The man of the mist

James was jerked out of Hawks Landing before he had a moment to rest there. He sat on the ground outside not moving. There was a raging storm over head.

Several men and a few women appeared around him. James sat relaxed crossed legged on the ground. Someone snatched his staff away from his lap.

"Take his wand." A male voice commanded someone in the group.

Young girl moved forward with a shaking hand reached for the wand that was tucked between his belt and jeans. James' wand glowed red.

The girl screamed jerking her hand back. James shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My wand doesn't play well with others."

"Abomination. We have questions for you and you will answer our questions or we will destroy you." The male leader was in the crowd.

James shrugged. "As your questions while you can. I don't know if I will have the answers to any of your questions though."

"Silence mouth abomination!" The staff was swung and hit his face.

James was knocked back to the ground and blood flowed from his mouth. He stared up at the raging skies. He stared up at the stormy skies. He heard the sound of roar and something powerful was coming. "Ask your questions." He said calmly and then he frowned when he smelled something was on fire followed by a sizzling sound. "Something is on fire." He said.

There was a scream from a man followed suddenly the staff was suddenly thrown back toward James. James sighed when he felt him coming. "He's coming. You should run now." He warned them.

The sound of roaring of a beast and lightning bolts fell around him. He heard them running but someone caught a hold of James and apparition to another location. James lay on smooth floor. He was in a room with a mixed group of people.

James frowned as he realized who was in the room. "This is strange." He said almost to himself as he realized something.

"What is your plan for Bellatrix?" A man asked him calmly.

James shook his head. "I have no plan for Bellatrix. She came to Hawks Landing however way she did for whatever purpose others have for her. I have my own purpose. You know who I am?" He said.

"Do I? All I know is who others have claimed you to be. What your thoughts claim as yourself. It could all be trick. You wizards love to use your tricky with your words and misdirection. You are never-"

"I am magi." James said calmly. "I am of the old ways. I care nothing for your current rivalries you have with the wizards of the western wizardry world. Your people threw a naked young woman out into the foreign realm with no idea who the hell she is or what the hell would happen to her if she met a strong dominant male."

Rain began to beat against the windows of the room a thunderstorm suddenly arrived. James shook his head. "Your running out of time. He's coming for you."

The males in the room started snarling loudly. The scent of sage, wood smoke, were-wolves hit James' nose. James nodded. "Were-wolves with a mixture of other kinds. An alliance."

"Shit! I have you in my grasp. You are not immortal or stronger then the bite of my teeth. What is your purpose?"

"My purpose is to create magic for this new age. It's been a thousandth years sense a man of the mist walked the world. It's time to push past the limits. I have to push those limits."

He heard the man laugh draw closer. "Do you? You wizards always want to push the limits of magic and dominant the world. Maybe just maybe it's time for another breed to take charge of-"

"Respectfully, I am not a wizard. I'm not were-kind. I am not like you. I claim magi as my family tribe nothing more. I am walking a different path then you are." James corrected him.

"Your right. Your not a were-wolf. Yet." The man laughed as he stared down at James with wolfish grin. His silver ice blue moon eyes glared down at him.

Suddenly, fangs sank into James' shoulder. James felt a stab of pain before the were-wolf roared and fell away. Fire burned in the room as the sound of battle took place.

"EAT SHIT ASSHOLES!" Angus roared.

James smiled and chuckled. "I told you he was coming." He said and closed his eyes.

James dreamed for a time until he fell into another vision sitting on a floor in the room of the dark stranger as he sat in his study room by his fireplace. He was listening to magi music from a female voice in the room.

"I didn't think you would like magi music." James said in surprised.

"It's beautiful. You are well then?" The dark stranger asked.

James frowned. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He said.

There was a long pause as the female sang a song James couldn't understand the reason for it. "I'm going to need to have another lesson from my teacher to learn that song. Very beautiful."

The dark stranger sighed. "I did tell him not to attempt biting you. What will you change into? Will it be anything more interesting then what you are now?"

James shrugged. "Why should it matter what I change into? It won't stop me from doing what I will do."

The dark stranger waved a dismissive hand at his comment. "No. No. I'm asking rhetorical questions. You don't have to answer it. Neither one of us gives a damn about what that idiot was attempting to do. Will it serve any purpose though?"

James shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully I can use it to help someone or create something wonderful. I'm thinking when I get back to Hawks Landing on seeing what items I can make in my dad's new smiting building. Did you see my dad fighting? He's pretty bad ass isn't he?"

The dark stranger chuckled lightly. "Yeah."

James frowned at him. "What?"

The dark stranger shook his head. "Nothing. It's good to see you in good spirits and focus on your purpose. No matter what happens you were completely correct when you talked to that alpha were-wolf."

James smiled sitting down on the floor. His mind began to wonder as he thought about what he could create when he got back to Hawks Landing. He came back to himself when he realized the dark stranger was trying to tell him something.

"Oh. I'm sorry. My mind wandered a bit. What were you saying?"

The dark stranger chuckled. "I said it looks like it's time for you to wake up in your time. Try not worry to much about the distractions going on."

James sighed and nodded. He frowned. "Why did that were-wolf bite me? Was he trying to kill me or turn me into a were-creature? I don't understand-"

"James." The dark stranger said calmly. "Don't start distracting yourself with thinking of people beneath you. If I gave you an answer to question, trust me it would not be satisfying at all to your creative mind."

James sighed. "I guess not." He said and then he felt himself waking up and opened his eyes in the real world. He lay on his bed with Mara beside him in her green night gown. Her belly was noticeable larger.

He put his hand on her belly. Mara woke up instantly. She stared at him and then grinned and came up hugging him tightly.

"Thank you for waking up." She said her voice thick with emotion. "Don't ever leave my side again."

James hugged her back. "I promise not to." He said.

"James!"

James looked over at Ava and Angus who stood in the open doorway staring at him with tears in their eyes. "Sorry I gave you a bit of a scare there. It wasn't intentional. I'm back."

They quickly came over and hugged him tightly. He grimaced as his shoulder hurt. They let go him. Ava stared at him in concern.

"James. Honey will have to talk about the after effects that you will have to live with after the were-wolf bite you." Ava said.

James stared at her nodding his head. "Yeah. Okay. Tell me what I would need to do to adjust myself to my condition." He said and held out his hand a book flew from the bookshelf into his hand. He snapped his fingers and pin appeared in his hand and he started writing down ideas.

"James! What are you doing?" Mara asked.

"Just writing down some ideas I had while I was dreaming about making for Hawks Landing." James said.

"Oh. Well. You can do that later? You remember what happened before you slept?"

James nodded. "Of course. The alpha were-creature had conversation with me about what I was and his grip with me and wizards in general. He kept referring to me as a wizard. I attempted to explain to him how that was not so. He wouldn't believe and then bite my shoulder hoping to turn me into a creature like him."

"So you know you're a were-creature now. Right?!" Ava asked.

James made a noise that sounded like an agreement and continued to right in total indifference to the conversation now. Angus laid a hand on the book.

"Alright. I just need to know when did become changed before or after the bite?" Angus asked.

"Before." James said he said quietly.

Ava closed her eyes for a second and then open and closed her mouth but said nothing.

"Are you a vampire now?" Angus asked without any emotion.

"No. I am what I am. I'm not a wizard or a were-creature. I am just different and no I don't know how to explain it so I chose not to bring it up when I realized the change in me it was after some time so bringing it up would only be pointless." James explained.

Angus nodded his head. "So you realized it after the fact you were changed. You don't know who turned you or what it was?"

James nodded his head. "I don't think I was turned by anyone not that I can recall. It was something that happened during the past eighteen months here. Though I don't know what effects would happen to me because of the were-wolf bite. I believe I will be able to manage it. So now that you know. May I ask you a question now?"

"Sure go ahead. If I have an answer. I'll answer you." Angus said.

"So how are Dago and Bellatrix doing? Are they dating finally? I expect they would be if not right having sex." He asked.

Ava got up and faced the wall while Mara hugged James waist and smiled at him. "They are closer now and looks like they'll be getting married. Bellatrix likes Dago a lot she was a huge fan of his grandfather's books advanced apparition and theatrical portego shield spell combinations."

James smiled. "Makes sense."

"James." Ava said. "Give me something to go on so I can do the research."

He nodded. "If I could give you a name to the change in me. I can only go back to one man that had my condition. The man of the mist."

"Merlin." Ava said softly.

James nodded. "Yes."