Prologue

England, UK. Northumberland Forests, 1200 AD.

Edgar Duncan

I was twelve years old when I found myself an orphan. What was supposed to be a happy family outing through the woods, looking for herbs and minerals to refill our alchemy table, turned out to be my worst nightmare. We were attacked by what seemed to be wolflike creatures, huge ones. I’ve never seen such big animals like those. Mom and dad did everything they could to save me, but it cost their lives. I'd have their horrified screams printed in my soul forever. I’ve never understood why they attacked us, and suddenly I was alone in this world. A terrible sorrow mixed with dread crept into my body, while I dragged myself to a home that meant nothing to me anymore. Closing myself inside, I cried my eyes out for days, until the day no more tears would come, and someone knocked at my door. My parents were known in the whole village, since they worked as their apothecary, also they studied all elements of nature and alchemy their whole lives. I was young, but I had an extensive knowledge about the subject, and it was Muriel, the neighbor’s daughter, her mom had been ill for a few days, and I had the medicine for her.

From that day on, I took my parents place as the villagers' apothecary, it helped me cope and regain a semblance of control in my life, Muriel would always come to help me, and our friendship got stronger, I kept researching everything I could find about my parents' studies, as I also joined the King’s Academy of Knighthood, it was the only way to hunt down those evil beings, training on most part of the day and working evenings and some nights, my life turned to the best. I asked Muriel to marry me. We had a simple life, but a very good one. I can’t say I loved her, but I did my best to make her happy. A few years and two sons later, I came to know about a secret society recruiting knights to serve the church as a side helpers to the Templar, and to defend the crusades and humans from all kinds of evil beings. I saw this as an opportunity to hunt down those beasts that took my parents' life away and made them pay for their sins. Muriel didn’t like it a bit, and didn’t agree, but I had already taken my decision.

For years, I had been gone in and out with the crusades, I barely stayed at home, until one day when I got back and Muriel had left me, taking my two sons with her. She had been having an affair with the owner of a tavern and inn in the neighborhood village. If someone asks me if I was upset, I’d be lying if I said yes. Unfortunately, I rarely stayed at home, and we grew apart. I was just upset about my sons, but they were happy with their mother, and I traveled a lot, how would I raise them?

 At the society I had the opportunity to keep my studies in the alchemy field, since it was taking over the whole Europe, and the church was fine with the reconciliation of faith and experimental rationalism, so I experimented a lot in hopes that all my researches could one day be helpful for our cause. Ten years of my dedication rendered me going up some ranks. I was granted the title of a Grand Master and had my own laboratory.

Coming back from one of the crusades, I felt something watching me from afar and everything stilled, even the insects were afraid to make a noise and get killed by whatever lurked around. I had a feeling of what could it be, I had fought and killed many of them in these years of service. As I dismounted from my horse and reached for my sword, the unholy beast, lunged at me. I hated these werewolves, and I’ve never felt sorry for them. Never flinched before slicing them up or pulling my crossbow trigger. Never! I want to wipe the world clean from them, they were killers, assassins, my parents were the proof, they killed them without mercy, just for the fun of it. Each one killed by me, I dedicated their agonizing screams in honor of my parents.

The creature didn’t have a chance. I launched myself into the huge beast with sword in hand, as it came all bloodthirsty on me, claws and teeth, growling like the devils they were. A few moments later another one lunged at us, I hoped it was only these two, I was certain this had been an ambush. After a good fight I sank the sword in one of them, crossing its guts, and coming out in its back, the painful screams were heard from a good distance, I was sure! The beast staggered and fell to the ground howling in its last breath, while the other also injured ran from us. Right before my eyes, the fallen monster turned back into a man, and without thinking twice I severed its head. Reaching for my crossbow, I chased the other one, and aiming at it, I fired several arrows, piercing the werewolf’s back, making him howl excruciating yells of pain and fall face first to the ground, just after I had also decapitated the second one, I noticed I had an audience.

Hidden in the bushes, two huge green eyes stared at me in shock. For a few seconds there I thought to be delirious, the petite woman was so beautiful, she looked like a nymph guarding the woods, as her long strawberry hair flew around her with the wind, resembling fire itself. Locking her gaze with mine, I could see how terrified she was, but there was also something else, something that held her in place. Without letting go of her eyes I carefully approached almost towering her.

“Don’t be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you,” I bent, whispering into her ear, at once she tilted her head looking at me with those penetrating eyes, and I could not notice the shiver washing her body and making its way to mine. She licked her parted lips and swallowed hard, as she nodded to me. I believed in so many things why not in love at first sight. I felt a pull towards that gorgeous woman, like I’ve never felt for anyone else before. She was the one and had to be mine. 

Unfortunately, things didn’t start right, for some reason her parents didn’t approve our love. They were adamant about it, and didn’t even let us try talking to them, I had learned she was a widow and had a child. It didn’t bother me at all, and I wouldn’t mind raising the boy as my own.

“Edgar, I don’t know what else to do, my parents closed themselves off to this question,” she cried one day on my chest. “We belong together, we shouldn’t be separated, and if I want to see you I have to sneak out like a fugitive,” her tears crushed my heart, but there was more to the story, and she wasn’t telling me about it.

“Listen to me... All these years serving the king and the church made me good money, I am not rich, but I have enough to buy a piece of land, continue my research and work as an apothecary.”

“What are you saying?” she looked at me with puzzlement in her eyes, but the light I saw in them gave me hope.

“What I’m saying is, let’s leave everything behind and go away, far from here and start anew, Lettice. What do you say?”

She agreed, and one night we traveled far from there, beginning a life together. She didn’t bring her son, as she didn’t want to take him away from his father’s family, neither hers. I didn’t force the real truth from her, and her only request was to once a month let her spend a whole 24 hours in the village chapel praying for her son. We were so happy together, and it was all that really mattered to us. But like they say, it always has trouble in paradise. Delivering remedies, I met the priest, and he asked about Lettice, he hadn’t seen her for months. My stomach lurched and I lost the ability to think straight for a few minutes. Making an excuse, I left, going home and locking myself in my laboratory. I didn’t want to judge her reasons, so I analyzed the whole situation from the beginning, and something didn’t add up. Lettice wasn’t being unfaithful to me, I was sure about that. She left only once a month, and counting the days between departures it fell always on… No! I had to be wrong. Bile rose to my mouth, and I could not hold it, tears came to my eyes, and I brace myself for the worst, no she wouldn’t betray me this way. So I waited, until the day she had to go.

“Edgar, you’ve been acting strange this last week, are you ok? I’m worried.”

“I’m fine, love. Just tiredness.” I answered her, and I really saw concern for me in her eyes, I knew she loved me, as I loved her deeply. 

“I feel guilty leaving you alone today.”

“Don’t be, today you’re not going anywhere, I need you here.”

“No, I have to go, Edgar!” her face suddenly paled. “It’s only once a month, the only time I have to remember my son.”

“Don’t worry about it, you can go on the weekend. I need your help with the new remedies, as I need to deliver them by tomorrow.” I stared at her, and shaking her head she left to the kitchen. We worked together in the new recipe, but she was completely absent, nervous, and barely talked to me the whole day. When the sun started to descend, she looked to the sky all the time, then to the door.

“Please, Edgar let me go.”

“Why do you need to go today? It’s the same if you go any other day. I want you at home with me.”

“Please, Edgar.” and things turned serious when those beautiful jades stared at me glinting with tears. Once more she looked through the window, to the darkness outside. 

Then, it began, once the full moon approached, Lettice started trembling so bad, she fell on her fours and in front of my eyes she began to transform into one of those hideous monsters I hated with all my guts. While she contorted herself on the floor, hatred consumed me, how could she betray me in such a vile way, she knew my history, she knew my parents were killed by these disgusting beasts, and that I served in the society, hunting down those abominations. How could she? I started cursing and swearing, as angry tears rolled out of my eyes, and in a fit of rage I reached for my crossbow, positioning myself for the worst, I was going to finish the suffering of this unholy creature at once. 

Suddenly, everything quiet down, and in front of me there was a huge wolf, in salt and pepper fur, and so much sorrow in those big green eyes fixed at me. I froze, and as much as I wanted, I couldn’t pull the trigger. She howled. Sadness filling every corner of the night. Knocking down the door, she sprinted away towards the woods, and I fell on my knees, curling myself on the floor, crying myself to sleep.

Lettice didn’t come back to me the next day. I didn’t know what I was feeling anymore. I hated her, and I could kill her if I saw her again, but my heart was in shreds, I felt hollow inside, and at the same time I was going mad without her presence here. A week later, all my resentment fell to the ground when I found her wandering in the woods near home naked, dirty, and completely out of her mind. She didn’t recognize me at all. I was wrong, I didn’t hate her, I loved her with all my heart, but I couldn’t make myself forgive her, as she hid an extremely important piece of information from me. I took her back home and cared for her, as an idea came to my mind, I had knowledge on my side, maybe alchemy could serve me in some way. 

“Edgar, please, talk to me. I’m sorry I lied to you, I had no other way!”

“You knew I hunted down those disgusting creatures, and you belong to them, Lettice! How could you?” I hissed, turning my back at her, I couldn’t see the distress in her face.

“Love! I’ve loved you since I put my eyes on you, we are fated mates, that’s why we suffer when we’re apart!” she cried out to me, and I shut my eyes tightly. I didn’t want to believe it.

“Did you really love me enough to betray me in such a cruel manner?”

“Oh Edgar, don’t go there! I left everything behind for you, even my only son! What more proof than that do you want?” the disgust in her voice caught my attention, and I faced her. She was a mess, glaring at me.

“Ok, prove to me you loved me enough to become human!” I spat at her selfishly, and to my surprise she nodded, but something changed in her eyes.

For a whole year I put her through hell, as she was dead-set to prove how much she loved me, and I loved her, but I couldn’t make myself touch her, not when I knew she had that evil blood in her. I behaved like the asshole I turned out to be. I drained and replaced parts of her blood, gave her elixirs and potions, cut pieces of her hair and God knew what else I did to her, and my Lettice endured all of it without a whimper, but she became an empty shell and resentment crept on her soul, she barely spoke to me anymore, spending most of the days in bed, since a tiredness took over her body, and all the beauty of our life together crumbled because of me. Thinking I had found the cure, I told her, and she didn’t object to me injecting her with the unholy liquid, and right there, I woke up to the nasty mistake I had done it, turning my beautiful love into a monster far worse than the werewolves. She became unstable, moods switching all the time, she grew more dangerous every day, until the day closer to the full moon, when her eyes changed to a fiery red. 

“What have you done to me, Edgar?” she growled, shaking the walls. “I had enough, you had never deserved my love, how wrong was I?”

“I’m sorry Lettice! Only now I see that my madness headed me into a dark path!” guilt swamped me. What have I done? She didn’t need to prove anything to me, she loved me beyond life itself, but I had been a selfish bastard, and I was the one to betray her in the cruelest way!

“Who’s the monster here, Edgar?” 

I had nothing to say in my defense, since she was right. The doctor became the monster far worse than the werewolf. A day before the full moon, she became restless, complaining about a searing pain burning inside her, fangs appeared in her mouth, and she couldn’t retract them. Lettice cried the whole day, and I was dying inside. 

“Edgar, I don’t know what is wrong with me, but there is something evil burning in my soul, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control it once it comes out,” her voice wasn’t human anymore, it became primal and pained, booming through the house. Everything bad happening was my fault, I had to take up the courage and do something. Running to my laboratory, I came back with an elixir.

“Here love, drink this.” she glared at me, and for the first time the love in her eyes wasn’t here, there was evil glinting in them. “Don’t worry, it is just something to calm down, nothing more, I promise you,” she drank the whole thing, and I took her to our bedroom. As soon as she lied down, she passed out. 

I’d burn in hell for my sins. Grabbing the dagger from the back of my waist band, I raised, and looked at her for the last time, my beautiful nymph, my love. Shutting my eyes I descended on her, hearing her excruciating yelps of pain as the knife pierced her flesh over and over. When silence fell, I stopped and opened my eyes. The scene in front of me was grotesque, my stomach burned as bitterness came to my mouth, and my eyes blurred with tears. I ran from the room, as the horror picture got imprinted in my brain, branding my soul for eternity. Once into my lab, I threw up whatever I had in my stomach, I went to the gallons of alcohol, spilling all the contents throughout the house, where once I had love and happiness, and set it on fire, but not before to make sure I had my rope and a chair with me. While the house burned, I went to the nearest tree tying the rope in one of the high sturdy branches. Was I being a coward? Yes! I couldn’t live without Lettice and with the guilt of my evil doings gnawing at me. Once I was standing at the top of the chair, with the rope around my neck, I prayed to God to forgive my sins.

“I'm sorry Lettice, I know you loved me, but in my blindness I didn't understand your love, didn’t cherish you enough. I’m truly sorry, my love,” with that I tilted the chair, and my struggles for air hit me full blown, but it had nothing else I could have done by then. When everything turned bleary, and I took my last breath in this life, I didn’t know if it was a vision or not, but my beautiful nymph was there staring at me, then darkness…