A Time Under the Moon

Xander Grey's story is... a different one, to put it in simplest terms. That is the reason why I feel compelled to record his story...

Xander was a strong, brave, young man who excelled at everything he did. He was rather tall for his age, and had short, dark brown hair and green eyes like the sea.

At the age of fifteen, Xander was enlisted as a personal guard to the King in the year 1298 A.D. He and the rest of the guards protected the King from any and every threat that came their way. The threats came often because the King was in possession of a very powerful machine. This machine had the ability to manipulate time, and many other kingdoms wanted this kind of power at their fingertips.

Three years would pass after Xander was enlisted. There had been no recent threats toward the King or kingdom. Everyone was happy and content, and everything was peaceful.

One evening, the moon was hanging high in the sky, and it looked larger and more full than usual. The moonlight added a soft glow to everything it touched, and a lazy breeze was stirring in the warm, summer, night air.

Deep, loud howls sounded in the near distance. These howls did not sound as if they came from coyotes or wolves, but from something bigger. Everyone in the kingdom heard those howls, and every single hair on their bodies stood on end.

All of the guards just laughed it off and carried on with their business. Xander, however, had a feeling that something was not quite right.

"Should we have guards keep watch for those creatures?" Xander asked the King.

"Nonsense, 'tis only wolves, Xander," the King chuckled.

Xander nodded in agreement to the King, but he still felt very uneasy. Suddenly, a messenger burst into the room and confirmed Xander's worries.

"Strange creatures are invading the kingdom, your Majesty!" the messenger panted.

"What creatures?" inquired the King.

"They... appear to be werewolves, my King."

As if they had been waiting for the messenger to introduce them, three werewolves burst into the room and glared at the King and his guards. They were tall, human-like creatures with dark gray and brown fur, snouts filled with razor-sharp teeth stained pink, and glowing yellow eyes.

"Where is your magical machine?" the biggest werewolf asks in a gruff voice.

"Why should I tell you? You are invading my kingdom, demanding my machine," the King replied angrily.

"It would be in your best interest if you told us where you keep it," answered the smaller werewolf.

"Right," sniffed the King, "And why do you want it so bad?"

The third wolf stepped up.

"Because this machine can travel through time. If we have power over time itself, we could have power over the entire world."

"The machine is not to be used for one's own gain," the King replied. "It simply does not work that way."

"Then what good is it?" asked the werewolf.

"I only allow the machine to be used to learn from our past mistakes. Not to change, but learn from them," the King explained.

"I can see that is about to change," the big wolf smiled maliciously.

At once, all three werewolves lunged forward to attack the King and his guards. Almost immediately, three guards were killed by the werewolves' sharp claws. The wolves showed absolutely no mercy on the guards. Xander was able to kill one werewolf by stabbing him in the heart with his silver-tipped partisan.

Before the other two werewolves were taken down, one of them had bitten Xander. Instantly, an excruciating pain shot from the bite mark on his forearm to his spine, and up to his head.

The white, hot pain spread through his whole body and continued to get worse. His bones started snapping and reshaping themselves to make him resemble the monstrous creature that did this to him.

Xander grabbed a shield from the ground and looked for his reflection in the metal. His once-sea-green eyes were now glowing and blue, and he now had a snout. Hair started sprouting all over Xander's body, but instead of the hair being brown or gray, his hair was pure white, like snow.

The fighting stopped. The King and guards stared at Xander with looks of confusion, disbelief, and fear. Xander put his hands up in the air to show he meant no harm toward them.

"What happened to me?" Xander asked, starting to panic.

"It would seem you have been bitten by one of those beasts," the King replied sympathetically.

"Yes, so it would seem," said Xander sadly, "Then why do I look so different from the rest of them?"

Only one werewolf remained of the three that attacked them. That werewolf stepped up and hesitantly bowed to Xander.

"'Tis prophesied that a werewolf with fur the color of snow, and eyes the color of the sky it falls from, shall be the ruler of all werewolves," the wolf growled.

Xander was far more confused by this than his very transformation, but he recovered quickly. He looked to the King and remaining guards and nodded. He knew what to do.

"Your Majesty, I will do my best to lead these wolves. I will make sure they never cause any more death and destruction my lord, but you must destroy time manipulating machine," Xander said to the King.

"I will destroy it, Xander. The machine seems to do more harm than good most of the time anyhow. Thank you, Xander Grey, for everything you have done for the kingdom and myself. I am so sorry for what has happened."

"My King, thank you for my experience as a guard. I will make the best of my situation, as you will with yours," Xander smiled, a little ironically.

The King destroyed his time machine to avoid future issues. Xander, with some struggle, convinced the werewolves to leave the kingdom for good and never go back. Even as a werewolf, Xander would do everything he could to keep his kingdom safe.