The Werewolf King by Ryan Matthew Harker (recommended books to read .TXT) 📖

over to an aisle on a far wall that held dozens of bladed weapons. There was everything from conventional steel blades to the more modern ion and plasma swords. After some prolonged deliberation she chose a masterfully crafted particle sword. It’s total length was about three feet with an eight inch hilt that she could comfortably grip with both hands. She gave it a few practice swings and decided that it was superbly balanced which inspired her to whip it around in more complex gestures.
Random stood off to one side and was visibly impressed although he had expected no less from a person with her reputation.
Sefu pressed a small button concealed under the cross-guard and heard a low hum as she felt the weapon begin to vibrate through her palms. When activated the button caused the blade of the sword to become sheathed in an invisible layer of super charged particles that protected it and made it virtually indestructible. She jerked suddenly and swinging the blade in a wide arc carved a chunk out of the concrete wall.
Turning off the weapon with a satisfied smile she told the startled merc, “This one will do.” And set out to find a scabbard she liked. Random just shook his head.
After she had equipped herself with all of the weapons that she could comfortably carry- a standard issue plasma pistol, light weight photon rifle, an Earth made projectile pistol called a Walther P390 she tucked into a shoulder holster under her right arm, and a couple of perfectly balanced throwing knives in each boot- Sefu had Random lead the way out of the armory and to the kitchen where they both loaded up backpacks full of non-perishable foodstuffs and water.
Sefu was feeling pretty well established with her sense of direction now and was the one to lead them back outside where she went to one of the many picnic tables scattered about the grounds. She retrieved her map from where she had tucked it in her backpack, unrolled it on the table and pointed to one of the red X’s.
“This is where we’re going first,” she told Random. “I want to investigate the minor disturbances before we tackle the major one.”
The first X was located on the north western portion of the continent they were situated on, the map called it North America and the area with the X was Alaska.
“Sounds good,” Random said as he studied the map. “How do you want to make your approach?”
“We should come in from a distance,” Sefu said shrewdly. “We don’t know the terrain or the condition we’re going to be getting ourselves into.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Random agreed. “And I should scout our site of arrival beforehand to make sure we don’t end up inside a tree or mountain.
That was something Sefu hadn’t considered about teleportation and the idea of ending up in the center of a mountain definitely held no appeal. “Agreed,” she said quickly. The longitude and latitude of each X had been printed neatly beside each X in the same red pen and she told Random, “Let’s come in from no more than ten miles from the coordinates, no less than five.”
“No problem,” Random acknowledged with a cocky smile. Then without waiting for more instructions he was gone with a burst of sun orange light.
Whoa, Sefu thought. I’ve never seen anyone with an orange signature. She made a mental note to ask her unwanted but necessary companion about this minor detail.
Random was back in under ten minutes with a cheerful smile on hes face and the report of a nice little clearing by a brook that would be perfect for their landing upon his lips. “It’s about seven miles off target,” he told her. “Are you ready for this?”
“I’ve teleported before,” she growled at him.
“Ok then.” And without another word they were gone.


Over the course of the next three days Candlelite failed to shake his feeling of unease and in fact it continued to grow. He could not concentrate on his day to day responsibilities as king of a united world empire; he barely ate and did not sleep at all but roamed the night outside the city walls trailing a pack of werewolves behind him. His instincts were running just as wild as he was and he could not quite put a claw on why. He knew that it had something to do with Nefarious and Harmony’s spy but he did not know what and it drove him crazy. It was in the wee hours of the fourth morning that he came to a decision. He could not stand it anymore and he had to find the secret source of his aggravation. As the sun broke free its moorings from the horizon he decided that he would have to go on a quest of his own, a quest to satisfy his need to know if Nefarious had been successful in finding the artifact of power he sought. He returned from his tramp through the wilderness and retrieved his apparel from where he had stashed it before returning to the palace to inform Absinthe and Farewethor of his decision.
He knew that Absinthe would be awake at this early hour, same as him, and he knew he would find her puttering around their bedroom suites in the northeastern section of the palace.
As soon as she spotted him Absinthe knew that he had come to a decision about something. He no longer wore the anxious expression that had haunted him for the past three days and he fairly bounced into the room so pronounced was the spring in his step but she was not the type of wife to pry into her husband’s moods knowing that he was the type of husband who would come to her with his problems when he was ready.
“Good morning my love,” Candlelite beamed at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in to plant a loving kiss on her cheek.
“Well someone had a good night,” she giggled and squirmed in is grasp finally managing to tug free. “How are the ‘wolves?” she asked. The ‘wolves were Candlelite’s favorite werewolves Ozzie and Harriet the leaders of his own personal pack that he kept, trained, and hunted with. Besides the one that originally bite him the alpha male and his bitch were actually the first two werewolves he had had a personal encounter with. It was during the Harmony war, after he had aquired the Lupelire and they had been with him ever since. Sometimes he even let them into the palace and they cuddled up with Absinthe and him on the rug in front of the large stone fireplace in their living room.
Candlelite laughed and said, “They’re fine and yes I had a good night, it was,” and he hesitated for a moment while he searched for the right word. “Enlightening,” he finished.
“In what way?” she asked gentley trying not to sound like she was probing.
Candlelite knew what she was thinking, it was just one of the many reasons that he loved her and he had nothing to hide from this loving, gentle woman so he just came right out and told her, “ I’m going to pick up Neferious’ trail at this end of things.”
Absinthe knew her man well, it was hard to believe that they had not even known each other for two years yet, and she had suspected as much. “Oh, and the artifact of power?” was all she asked.
“I need to know if he found it,” he answered her matter-of-factly.
“I’m coming with you,” she told him just as matter-of-factly.
Candlelite knew his woman just as well as she knew him and he knew she was going to say that. He laughed, lunged, and pulled her to him again. “I knew you were gonna say that,” he revealed.
She kissed him long and passionate on his mouth for she surely loved that man. Any other spouse would have spoke up in denial or worry over his wife accompanying him on a potentially dangerous journey but not hers. “I love you,” she told him sincerely after she broke the kiss. “More than you know.”
“Oh I know,” he told her seriously. “And I love you too.”
“Well we’d better go find Farewethor and break the news,” she told him.
“Yep I suppose we will,” he agreed but his eyes centered on their bedroom door. “I guess the kingdom will have to run itself for a while.”
Absinthe followed his gaze and giggled, “I suppose it will.” She smacked him playfully on his stubbled cheek before she slipped from his grasp and ran for the bedroom door.
Candlelite waited a moment to enjoy watching her retreat across the room before he followed after her and shut the door behind them.

Farewethor was a little more up in arms over Candlelite’s revelation that Absinthe and him would be going traipsing about the countryside in search of Neferious’ intentions with the ancient artifact.
“But what about the kingdom?” she moaned. “Isn’t there someone you can send in your stead?”
“I’m sure there is,” Candlelite said. “But that’s not the point.”
“The kingdom can run itself,” Absinthe interjected and Candlelite barely contained his smile.
“The point is,” he told Farewethor. “That for the last three days every fiber of my being has been screaming at me to act and now that I’ve decided on a course of action it’s stopped. I don’t know what Neferious is up to but I know that it’s not good and I also know that I can’t just sit here and wait for someone else to find out what it is.”
“And what about Absinthe?” Farewethor asked the young king.
“I go where Candlelite goes,” Absinthe said.
Candlelite gave Farewethor a ‘you know how she is’ shrug and said, “There you go, from the horse’s mouth.”
“What?” Farewethor asked.
“Sorry,” Candlelite apologized. “It’s an Earth expression.”
Farewethor shook her head in exasperation at the young couple before she turned away and gave a sigh of defeat.
The witch turned to face them again and asked with resignation, “Who are you taking with you?”
“Candlelite smiled, mother Farewethor had been convinved and the battle was won. “I haven’t had much time to put much thought into it,” he admitted. “Any suggestions?”
“Besides Max,” Absinthe said. “We’re definitely talking him. It’ll do him good to get out of the bars.”
“Agreed,” Farewethor agreed. Ever since Candlelite and Absinthe had taken the throne the scientist had been spending the majority of his time bar hopping through Dirsellia. He claimed that it was where he could do the most good for the crown as bars were the best place to pick up information. He had named himself chief intelligence officer and as of now none could deny that his position as such had not become useful.
“I think you should see if Mega’N would like to accompany you as well,” Farewethor suggested thoughtfully. “I’ve been to visit her a few times since your coronation and I think it would do good for her to get out as well.” “How has she been?” Absinthe asked guilty that she had not made time to visit the former High Queen since she had taken her place.
“Outwardly she claims to be ok but inwardly she is still in a large amount of pain,” Farewethor told them. “She took the death of Zakeriah very hard. She loved him very much and was never far from his side in all of the hundreds of years they were together.”
A solitary tears of compassion crept from each of Absinthe’s gentle eyes and tracked down her pale cheeks. She reached out and squeezed Candlelite’s hand for she could never imagine losing him. “That poor woman,” she said and felt even worse