I emerged to bright sunlight that made me blink and shield my eyes, as I adjusted, I looked around me, I was on a vegetation covered hill, the plants were mainly short, scraggy, thorny little things, designed to survive the hot dry summers, but around them other plants had started to grow, seasonal plants with broad leaves and buds for flowers. Beneath me the city of Ceuta sprawled, basking in the summer sun, surrounded on two sides by water, probably three, I could not see the other end of the peninsula, but I assumed there was sea beyond it, it being a peninsula and all.

I hopped onto my broom, and took off, heading north, my broom is slightly different to most other brooms, it had started out as a normal broom. But, I had redesigned the spells that made it work, so it was a lot faster than normal, 'if it works as well as it should, I should reach Madrid by nightfall, if I do not get lost.'

Spain is probably a very interesting and beautiful place to visit, but it is not exactly the most interesting sight to fly over, it was mainly just rolling fields, broken up by the occasional woodland, mountain or small urban area, it was rather difficult to tell where I was, I had managed to make the short crossing over the Straits of Gibraltar without any interference, and continued my way north, I began to get nervous as I watched the sun go down, I was still in Spain, but I was getting tired and hungry, I would have to land soon, the only question was where.

My decision was made for me when I saw a large glittering city appear on the horizon, relieved, I landed in a small thicket of trees, and hid my broom, I left a tracking charm and a muggle repelling charm to try and prevent a curious muggle from using it by mistake.

The city was rather beautiful, especially in the moonlight, it was built on several hills, with a river cutting through the middle of the city, as I walked in through the west side of the city I passed ancient buildings, I passed a sign calling the city Salamanca, I eventually found a hotel advertising vacancies. The hotel was a small, neat little building down a side street, now rather hungry, and very tired, I walked inside.

The foyer to the hotel was a smallish room, just a desk with a lamp on it, and pigeon holes, "¿Puedo ayudarle?" A voice asked in a musical Spanish accent, I turned to see an old lady, she was short, about the same height as me. Her eyes hidden behind thick glasses, and her white hair pulled up in a bun, she was wearing a black dress that trailed along the ground, and had a white shawl over her shoulders, she smiling at me cheerfully. "English?" She asked, I nodded, "can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm looking for a room for the night," she looked me up and down, "I'm travelling, I'm going back to England, and missed my train, now the next train won't leave until morning."

"So, you are, err, now in Salamanca for the night, and need, err, a place to sleep?" She said smiling, "well, I have rooms, come, I will find you one to your, err, liking," she hobbled around the counter, she picked a key out of a pigeon-hole. "Follow me," she led me out the back of the reception area, and up two flights of stairs, she stopped outside room 304, "this room," she handed me the key. "My husband is making food in the restaurant, it is across the street, my grandsons are helping him, he is a very good cook," she turned and hobbled down the stairs.

I unlocked the room and walked in, the room was quite small, with white wallpaper and a red tiled floor, the bed took up most of the room, it was a single bed, wedged in the corner under a window, at the foot was a wardrobe, there was a door to the left of the door I entered through, which led to a small bathroom. I put my bag in the wardrobe, and set about warding the room against intruders, I then took some Euros from my bag and left the room.

The restaurant across the street was half full by the time I got there, I walked past lots of people talking in Spanish, which is usually a good sign, if local people go somewhere to eat, then the food is usually good. Bustling through the crowd of tables were three boys dressed in aprons,they must have been the hotelier's grandsons, the youngest looked to be the same age as me, the oldest was in his early twenties. I sat down at an empty table, and the youngest walked over, he hand me a menu, "buenas noches y bienvenidos, ¿puedo obtener algo de beber?" He asked smiling at me. He was tall, and handsome, with sharp features, short black hair, and sparkling brown eyes.

"Um, do you speak English?" I felt really awkward, having to ask someone to speak in a different language.

He sighed dramatically, "but of course, can I, err, get you a drink," he smiled at me again.

"Just a glass of orange juice please," he nodded and walked off, I looked at the menu, which was thankfully in English as well as Spanish. When he came back with my orange juice, I ordered a seafood paella, all through my meal, the waiter kept coming over to talk to me, I was unsure if he was being polite or if he was flirting with me. It was still kind of early, and I had to plan my route for the next day, so I walked around the city, and eventually stumble across a shop selling, amongst other things, maps and compasses, so I bought an atlas, and a compass, I then returned to my room.

I spent the next couple of hours planning my route, I worked out I could reach the city of Bordeaux by lunchtime on my next day of flying, and London by nightfall, if I flew at top speed. With a serviceable plan I went to bed.

The next morning I was woken by a knocking on the door, "señorita, I must speak with you," it was the voice of the old lady, she sounded scared, I quickly disabled my wards and walked over to the door. "Oh, thank the good lord, I was scared he had taken you."

"Who?"

"The, err, Wolfman, he has been walking the city, looking for you, come, we must get you to safety."

"Slow down, who is the Wolfman?"

"The Wolfman, he is an ancient monster, he turns into a wolf under the light of the moon, but he is just as dangerous under the light of the sun, he is stronger and faster than any man. He has walked these hills since before even the err, Italians, no, the err, Romans, since the Romans got here."

"Oh great, a Werewolf," I muttered, "give me a minute," I re-entered the room, I quickly changed into clean clothes and grabbed my bag, map, and compass. I then left the room, "right then, so how do I deal with this Wolfman?"

The old woman frowned over her glasses, "you cannot, even when he is dead, he comes back, but silver hurts him, and he is scared of fire."

'Oh, so, he is a Werewolf then,' I sighed, 'great.'

I walked down the stairs, there was an old man in a wide brimmed black hat standing in the foyer, he must have been her husband. "I have done everything I can to confuse him señorita, but he will find you here eventually, you must leave, he has no friends with him as far as I can tell."

"Thank you," I said, handing them some money, "I hope this is enough to cover the cost of my room," the old man took the money, and tipped his hat.

"Good luck, and may the Lord be with you."

"Thank you," I said again, I left the old couple in their hotel, I quickly walked through the streets of Salamanca, retracing my journey from the previous night, I bought a sandwich from a shop I passed, and ate it as I left the ancient city.

I was nearly back to the thicket where I hid my broom when I heard a howl, which echoed around the countryside, I cursed and ran for the thicket, I heard the pounding of feet behind me, and suddenly I was on the ground, with a heavy weight on my back.

"I got you now," a voice growled in my ear, I felt his breath pass by my face, and cringed at the smell of putrid rotting flesh that it carried. "It has been many years since a Demigod has come to Iberia that I could feast upon, and now, here you are, and I'm so hungry. That Duende used his magic to hide you from me, but now you are away from him, and all mine. I will be well rewarded for bringing the General your head, he might even move me to richer hunting grounds. Let's have a look at you," the weight lifted from my back, and I felt myself being lifted by a massive hand on my right shoulder. The Wolfman was really tall, at least seven feet tall, he was dressed in ragged clothing, which was nicked and cut in several places, with fur protruding from the holes. His face was very doglike, his jaw and nose had protruded into something that looked like a snout, and he was covered in fur, his entire face was hairy, as was every visible part of his visible body, his fingernails had grown into sharp yellow claws. "Pretty little thing, aren't you," I cringed at the puff of putrid air that came with every word, I could see every single one of his teeth, all filed to a point, "too bad I'm going to eat you."

I winced as he squeezed my shoulder, "no, you're not," he cocked his head, I sent a blast of fire into his face, he staggered backwards, yapping in pain as his hair set on fire, he put the fires out by pushing his head into the ground.

"I'm going to kill you slowly for that little witchy girl," he ran towards me on all fours.

"Protego," he ran at full pelt straight into my magic barrier, he rebounded off of it, blood running from his broken nose, he growled again.

"I will destroy you," I sighed and pulled off my bracelet.

"Make it fast," I pressed the eye of the snake on my bracelet, transforming it into a sword, "I'm on a schedule," the Wolfman howled and swiped at me, I swung my sword, and took his right hand off at the wrist, my sword went through him with no resistance, he screeched and clutch at his stump, which was oozing a black liquid which looked like warm molasses, and turned to smoke when it touched the ground.

"How dare you come to my country, and attack me with your silver sword, I just want to eat, I'm hungry."

"Hey, you attacked me, if you want meat, talk to a butcher," he kicked at my feet, taking them out from under me, my sword was knocked from my grasp, and spun away into the grass.

"You will taste nice witch," he lunged at me, I rolled to the side and got to my feet, I was now unarmed, and facing down a one handed Wolfman, "what will you do without your sword witchy girl?" I dropped into a duelling stance, however, my wand was still in my pack, which was on my back, the Wolfman laughed at me as he circled me. "You are wandless witch, you are mine," he lunged at me, I stepped out the way, and brought my elbow down on the back of his head. He tumbled to the ground, but rolled as he landed and in one fluid motion, was back on his feet. He swiped at me with his remaining hand, I set fire to him again, he howled in pain, but continued to swipe, barely missing me as I scrambled out the way. He was forcing me further and further from my sword, "I have fought hundreds of demigods and thousands of huntsmen and swordsmen over the years, few have ever bested me, and none of them are still alive."

"Well, one of them is," I said.

"Who?" He asked, he sounded panicked.

"Me," he cocked his head and opened his mouth to laugh, "accio sword," my sword shot out of the grass and flew towards me, and impaled the Wolfman from behind.

"Oh my," he said as he looked numbly at the sword protruding from his chest, the wound slowly leaking the black liquid, "you have bested me, now I return to the pit." He stiffened, the colour draining from him, not like just his face turned pale, his hair, his eyes, his clothes, everything bleached grey, he tumbled backwards and shattered into a grey powder.

I retrieved my blade from the mound of powder that had been my adversary, returning it to a bracelet I replaced it on my wrist. Within five minutes I was flying my broom towards the Pyrenees mountains on the border with France.