The Rising Azimuth

by D D Mathews

  “It’s too late kid. Nobody can get in there,” he said sadly.

  Joseph cried out, “Samantha is in there.“

  “I’m sorry. We have to let the firemen take care of this, okay?” The man looked at Joseph waiting for acknowledgment.

  “Okay,” Joseph said, defeated.

  The neighbor walked to his wife and hugged her close. Joseph started crying as he watched the house burn. Before the firemen arrived, the house collapsed sending sparks up into the sky. For Joseph, It felt like a pyre destroying his only connection in the world.

  The sirens got louder. He couldn’t stay here, questions would soon be asked and he didn’t have any answers for the authorities. He walked away from the fire and into town hoping for a bus station so he could run away again.

  ***

  Veronika watched the dream grey wolf burst into flames. This animal was everything she needed. She saw a powerful weapon she could use to slay her enemies. As he blinked away back to the real world she smelled a burst of sage and clean sheets. With his personal scent, she could track him. She needed a starting location. She floated around this central plains town, still invisible. She saw a couple of restaurants, banks, and gas stations. She floated downtown and found what she needed, the post office. The sign read Yankton, South Dakota. This wolf was her key to correcting an injustice against her.

  ***

  Nuri entered the apartment and saw Tamara sitting on the couch with Gretchen, both barely more awake than before. Gretchen had her arms draped around Tamara loosely while Tamara finished telling Gretchen, “Doman is very sick, it won’t be much longer. We’ll have to see how she reacts, but I think we have a chance.“

  Nuri interrupted, “I’ve got coffee for you both, and a pastry.” The two women didn’t move a muscle. However, their eyes did follow the coffee cups as Nuri placed on the low table in front of the couch. Nuri divided the pastry for her new sisters and handed each a half. Before either could take a bite Nuri launched into her questions.

  “What happened to me yesterday? What am I?” she started.

  “You changed into your true self, your beast self. You’re a werewolf,” Tamara answered after a sip of coffee.

  “Like in the movies?“

  “Kind of, but different in some key aspects.“

  “What aspects?” Nuri asked.

  “Well the full moon doesn’t affect you like in the movies. The beast inside must be embraced or you might kill a lot of innocent people. You must control it. Another thing that’s different is you have three forms. The regular human form, the wolf form, and the Were form. The Were form is the easiest to master and most useful. It’s the form most werewolves change into the first time. The first time a wolf changes is called Shatter or Emergence. Each clan calls it something different. I like the slang word Popping.“

  The questions kept pouring from Nuri’s mouth, “Is that all that separates us from humans?“

  “Not completely. We have ‘triggers.’ These can cause us to change against our will. Every Were’s trigger is decided during their Popping. You will feel the strongest pull to take Were form when you see someone you love in danger. You are a protector. Gretchen feels the beast pull most from pain; Nox from anger, of course. I change easiest when afraid. Also, werewolves manifest unusual powers. Nox is crazy fast while Justine has impressive stamina.”

  Gretchen piped up and said, “I have a hypnotic effect on other wolves, it’s super rare. While your aunt can influence others behaviors, both humans and Were. She can make a group of strong-minded woman drink until they throw up,” Gretchen made a vomit sound effect. Nuri smiled at Gretchen and kept asking questions.

  “Are there other werewolves?“

  Tamara took another sip of coffee, “Yes, a lot, scattered all over the world.“

  “Are they all women?“

  “No,” said Tamara.

  Gretchen added, “But Nox wishes they were.” Tamara chuckled.

  “Why us?”

  “Why not us?” Tamara replied.

  “Then why did you hit me and lock me in a cage?” Nuri asked getting upset, tears forming in her eyes. Tamara put down her coffee, took her niece’s hand and calmly dried her niece’s eyes with her fingers.

  “I’m sorry sister, our clan demands a ritual with a certain level of… difficulty. If it could have been any other way, I would have done it that way.“

  “What do you mean clan? What ritual? Are they easier ones?” Nuri paused, “Are there harder ones?“

  Tamara smiled and looked over to Gretchen who took over, “With thousands of werewolves worldwide, most feel the need to bond together. The idea of the lone wolf is a misnomer; almost all wolves are born into a clan. The largest clans break down, usually by families. The Amazons, which is what you are, group together as a sisterhood, voluntarily. If you wish to “family” up with another sisterhood, you may. The first rite to join a sisterhood is fairly straightforward, but if you try to change “family” again, the rite is quite brutal. I once saw a wolf have her…”

  “You’re straying,” Tamara said keeping Gretchen on the point.

  “Sorry. I know a little about the bigger more established clans, the Celts, the Aboriginals, the Babylonians. I think the United States has a few newer clans and the Native Americans. Most werewolf clans have some long lost history from ancient peoples. Another clan from Africa, very tribal, called the…“

  “Gretchen,” Tamara cut her off. “She loves her history.“

  Gretchen getting back on track, “Our rite for new wolves is hard so the initiate can prove she will strengthen the sisterhood. We can’t trust weak wolves. They hurt our success as a clan. I know it sounds cruel, but it’s important. Some clans accept everyone and these clans prosper for a while, but when real danger comes, the weak wolves bring down the strong wolves and both die. Some clans are much more brutal, where all the new wolves are forced to change by pain and fight to the death, sometimes six or seven in the same pit.”

  Nuri was fascinated by all the new information. “Are there more werewolves in Krakow?” she asked.

  “Nope,” said Tamara. “This is our hunting ground, we use it for business and rites, we collect up new wolves, manage the land for future generations. It’s like an altruistic business that helps, monitors, and protects the land for our clan.“

  “What do I do next?” asked Nuri still a little desperate.

  “That’s up to you. You can stay here and continue being a student. Or you can move back in with me or Gretchen or Nox, and start learning our business. Or you can go out into the world as an Amazon and find your place in the bigger scope of things. But you will always be my family, my sister and I will always love you.” Tamara gave her a big hug, stood, and headed toward the bedroom. Nuri heard the shower start. She looked over to Gretchen, who looked back with kind understanding.

  Suddenly, the fear, pain, and guilt burst, “I killed that boy.” Nuri wept. Gretchen held her tight, letting her new baby sister cry herself out. This was the first step for most when dealing with this new world of werewolves.

  ***

  Colin stood with his father and grandfather while they waited for the O’Rinns, who stacked the last remaining pork greedily on their plates, leaving nothing for the MacDermotts. Most of the families had finished eating and were helping set-up the Ephemeris. A few of the slower eaters remained near the serving tables talking about the three announced games: archery, tafl, and instigator boxing.

  Colin let his father and grandfather fix up their plates first. Mandy Connelly was cleaning up the pork station. He was disappointed no pork remained. It was a tiny slight he had to endure because of his family’s status. He was about to slide over to the vegetables when she held her hand in a “1” gesture. She knelt down under the table and pulled out a secreted aluminum foil ball and placed it on his plate. He moved along to get some potatoes and squash, loading up his plate. He grabbed a beer before finding a place to eat.

  Colin stood with
his family and Seth Daly, eating. The boy had gone back for seconds and was eating with nervous energy. Colin carefully pulled apart Mandy’s gift, it was a sizeable portion of warm pork she had saved. Colin smiled, she was a sweet kid, he thought. Maybe his father was right. A nice match with Mandy and a bunch of pups might placate his anger at the world and his place in it. He shook his head and refocused on his plan. He needed to eat, register for the Ephemeris, defeat his competitors, and impress the Council. Maybe later he would thank Mandy for the gift.

  Colin thought the Ephemeris was well balanced, not too physical or too cerebral. Which meant any of the new Weres could win. His father was telling Seth a story, “I heard back in the day Celts fought full combat to decide the Ephemeris.“

  Colin’s Grandfather, Alby, piped in, “A crime that was, getting rid of fights to the death. My own grandfather used to tell of amazing Ephemeris winners covered in blood, head to toe. A shame they got rid of them.“

  “I’m worried about tafl. I’m not very good,” Seth blurted out between bites. “I’m not very good at archery either. Maybe I could win the boxing, I can hit pretty hard.“

  Colin thought, “Nobody’s lost an arm playing a simple board game like tafl,” taking another bite of pork.

  “Do you have a favorite this year Colin?” Seth asked.

  It was odd to be treated kindly by his betters. Colin’s mouth was full so he shook his head ‘no.”

  Shallowing down a bite of squash, he said, “I’m a pretty good shot with a bow, but I’m probably a worse tafl player than you.”

  Seth smiled like a younger brother looking up to his cooler older brother.

  Carthach asked Seth, “Do you think someone might win all three events?“

  Before Seth could respond, Alby cussed, “Horseshit. Never happens. It won’t happen tonight either.“

  “I don’t know. That Riley boy looks pretty strong. He might be able to win The Ephemeris,” Carthach said.

  “He might win the boxing, but I don’t think any Riley is smart enough to play tafl, much less win it,” Alby retorted.

  “I heard he’s been practicing,” Seth said.

  After a bit of back in forth, all three of them started believing Ryan Riley might have a chance to win all three events. If that happened he would be granted a wish by the king. Colin’s name was never mentioned. Colin believed winning archery and placing in tafl might coax Sarah to support him.

  Colin finished eating, threw away his plate, and headed to where the sign-up sheet was. He added his name and scanned the others. Ryan Riley had signed up, therefore his brother didn’t. Families usually put forward only one contestant, a tradition from when the Ephemeris was more brutal and deadly. No family could afford to lose multiple Weres. Colin read the other names, Colleen McCarthy, Mandy Connelly, Seth Daly, and himself.

  “I saw you earlier, you are…you are… I like your pants.”

  Colin turned to see a cute girl a bit older than him. She acted awkward and unsure of herself, which Colin didn’t understand. He knew girls found him attractive, but being part of the lowest family meant he should be the fumbling idiot. She started speaking again, “I hope you do well tonight. I think you should easily win the boxing. Your wolf is so…so…beautiful. I’ve never seen any Were look so good. Most wolves look like Tybalt, he’s my brother. My Dad is also a little scary in Were form. Now that I think about it, mom’s not really a looker either. Your fur and…muscles are…“

  Feeling embarrassed about what she might say next Colin interrupted, “What’s your name?“

  “Juliet, but everyone calls me Jules. It’s from Romeo and Juliet. Do you know it? It’s about two young lovers from two different families. It makes you think, doesn’t it?” She assumed Colin’s silent politeness was interest and grabbed him by his shoulder. He didn’t want to insult her so he didn’t pull away.

  “When I was introduced at the last Rise, I competed. I didn’t win anything. The wrestling was hard, but I liked the tracking games. I got lost, but King Osmund found me. He’s so nice. He talked to me about the history of his family line and how way back, like two hundred years ago, my family were sailors and helped move thousands of people to the new world. He’s so smart.” He smiled holding his tongue. She grinned and started rubbing her hands up and down his arm. She never stopped talking.

  After a few uncomfortable minutes with Juliet, Ryan Riley walked up and ripped the sign-up sheet from Colin. “Wow, Colin MacDermott you have a lot of guts trying to compete against your betters,” he growled at Colin. Juliet released her grip and stepped away to watch from a safer distance. Ryan pushed Colin in the shoulder, “I can’t wait to batter you bloody in the ring.” During clan rites, young werewolves were often encouraged to establish themselves as strong or smart. Celts thought this helped create a clan hierarchy. Most tried to do this during the games, however, some did it wherever they could.

  “We’ll see, Riley,” Colin stated calmly, knowing a physical confrontation outside the ring would not help his cause.

  “I’m so scared,” Ryan added sarcastically. “Almost as scared as your father’s dancing.” His voice got louder attracting a small crowd, hoping to embarrass Colin. Colin stared at him, saying nothing. He couldn’t win anything here; all he could do was give his opponents leverage. Ryan didn’t stop, “You must be so proud of him. Maybe next time the King can provide a dress for the fool.” He still didn’t respond. This taunting was something Colin had come to grips with a long time ago. “Maybe next time you can join him,” Ryan finished by laughing at his own joke and threw the sign up clipboard against Colin’s chest.

  After Ryan walked away, Colin picked up the clipboard and replaced it on a nearby table. Colin saw Juliet coming to ‘help’ so he hurried in the opposite direction away from both her and Ryan. It probably looked like Colin was backing down from a fight. He didn’t care; let everyone think what they want.

  After a few steps, he noticed Mandy was there watching. Colin liked the attention he got from girls, but he never knew what to do with it. He defiantly didn’t know what to do with Mandy’s. Her brown eyes watched him so he watched her. He thought she was too young and too thin. She probably only had a schoolgirl crush. Colin never initiated these interactions; the French tourist girl, Juliet, and now Mandy. He stared at her hoping she would turn away in nervous shame. She didn’t. She smiled then nodded her head firmly. Colin had no idea what that was about, he probably never would. He started to wish for the Ephemeris to begin as soon as possible.

  Osmund, a Council member, and the foreign wolf waylaid Colin as he lost the staring contest with Mandy. Osmund spoke first, as was his right. “Colin MacDermott, I want to introduce you to Council member O’Brien.” Colin shook hands with Mr. O’Brien.

  “Councilor O’Brien, how may I serve the clan?” asked Colin, using the proper custom.

  Osmund guided the conversation, “We have a guest from another clan and he wanted to speak to you after he saw your introduction. Let me introduce Mr. Nygaard.“

  “It is my honor to meet you, Mr. Nygaard,” he said formally assuming this outsider wouldn’t know the clan niceties he had to follow.

  Using perfect Celt protocols, Mr. Nygaard responded, “Your greeting honors me, my family, my clan; you and your father.”

  Taken aback, Colin stumbled, “I don’t know how I can help…I mean I don’t know how I can serve you, Mr. Nygaard.” Both Osmund and Council O’Brien listened shamelessly. If Colin had more standing maybe this conversation could have been private but not for a MacDermott.

  “I came a long way looking for a young man for my daughter. She is beautiful and she needs a good match, which I hope to speak to you about.“

  Misunderstanding, he spoke out of turn, “I’m not a fan of the Ryan Riley; he’s a bully, and Seth probably wouldn’t appeal to your daughter. I would focus your search on Councilor McCarthy’s grandnephew. He could make a good match. Maybe the youngest Flannigan lad could pair well with her if she doesn’t m
ind a slow thinker.“

  Mr. Nygaard cut Colin off, “You misunderstand young man. I’m looking at you, for my daughter.“

  “Oh,” he said stunned. “I…I don’t know what to say.“

  Unfazed, Mr. Nygaard continued, “Please think about it. I believe you could be just what my daughter needs.”

  Osmund cut in. Colin heard the anger in his voice hidden behind polite words. “Mr. Nygaard, let’s not overwhelm the boy before the Ephemeris. O’Brien, take our Viking brother to Sarah and have her introduce him to her grandnephew.“

  O’Brien masterfully led Mr. Nygaard away. Osmund turned on Colin and released his rage. “You will not accept that invitation. You worm. You will stay here and dance for me, like your father. I’ll decide who you are to be matched with, and trust me; you will not like the mate I pick. She will be the vilest, nastiest hag I can find. You are dirt.” Osmund hit Colin’s in the stomach and he collapsed to the ground. The king strutted away. Colin coughed roughly, struggling to get back to his feet. A few clan members had seen everything, but they slinked away when Osmund started threatening Colin. He looked up to see Mandy there, still watching, she hadn’t moved an inch. She approached after Osmund left and slipped under his wounded side and guided him off to a secluded spot.

  Her thin frame carried Colin easily. She laid him down on a flat slanted rock awkwardly. She didn’t say a word as she pulled a tube of ointment and some gauze from her pants pocket. Colin was transfixed by her treatment. She pulled up his shirt and rubbed some cooling paste onto his side. Calmly, she wrapped the gauze around him tightly. This was the first interaction with a female today he wasn’t completely dumbfounded by. And not a word was spoken. She finished and checked her work, then nodded to herself like earlier. Mandy looked up into his eyes and took a long pause. Her intensity caused Colin to start sweating. She grinned, nodded her head again and moved forward kissing Colin fully on the lips, softly. He wondered if this was her first kiss; he knew it was his. After she broke off the kiss, she stood up and rushed away without a word.