Stupid Werewolf Tricks

"Hey Will," Fred said and took his cousin to the side. "Do you want to see something really scary?" 

Will was unsure of what Fred meant but nodded his head anyway. Fred smiled and then turned his back to him. Will was now a bit perplexed. What was Fred doing? "Um," Will said trying not to be rude, "is this going to take very long?" "Not long at all," Fred grumbled back. 

Suddenly Fred swung back around at his cousin, but instead of the now familiar teddy-bear like fox face Will had expected he was now faced with the snarling, man-eating face of a murderous beast! 

"Boo!" 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Will screamed and jumped backward, knocking himself down against a thick wooden table. 

"BWAH HAHA HAHA!" Fred broke out in laughter as his body morphed back to its more gentle form. Will stared up at his cousin with a mixture of fear, indignation and outright anger filling his face. "Why you immature, little bone-headed monkey barf!" Will growled as he got back to his feet. 

"Oh, Fred?" a voice called from behind as Fred continued to howl with laughter. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Fred turned to the voice, "Haha, uh, yes?" 

!>BAM<! Astra's fist pounded Fred's face with the impact of a sledgehammer. Fred slammed down to the floor and lay still. But a quiet moan could be heard coming from his body. 

Now it was Will's turn to double over in laughter. "BWAH HAHA HEE HEE!" he roared, clutching at his sides. "Decked by a gir-rl, decked by a gir-rl!" he sing songed as he bent over his cousin. And then a furry finger tapped Will on the shoulder and when he looked up he saw Alicia smiling down on him. "Would you like to be decked by a girl," she asked in her most sweet and tender voice. Will stopped singing, "Uh, no." "Then help my husband up off the floor," Alicia said and nodded her head at Fred. 

When the two cousins were both back on their feet, they turned and looked abashedly at their wives. Alicia and Astra stared at them, their fists wedged on their hips, and their faces set with grim disapproval. And then they suddenly broke out into laughter. "Your stupid jokes have always gotten me into trouble," Will whispered through the side of his mouth. "What are you complaining about? I'm the one with the broken nose," Fred winced back. 

After things had calmed down, and Fred had been scolded for his foolishness, Will and Astra were told of the strange new change in the Pack's physical nature. "So what are you guys?" Will asked, confused. "I mean, you're not really lycanthropes. Were-creatures are men and women who change into beasts on the nights of the full moon. But during the day and all the other nights they look just like regular people. Well, the sun is shining outside and you two, no offense, but you don't look human at all." 

Fred nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah. I noticed that myself." He smiled and looked at Alicia. "No, we're not lycanthropes. I guess you could call us manimals. Half man, half beast. A synthesis of the two. And now we really are half and half. Our dual natures are no longer at war with each other. Day or night, full moon or new, we have complete control over our metamorphosis into full beast form. And, we will never lose control to our baser instincts ever again." 

"I wonder if this is what Minestus had in mind all along, or if it is some freak accident?" Astra wondered out loud. 

"That is something I've wondered too," Fred said. "And I intend to find out. Now this is what I really came to tell you. Will, we're going home. A small group of us is going to find Minestus' lair and hopefully discover what all this was about. And maybe even find a cure. And our first stop is the Great Kingdom. From there we will travel to the Southern Caves. And you, my cousin, are the key to getting us there." 

"Me?" 

Fred nodded. "The group is waiting outside. We need you to take us to that slipgate."
 
 

1. The Magic Portal