by Neo Edmund
“Wolfgang?”
Red’s eyes filled with tears as she slowly walked across the room. She begged to see the faintest bit of movement, or hear a sound that would let her know he wasn’t gone.
“You better not be dead, or I am so going to kick your butt.”
She approached Wolfgang and stood breathless for a lingering moment. Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch him. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. A ringing erupted in her ears. Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her fingertips. The tension was so intense it was enough to make her scream.
“Would you move already? Take a breath or something. Don’t just lay there looking ...”
Red poked a finger into Wolfgang’s side. He instantly lunged up to a sitting position. It was so startling that Red screamed out, flipped backward into the air, and landed in a crouch on the other end of the room.
“Red, what is your problem? I’m trying to get some shuteye here.”
“You’re alive.” Red shrilled with joy and dashed over to Wolfgang. She threw her arms around his chest and smothered him with a hug.
“Go easy, Red. You trying to strangle me?”
Red slugged him in the arm. “How could you go and make me think you were dead?”
Wolfgang recoiled and rubbed his aching arm. “Of course I’m alive. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You don’t remember? I ran across Wayward with you in my arms for hours. You’re a lot heavier than you look.”
“What are you going on about, Little Red?” Wolfgang’s face was overcome with a troubled look. “Why did I just call you that?”
Red had a nervous twinge. “So then you don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
Wolfgang felt around on his chest and cringed from a stinging pain. He frantically pulled up his shirt, revealing ten round bandages. Each covered the spots where Eyona had stabbed him with her fingernails. “What did you do to me?” He began to rip away the bandages.
“You shouldn’t do that,” Red said.
Wolfgang pulled the last bandage away, revealing ten round black scars on his upper chest. “Who did this to me?”
Red took a nervous gulp. “Don’t you remember? In the cave? With your ...”
Wolfgang shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t do this to me. Not my own mother. Tell me my mother didn’t do this.”
Red wiped a tear from her eye. “Wolfgang, I’m so sorry.”
“Now I remember.” Wolfgang sat back and pressed his hands over his face. “My mother tried to force me to kill you. She told me we could take the Alpha Power back, but that’s before I knew you. You have to believe me, Red.”
“I do believe you.” Red put an affectionate hand on Wolfgang’s shoulder. “You were being controlled by your mother’s spellcraft.”
Wolfgang leaped up in a frantic fit. “Red, you don’t understand. I was in on the plan from the beginning. I saved you at the ball so Ice wouldn’t get the power. My mother only put the spellcraft on me because I was wimping out.”
“That’s not true. You realized it was a mistake and decided to do the right thing.”
“Plotting to kill you to restore my family’s so-called honor is not doing the right thing. All I did was prove that we Helheims are the bottom-feeding scum that everybody in Wayward thinks we are.”
Red grabbed Wolfgang and pulled him close. “Stop saying that. You are not like them. I can see the good in you. Someday you’ll be able to see it, too.”
Wolfgang tried to pull away, but Red tightened her grip and wouldn’t let go.
“You’re making a huge mistake, Red Riding.”
“It’s mine to make, Wolf Boy.”
As they gazed into each other’s eyes, Red moved in for a kiss.
The instant before their lips met, the front door swung open. Ash and Dote entered and stopped cold. They gave Red a look of deep disappointment.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Ash said.
“This is hardly the time for getting all kissy-face,” Dote said. “We need to have a serious talk, young lady.”
Ash pointed a finger at Red. “You can’t just go running off into the woods at night without telling people where you’re going.”
Red had been worried that her friends would be upset over the way she took off the night before. From the look in their eyes, it was a lot worse than she’d expected. “Listen, I know I made a huge mistake.”
Ash gave Red a stern glare. “You’re darn right you did. I can’t even tell you how freaked out we were.”
“How could you make us worry like that?” Dote asked. “We’re your best friends and the first members of your clan.”
“We sat up all night worrying about what could have happened to you,” Ash said.
“For all we knew, you could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere,” Dote said.
“You need to understand that Wayward is not a safe place to just go gallivanting around alone at night. Or the day, for that matter,” Ash said.
“If this ever happens again, you’re going to be in serious trouble,” Dote said.
“More trouble than you can even imagine,” Ash said.
Ash and Dote spoke in unison, “We’re deeply disappointed in you, Red Riding.”
Red looked away in shame. “You’re both right. I didn’t stop to consider how my actions could affect other people. I’ve been alone so long. This friendship thing is still new to me. I promise that it will never happen again. It was selfish and immature. I put myself in terrible danger because of it.”
"I’m glad we had this talk and set you straight on some things,” Ash said.
“Wait. Did you say you were in terrible danger? Dote asked. “As in you very nearly died sort of danger?”
“Tell us what happened,” Ash said. “Don’t leave out a single detail.”
Wolfgang looked to Red with a shameful glare. “Go ahead, Red. Tell them all about what I did.”
Ash raised his fists, ready to fight. “Yeah, tell us. I’ll bust him up if he laid a hand on you.”
“Easy there, boy.” Red smiled at Wolfgang. “He saved my life from a dangerous monster.”
“That makes you a hero, Wolfgang,” said Dote.
“Yeah, we’re all totally impressed,” Ash said with a tone of sarcasm.
Red turned away and slumped a little. “I hope you two can forgive me, because you’re my best friends. I would be lost without you.”
Dote hugged Red in her loving, yet strangling way. “Red, don’t be sad. We only got mad because we care so much.”
Ash put his arms around Dote and Red. “You know we could never stay angry with you.”
“I knew you three would make up,” Grenda’s spoke out.
Red looked up to see Grenda and Ethan walking down the stairs.
“Papa, you’re all healed.” Red dashed over and hugged Ethan.
“Red, I was deathly worried about you. Running off like that was dangerous,” Ethan said.
“Not to worry,” Ash said. “We already set her straight on that. She won’t be doing it again.”
Wolfgang cleared his throat. “As precious as this all is, we don’t have time for it. Ragnarök is going to make a big play for getting back into Wayward. Unless you’re all cool with that, we need to make some major plans.”
Red casually shrugged. “The way I see it, if he needs me to pull him through the gate, all I need to do is stay clear of the Moon Temple.”
Wolfgang clenched his teeth. “Grenda, I’m getting the idea that you didn’t fill Red in on how this all works.”
Red glared at Grenda. “No, she’s kept a lot of things from me. Like not mentioning that she stole the Alpha Power from you and gave it to me.”
“Well played, Granny,” Ash said. “I always knew you were a crafty little lady.”
Dote gasped. “A spellcraft like that must have come with a terrible cost.”
“So now you kn
ow the truth,” Grenda said. “Saves me the trouble of having to tell you about it later.”
Red paced in a fit of anger. “That’s all you have to say about it? You’re lucky I don’t walk out of here and never come back.”
“Go easy on her,” Wolfgang said. “She did it for the greater good, and we all know it. I’ve let it go. I think you should, too.”
Red closed her eyes and calmed herself. “I’ve had all the half-truths and deceptions I can take. As the Alpha Huntress, I order all of you to tell me everything you know about what’s going on here.”
Granny cleared her throat. “Okay, Alpha Huntress. Here it is, so listen up real good. The clock in the Moon Temple is counting down. It’s about a day and a half shy of five years.”
Wolfgang added, “There are also five celestial stones, one marked Alpha. At 9:59 tomorrow night, at the moment of our births, that stone is going to power up. At the same time, the gate will open a bridge to a prison inside the moon where Ragnarök is trapped.”
Ethan said, “The celestial stone will remain open for seven minutes. The first danger you face is that if somebody were to destroy the stone during that time, the Alpha Power would be free for the taking.”
Dote said, “The next danger you will face is far more dangerous, because during that time you could help Ragnarök come back into this world.”
Ash added, “Or you can keep him trapped in the moon until the next stone opens a year from now.”
“Oh” is all Red could say.
“The good news is that you’d never help Ragnarök,” Dote said. “Wasn’t that my point to begin with?” Red asked.
“It’s not so simple,” Wolfgang said. “Ragnarök knows you wouldn’t do it willingly, so he’s going to find a way to force you to do it.”
Ash gave Wolfgang a suspicious glare. “How would you know that?”
Wolfgang flailed his arms. “Because that’s what power-obsessed gods bent on world conquest do. Am I wrong here?”
“He’s right,” Ethan said. “If given the chance, Ragnarök will use all of us against you.”
“You mean he would try to kill you?” Red said.
Grenda put a comforting arm around Red. “As much as I hate to say it, that old tyrant will stop at nothing to get back into this world. You cannot allow that to happen, no matter what the cost. Even if we have to sacrifice our lives.”
“Granny, you can’t mean that,” Red said.
“I can, and I do.” Red saw from Granny’s eyes that she meant it. The idea that Ragnarök would kill Red’s loved ones consumed her heart with a surge of fury. It reminded her of the feeling of hatred that swelled inside her during the vision where she had become the tyrant queen.
Red wondered if losing those she loved all at once could be the very path that would lead to such darkness. With this terrible truth staring her right in the eyes, the time had come to face her destiny.
“If Prince is still here, please ask him to join us,” Red said.
“He’s outside sharpening his rapier.” Ash opened the front door and shouted, “Hey, Prince, get your pretty boy butt in here. The Alpha Huntress needs you.”
Red cracked a much-needed smile. She looked at the photos of her mother on the mantel. There was no question what Jenna Riding would do if she had been given the Alpha Power. This truth gave Red a feeling of pride. She resolved that she had come to Wayward in search of her family and a better life. There was no way an evil lunar god was going to take it from her without a fight.
“Fear not, Alpha Huntress.” Prince charged in through the front door with his rapier at the ready. He dive-rolled across the floor and took a battle stance. “I will slay all who have invaded the sanctity of your home.”
It was so absurd that everybody just stood grinning at him.
Red stepped up to Prince and nudged his sword aside. “Easy there, Sir-Just-A-Little-Too-Eager. We’re not under attack.”
Prince sheathed his weapon. “My most sincere apologies. The way the boy cried out so frantically, I feared the worst.”
“Hey, I’m not exactly a boy here,” Ash said. “If there’s hero work to be done, I’m not staying on the sidelines. The choice is mine to make. This time nobody is going to tell me otherwise.”
Ash’s words brought Red an unexpected revelation. It wasn’t up to her to decide if he should risk life and limb in battle. She didn’t have to ask her friends to make such a sacrifice to stand by her side. The choice was theirs to make and theirs alone. Her job was to honor their decision and stand tall as the best leader she could possibly be for them.
With this thought in mind, Red turned to face her clan. “A great evil is coming our way. As the Alpha Huntress, I must rise up and face it. I would be honored if each of you would stand by my side as the warriors of my clan. Those who will join me in this dangerous quest, take my hand now and pledge your allegiance.”
Red extended her hand.
Grenda was the first to step up and declare her allegiance. Dote and Ash didn’t hesitate to step up as well.
Ethan smiled with great pride as he took his daughter’s hand. Prince knelt down and offered his hand in service.
They all looked to Wolfgang, who stood alone in the corner. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“You with me or not, Helheim?” Red asked.
Wolfgang’s face was overcome with disbelief. “You actually want me to be in your clan?”
Red looked Wolfgang in the eyes. “I don’t care where you came from. I only care where you’re going. You can either be like your parents, or you can stand with me as Wolfgang of the Riding clan.”
Wolfgang took a step toward the group. “Do you all feel this way?”
Ash sighed. “Red trusts you, so I’ll try to keep an open mind.”
Dote smiled warmly. “I never had any issues with you. I think it would be fun to have you on our team.”
Prince shrugged. “I’m the new guy, so I don’t have an opinion either way.”
Ethan gave Wolfgang a hard glare. “I’ll go along with Red’s choice, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. Take even one step off the path, it will be your last.”
Grenda shrugged. “It’s your decision to make, young man. All I expect is that you honor the choice you make.”
“Then it’s settled.” Wolfgang stood tall and took Red’s hand. “Alpha Huntress, High Protector of Wayward, I pledge my life to the service of your clan.”
Red smiled with great pride. “We seven stand as the first members of the Riding clan. I am honored to lead you, and to fight with you.”
“Awesome.” Ash said. “So what happens now?”
“I need to prepare for battle,” Red said. “I suggest you all use this time to do the same.”
Ethan and Grenda led Red upstairs into her parents’ bedroom. From a hidden closet, Ethan took out a silver suit of armor. It was identical to the armor Red had worn during her vision in the Moon Temple. The single plate extended down past her waist and curved up like a skirt just above the knees. Underneath was light chainmail to protect her legs and arms.
“This armor was your mother’s,” Ethan said. “It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear in battle, but it will protect you from most any blade.”
Grenda put an amulet hanging on a silver chain around Red’s neck. It was studded with a glossy green moonstone. “This will make your armor emerge whenever you take on your werewolf form and vanish when you change back to your human form. Just remember that this moonstone was obtained at a great cost. Consider it irreplaceable.”
Ethan put a red-hooded cloak over Red’s shoulders. It was made of thick velvet. “This belonged to the first Red Riding. It was once passed down to your mother. She wore it in many battles. It is time for you to do the same.”
Red looked at herself in a full-length mirror. The armor and cloak made her feel like a true hero. The life of adventure she had always craved was at last upon her. It
was now time to face the reality of her calling head-on.
“I’m ready for you, Ragnarök,” she said with confidence.
Armed with her sword, Red left her parents’ room and marched down the stairs. Ethan and Grenda followed close behind, both gleaming with great pride. As Red entered the living room, Ash, Dote, Wolfgang, and Prince stopped cold and looked up at her in awe.
“Whoa, you look so ...” Ash was unable to finish his sentence.
“It’s like you’re all...” Dote was also unsure how to put it into words.
“You’re totally ...” Wolfgang stuttered.
Prince stood up like a soldier saluting his commander. “She has the look of the Alpha Huntress, the high protector of Wayward Woods.”
Red looked to her clan. “To defeat Ragnarök, I need to find something called the Omega Gem. I have no idea where it is and will need your help to find it.”
Grenda shook her head in grave concern. “As far as I know, the last one to have it was the first Red Riding.”
“Nobody even knows for sure if it actually exists,” Wolfgang said.
“I know it exists,” Red said. “One way or another, I will find it.”
Ash spoke up. “Is it a glossy red gem, a little bigger than a gumball, glowing all mystical-like, and if you look into it, you can see the moon?”
Red eyed Ash, a little surprised. “I don’t know about seeing the moon in it, but yeah, that would be it.”
“It’s at Ice’s palace. She’s got it on the nightstand next to her bed,” Ash said.
“Whoa there, creepy boy,” Wolfgang said. “Ice told me you were stalking her house, but I had no idea it went that far.”
Ash shrugged. “It’s a cool place to explore. I get bored easily.”
Dote gave Ash a disapproving glare. “I don’t know what’s weirder, the fact that Ice keeps a stone of such great power on her bedroom nightstand, or the fact that you know it’s there.”
Red sighed. “Let’s just forget about the weirdness right now and figure out how we’re going to get it away from Ice.”