James Viridian

[James]

NAME: James Viridian.
NICKNAMES: Due to his profession, the majority of his students refer to him as Grand Master James, or alternatively just Grand Master. His best friend Nancy is in the habit of calling him Jamie.
RACE: Werewolf – Born.
OCCUPATION: Karate Instructor/Grand Master of the Black Dragon Training School. Currently he operates his training school at the California State University due to a fire, but he hopes to branch back out to a dedicated school in the near future. Several classes are held throughout the week for different skill levels, as well as the occasional tournament or show. There is also the opportunity for one on one classes for intense studying.
GENDER: Male.
SKIN COLOUR: Caucasian with a definite tan.
NATIONALITY: Canadian.
AGE: 269, although physically he appears to be in his late twenties.
CLOTHING: After the many decades James has spend working with martial arts, he is most comfortable when wearing something which will allow him to fight in, and it is this which dictates the majority of his wardrobe. He has a number of karate suits, in black and trimmed with gold on the sleeves and bottom of the pant legs to symbolise his status as the Grand Master, along with having a number of badges sawn on, he wears these for every class and whenever possible. More often than not outside of work he will be seen in a black t-shirt with a larger, baggy one worn over the top in a complimenting shade, and finishing off the outfit with a similar coloured pair of baggy pants, all to allow maximum movement. James prefers dark, earthy colours whenever possible, blacks, greys, browns and blues. In colder weather he will sometimes chose to wear a waist length jacket instead of the baggy shirt, his favourite being a charcoal blue one with a black collar. At work he is normally bare foot, but outside he wears brown coloured boots which are suitable for almost every situation. He does however own one or two smarter outfits, proper sized button up shirts and trousers which make him resemble a school teacher more than anything else but work in more formal situations.
HEIGHT: 5’11”
WEIGHT: 167lbs.
TATTOOS: He has a single black inked tattoo of a dragon on his right shoulder with a red eye.

PIERCINGS: None.
JEWELLERY: On his right hand he wears a single ring of gold, with a thick strip of black onyx running across the middle.

BODY MODIFICATIONS: Due to his age and his skill as a fighter he has a number of scars and marks from fights and situations, but aside from a couple of marks on his left hip from a painful impact, there is nothing of any real note.

WOLF FORM

[/u]


Front wolf[/center]

BUILD: In wolf form James is capable of both four and two legged movement depending on the situation at hand. He mostly resembles a bulky and oversized wolf from the wild in shape and stature. Both his hind and front legs are muscular, strong and flexible enough to allow a great deal of movement and dexterity, as well as being strong enough to crush things, his hind legs capable of great leaps. His limbs end with very obvious feet and even the upper limbs could not be mistaken for hands. Short and thick, each digit is topped with two inch claws that are razor sharp. This enables him some measure of skill in climbing, his claws able to dig in deep. His body is rather muscular and well built, without any real neck to speak of, instead going straight into his head. It is a small, almost delicate looking head with a long muzzle, lined with sharp teeth, including a pair of prominent fangs. His ears are long in length, as well as being mobile enough so that they can prick up when needed or lie flat against his head.
HEIGHT: Bipedal-6’4”; Quadruped- 3’7”
WEIGHT: 263lbs
HAIR: There is a subtle blend of colours throughout his pelt, his hair mostly either a blue-grey shade or a pale cream. The cream becomes more visible the further down his legs the hair goes, as well as making up the most of his underbelly. There is a speckling of golden hairs scattered through his pelt, most noticeably at the joints of both his upper and lower legs. Along his side and legs, his hair is short and rather fine, almost silky. It goes thicker and coarser along his back where his spine would be, to a couple of inches long, adding protection and warmth.
EYES: A pale golden colour.
DEFINING MARKS: A tail of medium length, which is bushy in the middle before devolving down into a point.

PACK[/u]
PACK: None.
POSITION: None.
TERRITORY: None.

HAIR[/u]
LENGTH: James keeps his hair a couple of inches long in a pretty even spread throughout the top of his head, with it being slightly shorter at the sides and back. He has no noticeable fringe, the hair being cut back so that it resembles the rest of his hair, making it impossible to truly see any distinction between them. He has sideburns, about an inch long which reach down to about midway on his face, above the bottom of his ears.
STYLE: More often than not he will put gel into his hair in order to make it stick up in small spikes, varying only the amount of gel, so that his hair can shoot straight up into definite points or on the opposite side be almost fluffy and curling about, depending on his mood. The latter look is more commonplace for him, James simply lacking the time and will to spend an age spiking it up.
COLOUR: Dark brown that seems to verge on black in some lights.

FACIAL HAIR[/u]
LENGTH: Occasionally clean shaven, or if it is any length at all then a centimetre or so long.
STYLE: If he has any at all, it is always a very thin strip in the middle of his chin, running from just under his bottom lip and fanning out into a small triangle shape on his chin.

EYES[/u]
COLOUR: Warm chocolate brown.
ODDITIES: Like all werewolves, whenever James is feeling any particularly intense emotion, such as fear, surprise, excitement, etc. they will change to the colour of his wolf’s eyes, as they will when he feels pain. James can also will them to change colour whenever he wants, to playfully tease or if he is feeling mischievous.

PERSONALITY: For the most part, James embodies the traits of a strong and loyal man. He is dedicated to improving himself and his skill set, to maintaining his own views of honour and glory. Doing what is considered ‘right’ means a lot to him, and he will always consider the needs of the many, before thinking about himself, showing an unflinching desire to keep others happy and safe. His family instilled very strong and deeply held views in him which still have a strong hold on him today, shaping him through his life. In a way James cannot help but feel guilty about the simple fact he is alive while they are not, and in the past he has been known to take unnecessarily risks, partly out of survivor’s guilt. James has a very strong ‘martyrs complex’, born out seeing both his father and brother die for others, along with the countless stories he has about his family. He honestly thinks there would be nothing better than to go out in some kind of blaze of glory, with the only things holding him back the knowledge that he is – as far as he is aware – the last of his line, the last with his families stories and perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t want to leave Nancy alone.

While not arrogant about his undeniable mastery of karate, he is somewhat over-confident in his abilities. He is highly skilled and perhaps unluckily, he is well aware of this fact, to the point where he will dismiss a possible threat just because he feels as though he will be able to defend himself if he has to. James is very patient when working, calmly going through moves and sets over and over again, in order to make sure his teachings stick. He isn’t interested in those who take up martial arts just to be able to fight people better, preferring to train those who are interested in defending and bettering themselves, and he counts it as a personal victory whenever they achieve their own goals. James is always on hand to his students, adopting a friendly policy and for the most part it appears to have worked, giving him a decent student body.

He can however be rather absent-minded at times, a direct contradiction to the focus and burning intensity that otherwise he brings to his training and his teaching. It isn’t unheard of for him to forget vital things he needs, such as his staff for a Bo staff performance, or the keys to his own apartment, even after he goes through a mental checklist in his mind. It is possible as well for him to forget mid way through a conversation what he wanted to say. For all of that, James is a bit of an adrenalin junkie, involved in a number of high risk sports and activities, trusting that the safety checks he goes through beforehand will keep him for forgetting anything vital. He loves the thrill of leaping from planes or high points and feeling light in the air, thinking that there is nothing like a shot of adrenalin to remind yourself that you are alive. While he knows that his hobbies can be something of a worry to his friend, he can’t bring himself to stop, as they at least have the look of safety unlike other adrenalin actives.

Nancy Felding is like a sister to him, with all the positive and negative things that brings, not least the fact that around her he will often revert to a more childish mindset, able to be much more relaxed and silly, pulling pranks on her and teases her. One of their favourite games is to be pretend to be a couple around other people, and he takes great delight in trying to get her to laugh while he ‘flirts’ with her, enjoying the rare moments of just having fun. He can get rather over protective as well at times, wanting only the best for her. And like a sibling, the joking and games can sometimes turn petty and nasty, both perfectly capable of fighting with the other which then normally ends up with the usually unflappable ‘grand master’ pouting or sulking.

WEAKNESSES: As with all werewolves, James is allergic to the metal silver; it can make him feel nauseous, burn him, poison and in extreme cases even kill him, depending on the proximity, quantity and the length of contact. Should it reach his lungs, heart or brain, not even his abilities would be able to heal it and he would eventually die. His friendship and loyalty to Nancy can be seen as something of a liability, as there is nothing he would not do to keep her safe, no matter the cost. His martyr streak is a definite weakness, James almost over eager in his desire for honour and self-sacrifice, dreaming of going out in a blaze of glory.

His belief in his own skills borders on arrogance and it would not be hard to convince him to take on a fight he couldn’t win, as well as an unwillingness to transform into his wolf form even when it would serve the situation better, believing that he is superior as human. James is surprisingly sensitive to different forms of weather, feeling both the cold and hot weather easily. He can somehow feel slight drops in humidity and pressure, which can cause him to occasionally feel dizzy, light headed, a lack of concentration and give him headaches that can last anywhere from hours to days, although oddly enough he isn’t effected by his jumps.

ABILITIES: James had all of the benefits that comes with being a werewolf, shared with all his kind; all five of his senses are enhanced, along with increased speed, strength, agility, endurance, stamina, balance and reflexes. He has a higher pain threshold than humans, and on the flip side, he heals at an advanced rate, along with the obvious skill to change from human to wolf and back again at will. His age means he is able to control his wolf during all three nights of the full moon, can stop himself from changing as well as retaining his mind at those times. He has a moderate understanding of French and can speak enough to get by should he need to.

He is a highly skilled martial artist, officially being recognized as a 6th degree black belt. Most of his experience is in Karate but he has spent time in other forms. Aside from this James has countless years of experience in fighting both hand to hand and with weapons, experience that due to his age must remain unofficial, with his unarmed combat being the greater however he is remarkably skilled with a weapon. Nevertheless he is capable of inflicting deadly force on a person, and knows multiple ways to disarm and defeat when faced with someone. He knows how to swim. His years at the head of a training school have ensured that he is gifted at teaching. James is also a fairly decent cook. In his spare time he likes to skydive and has a good number of jumps under his belt, making him fairly experienced.

WEAPONS: Aside from his body in both human and wolf guise, James has a wide range of weapons which are used in his training school, the majority of which are kept under lock and key at the collage. He has however a number of pieces in his home which he is extremely skilled in using; his favourite is the Bo Staff, which he normally keeps in a weapon case. His other favoured weapon are his twin Kama blades.

PRIZED POSSESSIONS: Gotham, the dog he co-owns is prized to him, although James claims to be deeply in denial about liking the dog at all. The wooden statue of a dragon rearing upwards is the only thing which survived the fire of his school intact and is important to him for its symbolism of the past and what he aims to achieve. While he does not consider her a possession in any way, Nancy is deeply important to him.

HOME(S): He shares a flat with his best friend Nancy Felding, which is located in Rayne’s side of the city.

HISTORY: The Viridian family line had long been known for their honour, their dedication to what was seen as the ‘greater good’ and their unwavering ability to stand tall in the face of impossible odds. What was less well known about them was their other nature, the wolf that existed inside each and every one of them. Unlike many of their kind however, they shunned pack life, preferring instead to live as a small family, never more than two generations, with each younger one splitting up and forming their own small groups. They produced a staggering amount of male children compared to female and this uneven balance enabled their name to be spread all over the world as the small groups emigrated, one such couple heading to Canada, the female already pregnant, giving birth a few months after arrival to a young boy. In 1737, ten years after their first son Nicholas, Ryan and Lisa had a second child, again a boy, whom they named James.

While they were indeed werewolves, on a whole, the Viridian’s had a much shorter life expantity than most, for the simple fact that they saw nothing wrong in giving their own lives to protect others, feeling as if they owned the world and were giving back for the gift of good health, family and of course a life that was long by human standards. It was something they felt very strongly about, generation after generation choosing to join law forces, the army or something that meant they could make a difference.

James’ parents kept more to themselves, preferring to train and live at home, and protect the interests of those near them. As soon as their second son could walk they started to train him in martial arts, the whole family spending hours a day on learning to be able to defend themselves and others. Lisa would often lull her sons to sleep with stories of past family members who had done glorious deeds and who had willingly paid the ultimate price. She helped to encourage her sons to think and believe the same thing, that it was worth to die for others and a few weeks after James’ forth birthday his mother proved that her words were not just idle chatter but that she meant everything she had said.

Bandits invaded the town, intent on stealing whatever money and precious items they could find, as well as rustling the cattle. They struck without warning, attacking on a Sunday when almost everyone was in Church, and quickly overpowering those who tried to resist. A couple of the women were dragged away to entertain them, Lisa among them. She remained quiet at first, not wanting to attract attention and only when their guard was lowered did she strike, quickly taking out the majority of the bandits, and getting the women to safety, as well as returning the goods.

Lisa just didn’t see the final man until it was too late, bullet piercing her heart. Although it was not silver or anything special, the location meant the damage was too extensive, killing the youthful woman even as she threw the brick in her hand and knocked out the man who had murdered her. To the humans who lived there, a woman defeating armed men even at the expense of her own life was unheard of and for the first few days they didn’t know how to react, retreating from the family while Ryan carefully broke the news to his two young children. As though that wasn’t enough for them to take, Nicholas was due for his first transformation any month. It was all too much for their father to take and after the sombre burial; he retreated into the wilderness with his two sons, keeping them away from human contact for the next five years.

James grew up without any real memories of his mother, aside from her voice and the odd scent triggering otherwise hidden moments. He would follow his brother around as much as possible, drinking in the tales, Nicholas ensuring that the family’s tale would continue to nourish. As much as Ryan loved his two sons, he was far better with dealing with abstracts than the reality of love and he was something of a distant but awe filled person to his youngest son, James worshiping him and looking up to him. He took to the marital arts training at once, falling in love with the forms and practising long after his brother or father had left to do other tasks. They seemed to complete him in a way nothing else did, James constantly turning to karate and other forms as the years passed, working through his anger or excess energy in a safe way.

He thought he was ready to face the same things that affected his family, only nine but enough of an adult to understand the dangers they dealt with. One day, as he and his father went fishing, Nicholas staying behind in their log cabin, he realised how wrong he was. The day had started off as normal, the two collecting the larger fish for dinner later. They had been on the banks of the river for a couple of hours before James suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye, a splashing that was too large to be a fish.

As it drew closer, washed rapidly downstream by the fast currents, James and Ryan realised it was a person, a young man, struggling to stay afloat. He had been swept past them before they could react, and was then washed around the bend. They moved after him, the undergrowth of the river meaning their speed was cut down. By the time they had caught up with him again, he was still managing to stay afloat, but only just, as the water became more rapid and violet, smashing into rocks. James could only stare as his father flung down the things he had been carrying and run towards the river bank. In a flash he realised that Ryan was going to dive in the river after him, and Ryan was not the strongest of swimmers. Without thinking, James darted after his dad, grabbing at his arm and trying to pull him back from taking the plunge, suddenly terrified he was going to loose him too.

It only took Ryan a few seconds to dislodge his son but when he turned back to the river again, the man was nowhere in sight.

He was furious with James, feeling as though they had let the stranger down and when the body of a man washed up a couple of miles down steam a few days later, he was even more so. Ryan brought his young son with him to view the body, forcing James to stare at the dead face of the man he had condemned to die. It was the first time he had ever seen a dead person and the moment imprinted itself harshly on his mind, fear and guilt mingling together. For years afterwards, he would wake from a nightmare of that dead face staring at him, James fighting to keep himself quiet and not wake his family, ashamed of his actions from that day.

James was determined to do better, to live up to the ideals of the family and to somehow make up for his mistake, and bury the traitorous little voice in his head that pointed out at least his father was still alive. He threw himself into his training with even more vigour, until by the start of his teen years he could fight better than his elder brother. It was a huge moment for him, to know that he was better than his brother in some way, for despite their closeness and the love James held for him, there were times when he felt as though he was nothing but Nicholas’ shadow.

His victory didn’t make up for his childish actions by the river, he knew that, but James hoped that the next time something happened, he wouldn’t act the same way. And hot on the heels of his fighting victory was the knowledge that he was old enough to expect the change at any month.

When it happened, it wasn’t anything like he had expected or how it had been described to him by his brother. It was intensely more painful than the stories as his body broke under the pressure of his wolf coming to the forefront for the first time in his life, the quiet presence in his mind suddenly alive and there, maddened by the moon, made worse by his brother who was obviously still too young to control himself either. The three days and nights crawled by, and it didn’t get better the second or third time.

For a few more months they carried on living in the log cabin in the woods, staying just long enough until James had come to terms with his change, Ryan patiently starting the long process of teaching him how to understand and tame the beast inside of him.

They returned to the town where Lisa was buried to find that the story had passed onto a folk legend, those that had been involved talking as though it had happened many years before, to explain away how a woman had been able to do what a man couldn’t. The Viridian’s stayed just long enough to lay some flowers by the grave and to let Ryan perform a vigil by the grave to say goodbye to his wife before they set off again, unable to live in a town that had twisted the truth so.

The transformation of James meant his transition between child and adult was complete, and with adulthood came the choice to wander, none of them wanting to remain in any fixed point. Instead, the three roamed Canada, settling in one place for anywhere from a few weeks to a few years, but invariably moving on again, Ryan apparently searching for something. The years flew by, James more content than he had ever been in his life, with the only clouds on the horizon being his continued guilt from his childhood and the longed for day when he would finally achieve control, a control that eluded both Viridian boys. James knew that it would take many decades to be able to know the inner him, drawing on his teachings from Karate and other arts whenever the stress got to him, using the patience he had learnt there to keep himself from getting frustrated as time passed.

Life moved along at that steady pace without any break or interruption until James was nearing his fifth decade, and Nicholas his sixth. That summer they were staying in a town that was less a proper town and more a collection of connected ranches, making sure that the work they did to earn their keep, kept them away from the cattle, not wanting to spook them. Despite this, all three were fascinated by the beasts, watching them and the men at work whenever they could. One day, as they watched, the farmer and his wife started to argue, the heavily pregnant woman pushed to her emotional limits with whatever her husband had done.

The fight grew more and more heated, the wife all but screaming at her husband. Although the sound wasn’t enough to spook the herd of cattle at the other end of the range, something did, as on mass and without warning, they reared up, turning and charging madly towards the warring couple. The man spotted the animals first and with a cry to his wife he took off. For whatever reason she didn’t move, struck in place by her fear, unable to do anything but scream in terror as they bore down on her, the sound just making it worse.

Ryan simply reacted, throwing himself in front of the animals and pushing the pregnant woman out of the way, James catching her, while Ryan tried to go back the way he had come. It was to prove a fatal error. Already maddened, the scent of a wolf, a predator and therefore an enemy only served to send them even more insane and they changed direction, charging right at Ryan and away from the humans and the buildings. He was lost among the stampeding animals, Nicholas and James trying vainly to get into the crush, to try and find their father. By the time the beasts were subdued enough to see anything, the man was nothing more than a lifeless form.

The burden of head of the family now fell on Nicholas’ shoulders, as once again a family member was buried and the vigil took place. They simply moved on after a week or so, determined to find a lonely spot before the full moon, as it would be the first time they were without the calming influence of their father.

Nicholas decided that they had to find a secure place for the next full moon, and they should settle down for years before moving on again. James agreed and so a new pattern was set, the two coming into a town and staying for at least five years before they left again, for another town with another cave or other strong hold they could contain themselves in.

Even nearly twenty years after their father’s death, they still mourned him as they found yet another town complete with a place to create a pen. This town was as friendly as any other, and they settled in quietly, months passing without incident.

The fire started suddenly and without any real warning, catching light in one of the small buildings near the centre of town. At first it was little more than a kitchen fire but the wind and other right conditions ensured that it spread far rapidly than was expected and faster too. After only two hours it was burning stronger than before, spreading to the houses near by and refusing to be put out by the armature attempts by the house owners. A general alarm was sounded, the men of the town assembling in the centre, all prepared to deal with the fire although none of them had any real experience with fire fighting. None that is, except Nicholas and James, who calmly and confidently took control, organizing a line of people from the river to the fire, buckets of water being quickly passed along.

Even with the calm heads of the Viridian’s, the fire refused to be tamed at first, the fire fighters battling for hours. It wasn’t the only thing they had to contend with, as there were people trapped within the buildings, Nicholas and James risking life and limb to get them out. Gradually, the fire started to die down, until it was contained in one building, a razed one on one side and clear land on the other. Screamed from inside alerted them that there were people inside, a small group of children. For the final time, both of them headed inside.

James came out. Nicholas didn’t.

His body was found as the fire was put out, the werewolf having used himself as a shield for a toddler, the child breathing, but only barely and only thanks to the quick thinking of Nicholas, the charred remains telling the story of how he had found himself trapped in the room with the child and used the last of his strength to protect him before the smoke fumes overcame him.

At only a little over seventy years he was alone for the first time in his life, lost without his family to guide him. Not knowing what else to do, James fell back onto the time honoured traditions of his family, solemnly and symbolically cutting his hair and having it buried with his brother. His grief threatened to overwhelm him and James stole away into the night, mere hours after the funeral, and heading for the wilder parts of the country, to try and re-establish the connection with the earth and the air. Nicholas had always been the one who was the leader, who knew where to go and how to follow the near invisible signs on the land.

Bit by bit, James found himself learning the things that he had seen his brother do, but never consciously take in, until he too could read the earth and track any animal as well as pervious members of his family. By focusing on such simple things, he could push away the guilt and pain that still was strong in him. It also kept him from acknowledging how lonely he was, James simply not used to this sort of life.

He started to take risks, throwing himself in harm’s way even when it wasn’t fully needed, seeking to find his own glory as soon as possible. It was sheer luck that kept him alive through his folly, James being badly injured time and time again, but never fatally. Slowly, the haze that surrounded him began to fade, as he realised that glory or not, he was now the last of his immediate family and that all the stories he knew; stories of his grandparents, his uncles, his own parents and finally that of his brother, would be lost forever if he were to die now. It was the desire to keep those stories alive, more than the remote legends his mothers had become or forgotten through generations by the humans, that forced him to take better care of himself, to not seek out death quite so violently and so he returned to the last place he had spent time with anyone, to the place that held his brother’s bones.

A few years had passed since his brother had paid the ultimate price in the small town, but not only did they remember what had happened but the towns people were determined to make sure they looked after James, refusing to let him pay for his room and board. He was touched by it, their actions only reaffirming his belief that at its heart Nicholas had done the right thing. The cave where he and his brother had fashioned protection during the full moon was still there, untouched, a potent reminder. The distance between now and then meant that he felt strong enough to say his final goodbye, James positioning himself at the head of his brother’s grave and not moving.

For the rest of the day he silently stood there, lost in his own thoughts, remembering his brother and giving this last tribute to him. Even as night came and with it the dark and cold, he didn’t move, eyes fixed on the gravestone, head bowed a little. A few townspeople came to visit him throughout the night as his lonely vigils continued, bringing with them hot drinks and food, which he quietly and politely accepted although he refused to come inside or actually eat the gifts, intent on completing his fast. The sun rose on the second day, James aware of the time from the point the sun in the sky. He had started at midday and he would finish at midday, forty eight hours of standing silently, never moving more than a breath.

He left the graveyard feeling somehow calmer and more at peace than before, finally ready to accept the truth of his brother’s passing. With that last task completed, technically there was nothing keeping him in the town any longer but he made no move to leave just yet, James willing to indulge in the hospitality offered to him while he worked out where he was going to head next.

To pass the time, James fell back into old habits, doing odd jobs around the town and a few days after his grave visit he was heading back to the inn when his delicate hearing picked up on light, fast footsteps behind him, a pace that dropped as the person got closer, clearly not wanting him to know they had been running to catch up with him. James continued to walk along, apparently relaxed and unconcerned although inwardly he was tensed up and ready to react to whatever was behind him, glancing to the side as a young, dark haired girl came up beside him.

She introduced herself as Nancy, a member of the newest family to the town, having emigrated from England. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder why she was bothering to talk to him, but that confusion didn’t show on his face as he readily introduced himself back, just pleased to have someone to talk to. The human was easier to talk to than he had expected and before he really realised it, they were outside the house she lived in, James having walked right past the Inn.

They started to meet more and more around the town, one seeking out the other. It was something of a relief for James to meet someone who didn’t treat him as some kind of hero, believing that title was best left to his brother. They got on well, despite the large age difference, so much so that James sometimes entertained thoughts about admitting the whole truth to her, although he shied away from actually doing so, afraid that if she learnt he wasn’t human it would destroy their friendship, something he had come to treasure.

Luckily for him he was oblivious to the questions about if he was courting her, as he would have been horrified to hear the suggestion. Nancy was a lovely girl, but she was human and more importantly than that, she was so young, not only to his real age but to the age he appeared to the townsfolk. He didn’t think of her that way, but as a friend, and as months turned into years, he realised she was his best friend. Moving on from the town had been forgotten because he was too settled there, too content to spend time with Nancy and do his various jobs around the place.

He was a fixed feature in the inn, earning his keep by doing a couple of shifts behind the bar, spending the rest of his time doing either carpentry or fishing for the local market. It suited him, the warrior within apparently satisfied by his daily training and no longer pushing at him to take huge and unneeded risks.

One day in early spring, James found himself on the banks of the nearby river, the early afternoon light shining down on him. Although he had his fishing tools with him, he was feeling a tad lazy, and was considering having a nap by the water when he spotted a boat in the distance. He looked away again, eyes drawn to a large oak tree by the water, the branches spreading out and creating an inviting shade but something caused him to look back at the boat, face paling when he realised something was wrong with the boat, the shape had changed. With worry tugging at him he set off at a steady trot, which then broke out into a run as he realised the boat was sinking and there were forms in the water.

His mind instantly flashed back to the dead face of the stranger, before James was able to force it aside, focusing on the here and now, determined to make amends. As he reached the closest point on the bank he was able to wade into the water and help pull some people ashore who had been helped by the crew, and those who knew how to swim. There were still people out in the river however and without hesitation he dropped his equipment to the ground and jumped in, strokes strong and full of purpose against the cold of the river.

What he saw as he neared those still in the river close enough to identity actual faces made him pause for a second in shock. There, rising above the water before sinking again was Nancy and she clearly couldn’t swim. Fear kicked in and he moved, diving under the water. Deeper and deeper he went, eyes straining against the murky water as his lungs slowly began to burn, but James refused to give in, knowing that the current would have pushed Nancy away from the last spot he had seen her. It was her hair he saw first, floating like tentacles and with renewed vigour he kicked out again, grabbing her securely around the waist and heading back to the surface.

They broke onto air after what seemed like an age but had only been a minute at most, James forcing himself to focus only on Nancy and not on the other people still around him, knowing that she was far from saved. Stroke by stroke, he moved them both towards the bank and the group of survivors, hands reaching out to grab and help pull her ashore and onto dry land, James instantly heading back out to the river, ignoring the weakening feeling of his limbs. If Nancy had been out there, then her parents were almost certainly there too and he hadn’t seen them among the group.

He reached the nearest body in the water and started the long journey back to the bank, passing the person off to another swimmer who was trying to search for survivors. Although James was now feeling weaker than ever after two trips to the centre of the river, including dragging a heavy weight for half that time, he set off again, having not even touched solid ground. The person he had saved hadn’t been either one of Nancy’s parents and that meant his job wasn’t done, not while there were people to help.

It was all too much however, James having trouble seeing anyone still above the water line and so he dived again, scanning the water under it all. The currents were constantly tugging at him and after a mere second of fading concentration, he found himself swept away. His last thought was relief that he had fulfilled his honour by giving his life like all the others.

Somewhat to his surprise, he woke several hours later, soaking wet and against the bank of the river, mouth full of dirt. He hadn’t drowned.

It took James a few minutes for that to sink in. He hadn’t drowned. His journey wasn’t over and he wasn’t dead. Slowly, he eased himself upright, staring groggily around, not recognizing the landscape, meaning he had been swept a good distance down river, clearly too far for any search time to find him. All he wanted to do was sleep, to let his aching body relax but he knew enough about possible injuries that sleep would be the worst thing in wet clothes after such an accident. Death was no longer as appealing as usual with the knowledge that he didn’t know for sure what had happened to Nancy. He had pulled her out of the river yes, but she had been unconscious at the time and he couldn’t just lie down and die without finding out what had happened.

With that in mind, he pushed himself to a standing position, using the trees to keep himself upright as he made the tortuously slow trip back up river, night fading into a chilly dawn before he was within sight of the town once more. He was still soaking wet, he was tired and he ached from what he could only assume were forming bruises from his unconscious jaunt down the river. All he wanted to do was collapse in a heap on his bed and let his advanced healing really kick in, and he was so caught up in the laborious process of putting one foot in front of another, keeping himself moving, that he didn’t notice the person up ahead on the road until there was a sound almost like a scream and the next second there were arms wrapped tightly around him, Nancy suddenly there and hugging him.

His mind worked slowly, tired brain cells slowly putting together the facts that Nancy was there, she was alive and if she was hugging him and happy about it then she clearly didn’t hate him. When she finally pulled away, he swayed a little at the loss of contact but for the first time showing weakness didn’t matter with the fact that the person he was slowly coming to regard as almost a sister was alright – as alright as her clothes showed her to be, the young girl clearly in mourning for at least one of her parents.

Without complaining, he let her guide him back to the inn he was still living in after all these years, asking the odd question in a tired voice, and hearing what had happened to her parents. Although he offered at once to go with her and help find her mother, Nancy refused and he was feeling too beat up to argue about it, instead slipping into the inn and all but missing the shocked gasp from the inn keeper; apparently everyone had given him up for dead.

He didn’t care about any of this however and just collapsed into bed, sleeping through the next twenty four hours and when he woke, he was feeling stronger and better, thanks to his werewolf heritage. Outside, there was only more bad news, as Nancy’s mother had been discovered, and brought back to town in a coffin. James stood next to his friend as she buried both her parents, offering his support as best he could, and later on even telling her the stories of his own family, what his mother and father had done for the good of other people. He didn’t know if it would actually help, but he was determined to try, as time passed and the town slowly settled back into some semblance of its peaceful routine.

If it was possible, Nancy and James were even closer than before, something that just made the years that much harder. For as time passed and Nancy aged, along with the rest of the town, James didn’t and he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before people started to do more than simply congratulate him on his youthful looks. They would start to talk, to get suspicious and he knew that sooner rather than later he would have to move on again.

Before that however, there was another problem, this time with Nancy’s curiosity. Every month, James would go up into the mountains, telling people he was hunting, he was looking for some peace, that he was tracking something, so that he could hide himself away for the three nights of the moon. Anything that would stop them from coming with him should they ask and although everyone else was satisfied, Nancy was not.

He would spend the days of the moon nearer the town, so he was close enough if needed and on month he couldn’t help but notice Nancy following him as he set off to his cave. It didn’t take him long to loose her, making it inside the built cage just before the moon rose. This routine was repeated the next night and the final one, James making up his mind to leave the town once the cycle was over. If she was getting this curious, then it was too dangerous to stay. As the moon rose, the wolf in him took over, crazed and flung himself against the barrier, joints straining under the assault, weakening to the point of almost breaking, as it did by the end of every month.

This time however, something was different, sensitive nose picking up the scent of prey entering the cave and the wolf quietened, crouching down low, golden eyes flickering hungrily as he watched the person come closer and closer. He didn’t care that the person was Nancy, someone the human side of him cared for, she was warm, she was human and she was food. When she finally spotted him, he was ready, flinging his body against the wall of the cage with renewed vigour. No matter how sturdily build it was, it couldn’t stand up against the furious attempts, cage crashing down to the ground even as Nancy fled to the cave entrance. In a few bounds he was after her, four legs skimming across the ground as he made up the distance impossibly fast, eyes fixed on the hunt.

He leapt as she left the cave, sharp claws digging into her back and sending them both crashing to the ground, the fall apparently knocking her out because as he stepped back, intent on landing the killing blow she simply lay there motionlessly. Confused, James cocked his head to the side and whined softly, put out that his fun had been ended before it had really begun. Even so, he would have carried on playing with the body, but something moved out of the corner of his eye, a flash of another animal and off he charged, hunting, killing and eating animal after animal.

Waking up the next morning there was still the taste of blood in his mouth and on his hands, along with the memory of his claws connecting sickeningly with Nancy’s back. Terrified he stumbled back to the cave, finding her exactly where his memory said she would be, still lying a few feet from the cave entrance, unconscious but to his relief alive. Pausing only to dress himself, he scooped her up as though she weighed nothing, trying to ignore the way she reminded him of a broken doll before all but running back to the town, with the story he had come across her on the way back from his hunt.

Nervously he waited while the doctor tended to Nancy, hovering around her bed and trying to hide his feelings of guilt, knowing that he was the one who had did this to her. The guilt only grew when the doctor thanked him for finding her, saying his actions had probably saved her life. It took all his will power not to blurt out the truth, distracted as she started to stir.

He waited only long enough to make sure she was going to be alright before slipping away and heading to the graveyard. James had long ago learnt that it was the best place to stay when he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, the townspeople giving him space whenever he settled near his brother’s grave, to remember and to try and work out what he was going to do now. He’d never turned anyone before, had never even known any werewolves outside of his own family and James had no clue what would happen next.

At some point as he stood there, Nancy appeared beside him, apparently out of bed. Had her wounds been made by a normal wolf, James knew she would still be in bed and the healing that was already taking place only served to confirm the thought that he had accidentally passed on his lycanthrope genes to her. Only when she spoke, asking about his clothes by the entrance to the cave did he even look at Nancy, sighing softly before explaining to her that he was a lot older than he looked, and that far from just being a human – albeit a human that seemed to save people a lot – he was actually the not so mythical werewolf, and that during the full moon he would lock himself away to protect everyone from himself. It hadn’t worked, and he had hurt her, thereby changing her into a werewolf as well.

She took it better than he could have hoped, accepting the truth of his words without James having to go to any over the top lengths to prove it to her, something which pleased him more than he had thought it would. Then came the question which stumped him, James stepping back a little from the grave as he tried to gather his thoughts, to answer what it was like to be a werewolf. It was all he had known, as natural as breathing and the only thing he could think of was to ask her what it was like to be human. Before his courage could fail him, James carried on, explaining some of the basics, how she would stop aging, would have advanced healing and senses and how, come the full moon, she would be as lost and uncontrollable as he was.

All the half formed plans that had been lurking around his mind about leaving the town came into the forefront, and once he felt that she had digested the truth and temporarily run out of questions – he had no doubt that Nancy would soon think up many more – James ploughed on, explaining that he had to leave the town soon, especially since the cage was destroyed before timidly suggesting that perhaps she would like to come too. It was in fact, the perfect solution to his hesitation at leaving her behind, and to his relief she agreed.

It was decided that James would leave first and scout out a possible new town for them both, to allow her time to quietly put her affairs in order as well as heal.

The very next day he set out, telling the curious that he was going on another hunting trip, letting them think that he was tracking down the wolf that had attacked Nancy. For nearly two days he moved without stopping, knowing that he had to find a place perfect for them, not willing to risk any more accidents. The first few places he found were rejected for various reasons, until roughly a day and a half hike from the town as the crow flies, James found a place which could work. Using the remaining time available to him, he worked on the new enclosure for them both, managing to set it up before returning to the first town, lurking a little way past the gates, at the prearranged point, hoping that she was alright and hadn’t changed her mind. It was a lot, he knew, that he was asking of her.

She was at the meeting place as planned, and after a last look at his brother’s grave from the distance, the two set off. It was agreed that to avoid gossip they would call themselves brother and sister. To James’ relief, the whole thing seemed to work well enough, as they slowly moved through the months and the full moons. He adapted to the nomadic life quickly enough, showing a flair and love for travel that was at odds with his ten years in the same town.

As the years wore on they gradually moved across Canada, keeping away from the more populated areas and the larger towns to try and minimise suspicion about their origins and habits. It was around about this time that James started to teach Nancy the basics of Karate, training her patiently until she was at least the level of a single black belt. The training helped him feel more confident about her safety, and well being.

With the quietness of the years, James all but lost track of time and it was something of a surprise when the month came when he was able to retain his mind during the full moon. The next night he was able to hold back the change as control over his wolf was finally achieved. As if to celebrate, the same month they finally left Canada and crossed over to America, in the hope of finding some kind of real life. He still enjoyed the travelling but now that he was able to control his wolf, it didn’t take him long to notice that Nancy was getting frustrated at her own lack of control.

He tried his best to help her or at least distract her, encouraging her jobs in various cafes and restaurants, even going so far as to be the willing guinea pig when she started to branch out into creating her own recipes and menus. Martial arts were becoming more and more popular as the years passed, and James worked in a number of training schools, having already decided that one day he would like to open his own, with the spare money he carefully saved. James was as delighted as Nancy was when she was old enough to keep control of her wolf, feeling as though now there was nothing to keep them back from their dreams, James and his school, Nancy and her restaurant.

Location would be of the utmost importance, as they had to find a city large enough so they could live in it without arousing suspicion, as well as getting used to living in a larger area of people at all. For years they talked over their plans, wanting to make sure everything was perfect and around the turn of the millennium they finally settled on the city of Los Angeles. Once there, they got a variety of different jobs, all to save money. It took them nearly three years to save up enough money to buy and furnish one place and after much arguing, which each wanting the other to go first, Nancy won as she almost always did and James opened The Black Dragon, his own training school.

It wasn’t an overnight success, with fierce competition from rival schools but bit by bit it pulled in students, and after only a year he was able to combine his profits with their other savings so that Nancy could open her own restaurant. The Golden Dragon proved to be a huge hit, as James knew it would be. The two businesses went from strength to strength and for a while it seemed as though everything was going perfectly. Months turned into years and by the start of 2006, James’ training school was among the most popular and influential five in the city.

Perhaps it was envy. Or just a simple accident.

All James knew was that he was woken by a phone call early in the morning with the news that his beloved training school, the building he had recently outright bought was on fire. By the time he got there it was little more than a smouldering ruin, the odd wall still standing upright. He could only stand there numbly, as the fire fighters finished their work and the police arrived.

The next few days were little more than a blur, a round of interviews and statements. James couldn’t even begin to think what he was going to do now, and more than one item in his shared apartment was broken through a misjudgement of space, James trying vainly to find some kind of inner peace within his karate exercises. Just when he was starting to come to terms with what had happened, to perhaps accept it and move on, the insurance company called. They were considering holding back the payment as he was suspected of arson.

If James thought his life was hellish before, it was nothing after hearing that, as though the bottom of his world had just dropped away. The shock faded away soon enough, to be replaced by fear and anger, disbelief that anyone could believe he would want to destroy something he had poured so much time and effort into. The fear was from knowing that the insurance company would have to dig deep into his life and while he was innocent of the arson, he didn’t want them to realise the truth about his origins. Try as the company might, they could find no proof that he was in any kind of money problems or had any desire to get rid of his school. Nevertheless, with the knowledge that it had been arson, a deliberate act of burning it down, they were not prepared to pay out the full amount and in the end, James agreed to a reduced settlement.

He had been tense the days preceding the decision, apparently wrestling with something, although he refused to talk about it and the day after the money was paid out, James made up his mind. Waiting only until Nancy had left for work, he set off to the site where the Dragon had once stood. Although he knew his friend would have willingly come with him, this felt like something he had to do alone, as he slowly picked his way through the rubble, hoping that some kind of sign would show itself and help him decide what to do next.

There, mostly buried under the rubble of a wall, yet somehow surviving intact from the flames and from looters, was the wooden dragon statue which had adorned the foyer. James dug it out, unable to believe how well it had survived, with only the smallest smudges of soot as evidence it had been in a fire at all. It was the sign he had been looking for, and he brought it home, showered and then left again, leaving the dragon sitting pride of place in the living room for when Nancy came home. The dragon had escaped the flames and risen up. He would start again.

That first day was mostly just going around to his current students, explaining and apologising and finding out which were willing to stick by him. To his surprise, the majority were, preferring to wait a while rather than start somewhere new. It wasn’t easy, with owners and renters unwilling to take the risk with his recent history and although James knew if he kept trying he would find somewhere, he also knew that the longer it would take; the more students he would lose.

Quite by chance, he discovered that the California State University was interested in branching out its sporting activates and after several meetings, James was able to run his courses within the campus grounds. It wasn’t as grand or as stable as his own school, but it enabled him to get back on his feet and start teaching again, and it offered the same flexibility as a regular school. He started saving once more for his own place, settling a little aside while t the same time ensuring that the campus run classes would be just as good as before, while Nancy was able to fully focus once more on her own restaurant. Until such time as he can buy a new location for another Dragon, James is content enough where he is, doing what he is.