FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

SE-07 Interview with an Agent By Darrel James Vanwinkle (Writing as Ratseye) 08/19/2001-09/07/2001

The January winter had proven to be the worst that Dominic had ever seen. Almost everyone in the Rocky Falls area was completely snowed-in. Damon Horse and Dominic Bastian Vanlyone were playing a game of Monopoly in the office den of the mansion. Damon was quick to learn this game, and was enjoying the financial take-over of the entire board. Damon was, of course, the resident demon horse from the Infinitum. Dominic was glad to have someone in the mansion to spend some time with during these really hard winters. Damon was glad that Dominic had turned up the heat in the mansion this year. It was a warm 89 degrees inside the mansion, just the way Damon liked it. It reminded him of his home in the Infinitum. Dominic rolls the dice and gets a nine. Damon smiles as Dominic's race horse lands on his Boardwalk property. Dominic looks over his dwindling lack of funds and proceeds to sell off his remaining houses and mortgages his properties. He does some calculations then looks to Damon and replies, "I am bankrupt, Damon. You won the game."

Damon does not seem pleased to have won. "You mean it's over? That's it?"

Dominic tilts his head and looks at Damon. "Well, yeah. I told you what the rules were and what the object of the game was. You won."

Damon frowns. "And what happens to the loser?"

Dominic hums and replies, "The loser loses the game. Nothing more."

Damon gets up and looks out the window. "Monopoly is a lame game, Dominic. I have been in battles that were better defined than this board game. Losers get the privilege to be the winner's guests for a few months while the winner redefines the land and the new bounderies. Monopoly is pointless."

Dominic sighs and begins putting the game away. "I already have the privilege to be your guest, Damon. We are snowed-in. I suppose we could always visit Reed Huxley or visit one of the other exotic places we have discovered. Or, you could return home to the Infinitum to visit your General friends. I could not really come along. I could come along, provided I only stayed five days. It does not give me enough time to really visit any of our friends there. I kind of miss Pan and Skerrit, but I cannot go to Egidius Island either, or I will regress into a teenager."

Damon turns to face Dominic then replies, "I know. A lot of the places we could visit have the oddest limitations that would ruin your life. In the Infinitum, you would become a demon. On Egidius Island, you would become a teenager. I wish there were a way you could visit places and remain safe from the ill-effects of each dimension." He notices that Dominic has put away the Monopoly game. "I will tell you what we will do. We will fix some lunch and get some food in our stomachs. Then we will visit Reed and see what all he is doing today."

Dominic nods his head and heads into the kitchen with Damon.

After they finished lunch, Dominic and Damon take the gateway connecting the mansion to Reed's apothecary building. When they arrived, Reed was in his werekangaroo form sitting at his work table. He smiled when he glimpsed his friends arriving. "Just the two I need to see."

Dominic stops walking. "You were waiting for us?"

Reed replies, "I'm hard at work on another cure for an overdose patient, and I need someone to fetch my ingredients for me. And I know how you like helping your friends."

Dominic nods his head. "How can I help you, Reed?"

Reed smiles and replies, "Go to store room number three and locate me some Banana Berry Extract. It should be in a clear vile with a yellow liquid within it."

Dominic heads into the store rooms and enters room number three. He smiles as he sees how well organized this room is. He quickly finds the Banana Berry Extract, but then, something else catches his eye. He sees a small box on the shelf with his name on it. Dominic smiles as he wonders if Reed got him a present. Dominic opens the box and is surprised when the contents spray a wet mist into his face. Dominic drops the box just before he passes out.

From the vantage point where he is sitting, Dominic can see the white stag standing in a big open field among others of his kind. The white stag looks to be at ease and is talking with the other white stags within the open field. Dominic wonders why he is seeing this scene. There doesn't seem to be any problems displaying themselves forth at this peaceful location. Dominic then wonders why he cannot move from this spot. He looks around his location, then is surprised when an earthquake begins shaking him. Dominic finds it odd that the white stags are not noticing this earthquake. Dominic finds it impossible to remain focused as the world and scene around him continues to shake and blur, until he finds himself falling into the yawning crevice below him.

Dominic opens his eyes to see Damon and Reed standing over him. Dominic blinks his eyes a few times, then breathes slowly. "What happened to me?"

Reed picks up the open box and closes it again. He then places it back on the shelf. Reed turns to Dominic and replies, "You were sprayed with a good dose of Dreaming Mist. You are lucky that Damon and I were able to wake you up, mate. An overdose of that stuff can be fatal."

Damon shakes his head and looks at the ceiling.

Dominic slowly sits up. "Why does that box have my name on it if it is so dangerous? I thought you had gotten me a present and sent me back to this room so I'd see it."

Reed looks at the box. "It says, for Oominix. I can see how you might have thought it was your name. The "O" looks like a "D", and the "x" looks like a "c". I am truly sorry you were misled by that. Maybe you better take it easy the rest of the day." Reed picks up the Banana Berry Extract and heads out of the room.

Dominic gets up and glances at Damon. He can see that Damon is mildly agitated by all this. Dominic sighs openly and follows Reed out of the storage rooms. Damon follows Dominic out of the room.

For the rest of the day, Dominic decided to run the herbal store rather than mope around the apothecary building. There were a few customers that came and went that afternoon and Dominic quickly recovered from his previous ordeal. He had just finished ringing up a sale for an old woman and had just locked up the front door when he turned around and found himself face to face with Reed. The werekangaroo walks past Dominic and lowers the venetian blinds on the windows. Reed then hops over to the counter and starts counting up the day's sales totals. Dominic sighs and looks around the store at the unusual products offered here. Reed watches Dominic with one eye. Then, after he has stored away the cash in the floor safe, he approaches Dominic quietly and places a furry hand on his shoulder.

"Dominic. What is the matter, mate? You can tell me."

"Earlier today. You must have thought I was..."

"Stop." Reed turned Dominic around to face him. "Wot Ah think is not for anyone else to guess at. You saw a box that looked like it 'ad your name on it and you opened it. That sort of thing can 'appen to anyone. Ah will not sit 'ere and listen to you apologize for something that was not your fault. What was done is done. You 'andled it nicely and spent the rest of the day running my store for me. So please do not put yourself down. Not once did Ah think you were snooping."

Dominic looks into Reed's eyes then hugs him closely. Reed smiles and hugs Dominic back. Dominic sighs and exclaims, "Do you think I am accident prone?"

Reed pushes Dominic back so he can see his eyes. "No, mate. Ah think you are a curious person and Ah think you like to explore different things in life. Remember back when Ah accidently changed you into a kangaroo? That was my fault, Dominic. But you still thought it was your fault. That is why we get along so well. We are both sensitive to the feelings of others, and, we are very alike."

Dominic sort of smiles at Reed. "I remember. I was a kangaroo for almost an entire month. You know, Reed, you could have left me that way. Don't deny it; it was very tempting, wasn't it?"

Reed smiles showing his teeth. "Yes, Dominic. It was very tempting. Almost as tempting as when Ah pounced you that first day and threatened to infect you with the werekangaroo virus."

Dominic arches an eye. "Werekangaroo virus? Lycanthropy is caused by a virus? You never mentioned that before."

Reed continues to smile. "You never specifically asked, Dominic. So yes, If Ah wanted to change you into a werekangaroo, Ah could still do it. You would not like it for the first twenty-eight days. No one ever does. The pain almost drives most people into a berserk frenzy, and then the lust for certain foods and various activities can also ruin an unsuspecting victim's life."

Dominic hums. "Wow." He looks at Reed again. "Let me ask you something specific. How exactly does a werekangaroo infect their victims?"

Reed frowns and looks around himself. "Ah almost wish you 'adn't asked me that, Dominic. Are you sure you want to know that?"

Dominic nods his head. "Reed, we are friends, right? You can tell me this."

Reed hums. "Do ya remember when Ah took over three weeks to prepare the potion to change you from a kangaroo back into a 'uman? Do you remember what Ah said was in the first antidote Ah prepared?"

Dominic thinks about that for a moment. Then his eyes open wide. (See F1)"Oh no. Yes, I remember." He looks at Reed.

Reed replies, "Well, mate, we werekangaroo's carry the virus through our fluids, and that was one of the ingredients that was in the first antidote Ah made for you. When Ah realized my mistake, Ah 'ad to scrounge around and create the lycanthropy cure for you. In other words, Ah infected you by way of the antidote." He sighed. "The more common way to infect the people we are fond of is through sexual intercourse."

Dominic blinks his eyes. "I was a werekangaroo for over three weeks?" He arches an eye. "Is there any part of me that is still infected?"

Reed frowns. "A very small part. Fortunately, you came by often enough that Ah could slip you a dose of the 'erbal medicine you need to prevent yourself from slipping back into the werekangaroo form."

Dominic's mouth dropped open. "I thought you said the lycanthropy cure worked perfectly."

Reed looked to Dominic. "Ah was out of the ingredients to make a second lycanthropy cure. If you will recall, Ah used all Ah 'ad to make that cure for the woman in Texas. (See F2) She is perfectly cured. But when Ah 'ad to make your cure, Ah was forced to used alternate ingredients in the mix, and now, you 'ave to 'ave it often enough or you will transform back into a werekangaroo. Ah've been collecting the ingredients Ah need for a permanent cure for you, but it takes time. Some of the 'erbs necessary for this only develope in certain seasons. Ah 'ave everything Ah need except for the last two ingredients. And they only develope every other leap year. So you see why we lycanthropes charge such a 'igh price for this cure."

Dominic hums. "So you've been giving me an anti lycanthrope suppressant everytime I came to visit. You could have told me, Reed. I could've handled it. At any rate, I am glad you told me now."

Reed smiled. "You are not upset that Ah didn't tell you?"

Dominic hugs Reed again. "I am more reasonable about it than you have evidently thought, Reed."

Reed smiled and hugged back.

After telling Damon about this recent bit of news, and watching his reaction, they went into the kitchen where Reed prepared some dinner for everyone. Reed then sat down and ate dinner with them, and afterwards, they went to Dominic's office/den back at the mansion to relax. They are enjoying a few drinks for the first hour, then the doorbell rings. Dominic heads out to see who is at the door. When he opens the door, he sees Shane Wayne all bundled up in a furlined parka, thick insulated overalls, and heavy snow boots. Behind him in the driveway is a riding snow blower. Shane smiles and says, "I came to clear your driveway and sidewalks. What do I get in return?"

Dominic smiled. "How about a big swift kick in the seat of your pants?"

Shane smirked. "I had better get a hot meal and a cold beer, if you know what is good for you."

Dominic chuckled. "Okay, Shane. I will have Damon fix you up something right away." Dominic closes the door and heads back into his office/den where he tells Damon about Shane's request. Damon laughs, but gets up and heads into the kitchen to prepare Shane something to eat. Dominic has barely seated himself back down when the telephone rings. Reed just smiles as Dominic rolls his eyes and picks up the telephone.

"Hello. This is Dominic Bastian Vanlyone. Who is this?"

"Mr. Vanlyone? My name is Jago Fox. You do not know me, but my partner, Jonie Dreamsea, and I just arrived in Rocky Falls to open a branch of our computer gaming company, CurrenTech Software. We were wondering if you would let us come out to your mansion and talk to you about your recent adventures. The unicorn report you did, in particular."

Dominic hums. "Why exactly do you want to hear about that?"

"My partner and I are wanting to create a new game with transformation as the main power behind the hero's adventures. And rumor says that you have more knowledge on that subject than almost anyone else in the United States."

"Mr. Fox, I am thrilled that you wish to speak with me, but I am not the regional expert in the field of transformation. The regional expert is Jon Sleeper, and no, I do not know where he lives. So if you and your partner still wish to talk to me, I will make arrangements to have you both brought here."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Vanlyone. Jonie and I do appreciate this."

"I will personally drive in and pick you both up. My four-wheel drive amber colored Jeep has a white stag emblem on the hood. Where shall I meet you at?"

"Actually, Jonie and I have our own vehicles. Maybe you could drive into Rocky Falls, then lead us back to your mansion?"

"Very well. And where will the two of you be waiting for me?"

"We don't have a place to stay yet, but we are currently at a restaurant called The Witches Brew."

Dominic smiles. He had not seen Wendy Gliddle, the owner of The Witches Brew in a long while. "Very well, Mr. Fox, I will meet you both there. See you soon." Dominic hangs up the telephone receiver. He looks to Reed and smiles. Reed smiles back. Dominic exclaims, "This reminds me of last year. I had visitors then too." Dominic gets up and goes into the kitchen. He tells Damon to entertain Shane when he came in, and that he would return shortly. Damon nods his head as Dominic heads out the front door.

While he was driving in from the mansion, Dominic used his celluar telephone to have the local florist deliver Wendy Gliddle an assortment of flowers with a card that read, "To the Sweetest witch in Rocky Falls; From the investigative white stag". She was sweet enough for that. Dominic focused on the road itself for the remainder of his drive into Rocky Falls. Soon, Dominic pulled into the parking lot of The Witches Brew. He quickly spotted the Jaguar Sportscar and the full-sized Dodge Van with the out of state license plates. He hoped these recent arrivals to Rocky Falls knew what they were getting into by setting up shop here. Dominic parked his Jeep and entered the restaurant. He located the waitress, Susannah Dorchester, and inquired about the out of state visitors. Susannah points Dominic to their table, then Dominic thanks her and walks over to their table. When Dominic arrives at their table, he smiles, then exclaims, "Hello. I am Dominic Bastian Vanlyone."

The larger of the two stands up and replies, "I am Jago Fox." He points to the other, more slender, gentlewoman. "This is Jonie Dreamsea. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Dominic shakes their hand one at a time. "Have you eaten yet?"

Jonie exclaims, "Yes we have. And it was wonderful."

Dominic smiles. Score another victory for Wendy. "I am sure that Wendy Gliddle will be pleased you think her cooking is so wonderful. If you are both ready, just follow me and I will lead the way back to the mansion. One of my sister's friends was clearing the snow off my driveway, and by now, he is probably having a hot meal and a cold beer." Dominic leads them out of The Witches Brew to the parking lot. Dominic starts up his Jeep and slowly pulls out unto the highway. Jago and Jonie get into their vehicles and slowly follow Dominic unto the highway. Dominic drives carefully Westwards on the highway, then makes a right turn on Jack's Fork Drive, which was also new Highway 106. Soon, he turned Northwards on Highway V and as he approaches the steep hill sign, he drove the Jeep into his cleared driveway to the right. He checked his rear view mirror to make sure they were still following him, and fortunately, they were still behind him. Dominic pulled his Jeep into his two-car garage. He got out of the Jeep and opened the other garage door for the sportscar. He then went over to the stable house and open the gate for the van to park in. Dominic walks up to his front door and gives the coded warning knock for those inside, then turns around and waits for his new guests to unload their vehicles and approach the front door.

Jonie is carrying three suitcases, while Jago is carrying four suitcases. Dominic smiles and opens the front door for them.

"Welcome to my home. My other guests are probably talking to one another in my private office/den. Come in. I will show you to your rooms." Dominic leads the way upstairs to the guest bedrooms. He shows them where the bathroom is, then he heads back downstairs to check on Damon and Reed. Fortunately, Reed Huxley was back in his human form, but Damon, who had no human form to shift into, was sitting in the usual spot, the reclining chair. Dominic only smiles upon seeing Damon all so relaxed. "Reed, unless you really want to be in your human form, I do not think there is any reason to hide what we are doing."

Reed smiles. "Glad to 'ear you say that, mate." Reed transforms again back into his werekangaroo form and picks up his beer once again. "Who are your guests?"

Dominic replies, "They are computer gaming programmers for CurrenTech Software, and they are here to talk to me about all the transformations I've encountered in my studies. This is evidently some sort of research for a new computer game that they are creating."

Damon smirks. "And if they are not what they say they are, we can transform them into things that are never desirable by anyone."

Dominic cannot help but to laugh at that comment.

Reed also chuckles, then becomes serious again. "There was a time when Ah would not have wanted any strangers to know Ah was a werekangaroo, but now, Ah really do not care who finds out. But that does not mean Ah will go out of my way to announce to everyone what Ah really am."

Dominic nods his head. "It is late. I suggest we all get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day."

Reed smiles. "It is also a Friday and Ah 'ave a store to run. Good night, Dominic and Damon. 'ope to see you both tomorrow sometime." Reed gets up and hops off through the gateway leading to his California apothecary building.

Damon also gets up from his chair and hugs Dominic. "I guess I better head back down to my basement bedroom near the furnace. These Winter nights do not exactly agree with me." He heads off and descends the stairs into the basement.

Dominic clicks the light switch off, then heads off through the mansion turning off lights as well as locking the front door. He then heads upstairs to his bedroom. Dominic undresses and climbs into bed. He sighs as he realizes how much he misses having a white stag close by.

The next morning, Damon is fixing breakfast for Dominic's very surprised guests. Dominic himself is seated at the dining room table reading the morning newspaper, the Rocky Falls Daily Review. Jago and Jonie seemed to be studying Damon Horse, in detail. Dominic chuckles to himself as he reads the morning paper. A few minutes later, Reed Huxley joins them for some breakfast. Jago and Jonie are just as surprised to see a man-sized kangaroo hopping into the room and talking in English to Dominic and Damon. Dominic puts down the newspaper and introduces Reed Huxley to Jago Fox and Jonie Dreamsea. Everyone talks casually for a few minutes, then Damon serves some hot flapjacks, bacon, eggs, and biscuits in white gravy.

After the morning breakfast, Dominic invites his guests into the office/den to discuss the transformation subjects. This time Reed takes the reclining chair, while Damon sits behind the desk in the swivel chair. Dominic remain standing, while Jago and Jonie sat on the small couch.

Dominic nods his head. "I have encountered many forms of transformation in my studies, and have even been transformed myself several times. If not for my excellent friends, I would not be human today. What would you like to know about first?"

Jago smiles. "What was your very first transformation encounter where you were not transformed?"

Dominic hums. "That would had to have been while I was still working overseas for Chess. I was in the lower Mediterranean Sea region on the beaches of the Egyptian Sahara Desert. My partner and I had stopped for the night and had pitched our tents near the road, yet overlooking the open waters to the north. It was a warm night and the sky was somewhat cloudy, at first. A few hours later, the clouds cleared off and a brilliant full moon illuminated the whole area. My partner awoke to the odd sound first. He evidently went to investigate the sound in his usual way: without waking me up. 15 minutes later, I was awakened when my tent shook and I heard the feline snarl and growl. I immediately knew what was out there from my training of knowing certain zoo animal sounds. It was distinctly an adult male lion. But then I remembered. Lions are usually never found this far north. That's when I knew that this lion was a supernatural creature, and I was most likely in trouble. My partner and I were travelling without any guns, on this particular trip, so I was not sure what to do at first. Then the creature uttered something barely intelligible with his lion-like voice, "Help me. Need penicillin. Please." My immediate reaction was surprise. At that time, I had never heard of any supernatural creature ever ask someone for medicine. I grabbed the medical kit and opened it. Then I located the small supply of penicillin and replied through the tent's opening, "You can have the penicillin, but please do not kill me." I then held the palm of my hand out through the tent's opening with the supply of penicillin in it. I braced myself for being attacked, but instead, all I felt was the fur brush over my hand as the creature took the penicillin. Then a few moments later, I felt something drop into the palm of my hand. I pulled my hand back inside the tent and discovered that I now had a solid gold scarab medallion. The creature uttered in his calmer lion-like voice, "Thank you, human. You have save many lives this night." I replied, "Will you tell me who you are?" I was taking a chance in asking this creature for information about himself. To my surprise, he answered me. "I am Katahnuk Kennison, a werelion. I recently became ill, and knew I had to have penicillin to cure the illness. You have saved my life, human. For your kindness, I am greatful." I then modestly replied, "This gold medallion you gave me is far too valuable to me to accept as a payment for a mere supply of penicillin. I am afraid I cannot accept it, yet I do not wish to insult you. Will you tell me about yourself, rather than giving me such a valuable treasure?" It was quiet for a moment, and I was afraid he had completely left the camp. I took a silent breath and stepped outside the tent to have a look around. As soon as I emerged, I was face to face with the werelion. I was fortunate that I did not wet myself. He was easily seven and a half feet tall, and looked to weigh about 400 pounds. His lion's fur was the usual tawny tan to light brown, while his mane was a dark chocolate brown. He stood before me without a strip of clothing on his body. I always slept naked, so I too was undressed before the creature. His facial expression shifts from momentary surprise to a pleasant smile as he admired my body. I could not see any evident sign of his being ill."

"Or werelions recover very quickly. He spoke in his feline voice to me. "So you want to know about werelions, do you? I suppose that is a noble pursuit. I will tell you all I know, but not here. Will you come with me back to my lion's den?" Suddenly I realized that he was going to tell me all about werelions. I smiled and replied, "Of course I will. Lead the way." He chuckled, then replied, "One moment while I change into my lion form. After I change, I want you to climb on my back and hang on tight. I will then take you back to my den." I was about to mention that I was probably too heavy for him to carry me, but then he snarled loudly as he fell forward on to his furry hands. His body contorted and reshaped itself slowly. When he had completed the change, he was an even larger lion than he had been in his were- form. I climbed up on his back and held on to his mane as tight as I could, then he bounded off into the desert carrying me with him. I was not sure how far we had gone or how much time had passed, but we soon arrived at an outcropping of rocks. He climbed the rocks and brought me into his den. The den itself proved to be a man made old temple of some sort, but all of the artwork on the walls depicted scenes of lions and lion-like activity, and yes, lion-headed people. This was evidently some sort of shrine to the leonine spirits. I slid off his back, then he changed his shape back into his werelion form. He noticed my interest in the artwork and replied, "This place is older than the desert itself. Make yourself comfortable while I mix the penicillin into my water supply." I did as I was asked and wandered around the enclosed one room temple slowly, examining everything. It was then that I noticed the small round hole in the temple's roof. I walked over close to the area directly beneath it, when Katahnuk called out to me. "Do not get directly under that hole unless you want to become a werelion." I quickly stopped and backed up a step. I had almost been on top of the spot. But at the same time I wondered what kind of werelion I would have made. I shook the thought from my mind then looked to my host who was settling himself down on the collection of pillows and blankets in the back part of the temple. I was careful to skirt the area under the hole in the ceiling and then walked back to seat myself near my host."

Dominic picks up a glass of water to wet his parched lips and throat, then continues his tale.

Dominic exclaims, "Katahnuk Kennison smiled at me, then explained, "There are three kinds of lycanthropy in this world, human. The first, of course, is to be naturally born into the species. Those are the true bloods, and most of the were- creatures you will encounter in the world are of that kind. The second kind of lycanthrope is the infected victim variety. There are fewer of this type today as opposed to the numbers in the ancient past. And the third type of lycanthrope is the ceremonial inducted variety. This type is extremely rare today as opposed to the slightly larger numbers that had it done in the ancient past." He smiled at me at this point. "I am of the fourth variety." I arched an eye at him and replied, "But you said there were only three varieties. What is the fourth type?" He leveled his gaze at me then smiled again. There was something unsual and special in his eyes. Something very trusting, yet also noble and justified. He then slowly replied, "I am what humans call an archetype lycanthrope lord. In more understandable terms: a god." My eyes must have opened suddenly because he smiled again and chuckled at my reaction. When I recovered enough to continue, I asked, "Are you the only werelion in this part of the desert?" He lowered his gaze to me again as if in thought. Then his head arose and he smiled again. Katahnuk replied, "I am the only one you will encounter while you work for Chess, Jansen Dominic Tanner." I was surprised that he knew who I was. Oh yeah, that was my name before I changed it before returning home to the United States."

"I then looked to the werelion and replied, "You knew who I was all along. I am surprised you bothered bringing me out here at all." That was when I realized what his plan might be. "Oh. You brought me out here to silence me, didn't you?" He frowned when I made that statement, then he became very serious. "Chess, in general, are a ruthless lot of humans. Most of the supernatural forces have been preparing to deal with any Chess agents they encounter. And I came across you by yourself with two tents. At first I thought there was someone with you, but my search of your camp only revealed you, Jansen. I was glad of that, and now, here you are." I was not about to mention that my partner was somewhere in the area. Instead, I focused on the werelion and asked, "What are you going to do to me?" He did not say anything for several minutes. Then he slowly nodded his head and replied, "I will give you a choice. You can either be bitten by me and undergo a painful transformation and total bloodlust for the next few nights. Or you can submit yourself to the werelion ceremony willingly. If you try to run away, I will stalk you, catch you, and infect you. The choice is yours." I was stuck in a tight spot that time for sure. I was one of the few agents who had the uncanny knack of getting this close to the creatures of the supernatural that Chess hunted for on occasion. But this time I had gotten in over my head. There was no way out of this one. I was both defenseless and unsure of my current location. Worse, I had allowed myself to be brought out to this remote location. I looked at the spot that had the moonlight streaming through it and slowly replied, "I do not have much choice this time. I guess my luck has run out. Do what you will to me, lion lord. Make me a werelion." I closed my eyes and waited for a response. Several minutes later while my eyes were still closed, I was still waiting to be moved on to the ceremonial spot to be changed into a werelion. But there was still nothing. I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes. When I did, I found myself back in my tent wearing the golden scarab medallion around my neck. Was it all a dream? I got dressed and stepped outside of my tent. In the wet beach sand in front of my tent were the large tracks of an adult lion. His scent was still heavy in the air, but he himself was nowhere to be seen. I went to awaken my partner, but I could not find him. His tent was empty and there were no tracks telling me where he had disappeared to. The sun was rising by then. I packed up the camp into our Jeep, and climbed into the driver's seat. I looked around one final time, but my partner was nowhere to be seen. I did not have much choice at that point, so I drove the Jeep onwards towards the Nile River's delta where the rest of Chess were supposed to meet me. When I arrived there, I found the remains of Chess encampment. There were no bodies anywhere, and every vehicle was still parked nearby with the keys in the ignitions."

Dominic takes another drink of water. Then he goes over to his trophy case and pulls out the golden scarab medallion. "This is all I have to show for my encounter in the Sahara Desert."

Everyone looks at the medallion closely for a few moments, then Dominic places it back up in the trophy cabinet and locks the door once again. Dominic exclaims, "Any questions?"

Jonie hums. "What do you think happened between you and Katahnuk that night?"

Dominic shrugs his shoulders. "I am not sure. Either he inducted me into the were- pride, or the medallion forced me to watch my partner becoming changed into a werelion. But Katahnuk knew who I was by name. That was the scary part. I guess it was like he said. All of Chess had been under careful watch by all of the supernatural creatures throughout the old world. From Norway's mountain peaks to Africa's most southern penninsula. From the Cliffs of Dover in England to islands of Japan. Most of Chess completely vanished that year. But for some reason, I managed to stay alive and continue doing my duties."

Jago nods his head. "So you do not think that Katahnuk inducted you into the werelion pride, then conveyed you back to your tent?"

Dominic hums. "I suppose he could have. But if that is the case, then why have I not changed into a werelion every 28 days since that event took place? I can only guess that he gave me a warning, then let me return to my duties. When Chess was disbanded suddenly, I was stranded in Europe investigating the report of a wereowl in Germany's Black Forest. When I finally received word that Chess was no longer in action, that was when the wereowl revealed itself to me and gave me some minor information about itself, then asked me to leave his forest. I did as he asked, but I was still stranded in Europe. I found work on a few farms and in other towns and villages while I worked my way back to the European branch offices of Chess in Athens, Greece. I never made it there. I purchased a European Lottery ticket and was greatly surprised when I won enough money to get myself back to the United States and settle down comfortably."

After finishing his recital of the werelion incident, Jago and Jonie head off into Dominic's library to reflect on what they've just been told. Damon escorts them to the library, realizing that Dominic had that flash back far away look his eyes.

_--- FLASHBACK ---

Dominic closes his eyes as images form from his memory.

After he had left college, Dominic thought he would try the freelancing thing, like his Private Investigator friend, James Moriarty, was doing. Dominic set up a temporary shop in San Francisco. He got his first real job almost 3 months later. A strange woman arrived with a request that he should investigate some property that she had purchased. She claimed it was haunted. Dominic checked out the land thoroughly, but came up empty. One of the little things they did not teach you in the classes Dominic took in college was what you -will- find. She invited Dominic to dinner that night, and that was the first night he had an encounter with a vampire. She enjoyed making her 'meals' run; she was heavily into the chase. Dominic got lucky that night. She ended up impaling herself upon holy ground. She disentegrated. Dominic was shocked! That was also the night he was recruited by Chess Dominic went back to the vampire's home, and searched the place. He found her coffin and the remains of the other investigators she had been devouring. And, he ran into Chess Elites, as well. Dominic thought they were more vampires, so he shot one of them. The agent didn't even flinch. Dominic was knocked out from behind by something hard and swift. When he came to, Dominic was in one of Chess's locale bunkers, being questioned about what he knew, and why he knew it. Dominic would not talk. They hated that. That is when Danath Gaul entered the room. Danath was impressed with Dominic's ability to keep quiet. Danath spoke to Dominic for a short while, and eventually recruited him. All that happened with a 4-day period._

Then, Dominic had his first Chess case.

Dominic, and his superior partner, were flown to Germany, to track down a witch. His partner died there, and Dominic almost died with him. His first witch. Gods! What power she had! She threw a wall of flame straight into the jeep they were driving. And how did Dominic, alone, stopped her? He thought it was a silly idea, at the time. Dominic splashed water on her. She melted just like in 'The Wizard of Oz'. Dominic could not believe it. But it worked. He returned to base, with his partner's body (that was a fun hike; not), and received a promotion.

That was Dominic's first case...

Dominic was then fully incorporated into the European branch of Chess while being based in Athens Greece. He thought it would get easier after that mission. He was wrong. Dominic's next two assignments were not as nasty as that first mission that he went on. Then, on his fourth mission, they were flown down to Kenya. A construction site was being bewildered by something that was coming in during the night, and sabotaging all of their work. Dominic and his new partner camped out on the site, that night. Dominic heard a sound and (not thinking to take his gun) went to investigate it with nothing more than his flashlight. What Dominic saw almost made him fill his pajamas. It was the biggest male lion that Dominic had ever seen in his life, and the lion saw Dominic, as well. The lion growled something fierce at him, and that's when Dominic noticed the slight foaming around the lion's mouth. Dominic tried to run from the lion (after tossing his flashlight into the lion's face and screaming), but the lion was upon him faster than the football players back in college were always doing to him and his other friend, Canon Stephens. The damned thing clawed Dominic's legs and torso, then took several deep bites into Dominic's shoulders and neck. Dominic was about to pass out when he thought he saw a glowing white creature with antlers charge and knock the lion off of Dominic's body. The white creature fought the lion for several moments, then with a final antler charge into the lion's chest region, the lion dropped down dead on the spot, and immediately changed back into his human form. The white creature approached Dominic slowly and seemed to glow brightly before vanishing right before Dominic's eyes. Dominic's partner then emerged from his tent and rushed over to patch up Dominic's wounds. Dominic was rushed to the nearest Chess sactioned medical facility. His wounds were cleaned, and he was hospitalized for the following 3 weeks. Dominic did not heal quickly during his stay at the hospital, and periodically, he had night-time flashbacks or dreams of the white creature that came and rescued him from the berserk lion.

When Dominic finally recovered, he returned to his duties with Chess But from that moment forward, he seemed to lead a charmed life. Always being rescued at the last second by unexpected circumstances. An encounter with a malicious life-draining Spanish ghost turned from life-threatening to cooperative and informing without warning. An encounter with a French gargoyle also became a friendly encounter as soon as the gargoyle layed eyes upon Dominic. His fellow Chess operatives began teasing Dominic by saying that he had the 'magic touch'. This merely annoyed Dominic, but he was thankful for whatever was actually keeping him alive.

From then onwards, Dominic tangled with demons in Norway, other gargoyles in France and Austria, other vampires in the Slavic Nations, and one werewolf in the Alps of Romania, who actually befriended Dominic. This proved useful the following year when Dominic found himself in Romania a second time investigating another vampire report, and the werewolf again teamed up with Dominic and helped him solve the case. When Dominic finally returned to the Athens Greece home base, he filed his report in a brand new way. He wrote that not all supernatural creatures are menaces to mankind, and under unusual circumstances, could be relied on for support and friendly team work when facing something even more dangerous. Dominic's superiors were both surprised by the way he wrote this report, but yet, they were also impressed by his ability to capture the lasting impressions that Dominic had noticed in the field on his written reports.

--- FLASHBACK ENDS ---

Something warm and furry nuzzles against Dominic's chest gently. Dominic opens his eyes to see his friend the white stag standing there. Dominic smiles and hugs his white friend slowly, holding him close to himself for the longest time. Then, Dominic releases the white stag and exclaims, "I have sorely missed you, my white friend. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you again."

The white stag chuckles, "Dominic. You will never be rid of me as long as I breathe. No matter what emergency I go off to attend to, I will always return to see how you are doing. In fact, I am pleased that you are the only friend I have that never demands my help during what a person might consider a crisis."

Dominic blinks his eyes. "I am the only one who tries to solve problems by themselves? You flatter me, my white friend."

The white stag replies, "It is true, Dominic. Likewise, I have not forgotten that you owe me five tasks of my choosing. That was your own agreement to me. Remember?" (See F3)

Dominic nods his head. "I do remember, my friend." He holds his friend closely again. "You have to leave again, don't you?"

The white stag sighs. "Yes. This was merely a break from the chaos that I have been putting up with lately. I wanted to see you and make sure you knew that I think of you often. I love you, Dominic. You are my best friend."

Dominic smiles, tears on his cheek. "I love you too, white stag. Please stay safe in your journeys." Dominic hugs the white stag more tightly for the longest time. Then he releases the white stag and steps back. The white stag smiles, then simply vanishes from view. Dominic dries his eyes with a tissue, then heads off through the apothecary archway to check up on Reed.

Several hours later, Dominic returned through the gateway into his mansion office. He felt a bit more jovial now after having talked to Reed, and helping around the herbal cures store. And the story that Reed told him certainly lifted his spirits enough that he felt on top of things once again. (See F4) Dominic walked into the kitchen and sat down at the dinner table with Damon, Jago, and Jonie. He smiles to them as he fills his plate.

"Have the two of you been enjoying your stay?" Dominic asked both Jago and Jonie.

Jonie Dreamsea nodded her head. "Oh yes. Thank you for having us in your home."

Jago Fox also nods his head. "Everything has been perfect. Damon told us about the Infinitum earlier. What we would really like to hear is another one of your transformation encounters."

Dominic thinks for a moment as he eats, then replies, "Very well. This one was one of the most deadly encounters I ever had. This took place in Germany. It involved my first encounter with a real witch."

Both Jago and Jonie instantly took notice!

Dominic exclaims, "My partner and I were sent to one of more secluded portions of Germany to investigate the reports of a cackling old hag, as well as the numerous disappearances of young boys and girls in that region. My partner kept joking that it was probably the work of a child labor smuggling ring, but we were being sent in to handle it anyways. We arrived in Germany where we were both briefed in our coming mission, and of the very minor information that the people were able to scrounge together for us. Then my partner and I drove off in the company jeep into the deepest portion of the Black Forest Wilderness. We did not have to wait long to locate the old cackling hag, for she made her appearance almost immediately. She fired off a few choice lightning bolts, which my partner deftly avoided. Then she cast a cube of fire directly in front of our jeep. There was no avoiding it. My partner shoved me out of the jeep just before he drove the jeep straight into the inferno. The jeep ignited and exploded immediately. My partner was killed instantly. The old hag came after me next. She pulled out her wand and aimed it at me while trying to keep me in obvious sight. She fired the wand yelling, "Horse," and the boulder I dove behind transformed into a boulder-sized statue of a horse. She was mad when she saw that she had missed. And I should not have taunted her like I did. I certainly should not have said, "Lose weight, you ugly traitor." She aimed at me again and fired the wand, this time yelling, "Rabbit." The blast just barely missed me as a thick bush transformed into a bush-shaped rabbit. I was cocky. She was obviously the worst shot I had ever seen. Even my own sisters had better aim that that old crone. I told her, "Your aim stinks, you smelly old harlot." She audibly growled and did not bother aiming with the next shot. She fired the wand, this time yelling, "Skunk." She had caught me off guard and I tried jumping out of the way of the incoming wand blast, but I had let her catch me unaware. As I hit the ground, my clothes fell to the ground and I was on all fours. She cackled and began flying my way rapidly on her broomstick. I quickly dashed off through the brush with the old crone hot on my tail. As I emerged from the other side of the bushes, I immediately went off the sudden drop and saw the pool of water beneath me approaching fast. So I curled up in a ball, and "cannon balled" into the water. As I splashed into the cold pool, the water from my splash rose straight up and caught the old crone as she cleared the bushes. She immediately splash landed into the deepest part of the pool. She died immediately by melting the way a hot wax candle would. The instant she was dead, I immediately was transformed back to my normal human form. I made my way back to my clothes, and put them all back on. I sat there trying to catch my breath. When I was rested enough, I got up and located my partner's body. He was dead from the fire blast, of course. I wrapped up his body, and carefully began the long hike back to the German branch of our headquarters. Not a fun hike, let me tell you. I was carrying a charred and baked human body wrapped up in what was left of the space age material-made blankets that we kept in the jeep. I finally got him back to headquarters and filed my report. My partner was given a decent burial, and I was promoted for not only completing my mission, but for showing that I would not abandon my team mates. I was not happy to be promoted, but I accepted it."

Jago wows. Jonie blinked her eyes, as she finished writing the notes on the encounter. Jago exclaimed, "You really got transformed into a skunk by that witch? What happened to that magic wand?"

Dominic thinks for a moment, then replies, "I am not sure, Jago. I did look for the wand, but I guess it sank to the bottom of that cold forest pool of water." Dominic gets up from the table. "I have had many more encounters with the fantastic, but it would take several weeks to tell you about every encounter I have ever had. You may continue to stay within my mansion as long as you like. But for now, I think I should get an early rest. I have to make a grocery run tomorrow."

Dominic excuses himself from the dinner table and heads off into his den. He closes the door, and looks inside his trophy case. Sitting within a homemade panarama in plain view is the witch's magic wand. Dominic smiles. "May it continue to rest on the bottom of that pool in Germany."

Dominic chuckles. It had indeed been a restful moment of solitude. He now looked forward to his next adventure. He wondered what new adventures the Spring and Summer would bring. Whatever lay ahead for him, he knew he would be ready for them. He clicks the light switch off.

"The interview has ended."

Footnotes: (F1) Where There Is A Will There Is A WereBeast (SE-02). (F2) Also in Where There Is A Will There Is A WereBeast (SE-02). (F3) Furry Flipside (SE-03). (F4) This portion of the story may be written in another time in the future. Let us just say that Reed's story was pretty dirty and funny at the same time.