C h a p t e r T w o : A w a k e n i n g

Ortega jolted from the wall he was laying on. He took in ragged breaths, realizing where he was. Dead morning light shafted through the small cracks of the old castle wall. He lay his back on the wall again and let a breath out. The frayed images of his dream came back. He closed his eyes and knew what happened next in the flashback: They fought a long and hard battle, Cornell had given the final blow to Ortega that knocked him down and unconscious. Although, the last thing he saw was some of the pack chasing Cornell and that human girl into the depths of the forest. Ortega was always true to his word, He would kill Cornell, fight his real form, to the death. Ortega nodded then stood up.

Ortega began to take everything in. The walls were morbid and gray, frigid to the touch, yet somewhat...alive. Ortega shook his head 'no this can't be right. How can a castle live??' He decided to investigate this place. He walked closer, to the end of the portcullis where Gill de Rais had vanished so suddenly. He peered out; no sun to greet him, just a dark sky. There was a wrought-iron fence with tall spikes at the top. Then at the adjoining places, there were two columns of stone, one for each side. The iron continued from there going into where the castle wall was. The fence itself was a large, black, gothic design.

The dead leaves littered the ground. On the other side, Ortega could just make out the other parts of the fence and two shrubberies on either side, forming a small hallway. There was another gate at the other end.

Ortega was about to walk away when he thought he heard something calling his name. He stopped to listen to it. It sounded like one voice wispy as smoke off of a candle, but it increased in volume and he could hear thousands of voices crying out his name: Ortega! Ortega!...

It continued on and on, then he faced the portcullis and the voices said something new:

Ortega, your time has come Help the dark lord; the battle will be won But do take caution as you will see Your power will not be your destiny

Execute his tasks, they will be small If you do not, he will see to your downfall You have no choice but to agree You will put your trust in me

Your friend will fight With all of his might You must believe For you to conceive ...

The voices stopped and Ortega stood wondering as those words imprinted on his mind "You must believe for you to conceive...What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ortega didn't even think that he had said those words, for in an instant the portcullis opened. He took a step back as it did and looked again on the wrought-iron. Follow... It came again and they sounded as if they were all in an icy room that slowed their movements down.

Ortega was hesitant at first then the voice grew sharp as the winter winds. Follow!!... Ortega didn't feel like he was in his body as he made his way to the gate. All of this was very strange, but it seemed like something was normal about it like he had done it before. When he reached the gate it swung wide on its ancient, rusty hinges making a screech that was very painful to Ortega's hearing. When he was inside the small hallway of the iron on either side and another gate in front, The gate behind him was promptly and briskly shut leaving a resounding echo against the castle walls. Ortega turned briefly then looked fixedly ahead. He made his way into a small courtyard which contained a large marble fountain, a few trees, and some graves. Behind it was a large villa suitable enough for at least to have twenty people to live in it and have enough room for visitors. He walked up to the graves.

There were two next to each other; looked like they were freshly cut and placed there when he was asleep. He couldn't read the human's writing well, but with what litte he knew, he could make out a few words after learning to live with them for an entire year. The grave said this:

Here lies my beloved wife Mary, born - 1842 died - 1887 ...

Ortega couldn't read the rest although it looked like some sort of an eulogy. When he was about to read the other one, something caught his attention. The door to the villa opened so very slowly that none but a man -wolf could have heard it. He turned and faced where the sound had come from.

Follow...

Ortega seemed to be in a trance as he slowly walked up the cold, stone steps. The leaves began to dance across the ground and waltz in the air. Ortega's eyes strained to have a look past the darkness inside, but there was no benefit from doing so. He heard the wind purr across the walls, The leaves making a crackling sound jumping off the ground and swirling in the air. Ortega could smell a storm, even though it was early in the day...but he didn't know what time it was or anything. Ortega snapped back to attention to the door ahead. Ortega took a breath then entered and put his guard up. His eyes scanned each part of the main room. As he was doing so, the door was closed by the wind, now more forceful than before.

The room was nothing like Ortega had seen. Carpet clothed the floor here and there. There was a stair way that led up to the next level; forming a Y shape. He was about to advance up the stairs but then something caught his sensitive hearing. It was a scuffling sound but it was quick. He looked around to see what it was, but nothing advanced or retreated. 'Probably a mouse or a rat,' Ortega thought. He shrugged it off when the scuffling came closer up on the...wall.

Ortega looked up and what met his eyes was a most disturbing...thing of any nature he had ever seen in all of his years.