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20

Beyond

the veil they found themselves in a tunnel like entrance chamber.

They

had only taken a few cautious steps when there was a rush of wind, howling in

their ears and threatening to send them flying. They huddled together, stoic

against the gale. A few minutes passed and the wind lessened to become a breeze

before fading altogether.

They

separated and took another few steps forward only to be surrounded by darkness.

Energy arced through the shadows that surrounded them leaving behind trails

filled with points of light. Soon the area began to look like a field of stars,

reminding Will of the dreams he had after the fight with the Shadow of Anubis.

Not

to be turned away, the three of them pressed forward, ignoring the electricity

that flowed so freely through the air. Like the wind before them, the darkness

and points of light faded, leaving only the tunnel.

"What

the hell is going on?" David asked in a hushed tone.

"I

would guess someone is trying to scare us off," Will answered. "We're

not gonna be gotten rid of so easily though." Will raised his voice when

he said that, hoping that who ever might be trying to stymie their progress

could hear him as well.

Will

motioned for them to keep moving. "Come on. Not much further now."

They

covered the last fifty feet of the tunnel unmolested, coming out into a

courtyard that appeared in greys and dull blues by the failing light. Ahead

they could see a large, dome topped building surrounded by other, smaller

structures. From what they could see the architecture was unembellished and

built with function in mind, yet there was something attractive about its

simplicity.

The

courtyard itself was in opposition with that simplicity. All around the

carefully paved pathways were manicured patches of grass, a plethora of

flowering plants, and several small fountains. While the buildings were

beautifully simple, the areas around them were simply beautiful.

Perhaps

the most striking thing about their immediate surrounding was the complete lack

of any people. There wasn't even the slightest whisper of movement; a sacred

silence.

Keeping

watch for any sign of trouble the three of them set off down the main path

through the courtyard to the buildings. They only made it a few yards when

their progress was stopped by a barrier of energy encircling them.

David

swore. "Oh, well isn't this just lovely!

Why is it that things can never seem to go smoothly for us? I mean really! I'm

bloody sick of--!"

"Calm

down," Will said as he scanned the area for any sign of their captors. "Getting

frustrated won't help us here."

Jenna

nodded in agreement with Will, though like Davis she felt a bit irritated by

their predicament.

Seconds

ticked by, turning to minutes as they waited within their unexpected prison. It

wasn't long before even Will started to lose patience with the situation.

They

were cast into semi-darkness when the sun slipped below the towering peaks.

While it would be a few hours before true night set in, the tenebrous pall did

little to ease their minds.

By

the time the first starts began to appear in the sky they had all done what

they could to make themselves more comfortable. Jenna was curled up with her

fluffy tail draped across her forepaws and her head atop her tail, like a

snowy, white striped pillow. Will and David were both on the ground, seated

with their backs against the barrier which--while solid--didn't seem to be

harmful. And still they waited.

An

hour or so after the sun had fully set David suddenly stood, his expression

contorted by anger and anxiety. "That's it! I've had it with this! No more

waiting around. Will, I want you to pull some energy off me and Jenna, and blow

this damn thing apart!"

"I'm

not going to do that," Will replied calmly, not wanting to add to David's

rapidly growing hysteria. "That could seriously hurt one or all of us, and

there's no guarantee it would even work."

David

reached down and grabbed Will by the collar. "I don't give a damn. I don't do

confinement, alright? I'm not staying in here any longer, so blow this thing

open already!"

Will

stood quickly and grabbed the illusionist's wrists, breaking his grip and

pushing David away. "No. I've hurt enough people with my power already. I'm not

risking it again."

David's

breath was coming in shallow bursts as he said, "Stop being selfish dammit! I

don't care about your past bloody issues, alright? Just get us the f--!"

David

stopped short at the sound of growling. They both looked down to see that Jenna

was on her feet, baring her teeth at David. Dark energy was flowing from her

open maw to surround her in a swirling nimbus of energy. She wasn't just sick

of David's bitching. She wasn't going to stand for him speaking to Will that

way.

David

backed away, his eyes wide with fear--and rightfully so, having seen what she

had done with that energy in the past.

Ignoring

David, Will knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and speaking

in a soothing tone. "It's alright Jen. Please, calm down. You don't need to be

upset like this."

For

half a second--no more than a heartbeat really--he saw the anger in her eyes, and

though she might turn it and her teeth on him. But the anger faded from her

eyes, and the dark energy surrounding her dissipated. Then her legs folded

under her, as though all the strength had left her body.

Will

reacted in time to catch her, pulling her in close. She whined and looked up at

him, and he could see that the anger in her eyes had given way to sorrow. Will

hugged her tightly and whispered, "It'll be alright. We're gonna get out of

here, then we're gonna find some way to make you better. It'll all be okay."

Her

eyes softened a bit, and she sighed contentedly. She knew he was saying it as

much for him as for her, and that he was intentionally using platitudes since

he couldn't think of anything better, but she appreciated it just the

same.  She nuzzled his neck briefly

before feeling a wave of exhaustion roll over her. She didn't even have time to

comprehend what had happened as she slipped into unconsciousness, slumping

against Will.

He

pulled away slightly, looking down at her. Shit,

he thought. He knew she wouldn't wake for a while, most likely a few hours. Oh well. At least she doesn't have to worry

about anything for a little bit.

Suddenly

remembering what had triggered her in the first place, he turned to say

something to David, but all thought of it went out of his head when, with no

warning, the barrier around them dropped.

David

and Will were surprised to see that they were being approached by three men,

each of them wearing robes of red and yellow. All of their heads were clean

shaven, and they all appeared to be natives of Nepal. The one in the middle of

the trio--who was the shortest, and appeared the most elderly of them--spoke, his

voice deep and ringing with the wisdom of many years. "You must come with us.

Immediately."

Pushing

aside the surprise at hearing the man--who he presumed was some sort of monk--speak

English, Will asked, "Why?"

"There

is little time to explain. That one--the wolf girl--is in a delicate state now.

We can help, but you must come now."

Without

hesitation Will nodded, picking Jenna up as he stood. "Lead the way."

The

three monks turned wordlessly with the expectation that the others would

follow. Will didn't need any additional encouragement and David--who was simply

happy to have some level of freedom back--followed without complaint.

Catching

up to the monks Will said, "You said you can help. Does that mean you know what

happened to her? And that you can change her back?"

It

was a different monk who answered, this time the tallest of the three. He was a

dark eyed man, with his lip upturned in a perpetual sneer. "Of course we know

what has befallen her. Anyone who knows enough could see it. It is an old magic

that has not been used in many a century.  As for changing her back..." He hesitated, a

look pf pity crossing his face for the briefest instant. "That part is not so

simple."

"Wait,

then how can you help?"

The

final of the three, who was of middling height and was also the youngest in

appearance, said, "In the time since her change, you have seen her act less

human, and more like her animal form, yes?" When Will nodded he continued.

"This is because the magic acts on her mind as well as her body."

"So

you're going to stop the magic from changing her mind?"

The

shortest spoke again. "That is what we will attempt."

There

was a sense of finality in his tone that told Will not to ask any other

questions as they entered the central temple. The three guided Will and David

through the halls of the building until they reached a large central chamber. The

room was barren, consisting of naught but open space, a ring of pillars that

supported the ceiling, and torches that lined the walls. There were other monks

gathered there as well, all watching in silence.

The

short monk turned and said, "Place her in the center of the chamber, and step

back. If we are to do this, it must be while she is unconscious. While she sleeps

the darkness within her will be less powerful."

Will

hesitated, now wondering at the wisdom of placing Jenna in the care of these

strangers. He knew though, that he had little choice but to trust them. So,

gritting his teeth, he walked to the center of the chamber and laid Jenna on

the cold stone floor, very aware of the many pairs of eyes that were upon him.

He

stepped away, joining David at the edge of the room. The illusionist leaned

over and asked, "Are you sure about this mate?"

He

nodded, putting up a strong front despite his doubts.

The

monks began to arrange themselves in a circle around Jenna. She slept on,

blissfully unaware as they began to chant unbidden in a strange, haunting

tongue. Each of the monks began to display a different form of energy around

their body. One appeared to be on fire. Another was surrounded by sparks of

electricity. One faded in and out of view. Others glowed with light, or were

swept by wind.

The

flames on the torches began to whip and flicker.

The

shadows at the edges of the room deepened into black voids as all the light

flowed toward the center of the chanting monks. In unnerving unison the monks

each raised one arm, palms facing Jenna. Energy began to flow from each of them,

tendrils of white light reaching out to Jenna's prone form. The tendrils

wrapped around her, lifting her a foot or so off the ground.

There

was an immediate and violent reaction. Flashes of black energy pulsed from

Jenna's body in ragged bursts. With each burst of dark energy came a shockwave

that threatened to knock them all off their feet. One by one the torches went

out, unable to stay lit under the conditions. The only remaining light was the

ethereal glow emanating from the tendrils of energy.

It

was at this point that David slipped behind one of the support pillars to use

it as a shield. Will on the other hand stood his ground, watching in silence.

He felt a strange mixture of hope and nervousness. He licked his lips and

crossed his arms, his eyes betraying none of the raging emotions within.

Another

shockwave of dark energy rocked the building, shaking dust from the ceiling.

And still the monks chanted, pouring energy into Jenna's body. A glowing

chrysalis formed around her, just transparent enough to see her through. The

bursts of darkness were brought under control, contained by the shield forming

around her. The tendrils faded, all becoming one with the layer of bright energy

that coated her.

Through

the light Will could see that the bursts of energy had stopped altogether. He

bit his lip, not daring to feel any sense of victory or joy until he knew it

was done. Jenna's body slowly lowered to the ground, and the glowing shell

faded away. The monks' chanting ceased.

Needing

no other sign, Will rushed forward to the center of the room, kneeling beside

Jenna when he reached her. He picked her up gently, holding her close to his

chest. Physically she was unchanged, still as furry as she had been for the

past few months. But as for her mind...

Will

looked up as he heard approaching footsteps. It was one of the monks who had escorted

them into the building, specifically the shortest of them. "When she wakes up...will

she be any different?" Will asked.

The

monk smiled. "No, but that is the point. The magic will have no further influence

on her mind. She will remain as you know her, at least in that respect."

Will

fought back tears as he said, "Thank you. Granted...it's not what we hoped for

when we came here...but it's a start."

David--having

decided it was safe to abandon his shelter--strolled over and said, "Yeah, but

there's still the issue of...you know...wolfishness."

"I

haven't forgotten, nor could I," Will replied. "But after all this time I'll take

what I can get for now."

Redirecting

his attention to the monk Will asked, "I don't suppose you could offer any

advice on how to change her back into her normal self?"

"I

can, but you may not like the answer. I'm sure we have many things to discuss,

but it has grown late, and morning comes early for those who live within our

halls. Not to mention that many of us have been exhausted by what we have done

here."

Will

nodded. "Tomorrow then?"

"Yes,"

the monk answered. "Tomorrow, you shall learn. Tonight all I can offer you is

the humble hospitality of our monastery."

Will

stood, gently cradling Jenna in his arms. "Anything you can offer would be

appreciated."

            "I will have someone show you to the

rooms where you can spend the night then."

            "Oh, hey, I just remembered!" David

said, drawing their attention. "We have a horse and cart that we left just

outside. Can we get them brought in here? I'm sure Vincent is sick of being

alone out there."

            Will doubted very much that the colt

minded being able to spend some time alone without having to pull the cart, but

he said nothing as the monk nodded. "I will have someone bring them in for you."

            "Brilliant. Well then, how 'bout

those rooms?"

The

monk gestured for them to follow and led them through the buildings to the

living quarters. He offered one sparsely furnished room to David--who seemed

unhappy with the Spartan appointments but said nothing--and then directed Will

to the room next door. Before entering Will inclined his head and said, "Thank

you again, for everything. I'm sure were she conscious Jenna would be grateful

as well."

The

monk inclined his head in response as he said, "You are most welcome my friend.

We could not turn away from someone in such obvious need of our help. For now

get your rest, and we shall meet again in the morning. If you cannot find me,

simply ask someone to guide you to Amitesh."

Will

nodded, and after thanking Amitesh once again he entered what would be his and

Jenna's lodgings. There was only a bed in the small room, but it would be sufficient

for the night. Will set Jenna on the bed then set his bag on the floor, with

his cloak on top. He then positioned himself and Jenna as best he could on the

bed and quickly gave into exhaustion, slipping into a contented sleep.