Fondest Dreams Ch. 02

Fondest Dreams -- Chapter 2

Written by lilgirlsix and Archangel_M

Edited by Doctime

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lilgirlsix: It's been so much fun to write with Archangel_M (from now on I'll refer to him as AA since his name is just way too long.) He is introducing so many things that are new to my "Baxterverse" (as AA calls it) and I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do. Remember the things you read now, as they may play a role in future story lines.

If I were to classify this story as anything other than Non-Human, it would be romance. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Not only has this adventure been fun, it's been exciting to watch the story emerge from AA's brain. And I encourage you all to listen to the music suggestions. After reading a chapter, it really was interesting to listen to the music and picture the characters, the scenes, the situations.

And a huge shout out to Doctime, who took on our editing challenge with an open mind and, hopefully, had as much fun as we did.

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Archangel_M: This story would never have progressed beyond an idle fantasy of mine if it wasn't for LG6's encouragement and energy. In addition to her delightful qualities as a friend and as an author, she is an excellent motivator! This is important, because I am rather lazy if left to my own devices. ^_^

I know that Willi has probably put some people off. I encourage you not to judge him too quickly. Please remember that he is a). German and b). a diplomat. That means that his default manner is very stiff and formal. It'll take him a while to fully loosen up around Zsálya, especially since she's so gorgeous. Beautiful women are very intimidating to men, and any guy who says different is lying through his teeth.

Also, I would like to echo Lil's shout-out to Doctime for his excellent editing—and for his patience with us dern kids! :P

My music suggestion for this chapter is "Cursum Perficio" by Enya. It should be easy to find.

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{Language Note: Hungarian dialogue is in plaintext, <and German dialogue is in carrots.> Many thanks to Fräulein Anne for correcting my amateurish German!}

January 10, 1858

Wilhelm called a greeting as he emerged from the forest, and moments later Zsálya nearly tackled him with the enthusiasm of her hug. He hugged her back, amazed at how much their friendship had blossomed in only a few days.

"And how are you, mein kleiner Wolf?" Wilhelm asked as they parted, reluctant as always to let go of Zsálya's warmth and softness. Four Below, she was so beautiful! He fought down his desire to bury his fingers in her shimmering ebony hair and press his lips into the crook of her neck.

Zsálya smiled up at Wilhelm, her hands just able to rest on his shoulders. "I am much better now that you are here," she told him, quite honestly. The horrible black Werewolf that stalked her dreams had already sent her screaming back to wakefulness once tonight. Now that Willi was here, Zsálya knew she was safe. The urge to kiss him was strong, but her shyness and doubts held her back.

As had become usual each night, they parted completely after a few long moments of staring at each other. Over the past tenday, these moments had become both increasingly awkward and increasingly charged. There was a growing tension between them that Zsálya didn't quite understand, and which Wilhelm feared might lead him to do something terribly presumptuous.

They had learned not to get too involved in anything at first, since der böse Wolf—the bad wolf— as Wilhelm thought of it, rarely waited long to make its appearance. And, true to form, it was but a few minutes before the pair heard a low, menacing growl from the treeline.

On each of the previous nights, Wilhelm had dispatched it quickly. While this certainly worked in terms of keeping it away from Zsálya, the aggravation of not understanding what in the Nine Hells this thing was, and more to the point, why it kept menacing his beautiful friend, had been grating on Wilhelm more and more. This evening, Wilhelm's patience finally failed him.

Stepping around Zsálya, he strode towards der böse Wolf with a terrible purpose in his eyes. As always, the matte-black wolf growled and leapt for his throat. Rather than dodge as he had on that first night, Wilhelm raised his fist and punched the thing right in its slavering face. The crack of breaking bones echoed across the clearing as the punch deflected the aggressor's flight a full ninety degrees, sending it sprawling into the snow with a shattered jaw.

Its bones knit before Wilhelm's eyes with unnatural speed, even for a Were. Herr von Helsing didn't care, and his voice boomed across the snowbound dreamscape: "Who are you and what do you want?"

The wolf's only response was a snarl and another attack.

Again, Wilhelm responded with a vicious uppercut that sent it spinning nose-over-tail through the air, its jaw shattered again. "<Who are you and what do you want?>" he bellowed.

Again, no reply. Zsálya watched in horrified fascination as her human friend inflicted a series of terrible injuries on her demon, using nothing but his bare fists. Each time he struck der böse Wolf down, Wilhelm would shout at it in a different language. The demon made no reply to anything he said, except to get up and attack again.

Finally Wilhelm's temper overflowed completely, and he sent the wolf flying to the other side of the meadow with a roundhouse kick. As Zsálya watched, Wilhelm dropped to one knee, and then leapt impossibly high into the air. The air around him shimmered and shifted crazily, and suddenly her friend was gone. In his place was a large, dark brown eagle, with touches of gold at its head and neck. The eagle burst into flight with a powerful beat of its wings, climbing until it was just a brown dot in the sky. Another low growl tore Zsálya's gaze from the sky to the ground. The wolf had healed itself yet again and was tearing across the snow, straight towards her.

In that moment, Zsálya's fear that her protector had abandoned her was even greater than her fear of what the wolf might do to her.

Before the demon wolf could reach her, though, a brown streak fell down from the sun and dove at the matte-black wolf like a falling meteor. Just as it passed over Zsálya's head the eagle shimmered and transformed back into a human. Though she thought that what she saw was impossible, Zsálya just stood and watched, her mouth hanging open and her eyes very wide.

Every normal rule of the world said that the speed of Wilhelm's landing should have killed him. Instead, it produced a shockwave of crackling energy, which blew outwards from his point of impact towards the oncoming demon. The explosive release of force was like nothing Zsálya had ever imagined, let alone seen. The blast tossed the demon away like a clod of dirt and ignited part of its fur before slamming it bodily into a tree amidst a swirling maelstrom of snow.

Zsálya barely noticed the demon's plight, nor heard the deafening clap of thunder as she looked in terror at her friend.

Instead of his usual woolen clothing, Wilhelm was now wearing a shirt and trousers that looked to be crafted from shining metal, yet flexed with his body in a way that Zsálya would not have thought possible. Over these wondrous clothes he wore an odd garment of pure, gleaming white that fell straight down his chest and back, girt with a silver sword-belt, and a flowing cape of the same color. Emblazoned upon both garments was a twelve-pointed star of rich, vibrant blue. Zsálya had never seen clothes even remotely like these, but they were not what frightened her so.

It was the fact that Wilhelm was on fire.

Bright orange flames lapped up Wilhelm's arms and jumped upwards from his shoulders, yet his flesh and clothing were not consumed by the inferno that swirled around them, not even producing smoke. Then Wilhelm glanced over his shoulder at Zsálya, and her heart quailed. His eyes were no longer the twinkling, intelligent blue orbs she remembered. Now they were two points of glowing blue energy, giving his handsome face an impossible, otherworldly appearance.

This must be magic! Zsálya's wolf screamed. Magic is dangerous, it is evil! It is the gift of demons! We must flee, we must wake up! We must get away! Though Zsálya felt the same terror as her wolf, she could not move, could not flee. Her wolf's emphatic warnings didn't fully make sense; Zsálya just couldn't believe that a person who had been so gentle to her could be evil. Not without proof. She needed to see the truth of this human who had been winning her heart, even if it killed her.

Satisfied that Zsálya was unhurt, Wilhelm turned his gaze back to the demon wolf and strode across the field towards it, leaving muddy boot prints amidst the grass that his blast had laid bare of snow. "<I am Wilhelm von Helsing! Knight-Commander of the Order of the Azure Star, Dragonspeaker, Elf-Friend, appointed Arbiter of the Holy See and of the Star Chamber, and Ambassador to the Council of European Werewolves!>" he announced to der böse Wolf, which was now whimpering in pain at the base of the large tree it had struck. "<By that authority and by Right of Dominance, I demand to know your identity and intentions!>"

Though she did not understand what Wilhelm said, Zsálya could deduce the gist of his message. Her heart was gripped by stark terror as she watched him move inexorably towards her personal demon. The wolf made no response except to growl at him, even as it cringed away and looked about for a means of escape.

"<If you will not answer me, then take yourself to the Hells and stay there! STOP HURTING ZSÁLYA!!!>" So saying, Wilhelm spread his arms wide. The flames surrounding his body roared along his arms and gathered into two balls of leaping fire, hovering just above his palms. Wilhelm held the wolf's eyes for a moment, then brought his hands together with its head in the middle. The flames consumed the wolf's head and a blood-freezing scream of pure agony came to Zsálya's ears, only to be abruptly cut off.

The flames vanished, and the wolf slumped to the ground, its corpse scoured to glistening white bone from the neck upwards. It vanished a moment later. Zsálya saw the unnatural light fade from Willi's eyes, leaving behind the gorgeous man she knew. He took a very deep breath, then let it out slowly as he turned and walked softly back to her.

Though Willi looked the same as ever aside from his strange new clothing, Zsálya instinctively shied away when he reached for her hands.

"What is the matter, Zsálya?"

The concern on his face warmed Zsálya's heart, but she could not erase the image of the terrible magic he had just worked, and her wolf was still in a frenzy of fear and warning. "St—stay away!" she managed, wrapping her arms tightly around herself and backing away.

Wilhelm held out a hand towards Zsálya, who continued to back up and then turned away from him. She looked back for a moment, and he could guess what she was thinking. "Zsálya, please wait."

The blue dress tore apart as she shifted, the scraps vanishing before they could flutter to the ground. The little black wolf sprinted away from the human, his arm still reaching out to her.

It took Wilhelm a moment to gather his thoughts, then the air around him rippled as he too shifted, once again taking the form of a golden eagle that he so enjoyed. He took to the skies, his mind still a jumble. <How could I have upset her so deeply? I know most Weres distrust magic, but this...> It was evident to his aquiline eyes that Zsálya was moving faster than he'd ever seen her move, even in a dream. <Did I frighten her that much?> She was rapidly leaving him behind, but luckily she hadn't thought to "think" her footprints away. Wilhelm banked and soared over the forest, following the clear trail of pawprints in the snow.

He soared over a rise and was confronted with a building he would never have expected. He circled the tall spires, wondering how a miniature medieval castle had come to be in Zsálya's dreamscape. As Wilhelm swooped past the large doors, his attention was caught by the sound of sobbing coming from inside. He alighted on the threshold of the keep and stared, dumbfounded.

He watched silently as Zsálya knelt at the feet of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, the only woman Wilhelm had ever seen who was a match for his Zsálya. While she did not have that certain 'something' that drew him so strongly to Zsálya, this other woman had a grace and poise that he would have thought impossible for any woman, be she human or Werewolf. Even at rest, she was a poem made flesh.

Wilhelm did not think long about the newcomer, however, as Zsálya's piteous crying broke his heart. When Zsálya had shifted back into her human form she had not 'thought' herself any clothing, and her exquisite young body was exposed to his gaze. He would have felt guilty for watching her, if the emotions of the moment had not cleared all sexual thoughts from his mind. In this moment, Wilhelm did not see a naked girl; he saw a dear friend in great distress, and it tore at his heart with what felt like a physical force.

The woman sat in her chair, stroking Zsálya's long black hair. "Hush, my child. I am sure your friend never meant to scare you. He wished only to protect you." As she said this she looked up, and stared directly into Wilhelm's eyes.

Wilhelm was shocked; she had known he was standing there even before she looked up! He knew he had made no sound when he landed, not even a 'click' of his talons against the stone. Long practice had made him careful of that. Who was this woman? What was she? She was real, not just a dream; Wilhelm could feel dual sets of emotions from her. A Were, then. Was she another dreamwalker?

"Listen to me, my precious one. You must dry your tears and go back to your friend. You must give him the chance to explain himself, at the least." The woman gave Zsálya a loving smile and disappeared.

Wilhelm blinked as the castle faded into nothingness. Zsálya was left kneeling in the snow—no chair, no lovely woman. She turned her head to look behind her and gasped, seeing the brown-and-gold-feathered eagle so close at hand. She immediately "thought" herself some clothing, but not the pretty blue gown, only her simple brown shift which she wore every day at home. She wiped the tears from her face, and slowly stood.

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Leona sighed and bent down to kiss Zsálya on the forehead. She carefully left the room, not wanting to disturb either of the girls. Zsálya had shut off her emotions from everyone after her eighteenth birthday, and Leona and Ártur very rarely had a glimpse into what she saw. Leona knew there were horrors none of them would want to see, and it pained her to know that sweet Zsálya saw them all. But tonight, Zsálya's emotions had awoken her grandmother out of a deep sleep, and she had been shocked by the turmoil she felt from her granddaughter when she went to check on her. Leona normally would not have intruded upon the dreams of one of her family, but tonight she'd known she must.

She had not been prepared for this new friend of Zsálya's, but she was glad he had come. Despite his aquiline form, he had the soul of a human—that much was obvious even from the brief glimpse Leona had gotten. It was too bad he was not here, in Hungary, in the waking world. Zsálya loved him; this too was obvious from the way her beloved granddaughter was acting. If only this human whom Zsálya had found could take her from here and save her. She shook her head. She should not think such things. It only made the inevitable harder. At the very least, Zsálya would have a chance at love, however ethereal and short.

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Back in the dream world, Zsálya slowly stood, hiccupping as she brought her tears under control. She wrapped her arms protectively around herself and gazed down at the eagle she knew to be her friend Willi; the eagle's eyes were the same bright, penetrating blue she'd come to know so well. He was perched on a small rock, wings folded neatly along his back and his body held stiffly upright, very much as Wilhelm usually stood in his own form.

Somehow, being able to look down at him like this made the horrible, confusing moment easier for Zsálya to bear. Though it was done through the magic she so feared, Willi seemed much less threatening in this form. Zsálya thought to heed her grandmother's words and give him a chance to explain, but could not think what to say. Finally, she settled on a very soft "Hello."

The air shimmered and the eagle swirled before her eyes, growing smoothly into Willi's familiar form. Unlike a Were, his clothes shifted with him, but he had changed them. Instead of the metal garments and the grand flowing cloak, he wore a long, high-collared white tunic which fell below his knees, white trousers, and white leather boots. That blue, twelve-pointed star was emblazoned on his chest as before, but somehow these garments seemed less threatening.

"Hello," Willi replied, his deep voice quiet and soothing. "I am so very sorry for frightening you, mein freund. I did not expect such a... reaction."

"How did you expect me to react to such a thing?" Zsálya's voice was still calm, as if her crying had drained all emotion from her. There was no accusation in her tone.

Willi looked down at his booted feet and blushed. "I... was attempting to impress you. Clearly that was the wrong way to go about it, ja?"

Zsálya's mouth fell open. "You thought it would... such things... they come from demons!" she burst out, more shocked than angry.

For a flicker of an instant, Willi's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath. When he opened his blue eyes again they were calm and kind, just as always. He gave Zsálya a gentle, reassuring smile. "Again, I am so sorry for frightening you. You may be assured that none of my abilities come from demons, in any way. Who told you that, anyway?"

"My wolf," Zsálya replied. "She says that to obtain powerful magic like that you must deal with demons... and that using such power drives you mad. Even now she tells me to run from you."

"I see." Willi sighed and shook his head. "That is an old prejudice among Weres, and I should have taken it into consideration."

"So you say that my wolf is lying?" Zsálya's voice acquired a brittle, dangerous edge.

"Nein. I say that she remembers horrors that were inflicted upon your people thousands of years ago. However, she does not understand the truth of magic, for it is a power that Weres cannot wield." Willi's voice was calm and matter-of-fact, almost soothing. "It is true that a human can gain great magical power by contracting with a demon, yes. Such humans are called 'witches.' One can also gain power by contracting with an angel. Such humans are called 'paladins.' I am a mage, mein kleiner Wolf, neither a witch nor a paladin. I have gained my powers through long years of study, discipline, and practice." Willi folded his arms behind his back.

Zsálya came closer and stood looking up at him, hands on her hips. "Will you swear to me that you have no dealings with demons, Willi?"

"'Dealings' meaning friendly contact, ja?" When she nodded, Willi stood even straighter and laid his right hand over his heart. "I, Wilhelm von Helsing, swear before you and before God that I do not, never have had, and never will have dealings with demons or their thralls." There was a long moment of silence as the two locked eyes.