Enid was riding in a covered cart with Moses and Zipporah. She was reading the Roman Catholic Bible. It had been many days since she had wielded the staff of light as she called it, what its actual name was she had no idea. She was still easily exhausted. She had suspected it before, but she was sure now, the powers she was using were not meant for mortal hands. Even quasi-mortals who simply didn’t age. They were past the Red Sea and God had been quiet on matters, so she was trying to figure out how history was supposed to go next. She honestly wasn’t sure what a month was to God or the Israelites, calendars were not on Sextus’s list of lessons. She assumed a lunar calendar so figured thirty days. She looked at the passage referring to being in the wilderness of Sin, forty-five days after leaving Egypt, which if her math was right, was tomorrow. People were about to start complaining, even with the help of the spirits, the rationing, the smoked fish, hunted game and the unleavened bread as they called it, food and water were becoming scarce.

“If I knew what Sin and Elim were this would be easier.”

She noticed Zipporah looking at her strangely.

“I did not understand those words, Sarah.”

“Just complaining about the directions I’m getting from the Lord.”

“The guidance is not clear?”

Enid grumbled to herself quietly in English.

“About as clear as a four-thousand-year-old book edited repeatedly by the biggest misogynists in history. After being translated through five or six languages.”

“You seem further upset, perhaps you should put his message down and take time to consider it when you are less frustrated.”

Enid nodded and slid the bible into her pack.

“I have never seen such a thing as that. Some of the writing is so even, some so messy, the patience the creator must have had to make so many letters so small.”

“You’d be surprised how easy it was made. Its like someone said make me something that has this in it and there it was.”

“The Lord provides, as Moses would say.”

“Well, he better start providing soon. Or people are going to start starving and suffering from dehydration.”

Enid smiled when Hazel ran and caught up to the cart and hopped on the back. She pondered how difficult this trek would have been without Hazel. Her daughter was proving very advantageous to the trip. She would never admit it to Hazel but she’d needed her. Zipporah smiled at Hazel who greeted her in the Hebrew provided by her translator. Hazel sat beside her mother she looked less then pleased. Enid glanced at her.

“Grumblings among the faithful?”

“How did you know?”

Enid patted her pack.

“I was reading the bible again. Said about forty-five days out of Egypt people were upset and worried about the food and water situation.”

“Well that much is accurate. Did it tell you what the solution was?”

“That manna would rain from the heavens. In other words, God would send bread. And pull water from stone. The only miracles I’ve been seeing lately are the ones I cause and the last one nearly killed me.”

“The spirits are not going to be of much help, they have given what they could, mom. Its just not enough.”

“Maybe get one to wake Moses up hmm?”

Hazel chuckled.

“Sure mom, right after we get some pepperoni pizza.”

“I promise I will buy you it from your favorite place in NAFTA or New Amazon, minute we get back.”

Hazel smiled at her mother.

“Just not Pluto station please, even their mess hall pizza tastes like the old stew you used to make at home, mystery stew? There was no flavor, its like you did the washing and gave us the hot water.”

“Well, you will never know, that is a secret I’m taking to my grave.”

“Probably because it was the laundry water. Mom, actually do me a favor, just never cook again. The world would be a better place for it.”

“Don’t hold back.”

“I don’t understand it mom, Eyre is so good at cooking. Its better then… s…e…x.”

“Wow, lets stop this conversation right there. I do not need to hear anything more about that. I’m your mother.”

“That hardly seems fair with the noise you and Amee make. I am glad there is therapy there I’m going to need a lot of it.”

Enid felt herself blushing.

“How about this? If you promise to never cook again, I will promise not to tell you what Miles and I did the day before I left.”

“I promise! Just… stop.”

Hazel laughed. Both turned to look when Moses sat upright suddenly and started yanking on the feeding tube had inserted. Enid almost fell when she rushed to his side, a combination of weakness from her use of the staff and the movement of the cart.

“Hold him down I need to get that out before he hurts himself.”

Zipporah wasn’t a small or meek woman and Hazel, was well Hazel so she they were able to keep Moses who had been in a coma for over seven weeks from pulling the tube. Enid went through the process of removing the tube using her medical training. Hazel and Zipporah released him and he looked at the three women his face a mask of confusion. Enid looked at Hazel.

“Go to the front of the group tell them to stop, then find Aaron please dear.”

Hazel nodded and hopped out of the cart and hit the ground running. Moses clutched onto Zipporah’s arm. Enid was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief. She’d managed maintain Moses with 29th technology. He should have a fairly easily recovery from his coma, she fell back on the spot on the floor she had been sitting her face in her hands. As old as she was, she had not realized the stress she had been under. When he woke it was as if she were an elastic at its breaking point and suddenly it was released with a snap. Tears were flowing from her eyes. She felt hands on her shoulders and when she looked up, she saw Moses’s brown eyes and his now not so well trimmed salt and pepper beard.

“Why do you weep child of the Lord?”

“I don’t know.”

“The Lord is with you. As he has been for this entire journey. He bids you lay your head on his shoulder. Heal your soul. Rest your weary body. Grieve for your loss. Know his love. Enid Aurelius, I thank you for saving my people, you can rest now.”

Zipporah looked at Enid when Moses spoke her real name.

“Your name is not Sarah?”

Moses stood up tall, seeming to be reinvigorated and strengthened from his coma. He looked to his wife.

“She has many names; She has many faces. She is beyond our comprehension, my lovely wife. The Lord showed me much. Of the hardships and the sacrifices, she has made. Of the tender care she provided me while I slept. Of her anger towards the Lord. Of the one she loves who waits for her still. Of the journey she is on, and the one she is about to undertake with you wife. You must return to your father. The Lord has declared it.”

“I refuse to leave your side, husband!”

“We tread in places not meant for outsiders. You will take my children and you will go, and the daughter of the Lord, the staff bearer. The fifth covenant of the Lord, made with the people of Israel will guide and protect you with her daughter. You will stay with us for seven days, on the seventh you shall rest and on the eighth you shall return to your father.”

“You are sending me away?”

“No, the Lord is sending you away. I would not wish it so if I were being tortured by the Pharaoh himself. But if the Lord asks it, we must give it. I will send word to join is in the land of plenty.”

Zipporah put her hands one hand on her hip, her other was very animated.

“This one almost dies saving his people, this is her reward to be cast out.”

Moses smiled at his wife.

“You do not understand, wife. He sends her to protect you so she may heal before her next battle.”

“Battle, he forces a woman into battle? What manner of God do you follow?”

“She is his wrath. His sword. His shield.”

“She is a woman, a mere girl in pain.”

Enid was looking between the two and leaning against the side of the cart. She would say something, but she was enjoying Zipporah’s animated responses. Also, she was extremely tired.

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“If we took the ages of every one of my people here and we added their ages together, we would not match hers. She is no more a child then you are, my wife.”

*****

Sometime in Egypt – Day 1

So glad we’re out of Scotland. Mom was suffering so much. I don’t think I liked it, it was cold, it was dreary and the people were awful, well except Cela. Lilith was totally not what I was expecting, like, she just looked so…normal. I have never seen mom look like that. Five words from Lilith and she was me when I was sneaking into the sweets when I was seven years old. I wish Lilith was around, maybe she could make mom behave like you know… an adult.

Anyway, something weird happened when we went through the portal, I’m not sure if I screwed up the ritual, but mom always holds my hand…when she knows I’m coming, and she lost her grip on me. They say any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, but umm, I’d say mine wasn’t. Glad I had the armor on or I would have been a wolf-born bug smacked on a temple roof. As it was I was knocked out. Next thing you knew there was this bad ass woman dressed all in Egyptian stuff. Golden Eyes. If I’d know it was Isis and remembering what mom said about her, wow, there woulda been a mess in my armor.

That’s here by the way in the background on the throne. She made sure I had food, some really good wine. Took a while for the translator to kick in, but once it did she introduced herself as Isis and I was like cool… yep, we’ll go with that. I told her my name and she says, are you the wolf-born that slew the fallen one about a thousand years ago? I really wasn’t sure what to say, but knowing Isis apparently had cats that could eat me, I went with the truth. Anyway, was just grabbing more food before grabbing some sleep. Figure I’ll hunker down here until mom tracks me down, probably safer then running around with a bunch of Egyptians look like a ghost or something. I love my hair, but it doesn’t quite fit here.

Egypt, Isis’s temple, Day 2

So, woke up, had breakfast. Watched Isis deal with some…political stuff, not sure what to call it, some old lady was begging her to stop the Lord from doing something bad. Isis told her that only the Pharaoh could do that. Old bag ignored me. Once she was gone Isis and I talked and talked. Apparently, she has always wanted a daughter and was curious how my mom, the Atlantean vampire as she called her, had one. I told her she made a bargain with the spirits and rolled in the hay with my dad. She found my answer funny. Mom made her sound like this really scary sadistic vampire…but she seems nice enough. I mean I’m not human so maybe that’s it? She asked if my mother was with me, I told her she should be, but I don’t know we got separated. Isis told me I could stay as long I wanted.

But then mom shows up, mortal, using her actual face, and sweating like she’d run here. She says a few words to Isis and hurries me out and tells me we’re in the middle of the plagues of Egypt! I also met Moses and his wife, and the movie trailer, totally lied he does not have long grey hair and a beard. And his wife was nice. Moses…was asleep. Kind of worried about mom though, she isn’t usually mortal unless there is a kid involved. I hope that red bottle she used worked. Gonna sleep by her bed make sure whatever happens tonight doesn’t happen to her.

Egypt, Slave Quarters, Day 3

Zipporah or Mrs. Moses from here on out because her name is hard as hell to pronounce for me, dragged me out to help the women with the laundry and stuff today. I mean I’d rather hide and mess with my holo-tablet, but hey, when in Egypt right? Cela told me that if I wanted a real husband I would need to learn to do women’s work instead of spending my time learning how to fight. So here I am, learning women’s work. Its like all new to me. Look who my role model is? Literally was born with a sword in her hand, I mean even with out vampire powers I’m pretty sure she could end someone with a single finger, or like a pencil or something. I heard she killed someone with chopsticks once. Women’s work is not her specialty and her cooking… Just don’t and say you did. Trust me.

Was kind of surprised though, she left Lucius with me. She must be worried about something. Having a sword for a stepdad is pretty nice, at least there is an adult in the room when its only me and mom. She is still going on about irresponsibility and how she left me behind for a reason. She’s so stubborn, she totally needs me. And she refuses to acknowledge it.

Egypt, Slave Quarters – Day 4

So last night mom did this speech. I was totally blown away. She sounded like one of the worship leaders at the church we had to go to all the time for school. Never heard her sound so convincing, crazy thing is she is still mortal. I always knew she was an Empress, but that was the first time I believed it. The people were chanting the name she gave them.

Egypt, somewhere in sand? – Day 21

Been a while, Mom has been keeping me super busy and with us moving so much and camp being so tight… hard to record my journals. So what’s been happening? Sand, and more sand. Oasis here and there. I’m worried about mom, she seems… off. She has for a while, I mean she has always been a bit strange, but lately, since Miko, its like she lost that fire she had in her eyes. Her voice sounds like my mother, her face looks like my mother, but she’s not who she was. I think having to deal with Grandpa well human Grandpa again really broke something inside her. She keeps everything moving, she makes sure these people have food and water, she gives them tidbits from the bible to keep them moving. No reason she should be human right now. She’s not preggos. Had an argument with her. I thought she was doing the dirty with Aaron, but she’s not. She’s not even looking at men like that. I should have seen it sooner. Its exactly like they were teaching us in Sex Ed and Consent. Recognizing the signs of abuse victims. I don’t know what to do for her. She’s so locked up tight and I’m just her kid. I wish I could do something to help her besides just being her errand wolf-born. Oh well nosy nanny, I mean Moses’s daughter is coming, she’s cool and all, but worst room mate ever. I miss Eyre and Mitena.

Egypt, Reed Sea? Red Sea? - Day 22

Went scouting ahead and behind today, mom asked. Spirits were being rather skittish, that made mom nervous. Found some salt water. Mom says it’s the Red Sea, but when I hear the women talking, they called it the Reed sea. Not sure which it is. Its not good. Its at least ten klicks across. No boats. Worse yet the Egyptians are on our tails I should say the Demon possessed Egyptians. Mom said they would come. I was kind of on the fence, I was getting kind of bored of playing sheep dog, but there are so many. It’s a nightmare. Mom is worried, I could tell from her eyes. Every time I see her she looks more broken. Its like she’s one bad day from giving up. Mom has decided we have time to camp, but says we need to break camp early, so only cold food tonight. Still have no idea how we’re getting across the shallows as mom calls them because, like Moses is still in a coma and even if mom could do something it seems like she wouldn’t believe in herself enough to do it. I’m glad I came because she obviously needs me but I miss Miles, I miss my sisters, I even miss my damn Aunt Maria. Worse yet, that game Sam and Kat got me all excited about was going to be released about a month after we left, and its almost been two month between here and that place I won’t say ever again, and Egypt and if it is anything like last time, when Aunt Maria pulls us out it have been like fifteen minutes so I’ll have to wait a whole other month once we get back.

Egypt, Other side of the Sea, Day 23

Wow today was… insane. I think mom just got herself to number 1 on Hell’s hitlist, I mean for other reasons then she’s Lilith’s adopted daughter. Oh, I saw an Angel! It was so weird…like my brain was having trouble processing what it was seeing. It was like it wrapped in on itself. Mom always said they were 4th dimensional creatures. Mom starts talking in this crazy language the translator could not figure out. Was showing a big fat error. Had to reboot the holo-tablet and the translator.

Anyway, she reaches out her hand and there is a flash of light and this weird staff/spear thing appeared in it. Then the glowing thing happened. Here eyes were glowing blue and I blue veins appearing in her hands and the waters parted. Then this energy road showed up like it was made of rainbows. The refugees were kind of freaked out, but I urged them on, mom seemed pretty preoccupied with holding back the water. I told her she was getting more powerful, but would she listen to me? Craziest part is she’s still mortal! Maybe it was god helping her, I don’t know I heard fighting so I rushed to the back the convoy, some of the demons had caught up. There were so many. It was like five credit pizza day at Romeos. Was in half-wolf form absolutely shredding them with my claws and Lucius. Then the angel comes and tells me that the water will come soon. I call on the Desert Wind (which remembered me by the way, totally amazing right?) Next thing you know I’m going faster then a hovercar and see mom about to collapse still in the water. Scooped her up got on top of the shore.

Boom! That’s literally what it sounded like when the water slammed back together like a crack of thunder. Mom was out cold. I thought we’d one an entire Egyptian army drowned, as if we were that lucky. I mean okay so there like a thousand of them. The humans drowned, but the demon possessed ones they started to climb out of the water. I saw one of the men from the village, he fell into the lake when it was frozen and wasn’t found until middle of the summer. Never want to see that again, but these guys were close. Figure it must have been the demons corrupting the corpses more. Anyway epic fight ensues. I must have killed two hundred of them. They just kept coming up two or three at a time and I’d cut them down. Had some of the men help, but my claws and Lucius, puts a quick end to a possessed human, all the humans could do was hack their limbs off and wait for me to poke them with Lucius. Mom joined in, I thought she was gonna be out for way longer. She looked terrible, pale, sick, but she still killed fifty of them with her gun. I can’t wait until she agrees to show me how to fire one of those. Anyway, she had some knives that seemed to do the trick too and she passed them out. The Israelites lost a few men, but man we were so lucky, if they’d massed up no way we would have won without a miracle. Ugg tent mate is coming. See you see journal.

Not sure where we are, but there is Sand and its hot, Day 53

Nosy nanny has been all over me lately. She caught me watching a movie, well almost she saw the light. She basically won’t leave me alone, so basically I was like got my period gotta go sort that out. I mean I don’t like doing that but like, even I don’t them I can at least benefit from it right? So I probably only have ten minutes. Moses woke up. Mom just started crying. I have no idea what is up with that. I guess I didn’t see it, she was like a bowstring pulled to taught and its like she snapped or something. Its been forever since she parted the sea and she’s still super weak. I guess maybe she’s not as strong as I thought. Between the stress and whatever parting the Sea did to her, it just seems like she’s done. Moses says we’re supposed to escort his wife and kids home to Mrs. Moses’s dad. I don’t see how my mom can escort anyone. Also mom said she’s from Ethiopia which is on literally the opposite side of the continent we are on! Would have been nice to know before we crossed a sea and marched for like seven more! I’m starting to see why mom is mad at God.

Pi-Ramesses, Day 73

Okay, so being stuck with nosy nanny, Mrs. Moses and the two brothers, has made journaling near impossible. We’re back in the first city we were in. Mom was walking around with a full hood up. I did the same. I told mom we should stop and rest with Isis. She was like nope. We ran into a vampire, her name is Besho. She can turn into a cat! Like a black panther, I am kind of jealous. I mean wolf is cool and all but a black panther? Anyway she is much nicer then most vampires I’ve met, I mean outside of Eyre, Mitena, and Aunt Maria. And my family messed up! I mean I’m probably related to more vampires than anyone else ever. Besho stuck with us most of the night then she vanished into the sands at first light. Mom is…still not recovered. She has had to start using a walking stick to hold herself up, well I say start, but she’s been doing it since we left the group. I’m not sure if she just hurt herself that much or if she is so far gone emotionally, she is just letting herself go.

Sudan? Day 95

When nosy nanny was sleeping I found the world map we used last time were in Egypt, I think we’re in what would be called the Sudan in the 21st century, where mom is from. Took a snap with my holo-tablet and based on the map and stuff, I’m pretty sure we’re like halfway between Egypt and where Mrs. Moses is from. Mom hasn’t said more than two words in a row for the last week. She just walks with her hood up and hand wrapped around the walking stick. She’s been wearing more traditional desert clothing over her Atlantean armor. I think its too hot for her. Glad I’m wolf-born, tend to be fine in all temperatures we’ve run across. Sure glad we’re here and not out on that glacier again, don’t ever want to be that cold again. Mom is just lost now. I try to talk to her but she just gives me one word answers. Mrs. Moses seems concerned too. I miss the fire in mom’s eyes. I’m starting to lose hope myself.

Ethiopia? Day 132

Mrs. Moses is telling me we’re about a day’s walk from her home. Nosy Nanny has been poking in mom’s pack since I started carrying it. She’s only seeing the fruit and waterskins I’ve put in there. I think she might have seen me pulling out other stuff or something. This is literally the first moment I’ve had free of her in like a month. Nosy Nanny is talking everyone’s ear off about her grandfather who is a prince. I mean, I don’t mind her but I need space! I’ve pondered hopping into the spirit realm for some peace and quiet but have no idea how I’d explain that, also, need to keep an eye on mom. She has completely stopped talking. She just walks, or sits staring into space. I wish I could read her mind. She’s also still mortal. I think its permanent this time. I also think she’s doing this to herself. Like a punishment or something. She’s been keeping her hands covered, but I saw blue veins in them just like the black ones from when she killed those vampires. I think she’s not healing fully because she’s still mortal. Mom, come back to me!