Fireflies littered the dark forest as a young woman walked down a path that night. Somehow, it was funny that a moonlit sky didn't scare off the lone adventurer. Many people had warned her about rapists, homicidals, even vampires and werewolves being out at this time. Hikari didn't care, as long as one: she didn't encounter them and/or two: get caught. This was, what, her fifth time being out, wandering the forest? She hadn't encounter any form of life whatsoever the many times she was here. But always as a precaution, Hikari brought her katana, her two brownings, and two pistols. Her experience with these weapons were in the novice level. At least she had experience, or she would be dead the moment anthing happened.

Today, Hikari decided to travel further into the forest, trying to find new places to discover. Pushing through bushes and tree branches, she thought that her expedition would lead to failure. But after walking for about and hour, her patience paid off. The amount of fireflies here, were greater than the amount she had seen walking to this place. There was a waterfall here, a lovely lanscape, that brought life to the forest. The moonlight reflected off the spraying mist, making it look illuminated. Hikari was in awe of its beauty. She slowly walked up to the falls, looking around, taking everything, every little detail in.

"This is my kind of sanctuary..."

She laid down on a nearby boulder and slowly dipped her hand into the water. Some of her long hair went into the water, but she didn't care. It felt cool, and clean. So Hikari decided to get down and splash some water on her face. The coolness of the water make her feel more alert and refreshed. This was seriously a magical place to be in. She decided to take pictures of this place, so she took out a digital camera and started clicking away. Now even though it was still quiet and serene for the moment, something could come by and ruin it, so Hikari kept her weapons on her.

The moon was far from being full, it was closer to being half full, but it still burned through the thin cloak of clouds with such radiance and power. If the alpha male had to be a god of anything, it would most undoubtedly be to the moon. It was for a fact that the sun had such power that many took it for granted, but the moon seemed so innocent yet held more supremacy than anything else. Did people stop to stare at the sun? Not that they really could, but no, they didn’t. People stopped to take time out of their busy schedules to tilt their heads just a fraction of a degree to bare witness to a majestic beauty that the sliver of silver exuded. To humans, it was just something pretty to look at, but once upon a time, to a werewolf, it meant life. Well, they didn’t need the moon to breathe, but that mistress allowed them to tear off their outer husk to become what they had truly been born to become. It was a joyous moment to run on all fours to take down the prey.

The magic still lingered with a transformation, at least for Jude. He did not take converting for granted, but enjoyed the spiritual process that it really took. It was a form of Zen and serenity to become an animal nurtured by Mother’s Nature bosom. Few werewolves anymore took to actually enjoy this peace. So many used it just to kill, to scare, and do stupid things to prove some sort of macho bravery. No, altering ones body was not a curse but a blessing. Budapest was one of the strongest places that believed in the transformation of man to wolf. There, they were called loup-garous, just another name for lycanthropy, or changing into a wolf. France held some belief in it, but it was not a constant faith unless one really lived it. Even those that did live it didn’t believe it to be much of a faith. Why be given this power if only to kill off the human race? That just made little sense as it twisted around in the wolf leaders mind.

It had been some time since he had taken on a prey, a victim, a hunt. Unlike taking down humans as their other brethren did, this lycan was only out to take down a deer or a dog or some other large animal roaming the premises of the forest. Where he was perched in a tree, little could be seen except pitch black, the color of raven’s feathers. In the distance, he could hear the falling of water over the mountainside. Using his nose as a sifter sniffing out the things across the forest floor up in the canopy, he could smell all things that belonged to a forest; water, dirt, leaves, bark, flowers, berries, and animals. Yet, close to the water smell, there was the smell of sweat. Countless centuries of using the thing in the front of his face gave him great knowledge of depicting one person’s scent to the next and their emotions from what was going on. It was human all right, but it did not seem afraid, just quite cautious. Why was it here? The other pack, as well as one of the covens, released humans into the forest to chase, but a victim walking in on its own seem preposterous.

Looking down to the forest floor, Jude jumped from the high branch in the tree to land on his legs, landing in a crouch. Little noise was made except for the unearthing of dirt and a cracking of a stick from the monstrous weight that was perched on top of it. Standing up, the soft fabric of a long coat rustled in the little wind that there was. The coat was gray with black pinstripes, a couple buttons buttoned, and the collar looked pressed down by an invisible weight. The white button up shirt underneath was wrinkle free and the gray slacks on his legs only had one crease going down the front of each leg. The black polished shoes seemed idiotic for a forest, but he had not entered the forest on two legs, but rather four. Walking with perfect posture and dead silence, as if walking on paws, he made to the little clearing by the falls, watching the woman carefully. Coming only a little ways out of the shadows, he sniffed again, looking for signs of any werewolves or vampires. None, well, around there. The ones that he could detect were on the north border and it seemed they were leaving. Unlike his comrades of the other pack, he would not hunt human and felt it his mission to protect the woman, even if she could protect herself. ”You really should not be in here,” he said partly in the shadows, his face, neck, and chest illuminated in the moonlight while everything else was in the dark. ”It’s a dangerous place.”

After taking what seemed like thousands of pictures, Hikari decided to close the camera and put it away. Later when she got home, she would print some of the better ones and frame them. Then she might put them in her room. This place had such great scenery to it. Somehow she felt like as if she could be here all night and not care. She sat down on the boulder, looking at the falls, and then the moon. Even if the moon wasn't full, it still had much beauty to it.

Remembering back a few weeks, people, when hearing that she had been in the forest a few times, told her about the moon. Centuries ago, werewolves shed their human skin for their furred one on the full moon. But as the years went on, besides the advance of technology; there was the advance in lycanthropy. Now they didn't really need the moon to change, the lycanthropes can change at will. It was just that the moon gave them power; the full moon gave full strength and the half moon gave them half strength. But that's what she had heard from the people. Hikari only believed in some of it. But she did believe not all of the vamps and lycanthropes were as vicious as they said.

Suddenly her thoughts where shattered with the sound of a cracking branch. Hikari jumped off the boulder and grabbed at her first Browning. She cocked it so now it would be loaded. Who or what else would be here at this time of night, and at this place? Her eyes were alert and looked all different directions. Suddenly she heard a voice, a male one talk to her.

”You really should not be in here,”
”It’s a dangerous place.”

She whipped around, her gun pointing at the man a few feet away from her. His upper body was lit up by the moon, everything else was cloaked with darkness. He was a very handsome one; his skin glowed in the moonlight, his hair reflecting the moon. His eye glinted in the moon too. He was tall too, and well built. Hikari lowered her gun an angle, but stayed where she was. She felt cold now, but it was slowly going away. Her long, black hair flapped in the wind.

"Many people had said that to me.. But nothing has happened yet.."

Taking a breath, she took a few steps toward the man, stopping when she was about a foot away.

"Who are you? And why are you here? Surely you aren't here just for the scenery."

Those brief, curt words spoken had been filled with concern, even though this woman was nothing but a complete stranger, and if his life had turned out differently, a potential meal. However, this wolf had never really craved the flesh of a human, but if he did, it was certain that he would prove that a werewolf could indeed could control their hunger for human if they had a big enough will and maybe even a little heart. Many times over, those words would be a whole conversation with some, showing how little the alpha did take time to really talk. Some would consider him a mute, but silence and clarity roamed through the spectral shadows of his mind. Talking had never been something that he enjoyed, but found it a privilege to actually be able to communicate with brethren. In all honesty, Jude was probably the most humble of wolves and the one that highly appreciated what they were, what they could do, and the things that they could be come. It was unthinkable to even try and imagine what lives would be like if they hadn’t been ‘cursed’ with walking the planet part bat or part wolf. Would things be harder? Would expectations writher away with a good frost? Those thoughts could taunt him in his sleep forevermore.

The fact that she was taking pictures could be unnerving. Why was she taking them? Was there something to exploit with these stills of life? Or was it just for the scenery in which was rather majestic and regal at points in time while sometimes vicious and mangled? The gun did not bother him. More than a few times in life a gun had been pointed in his general direction and even shot at more than normal people have gone about living through. Mr. Devereux didn’t even bother to care if the bullets just happened to be made of silver. The whole clip could have been put right into his chest, and no matter how excruciatingly painful it is, a strong lycan such as himself could probably have survived it. Well, for a little while anyway. It was easily survivable if the bullets were removed as soon as possible. If they were regular bullets, they might slow him down if he was causing her any harm. Had he been a vampire, the bullets would do nothing for him. If those bad boys weren’t infused with UV rays or she didn’t have a sword to decapitate the vampire, she could have down right been the next meal, her ‘last supper’ or sorts.

She had been there before. It wasn’t a personal question of intrigue, but merely an unsurprising statement lulling around his brain. It was not a shocking statement really for the strange woman had come prepared with guns, possibly some sort of blade, and even held a camera as if expecting to find this fall. She seemed unfazed by what actually roam within the gloom. Did the woman crave death? Find its entrapment alluring? Or was it just idiocy for not loving her life? The gun had been lowered some moments fleeted, but it had finally dawned on him. Humans with guns did not frighten Jude, few things really did. Maybe failing as a leader, but that would be the secret hidden within not his heart, but soul – that was if he even had one. How was it that she had entered the forest a numerous amount of times and still come back out alive. To give her the short of the stick, he didn’t believe she was that good at defense to ward all sorts of creatures out for a little bit of blood and suffering.

Even though closeness, both personally and physically, with a stranger, especially human, was something that he was not fond of, the male stayed stout, holding his posture and keeping contact. There was no reason to fear away – he might have been a big old creature that didn’t have as much speed as a vampire, but he still held speed faster than a human. Really though, before she even made a move he would be up in any of the trees that were around them. If enough energy was put into it, he might even reach the ledge halfway up the falls. Neither question she asked were relevant to the situation, but seeing as the pretty woman seemed rather ruthless on this endeavor, a small greeting of a smile flicked over his lips. He placed one hand behind his back, the other on his stomach, and in an odd manor, leaned forward in a bow. ”I have several names, but many refer to me as Jude. I am here to feast.” When he did choose to speak, he made it worthwhile; people wanting to continue listening to him speak with the soft tone and gentle demeanor of etiquette. Werewolves and vampires found it demeaning to witness a strong leader bow to a human. To Jude, it was a form of general peace and neutrality, offering vulnerability so it would not lead to fear. He erected himself and any friendly features left his face. Smiling, real smiles, were rare occurrences, just like speaking.

It felt like an eternity with the silence filling the air between the two. Hikari felt as if it was out of place for her to question the man because she didn't know him. She guessed it was the anxiety she nervousness she was feeling at the moment. Hikari was about to turn around and walk off when the man answered back, bowing elegantly to her, and gave her a small smile.

”I have several names, but many refer to me as Jude. I am here to feast.”"

As soon as he did that, his smlie dissappeared as fast as it came. To feast? Was he a vampire or werewolf? From what Hikari could see, a vampire had paler skin if he/she hadn't fed yet. Jude's skin had a tinge of color to him. So he must be a werewolf. She kept her gun in her hand, but lowered it entirely. Jude ahdn't offered any violence yet, so neither should she. But would it realy matter? He had supernatural abilities compared to her. Probably in a fight, she would only last about what, half and hour with vampire or werewolf?

But it was proper to return the bow, according to her culture. Because it mean people acknowledged each other, and it would be rude not to bow back. So being the peson that she was, Hikari did an asian bow. A curtsy (sp?) wouldn't work because she wasn't in a dress, so she had decided on that type of bow. But this time she offered a soft smile.

"Nice to meet you Jude. My name is Hikari. But if preferred, you can called me Light..."

She swayed a bit.

"So you are here to feast.. On me? Or another being?"

It was probably a straightforward question, and Hikari was cursing herself again. Damn her anxiety. She had found this new place, and now a possible vampire or werewolf. Two discoveries in one night... Would it get better or worse? Hopefully she wouldn't go to worse. To make it look like she wasn't nervous, she turned around and walked to the falls again and splashed her face. Then she turned her head again to look at Jude.

Declaring that he was there to feast may have made her nerves a little more uppity, but the silence that had surrounded them did nothing to ease them. It was the smell that told him all of this. It was funny how one could truly show emotion with a face carved of cement and motions as calm as any – it was all in the smell of the sweat that the skin released. The sweat might not be seen because of the miniscule amounts that it came out in, but a nose that belonged to part man, part wolf could easily detect the moisture. It was the toxins released into from the moisture that could say it all. Toxins, hormones, even food or drink that a person had ingested could allow somebody with his sense of smell to figure out what was going on inside their head. After so many years of this talented curse, it had become a perfected skill. Yet, when one such as he happened through the city, it was much more difficult to disregard the car exhaust, cigarette smoke, the sewers, cologne and perfumes from tourists, and everything else that kept a town running. It could be very overwhelming since he couldn’t just turn off his nose. When he prowled through the city on all fours it was much, much worse.

With her own bow, it made him feel rather pleased with himself, as if Jude had made a giant step with human-werewolf relationships – not that this could even qualify as a relationship at all. It was a mere acquaintance for the time being. Humans could be so stupid, but so brilliant in their own realms that it was difficult to hate them. He couldn’t understand why anybody would want to take them down to eat them or drain them of their blood, their life. This woman seemed to understand the common territory between a bow, but then again he really was basing this information on ethnicity, which was wrong in the end. Hikari. It was a beautiful mysterious name that probably had a lot of meaning behind it, and not meaning as in ‘lotus blossom’ or ‘honorable’, but a whole story behind the name and the owner. This name did not make the person, the person made the name and what it stood for. She seemed…Zen, in touch with nature, somebody he might actually converting with. A short nod to her introduction was the only thing that would allow Hikari to know that he had heard her.

Words did not flow from his vocals; in fact he was rather silent again…kind of like always, which should be dawning upon her quickly. It wasn’t that he was really thinking, searching for a good response, but just because he seemed to be almost slow. Really, though, it was as if he waited longer it would make the build up so much more better. There was no good reason into why this slow response took place. Sometimes he really did sift through every appropriate answer, trying to find the right tone of voice, and what kind of consequences that pack or he would have after saying such things. Always, always did the pack come first for him. In the recent months, the woman he had only loved, his mother, had moved into the pack and that had been important. No, Jude was not attached to his mother like that, but did want to look out for the aging wolf and make her proud. Having somebody that loved him unconditionally made him strong, wanting to present almost a father figure to the pack in a sick sort of sense. He was practically a cub to this leading business, but the reassurance was gravely wonderful.

As she began to watch her face, the alpha took it as a sign of nervousness. That she should be, but not of him, Hikari should have been thankful it was he that had wondered upon her. ”Feast of forest creature, not human. Never human. Most definitely not you either.” Taking a few powerful steps forward, to be fully illuminated by the shining of the crescent moon, his dark eyes remained transfix on her. An explanation was not needed, but he felt that she should have one, maybe but a little fear into her to never return. After a few more beats of silence, Jude continued. ”I am a werewolf. My pack, we do not find pleasure in hunting humans. Protect you, save you.” The sentences became short and to the point. Some of them were a few beats after the next. ”There are others out here. They will feed upon you. I shall stay until you leave.” This was a way in Devereux-speak to tell her that he would escort her out of the forest when she was ready, protect her until she chose to leave, and nod his head at her in a very miniature bow, a sign of respect for her. A gentleman, but forever a beast.

What was good was that Jude had heard her what was a start of an introduction and gave a nod. This encounter seemed to be going very well actually, in Hikari's case. Usually it was hard to have a conversation with any stranger, well to her maybe. But really, the silence was really making her nervous. Usually having the silence was a good thing for Hikari. But with a person who could be a vampire or werewolf. Definitely not. Thankfully Jude broke the silence.

”Feast of forest creature, not human. Never human. Most definitely not you either.”

She gave herself a little laugh. That was actually the best thing she had heard all day. So Jude does not go after the mere human, like herself. That gave her a bit of relief and made her relax a little. But still what was he? He answered that soon enough. He took a few steps towards her, having the grace of a powerful figure in each step. She just stood there, showing no fear, but anxiety again. Looking over him again, Hikari shook her head. His outfit looked some what formal.

"Boy do I feel somewhat underdressed.. Dark denim with a tank top. That's nice..."

That was what she was thinking.

”I am a werewolf. My pack, we do not find pleasure in hunting humans. Protect you, save you.”

So he was a werewolf, with a pack that doesn't hunt humans but protect. Even better. So not all of the creatures of the night were as bad as they say. But what Jude said next made her freeze up.

”There are others out here. They will feed upon you. I shall stay until you leave.”

Well that was comforting. At least he would be there to watch her back. Jude gave a small bow again. Again with the bowing. She decided to go against her culture and give a small nod. The dangers were great now that he had mentioned them. But of course the night was still young and Hikari was a stubborn woman. Not matter what, she had planned on staying for a few more hours. And that was what she was planning on doing.

"Well I guess I shall test my luck once again to see if I live another day."

She had always been curious about how vampires and werewolves do their thing, so she asked,

"If it isn't too much to ask, I would like to have some company before I leave tonight... "

Hikari couldn't really form the right words to say this. It was embarrassing really.

"I'm intrigued.. no that's not right, interested is the word, about who you really are."

In a way that sounded really stupid. She had a feeling he woudl reject the idea completely.

"If not, maybe just a conversation with you then?"

A laugh after telling her that he was not there to feed upon her? That was…intriguing to him. His head tilted slightly to the side as if he really were a dog. The response had not been expected, but he still reformed for he knew that he had shown surprise. This could have led to being caught off guard, which meant death for him, if the person knew what they were truly doing. There were no guards with the wolf leader, just himself, that was dangerous enough. If he died, there was no predecessor to follow after him. They would fight to the death for the position, all of those that wanted it. Young and old, male and female, and it was all for a position that led. The majority of them would purely want the pose because they craved power and getting people to do their bidding sounded fondly to them. Jude had wanted power, but not for those reasons – he wanted to make the pack stronger, better, to uphold the legend of the loup-garou, and to show the world that they were not experiments, not all were bad, and they did not need to fear them. Screaming could hurt the feelings of a wolf such as he. Rarely were things taken personally, but the scream of a human finding out what was going on was tragedy to his mind. It had not been a personal experience straight on, but he had witnessed it with another. Love did not stop people from fearing what they didn’t understand.

Hikari looked laid back with her style, even if she wasn’t. It had been too long since the wolf leader had ventured away from high quality to just trying to be normal with jeans and a shirt, even though he felt completely relaxed with the clothes he wore. Jeans and a t-shirt wasn’t his style. To be a leader, he had to look like a leader and what he was wearing was a mild variation from day to day life. She had become tense. She had deserved to know what was lurking out there even though it was probably she already knew. His head tilted back and forth watching her, her being tense loosened up a bit with his next comment. Did she not wonder if he was in fact the bad one only pulling a ploy? Was she that trustworthy? Well, if she was not certain of him, she could easy shoot. No, Jude was not there to kill her. Always the thought of killing a human that did not deserve it sent sadness through his cold heart. It was likely she would be staying out here for sometime if she would be testing her luck. It was inconclusive on rather or not he would be as brave it he had such difficulty dying. Did it matter? Not particularly, no.

Eyes stayed glued to the woman, almost to a point of staring even though he found staring as rude as looking away. Watching her stumble with her words was amusing, but a smile didn’t wave by his flips for it was rude and not that amusing. When the words ‘…who you are’ flooded through his ears, he slightly shook his head in declining. Nobody knew Jude Parker Devereux and it would stay that way. Those that truly knew him would either get hurt or definitely ruin his own chance of life. No. That was it, she would not get to know him personally, even though it was disbelieving that was what she meant. He hated remember the past, especially his own. The only time the past came into play was when reading the books in the library about their enemies and evolution of the wolf. Truth be told, more people than none were interested for their own use, not to sell them out, and this trust was difficult for the tough alpha to understand. Sporadically did he trust people growing up and he had never grown out of it. Time shown through the people that did not have trust in him. There was little point in getting to know anybody when they were likely to become a casualty in the life such as his was lived.

The last statement, now that could be done. When it came to informing people the rare, brutal facts of the werewolves, he became a marvelous teacher – understanding when the questions interrupted a story, the uncertainty of believing it all, and even the confused looks when he spoke more than six sentences at once. A conversation. What had those been like? A small nod waved with his head, agreeing to what some might have been called an interrogation. Hands behind his back, he sat down Indian-style on the ground, now resting the palms of his hands on his legs, back still as straight as could be. He would have to…’wing it.’ ”Where would you like to start?” This was the most difficult question to answer. Once a story started, questions sprouted regularly. As Jude waited for her answer, his ears were still honed in on the forest, listening for any trouble at all. Yes, he would risk his life for a human, even one he did not know.

Tilting of the head, a sign of confusion, surprise, and/or misunderstanding. What had Hikari done to get a head tilt from the werewolf? She held that question in her mind for a second, and then let it go. No use trying to figure it out. For the questions she asked now. As Hikari had expected, her request, if that was what people called it to know about Jude was denied. But he was up to giving a conversation. It would probably be about just the werewolf topic. His nod comfirmed this. So their meeting was actually going along pretty well. Very well actually.

”Where would you like to start?”

Jude sat down indian style, surprisingly in his clothing and on the ground. So he was actually going to do this. Well for her to sit properly, Hikari would have to remove the two pairs of guns from her thigh straps. She could deal with that. She put them in the bag she had her camera in. But Hikari kept her sheathed katana in her hand. That would be out, just in case she couldn't get her guns out in time if something happen.

She walked over to the sitting man and sat indian style as well. Hey, it was a comfortable position to be in. Hikari place her bag beside her, and her sword rested along her lap. Now... Where would she like to start. Perhaps the beginning when it all happened? Many people just blabbed about the brutal demeanors werewolves had and never really stated facts. Typical, somepeopel jsut wanted attention. She was a person who wanted to get facts about such topics, not stupid, made up shit.

" Hmm.. The beginning perhaps? Of how the werewolf came to be?"

Online research 'claimed' that what was put in the articles were true. Yeah right. Hikari would probably get the real thing, but of course, she wouldn't really believe it until she saw with her eyes that Jude was a werewolf. Of course that could probably be a risky thing to do. But if was something that Jude would not like explaining, Hikari didn't want to force him to say it.

"If this topic gets to be a bit.. personal, you can stop, and I will leave."

She gave a small bow with her head in advance just in case that did happen.

There was no doubt in his mind that she held more weapons. They were easy to smell, besides, it was highly unlikely that she would come unprepared with the world the way it was, full of death and lost souls. If he were a human, it was probable that he’d never leave the house without three or four different weapons, and possibly some garlic just to be safe. That thought alone could make him chuckle, even though it physically didn’t. Just the thought of those savages being repelled by a lonely form such as garlic was amusing for him. It would be like seeing an elephant terrified by a mouse or a celery stalk killing a lycan. It was the little things that were funny for him. However, some of these little things could work. The smallest, unbelievable thing could kill like no other. Hikari kept her katana out, which almost filled him with pride, like she was one of his. It proved to him that she was smart and not ignorant of what lurked out there.

By hook or by crook, he knew that this would be one of the questions. When humans did show curiosity, they always wanted to know how it began, not the legends or storybook tales, but the truth. It was a common feeling for anybody to want to know the truth, no matter how grueling the details. Not just with truth either, but physicality. For instance, if somebody has been brutally murdered and two people wander upon it, one will check it out while the other one is told to wait, not baring witness to what has happened. Even after the ‘oh my God’s and the ‘stay there’s, the second person always shows curiosity, even if they wished they hadn’t afterwards. Either way, they were unsatisfied. The beginning was one of the first topics in which Jude had read about as a young boy, always the best place to start really. He nodded his head to her, breaking the eye contact, looking for a place to start. The nod, as much as he did it now, was just to let her know he would answer the question.

”Too personal, wont answer.” Anybody else could have made that comment sound rude and arrogant, but not him, not Jude. It was almost in the tone of understanding, like somehow she had said something he could relate too. Nevertheless, he didn’t bring up that if she left, he would still follow to make certain of her safety. It was probably still lingering in her head and Hikari had probably only said it to make definite that she understood if he didn’t want to speak of anything personal, that she was just pleased enough to have this opportunity of truth without getting eaten afterwards. Well, the latter was a hopefully part, but the strong lycan should have been able to void off any threat to the young lady.

There were several places into which he could start, finding the right place was difficult. Never would he speak more than six sentences in a row, but when talking about their history and heritage, it allowed him to open up. Even though he loathed the past, this was the only exception. ”Contrary to myth, no biting, no testing, and no cursing.” Some tales went into detail on how the werewolf was made from humans back before they knew what they were doing or that an old witch cursed them, but neither was true. ”Our first ancestor was a female, surprisingly…” he let that sink in. Many humans thought that no woman could have suffered that back then. Women could do anything, he’d openly admit that, but it was still hard for humans to grasp. ”…and she was at the point of starvation where she came across a wolf carcass. The thing had been there for days, wriggling with maggots and larva, and the thing had contracted rabies before death.” To him, the maggots and larva part was cool, but eating them would not do for him. ”Being the only food she’d seen in days, she ate it, morphing her body. I’m not certain why though, she couldn’t have been the first.”

"Contrary to myth, no biting, no testing, and no cursing.”

So basically anything from the movies, like the original Wolfman and Underworld as examples, were never true. Well of course. They were movies for Pete sake. But some movies were based of true stories.. Eh oh well. Not even the witch's curse is fact either. This was an interesting turn of event. Hikari laughed to herself. If the people who believed in the 'true' legends of the werewolf, they'd have a field day hearing the story that Jude was telling.

So the ancestor for the werewolf was a female. That actually wasn't surprising. Many have said that many ancestors were male just because they could hand down their genes and everything through a woman. And of course there were many bastards who were sexists. This proved them wrong. So if the werewolf ancestor was a woman, was it the same story with the vampire? Maybe, maybe not. She would probably find that out if she encounter a non-human blood sucking vampire.

Well it seemed that the transferring of the wolf gene was true except that the woman ate the wolf carcass? Desperate times call for desperate measure, she guessed. It was surprising that she didn't die from eating the wolf. And also from the change. It probably was excruciating, changing from human to wolf. Now as Jude said that she couldn't be the first. Does he mean by there was someone before the claimed ancestor?

"So there is a possibility, there is a more past ancestor than the one you know of right now... Silver is still definitely the werewolf bane, right?"

The most humorous thing that came from the legend of werewolves was the movies and books written upon them. Nobody ever got it right, but that was to be expected since humans didn’t really take to believing that they could ever be wrong about something they didn’t believe in. They didn’t ever believe of going out to find a werewolf or vampire to see if the details they wrote with the book were accurate or the action scenes taking place in the movie could actually happen. Nobody bothered, but that was all right. It brought them some form of entertainment watching or reading these things. If only they truly knew. Yet, werewolves and vampires would probably never really know the major basis of their ‘powers’. They would probably evolve some more powering animals, but who could really tell. They had come so far in such a long time that they could have been all killed off before evolution took place.

Vampires and lycans never took to writing the real truth in books or screenplays mostly because it would take too much time for any of them would want to take out of their lives. It would make them super rich though, more than likely, unless society thought that he was just some other freak about the subject. In all actuality, there was a real clan of vampires of humans in life that lived for the ‘dark side.’ Partying, drugs, black clothing, much like a Gothic, but tons more hardcore who actually had dental surgery to make their teeth into fangs so they could actually drink the blood of others. Of course, they didn’t anything as heavily as the real vampires, but it was a scene in life that few realized existed. You didn’t see people out in the dark turning into werewolves, mostly because being a wolf was much like being a human – eating meat and such. Or they could be considered cannibals, for the ones that hunted human. That was a horrible thought.

He gave a curt nod to the first question. ”I’m not saying there are more ancestors, but I’m not saying there isn’t. This is a cloudy subject, even amongst our kind.” It really was a cloudy subject because by all means there had to be some starved soul out there eating diseased carcasses that had held the rabies virus. By all accounts there should have been several more, but maybe there was some sort of particular ring of genetics that allowed her to morph, passing that gene along with her children. Jude couldn’t explain the history of a vampire, that was much more foggy to him then their own past. There could have been several ancestors that hadn’t been known about, which was possible since history always screwed up along the way. Some where along the way, a detail had to be off, which would change the whole outcome, but it was suspected.

Answering the question about silver might make him or break him. What if she would use this later in the future to take him down? Oh well, he said he’d answer her questions and he didn’t find this one to threatening since she already knew it was their bane. ”Yes, silver can harm us, but not permanently kill us unless in large doses. Decapitation works well as well. Nothing on his body moved except Jude’s lips – no nervous twitches, just the wind in his hair and the occasionally blinking of those eyes, mysterious and wet.

"Now that's a new one, decapitation. I thought digging out the heart was one. Or is that with vampires?"

Again in books, she read that sometimes and effective way to kill vampires and werewolves were to use holy items, silver for the werewolf, and to tear out the heart and crushing it. But again, it could not be true with most of the "proved" ways of killing these supernaturals. It was hilarious in a way of how much the human race has foretold lies for many centuries without feeling guilty or feeling that they were wrong overall? Stupid pride.

Now if the bane was confirmed, what about converting? Now as for genes, they could be handed down. What method were involved in converting a human into a werewolf? Drinking the blood of a vampire would probably make one a vampire as the movies say. But a werewolf change?

"How about converting a human to a werewolf? Is that still done? And if it is, how is it done? By bite?"

He did say that there was no biting or cursing or test when it came to the first ancestor, but what about now? What is the same? Or as people have told?

A big deep breath was inhaled into his lungs, the night air proving to add a spark into his body. The large, deep breathing was attributed to the meditation that he did almost everyday, almost in that same position. Really, this leader was all about the yin-yang, open mindedness, and just keeping calm. While his kind hated anything to do with vampires, no matter how great the personality, Jude remained civil. He didn’t dare to judge a book by their cover. So what if they were a vampire, they could have been the nicest people in the world. People thought werewolves were all about the killing and mulling, but there were several werewolves that were as gentle as a baby. He was really one of them. Never would he think about hunting with a human around, putting them to bare witness to him being the monster he was and sometimes loathed. As a wolf, anybody could pet him between the ears and he’d never bite their hands.

Taking a minute to consider the question, he flexed his toes in his shoes, tasting the air particles that were around. Just by doing that he could taste and find mushrooms, taste Hikari (not in that way), and all the forest creatures bounding around playfully. ”In all truth, the heart thing would probably work for us werewolves since we’re living creatures, but rarely do people have the opportunity.” Taking another few moments to think about it, picking the appropriate words, he continued on. ”Vampires, they’re not real. They might bleed, but they’d bleed forever. Take out their heart, they could still live. They don’t need to pump blood or breathe. When severing the head, it cuts off the brain stem powered to the brain, which facilitates these actions, virtually destroying the connection.” Damn. That was the longest thing said with almost everything else combined. Jude was a quiet man, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t good at talking or explaining things.

Conversion was another popular subject. When humans figured out that werewolves could be created in a human, some of them became more scared while the others just wanted to become a wolf so badly! What compelled them to be much more different then they were already. So many humans hated being different, so why want to turn into something that made people scream. ”Unlike vampires, we can breed. Vampires are sterile; lycans have reproductive systems that function. While it’s difficult for us to conceive, we can still give birth. Vampires can turn other people, but not reproduce. We can do both.” Jude took a little more time to pick through the right words. It wasn’t because he was afraid he’d mess up something, but just a natural habit to him, to make sure things were explained as well as he could in a way for someone to understand. ”Biting them works, but some of them die when the antigen releases into their body. Those strong enough survive.” Hopefully that helped a little bit.

"Again, lies from the predictable fiction."

Hikari sighed under her breath. There were probably thousands of lies that the world had built its foundation from from centuries before. But of course history never spilled many of them. Well it was human nature to lie, and continue to lie. That was how it would be now and for the rest of time. The nervous system, would stop all actions if the main source was cut off. This would be useful when she encountered a vampire again. The thought of that night still burned in her memories. Hikari shook her head at the reoccurring memories. Her fear was still strong. She had almost lost her life again a vampire. Only the sunlight had saved her. But she wouldn't be so lucky the next time.

The conversion part, though, was partiall y true. Biting did work, but only if the victim survived. So sex played a big part in the reproduction of the werewolf. But difficult to conceive? So it was difficult to have a baby survive the gestation period and also be born. Was it something in the body? Hikari wouldn't ask. It was probably too personal.

What about transformation? Was it as painful as it seemed? Did werewolves tear they skin off as shown in Van Helsing, with Hugh Jackman in it? Or was it just fur grow through the skin? Hikari debated whether to ask this question, but seeing that she wouldn't be able to get another chance, she did.

"Now on the topic of transformation, I know that werewolves do not need the phase of the moon to change. But the process, is it as painfully as people make of it?"

Yes, lies. Life consisted of lies that were projected by society. When one lie spread, it kept going and going until everybody knew it and believed it, even the person the lie originated from believed it. It just became passed down from one person to the next for it to soon become a belief. There were some cultures that if you believed in something strong enough, it became real. If a whole group of people started believing in the same thing at once then it could be come true, but only with the right symbols. That was why Santa Claus wasn’t flying around with his sleigh and flying reindeer delivering presents to the world. Some were so traumatized with something that if they didn’t believe it happened, and then there brain would literally forget what happened. Life was just full of lies – some white and the others major ones. A white lie was when a person was saying something about how they liked another person’s shirt or that the cookies were homemade, but the majors one caused side effects just like the Tooth Fairy for kids and weather or not a kid was another guy’s and nothing was said about it. Lies always entered through the universe, it was weather or not you believe them.

Pain. It was described differently from person to person. Pain could mean something to somebody and something else to another. Physical pain happened, but it occurred so often that it didn’t really bother him anymore. Things changed, things happened, and life was altered. ”At first it can be pain, but once one gets the hang of it, it’s fine. This pain usually happens as…” What word was he looking for? ”…infants for you humans. We don’t rip off our skin or really morph.” Hikari had no idea how difficult it was to explain this. Jude had been doing it so fluently for years that it just happened. Now his brain was really stumbling for the right words to explain this. ”Transforming, to me, sounds like something a robot did, at least in my opinion anyways.” Robots transformed, werewolves changed into a being belonging in nature. Then again - different descriptions with different people.

With much agility, the man pushed himself up off of the floor with the crossed legs, now standing tall again, and arms to his sides. ”The best way to explain is to show you.” With this particular wolf, there was no uncertainty of showing a human. Their pack worked with the humans to hope that one day they would fully understand what was going on. Stepping back a little ways from both falls and woman, he stared out at her. Soon, a white aura came around him, as if a ghost was crossing through the body. He could feel his body ripple with energy, but on the outside, it only appeared that the man was still standing there. Jude could feel things changing and in moments he was standing there a wolf. The fur shrouding the wolf husk was a burnt copper color with a wagging tail, to show he meant no harm. The thoughts were still human, but he didn’t have the ability to speak. Turning around, he just kind of stood there, waiting to see what she did or said.

”At first it can be pain, but once one gets the hang of it, it’s fine. This pain usually happens as…”

”…infants for you humans. We don’t rip off our skin or really morph.”

Infants? What, like the birthing process? Like that? And robots transforming, like the Transformers? This was very difficult to put all together with words. Actions were probably better than explaining with this type of topic. Jude must have thought the same thing because with a blink of an eye, he was standing up. Hikari got up to the kneeling position. She didn't want to stand just yet. Looking at the transformation from a near ground view would work.

Jude walked a distance that was between the falls and her current position. A soft, white aura surround his body, Around his body, the air rippled with power, Hikari felt it somehow. It crept over her skin. He was just standing there, but then his body changed into a wolf form. What a beatuy. He had such a luscious dark copper to him, and suh a beautiful form. She loved wolves, but seeing this... this transformation made her love them even more. Jude turned around, wagging his tail, showing that he was friendly.

Hikari smiled like she was a child again. She stood up and walked over to Jude. She stopped and tilted her head from side to side, taking in Jude's new appearance. Then she knelt down and place a hand gently on his head, and petted his great head. The fur was so soft, and rich, and his muscles were strong and hard. He certainly was a creature of beauty. Hikari place her other hand underneath his chin and scratches a bit.

"You are such a beauty, both human and wolf alike Jude... I'm awestruck..."

There was always something so alive about turning into a wolf. True, they didn’t have opposable thumbs, but they could do so much more when they could. They ran fast, hunted accurately, and lived amongst the nature, or at least this wolf did. He was one of few that appreciated nature anymore, at least of his kind, and even with the human population with all their pollution. Of course, his kind had some sort of folly with that as well. Nature held a gripping power over rest of the world. There was just something so serene about it with all the animals, the powerful trees that could bend with the wind, and the noises that it offered. To an outsider, the silence that nature gave or the full-blooded power it gave could terrify them. There had been many a time where Jude had witnessed some of the humans running out of their like they had just seen their own ghosts, warning them that they would soon be on their deathbed in some horrific way. While there was an amusement behind it, watching them run off, he could empathize with them.

The smile on her face made him feel better, like she wasn’t scared of him. There had been a time or two when a transformation occurred and people had nothing better to do then scream their heads off. As a wolf, it was painstaking to listen to with the enhanced hearing and even smelling. The smelling proved ultimately handy when tracking down a rabbit or a deer, but it was torture when next to somebody that hadn’t bathed in awhile. It was so repulsive that it just made him want to retch. Taking a big breath, Jude could smell Hikari, her shampoo, and the particles of water that were silently clinging to her that she didn’t notice that the falls had provided. While the waterfall carried on down into a small creek taking off down into the forest, fish fell and crawled through the H20, and his nose could pick up all of the scales on the fish as their bodies moved back and forth with or against the current with force. If he tried hard enough, it would be possible to hear the sinew straining or the cawing of a crow on the opposite side of the forest. In wolf form, the senses were more enhanced; possibly better to protect her as.

If Hikari had said that him as a human, there’d be no blushing, but a slight chuckle of amusement and a ‘thank you.’ Since speaking as a human wasn’t possible, he let out a small bark and put a front paw on her leg, enjoying the attention. As a dog, this didn’t really bother him – the little pats behind the ear, scratching under the chin, and all of that. Being a dog was the complete opposite for him as being a human. Jude soon backed up to show off only a little bit. Bounding now in a run to the falls, his front paws hit the rocks to push him away to then fly to a tree to do the same and then took off into the shadows of the forest. No, Mr. Devereux wasn’t going to leave her. He pulled a U-turn and stopped out of sight to morph back into a human. Hair slightly messed up, as if somebody had petted it; he entered back into the clearing, a small smirk on his face. His face and a smile? It was an odd combination. ”It was better then an explanation right?” Hopefully she understood a little better now.

She smiled as Jude barked at her comment and placed a paw on her leg. It seemed that he enjoyed her attentions. It also looked like he understoond her comment too. Well of could he was human too. So his brain functions worked all the same. He just couldn't speak, just bark. Jude then bounded off towards the fall, showing off his wolf form; how agile and powerful he was. Hikari shook her head in wonder. This guy was a wonder, a grat wonder. After leaping from rocks to trees, he bounded off into the woods. Hikari had a fleeting moment that he would leave her.

But he didn't, Jude just changed back into his human form. He came out of the shadows, exactly as he was before. Except his hair was up in different directions, from her petting him. He was smirking too. More surprises.

It was better then an explanation right?”

"Yes it was, thank you for that.."

She laughed as he got closer, his hair just made her laugh. Reaching up, Hikari tried smoothing it out, but he was a bit tall so she got only a little of his hair down, the rest still up in array.

"Being a wolf must have felt better than being in a mortal body.. Didn't it?"

Hikari had the feeling because Jude seemed happy when he changed, more at ease and everything.

The night always seemed cleaner and more alive when being a wolf, a creature of Mother Nature. Being a wolf, the senses were much more accurate than in the moral form. The senses were still mighty powerful as a flesh barer, but they just weren’t perceived as nicely that way. It only seemed to work better when on all four, snout close to the ground, and bounding off into the shadows. The dirt became fresher; if possible, the dew surrounded you like you were standing in the middle of a rain shower, the other creatures were interested by you, but still uncertain if you posed a thread until their neck was snapped and they were ingested; the world seemed smaller, yet more meaningful; and everything just seemed so much better. There weren’t any worries except what to eat that night. No problems in finding a bed, paying taxes, getting around, or anything else for that matter. Feeding was about the only thing the wolves of the pack had to worry about except for survival. Humans had so many complications and strings attached to their lives that they stressed so much about it all – work, rent, shopping, and everything that the world could pressurize onto your shoulders. Wolves were free. Running around through the thatch and using the power in the muscles of your legs was beyond refreshing. Life seemed like the perfect work of art as something, anything then a human.

”It was my pleasure,” he said with a warm crooked smile that showed that he meant what he said. Informing anybody about werewolves was nice because there was a simple joy in educating the uninformed brains. Jude couldn’t help but think that if he were not an unruly beast that there might be some sort of profession in teaching for him. Maybe ecology or some sort of science or even literature for that matter would be the best to teach. It was a unique thought thinking of the big guy up in front of a classroom, kindergarten, elementary, middle, or high school no matter; to be going on and on about the way a spider used their hearing to figure out the dynamics of their webs or that there were only a certain number of chromosomes in a single strand of DNA that could attribute to hair and eye color or even talking about the great works of Shakespeare or tales of Grimm. Education just seemed to be in his bones, but not the annoying kind where he’d inform somebody random out on the streets. Only when one asked would they receive the answer. It was intriguing to look at the pack leader because some might think he did not possess the brains, but that brain of his was overloaded with information. Some of it was useful while the other parts were just useless.

When those brown eyes saw that Hikari was reaching out for him, he resisted flinching. Not many people made contact with him so it was a natural state to want to move away. This was one of the reasons people thought the wolf was a cold-hearted person. Really, he wasn’t, just very cautious since life had proven to be cold in return, sometimes anyway. This gesture was unfamiliar to him and wasn’t sure how to react, but only knelt down a smidgen to not feel so gigantic toward her. When her hand retracted, he stood completely erect again. Listening to the question, a sheepish grinned flooded over Jude’s lips. With a curt nod, words came. ”Yes. I feel much more alive and relaxed as a wolf.” Wanting to go on, to further express his feelings, he did. ”I believe that if I was not relied on so heavily as a human, I would live my life as a wolf. But I would feel like I was running away from the people that I’m bonded with. I would like to lead them into a new era.” How that was ever going to happen was, at best, a guess. Hell, Hikari had a better chance of knowing then he did. Some leader Devereux was.

But I would feel like I was running away from the people that I’m bonded with.

The people that he bonded with? Like his pack and friends? Strangely enough, Hikari thought that wolves always had bonds with people and sticking with them. Well animals are kind of like people, They share in a way, the same characteristics in thinking and the balances of power. Myabe that's why some animals and humans get along so well. Hikari smiled softly at Jude. It must be hard to live for so long and feel like that.

"As the years passed, there must have been so much you must have encoutnered... Don't think about what others say and do. All that matters is what you think it right, and how you

That might have sounded stupid, but that's how she felt it was necessary to say. Well, what advice was there to give to someone who was probably a lot older than she was? Not much probably. There was one more thing she wanted to ask. It was kind of funny the way she said it, and probably illogical for her to ask.

"For greetings, you guys don't do the butt sniffing like wolves do, right?"

Yes, there were certain bonds that they shared wit humans, but the bond was greater with their own kind. Ok, so humans were part of their own kind, but he meant wolves more so. Humans, some anyway, were just out to kill werewolves or use them as some sort of experiments to make the ultimate hybrid human for world. Which, undoubtedly, would end in disaster. Wasn’t that how all of the movies and books portrayed genetically enhanced humans? Then again, if the media portrayed them differently, it was possible that if this ever happened that things might work out well. But how can it work out well when the enhanced humans are used as killers? Right, jumping ahead a little bit. Wouldn’t it be a little weird if something like this had already happened and nobody knew about it? Those odds were actually pretty good. A small chuckle held itself in his mouth. Really, he was getting out of control. It sounded as if he were some dope-smoking hippy from back in the 70s. That was a fun era to observe people! They were all paranoid and worried about ‘the man’.

Yes, Hikari had a point about what she was saying. His life was a long one and there had been so many opportunities for Death to snatch his soul, or whatever they had if they didn’t have a soul, away from the world. It didn’t though. There had been encounters of things that few humans would ever have to deal with, which almost made Jude feel rather envious of them. Many hard decisions had rolled their way around through that mighty head of his. What mattered was that he had lived a full life while believing in the things he did. There was no standing down from those beliefs in which were held so close to the monstrous heart. It was a different kind of feeling, what was going on. She was trying to cheer him up a little bit, boost the withering confidence that was sticking to him like hot glue, and she was doing a fine job of it. Never had a human try to do this so he wasn’t sure how to take it. As offense or as something better, and whatever that better was he really couldn’t think of it. A smile chiseled into his hard features in gratitude.

Moving around her, the man took another seat, but this time on a rock near the falls, not really caring if the water from the falls back splashed over his clothes. They were a little expensive, but nothing for him to be petty over. The one thing about this leader was that he didn’t go around flashing things that he knew or owned. Possessions were only possessions; they didn’t get a person to where they were, unless invented of course. Peering over at the water, smelling all the chemicals in it, lack there of, or the animals that had taken steps in it. There was a history to this fall, another legend that intrigued Jude very much. It was said that Mother Nature gave birth to little beings that belonged to something like a faery or a pixie. They were born in the rock behind the falls and were highly cautioned to not come out from behind the waterfall. When they were tired of living in a shadow, they went through the water and legend had it they died, but their souls stuck around, emitting curious light. So many believed that was what the fireflies or lightning bugs were around, that they were those lost faery/pixie souls. The story just fascinated him beyond belief.

Taking in another deep breath, a small chuckle moved into the air at Hikari’s question. Oh, wow, Mr. Devereux had never gotten one quite like that. Maybe with some, they would have had some scoffing or blush even, but no, not him. It was a legitimate question, just that nobody had ever asked. It was a logical question nevertheless. ”No, Hikari, we don’t. We do have somewhat of a higher intelligence compared to the domesticated dog. Our senses can tell us everything.” They were far from some common pet. That question shouldn’t have been thrown around lightly since many of his kind were snap at her for it. ”Besides, it’s vulgar.” That was just thrown in from his personal aspect of it. It was not proper and the right way for introduction. Hell, if he ever had the chance to meet the Queen of England he’d follow all the regulations just because he was so damn proper. Not by choice either. There was just something enjoyable about it, much like answering her questions. Rarely did he feel superior, but those were the moments that gave him that fleeting feeling.

The smile Jude gave Hikari the impression that what she had said before did not sound stupid and it also seemed to help him in a way. The small chuckles made her feel even better. It was not many times did her advice she gave to people smile. Some people would just think that it ws just garbage just because she hadn't experienced things like drugs, alcohol, or dating. Hmph, well once something, they learned that she was right. Then they come begging for help. Why should she? They rejected her counsel, and now they need help. But of course Hikari wasn't that cold hearted.

Jude walked over and sat on the boulder near the falls, and thought a bit on her question. When he gave Hikari and answer, she smile apologetically and raised her hands. She walke over to him and gave a small laugh.

"I had a feeling that asking such a question would get an answer like that. It was rude of me and I apologize."

She ast ont he rock across from him. The fireflies were in a larger swarm, blinking lights around them, illuminating the area. One flew onto her hand and blinked its glow for a bit. Hikari raised her hand to about eye height and looked at the firefly for a moment, and blew at it gently, coaxing it to fly off.

"In human form, do you guys greet each other with hugs, some sort of power dominance as I have read?"

After she finished commenting about the question, his head shook disagreeing with what had come out into the air. ”It wasn’t rude. You wanted to know, don’t apologizing for wanting to know more, it’s human nature.” And with the word ‘human’, it had been meant that everybody with the slightest human DNA in them. Werewolves and vampires were just as curious about everything before they truly became what they were. It seemed that Mother Nature had embedded it in their genes to want to know everything about anything. Even when it was for the betterment of their psyche they wanted to know. If something gory happened, somebody went off to look, and then they would practically pass out and say ‘stay there’, the person that’s ‘staying there’ won’t stay there at all. They want to know. Just the fact that somebody is telling them no makes them want to know even more. So, they look. Immediately they wished they hadn’t. In multiple ways they deserved it since they couldn’t control the urge and be sensible about it.

Eyes still on her, he followed her as she took her seating in front of him on the opposite rock. It might have been defined as a little creepy since he barely blinked, but there was nothing behind this gesture, it was just something he avidly did. Plus, there was a fascination for him in the way other people moved. Not so much with the wolf species since so many moved the same way. There was just something about watching the sinewy movement of another being. The quality of the movements when stepping over something, or merely sitting such as Hikari was. The way a person moved could give him some sort of in sight into their life. It only worked thought if he was highly concentrating. He wasn’t. Jude was basically keeping eyes all on the woman in front of him. Strangers, or people one didn’t quite know well, were interesting to watch and listen to. Maybe it was just a psychological test that happened without notice to prove that there was a fiber of patience within the body, even though it was obvious there was.

Removing haunting eyes from her, they slipped down to the lightning bug in her hand. Those that believed the story of the lost souls would likely believe that this might have been some sort of sign that she was ‘chosen’. To do what? Like hell he knew. Half of those that believed in the legend were probably some daft people that would make something up on the spot. Oh well, who was he to judge though? He wasn’t, so he wouldn’t. Picking up on the question, Jude’s face was sincerely in a state of wonderment. There wasn’t much experience with what Hikari had asked, but he couldn’t be sure about the other pack. ”To be honest, I’m uncertain. I’m not exactly a touchy feely kind of guy so people stray away from it and I’m not compelled to do it.” Yeah, definitely not a touchy feely kind of guy, unless in the right frame of mind maybe. ”It’s possible they do in other packs, but I’m not highly familiar with it.” Hugging, it just didn’t seem normal to him, no matter the situation. That was uncharted territory that he’d probably never enter.

OOC: I guess I probably end this thread soon... ^^6 maybe

The firefly decided that it was going to rest on her hand a bit because it didn't budge from its position. Its light kept going, blinking like with the light house effect. Hikari didn't mind at all. She wasn't like most girls that would scream and panic when a bug landed on her. Basically she was not going to be able to move it, so she'd have to wait until it decided to go off on its own. She didn't want to force it to get off. She was nice like that.

So his pack didn't really do much like hugging or anything. It is, well to her, like a universal motion for friendship and greeting, maybe. That was what she did everytime she saw a friend or family member. Hikari moved her right hand, the free one, and dipped a finger in the water, and brought it up, letting the water that clung to her skin, drip back to the source.

"Not to be nosy in a way, but it seems that for a pack like yours, it's not as close as I think it is, or am I wrong.... And also in the past, you probably haven't experienced much of hugging and others things?"

This question would probably be personal to Jude, so she turned her head to look down at her reflection than as the man across from her.

"You don't need to answer that if you want to."

((You don’t have to if you don’t want too.))

Eyes were glued to the firefly just with a flaming interest of the creature still in her hand. It was incredibly amazing that this little creature could emit such a light. History was a fascinating subject, just not his own, and this species probably had quite a history. What really was astounding were the creatures that went back millions of years and were still around today, in a mild form of their ancestors thanks to evolutions. Lizards, crocodiles, and even turtles were species that had witnessed so much as a whole to the earth. Evolution had brought them here and it was likely evolution would keep them going just due to the fact that they had survived so much. Lycanthropes were almost comparable to those set creatures. They might not have survived as long as those scaly reptiles, but evolution certainly did play quite a part in their life. Ancestors had evolved with disease and somehow through the years and materialized into something more powerful that didn’t need the lunar cycle to become what they really were. Did the ancestors ever have such a problem with vampires and not eating humans as they did to this day?

The first words of her sentence worried him to a point of wonderment. When people usually said ‘not to be nosy’ or along those lines, they are intending to be some form of nosy even if they don’t mean to. It was like when people said ‘sorry to interrupt.’ If they were so sorry about it, they wouldn’t have done it in the first place and just kept walking. Those pet peeves didn’t irritate him much anymore. Besides, there was a small part of him that enjoyed Hikari. Then again, whenever it came to humans, he just enjoyed being around them altogether. Never, really, had Jude been such a thing, a human, so studying them was due to some sick fascination of wanting to know what things might have been like for him. It wasn’t obvious, but something psychological that just pinched his nerves that caused the words of speculation out into the world. After her question, his body tensed up just a little from the very personal question. In that time, she had told him that he didn’t have to answer. For some stupid reason, there was a feeling of having to tell her. ”No I will.”

Not bothering to take a big inhalation of air before starting, words just kind of poured. ”They are close. I am…there. They follow, I lead. They have their own sort of familiarity while I’m just there.” It didn’t make much sense to him so why should it make any to her? He was just around, not really part of the pack except to plan strategic moves and to keep peace within them. In all actuality, the alpha male was the outsider of all of this. ”I was cold as a child and I’m just as cold now.” He too looked away, even though she was not looking at him. The way that that was said in the tone of matter of fact made him wondered how the conversation ever lasted as long as it did. Standing up almost in a rush, as if planning to run off somewhere, Jude’s arms moved behind his back, clasping the other hand like some sort of butler. ”Perhaps I should escort you home now?” It was just a switch of topic conversation, but when things got to feel uneasy, he usually ran and this was just a form of running away. God, what a coward he could be sometimes.

It seemed that it was really time to go because the firefly decided to fly off her hand. Her dark eyes followed the glow until it disappeared. Looking at her watch, it was early morning. Hikari would need sleep for the next day. For there were unexpected events to happen. She got up from her seat and stretched her body a bit. Then she picked up her bag and her sword. She swung the bag over her shoulder and her sword was attached to her belt.

"I guess it is time for me to leave... But before I leave..."

Hikari took out her camera. She wanted to make sure that this part of her discovery was real, something she could remember by. She wanted to have a picture of Jude so that she could recall to this place.

"Maybe I take a picture of you.. As a keepsake maybe?"

(sorry short post)

As the firefly departed, it seemed to be a sure sign that the time had come for them to head off as well. Giving into symbols and signs of such things as abstract as this little bug wasn’t something he’d really look into, but it seemed that it was time. It felt to him like believing tarot cards when somebody pulled off the street was given a pack and pulled the card off the top. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in tarot or the factors of witchcraft, but when somebody had no clue what he or she were doing were trying to start, it just upset him. They were ruining an art, mocking all of those that held the gift. It was remarkable the way people believed in vampires and werewolves just via movies and books, but they couldn’t possibly believe in witchcraft, people being able to see the future or read palms, or things such as ghost. How could they be so close-minded to one thing, yet so open about the other? People were fickle. Even as a werewolf, Jude was not so complicated about anything. His mind was open for anything and anybody rather it was related to politics, the covens’ enemies, those unfamiliar to him, and just anybody in existence. Just because a person was on one side or some kind of beast didn’t make them bad people.

Looking upon the camera into which Hikari had pulled out, a look of discomfort came upon those regal facial features. Being remembered by a camera always sent a feeling of apprehension fluttered down his powerful vertebrae. Even as a young pup pictures weren’t exactly his thing since it usually meant smiling and smiling not on his own accord just made the guy even more uneasy, if that were possible. A smile didn’t look naturally on the face of marble unless it was a genuine one. A forced one looked horrible on anybody, but on Jude it looked so much worse. His mother had always hugged him and got him to smile, but only could mother do it, for anybody else it just seemed a waste if they were actually trying to get those pearly whites to show. Being touched though just made the hulking man even more uncomfortable. It was a wonder that this fool could even lead people, let alone into a ‘new era’ like he really wanted too. Yes, it would be a whole hell of a lot easier to just dump this position whoever wanted it the most, but the dream that lived inside was worth the suffering of being human even for a little while. Nothing would sidetrack the dream of a better life for all of them. Optimism. It was almost cute.

”Perhaps when we each the forest boundaries.” It wasn’t a decline since disappointing her wasn’t anything he wanted to do. A camera was believed to catch a brief glimpse into the soul of a person. With a vampire, they weren’t seen at all, so was it possible it meant that they had no soul? It worried him what would happen if she took a picture of a werewolf. Would nothing be there? In essence, the wolves were just like humans, but the question was unsaddling to the nerves. Plus, with a quick click, who knows what or whom she’d catch on film. Hikari could get into all assortments of danger if she happened to get a look at something she should and they found out about it. Jude would feel obligated to make sure that nothing happened to her. As willing as he would be to protect the woman, it wasn’t something that sounded particularly fun or worth his while. There were higher priorities that would ultimately keep all of them safe. ”Be careful when you use that, Hikari, especially in here.” Pleading, was that what it was in his eyes? Well damn it was! With that, he motioned with his arm for her to go first back out the way she had come, waiting to follow her.

Hikari nodded her head. It was probably dangerous now that they were going to be on the move. Jude knew of the dangers in the forest, Hikari didn't. So she relied on his help if anything happened. He was so serious and silent now. It was not very often that she met people like him. Something probably happened in his life where he had become the person he was now.

”Be careful when you use that, Hikari, especially in here.”

His eye were pleading to her. Pleading? Her eye widened and eyebrows knotted for a second before she turned her head and walked ahead in from of Jude. Hikari looked around as they walked down the path. It was still dark, but a bit lighter. The sunrise would be in a few hours. Looking at her hand, the camera was still in her grip. Without looking back, Hikari spoke to Jude.

"For the picture, you don't need to smile. I'd like to take your serious side."

As they began the trek through the forest, traveling a path that he was all too familiar with, noises reached ears that would have been perked up if a wolf. The sounds weren’t threatening, just much more prominent to somebody that was always cautious of what he was doing and where he was going. Habit, that’s what it was. While it was dangerous by just sitting there next to the waterfall, it was just as dangerous to be trudging around through the forest, especially when one of them didn’t have supersonic hearing or the strength of a werewolf. Different creatures of different species liked pouncing when the prey was still, just to test their ability to sneak up on something that was just as powerful, or in some cases, weak. Others enjoyed the pleasure of tracking since it was more of a challenge – using their nose, ability to stay quiet, and trying to figure out what could happen and where they might run. Each proposed different standards of difficulty and neither of them were good when one was the possible prey. Then again, the predator wasn’t about to just openly attack the pack leader in a forest where it was supposed to be neutral. They would, however, attack the human that walked in front of him. He’d kill them before they attacked Hikari.

Eyes followed the ground in front of him to check out where the best footing would be, but also to not look directly at the woman in front of him. It would feel as if he were prying. It was out of respect that those dark eyes remained on the forest floor. She was an interesting specimen as a human being and he would thoroughly enjoy studying her some more. As words struck him like lightning, eyes drifted to the back of her head, a smile perking at his lips. It was amusing that somebody would ever say such a thing, let alone to him. In the few moments that they had spoken, it seemed she understood that there were a lot of things that would and could make him uncomfortable. A frown soon turned itself downward, replacing the smile. It had just occurred to Jude that by showing interest in her, he had put her in danger. Any wolf with a sense of smell would be able to tell that he had been there with her, even if they were miles off. That upset him that he could have been stupid to do such a thing, but it wasn’t a worry that bothered him too much. The forest was neutral. For any new pup they wouldn’t be able to tell it was his scent. Next time he’d have to be more careful, not wanting to put anybody in harm due to his stupidity. ”All right.” It was all he could manage.

Not wanting to feel like some sort of predator behind her, he gracefully caught up to the point of walking next to her, hands behind his back as he walked, back still as straight as ever. Now, the silence between them became unnerving as every other noise in the forest was transferred to his ears; rabbits hopping, birds fluttering, and other animals moving about on their merry way. It could be a calming silence when by ones self, but this was awkward for him. Anytime alone with somebody else made him feel like a bubbling idiot, even though speaking never really happened. ”Are you a photographer, or just take pictures for fun?” Jude asked naturally curious, continuing to keep her pace and look out ahead of them for any formalities that might be a fallen tree or a rock avalanche as well as eyes that might try to take their life at any minute. For the time being, he felt that it might be better to distract her from any possible threats. Who said chivalry was dead?

There was relief in her when Jude agreed to the picture. At least he wouldn't be forced to make and expression because smiling seemed to be earned with him. After a few steps, he wa walking beside her. He was a bit rigid as usual. He asked if she was a photographer, strangely enough she wasn't. Her profession was actually more of the artistic drawing. She just took pictures when she was inspired too. It takes a whole lot to insppire her artistic eye.

"I do it more for fun, if whatever I'm looking for inspires me."

She smiled to herself. Taking a look at her hand, they were still small, but has a firm grip on graphic pencils and paintbrushes. The mediums that she used sometimes dyed her hands but she would always be able to get the color out and keep the skin soft. They were really photographer hands. But what were the regualtion for the hands anyway. Hikari looked around again before turning to Jude.

"Besides being a member of a pack, did you ever have a profession?"

Werewolves, vampires, they were the same as humans, so they could get jobs too. They may age, but still look young. So they have a good chance of getting jobs like humans like herself. Hey, it didn't hurt to ask.

Inspiration. It seemed so foreign even though that even he had some sort of inspiration to continue on with this what-seemed-impossible dream. What was it that kept him driving forward into nothing but the dark abyss of uncertainty? This compass that pointed to the answer swerved to the point where his mother stood. All of this, most of it, was all for her, to make sure that her life was lived out in peace, not to worry about death sneaking up behind a bush. Maybe it was sweet what he did to keep the one who raised him safe, but it was just as much as a selfish act as it was a selfless act. Jude wanted her safe so she wouldn’t ever leave him. Fear threw its angry horns in that general direction. The thought of losing his mother was ultimately terrifying for the old man. She was the only piece connecting him to this earth. The other side of the compass was pointing to humanity. If the human species managed to die out while he was still in power, he would always end up blaming himself for not living out this dream, where everybody could live without fear or being attacked by the other person rather they bore fangs or a dog’s snout. Why did it always feel like the fate of the free world rested upon his masculine shoulders?

”Well I imagine you are very good.” How was it even possible to tell such a thing without actually seeing these ‘works of art’? Well, it wasn’t possible. Chivalry was not dead inside this wolf’s husk. Mama had always taught manners, punctuality, and how to treat a lady. The treating of a lady usually went to fitting in as many compliments as possible, but only when the time called for it. Throwing them out one after the other was idiotic. Certainly a woman was smart enough to catch on, if they didn’t, they didn’t deserve the compliment in the first place. Chivalry usually came out into play whenever there was a decent woman about; no hookers, no bubbly brats, and nobody that didn’t work for something they believed in rather it was a job, religious beliefs, or political beliefs. Jude didn’t try to judge, put there were many a pet peeve that just crawled under dark skin into the brain to really upset him to a point of anger. Anger frequently led to other things, but they were not appropriate to talk about. Many would bring shame anyway.

One question could be filled with multiple emotions that few rarely recognized it. The past. That was one photo album labeled ‘memories’ that wasn’t appreciated when it flooded back into life, especially when it came to the werewolf there. The smell of flour wafted through the olfactory station that was his nose as this memory took time back in what seemed to be happy times. Air in the bakery had always been warm with the ovens baking all those precious goodies. A little boy of fourteen worked in the back before working to the front, becoming one of the best bakers. If Jude looked at himself in a baker’s hat with an apron, it was likely that a chuckle would be used to mock. Baker. It was not the most likely of things. Maybe a businessman fit the way he looked better, but that didn’t matter, he was born to be a soldier. ”I was once a baker.” Cold eyes kept looking ahead with each and every step taken, still keeping an eye out for danger while also listening for a hint of something that resembled a chuckle.

"You could say that, but I probably depends if you ever see my art, will it be true. Thank you though.."

Many people have said that to her, but to Hikari, she preferred to have the person see her art before they can genuinely say that she was very good in it. Sometimes she put herself down when seeing others' work because she thought her art wasn't any good compared to others'.

"A baker? That's got to be a fun job, making bread and other goodies. Besides , playing with flour and making sweets would be something I'd like to do."

She sincerely meant that because besides art, she loved seeing how chefs, bakers, and other cooks used techinques and also art in making food. each delectable hand-made, with precision and a bit of themselves put into the dish made it so unique. She especially like how bakers and pastry makers put so much detail into what they did, like designed cakes and small desserts like creme brulee and tiny pastries and just bread. Hikari liked watching the cooking shows that showed things like that because it, besides making her hungry, gave her tips as well in some art techiques.

It wasn't long before the soft noise of civilization came into hearing. Some cars honking and speeding away. Just a few meters away, her motorcycle was leaning against a tree, covered by brush. Hikari put it there so just in case stragglers came by, they wouldn't find her cycle. It wasn't like the Harley Davison motorcycles many know, but a Suzuki. She liked the speed and the wind going against her, so that was why she got it. Hikari turned to Jude, nodding her head.

"So I guess here is where we can stop... "

A sheepish, small grin pursed his lips. She was right. It made no sense to claim somebody an artist when eyes hadn’t even settled upon their work. It was like calling a person an amazing chef if one hadn’t tasted upon their food or calling another body a miracle worker just because they were able to turn on a faucet. It didn’t matter, the compliment still stayed into effect. Her work could have mimicked that of a two-year-olds’, but never would he be so painfully honest if a piece of her work was ever exposed to him. However, Jude had really good judgment with people, so he’d highly believe that whatever her work looked like, it would be better than the average-Joe’s. There were little times in his life where he felt that he was wrong and this was an area that he believed highly of her work. She just seemed so naturally interested in photography for fun, an inspiration, that somebody who was that dedicated had to have been that good, or naturally stubborn. Stubborn also worked for her since she hadn’t left at the thought of creatures such as he wandering around stalking her as prey. This art thing didn’t feel like her being stubborn. ”Well, I would enjoy seeing them then.”

Her sincerity rang through clearly. Being a baker’s protégé had been one of the few happy moments in his life. It helped him control himself since as a child he was very passionate, especially with anger. It had been really fun, but then again this happened at fourteen, so he was just happy to not work in a restaurant or perhaps on a farm, even though they were a place that were loved in a little chamber of his heart. Another rare smile crept up onto his face, a symbol of remember good times in his life. They were so few and far about, both smile and memories. ”It was extremely fun. I was fourteen; I enjoyed sifting flour and cracking eggs. I started as the cleaner boy at first.” First came sweeping floors, next came pulling bread out of an oven or decorating dozens of cookies. Jude even delivered them at some point, wanting to get a feel for the people he was baking for. It gave him fresh air and…inspiration. Well, then, it seemed that he did have inspiration once upon a time.

The smell of metal crept up into his powerful nose. There was something hidden here, a motorcycle it smelt like. Sure enough, he was right, spying it through a thicket of brush. Feeling more chivalrous, he strode over to the branched and helped to take them off. It was the least he could do since he didn’t really do anything except talk throughout most of the visit. It made him feel rather useless. This at least made him feel a little bit better about what was going on. Walking back toward her, job completed, a nod rippled over his body. Yes, this was as far as he would go. There was a bunny or a deer in the depths of the forest that would soon become a meal. ”Yes. It is. I hope I provided some help to your questions.” What was customary for this kind of good-bye? Jude hadn’t been through this kind of situation before. A handshake? A hug? A kiss? Or just a wave good-bye as both departed into the world on their separate paths. ”Perhaps I’ll see you again. If not in this life, then the next.” Yes, he believed in another life, that their soul went on some place else. There was a time and place for everything, even lost souls that escaped from their husks when death ate away their life.

"I wouldn't have mind being a cleaner, I actualy like cleaning."

Jude helped her get her motorcycle from the bush as she wheeled it to the open. This was a great time she had in probably the longest time when she was in France. Usually it would just be study art, draw, paint site see and go back to America. But Hikari was actually enjoying her stay, except for the fact that she was attacked by a vampire recently.

"Ah. I almost forgot... Can I take my picture? You can just be yourself, relaxed or serious if you like."

Hikari waited until Jude was in the right... what was the word.. Position? And then looking through the lens, she made sure the she was able to zoom out so the moon and he would be in the same picture. After taking it, she smiled and put her camera in the bag. Then she took out a pen and a scarp of notebook paper and wrote something down. It was a website to her art. She walked up and without really thinking, gave Jude a quick hug.

"Thanks for everything.. If you ever get a chance near a computer, my art is posted on this web site... and I , too, hope to see you soon or in the next like."

She gave Jude the slip and then went to her cycle. Hikari took out the black helmet she had. On the shiny surface was a white rose designed on it. That was one of her favorite flowers. She strapped her sword to her side and the bag on her shoulders. Putting the key in the ignition, she reved the motor once, the roar interrupting the silence. Hikari lifted the face shield looking back at Jude.

"Sorry about that.. I'll see you the next time."

Waving, she lifted the pedal and went off, from the grass to the streets in a few seconds. The wind was blowing against her body as she sped up. This was something she wouldn't forget.