Are you up for a story? Part 1

Diana gasped waking up from a warm bed. She tried to get up from laying flat facing downwards. Smelling the fresh scent of baked bread and mouth-watering sweet aroma of hot chocolate, Diana heard her stomach grumble audibly.

She groaned as she get up slowly. Then she checked herself from head to toe. Her clothes were changed, and the wound on her back is now properly bandaged. She grazed her leg, only to find there's no more wound that she thought would leave an ugly scar.

Sitting on the bed, her eyes moved around exploring the small dark hut. She could barely see anything, only a cauldron on a firepit. Diana closed her eyes and inhaled the savory smell of the dish being cooked. 'Must be a good soup', she moaned.

She tried to stand up, when someone sitting from across the room cleared his throat and puffed smoke from his wooden pipe. "Are you feeling better, Luna?", Dolphus asked.

"Yes.. thank you for helping me", she replied coughing from the smoke with a scent of mint and vanilla as the old man huff and puff.

"I did nothing much, the wound on your leg healed on its own.. ", Dolphus said as he put down his wooden pipe.

"Ohh.. It did?", she shockingly replied. "So I really do heal fast", she whispered. She tried to see the old man she's speaking to. It was so dark, she can only see his silhouette. In this view, she can tell he has long tangly hair.

"The unusual Luna is a wolf after all. Just as I thought", Dolphus replied with a soft chuckle. This Luna doesn't seem to know what she is, he pondered.

'Still, I can't shapeshift', she mulled in silence. She winced at the pain she felt on her back.

"But the wound on your back is something I cannot help you with anymore", Dolphus said.

"Oh..", Diana reached for back, from her shoulders.

"You're poisoned from the lycan's claws. We don't have antidotes for that here. A much stronger healing abilities can help remove the venom from your wounds. I'm very sorry Luna", he meant a nagua but Dolphus didn't bothered to mention for it is impossible to find one.

"I understand.. You already did so much. Thank you kind sir", she replied as she started to accept her fate. After fighting to survive through the night, she'll die eventually from her carelessness. If only she just jumped off the cliff, she wouldn't be worrying about an untreatable wound with a poison killing her softly.

"I'm Dolphus Crumbe. You can call me Elder Dolphus", Dolphus introduced himself as he stood up and went to the cauldron to mix the soup.

"My name is Diana.. isn't it a bit dark here, Elder Dolphus?", she asked, worried that Dolphus might get hurt from cooking.

"It was a similar night like this.. decades ago, our town was devastated by a lycan, Luna. The moon was round as a pearl when a large beast suddenly came attacking everyone on its way. I could never forget that night, because that was when I lost my sight", Dolphus said as he pour soup on a bowl and placed it on the table.

"I'm sorry to hear.. that." Diana said as she watch Dolphus move around. "You're exceptionally familiar around here.", she asked in amusement.

"I don't need my eyes to see, Luna. Actually, From where I stand, I can tell that you are afraid..", he said as he sit down on the dining chair. "Come along, eat with me", he invited.

"I'm not afraid of you Elder Dolphus", Diana slowly stood up and groaned as she sat across Dolphus whose eyes were as white as his hair.

"Not of me.. of the truth.", he sipped from his cup of hot chocolate.

"Truth..", she uttered. Everytime Diana dig deeper to seek for truth, she loses one person close to her. First is her mother, then next is Calvin.

Diana suddenly thought of Emilia, who she once met at the island with a gift of telling one's fortune. "You're like someone I knew.. but unfortunately she's gone.", she said as she whirl her soup in the bowl.

"What's her name?", Dolphus grab hold of his hot cup not minding the heat.

"Emilia", she replied as she positioned herself comfortably to relax her aching back.

"Ahh.. What did she tell you?", Dolphus sat very still waiting for Diana's reply.

"The big bad wolf is coming for me..", Diana sipped the hot chocolate slowly. "Elder Dolphus, you said, there's a lycan here before.. and it's been long gone for a while.. Why do you think it's back?", she asked.

"Luna, are you up for a story?", Dolphus asked.

"Where am I gonna go?", Diana replied as she eat her soup and bread, and then placed her hands on the table.

"Hnmm..", Dolphus swallowed a lump and leaned back. "It was a beautiful night for moonbathing when we all got distraught from a frightening howl in the woods. Seeing the yellow eyed beast who unexpectedly appeared in our small peaceful town, we became wary of the creature who seemed to be cursed by a nagual..".

"The smart creatures who uses black magic", Diana blurted out.

"Ahh yes. So you've heard..", Dolphus clicked his tongue. "I assumed that a nagual turned a wolf into a monstrous slave of the moon who has endless hunger for blood.. Later on, we discovered that he craves not just anybody's blood, but the blood of the Luna. It can even easily track her scent even at great distance", Dolphus said.

Diana remembered how the lycan followed her last night and attacked every single wolf on its way.

"Did he killed… the Luna?", Diana winced as she sit at the edge of her chair.

"Karin was a brave Luna. At first she was able to run and hide.. She fought well. I lost my sight saving her that night, and I never regretted it", Dolphus proudly said with a smile. "She did everything she could. Eventually, she didn't managed to escape the wrath of the lycan. She perished after two full moons.", he added as he heard her sighed deeply.

"You saw Scott… change? Didn't you?", he asked as he leaned forward.

"Right before my eyes", she said as she stare down.

"So I was right", Dolphus said as his tight lips tremble. "Karin never told me anything. Until I had my first vision at the touch of her hand. Even if she didn't tell me… I knew that Viktor was the lycan who attacked the town.", he added as he feel sorry for Scott and for failing Karin from protecting her only son.

"More of my visions came in sight. However, before I could fully understand, Karin already steered clear from my abilities.", he said with a sharp exhale. "But tonight confirms that the curse runs through the bloodline of the Lockwoods", he added as Diana listen intently enduring the sharp pains she feel on her back.

"The night before the Luna died, she told me just one important thing, never let Scott imprint .. with no explanations.", Dolphus sniffing, clenched his hand on the table. "I kept mum to protect their son.. even though the townspeople started to make speculations.. They even called Viktor a lunatic, seeing him go mad…", Dolphus continued.

"Must be hard for Viktor to lose his Luna, finding out he caused her death", Diana thought as she pressed her wound leaning back.

"True. Maybe that's reason why Karin thought it is best to keep Scott some place in the city with her brother, Stanley, where he cannot imprint. So Scott cannot experience the pain of turning to a lycan, and then chasing his Luna for blood", he said.

"But, the imprint is something beyond a wolf's control. It's fate that he cannot escape, both the imprint and turning to a lycan..", Diana uttered.

Then she lifted her face up to Dolphus. "I heard there was a healer, Elder Dolphus", she said as she stared intently at the wise man.