Chapter 4

Two Become Three

“You have a Lupercal in your house!” Dominic screamed at Azim. His face had gone a deathly shade of white, I didn’t even have to sniff to read his emotional state, he reeked of furious rage and pure terror.

“Dom-” Azim tried to calm him but the young man didn’t listen.

“You let one of them in your home freely! What the HELL IS GOING ON HERE! How could you? You know what those monsters do! After what they did to me! I don’t…” Dominic continued his tirade without pause. I grew bored after the first sentence.

I felt stickiness sliding down my leg and looked at the floor, there was a puddle of blood at my feet. I was reminded of my wounded gut suddenly, now that I was no longer distracted by the spectacle that was Blonde Ninja Boy, I really started to feel the pain. I gazed back at Dom and Azim, neither noticed me as they were arguing, or Dom was yelling and Azim was trying to explain. Go figure, I’m wounded and they’re more concerned with my presence in the house. I turned toward the kitchen area; I needed something to stop the bleeding until Azim could remove the bullet. I also needed a lot of whiskey to deal with the pain until then…which by the looks of things was going to be a while.

Three hours later, or assume it was three hours. I don’t really know. I was pretty trashed at that point, considering I had been drinking straight whiskey steadily for that entire period. Sometimes I really hate not being human…Lupercal hold liquor really well, I mean three hours and I still hadn’t passed out! Talk about a waste of time and effort. But enough about my apparent inability to drink myself into oblivion and back to the intriguing story that is my life.

Cough-self-absorbed-cough.

Hey shut-up.

Hmmf. I just tell it like I see it.

Who asked you? And anyway I’m telling the story, you’re not even supposed to be part of the narration, it’s MY life so therefore MY story! Now go back to that dark hole you crawled out of.

Oh, but it is my story. We’ve been through this before. I am you. After all this time you can’t possibly tell me you haven’t figured that out.

Whatever. Go away so I can continue…okay I think he left, stupid…you know at this point I’m not sure what he is…monster sounds so lame. Right, story, need to get back to the story. Okay so like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…

Three hours later Azim came into the kitchen looking exhausted from the verbal battle with Dominic. He poured himself a drink, downed it, and poured another.

“That went well,” I said weakly.

“Raphael!” Azim cried in surprise as though just noticing me, which in his state was probable. “Are you alright?”

“Hmm…let me think, I just took a bullet in the gut and have been sitting here bleeding since then…so yea I’m fine. I feel great.” Apparently my sarcasm was lost on him because he looked at me strangely and didn’t reply, just took another drink. “DO I LOOK ALRIGHT TO YOU?” I growled, and then yelped at the fiery stab of pain that ripped through my body. That got his attention. Once the bullet was removed, my wound healed on its own. Okay so there are some pluses to be being a Lupercal, too.

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Clang! Cling! The ring of steel on steel echoed through the canyon’s silent atmosphere, causing a few birds to rise from the nearby trees.

“Azim might trust you, Lupercal, but I don’t. I know your kind; you’re not capable of anything other than evil!” Dominic said as he brought his katana up to attack yet again.

“Don’t you ever get tired of whistling that same old tune, Dom?” I asked, blocking his blow with my own sword.

“Never. I will never let my guard down. I will catch you in your evil and I will end you. Then Azim will see the mistake he has made in trusting you.” Dom replied, lunging in.

“Two problems with that plan of action, Grasshopper; one: to kill me you have to be able to beat me, which entails being able to catch me.” I said as I dodged out of the way. When he closed again, weaving a complex attack pattern, I back-flipped onto the boulder behind me. Looking down at him from my perch I continued impart my wisdom.

“Two: and this is something you should really try to remember since it seems to be a major issue for you; Azim doesn’t trust me. He knows me, knows what I’m capable of doing and knows what I haven’t done. He believes in me and that I should have a chance to be an asset to society as he puts it. But he does not trust me, Dom. He watches me constantly, waiting as you are determined to do, waiting for me to slip up. And he knows that I know that he does it. Therefore it does not require mentioning. But hey, think what you like. It doesn’t matter to me either way.”

I jumped back down onto the practice field, landing lightly behind him. He whirled to attack, fast enough to take a normal human by surprise, but I wasn’t human. Which was the whole point of the lesson. I moved. Dom tried to catch me on his back swing but I caught his blade on mine and sent it flying from his hand with a flick of my wrist. Then dropped my own sword point down in the dirt and swept his feet out from under him with a sweep kick before he could react. In the period of two seconds I had disarmed him and was now sitting on his chest, my face inches from his and him flat on his back and pinned to the ground.

“But whatever you do, Dom,” I whispered in his ear. “Never forget who you’re dealing with. I’m stronger, I’m faster, and let’s face it, a hell of lot better looking. If you let your emotions overwhelm your concentration for a single second, half a second, I will take you down. And if I was any other “creature of evil” you would be dead.”

I got up and extended my hand down to the furious and humiliated Dominic, who ignored it. Instead he pushed himself to his feet, brushed the dust from his clothes, and stalked over to pick up his katana. I shrugged, and retrieved my broad sword. After all what did Dom’s opinion matter to me? Diddly, that’s what.

“Well done. I told you that you would be a good teacher, Raphael.” Azim said as he leapt down from the corral fence next to the practice ground. I looked at him with a devilish grin.

“Well I’m good at everything so that’s not a surprise.”

“Ha-ha. Your self-confidence is overwhelming, but now it is time for your lesson,” Azim replied is face becoming serious. Azim walked to the center of the practice ground and drew his long, curved blade. He stood relaxed and at ease, waiting for me to begin the offensive. But I hate being predictable, and love to be annoying. So instead of attacking like I was supposed to I leaned nonchalantly on my sword, its tip in the ground.

“Tell me something, Azim,” my eyes fixed on his, I had learned early on that watching Azim’s body for warning of his movement was useless, there was no warning. His eyes however, always betrayed him, if one knew what to look for that is. “Why does Dominic hate me so much? Not that I care, I’m just curious. He’s not the kind of guy who hates without some kind of cause, so there’s got to be a reason.”

Azim’s eyes gave a faint flash, practically unnoticeable. He struck with the speed of a snake, one moment he was still, the next his sword was sweeping for my throat. I blocked, but by then he had moved to another target. His attacks came so fast I had no time for anything but stopping them. About ten moves later we locked swords, a big disadvantage for him; I was about ten times stronger. But I didn’t use the opening; I wanted the answer to my question. Azim obliged.

“His family was murdered by a werewolf; I think it may have been a Lupercal. He was the only one that survived, he was four. I found him, still hidden in the cellar. He’d been there for four days, all alone with the bodies of his dead parents and two sisters.”

“Okay….that’s a good reason to hate werewolves.”

Azim chose that moment to slip his blade away from mine, the sudden lose of his weight caused me to stumble off balance briefly. It was long enough for Azim to strike, his sword sliced across my back leaving a thin line of blood behind. I whirled to face him, my eyes blazed emerald and my pupils contracted to slits as a result of the pain. Driven by the fury of the Wolf I charged him with a feral snarl, but old as he was he danced away from me. Before I could stop my headlong rush he had nicked me again, this time on my arm. His face was blank except for the twinkling in his brown eyes.

“You are losing focus, Raphael. You are repeating Dominic’s mistake, letting your emotions control you.”

“I wouldn’t compare me to that cream puff, if I was you, Master,” I snarled. So I have a rage problem. Azim whirled around, his blade dancing like a wasp that stung me again and again as it darted around my guard. The more he stung the madder I got as the pain allowed more of the Wolf to surface, and the madder I got the more careless I became which of led to more stings…a vicious cycle.

“Tell me, Raphael, how is it that I, who am weaker and slower than you, how is it that I am beating you?” Azim taunted, a thin smile appearing upon his lips. He expected another bestial roar and charge, but instead I smiled my own feral grin.

“Who said you were winning,” I said softly. My grin grew wider as I saw his eyes flash with brief fear. As his blade darted for my side I deflected it and darted beneath it. Azim kicked my feet out from under me, and swung down. Lying flat on my back I blocked his attack and using my greater strength gave a shove that sent him back a few paces. I leapt back onto my feet and renewed my attack. This time when we locked blades I pursued my advantage, joyously watching as his face strain with the effort of holding against me. Then I slipped away leaving him off balance, he staggered for a step and before he could recover I kicked the blade from his hand. He responded with a backward tumble towards the fallen sword, but I reached it before he did, stepping on the blade as he reached to pick it up.

Azim swept his leg under mine, knocking me to the ground. When I regained my feet we were both without blades. We continued the fight with hand-to- hand. I caught his round-house kick on my fore arm and tried to catch him with a left hook. Azim blocked and snuck a left jab to my gut. The punch connected solidly and sent the air out of me with a loud whoosh. I barely blocked his next kick. But then I caught his foot on the next one and spun him through the air. He landed with a hard thud on the ground. I had my sword across his throat before he could recover.

For a moment we sat like that, him on the ground with my sword over his throat and me crouched on his chest. Emerald green locked with deep brown, then a slow smile spread across Azim’s face.

“Again, well done.”

I stepped back and offered my hand, unlike Dom, Azim took it. I pulled my mentor to his feet and then retrieved his blade. He took it from me with a faint smile, but wariness lingered in his eyes.

“Tell me something, Azim.” I said almost sadly.

“Hmm?” Azim mused, his face becoming concerned at my tone.

“I was right, wasn’t I, about the way you feel about me. I was right when I told Dominic that you don’t trust me.”

“But I do trust you, Raphael. If I didn’t you wouldn’t be here.” He replied attempting to reassure me.

“No you don’t; at least not completely. I can tell from the way you act, from what I see in your eyes. There’s always a wariness, sometimes fear even.”

“There might be a caution sometimes, but never fear.”

“Don’t lie to me, Azim! I can smell it on you! I’m a damned Lupercal! Don’t try to tell me that you’re not afraid of me. What I don’t understand is why?” Azim shifted uncomfortably at my outburst and a caught a faint whiff of the fear I had mentioned. In frustration I let out a growl and winced inwardly as the fear increased. Azim took a deep breath and then answered my question.

“Raphael, it’s just that in the past few years…you’ve…changed, for lack of a better term. When I first found you five years ago, even though you had trouble controlling your animal side, you were more…more human. You were worried, and felt guilty, and in general more concerned with holding onto your humanity.” Azim said slowly.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked with an angry growl. Again I saw the wary flash in the brown eyes at my growl.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Raphael. Five years ago you rarely growled, nor were you as irritable. But now the Wolf manifests in your personality more and more. You growl, and snap, you’re easily irritated, and you’re more detached and more sarcastic and more violent. You have become comfortable as a Lupercal, embrace it even as evident by the drastic improvement in your combat skills.”

“I thought that was the point! Am I supposed to remain uncomfortable with my current species status? It’s not like I can just ‘poof’ become human again! What the hell do you want from me!”

“Your adaptation to life as a Lupercal is not what really worries me, Raphael. It’s that you haven’t noticed the changes. It’s as though you don’t have control over them, and therefore it makes me wonder how much control over the Wolf you really have. You may not know this, Raphael, but you have been speaking in Lupercali for the last half of this conversation!”

“Oh…” I said. “I didn’t notice.”

“I know, and that’s exactly what worries me. It happens almost every time you get angry, you slip into Lupercali without noticing. And you’ve been talking in Lupercali in your sleep for the past year.”

“I have?”

“Yes. All of which leads me to believe your control is slipping.”