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Yes, filling forms is not what I expected. I still want to join Mars to full fill my sense of belonging.

Overruled, both fo you.

[Isaac at the Pillory]

Isaac at the Pillory

The next day, at the town square, a huge crowd had gathered. Word had it that a public flogging would take place, and there were few things the bloodthirsty people of Vale enjoyed more.

A cart rumbled into the square. On it, bound tightly with ropes and chains, was poor Isaac. He did not struggle as he was led toward the central pillory.

Nor did he make a sound when soldiers stripped him to the waist and fastened him securely to the wheel in front of the crowd.

A man stepped up to the platform carrying a long whip of knotted leather. He rolled up his sleeves and flexed his muscles.

An hourglass filled with sand was turned over, indicating that the performance would begin.

The wheel began to turn, but the hunchback did not yet understand. As the first lash cut into his back, Isaac's eye opened with pain.

The flogging got harder and harder until blood poured down the poor hunchback's sides. The crowd howled and laughed, taunting Isaac. Stones and rotting food were thrown at him, too.

Isaac struggled with his bonds but could not escape. The mob cheered to see him struggle and fail. Though he could not hear them, Isaac saw the hate on their faces.

Suddenly he stopped struggling. Something had caught his eye, and he stared across the heads of the jeering crowd.

It was Ivan, his adoptive father and master! He must have come to put an end to his son's terrible suffering. Isaac was relieved to see him.

But, after looking on for a few moments, the archdeacon urged his horse to walk on. Turning his back on Isaac, he abandoned him to the crowd.

The light of hope in Isaac's eye disappeared. He cried out in pain, and begged the crowd for a drink of water.
"Water! Please! Water!" cried Isaac.

Jenna stepped forward and held a flask to the hunchback's mouth. The crowd went silent. In gratitude, he tried to kiss the Gypsy's hand. But the girl pulled away, frightened.

Suddenly, from the barred window of a cell nearby, a terrible screech was heard. Curse aimed at the Gypsy pierced the silence.

You cheat!

Very funny.

It's okay, as long as I'm being welcomed with open arms and not rotten vegetables, I'm okay.

Thanks.

[The Kingdom of Vagabonds]

The Kingdom of Vagabonds

Felix's day was going from bad to worse. He lied bruised and freezing in a sticking gutter.

Dragging himself to his feet, he saw a light a short distance away. He hoped he would find food and warmth there.

As he approached, he found the path littered with beggars, vagrants, and cripples begging for money. He tried to ignore them and continue to where the light was coming from, but it seemed they had other ideas.

As he pushed past, they started to chase after him, throwing aside their crutches and sticks! Felix was herded into a large hall filled with beggars and cripples where a large fire blazed, the infamous Court of Miracles!

Felix found himself in front of a man seated on a barrel. It was none other than the beggar who interrupted his play, Piers! All around the hall, the city's lowlifes were drinking, dancing, and making merry.
"Welcome to my court." welcomed Piers.

Here the old man was not a beggar, but a king, the King of Vagabonds! Piers told Felix that he must pay a fine for entering his kingdom uninvited, or be hanged!
"What is it to be?" asked Piers.

When Felix said that he doesn't have a single coin upon him, Piers told him that there was only one way to save his life, to join their gang, but first he had to pass a test.
"You must prove yourself." stated Piers.

They hung up a gown covered in bells. Felix had to climb a stool, reach into the pocket, and take a purse from it without making the bells sound.
"Can you pick a pocket?" asked Piers.

He failed miserably. The crowd went wild with excitement, and poor Felix was pale with fear as the "executioner" fixed a noose around his neck.

However, King Piers offered him a final chance to be saved. It was a vagabond custom, he said, that a man can be spared from hanging if someone from hanging if someone in the room agrees to marry him.
"Wed a wench, or it's the rope for you!" stated Piers.

Things were not looking good for Felix until, at the last minute, the crowd parted and Jenna stepped forward. She was willing to be wed to the condemned man, he was saved!
"I'll take him." stated Jenna.

Good.

EH!?!

I just died a bit inside.

[Kidnap and Rescue]

Kidnap and Rescue

Back in the present, the crowds from the Fool's parade had gone home to bed. It was a cold night and Jenna was making her way home with Fizz.

She was being followed by Felix. He was curious to see where she lived. Hearing a noise behind her, Jenna peered back into the darkness.

All she could see were shadows in the dim street. She turned quickly into a side road.

Suddenly, Felix heard a scream from the alley into which she had stepped. He ran after her, no longer worried about being seen.
"Help! Help me!" screamed Jenna.

Felix saw two men struggling with Jenna. One was the hunchback who lived in Sol Sanctum. The other wore a hooded cloak.

Before Felix could do anything, Isaac stepped forward and swung his great arms at him. The blow sent Felix flying.

Felix saw the hunchback pick up the Gypsy girl as though she weighed nothing and set off down the alleyway with her.
"Murder! Murder!" exclaimed Felix.
"Help me!" screamed Jenna.

But Isaac did not get far. Blocking his path was a soldier on horseback. Confused, the hunchback halted and the soldier seized the girl from him.

Isaac rushed forward, trying to grab the girl from the soldier on horseback, but was immediately surrounded by more heavily armed soldiers.

Isaac was seized and, although he struggled violently, the soldiers overpowered him and he was soon bound tightly by rope.

The Gypsy and the soldier stared deeply into each other's eyes. The man introduced himself as Captain Garet.
"At your service, my beauty." greeted Garet.

Jenna blushed and thanked the captain, before sliding from the saddle and disappearing into the night.
"Thank you." thanked Jenna.

Gee, thanks.

Have they found God?  Interesting video title.

No, they haven't, but they have given him a new name.  "Singularity".

Then why confuse the simple folk?

This isn't about reality. This is about the mythology.

We will not be using that unscientific fiddle faddle.

Yes, the werewolf. Being of Irish ancestry my grampa told stories of werewolves that were told by my great great grampa. Apparently werewolves took complete wolf form, I've looked this up and this is a true part of werewolf mythology, which begs the question of how the half-man half-wolf appearance came to be, and that the transformation was permanent and that they would seek out every member of a bloodline to make them werewolves. Again, some things that is not a part of modern werewolf mythology. Also silver did not affect them, Universal's "The Wolf Man", made in 1941 added that part.

Now that I've covered the basics, I think it is time we now discuss how the modern parts of the mythology came to be, overshadowing the original mythology.

It's prbably just too confusing for me.

Well, I started with what you said of us being made of light. Then I applied the basic knowledge that we are capable of both good and evil.

We're made out of good light and evil light.

Religion is little more but mythology. We are creatures of flesh and blood, not what a storybook says. Flesh and blood is all that we are, it is all that we were, it is all that we will be.

Actually, my philosophy is that we are what we. I don't like either science or religion/mythology but I'll choose the most logical one.