Everyone gathered in the great room again, with the delay of Maggie and Edward noted but not remarked upon. To clear the room of silence, Lilith question Leo on the time he spent with his adversary.

“So my old friend; how did you and Paracelsus get along?"

Leo snorted.

“Like oil and water madam, only when the oil is hot and aflame and the water cold and in too small a quantity to do any good."

“Then you have not healed your wounds?"

“I have decided that I have no wounds that need assuaging. The man is a fool; to use my Latin; homo est stultus  asinus.

“Leo! Really!"

“Madam, I do not know what it is you expect from me. It is still fresh in my mind, whereas with him, he has had to drag out his life until now. In that, I am thankful for his pain. But if your sole purpose was to inflict him upon me, I will not have it. You may put me away again if you like, but I will not reconcile with the likes of him. I know how he has remained alive all of these years, and if that was worthwhile to you, then so be it. But I will not give him the satisfaction of forgiving him. He is an unworthy scoundrel, no matter how he is remembered today."

Lilith was about to raise her voice when the two stranglers entered. Edward was holding his head in the apparent throes of a headache. Maggie was gently leading him over to their chairs. Lilith looked on dispassionately.

“Did something happen?" she asked all too blandly.

“He fell and hit his head, or he hit his head and then fell. It must have happened right after I stepped out."

“Son, will you be alright?" Lilith asked, knowing all too well the cause of his problem.

“I think so. It seems to be abating; the pain that is. My head feels funny though."

“Do you need a doctor?"

“No, no. I'll be alright I think. Maybe something to drink?"

“Water will do fine son. Besides, you and alcohol aren't on equal terms, now are they?"

He smiled wanly.

“No. The last I remember it doing any real good was back in St Petersburg. But then a lot of what happened after that is rather, uhm..."

“Obfuscated?"

“Sure?" he said, uncertain of the word.

“You take one silver bullet to the brain and everything goes haywire."

There were several startled cries from around the room.

“What?"

“Oh, were you unaware of what happened to our dear Edward? They were sitting in a bar bearing the name of our master here when thugs opened fire on them. Turns out they were in the hire of young Maggie's uncle, bless his heart. If not for Leo's interference, he might very well have been dead. But seeing as he is not, I will allow him to tell his own tale should any of you wish to be regaled by it. As he says, he was rather out of his head for a while."

“Uh, yeah. Felt sort like how I feel now; I think so anyways."

Maggie looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.

Lilith ran interference for her.

“Yes, well, the past is in the past. You can't go changing it. So allow us to continue looking to the future. That is something we might, and I do say might, be able to tackle with any alacrity." 

“Here, here!" cried several of the members of the group.

“Yes, yes," replied Lilith. “We shall continue. Moria, do you wish to go next?"

“No madam, but I will."

“Honest, if not willing"

“Yes milady. But I tend to bow to your judgment."

“As is for the best."

Moria stood and came to the open space used by the previous demonstrators.  Like them, she doffed her clothing and stood there, half embarrassed and half defiant. Then, much like the others, she morphed into something that at first seemed to be much like a werewolf. Only it wasn't.

Her fur was reddish brown, and the tail was long, with a tuft on the end. Her hide was beautiful, and her paws large but well proportioned. But the there was her face. It was still largely her face showing on what could only be described as a lion's head.

Despite the pain in his head, Edward thought he recognized her form.

“Sphinx?" he asked quietly.

Lily shook her head in the negative.

“Not precisely son. But your eye and knowledge is up to the task. Moria is very old; older than anyone else here outside of myself. I do not often call on her to show her alternate side. This is perhaps the first time in a thousand years. So get a good look at her now, for you will very likely never see her; in any form, ever again except if you are very lucky indeed."

Maggie was in awe.

“If she's not a sphinx, then what is she? I mean, besides beautiful."

Moria jerked her head around with a start. No one had called her beautiful in ages.

“She is what was originally referred to as a martyaxwar. That is from the old Persian. They used to refer to her and her kin as man-eaters, which was very much untrue. Still, lies stick far better than the truth."

“But what is she?"

“She is who she is dear. But if you like a name to go with her form, try the word manticore."

“Man-ti what?"

“Manticore. Like all such changing abilities, the reason no evidence remains is that in the end, everyone still dies in their human form. Now Moria here, she's been around for a few millennia. She mostly minds her own business, and if you were to go looking for her, you would never find her.  She has a home in a mountain cave to be found in the; well, never mind where they are. She is the last of her kind and thus there will be no more in the future. But she is a good friend and a good teacher. There may come a day when you will have to search her out. Hope then that you are up to the task."

Edward shook his head as if to clear it.

“Why don't we just ask her now?"

Lily smiled.

“And what would you ask of her?"

He groaned.

“I have no idea."

“Correct. Now is not the time for the type of questions you will eventually need to be asking of her. You will know them when you come across them, but that is far removed from the here and now. By that time you will hopefully know how to find her."

“And you know this how?" asked Edward tiredly.

“Because she has wisdom. And it will be wisdom you will need in the future. But if you took it now, it would mean nothing to you, for you have no context for it. Thus you will seek her out. By then you will persist. Only in persisting will you ever succeed."

He went to question her further, but wisely chose to remain quiet.

“Thank you Moria. You may change back now if you wish."

“Thank you milady, but I think I will stay like this for now. It is so rare that I can do it with impunity that I might just relax in this form for the nonce. “

“As you wish. Just try to hold your tongue dear, if you can."

             “I will do my best."

              Moria quietly stalked out of the room and down the hallway. Edward watched her tail swishing in agitation. She was, as were all those gathered here, exceptional beyond the intended meaning of the word. He had to wonder how they managed to stay out of sight, but then he remembered Lilith. She had done it for three thousand generations, more or less.  The Meek was indeed the catchphrase for all of the strangeness that had gathered her at the castle.  It was a wonder someone didn't slip up now and again. But then, who knew; maybe they did. Weird sightings occurred all the time around the world. It would be difficult to attribute them to their cause if their cause reverted to being human again. It made sense. He considered his own position. His little stunt in New York City was probably going to reverberate around the news and the internet for years to come. He understood better now why they had to lay low.

Survival.

That little imp guy was correct. Who wanted to be tortured and tormented just to find out what made you tick? It was an awful thought, and if his head wasn't already hurting him like it was, it would have certainly done the trick. No wonder everyone laid low, except perhaps for Lilith. She seemed to have the bravado necessary to get her own genetics tested. Then again, she had the ability to keep the results secret.

There had to be quite the moral conundrum going on inside of her. Knowing how to duplicate her DNA could help millions of people. But then, what good would that do if people were just going to try killing each other off? And who would stop people, or corporations, from trying to make billions of dollars off of it? No, she seemed to have made the correct choice. Learn, accumulate and maintain her latency and keep the identity of her chosen ones a secret.

“Edward?"

It was Lilith

“Yes?"

“How's the head dear?"

“Getting better. I was just thinking…"

“Good. Thinking is always good. What were you thinking?"

“That I'm," he paused and put his arm around Maggie. “That we're a part of something unbelievable. And no, I don't mean that sarcastically. For most of my life I thought I was normal – hell I was normal. But now, not so much. I find I have been given an incredible gift, and on top of that my ability to change is remarkable."

“I don't follow you son."

“Lady Lily; Lilith; I would trade all this in just to keep Maggie. She is a far better gift than any powers I have. Please, don't misunderstand me. I accept who and what I am, but if not for being able to go through all of this with her, I don't know that I would have made it. Whether you set us up or not is irrelevant. I understand more now than ever before why we must remain hidden from the general public. There is too much at stake to simply throw it away wantonly."

“Yes son, there is. If you love her as I know you do, then you will follow my rules for that reason and that reason only. You may do as you wish with your life, but you must keep what you are hidden away. If you wish to live among the wolves of your national forests, you have every right to do so. I would tend to shy away from wolf sanctuaries though. They might be more of a headache than you think."

Edward's head snapped up.

“How do you know about that?"

“Son, I know everything there is to know about you. You are special after all, and as such, deserving of special attention. I simply cannot have you cavorting about without having some adult supervision."

“So you're saying that you have been with me? Since when?"

“Why don't you try puzzling it out. I am in no manner beholden to you to give you the answer you seek. But let me just say that you have been in good hands for most of your life."

“But…"

“But nothing. The past is in the past. Keep your eyes focused on the present and the future. Remember, those are the things you may have some control over."

He was prepared to argue with her. The words were right there on the tip of his tongue. And that is where they died. She was right. What happened in the past was out of his ability to influence. One might say,  it had influenced him and brought him to where he was. It was time to quit worrying about things he couldn't affect.

“Fine. So what about my future? About our future?"

“That will be mostly up to you to write. While I may play some small part in it, trust me when I tell you that you will never likely know. I would, therefore, not even look for me in the others that you meet and interact with. If I think you need to know it is me you are dealing with, then I will do so of my own accord. And don't waste your time looking for me. As important as you are, there are others out there who require my attention as well. As much as I like the two of you, you are not my only concern."

Edward was going to say something else, but Maggie halted him.

“I think that is fair enough. We already know more than most people do about what we can expect. It's now up to us to make it happen."

“Why yes dear, it is. Over time you will find that this meeting was both important, and yet had little bearing on your life. Sitting and waiting for something to happen is foolish. Going out and making it happen is what this meeting is all about. I am merely trying to show you the best way to go about it."

“Like a teacher?" said Maggie solemnly.

“Yes my dear, just like a teacher. If your elder's have anything on you, it is experience. And as you know, experience…"

“…is the best teacher." she replied quickly.

“It is. Never be afraid to learn from others, for they have often made the mistakes you need not tackle. It is in part why you both are here, along with this unique collection of some of my finest children. There will come a day when you must help each other, in one form or another, and thus you need to know who and what you will be dealing with. So do they. And while your respective families will come into play in all of this, you two are by far the most important. “

Maggie growled, sounding mildly appalled.

“You're not talking about my father and his ilk are you?"

“Ilk? His line is diseased, but he alone still has much in the way of desirable qualities. And yes, he may come into the picture down the road. He still has no idea that you're still alive you know. He cared for you more than you can understand."

“He didn't act like it!"

“No? Then consider this. What would you do if you had a child that was taken from you? Think only on that. And then see if your opinion of him is still so saturnine."

Maggie went quiet.

“Like I said, thinking is good. But shall we continue with our discussion? I know some of you were loathe leaving your homes, and are therefore agitated to return to the as soon as possible. I beg your patience until we are through. Then any who wish to leave may do so with immediate expediency.  Those who wish to stay may stay as long as they wish."

No one argued against her directive.

“I believe one or two more demonstrations are in order. Edward, Maggie, would you both like to show off a little?"

The couple jumped at the mention of their names.

Lily smiled.

“Did you think this does one way only? You need to show them your potential, just as they showed you their's.“

Edward tittered uncomfortably.

“Uh, you want us to get naked in front of all of these people?"

Lilith laughed heartily at his discomfort.

“Such prudishness. I don't think you're the same man I made love with in the south of France, not with the way you're acting."

Maggie poked him.

“Do it. It's not like you have anything to be ashamed of. And I have a feeling these people have seen it all, many times over."

“Are you going to do it?"

“Of course."

He took her hand and they stepped into the open space. Maggie seemed preternaturally equipped to shed her clothing within seconds. Edward was a little more meticulous, until he was standing there naked as a newborn. He felt very exposed.

Maggie turned to him.

“If you don't like standing there au natural, then might I suggest you throw on some fur?"

He flexed and began to change. His first was as his smaller, feral self. Still impressive in its own right, it wasn't something at all new to the others. He growled, turned in a circle and stopped. He then began to grow; larger and larger until he was in his Dire Wolf form. His eyes glowed red and steam lifted off of his torso, giving him a hellish look. Again he turned before standing on two legs, his body reverting to an upright position. His head was nowhere near the ceiling, but then the room was very nearly cavernous. He snarled nastily, let out a howl that was enough to shatter eardrums and stood there defiantly.

Maggie patted his leg.

“Easy boy. Save it for later!"

Her remark generated chuckles from all around the room. She smiled sheepishly before speaking.

“Mine turn now I guess."

She became her preferred wolf form, dropping it to the more dog-like appearance before becoming human again. Then, with a look of concentration, she opened her wings. There were several muted gasps. Maggie overheard one of them say:

“So very like the lady, is she not?"

Her seat mate agreed.

“Why yes she is. Having multiple forms is highly unusual, and they both can do it. Most extraordinary!"

She never thought about that before. Not really. But then, what did they have to compare themselves to? Leo was a poor werewolf,  and Corrine, or rather Lily, she could do the wolf form with ease, as could Emile. Verona too. But no one had the ability to go past a certain set of boundaries. Maggie could be two different things. Edward could go into hyper mode when he needed to. He could be both in a four legged feral form and a two legged anthropomorphic form.  While this might work in the movies, it seemed now that having those actual abilities to be a rarity.

Lily clapped, setting off a round of applause from the others.

“Edward is gifted, or cursed; depending on how you look at it, with extraordinarily comprehensive abilities. Among those you do not see are near invulnerability and the ability to take in souls."

“Invulnerable?" asked one of the guests warily.

“Not quite like that Marcus. He will heal from injury far more rapidly than will his opponents. But he will still sustain injury if he isn't careful how he handles himself. He knows that all too well."

“And the girl?"

“She has many abilities that even she is not aware of. I may tell her how to unlock some of them, but it is often best for a person to figure out their abilities on their own."

“So these are the Chosen Ones then?"

“They are my chosen ones. For their clan and their special traits, they will be the ones to lead the," she coughed in her hand, “the werewolves. “

It was obvious she did not like the term.

“He has the brute strength to keep them in line."

Lily frowned.

“It will not be by strength alone that fate has made him a leader. He has a good mind and an even better heart. These will prove more useful to him than acting the part of the bully. But, if someone were to seek to usurp his power, I think a quick demonstration will all that will be needed. It is often the mere threat of violence that will subdue even the most impudent upstart."

“Yes madam. As you say."

Marcus stood.

“Might I show them my power madam?"

She winked at him.

“Now, be nice. He has done nothing to wrong you."

“Yes madam. I will treat him gently."

Edward could hear and understand perfectly, but speaking in a language they could all understand was out of the question His wolf-speak in this form was for wolf ears only. So he watched the man come around the tables and stand before him.

“You are a big one, I'll grant you that. But small things often succeed in defeating an enemy where the might of armies fail. How often has disease been a worse reaper than the blades of other men?"

Edward just stared at him and snorted.

The man put his hand out and touch the thick hairy arm.

Edward hit the floor like a load of bricks.

And he didn't move.

Maggie screamed.

“What the hell did you do?"

She made as if to attack him, but he put his hand in front of her face.

“Stop! He is not hurt, unless you take into account his bruised ego. He is paralyzed, like and yet unlike his ability to steal souls. He can hear everything going on around him, but his muscles will not function. I believe he needed to know that he is not the only one who can pull a trick like that. It is something to beware of, for you never know who will have that ability, and whether or not they will be friend or foe."

He leaned down and touched Edward again. The werewolf pulled himself up off of the floor and glowered angrily at the little man. But his rage subsided. It had been a demonstration of the highest order. It was a warning, and one he took immediately to heart. Apparently not everyone would be on their side, and some of them just might be able to neutralize him. It was good to know.

Edward reverted to his human form. He approached the fellow and stuck out his hand. Marcus didn't take it immediately. 

“Not afraid of me doing that again?"

“No. There would be no point, now would there?"

“And how do I know you might not try the same thing in anger?"

“You don't. We won't know until we grasp each other's hands and shake."

“You are a foolish man Edward, but a brave one."

He put his hand in the one waiting for it and the two shook.

Nothing happened.

“You see? I think we will be friends, no?"

“Yes, I think we will," said Edward with a look of relief of his face.

Lily stood.

“Marcus is a direct descendant of mine, and I have kept watch over his family for more generations than you can imagine. His paternal lineage began with a man named Romulus."

Maggie jerked around, nearly hitting someone with a wingtip.

“Romulus? Not the Romulus?"

Marcus bowed.

“Yes, as in the fabled founder of the city of Rome. The story is much exaggerated today, for a single man rarely builds a town by himself, or even with the help of a brother."

He turned and bowed to Lily.

“Or that of their mother."

She returned the bow.

“As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day."

“Nor a year. It took centuries to get it to where it was able to achieve such greatness."

She nodded.

“And yet, like all things, it fell into decline. Time wears away all things; those of man of are not excepted from its ravages."

He bowed to her.

“And neither is mankind."

“Yes, I'm afraid that is equally true. Every creature has its time, but I believe that ours has been too brief to give up just yet. We have just climbed out of the pit of primordial ignorance. No other species can claim what we have done. And yet, in doing it, it has been our undoing. Or perhaps I should lay claim to it, for it has been my goal to drive my children to excellence.  But I now know that such exceptionalness has come at a great price."

The room was silent. Lilith continued unperturbed by the muteness of her guests.

“We all know how it goes. Up until now is was sporadic, largely because individual kingdoms, realms and countries were far apart, separated by immeasurable distances. Only I was able to go among them with any ease. But in the past one thousand years, travel brought them closer together, until now, when the distances between them are so small as to hardly matter. I had hoped for greater unity, but I see that it was a mere pipe-dream, not a true vision. My children find more to fight about than to work together on. There is too much strife. And on top of it the planet is growing restive. This will culminate in something that will prove to be the tipping point. And no, I do not know when that will be. Even I have limits to controlling my power.  But it will be sooner than even the wisest of today's scientists could predict. That too is the feeling that rests in the marrow of my bones."

“And you think we can avert this?" asked Maggie in a small voice.

“No dear. I told you before. You will be the cleanup crew. Only the strongest will survive in such a world. The fat, the complacent, the weak; they will be the first to suffer. I hold no hatred towards any of my children, for in a sense I am mother to them all. But the many years have hardened me to the facts.  One of your authors told it like it is, though in a simplified manner. You don't have to run faster than the bear to get away. You just have to run faster than the guy next to you. This will be true on many levels. At some point in time, those who have been in hiding will come out, and it will be their turn to take over. I only hope that when that time comes, they will have learned from the mistakes of others and do their best not to repeat them."

“But that sounds…awful."

“Disruption often is. And yet upheavals occur all the time. If one cannot avert it, is not the next best thing to be prepared for it?"

“I guess so. But the world doesn't seem that bad right now. I mean, sure, there are wars and stuff, but I don't see it collapsing any time soon."

Lily looked at her, sympathy in her eyes, but a stern tone in her voice.

“The world as you know it is made up of lies and illusions. This is no bad thing, for while everyone manages to believe in them, there is peace and contentment.  But how long can that last? And since people prefer lies in lieu of facing the facts, then they will cling to them just as a drowning man will cling to a straw. People have no desire to face the reality of whom and what they are. Look at your internet. Is that not a measuring stick for the entire human race? How many people show their true self there? They prefer to be someone else, all the while wasting that which they are. I would call it shameful were it not so prevalent."

“But not everyone has special powers like us."

“No child, but everyone has abilities they can tap into; powers unique to themselves that they can exploit if they would only look within themselves. No, they prefer to dally, and tarry, and waste away their limited time."

Edward, though still unclothed, approached the lady.

“Might I speak plainly?"

“It is preferred within these walls."

“There are a lot of people I grew up with, and people I have only just met; they are people I would not like to see go down in flames."

“Your words are histrionic, but understood – as far as they go."

“Is there no way of saving these people?"

“I cannot say son.  Compassion can be as much a killer as hatred. You must choose wisely what actions you take to protect people. I know of your plan for a community back in your America, and it may in fact work out for you - for a while. There are hidden dangers you have not taken into account. Your grandparents were good people, but they died because of a ring. I will allow you to decide if that was a good enough reason for their demise. Gathering together too many of your kind may attract more attention to yourself than you will know what to do with. There is strength in numbers, but then gathering all of the sheep in one pen makes it easier to lead them to slaughter. "

“You're just full of comforting words, aren't you?"

“I give comfort when and where comfort is needed son. I give wisdom where wisdom is needed. You do not need comfort at this moment."

“That's rather cold."

“Is it? Facts are often considered to be cold and hard. Do you know why? Because if they are reliable facts, they are irrefutable, and as such, there is nothing we can do to go against them. As I just said, people prefer lies to the truth. Even the truth can be nothing but lies. I deal in facts. And the fact is, you will have to finish growing up in the near future. Not only will you have responsibilities you did not expect, there will come a time when you will have a family, and there is nothing more important than that. And yet, there  is one place you will always find the happiness you feel alludes you. You have a good mate. Make the best of it."

“Yes but…" He paused, as if lost in thought.

“Yes son?"

“I don't know I was thinking I forgot something important, but I don't know what it was."

“I wouldn't worry about it. It will either come to you or it won't."

“That's not helpful."

“No, but it is factual. Now perhaps you would care to get dressed and take a seat. I have the feeling your presence is causing a stir among the ladies."

He looked up, suddenly aware that he had been parading around in the nude. He quickly snatched up his clothing and began putting it on. Maggie had to wait until her wings had retracted back to their dormant position before she could follow suit. They both took their chairs and sat down, feeling both elated and subdued. It was a strange feeling indeed.

“So, as you can see, they have the abilities to see them through what they will eventually face, as do all of you. Understand that at no point will I artificially influence the fall of mankind. As easy as it would be for me to do that, I will not lower myself to such base tactics. If they - or any of you - think they can avert what is coming then I say by all means try."

“Lady?"

“Yes Pier?"

The man who spoke had been sitting in silence the entire time, but then most of them had been. He had long hair, streaked with gray, a beard, and seemed content to wear a rather strange ensemble. His one outstanding feature, which had been noticed earlier but left unremarked upon, was his incredible size. His accent was a bt odd, as were many of them here. People came from all over, and each brought with them a certain uniqueness.

“What is it you think we could do?"

“What many of us have always done; we try."

“Yes my lady, I understand this. Have I not done your bidding all of these many years?"

“Yes Pier, but not as well as I might have liked. And at the same time I have allowed you to live an extended life as you have seen fit. Hiding your death as I have done for so many others has freed you to do things you could not do before."

“For which I am extremely thankful.  It is only that I fear the world is too complex for the likes of me. I tend nowadays to remain in isolation."

Lilith smiled kindly at him, but there was a touch of something darker in her features.

“Then perhaps it is time for you to come out. You have the power to go among the populace without gaining notice to your size you know."

Edward was intrigued. The man was a literal giant, seemingly seven feet tall or taller. He had massive arms, and despite his refined speech, seemed quite capable of tearing a man in two if he so wished.

“He's a little tall to be going out in public, don't you think? And while I'm trying not to be critical of anyone I do not know, his dress is a little, well, Shakespearean."

The man named Pier looked over at the American.

“Shakespeare?  He came after me. Good fellow. I still willingly sit through one of his plays if the mood strikes me."

“After?" Maggie asked. The obvious tone of incredulity was gone from her voice. It was apparent they were in the company of extraordinariness.

“He was not of the same generation as was I, nor of the same country. Yet, on a scale of the world such as it is, we were almost neighbors."

Edward was growing more and more intrigued. There were so many different people here; all of them with abilities that perhaps mirrored his own, and yet reflected a different aspect of human metamorphosis.

“Understand that I am largely ignorant. Who are you and what is it that you can do?"

“Me? I am no one - to much of the world. That is often how it must be. What I was and what I did have been reduced to mere words, but I find that it does not bother me. My name is Pier Gerlofs Donia. I am Frisian by birth, though methinks you will not know where that was."

“Uh, no. Never heard of it. Does your country have a seat in the U.N.?"

“The what? Oh, your United Nations. No…" he chuckled lightly, “…my country has not been around for a long time. Others have usurped its place with names of their own. But then, the maps change far faster than does the landscape. Frisia was up along the coast of what you may know as the North Sea."

 Edward shivered a little.

“Been there, done that. Not a favorite of mine."

Pier shrugged.

“The sea is the sea. She answers to no one, nor will she ever. You must come up sometime and visit. It is beautiful up there. Winters should pose you no problems either, for I have seen the coat your alternate form carries. You will be plenty warm."

Edward didn't want to argue.

“To each their own. I have bad memories of that sea."

“We all have bad memories young man. Never let them indulge your conscience past what they are. The past is done and gone. I lived much too much in my own. The lady is perhaps correct. It is time I did more than sit in hiding."

 Maggie piped in before Edward could.

“I take it you are very old. If you live in Europe, how is it that we've never heard of you. You're a giant!"

Lilith snickered.

“They do exist child, and not just in fairy tales. Have you never heard of the one from France?"

“No."

She posed the question to her husband.

 “Edward?"

“You're not talking about the wrestler, now are you?"

“Can you think of another?"

“No, I guess I can't."

She nodded.

“You see, you spend most of your time in your human mode, changing from human to your other self at will. Not everyone has that ability. Some find themselves locked in their other self. They then have to go about as they are, often mocked and ridiculed. In some cases, where I feel they can do some good, I will help them with their difficulty. “

Maggie's curiosity was still finding ways of getting piqued.

“How do you help someone who's a foot and a half higher than most other men?"

Piers grinned knowingly.

“In my day, I stood far taller above the heads of my fellows than that."

Lilith turned to him.

“Yes you did. Would you care to show them what gift I gave you?"

“Yes lady, if you ask it."

“I do."

He stood up, making a point of not hitting his head on the handing lamp. He didn't leave his spot, only stood there concentrating. Then, with a slow descent, his head left the general region of the ceiling. His whole body was reduced to the point of being a less than six foot tall, normally proportioned human being. Lilith applauded.

“He doesn't change much. I thought perhaps he might have forgotten how."

Piers was now wearing oversized clothing. He was like a kid play-acting at being an adult, only he still retained his grizzled appearance.

 “I can do it well enough my lady. I still do not feel comfortable parading around the cities dressed like this."

Maggie was confused.

“Surely you can buy clothes that fit your smaller frame?"

Lilith answered for him.

“He refers to his body dear, not what he should, or should not cover it with. He is uncomfortable being so small. It is no different than a lot of people who suddenly find they can be more than they were before . Even with time, adjusting to having a different form comes easier for some than it does  for others."

Edward was nodding, all the while thinking to himself. His words were chosen carefully.

“So. You can be a giant, or you can be small. I could see where being less than you were to begin with might be less appealing than the other way around."

Piers nodded in his direction.

“My old swords were taller than this form. It is weak and useless."

Lilith chided him.

“It is small, and it allows you to mingle with your fellows, just like you did in the olden days. You can still talk to those who still speak your old tongue, and you can talk with people in forty seven other different languages. That you choose to hide out away from the world is your own choice, and no one else's. There is nothing wrong with your mind or your way of thinking, outside of it making you into a recluse."

The rebuke was to the point so she continued.

“You know the parable of hiding your given talents. I think it is time that you begin to show what you can do. No one here will do anything less."

“Yes my lady."

Edward watched the exchange with deep interest. Lilith was small. She easily passed for being young because of her eternal youth and her smaller stature.  But that is where the childlike aspect of her nature stopped. She was rebuking a giant of a man; a man who was quite capable of destroying her. Well, maybe not entirely. She made it sound as if any attempts at killing her in the past had failed. But still, such a man as this, being cowed as he was, was an impressive sight. In his large form, Edward would have thought twice about tackling him. Even in his were form; the larger one, the battle between the two would have been phenomenal. But Lilith was speaking again. Time to pay attention.

“Keeping out of the view of the general public is always a must, but you have taken it too far. I gave you the ability to hide in the open, and yet you so rarely use it. I think the time for being secretive is done. From now on I will task you to do great things again."

“Yes my lady, If you so wish it."

“I no longer wish it Pier. I demand it. There will come a time when you will prove valuable to our young couple here, even if that day may be long in the future. If you wish to be relieved of your present condition, all you need is to let me know."

There was silence. Edward broke it.

“Condition? Relief? What do you mean?"

“Son," she said sternly, “I have many hidden talents. Some of them are inherent to what I am, not who I am. My blood will regenerate anyone, keeping them alive far longer than they're expected lifespan. Many do not need this boost, but some, like Paracelsus, would not still be alive without it. Pier here is another example, and there are many others out there who have gained benefits from my extraordinary genetics."

Maggie tugged on his sleeve and looked up at Lilith, awe in her eyes and reflected in her words.

“Amsterdam. It was you, wasn't it?"

Lilith smiled warmly.

“Did you think I brought you to all the way to shore and then deserted you? Yes, I was your nurse, and the balm that treated your injuries was nothing more that serum from my own veins.  You both now have more to your abilities than have yet been laid to the open. Know also that I do not treat people with such care lightly. I could cure anyone of any disease, but to do so means that you must have value to me. More so to the point, you must have importance to the future."

Edward lifted and rotated his arm; the one that had been torn off. There was no pain in it, and the explanation now as to why he had been able to regrow it made a little more sense. She was a literal healer in the ultimate sense.

All he could think of to say was;

“Thank you."

“You are ever so welcome. I could hardly have you running around missing a limb, now could I? What use would you be then?"

“Use? What about the old blind man; the kludde? He was handicapped and he learned to deal with it?"

“Yes, and he makes me proud. But I have more for you to do than to occasionally transform and fly about the countryside. His time for greatness is past and he may do now as he wishes. As he never expressed a desire to have his sight back, I allow him to do as he pleases. Or are you saying you wish to have the added challenge of having your arm gone again?"

“No no! I'm simply trying to figure all of this out."

“I am me, son, and I will do as I see fit. It does not behoove you try to figure out the things that I do, for you lack the knowledge and the perspective to make any sort of judgment at all. You are a little slow to grasp that concept, but I have hope that eventually you will."

“I think I might be happier being ignorant."

“Yes, you probably would. Ignorant people however are what have led this world to the brink. It is the well informed ones that I hope will bring it back."

She turned back to Pier.

“You may take time to reflection on your purpose. If you feel you cannot handle that which is set before you, then I must take away your gifts. Choose wisely, for you only have one chance."

The man, still looking rather comical draped in the larger clothing, nodded solemnly.

“Yes my lady. I will do as you say. I believe that I have failed to live for a long time, and perhaps it is in doing that I will feel most useful."

She lowered her head to acknowledge him.

“It may not be with great swords that you will hew, but you will have a place in the grand scheme of the future events. Be ready and be prepared."

She started to turn away, but turned back to him.

“And you may resume your normal stature. The demonstration has been effective."

Maggie watched the man as he enlarged, stopping occasionally to adjust his clothing around him. It probably would have been easier to get undressed and then redressed, but to each their own. She turned to Lilith and raised her hand again.

“So my wings; I have them because of you?"

“Have them? You got that ability from your father's side."

“But you have wings too."

“Then I guess I'm unclear what you mean. I healed you before, and you can use them now, if you're a little young for it. Is that what you mean?"

“Yes and no. Like my husband here, I'm thankful for all you've done, even if he's a little dense to understand it all. No, I mean; how many people out there have them? There can't be that many!  I would have thought such a trait would have been diluted among the population."

Lilith steepled her fingers together in thought.

“I do not always answer questions concerning family lines. But for you, I will say this. In both of your cases, I have had direct involvement in your ancestry. When and where I will not say, but know it that I can be anyone I chose, simply by taking their place, wiping their mind and setting them on a different path. So, you might say, you are both distantly related to each other through me. But ask nothing more, for you will not receive an answer any more than the one I just gave you."

“I see. Thank you. Thank you for everything," said Maggie quietly.

“You are welcome my dear, for everything, though you have not yet received everything. That time approaches however."

“Everything? What do you mean?"

“We will talk about that privately. Some gifts are bound to be too much to bear for those who are ill equipped to handle them. You will have to decide if this is one you wish to have. People have refused it in the past, and I hold them in no less esteem for their choice."

“But…"

“But nothing. We will talk about it later. Now, let us eat."