It's' been three weeks since the death of his parents, at least so he taught until three weeks ago as he learnt the truth about his biological parents. "don't take it hard on yourself, with time all will be well. You have the full support of Toshin and the witches of the Oracle's light, you also have me." Dooshi had told Agashi two nights ago, and those encouraging words are still playing in Agashi's mind like a child that has been promised by his parents. His old and peaceful life as evolved drastically into a dark and violent one.
Agashi has become so pale, and his face reflected confusion. He has been taught by the witches about supernaturals; he was trained daily on curses and exorcism. Agashi spent most time with his sister-Doshii, hearing Toshin's words of vast wisdom and knowledge. He has come to know that his life was not an easy one.
One twilight, when the clouds were still over the moon and preventing the beauty of the stars, Toshin sent one of her maid to fetch Agashi and Dooshi. She had them seated, each on a wooden chair that seemed to be older than them. The evening was cold, so they were seated close to the room heater that was at the left corner of her sitting room. After offering them seats, she was quite for a brief moment, then looking at Agashi, she opened up and spoke:
"I want to tell you your story, and listen carefully, because it is the basis of your existence and mine as well." She said in the most serious tone ever, yet it was said in calmness. No one would have suspected she was going to tell a horror story if it was not involving Agashi, as horror stories are the only ones that ever left her lips since Agashi came to their coven. "you are the son of Sesugh, grand son of king Adesugh, and heir to the throne of Oduduwah." She continued, "it was the ceremony of the Hunt, where werewolf families called the Otete, go to the mountains and deep forest to hunt and initiate young ones into the pack. The ceremony takes place during the third full moon of the year and to mark the night kind Adesugh and his commanding officers got the werewolf power. Your father was the Alpha and as such, the one to lead the hunt. Sesugh's coronation was near at hand, and his brother has planned to kill him and steal his power during the hunt. Power and greed had corrupted the heart of Malik as it did with Adesugh. Before the hunt, your father gave you to his best friend to runaway with." Toshin cleared her throat as her eyes gazed through Agashi and Dooshi who had been struck to silence and left lips opened in astonishment or fear, one can't tell. She moved her eyes slowly to the ceiling and gav an evil smile that could'nt reveal her teeth, then she went on: "To cut the story short, malik murdered sesugh during th hunt ceremony. He did not kill an alpha by himself alone, the witch he still keeps by his side helped him to carryout the killing by poisoning your father with an arrow. Malik's witch-Akabul, is the mistress of poisons, cures of her poison can only be prepared by strong witches. After the hunt festival, Sesugh's house was invaded and they laid waste to every breathing creature on sight. At the time of the invasion, Sesugh's best friend had carried you through the thick forest, among the shrubs, tall trees and thongs as fast as his human legs could carry. He was too slow for the pack of wolves that were after him, besides he is just a human. Your father's loyal friend has no choice but to put you into a river and let you float down on a branched log of wood. The stupid werewolves killed him and gave reports of your missing to Malik. I fetched you from the river and handed you to my daughter whom you called daughter. I watched every thing from my witch mirror, but I did not intervene until you where put into the river". "Why didn't you kill malik since then and even now?" Dooshi asked. "Killing him is not my destiny and won't bring the peace we strive for. Killing Malik is somrthing that must be done by Agashi and him alone." Toshin replied her.
The worst stories he ever heard were about him. He was getting used to stories like that, but this one left tears on his cheeks and has trigger the quest for vengeance. "He has killed two sets of parents, I can't let him go, else peace won't find me." He spoke to himself. "Teach me how to transform to my full self as a wolf". You will transform out of pain and anger, for the first time it will be difficult to transform, after which it becomes normal and easy. Pains of the first transformation will be the greatest you ever felt." the words of Toshin had made Agashi to quiver with fear and his body ran cold like ice. "I will still do it", were the only words he managed to speak out to Toshin. "When it's time, you will remove your necklace-juju", was her reply.
Breaking of spells, exorcism of curses and keeping the balance of the supernatural realm, were the activities of the coven of witches at the Oracle's light. The place was a big castle made of cut stones overlaying each other, each tower stood tall with garden surrounding it. The castle was the first Agashi had ever been to, too beautiful to think of as a place for exorcism. All the witches at the castle seems not to have noticed his presence, they never spoke to him nor greeted him. Everyone carried on with their normal activities and ignored him like an exorcised person. This was the opposite of Dooshi, she was always around her brother and has been misunderstood by other colleagues that they were courting. "This is the temple", Dooshi once said to him. "It is here that we are taught bout exorcism and other related witchcraft. Behind the temple wall is the shrine where the upper grade rituals are done, it also houses our cursed tools and ritual items." "What are cursed tools?" asked Agashi. "They are tools used to destroy curses-exorcism. These tools that are spears and swords have been enchanted with magical powers by great witches and can easily exorcise curses they are as good as your claws and teeth when used on curses." Dooshi said in her sweet angelic voice. Agashi knows so much about curses, Toshin had told him that the curses witches created, goes after the victim and take forms of living monsters, tormenting the victim in the way the witch had ordered. And he also know that only the supernatural beings; werewolves and witches, could see curses and exorcise them.
One evening, Toshin had summoned Agashi to meet her in the dungeon. Agashi came in no delay. "Put those chains on yourself", she said. "You will have your first transformation tonight. You won't be yourself for the first time, so you will need those chains to put you on check." Fear gripped Agashi's face, making him look like a hungry puppy. He tried to act tough, so he carried the chains that was as heavy as a mountain and cling them to himself. The chains ran from his two wrists to the rough stone walls of the dungeon, others held the two ankles in same manner and the last one that seemed to be the largest went round his waist to the walls of the dungeon too. "I will remove your juju now so that you can transform when the full moon is above the middle of the sky." Toshin was already removing his necklace while saying these words.
Soon Agashi was left alone in the dark dungeon that only had the grace of a small window that the moon uses to light the dungeon in an improper fraction. Toshin and two other senior witches stood at the door of the dungeon to inspect his transformation. They waited for what would have been like forever, yet nothing dramatic has happened in the dungeon and soon they were losing patience. Of a sudden, loud cry was heard from the dungeon. The cry was not that of a wolf, rather it is a cry resembling that of a pathetic person. "Why is he crying and not howling? Can he do the task? I don't even think he is a wolf, let alone an alpha." The witches take turns in saying these words. Not answering or saying anything and with her staff in her hand, Toshin opened the door and entered the dungeon with the other witches immediately following. In the same instant, the cry turned into a deep howl louder than any of the witches had ever heard; he has transformed completely. The witches were afraid of their sight; red eyes shining from the darkest corner of the dungeon like they were forged from the fires of hell. The eyes were approaching from the corner of the dungeon, and the witches couldn't see the full wolf as it's thick black fur blended into the shade of darkness that has been casted by the moon. The wolf came out into the small moonlight, it stood mighty and many foot tall on both hind limbs. He howled again, revealing two sets of large powerful canines and thick saliva that connects his upper and lower sets of teeth, with nostrils breathing out steam.
"He has broken the chains. This is bad, an alpha without chain on a full moon will surely rip out our throats." One of the witches cried out. For the first time, Toshin was scared and out of ideas. There was another powerful howl that sent their hair dangling in the air, and in seconds, two witches are already the ground as his mighty arm hits hard on them. Toshin stretched out her hand to push him with a witch wind, but his hind limbs were too powerful, pushing towards her and ignoring the force of her wind. This got Toshin more scared. The Alpha caught Toshin on her neck and lifted her up, such that her toes are struggling to make contact with the floor. "Stop it Agashi!" A voice shouted. "You are not a beast, try fight it and come to me, please." It was Dooshi, yes, Agashi did recognized the soft voce; this voce he had heard for many years, how can he not know the owner?
"Agashi please." She continued. "Toshin is not your enemy, she is your friend that has helped you and will always help." After hearng dooshi's words, he put down Toshin and slowly changed back to a naked youth. Agashi laid down, curled like a child in the womb. Toshin not sayng a word left him and dooshi in the dungeon and the other two witches helped their lazy bodies out of the dark dungeon. "It's all fine now." Dooshi said as she moved gently towards Agashi. "Leave me alone!" Agashi yelled with tears as he turned his face from her, still lying naked on the ground. From one glance, one could tell that his conscience was hurting him deeply. "I wonder how many I will kill. I was hungry for blood and I smelled fear from those witches that I wanted to feed on." "It is fine now, you are you now and you have gotten full control as the first transformation is complete." "I don't like who I am, honestly I loved the fear the witches had for me, and I wanted to feed on the fear that was oozing in their blood. What caught my attention was the absence of fear in you, and that was the reason I listened to you. Thank you for coming, I might have killed those witches if you didn't come in time." Dooshi went closer and laid down with Agashi, she put her hand around his waist and said in the calmest voice ever: "you are an Alpha now, people would kill to be an alpha. Your uncle killed your father to become an alpha. You have the power in your hands to change decide your fate, though it wont be easy, but you have Toshin and the witches of the Oracle's light with you. You have me." Dooshi spoke with so much confidence. Such is the kind of person she was; with words, she could make a man eat stone like an egg. No doubt she was an epitome of beauty and talks bad omen in a pleasant way.