CHAPTER 16

EWODEN

Stahlberg was a small, near invisible settlement nestled deep the mountain rage that formed Nosgoth's northern border. The town was little more than ruins, inhabited only by a small community of farmers and their families. The wall surrounding the place had lost since crumbled away and most of the buildings were rotted. Still, Ewoden found this place actually heart lifting. Even in their most incognisant outpost, the Sarafan would fly their banners high to let their enemies know how close to death they where, but not a single flag fluttered anywhere.

Neither he, nor Sally had spoke about the bite he had suffered from the werewolf. There was no way to tell for certain if he was infected and nothing to do if he was. The bite hadn't been that bad, so there was a distinct possibility nothing would happen on the next full moon.

Wandering into town, Ewoden left his armour with Sally. He didn't want to intimidate people here, and it would make him prone to attacks by thugs with a vendetta against the order. That had happened once before.

"The weapon smiths?" A vendor repeated, looking up at the former Sarafan. Looking for information, Ewoden had wandered into a small market in the middle of town. The vendor here was a travelling merchant who'd settled down here after the wars broke out. His stock were swords and other weapons, so Ewoden guessed if anyone knew about the Seroli it would be him. "Ah yes, I have a fine selection of Seroli weapons here as it happens. Here's an example." The old, bent man reached to the wooden crates behind him and withdrew an especially good long sword. It was of very good quality, with a perfectly straight blade and golden handle, painstakingly engraved with runes that looked ancient vampiric. "That's real gold in the handle there, expert work." He added, handing the weapon over for an inspection. At once he could tell it was made out of the same material as the Axes Havoc and Malice. Yes, this was Seroli work all right.

"Yes, a fine weapon. Even Order quality." The vendor chuckled.

"I hope not. My business is doing bad as it is."

"I don't suppose you can tell me from where you acquired this piece?"

"No, I don't think I can." The old man replied, his tone suddenly turning flat and hostile. "I can't go blabbing my trade secrets to anyone who takes an interest, now if you excuse me I'm a very busy man, good day." He snatched the sword back, and then refused service.

None of the other merchants at the market were very helpful after that either. Word of mouth spread fast in a small community like this, and very quickly everyone seemed to know that there was someone asking questions. They wouldn't even answer his queries about the ruins of an old city to the north of their settlement, even know there more than visible from the town itself.

"When's the next full moon?" Sally asked when Ewoden returned to the abandoned building where the female vampire was waiting out the sunlight. It was an old barn next to a crumbling farmhouse on the outskirts of town.

"There's enough moon tonight to be considered full." The former Sarafan replied. "Although confronting another Seroli in its wolf form is probably not a good idea." Vorador's sources had informed them at werewolves had been spotted amongst the northern ruins themselves, so perhaps there might be a good place to start looking.

Ewoden was in the process of putting his armour back on when the full moon began rising. As the moonlight full through the broken windows and fell upon him, he paused in his work and shivered violently. Something felt strange, some faint tingling accompanied by a strange yearning he could not explain.

"You alright?" Sally asked. Ewoden shook his head, before picking up the rest of his equipment and strapping it onto the carrier hooks on his armour. He stopped however, seemingly suddenly alert and apprehensive.

To Sally's surprise, he sniffed the air like an animal before looking out the window back towards town. Even from here, they could see the flickering lights of torches moving steadily away towards the north. It was quite a large crowd as well, by no means the entire town's population but numbering at least twenty.

"Now where are they going?" Ewoden asked out load, peering out the window. Circling around town, the former Sarafan and the female vampire followed them, but at a safe distance in case there were any stragglers keeping an eye out for trespassers. The group passed through the towering peeks of two mountains of either side of a ravine before they reached the ruins there. Obviously this place had once been a great and powerful kingdom, but now everything was rumbling down towards the ground. The remains of a giant metal statue acting as a gate stood above, most of it now gone. All that remains were a pair of legs reaching up into the sky.

"I hope they have something better to hunt this time." They managed to hear one of their number say when they crept close enough, using the crumbling wall to shield themselves from view. "Rabbits are nice and all, but they aren't very satisfying. And the bones get stuck in the teeth."

"I heard they managed to round by a few Deer." Another replied. Someone clapped their hands, rubbing them together in glee.

"Now that's more like it." He hesitated. "Deer? I didn't think there were any left in the north."

"There aren't, they had to bring a few from the…." By then, the two conversing had moved on out of ear shot. Instead of risking his neck by peaking around the edge of the wall to see what was happening, Ewoden simply let one of his Axes trail out and he watched away as happening in the reflection in the metal. If he was lucky, the two of them could remain completely unnoticeable.

The crowd had settled into a disorganized circle in the centre of what had obviously been a town square at some point. To his surprise, standing at the front was the market vendor with which he had conversed with earlier. He had changed out of the clothes had been wearing earlier into what looked like a white robe priests would wear.

"Is everyone here?" He asked the crowd, then began counting heads, gesturing to each one with a finger. "Ah good, that's all of you." He rubbed his hands together. "Alright then, we can start. The hunt tonight, you'll all be pleased to hear, are about ten forest Deer which I let loose in the ruins about an hour ago." The crowd began chattered amongst itself, before they were silenced when the vendor raised his hand to grab their attention. "To make up for the number of those here, a large number of flows such as pheasants, chickens and turkey were released as well. So no one's going to go away empty handed." He paused. "So that means I don't want to see any fights breaking out over food….Evan.." His tone was stern, and his gaze was directed towards several young men at the front, who looked away sheepishly. One of them looked down at his feet. Ewoden felt that tingle again, only this time he could tell were it was coming from.

Looking up, he saw the full moon almost directly above them.

"I think we should go." Sally told him. Ewoden looked back towards the crowd, seeing several of them removed their clothes and stand naked even in the company of their friends and neighbours. This strange behaviour would have been considered ludicrous, had the second event not taken place.

They began howling up towards the sky, arms outstretched as if to accept the moonlight.

"The mother of night watches from above, and we are reborn." The vendor proclaimed in a very sermon type voice before he began undergoing his own transformation. Ewoden watched in a strange sense of wonder as thick black fur, began running all over their bodies. First from their shoulders, spreading down their backs and once it reached their legs; a thick busy tail began growing downwards. Their face twisted and snouts began replacing noses.

As utterly horrific as this transformation was, the former Sarafan was transfixed in wonder. He could see the thick muscles under the fur as they assumed the guise of the wolf. In this form they were powerful, agile and strong. As a group the werewolves were invincible and he would be lying if he said that the power they wielded wasn't entirely undesirable.

It was Sally tugging at his arm that forced him to come back to reality.

"Your eyes!" She told him, pointing toward him with a horrified expression on her face. He blinked in confusion, before pulling his axe up to face level so he could see his reflection. He staggered back against the wall. His eyes had changed from their usual emerald green to a flaxen yellow. Not only that, but his canines were slightly longer and sharper as well. Were it not for the almost snout like shape his nose was taking, he would have sworn he looked like a vampire.

It was then they decided it would be best to retreat back to town and quickly. But they paused long enough to watch the transformed crowd begin hunting the pre-released wildlife in the ruins that served as a maze and hunting ground.

By the time they arrived back at the abandoned barn, Ewoden had started sprouting fur of his own, although this was a ginger red to match his own hair rather than black. Once he was in the dark, away from the moonlight, it was almost as if those lupine features had never even been there. They melted away and he was left human again.

"You were infected." Sally told him, although it was clear she was reluctant to do so. "But if we keep you indoors every full moon we shouldn't have much of a problem. It looks like the transformation only begins when you step into the moonlight." That would account for all the tales of werewolves reverting back to their normal forms when a cloud passed over the moon, the former Sarafan mused but he shook his head, running a hand over his nose to assure himself that it was back to normal.

"Hide every full moon? I don't think I'll be able to do that." He admitted. Sally looked at him questioningly. "There was something there, some kind of longing… a pull I could barley resist." He looked up at her, realization in his eyes. "I wanted to be part of that hunt. It took a lot to just walk away from it." His words were more than true. Had this full moon been his third, he would have fully transformed in seconds and already be tearing his way through animals and as sickening as it sounded, Ewoden felt a twinge of regret that he could not take part tonight.

That thought scared him a little. He had never liked spilling blood, human or animal, yet now he was actually looking forward to it.

Sally thankfully made sure that he did not step outside until the moon had gone down and the dawn was beginning.

"Now we know where the Seroli are at least." Ewoden announced, staring out at the rising sun. "Let's go and have a word with that old vendor."

The old man looked a little surprised to see Ewoden again at his stall. The market wasn't even open today, he'd simply come down here to clean up a few things.

"You again?" He asked, then noticed the cloaked companion he had beside him. The face hiding behind a cloth hood, although the eyes, glaring at him from the darkness were clearly visible. Not only that, but Ewoden was still wearing his Sarafan armour.

"It's time to talk werewolf." The former Sarafan announced. The old man opened his mouth to speak. "I know what you are; I witnessed your little venture last night up in the ruins." Now the vendor looked worried, dropping the bundles under his arms and backing away, eyes wide in terror.

"I know not of what you speak." He replied, shaking slightly. "I a simple business man.." He looked back at them. "I am no werewolf."

"We saw you transform." Sally replied from the darkness of her hood. "You, the Seroli, have information we require."