Jacob and his teammates turned in early for the night. As Jacob laid in his bed, he heard the weeping of Hellen and Calista. ‘I bet they are holding each other.’ Jacob smiled offering up a silent prayer for their happiness. Jacob and his party at different times one after another all drifted off to sleep.

Jacob opened his eyes and the world was white. He looked around, and upon himself. He was in the same clothes he had been wearing that day. There was no one around him for as far as his eyes could see, which was very far.

Jacob blinked, and suddenly Thomas and Archival were there with him. They looked around confused. When they spotted him and each other, they both asked what was going on. “I think the gods would like a word with us.” Jacob said.

Archival was the first to ask, “Then where are Hellen and Calista?” Jacob blinked once, twice, thrice. Yet they still did not appear. “Let us assume they are having a moment and that we have to wait for them.”

Jacob sat down and said, “Come Forth!” He felt his form ripple. He saw Thomas reach for his great axe reflexively only to find it wasn’t there. Archival looked on at the scene before him with awe.

An enormous set of burning Roc wings sprung from Jacobs back. With a single great beat of those mighty wings, the Roc emerged. Ridding upon the Roc’s shoulders, thus showing its awe-inspiring size were the great mother bear, and the Pheonix.

The Great Roc leaned down allowing the bear to hop down from its shoulder. The Pheonix beat its rainbow flaming wings lifting off the Roc’s shoulder. The Great Roc with its passengers disembarked beat its mighty wings once, twice, thrice. By the third beat of its wings it was already some distance into the sky of this white place.

The Roc flew off flying in an enormous circle around the those still on the ground. “Please don’t tell me we have to fight it again.” Thomas asked. Jacob laughed, “I see you are not the classic battle hungry idiot. Thomas no we don’t have to fight the Roc again.” Thomas’ face turned from one of dread to one of relief, although he still eyed the Roc wearily from time to time.

The great mother bear approached them. She nodded to Jacob before continuing onward to Thomas. When the great bear stood before him, rage began to fill his eyes. His hands turned red as well, with the occasional drip of what appeared to be blood. He was preparing for a possible fight.

As the great mother bear leaned down Jacob said, “Thomas have a little trust, you may find that things work out a little more often that way.” The red faded from Thomas’ eyes and the red hue of his hands paled for a moment.

The great mother bear grasped Thomas in her arms, holding him like he were her own child. The great mother bear gave him all her love and attention. She felt the pain and struggle within him. She knew what it was like to lose the one’s you loved.

The rage returned to Thomas’ eyes and his hands turned crimson, and his forearms. His rage seemed to consume him as the great mother bear simply held him like she would any stubborn child.

The rage within Thomas boiled over until, he wept. The crimson that covered his form turned blue, making him appear as if he had hypothermia. Thomas wept and wept. His tears falling like rain to the ground beneath him.

Thomas could hardly remember the last time he had felt the love of his mother. Her in the arms of the great mother bear, he felt that he could be weak, that he was safe from the harsh world. So, he wept.

The great mother felt it was time for him to be put back upon the ground, but when she tried Thomas clung to her chest, still weeping like a child. The great mother bear looked to Jacob for help.

Jacob approached and spoke to Thomas, “Do you want to feel comfort? Do you wish that this moment could last forever?” Thomas could not bring forth any words to bear, ha pun, but he did manage to nod. The great mother bear felt something within Thomas stir. A readiness for change. A prelude for great things to come.

The great mother bear placed a paw upon Thomas’ back looking down upon this crying child, “Then you need only speak these words.” The mother bear told him. As Thomas spoke there was a brilliant flash of light. Jacob felt the first of his totems weaken and yet at the same time, it seemed to grow stronger.

Jacob felt in his heart that this was what Thomas needed now, and so for the second time in a week, a new Totem Master was born.

Hellen and Calista arrived hand in hand. The did not seem to notice their change in surroundings. “Do you two need more time?” Jacob asked coyly with a smile. Their attentions suddenly diverted to him, and then the change in scenery.

“Where are we?” Hellen asked, then she looked over to Thomas and Archival who were engaged in a meaningful conversation. All while the rage and anguish that had suffused Thomas’ presence was replaced by one of peace. “What did we miss?” Jacob simply laughed. Then they heard loud echoing footsteps behind them.