Jack Templar and the Lord of the Werewolves (Book #4 of the Templar Chronicles)

by Jeff Gunhus

  “So, what do you ask for in return for this information?” I asked.

  “Belief,” she said. “Belief that you could be the One. Will you give it to me, Templar? Will you give me this thing that I cannot take?

  It was a curious request, and I should have been more alert to the venom in her voice. But I was eager to get the information and get out of there.

  “Sure,” I said. “How do I do it?”

  She grinned and nodded to the space behind me. “Just by agreeing, you’ve already done it,” she laughed.

  I spun around. The marble dragon I’d passed on the way in was moving, slowly at first, but gaining more agility and speed by the second. Its wide scales slid over one another as it slithered from the shadows into the light of day.

  “This will be fun,” Pythia said.

  I didn’t need to be able to see the future to see that I was about to have anything but fun fighting this monster.

  Chapter 11

  I drew my sword and held it in front of me, cursing my big mouth. I had no clue why my belief that I could be the One meant anything to her. Or how giving her that belief gave her permission to test me. Still, I should have seen that the Oracle was searching for a way to get me to agree to this confrontation. Obviously, she operated under some kind of warped system where she couldn’t force people to do things, only accept what they were willing to give her.

  And I’d just accidentally given her the fight she wanted to see.

  This dragon was very different from the ones I’d faced before. I mean, even outside the fact that the others had been made of flesh and blood and this one still appeared to be made of stone.

  It was smaller than the dragons at the Academy. Those had been like prehistoric creatures, the size of small buildings. This one was on more of a human scale, the head like that of a large lion, with a thick, serpentine body and long tail that tapered off into a nasty barbed spike. I took special note of that and all the other parts of the dragon’s body that might kill me. Its enormous fangs, curved claws, hooks on its elbow joints and probably the ability to breathe fire.

  Piece of cake.

  “This is Python,” the Oracle said. “Once faced by the god Apollo himself. Can you defeat him, Templar? Do you think of yourself as a god?”

  “Uh, no. But I am pretty good in a fight,” I replied.

  She scowled. I guess she didn’t like my sense of humor. And neither did the beast coming toward me.

  The dragon let out a deafening roar, so loud that I opened my guard to cover my ears. This move was exactly what it wanted me to do, and it charged the second I did.

  But I was ready. Covering my ears was just a feint to lure the monster in. I spun to the side and brought down my blade as hard as I could.

  As the dragon realized its mistake, underestimating me, it bent its body away. Just in time. Still, my sword struck a glancing blow off the side of the dragon’s body, sending a fountain of sparks into the air.

  Pythia cried out, and I couldn’t tell if it was concern for me or for the dragon. I sensed it was because she didn’t want this contest to end too quickly.

  The dragon took up a position on the far side of the garden, its body and tail swirling in the air behind it like a propeller. I think it realized I wasn’t just some person off the street. I was a monster hunter, and this fight was not going to be easy.

  I held my sword in front of me, pacing the area, getting a feel for the fighting surface with my feet.

  “This isn’t necessary,” I said to Pythia. “Can’t we just talk? If you have questions, I can answer them.”

  Pythia laughed. “We are talking. Everything we do is language. And you know the old saying – actions speak louder than words.”

  The dragon charged. There was no roar this time or any indication before the attack. Its speed was amazing. It was on me before I took my first step to brace myself.

  I managed to duck just as the dragon’s claws tore through the air over my head. It was so close that I actually felt my hair move. I thought I was in the clear, but the dragon’s tail whipped at me and struck me across the chest.

  I tumbled through the air and slammed into one of the pillars. On reflex, I jerked to the side and felt the dragon smash a claw into the column where my head had been a split second earlier. Shards of shattered marble stung as they hit my cheeks and arms. This was no idle match. The dragon was out for blood.

  I used the next pillar to brace myself and get my bearings. Sliding behind it, I had at least a temporary shelter as I took stock of my situation. Turns out, it was even worse than I’d imagined.

  All of the other statues in the courtyard had also come alive. They stood on the opposite side of the rectangle, arraying behind the row of columns, craning their heads for a good look at the battle. They seemed content for now to be spectators. I just hoped it stayed that way.

  The dragon lashed out again, using its tail to whip around the pillar I was hiding behind. I jumped out of the way but felt a searing pain on the back of my leg. The razor-sharp point of the dragon’s tail had sliced through my jeans and cut my calf. It wasn’t bad, especially since I had so much adrenaline rushing through my system. But the living statues on the far side of the courtyard howled and shrieked with excitement. I realized with a shudder that they must smell my blood in the air. The last thing I needed was for those others to get carried away and join the fight. If they did, I was a goner for sure.

  I needed to finish this fight. Fast.

  I did the thing I knew no one expected me to do. I attacked the other set of statues.

  With a yell, I sprinted across the courtyard, jumping over a swipe of the dragon’s barbed tail. I ran straight at a white marble Minotaur, a monster with a muscular human body and a massive bull’s head. The beast’s eyes opened wide. It raised its shield and spear as I launched myself at it. But the Minotaur was too slow. My feet hit its chest with a brutal kick that sent it stumbling backward. Most important, it dropped its shield and spear. Those were what I wanted.

  I grabbed them, grunting from their weight, and turned back to the approaching dragon.

  Just as I feared, the creature’s chest was puffed up as if it’d taken in a huge breath. I knew what was coming next. Fire.

  I crouched behind the Minotaur’s shield as blue flames shot from the dragon’s mouth. They hit the shield and streamed around it. The shield grew hot in my hands, almost too much to bear. Finally, the chance I needed showed up.

  The flames stopped, and I heard the dragon suck in another breath. Yelling, I heaved the shield up in the air so it flew over the dragon’s head. The ploy worked, and the creature’s instinct was to watch the shield, raising its head and exposing its throat.

  I charged, grasping the Minotaur’s spear with both hands. Reaching the dragon, I rammed the spear into its throat. A grinding sound filled the air, stone sliding against stone. The dragon roared, turning toward me with a claw raised over its head to strike me. I was totally exposed without a shield or anywhere to hide. Hoping to absorb some of the blow, I raised my arms even though I knew it wouldn’t do much good.

  But the blow never came.

  The roar stopped too.

  Cautiously, I raised my head to see what had happened.

  The dragon was frozen back into solid stone, the Minotaur’s sword sticking from its chest now part of the statue. The rest of the statue creatures slowly retreated from their spots behind the pillars and moved back into the entry room.

  An odd sound filled the air – Pythia slowly clapping for me.

  “Well done, monster hunter,” she said. “Perhaps you are the One after all. You have given me hope. This is a thing of great value.”

  I didn’t want to tell her that I didn’t think I was the One from the prophecy. Heck, I kind of hoped I wasn’t. No one ever gave me a straight answer, but I got the feeling that the prophecy didn’t end well for whoever turned out to be this magical One person. I decided to play it safe and keep my own doubts to mys
elf. “Then I’ve kept my side of the bargain. Now will you tell me where I can find the Lord of the Werewolves and whether we can defeat him?”

  Pythia closed her eyes and swayed gently from side to side. “I only see probable outcomes. You must do the rest. But most men are heathens. It’s simple to predict their behavior even without the gift of sight.”

  “So can you or can’t you tell me where to find Kaeden?”

  Pythia closed her eyes for a long count and then reopened them. “I know where he is. Whether you can find him is a different matter.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “One can tell the lazy man how to become wealthy through hard work, but will it make a difference? Likely not,” Pythia said.

  “I’m not lazy.”

  “No, but you are reckless and consider it bravery. Will a reckless hunter be able to find Kaeden even if I give him a location?” Pythia closed her eyes for several long seconds. I was close enough to see her eyes moving behind her eyelids as if she was having a dream.

  Finally, she cried out, and her eyes shot open. They tore through me and I thought I saw fear in them.

  “You have many paths, more than I have seen in eons. In most, you and your friends all perish. In others, you simply fail and see the world crumble around you.”

  I swallowed hard. “Isn’t there a path where I succeed?”

  Pythia nodded. “Very few. Even in these successes, nearly all of them end with most of your friends dying. For you to succeed on your quest, you must walk a razor’s edge at all times. Every little mistake sends an earthquake into the future, taking away more paths until only the terrible ones remain.”

  “Are you always this cheery?” I asked.

  Pythia gave me a genuine smile. “There is a path where all your friends will live. If you leave here without knowing the location of Kaeden’s lair, you will never find it on your own, and you’ll be safe.”

  “But Ren Lucre will win,” I said. “He will destroy the world.”

  “Yes,” Pythia replied. “And if I tell you and you go and seek the lair, either you or one of your party traveling with you will surely die. All paths point to this fate – no matter what you do.”

  A pit formed in my stomach as I realized the choice Pythia had just given me. Turn and walk away, and my friends would live, but Ren Lucre’s army would sweep through the world. Or find the Lord of the Werewolf’s location and ensure the death of one of my team.

  “Choose, Templar,” Pythia hissed. “Choose now.”

  Chapter 12

  I trudged back to the restaurant. I’d been gone for about thirty minutes, so I figured the guys would have started to worry about me, wondering whether I’d fallen into the toilet or something. But I couldn’t bring myself to jog or run back. My stomach felt upside-down, and I could barely stay on my feet because of the nausea. My mind reeled from what had just happened. I beat myself up for the decision I’d made.

  I saw Will in the alley behind the restaurant. On seeing me, he scowled at me like a puppy who’d run off without permission. He called back over his shoulder and yelled, “He’s over here.”

  A few seconds later, Daniel and T-Rex ran into the alley. I made my way to them, my hands up in apology.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anyone,” I said.

  “Where’d you go?” Daniel demanded.

  I told them what had just happened, and they stared at me with open mouths.

  When I got to the Oracle’s prediction, I stammered. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the whole truth. I wasn’t ready to tell them the terrible choice I’d had to make – either let Ren Lucre win or accept that one of us would die chasing after the Jerusalem stone. It was one of the hardest choices I’d ever made.

  “So?” Will said, “Did she tell you where to find him?”

  I looked them each in the eye, one by one, and then nodded.

  “Yes,” I said, “I asked her to… and she told me.”

  They high-fived one another and thumped me on the back.

  “So, where is he?” T-Rex asked.

  “Here’s what she said.

  ‘Go into the darkest, most ancient of woods,

  Where the knights of the Teutons lay rusting.

  Defeat ye the lord through his champion beast.

  Yet, in victory never be trusting.’”

  “Ugh, I’m so tired of these riddles,” Daniel groused. “Why can’t these Creach just say it? I mean, why can’t we get a simple ‘head over ten miles south of such-and-such town, take a right at the big red barn, third spooky castle on the left’ or something like that?”

  “That would be nice,” I said, only half-listening. I had to tell them how much this information had cost, but I didn’t know how. I guess I was afraid they would be angry. They had a right to be. What business did I have making that kind of decision without asking them?

  But it wasn’t a true choice. Not really.

  I’d fought against Ren Lucre before. I’d seen his power for myself, both in person and in a battle against a goblin army that was tiny compared to the coordinated attack he prepared against the entre human world. Aquinas’s worry about him taking over the world wasn’t some idle threat. He had Creach secretly positioned everywhere. In the police of every country. The armies. The governments. His Creach minions had infiltrated every seat of power, and all waited for his signal.

  I couldn’t just walk away and let that happen, right?

  I noticed too late that Daniel was studying my face. By the time I caught him, he’d already seen the flash of emotion.

  “What else did the Oracle say?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Not much.”

  T-Rex looked up expectedly. “Did she say anything about my grandma?” T-Rex had come with us only after his grandma had been taken away with dementia. He worried about her more than he let on.

  “No, I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t have time to ask her.”

  T-Rex’s shoulders sagged in disappointment.

  Will put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder, but shot me a look. “She told you something though,” Will said. “Something you don’t want to tell us.”

  I nodded. Even as I made the choice, I knew I’d eventually have to tell them. They deserved to know. I guess I’d just hoped they wouldn’t force me to do it this quickly.

  “Out with it, Templar,” Daniel said. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “Oh, you’d be surprised,” I said. “Okay, here it is. She told me that if she gave me Kaeden’s location, it would send us on a path where one of us or all of us would die.”

  All three of them took the news in different ways. Daniel squared his shoulders. To him, death was just another adversary to defeat in battle. T-Rex sucked in his lower lip and chewed on it softly while he stared at the ground. It was Will’s reaction that caught me off-guard.

  After a few seconds, he burst out laughing.

  We all looked at him like he was nuts, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was red-faced, and snot bubbles kept appearing under his nose.

  “What are you laughing at?” I asked. His laughter was so uncontrolled that it was infectious. Despite how terrible I felt, I found myself laughing with him. Soon, Daniel and T-Rex were too, although none of us could quite say why.

  “Oh, my side hurts,” Will said.

  “Then stop laughing like an idiot,” I said. “What’s so funny?”

  “You are,” Will said, wiping tears from his eyes. “You were so serious and stuff.”

  I still didn’t get it. “It is serious, Will. One of us, maybe more than one of us, is going to die if we keep going.”

  Will smacked me on the shoulder. “We all knew that when we signed up for this trip,” he said. “It sounds like you’re just figuring it out. You’ve got to admit that’s kind of funny.”

  I looked around at their grinning faces. Will was right. We all knew from the beginning that this was ridiculously dangerous. We were
lucky we hadn’t all died three or four times apiece in the last couple of months. Still, part of me had started to believe we’d made it this far because we were somehow destined to make it through. That we were somehow invincible. Then again, Eva hadn’t been so lucky.

  The Oracle’s prophecy made the danger feel all the more real. Like our lucky streak wasn’t only likely to run out, but was guaranteed to. I frowned.

  Daniel put a hand on each of my shoulders.

  “If you’re feeling bad that you made the decision without talking to us, just don’t,” he said. “If I was there, I would have done the same. All of us would.”

  “Absolutely,” Will said, finally over his laughing fit.

  Daniel and Will looked over to T-Rex, who jerked up a little when he realized it was his turn to say something. “Oh yeah, sure.”

  “Thanks, guys, I appreciate it,” I said, really meaning it.

  “Uhh… is there a chance that she was wrong?” T-Rex asked. “I mean, nobody’s perfect, right? She could be wrong.”

  “Let’s make her wrong,” I said. “Let’s go face down the Lord of the Werewolves and show him what it’s like to go up against hunters of the Black Guard.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Will said.

  “So, where is he?” Daniel asked. “Where has the mighty Kaeden built his lair?”

  “Well,” I replied. “There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that we have another long train ride ahead of us.”

  “What’s the good news?” Will asked.

  I pointed at Daniel. “Unless I’m wrong about the Knights of the Teutons in the riddle being the Teutonic Knights, I’m pretty sure you get to use more of your German.”

  Chapter 13

  “The Black Forest is in the southwest corner of Germany. It’s been the site for dozens of major Creach battles,” Xavier gushed. “It has to be what the Oracle’s riddle means.”

  He sat in the train compartment with the rest of us. He still moved a little stiffly on his right side, but he looked a lot better than when we’d left him five days earlier. Just as we promised, we’d sent him a coded message about where to meet us after the Oracle gave us a location. He’d met us at the train station in Austria loaded up with a backpack of inventions. These included crossbow bolts with enormous bulbs on the end of the shafts where the arrowheads usually went. Judging by the careful way he handled them, I guess they were the explosive tips he’d promised back at the farm.