A New Life

by Payton Cavallo

  Aethel’s eyebrow raised just slightly. “I assume you’re speaking of the werewolf. Those things are nasty and you’re going to have to have some good aim to take one down you know. That’s why it took so many wizards and witches to purge them because they are so agile for that big frame of theirs.”

  “Yeah, but unless you got the wards, I don’t have any better ideas on how to take them out. I never really managed to complete my schooling since I had to work on the farm but thankfully, Rayan is smart enough for the both of us. Maybe even smart enough to get up with a pretty girl like you.” A toothy grin spread across his face, his son’s face turning a light red.

  “Father that’s enough of that.” He patted the older man on the shoulder. “We’ll be just fine with our bait and traps. We’ll take two of those anti-vermin wards, please.”

  “You know, I’m not hearing her hating those compliments. Maybe you’ve got a shot.” His father whispered into his ear loudly, causing a laugh to leave Aethel’s lips.

  “I assure you both I’m available.” A smirk danced across her face. “However, I will only think about going on a date with you if you buy my most expensive item, the Merezin Mine for only ten golden crowns.”

  Gawain laughed. “You’re an expensive woman.”

  “What can I say? I’ve got expensive tastes.” She spread her arms out, “As you can see from the mansion I live in.”

  Rayan let out a chuckle at that. “Hey, it’s better than the barracks I used to sleep in ma’am. Even with the refreshing charms filtering the air, it always smelt like wet socks and sadness. If that’s all though I’d rather father and I grab our runes so we can head back home and not waste any more of your time.”

  “Oh you’re certainly not wasting any of my time.” She winked at Rayan, causing the young man to blush. “But if you want more of it, I’ve got some rune stones with your name on them. Preferably some pricy ones.”

  “W-we’ll be fine ma’am.” She thought it was cute as he tried to hide his red cheeks by pulling up the collar of his dress uniform, the young man ushering his father to pay for the items as quickly as possible.

  A smile remained on her face as they paid for their wards and left, two glowing rocks with etchings carved into them in their bag. The day went by quickly, several more customers stopping in and purchasing her wares, and soon, the sun had fallen.

  Aethel yawned and stretched as she walked towards the front door, the open sign glowing against the window.

  A quick pulse of her amulet glove and the letters bent and shifted to closed.

  “Hey mom!” A cry from the back caused Aethel to crack a smile as she saw her son walk up to her from the backdoor, his small body absolutely covered in dirt, a few leaves still stuck to him. “I’m hungry! We got anything to eat?”

  The growl from his stomach agreed with him.

  “You were good today, so I think I’ll make you some stew!” The loud cry of happiness from the boy signified that it was the right decision, and her son was excited as later that night, a hot steaming bowl of meat and vegetable stew was placed in front of him. Aethel held back a chuckle as he greedily ate it out of the spoon, the small boy getting the food all over himself. Once dinner was over, he played with his toys for a while, Aethel levitating a few objects with the boy being wide eyed at seeing his toy horse float.

  The little ball of energy was tired though, and thankfully, he fell asleep quickly that night. Unfortunately for Aethel, she could not say the same.

  Covers on the queen-sized mattress were strewn all over the bed as Aethel tossed and turned, unable to get any sleep.

  She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling she was being watched.

  Exhaustion eventually forced her to sleep, but the feeling of eyes wandering her form never left her.

  Chapter Three

  The sun peaked through the curtains in the bedroom. Aethel groaned as nature’s alarm clock woke her, “And up for the daily grind.” She muttered as she got up off her bed, and headed towards the shower. After she prepared herself for the day’s work and having made sure Craeft was ready for school, she left to drop her son off at school.

  It had been going on for a month, and each day went by smoothly as she crafted runes and sold them to her customers, leaving them feeling safer at the extra protection her creations offered them. From anti-vermin wards to intent wards, Aethel had done it all while Craeft was away at school. Aethel hoped he had a far better time than back when he was back in Rubrary, where the kids would pick on him for his lineage.

  But her hopes were dashed when she picked him up, his bright green eyes cast down upon the ground. Aethel asked him what was wrong, but he simply stayed silent as they walked back home. However, once they entered their home, he spoke up in a small voice.

  “The other kids were making fun of me again.” Craeft said. “One of the bigger boys wouldn’t stop talking about how I was of the wrong sort, and so I punched him in the eye. But the other kids wouldn’t stop talking about me…” Craeft seemed to shrink in on himself. “Mom, how come no one wants to be my friend? You told me that I had to be confident and keep my head held high, that It’d get better someday, but all they do is make fun of me, even when I make them shut up. They even said I-I’d never be an ascean knight because a bastard like me will never be good enough.”

  A few tears leaked down his face, and Aethel crouched down and brought her son into a hug. She rubbed circles on his back as she waited for him to calm down, Craeft having started to bawl. Aethel wanted to march down to the local school right that instant, but she knew nothing would result from it, as her status left her with little, she could do about it.

  Well, besides beat someone, but Aethel knew she couldn’t afford a lawsuit.

  “Shhh, Shhh, honey.” Aethel said as she pulled away slightly, allowing her to look into his eyes. “Listen, I know times are tough right now, but you can’t let what they say get to you Craeft. If they don’t like you, then that’s their problem. They’re just jealous that they won’t be an ascean knight like you!”

  Craeft looked down at his hands for a moment. “You really think I can be one?” He asked. “No one else seems to.”

  Aethel knew that getting into the ascean knighthood was tough, extremely so because it required great magical power, but she had seen Craeft’s great usage of ice magic. It was like instinct for the young boy, not even requiring words or an amulet glove to perform it.

  If anyone could get into it, Aethel knew her little boy could.

  “Of course I do.” Aethel said, a large smile across her face. “Now how about I make you some crattle-rat stew?”

  “…Yeah, I guess so.” Craeft said. Aethel grimaced as she heard the tone of his voice. She had hoped that the mention of his favorite food would have cheered him up, even a little, but it seemed that her words hadn’t been as comforting as she thought they’d be.

  The dinner between the two was a quiet affair, Craeft slowly eating his food, paddling it around with his spoon. A hint of frost had built around the tip from him using his ice magic. Aethel sighed as his eyelids began to droop once he finished his food, a sign of magical exhaustion.

  “Someone’s a little sleepy.” She remarked.

  “M’not sleepy.” He mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. Aethel held in a scoff as she picked him up and carried him to his bed. He quivered for a moment as she laid him in his bed, the boy clinging to her a little bit before he let go and allowed her to cover him with a soft blanket. She planted a kiss on his forehead, the boy letting out another yawn as she pulled away.

  “Good night Craeft. I love you.” Aethel said.

  “I love you too mom.” Craeft replied, before he quickly slipped into sleep.

  Once he was nice and comfortable, Aethel left his room. Aethel slipped into her room and into her bed and slowly drifted off. She hoped she would get a good night’s sleep that night.

  Unfortunately for her, she didn’t.

  ‘THUMP’

  A
ethel’s eyes popped open as she heard the noise, sounding like something large had slammed against her front door. She grabbed her amulet glove, having shoved it onto her hand as she slowly walked through the house, the cool air caressing her, causing goosebumps all over her skin. Magic pulsed throughout the jewel on her Glove, eager to be released on whatever dared to try and break into her home.

  She crept towards the front door, with a dread filled heart as she got closer and closer, her chest getting tighter and tighter as she approached it.

  The door had buckled slightly under the onslaught, barely holding on as whatever was assaulting it didn’t let up. A few cracks ran through it as a meaty thump hit it again and again till it had finally given way to reveal a horrifying creature.

  Two hideous red eyes glared through the doorway as the creature slipped into the house, its large body doing a good job to hide its agile nature. Pitch black fur covered its torso and neck, with long spindly grey inhuman limbs allowing it to move. Teeth jutted out of its mouth, it’s body clearly not designed to handle the rapid transformation it had gone through.

  A sound like a hundred wolves overlapping each other left its mouth, the beast howling into the night as the full moon gloomed like an observer above, like it was watching what was going to happen with sickening glee.

  And Aethel had no delusions of what would happen if she fought this beast.

  But she was all that was standing between the monster and her son, and so she’d have to be enough, even if she ended up dying in the end.

  The name of the beast slipped through her lips.

  “Werewolf.”

  It lunged.

  As if on instinct, Aethel raised her hand up, the jewel glowed bright as her magic filled it. “Propelium!” The beast was thrown back as a wave of blue energy slammed into it, but it held on tight in the doorway, its claws gripping the wood with its intense might.

  It lunged once again, and this time, Aethel wasn’t quick enough to react. She let out a shout of pain as she was thrown into the back wall of the room. The beast’s weight had sent her flying and knocked her rune stones off the shelves, the thick stones rolling around the store as the beast walked towards its prey. The sound of slick saliva dropping onto the floor caused the woman to look up from her position on the ground, the werewolf towering over her, it’s red eyes alight with cruel intent. Its tongue lapped out of its mouth, licking its putrid lips before it slashed at her stomach.

  Aethel screamed as the pain lanced through her torso, the beast seeming to take a sadistic joy in her agony. Blood leaked out of the shallow wound, hellish crimson eyes revealing its enjoyment and hunger. The combination terrified her beyond words.

  She tried to raise her amulet glove but it’s left hand descended, its claws pointed straight as it impaled her shoulder. Her screams of agony rang through the house, the beast seeming to take a sick pleasure in her pain.

  “Mom? What’s going o-“ Aethel’s heart filled with dread as she saw her son walk into the room, Craeft having frozen at the sight of the werewolf. The beast licked its lips as it looked at her son, its red eyes filled with an insatiable hunger.

  “Craeft, get out of here!” Aethel shouted, noticing that despite Craeft’s shocked state, he had formed ice along his hands, as if he was intending to take the beast on. She would not let that happen. “Climb out your window and keep running till you get back to Athsbane! I’ll meet you there once I take care of this beast!” Craeft, legs shaking in fear, nodded before he ran off. Aethel felt horrid for lying to her child, as she knew that it would take a miracle to survive this, but at the very least, she would stall the monster for as long as it took to make sure Craeft would be safe.

  Aethel grit her teeth in anger at the mere thought that this beast would hurt her child, and she knew she had to act fast. While her right arm bled profusely from the wound, her left arm was still good. The cool runic stone felt heavy in her arm as she smashed it against the side of its head. A sickening crack rung throughout the store as the beast reeled back.

  Horrid howls filled the room as it clutched the side of its head, it’s left eye crushed and blood leaking out of the wound in copious amounts. Aethel shakily stood up, her knees wobbling as the blood left her body. The blood loss was starting to get to her as she could barely keep her arm straight as she aimed her amulet glove, the foci thrumming with magical power. She gritted her teeth as pain flooded her arm, but she bore it as she announced her spell.

  “Illuminara!” It howled in pain as its single light sensitive eye was assaulted by the intense light coming from her amulet glove. The bang that followed the light caused her to kneel as well. The werewolf’s howls intensified as its eardrums were assaulted by the loud crackling noise, but luckily for her, her ears were less sensitive, and despite the ringing going through them, she found the strength to stand. But unluckily for her, the beast seemed to be no normal werewolf, recovering far quicker than its ears should have allowed.

  She grimaced as it let out a gurgling noise. Aethel realized it was a chuckle. She knew then and there that this was no ordinary werewolf. It was far too intelligent compared to the voracious man-beasts she had read about in school.

  A disgusting coughing noise filled the room as it attempted to mimic human speech, it’s inhuman jaws not allowing it to voice it correctly.

  Still, she heard the sickening voice, a tone lighter than she expected leaving its mouth even as wet chuckle slithered out from its throat, clearly amused that Aethel believed she even stood a chance against it.

  Aethel tried not to shiver as it hissed out that noise, knowing that it would haunt her dreams for the rest of her days.

  “Wont. Escape.” Its voice had a tone filled with nothing but cruelty.

  Her amulet glove glowed a bright green as she readied her next spell. Aethel knew that fighting this beast was suicidal at best. She was no hunter, and her level of self-defense was barely even school worthy, as she had been only average at curses and charms, but she didn’t care. She knew that once it was done with her, it would definitely attack Craeft, and she had to defend her child from this monstrosity that sought to tear her and her son to pieces.

  The smirk that crossed its face was full of teeth as it looked at her like she was a joke, it’s one eye filled with amusement as it simply spread its arms out. It knew it had the advantage. She had nowhere to flee, especially not if she wished to protect her child. She could force it out of the door, but it would simply come back in unless she killed it, and werewolves were renowned for their agility.

  ‘But that seems to rely on instinct. The recordings I’ve seen show them moving far faster than this one! Yet, she could still be playing with me, but why?’ She gritted her teeth as it took a step closer, the look of enjoyment in its eye as it saw the fear in hers made her sick to her stomach. ‘What made it want to attack me, a random woman in this town? Why me?!’

  Her eyes wandered as she looked for a way out of this situation before desperation began to settle in. The only spell she knew that could even damage it was electranius, but Aethel knew that werewolves were fast. Really fast, and could probably avoid the spell unless she was very close to it.

  Aethel felt terror fill her heart as she knew what she’d have to do. She’d have to get in close, and force it out of her home unless she wanted the electric spell to light her house on fire. Mentally, she sent a quick prayer to Miion before she readied herself. This would have to go perfectly, or it would tear her to pieces the moment she got in range of its sharp claws.

  It lunged once again, but this time she was prepared as she unleashed her spell. “Propelium!” The beast flew out of the doorway along with a couple of her runic stones as he was once again slammed by the magical wave. The monster sprawled onto the grass as it roared in fury. “I’m almost out. Why couldn’t my magical core be bigger?” Aethel muttered to herself, lamenting the fact that she was magically weak.

  A person's magical core was where they gathered magic from, the soul ess
entially, that created the raw magic that people could use. It was much like a muscle, able to be built up tougher than before and becoming stronger, able to absorb more magic.

  But also, much like a muscle, acid would build up to break down the core and reform it stronger than before. The more magic one used without giving the core the time to vent the excess acid, the deadlier the effects of the acid became.

  Nausea, sweating, headaches, vomiting, and even passing out and in extraordinary cases, death, as the soul melted itself completely.

  The average human though, would barely ever have those effects, even the more magic extensive jobs not using much more than the average person could produce.

  Only the more militant jobs would ever have a person truly grow their core, like the knights or the military. Aethel did not have one of those jobs, instead having a simple civilian one. She could feel the acid building up in her body, sweat dripping in heavy droplets from her brow.

  She was knocked out of her thoughts as she spotted a small stone with a glowing rune on it. It rolled to the side of the werewolf, its rune cracked and damaged as it began to glow a hideous red.

  “Wait, is that-“

  Aethel screamed as the damaged Merezin Mine went off, peppering them both with horrible rocky shrapnel. The werewolf howled in pain as well, stones digging into its arm as it tried to shield itself from the damage. But it was all for naught as even its thick skin couldn’t prevent the sharp rock fragments from piercing its body. Aethel was in no better shape, blood pouring out of her right leg as she was forced to rely on her left leg, her right having several holes through it.

  Aethel felt lightheaded, not even screaming anymore as she breathed deeply, trying to stay conscious as the adrenaline poured into her body. “Gonna...kill you.” She said, her voice filled with determination.

  She mumbled to herself as she aimed her amulet glove at it one final time, the beast too busy pulling the rock fragments out of its arm to notice her aiming her shot. “I’ve got to…make this count.”