustus responded.
“What is the Fenrir Group basing their beliefs on, then?”
“Another thing The Council isn’t totally sure of.”
“You mean to tell me that a cult as dangerous as the Fenrir
Group is running around spreading crazy beliefs, but The
Council, a ruling body, has no idea where those beliefs are
coming from? No idea what their basis is?” Tomorrow asked.
“There have been many modern groups, or cults, that base
their beliefs on the mere ramblings of a mad man. You’ve no
doubt heard of Jonestown, right?”
“The Kool-Aid place, right?” Tomorrow asked.
“Right. Jim Jones and his People’s Temple cult had very
loose ties to the Bible, but most of its belief systems came
from Jones himself. The point is that if people are
desperate enough, they will believe and follow just about
anything.” Augustus smiled.
“That’s true enough, I guess.” Tomorrow thought for a
moment.
“Another interesting thing to note: any who have joined the
group have not left it. There are no defectors; they’re in
one hundred percent. That includes the people we have sent
to infiltrate it; they have been seen but never actually
heard from again.”
“Wow, that’s strange, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. It’s attributed to the charismatic leaders and the
promise of power to a group that perceives themselves as
disenfranchised and completely neglected by the world.”
The three had reached a plain of high grass and were wading
through it. The bright street lights were far behind them
now and the moon cast its light down on them, illuminating
the entire area. The stars were in full view; a short, cool
breeze occasionally wafted past; the night was beautiful.
Tomorrow’s eyes, which in her new form were more accurate
and aware than ever, drank in the sights; the moonlight was
amplified a dozen times over, so it allowed for even the
smallest details to become quite clear.
“How much further?” Khron finally spoke up.
“Just over that hedge there.” Tomorrow pointed to a hedge
that was at least eighty or so yards ahead of them.
“This place, it is secure?” Khron walked alongside her now.
“Yeah, I think. I mean, no one lives there, that’s for
sure.” Tomorrow frowned and turned back to Augustus, “So,
what else should I know about these guys?”
“The Fenrir Group has, for almost as long as The Council has
held sway with The People, attempted to destroy the Mand
H’wtn bloodline. The process by which you were kept hidden
has been the one true way in which the Group has not been
successful. They see the bloodline as the glue that keeps
The Council together; if it is eliminated, power could fall
in their direction. They are at their closest now. Your
half-sister and father are presumed dead and you are the
only thing left standing for The Council. This is why you
are being hunted.” Augustus explained.
Tomorrow walked silently for a few moments, plugging away at
all the things that had been thrown at her, before finally
speaking, “I have no one else to trust here, Augustus. It’s
either, side with the ones that are trying to kill me… or
you guys, the ones that are trying to save me. That being
said, I still have many questions and reservations about
this Council, but it doesn’t seem as though I have much
choice in the matter right now. I wish to see this out as
far as possible, but I will be very careful along the way,
to be sure. I don’t want to be forced into anything just
yet.”
“I respect your opinion and will continue to fill you with
knowledge so long as you wish to receive it. There is a lot
to learn and not much time to learn it in.”