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Kitsune Lina
Origin of the Species "I hope I didn't..."
"Yipe!" Amelia woke up with startled yell at the old man's voice.
"...umm...scare you too much last night." Zelgadis yawned and stretched as he sat up from the floor. He rolled his eyes at Amelia. Gourry's snores carried through the small building, unconcerned with the going ons around him.
"Don't mind her, she's not used to werecreatures."
"I'll make us some breakfast," the man said, gesturing for them to sit at the small table in the center of the room. "Its been awhile since I had anything cooked, but I think I remember how its done."
"Breakfast?" Gourry snapped awake and was at the table before anyone else.
"So that's what it takes," Zelgadis mumbled. "I'll be fine with just some coffee." As he sat down he began piecing together his portable coffee set along with some beans and a cup.
"Why are we still here?" Amelia asked.
"At the very least you are going to learn a little bit about lycanthropes," Zelgadis said, he was heating his skin of water with a minor spell.
"What does this have to do with your cure?" Gourry asked, looking anxiously in the direction of the chicken coop Protoss had headed off for. The old man turned back into the cabin as he asked.
"Mr. Greywyrds is probably hoping that I ran across something that could help him in my researches," Protoss answered.
"That is correct."
"I have to say no, I stick pretty much to looking for stories on werecreatures."
"Then I'll settle for that," Zelgadis said. He knew some little bit about it himself, having studied curses in general, but he suspected that his knowledge was still fairly limited.
"I thought you might know a little already," the old man said from the fireplace. "It certainly explains why you were so calm last night."
"Do you want me to do that?" Zelgadis asked, watching the water slowly filter through the crushed beans and the cloth to come out coffee and drop into his cup. This process took forever. "This is mostly for her benefit anyway." He indicated Amelia.
"Perhaps that would be better," Protoss agreed. "Like I said, I haven't felt the need to cook for a while." He walked over, smoothly like some one much younger, and sat across from Amelia, who fidgetted nervously and stared at him.
"First, lycanthropy was not always a disease," he explained. "A very long time ago it was known as variously as the shaping magic, the beast arts, and a few other things I have heard."
"I've heard of those," Amelia piped up. "But there isn't any record of a connection with lycanthropes."
"Most humans these days think of us as you do, rampaging monsters that need to be put out of their own misery. I was like that myself before I was infected. Most of our history is still word of mouth and trickles of information."
"Where's a monster, and how long on those chickens?" Gourry asked.
"No monster, and be patient," Zelgadis grumbled. "Their coming."
"Anyway, lycanthropy was taught, like any other form of magic, for generations. Then someone came up with the bright idea to permanently take on some of the more common spells. To assimilate the magic into his body."
"How long ago was this," Zelgadis asked, glancing irritably at his dripping coffee filter while trying to cook the chickens.
"Several generations before the Kouma war, the lycanthropes of the time felt the war coming and wanted more power for the conflict."
"So what happened?" Gourry asked.
"They botched it up somehow," Protoss said, stating the obvious. "I'm not exactly certain how, it involved calling on the power of the moon somehow. The lycanthrope magic as a whole went wild. Within an unknown every beast mage, from apprentice to master, had assimilated the magic into their bodies, and the process burned out access to the more common magics. The schools of beast magic became species of werecreature."
"And that is how the changes came to be tied to the moon?" Amelia asked. Protoss nodded.
"This is how it was told to me," he answered. "How much is true I cannot accurately say, but it sounds right."
"Someone should write this down," Amelia said.
"People have," Zelgadis said from where he was putting the final touches on the chickens. "But most of the books have been destroyed. I've seen one or two pages from the time period that support the story though."
"But to keep such histories from people is..."
"...unjust? Like keeping us waiting for the food!" Gourry interjected. Zelgadis plopped a chicken irritably in front of the swordsman and another in front of Amelia. He offered one to Protoss, but the old man refused. Zelgadis himself sat down to watch his cup of coffee finally finish.
"I imagine that the greater scholars found this nothing more than an inconvience, compared to the real increase in power. But I believe the apprentices and initiates were unprepared for the fourth aspect."
"What do you mean, unprepared," Amelia asked.
"I said something of that last night," Zelgadis said, sipping at his coffee as contentedly as he could. Gourry had finished with his chicken and was working on the one Zelgadis had made for Protoss. "That form was designed for battle, it is meant to be entered and left for brief periods of time. I do know more about curses in general than most of you here put together." Zelgadis added the last to respond to the stares he was getting.
"Yes, well you see, all the beast mages had every possible spell and effect from their specific school ingrained in their bodies. So when the full moon came they were overwhelmed by the fourth aspect's instincts and hunger, that transformation requires a lot of energy which needs to be replaced."
"So they expected a battle and without one they went to look for one, and then something to eat too" Gourry said between bites. "Makes sense to me, doing nothing can get kind of boring."
"So only young werecreatures get out of control," Amelia asked. "Wait, what about your cage?"
"That," Protoss laughed. "That cage couldn't stop me even at my age."
"Then why even use it?" Zelgadis asked.
"It keeps the food in," he said simply. "Much easier than hunting, though that's fun at times." Amelia shifted uncomfortably now that information got across.
"Anyway back to the story, please," the princess suggested.
"Of course," he smiled, recognizing her discomfort. "Well after the discovery that changes were more difficult to start or stop at the lycanthropes choosing, came the next shock. On the full moon, a werecreature that is in fourth aspect leaks a little of the magic. This can take hold in someone injured by the creature, and suddenly you have another werecreature."
"But Lina was never bitten by anything," Amelia countered. "She just woke up under the bed one day after the new moon."
"No, in her case my blood was given to her in someway," he answered angrily. "The magic is always in the blood, no matter what the phase of the moon. Someone should find this Martina girl and stop her from doing such a thing again."
"We'll take care of her," Gourry promised.
"What is this about a 'real increase in power?' Zelgadis asked.
"It is my understanding that the old beast mages could be killed just like normal animals and people. They healed fast, but skewering them through the heart still killed them, no matter what the material. Now, though, the magic binds our life together. We can survive anything short of immolation, decapitation and silver." The three slayers sat up and looked to each other.
"You could survive then, if you were ambushed in human form and cut to ribbons?" Zelgadis asked.
"As long as the weapons weren't silver, and your head didn't leave your body, yes," Protoss answered. "I've been cut in half before, very unpleasant experience. And all the time you're healing you can't fall unconscious because the stuff healing you keeps you awake. Then you sleep for a couple of days and wake up famished. Not something you want to happen."
"Do you think," Amelia started.
"Yes, I do, I think Lina's still alive," Zelgadis answered.
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