“Lycanthrope: Any being that shifts from a human form to an animal one either by will, curse, or tie to the moon.“

The fog settled on Ezekiel as he lifted his face up to the dark sky and sighed. His red-orange hair clung to his forehead in damp clumps as stray wisps stuck to freckled cheeks. He opened his eyes as he looked down at the landscape before him. A small bustling village lay in a neat grid pattern. The streets were full of people stumbling around in drunken stupor as street vendors showed off the latest imports. Intelligent green eyes scanned the main street and settled on an Inn. A dark green sign hung above mahogany doors and stained glass windows reflected the dim firelight. Gold curling letters spelled 'The Dragon Fang'. Very few people hung around the bold structure. The walls were a rich red brick and the window sills were wood so dark it was almost black. The Inn was away from the hustle and bustle of the evening and Ezekiel liked that.

"Are we going to go into town, or are you just going to keep staring at it?" Ezekiel didn't need to turn to see who had spoken. The voice was as familiar as his own. Titus came to stand next to the redhead. The tall male had sandy blonde hair that was cut short in the back. Uneven bangs threatened to cover his left eye, but never did. Titus turned his head to look at the smaller man. Pale brown eyes caught the dim lights from the village and shone with golden flecks.

"Well?" Titus impatiently bounced on the balls of his feet.

"We're going" Ezekiel pulled his black hood up over his long ears.

Titus started down the hill and Ezekiel jogged to catch up. He looked up at Titus.

"No booze tonight."

"Damn 'Zeke. You take the fun out of everything" Titus grinned as they made their way towards the town.

Bright blue flowers swayed in the evening breeze as the two figures made their way across an ocean of them. Tufts of tall grass and small bushes were sprinkled across the hillside. Ezekiel had quickened his pace and now traveled a bit ahead of Titus, enjoying the soft scent of the blue flowers. An important thought came to him and he stopped, mid-step, in the field they were crossing. Titus stopped as well .

"Titus, your tattoo." Titus looked down at his bare chest. Swirling black lines curled around his chest and formed the shape of a dragon. The lines continued across his right arm and spilled onto his back, outlining the dragons wing.

"What about it?" Titus scrutinized his tattoo, as if something may be wrong with it.

"You can't go into town with it out in the open like that." Ezekiel reached into the small bag he carried attached to his belt. He extracted a bundle of light brown cloth. "Here, wear this." Ezekiel handed Titus the shirt.

Titus unrolled the garment and slipped it on over his muscular chest. The fabric strained to contain him. Titus gave Ezekiel an uneasy look.

"This is less conspicuous? This thing is skin tight! I look like a fucking fag." Titus pulled at the ends of the shirt as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Yes." Ezekiel replied smoothly. "Looking like a fag is less conspicuous than looking like a tattooed freak." Titus gave Ezekiel a disbelieving stare. Surely he hadn't planned this? Ezekiel gave Titus a smirk as he continued towards the bustling village.

"Jackass." Titus mumbled as he followed after Ezekiel.

The two men arrived at the edge of the town as Ezekiel glanced at the street ahead of them with dread. The wide street was packed full of people hurrying to and fro, mingling with friends, and just plain taking up space. Ezekiel glanced uneasily at Titus and the taller man showed no emotion at the crowded surroundings. Ezekiel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He hated crowds and his size. Being short and thin made him susceptible to all kinds of pushing and pulling in crowded areas and earned him more than enough experience at showing people that size didn't matter. Ezekiel glanced down the street to The Dragon Fang. The inn was farther from them than it had looked from atop the hill. Titus looked at Ezekiel, raising his eyebrow in question, and Ezekiel nodded. Titus started to push his way through the mess of people and Ezekiel was forced to follow him or be left behind.

A man, short, round, and obviously drunk ran right into Titus's chest as he was teetering through the crowd and stumbled backwards.

"H-HEY!" The man looked up at Titus, brows wrinkled. "Watch where you are g-going!" Ezekiel had a hard time telling if the man was stuttering at Titus' glare or because of the alcohol in his system.

"You going to just s-stand there like a dumb f-fuck, or are you going to ap-apol...apologize?" The man seemed to be having troubling talking. Titus put on his best bored face and looked down at the man, using his every inch of his height for intimidation.

"Whats you name?" The innocent question sounded ominous when Titus abruptly asked it. It stunned the man enough for him to lose his concentration on looking angry.

"I'm...Jonathon." The man looked over at Ezekiel as if he had just noticed him. His eyes took on a cautious edge and his posture changed slightly as if he were expecting a fight. Jonathon's hair was brown and just starting to recede from his small forehead, his eyes were a startling pale blue that seemed out of place against his mundane hair and pale skin. A small breeze blew through the town and Ezekiel noticed something weird about the way Jonathon's hair and clothes reacted to the wind. Ezekiel then noticed that Jonathon wasn't as fat as he had first seemed. The man a thick coat over a frame that was more build than bulk.

"Hello Jonathon. I'm Titus." Titus glanced at Ezekiel before continuing. "You must have ingested quite the amount of alcohol to get this drunk. Lycanthropes don't get drunk easily."

Jonathon's face drained of almost all color and his eyes went wide. He swallowed a few times before he found the nerve to speak.

"Wh-what do you...want with me?"

"Why, Mr...."

"Serber. Jonathon Serber." The shock from Titus' statement seemed to have sobered the man up pretty quick. Titus just smiled down at him and nodded.

"Why, Mr. Serber, do you seem so afraid of us?" Titus made a gesture with his arm, sweeping the air between him and Ezekiel.

"Well..." Jonathon cleared his throat and regained most of his composure. He managed to go back to looking mildly angry.

"You must understand the position you have put me in." Titus opened his mouth to say something that would rob Jonathon of his regained confidence. Ezekiel pushed Titus out of the way and offered Mr. Serber his hand.

"Hello Mr. Serber. I'm Ezekiel King. Please excuse Titus' rude behavior. Do you have a minute to sit down and talk?" Titus grunted and crossed his arms, sulking.

"Well...I kind of have somewhere to be..." Jonathon looked a bit shocked at the change of pace in the conversation.

"Oh, Mr. Serber! You could spare a few minutes to have a drink with us." Titus threw his arm around the mans shoulders and gave them a less than gentle squeeze. Jonathon's eyes widened a bit when Titus' sword hilt brushed his hip. Ezekiel frowned at Titus' obvious warning that they were armed. He attempted to try and soothe over the reaction his partners rash actions were causing.

"Jonathon," Ezekiel used his first name to get the young man's attention. "I assure you we have no desire to harm you, but there is a matter of great importance that we feel you could help us with."

Jonathon's eyes calmed a bit and he nodded slowly. Ezekiel nodded at Titus and the tall man led Mr. Serber into a nearby bar.

New Glass was a little known lycanthrope hangout. Ezekiel had to concentrate on keeping the buzzing lycanthrope energy from overwhelming him as soon as he had walked into the room. Titus seemed not to notice, but, then again, you never really could tell with Titus. It was a quiet bar with dark furnishings and little light. The bar was one large room, as most bars were, with booths lining three walls. The door was located in a corner and provided a good view of the place upon entering. Titus led Jonathon into the bar by an arm around his shoulders, laughing deep and loud. The laughter turned a few heads, but onlookers quickly lost interest. Ezekiel squinted as he looked around the dark room, waiting for his vision to adjust to the dim light. A splash of yellow was all he caught sight of before Titus dragged him over to a booth.

The three sat down in a booth that was at the end of the counter. The serving counter was located on the fourth wall and had a single lantern hanging from the ceiling above it. Ezekiel's vision finally adjusted to the room, and he identified the yellow thing he saw earlier. A young man paced behind the bar, washing cups and pouring drinks. The man's hair was a bright yellow gold and hung past his jawline. The man was of an average height, but had a muscular chest.

"Jamison?" Jonathon called to the bartender from his seat in the corner of the booth.

"Coming, luv." The blond man had an accent that was thick and from farther north. Jamison put down the cup he was drying and turned to the end booth. Ezekiel noticed the other man's eyes instantly. The were a soft, light green like the color of new leaves. The eyes were and odd color, and only a few shades lighter than Ezekiel's own. Jamison walked over to the far end of the bar and leaned over the top. He had a smile until he noticed Jonathon's company.

"You get yourself in some trouble?" He glanced at Titus and Ezekiel and his tone promised Jonathon protection.

"O-of course not!" Jonathon laughed nervously and Jamison looked unconvinced. Jamison stared at Jonathon, willing him to spill the beans. When he didn't, Jamison's eyes went to Ezekiel, but quickly flicked to Titus and stayed there. Titus just sat, looking bored with his arms crossed and a distant expression.

Jamison continued to watch Titus as he took their drink orders. Titus ordered the strongest ale they had, and Jonathon just ordered scotch. The bartender looked shocked when Ezekiel ordered a fruit medley. Non-alcoholic.

"Now, back to business." Ezekiel took a drink of his juice and looked at Titus.

"What do you want from me?" Jonathon threw his head back and gulped down his entire glass. Titus mirrored the movement and motioned for Jamison to bring them refills.

"We need you to-"

"Whoa. Wait, I don't do bodyguard jobs, or muscle for hire." Jonathon watched as Jamison poured another round of drinks.

"Why?" Titus asked. "We know you're predatory."

Jonathon's eyes widened a little bit, but he stayed calm.

"How do you know that?" His eyes flicked from Titus to Jamison as the bartender strolled over with their drinks. Titus grinned, flashing slightly pointed teeth.

Jonathon put his hands on the table and pushed himself up. His eyes went from Titus to Ezekiel.

"I won't work for vampires."

Ezekiel sighed and then glared at Titus.

"Titus." Titus looked at Ezekiel from over his cup. "Go wait outside." Titus looked taken aback at the order.

"What do you mean? I'm not a-"

"Titus." That one word held enough threat that Titus pushed his way out of the booth and stomped out of the bar.

"I'm sorry about my partner, Mr. Serber, He can be a bit rash. But I assure you we are not vampire. We merely deal in the arcane and occult." Ezekiel gave a modest, but friendly, grin.

"I don't know why I should believe you....but I do, Mr. King. What can I do for you?" Jonathon sat back down in the booth and Ezekiel's eye flicked to the other mans head. Feathers. It was covered in feathers. Soft, fine, little brown feathers. So, Jonathon was a bird-were.

"What kind of bird are you, may I ask, Mr. Serber?" Jonathon looked a little surprised, but noticed Ezekiel staring at his 'hair'.

"Eagle." Jonathon ran his hand over the feathers on his head. "I'm a wereeagle."

Ezekiel raised one red brown brow.

"Wereeagle? Those are quite rare." Ezekiel looked down at his glass, brow furrowed in thought. "Some don't believe they exist anymore."

Jonathon scoffed. "Some people don't believe werewolves exist." He gulped down another half glass of scotch. "Wereeagles are the second most common bird-type lycanthrope."

Ezekiel looked up at the man sitting across from him. "What's the first?"

"Wereparrots." Ezekiel raised his brow again, and Jonathon laughed. "They are located mainly in Africa and South America. They make up three-fifths of the population around rain forests."

"You sure are knowledgeable about these things." Ezekiel smiled, he had hoped that Jonathon would know a lot about lycanthropes. In fact, his hope was riding on it.

"When life gives you lemons..." Jonathon smiled and finished off his glass of scotch.

"Just how much do you know about other types of lycanthropes, Mr. Serber?"

"I know more than anyone I've ever met. Why do you ask?"

Ezekiel smiled. "Haven't I already said that we are in need of your services?"

Jonathon looked slightly confused. "So you need a were expert?"

"Indeed we do. We have some..." Ezekiel waved his hand through the air nonchalantly. "issues that need resolving."

"These 'issues' have a lot to do with lycanthropes?" Jonathon looked over his glass at Ezekiel as Titus had done earlier.

Ezekiel smiled. "I'm afraid so. And, we'll need an expert on call while we travel." Jonathon set the glass down abruptly.

"You want me to travel around with you while you deal with your lycanthrope 'issues'?" Jonathon shook his head. "I don't do dangerous."

"Neither do I, Mr. Serber. Danger and I are just good friends." Jonathon chuckled.

"You aren't a bad guy, ....Ezekiel was it?" Ezekiel nodded. "But, I'm not comfortable traveling around with lycanthrope enemies."

"I assure you, you would have our complete protection. Not to mention you would be payed gracefully." Ezekiel made solid eye contact with Jonathon.

Jonathon opened his mouth to say something, but a loud shout came from the door to the bar.

"Hey 'Zeke! Daniel and Nehm are here! Hurry it the fuck up." Ezekiel smiled.

"Well, it seems that we don't have time to discuss this any longer. If you'll follow me? I'll introduce you to the rest of our group." Ezekiel slid out of the booth and headed towards the door.

"Wait a second! I haven't agreed to anything yet!" Ezekiel just gave him the friendly grin again.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Serber, that you no longer have a choice."

Jonathon sputtered a few weak protests before following Ezekiel to the door. The redhead waited at the door with his hand on the handle. Jonathon tried his best to glare at him, but Ezekiel just grinned. He pulled the door open and walked outside.

"Welcome to our little family." The voice was Ezekiel's but Jonathon couldn't see him. He held his hand up to shield the light from his eyes and waited until he got used to the dramatic change in light.

"Uh....Hi. I guess." Jonathon looked at the three people standing between Titus and Ezekiel.

Jonathon quickly looked over his new traveling companions. The one nearest Titus was a short female. Her hair was a bright blonde and her eyes were a weird mix of blue and grey and green. She wore her hair relatively short, but it still looked feminine. She met his gaze with cool, calculating eyes. The other two stood next to each other and away from the girl. Both were male and the shorter of the two wore a heavy white cloak that fell to mid calf. His leather boots laced up the front, and were a dark shade of brown. The only other things visible were some glimpses of dark skin, lilac eyes, and light hair. The hood shadowed most of his face.

The middle figure coughed and held out his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Serber. I'm Daniel." The tall blonde flashed a smile that was nothing but sincere. "This is Elle," He waved his arm towards the girl, who continued to gaze curiously at Jonathon. "And this is Nehemiah." Daniel put his hand on the man with the white cloak's shoulder and kept it there. Nehemiah didn't seem to mind.

Jonathon returned the smile and shook Daniel's hand. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Jonathon Serber." Jonathon was about even with Daniel in height. Daniel had skin that looked tan form working in the sun, and a scar across his nose. His eyes were some sort of color that was so dark, they were black. He wore simple but functional clothes. Nehemiah shot a quick glare at Jonathon, and grunted softly. Daniel laughed, threw his arm around Nehemiah's neck and ruffled his hair. Nehemiah was so startled that he let out a bit of a squeak. His hood fell off in the commotion and Jonathon got a glimpse of his face.

Nehemiah turned towards Jonathon whose mouth hung open in shock. Nehemiah had a small line tattoo down his right eye. The line ended in a small heart.

"You-You're the Ace of Hearts!" Jonathon tried to keep the anger from his voice.

The rest of the group looked at him in shock.

Ezekiel stepped away from the group and walked towards Jonathon.

"Mr. Serber? If we may discuss this in a more...private setting?"

Jonathon glared at the short man.

"Yes. After you."

Titus gently gripped Jonathon's arm above the elbow and started to lead him away from the crowd.

"Get your fucking hand off me." Jonathon spat the words at Titus as his eyes turned from human brown to eagle yellow in a heart beat. The world slowed down as Jonathon's blood throbbed behind his ears. His anger flowed through him like fire as he clenched and unclenched his hands in time with the heartbeats. Jonathon fought to control his anger, his change, and his compulsion to rip the vampire to shreds. He watched silently as Titus placed his hand on his back, between the shoulder blades, and gently push him to move. Jonathon moved, but only because he could stand still no longer. His piercing yellow eyes flicked about as the rest of the group moved around him.

Elle, the blonde female, had melted into her dark blue cloak and walked silently behind Titus. The tall blonde, Daniel, had moved to the front of the group and led the way with an easy grace of someone used to hiding in crowds. Jonathon would have said he was irritated, but Daniel kept shooting worried looks over his shoulder. Indicating not anger, but an intense worry that drove him through the crowd. Ezekiel and Nehemiah moved at once, each taking opposite sides of Titus and Jonathon. Nehemiah wisely taking the position farthest from Jonathon, his hood had been replaced on his head and he glided, rather than walked, next to Titus.

Ezekiel looked up at Jonathon with a look that managed to be apologetic and demeaning at the same time. A look that seemed to say I'm ever so sorry that you made this so difficult. Jonathon made clear the rage that he felt as he glared down at Ezekiel.

"Mr. Serber, I-" A sound trickled from Jonathon's throat that could only be described as a growl. Titus gripped Jonathon's shirt, but said nothing. Ezekiel gave Jonathon a curious look, but stayed quiet.

The light from the lanterns on the main street stretched in vain to reach the dark corners of the alley that Jonathon was in. The walls were made of a dark brick and were cool to the touch of Jonathon's hand. His eyes could easily make out every detail even in this dim light. He had actually hunted in much darker conditions than this before. Although, as he stood there, partially surrounded with one hand on the wall, he could honestly say he had never felt so threatened. Jonathon's back was to the opening of the alleyway, and Elle stood behind him slightly to the left. If he had to escape he could probably get past her. She was neither lycanthrope nor vampire and that made her no match for him. Jonathon's real worries were standing in front of him in the form of four males.

First, the vampire. He was an Ace. Jonathon had heard rumors that the ace of hearts was the most powerful of all the aces, and no one could predict what powers he would have. Nehemiah tried to look nonthreatening by standing hunched in a corner, but Jonathon still stood as far from him as possible. Second was Titus. Jonathon has been tall all his life, but this man was huge. Titus towered over Jonathon like an iron statue. Titus was also trying to pass for nonthreatening, but he could be holding a box full of kittens and still look scary as hell. Next was Ezekiel, who was no physical problem, but had about the same amount of intelligence as Titus did height. Titus stood in the middle of the alleyway and Ezekiel stood almost directly in front of him. Jonathon took a small sniff of the air and wondered why he hadn't noticed the smell of magic that encircled 'Zeke and Titus. His eyes narrowed at the thought of them using magic on him.

"Shall we start the explanations now?" Ezekiel stayed back but wore a friendly smile, trying to calm what he thought was an unstable wereeagle.

"Dispel the magic and cut all this friendly shit and maybe we can talk." Jonathon stood tall and crossed his arms. He hated when people acted like they had to walk on eggshells around him.

Titus looked shocked but Ezekiel gave Jonathon the first genuine smile he had seen from him all night.

"You must understand that our glamour was not to trick you but for our own safety. Our usual appearance isn't entirely ordinary." Ezekiel looked elated as he told Jonathon this, and then went to a face of quiet concentration.

Jonathon noticed a faint sizzling sound that disappeared and was replaced with a faint pop! sound. He heard shuffling behind him, turned, and saw that Elle had moved a bit closer. She was watching him very closely, and Jonathon realized that all four men trusted her to stop him if he ran. He turned slowly and almost jumped when he saw Ezekiel.

Ezekiel's eyes glittered bright green in the faint light, a green so bright Jonathon thought the eyes might have given off a light of their own. The pupils had dilated, covering a greater portion of the iris. Ezekiel's skin seemed paler, his many freckles stood out in stark contrast. His ears had stretched into points about five inches long, and he held a much more limber posture. A thin spaded tail fell from below his cloak and lay on the ground, twitching occasionally. Ezekiel looked at Jonathon calmly.

Jonathon looked around to see who else the magic had affected. A tall man with knee-length hair stood by Ezekiel, and it took Jonathon a minute to realize it was Titus. Titus' hair was the same sandy color it had always been, but his eyes held much more dimension. The gold flecks were now joined by green flecks and a dark brown ring circled the entire iris. A dim light radiated from Aztec-looking tattoo's that ran from under his right eye and down into his shirt.

Jonathon nodded slightly. The use of magic now made sense. Of course two men of this appearance would attract unnecessary attention. Jonathon turned to look at the Vampire. Nehemiah looked back quietly, his appearance unchanged. Jonathon glanced back at Elle, who raised an eyebrow at him, but still looked the same.

Until Daniel stepped out of the shadows of the corner Jonathon had forgotten he existed. He looked at the man like he had never seen him before. Daniel's eyes seemed to be drowning pits of black and Jonathon felt the choking feeling of being trapped return just by staring into them. He broke the eye contact immediately and studied the rest of the blonde man. Daniel looked tense, as if he expected to be jumped at any minute. His shoulder's hunched slightly forward and his legs were spread in a solid stance, knees bent. The scar that ran across his nose looked more like a recent wound, and some blood trickled down his cheek.

Daniel looked at Jonathon again, but this time it gave Jonathon no sense of drowning or uneasiness. Jonathon looked back at Ezekiel.

"Who are you people?"