Bram's Hollow

“You have to let the beasts speak their mind or they become too agitated.” The dragon man spoke with a highly intelligent sounding voice unlike a monster at all. “They need to pound their chests and posture themselves.”

“I don’t disagree.” Dr. Donavan emerged from the pantry carrying an armful of bread, cheese and linked, cured sausage. “I just find it so tiresome when Lycos goes on and on about that amulet.”

It was the mention of the amulet that caught Tobias’s ear. He leaned dangerously close to the edge of the table so he wouldn’t miss a word, almost forgot that he was trying not to be seen. His black hair scraped the side of the table as he tried to see as much of the conversation as he could.

“Lycos is a bloodhound trying in vain to find something that he hasn’t the scent of.” The reptilian cohort said as he watched as Dr. Donavan prepared a sandwich for herself.

“He is dangerous Snide, just like all Wolfkin, but more than that he is also clever.” Tobias could hear the sound of teeth tearing through meat and bread. The scarred face of the doctor contorted as she chewed her snack before continuing. “Did you know Lycos is sending out some of his brood to secure the ashes of Orlok?”

“Just a precaution I’m sure.” The dragon man Snide scoffed as he spoke. “He has never trusted the undead.”

“If anyone ever had a reason not to, it would be him.” Dr. Donavan talked with her two toned voice as she finished her sandwich. “Well, I’ve had enough of this day wasted for me already. I’m heading back to the lab before something else manages to pull me away from my work.”

Tobias sat as still as the table until Both Snide and Dr. Donavan had left the kitchen. When the door closed and the coast was clear Tobias emerged from underneath the table not quite sure of what to make of what he had heard. When the footsteps finally faded from down the hall Tobias decided to make his move to leave the castle. He slid through the kitchen door being careful not to even let the door creak as he tried to sneak toward the front of the castle keep. He turned the corner of the hall to find himself in a large dining room with one long table large enough to seat at least thirty people. Though no one else was in the room Tobias couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching him.

The room seemed to be largely unused as the unlit candles on the table looked old with dust having never seen a torch’s flame. Likewise the table settings were old and dust covered. Old oil paintings adorned the walls on every possible side. The room had two points of egress, the one he entered through and the door at the foot of the long table that led into what looked to Tobias like the entrance hall to the castle. Remaining as silent as his footsteps would allow, he made his way to the front door. Everything looked as if Tobias would make a clean getaway. He approached the large heavy wood door and placed his hand on the handle.

“What are you doing in the castle boy?” A gruff voice from behind Tobias bellowed. Tobias felt a chill engulf his body. Slowly he turned to the voice’s origin, to the entranceway of the dining hall he had just left. Standing there with a look of accusation was Lycos as burly and as hairy as Tobias remembered him from the night before. He spoke again. “You’re Vivian’s son rare you not?”

Fear, it swallowed Tobias. He felt as if he were facing the judge after a poorly defended case. This was a place that he clearly had no business being in and no good reason for being there.

Lycos spoke again in a stern tone. “I’m waiting boy.”

“Yes sir, Vivian is my mother.” Tobias swallowed hard not knowing what to expect next.

The tall grizzled looking Wolfkin walked toward Tobias who fought off every signal to run that his body was giving. Lycos extended a hand; Tobias grabbed it and was surprised to be pulled in and given a warm hug. “Do you know how long it had been since I last put eyes on you?” Lycos cheerfully asked.

“Since I was a baby?” Tobias asked.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Lycos looked deep into his eyes. Tobias saw vibrant yellow around his pupils, the kind of eyes that could tell you an epic story without words. “You’re growing into quite a man though. I should have come to see you as soon as you and your mother came back to Bram’s Hollow.”

Lycos released Tobias from his embrace and spoke with a more jovial tone. “I have to admit that I am surprised to see you in the castle. Especially coming from the kitchen the way you did.”

Tobias’s eyes widened. What else did Lycos see? “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know where I was.”

“It’s quite alright, don’t you worry.” Lycos had a bit of a laugh in reaction to Tobias’s fear. “To be honest I’m pretty proud.”

“Proud?” Tobias was clearly confused.

“Of course, to find one of the secret entrances to the castle here is not an easy feat.” Lycos pointed at Tobias’s face. “It was the nose wasn’t it? Your mother could track a deer for ten miles. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree does it?”

Tobias was excited to get some answers. “So you know about the well and the Phantasms?”

Lycos’s expression fell fast. “You saw the Den of Souls? But how can that be?” His expression became one of anger. “How did you walk past the protection barrier?”

“I don’t know, I just walked thru it I suppose.” Tobias said as he saw Lycos seemingly grow in size as he became more agitated.

“Don’t lie to me boy!” Lycos’s teeth grew into pointed fangs. He was becoming more wolf-like. “How did you get past the barrier?”

As Lycos slowly transformed Tobias became more and more frightened by what he saw. “I just walked through it, I swear.” He pleaded.

Anger was firmly in the driver’s seat as Lycos, now much more wolf than man, advanced on Tobias. His voice was a gnarled cry as he screamed. ”You’re like him aren’t you?” Lycos grasped Tobias by the shoulders, shaking him. “You’re like him!”

Darkness shrouded Tobias and his Wolfkin captor. Tobias felt a rush of cold as his vision went black. His knees became weak as Lycos’s grip released and Tobias fell to the floor. He could hear some commotion as a furious growl butted up against an unemotional shout, battling each other in the darkness. The growling trailed off as heavy footsteps departed from the altercation but the darkness persisted. Still frightened and still cold Tobias made his way back to his feet but still the darkness persisted. A throaty crack of a raspy voice talked to him, not from any particular direction but it encompassed him from all four corners of the pitch black. “The candle, get to the candle.”

Obeying the commands of the voice Tobias took several steps forward until a small speck of a flicker of a dim light appeared. Tobias drew closer and the speck became a flame, closer still and the flame became a lit candle on an oak table against the wall of the entrance hall. As soon as he saw the candle he knew what the situation was. Tobias grasped the candle and slowly turned and the darkness faded and the room slowly came back, warming him up once again. And just as he suspected when he finished turning around Tobias was standing face to face with his great uncle Jerome.

“Are you unharmed Tobias?” Jerome asked seeing the fearful look on his face. Tobias could only nod at first, Jerome did his best to look comforting but his eyeless gaze was something that brought little to set him at ease. Jerome waited and let the color come back to Tobias’s cheeks before engaging him once again. “I need you to come with me please.”

Jerome floated a few inches above the floor and coasted into the old dining room, Tobias followed. He watched as Jerome drifted toward a tall painting of a landscape, as if someone looked out the window to the castle and painted the back of the town that looked toward the large lake. His uncle the Phantasm drifted to the painting and passed right through it as if nothing were there at all. Tobias held his candle up to the painting and held his hand up to it. His fingers touched the dried oil paint and left two clean marks where his fingers rubbed away the dust. The pressure of his hand on the painting was enough to dislodge the painting from its frame, falling back into a passage hidden behind the landscape. Tobias looked around to see if anyone was approaching. Then he walked into the hidden passageway putting the painting back up behind him to cover the hole once again.

It was at this point that Tobias was getting tired of dark stone tunnels. Fortunately for him this one didn’t go far and after a short walk and descending a circular staircase Tobias found himself on the outskirts of a cave that led out to an opening at the cliff side of the castle. Jerome was careful as to not get too close to the sunlight as he ushered Tobias out of the cave. “What happened with Lycos?” Tobias asked.

“Don’t worry I’ll take care of Lycos. Just hurry on home, your mother has been searching for you.” Jerome motioned to the entrance.

“Wait, there is so much that I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry Tobias but it is not for me to tell. Now please head for home.” Tobias stepped into the sunlight, turned back to look at Jerome one more time. He looked all but invisible to Tobias with the sun in his eyes and with that he walked away from the cave toward Rotigan’s stone bricked house.

The walk back to town was uneventful which suited Tobias fine. He was already preoccupied with not only the throbbing gash on his back but also polar change in emotion he saw from Lycos. I was becoming all too clear that there was something about his father that wasn’t right. Tobias now felt obligated to find out the truth about his father, and what connection if any he had to the Amulet of Rymun.

As he approached Rotigan’s house, Tobias noticed that the moving van he and his mother arrived in was now gone. Tobias walked into the house to find his mother staring at one of Rotigan’s tapestries dressed in an outfit he had never seen her in before. It seemed to Tobias that she had recently been crying.

“Mom?” Tobias approached his mother. “Are you alright?”

Vivian’s attention was pulled away from the tapestry that depicted a Wolfkin and the stages of its transformation. “I’m fine Toby.” She took one look at Tobias and could tell by his damp and torn clothes that he had been threw an ordeal. “But look at you. What happened?”

Tobias didn’t answer immediately; he was trying to decide how much of his morning he should tell his mother about. “I was lakeside with Isabelle and fell down. I’m fine really. I just got a cut on my back.”

Immediately Vivian turned her son around to look at the aforementioned wound. “It’s deep honey, but I don’t think stitches will be necessary.” Vivian doted over her son as she took a towel from the kitchen, wetted it and used it to clean the gash in his back. “This is going to need a bandage. I want you to change it in the morning or if you ever bleed threw it.”

“Sure mom.” Tobias looked at his mother’s outfit. It was a black button down vest and cargo pants. Her hair was braided in the back. Then he remembered what he overheard Dr. Donavan saying about Lycos sending Wolfkin to get something. “Who was Orlok?” No sooner had the words left his lips that he saw his mother drop the roll of gauze she was going to use as a bandage and turn toward him.

“Where did you hear about that?” Vivian asked her son.

“You’re going after the ashes, aren’t you?”

“Why do I have the feeling you had a more eventful morning that you originally let on?” She tried to sound authoritative but seemed to be tapped out on emotions for the time being. She retrieved the gauze and wrapped her son’s injury. “Rotigan and I are going to be gone for a couple of days. I’m sure you’ll be okay but Jerome said he would check in with you in the evening and Isabelle’s mother Bethany said you could stay with them if you don’t feel comfortable or just want to have dinner or something.”

As soon as he was bandaged up Tobias turned to face his mother. “Do you have to go?”

“No, Lycos said I didn’t have to.” A tear streamed down Vivian’s cheek. “But I think I need to.”

“Does this have anything to do with my dad?” Tobias asked.

“Yes.”

“Who was he mom?” He was quietly pleading. “I don’t know a lot about what I am or where I came from. I know there is Wolfkin in me but I know there is more to me as well.” Vivian’s tears multiplied. “Lance Gates is a complete mystery to me, but I feel like I need to know. If for nothing else to help me discover what I am and what I am capable of.”

“I’m sorry lad.” Both Vivian and Tobias were surprised to see Rotigan standing in the doorway. He was dressed similarly to Vivian. “Your mother and I need to be going, the others are waiting.”

Vivian embraced her son as she tried to compose herself once again. “I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

“Please.” Tobias looked his mother in the eye. She could see the desperation. She knew that he needed to know the truth.

“Alright, when Jerome comes to check in, ask him.”

“I’ve tried asking him before. He said it wasn’t up to him to tell me.” Tobias noticed Rotigan eavesdropping and tried to keep his voice down.

Vivian pulled Tobias in close again so no one could hear. “Tell him I said it’s fine. Ask him about your grandfather. That should get him talking.”

Rotigan approached and placed a hand on Vivian’s shoulder. “We should go Vivian. We need to get to Falcon’s reach before nightfall.” She nodded and together they walked out the front door. Vivian looked at her son and blew him a kiss before shutting the door.