LEGEND OF THE LAST WEREWOLF

king Charlie

Andrew

I walked along behind Alaric, watching the surroundings carefully as we headed up the hill towards a dark tunnel with large iron gates. I watched as the guards moved into formation around the gate, creating a semi-circle around us. While Sir Themba unlocked the gates. He pulled them open forcefully, standing aside he said.
"Enter."
We entered one by one, the tunnel was dark and eerie and smelled of damp old socks. I heard the sounds of water dripping somewhere near the squeaking of mice coming from the darker corners further down the tunnel.
Once the guards were inside the gates were shut behind us, darkness caving in growing stronger by the second. Sir Themba lifted his sword and placed it against the wall. Uttering some kind of enchantment the wall began to shake as the bricks slowly moved away from one other, creating a very small entrance. On the other side, I could see a long narrow marble-floored hallway. The walls were decorated with frames of people I thought must be the king's ascendants. Years and years of kings hung upon the wall to celebrate their legacy as the ruler of this fold.

"Sir Themba! You bring strangers into the castle?" I heard a strange voice say.
I turned to see a rather short man in an extremely long red robe.
"Your highness." Sir Themba said."It is Alaric."
I zoned out as the two of them began talking about some kind of spell that was used on the tunnel. And decided to wander off down the hall. Halfway down one particular frame caught my eye. I moved towards it slowly. Low and behold it was the king!
"I'm sorry," I said. "Are you...dead??"
The King looked at me surprised and smiled. "No, Why do you ask?"
"Then what the hell are you doing up there?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Those frames are for when the king inherits the throne. Not for when they die."
I laughed nervously and moved away. I saw Hylla admiring something that looked like a very old vase with a very intricate pattern on it.
"Hi love!" I said creeping up behind her.
"Andrew." She gasped. "You scared me!"
"I didn't mean to," I said. I leaned forward and brushed her hair behind her ear. It was an awkward moment, a little too awkward. And even though I liked her from the first time I laid eyes on her, I wasn't quite sure yet. My whole life I lived in the forest surrounded by creatures who a teenage werewolf wouldn't want to fall in love with. Alaric told me stories about how my parents had met and their amazing love story. And although my mom had hidden from my dad for many years that she was a werewolf, they still got on completely fine with my dad thinking that she was mundane. Until I was born, and the leader of the pack declared me as a purebred. Then Alaric came into the picture with him casting a protection spell on my mom to hide her werewolf side, and no doubt he was God-father. After my parents died in the fire Alaric took me to the forest and it's been my home ever since.
I'm physically unable to part with it, but I know I will have to one day when we find the cursed werewolves. But that's an entire story on its own, makes me ponder. Time just flies past, yet I can't seem to put things together. Like...why hasn't anyone found the lake? Why aren't their maps, or books or something? Maybe even a picture? Why does it have to be so hidden?

"Andrew!" I felt Hylla's warm hand touch the bottom of my elbow. "Look at this."
She sounded excited, I snapped out of my mind and looked towards the vase  I had noticed earlier. I bent down reaching towards it, but just before I could King Charlie rushed over.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."
"Why not?" I asked. "Centuries-old?"
"Of course, it's centuries-old Andrew!" James laughed pushing my shoulder. 
"Yes, and the fact that this pattern right here, the map to Snow Lake. Unfortunately, the person who can read it hasn't come as yet."
"A map? To Snow Lake?" I laughed. "You must be joking me!"
"He isn't," Alaric said. "It's true."
"So this person." Hylla began.
"Don't bother. The prophecy says they will only come after evil has been defeated."
"The truth will be out, so keep it in good hands, the Sandgam kings have been truthful, so take it from them not!" James finished for him.
"How do you know that?" King Charlie asked.
"I have no idea!" He laughed looking at me. I gave him a serious look to say as if a serious situation was going on and he needed to stop fooling around. His smile immediately disappeared and he hid behind Hylla.
"You, there is something about you." The king said to Hylla.
"Me?" She asked anxiously. "Nope, nothing about me King Charlie, definitely nothing suspicious."
I saw Alaric roll his eyes in disbelief. As the king walked forward towards Hylla. He was shorter than her, now that he stood in front of her and not because Hylla was tall, because he was extremely short. He was about to place his hand on Hylla when Georgia appeared from nowhere in a cloud of grey smoke, hitting the king right over.
"Stay away Charlie."
"That's king Charlie, for you ma'am!" He said getting up. When he finally got onto his feet his robe placed perfectly again he took one look at Georgia and he went from King to American-African high school boy who does hip hop dancing.
"Oh you fineee baby girlll!!" He said. Looking at Georgia up and down.
She gave him a look and flicked her fingers over Hylla making her hair go back to normal.
"Hylla knight, the strongest power."
"Ain't nobody worried about hilla, Hayla. I'm just worried about you baby girl."
"Your majesty Charlie." Sir Themba stepped forward. "The strongest power."
"The what?" He asked. "From the prophecy?"
"Yes," I said. "And with all due respect king Charlie, if you intend to harm her know well that we would rather die than hand her over to you."
"I'm not gonna harm her dude. And it's Charlie to you."
"Charlie?" I asked confused. I turned to Alaric. "It's like he's throwing away his throne."
"I'm not, I've just never really stepped up to being the king here. I know you here for Kevin. I'm a warlock. That thing, big all act to see if you would freak out."
"Not funny!" James said.
"What do you want?" Alaric asked.
"Power? Knowledge? Money?" I suggested.
"Nope. Just your girl's phone number."  He said pointing to Georgia.
"I'm a witch!" She snapped. "I don't go around carrying a cell phone."
"I noticed," Charlie said.
"Must be shocking for you?" I said smiling at him knowing Georgia was way more powerful than he was.
"Why?" Hylla asked. "Why would it be shocking?"
"Your new here honey," Charlie said. "Witches, they don't exist."
"So...." She began.
"Georgia is one of a kind," Alaric said.
"She was given her powers by an accident when her father created the folds," I said trying to make things easier for her to understand.
"Your father created the folds?" She asked surprised.
"Yes!" Georgia said bluntly. "That doesn't mean I know them, or I can find them. So don't bother asking."
"Can you help us or not!" James snapped at Charlie. "Because im getting kind of bored in here."
"Yes, we do need your help," Alaric said nodding at me to explain.
"We're looking for Kevin, was he with women?"
"Yes, yes he was," Charlie confirmed. "However I can not help you."
"Why not!" Hylla snapped.
"Because I do not possess this magic, but..."
"But what?" Georgia asked.
"I can take you to someone."
"But only for a price?" I asked.
"Yes." He said.
"What's the price?" Alaric muttered. "Everything about prices these days?"
"What do you want?" I laughed with James. "Some decent clothes?"
"Yes, yes that would do," Charlie said. "But more importantly, to accompany you on this journey."
"You want to come along, knowing well that there is a ninety percent chance you could die?" Hylla asked.
"Yes!" He said.
"Why?" I asked raising my eyebrow. I watched as Georgia and Alaric opened the bags to take out some clothes for Charlie.
"Because, I might be a warlock, but my father was a werewolf. She too is my duty to protect."
We all stood in shock looking at him as he hurriedly accepted the clothes from Alaric. He handed his robe over to Sir Themba who took it with joy and proceeded into the castle with the guards at his side.
"I will take you to a young man. He is very strange."
"So why exactly are we going to this strange man?" I asked.
"Because he's strange," Charlie said. "He lives in the darkest, most dangerous place in Sandgam, and trust me he knows everything that goes on."
"He watches from the corners when no one else is watching," Hylla said.
"Exactly."
"And a hundred percent he will know we're coming to him," Alaric muttered.
"He must be dangerous," James suggested.
"No, actually I don't know," Charlie said. "We should leave."
"We should. Because it's getting dark out there and we have no clue,what's waiting for us." I muttered. I pulled open the doors going into the tunnel, Hylla, and James following after me.