FSE

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It's been almost one month since the day I was bitten by Silver, the werewolf that gave me a new life, a better life. I personally decided to join their ranks as an apprentice to Silver and Shadow, learning their culture and ways. I have met many wolves in the tribe as well. Apparently, Knight's forest was bigger then what I had thought, and many other werewolf tribes lived in the forest, and elsewhere. While some are half-blooded, and can transform between man and beast at will without magic, most are full-blooded, and can only return to a human with magic, enchantments, or potions.

Knight, my best friend, also decided to join the ranks of the pack, but only as a half-blood. He wanted to be able to visit his parents in his normal form, and home whenever he felt the urge to return. I wrote my parents a note saying I would be gone for the "Training of my life" at an expensive highschool that I got accepted into. With my grades never faulting, it was a buyable excuse.

Training with Silver and Shadow consisted of swordplay, spell weaving, and spell casting. Even though werewolf's claws were as sharp, and deadly as any other sword, the claws lacked accuracy, and were too short to pierce anything, but the naked flesh. Most werewolves wear armor when going into battle, and werewolves didn't believe in using guns. The tribes wished to disconnect themselves with "human innovations."Silver's favorite weapon is the scythe, but whenever I asked Shadow, he would always say,

"Why work with weapons when magic can be a simpler way of getting rid of the enemy easier? Plus their ashes make good fertilizer for the ground, Mark."

I still can't tell if he is joking. I still ask him every now, and then to get a real straight forward answer, but still only Shadow's "wisdom."

After swordplay for an hour or two, we take a break by working on mental energies, and converting the energy into magic. I practice with the oldest of werewolf elders who lives deep in the forest. Silver always says in a calm tone whenever I am stubborn to reassure me why I am going to him by saying, "The elder has seen many things which he is always eager to pass on to the younger generations. Treat him with respect and dignity."

Whenever I felt curiosity probing the back of my brain, I would ask Silver ridiculous questions at dinner. For example,

"How long can a werewolf stand on its toes?"

"Do werewolves' brush their teeth...err I mean fangs?"

"Can a werewolf howl while upside down?"

Usually when I bombard Shadow with the questions, he laughs, and walks off, leaving me in my own questioning state.

I opened my eyes in the straw hut I laid in, the warm bed snuggled with my fur, and I stretched. "A new day." I mumbled as light poured in like a waterfall through the window in the hut. I yawned loudly, and looked around the hut I was in. The interior was of simple design, and all the needed essentials were neatly discarded around the room. A katana was wedged in the corner, and was put inside of its case. The sword's case was completely black with a golden ribbon that was tied around the blade's grip. A note was floating lifelessly by the case, not disturbed by the environment around it.

The bed creaked as I moved upright, and stood on my two legs. I grabbed the katana, and felt he smoothness of the sword. It was of excellent craftsmen ship, and I unsheathed the blade. The blade smoothly came out of the case, and its light weight gave me the impression that I was holding a feather.

I opened up the note, and in well scribbled ink, the note read,

"Meet me near the dream pool. I wish to test out the new weapon the blacksmith's created during the last full moon."

Sincerely, Silver.

Then I remembered something from Silver's lessons during the spars. Werewolf blacksmiths only crafted weapons under the full moon to allow the moon's blessings upon the blades. The lore says that is what gives the blade the tint of preference. Each tribe has a tent that they make the blades appear as. When I thought of this, I unsheathed the blade once more, and noticed that when the sun's glare hit the blade, it had a tint of the brightest silver. Our tribe's blade tint was silver.

The blade tints depend on different circumstances. One circumstance is whatever the color of the moon is whenever it is full. Red tints happen more often when the moon is red, blue when the moon is blue, and so on.

I decided to sheath the blade once more, and continue on my way to spar with Silver. I took a belt from nearby, and tied the katana to my waist where it hung loosely and out of the way until I needed it. I walked out the hut to be warmed by the bright sunlight that warmed my fur. Contrary to popular belief, werewolves do not appear at full moon. Half-bloods prefer to keep the tradition flowing, so most only transform during full moons to keep human's facts about werewolves true. Otherwise, the fact that werewolves only come out during full moon, is false.

Many werewolves greeted me, and said hello. I grew accustomed to most of their names, and could tell them by their muzzle. One elderly female werewolf walked up to me, and said in a very sweet voice, "My, I remember when you were still learning the ropes, pup." She reached out a paw, and ruffled my head like a human would to a pet animal.

The elderly werewolf's name was Betty, and she lived in the forest for two hundred years. Since she was the only one who welcomed me the sweetest, I nicknamed her "Grandma Betty," but I decided that would be too embarrassing to say to the public so I kept the nickname to myself. Even though she looks old, she can still fight the toughest people of the tribe, and spars with them often.

I grinned as she ruffled my dark orange fur on my head, and I pawed her hand away playfully. Then Betty noticed the katana, and gave me a stern look, looking into my white eyes with her intense green eyes. Her eyes could carry on a conversation with just a look.

They've seen so much.

"Now don't be getting into any trouble, pup." She said jokingly while nudging my arm gently. "I don't want to have to clean up the mess."

I grinned at her comment, and she smiled. Then I heard a younger werewolf speak from up above the tree.

"He couldn't even hurt a fly, much less hit it."

My cheeks flushed a red color, and anger boiled within me. Even though I was a werewolf now, my pride still took a hit. I looked up to the tree to see a half-blood werewolf in her human form. A black tail flourished out of her lower back, and curled slightly upward. Her black hair flowed beautifully downward. Just like her tail, her hair was curled as well, and her lips were red as a raspberry in blooming season. She wore a long black leather coat, and short black pants that came down to the knee caps. She was only a half-blood, but something didn't feel right about her. Perhaps it was her aura?

She gave me a rather evil snicker, and looked me up, and down like I was a piece of meat she found on the floor.

Then I saw why I had a bad instinct about her. A silver dagger gleamed in the sunlight that was connected to a leather belt on her waist. I was about to speak, but before I let the words run out of my mouth, Betty held up a paw to signal to me that she wanted to speak first.

"And who might you be young half-blood?"

The black-haired werewolf's snicker was instantly replaced with an evil smile. I looked around the village to see that everyone was watching what would unfold, and hanging onto every word that was said.

"None of your concern, wise one." She said this in a formal tone, but with a hint of venom behind her voice. Even if the elder werewolf you had no relations to came up to speak with you, you would always end the first sentence you say with the ending "wise one" to indicate power.

At these words, the half-blood snickered, and took out her dagger to examine the edge. The half-blood then pointed the dagger at us, and said, "I have a bone to...pick with your second in command Silver. Where can I find him...degenerate?" She then gave a slight head tilt, and a wicked smile to show off her pointed fangs.

I realized that she didn't mean the elder werewolf standing by me. She meant me. And all the anger of all my emotions rushed into my body. I imagined the half-blood kneeling before me, apologizing for her acts of wickedness.

But instead of jumping into the tree to destroy her, I sighed deeply, forcing myself to give her a smile. Although it was strained, and showed that I was not enjoying myself at all, I bucked up all the "happy thoughts" in the world to tell her calmly where Silver was.

"He is by the dream pool that is within the forest. I was going to spar with him, but it seems he has to attend to your needs first." I then mumbled "Oh mighty queen" under my breath in a sarcastic tone. Betty and a few villagers must have heard me because I saw a few grins out of the corner of my eye.

"Ahh. That is a good turn of events that you were to spar with him. Why don't you show me where to go in the forest? I do not wish to get lost inside this dreadful place you call home." The half-blood said in a relaxed tone as if she was not even stunned by my calmness. I did hear a hint of surprise in her words though.

I gulped. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped with that...witch for however long it takes to walk to the dream pool. But due to the fact it would be rude to not accept, I told her politely I would follow.

The village that was watching the events unfold was now back to work as usual. Some werewolves had a sour look on their face like they just ate a very bad piece of candy. Others had looks of anger, and some shot looks of pure venom when the half-blooded woman walked by. I wouldn't blame them. The way she insulted the tribe's way of life, it was a direct stab at the tribe's pride itself.

Betty gave me a look that said, "I feel your pain. Hang in there." And she nodded as I walked by with the half-blood at my side.

Then the half-blood turned around, and I felt her long black hair hit my face softly. Although she had a terrible personality, her looks were charming. She then said in a dignified tone so everyone could here, "And just in case you decided to follow me..."

The dagger she was holding was turned in a blur as the half-blood cut herself gently across her palm. The small insertion leaked a trickle of blood, but was quickly healed by magic that the half-blood said. The blood glowed red hot, and a circle appeared around each small blood puddle. In a half of a second, two muscular lizard men took the place of the small blood puddles, each holding weapons to block the small path that we were taking.

To keep werewolves from even setting their paws on the trail, the half-blood mumbled a few choice words, and when we walked onto the entrance of the trail, trees and brush closed in around the entrance to prevent anything big, or small, from entering.

Then an enchantment was put onto the brush to prevent any spells that could morph the blockade of plants. The tow lizards that were summoned from the half-blood's blood were commanded to guard the blockade, and the lizards were to keep anyone or anything from following us into the forest. Thus, they stayed, and kept watch on the villagers. I led the path on the trail, and the half-blood followed close by.

Deciding this would be the best time to ask her questions, I asked the mysterious half-blood where she was from, and what tribe. She replied, "I am from elsewhere, and a different forest that is not near all these annoying humans. Our tribe believes interaction with these creatures is a curse for our well-being. Silver and I are allies...for now, and are going to talk about the topic of werewolf hunters. You do not need to know anymore than that for now, pup."

I decided to just enjoy the silence of the forest, and listen to the wildlife interact with each other. The forest was so peaceful during the morning, and now was the best time to listen into the chatter of nature. Then I decided to end the silence by bucking up the courage to ask the girl half-blood a question.

"What is your name?"

The girl stopped walking, and gave me a rather evil grin, showing off her pointed fangs. "You can call me Darkclaw." Then she started to walk ahead of me.

"I can find my way from here. You have proven useful thus far. Now go do something then bother me, and Silver while we have our...chat. Begone." She said very hastily, and in a rude tone.

I felt anger swelling once more, but decided to do something that might cost me my life. I bowed, mocking her. I glanced up during my bow to see her almost on the point of laughter. She then could not control herself anymore, and started to laugh loudly. The laughter was loud enough to scare the birds away, and her laughter was beautiful, almost soothing as much as I hate to say.

"You have guts, pup. That's all I can say."

I heard a sound of paws being pushed upward, and was surprised by Darkclaw's amazing speed. She now was leaping from tree to tree, going into the right direction of the dream pool where I was first turned into a werewolf.

I decided it was best to find a relaxing pool to practice spell casting in since the spar with Silver was postponed. I walked back to the village, and saw that the two lizard-men guards disappeared, and the brush and branches of the trees were returned to normal. I was astonished by how everything was just changed back to normal. I guess Darkclaw didn't wish for her guards to stay, and the guards were probably summoned back to who knows where.

I continued walking through the forest until I finally made it to my destination. The crystal clear water of the small pool shifted right, and left in the quiet winds that were blowing from the north. I decided to lay the katana that was around my waist against a tree that was near the spring just in case I needed it.

I slowly stuck a paw inside the pool to inspect its temperature, and realized it was not to hot nor cold. A shiver ran down my spine as I plunged into the pool, letting the water soak over my body. Although the pool looked shallow from a distance, it was deep enough to swim, but shallow enough to stand.

After swimming around in the pool for awhile, I decided to stand upright, and practice spells that required little concentration. I looked deep into my mind, but I could not pick up the energy I was looking for to cast the spell. What the hell is going wrong?

Then I heard a shuffle near the bushes, and I looked over to my katana. I ran out of the pool, and grabbed the blade, unsheathing the weapon. The smooth blade came out easily, and the silver tint of the tribe's insignia glowed with perfection. Whatever was behind the bush, it's going to have to put up a fight. I jumped into the push, and jumped high over the top to see an elderly werewolf. The werewolf was a midnight blue with a white muzzle and paws. He had a smug look on his face when he saw me jump over the bushes.

"Not so fast, young one."

The werewolf stuck out his index claw, and put it on the katana, stopping me in mid-air. It felt like a force was holding me upwards. I didn't even touch the werewolf. Then the werewolf made a flicking motion with his claw like he was flicking a fly away. I heard a click, and next thing I know, it was like I was hit by a train. I flew backwards back into the pool, and a loud splash could be heard across the forest.

"I thought I trained you better than that. Tsk tsk to trying to kill an old man that masters in magic." The werewolf said grinning as he walked over to the pool that I was tossed into.

I finally hit the surface of the pool while coughing up water. "Thanks for that. Sorry, I thought you were...someone else, wise one." I said apologetically with a hint of sarcasm.

"Ahh, and who might this "someone else" be?" My master said in reply curiously.

I told him an excuse that I thought that wildlife from around the forest would attack me. Although werewolves have good connections with the feral life, the wildlife does not take kindly to werewolves praying on them instead of humans. Some animals attack werewolves on sight if they even come near them which are the one that most werewolves pray on, while others stay allied with the werewolves to keep a good relationship. Contrary to popular belief, werewolves do not need humans to survive, although there are werewolf cults that still eat humans to survive instead of animals.

"I see. So what other things happened in the day?" The elder asked in a respectful tone.

I told him all about Darkclaw, and how she approached me. He nodded in all the right points, and commented on how rude other tribes can be to pups like me. A pup is a term for a human that has just been bitten, and added to a new tribe. It can be used in an honor tone, or a disrespectful tone. News spreads fast, and the connection with different tribes is strong, so most werewolves know what human has been added to what tribe quickly.

When I mentioned the summoning of the lizard-men by the use of blood, the elder wolf stopped me by holding up a paw. "Do you remember where the energy of spells is gained from?" He asked in a questioning tone.

I shrugged, thinking the question was ridiculous. "The moon of course. Same with the tint of the tribe's blade."

"Precisely. Now let me teach you about blood summoning. When a werewolf's blood is poured out, and certain words are said, the summoned creature of the conjurer's choosing with appear. Of course, there is a catch." The wolf stopped, and cleared his throat.

"The summoned creature is then connected to your very soul."

I gasped, and was taken aback. A creature connected to your very being! That is just outrageous!

"So does that mean...if the monster dies then you could..." I said while waiting for the elder to say the sentence for me to make sure I was correct. I was putting two and two together. I started to become interested in the subject.

"You learn quickly. Yes, the conjurer could die if the creature would be killed." That is why Darkclaw summoned the creatures back to where they came from, detaching the lizard-men from her soul just in case they would be killed. The conjurer's soul can only be attached to another creature's soul if they are close by. Otherwise the link is broken." The elder said while grabbing at a nearby branch, and using magic, made the branch float in mid-air.

Then another question popped into my mind. "How many creatures can a blood-conjurer summon?"

The wolf looked at me with an inquisitive look. "That is a very good question. If all of the blood of a werewolf was poured out, and the conjurer said a certain spell to summon creatures, then twenty of some of the most devious monsters would be summoned. Since the werewolf would be dead though, the soul link would have already been severed, thus making the creatures dead since there is no link."

I nodded, letting the information sink in. Knowing how many spell types were around here, blood-summoning and using the moons power to get energy are probably just a slice of how many ways you can cast magic.

"Alright, now to a brighter subject, have you practiced making orbs of light yet?" The elder said while hurling the stick he was levitating into a nearby tree. It struck the tree like a throwing knife.

I took a deep breath, and concentrated. I held out my paw, and said the chant for the orb of light.

"Oh moon, give me your power and your might."

"So I can look in dark places, and see the light."

A buzz of energy turned on in the back of my conscious which meant I captured energy to use the spell. I focused on the image of an orb of light raising out of my palm, and sure enough when I opened my eyes, there was a small orb about the size of my paw levitating above my hand. It casted light across the forest and the artificial light reflected off the pool. I decided it was enough practice with light, so I cut the rope between the energy of the moon, and my mind which made the orb disappear.

"Bravo pup! I am impressed. It takes awhile to master the arcane, but you seem like you are a natural. Course, your sword fighting needs a...bit more practice." The elder said grinning.

I then felt a wave of fatigue hit me. Although the moon's energy is bountiful, a spell requires mental energy as well. I walked over to the dream pool, and stepped into the crystal clear water once more. When I set foot into the pool, all my fatigue faded away, and I felt like I was woken once more.

The elder decided to jump into the pool as well, and when he did, he splashed water everywhere. Although the elder is old, he still has the physical ability to run miles without stopping, and can still do pushups, but his eyes tell a tale of wisdom, and have seen much. He may be old, but he is in excellent physical shape.

After talking with the elder, and swimming in the pool, I had another question for him. "I never got your name in all the days I have been training with you. Do you mind telling me?"

The elder gave a nod, and said, "I suppose you should know. My name is John Renold, but most people just call me Blue because of my fur color. Interesting choice of names isn't it?" Blue said while giving a smile that showed his fangs.

I grinned back. For once in my life, it was nice to relax. Until Knight yelled from a tree, breaking the moment of tranquility.

"Guys, we have a problem!"

Knight jumped from the tree, already half transformed into his full werewolf form. His hands and feet were being turned in paws, while white fur started to form all across his chest, ripping the shirt he was wearing. His pants and underwear were already ripped, but fur covered up most of the unmentionables. Knight's tail, ears, and fangs are already their whenever he is in half-blood transformation. Knight's nose changed into a muzzle right before our eyes, and his snout was just forming.

"There are werewolf hunters coming! They seem to have known where we live for a while, but were waiting for a chance to strike because they brought reinforcements!" Knight said urgently, while I ran, and grabbed my katana that was up against the tree still.

Blue was busy digesting the information that Knight was giving to him, and said calmly, "It seems your lady friend, Mark, was trying to warn Silver about the threat."

I was too stubborn to accept that women's help after what she said, so I shot back, "Or she could be a trap!"

Blue put up a paw for silence, and said sternly, "It could be a trap, but what we need to concentrate on is getting to Silver. He is our only lead on what is going on, and not Darkclaw because we cannot trust her yet. We should go together just in case we run into trouble."

Knight and I agreed with Blue, and I looked over to see Knight full transformed, and ready for anything to come his way. Whatever was about to happen, it was not going to be for the best. I looked up at the trees to see werewolves of our tribe hopping from tree to tree. Some were in the stage of transforming, while others were charging towards the main village. It seems news is spreading fast about the events.

Something is bound to happen.