Published: 31 Oct 2016

Making a backhanded swipe in front of him, Zane sent the front row of werewolves flying into the second row. With a little breathing room Zane sent his awareness out searching for his boyfriend. He found Zander’s presence in the tree behind him, turned, took two running steps and launched himself into the tree.

Using a magical energy blast to propel himself higher, Zane caught one of the two werewolves that had recovered quickly with the blast as it came after Zane. Knocked out cold the werewolf slowly morphed into a brown-haired man in his twenties.

With the help of the energy blast Zane was able to land next to Zander in the tree. First thing, he pulled his lover into a tight hug squeezing a grunt of pain from the teen. Then he scolded him.

“Damn you! Zander! You scared me!”

Zane then noticed that Zander still had a pained look on his face and began checking him over thoroughly. All he found was a row of claw marks across the back of Zander’s shoulder but they weren’t healing.

By this time the sky was getting brighter and morning was on its way. Down below the werewolves started returning to their human forms.

“Come down and surrender, vampires,” commanded a middle aged man sneering the word vampires. “Otherwise your friend will die. Vampires cannot heal from a scratch or bite given while we are in were form.”

In answer, Zane used only the force needed to thump the man onto his butt. One of the other younger men angrily sent a small fireball flying towards the two vampires. Before it got halfway Zane made a swatting motion and sent it back at the sender who yipped as he flung himself out of the way. Fire was just as deadly for werewolves as it was for vampires.

The alpha wolf jumped up from the ground, briskly brushed off his clothes and yelled, “So be it, scum!”

Before he could get the first syllable of a spell out of his mouth the man was knocked onto his butt once again. Zane had deployed a protective spell that encompassed the entire tree where Zander and he were sitting and the edge of it pushed the werewolves away.

The small, blonde vampire ripped the shredded shirt from Zander’s body and used it to clean the claw marks. Next he carefully checked the wound to see how bad it was. Tentatively Zane stuck out his tongue swiping the wound and encountered a bitter taste that was nothing like Zander’s blood.

While he was deciding what to do next Zane felt his shield wall tremble. Looking around he realized that the entire group of twelve had combined to attack as one. The resulting blast only created vibrations that traveled around his protective shield with no real effect. The shield was as strong as ever.

With that thought Zane came to the understanding that his strength was beyond what it should have been by this point. Holding the large shield was no strain at all. No longer having to worry about attacks from the group below Zane turned his attention to the worsening sores on Zander’s shoulder.

Since a vampire’s saliva will help a cut close Zane tried licking the wounds and received a mouthful of vile tasting werewolf infection that caused him to gag as he spit it out. Checking the claw marks again the teen found the wound was not as bad but still wasn’t closing.

“Told you, little vampire,” snarled the alpha. “He’s good as dead! And good riddance!”

Ignoring the werewolf clan as best he could Zane searched his knowledge for a spell or remedy that would solve the problem. He shuffled through several words of healing and chose the one he thought would work best.

“Hailjan,” he spoke with authority holding his hands above the wound but nothing happened.

There was a faint sound of laughter from below but Zane was concentrating too hard to take notice. He increased the amount of energy he was putting into the spell and continued to increase it until his eyes began to glow green.

There was a more audible gasp from the ones watching at this turn of events. Soon Zane’s hands also were glowing with a green light and after a few minutes the wounds on Zander’s shoulder began to glow and thankfully to heal.

Only a couple of the werewolves besides the alpha had any inkling of what the green glow from the eyes and hands meant. Those few were instrumental in getting the rest to obey the alpha’s order to go back to the village while he stayed facing the vampires alone.

“Now, I’m confused,” admitted the lone man waiting below the tree. “You smell like a vampire but you have the power of a Rinaldo kin.”

Zane chuckled as he answered and dropped to the forest floor, “That’s because I’m both.”

“What about the other one? The one that appeared first,” asked the man pointing into the tree where Zander still sat digging a new shirt from his backpack. “Is he kin to Rinaldo, too?”

“No, he isn’t but he is Rinaldo trained and from this area,” answered Zane cautiously lowering the shield.

Zander finished putting on his shirt, tested his shoulder then dropped out of the tree landing beside his boyfriend. The blonde teen wrapped an arm around the brown-headed vampire’s waist pulling him close.

“I trust him with my life,” stated Zane looking the man directly in the eyes, “which he has already saved once by turning me.”

The man stood silently absorbing that information and looking from Zane to Zander and back again. Then realization lit his face with wonder and understanding.

“So, Samhain’s Son has found Rinaldo’s Child at last,” he stated rather than asked.

Now it was the Z’s turn to be caught off guard and surprised. “You know the prophecy?” Zane asked loudly. “Then the book is here?”

“There is a book here but not the one you seek,” answered the alpha calmly. “It was entrusted to another village after our failure. It is the reason we have been cursed.”

“Becoming werewolves is your curse?” queried Zander. “I knew a few wolves long ago and they did not consider it a curse.”

“Well, yes and no,” the alpha male replied. “The full answer is more complicated. Come to the village, rest and I will tell you the whole story.” The man then turned his attention back to Zane, “There is someone who has waited a lifetime to meet you. Come, follow me.”

The two teenage vampires exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders and followed the wolf leader into the village. They found the other wolves gathered in an assembly building waiting for them. Everyone grabbed a seat while the alpha stood at the front letting them get settled before he began.

“My name is Serge and I am the alpha of this village of werewolves which also makes me the mayor. This is our story. Over three hundred years ago Rinaldo brought his books of magic and Romani history to our village where he had lived nearby for many years. The books were given into our care to hide and protect.

Now each of Rinaldo’s kin who he had trained had their own book from Rinaldo containing what he felt they needed. Most were happy and content with what they were given but there was one who thought he was owed more than he received.

After a number of years that man came to our village on the pretense of inspecting our protections and spells. Foolishly, we trusted him as one of Rinaldo’s students. With trickery and murder he broke in and stole two of the books of which one was the book of dark magic.

Two days later Rinaldo appeared and demanded to know how we could let the books entrusted to us be taken. Our ancestors tried to make excuses and give reasons but to no avail. A few of them were already werewolves so Rinaldo cast his curse that all who reached their sixteenth year inside the village would turn to werewolf. But the worst part of the curse was that once a villager turned they could never leave again.

As soon as he finished speaking the curse everyone sixteen and older began their first shift. Many families sent their thirteen, fourteen and fifteen year olds out of the village with younger siblings and sometimes cousins in tow. It was thought this would break the curse for those children but later it was learned that was erroneous thinking. When those children returned to the village as adults they immediately shifted and could no longer leave.

The only werewolves able to leave the village are the adults who are bitten or scratched and leave before the full moon causes their first wolf shift.”

“Is there no way to undo the curse?” Zander asked leaning forward. “Rinaldo often gave second chances if the person proved worthy of it.”

“There is a way,” replied Serge nodding. “It may involve you, Rinaldo kin. If you are indeed Rinaldo’s Child of the prophecy then you may also be Rinaldo’s Heir. He is the one who can . . . . . Yes, Rogan, can I help you?”

The young man who had abruptly entered the room gave a half bow and apologized, “Sorry to interrupt you, sir, but Radesh hasn’t come to yet. We are worried. His wolf should have healed him by now.”

“Let me see him, please,” begged Zane rising from his seat. “I might be able to help.”

Serge the Alpha hesitated then answered, “Alright but first we need to see the Matron about . . .”

Interrupting again Rogan excitedly exclaimed, “She is with Radesh! Come!”

The Z’s, Serge and two wolves Serge pointed to followed Rogan to the small house where Radesh lay attended by the Matron and a couple more women. Rogan hurried to his friend’s side and took his hand.

“I brought help. This is the one who caused the injury and he has offered to help,” explained Rogan to his friend and the women around him.

They all turned to look at the visitors as they entered the room. When the Matron laid her dark brown almost black eyes on the small blonde vampire they flashed with a green fire and she staggered back clutching her chest.

“The Heir!” gasped the elderly woman as she recovered from the shock. “The Heir is a vampire!”

Ignoring the outburst Zane hurried to the bed and checked on the young man laying there. As soon as he touched the young wolf’s forehead Zane was in his mind and found the man trapped in a power loop caused by being caught in the blast Zane had used to lift himself into the tree. Carefully Zane inserted his mind into the loop absorbing the power allowing the young werewolf to slowly regain consciousness.

Radesh opened his eyes and gradually focused on the teen with a palm on his forehead. When he realized who it was Radesh tried to bolt upright but was restrained not only by the vampire but also by a familiar hand on his chest. Radesh relaxed a little upon finding his friend, Rogan, standing beside the little, blonde vampire.

“It’s okay,” stated Rogan caressing Radesh’s hand held in his. “Grandmother says he’s the Heir.”

Radesh relaxed back into the bed especially when he noticed the Matron standing on his other side and then saw the Alpha standing behind the blonde teen.

The Matron began shooing everyone out of the room saying,”He needs his rest and we have much to do, young Heir.”

“Wait,” called Radesh sitting up again. “I want to see him receive his inheritance, please!”

The Matron stopped and after looking into the pleading eyes of her grandson’s lover asked Zane, “Do you mind?”

“Not at all, Matron,” replied Zane with a gentle smile. “I think he has earned it and Rogan may stay as well.”

Serge finished escorting everyone to the door except for the Z’s, the Matron and the two young wolves then he closed the door, faced the room and stood guard.

The Matron motioned for Zane to approach and stand directly in front of her. When he was in place she reached up grasping his head between her hands and brought his forehead to rest against hers. Zane rested his hands on her shoulders as she began chanting an incantation

At the end of the incantation the Matron’s dark eyes glowed with a black light that bore into Zane’s green eyes. After five minutes his eyes lit with the familiar green fire when he used some major magic. Together the Matron and the Heir rose into the air as the magic built passing from one to the other

A slight breeze from magical buildup ruffled everyone’s hair but as the force grew so did the wind. Soon all the viewers erected magical barriers for protection; Rogan included Radesh in his. Just when they thought the room would be blown apart, the fire went out of the Matron’s eyes and the wind died. Zane’s eyes were still afire so when they started dropping with the cessation of the magical force he murmurred a quick spell and lowered the elderly woman and himself to the floor gently.

He caught and lifted her as she slumped from weariness. A revived Radesh jumped from the bed and made it ready for the Matron. His eyes as well as everyone else’s still glowed from the excess magic that enveloped the room during the exchange between the Heir and the Matron.

It quickly faded from everybody’s eyes except for Radesh and Zander. Theirs continued to glow brightly for some time. Zander, of course, had a deep connection with with his blonde, emerald-eyed boyfriend but apparently being caught in that blast then Zane entering his mind to sever the power loop Radesh was trapped in created a connection between them.

“Will she be alright?” asked her grandson, Rogan, hovering by the bed.

Laying her down gently Zane answered, “She’s fine. Just worn out. There was a lot of info and magic to be handed down. My head is still swimming trying to catalogue it all.”

“I’m having trouble just assimilating the backlash,” added Zander shaking his head slowly.

Zane walked over to one of the chairs in the room and sat down. “As soon as my head clears, we need to go,” asserted the small vampire.

“I am going with you,” Radesh declared calmly. Rogan’s head snapped around to stare at his boyfriend.

“If you go, I go,”

“That, I believe, will be up to the Heir who is also Rinaldo’s Child of the prophecy,” Serge reminded his two beta wolves.

All eyes turned toward Zane who sat in the chair with his eyes shut in deep concentration. After fifteen minutes he opened his eyes, stood, stepped to stand in front of the two werewolves and looked them over from head to toe.

“You may go on one condition,” started Zane in a firm voice. “You accept the position of being my bodyguards. What do you say?”

The two wolves looked at each other; Radesh with pleading in his eyes looked into Rogan’s who gave in almost at once. They turned to Zane and nodded their acceptance.

“I need you to say it formally,” said Zane regally.

Radesh and Rogan dropped to one knee and spoke in unison, “We accept the honor of being your personal guards. We will protect your life with our own.”

“Rise, my honored guards! Thank you for your service.” As soon as Zane uttered these words and pulled the new guards to their feet a ripple of magic passed through the entire village.

“The Curse!” yelled Serge with surprise.

“It is ended,” spoke the Matron serenely.

“Yes, their service willingly given to Rinaldo’s chosen has canceled the Curse for all time. You and your descendants will still become werewolves but you can now choose whether to transform and you can leave your village,” explained Zane as he motioned Zander to come close. “We must go now. Thanks to the knowledge passed by the Matron to me from Rinaldo, I know exactly where to go.”

When Zander was standing by his side Zane’s eyes glowed again with a green fire that grew to surround all four guys. It flashed and they were gone from the room.

The Matron raised up to glare at the Alpha wolf. “Serge, it is time to prepare the wolves for battle!”

Less than a minute after leaving the village in Romania the protective barrier around the small village outside Andorra la Vella flashed and evaporated raising alarms throughout the village. In the central square appropriately known as Rinaldo’s Plaza, a flare of green fire deposited four figures on the raised platform in the middle of the square. The two taller figures wobbled a bit then stood tall.

Several Romani mages converged on the Plaza with spells at the ready. They watched as the huge ball of green fire diminished down to two small orbs glowing in the dark. When their eyes had adjusted a few of the mages who had been on the perimeter earlier recognized Zane.

One of them yelled out, “You! How did you get in here?” “It’s the vampire!,” screamed out another.

Feeling the buildup of magical energies Zane’s bodyguards morphed into their werewolf warrior forms and stepped between him and the majority of the villagers about to attack. As a variety of energy bolts were hurled at the foursome on the platform Zane’s eyes flared brighter and a slightly green-tinted barrier intercepted the bolts absorbing their energy.

Snarling and growling with bristles raised the werewolves prepared to launch themselves from the platform at the village mages who were readying another magical attack. Before either side could do more, an older gentleman stepped into the square and in an authoritative voice bellowed, “Halt!”

All the villagers immediately stopped and turned toward the man who was the mayor of the village and the best mage among them. Zane silently thought a calming message to Radesh, Rogan and to Zander whom Zane could feel a tenseness from.

“You might want to take a moment and think things through before you try striking at him a third time,” admonished the mayor. “How did the first two attacks fare? Has he retaliated? Now note something else. He is defended by werewolves. Under normal circumstances they would not even tolerate a vampire much less be ready to protect one at all costs. Something is happening here.”

Several of the gathered members of the village nodded their agreement with the mayor’s words and several faces showed deep thought.

“We need information not a battle royale,” the mayor went on slowly making his way in front of the platform where the vampires and werewolves stood.

“Bravo!” said a disembodied male voice dripping with evil and malice. “Well said, but I’d much prefer the battle myself. Easier for me to cause havoc.”

“Look! His eyes are glowing again,” pointed out a villager facing Zane. “He’s trying to trick us!”

“No,” spoke the evil voice again. “He’s protecting you. Child, you could let me have a little fun here.”

“Child? You mean Rinaldo’s Child!? From the prophecy?” The mayor cried incredulously his facial features running the gamut from fear to surprise and wonder.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. All that and a right nuisance to M’Lady Bane,” said the voice disdainfully. “I’ve been sent to take care of the brat. But first let me say thank you, brat, for opening the way.”

During this whole exchange, following an unobtrusive hand gesture from Zane, the werewolves switched to pure wolf form and snuck through the crowd. By the time the evil-voiced one thanked Zane for letting him in they had located the owner of the voice. He was a truly ancient vampire.

“What’s the matter, Rinaldo’s Brat, lost your voice?” the vampire taunted. “Can’t you say ‘you’re welcome’ to the Bane’s second in command? I’ve been here for a thousand years, boy, you don’t want to make me angry.”

“I see no need to talk to a dead man,” returned Zane nodding to the young werewolves.

Before the old vampire could utter a response Radesh ran and leaped while in wolf form but landed on the Rogue as a warrior werewolf. Rogan was only a second behind and in short order they ripped the follower of Rinaldo’s Bane into pieces. When they stepped away Zane sent a green fire to cleanse the street of the remains.

Radesh and Rogan turned back to young men and hustled to Zane’s side once again. Those closest to the short fray gulped at how quickly and easily the two wolves had dispatch the ancient Rogue vampire.

“Let me welcome you to our village,” said the mayor walking forward again. “I am the mayor and lead mage, Jacque Renoir. How may we assist you?”

“We are looking for the book with the prophecy about Rinaldo’s Child, Samhain’s Son and Rinaldo’s Bane. We were told by the Alpha Wolf that it is kept here,” Zane gestured to Zander and himself as he spoke. “We have seen a portion of the prophecy but not the whole set of verses. We have been beset with Rogues during our entire search.”

“Why is Rinaldo’s Child a vampire? And why is that other vampire with you?” Jacques questioned with a hardness to his voice and facial features. “We must have answers before we can allow you to see the book.”

“Fair enough,” said Zane placing a calming hand on Radesh’s arm when he started to object. “I am a vampire because otherwise I would be dead. I was attacked twice in one night by my father and by my former best friend. Zander, here, had become my friend and he stopped the second attack but it would have been too late had he not turned me. Zander is my partner, a student of Rinaldo’s and he is Samhain’s Son of the prophecy.”

“Very well,” yielded Jacques with a short bow. “Follow me.”

The lead mage led them through several roads after giving a nod to his second who set a new guard for the rest of the night. Arriving at a small dwelling near another smaller square Zane could feel the magic surrounding the place.

He could have forced his way through but waited for the mage to weave his spell. After it was done Zane could still feel the magic but now it was welcoming rather than hostile. Inside there was only one room and Zane was drawn to the center but it was empty.

“May I ask another question, Rinaldo’s Child?” queried Jacques watching Zane carefully. He continued after getting a nod from Zane, “You have werewolf guards and have been to our sister village. Does this mean you are also . . .?”

“Yes,” interrupted Zane. “I am the Heir also. Please just call me Zane.”

“Well, Zane, that explains why you were able to walk to right where the book is kept,” pointed out the mage. “It is hidden with magic and a puzzle.”

Jacques made a complicated set of motions with his arms, hands and fingers while softly chanting an incantation several times. When he had finished their stood a four foot pedestal with a picture on the top done with mosaic tiles and jewels. Almost all the jewels were used for eyes; there were vampires with rubies, werewolves with topaz eyes and many robed figures with emeralds for eyes.

“According to the lore that has been passed down through the generations, only a descendant of Rinaldo can open the puzzle lock. That is all I can tell you. We’ve been given no other directions about it,” revealed Jacques.

Zander joined Zane by coming up behind him, wrapping his arms around his blonde boyfriend and laying his cheek against Zane’s as they pondered the bewildering puzzle. After quite a few fruitless minutes of peering at the bejeweled picture Zander softly whispered in Zane’s ear, “Eyes.”

Zane looked at the picture anew; Zander was right, the eyes were the only parts done with gemstones. But which ones and what to do with them to open the puzzle? Zane kept up his examination of the stones trying to determine some kind of pattern or design.

After a few more minutes Zander softly spoke again, “Rinaldo eyes. If only Rinaldo kin can find it then their eyes would be the key.”

Zane leaned back into his boyfriend then twisted his head around to place a soft kiss of thanks on Zander’s cheek. Thinking of what Zander said Zane paid special attention to the emeralds on the picture. He still could not find any discernible pattern even in the green stones. Turning over Zander’s words as he looked Zane thought of his own emerald green eyes and it came to him. His eyes!

Bringing his magic to his eyes causing them to glow green yet again this night he focused on the emerald jewels. As he watched each stone glowed in a set pattern. He waited a bit more and they repeated the pattern. Just to be safe Zane watched the stones run through the pattern a third time. Now that he had it, what did he do?

Deciding there was nothing to lose he started experimenting. He first focused his eyes on the individual gems in the correct order. Nothing happened. Next he tried touching them with a fingertip in the set pattern. Again nothing. Zane stopped a moment to think. Of course! Magic! Now he called his magic into his index finger then touched each emerald in order with flesh and magic.

As it was touched, each stone began to glow and stayed glowing until all had been touched. A hissing sound issued from the pedestal and green smoke shrouded the top of the pedestal. Fanning the smoke aside Zane and Zander were astonished to find in place of the mosaic picture was an ancient book.

Zane tentatively reached out a hand and reverently ran it over the soft, leather cover. Stepping closer he began to leaf through the book slowly then more quickly as he was drawn to a certain section. Upon reaching the page he stopped and stared. There it was! The Prophecy! In full!

When the earth is troubled by Rinaldo’s Bane
and the children of blood rise again
the offspring of Rinaldo doth oppose

the gray Hunter of the Dark
must join bringing His Mark
against the Dark, emerald glows

combined together both Fire and Ice
in battle with leeches must suffice
the Bane’s weakness to expose

the Hunter and the Celtic witch
give their all to drain the bitch
the promised future forgoes

when Rinaldo’s Child and Samhain’s Son
can finally join the battle as one
on the Bane their will impose

with friends so dear
the end is here
and blessings he bestows

Zane and Zander read through several times even read it aloud once but were no closer to understanding it than when they started. This would need a lot of thought to figure out. Zane hoped they would have time to do so.

As he turned to ask Jacques a question Zane heard and felt a rumble both physical and magical. Zane looked at Jacques who had a distant look in his eyes then his eyes came back into focus and he said, “We are under attack by . .”

Before he could finish the door was blown open and two Rogue vampires pushed into the building followed by a woman.

Zane pulled the book from the pedestal and wrapped his arms around it. The two werewolves moved closer flanking the Z’s.

The woman spoke harshly, “Give me the book or I’ll make you wish you were never born!”

The vampires parted then and the woman stepped forward into the light.

Zane gasped noisily and shouted, “MOM!”

He twirled away cloaking his group with a shield then with a single word incantation Zane and his friends vanished from the room.