The Prince and The Prophecy

CHAPTER THREE

It was a full moon tonight.

As part of our tradition, there are several rituals performed to give honor to the Moon Goddess. Then, when midnight strikes, we all shift to our wolf forms and then begin howling at the moon. After that, everyone is free to take a run.

Lycans and werewolves believe that they get their powers from the moon and the nights with a full moon; we are at our strongest. Taking a run under the moonlight is also believed to give us more power and energy.

I waited for the ceremony to finish and, as soon as my parents ran side by side, followed by their army and the rest of the Lycans. Then I slowly crept to the other direction. To the stone castle.

"Where are we going, Lucas?" Ryker asked when he noticed that I wasn't going to take a run tonight.

"I have something to do," I answered.

"What's more important than basking under the full moon's light? Go back there and make me run. I need energy." he growled.

"We have more than enough energy to last until the next full moon, so just keep quiet and let me do my thing!" after saying that, I quickly cut him off. He will be a big distraction for me.

I made sure that nobody noticed me before I shifted back to my human form. I silently made my way back in. Using my Lycan speed, I went to the King’s study. I have a key to it. I checked the perimeter first and when I didn’t see anyone, I let myself in.

I began looking for what I was coming for. A talisman.

I went to my father’s treasury room. It had a secret code but, of course, I knew what it was. Being a prince has its perks too. I entered the code and I easily got inside.

The room is filled with different chests. I opened the big ones but only gold and other gems were inside them. The other contained primeval artifacts that I know nothing about.

Where could he put it?

They will come back anytime soon, so I have to hurry. I was almost hopeless when I took a glance at my grandfather’s big portrait on the wall. The way that it hangs leaning slightly to the side is weird.

I went to check its back and that’s where I saw another small opening. I put in the same code and it worked. Inside it was a single chest and I grabbed it straightaway. It is too small for a chest, but when I opened it…

Voila! Just what I was looking for.

I took the talisman inside and replaced it with another one that looked exactly the same but didn’t have the same power. I put it in my pocket before I returned everything back in place.

Taking a final look to make sure that everything is in order before going out.

I swiftly went up to my room afterwards. I don’t have to bother about my scent being left behind in my father’s office because I drank a potion that I'd bought from a witch’s black market. The potion masks my scent until the effect lasts. That’s where I also got the knowledge about this talisman.

The talisman is like an ordinary necklace at first glance. I examined it as soon as I locked the door to my bedroom. The pendant is round and has a miniature moon in the middle. It looks so real, but so small. Around the moon are five different colored crystals; red, blue, green, yellow and brown.

They are inside a hexagram figure. There are different symbols that are engraved around the sides of the talisman. I presume that they were ancient letters.

This is the key to the human world, the key to my freedom. Whoever wears the talisman has the power to go through the barrier between our worlds, the human and the supernatural world.

I grinned as I put it inside an enchanted chest. The enchantment conceals the energy of whatever is inside it. I then kept it in my drawers. Now I just have to wait for the perfect timing to execute my plans.

“Lucas, let’s go for a run!” Marcus said after another boring day at the university. They can call me casually because we’ve been friends for forever.

“I can’t, I have to do some duties for my father.”

“You’re always busy, huh?” Zander queried, one of his eyebrows raised up.

“Hi Lucas!” a she wolf suddenly approached with her mob behind her. If I’m not mistaken, her name is Sheila. She’s quite tall and has a good body, which is usual for us wolves. Her lips are so red, it almost looks like someone busted them. She went directly to me and pressed her body against mine.

“What the! Get away from me!” I flinched away, disgusted with her smell. “And how dare you to call me by my name?”

Hurt was evident in her face after what I did. But it quickly faded away.

“My apology, your highness.” She chirped before caressing my arm. Ugh, another slutty she wolf. I pulled my arm from her grasp with a growl.

“Stop touching me! And get out of my sight!” I snarled, my voice filled with the authority that she couldn’t do anything but to bow her head and heed my orders.

“Now look who’s grumpy!!” Zander teased.

“Why did you do that? Leila is one of the most famous she wolves at this university,” Fredrick added. “And also one of the prettiest.”

So that's her name. But whatever...

“Tsk! I don’t give a damn! I have to go now.”

I took some scent concealing potion when I got away from the university so that nobody could track me. It has been a week since the guards don’t go with me to school anymore. I managed to stay out of trouble for quite some time. That’s why the king decided to lift my punishment.

After a few minutes, I started running to my destination, to the kingdom’s eastern border. Because of the witch’s enchantment, there is no need to guard these areas. Usually, only pack borders have roving guards. But I still need to be cautious; it is strictly prohibited to cross these borders.

“You’re getting crazy Lucas! Why would you go to the human world?” Ryker growled.

“I’m curious,” I answered.

“What?! You’re getting us both killed for your curiosity!”

“Calm down, nobody’s dying. I’m just going to take a look!”

“I’m telling you Lucas, get the hell back to the palace!” I felt him trying to take control, but my mind was stronger.

“You can’t tell me what to do mutt!” he kept on prancing, but I ignored him.

I carefully checked my surroundings, listening to see if there was another creature that might see me wandering in those areas. When I didn’t see anyone, I swiftly ran to the waterfalls.

I never knew that the portal to the human world was just beneath this cascading water. I half shifted, causing my fangs and claws to come out. I used them to climb easily and just as the witch told me, there was a portal behind.

It’s like a thick wall of energy and nothing can pass through it. Except for someone who has a talisman.

I am well aware that what I am supposed to do is forbidden but I needed some time out. I always feel suffocated here. Being the king’s heir, I get a lot of attention. Everyone seems to be watching me, whether it is with admiration or jealousy.

I don’t like it. It’s not fun to always be the center of attention. I’ve got a lot of expectations to meet with almost no room for error. It’s simply suffocating that I want to escape sometimes.

“Stop this Lucas! Don’t you dare step into that portal!” Ryker tried to stop me but I'd already made up my mind.

After taking a deep breath, I finally took the talisman out and put it around my neck. I heaved another sigh before stepping into the portal.

The next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the portal, which is also beneath the waterfalls. It looks exactly the same except for the fact that it faces the other direction. I took a peek outside and I saw a lush forest, just like ours!

I felt my eyes changing, Ryker was also taking a peek.

“I know you’d be curious too.” I teased him but he just growled again.

“See, there’s nothing to see here. It’s just the same as our kingdom!”

“Yeah, I can see that.” I snorted sarcastically.

I don’t know if I will be disappointed or what. It took me a lot of trouble to cross the border only to find out that it’s like a parallel universe to us. I can see a replica of our waterfalls and rainforest, but well, there are no wolves here for sure. I took a sniff to make sure.

When I smelled nothing suspicious, I climbed down the cliff while still half shifted.

“What are you doing? Let’s go back now!” my beast snarled.

“Oh, shut up Ryker or I will shut you out!” he stopped talking, but he continued to prance inside my head.

When I reached the land below, I retracted my fangs and claws. I looked around and I was in awe, everything really looked the same. The trees, the plants, everything. I know because we frequently go to this area with my friends.

I decided to take a walk first. When I got bored, I started running. I can run fast even in my human form. Even if I wanted to shift, that would be too risky. Unlike werewolves who can be mistaken for normal wolves, I will surely look like a monster if anyone sees me.

I ran as fast as I could until I reached a peak. I looked down only to see that I was still on top of another mountain. I looked at the land below. That’s where the houses and other establishments are. I continued running down until I reached the mountain's foot.

I looked back up to where I came from.

From here, it looks like a giant mountain with two peaks. The other peak just reached the middle of the higher one. On its sides are also mountains of almost the same height. No wonder our kingdom has been kept hidden for decades after the witches casted the barrier.

“Let’s go back now before anyone notices your disappearance.” Ryker decided to butt in once more.

“Relax, I’ve been away for not more than an hour. Nobody will notice yet.” I kept looking around.

This is not as interesting as I thought it should be. There are only farms around here. I couldn’t see a single soul, maybe because the sun was almost setting, everyone had gone home already. I kept wandering through the woods while trying to hide behind the trees. I don’t know if my human form looks the same as humans here.

I was looking at a strange fruit when I heard some crackling of leaves.

“What was that?!” Ryker growled.

“Shh, you’re so jumpy.” I turned to the direction where the sound came from.

I was still thinking about whether I should go and check it but my curiosity won. I walked over to the direction where I heard the sound. Now I hear some rustling.

As I walked carefully, an incredible scent suddenly hit my senses. It was so faint, I don’t know if I’m only imagining it. Ryker kept quiet but he seemed to be uneasy.

I sniffed the air and noticed that the sound and the scent were coming from one direction only. I continued to follow it, careful not to make any noise as I walked over dry leaves and twigs. After a few minutes, the scent got stronger but the sound changed to splashing of water. I frowned but still went on my way.

The scent gets more concise, I can tell it’s a blend of warm vanilla and fresh roses. I didn’t know I would love this scent but it was intoxicating. I was inhaling deeply when reality struck me, at the same time as my wolf growled.

“Mate!”