“So, what are we calling this?” Aemus said with a muttered tone. We had just gotten over a small disagreement, but you could tell he wasn’t over it. 

We were walking in the forest. The trees so tall and wide that I felt so small, smaller than I usually do standing next to him. The ground was patchy with dirt and some grass. There was a bridge just above the roaring river. We planned to cross it and set up our campsite in a quiet area of the forest.

As we walked, he looked at me sharply. His eyes seemed to shift color. I looked away, flustered. 

“Let’s say we’re together…” I said, almost hesitating. “Then what happens next?” I stated.

       “Well that’s what they call making it official,” Aemus snickered. “Are you feeling up to making it official?”

         I looked at him, this time I was baring the darting gaze. “Yes,” I said, my eyes galavanting from one of his to the next, then down to his lips. His eyes sprang back at mine —bright, almost supernatural. He seemed to forget all about our simple disagreement. 

         We stopped walking and looked into each others eyes once again. I giggled. He started to lean in, getting close to me. “Are you sure you wanna do this outside,” I said. “No one’s even around! Besides a small kiss never hurt anybody,” he said smiling. 

         I nodded. His lips pressed against mine. At first it was jarring. I’d kissed him before, but this time he was so passionate. Almost like he thought this would be our last time locking lips. He reeled back, trying to contain himself, but I persisted.  

       “Oh my god,” he pulled back. “I’m gonna fall over!” He giggled and went back in for one last kiss. This time he was gentler, like giving me a departure from our intimacy — at least for the moment. 

        Suddenly, his eyes darted to the side as if he sensed something. His skin became cold and the hair on his arms stood up. I leaned in closer, looking across the river, trying to get a better look. We were closer to the river at this point but a bit far from the bridge. To me what he was looking at looked like a tree. But he seemed to think otherwise.

      “Calsifer!” He roared. “Don’t fall in you klutz! Get behind me.”

“What, nothing’s over there!” I laughed, but he wasn’t taking it. His eyes were flickering back and forth.

“I’m serious —get behind me,” he whispered sharply. 

        A mysterious figure began to form on the other side of the river, becoming clearer in my vision. “Holy fuck,” I said trembling, “He’s got a gun! Get down!” I fell to the ground trying to pull Aemus with me, but he wasn’t phased. He stood strong. 

“Get up and stay behind me,” he said sturdy. 

“What?” I questioned shakily.

       “I know him,” he clasped.

“You- know him?”

       “I know him,” he repeated. 

        The man walked toward us and Aemus walked toward him, I followed cowardly. The man was strong, burly and bore a harsh darting stair in my direction. His facial hair was distinct, and he smelt like pine tree. We met up on the bridge.

       “Wallten, his names Wallten,” Aemus whispered, while taking a step forward and away from me. We were no longer touching.

They looked deeply into each others' eyes. A sense of rage and passion so strong formed that it filled the surrounding area around us —almost feeling like I could manipulate the air around me. 

        Aemus looked like he wanted to yell and Wallten looked unsurprised. Aemus gathered his composure. 

“Wallten. This is Calsifer.” I peaked around Aemus’ back. My eyes met his. I quickly shuttered back like a scared puppy. 

       “Wow, very manly,” Wallten chuckled looking at Aemus questionably. 

       “You wouldn’t know the first thing about manliness,” he said looking back at Wallten. 

        “Alright, since you’re such a man, be honest with your friend here,” Wallten cackled. “Tell him who you truly are.”

        “We’re honest with each other,” Aemus said calmly.

“I can tell you’re hiding it from him —I smell it in your sweat,” Wallten said belligerently. 

       Although I am much shorter, I cut around Aemus trying to look tall, struggling to stand sturdy and looked directly into Wallten’s eyes, he wasn’t phased. I then turned to Aemus. “What is this guy talking about?”

Aemus had shifted his stern gaze from Wallten’s to mine. His eyes felt worried.

       “Spit it out, Aemus,” Wallten slashed. I looked back at Wallten angrily. Again, he didn’t seem to care. 

      “His family is Icelandic,” Wallten said.

“Stop!” Aemus clapped back.

       “His last name is really Vargress, not Kurtis,” Wallten said.

         I grew increasingly curious, feeling almost guilty because my curiosity hindered my clarity. But I needed to know more.

       “His Icelandic name is Sif Vargress, Vargr as in _Wolf Man —_or in other words_ werewolf.”_

I chuckled and looked at Aemus with a humorous face. “We should leave, he’s clearly not in his right mind,” I say looking back at Wallten with a snarl.

        I looked back at Aemus. “Christ!” I shouted. His fingernails had sprouted into claws. His body much hairier than before. His nose turned snout like. His ears all wolfy. My eyes grew wide, my ears began to ring. “Oh, he wasn’t joking,” I said shocked.

Wallten shifts his vision from Aemus to mine. Next thing I know, an icy stinging fills my head. I started to feel disoriented and fell to the ground —suddenly unable to move, as if I was paralyzed. From where my head landed I could see Aemus, he’s now screaming at Wallten.

“Did you just cast a paralyzing spell on him?” Aemus yelled.

“Oh shush he’s fine… I just needed to talk to you,” Wallten said with a snarky tone.

“So you paralyzed my boyfriend to talk?” Aemus said.

“Oh so you’re official?” Wallten asked.

“Yeah, we are!” Aemus said proudly.

“It’s been seven months since_ we _ended things… and you already have a boyfriend?” Wallten questioned.

“Yeah Wallten, it’s been seven months of pure freedom without you and I have decided to make it official with _my_ boyfriend… is this why you went through all of this? We could of just talked alone!” Aemus yelled.

“Well, partly…” Wallten said. “You know why I’m really here, Aemus…”

“And why’s that?” Aemus laughed.

“Jesus, Aemus… be serious. Do you really like hiding like this?” Wallten said disgusted. “Just fix it. Go to Aleris, she can reverse it.”

“There is nothing to reverse,” Aemus screamed.

“Nothing to reverse? It ruined our relationship! It’s a curse!” Wallten hollered.

“It ruined nothing, in fact, it showed me who you truly are. It is an honor I hold! You can’t reverse something you are born with,” Aemus said proudly.

“You didn’t seem so honored showing Calsifer!” Wallten said, getting increasingly angry.“You know what it is —it’s a disease!”

“Oh you can’t be serious…” Aemus screamed. “You know what’s diseased? You are! You turned against your own, turned away from your pack and started hunting for quick money! YOU are a disease.”

“I didn’t do it for the money,” Wallten squawked.

“Oh yeah, who else would kill his own mother for-“

Wallten took his gun out. “Shut up…” Wallten said quietly with anger.

“You wouldn’t,” Aemus strummed back.

The loud ring of a gun shot firing filled my ears. Aemus was hit! Another bang came from the gun barrel, it hit me. I fought to get up. The more I fought the more my vision turned black. 

My eyes opened sharply after a few minutes, I was alive, but still couldn’t move and my ears were ringing so loud I couldn’t hear a thing. Staring down at me was Aemus.

I look at Aemus’ hand, which was still a bit claw like but now bloody and holding a bullet. _Oh god, did he rip it out of himself?_ I thought.

I look at his other hand, he’s holding Wallten’s gun. He’s pointing it at Wallten. My ears start to tune in.

“Un-curse him… now… or I’ll shoot you!” Aemus said shaking and in shock. I never thought I’d see him like this.

Wallten comes up and blows something in my face. It takes a few seconds to work but I can move. I start screaming. Aemus is shaking. He lowers the gun but is still holding it firmly, keeping it from Wallten. He’s holding my wounds trying to keep the blood from spilling out of me.

I’m getting colder.

“Leave,” he quietly but sternly said to Wallten. “Or I will deal with you… I won’t be kind.”

Wallten started walking in the direction of the parking lot, trying to cover the blood scattered on his close.

Aemus looked back at me, “I know someone who can help us, we just have to make it back to my car.” He picked me up and I closed my eyes, feeling like I was loosing myself.

“Stay with me… you’ve got this.”

The walk to the car was far but it only felt like a few minutes as I drifted in and out.

“Shit… Wallten slashed the tires! Where the fuck is that bastard!” Aemus said angrily, yet quiet—trying not to attract attention.

He sets me down, my breathing labored. His quiet approach didn’t last long as he broke a car window with his bare fists. He unlocked the car doors. Next thing I know, I’m in a strangers car bleeding out —Aemus going as fast as he can.

“The person I’m taking you too, she is a sister of my ex friend Aleris… she’ll have something to heal you,” Aemus said, hands steady on the car wheel.

This is not how I imagined the day going.