RACE AGAINST TIME

As Franz Leopold emerged from his half-rotted coffin, his first thought was of Ivy. Her coffin was already empty, and she and Seymour were nowhere to be seen in the upper hall. The Dracas practically flew down the long, winding staircase. He only paused to glance into the hall with the large fireplace and found Ivy absent there as well. Franz Leopold returned to the stairs and almost collided with Alisa.

"Is she already gone?" Alisa called out to him.

"How should I know?" he replied.

They dashed through the archway into the open air. The dull clattering of hooves on wood reached their ears.

"They're on the drawbridge!"

They ran on and arrived at the bridge just as the dappled mare reached the other side. Ivy stopped and turned to them, Seymour threw back his head and howled.

"Come on!" Alisa and Franz Leopold crossed the drawbridge in a few strides. They hadn't discussed it, but they were both determined not to let Ivy go without their company. With serious expressions, they approached her and greeted the Druid on her horse and the two Lycans from Aughnanure who apparently were to accompany them.

"Forgive me for not bidding you farewell. We are in a hurry, but we will return tomorrow night," said Ivy.

Franz Leopold growled. "You know perfectly well that we didn't run after you to say goodbye. We're coming with you!"

"That's not possible," the Druid intervened. "You will stay here and focus on your training. That is your task. Ivy's task is to come with me tonight."

"What is the purpose of your journey?" Alisa asked, but received no answer. The Druid only looked at her sternly.

"Return to the castle, where you are safe. No one should wander around unprotected in these nights."

"That's precisely why we have to come with you!" Franz Leopold wasn't ready to give up so easily.

A smile briefly crossed the wrinkled face. "I appreciate your sentiment, Franz Leopold of the Dracas Clan, nevertheless, I must repeat my command: Return to the castle! Believe me, Ivy is safe in our company," she added more gently. Then she turned her horse away, and it immediately broke into a brisk gallop. The vampires followed her on foot, the three wolves ran after. Grudgingly, Franz Leopold and Alisa retreated to the gatehouse.

"Did I miss something? Have they already left?" Luciano came running breathlessly across the courtyard and almost collided with Alisa at the gate.

"Whoever oversleeps and lingers always misses something," Franz Leopold replied coolly.

"Ivy has gone west with the Druid and two Lycans. The wolves are accompanying them, as well as the white horse Tara arrived on yesterday. The old woman probably couldn't keep up with them on foot, even though she's a Druid."

"How unfortunate that they didn't take us with them," Luciano said with a sigh. "I'm too curious about what all of this means. Why did we all have to come here? What does the Druid want with Ivy in that murky moor?" A look of determination came over his face as his gaze wandered beyond the bridge to the west, where the rider and the vampires were no longer visible. "If we want to find out anything, we'll have to follow them without permission!"

Franz Leopold and Alisa spun around and stared at him. Then a smile brightened the Dracas's face. "That's the first sensible thing I've heard from you, Nosferas."

"Sensible?" Alisa contradicted doubtfully. "Hardly sensible, but quite a usable idea." Luciano beamed at the unexpected praise. Alisa looked around attentively. "Our watchers seem to be busy elsewhere. So let's go. We won't get a better opportunity. The tracks are still fresh now!"

"And don't start moaning about missing your blood meal being served in the hall," Franz Leopold snapped, interpreting Luciano's suffering expression correctly.

"I just wanted to point out that it's better to start such an undertaking well-fed," he replied indignantly.

"That's not a bad thought. I just fear we won't have another chance to slip away unnoticed later. Plus, the distance might already be too great by then. The two Lycans didn't look exactly sluggish, and the Druid rides an exceptional horse. I don't need to mention Ivy," Alisa said.

Franz Leopold made an impatient gesture. "So why are we still standing here?" His words had barely faded when he reached the other side of the drawbridge.

"Come on!" Alisa called out and ran after him. Luciano groaned, but he followed her as fast as he could. On the other side of the river, they allowed him to catch up.

"Put in a little effort!" Franz Leopold snapped at him. "You're not going to collapse just yet."

They ran up the gently rising path towards the village, which the rider and the vampires had taken just minutes before. Luciano remained silent, focusing on moving forward. By all the demons of the night, were the two of them even faster than usual? They moved lightly and with strangely synchronized movements full of ease and elegance. How did they do it? His body had become leaner, and he had been running a lot in the past few days, yet he couldn't keep up with them. Was it because of his family's blood?

The distance between them was already increasing again. Franz Leopold and Alisa had already reached the first barns. They paused to confirm the trail before veering off to the right.

"Don't dawdle!" 

They circled the village and then followed a cart track northwest. The sky was illuminated only by a few stars shimmering between the swiftly moving clouds. Soon, a graveyard with a half-ruined church appeared, then a village. Once again, the rider and the vampires had left the path to avoid getting too close to the houses.

"Luciano! We don't feel like waiting for you all the time!"

Luciano tried to run a little faster, and to his surprise, it posed no difficulty. He even began to catch up a little. Suspiciously, he searched for the first signs of exhaustion, but instead, he felt strangely strengthened. It was like a rush, and he could barely suppress a sound of delight. Now the trail turned westward, following the shore of a long lake. Franz Leopold and Alisa stopped. Luciano rushed past them.

"What's wrong? Can't you keep up?" Franz Leopold shouted. Luciano slowed down and waited for them to catch up.

"What's going on?" 

"Don't you notice it?" Franz Leopold rolled his eyes. "The trail is losing its freshness."

"They're faster than us," Alisa added when she saw Luciano's incredulous look.

"Even faster?" 

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It's only when the mountain slopes get steeper that at least the horse will have to go slower."

"So let's continue," Luciano urged his friends. "Waiting won't get us anywhere!"

Alisa shook her head. "Look, the path continues along the valley to the west. It follows these narrow lakes, and we have no idea when they'll turn into the mountains and it finally gets steeper."

"That's unfortunate, but we can't change it. You don't want to give up and turn back, do you?" He stared at them in horror.

"Of course not," Franz Leopold denied.

"We were just wondering if a wolf would make better progress in this terrain. At least it wouldn't have to stop to pick up the scent every time," Alisa said.

"No idea," Luciano shrugged. "And even if it did, what good would that do us?"

"We'll turn into wolves!" Alisa said firmly. Luciano felt his high spirits dissipate. There it was again, that despair that the others were faster, more beautiful, more elegant, and simply better. He lowered his head.

"I can't do it," he confessed softly. "Are you going to leave me here alone?"

"You managed the change with Ivy's help, why shouldn't it work with ours too?" 

"What?" He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Franz Leopold has to connect with my spirit, and then we'll combine our powers with yours. You just do everything as you did in your exercise, and we'll give you the energy you lack."

"And you think that will work? I don't want to end up looking like that vampire from yesterday."

"You just have to concentrate, Franz Leopold shrugged. "But if the risk is too great for you, then stay here and hide in some hole until we come back."

Alisa nudged him in the ribs. "Shut up! Of course, Luciano won't stay behind. Are you ready? Can we start?"

Luciano tried to put on a confident face and nodded. "But of course. Let's get started!"

Luciano focused so strongly on the image of the wolf he wanted to become that his face contorted and sweat poured from all his pores. Then came the surge of energy. It was so strong that Luciano staggered. He fell to his knees. Fog billowed up, enveloping his writhing body. As it cleared and the pain in his limbs subsided, he saw the world through the eyes of a wolf. He looked with awe at his furry legs with predator paws. He opened and closed his powerful jaws.

"It was quite easy," Alisa said, astonished.

Franz Leopold agreed. "And what came out of it, while not powerful and magnificent - I would rather call its fur mangy - but it is undoubtedly a wolf!"

Luciano spun around a few times trying to catch a glimpse of himself, then sat back on his hind legs and looked at the two of them expectantly.

Alisa looked into Franz Leopold's eyes. It was becoming easier for her to open up to him. Once again, she surprised herself with her own strength. The mists came immediately when she called them, swirling faster and denser than ever. She fell onto four powerful paws. Alisa knew that she was now a magnificent wolf, swift as the wind! Next to her stood Franz Leopold, his fur almost black and silky. Their thoughts were still connected. At the same time, they leaped forward and then raced down the valley with giant strides.

"Tara?" The vampire had fallen back a bit but was now catching up. The Druid turned in the saddle without slowing down.

"What is it, Cameron?" She asked the lycan of pure blood who had come to Aughnanure from Dunluce many years ago.

"We are being followed!"

Now Ivy's attention was also caught. "Vampires?"

Cameron nodded. "Two or three."

"Do you know who they are? They could be the ones following us since Dunluce. Have you been told about their landing in the grotto? One of them was destroyed in the Aillwee Caves because he couldn't free himself from the trap and would have otherwise fallen into our hands."

Cameron and Taber, who had also lived on Aughnanure for a long time, nodded. "We are informed about the events. Should we stay back and ambush them?"

Tara nodded, but Ivy objected. "If they are three, it could be dangerous for you. They have proven to be masters of shape-shifting. We don't know what other powers they possess."

Cameron placed his hand over his chest. "Our mission is to protect you. Doesn't that include putting ourselves in danger?"

Of course, Cameron was right, but Ivy felt uneasy about it. Sometimes I wish I were just a simple girl, whose fate neither changes the world for good nor for evil.

Seymour stepped to her side and looked up at her with his yellow eyes. Really? Then your story would have long been over, and probably no one would remember you.

Ivy looked at him defiantly. That's not true. I would be where I belong: by my mother's side!

To change the fate of the world for good or for evil! You're not a simple girl, and you never were! Don't struggle with your fate. I don't.

They had fallen a bit behind the gray mare, but Seymour caught up with her with a few quick leaps. Ivy stayed by his side, still with a worried furrowed brow.

Cameron and Taber now also transformed into falcons and shot back along the path they had come. They didn't have to search for long. Soon they spotted three shadows following their trail. They swooped down to take a closer look: three wolves. A strong black one with beautiful fur, a smaller gray one, and one that looked a bit disheveled. That they were vampires was evident from their weakly defined warmth aura that enveloped every animal and human with warm blood flowing through their veins. They flew high above their heads, then turned away to report to Tara.

"So, there are three." She fell silent and looked at Seymour. "Good," she said after a while. "You will encircle them. We'll wait there at the bend in the path." Ivy's protest was cut short.

The two lycans now also changed into wolves and hid along with Seymour and the druid's wolves in the bushes on the right and left of the path.

"We're making good progress," exclaimed Alisa.

"Yes, the trail is becoming clearer," Franz Leopold agreed.

Luciano fell back. He tilted his head back and looked up at the night sky.

"What's wrong? Are your powers failing you?" Franz Leopold's thoughts echoed.

"No, I was just wondering what kind of birds those are."

Now Alisa also looked up, but there was nothing to be seen. "They're gone now."

"That's irrelevant!" grumbled Franz Leopold and continued walking.

The path now wound around a lake almost completely overgrown with reeds and marsh grass. In the marshy black ground, the hoofprints were so clearly visible that even a human wouldn't have been able to lose the trail. Once again, the path curved and led through dense bushes. Alisa slowed down, her paws sinking into the mud.

"Wait!" she called out, but before her friends could react, shadows burst from the bushes. Four wolves leaped towards them, lips curled, fangs bared. Franz Leopold growled and attacked without hesitation. Luciano stood frozen in place. He was not a wolf. He was a Nosferas! The desire to return to his human form was so strong that the mists began to coalesce around him, but then a strong jaw snapped shut, sinking into his flank. He howled in pain and felt dizzy. The reversion had already started and was abruptly interrupted.

"Stop!" Alisa screamed desperately. She had recognized the druid's wolves and deduced that the other two must be the lycans who had accompanied Tara and Ivy. As she spun in circles, snapping to keep the druid's two wolves at bay, her mind called out for help. She didn't think about who to turn to.

"Seymour!"

The white wolf leisurely emerged from the bushes and elegantly sat back on his hind legs. If it hadn't been utterly impossible, Alisa would have sworn he was smiling. Geal and Ciallmhar continued to circle her, but they no longer snapped at her flank. Instead, Franz Leopold and one of the lycans were locked in combat, while Luciano was being held at bay by the other.

"Seymour, please, it's me, Alisa! Can't you understand me? Do you not recognize me? And Luciano and Franz Leopold? Please, tell them to stop. They'll kill the two of them!"

Seymour let out a short bark. The wolf fighting Franz Leopold pushed him away and stood before him, teeth menacingly bared. His gesture was clear: Submit!

"Please, Leo, do it," begged Alisa. Luciano, who was also being commanded to submit, complied reluctantly. The wolf's hackles smoothed out a bit, but Franz Leopold remained stubborn. Out of the corner of her eye, Alisa caught a movement. Something white shot past her so quickly that she didn't immediately realize it was Seymour, who pounced on Franz Leopold. He leaped onto the beautiful black wolf's back with a powerful jump. His teeth were at the exposed throat before Franz Leopold even realized what was happening.

Submit, Franz Leopold de Dracas! Do not provoke my wrath.

The young wolf emitted a pitiful whimper. Seymour tightened his jaws a little more before releasing his grip and stepping back.

"Transform!" Alisa tried to find Franz Leopold, but his mind closed off to her probing thoughts. She felt anger welling up inside her. Why was he resisting? What did he think he would gain by doing so? Did he believe it was their fault that the wolves had ambushed them?

The anger strengthened her resolve and power, and suddenly she realized that she could do it alone. Despite the dire situation they were in, a sense of elation washed over her as she felt the mists enveloping her and her body returning to its normal form.

"That was very good!"

"Ivy!"

The lycan appeared with the druid on the path. For a few moments, Alisa was too shocked to form a clear sentence, then she blurted out, "You set the wolves on us and watched as they almost tore us apart? I can't believe it! Look at what they did to Luciano and Franz Leopold."

Ivy glanced briefly at the Dracas. "The wound isn't deep. It won't cause you much trouble. Transform, then Tara can examine it. Do you need assistance?" In response, he menacingly bared his teeth.

"I'll take that as a no," Ivy said coolly and went over to Luciano, who was whimpering miserably. Alisa stomped after her, hands on her hips.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

Ivy sighed. "Yes, that you're holding us back and letting valuable time slip through our fingers. What were you thinking?"

"How were we supposed to know that you would attack us right away?"

"How were we supposed to know it was you following us? Cameron only noticed someone was tailing us, and naturally, we thought it was those vampires who have been on our trail since Dunluce, up to no good for sure."

Alisa suddenly felt very small. "You should have let us come with you from the beginning."

Ivy smiled slightly crookedly. "Yes, if I had thought more about it, I would have realized that you would do something so reckless just to satisfy your curiosity."

"That's not it! - Not just. We're your friends and want to help you."

Ivy didn't reply. She looked down at Luciano, who was writhing in pain at her feet. He was no longer a true wolf, but his human features could barely be discerned.

Alisa was startled. "How can we free him from this intermediate state?"

Franz Leopold joined them. His pants were torn on the right side, and blood ran from a wound. He pulled his leg back a bit, which dampened his deliberately casual demeanor.

"Typical. Only our Nosferas could let something like this happen."

"No, that can happen to anyone who overestimates their powers or allows their concentration to be disrupted at the crucial moment."

"Can't Tara help him?" Alisa looked at the druid imploringly, but to her horror, Tara shook her head.

"That's not something that can be healed with herbal potions."

Luciano looked so miserable that Alisa had to look away. What a terrible thought if he were to remain trapped in this state forever. What were they thinking? The accusations gnawed at her insides.

Ivy knelt beside Luciano. She took his trembling front paws in her hands and spoke softly to him. Alisa couldn't understand the words, but the wolf, or whatever the being was now, became calmer.

Meanwhile, the two lycans had transformed back and now stood with the two wolves around Luciano and Ivy. Cameron, who had fought with Franz Leopold, was bleeding from two wounds where the Dracas's fangs had caught him. They watched silently what was happening. Alisa held her breath. Ivy seemed unusually tense, her beautiful features almost frozen in pain. Alisa felt the druid approaching. She placed her hand on Ivy's shoulder and spoke some Gaelic words. Then she stepped back again. Ivy summoned the mists, and for some eternal moments, Alisa couldn't see what was happening. She only heard growls and moans. When the mist cleared, Ivy and Luciano rose in their vampire forms. Alisa let out a cry of relief and hugged the Nosferas, causing him to stagger a bit. Then she embraced Ivy. "What would we do without you?"

"Perhaps try not to get yourselves into such trouble anymore? That would be a start."

Luciano also expressed his gratitude profusely, while Franz Leopold remained aloof.

"We must continue!" admonished the Druid. The horse trotted along the path as if it had been waiting only for those words.

"Very well, let's go," Franz Leopold agreed, positioning himself by Ivy's side, but she shook her head.

"Tara, Seymour, and I will continue our path. Cameron and Taber will accompany you back to Aughnanure."

Franz Leopold looked at her with fiery eyes. "No, we will come with you. We've come this far already..."

A consuming fire burned in her eyes, causing him to fall silent. "Go now."

Franz Leopold clenched his fists angrily, but he did not attempt to follow them as Tara's horse galloped up the path, with Ivy and the wolves following behind.

"We really messed up," sighed Luciano. "Instead of going with her and protecting her, we've deprived her of her companions. I hope nothing happens to her. I couldn't forgive myself."

With his head hanging low, he followed behind Cameron, while Taber brought up the rear.

"She still has Seymour to protect her," Alisa tried to comfort herself, though she also felt uneasy.

"Seymour," Franz Leopold spat out, growling. "That treacherous traitor who would have watched with pleasure as they tore us apart!"

"Perhaps he didn't recognize us at first," said Luciano.

Alisa fell silent. Maybe he really didn't know who the three wolves following the trail were initially. But even when she called out to him, he didn't immediately put an end to it, allowing Franz Leopold and Cameron to continue fighting. Why? Her heart felt heavy. It was as if she had lost a friend.

The old werewolf stood at the entrance to the cave, his gaze sweeping over the vast expanse of the nighttime moorland. He had long since noticed the younger one behind him and knew why he had come, but he wanted to delay the moment of decision as long as possible.

Behind him, there was a rustle, then the werewolf stepped to his side and made a brief bow. That gesture alone conveyed more to the old pack leader than any words. Some of the young werewolves were no longer satisfied with his decisions and did not show him the respect he deserved. They still avoided openly showing their resentment and refusing his orders for everyone to see, but the decay had long begun.

"Áthair Faolchu, midnight has passed," the young werewolf finally said, after the leader of the pack apparently had no intention of prompting him to speak.

Áthair Faolchu suppressed the deep sigh rising within him. "Yes, Mac Gaoth, I know. I am quite capable of reading the time in the stars."

Again, that bow, expressing more contempt than respect. "We must set out. Did you not tell us we were to leave the cave in the middle of the night of the dark moon?"

I gave in to your insistence that something must change before the day of the handover, thought Áthair Faolchu. It was not my own decision. Perhaps I have truly become too old and weak and should pass the fate of the pack into other hands. He looked at Mac Gaoth, whose eyes dangerously gleamed in the darkness. But where would the young rebels lead the pack?

"Before the moon completely fades and the night of emptiness descends upon us, those were your words."

Áthair Faolchu felt anger rising within him. "You don't need to repeat my words to me. My mind is not so befuddled by age that I can't remember what I said."

"I never doubted that."

"Then what do you doubt?" Even as he spoke the words, he knew it was wrong. He was playing into their hands. Why should he justify himself to them? He was the leader of the pack.

"That the strength still resides within you to follow the decisions you have put into words with corresponding actions." The young werewolf looked at him with chin raised.

Áthair Faolchu couldn't blame the rebel. He himself had given him the club, and Mac Gaoth had not let the opportunity to strike pass him by. Now it was up to him to salvage what he could.

"I will tell you when our time has come. And now, go inside and tell the others to be ready!"

For a moment, he feared Mac Gaoth would refuse the order, but he inclined his head and disappeared into the depths of the cave. Áthair Faolchu took a deep breath. One breath and then another. How many more would be granted to him in peace?

Old fool, it has already begun. The war has gathered like a dark cloud around us, casting a shadow over the world. These are just the final breaths before the storm breaks.

He contemplated the image. No, it wasn't right. The war wasn't coming from outside to engulf the werewolves with hatred and destruction. The storm was brewing from within.