‘That they are. I’ve always wanted to see one,’ Xander replies.
‘Well, this is great!’ I exclaim. ‘You can go back to Felderia tonight. Befriend a werewolf and ask them to track one down and bring us back a flower?’ I say to Xander.
Xander bursts into laughter, ‘Me? Befriend a werewolf in Felderia? I think not. Felderians will think their world has gone mad if they ever saw such a thing,’ he says. ‘Besides, the only werewolf I know personally in Felderia is Warrick, and the last time I spoke to him was when other Felderians and I were spellbinding him in the witching woods whilst he was in a killing frenzy, and that was years ago, which I’ve already told you.
I haven’t told you that he left me with a gift so I’d never forget him,’ Xander says and rolls up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal three thick claw marks deeply scarred below his shoulder. ‘So, as you can see, we’re not on the best of terms, and last I heard, he’s become more vicious and dangerous over time. You will hear many tales of curious Felderians who ventured to see him, only never to return. Some Felderians are foolish and dare their peers to pat him while he sleeps, only for them to meet their demise or flee the woods, missing a limb,’ he adds.
‘Okay, so, you’ve got no friends in Felderia, then how are we supposed to catch a blossom flower fox and take a flower from it?’ I ask him, frustrated.
‘I have many friends, thank you,’ he retorts and then thinks, momentarily whilst tapping his feet. ‘The only way for you to get your hands on the flower is to get it yourself,’ he says.
‘Wait! You want me to go to Felderia?’ I ask him.
‘We need a werewolf to get it, and you are a werewolf, so you can pick up on scents, can you not?’ he asks.
‘Of course, I can pick up on different scents, but what about the ancient enchantists you mentioned?’ I ask.
‘The mystic council? They can’t know about your existence, so you will let me do all the talking to any Felderians we come across, and you will remain silent and nod or go along with anything I say,’ he says.
‘It sounds dangerous, Xander,’ Janie says worriedly.
‘It’s risky, and we may have the dangers of wraiths, quinserps, blood-sucking vines, skull-hides and all the other monsters and dangerous creatures roaming in Felderia to face, but it’s the mystic council you don’t want to cross. They will determine your fate, given that you used to be technically a human. You are forbidden to enter or even know about Felderia, but now that you’re a werewolf, you’re technically forbidden from being here. So, you are kind of in a limbo of a situation, and I know the council well. They were the ones that assigned me on the grave shifts to wrangle the wraiths. They can be quite ruthless and easily angered.’
‘Wait, blood-sucking vines?’ I shriek.
Xander gives me an odd look, ‘Yeah, you know, vines that move like octopus tendrils and entangle you before sucking you dry of blood,’ he says nonchalantly with a shrug.
‘The mystic Council isn’t sounding so bad after all,’ I say with dread.
‘Well, you don’t have to go, but then you’ll be stuck like this, possibly for the rest of your life,’ Xander says.
‘I don’t want to go alone, knowing there’s so much danger involved,’ I tell him.
‘Then I’ll come as well?’ Janie says and gazes at Xander.
‘And me?’ Imogen says in a hopeful tone.
‘Janie, I can’t risk them finding out about you living here too. I’d have to tell them I found you somewhere in Felderia, and Imogen, you’re one hundred per cent human. The council would hex my… gemstones for sure if they ever found out!’ Xander tells them.
Janie and Imogen stare at him pleadingly, ‘No, those faces aren’t going to work on me,’ he says.
Janie moves her face in closer, increasing her pout.
‘Oh, fine, then. You can all come, but you must all follow my rules and do as I say?’ Xander says.
Imogen and Janie hug with excitement and squeal.
Xander rolls his eyes, ‘I swear it was only the other day. You all swore to never go to Felderia, yet- ‘
‘We’re going to Felderia!’ we shout together and hug as Xander sighs.
‘I hope I don’t regret this,’ he mumbles as he crosses his arms.
‘So, when do we go to Felderia? Can we go now?’ I inquire eagerly to Xander
Xander looks at me incredulously, clearly taken aback by my question. 'Do you have any idea how vast Felderia is? It could take us a week even to reach any of the woods or forests inhabited by Blossom foxes. You still have a week left at the academy before your two-week break. Additionally, you will need to lie to your parents and inform them that we are going camping and hope that we return in time, or at the very least, return safe and alive,' he explains, causing Imogen and Janie to exchange concerned looks.
‘One more week of hiding my tail and ears. I can do this,’ I say with determination. Then my lips press together. I feel a sense of distress creeping up as I ponder what to tell Brad. ‘What do I tell Brad? What if he wants to go camping too?’ I ask the others.
Janie taps her foot in thought, and her face lights up, ‘I know. Tell him we are going camping, but it’s girls only,’ she says.
‘All right,’ I nod, feeling relieved but still apprehensive. I nod in agreement, hoping Brad won't be upset with my decision.
As we trudge through the dense woods towards Xander's car, the moon appears behind the clouds, casting an eerie glow. Suddenly, a searing pain jolts through my body, causing me to lose my balance and topple over. I scream in agony, clutching myself, while Imogen, Janie, and Xander rush to help me.
'What's happening, Rose? What's wrong?' Janie asks, concern across her face.
'It's my bones. They feel like they are trying to break. The pain is unbearable,' I manage to utter through gritted teeth, feeling the excruciating agony spreading through every inch of my body.
Xander looks up at the sky, lost in thought. 'It's a full moon tonight. Werewolves have the power to shift whenever they choose, but during a full moon, they have no control over their transformation,' he explains.
'But I've tried to shift before, and I could only partially transform before returning to my human form,' I reply, trying to push past the agony.
'Perhaps with the full moon, you'll be able to fully shift,' Xander suggests.
Suddenly, a burst of pain shoots through my body, causing me to scream. Dark magenta fur spreads halfway up my arms, and my fingers merge into paws while my nails become claw-like. My forehead grows fur from my eyebrows upward, and my canine teeth lengthen.