Chapter Two- Fateful Encounter

"Of course their monsters are the real threat," Seto replied when Aknadin pointed it out the next morning. "But the host's choices can cause the monster to grow stronger. Wrong choices produce evil ones while right choices produce benevolent ones. Isis, Mahad, and I are examples of the latter. I confess Master Aknadin, I am curious as to why you do not have a creature of your own. You have had your Item for quite some time and you have served the previous pharaoh."

"I don't think my soul is strong enough to create a monster to help defend the city. It is not because I'm old as Kalim and Shada don't have monsters of their own." Aknadin did not say that he feared the possibility that his monster would be evil due to the fact that he had ordered the slaughter of a village to create the Items. Murder was evil and could cause the creation of a monster to influence him to kill and commit other crimes. Yes. It is better that I have no monster, he thought as they entered the throne room and waited for Atem along with the others. Said pharaoh came in minutes later with a preoccupied expression; no doubt due to Mahad's report from yesterday.

He sat and seemed to be gathering his thoughts before saying, "I know this will be different but so are the circumstances. I ask that all of you help the guards today. You will try to find people who are what Mahad has dubbed were-creatures. Mahad has also cast a temporary spell on our Items so they can sense evil the way Ring can. The spell will terminate at sunset."

All six bowed and chorused, "Yes, my pharaoh."

"All right. Court adjourned. Do your best out there."

The court bowed again and headed out of the room and toward the palace gates. Aknadin lightly fingered his Eye. "So, our Items can sense evil like yours can, Mahad. That is genius."

"It may be, but not all were-creatures are evil. We need to be alert for unusual signs."

"So, there could be law-abiding citizens who are were-creatures," Seto stated.

"Precisely. So, good luck everyone." The gates opened and all six stepped out onto the streets.

Aknadin moved through the streets, carefully looking at the people and smiling at some or talking to them, the latter to see if they had unusual teeth, but they didn't. Indeed, he saw nothing unusual. They were just ordinary people. He looked toward the market and he grunted slightly as his Eye briefly glowed. Mahad's spell, he thought as he headed toward the market, sensing his Eye guiding him to the evil it had sensed. He was led to a young man swiping food and snagged his arm. "Put that food back," he ordered.

"No," he said defiantly.

Aknadin's eye narrowed. "You will put it back." He lifted his gaze to catch the attention of two guards. They came over, took the man, and Aknadin recovered the food. The man was taken away, Aknadin returned the food, and resumed his search for were-creatures.

He passed Mahad as he headed for the outskirts. "A young man has been caught stealing food."

"So, we will have a judging later today. Thank you, Master Aknadin."

"My pleasure." He continued on his way. He ran a finger over his Eye; if it hadn't been for Mahad's spell, he wouldn't have caught that minor thief. Most criminals are minor ones. That is fine. Our job is to insure the peoples' peace and safety. Every man, woman, and…child. Aknadin saw a child peering around a corner at him, round brown eyes in the face of a boy who seemed to be nine or ten summers old. Curious about the boy, he headed over to him and into the alley the boy had darted into and pressed against the dead-end wall. "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you. I am Priest Aknadin. Who are you?"

The boy approached and then kneeled before saying, "Hamed, Priest Aknadin."

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead. Three years ago. I was seven."

So, he is ten. "Then, you've been taking of yourself since."

"Yes, sir, until recently. A tribe of nomads took me in."

"Are they nearby? I am sure the pharaoh would gladly allow you and your tribe to settle here."

"They're nearby but we will be moving on soon. I'd like to buy some food but I don't have any money with me or anything to trade."

"Hmm…perhaps I could give you some money for food. You don't have to repay me."

"Really?" Hamed rose to his feet and hugged the elderly priest, who was surprised by the gesture.

"Yes, really," he said as he was released. "It is my duty to see to the welfare of-," Aknadin cried out as he felt pain in his left arm. He looked down to see a black wolf where Hamed had been and his teeth in his arm. The wolf released and turned back into Hamed with a grin on his face.

"You're a…werewolf?" he gasped in shock and pain.

"Yes and now so are you. There is a lot to tell you about being a werewolf."

"Why would someone want to turn a child and, for that matter, why me?"

Hamed laughed. "I am older than I look. My age froze when I was bitten. I use my age and looks to lure people so I can bite. I chose you because of your priest title."

"Your age froze?"

Hamed nodded. "I look ten, but I was turned a hundred years ago."

"A hundred!?"

"Uh-huh and you won't age anymore, either. You'll also gain perks I didn't get as I'm young. You'll have the physical strength and energy of a man half your age, for one."

"I don't care about that. You just made me a monster."

"Aw, don't say that. I think of it as a gift with one drawback."

"The full moon."

Hamed nodded. "Every full moon turns one into a wolf with a tendency to be vicious and bloodthirsty. Not for humans," he added quickly. "Just prey that appeals to wolves, though some do turn humans at the time which can be risky with our vicious behavior. I'm curious if you will be able to resist it since you're a priest."

Aknadin sighed, knowing that he couldn't deny what he had heard and what he would become. "Tell me what I need to know."

"Gladly. You will transform tonight since you were newly-bitten. After that, you can change at any time and bite at any time when in wolf form. You'll gain wolf senses in human form. You'll be able to talk in wolf form except for the full moon and you're immortal."

"Immortal?" Aknadin asked in surprise.

"Yeah. It happened when I bit you. It will keep you healthy and immune to injuries save for silver. If silver impales your heart, you die."

Aknadin's head whirled with this information. He had become an immortal werewolf, the kind of person he and the others had come out to find. By all accounts, he should turn Hamed and himself in and tell of the only way they could die.

But Hamed has not done anything except attack me which is a crime. If I have him arrested, the guards will want a reason. I will find myself arrested if I tell that Hamed is a werewolf and that he made me one too.