Induced Lunacy Ch. 01

Chapter 1: The Werewolf

In the darkest reaches of the woods, a dim yellow light softly painted the snowy surface. A young, drow woman buried herself deeper into her soft, red velvet cloak as she trudged through the snow, a gloved hand clutching a small, iron lantern. The dense forest refused the full moon's light above, the world dark and eerily still save for the echoing crunch of snow under her brown, leather boots. Beneath her she hurriedly followed a set of paw prints, intent on chasing down this beast.

For two weeks, she stayed as a guest in a village named Gil that claimed to be terrorized by a werewolf. She introduced herself as Riela, a simple sellmage, when she first arrived, only asking for shelter from the cold. In exchange, she gave them magical assistance, but soon her status as a court mage was discovered and they begged her for help against the werewolf.

"You must understand," one of the locals pleaded. "We have no means to defend ourselves against such a creature. Please help us!"

The villagers were simple kinfolk, largely wolfkin, who lived at the farthest edges of the queen's territories and so their pleas for help unfortunately slipped through the cracks. For years, livestock diminished at the hands of the werewolf, but strangely enough there was never a kin death. Even stranger, the slaughtered cattle were usually the sick or elderly. Even with this, the village was still gripped by fear and they begged her for a solution. She was hesitant at first since she was retiring, and it's been some time since she's encountered such a seemingly dangerous mission, but she couldn't help but sympathize with the villagers.

She interviewed the witnesses while writing down their accounts and other notes in her journal. The villagers could only describe the creature as very large, almost as large as a stable, and that it was always too dark to fully see, and that it moved too fast for them to make out any further details. One witness claimed it had piercing, light blue eyes but it also had sweeping horns, which puzzled her, but she made note of the strange detail.

When Riela suggested that the werewolf could be someone among them due to the strange circumstances surrounding its victims, the villagers grew quiet. It was just as they feared, but she told them not to start pointing fingers at each other just yet.

"It could also be someone living within the vicinity of your village, like the woods," she said as a possibility.

"Oh no, that would be very unwise of them," one of the villagers claimed. "There's a group of mages out there."

"Mages?"

"Yes... For years they've been doing all sorts of experiments on the wildlife there. We can't hunt them either, it's all bad meat, and anyone trying to live within the forest would have been caught and turned into one of their abominations."

"I see..." Riela rubbed her chin with her index finger. "And I'm guessing they've threatened you before, which is why it was never reported."

The old villager solemnly nodded.

"I'll get to the bottom of this. Do any of you know where these mages may have taken residence?"

"I do," a voice spoke up from the crowd. "They live up in that old watchtower southeast from here, but how would that solve our werewolf problem?"

"I can take on both cases at once," Riela reassured. "And maybe there is some sort of correlation between the two, but whatever it is, I will ensure your safety as one of the queen's court mages."

The villagers sighed with relief. She continued interviewing the rest of the villagers that day. Most of them were elderly, and wouldn't necessarily fit the profile of being as active as the werewolf was described, but she still kept her wits about. The crowd slowly dispersed as she excused everyone she spoke with, and then she was finally left with a very shy and nervous wolfkin named Khadi.

They talked to each other while she drew up a route to the mage's tower in her journal. She learned that he was a laborer for the mill, and that he allegedly, like the rest of the village, wouldn't dare venture out at night during the full moons. During an awkward silence he ended up staring at her, admiring her soft, full lips and round, lilac face. She tucked a tuft of silky, black hair behind her pointed ears.

"If it's okay to ask," he nervously began. "What brings you to our village?"

"Ah, I was simply passing through," she said. "I was actually on my way to visit my family's house. They live outside of Eribus, you see, but I wanted to see the sights around Gil before meeting them."

"Oh," he said quietly and turned to look at her. "But you're by yourself?"

She looked up from her journal and smiled. "Worried about someone like me?"

His wolf ears flattened and his eyes shifted about. "I- uh-well," he stammered out.

She let out a soft, fluttering giggle that made his ears perk up again. "Don't worry, you aren't the first."

He couldn't maintain eye contact with her soft, orange eyes and looked away. She couldn't help but eye him a little herself while he remained facing away from her; he was a very average-looking wolfkin— brown-furred, yellow-eyed, sort of above-average height and broad-shouldered. He wore a plain, pale green tunic and matching trousers that stopped above his ankles, and he wore a straw hat with holes for his ears. He definitely looked like someone who did a lot of heavy lifting, but he was still endearingly soft in the midsection. She went back to her journal with a smile on her face, pleased with what she saw.

"Oh, and," she began without looking away from her journal. "Don't go thinking about helping me visit the mage's tower, I wouldn't want to put any of you in danger."

"Oh! I- uh," he stuttered out again. "No, I wasn't thinking of that- I mean, you've made it this far on your own, I wouldn't want to think—"

Her fluttering giggle made him pause.

"Never mind."

He eventually excused himself out of sheer embarrassment, hiding his face with his straw hat which only further amused her. One of the elder wolfkins, a stout, pale amber-furred woman named Riza, came over to talk to Riela, tutting at Khadi as he walked away with his tail tucked between his legs.

"Pah! And here I thought some hard labor would do him some good. Boy's been like that ever since we found him."

"Found him?" Riela looked up from her journal and arched an eyebrow.

"Yep, found him right over there," she pointed at a clearing with her smoking pipe. "Collapsed in the pasture about a year ago. Could barely remember his own name!"

Riela made a face that made Riza slowly raise a brow as high as her muzzle allowed it. The elder took a drag from her pipe and looked away.

"You think he's the werewolf?" she said with a scoff. "Peh, the werewolf's been around longer than him. Wouldn't make sense."

"Well... everyone's story is relatively the same," Riela sighed out. "But, you know... why not tell me more about him."

"Hrmm. Not much to say," she said. "We found Khadi there— stark naked!— about a year ago, three years after the werewolf started killin' our older cattle. Says he doesn't remember much about where he's from or how he ended up here, but since he ain't causing any trouble and he's done good for the mill we leave him alone."

"I see..."

"So what're you plannin' on doing, then, if it's one of us?"

"There's still some time until the next full moon," Riela said. "So until then there's not much I can do except wait. Lycanthropy is curable, and since they seem strong-willed enough to recognize what they're doing, I could possibly reason with them, but it's up to you and the villagers with what you may want to do with them."

"I see," the elder took another drag from her pipe. "Well then, I'll leave you to your writin'."

By nightfall, she retreated to her room at the village's inn, deflating into a wooden chair next to her bed. She let out an exhausted sigh, kicking off her boots and rubbing her knees. She was going to need ingredients for wolfsbane, and thankfully the concoction wasn't too complex, but there weren't any markets or apothecaries within the village; they were simple farmers and common folk getting by.

She already started planning out the next morning, and how she was going to retrieve ingredients from the previous town she passed, but then she shook her head, letting out another exhausted sigh. She'd eventually get to it, but right now she needed to unwind. She slipped her boots back on and then headed down the creaky wooden stairs.

The innkeeper, a husky gray woflkin in a white tunic and brown pants, greeted her and set down a glass for her at the island counter. She greeted him back and sat down on one of the rickety stools, ordering herself a pint of glass-berry wine. She looked around her and saw that the entire inn— a small, quaint, cluttered place with only three rooms save for the attic room, propped up by a stone foundation— was empty save for a youthful brunette wolfkin and gray lizardkin adventurer sitting next to the fireplace, chatting away over some brandy.

"Not much local business tonight, huh?" Riela inquired.

He grunted in acknowledgment. "No one likes the dark 'round here anymore. Lucky enough to get travelers still comin' through."

There was not much else talk from him besides a few grunts and nods as she chatted him up. She sipped her wine as he walked away, eavesdropping on the two travelers, but after a while she paid mind to her own business and ordered some freshly-cooked mutton and braided bread. She ate, poised, in silence, but then the innkeeper spoke up again to chat about what it was like in the city. Her eyes flashed with excitement as she wonderfully captured the essence of the queen's city in her words. He smirked and let out a huff of amusement, but said nothing back as he washed the glass mugs left by the travelers. She finally finished her supper and went to bed, sleeping dreamlessly.

The next morning, she immediately got dressed and went downstairs to inform the innkeeper she'll be gone for a day. He grunted in acknowledgment without turning around, too focused on shining the silver plate up in the light from the window.

As she made her way to the town she previously crossed, she ran into a familiar figure along the road: Khadi. He didn't sense her presence at first, but he finally turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. His heart skipped a beat as her soft voice greeted him, turning to sheepishly smile at her. She finally caught up with him and smiled back.

"Are you headed the same way?'

"To Klin? Yeah. I, uh, have an errand to run for one of the elders," he held up a small piece of paper, but she couldn't make out the handwriting. "Need to get a few things for him."

"Ooh, I see."

They ended up conversing with each other throughout their long walk through the valleys, stopping here and there to gaze at the snow-covered sights of stone runes and peculiar trees. He was shy at first, but eventually he warmed up to her, telling her a few jokes he knew that made her let out that soft, pleasant giggle of hers. He also showed her his favorite vantage point that displayed the imposing mountains of Yial, but it also brought a clear view of Klin. Eventually they both grew silent, but they kept close to each other as they trekked down the long, winding road.

By dusk, they finally reached the archway of the heavily-decorated entrance of the tightly-knit town, which was large and still bustling with a wide array of busy kin; twin elves displayed bouquets of boldly-colored flowers, a minotaur bard beautifully played his lute for coin in front of a general goods shop, and a wide variety of vendors shouted out their slogans and displayed their wares along the snowy, cobblestone streets. Khadi and Riela waved at each other as they went their separate ways, and after asking around she finally found a small apothecary tucked away in an alley.

She opened the green, ornately carved wooden door and was greeted with a bell chime and a warm, pungent perfume from the cluttered shop. Along the shelves were carefully labeled jars of ingredients ranging from moth wings to cluster-crab pearls, and displayed out on the front counter were green herbs, pale salves and filled flasks of all colors. An old, graying lizardkin witch in a richly-colored green and gold robe greeted her while tending to her boiling cauldron, sprinkling in dried bay leaves and a dark, orange powder, possibly turmeric, into the brown concoction.

"Hello, I'm here for these ingredients," Riela said as she pulled up her journal to tap at a page.

The old lizardkin scanned the journal and without looking up she said, "Wolfsbane, eh?"

"Mm, a small village named Gil has a strange werewolf problem."

"Strange, you say?"

"Yes. Seems as if the werewolf is highly aware of the village's inhabitants. It never struck anyone living there, and only went after the sick or elderly cattle."

"I see, I see," the lizardkin said as she started taking jars off of the shelves behind her, tail swishing about lazily. "I've heard rumors about there being a werewolf there, but didn't know much else."

Riela hummed and tapped her fingers along the counter as the witch pulled out a salve of salamander's tail from a small drawer, fresh herbs from the low ceiling, and then a tube of silver worm's blood from another drawer.

"Judging by that, d'you suppose it's one of the villagers there?"

"As far as I know, it could be," Riela said as she pulled out some coin. "But I'm hesitant to make any conclusions yet since I still need to investigate their mage problem. I have a feeling they're related somehow."

"I see, I see. Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate," the witch said back as she firmly placed down a large, glass jar of myrrh, then started scooping out small teaspoons of it into a tiny bottle. "You prefer I make it for a small fee?"

"No, thank you," Riela said while waving a hand. "But, may I borrow your lab?"

"Of course," the witch said as she closed the bottle with a blue cork. "But it'll cost ya."

Riela hummed irritably, pulling out more coin and counting them. "How much?"

"Oh, just 5 quil, but if you make a mess it'll be 45."

Relief washed over her. After paying for her ingredients, she made her way to the small table in the farthest corner of the shop and went to work. She slipped off her leather gloves to reveal delicate, slender hands with finely cut nails, and her movements were just as graceful as she expertly mixed everything together with a mortar and pestle. She placed them into a glass vial over a green flame, and then after casting a small spell she waited as it boiled.

She chatted with the shop owner to pass time, learning about what she was making (a bitter healing tonic) and a little history about herself, and in return Riela told her about her status as a court mage and how she was retiring soon to live a peaceful life as a sellmage within the confines of the queen's main city. The shop owner was surprised about her status since she looked like any ordinary traveler, and Riela waved a hand at her saying she doesn't need to wear those stuffy robes at all hours. The shop owner went over to the front of the shop and placed her closed sign on the door before locking it.

Finally, the wolfsbane potion turned a silvery blue and thickened as the flame dissipated. Riela waited for it to cool down before pouring it into a small, clear vial, and then corked it and placed it into a pouch on the leather belt around her waist. She cleaned up after herself and then thanked the shop owner as she opened the door. She made her way out onto the lit streets, huddling herself up into her cloak as the cold, winter air slithered around her. She was ready to find the nearest inn, but then she paused, looking all around her. She wondered where Khadi might've run off to, and was hoping she would run into him again, but the cold beckoned her to find shelter. She finally found the town's inn and rented a room for the night.

After a hearty meal and luxurious bath downstairs, she plopped down onto the lush, warm bed of her room and curled up under the covers, taking in the highly-decorated sights of the bright, white room with red trimmings. She admired a painting of the blue mountain range of Yial on the wall next to the ornate armoire, sighing as she reminisced over the trek through the pass from her earlier days. She turned to her side and thought about Khadi again and furrowed her brow. She slipped out of bed and parted the curtains covering the window as if hoping she'd catch sight of his straw hat, but all she saw was a young, lithe drow man delivering ice in a wheel cart to a stout orc woman in a blood-stained apron.

She sighed and wondered to herself why he was on her mind so much, but she knew why: he was cute. She closed the curtains and twirled around, plopping herself back onto the bed. She smiled, then reached over to blow out the light of the lantern illuminating the room on the bedside table, and then tucked an arm underneath a pillow as she drifted off to sleep. She slept soundly, dreaming things that she soon forgot as she woke up the next morning.

She yawned and stretched, covering her mouth with a fluttering hand. She slumped over but then perked up. She realized Khadi might be staying in the same inn as her, and she excitedly pulled the covers off of her to get dressed into her day clothes. She made her way down the heavily-decorated hallway and before she entered the dining hall she was greeted with warm, fragrant smells of beer and bacon. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she finally entered the clean dining hall and ordered herself a large breakfast. She seated herself somewhere in the center of the sleepy yet bustling room next to one of the support columns, looking around her while she waited.

She took in the sights of the quartz walls decorated with all kinds of woven art and game trophies, and also saw brown shelves lined with finely-aged wines and kegs. She then watched as the small, dwarf bartender— a balding man wearing a green apron— climbed a stool to reach one of them, pouring golden liquid into a large mug. She drummed her fingers along the table, hoping to see if Khadi might be around, focusing on each wolfkin seated in the room, but she didn't see him nor his straw hat. She frowned and sloped her shoulders, but then perked up again as her breakfast was finally served. She ate while reading the town's newspaper, raising her brow at the local gossip. After finishing her breakfast, she returned to her room and put away her belongings in her knapsack, but then another thought crossed her. She went downstairs and asked the innkeeper if a Khadi had stayed at the inn, but she shook her head. Riela pouted a little, but then moved on.

When she stepped outside of the inn, she noticed that it had snowed again. She looked around the streets to see any sign of Khadi, but again, she didn't see him. She thought she saw him while peering into the window of a bookstore, but they were in clothes too rich for a peasant. She sighed and then shrugged, thinking he may still be running errands or that he already returned to Gil, and so she trekked back to the village alone.

She smoothed a hand over her pouch housing the wolfsbane and sighed, pulling it out to stare at it in the white sunlight. Even if the werewolf seemed highly aware of its surroundings, she thought, they were still known to be largely unpredictable. Powdery snowflakes began to fall from the sky onto her outstretched hand, and so she hurried her pace back to the village.

As she approached the village, she was greeted by the elder smoking a pipe. Riela greeted her back, but then she asked if she had seen Khadi return.

"Khadi? Haven't seen him yet," she said. "Said he needed to run an errand in Klin yesterday."