Worries of a First-time Werewolf

Worries of a First-Time Werewolf

"Hey, Graham, are you alright?"

"You're a damn werewolf?!! Exeleron!"

Graham had been trying to massage a cramp out of his right wrist when suddenly a blast of energy slammed into his chest, forcefully throwing him backwards. Snow had been falling earlier, so the layer of powdery snow on the ground as well as his thick winter overcoat provided some cushioning as he went flying off the gravel pathway.

Two other young adults had been walking with him--both of them were his friends, and both of them were also senior apprentices at the academy. Cray rushed over to his side. "Woah, what--?"

"Don't go near him!" Lilly was holding her wand and pointing it right towards Graham. Colourful sparks of residual magic swirled around the tip of that thin metal rod, before dissipating in an instant. "Cray, get back!" Lilly gestured again with her wand, and Cray hurriedly stumbled backwards.

"Oww." Still holding his right wrist with his left hand, Graham stared incredulously up at his friends. His shocked look focused particularly on Lilly--she was a short, clever woman who was normally friendly and always smiling, but now her wand was pointed right at him in a clear threat. "Did you just blast me?" Graham groaned.

Cray glanced between the other two confusedly. "What? What's going on?"

Lilly's eyes darted around, looking to see if there was anyone else nearby, but they were all alone in this part of the campus. The three of them had been walking back to one of the academy's dormitory halls where they shared an apartment flat, after having finished semester examinations in the morning. Holding tightly to her wand, Lilly looked nervous but her voice was calm. "I think Graham's a werewolf. Look at his hand. He's shifting!"

The ridiculousness of this idea made Graham guffaw. "Pahaha. What?! What are you talking about?" he demanded. "It was just a muscle cramp in my wrist. I had back-to-back essay tests this morning, and I've been writing nonstop. It's ridiculous to... to say... uh..." His voice trailed off as he glanced down and got a good look at his own hand. Whereas his left hand was still covered by a winter glove, he had earlier taken off his other glove, which let them all see that his right hand was different. His muscles were cramped up and his hand was half tightened into a fist, but that was the least of the problems. Graham could clearly see his fingers starting to shift and distort, with nails lengthening and becoming short black claws. At the same time, the thin, barely noticeable body hair over the back of his hand was darkening and thickening until it resembled a patch of grey fur. It was such an odd sight that Graham didn't even panic--he just frowned at his own right hand, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "How unusual. That... is not normal," he muttered, which was quite an understatement.

"Oh. Oh, damn!" Cray hurriedly searched through his cloak, before reaching into his sling bag to snatch out his own wand. He joined Lilly in pointing his wand at Graham, though his hands were noticeably less stable than hers. "You're a werewolf? Really?!"

Graham shook his head, even as he clutched his wrist with his other hand. "I'm not a werewolf. Don't be absurd."

"It sure looks like you're a werewolf!" Cray gesticulated with his wand and his other hand, pointing to Graham's hand, which now half resembled an animal paw. "May the high emperor preserve us. Graham's a werewolf! This is unbelievable. We've been friends for years now and you never told me about that?" Cray glanced at Lilly. "This means we've been roommates with a werewolf this whole last year, but I never realized?"

"I'm not a werewolf!" Graham insisted, despite all evidence to the contrary. "This must be... some sort of curse or illusion spell? Maybe a leftover from one of the practical examinations over the last week?"

Lilly was unconvinced. "No, I'm reasonably certain that's a lycanthrope transformation. In my arcane zoology class, we once had a werewolf as a guest lecturer, and he transformed as a demonstration. It made everyone very nervous."

Cray's eyes lit up. "Ah, I remember you telling us about that. It sounded cool."

Lilly let out a soft, dismissive noise. "Eh? Cool? It was a terrifying experience, seeing an ordinary person transform into this strange, huge, wolf beast creature. And when it started, it looked just like what's happening to Graham, except... that was controlled."

"But that's impossible because I'm not a werewolf," Graham repeated. He tried to get up, but all his muscles felt weak, and his sense of balance was off. Still lying in the snow-covered grass, he managed to sit up. "Why are you two pointing your wands at me?"

Cray shrugged, and he lowered his wand. "I'm just following Lilly."

Lilly's steely grip on her own wand didn't waver. "Graham, if you're transforming involuntarily, we can't assume you'll still have full control over yourself while in an altered state. I don't want to be bitten or mauled by some crazy, out-of-control werewolf who's been keeping secrets from his friends."

"I haven't been keeping secrets. I'm not crazy, I'm not out-of-control, and I'm not a werewolf," Graham insisted. "I don't know what this is, but it's not a werewolf transformation. It's just... It is a problem, whatever this is." The abnormality had started at his wrist, but now his whole hand looked altered and strange. The tension and energy within his hand was now starting to slowly spread up his arm. Pulling back the sleeve of his shirt and winter coat revealed the effect moving up his arm in a gradual wave, altering muscles and bone while turning hair into white-grey fur. "Can I get some help, please?"

Lilly and Cray both glanced at each other, then finally Lilly lowered her wand and she slipped her backpack off her shoulder. From her pack she pulled out a silvery metal ring, about the size to fit over a wrist, and tossed it towards Graham. "Here. This bracelet is telanium-silver alloy. I use it to help focus my spellcasting. It should act as aether flux sink and suppress a magical transformation like a lycanthrope shift."

Graham managed to catch the metal bracelet with his left hand, and even through his glove he felt a tingle through his whole body from proximity to the shiny grey metal. Dense, complicated magical runes were etched into the bracelet to help it focus a magician's power. The thick fur now covering his right hand made it hard to pull the bracelet on, but immediately the runes on the bracelet started to glow as the metal touched his exposed flesh, and the tingly sensation intensified vastly at the point of contact. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but more like an intense itch or tickle. The inner energy spreading across his body calmed down and faded back into the background, and over the course of a dozen more seconds the transformation reversed itself. Claws became nails again, and Graham breathed a soft sigh of relief as the fur faded away into nothing, with the proportions of his arm and fingers shifting back to normal. Meanwhile the bracelet had started to glow bright white, with not just the runes but the metal itself shining with energy.

Graham experimentally opened and closed his hand a few times. "That was strange."

"You're telling us?!" Cray retorted. Strolling forward, he offered a hand to Graham and helped pull his friend back onto his feet. "So, you're ok now?"

"Thanks. It's... it's stopped now. I think I'm back to normal." Graham tried taking the telanium-silver alloy bracelet off, but immediately energy rushed up his arm and his muscles starting seizing. "Oh no." Hurriedly he pulled the bracelet back over his right hand just as fur was beginning to reappear over his skin, which fortunately again reversed the process. "Is this some sort of advanced curse spell?"

Lilly still looked uneasy, and she continued holding tight onto her wand, ready to cast more spells at her fellow apprentice magician. "A curse? No, you're obviously undergoing a lycan transform. That must be it. An illusion or curse spell would be cancelled out by tel-silver, not just temporarily suppressed. The amount of energy needed to alter a body form is tremendous, and the fact that you start transforming once you stop touching the alloy means something is continuously providing that energy." Lilly glanced around. The three apprentice mages were standing on a gravel path scattered with salt to melt snow and ice, and even the closest buildings were a good way off. "I'm not doing anything to you, and neither is Cray, so the transformation is originating from you. You're a werewolf. Your body is trying to shift into its other, wolf form."

Graham didn't like this conclusion. It made sense from everything the academy had taught them about magic, but on the other hand, it made no sense because he was just a normal person. He couldn't come up with any counterpoints other than a flat denial. "But I'm not a werewolf."

Neither of his friends seemed convinced. Cray looked thoughtful, then he stepped behind Graham and helped brush the snow off his friend's coat. Cray also helped to pick up Graham's winter cap and his right glove, which he passed back to him. "Now what? Should we take you to the infirmary?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if seeing an injured person triggers some... some hidden werewolf predator instinct and he goes savage?" Lilly said.

"I'm not a werewolf!" Graham insisted. "You two have known me for years--I'm not crazy, or savage, or anything. How come you don't believe me?"

"Graham, to be honest, I don't know what to believe." Lilly pointed at Graham's hand, and to the telanium-silver bracelet. "That's a lycan shift, barely being suppressed by that enchanted bracelet. The way I see it, there are two possibilities." She raised a finger. "The first possibility is that you've secretly been a werewolf all along and you somehow hid it from us, except now for whatever reason you're losing control." Lilly raised a second finger. "Second possibility is that you truly didn't know you are a werewolf, and you're transforming for the first time. In both cases you are not in control of yourself."

Graham pulled his glove back onto his right hand. He also tugged down the sleeve of his winter overcoat, covering up the telanium-silver bracelet and its glow. "I'm not a werewolf. Or... or at least I don't think I am? But if I was... then what do we do now?"

Lilly was hesitant for a moment. "We contact campus security?"

Graham stared at her. "What?! Why? I haven't done anything wrong."

"I know, I know. But just for the safety of everyone in the academy, maybe you should be in a containment circle? And for your own safety too, until we figure everything out," Lilly said.

Cray glared at Lilly. "You think we should have the security golems put Graham in lockup like he's a criminal? Or some beastly animal? I thought you just said you had a guest lecture this semester by a werewolf? They can live normal lives too."

Lilly shrugged unapologetically. "Some do, but some don't. Have you seen a werewolf? They're scary. Imagine a huge wolf that can stand up on two legs. I don't know if it's some instinctual human phobia, but that's a scary sight even if it's wearing a cloak, glasses, and teaching us a lecture about arcane zoology."

Cray chuckled. "Hahaha. That sounds like discrimination. Are you discriminating against werewolves?"

"Werewolves are powerful, and I think some caution and fear is warranted. The simple truth is that Graham is transforming into a magical, feral, beast creature. He's not in control, and that's potentially extremely dangerous for him, for us, and for everyone else nearby."

"I'm not dangerous," Graham insisted. He thought about this for a while, then added, "I hope."

Lilly crossed her arms. "I think we should play it safe and report this to campus security. At least we have to inform someone. Prof Drawson would know more about lycanthropy?"

"Woah, woah, woah." Cray threw his arm around Graham's shoulders in a loose hug. Whereas Lilly was still holding onto her wand and watching Graham cautiously, Cray showed no fear or hesitation and was as friendly as he always had been. "Graham's our friend, right? Even if he is a werewolf--which he might be, or he might not, who knows?--even then, he's still our friend. If you let word of this slip to anyone, then the secret's out of the bag. Everyone's going to know. Imagine all the gossip that would go around. And there would speculation and stigma..."

Graham sighed, and he fidgeted with the bracelet around his wrist, rotating it around. "I don't know what to think. I'm not a werewolf. How can I be a werewolf? It makes no sense. Maybe... let's go back to the apartment first. I need to think about this."

Cray patted him on the back. "Sure thing, buddy. Don't worry. You'll get through this."

Lilly snorted. "If you start transforming again, or even so much as cough in a way that sounds like a bark, I'm stunning your ass into a coma."

Cray frowned at Lilly. "Hey! Show support to our friend here, who is clearly going through a challenging time."

"Bah. The only thing worse that getting mauled to death by a feral, out-of-control werewolf is that werewolf being a friend and fellow apprentice. I'm not getting mauled, or worse, bitten and turned into a werewolf too. No offence, Graham." Lilly gestured with her wand, but she smiled faintly. "Prof Tung said I did very well during my active spellcaster examination today. So I can and will stun you again if I need to."

"How reassuring," Graham muttered.

---

The Royal Academy of Magic was the premier institution for magical studies across the entire Marlander Empire. It attracted magicians of every age and skill level--ranging from young, adolescent novices who could barely do more than cast some sparks from their fingers, up to senior apprentices like Graham and his friends who were increasingly proficient in magical practice and theory, all the way to journeyman, and even fully qualified magicians who did research or were continuing to hone advanced skills.

Buildings across campus came in a wide assortment of sizes and architectural styles, reflecting the different time periods over which they had been built. Rounded, bubbly, organic-looking building designs had once been popular to evoke the concept of magic being mysterious and unusual, but in more recent decades the buildings had been built as more reasonable, rectangular shapes to represent magic being used in practical, industrial applications. The latest fad was pointy wizard towers with spires and dramatic overhanging balconies, for a look that was classic yet distinctly magical.

Paved roads and gravel pathways interconnected the various locations. On their way back to the residential hall, Graham and his two friends passed by training fields where magicians were doing final preparation for the academic year's exams--tossing fireballs at targets or drawing summoning circles into the snow, next to a large greenhouse where plants from various climates where being grown even through the winter cold. They passed by other students and staff, but no one paid Graham any particular attention--a telanium-silver bracelet was not an uncommon accessory for a magician to wear. The bracelet's etched runes were still glowing as they dissipated energy, but Graham kept it covered by the sleeve of his winter coat.

Without any further incident he managed to make it back to the residential complex, then to the small, messy apartment which he shared with Cray, Lilly, and two other senior apprentices. Graham took off his satchel bag and hung his winter coat on a hook behind the door, then he sat down at the common room table. Cray and Lilly did the same, and then the shared, nervous silence which they had maintained through their short journey home was immediately replaced by more questions and discussion.

Cray tapped his palms against the wooden tabletop. "Ok, now. Give us the details. How did you end up a werewolf?"

"I don't know. It doesn't... I still don't know what to think about all this," Graham said. He tugged off his gloves and stared at the alloy bracelet around his right wrist--the runes carved into the metallic surface were visibly glowing. Normally magicians would use an accessory like this to help them channel their power while casting spells, but now it was continuously glowing as arcane energy flowed slowly from within him. "I don't know how this is possible."

"Did you get bitten by something recently?" Cray continued.

"Not that I can recall. A mosquito, maybe?" Graham said.

"Would that work? Can you contact lycanthropy via mosquito bites?" Cray wondered.

Lilly let out a short laugh. "Hah. No, don't be silly. Lycanthropy is an advanced, exceedingly rare magical syndrome with a specific means of transmission. Graham, are you very sure you haven't been bitten by a wolf, a dog, or even some crazy person who looked fully human but might actually have been a werewolf?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I would obviously remember if that had happened."

"What about... bitten by a coyote, or maybe even a fox? Anything canine looking?" Lilly asked.

"No, nothing at all." Graham shook his head and raised his hands in a shrug, though he made sure not to let the metal bracelet slip from his right wrist. "I haven't been bitten by anything or anyone recently. We've all been studying and preparing for the year's final exams--I don't have time to waste with fighting wolves or werewolves or whatever."

"It might not have been recent. Lycanthropy can be latent for months, or even years," Lilly added.

Graham searched through his memories, but he couldn't think of any suspicious incident or event. "No. I... I am pretty sure that throughout my whole life thus far, I've never been bitten by a wolf, dog, or a person."

"Ok. What about--have you ever had gaps in your memory, or times where you've woken up barely remembering the night before?" Cray took out his wand, twirled it around his fingers in a smooth motion, then he slipped it back into his belt. "That's certainly happened to me before. I've had more than a few occasions where my whole last night was a blur, all thanks to the oldest of alchemical brews--alcohol."

"That doesn't sound healthy. And no, I don't get blackout drunk," Graham said.

"Speaking of which..." Cray stood up and strolled over towards the apartment's larder. Opening up the cupboard doors, he snatched out a glass bottle from the collection within. "Does anyone want some beer?"

"I'll pass," Graham said glumly.

Still sitting at the table opposite Graham, Lilly scowled at Cray. "I don't think now is the time to be drinking."

"Why not? We've just finished our exams for the semester, and that's a cause for celebration if ever I knew one. Also, it seems that Graham is a werewolf, which is... bad? Therefore a drink will help ease his sorrows." Cray put the beer bottle on the kitchen counter and then he grabbed a piece of chalk to begin drawing a circular enchantment rune on the countertop using one continuous line. It took him about a dozen seconds, but once done with his drawing he took out his wand and jabbed the tip into the chalk line. Magical energy flared, and the enchanted rune glowed brightly for a split-second before all the chalk vaporized in a puff of dust. All that was left was that beer bottle, and now a thin layer of ice had formed around the glass from the frost enchantment's activation.

"Thank the Emperor that we're magicians!" Cray muttered. He snatched up the bottle. "Did you know that in some backward places they still just rely on cutting huge blocks of ice from mountainsides to get chilled beverages. How antiquated." Knocking the bottle against the table top to flick off the cap, Cray casually took a swig of the cold beer. "Mmmh. Oh yes, that's perfect temperature--just cold enough, but not frozen on the inside. If only I'd been able to make such a perfect frost rune for my exam today."