Part 3: Chapter 2

As Luhan approached his house, Old Man Kwon knew right away that something had happened. 

“You’ve settled your wolf,” he said, before Luhan could say anything. 

Luhan froze for a moment, mystified at how the old man had known.  Then, with a grimace, he remembered his hair.  Luhan lifted a hand and ran it through hair that was now black, whereas it had been blonde the last time he’d visited the old man.  It was one of the mysteries of settling his wolf.  It was also the least of his worries. 

“Come inside and tell me how that happened,” the old man ordered as he turned and reentered the Korean traditional style house.    

It wasn’t precisely what Luhan wanted to talk about, but he obeyed the old man’s request.  He told him about how the black masks had gone after Sohee this time, how he had managed to keep his wolf from going out of control, but had gotten hurt in the process.  His tattoo had disappeared and for the rest of the night, it was like his wolf was gone.  But this morning, the tattoo was back and his wolf, while quiet now, was still there.

“But that’s not what I came to talk to you about,” Luhan added.  “I out for a little bit when I got hit and had… some kind of vision.”

Old Man Kwon looked at him sharply.  “What kind of vision?” 

Luhan was silent for a moment as he collected his thoughts and tried to put the experience into words.  “There was a wolf.  He was huge and his eyes glowed red.  He said he was the first of his kind.”

The old man closed his eyes, his hands tightening on his cup of cooling tea.

“He spoke of an eclipse approaching,” Luhan continued.  “And the twelve Kings returning.  He spoke of destiny and choices.  None of it really made sense.  But then he said I’d been blessed by the tears of the shaman priestess and told me that my wolf would behave.  And when I woke up, my tattoo was gone, for a while at least, and my wolf has been quiet ever sense.  Honestly, I thought I was lost and confused when my only problem was my wolf acting out.  But the rest of this is just making my head spin.”

The old man was quiet for moment, then when he started speaking, his voice was sad.  “The Wolf-Men were once ruled by twelve leaders,” he said quietly.  “History remembers them as kings, though that was not their title when they lived.  When betrayal broke their circle of leadership, the entire race fall into disarray but before all hope was lost, a prophecy came forth.  It said that twelve kings would return in another lifetime and the race would receive another chance to do what their generation could not. 

“Kai and his friends,” The old man continued.  “You and your friend Kris. That makes twelve wolf-men.  This is the first time in a long while that I have seen that many together in one place.  I have suspected there was some significance.”

“You think we’re some kind of reincarnation of the Wolf-Men leaders?”  Luhan asked.  It all sounded like the old man was losing it. 

The old man sighed.  “I fear that you all have difficult choices ahead of you.” 

That didn’t really answer the question, but Luhan wasn’t really sure he wanted an answer.  “And the eclipse he spoke of?  What’s the significance of that?” 

“Legend tells us that the First Wolf was created during the height of an eclipse,” The old man said, his voice wary.  “It’s the symbol of change for the Wolf-Men.  A time for ending and f