Killian's Last Light

         The glow from the moon remained the only light. It cut through leaves and branches eventually getting stopped by trees, casting long angular shadows of a forest that lay like stripes on the ground. A man laid unconscious on the cold stone floor bare from the torso up. He remained unchanged. A blade wound was apparent on his left shoulder, skin still open, blood trickled down where it pooled and coagulated on the forest floor.

         The man started to awaken. He tried to sit up by rolling on his side and bracing himself against his elbow. He Looked up and noticed another man looming over. His assailant, a tall man clad in leather armor. Buckles went this way and that way across his body holding the armor tight to his thin frame. A green cloak was tied around him like a scarf and dangled over his left shoulder. He stood cleaning a dagger that seemed to be missing the tip.

         “Good, you’re alive,” The leather clad man said.

         Attempting to sit up one more time he succeeded, “Who are you?”

         “I am Thirktar; Hunter of Beasts and Breaker of Curses,” the leather-bound man responded still polishing clean the broken dagger. “I’ve been hunting you for quite some time now. I am happy I didn’t have to kill you.”

         “Ah…I’m Killian but I suspect you already know that.” The bare-chested man said. The pain from his wound started to thump in rhythm with his heartbeat. Blood still trickled out like a viscous cascade.

         As Killian inspected his surroundings he looked up. The full moon beamed down on him dilating his eyes. As his heart raced in panic the stream of blood rhythmically pumped out faster. He scattered kicking himself backwards trying to get to his feet. “You shouldn’t be here. You are in danger get away!” He screamed still scuttling to his feet.

         Thirktar stepped down off a stone protruding from the forest floor and calmly approached while sheathing his blade. It caught a twinkle of moonlight before being thrusted into the darkness of an ornate sheathe made of what looked like some sort of horn or bone. “You have nothing to worry about. Take a look. Bathe in it if you like. Your worries are behind you friend.” He says while still taking relaxed strides toward the panicked and disheveled Killian.

         Killian stopped for a beat and searched his surroundings. He felt himself up as if searching for something in his pockets. His eyes widen, astonished, “What is happening to me? Why am I not changing?”

         “Your curse is cured, so to speak,” Thirktar said while reaching into a utility pouch attached to the belt spanning around his waist. “Now I still would like to suture that wound up if you don’t mind. You are losing quite a lot of blood at this point.”

          The sun shot rays over the mountain side into the heavy morning mist. The light outline of the moon still hung somber in the sky. Killian and Thirktar sat around a campfire that crackled and popped sending small embers upwards towards the heavens.

         Killian sat with his feet towards the fire. A green cloak draped over his shoulders fending off the bite of the morning mists. “How did you find me?” He said glancing across the fire to Thirktar.

         “Easy really. I followed the rumors and that led me to your village, which I have to say is quite nice. I had then confronted your wife for your whereabouts and to confirm the truth of the rumors. She had such a grave tone in her voice that I knew that her words held merit. I tracked you like I would track a wolf from your home.” Thirktar paused for a moment, reluctant to embellish further. Although a hunter, he carried an accent in his voice that almost pointed to nobility.

         Hundreds of thoughts battered Killian as he started to try and recreate the events of last night. He could tell there was more to the story. Piecing together what he was told so far which were mostly pleasant things he could only surmise that Thirktar had left out something bad. The sound of the campfire crackle had faded into oblivion and Killian looked up with funereal eyes. “Who did I hurt?”

         “Let me take you back home. Your wife needs to see you. She is going to need your help.” Thirktar said while maintaining stiff eye contact.

         “What do you mean my wife will need my help? What about my son?” Killian’s eyes started to well and panic once again set in. His eyes locked on Thirktar’s. “Where is my son?”

         “I am sorry. He must’ve gone out looking for you and in your altered form you had no control.” Thirktar said. “Now you to understand something. I did everything I could to spare you. The boy was already gone by the time I had found him. With your curse now squelched you can get back to normalcy. You can get back to your wife.”

         Killian sat slumped over holding his head. Tears rolling to the tip of his nose and dropping one at a time to the earth between his feet, “How can things go back to normal? My wife knows. She will know what I have done. She won’t accept me. Things can never go back. Oh god, what have I done?”

         Thirktar stood from his makeshift stool made from a round of wood and approached Killian. He laid his hand on his shoulder and gripped firmly. He wasn’t sure why, but pressure always seemed to sooth others in time of peril.

         Killian felt the warmth of his hand. It did little to help but it was the most Thirktar could do. Why was he helping? What is in it for him?

         Sobbing and in between deep breaths Killian began to speak, “I don’t understand. You said you cured me. How? Why do I not change in the light of the full moon?”

         “You have silver embedded in your shoulder. I stitched it in, and it will remain there for the rest of your life. Should it be removed, you will turn back to Lycan.” Thirktar paused. “I can’t have you turning back because I would then be forced to kill you.”

         At this point Killian welcomed death and didn’t see point in moving on but was still some how comforted by the hunters attempt to spare him.

         “I must admit. I got lucky my silver blade snapped off in your shoulder, but it turned you back, so I took advantage of it. I always hunt with the intent to kill but under the circumstances I made an exception.” Thirktar continued as his voice grew more stern. “Listen, I don’t like having to kill subjects that mostly are in the position they are because of happenstance or dumb luck. No one goes out of their way looking for a horrible curse like lycanthropy but when afflicted, like a rabid dog, they must be put down. The hunt isn’t sport but a job.”

         Killian reached up to the stitches on his shoulder and he winced. He contemplated for a while and Thirktar released his grip stepping backwards towards the edge of the woods, dry leaves crunching under his feet.

         “What now?” Killian said.

         “You restart your life, Killian. Now I would find it upsetting should you end your own life. I am sorry about your child. I know its hard to live with, but these circumstances don’t happen often. As someone who hunts for a living, I can tell you this is a rare opportunity. Seize it and help your wife through the troubling time as well. You know she will need you just as much as you need her.” Thirktar said while backpedaling to the tree line.

         “Where will you go?” Killian asked. You could hear the concern of the unknown as the words shivered out of him.

         “Off to continue the hunt, good sir” Thirktar said with a devilish smile peeking through the overgrown hairs of a once trimmed goatee. “Don’t take these words to offense but these beasts need to be stopped.”

         Killian couldn’t help but feel slightly offended knowing that he was once a beast himself. He jumped up off his stool to his feet, “Let me join you. Teach me. I can’t let this affliction hurt anyone else,” he said.

         Thirktar could tell by the astonishment in his eyes that Killian surprised even himself with the words that escaped his mouth.

         Thirktar stood for a moment eyeing the man. Bulky muscular frame, he was in good health. He knew from the previous scuffle that Killian didn’t know how to fight but that could only be remedied with experience and a guiding hand. “What of your wife?” Thirktar asked.

         “For all she knows, I am dead. I prefer it to be that way. Then she can continue life in peace knowing the beast who killed her boy has been killed.”

         Thirktar knew the man was right. Killian’s wife, no matter how strong the love, would never forgive the beast that murdered her boy.

         “It will be difficult, but I know you’ve gone through the transformation. Nothing could top that. You have a strong soul. I could tell that from your beast form.” Thirktar said adjusting the strap on his chest holding onto a leather pauldron.

         “Please, I’ve nothing else.” Killian pleaded.

         “Alright. I will show you our ways. First, we need to give your shoulder time to heal. With the blade imbedded it could affect your range of motion.” Thirktar continued, “Come with me friend. We have a long road to your recovery.” He said raising his arm welcoming Killian to travel along.

         They both walked together side by side into the trees. Killian with a newfound target for his vengeance. The beast within may lay dormant but there were many others out there that he could already envision himself exterminating. With each one felled it would be in honor and memory of his son. The boy the beast had killed.