Chosen Chapter 3: Under The Full Moon 7

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Duncan felt a sharp pain as he hit the ground. A bit disoriented, he looked around and found himself lying on the cold ground looking up at the clear night sky. He felt another sharp pain and looked down to see his hand had transformed into the claw of an animal, the Wendigo. He instantly realized what was going on and looked up at the full moon above him. At the same time, he noticed someone standing behind him. When he turned around, he saw Romulus staring down on him, before he disappeared in a blur.

Duncan got up and tried to see where he was. He quickly discovered he was in the park where he was infected in the first place. Another surge of pain coursed through his body as the transformation into the beast continued and through his enhanced senses, he heard a group of people nearby. He heard them talking and laughing, could smell their scent and even heard their beating hearts. Hearts he wanted to rip out. This was Romulus' plan, to have him transform in public and kill an innocent, so he would be cursed forever. Duncan tried to run, but his entire body was transforming as his clothes began to tear and fur grew on his skin. It was too late. A howl sounded through the park as the transformation completed.

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Billie ran through the dark alley searching for any trace of Craig or Jake. She heard something in the distance that sounded like scraping metal. She ran toward the sound, but suddenly something grabbed her and pulled her aside. Billie struggled, until she realized it was Jake holding her while trying to keep her quiet.

"Be quiet." Jake whispered.

"Where is he?" Billie replied.

At the same time, they heard something above them and looked up. There was a metal fire escape above them, thought it was too dark to see. Jake reached into his coat and pulled out a curved blade which he handed to Billie. He then aimed his rifle to the air as he stepped forward. Billie held the blade in front of her and followed him.

"It's over!" Jake called out. "Give up."

"Never." A growling voice sounded from the shadows above. "Either you kill me or my master will. I'll take my chances ripping out your throats."

"Who is your master?" Billie asked. "How many of you are there?"

"My master is far more powerful than me." Craig replied. "He will bring our kind to greatness. At this moment, he will make sure our pack will become even stronger."

"Oh god." Billie said as she realized what that meant. "He is after Duncan."

"Don't worry, he won't be able to find him." Jake assured her.

An animalistic laugh sounded through the alley. "Idiots!" Craig said amused. "Though you really think you can keep him hidden from us? My master is older and much more powerful than me. He can track his scent for miles."

"What does he want?" Billie asked.

"He wants to make our kind more powerful than ever. Worthy of ruling the Underworld." Craig said.

"Are you insane?" Jake called out. "Face it, you're nothing but wild animals. You killed that girl like a rabid animal and you deserve to be put down like one."

At that moment, Craig let out an angry growl and jumped down from the shadows. Jake tried to aim his rifle, but Craig was too fast and ripped it out of his hands. He then slammed Jake in the chest, causing him to fly back fall to the ground. Jake reached into his coat to grab another weapon, but Craig jumped up and landed on his chest with a claw raised to kill him. Billie quickly reacted and charged at them, but before she could raise her blade, Craig grabbed her arm and threw her against a dumpster.

Billie watched as he raised his claw to end Jake's life and noticed the blade lying a few feet away from them. She reached out her hand and used telekinesis to launch the blade of the ground and sent it flying into Craig's chest. Craig cried out in pain and transformed back into his human form as he stared at the blade in horror. At that moment, Jake grabbed a knife from his coat and stabbed Craig in the stomach, causing him to light up in a fire that reduced him to ashes. Billie quickly crawled back up and helped Jake up from the ground.

"Are you okay?" Billie asked.

"I'm fine." Jake replied as he brushed the dust of his coat. "How about you?"

"I'm okay, just a little bruised." Billie said.

Billie looked at Jake and smiled. Somehow she was relieved that he was alright. When he looked back at her, their eyes met and Billie felt something, like time stopped for a moment. However, Jake quickly adverted his gaze and picked up his weapons. Billie quickly shook off the feeling and tried to act normally.

"So what happens now?" Billie asked.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"You're a Witch Hunter, I'm a witch, my friends are witches." Billie said. "How do we know you won't be coming after us next?"

"Like I told you before, I only hunt evil." Jake said. "From what I can tell, you and your friends do some good."

"So what? We just go our separate ways?" Billie asked.

"I guess, don't expect us to become friends or allies or something." Jake replied casually. "I still don't like magic. Let's just keep our distance."

"Fine by me." Billie said offended, who the hell did this guy he think he was? He didn't seem to be such a jerk about it.

"You should go check on your friend." Jake said. "The curse should be broken, but we need to make sure this master he was talking about didn't get him after all."

"Right." Billie said.

The two of them left the alley and went back to Violet and Zach. She hoped that Violet had called Mikelle in time and that she was able to heal Zach in time. After that, they needed to make sure that Duncan was cured and was safe from this master figure. All the while, Billie felt somewhat angry and disappointed at Jake, but she wasn't going to let his judgmental attitude affect her. She didn't care about him or his stupid opinions on magic, at least, she didn't want to.

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Now fully transformed into the beast, Duncan ran across the park slipping through the trees and bushes. He followed his senses to his prey, a group young people near the edge of the park. He could smell their presence and could not wait to taste their flesh. He wanted to rip them apart and tear out their hearts. The beast wanted to hunt. He snuck up the group through the bushes, there were four them, two male and two female. He stared at them and selected his prey. He could sense the man's pulse, heard his breathing and the pumping of his heart.

He was about to launch at his target when he felt a sudden pang of pain in his chest, then a second in his stomach. He stumbled back as he felt himself grow weaker as the beast inside was dying. He stumbled back against a tree and transformed back into his human self. At first he felt weak and beaten, but as his humanity returned, he felt relieved, knowing that the curse was broken.

When he heard the group of college kids come closer, Duncan realized much to his horror that he was once again completely naked. Mortified, he quickly crawled up and started running. As he ran across the park, he heard the girls behind him scream at the naked guy and the guys yelling at him, probably thinking he was some kind of pervert or something.

When he thought he was safe, Duncan stopped and took a breath. Stranded in the middle of a public park without a stitch of clothing, he knew he had no other choice but to call Mikelle for help, this entire thing was so humiliating. He called out her name and she appeared a moment later in a column of orbs.

"Hi." Mikelle said in an amused tone as her eyes went up and down his naked body.

"Do you mind!" Duncan called out embarrassed as he quickly hid behind a tree.

"Oh, don't be a baby. You're not bad-looking, you know." Mikelle remarked. "You started working out, huh?"

"Shut up." Duncan replied in an annoyed tone. "Can you help me please?"

"Relax, I came prepared." Mikelle said as she revealed a small bag which she threw his way.

"Do you mind turning around?" Duncan asked as the bag landed in front of him.

"Fine, just hurry up." Mikelle said with a sigh.

Mikelle turned around and Duncan quickly picked up the bad and pulled out the clothes. He made sure that Mikelle wasn't peeking as he got dressed as fast as he could, but he could occasionally hear her suppressing a giggle. This entire thing had been so embarrassing and he was glad it was almost over, though he suspected that the others weren't going to let him forget soon. When he was fully dressed, he walked up to Mikelle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mikelle asked genuinely.

"I'm fine." Duncan said. "What about the others?"

"Everyone is fine." Mikelle said. "Craig, the Wendigo, nearly killed an innocent, but I managed to heal him in time and used some memory dust to make him forget. It's over."

"Not yet." Duncan said determined. "We need to get to the others. There is something we need to take care of, and we'll need the Chosen."

Mikelle extended her hand and when Duncan grabbed it, the two of them disappeared in a column of orbs. When they were gone, Romulus appeared from the shadows. He screamed in anger and slammed his claw into a tree, causing it to fall over.

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When the elevator of the penthouse opened, Romulus stepped out and threw away his cloak. He then angrily tossed a chair across the room and leaned against the table to gain control of himself. The beast struggled to break free, but he knew he was stronger than it. He would not let the beast win, he had worked too hard to get where he was. After a moment, he took a deep breath and regained himself. He then walked to the table and poured himself a drink. At that moment, he senses something behind him and turned around. Near the elevator stood Klea, the demon who served directly under the Brotherhood.

"What do you want?" Romulus asked.

"I come with a message from the others." Klea said. "They are disappointed."

"I don't care what they think." Romulus replied.

"You should." Klea warned him.

"Remember who you are talking too, I am still your superior." Romulus said. "Or has the Brotherhood decided to kick me out already?"

"They knew they took a risk by letting you join." Klea explained. "But they had faith. Faith that you now completely destroyed. The Brotherhood is done with you."

"Then they had better kill me." Romulus threatened "Or I will be coming for them."

"They won't need to kill you." Klea said. "They are optimistic the issue will resolve itself."

When the elevator beeped, Klea smiled and disappeared in a shimmer. A moment later, the elevator doors opened and Duncan stepped out with his fellow witches. Romulus took a sip of his drink and put away the glass. The witches stood next to each other and stared at him.

"How did you find this place?" Romulus asked.

"Your little smelling trick goes both ways." Duncan said. "The curse may be broken, but there is still some residue of it inside me. It should go away in a few hours, but it allowed me to track your scent here."

"I knew you would have made a good Wendigo, perhaps even better than myself." Romulus replied proudly. "And now you're here to vanquish me."

"Your apprentice killed an innocent and nearly took the life of another, not to mention what he did to Duncan." The blonde witch said. "You are responsible for all of it."

"True, I accept my responsibilities." Romulus replied. "However, I am confident that my kind will someday be more than what we are today."

"Maybe, but you won't get to see that." Duncan said. "Before we vanquish you, what else can you tell us about the Brotherhood?"

"They are a group of demons who seek strength in numbers." Romulus said. "However, loyalty is not their strong suit. You three will be on their radar now. They will stop at nothing to destroy you."

"We'll be ready." The blonde witch said.

The three witches nodded and joined hands as they started to chant a spell. Romulus felt the beast inside stirring, but he was determined not to let it out. He wanted to die as a worthy demon, not as a wild beast. He looked at Duncan and thought about what they could have achieved together if he had joined him. How the Wendigo race could have achieved glory.

"We call upon the Chosen power,

To destroy this beast within this hour.

Let flames rid us of this Wendigo,

And fire consume it from below."

Romulus screamed as fire started to surround him but still managed to contain the beast no matter how it fought. In the end, he went out with a smile, knowing that he had mastered the beast.

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The following morning, Violet woke up with a relieved feeling that this nightmare was finally over. They had vanquished the Wendigos and Duncan was safe. There was still the threat of the Brotherhood, but that was an issue for another day. Everything that had happened the last few days, had made Violet realize that she needed to tell Duncan how she felt about him. She hoped he would feel the same, but if he didn't, at least she would have spoken her mind.

After getting a shower, Violet headed to the mess hall for breakfast. She found Billie and Duncan sitting at a table near the back and sat down next to Billie.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" Violet asked when Duncan looked at her.

"Still a little weird, but I'll be fine." Duncan said. "It will take a while to get all of it out of my mind."

"I'm so glad you're safe." Violet said with a smile.

"Thanks. I'm going to get something to drink, do you want anything?" Duncan asked.

"No, I'm fine." Violet replied and Billie shook her head.

Duncan stood up and left the table. When he was out of range, Violet turned to Billie.

"I decided I am going to ask him out." Violet said happily.

"Really? Good for you." Billie said cheerfully. "I hope it will work out."

"What do you mean by that?" Violet asked nervously. "You think it won't?"

"No, that was not what I was saying." Billie replied. "I want both of you to be happy. If you're happy with each other, that's even better."

"What about you and Jake?" Violet asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Billie said resolutely. "And even if I did, there is nothing there. I need to go, good luck."

Billie grabbed her sandwich and left the table just ad Duncan came back with a glass of orange juice and sat back down. Violet decided she would ask him fast, like ripping off a bandage, quick and painless, or at least that was what she hoped.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something." Violet said.

"It's not going to be some awkward Wendigo question, right?" Duncan asked. "Billie has been bothering me with those all morning."

"No, it's something different." Violet said nervously. "I… uh… I'm just going to say it. I like you, I mean, not as a friend, well, I do like you as a friend, but I… like you more than that."

"Oh…" Duncan said with weird look on his face and Violet wished she had never said a thing. He seemed confused and there were a thousand things running through her mind.

"Violet, I don't really know how to say this." Duncan said. "I really like you as a friend, and you a great, but you and I could never work. And it's definitely not you. You see, the thing is that I am not really interested in women."

It took a few moments for Violet's brain to process his words, until the realization sunk it. "Wait, you're gay?" Violet called out a little louder than she wanted.

"I thought you knew!" Duncan quickly replied as he looked around.

"How?! you never said anything." Violet said. "You don't even act gay!"

"Not all gay people are the same." Duncan replied. "I don't really talk about. It's not like I am ashamed or anything, I just don't want it to be something that defines me. People always have these stereotypes in mind and I am just a normal guy, except that I like guys."

"You still should have told me!" Violet said, feeling a rush of conflicting emotions coming on.

"I know. I am sorry." Duncan said. "I never wanted hurt you or give you the wrong idea."

"No, it's okay." Violet said. "I just didn't see it coming. Who else knows?"

"Well, my family, obviously, although they pretend I'm not." Duncan said. "It was part of the reason I came here. Some of my friends from Magic school know and I think that Mikelle at least suspects based on some her comments now and then. So are we going to be okay? As friends?"

"Yeah, of course." Violet said. "I was just proposing a date, it was just a little crush. You're still my friend, one of my best friends in fact. This won't change that."

"Good. I was freaking out for a minute." Duncan said with a smile.

"I think my freak-out was a little bit bigger." Violet remarked.

"I guess you're right." Duncan said somewhat guilty. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Violet said. "I think I just need a moment."

Violet stood up and walked away. She felt overwhelmed with conflicting emotions such as disappointment, embarrassment and sadness. She told herself it was just a crush, but it still sucked to feel this way. As she left the mess hall, she saw Billie standing around the corner, waiting for her. Billie walked over and placed an arm around her shoulder. Violet tried to tell her what happened, but couldn't seem to get the words out. As Billie hugged her, the tears began to roll over her first heartbreak.

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The End