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Blackmoor: The Meeting

In a world of ghouls and monsters, there were the hunted, and there were the hunters. This rule never changed, even before this world became apparent to the general eyes. The hunters could be literal or metaphoric, and existed in many forms, while the hunted generally fell within the same rule. If one followed the rule of ecosystem, It was clear that it was nature’s rule of balance, and subverting this balance could lead to disaster. However, this rule applied between sentient beings and others that generally fell under the category of animals, beasts, monsters, or ghouls. The sentient humanoids, be it humans or beast races, strove to maintain this balance. Then, came the concept of Natural Selection, and from that concept, a sense of supremacy, which started as nothing but a seed on the ground, grew into a tree with many branches, and it shaped the modern world as it was.

There were many cases, however, that this rule did not apply. In fact, it may not work, and people who believed otherwise would be branded as either a ‘closed-minded individual’, a ‘traditionalist’, or the worst of all, a ‘racist’. Aside from the branding of being a ‘racist’, the former two were considered a mockery. Of course, this kind of attitude would not emerge well into the latter half of the 20th century, and greatly enforced during the era of globalization in the 21st century, and continued into the era of space travel and first contact with aliens. But, as stated before, this became widespread during the latter half of the 20th century, while our focus came in the late 19th century, in the years before a new century came.

The Uni Europa region was generally considered the start of many empires before it earned the named that defined it. The extinct dragon came from this region, and the Western Draconians came from this region. However, we focused on one particular human, the forefather of an old legacy that continued well into the space era, with his name resonated with the term ‘Vampire Hunter’, though he might not agree with such.

Abraham Van Helsing may not have such popularity during his time, as his feat was not known, for everyone’s safety. After the death of the vampire fiend, Count Dracula, he traveled the Uni Europa region, swearing to hunt vampires and end their threats to the land of the living and daylight. With the blessings of his friends, he traveled alone to dissuade his connection with his former group, Jonathan Harker, who decided to retire and care for his wife, Mina Harker, still traumatized by her dealings with Dracula. John Seward, Abraham’s former student and friend, started an agency for Supernatural Investigation, created solely to control the supernaturally-inclined individuals, based in Lodnir, Vitania. Abraham came back once in an undetermined interval to pay his respects to their fallen comrade, Quincey Morris, and to console Arthur Holmwood, whose wife Lucy started the group’s campaign against vampires.

But then, Abraham suddenly vanished one day, with no indication where he was. His old friends wondered where he went, with Arthur speculating that he died in his crusade against vampires, while John was suspicious that his old friend had turned into one. The truth, however, was different, especially when the word ‘Blackmoor’ was involved. Six years after his disappearance, he returned a changed man, and recounted the tales of his adventures to his old friends.

***

Every story had a beginning, and so it began three years after Abraham started his crusade. He had recently killed a vampire named Gustav Richter, a mysterious trader from Avaria, and celebrated his victory in a tavern near the hotel where he killed Gustav. As he was a vampire, his body would simply dissipate into dust as daylight came, and Abraham had made sure that no traces linking him to the killing would remain, including the body itself. He drank his fill, and talked with the tavern patron who, despite of knowing of a vampire hunter around the area, never knew about Abraham Van Helsing, as he wanted.

Taverns were the best source of information for Abraham to find out about vampires, as he could hear the symptoms that would show on a vampire, using the knowledge from one of his doctorate degrees. What he heard that night, however, was different. It was about the tale of a town called Blackmoor.

“I don’t know much about Blackmoor, mate,” said the tavern owner when Abraham asked about it. “It’s a story retold many times, but as far as I know, that town’s fine in my eyes.”

“What’s so special about that town?” asked Abraham.

“Aside from being a small Romani town? Well, it’s very quiet there, as if no one lived there. I heard someone talked about the town being the lair of vampires, or even the mysterious wolf-man who killed many people.”

“Wolf-man?”

“Don’t know much about it, aside from the bodies being maimed by a beast in the middle of the night. I mean, it’s crazy, right? Wolf-men don’t exist, as did vampires. It’s just superstition.”

“You’ll never know. Vitania is a big empire,” said Abraham. “Things might get mixed up with so many colonies you have.”

“That’s Vitania for you. How about you? You don’t sound Vitanian.”

“I’m Hollandian. Is it the accent?”

“No wonder.” The owner sighed. “I’m sorry for your queen.”

“Thank you. I hope the king’s wisdom is not misplaced. Anyway, thank you for the drink.”

The tavern keeper accepted the coins and money Abraham gave him as the vampire hunter walked out. He became interested with the mystery of the town called Blackmoor, and so he started gathering up his stuff and readied himself to travel to the small town, around 2 hours travel with horse from the town he was in, Whitechapel.

With the horse-drawn carriage he had, he started travelling to the town of Blackmoor, north of Whitechapel. The information he gathered wasn’t wrong. Blackmoor was a normal town befitting a small town near a Vitanian forest, with farmlands and estates owned by old families. As he expected, Blackmoor was not as crowded as Lodnir or Whitechapel. It was quiet, with only farmers working in the farm and housewives and servants buying food in the market. Shops opened normally, with the normal atmosphere of a small town.

Of course, this normality seemed odd for a town with recent news of killings. Everyone seemed to not know or even be scared by the fact that people were found dead in Blackmoor. Abraham speculated that it was their proximity to a forest, which could have either bears or wolves, or even the wolf-man that people were talking about. The vampire hunter knew that the only way to find out about information, aside from the taverns, was the police.

And thus, Abraham walked to the nearby police station station and tried to get an audience with the police chief there, one that was denied by the police officer by the front desk, who said, “If you want to file a complaint, you can just ask me.”

This was when Abraham knew his membership in Seward’s Agency became useful. He then did what he usually did: name-dropping himself and John Seward. Abraham sighed and said, “Alright. I suppose you need a little convincing.”

“If you’re trying to bribe me, don’t waste it,” said the desk officer. “Buy yourself some mead in the tavern with those money, and get out.”

Abraham smirked and chuckled softly while pulling out a business card. The confused officer accepted it as Abraham said, “You might want to take a look, officer. It might save you some time.”

He then walked towards the door, tipping his hat while saying, “I’ll be in the tavern. Have a nice day.”

Abraham knew that it was betting with Seward’s reputation and his name, and it would be troublesome if it was in fact in the hand of one of the vampire’s thrall, or even the vampire himself. The fact that Blackmoor had more mansions for these reclusive night creatures to rest made it an even more dangerous bet. He wanted to be more incognito about it, and he could’ve asked the people around instead of going directly to the office.

Unfortunately, the town itself was silent about the whole situation, making him even more suspicious. It was when he stopped, and started to drink his first mug, when a police officer came into the tavern. From the reaction of the people in the tavern, Abraham quickly knew that he was an important police officer.

The tavern keeper pointed towards Abraham, and the officer walked towards Abraham’s table. He sat there, ordered some food and drink, and extended his hand while saying, “Detective Inspector Biggs.”

“Van Helsing,” said Abraham while accepting his handshake. “I assume you represent the Blackmoor police?”

“Yes, I do. Chief Inspector Hardington is currently pre-occupied. I am sorry about the desk sergeant’s attitude towards you.”

“Do not worry about that. You do know why I come here, don’t you?”

“I do, and as Detective Inspector, I am glad that a member of the Supernatural Investigation is willing to spare one of its member for us. You are welcome to join me in the investigation, Mister Van Helsing. Your help is greatly appreciated.”

“Hmm…so, when do we start?”

“I suggest you rest up for today. Your travel must be exhausting. Get to know the town. It’s a pleasant day. Harvest is plenty. You should try our meat pie. It’s Blackmoor’s specialty.”

“I’ll consider it,” said Abraham with a smile. “Thank you, Detective Inspector.”

Biggs then stayed for the food and the drink, stating that he was having a lunch break. He then talked to Abraham about the town, and Abraham talked about Seward’s Agency, while trying his best to conceal the fact that he was a vampire hunter working independently from the Agency. The talk then quickly changed to the mansions, and their significance in Blackmoor’s society.

“The mansions are owned by the Dorff, the Talbot, and the Brieson families,” said Biggs. “You know how they are. They don’t normally go outside unless it’s hunting season. Now, I guess they’re scared to go into the forest after the deaths.”

“Hmm…”

“How about you? You seem to live in one of those homes back in Hollandia.”

“I do, but I like travelling, and I have friends in Vitania, not to mention I love its countryside,” said Abraham. “Are you planning to travel to Hollandia one day, detective inspector?”

Biggs chuckled. “I might, one day. But, right now, I have work to do. Anyway, it’s time for me to go back. Enjoy the countryside, doctor. Just so you know, the forest’s currently off-limits. If you want to start your investigation there, talk to me, and I’ll give you the proper paperwork.”

“I appreciate it.”

Abraham then did so. He enjoyed the one day in Blackmoor. It was a pleasant place, with the townspeople knowing each other well despite of the town’s size. It was not surprising, given how small the place was, and how close-knit the neighborhood was.

That night, Abraham checked into the only inn in Blackmoor: White Wolf Inn. He quickly settled down and, using the table and his handy portable gas light, he started writing a journal about his days in Blackmoor. He also started writing a letter to Seward about Blackmoor, and himself. He realized early that night that he forgot to write his old friend letter for a while. It took him three pages talking about his experience in Blackmoor and his personal crusade against vampires.

When he started writing a letter towards Jonathan and Mina, however, he was startled by a police whistle, followed by growls and howls of wolves. Abraham quickly turned off his light and, pulling out his silver pistol, approached the window to see what happened. There was nothing that suggested anything peculiar. Intrigued, he walked down and wanted to get out, when the inn’s front door was locked. As he reached for his skeleton key, however, his hand was grabbed by the innkeeper.

“I do not recommend it, good sir,” said the innkeeper. “The police’s order is pretty clear.”

“Is it the killing again?” speculated Abraham. “If so, I can handle it.”

“I hope you’ll understand. Please, good sir. It’s for your safety, and for ours, too.”

Abraham wanted to argue, but the innkeeper was firm in his decision, so Abraham relented, and agreed to walk to his bed. He became suspicious. Was the town holding a terrible secret, and he was not supposed to know, or was it genuinely for his own protection? He couldn’t think other reasons between those two.

That night, his sleep was disturbed by the constant howling of the wolves in the forest. He didn’t know what happened, and his curiosity kept him awake. He managed to get some well-earned sleep three hours before sunrise, and after he did so, he quickly get dressed and walked down to get some breakfast, when he saw Biggs waiting for him.

“Detective inspector,” said Abraham when he saw him. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“A good morning to you, Doctor, but I’m afraid your service is needed,” said Biggs. “I’ll talk to you during breakfast. Come with me.”

Abraham became intrigued, and followed Biggs to the tavern. He ordered a full Vitanian breakfast and a cup of tea, while Biggs ordered omelet and honey-glazed ham, along with tea.

“I suppose you’ve heard about the killings,” said Biggs while sipping his tea. “We need your medical expertise.”

“Don’t you have a coroner?”

“In a twist of fate, he was the victim. I should have talked about it first, so you won’t eat that much for a breakfast.”

“Do not worry about me, detective inspector.”

“Biggs, please. We are now working together as of this moment.”

They finished their breakfast, then quickly walked towards the autopsy wing in the police station. Biggs took him to a room with a table covered with white cloth. Biggs quickly pulled the cloth up, and the sight surprised Abraham.

The victim was clearly mauled to pieces by a wild beast, presumably a bear of sorts from the claw mark. His face was unrecognizable with the damage, and parts of his body were severed. Abraham noticed that there was a bite mark on his neck, but was then baffled by it; the bite mark was canine, yet it was clearly bigger than a wolf’s bite.

“I’m curious, Biggs. Does the forest has a bear?”

“Not that I know, especially not for the Romani people living near it,” said Biggs. “And as far as we concerned, these people are not suspects.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

“How so?”

“You don’t blame the Romani people, while others would quickly jump to a conclusion, and it usually involved them.”

“Let’s just say Blackmoor’s an open community. Now, what do you think?”

“A simple glance would convince everyone that this poor fellow was attacked by a wolf, but everything seems off. If Blackmoor has a wolf the size of a bear, it might close the case, but, what if it’s a giant bat.”

“A…bat, doctor?”

“Do you know? Vampires can transform into a bat. No, I’m not talking about the small bats, but a giant, monstrous bat. Again, it’s only speculation, and I might draw too much conclusion. There’s nothing we can do about this body. Where did you find it?”

“It’s…near the forest,” said Biggs. Abraham apparently sensed some sort of hesitation from Biggs. Was he scared by the forest, or was it because of the forest itself being dangerous?

Either way, they walked towards the forest, and with the police in the area, investigated it. He wanted to talk to the Romani people nearby, but he had no knowledge of their language, nor did they want to talk about the attack. Blackmoor quickly became a desolate town as people became afraid to come out due to the attack. Abraham felt grateful for the openness of the town, but the fear that came made him made a decision that could change his fate forever.

“Biggs…do you mind if I stake the forest, see if there’s a wolf-man?”

“Wolf-man? You conclude the whole affair to a wolf-man? Don’t you think it’s a bit outstretched?”

“Remember who I work for, Biggs. Either way, I’m also a vampire hunter, and I have the equipment for it. Now, do you have anything related to silver? Anything I can buy?”

“Does silverware works for you? If so, come with me.”

They walked towards a cutlery shop. Abraham bought a pure silver table knife, some salt, herbs, and others, including wolfsbane. Biggs also did so, but was less prepared.

“Tell me, Biggs. Is tonight’s a full moon?”

“No, I don’t suppose it is.”

“Good, because they will be weakened by that fact.”

“Do you know about the wolf-man, doctor?”

“Not much, except in folklores. They could transform into a wolf any time they want, but under a full moon, they would be at the peak of their strength and they would be virtually unstoppable. It works in our favor, however, if the wolf-man in question was only recently turned. Anyway, I’ll be seeing you tonight by the forest.”

“The police will help you, then. We have been staking the forest for a while.”

“I suggest they take the same precautions.”

“Yes,” said Biggs short. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

Abraham then walked towards his inn, contemplating on the equipment he carried with him against vampires. He wanted to know how to combat the wolf-man, given that his area of expertise to the creature was minimal. Abraham walked to the library and started trying to find any folklore and pagan culture, including about the Romani people, just to be sure.

He slowly found out about the wolf-man, about the weakness, and facts that, like vampires, they only appeared during the night. Some accounts said they shared the same weakness as vampires, except they were not burned to dust by sunlight, and were impervious to everything except silver. Taking on this information, he returned to his inn, take many weapons and equipment he had, including his silver revolver, with him. The sun was already setting by the time he got ready and walked to the forest’s edge to meet with Biggs, who had been coordinating with the police officers there. They went into a police box, then shared their knowledge about their findings.

“So, wolf-men could be killed by silver, and…resurrected under a full moon? Does that mean they are immortal?”

“No, not necessarily. They do not resurrect. It is only reserved by those with grave injuries. A full moon will heal their injury fast enough to prevent sudden death. But then, they already have an accelerated healing factor, so the only way to kill them permanently is to destroy their hearts, much like a vampire.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I have a feeling they are mortal, just like humans.”

“Yes, but with silver.”

Right after he said that, a terrible deep howl shook them into attention. They both walked out and quickly went into the forest. The forest was not as dark as Abraham thought it would be, but it was clear that the row of trees beyond him could cause people to be lost. He followed a group of police officers as they walked closely together, trying to find this wolf-man.

There was an uncomfortable silence as they walked into the forest. An hour after they did so, they tried to stay calm and collected. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the body of a maimed police officer was thrown towards one of them, scaring them to the point of scattering.

“No, you fools!” exclaimed Abraham. “This is just as the wolf-man wants.”

“Doctor, I suggest you stay behind me. Pull your weapons out.”

He did so, but then he noticed Biggs missing.

“Biggs?” Abraham said. He quickly realized that the wolf-man they were confronting was far more intelligent than a creature driven by instinct, and was dispatching everyone one by one. He quickly saw Biggs being thrown across his vision, towards a rock. He quickly ran towards him. The force of the throw broke his ribs.

“Are you alright?”

Biggs threw out blood. “What do you think, doctor? The bastard’s clever.”

“Don’t mind him. We need to get out of…”

“I should’ve known transforming takes time without a full moon…,” said Biggs, puzzling Abraham.

“What?” he said, before he noticed a big, hairy creature running towards him. He could clearly see that the creature was clearly a humanoid-looking creature, but far more muscular than most humans, and on top of that, had a lupine appearance. Abraham could see that it was feral, and was apparently struck by something that made it lost its attempt to reason.

Abraham knew he needed to protect Biggs, and he was the one with the skills and proper equipment for fighting a supernatural being. Pulling out the bowie knife he coated with silver melted from the silverwares he bought earlier that morning. The appearance of silver clearly made the wolf-man into the defensive, and Abraham tried his best to push back the wolf-man and possibly scare it. He tried to do so, but then the wolf-man lunged towards him. He was ready to cut the creature when something unexpected happened.

Another wolf-man, but different in both fur density and physique, pushed the wolf-man away from Abraham, grappling it while growling and roaring. Both were fighting like crazed beast, and Abraham wasn’t sure which wolf-man he was hunting with the police. Just as he was hesitating, one of them, the partially furless one, talked.

“Hey! Give me that knife!” said the almost furless wolf-man.

“What?” said Abraham.

“Throw it! Now!”

Abraham was still unsure if it was his imagination or not, but he could take both in one go. He then throw the knife towards the other wolf-man, which he caught and used to cut the opposing wolf-man. It yelped as Abraham walked towards the partially furless one.

“Are you trying to kill me?” asked the furless one.

“You do realize what you are, right?”

“Keep your opinions to yourself, Abraham Van Helsing.”

Surprised that the wolf-man knew his name, he did not see the feral wolf-man attacking them. It but Abraham’s hand before the wolf-man could pry him away and, from behind, cut the wolf-man’s throat with the bowie knife. It gurgled as it fell down, clutching its gaping wound, which would not close, before the partially furless one plunged the knife deep into its chest, killing it.

Abraham could not believe what he saw. It was clearly something he never thought would see. A wolf-man killing another wolf-man. If his friends could see this, they would, but right now, he was all alone, in the middle of a Vitanian forest, face to face with a sentient wolf-man, who looked a lot more like a human if it wasn’t for his lupine face and height, which was clearly more than 7 feet. The wolf-man in question also wore clothes: modest shirt and pants with suspenders, along with a bowler hat he retrieved after getting off the wolf-man’s corpse.

He walked towards Abraham, whose hand was ready on his silver-coated revolver. The wolf-man then said, “Let’s all be friends here. From the look of it, you know your weapons. Silver-coated bowie knife, dipped in holy water, 12 inches. Pretty damn good for some jungle trek. You ever been to South Amaris?”

“I…thank you, for saving me,” said Abraham. “But I need some explanation.”

He then showed his bitten hand, which made the wolf-man looked at him with a different expression. He quickly walked towards the human and licked the blood from it, but kept looking at Abraham with an expression the human could see as ‘regret’.

“How much time do I have?” asked Abraham.

“Five days after you’re bitten, you will experience bestial cravings and instinct. Two days later, your healing factor will accelerate, which will make you inhuman. Dogs will regard you as a canine, and they will bark at you or at least try to communicate with you. All your sense will be enhanced beyond a human, and it will cause sensory overload that might overwhelm you, or it might not.”

“What will happen to me during the full moon?”

“Let me be honest with you. You’ll be like this son of a whore: feral like a wolf, unless you agree to stay and let us train you on how to become a werewolf.”

“Is there a cure?”

The wolf-man shook his head. “The cure is death, doctor Van Helsing. I’m sorry to inform you, but you’re turning.”

Instead of being surprised and shocked, he came to realize that it was inevitable. In fact, it wasn’t right from the start. Abraham Van Helsing, a doctor, professor, and scientist, with many degrees and milestones, along with knowledge of vampires and other ghouls and monsters, and working as an independent vampire hunter, was turning into a werewolf.

But then, part of him was also relieved that, instead of being a vampire, he would be a werewolf, which was okay, at least for him.

“Right,” said Abraham. “Then I’ll accept your offer. But, in return, you will answer all my questions with complete honesty and detail. Now, let’s get back to Blackmoor, and let me cover this wound.”

Abraham was prepared for every outrageous response the werewolf would say, but he was caught completely off guard when the werewolf came with him out from the forest. Instead of being a monster or abomination, he was greeted as if he was one of the townspeople, along with the Romani people cheering for him. He smiled and waved his hand, while Biggs, who went out uninjured despite of being thrown, walked beside Abraham while smoking, sighing despite of covered in dirt and blood.

They walked to the hospital and everyone in it also greeted the werewolf, while Biggs coordinated some of the injured and dead officers. Abraham’s hand was cleaned and covered with fresh bandages, and he was suggested by the doctor to stay with ‘Talbot’ at all time, for he was a ‘new blood’. He knew what it meant, and he still had a mixed feeling about it.

The werewolf invited Abraham to his home, a lavish, but mostly dark, mansion near the town’s outskirts. That was when he knew that ‘Talbot’ was his surname.

“You’re Talbot, then?” said Abraham.

“I’m Lawrence Talbot, Larry for short,” said the werewolf.

“Are you their protector?”

“Protector? Not really. I’m the leader of the Wolf Soldiers within the forest. There are a lot of feral werewolves who were around this town. We make sure they don’t get out of the forest. Some of those, who had preyed on humans, were lost cause, so we kill them, like that werewolf.”

“Are you Amarisian?”

“My accent’s a dead giveaway, huh? Studied business for 5 years before dad asked me to come home. Got bitten by a feral, changed, trained, and become like this. I don’t want to turn back. It’s painful.”

“I can see why. Now, how do you know my name, Lawrence Talbot?”

“Who wouldn’t. In this town, you are an honored guest. If you haven’t come for Calfax, this town might be next. We don’t want that, do we? I mean, werewolves and vampires are like oil and water, and for some who’s gone face to face with Dracula, you know how dangerous he is, and you might think ‘what does a werewolf has against a vampire’? Well, it’s simple. He’ll enslave us.”

Abraham didn’t know this part of the story, but he was grateful, to a degree, that he could rid the influences of the dreaded vampire for good. He was so sure that only humans were the ones having a problem with the vampire. He was surprised that the werewolves were also having their own problems, and for them, it could be a lot worse. Still, the fact that he was no longer a human was still clouding his mind. It was so new for him.

“Are you and those in the forests the only werewolves?”

“No,” said Lawrence sharp. “In fact, Blackmoor is a town of werewolves, except for those who chose to live a semi-human life, they get to stay and interact with visitors. We dedicated ourselves to protect them, and we either protect them within this mansion, or in the forest. We have a base downstairs if you want to look, but until the world is ready to accept us, we’ll fight from within the shadows. No one wanted to see a werewolf in plain daylight, especially not the superstitious lot who liked reading Penny Dreadful stories.”

“So, werewolf protectors, then?”

“Yes, we are, and you can be one of them, too.”

“I’m grateful that you want to accept me, but after I’ve trained my instincts and bestial self, I’ll be going home, and meet with my friends. In my opinion, you already have enough people to protect more than a town. You called yourself the Wolf Soldiers, so it should be a big group.”

“Unfortunately, that’s an over-exaggeration,” said Lawrence. “We only have ten werewolves willing to go full wolf, and, uh, me included, though in my case, it’s different, and, well…”

“The pain dissuades people.”

“I guess you can say that. I’ve learned that the hard way. You won’t know until you experience it yourself, and let me warn you, it’s ugly. Sometimes, it works perfectly well: you become an anthropomorphic, yet monstrous, 7 feet to 8 feet tall wolf who can talk and reason, but at the same time, abominations can happen, for example, me.”

“Yes, I can notice you different you are from the feral you killed in the forest,” said Abraham. “Is there a reason why you have no coat?”

“Kinda hard to explain, but it has something to do with ancestry, and believe me, it’s convoluted. So, let’s stop talking about me. Let’s talk about you.”

“Me?”

“Are you perfectly sure that your friends will recognize you when you return to them?” said Lawrence with a serious expression. “A prodigy holding on so many doctorates, who dedicated his life to hunt vampires, became obsessed with a way to fight them effectively, that he sold his soul to evil, a necessary evil, to fight worse evils?”

“It was simply an accident, Talbot,” said Abraham. “They will understand. Seward, especially, will understand.”

“I am not talking about understanding. I am talking about you. Somewhere within that bright mind of yours, you know that this crusade against vampires is going badly, and your general acceptance to the curse is an indication that you’ve abandoned your humanity to achieve victory.”

“Why are you questioning me? It is quite obvious. If the only way to defeat this curse is to die, then I’ll endure it….” Abraham then hesitated, then sighed, and said, “But you’re right. I suppose my life as a vampire hunter is getting more and more dangerous, and I am simply outnumbered and sometimes outsmarted. I suppose your…psychological questioning do have a merit, after all. Did you study psychology in Ameris, by any chance?”

“It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?” Lawrence sighed. “I suppose you don’t want to join the Wolf Soldiers. Still, I suggest you stay for a while, at least until you learn how to control your new power.”

“Then, I will stay, if it means for my own safety and others,” said Abraham. “I should write…”

“No, don’t,” interrupted Lawrence. “We don’t want unnecessary attention…yet.”

“Hmm…I suppose you have a point there,” said Abraham. “Then it is decided. I will stay for a while, and return to Seward when the time is right.”

“I’m glad you understand.” Lawrence then stood up and extended his hand. Abraham was quite puzzled, yet amused, by how the more humanoid-looking werewolf acted. He may have had an appearance of a beast, but he was, in many ways, a gentleman. Abraham smiled, stood up, and accepted Lawrence’s hand, agreeing that, by any purposes, he needed to stay in Blackmoor, with no contact at all with his friends.

And so, that’s how it went. He stayed in Blackmoor for at least one year, before he started travelling, with Lawrence and some others, to go around the world to meet with those working within the shadows, in addition to hunting vampires. Abraham slowly became something of an urban legend, where his exploits and his lupine appearance, along with his secrecy, caused many to think that a werewolf was everywhere. Seward and his old friends never knew about who this werewolf was, until Abraham, aged 55, returned to Seward’s Agency’s Headquarters in Lodnir, in secrecy, to show the truth of his travel.

As he walked into the Agency to meet with Seward, the Harkers, and Holmwood, in big coat and wide-brimmed hat, he talked to them about many adventures he had with friend Lawrence Talbot. Once Seward became suspicious of his covers, however, he was convinced that Abraham had turned into a vampire, only for him to reveal that he was no longer human, but lupine, showing his humanoid body, covered in dark brown fur that complemented his hair color, with tail, head of a canine, and striking blue eyes. His height, however, remained 6 feet tall, as he had found wisdom of becoming a less monstrous werewolf, and identified himself as a beast race, instead of a were-creature.

As he drank his tea, he said, “And that’s how it went. I, Abraham Van Helsing, am no longer human, and I suppose it falls upon the category of a supernatural creature. Your Agency can assist me, Seward, to combat other threats better.”

“And why should we trust a man who has become a wolf?” said Seward, still confused. The others agreed.

Abraham shook his head, and told Seward a statement that would help his friends to accept a world beyond a human’s scope, and the workings of those in the shadows, both good and bad.

“Oh, Seward, my old friend. If there’s one thing I may boast for being a canine, I will swear on my loyalty, and my honesty.”