16 Chapter 16

As they walked the street, Gale started to act weird, Lance walked up to him trying to make sense of what was going got separated for Fang and Luna. Feeling lost and scared, Lovell began to panic as a young girl kicked him from behind. Lance turned around to see the girl stare at him.

"Is something wrong—" she noticed Gale and his strange behaviour, rushing over to him, Lance tried o stop her, but she was to fast for him. "When did he get this bite mark?" Lance stunned, she grabbed him by the collar. "Are you deaf, when did he get the mark?!"

Lance looked her in the eye, "Sometime last night, before dawn."

Letting him go, she turned away, "Follow me if you want to save him from being food." Lance stood up, grabbing Gale's rope as she led them to a creepy-looking shop. "Don't stand there, get in." Lance swallowed his fears, as he entered, he notices different potions and powders. As if out of now where she grabbed Lance's shirt. Lance jumped, "This way, wuss."

Lance followed with Gale in tow. "Um, do you know what's going on with my friend here, um, miss…"

"Call me Alli, and yes, he was bitten by a vir hound. They target emotionalist or almost emotionalist people." She sifted through some drawers; Lance stood still as he watches her. "The only cure is something most people don't want to hear."

Lance clenched the rope, "What is it so I can tell the others after you save his life."

Alli stopped and looked at him, "Are you sure? It might end up being worse than death to you and your friends?" She flipped a bottle in the air. Lance nodded. "Well, okay, I warned you." She pointed the bottle at Gale, "The cure is for him to turn into a daemon." Lance's heart sank; she could tell he was having second thoughts. She tapped the bottle on her small shoulders. "You could always say no still—"

"No, Gale and the others will understand, even if he turns into a daemon, Gale will be alive and… and I know he would do the same for me." Lance bowed at Alli, "So, please save him no matter the cost."

She looked at Lance, smiling, "Alright but fair warning, he'll be asleep a long time depending on what daemon he becomes." She walked over to Lance; she tapped his head. "And don't leave town till he's up, I need to see what kind of daemon he becomes so you can all help him along this journey to gather, Warrior of the Wind of Freedom." Lance, confused by her last words, stood up. "Now, slip this in his food, sweets work the best, and he'll be out like a light in four to six hours." Handing him the bottle. "Oh, and those dang hounds know when someone has taken that."

Lance thanked Alli for her help, left with Gale and did as she said. Luna and Fang sat at the inn, in disappointment that they lost Lance and Gale, as they walked in Luna jumped up t see a groggy Gale stumble around. She asked what happened to them after they got separated. Lance asks for their help in getting Gale back to their room. Fang helped Lance carry him back to the. As they sat around, Lance explains what happened and that he got the cure.

"So, what was the cure?" Luna promptly asked.

Lance looked at Gale; he was sound as sleep, "Turning—turning him into a daemon." Luna stood back. "Yeah, I know he would do the same for me."

Fang leaned forward on the bed, "So did this Alli tell you how long he'll be out for?"

Lance closed his eyes, "It all depends on what kind of daemon he becomes, and that she wants to see him after he wakes to asses him, so we all know how to help him adjust to his new lease on life."

Luna pulled her hands close to her chest, "It must have been a hard dissection to choose, death or turn him."

Lance shook his head, "Surprisingly, it was an easy choice, the hard thing was finding him something sweet he would like to eat without him finding the pills in it." Lance stared at Gale in torment.

Luna laughed at his answer. "What worked?"

Lance hung his head. "A candied pear with the works." Lifting his head, "He always did like pears." Lance smiled as he watched Gale sleep. "At least he lives, to see more of this world." Fang smiled at Lance's optimism; Luna hugged Lance as tears began to stream down both their faces.

Later Fang carried Luna back to her room. Lance passed out from crying, laid beside Gale's sleeping body. As Fang returned, he placed a blanket over Lance as he slept. Fang looked out the window, seeing a girl sitting on the windowsill.

Fang smiled, "So, it was you, Alli, the ancient one, who helped Gale?" She handed him a piece of candy; Fang took it from her, "Thanks."

She grinned, "Your welcome, and yes, I did. To think Lunatica's reincarnation has lived this long and her Warriors are finding their way to her side is quite amazing, to say the least." She turned to Fang. "What you upset your not one of her chosen warriors?"

Fang walked over to the window. "No, its that I'm worried she gets herself killed before ending this long feud between her and Lord Deamora."

Alli looked out the window. "You mean your grandfather? True, but does she know?" Alli poked at Fang's wounded soul.

Turning his gaze to the moons, "No, and I'll keep it that way till Lovell joins us."

Alli smiled sinisterly, "Who is this Lovell you speak of?"

Fang's voice hoarsened, "My half-brother on my father's side." Alli dropped her candy. "Yeah, to think I have a younger brother after all these one thousand years walking in this world."

"Well, that must have shocked you more than me. Even if the dark lord himself has lived for six million years fighting the Krisnik's clan and hunting Lunatica's every reincarnation to lead up to this point in time." Alli felt disbelief as the idea ran through her thoughts.

Fang leaned on the frame, "Yeah, and he has another half-brother on his mother's side too."

Alli leaned into Fang, "Slap me silly, that kids got hell. It's not like he's the champion of hers too." Fang glance at her. "No?" He nods, Alli turned and sat on the edge looking out. "Poor kid must be suffering inside. If he finds out who his father is, and well, his grandfather, he'll be destroyed spiritually and quite possibly, emotionally!" She turned to Fang, seeing his sadden expression. "You're worried about him, though?"

Fang closed his eyes, "Yeah, he bears a burden that should never be put on anyone. Even I would have a hard time to kill my grandfather." Fang sighed, "It's getting late, you should go."

She sat up, "Well, I'll act as if it's our first meeting when he wakes," Looking at Gale. "You should try and not worry too much. Things always seem to work out for the better or worse." Alli jumped out the window as Fang watched her leave, looking back at Gale, Fang decided to change the clothing before going to sleep.

The next morning Gale woke, the sun harsh in his eyes. Tried to block it out, noticed Lance passed out beside him. Gale, unsure what had happened, got out of bed and headed to the showers to get cleaned up. As he did, Gale felt strange, in a way he could not explain. Began cleaning himself as Gale washed his hair, he noticed his ears felt weird. Gale rushed to the mirror; Gale cleared it to see his reflection. He saw that his ears were, pointed and that his eyes turned a golden colour. Gale checked the rest of his body to find a nothing else had changed. He took a deep breath and decided to finish getting cleaned up before bothering the other on what happened.

After getting some clothes on, Gale shook Lance to wake him. Lance opened his eye to see Gale was awake. "You—you woke up!" Lance yelped in joy; he hugged Gale in a sobbing mess. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Gale confused, Looked down at Lance. "Lance, what happened?"

Lance pulled himself away, "Oh, right, the thing is…" Lance told him what had happened yesterday. Gale sat down in disbelief. "Yeah, it's a little hard to swallow, but I know you would have done the same for me, Gale."

Gale looked at his hands, "So I'm a demon now?"

Alli jumped through the window, "Half right," they both screamed, waking Fang and causing Luna to rush in. Alli smiled, "Sorry didn't mean to startle you all."

Lance took at her, "Alli? Your—"

Alli posed proudly, "Here, yeah, I know, but I have a sixth sense for this kind of thing." Turning her attention to Gale, "Well, to honest, you are more of a surprise than me?"

Gale stared at Alli, "What do you mean?"

Alli crossed her arms, "Well, for starters, you are more emotional and two the drug, for some reason, only turned you half daemon?" In a flash, she was in Gale's face. "It's fascinating, to say the least, but back to the main reason I'm here." She stared into Gales' eyes long and hard, "Hmm, the daemon half in you is another surprise too…"

Lance peered over to her eyes. "How surprising?"

She closed her eyes and pulled away. "It's, well… vail wolf also is known as the shadow werewolf?" She looked around to see that they never heard of one. She puffed her cheeks.

Fang stepped. "They are an extinct breed of were's that could move between the vail of the world, today most who use shadow magic go there as a way to get the jump on their opponents. There are very versed in lightning magic." Fang gripped Gales' shoulder. "That's a good thing; it means you just have to learn how to shift between you were form and back."

Alli smiled, "And the best teachers are theyan's. They have to learn the hard of losing themselves first before being able to change freely."

Luna clapped her hands in joy, "Yes, that's true. Fang can teach you the basics."

Gale felt overwhelmed by it all, began to feel strange. He smiled at it all before sneezing, turning into a wolf in the dim light. Gale turns to Lance as if to say, don't laugh. Lance was holding it back, noticed Fang busted out in laughter. Everyone stared at him like he went crazy.

"I think we somehow broke Fang?" Lance broke the silence.

Fang composed himself, "Sorry, but that was a very theyan thing, and to see it happened to you, Gale, no offence, was gold to me." Fang lost to the moment burst out laughing once more.

"Well, that was unexpected," Alli rubbed her head in disbelief. "I'll take my leave, and you all take care." She walked over to the window and jumped out.

Luna walked over to Fang. "Sorry, but you need this." She kicked him in the sweet spot, bringing him to his knees, stopping his laughing fit. Lance and Gale looked at each other before looking at Luna. "Well, we leave at noon, even if Gale is still in were form." Her smile was scaring them as she walked out.

Fang finding himself got up, "Well, let's pack, the lady has spoken." Fang wheezed. Lance got up as Gale laid down on the bed, feeling useless.

Noon came, Gale was able to turn back, waiting for Luna. She walked over to them, smiled gingerly. Gale felt a cold sweat down his back, looking at her. "Are we all set then?" Lance and Fang nodded, and Luna continued to smile, coughing, Gale looked at Fang. "Where to next?"

Fang pulled out the holo-map, "I was thinking, Summerwind would be a good place to stop. Besides, keeping on the move is better than staying put." He looked at Luna. "It will take us roughly twenty days to get there, but it's better than walking into enemy territory." They all agreed. Fang put the map away as they head off to Summerwind.