Lycan Pass

Lycan Pass - Chapter 19

      The next few days passed by me like a whirlwind. At Seer training I practiced strengthening my concentration and focus. Granny told me that my visions would be more clear and precise that way. Every day we hiked to the pond that she had taken me to on our first training session. I soon realized that hiking the trail didn't take as much out of me as it used to. Granny told me that it was because of the biomorphias- we had accelerated muscle development and abnormally long life spans. The was apparently a man in the village who was one hundred fifty-seven years old who was still patrolling with the younger guards. When I wrinkled my nose and told her I didn't want to grow to be that old, she simply laughed and patted me on the head.
      
       When I wasn't at Seer training, I was at combat training with Trevor. So far, he was only teaching me basic moves. Even then he was very gentle with me, like he would accidentally break me if he got a little rough. It aggravated the fire out of me, and when I was frustrated I got sloppy. Trevor never got angry with me, though. He kept his patience, guiding and correcting me every part of the way.
      
       I would come back to my room every night, sweaty and sore, my mind swimming with new information. I always passed out right after a shower and dinner. I was so completely caught up in my training that when John knocked on my door late one evening, I actually had to ask him why he was there.
      
       "You honestly don't remember? Tonight's the Naming Ceremony. I stared at him blankly for an awkward moment before realizing what he was talking about.
       "Oh, shoot! I totally forgot! What time does it start?"
       "Nine o'clock on the dot." I looked at the clock. It was half past seven.
       "Oh man, I've got a lot that I need to get done. Thank you for reminding me, John." I began to fling clothes around the room in a hopeless attempt to find something suitable to wear when John grabbed my attention again.
       "Diane, actually, I have something for you to wear right here." He handed me a box with a pretty bow wrapped around it. I smiled at him warmly as I accepted it.
       "Thanks."
       "Don't thank me. Trevor's the one who picked it." He winked at me as he spun on his heels and left.
      
       I sat down on my bed and held the box in my hands. I hesitantly slipped the lid off, unsure of what to expect beneath the lid. Eventually, I pried that off too. Laying on top of the material within was a card in a pale pink envelope. The front side had my name written on it in elegant cursive. It was left unsealed, so I slipped the card out easily. It read:
      
      Diane,
       How odd is it to know that this is the last time that I will ever call you by your original name? Tonight marks something momentous. Tonight you are officially a citizen of Edgewood, and of something much bigger than that. When I first met you, I was so sure that you would never make it- if the virus didn't kill you, something lurking in the woods would. It brings me great pride watching you grow day-by-day, and knowing that after tonight, we will be partners.
       Something so special only comes once in a lifetime, so I thought that you deserved to look your best. When I saw it, I thought of you. I hope you like it, and here's to a bright future.
      Your Friend and Partner,
       Trevor
      
       As I read it, a smile quickly spread across my face. He was thinking about me. He was excited to be my partner and he was thinking about me! I held the letter to my chest and tried to swallow my girlish excitement. When I first came here, I would have puked at the thought of Trevor's generosity, yet now... something had changed, something I had yet to identify. After a few deep breaths, I set the letter aside and looked in the box. The material inside was midnight blue and had twinkling rhinestones on it. I gaped as I pulled it out. It was a beautiful strapless gown; The skirt of it was multilayered in a fashion that made it look like the petals of a rose, the rhinestones traced a trail that were much like shimmering vines, and the top was very corset-like in its' design. Needless to say, I loved it.
      
       The clock struck eight.
      
       It was time to get ready for the ceremony. I took a very quick shower. I pinned my hair up in the most elegant bun I could handle, artfully leaving a few choice strands loose. The slick material of the dress made it easier to put on than expected. I had a lady from the hallway come and tighten the back. After all the prep work was done with, I quickly slipped on a pair of black ballet flats that were at the bottom of the box. As soon as I slipped out of my door, John rounded the corner, ready to escort me.
      
       The ceremony was held at the Old Manor, the domicile of the man that had founded the village. He was, apparently, absolutely loaded. The main hall was enough to blow my mind, but that's not even where we were headed. John led me through two monumental doors that opened up into the most sumptuous that I had ever stepped foot into. It was a ballroom with dark-wood flooring, and the entire left wall was made entirely of glass paneling. The solid walls were an off-white with a pale gold scrollery pressed onto them. The crowning and the stage at the front of the room were made from the same wood as the floor. I released the breath that I didn't know I had been holding. John gave me an encouraging pat on the back as he left to go mingle with his associates.
      
       "I would have preferred your hair down," a voice rumbled behind my ear, "but you look great anyway." I spun around and slammed right into Trevor's chest. He wore a tuxedo that fit his form comfortably, making him look muscular rather than bulky. He had a very faint aftershave on, the kind that just tickles your nose before disappearing again. I felt heat flushed through me when I realized I was staring. He gave me one of his irritating smirks.
      
       "Easy, there. There's enough of me to go around." I slapped him playfully in the chest.
       "Oh, get over yourself." Losing his facetious demeanor, he held the had that had just smacked him, bowed, and kissed it.
       "May I have this dance?" I knew I must have been somewhere between red and purple when I managed to nod yes.
      
       Trevor was an excellent dancer. Though I didn't know any of the steps to any of the dances he showed me, he gently guided me through each of them. The music finally slowed to something that I actually knew; a modern day slow dance. We simply swayed there as I rested my head on Trevor's shoulder. We might have just stayed there forever.
      
       The clock struck nine.
      
       "Time to go," he whispered to me. We pulled away from each other. He smiled sweetly and laid a quick kiss on my forehead. "Good luck." I stood there and gaped at him, my heart pounding incessantly. I started to reach out to him, started to babble incoherently, but a voice over the speakers interrupted my train of thought.
      
       "Will all of the participants please come up on stage so that we may begin the ceremony?"
       "That's your cue," Trevor said with a wink. He walked me up to the stairs. All of the other people there looked nervous as well. There was a line of people at the very back of the stage, Trevor was in it. I realized that these must be the partners of the people in my line. Before I could ask anyone about it, Granny walked up on stage carrying two thing: a curved dagger and a bowl. I swallowed hard, remembering all of her awful scars, grateful that I was last.
      
       Being last didn't do me much good, as it turned out. The Naming took a lot less time that I thought it would. Not many people chose Granny's Seeing option, but the ones who did didn't seem to mind the pain, and none of them seemed to regret it once they received their name. Eventually, it was my turn. I shivered with fear, but Trevor came up and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and I stepped forward.
      
       "State your full name," Granny requested.
       "Diane Evangeline Fellow," I said with my most solid voice.
       "Which option will you decide your name upon?"
       "I choose the Seeing option."
       "Very well. Place your arm over the bowl." I did just as she asked. My heartbeat was erratic, my knees shook, and my vision dimmed for just a second as she approached me with the dagger.
      
       "Calm yourself, child. Focus on my eyes. What do you see?" I was confused, but I looked up at her. Didn't she know that I couldn't See unless I used my- OW! I gazed down at the pale flesh of my inner forearm that now dripped a scarlet color from a slender line. I don't know how people could intentionally do self-harm, because even having someone else do it for me made me want to faint.
      
       Granny quickly bandaged and pressure-wrapped the wound, directing me to hold my arm in the air. After that, she picked up the bowl and took the small pool of scarlet into her mouth. She held it on her tongue and seemed to stare off at something very far away. I stood there for a very intense few minutes before she awoke from her trance and swallowed the blood. She took in a slow, deep breath of air before facing the awaiting crowd.
      
       "Diane Evangeline Fellow is no longer your name. In accordance of the truth that I have seen within you, I will now declare your true name. From this day forth, you are to be known as Anastasia Elysium Wolfsbane."
      
       Everything seemed completely surreal as the crowd full of once smiling people turned into a sea of terrified faces. The crowd cried out in rage, some sobbing in fear, others yelling in complete disgust and contempt. I looked back at Trevor for help, but he was just as shocked as the rest. Just as I thought I might break down or run from the stage, John jumped up and faced off with Granny.
      
       "What is the meaning of this?!" he boomed. She regarded him as one might an insect.
       "Just as I said. This child is my granddaughter and the daughter of my son, Icarus Wolfsbane." The crowd roared in anger. That one froze me. What? No, she had to be mistaken. I have a mother and a father back home, and neither of them had the name 'Icarus'.
      
       "You lie!" he spat at her. "I don't know what you're playing at, but you have no right to disrespect Diane, the ceremony, and the people of the village like this!"
       "Anastasia," she said coolly. "Her name is Anastasia."
      
       John began to shift shape right there on stage. The black wolf took a flying leap and landed upon Granny.
      
       "Stop!" I screamed, but my voice was lost among the roar. Granny wasted no time shifting into a horse. She kicked John in the ribs and sent him flying back. I started to run over to help, but Trevor ran up and grabbed me by the waist.
      
       "Time to make our exit," he said as he dragged me away.
      
       The clock struck ten.
      
       Trevor pulled me through the welter and out of the doors. He didn't stop until we were well into the forest. I dug my feet into the ground and forced him to face me. His eyes were wild with panic, which only made my heart sink more.
      
       "Trevor... What was that all about? What's going on?" He paced to-and-fro for a while before finally settling down on a log and advising me to do the same. He took my hand in his and looked me in the eye.
      
       "I knew I'd have to tell you sooner or later, I just hoped it wouldn't have to be like this."
       "Trevor, you're scaring me." I tried to pull away.
       "No, no, no. Just calm down."
       "Then tell me what's happening!" He sighed.
       "About seventeen years ago, there was a man named Icarus Wolfsbane; he was the son of Marilynn Everwaters, who, at the time, still went by the last name 'Wolfsbane'. Icarus was a very intelligent and charismatic man, and was very well-liked within the community, which only made his betrayal even worse.
      
       "You see, Icarus' shape shift only made him grow wings. People didn't know this at the time, but because of his limited abilities, he grew up very angry and jealous of others. He kept a smile planted on his face in public, but on later review of his private journals, he was revealed to be very inwardly violent. It was June thirteenth when he finally snapped.
      
       "Do you remember the unchangeable law that I told you about earlier?"
       "The, um... the one about cannibalism?" He nodded solemnly.
       "Icarus and his partner, Wilson, were out patrolling that evening when Icarus finally caved in to his own jealousy. He killed Wilson in cold blood and devoured him. The rest of the town knew what he did as soon as he walked in, covered in blood without his partner. They tried to chase him down, but he was so much faster and a lot more clever than they expected. They gave up the manhunt after about a month. They thought things would go back to normal, but then more people started disappearing. Chewed up bodies were found in the forest days after people went missing. They knew he was back. By the time the killings finally ended, it was estimated that he had collected about twenty different forms." Trevor squeezed my hand even harder.
      
       "Icarus had a wife who was pregnant with their first child. She up and disappeared right about the time that things were at their peak. Everyone assumed that she has been killed or kidnapped, but we now know that she only fled to a different state, likely to protect herself and her baby... to protect you." I jumped up and backed away, ripping my hand from his.
      
       "No... You're wrong. YOU'RE WRONG!" I screamed. I thought my head would burst. "There's no way someone like that could be my father! You're lying! Why would you lie to me like that?" I collapsed, sobbing. "Why would you..?" Trevor walked up to me.
      
       "He may be in your bloodlines, but he is not your father," he whispered softly. He rubbed soft circles on my shoulder as we stayed there for a while.
      
       The clock struck eleven.
      
       "Come on," he said. "We should be getting back."
      
       I stood up and dusted myself off. I wiped my eyes and walked side-by-side with Trevor back to the Old Manor. Everything had calmed down, though when I entered the room, people began to whisper and even glare. Granny wasn't anywhere to be found, but John sat on the edge of the stage with his head in his hands. The crowd parted for us like I was some kind of disease.
      
       "John?" I croaked. His head snapped up.
       "Anastasia, you're back!" I nodded grimly. Despite the slight twinge of the heart every time I realized I had lost my original name, I kind of liked my new name. It was pronounced "ah-nah-stah-zee-ah".
       "They don't seem very happy about my return." He pulled me up on stage.
       "Let's fix that." John grabbed the microphone.
      
       "Alright, people. I need your attention," he announced. Most of them were facing us anyway. "Seventeen years ago, we had a very tragic incident. Many families were torn apart. Now, over the years, many people have forgiven the Seer, the mother of Icarus. So if we can forgive his mother, why can we not forgive his daughter, a girl who had never even heard of him until this day?" The people murmured and whispered to each other.
      
       "I don't mind," one voice said in the crowd.
       "As far as I know, she's done nothing but good," said another.
       "Why, she's an absolute doll! You should see the rabbits she brings me!"
       "I named my baby after her."
      
       My eyes filled with tears as reports of my good nature and general acceptance filled the room. I grinned at John and Trevor, who both smiled back at me.
      
       "Welcome home, Anastasia!" somebody yelled. The people of Edgewood clapped and cheered, whistling and calling my name. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. Yes, this was definitely my home, and I would protect it with every cell of my body. Trevor appeared by my side.
      
       "So, are you ready?" he asked.
       "Ready for what?"
       "For our first night patrol; it starts now." I nodded. "Alright, let's go then."
      
       We left in a hail of applause and pats on the back. One person even grabbed my butt, but when Trevor whirled around and snarled at him, he backed away and apologized. Working through the crowd was difficult, but we made it outside in no time flat. We quickly bolted into the forest before anyone could find us.
      
       "You know, I don't think I've ever seen your shifted form before," I commented. He grunted in his usual manner and kept padding off into the trees. We walked in total silence until we made it into a small clearing. I flopped down onto a large stump. I got a weird tingling sensation in my temples whenever I looked at Trevor, kind of like I had forgotten something. I tried to shake it off, but it just wouldn't leave.
      
       "You first," I said to him with a smile. He shrugged and knelt on all fours, and I watched with horror as I realized what he had become.
      
       The clock struck twelve, and my fairytale was over.
      
       Before me stood a giant bear and the murderer of my friends.