Chapter 10:

- Just Hocus-Pocus?-

Shortly before midnight, they came to a clearing in the forest. In the middle of a circle of rocks Grey Wolf kindled a fire. Michael sat a bit outside the circle on a rock and observed this event with lots interest. Somehow, this whole situation made him internally laugh. What is he doing there at all? However, this was only Native American hocus-pocus and the fact that vampires and werewolves exists, didn't keep him away from this idiocy. As Grey Wolf, started something to hum and then it became a chant and danced around the fire, Michael had to smile.He sighed and saw highly to the sky. The full moon had gained the zenith and shone direct in this circle. Michael's smile vanished as he suddenly felt something strange. He romped backwards.Something invisible seemed to attack him, anyway he suspected this, because he had pains. His head felt at as if he would burst every moment. Michael hated pains and it made him crazy and brought him to the fury.What ever it was, it actually tried to drive him away, he refused and became instead of from driven away, only more irritated. The Native American sang and danced like in trance, he had not noticed what happened with Michael. Michael bit itself on the teeth and screamed:

"Stop it! Stop this fucking chant that drives one madly!"

The Native American looked back shock and saw that Michael rolled at the ground. He went carefully to him.

"What's wrong with you, Michael?"

"Maybe you can explain this to me. What does this?"

"You asked me therefore. There is no reason to snap immediately..." as he looked at Michael, he was confused. "My good god... you doesn't seem to be who you pretend to be. Who are you?"

"Michael Corvin, which I am."

"This chant expels angry spirits and all evil, this chant is and never had influenced a human being. What the hell are you?"

"You don't want to know this and if you also know it, you won't believe it."

"Are you... a werewolf?"

"no." the pain had passed and he recovered again, but what the fury concerns, that was still present.

"A vampire?"

"Far from it." Michael took the glasses off and as the moonlight should reflect in it, only black empty eyes got the light. Grey Wolf stumbled backwards, his breath hesitated and he became pale. "Does hybrid mean something to you? Because I am one."

Grey Wolf inverted himself and he ran so fast could from it. Michael took his time. In an inhuman speed, he had caught up with within seconds and came directly before him.

"There is no reason to run away. I won't kill you."

"And how can I trust you?" the man trembled.

"If I wanted it, I had done it already four weeks ago and at first, I would have killed your son in the forest and I would have massacred the village. There, I wouldn't have any problem. I already killed more... unfortunately."

"Unfortunately? Unfortunately! You are a killer"!

"If one leaves me alone and annoys me not unnecessarily I can keep back myself. I have rescued two men today, doesn't this prove enough? There was a time of, I would have killed them immediately."

"You are a creature of the night... a demon... werewolf... whatever." the Native American started to hum, but Michael kept close his throat until he gargled and no more single tones out-brought.

"What did I say about the annoying?" he let him loosely. The poor man coughed and felt his neck with his left hand. "I need your help, Indian."

"Why mine?" he panted, still the powerful hand sensing at his throat.

"I don't want to harm nobody here, but I kill, that is inevitable. You seem to be the single one here, that believes at fairy-tales and has his ways, to banish or to annoy them." he smiled however Grey Wolf couldn't laugh about it. "Did you ever have freed a werewolf from its curse? "

"Once, but I could only redeem him because he was in his early stage. Bitten newly. I don't know whether it is possible to heal a werewolf, which is infected more than one month. The wolf in him doesn't admit it."

"So, you tried it twice."

"On occasion. But what I could, to tame the animal, to calm it down but it isn't hundred percent. The wolf can slam again without warning."

"A risk which you have to take, not true?"

"If one wants to survive..." he opened his shirt and crosswise over his breast were scars to be seen, which were caused by claws. "I was one of them but I was lucky I knew what I was up to and could free myself from the curse in time. Since this night, I come here and I carry out rituals."

"I could have needed somebody like you before ten years, Grey Wolf. I was a Lycan, werewolf, before I mutated."

"Mutated? A werewolf can mutate? Ah my God."

"No, a simple human being like you or your son would turn into a werewolf after a bite. I however, was bitten by a werewolf and a vampire. Unfortunately my ancestor was capable to unify these two species and the result is unimaginable. A werewolf can be killed by silver. A vampire with daylight and fire. A hybrid however, he is resistant and immune against this testifies and heavily to kill... or not at all. I found no way."

"You want to kill yourself?"

"I try it for years, believe me. There is no more even-worthy opponent for me, the last one, I already killed and consequently my mutation consummate. Vampires and Lycans fear me. I want to ask you whether you can tame me."

Grey Wolf could sense like a heart attack in his breast stopped. Michael asked for the impossible of him and if it failed... well... he has seen how this thing reacted on shamanisms and it could evoke fatal side-effects. What it would be, he didn't know this and didn't want to find out it either.

"Eh... are you sure about it...I mean..."

"It is worth to try. I know what you think and if you want to believe it from me or not, I'm also a little afraid."

"You are afraid?"

Michael grinned something embarrassed and sat on a tree trunk near to the fire. He looked into the fire. Grey Wolf stood with safe distance behind him.

"Actually strange, isn't it? Me and to be afraid."

"Actually…yes. Of what would you be afraid? One cannot kill you so easily or works approximately silver or pegs and sanctifies places?"

Michael mocked. "All humbug, anyway this is not applicable to me. I wish that I could die. They tried all and I also." he remained silent.

"And what do you expect if this will be a success? You will be still a... a hybrid or whatever you are."

"I have to live with it. I'm a risk for everyone and all what I want is: a normal life with my son and I want to avoid unnecessary killing."

"What do you mean by unnecessarily? Don't say you have a bad conscience." he snapped.

Michael raised his head abruptly and growled at the Native American angrily. "You fucking humans, you have no ideas and what you can't understand you judge. For ten fucking years, I have lived this shit life as a fucking hybrid and mutated further to a merciless killer, looking for an answer for my pointless existence and you have the guts to doubt on my conscience. I have torn numerous vampires, werewolves and people cold blooded in pieces and that only about to satisfy my hunger and nine years ago I have signed my judgement by killing one of the eldest vampire and at the same time a hybrid. I thought that I would regain the control again over me after him but I killed farther innocent people and each individual soul pursues me until today... day and night. I call this unnecessary and unnecessary would be to kill your village or do you want this?"

The sheriff knew nothing to say. In his whole life he had read books and has even seen films about such unfeeling creatures which have no pity and heart has and now, one stood there before him and spoke of a conscience and mistakes. Then, he swallowed and said quietly:

"No, I don't want this."

"That's the answers I wanted, because I don't want it either. Did you understand it now or do you want a foretaste for remembering?"

"No."

"Good."

Michael got up and turned his back to the Native American and wanted to leave the poor fellow alone.

"You killed these animals, didn't you, the wolves I mean. What does the full moon have at itself? Are these myths correct? You told to me at that very night you feel sick. You..." however, he began the sentence but he couldn't finish it, as he saw, that Michael suddenly stopped and he was afraid that he had said something wrong and expected the worst.

"There were times at those the Lycans were capable to change only with full moon, however, the time altered and they can change at will...day like as night. What the full moon evokes in me is rather a reminder that I'm simply a werewolf to the half and owe a part of his strengths. To be honest: once in the month, the animal awakens in me without contradiction and there I have all the fewest control over myself. I rarely change or never, not even with full moon. I hate it."

"When want you to begin?" he wasn't sure have in what he got involved to. He'd liked to run away from it.

"As fast as possible."

"Tomorrow evening?"

"All the better. I think it's the best that I vanish this night until tomorrow, just so. Tell the lumberjacks that I'm sick and that's the truth. I need to rest. I'm flared up too much." he saw highly to the clear shining moon.

"I understand."

"We will meet here tomorrow night by twelve."