Part 3: Chapter 17

“There was once a wild wolf that became so enchanted with a beautiful woman traveling though his forest that he risked his life to protect the woman from a bear that had already killed her companions.  As the wolf lay wounded and dying after the battle, the woman, a shaman queen, wished to repay the debt she owed the wolf for saving her life.  Using her shaman powers, the queen took the dying wolf’s spirit into her body and into her womb where her child grew.  Several months later, she gave birth to a prince with two souls; a human soul and the soul of the wolf that had saved her life.  Eighteen years later, when the soul of the wounded wolf had fully recovered, the child, now a young man, let the wolf spirit take over the body they shared.  With mystical powers akin to his own mother’s shamanic powers, the child’s form shifted as the wolf’s soul took over.  The human became a wolf.

“From then on, the man and wolf shared one body.  To the human, the wolf gave his strength, speed, sense of smell, and eyesight.  To the wolf, the human gave a heightened intelligence to avoid threats, to outsmart prey, and to control the wolf’s primal instincts.  They lived in harmony.  The prince went on to marry a shaman much like his mother, and they had 12 sons.  The parents discovered that each of their sons, too, had been born with 2 souls, one of human and one of wolf.  Much like their father, on each of their son’s 18th birthdays, they were able to shift to wolf form for the first time.  These 12 became the founding fathers of the Wolf-Man race. 

“For each child, their grandmother, the shaman queen, bestowed a gift that manifested in the form of a mark on their arm.  Each gift gave the child a different strength and enabled the sons to rule in their own unique way.  Together they ensured peace for their race by establishing a structure that would one day form the support beams of the Wolf-Man society.  Each mark, an emblem, symbolizes a Wolf-Man’s lineage and the duty they are fated to fulfill. 

“Tonight, the night of the First Turning of Kyungsoo of the Gyung Ho line, I tell this story to remind you of the wolf’s sacrifice and the Priestess’ compassion in the hopes that you will carry and pass on both all your days as a full Wolf-Man.”

With the end of the Old Man’s story, the clouds shifted and moonlight broke through to highlight the clearing where both Kyungsoo and the Old Man knelt.  Suddenly, the fire went out.  One second it blazed, the next, only the light of the moon lit the clearing.  The forest was eerily silent.  Kai could hear nothing but Luhan’s and his own nervous breathing. 

Then a groan drew his attention back to Kyungsoo.  He had one arm braced against his stomach, while his opposite hand was braced against the dirt.  Without thinking, Kai started toward his friend, but Luhan’s hand on his arm stopped him.  Kai spun to push Luhan away, but froze when he saw Luhan’s eyes.

They were red.

“This needs to happen, Kai,” Luhan whispered.  “He’s okay.”

Kai bit off a curse and turned to watch Kyungsoo as if keeping his eyes on his old friend would somehow lessen the pain for Kyungsoo.  But Kai was distracted once again by a feeling raising in his chest.  As Kyungsoo cried out in pain, his body shifting and contorting, something in Kai rose to answer.  But it was an answer that couldn’t be fully realized until he underwent his own First Turn.

On the other hand, Luhan’s wolf had already been pulled.  He was fully capable of answering the call.  But he held back, a hand still on Kai’s arm, as comforting as it was restraining.

A wolf now lay on the ground where Kyungsoo once knelt, across the fire pit from the Old Man.  He lay there long enough for Kai to start worrying.  But then he pushed himself up onto legs as unsteady as a new born pup and gave a full body shake to be rid of the last bit of unease and fully settle into his new form.  Then he lifted his head to the moon and howled. 

Goosebumps rose on Kai’s arms and every hair on his body stood on end.  The weight on his chest grew heavy.  As the wolf darted off into the woods, Luhan’s hand tightened on Kai’s arm.  Kai turned to take a closer look at him.  When Luhan met his gaze, Kai nodded then tilted his head in the direction Kyungsoo had took.  Silent acknowledgement for Luhan to follow.

Luhan nodded and released Kai to step back. 

Luhan’s transformation looked no less painful than Kyungsoo’s had.  In fact, it looked more painful now that Kai was seeing it up close.  But it also looked more practiced, as if Luhan knew what to expect and anticipated the next jolt of pain that came with the change.  When the second wolf was steady enough to stand, he shook just as Kyungsoo had and swung his head up to meet Kai’s eyes.

The wolf had the same red eyes Luhan had.

With a howl that rivaled Kyungsoo’s, Luhan bounded away and into the forest. 

Kai turned to gaze at the Old Man who still knelt in front of the fire pit.  And just like that it hit Kai that it was all true.  Everything the Old Man had told them.  Everything that Luhan had tried to explain.  And in two night’s time, it would be Kai on all fours running through the forest.

Luhan and Kyungsoo returned to the campsite late the next afternoon as the sun began to set.  Luhan was human again, but Kyungsoo still walked as a wolf by his side.  They both appeared exhausted. 

“Sleep,” Old Man Kwon gently ordered.  With that, both Luhan and Kyungsoo went to their sleeping mats and collapsed on to them.

Kai watched, fascinated as Kyungsoo circled twice before he curled up, his tail over his eyes.  In the light of day, it was a shock all anew to see Kyungsoo in his wolf form.   

“When will he turn back?” Kai asked the Old Man.  He was partly worried for his friend, partly keeping himself informed for when it was his turn. 

“Sunrise,” the old man answered gently though he knew neither Luhan nor Kyungsoo would wake.  “He’ll spend all of today, his 18th birthday, in wolf form.”

Happy birthday,