Southern Wolves

24th of February, 1999.

The dig was done. Vekk, Kato and Draco were standing together in front of the wards holding the room filled with what they thought were Daedric runes. Charlie and Cedric were also there discussing spells that might be of use. They would not enter the room until it was deemed safe, however.

"Have my back," Kato told Draco.

Vekk lifted an arm and the wards fell. He raised shields around Kato and Draco. He watched them enter the room and spread light around. They stood perfectly still for a moment before the room suddenly filled with ice. The opening covered and froze solid. Vekk held his control of the shields despite not being able to see his targets. He could feel Kato's magic move out and heat the area around him.

Draco looked around them as icicles grew out from the walls in thick sharp spikes aimed their way. He placed a hand on Kato's shoulder. "What do we do?" he asked.

"A Daedra is bound here," Kato said. He was looking at the runes. "Their powers don't work outside of this room. They were starved even before this place was abandoned. Even in death, they cannot return to Oblivion instead they are forced back here."

"That's awful," Draco said. "Though it would be good if you could convince them not to kill us."

Kato reached out and broke off a chunk of ice heading for his head. The room dropped a few more degrees. Their breaths came out in white puffs of steam. They would freeze to death if they stayed in there.

Kato reached out to Oblivion and connected to Lady Lyrefhe. "Please my lady will you aid me," he said in Tamrielic. He tried to disturb her as little as possible, but there were things she was far better than him at handling.

"You call Lord of Dragons," Lyrefhe said as she appeared. Her flames melted all the ice around him and warmed them to the bone. "Will you finally join me?"

"You know I will not," Kato said. "My destiny is another as inviting as your fiery embrace is." He reached out to the room. "One of your frozen brethren has been sealed here. I cannot free them if they freeze me."

Lyrefhe looked around. "A lot of power is held here," they said. "This is one that was tricked and captured away from home. Sometimes we hear their calls, but we cannot reach them. They touched the wall and the ice melted away from them. The runes became visible once more. "Our own magic binds them," Lyrefhe said. "One of our own aided in this."

"Maybe someone wanted more power?" Kato said.

"Very possible," Lyrefhe said. "Can you break these seals?"

"Yes," Kato said. It was slow work. He had to work from one rune to the next. He had recharged most of his gems the past few days, but he was weaker than he would have wanted.

"Leave the ice, remove the rest," Lyrefhe said. "They will be able to break through themselves." They weren't doing much to help but keep the humans warm. Kato never asked them to do more than they were willing to. He did not see them as tools to be used. He asked for aid, but he would always do the work if he could. They hadn't served humans who did it any other way in a long time. Once a long time ago in their youth, they had been tricked into giving more than they were willing to. It had cost them a lot and it had taken much to regain their strength. They shuddered and their flames grew hotter for just a second.

Draco looked from his master over to the being of pure fire that hovered beside them. He remembered Theodore and Blaise speaking of beings like these. Fred and George had been dressed up this way. It must have looked amazing. He closed his eyes and locked his magic to his Master's power. They had to do this or they would die. He would aid in keeping them alive.

Kato worked his way over the runes as quickly as he could. He removed one after another. His gems were draining fast. Draco and Qozul were helping him as much as they could. Suddenly the room shook violently and a being slowly appeared before them. The ice whirled around the new being for a moment. "You bound me," they said.

"We did not. We were not born when you were bound," Kato said. "Humans have not lived in these halls for several cycles."

"Let me go," the ice atronach said.

"I do not hold you," Kato said.

"Cannot go home."

Lyrefhe looked at Kato. "Your sword," they said. "I shall guide them."

Kato summoned his sword and stabbed the ice atronach through the chest. He twisted the blade and blew waves of magicka to tear the ice apart.

Vekk raised a shield to protect himself from the shards of ice that fired out of the sealed room. The ice cleared in time for him to see the fiery form of Lady Lyrefhe before they stepped back into Oblivion.

"I need rest," Kato said as he walked up to Vekk. "It should be safe now. I think it was used as a way to execute people."

Vekk nodded. "I need a report," he said.

"Will dual memories be enough until after I have rested?" Kato asked.

Vekk rolled his eyes. "Yes," he said.

Kato drew a memory and Draco followed suit. They handed a vial each to Vekk before heading back to the tent so they could collapse.

2nd of March, 1999.

The sun had just risen over the plains. It promised to be a warm day. The wind was calm yet present. Kato was standing outside the caves. He had been watching the sunrise. Dumac stood with him. He held a case of potions and a briefcase with several versions of contracts. They were travelling straight to a magical district so there would be no issues with him coming along. "Time to leave," he said.

Kato nodded. He was going without Draco this time simply because he had no wish to put his apprentice in danger near a bunch of werewolves. He teleported them over to the Auror Office. The government building was vast, spreading out over acres of land. Most of the building lay on a single floor. Only the President's chambers rose above the rest. The roof was covered in soft green grass shielded from the worst of the sun by magic. The Head Auror was standing in the main office speaking to one of the Aurors. She turned slightly to acknowledge Kato's presence. She motioned towards an office. Kato and Dumac both headed over there and walked inside. They were early mostly because of the politics surrounding what they were planning on doing.

Eventually, the Head Auror joined them. She sat down by the desk and sighed. "This better work," she said. She leaned back. "The President will be present. We have supplied five more werewolves confirmed with the spell you have been witness to. You will administer the cure to half of them in about an hour and we will mark them off. The other half will be allowed to transform so you may see that the spell does actually work. They will have the cure administered to them if the half that you cure does not turn. If they turn, we will execute them all with no prejudice."

"Understood," Kato said.

"The Defence Minister and the President will be present for what is to happen as well as two Healers. Unfortunately, our residential Expert is unavailable today. He has been called elsewhere," the Head Auror said. She noticed the knowing smile on Kato's face but was glad that he didn't say anything. Enough people were trying to eavesdrop that anything he said could be a problem. She checked the time. "We might as well get going. The inmates are locked up in a cell each in the basement. As per your request and the fact that she was innocent before turning we have kept the girl away from there until just this morning. The rest are criminals to varying degrees."

"We came across a man in this that was trying to sell a false cure," Kato said as they walked. "He is currently in goblin custody, but I would assume he would be of interest to you." He could tell that she didn't like their involvement.

"We have heard of a ring that is inclined to do this and have seen the results of their so-called cure," the Head Auror said. "We have been unable to catch anyone connected as far as we know."

"The man is a werewolf himself at least if the spell is to be believed," Kato said. "You might have caught members but killed them rather than gain the information you need."

"You criticise us?" the Head Auror said.

Kato took a deep breath. "Not necessarily. I have held to the idea that they are dangerous beasts that need to die myself at times," he said. "The policies held by your country are not for me to judge. I'm simply here to allow you a different solution. How you wish to handle that is entirely up to you as a government. I hope that at least the innocent can find sanctuary and be cured. If they knew they could come to you and you could cure them you would get fewer uncontrolled attacks at the very least. I shall make sure we send you what information we have on the man we have in custody. He will be cured by us if he turns tonight. My apprentice has compiled a test of the potion he carried. He is currently handled by the royal guard because of certain in Clan issues we are dealing with at the moment."

The Head Auror nodded slowly. She would have preferred to handle interrogations themselves, but before Kato, the man would have simply been killed, and she was well aware of that fact. She opened a door and they headed down to an open room lined with cells. It was obvious that more brutal interrogations took place down there. Often in clear view of the other inmates. It didn't look to have been used in quite some time though. The Aurors probably had other ways of getting the information they wanted these days.

Each cell held a different person. Simeon's sister was relieved to see Kato. She seemed rather frightened yet determined.

One of the male inmates started talking as soon as he noticed the newcomers. Kato couldn't understand his words, but it was quite obvious that he was insulting them.

"Some of these will be hard to convince," Kato pointed out.

"You may use any tool you need as long as you let us know what you will do beforehand," the Head Auror said.

"Within reason," One of the Healers said as they watched the inmates. "Many of these people are already under great duress."

The door opened behind her and an impressive-looking man walked inside. He had two persons following him. One looked like a scribe and the other a Security Auror. Kato would bet that both of them were there to protect the man who had walked in though.

"Mr President," the Head Auror said with a bow.

"This is the one with the cure?" the President asked as he motioned to Kato.

"Yes, sir."

"Administer your Cure," the President told Kato.

"As you wish Mr President," Kato said. "First of all, I have already used your Expert's spell to determine that it does show all of these people as werewolves. I will administer the Cure to the rightmost three and leave the other three for our benefit. If this spell works I will want to spread it with his permission."

"I'm sure you can work something out with him," the Head Auror said.

"I will simply make these people drink the Cure. I have no wish to fight any of them and will use my magic to force it," Kato said.

"Will you be using the imperious curse?" the Head Auror asked.

"No," Kato said. "I am a Master of the Mind and as such I can make others do as I wish without the use of spells like that. What I do can be shielded against and my goblin brother here will do so for you even though I will not turn my magicka towards you." He was handed a vial of the Cure by Dumac and approached the first inmate. He didn't speak to the man, instead, he simply held the vial out and let his magicka do the rest. He didn't like taking over for someone else this completely, but it was the least harmful way for him to do it. Once he was certain the potion had been consumed he moved on. The two first inmates were men and quite easy to manipulate. The last was a woman. She was sitting in a corner of the cell staring at the wall. She wanted to project an air of victimhood, but Kato could easily sense the nasty thoughts going on underneath the surface. "Du Laan Naak," he breathed while aiding his Thu'um with his magicka. She got up and walked stiffly up to him. She took the potion from him and drank it down just fine before she grabbed onto him. She said something and Kato's arm was covered in ice forcing her to let go.

"She threatened you," the Head Auror said. "They will come for you."

Kato shook his head. "A lot of people don't like people like me. I have many enemies without ever meeting them and many allies that I have aided."

"Powerful," the President said. "Maybe not in political might, but in sheer magical power."

"I also won't simply leave things be, sir," Kato said. "I tend to get myself involved if there is something I can do."

"Now we wait?" the president asked.

"The potion is uncomfortable," Kato said. "It works fairly quickly, but this close to the full moon when the curse is more pronounced it will be more painful for them."

"And if they aren't werewolves?" one of the Healers asked.

"Then the ingredients used will make them very sick," Kato said. "The potion will work itself through their systems still yet find nothing to target. They would get a very loose stool. Without proper care, it would dehydrate them so badly that their systems will shut down and it could kill them if they are unlucky."

"At least then we know what to look out for," the healers said. A table and chairs were brought forward and a privacy ward was erected. No one was leaving that room until the moon had risen. Kato sat down with Dumac next to him.

"So assuming that your Cure works. How will we get our hands on it?" the President asked.

"Preferably you identify the werewolves you want cured and then apply through a system we will hand you to the goblins for a number of dozes. They will be procured and sent to you."

"And this is the only way?" the President asked.

"Currently yes," Kato said. "My apprentice is doing his best to recreate the potion. It was first created by my fiancé and placed in an ever-refilling flask. Unfortunately, she took the recipe to her grave and never noted the whole thing down for anyone. I am aiding my apprentice as much as I can with memories and the like, but he still has a long way to go." He considered telling them about the vaccine but thought it was best not to say anything until Draco had actually managed.

"I see," the President said.

...

Hours later the full moon slowly rose on the horizon. Kato rose from his chair and walked over towards the inmates. Hopefully, three of them would turn and the other three would not. The moonlight was let in to hurry the transformation. No signs of sickness had been displayed which counted in Kato's favour. The more aggressive inmates grinned and tore their clothes off as soon as the moon hit them. Only one of them started turning. The one that Kato hadn't given the Cure to. "Kaan Drem Ov," he whispered to calm the beasts that emerged. The wolves calmed down while the ones that had stayed human became more aggressive.

The Head Auror silenced them tired of listening to their curses. "It would seem your Cure works just fine," she said.

"Taking into account that they truly were werewolves before the Cure," Kato said.

"Exactly," she said. "You believe in the spell though?"

"I do."

"Then we believe in your cure," she said. "When can you administer it to the other three?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Kato said. "We won't know that it works until we have seen them not turn."

"True, but we will treat them how we would knowing that your cure works," the Head Auror said.

"And I would like to take a look at those contracts of yours," the President said. "Let's see if we can reach an agreement."

"I'm sure we can," Kato said.

Once Kato and Dumac returned to the Caverns, Kato headed over to their captured man. He had turned and the cure would be administered. "We should probably hand him over together with any evidence we have gathered. He wasn't involved with the eggs right?"

"No," the guard said. "We'll put things in order and you can hand him over tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you," Kato said with a low bow.

Days passed and the lead across the Atlantic quickly ran dry. No goblin or human who had worked with the goblins fit with anyone who had worked in Dragon's Breath Cavern. They weren't even attempting to go south for obvious reasons. That left several countries ending with Russia. It would take the goblin clans a long time to work through each country. A Royal advisor had appeared and talked for a long time with Kato about scales from the dragons. He would have to prepare appropriate gifts from the scales the dragons willingly gave him.

Cedric learnt a lot of spells from both Kato and Charlie but also from the other humans at the site. He certainly found it more interesting to be out and about rather than stay stuck at a desk in an office.

They travelled out together a lot and once in a while, they would run into the locals. Sometimes they hid and sometimes they paid their respects.

31st of March, 1999.

Kato was once again standing with the President and the Head Auror down by the holding cells. Several more werewolves had been found through information gained from the snake-oils salesman that Kato and Draco had run into.

Both victims and perpetrators were gathered. Everyone had received the cure.

The Werewolf Expert was standing next to Kato. He was fidgeting with several bracelets he wore nervously. Kato was watching him as they removed the panels and the moonlight streamed in. He looked like he was trying not to cry. Kato looked back at all of the people they had cured. Most were very angry about it, but several cells were opened by the Head Auror. "If you please come with me," she said. "We shall get you sorted and you can go back home."

These people had been used. They were innocent and hadn't hurt anyone. Kato was glad to see them go. He hoped that what they had done in Namibia would spread and others would contact them as well. Maybe a vaccine wouldn't be needed. If they cured enough people they would be safe.