A Slice in Time

“There are many evil forces at work in the Roux Ga Roux Forest that you know nothing about. This is the land of UFOs and Time Travelers.

I wasn’t always a werewolf you know.” The Loup Garou’s eyes, yellow wolf eyes, sparkled and glowed brightly in the light of the lamp.
“Please, I don’t want to get involved with what is going on outside. I’ve been through enough as it is. You have no idea of what I have seen, or what I’ve been through before finding this cabin.” The young girl bemoaned as she began cutting thin slices from a whole oven roast chicken that sat on the clean kitchen counter top. The faint sweet smell of rosemary and thyme mingled with yeasty odors of several fresh baked loafs of bread that also sat on the kitchen counter.

"My dear", said the wolf, "you are under the protection of many brave Fangrala warriors."

While in the process of preparing her unexpected visitor a rather large chicken sandwich. Ualaxy instinctively glanced at the mirror like reflection in the large kitchen knife she was using to slice the bread. When she held the knife at just the right angle, she could see over her shoulder. There, standing right behind her was a good-looking dark haired man. Lycanthrope! Ualaxy smiled now knowing the truth of it.
She turned quickly and walked into the living room. The wolf followed. Placing the carefully prepared sandwich on a small round table, she then poured two cups of apple cider from the crock pot sitting on the wood stove.
“Please sit down and enjoy your meal.”
“You don’t mind if I... wolf it down do you? Just kidding, I want to savor the flavors. Do you cook like this all the time?”

Showing a pearly rack of snow-white fangs, the Loup Garou grinned and went-to-town enjoying his carefully prepared food. He stopped several times to sip his cup of perfectly brewed hot cider. When finished, he smacked his lips in satisfaction and belched loudly. “So sorry.” he said, “I forgot myself there for a moment.”
Ualaxy laugh out loud. “No problem. I do the same thing when I’m alone.”
“Now shall we get started on translating that book you found?” he said.
“By all means.”

Placing the book on the table in front of the wolf, the girl then sat down.
“Ahem, this is a very ancient and valuable book of the Fangrala people. It is a book of exotic magic.”
“I could have told you that,” replied the girl.
The wolf raised one corner of his lip at the girl’s innocent, but stinging remark. He took a deep breath and continued. “This book must have come from the Pearl Mountains on the other side of the Blue Bird River. In those mountain are located many escape portals to different worlds.” The Loup Garou tapped a claw on the book. “I have seen many books of Fangrala, but never one of this value and quality. This book looks to be from the Royal Witches of the Wüstland Desert.”
“So what you’re saying is…” With her elbows planted firmly on the table while cradling her head in her hands, she sat pondering for several moments. “Ahem, the Royal Witches of Wüstland? Are they good royal witches, or bad royal witches?”
Again the wolf smiled. “A Royal Witch is a witch that has climbed to the highest summit in the Mountains, suffered the cruelest of evil’s hardships, looked death in the face, and survived the ordeal by spitting in the eye of Keres. They call it the Schmöker School of Life and Death, it's a very evil and secret society.”

"You didn't answer my question." she said rather sheepishly.

The wolf narrowed his eyes, twiched his long ears, wrinkled his nose and said, "Clever girl."

Outside, the wind began to blow and the snow shifted directions.

"Ahwooo... ahwooo... ahwooo..."

Ualaxy shivered at the mornful crys.

"My brothers and sisters are singing prayers for you." The wolf stood up quickly. "We must leave tonight."

"Are you nuts? leave for where? Why?"

"Magic is a foot. We must cross the Bluebird River and be on the otherside of the Pearl Mountains before midnight."

"Forgive me for sounding rude, but you must be crazy. How do you purpose we get there, fly?" Ualaxy sat back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest.

"Of course we're going to fly," said the wolf pointing to the old Oriental carpet on the cabin floor. "What do you think that's for?"