“Are you planning on sitting there all day?”
William jumped up and turned around in the air. The sudden motion only served to throw him off balance again and he crashed to the ground in a very ungraceful heap. He looked up and saw his teacher standing over him.
“Ares! A…A guy attacked me! I didn’t mean to. I wanted to teach him a lesson. I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t stop. He might be dying. Where is Physis? She has to help him. I don’t want him to die.”
Ares folded his arms across his chest. The larger werewolf looked down at his student. Ares face didn’t change at all, nor did it look like he had understood what William was saying. William lifted himself up and wiping a glob of blood off his chest, he held it up so Ares could see. “There is a werewolf in the forest that attacked me and I almost killed him!” He grabbed Ares long chest hair and shook the larger werewolf. Ares’ body didn’t move but Ares powerful arms crashed down on William’s fists ripping his claws from Ares’ chest. “If you don’t care I will find Physis myself!”
As William turned around, he found that his legs were no longer under him. It was a surreal feeling to not have any legs when they were there just a second ago. William floated in the air, suspended from gravity. It was the feeling of total freedom. William crashed back down to earth and felt the air forced out of his lungs. He couldn’t breathe and the thought came to his mind that for some reason he was really tired of finding himself on the ground.
He rolled over just in time to see Ares bend down and rip him back to his feet. The sudden lurch that his body went through and the weight that his rematerialized legs felt was almost enough to put him back on the ground. Ares kept a firm grip on William though, and soon his wobbly legs were able to support his body again. He placed his hands on top of Ares’ and held himself there till his stance strengthened. The feeling of breathing normally returned to him and he pushed away from Ares and took a step backwards from his teacher.
“Is he going to die?”
Ares face didn’t shift a hair. The werewolf looked down at William. He didn’t frown, nor did he smile. Ares didn’t look mad or pleased, he looked stoic and his features were carved from rock. “No, pup, he will not die.”
William breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Who was he?”
Ares looked up and out through the forest. He shook his head. “His name is Nicolas Mancini.” Ares didn’t say any more and began walking in the opposite direction of where the attack happened.
William ran a few steps to catch up to his teacher. “Who is he, Ares? Why did he attack me?” Ares didn’t acknowledge the questions but continued walking. William got in front of his teacher and put two claws up between them. “Ares, I almost killed another werewolf today. If I’m going to be put down for what I did, at least tell me who the hell he was and why he attacked me.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Ares stopped walking. He looked at his student and gave him the slightest of nods. Ares moved over to a tree. He motioned for William to do the same. When they were both settled Ares said, “I understand your concern, William you will not be killed for defending yourself.” William breathed another heavy sigh of relief. “I knew that that guy was going to have trouble adjusting. I was not chosen to be his teacher. Nicolas was born on the gibbous moon and he has all the gifts of a promising young Scout. However, he also seems to think that this is a game and he revels a little too much in the power of being what we are. Personally, I think what you did to him today was exactly what he needed.”
William took all this in but was still very confused. “If he is a pup like me, where was his teacher and who is it?”
Ares looked at William. “You don’t need to know who his teacher is, pup. Don’t you ever question what a teacher does, do you understand me? You don’t have near the kind of experience that the Elders have and they choose who will teach who. They do not come to their decisions lightly.” Ares looked up and down William’s body. His expression softened. “I’m fairly proud of you, William.”
William was taken aback by this comment. All the guilt that he had felt moments ago surged back up in his mind. “You’re proud of me? For what, tearing some young werewolf apart, nearly killing him? Would you have been prouder if I had killed him?”
Ares look hardened. “I’m proud that you didn’t kill him.” Ares took a step toward William. William had to crane his neck back to look at his teacher. Ares was no longer happy. If his eyes could attack than William would be feeling a lot of pain right now. “Not only did you stop yourself from attacking him you moved him in such a way that prevented him from dying.” Ares stepped to the side of William and the anger was gone from his teacher’s voice. Ares eyes were still locked on William’s though. “You showed compassion but above that you showed remorse for your actions. Those are very good indications that you will not turn into some rabid animal that has to be put down. I have already lost one student; I don’t intend to lose a second.” Ares stared hard at William.
William stared back at his teacher and let his gaze shift purposefully toward the ground. “Ares? Was this just another test?” He raised his eyes and looked at his teacher.
“No, pup it was not a test.”
“If it wasn’t a test than it wasn’t a test. I found that family of rabbits. They really stink.” William hadn’t been paying very close attention to it but as he brought up the memory of the fluffy animals, he could swear that he still smelled a trace of the rank smell of bunny sex.
“Yes, I know. You even hid your scent from them with your environment. You did very well. What you need to remember from that lesson is that sometimes your environment is the only weapon or protection that you have. You have taken a small but important step in the direction of learning how to use your surroundings to aid you.” Ares began walking again. William kept in step beside him. “There is something else you have to learn, though William. Something that is just as important as changing into your werewolf form at will. Have any idea what that might be?”
William nodded. “I have to learn how to change back.”
Ares looked over at his student with a slight smile on his face. “You sound so enthused about that.”