Chapter Two

Memorial

Present day:

  “Act your best, please, General Sullivan is going to be here, he wants to discuss politics, so he says.” I said while setting the multi color memorial lamps. “Oh, so I’m the one that needs to be good?” Shiela replied with a smirk while placing the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes on the table.

  “You know what I mean sis.” I said with a smiling sigh. Shiela paused to jokingly glare at me. I playfully growled. Mom walked in while on the phone. “Yes, the preparations are almost ready. Maybe another fifteen minutes and we’ll start welcoming them.” Mom said with a stressful look on her face.

  “I’d say five!” I loudly whispered. “Make that five. No, he’s outside already, I know we have enemies. Okay, thanks, bye.” Mom said, and let out a large sigh, and sat down in the nearest chair. “Derrick?” I asked. “Yep, just being himself…” Mom retorted.

  Derrick is a seven foot tall green reptilian that works as a strict organizing agent, and occasional bodyguard. Right, I forgot to mention Reptilians earlier. Reptilians are like us, except that they are covered in scales and horns. Big lizard heads, naturally strong. Derrick was the first; he was also an experiment, like my dad.

  Me and Shiela put up the final ribbons on the doorway, while mom was rubbing her eyes, then she got up. “Alright, if we’re done with decorations, and put wine on the table, then we start letting guests in.” Mom said. “I’ll grab the wine!” Shiela said. “Damn… I’ll get the door then.” I said.

  “Don’t use that language when the guests are here, some people are offended easy.” Mom said. I gave thumbs up while walking downstairs to the front door. I was wearing a custom suit, black vest, white undershirt with black sleeves, all silk, as well as a pair of black and grey vertical striped silk pants.

  Not the most comfortable getup, but it leaves a positive impression. We had a bodyguard with a list of everyone invited, he’s a wolf. I straightened my bowtie, and then opened the door.

  “Alright, the guests can come in, everything is set up and ready!” I said. The bodyguard stood aside. “Everyone here so far checks out on the list sir.” The body guard said, in his very deep voice. I smiled in response, knowing I would get no smile in return. He was blind in one eye, looks like a guy you’d never cross.

  Many people walked by me, greeting me with handshakes and hat tipping. Last to come in was General Sullivan, in his uniform decorated with medals. “Darius Wulf, pleasure to see you.” General Sullivan said with a steady head bow. “Same to you, General. Come in, come in.” I replied.

  I kept the door open as the General walked in with his arms behind his back, and then closed the door. “You know, the setting here makes seem like a bit more of a celebration than a memorial.” The General said. “Technically, it’s a bit of both, since it’s celebrating my father’s victories, and in memorial of his disappearance.” I replied.  

  “I see. I wonder how many people he killed.” The General said. “And with those deaths, he also saved many of our lives; the majority of us standing today would have died years ago. He left quite an impact.” I replied, attempting not to sound too offended. “Indeed.” The General said, sounding as unamused as possible.  

  We reached the main room of the party, and the General poured himself a glass of red wine. Shiela walked over to me, through the crowd. “How’s the General treating you?” Shiela asked. “Like I don’t mean crap on Earth. Plus, I’d prefer a rave.” I replied.  

  “General Sullivan isn’t a very cuddly guy, sorry to break it to you.” Sheila said sarcastically. I sarcastically laughed in response. I went to grab a glass of white wine, which I would have no more than a single glass. After about twenty minutes of nothing but classical music and rich people talking to each other, General Sullivan came to talk to me again.

  “You know very well that since your father disappeared, you stand for his word. Let’s get to business. We want control of Vrajala, for human use only.” The General said with a stern and unforgiving look in his eyes. “What? That’s the third largest city in Trivas! There are too many wolves there to simply move.” I replied with shock.

   “I’m sorry, but my decision cannot be denied. The humans use to be the dominant race, and then your father came into the picture, changed everything. I lost my son to this mess; the least you can do is let our small population grow.” The General said.

  I clenched my fist, the way he talked about my father. “Is that all it’s about? Your son? Nothing is going to bring him back. And I’ll have you know that I do not tolerate insults.” I replied, unclenching my fists. “You think I don’t know that? Kind of like how your father isn’t coming back either.” The General said. I haven’t known him to get as emotionally defensive as this, or at all. 

  “My father walked into the pit, your son was impaled with a metal spear to the heart, there’s a difference. But that’s beside the point, the point is that Vrajala is a major wolf city, with only a few humans already, but I will not let you take it from hundreds of wolves, just so a bunch of humans can spoil themselves.” I replied, with a deep stare.

  “Spoil themselves? You sure are a hypocrite to say that, you have the second largest house in the country and all the money you want.” The General said. “Granted, I do have quite the living quarters, but my money, I use it in only food we need, premium gym memberships, and a healthy supply of tools for the state, not just for my personal pleasure. This conversation is over, General.” I replied.

  “You do not have th…” I cut him off. “This conversation is over, General.” I said in a strict tone. The unhappy General grunted angrily and turned around, toward the stairway. “The wine wasn’t very good anyways.” The General retorted, and then walked downstairs, and left.

  The rest of the memorial party was fun enough, but it got a little stale in my mind, just until one happy woman found something outside that made her a little less happy, something unexpected…