Edited by: tommyjl7

Shh. No talking now. Do you hear it? Can you hear this wonderful sound? It’s the sound of silence! The sound of . Oh, the oracle! Our crops don’t grow! Oh, the oracle! My daughter is sick! Oh, the oracle! Our village has been attacked by the devil who possessed one of our men!

… NOT MY FUCKING BUSINESS, SUSAN! You can go and speak with the manager!

- “Hey, Darling, are you asleep?” I heard a sweet tone from my side

- “No, Gis, I am just watching my eyelids.”

- “What?”

I groaned getting up.

- “Not anymore.” I pouted

- “You had enough of sleeping!” she showed all of her teeth in a beautiful smile

- “I am glad that you are the one deciding it.” I rolled my eyes

- “Come on. Get up. You, sir, are walking with me.” she brutally pulled me away from comfortable and warm slumber of my body.

- “What is it this time?”

It has been two days since the day I brought Johann back. Two, wonderful days where I was sleeping and doing nothing else. I earned that.

… Or actually needed that. My sense of time was still off the clock.

Yet apparently my wonderful days of rest came to an end, as a certain woman was dragging me down almost dislocating my shoulder in process.

- “Go on!” she turned me in place and started pushing me toward the door

- “You could at least tell me what I am dealing with this time…” I groaned yet again while opening the door.

And then it happened. The Armageddon. Gehenna. The gates of the Babylon were opened wide, or yet in other words – the village decided to throw a party.

They were waiting for me, the whole village gathered in front of an inn, they kept quiet until the doors were opened, the noise almost cracked my head open.

- “Our small community wished to thank you in more proper way for everything you did for us, your majesty.” Village’s Major lowered his head “…Please, accept our humble gratitude for opening our eyes, saving our village and brother Johann. Our debt will never be fully paid… but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try! The harvests were generous last year so we decided to celebrate our Festival a bit earlier… to honor your name and thanks for Aira’s generosity…”

Thanks for Aira’s generosity, you say? My-my, and here I was thinking that you wanted to thank Luxia for exactly same thing….

… Not that I am surprised. They are simple people – people that need to know that someone is looking after them. I am pretty sure that you can show them any magic trick, call it a divine blessing and they would believe you right on the spot… Even though they are fast to change their mind, even though I called them hypocrites before… I can’t bring myself to hate them. It is a nature of the weak – to gather into herds and follow the shepherd. Nothing wrong with that.

I sighed.

- “Your gratitude is appreciated, yet not required. I just did what would please the Mother.”

I tried sounding as a wise sage-hermit. Guessing by the expression of nearest villager this way of speaking was not only tolerated, but even expected.

- “Speaking about the Mother…” Mayor decided it was the right time to gain even more favorability “…In past two days we raised a small, humble altar in Her honor. The festival of harvest requires thanking the divine for their guidance, we would be honored if you would carry on the devotion service.”

Ah. I knew this day would come – I feel bad in the role of priest leading mass-rituals, even more so, as no actual rite for such occasion existed! I will have to be creative.

There is not much to be described. Villagers, after living a few nights in horror decided to unwind by throwing a party, and by building an altar and forcing me into carrying on the religious rituals Mayor convinced his people that they were not left without divine protection.

We actually had some fun, Gisele ate and drank like five adult males, so you can say that she actually was holding her urges back, while dancing Lanele, much to other damsels dismay, stole the show for herself – for as an exotic beauty there was no male that wouldn’t dance with her… Except for Johann. Actually, I rarely saw him during whole event. Every now and then when our gazes would meet he would smile shyly in my direction and thank me with polite bow of the head. He used all the time he had on spending it with Marie, and now seeing those two lovebirds I must say it – bastards look cute, especially with Marie dragging him from one corner to another, making him eat different kinds of food and participate in every festival games… and boy, he surly was bloody clumsy!

I will be honest, it was good to be someone’s reason to celebrate. Seeing this pure gratitude and joy in eyes of people that walk past you was filling me with satisfaction, which makes me understand why Gisele wants this kind of attention.

Since dawn till dusk and even longer, the fireplaces were burning till the late night and music set a pleasant mood. This situation lasted until two moons emerged in the sky. One of the moons was full.

Someone started pounding on the door to our room as me and Gisele were about to lie in bed. No, not knocking – he was doing it so furiously that hinges almost broke.

- “Which devil disturbs my peace?” I cursed like an old man

- “Don’t call evil’s name.” Gis hissed

- “Even devils tremble in my presence so fret not…” I walked toward the door and opened it. A young man breathing loudly jumped inside “… what?!”

I didn’t even try to sound nice.

- “Y-y-your majesty! Q-q-q-quickly J-j-j-johann!” Great, either something serious happened, or guy is stuttering naturally. Either way learning what happened will prove to be tricky.

- “What again?”

- “H-h-he…” he exhaled and inhaled few times trying to catch a breath “… He started acting weird again. He lies on the floor, snarls and growls…”

- “Is he violent?” I walked toward a hanger on which I put my robe. Apparently I will not rest this night either

- “Not yet.” He stopped stuttering. So it was caused by nerves…

- “Yet? You are implying he can become violent any moment now.”

- “When someone recently possessed by devils starts rolling on the floor while snarling and growling you just predict the worst to happen.” I was answered with tone as annoyed as my own. I started liking this lad.

- “Fair enough… Gisele…” I hadn’t even noticed when she dressed up “… you coming?”

- “Of course, you think I will let you have all the fun?”

The moons shined brightly on the night’s sky so we didn’t need a torch to find a way to the Johann’s house. Around it a small crowd already gathered. I had to make myself a path by striking with elbows to the sides.

As we entered the room I noticed people inside. Mayor, Lanele, Marika and Johann – the last one was pinned to the ground by four other men. Indeed. He was growling like an animal.

- “What iz… happening to me?!” Johann managed to turn his head in my direction, his eyes were filled with blood.

I appraised him once again.

- “No-fucking-way…” I groaned “… I healed his mind, but his body still remained affected.”

- “By what?!” Marie almost cried.

- “Lycanthropy.” I look at the group holding Johann “… back to the cellar with him.”

In just few moments colossal man was thrown on the lower level of hut in not-very-gently way.

- “Leave us.” I said before jumping down. Yet, my requested wasn’t respected by a certain individual.

- “I have told you – I won’t let you have all the fun for yourself.” Gis said landing next to me.

- “I waz… I waz supozed to be normal!” Johann cried. He looked at me like a scolded puppy “… my head… What iz going on?!”

Still on ground, he grabbed his head with both hands and howled in pain.

- “The devil modified your body in order to turn you into the vessel. Congratulation. You are a werewolf.”

He already started turning.

- “But… why? How? What will I do now?”

- “There is bad news and good news, which do you want to hear first?”

Johann was not in mood of picking any of the options, as his bones started snapping and reforming.

- “The bad news is that in most cases lycanthropy is very hard to be undone, and by very hard I meant that it’s almost impossible to get rid of it… The good one is that you can live a normal life with it. Either they will have to lock you down in cellar each full moon… so twice per week; or you could learn how to control it.”

- “Control? CONTROL?! IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!” Johann howled once again “… MY HEAD! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM SEEING RIGHT NOW! All… all I want to do… IS TO RIP YOUR THROAT OPEN AND DRINK FROM IT AS IF IT WAS A FOUNTAIN!”

His transformation was almost complete.

- “You are free to try, be my guest.” I decided to taunt him.

In an instant, he got up from the ground and charged at me, yet his clawed hand was stopped by mine, my nails morphed and turned into curved talons which dig deep into the flesh.

- “Impossible to control, you say?” I asked changing my body in a way that would let Johann see a monstrosity even greater than himself “… It is finally time, for you to learn, the truth, that no one wishes to tell you, because you see, the secret is that…a monster dwells within you.”