Chapter Ten- Scapegoat

Mahad felt angry and dark as he retired to his room. He left his door open slightly, thinking of taking a run around the training hall. He shifted forms and reared up to see his reflection. His eyes weren't glowing but instead of brown or gold, they were red and the only jewelry he had was the band which now served as a conduit for his magic instead of a cursed object. He bared a wolf's grin at how he looked when his nose twitched. He smelled a human near his door!

He growled and snapped out the sleep spell. He heard a body crumple to the floor. He went to the door and pushed it open to see Mana's sleeping body. Why was she outside my door? he wondered.

"She's suspicious of you. She knows your secret and she was probably on the way to tell the pharaoh. You must silence her!"

"I will. I'll use her to lift Atem's security measures."

"What are you planning?" The shadows sounded intrigued.

"I'll tell you." Mahad took human form and scooped up his student. "I'll place her in the dungeon for now. At dawn, I will put her back to sleep, bring her into the city, and change her into a wolf. She will act like I do during the full moon but because she's not a werewolf, the guards will be able to kill her easily."

"Ah. A scapegoat."

"Precisely. When she's killed, she won't take human form as I would as it's my magic that changes her." He opened a cell, put Mana in it, and locked her in before returning to his room. He now saw no reason to take wolf form as Mana's death will lift the patrolling pair Atem had ordered. I will wait one or two days after Mana's death before I proceed to my takeover plan.

The sound of footsteps brought Mana to her feet ad up to the door. She had awakened to find herself in the dungeons and wondered why she was in a cell. She had called out when she first woke up, but no one came. She eventually sat quietly and lightly dozed. Now, she was going to be freed and learn who had put her down here. Afterwards, she would go to Atem and tell him what she saw last night.

Mahad came into view and she backed up to the far wall when he came to the door. He looked at her coldly and with no pity. "You saw me change," he stated flatly.

She nodded. "How did you become a werewolf? How could you kill people?"

"The shadows possessed a man in order to enter my body so I can serve them as I am a magically strong person. They placed a band on me to curse me as a werewolf." He exposed the band. "I had no control of myself during the full moon and had felt guilt during the first two nights. The morning after the third night, however, I felt pleased with the deaths I caused."

"No," she whispered in horror.

"Yes," he countered. "I have given in to the darkness within me and have sworn to serve the shadows. They have rewarded me by allowing me to change whenever I want. I am in control outside the full moon and I enjoy killing. You learning my secret is unfortunate but it'll help in my ultimate plan: I will kill the pharaoh and the sacred court and become a pharaoh of darkness!"

"No!" Mana screamed.

Mahad barked a laugh before casting the sleep spell. Mana fell asleep as Mahad opened the door, scooped her up, and carried her out into the city. He selected a deserted spot that nonetheless would be searched. He laid her face-down, touched her head, and silently cast his spell. There was a flash and a muscular black wolf laid in Mana's place. He held his hand over the head and poured a small amount of darkness and shadows into her mind so that she would feel compelled to kill if she woke up. He left her there and returned to the palace. He wondered if she would be killed before or after she had killed.

He entered the Throne Room to join the priests and await Atem's arrival. The pharaoh entered with Siamun behind him. Once he was seated, Atem said, "Mahad, how are patrols going?"

Mahad knelt. "They are searching in pairs as ordered. The dawn unit is on duty and will switch off when the sun is at mid-point. It is hopeful that no deaths will occur-,"

The doors burst open, cutting off Mahad's report. Everyone turned to see two guards dragging a bound figure. "My pharaoh," said one guard excitedly. "We have captured and killed the werewolf." He stepped aside to reveal a bound black wolf with a spear in the area of the heart. A second spear was buried in the head.

Atem was flabbergasted. "How did you do it? Werewolves are very fast."

"It was…it was asleep, my pharaoh."

Atem nodded. "Well done. Please burn the body to insure our troubles are over."

"Yes, my pharaoh." The guards hauled the corpse out of the room.

Atem returned to business. "Well, now that the wolf is gone, patrol pairs will not be necessary. Security can return to normal."

"My pharaoh, security must not be relaxed," Isis spoke up. "Darkness and death still hangs over us."

Atem had never felt so frustrated in his life. He kept fighting to battle back the darkness but it continued to hover over the land. Well, at least the werewolf is dead.

Mahad smirked as he withdrew into a meditative state in his Spirit Temple. He had succeeded in keeping his secret. Yes, he had to sacrifice Mana to keep it so, but honestly it was her own fault. If she hadn't been suspicious, she would still be alive. Her death, however, served a purpose. Atem relaxed his security measures despite Isis' warning. He suspected Atem's frustration at trying to defeat the darkness is what prompted his decision. The darkness and shadows he had placed in Mana's mind returned to him as her body was being burned. He was fortunate that he was in his temple when that happened as the returned power caused his body to be outlined in darkness and his eyes were nothing but shadow-filled orbs. He reveled in the surge he felt. He felt himself becoming darker and more evil from it.

"You are as dark as a human can be."

"I can't go any further?" Mahad was disappointed. He desired to become darker.

"In your current form, yes. You've hit your limit. However, your darkness tells us that you're surrendered to it."

"I have and I've surrendered to the werewolf gift. I've come to appreciate both."

"That is good. Then we shall reward you further. We bestow upon you immortality. You will remain the age you are now and your body will be eternally healthy. Furthermore, your werewolf weaknesses no longer affect you."

"I'm immortal now? I'll never die?"

"As long as you continue to serve us even after you become pharaoh."

"Yes. I will always serve you. I am grateful that you chose me."

"As you should be, Mahad. Now head into the city, transform, and do as you please. Remember, you can't die."

"As you command." Mahad came out of his meditation, left his temple to a clear, starry night, left the palace grounds, and once in a dark alley became the black werewolf again. He stood there for a time, letting his mind shift into a wolf mind that he controlled but also heeded to its instincts.

He inhaled and enjoyed the sharp sense of smell he had. His ears turned this way and that, taking in sounds he wouldn't have heard in human form. He flexed his clawed paws, kneading the sand beneath them. His eyes saw the night as if it was daylight and his eyes' acuity was sharper and clearer than his human eyes. My senses are superior in this form and I love it! I'm stronger, faster, vicious, and immortal. Yes, I'm immortal as a human, too but my senses are dull as a human. He shook his head as his mind urged him to hunt for food and then kill for fun. He saw no reason not to indulge. He took off through the dark and seized a child for his dinner. Once he had eaten, he then killed the child's family before attacking others. The screams of people echoed through the night, a dark crazy laugh mingling with them.