Dark Moon Brother
Part Thirteen
Whatever You Wish For
The bars were cold as only iron could be when kept so far below ground. Little light penetrated these dungeons to warm the air, much less the metal poles that made up the doorways. They were as thick as a man's arm, those bars. Elias put a hand to them, feeling, testing for spots of weakness. His actions drew a huff of annoyance from the dark corner near the stairwell.
"Will you just relax about the bars! They were built to hold trolls and ogres. They'll be plenty strong enough for you!". Elias glanced across the way, but did not bother trying to pierce the shadows to spot Wolf. His red tinged eyes gave his location away precisely.
"You don't have to be here, you know. In fact, I'd rather you weren't. The waiting's bad enough without an audience" he replied crisply, though he wasn't really annoyed. Rather, his half-wolf friend was the annoyed one, but over the past few days, as they waited for the full moon, Wolf had had plenty of time to tell Elias about those less endearing personality traits he displayed. Elias could smell the sweat and hear the small grunts and growls of Wolf right now as his body went through the changes ahead of moonrise this night. At any other time he would have been fascinated and keen to study the phenomenon, but tonight, in less than an hour, the test would come. Pass or fail. No in between. He found himself looking over at the other person who sat waiting and watching. This was the self styled 'Lady' Griselda. Of course, her name just had to be Griselda. A witches' name if ever he heard one. He had fully expected a stooped old hag with a wart on her nose, pointed hat and black cat in tow. Yet she was anything but a stereotypical Griselda. She was quite a lot younger than Elias had expected, only a few years older than Virginia. She did have black hair, long and bound with ivy leaves, but her face was warm and comely enough. No warts. She had oddly mismatched eyes, one blue, the other hazel. Griselda had worn a long black robe that first day and she had strode into his chambers with nary a sound from her pointy shoes. He had jumped up, startled from a doze, and she had given him a long measured stare which let him know in no uncertain terms that such rudeness would not be tolerated again.
"So. I am Griselda! You are the visitor, the stranger with the personal problem" she had sniffed, looking him up and down as if the nature of the problem would make itself apparent. When it did not, she merely stood there expectantly whilst he gathered his wits about him.
"Ah, umm, yes, I am Elias. Thank you for answering my summons. I truly did not expect you to arrive so speedily. Please forgive my being unprepared. It will not happen again" he had stammered, somewhat unnerved by her direct stare. She had seemed mollified by his response, for she smiled slightly and nodded her head encouragingly.
"Tell me what you wish to change about yourself"
"Ah, well, umm, you see..."
"Your secrets are safe with me, Elias. I am fully accredited in magicking in this Kingdom. There's not much that I haven't seen, nor heard. But, someone is listening to us now, though!" she had said, turning swiftly to the door and yanking it open, revealing a very innocent looking Wolf standing idly by. He gave a great flourishing bow to her and Elias could tell he was impressed. Elias had known he was there all along. He had heard the hinges creak on Wolf and Virginia's door. He laughed and beckoned his friend inside. He was truly a stranger in a strange land. He would do well to have one of the 'locals' about. He said as much to Griselda, who had hauled Wolf in by his coat and shut the door again firmly.
"Good. You are wise to do so" she said, and Elias could tell she wasn't really put out by the intrusion. Wolf snuffed her over quite openly, especially at her small bag she had tied around her waist. He stepped back finally, wrinkling his nose in distaste at whatever he smelled in the bag.
"Wolfsbane" she said innocently. "It's a herb only, Mr Elias. Not harmful, but useful. One never knows when she may find herself stranded in the woods at night! I am a maiden, after all"
"Phew! No wolf would come near you, stinking like that!" Wolf said crossly.
"Precisely! Now, to the problem at hand. Describe it, if you will"
"Well. Every full moon. Well, it's only one night of the full moon, which lasts two days and nights, as you know..."
"Yes, yes"
"Well, I turn into a wolf. Not just an ordinary wolf either. I have taken measurements from photographs I have taken of myself. I am fully three times the size of an ordinary wolf, and I can run as easily on two legs as on four. I have only limited insight into myself when I am like this, and little, if any, control over my actions"
"What are your actions?"
"I hunt. I kill. Whatever crosses my path. I gorge. I run endlessly. I howl". Griselda was silent for a long moment as she thought about what he had said. Wolf stood close by, almost protective in his stance as he watched for a negative reaction from the witch. Presently she stirred herself and came forward. She reached out, and Elias allowed her to run her hands along his limbs, down his back, over his buttocks. It was obvious what she was searching for.
"No, no. It's not like that. I am not a half-wolf, nor related to one. I was born as human as you see me now. I have no tail, no latent fangs in my jaw. My change is a complete transformation. It hurts like hell. My bones stretch and muscles grow. Hair sprouts from every surface. My teeth turn to fangs, my hands to claws. I cannot control it, nor stop the process, and I have tried, believe me". She had stepped back, her face creased with a frown of confusion.
"I have never heard of such a thing as you!"
"No. I am not from these Kingdoms. I am a visitor from the 10th Kingdom. The people there call my kind a lycanthrope, or more commonly, a werewolf, but to all we are but a story, a tale from the dark ages. We do not exist to them. When I heard from my fullblood wolf friends who dwell near me in the mountains of my land, that a strange man had come amongst them, one who seemed a hybrid of the two races, well, my attention was captured. Then, when I heard even stranger accounts of the man and where he had come from, I sought him out as best I could. This man is Wolf, of course. He told me that great magic could be worked here, that perhaps a cure might be found for me. This is what I seek, Griselda. I want to return to normal. I want this curse reversed if possible. I have lived all these years alone, forever a danger to those I love, forever alone in the world". The young witch was silent once more, but Elias could see that she was moved by his story. Moved enough to help him, he hoped. She sighed loudly.
"I see. Now, you must start again, from the beginning. How did this thing happen to you? Speak, and do not leave anything out!"
She seated herself in a chair by the window. Wolf stretched out across the bed whilst Elias paced back and forth, retelling to the witch the same story he had relayed in New York. Griselda did not interupt him, but at the ending, she leapt up suddenly to point a finger sharply at Wolf.
"Ssss! Fool wolf! You brought this danger here, to this Kingdom? This is a curse transmissible by touch! What if this creature escapes and runs loose in the countryside? she hissed at him. Wolf flinched, but only for a moment. He bounded up off the bed and fixed her with an angry stare of his own.
"He is not 'a creature', witchling! He is a man, my friend. He needs help, that's all. If you do your job well, there will be no danger! Besides, he will not willingly stay at liberty here when the next moon comes, which is but three days hence! So, if you will not, or can not help us here, say so now, so that we may find another who may!". Wolf's eyes were glittering with his cold green gaze and Elias did not know how the young woman stood up under it. Those eyes gave him the shakes, and they weren't even directed at him. It was the first time Elias had had an opportunity to understand just what Wolf had meant when he had spoken about his daily battles with his wolf-self. He did not pretend not to realise what would happen if the man-self lost out. He wondered how many times it had happened, though. Griselda had backed away slowly now, lowering her gaze in submission, and Elias all but heard the tiny mental click in Wolf's mind as his wolf-self withdrew. The half-wolf shook himself slightly and backed away himself, slumping back down onto the bed.
"I am sorry, truly" he said, but Elias suspected that he wasn't really, that the applogy was an attempt at normal human relations, necessary, yes, but only so long as it served a purpose. Griselda stared long and hard at Wolf and after a moment she seemed to decide to accept the appolgy, though Elias doubted if she had been fooled by it. He hoped that she would not try and provoke Wolf again. Elias was not unduly upset by her accusations though. Much the same had been passing through his mind anyway. Gradually, calm was restored to the room. Griselda sighed and sat down at the desk near the window, drawing out an old tattered book which she started to leaf through. Wolf and Elias both craned their necks to see, but she made a great point of moving her body so that the text of the book was hidden from them. They sat down to wait, and after a good while, she turned back to them, fixing Elias with another of her penetrating stares.
"Are you certain of this thing, then? You must be very sure now, Elias. If you have any doubts, the powers may not do as we wish, in fact they may decide to impart the spell in another fashion altogether"
"I am sure. It's true that this whole experience is new to me. My being here was not something that I ever imagined for myself, even as little as a week ago. But I have long fantasized about being a normal man again. Just to be able to walk under the full moon without fear, without causing mayhem and death. This is what I wish for, Griselda"
"Good. Then, I will try and reverse this condition of yours. I have to be honest with you, though. Yours is a 10th Kingdom curse. The things I would ordinarily do to cure such a thing here may well not work at all, or things may go astray. This being, I will demand no payment of you at this time. But, should things work well, and a length of time passes with no return to your illness, I will approach you then. Do you agree to these terms?"
"I do" he had said, half expecting her to whip out a parchment contract and ask him to sign it in blood. But she did no such thing. Evidently a persons word was good enough here, but then, who would willingly break faith with someone who could turn you into a frog, or worse, a toad?
"Right then. Wolf, go to the kitchens and fetch for me a large pot, but one that will not be missed, as it won't be used again. And send someone to lay a fire in the hearth here, if you will" she said directly and Wolf, forgetting his surliness, jumped up to obey her. When he had left the room, Griselda turned to Elias with a faint smile on her face.
"Your friend, this half-wolf, quite protective of you, isn't he?"
"Of anyone really. You just have to win his confidence. Then, he would leap just as eagerly to your defence, I am sure. I am sorry if we have frightened you, or put you on the spot to do this thing"
"Ahh, do not trouble yourself about it. I have faced down more frightening creatures than this well fed and pampered half-wolf. You should try walking the paths of other lands here, if you want to feel truly threatened by wolfen people! They would probably eat you without a second thought, and you are no maiden!"
"Do they truly cause as much death and havoc as they are rumoured to?"
"No, of course not. But all folk must have a boogey man, a thing to frighten the youngsters with, and in this world, wolves play that role to perfection. And you know what, for all their complaining and claims of predjudice, I think they are quite happy with their place in the world. You ask your friend one night. He'll tell you"
"Maybe he will. But you are right. I can't really judge all wolfen people based on my knowing just one of them. Just as I can't condemn all of my lycanthrope kin, if they exist still, for I have never met another aside from he who made me"
"Did he make you on purpose, do you think?"
"Yes, I believe so. He was old, ancient, and sick. Maybe he sought an heir of sorts, or just a companion. Someone to talk to, someone like him. You have no idea what it's like to think yourself the only one in existence of your kind. That's what led me to seek out Wolf. Pure loneliness. Even if this thing does not work, it will have been worth it, just to meet him and know that there are others who would consider me kin"
Griselda was about to reply when Wolf bustled back into the room, a heavy iron cauldron tucked under one arm and a stack of sandwiches under the other. Behind him followed a timid looking servant who quickly laid a fire in the grate before backing wide eyed out of the room, closing the door as he went. Griselda added water from the pitcher on the dressing table to the pot and suspended it over the flames. Steam started to rise from the water as she deftly searched through her extensive collection of pouches for the ingredients she wanted. Elias was sorely tempted to ask what she was putting in the brew, but decided that he really didn't want to know. Griselda hesitated over some additions, and he hoped she wasn't just guessing the whole concoction. He saw Wolf sniffing disgustedly as she added some of the herb she had referred to as 'wolfsbane', but he just shrugged his shoulders at Elias' questioning look. Evidently he had no idea of some of the ingredients either, or perhaps he did but thought it wisest not to enlighten him. Elias shook his head at the offered sandwich, feeling certain that he would be ill later on, and Wolf was delighted at his unexpected luncheon windfall.
Elias watched as the young witch removed the cauldron from the fire. She scooped out a cupfull using a ladle and set it on the window sill to cool. Then she drew out from her sleeve what looked like a wand, but on closer inspection was revealed to be nothing more than a twig of wood. She beckoned Elias forward and cleared a space around him of chairs and furniture. Wolf was watching avidly as Griselda took out five large crystals from her bag and placed them around Elias in a circle. She began to pace around him slowly, chanting under her breath in a language unknown to him and very gradually the crystals started to glow with soft lights. It was an eerie feeling for Elias and he saw with some alarm that the room around him began to blur, as though a fine barrier had formed, enclosing him within the crystal circle.
"Do not be afraid" said a voice. It was Griselda, but it seemed far away, muted. Sweat formed on his brow and ran down his back as he strove to remain calm. Suddenly, the filmy barrier seemed to part and Griselda herself stepped through it as though parting a curtain. She stood tall and calm in front of him.
"Don't worry. It's just a little protection from pesky spirits who would try and hijack the spell. Magic is attractive, and addictive! Now, lets begin". She waved her wand stick over his head and began a chant which he only half heard.
"Great Mother Goddess and Father Spirit, hear our words! This child, Elias, is cursed. He wishes this spell reversed. He is willing!"
She paused momentarily and touched the tip of her wand to Elias forehead. It stung, but he resisted the urge to pull away.
"Let the fang become the tooth,
Let the man return to the truth,
Let the claw become the hand,
And under the full moon let this man stand"
The bubble of light in which they stood appeared to bulge outwards for a moment as Griselda finished the incantation. She stooped and picked up the cup from the floor, where he had not seen it, and offered it to Elias, bidding him drink. He complied with only the slightest hesitation at it's foetid smell, then gulped in down in a single draught. It didn't actually taste as bad as he had thought it might, but his mouth tingled. Griselda smiled and clapped her hands, once, twice, three times and the barrier fell back, receeding down to the floor and into the crystals. Elias wavered a bit as normal sounds and sights returned. He saw Wolf capering about in seeming anxiety, the sudden obvious relief crossing his face when he saw them reappear. Elias waited until Griselda had retreived the crystals and broken the circle before staggering with exhaustion over to the bed. Wolf hovered over him.
"Well, how do you feel, brother?" he asked.
"I, ah, I feel fine. Just a bit strange is all. I am myself, still, it appears". Elias wondered whether he should be feeling different, and tried to fight off the disappointment that he didn't.
"Just relax. You may not feel any changes until the spell kicks in" spoke Griselda from the other side of the room. She was packing up her things and looked quite unconcerned.
"Oh, and when will that be?" asked Wolf a little too sharply.
"When the full moon rises of course, fool of a wolf!" she shot back. Wolf had the sense to look embarassed as she stalked over to look at Elias closely. She seemed pleased with what she saw as she smiled and nodded at him.
"Now. Be sure to bring yourself to a safe place well before the moonrise. If this doesn't work, then I do not want you running around the Kingdom bringing death to my people. I suggest the dungeons of this palace. They are deep and strong. I will meet you there". Gathering up her things, she left the room, and Elias lay back on the bed, wondering if it was all just a dream. Wolf chuckled in his ear.
"Some girl, that one! Oh well, at least you haven't been turned into a frog!"
No, he had escaped that fate at least, it seemed. He looked at his hands as they clung to the dungeon bars. His hands were always the first things to show signs of the Change. They looked perfectly normal to him, but then he still had a few minutes grace. As soon as the moon fully rose above the horizon and the entire glowing orb stood in the sky. That was the time, the signal for his body and whatever swam in his bloodstream to begin the transformation. He trembled in anxiety and apprehension and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the quiet step of Virginia on the stairwell, coming this way. She appeared like a vision at the bottom of the stairs, her pale skin and clothing making her easily visible in the gloom. She stepped over Wolf as he crouched on the lower tread and came quickly to the bars, nodding in a friendly way to Griselda who sat opposite.
"It'll only be a few minutes more, Elias. The moon has just peeked over the horizon. It won't be long now" she said softly, reaching through the bars to try and hold his hand. Elias withdrew out of her reach, not daring even to touch her in case his hands turned suddenly to claws. Over her shoulder he saw Wolf come up behind her till he was literally breathing down her neck. He was fully aroused in all ways, his fangs distended, the eyes glowing red in the dark, the muscles rippling and bulging all over his body. Elias could barely restrain himself from crying out a warning to her, but he could tell from the look on her face that she knew quite well what stood at her back. In fact, she leant back a little way and Elias smelt the sharp tang of fresh blood in the air as Wolf ran the tips of his teeth down the back of her neck. Griselda tut tutted from her chair.
"Oh please, get a den!"
"All in good time" laughed Virginia, shoving Wolf backwards as she made her way over to the young witch. Wolf's expression was murderous, to say the least, as the two women shared a girlish giggle, but at that moment Elias' blood sang with recognition as the moon cleared the horizon. It was an all too familiar feeling and he braced himself for the pain that always followed.
He was still crouched there in the cell a minute later when he realised that something had happened to him. Or rather, nothing had happened. He stared in disbelief at his hands. There they were, his plain old human hands. He leapt up and went over to the far wall of the dungeon, grabbing up a chair to stand on as he craned to look out into the night. The moon hung full and glowing in the black sky. Tentatively he held his hands up to the light. Nothing. He flexed them, sniffed at them. He looked down at the rest of his body. Still no change. He was breathing heavily, but from excitement and a burgeoning hope rather than the Changing. He looked over to his friends, seeing them standing in mute fascination as they watched him. Griselda had left her chair and approached the bars, beckoning to him.
"Come here, come closer, let me see you!". He scrambled down off the chair and went over to her, bravely holding out his hands now for her to grasp. She felt of his skin and peered deeply into his eyes.
"The moon has risen. You are yourself still. This is encouraging" she said simply.
"Encouraging! Griselda, it's a miracle! So many years have I waited for the moon with dread. It's incredible! I would have been Changed by now, do you understand? Not one minute of the full moon have I beheld with human eyes in all these years!"
"And side effects, Elias? Do you feel ill, or like you aren't really here, that sort of thing?" she asked
"No, no, I feel fine. I really do. When the moon rose, I felt it, like always, but it was different somehow, like a switch had been turned off in my mind. And now, peace, incredible peace in my heart. If those are side effects, I'll take them any day!". Elias started to laugh and cry at the same time, and now Wolf and Virginia came forward to reach through the bars and grip his hands and arms, whispering their encouragement. They had tears in their eyes too, he could see. After a few minutes he collected himself together.
"I should stay in here still" he said soberly.
"Yes, I feel that would be wise. At least for tonight, and tomorrow night, if you remain untroubled, I think we can celebrate a little then" said Griselda seriously, but her eyes sparkled as she spoke. She nodded quietly to the others as she turned to go.
"I cannot thank you enough!" Elias called after her as she left.
"They'll be plenty of time for that, don't worry. I am happy for you, Elias" she called back. Soon, the three friends were alone in the gloomy place. Virginia sighed as Wolf enclosed her from behind again. He half growled at her.
"Come, Beloved!" he said imperiously. Virginia raised her eyebrows at Elias in an appologetic way as Wolf half carried, half dragged her away towards the stairs. She was laughing as he set her down and he shoved at her gently. It was clear what he wanted her to do, and she obliged him, darting away suddenly up the stairs. Elias heard her footsteps running along the corridors above them. Wolf hesitated a moment and turned back to the cell.
"Ah, my friend, you don't know what you're missing, truly. But I won't linger here with the details. The Goddess calls me, and it's time to hunt, after all!" he whispered across the darkness.
"But I do know, I do" he replied, but the room was empty and Wolf had gone. Elias sat down on the cold stone floor. After a time of close inspection of himself, he went back to the small barred window. Hoisting himself up, he stared out at the silver orb that had dominated so much of his life. Did the moon know what had happened to him? Did She care about such a thing? Presently, he wept, and the silver rays caused the tears to sparkle on his cheeks.