Chapter Twenty-One

We left the Holy Quarter then, heading for the 'Fienghter's Quitrem', or the 'Warrior's Quarter'. The archway was uniformly plain, except it had extra safety precautions added onto it in case the entire Quarter needed to hold their defenses from an invasion of some kind. As you stepped in, you noticed that the werewolves in here were heavily armored and were given some very brutal looking weapons, marching around in their groups or going back and forth on errands. The life of the soldier is never quiet or relaxed; they're always busy in some way.

The armor for the werewolves varied depending on their rank and regiment, but after a moment of watching I thought I'd figured it all out. For a regular soldier or fighter, the armor was a faint lilac purple on the chest plate, arm guards, leg guards, and back. However, the joints and portions connection them together were of a slightly darker purple. They all carried basic weapons that fit their grip just as perfectly as the hard armor wrapped around their body. I watched in fascinated amazement as one of the werewolves bent over backwards, his armor bending with him gently as though he were only wearing cloth. Curious, I walked slowly up to him.

"How did you manage to do that? Shouldn't your armor be bent or ruined now?" I asked him. He smiled as he stood back up straight and regarded me with intelligent eyes. He was a dark blonde werewolf with bones in his hair around his shoulders. His light blue eyes regarded me with intelligence and playfulness.

"You're new here, though you must be very old and wise in the ways of the werewolf, for you're practically human as you stand there. My name is Kallaheart." He opened his arms for a hug and I embraced him as if I'd known him for years.

"I'm Ayla Sharmila, and I'm only fifteen. I just became a werewolf this afternoon, as it so happens." I told him, smiling shyly. Kallaheart raised a confused eyebrow, but then smiled in understanding.

"You're the one that Hecate summoned into our family, aren't you? She told me about you, the girl with hair like rusty steel and eyes of the brightest crystals." I smiled at him; how poetic. "It's no wonder you have such control over yourself. However, this means you have a lot to learn young one. You need to learn what this armor is for starters, since you seem so curious." He said, bending over backwards and then pulling his legs into a handstand before jumping back to his feet again with a grin.

"This armor is a special material we found hidden in mines deep in this mountain; no other armor like this exists. It's a gift from Hecate, for if the light of the moon is shone on the ore then it will glow and possess special powers, like the ability to overly protect her children. She's very defensive of us. The armor bends and reshapes itself to our bodies, and no regular blade will be able to penetrate it. Only magical blades can, and that's what we have to watch out for." He cautioned me. I nodded, giving him my full attention.

"Its really quite simple though. We needed armor that could move and shift as we do from human to werewolf, and this armor does exactly that, as do our weapons. We've casted prayers and spells on them so we can use them in human and werewolf form, making them grow or shrink accordingly. Like your weapons, for example." He said, pulling my two swords off of my back. He muttered a few words as he passes his hand over the two blades, and they glowed purple briefly before going back to normal.

"Now they're magic. They can pierce even the hardest armor, and shall never break or rust or grow blunt. Also, they've grown to fit your size and necessary strength to agree with any earlier training. When you become human again, they will go back to their normal size." He said. I was completely intrigued by now.

"Can you show me how to do that to my other weapons, and preferably my clothes as well." I asked, blushing slightly. He laughed and nodded putting and arm around my shoulders as he and Nyvern led me into the main building. When we walked in, Kallaheart went straight towards a large, thick door, opening it and ushering us inside.

It was an armory, and it was massive. The large armory was so big that it expanded into another few floors underground, filled with weapons, armor, potions, spells, poisons, antidotes, and anything else that related to battle. I was surprised.

Kallaheart looked around with a feeling of peace and familiarity before searching the walls and racks of armor for something. He led us down another two floors, going straight for a stand of armor in the back and glancing at it and then back at me with a smile growing on his face. He motioned me over and I stared at the armor, a gasp escaping me.

It was absolutely perfect. Kallaheart helped me to strip down quickly and then fit all the armor onto my body. I expected it to be cold, but found that it was pleasantly warm to the touch, as if another body had stood in it until I got there. The armor fit perfectly around my form, suddenly reshaping itself until it blended to my body in harmony, fitting my every muscle and curve.

It started at my ankles, going up my legs in chain mail that reminded me of scales, only smooth and form fitting, though they were surprisingly strong and tough. I rapped on the metal and it didn't make a sound, but when I swung my fist against it the thing didn't budge, and I barely felt the blow. The armor looked like it was made of pure dragon scales, and it was up my legs to my stomach, up my chest and over my shoulders, leaving my neck and head bare. It traveled down my arms to the backs of my wrists, and went over my back, leaving the large ridge of fur that was actually my hair exposed out of the armor.

The colors for this scale-like armor were in mixing shades of deep blue, aquamarine, jade green, and a deep velvety purple. The mixture was beautiful, and had white trails of mist in the color design. Kallaheart handed me armor-backed gloves made of the same material, only the actual glove part was a thick and smooth cloth. There was no head armor, but it was unnecessary. Our skulls were thick enough that no one would dare aim for it.

Also, Kallaheart led us down another level and gave me a pair of sturdy-looking boots, with armor plating on the top and sides. The bottom was a thick leather-like substance, and made it feel like an extension of my foot even though I didn't actually feel the ground in my steps. It was a great bonus. The shoes were of a special make that curled around my instep and left the paws at the bottom of my large feet bare, protecting the bones above it instead. The armor had one more bonus as well; while it was tough and nearly indestructible, it also weighed close to nothing.

Once I had armor, I surveyed myself in the mirror and smiled, my barking laughter filling the armory as glee overtook me. "I'm a warrior!" I said, hugging Kallaheart and Nyvern tightly, a big smile on my face. They both laughed at me.

"All of Hecate's children are warriors, though many of them simply don't prefer armor over their own fur." He said, scratching behind his ear.

"But I love the armor; it makes me feel powerful and safe." I told him with a smile. He smiled back and ruffled my fur on top of my head, messing with my werewolf hair. I fixed it effortlessly, still smiling.

"I think I've found a true little sister in you. On my honor and my heart, you will always have my love and devotion. I will guard, guide, and protect you whenever you need it, just as Nyvern does for you." He said, smiling in a calm way to me. I smiled back serenely, my lilting voice sighing happily before I replied.

"Just as I have found true brothers in both of you. I could not, however, ask you to follow and come with me when the time comes for me to go on my journey, following the higher figures of the future and chancing my death. Nyvern promised to go with me, but it will be hard and dangerous. I could not wish that fate on anyone." I told him. He smiled softly, stroking my cheek.

"You don't have to ask, because nothing you do is going to stop me from going with you Ayla. You're a part of me already, even though we just met. It's the fastest connection I've ever had with another werewolf." He told me. I smiled shyly, hugging him.

"It's the same with me; I connected with you instantly once I was brave enough to come out of the shadows Ayla. You're a part of me." Nyvern told me, joining in our hug. I smiled.

"You will both always be in my heart, and will always be a part of me. You're special in my soul's eyes." I whispered, hugging them closer. We all stood there for a long moment, absorbed in our feelings together before we slowly pulled back and looked at one another.

"Well, now that you have armor and a pair of guards, how about some weapons?" he asked me. My smile grew immediately as I skipped over to the stairwell after Nyvern and Kallaheart. We went to the bottom floor where all the weapons had been stored, and there were so many! How was I ever to choose?

"How will I know which weapons are right?" I asked Nyvern in a whisper. He turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised before he began to smile softly. "Your weapons have already been chosen for you, we just have to find where they've been put. Hecate chose your armor and weapons long ago, many years back. She saved them in here for you until this day, except she didn't tell us where they were."

I thought about it for a moment before letting my eyes slip slowly closed as my mind reached back out to my mother Hecate. My spirit traveled up and up and up high, but something was pulling me back down. My body had me by the ankle, trying to hold me back, but from what? I just wanted to go and talk with my mother dearest. I wrenched my ankle away from my physical body and soared up into the moon without a care in the world.