A Wolfen Smile

Slowly your eyes opened, only to shut again as cold, wet droplets slipped between your eyelids. Damp air began to fill your lungs, although at a certain point it became impossible to fully inflate your chest. A weight pressed into your, refusing to allow you a full breath.

Deciding that the best thing you could do is lift your head, it hurt to move your face and in fact to blink as well, small pieces of glass bit into your cheeks, jaws and neck, more shards buried into the mud where your hair was clumped together.

You lay there, disoriented and injured, staring at the clouded midnight sky, surrounding the pale orb above.

Moon-gazing always drew out the curiosity in you, but looking at the scarred astral rock that floated in orbit now, it seemed more like an ever-watchful eye, its silver rays carried by a gentle song; one that conjured images of unrelenting beasts, veracious for gore and flesh.

It was crazy how soft it was, the smallest of voices coaxing out the monstrous being that lingered within the mortal shell.

Something framed that shadowed sky, made of smooth black metal, plastic and leather, some fractured pieces still clung to the car window, attached to a door which lay on top of you; burying you deep in the mud.

Forcing up your aching arm, a voice leapt out from behind "Charlie, d-don't move!" Cleo's voice called.

"You really going to want to stay put, Cowboy! If anything's gonna eat'cha, it's this Gal!" Rudy's southern twang was unmistakable.

Eat you, what the hell did she mean by that?

the question helped you scrounge up the strength to look through over the Apollos banged up door on top of you, where you encountered an image that was plenty with clarification.

Five, no-seven wolves stood at the treeline staring down at you from their high perch, where the opportunity to pounce on prey was made easy.

Your head fell back as you groaned at the deep painful ache in your chest and shoulders.

Behind you was the wreckage where the Apollo lay upside down just past the ring of Purple flowers which stirred up memories of a botany book you'd read on a whim from your Aunt Hilde's collection.
"Wolf's Bane huh? a little on the nose but okay."

Guarded by the Violet blooms, stood the tall lodge, handcrafted with long logs of ivory birch, with its rippling circular windows and high intricately built roof.

The Building however was the least of your concerns, as you watched Cleo standing at the edge of the wolf's bane perimeter, dirty and dripping with rain, as Rudy reached into the Apollo's ruined form, cutting an **** Muninn out of her seatbelt with a quick swing of her claws.

Looking at those three, pushing through the danger you summoned them to, it filled you with strength, and despite the snarling and monstrous barking of the Werewolves above, a flickering of black embers began to spark from your shoulders, eyes burning with unnatural power.

You couldn't help but think of that dream, of this other place; this Red Sea. You grasped at the thought of it and held it tightly inside, pulling on its power which flowed through every fibre of your muscles, numbing any trace of agony and replacing it with supernatural vitality.

Forcing your broken fingers to move, the door creaked and the mud squelched as you **** your body to shift up. Slowly shambling up to your knees and then further up to on wobbly legs, using the car door as leverage to remain quasi-upright.

The Wolves stared down: bright-eyed and filled with fury... they could kill you here like this, you were **** and yet somehow your hand found the muck-covered handle of the Sword of Lugh, its damp blade burning red hot in response to your fingertips.

A small huff left your smiling lips, the Wounded Red-grey flora, her ear blown off; eye burned black, stood beside the Blonde Wolf who locked her huge black brother in her vast arms.

The Black-Wolf that strove for your **** above all things, had been replaced with an exited pup, panting with a long red tongue as he tried to run off in the woods to find the stick Cleo had anchored to him.

Many more had gathered now, but they all seemed to be experiencing the same thing. It was as if all were rooted to the ground, unable to move regardless of how much they squirmed and thrashed.

The air felt stranger once more, it bent and curved in anomalous ways; as a Bright redhead peered out from the trees, slowly plodding out to reveal its complete form.

This wolf was far more canine than its brethren, in fact, it was indistinguishable from a normal wolf save for a few explicit differences; one being the sheer size of the thing, it had to be 5 meters long and 3 meters tall, covered in a coat of scarlet fur that spiralled with ivory streaks: pale as snow.

When you looked into its huge Yellow eyes, you felt Deja-vu followed by recognition. You had seen this thing before, or at least the head back when you and the family had scaled up the tall building as you tested your powers.

Slowly it made its way in front of its brethren, never once breaking eye contact with you as you huffed beside the car door which landed you some stability.

"I thought you were just some kind of hallucination when I first saw you." You called to the red wolf who sat on the soil, staring in the way only a wolf can, a look that balanced between jumping at you or just continuing to observe. "C-Come on, I know you can talk, you spoke to me before, say whatever you're gonna say, and then we can get whatever happens next over with."

The Red-Wolf... gazed at you curiously.

"Go on, ask whatever you're gonna ask me." You encouraged.

"Why do you still persevere?" Its voice was a whisper paired with a snarl "Although your attempted escape was admirable, you have seen that no great injury can fall us, you have seen that we protect our claims on our lands with absolute prejudice. So why do you continue, how can you, barely an immortal, persist so readily in the face of ruin?" the tone echoed through the grove, mixing with the rain and sky.

You peered back at Cleo, standing desperately at the Wolfsbane perimeter, pleading with her eyes for you to run as Rudy sat in the grass with Moonie laying out-cold on her lap.

"I don't know, I'm starting to realise that I'm more sentimental than I thought. You really want to know why, but I think it's clear to see" You said nodding back towards your girls.

"Them? they are dead flesh, corpses who cling to life like parasites, kicking and screaming and feeding on the world. Why would you fight for them?" It asked

"The same reason you do for yours I expect. They are all I have, all I've ever wanted, they're my family."

The Red-wolf lifted his head in reverence to the moon above and let out a howl that praised the sky and the stars and the clouds, it soothed the animosity carried by the hard breeze and seemed to calm the legion of wolves behind him.

"You are a worthy adversary, and we are not without honour. It is uncommon to meet an equal in prey. But it is clear to me that you too are a hunter of the night, having bested two of our most powerful soldiers, as a sign of this respect we shall allow you this victory. But know this, Dark-Sun, with the new moon ends the cycle and with the mother Moon's fulfilment, comes a cycle anew. When you come to this place uninvited once more, your status as Prey will be renewed. I have spoken."

Licking its furred lips, the Red-wolf turned his huge head and lashed his ivory tail, walking stoically back towards the tree line.

The huge Lycanthropes thrashed their bulky arms, eyes popping from their sockets as they barked and snarled incessantly. You had realised that they wanted to jump out and slaughter your remains, but it was as if some great power had leashed them, like a solitary boundary that they would not pass.

In an instant, they stopped and their mouth closed, staring insidiously in their dark furs... The blonde one, in particular, seemed interested in you, her large conspicuous eyes were hypnotising, threatening too but in a twisted obsessive kind of way, the way that said "I know you"

Recognition seemed paramount at that moment, as a memory; only small, came to the forefront of your mind, a woman at a desk, her face changing abruptly into something monstrous. But it was only a fleeting thing, and it was the deep pains of your injuries that took president as the Wolves began to walk away one by one.

"They really wanted to kill me, but they won't disrespect his decision. So... do they follow him because they respect him, or is this just some creepy Monster shit taking hold of them? You never can tell these days."

But one clearly didn't want to get the message.

The Flora-wolf lurched forward, tense and raw with hunger, her jaws broad and slobbering with hunger.

"NO!!" She cried, her voice thick and coarse. "NOO!!" the wolf screamed and struggled, fighting to uproot her paws from the mud, clawing at the thin air in wild movements before slowly crouching down on all fours.

Her body rippled with muscle, drawing herself in tighter and tighter like a coiled spring battling against her leader's will.

Hidden under the shadow of the car door, your fingers grasped at the metal bottle at your hip, shaking the contents loose while subtly shifting Lugh's burning blade closer to your left side.

"Charlie! RUN!" Cleo cried, but you stayed dead still a solid unwavering form in the petrified moments that seemed to pass at a snail's pace, as you once again looked **** in the eyes, and once again You stared back in defiance.

Mud, grass and moss flew in every direction as the wolf sprung towards you, mouth ajar, claws splayed like a fist full of garden sheers, all just for you.

The Silver nitrate crystals slithered out of the flask, kissing the red-hot blade of your sword which sang a symphony of flame and chemistry.

You had meant to go for the wrist, to cut off the attack at its source, but your head was still spinning from the hard thump of the collision. The sound she made was terrible, half-yelping dog and half whimpering girl but then again what other sound could be made with ten inches of silver-laced burning steel bursting out of where your shoulder blade used to be.

The Flora wolf was frozen, her huge arm held on by a thin line of tendons. You watched the urgency flee from her one eye as she slowly phased down into the dirt.

The Wolf all reeled back but their leader rushed before them, watching diligently as you lent down touching the sizzling wound "Do me a favour and survive, hmmm? We aren't done sharing stories yet."

Slowly you arose, the wolves doing nothing to stop you as you limped across the Wolf's bane perimeter. You only looked back once as the wolves scrounged up their sister's body, dragging her away. The Red-wolf caught your eye, looking on with those haunting yellow orbs. That was the first and last time that you would ever see a wolf smile.

"Bloody hell, Charlie!" Cleo rushed in steadying you, she was ice cold, maybe that's why Lugh offended her so "Will you put that fucking awful thing away!?" She hissed.

You pushed Lugh into the dirt, the blade going cold as it left your touch.

"What was going through your head huh? I've seen one wolf-"

"Tear apart an entire clan?"

Her brow furrowed "You could have gotten yourself killed, we can't lose You over such reckless things."

"Oh, you thought that was reckless, wait until we get inside." You both beheld the tall shadowed lodge, snow-white and ominous. Cleo still seemed shaken and so you wrapped an arm around her "Thank you for rushing in, you were amazing out there, I never saw you fight before."

She scrunched up her nose "I'm not like you or Belle, I'm no Warrior."

"No..." You smiled "You're more than that."

"Cut it out with the charm, Drake. I told you I have a boyfriend." Seeking comfort, your fingers slid down her waist, feeling at the soft flesh under her thin slacks the corner of her lips curved as she walked you over to the Apollo's wreckage where Rudy danced like a maniac, catching raindrops on her long tongue as Muninn lent against a burst tire rubbing a slowly deflating bump on her head.

"Well, that could have gone worse." You called to the two, one skipping around catching the rain on her long tongue, the other, a limp form sat up against the wreck.

Moonie blinked nursing her head "If only my skull fracture were so optimistic."

With the help of the dark-haired gothic beauty, You knelt down to Moonie's level as she lay limply against the ruined body of your father's supercar. long streaks of rain, stained with blood dripped from the small crater in Moonie's yellow scalp, travelling down her bruised forehead, creeping around the dark socket of the one grey eye that she **** open.

She was still as the grave, badly rocked by the sudden impact of the crash, although the stalwart will of the undead cursed made her cling to consciousness. "That bad huh?" She whispered slothfully, although, with her usual light-hearted twang, it seemed even with a cracked cranium, Moonie was always herself.

You cracked a small grin, although as you wiped the red from her cheek your grin quickly diminished, replaced by a burning determination.

"You need blood, now. Rudy, let's-"

But the blonde cut you off, reaching up to tightly clench your wrist "W-We cannot leave this circle now, as courteous... as our furry friends may seem to be, the others will return without Woden's blessing."

The meaning of her words was quickly grasped and it made you frown "I can't go in there without you, and I'm sure as hell not just leaving you like this."

Moonie showed her bloody teeth in a strange visage, that of a woman who had felt too much pain to care about it, even if it came in excess "This? just a flesh wound."

"How are you and Hugin so different and yet so the same?"

She licked her lips, smearing them red "It's one of the many unfortunate byproducts of Twinhood... agh." Her eyes whirled as her regenerative powers slowly closed the bleeding gap in her broken crown.

Cleo helped you down to your knee so that she could survey the blonde's wound "It's healing nicely but her frontal lobe is damaged, that takes time even for us, I doubt that we'll get her in the lodge anytime soon unless you have a bottle of Type B and an hour spare?"

"If only. Look, I think I might have something-" You went to draw out the eldritch power that floated in your memories, but Moonie snatched your hand.

"No more... Blood Runes, You won't be able to maintain control if you overexert yourself, you might lose it with Woden, and that is the last thing you want." The blonde swallowed hard, making her shimmer unnaturally "I will be alright, this isn't my first brain injury, wont be the last I expect."

"She needs to rest for a while, Charlie, we can recover from a lot of damage but injuries to the brain can have permanent effects," Cleo said sternly, removing a handkerchief from her jacket and placing gentle pressure on the slowly closing gash.

"Then we wait." You said resolutely, although the Raven spoke to you with her stormy eyes, looking resonantly at you and then the tall lodge.

"I'm not going in there without you Moonie."

"You don't think He's watching us right now? learning? observing? with every second that passes He gathers more and more information about you. Nobody can beat Woden Wyse in the game of knowledge..." The thought of that made all four of you peer up at the Lodge's top floor where a large crescent of stained glass watched from above, looming and ominous.

"I'll need Cleo, but... Rudy-"

"Don'chu worry birdie, Ain't nobody getting to my favourite snack without my say so!" Rudy slipped out from your left, grasping your arm tightly and smiling "Come on then Pretty-boy, we got an old fart to catch."

You were unmoving, glaring daggers at the Southern Wendigo, who only smiled waiting patiently as your concerns for Moonie became clear "I am not leaving you like this."

"When are you going to figure it out, dummy?" Moonie said through a half-smirk "You aren't leaving me, we are always with you. I promise I ain't moving a muscle, Go."

"Moonie-" You growled.

"Go, now." Cleo also insisted, although softening slightly at your expression "You don't need us, Charlie, we trust you to do this. We'll be waiting for you after you've spoken to the Old man."

As uneasy as the separation felt, you nodded... having such unconditional faith on your side, it still felt alien, but You loved Moonie and Cleo felt like a grumpy older sister (despite already feeling the lifelong 'joy' of one of those in Diana) and so you strived against the hunger and put that same faith in them.

"Be safe, both of you. Let's go Rudy." The Dirty-blonde grinned wildly and pulled you to her side, practically singing as you walked towards the Lodge's lean structure.

"Ooooh just the two of us now, I know this is gonna be fun!"

"I hope so. You gonna be able to behave yourself in there?" You asked earnestly.

"Don't you worry, Rudy may enjoy bashing her head against stop signs and breaking eggs over Harkins heads when they ain't lookin' but She is stable as Bundy at the butchers"

"Very reassuring. Stay close, alright? I can already feel this guy watching us."

Mad as she was, Rudy clung to you tightly "Yes, sir." she purred, biting her lip hard; nearly drawing blood.

Ascending the few steps up towards the tall oaken doors that allowed entry into the silent Lodge. Together you stood, looking at the door's knocker which gleamed unnaturally bright "Silver."

"Imma let you get this one, Honey, Rudy would rather not feel the wrath of god for the sake of courtesy."

And so you reached up, touching the cold metal which felt uncomfortable, although not damaging, as you thumped five times in melody, finishing with a double flourish.

No response.. and so you knocked again, just normally this time. Again there was nothing, save for the pitter-patter of rain against the branches and Rudy gutting sharply "He ain't much one for hospitality it seems. Here, Rudy's got it-"

Her arm drew back but you snatched it mid-flight "Wait." something hidden caught your eye: the smallest of cracks in the door. You reached out poking it; watching as it slid open, clearly unlocked.

You and Rudy shared a look, making a quiet agreement to enter in stealth.

Entering cautiously, the room you crossed into was vast and open, with smooth walls of polished birch where portraits, framed in gold and silver, hung from the walls.

The Branched antlers of Stag and moose lingered above, your dirty boots leaving tracks of mud on the dark plank floor. There was nary a speck of dust in the air, no dirt or signs of age, all was swept, wiped, polished, clinical, it made you painfully aware of the gentle quivering of your hands and the chills that swept down your spine.

You tried to keep walking on, but your legs froze, the ice crawling up your waist to clash with the searing heat that rained down from your sweating forehead, turning you into a weeping cauldron of heat and cold.

The deadly tight grip of Rudy, cast its anchor down and held you gripped tight in reality "Keep your head, Cowboy. Don't listen to it, focus on the task at hand."

"I got it, just... keep me moving would'ya." You whispered lowly, rubbing the sweat from your brow.

Grounded by the most unsturdy beam in undead history, Rudy led you through the Anteroom up one set of spiralling stairs.

"You're really on the edge of losing it huh? I can smell it you know, and taste it, like a cloud of smoke slithering out of a bonfire."

"That's not what the others say" You noted quietly "Hiding it isn't exactly easy but the others didn't notice until I wanted them to."

"Oh but I'm not like the others... Rudy knows what starvation is like, better than any of them, and You, Cowboy, are one hard son of a bitch to have lasted so long."

You smirked "It certainly doesn't feel like it, I'm just trying to stay grounded in the moment." Rudy was sleek and compact, her body was in a constant state of minor movements, twirling her fingers, pivoting her smooth neck to peer at whatever image her unhinged mind had made up; Yet her soft cheeks, curved feline jaw and large magenta eyes gave her a feminine grace that (paradoxically) paired well with her slim-fit form.

The first floor came and went as you continued upwards, Rudy was closing the space between you, allowing her clearly diligent nature to falter slightly as she glanced at you with a curious lust.

"So, what are you thinking about right now? What's grounding you at this moment, I wonder?" She asked demanding your attention with her closeness.

Rudy was like a wave, sinking inwards at the waist before flowing out into the shapely ripe flesh of her sizeable rear.

You didn't play dumb, doing so with Rudy seemed counterintuitive. The Blonde was raw and real, intense in ways that you hadn't experienced before "I'm wondering what it would be like to have a long-lasting relationship with you."

"Oh?" She whispered casually.

"Yeah, like us going out for dinner where we stalk and hunt a dark-haired girl, a Brunette maybe who runs out disappointed by the douchebag she met online or something. Not to thin mind you, but with just enough fat to enrich her blood with flavour."

The Wendigo hummed approvingly "Full and juicy like a hamburger, and I'd get first bite?"

You scoffed "Maybe I'm not feeling so gentlemanly, maybe we'd have to fight for who gets the first bite."

"Rudy doesn't like an easy catch anyway. mmmffff you really know how to show a girl a good time." Sucking on her bottom lip, the Wendigo huffed

When the trek to the top was over you were huddled up on the landing like two little penguins, unable to do anything but cry and flap as you approached an unknown recent future. Another door stood before you, finely stained and polished so that you and Rudy could see the faintest of reflections.

You watched the slightly warped blonde image's hand slip down to tightly grip yours.

"hmmm it's been a long time since I've gotten this excited, sure beats the shit of being locked in my Iron Maiden all day!" She noticed the blank look in your eyes as you stared off at the reflection in the polished surface, where a bloody dripping figure stood behind you, glaring manically over your left shoulder, opening her lips to whisper in your ear-

Snatching your cheek, you felt soft lips enrapture your mouth, a long silky tongue capturing yours; Powerful but small arms pulling you by the neck back into reality. Rudy groaned deeply, her mouth vibrating with glee.

Caught off guard your chest tingled pleasantly, breathing in the surprise as you both parted, noses still touching. "I want you right here, right now." Rudy hissed.

"I said keep me grounded, not distract me."

"...Hypocritical little bastard. I thought you were a Cowboy, but you clearly don't have the Balls to take me on"

"Oh really?"

Rudy took your hands and buried them in her rear where they dug deep into the soft flesh over the fabric "Yeah, really. I mean here I am..." Rudy slipped her fingers into the loose cups of her off-the-shoulder dress, easily pulling out one of her heavy breasts which bounced free.

Your mouth slipped open, as she rubbed her rock-hard nipple, pinching and massaging; face wrought with temptation "...Titty out for anyone to see, and you're worried about the mission, instead of giving mama what she wants?"

Gritting your teeth, you narrowed your eyes "I fucking hate your ass right now."

Rudy dipped her head, allowing her long tongue to circle her pink areola "Do you?"

Goosebumps flushed across your neck and Rudy's shoulders as you both paused, a presence was felt in the next room. Huffing girlishly, the Southern bell tucked her breast back into her dress "Oh well, I guess it will have to wait for another time after all. Such a shame."

You glared at her, as you both face the door again "I will remember this, you little tease. We'll see how hungry you are after I give you something to chew on."

"I certainly hope so, Cowboy. but for now, I'd bet that on the other side of this door, Woden awaits."

Nodding, you got your head back in the game quickly with Rudy at your side. You prepared yourself for whatever Woden would have in store for you, be it offence or defence, weapons or words, peace or battle.

You reached for the brass door knob in anticipation, only to watch it swing away from you, the door cracking open widely to show...

Dark brown eyes looked up at you and confusion painted your face "Hello." The voice was small and light, fitting for the small girl that it belonged to.

"Hi..." You responded, raising an eyebrow at the grey-haired teen who smiled warmly, although a little shyly. She pushed back her wild frizzy mane from her tired face and thrust out a hand.

"I-I'm Geri, n-nice t-t-t-to meet you, Welc-come to Valhalla, the Hall of Woden." The girl clearly had a bad stammer and looked unmistakably rough, her small gown clung to her petite body ruined with various tares and blotches of what looked and smelt like ink. She thrust a small, rigid hand in your direction, the skin also stained black.

You and Rudy exchanged a curious look before you slowly lent down to shake the Girl's hand.

The second your skin touched you flinched at the tightness of her grasp, and the strength of her grip... the subtlest of smells tickling your nose.

"Y-You're a Wolf!?" You muttered in surprise, tensing slightly.

She threw up her hands "I-I m-m-muh-mean you no harm, I am here to-to-to-t-t-to-"

"That will be enough, Geri, be a good lass and let the gentleman in."

Now that was the voice of a man if you'd ever heard one before, deep, calm and accented in what you recognised as some form of British. The Wolf-Girl, Geri stepped back and invited you in to behold a magnificent sight.

This space was less a room and more a vast library, every wall covered by tall shelves easily 5-10 meters high, stacked with hundreds, possibly thousands of dust tombs, thick encyclopedias, glossaries with black spines and books of every shape, size and colour.

The light of the full moon was cast through the stained glass windows, painting the room with beams of deep lilac and azure blue. There were no signs of technology anywhere, any light was provided by candles that hung on the walls nor was there any furniture laid on the dark oak floor, save for a tall chesterfield armchair to the left which Geri climbed on to sit... and of course the desk at the end of the room.

Sat in a beautifully constructed ivory throne, was a man who lent over his crescent-shaped desk, scratching his black-feather quill pen on an old book of dark parchment.

Holding yourself high, you strode down the long room towards the man who did not look up from his writing, taking a moment to observe his odd features.

Dressed in a full three-piece suit, charcoal black held unto a lean, narrow form with gleaming silver buttons, Woden was a pale-skinned man pushing into his 50s, although his face was clear the smallest of wrinkles showed on his forehead, his hard lips crested by unmoving crows-feet, giving his clean-shaven face a weathered and seasoned impression.

The sides of his head were shaved close to the skin, although a silky wealth of short silver-grey hair was slicked back into a perfectly sensible undercut.

As you drew closer, the old man sat up, adjusting his silver tie and showing the Gleam metal monocle that obscured his left eye with a pitch-black lense, the other an icy cold steel grey orb pierced right through you, then through Rudy, who seemed unnerved by his nonchalant gaze.

You put on a friendly smile "It is a pleasure finally meet you, Sir."

"A pleasure?" He said with the cadence of a man who had seen too much of the world for pleasantries "Tell me, my boy, where is the pleasure in the quivering form of an uninvited guest barging into our home with nought but steel and hunger?"

You bit your lip softly, absorbing the neatly dressed man's tone with a morbid kind of curiosity "I meant no disrespect, Sir."

"Oh? and yet here you are, with your band of broken things at my doorstep. No matter, manners aside you did find your way here, in spite of the angry dogs at my door; an impressive feat even for one such as you...." You weren't sure what he meant by that, even as he lent back looking you up and down the smallest of smiles crossed his face, one of judgement "...Perhaps in lieu of your struggles getting here, you may gift me with an introduction?"

"I'm Charlie." You responded politely.

The Old man's brow curved even deeper into his monocle "Charles, a title of freedom pertaining to scholars of old, Your father was wise indeed to have gifted you with a name carry such history. But I am curious as to why it is this name that you have chosen to give?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, My boy, a man of your reputation and prestige has many an opportunity when making introductions. For instance, you could have announced yourself as Charles Drake, Son of Romulus, Grandson of Artorias, Nephew to Remus. Or maybe as the Crow-slayer, the Blackfire; the Dark sun who fears no silver, nor sunlight, who walks in the shadow of **** without fear of its final gift. Perhaps... even as Lord N-"

Your head quaked as he spoke, making you involuntarily grasp at your temples to briefly massage away the pain and disorientation.

The Old man clearly noticed, but you quickly hid away the crack in your mind with a **** grin "Since you clearly know so much about me already, maybe you should be the one to make introductions?"

The Old man rubbed his knuckles "Indeed. Tell me, why do you think I own so many books?"

You shrugged "Because you like to read?"

"Do not play dumb, my Boy. Answer the question." He insisted.

You let go of your witless facade "You are well informed, you clearly hunger for knowledge in all things..." You cast your eyes over to Geri, who flushed at your stare "...even things that Vampires conventionally avoid. You want intelligence, to be Wise."

His face lit up "Wise, yes... then that is what you shall call me. Wyse, Woden Wyse."

You gripped Rudy's hand, giving her a look that said 'stay here' before moving closer "I have come for your help, Mr Wyse."

"Help that the Raven Girl, doubtlessly promised without assurance or guarantee I suspect?"

"Yes. Moonie said-"

"Moonie? hehe, she still goes by the name I gave her then? how interesting. Tell me, does that loony brother of hers also carry his Raven name?"

"I am not here to talk about Huginn or Muninn. I'm here because I am in Frenzy and according to one of the only people I trust, you are the man who can help me." You said matter-factually, the call for blood shortening your already falling patience.

Woden arose from his intricate chair, revealing his bone-thin form and straight untarnished posture "And why would I help a lad like you eh? Who had become infamous for brutally dispatching any who cross him."

"I like to think I can be just as great an ally as I can deadly foe. Plus, I'm very much open to making some kind of friend at this point."

A low rolling chuckle escaped the Old Vampire's lips "You are humourous, this is good. it is likely why you have not imploded or hardened into an eternity of hunger yet. That or the cloud of lustful undead you surround yourself with."

"You're one to talk." You retorted, pointing over to Geri whose lips twisted.

Woden's eyes became dim "Be careful, Lad. I enjoy you, but be very careful."

"I meant no offence. Look, I need to learn how to control this Hunger, it seems that even when I do feed I can't manage it. You clearly know something I don't, I mean I can barely tell if you're dead or not, your aura is... almost human, I need to be able to replicate that in order to move on with whatever life fate has in store. Please, Mr Wyse, teach me." You were brief, subtle, but honest, without this glimmer of hope, who knows what else this debilitating state would draw out in you?

Woden for the first time moved from his desk, holding his hands behind his back and walking at a patient, human pace towards you until he could take a closer look. You watched as his one silver-grey eye sized you up from toe to scalp. He was scentless, serene, and calm, there was no agitating aura flowing from him or any kind of warning stimuli that usually warned you of a vampire's presence, he seemed little different than an old man, making a decision that could make or break you.

"Very well." He grumbled, filling you with relief.

Woden snapped his fingers "Geri, escort this..." He narrowed his eyes at Rudy "...Lady, downstairs to the lounge, and Invite the two outside in also. Bring the Blonde one up here to us after asking our new friends' companions to make themselves at home, only the blonde is to come here. Understood?"

Geri jumped down from her armchair and bowed deeply "Yes, Mr Wyse, right away Mr Wyse." The girl darted over to Rudy, faster than you expected and took her hand "Right this way, Miss..."

"Potato tits, Patricia P. Potatoe-Tits is the name, mashing my chest is the game!" Rudy laughed, Geri cringed and you slapped your forehead.

"Go on, Rudy, we won't be long. Please at least try to not eat anyone." You pleaded.

The blonde stood up straight and saluted, lifting a yelping Geri clean off the ground "You got it, Boss!" before setting Geri down and snatching her arm back "Come on doggo, let's go!"

Dragging Geri along and out the door, you and Woden stood alone in his vast office, leaving you strangely optimistic for the events to come.