That night, while Lord Tarikh drowned his woes with food, drink, and song, Juva and the newly renamed werewolf, Shakka, made their way to Lord Khorasan’s castle.

“They sure do smell,” Shakka said, wrinkling her black snout.

“Now remember,” Juva said. “There are several houri in the throne room. They won’t attack you, but they will assume the shape of whatever you desire most, appearing like objects cut from marble.”

“And what do these things do?” Shakka asked.

“Nothing, as long as you leave them alone. Just don’t ever touch them because if you do, you will lose all passion and drive for that which you most covet.”

Shakka looked astonished. “They take away your passion?”

Juva answered with a solemn nod. “But they shouldn’t be too much of a problem. What you really want to look out for are the lizard men. There are Marmulek guards, which are quite nasty but not very bright, and there is also an Aftabparst who can—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Shakka waved offhandedly. “Make sure the lizards can’t see me and don’t touch the marble things, no matter how enticing they look. I wonder if they will turn into the crushed skulls of vampires. If that’s the case, I might get tempted,” she snickered.

“Shakka, take this seriously. Now the Aftabparst can—”

“I am, I am. Don’t worry. I had a good meal, and I can feel my strength returning. Yes, the lupine blood is renewed, rushing through my veins!”

“Shakka, this is important. You really need to know about the—”

“Juva, I get it. Don’t wake the kitty, don’t touch the houri. Make sure I’m not seen. I got the picture, now watch me work!”

“But, Shakka, wait!”

And just like that, the werewolf pup rushed up the side of the grand stairway toward the marmulek guards, still on duty. Darkness had fallen, and there was nothing but torchlight to illuminate the grand entrance.

~

“Sir,” the Lieutenant said. “I think we’d see more clearly if we doused the torches at night.”

“Nonsense, Lieutenant,” the Captain huffed. “The torches aren’t to help us see better. They’re to make the entrance look ominous and our armor intimidating. That will deter any would-be intruders. Besides, who’d be stupid enough to try to break into Lord Khorasan’s castle?”

“If you say so, sir. But, still, my eyes just can’t adjust to this brightness while the backdrop is black as pitch—wait. Did you see that?”

The captain chuckled. “What, are we getting jumpy, Lieutenant?”

“No, I definitely think I saw something, just there at the edge of the light’s reach. I think it even smiled at me!”

“Smiled at you? Perhaps you’re the one who needs to see a conjurer, Lieutenant, but for your head!”

“No, really. It looked like a set of gleaming teeth just—grinned at me.”

“Alright, I’ve heard enough of your nonsense, Lieutenant. You must have gotten a heat stroke. Either that or you’ve truly lost your mind. Now, shut up and try to look intimidating.”

The Lieutenant fell quiet for a moment, but he was too restless to just let it slide. He knew he’d seen something.

“I’ll just go inside and do a quick sweep—”

“You will do nothing of the sort. I’m tired of hearing about your delusions. Look, the moon is almost full. It was just a trick of the light.”

The Lieutenant raised his gaze to the sky, where the pale blue disk was just a few days from waxing full. He sighed, realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere. But by the great dragon, he was sure there was something out there.

“Perhaps you’re right, Captain.”

~

I can’t believe how easy that was, Shakka thought as she zigzagged through the castle, dashing from alcove to alcove, taking cover behind the towering statues. Juva sure wasn’t wrong about the guards not being too bright. You’d think someone as powerful as Lord Khorasan would employ more intelligent races.

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Shakka spotted the glow of lanterns and froze until the guard patrol passed, then sprinted for the next alcove.

Like Ogres. They might not be the brightest spot on Luna’s crest, but at least they can think further than the tip of their clubs.

Again, another quick dash followed, but Shakka skirted to a stop as a particular statue caught her eye. It depicted a human warrior standing over a slain beast that looked almost exactly like a werewolf, but—bigger, more feral than any kin she’d ever seen. Was this what Juva meant? Were werewolves truly this formidable back in their prime?

She scowled at the human who stood so undeservedly atop the werewolf.

“Just wait. One day, we will have our revenge.”

She placed her hand briefly on the werewolf’s brow and took a solemn moment to honor its death, then continued with renewed determination. Juva’d better do well on her promise and show her everything her people had forgotten.

It didn’t take long for Shakka to reach a set of monolithic doors plated in solid gold. She gasped in awe. Now, these were riches. Just one of those doors could buy an entire legion, no, an entire army. However, it looked heavy, and she wondered if she could even open it by herself. What if it was locked? There weren’t any knobs, levers, or beams that she could see, so perhaps if she simply pushed?

The young werewolf put her palms against the frame and prepared for a mighty thrust, but her little hind paws struggled to gain a grip on the smooth marble floor. She pushed and pushed, trying different positions, but no matter how she exerted herself, she couldn’t make the door budge a single chak.

Deflated, Shakka slumped against the door, panting to catch her breath.

Tarnation. This isn’t going to work. I’ll need to find another way in.

But how? Juva didn’t mention any other way in, yet there had to be one.

She got up, hands on her hips, as she inspected the door one more time. Perhaps there was something she’d missed? The marmulek were strong, but surely not so strong they could open such a massive door unaided? Perhaps there was a cord attached to a contra weight she had to pull? But then again, it was a magical palace.

She shrugged. “Eh… open sesame?” The door opened with a shudder, as if taking a breath, and Shakka darted back with a squeal. “Woah. I can’t believe that work—”

But Shakka’s triumph was short-lived as voices came from the other side.

“So I told her, they’re my eggs too, and if she wants to absorb—”

Shakka scurried behind the still opening door until the two lizardmen had passed. Her heart raced as she watched them with wide eyes. That was close. When the door began to close again, Shakka slipped inside before she missed her chance.

She could figure a way out later. Now, she was just moments away from finding the turnkey and earning a limitless supply of food—food and knowledge.

Perfect. Now to get that—what—is that smell?

Shakka shook her head. It wasn’t the lizardmen, as it didn’t stink as much. It was a more dulling sensation, and she already felt it making her a bit—slow. It reminded her of the smell that always hung around the teahouses where the more senior gents drank strong tea or coffee and smoked from long pipes until their faces went purple.

Shakka stifled a yelp when a deep purring snore rattled her from her thoughts. Lifting her gaze to the giant form sleeping at the back of the great court, she saw a huge tiger with whiskers as long as a man was tall. Its striped tail curled along the front, wagging as if under the spell of a snake charmer.

Was that Lord Khorasan sleeping on a bed of giant satin pillows? Juva had said that he was big, but this was beyond what Shakka could have imagined—and fantastical imaginations were her specialty!

Do not. Wake. The kitty, Shakka told herself repeatedly as she tiptoed further into the chamber.

Surrounding the humongous feline were several white marble stones, small enough to fit into her palm. It was an odd thing to leave scattered about. She was about to pick one up when a voice came out of nowhere.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” it said, the inflection creaky like two pieces of old parchment rubbed together.

Shakka jumped. “What? Who was that?”

The voice chuckled. “Why are you here, small daughter of Luna?”

Shakka steeled herself, bringing up her guard and spreading her claw-tipped fingers. “That’s my business. Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away and pretend you hadn’t seen anything.”

“Shhh…” the voice shushed. “You don’t want to wake the master, now do you?”

Shakka peered over her shoulder, standing just a few pa from the gently snoring beast. The hairs on her body stood, as she hadn’t realized how far she’d backed up to its maw.

“What is it you want?” she posed in a harsh whisper.

The voice darkened. “You should have escaped while you could.”

“Not until I got what I came for—ow!” Shakka spun as someone plucked a single hair from her head.

Again the voice chuckled. “Careful. You wouldn’t want to wake the master, now would you?”

“I am not the one—ow! Stop it!”

Shakka froze when a deep low growl rumbled through the room, and Lord Khorasan shifted his paw so fast, Shakka barely managed to leap out of its way.

Another chuckle. “I think you almost woke him there…”

“What’s your problem, man? Why don’t you just alert the guards or something?”

“Why should I? The doors won’t open without a pass crystal, and there’s no other way out. Eventually, a patrol will return, and you can count on it that they’ll make quick work of a little pup like you.”

“Ow! Stop it!”

“Oh, but this is far too much fun.”

“You know, you’re really annoying for a spirit.”

“I’m no spirit.”

Shakka kicked, punched, and made a few swift chopping motions with her arms, but she hit nothing but air.

The voice laughed from the ether. “What’s the matter, young wolf pup? Can’t find me? The haze making it hard to track my scent? Oh, you’re such a delight. You have no idea how boring it gets; watching the master sleep for Hell knows how long at a time.”

Shakka darted back onto the marble floor and almost lost her footing. This was bad. The haze was dulling her senses, and she’d become sluggish. How could she beat an opponent she couldn’t see or smell? And if the guards returned, she’d be in serious trouble. There was no choice. No one was coming for her. She’d have to vanquish the invisible creature herself.