1 Fragility of Life

"Two weeks left."

Vansel Being couldn't believe his ears. It simply wasn't fair to his son.

Vansel looked away from the doctor in front of him to Demi, his son lying on the hospital bed in the room they were outside of. His heart was racing in a fury of confusion, anger and devastation. Tears were beginning to flow down the side of his cheek to his beard uncontrollably.

Beside him, Amy, his ex-wife and mother of Demi couldn't control her emotions as well, covering her mouth in pure horror as she closed her eyes, trying her best to stop Demi from hearing her cries. Vansel couldn't help but give Amy a hug, the former couple may have had their differences and conflicts in the past, but for the sake of their son, all of that didn't matter now.

"Is there anything? Anything at all that we can do? Any treatments, medicine, I don't care how expensive it is. Just tell me doctor, is there anything-"

"I'm sorry. I-"

"Just take it as I'm begging you doc-"

" Mr Being...this isn't about what we can do. This virus...we've never seen anything like it. It exceeds even our knowledge in modern science and medicine. My only suggestion for you now is to spend the remaining time you have with your son. Once again...I really am sorry." The doctor informs Vansel before taking his leave.

"I'm...I'm gonna try calling someone, maybe...Starlio Stex, the philanthropist? Make a Wish..."Vansel mutters to Amy who stopped him, wiping the tears off her eyes:" I know you mean well Vansel but...the doctor had already told us...this is a completely unknown virus. I think we should heed his advice. Stay with Demi this two weeks..."

Vansel nods, wiping his own tears and swallowing some of saliva back, holding back his emotions as much as he could before entering into Demi's hospital ward.

His heart cracked once more, looking at his son. Demi's skin was now pale, almost like no blood was flowing through him. Thick dark veins were showing through his arms and even parts of his face. "Dad...?Mom...? What did the doctor say?"

"Everything is okay. Just...rest well. I know it's painful so, do you wanna do anything or eat anything?" Vansel asks his son.

"I want sushi!"

"Okay, I'll bring you to Sushi." Amy promised.

"What about Dad?"

Vansel looked at Amy nervously as his ex wife nods:" Yeah of course Dad will be there."

It didn't take long for Demi for fall asleep as now, Amy and Vansel sat opposite each other, both of them at a loss of words for one another. Vansel got up, grabbing his bag as Amy looked at him:" Where are you going this time?"

"I don't know, I'll find someone. Or somewhere, I cannot just give up like this. I have to look around, see what I can do for him." Vansel tells Amy as marched out of the room. Amy got up, grabbing his arm and holding him back:" Vansel...we've talked about this. You have to stop leaving us when we need you."

Vansel stopped in his steps, knowing that this was what destroyed their marriage in the first place. "I know...this is part of you. You can't sit still and do nothing but...come back quickly. He needs you here, not to mention that you haven't had a job in three months. We don't have much money left."Amy decides to let him go.

"Money doesn't matter now. I still have some left and I promise you, I'll come back as soon as I can."

-

An hour later.

Vansel found himself in his local neighborhood church, praying to a religion he had never really understood despite being from a Christian household as a child. "Please God...whoever is up there, my son is innocent. He has already been unlucky enough to be born to parents who are unhappy with each other. He doesn't deserve all this suffering..." Vansel held back his tears once more.

"You okay son?" A priest walks to him.

"Sorry father...was I disturbing-" The priest shook his head, calming Vansel down before he could say another word. "The church is a place for confession, for prayers and for anyone to come in and tell him about everything and anything they want to. Would you like to share your story with me? Perhaps I can offer you some advice."

Vansel told his story.

"I cannot turn to science for answers anymore. Which is why I'm here."Vansel admits.

"I can assure you Vansel, that you will not find the answers you are looking for in here. What you are talking about is completely out of my field of expertise."The priest tells Vansel who sighed, nodding despite already expecting the answer. "However...I do know someone whom you might find useful. Follow me."

Vansel did as he was told, following the priest towards the back of the church where his office was located. "Uh...I'm not quite sure on why I'm here father." Vansel was doubtful towards the priest who gave him a hand signal to relax:" There's someone the church used to hire, a self proclaimed supernatural expert. Claims he has hunted vampires, mummies, ghouls and demons"

"I'm not following." Vansel admits.

"Basically, if you show your son's condition to him, he might be able to answer some of your questions. His name is Lukas Jamatine, you may find his address here." The priest grabs a slip of paper out of a book, handing it over to Vansel. He was skeptical, but what else could he do?

"Thank you father."

An extremely exhausted Vansel made his way through the midnight sky in a taxi, finally reaching the address of Lukas. In front of him was a fairly ordinary apartment building in Texas like the rest of the small town he was surrounded by, nothing much special to it. Deciding to place his faith in the priest, Vansel walked up into the building where he soon found the room he was looking for.

"Hello? Mr Jamatine? Is anyone home?"

Silence. Vansel looked at the door which had a sign beside it- Lukas Jamatine: Supernatural Expert for Hire. Looking down at his wallet, Vansel counted the remaining cash he has. Barely a few hundred dollars left with almost nothing in his bank account.

"Hello?" Vansel knocked once more as a man in his late 20s opened the door, clearly half awake. He had uncombed messy brown hair, his face was slightly unshaven and he was dressed in a simple loose t shirt and pants." Hi...may I know why you decided to disrupt my sleep? You a customer?"

"You can say that. I was recommended to you by a Priest."

"Welcome."Lukas showed him the way in.

Vansel entered the apartment, which was decorated in a old roman pattern wallpaper with a warm soothing lighting from the small fireplace at the side of Lukas' living room. The flooring was a smooth dark oak wood and the interior of the apartment radiated a Gothic vibe." So how may I help you today Mr Being?"

"I need- how do you know my name?"

"I'm an expert. In the supernatural. Of course I would know."

Vansel held his breath, a little freaked out but determined for answers. Vansel decided to tell his story, the same way he told the Priest. Vansel observed the look in Lukas' brown eyes, almost like they were glowing against the lighting of his fireplace but from what Vansel gathered, Lukas seemed to know exactly what he was talking about.

"Pictures?" Lukas asks as Vansel hands him his phone, showing pictures of Demi's condition.

Lukas studied the pictures and seemingly recognized it almost instantly. "I'm not going to lie to you, I myself am not 100 percent sure on what this is but it looks extremely similar to the vampire plague." Lukas analyzed as Vansel leaned back on his chair, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Vampire? Blood sucking assholes that vampire?!"

"Seems about right. He has two weeks left right?"

"Yes. I don't understand what you mean by vampire-" Lukas stopped Vansel before he could say anything else:" Vampire as in yes...those blood sucking bastards vampire. Yes they exist, but no one believes in them but yeah, they do exist. Anyway, I'm afraid that personally there's nothing I can do to save or cure your son. However..."

"What is it?"

"There is a rumored herb. Vampires...they aren't some magical or mystical shit like most people think. To my knowledge the vampires are like...it's a virus. So this herb...it's like a plant, no one really knows what it is except that it's called a Solar Leaf. You can find that near Mount Diros in North Carolina, some say it's located near the summit of the mountain. I believe it can help Demi."Lukas explains.

"If people know the herb is there, why hasn't anyone gotten it?"

"Because no one believes it exists. Besides like you said, your son's condition is so rare that there isn't a need for modern science to build a medicine for it. Honestly I don't even know if the herb truly exists,nor do I know what is at Mount Diros. I'm only telling you what I know because you look like a loving father willing to do anything for his son. I have the feeling that you won't give up until the very end, so I might as well tell you everything I know."Lukas tells Vansel who nods, knowing what he must do now.

"Personally, I would advise against it. Some people have rumored about something guarding the mountain to prevent anyone from just taking the Solar Leaf. "

"Lukas...at this point, like you said. I'm willing to do anything like any father would. You may understand this one day as well." Vansel tells the supernatural expert nods: " Maybe one day I'll know. Anyway, here's something." Lukas grabs a silver baton from under his desk, tossing it to Vansel who catches it, looking at what he was holding with curiosity.

"That will have you navigate your way up the mountain. It's been enchanted to glow gold when you get close to the herb and the closer you get, the brighter the glow will be. "Lukas offered.

"Thank you, how much will that be?" Vansel took the baton despite being skeptical of Lukas' words.

"Nothing. You just lost your job and need a ticket to North Carolina. Take this as a gift from me. Besides, I'm more worried that you cannot handle yourself." Lukas tells Vansel who smiled, extremely grateful to the man in front of him. "I can handle myself. I'm an ex- marine but, you probably already know that. Thank you Lukas...I owe you one. "

-

Do you want to withdraw all your money?

Vansel looked at the message in front of him as he accepts, withdrawing all the remaining money he had from the ATM. $700 dollars, enough for a plane ticket from Dallas to North Carolina and back, that's everything he had left.

"Hello, Amy?" Vansel called her.

"Yeah, where are you?"

Vansel found himself explaining the night in detail to her, mentioning everything he could but throughout the entire call, she was silent. "Amy...?I know this sounds insane but...this potential cure is the only thing I've found after all these time."

"Where will you be going?"

"North Carolina, Mount Diros. I've been told that there's some kind of herb there that can potentially help Demi. I'll come back as soon as I can okay?" Vansel tells his former lover.

"I understand... you are doing your best. Just come back quickly."Amy responds finally.

"Thank you Amy."

"Don't mention it."

Vansel finally got his first nap on the plane, arriving at the foot of Mount Diros in the morning where a fairly large town was located. Vansel found a sign: Welcome to Diros and under it, a population of 20,000. Not a lot of people, but enough for him to know that he could have the food and shelter he needed.

The area itself was cooling, slightly misty and the sunlight, just the right temperature providing a slight warmth within all of the coldness in the environment. The town was mostly made up of rows of wooden cabins and shop-houses, almost like a modernized wild west but...with snow.

Vansel looked around, finding a small bed and breakfast sign as he walked over to the counter of the shop house, finding a young man attending the counter: " Welcome."

"Hi... I'm looking to stay for the night." Vansel informs the man.

"You a tourist eh?"

"Something like that. May I ask if there are any shops that sell hiking equipment?"

The man paused, looking at Vansel like he was insane. " Mate, nobody hikes up Mount Diros. This isn't a place where people come to climb. " Vansel stopped him:" I'm not here for a vacation or whatever, I need to find a herb known as Solar Leaf. My son has some terminal disease and I was told that this herb could cure him."

"You aren't the first one here trying to hike Mount Diros. Many others have, vloggers, Youtubers, fans of the supernatural or just scientists in general. They either disappeared, or they came back, traumatized."

Vansel sighs, knowing exactly what he was getting into." Dude...I don't have a choice. My son has two weeks left to live. I will never forgive myself if I look back one day and feel that I didn't try everything I possibly can."

The man nods, almost like he had met someone similar." Okay...there isn't a hiking shop in this town. It's been shut down by the local government to prevent people from going up the mountain. But...I do have some hiking equipment I can borrow you. "

"Thank you so much man...may I know your name?"

"Alex Denton. Just call me Alex."

Vansel fished out his wallet when Alex stopped him:" Hey mate, it's fine. This equipment is on me, just come back in one piece eh? You mentioned you wanted to stay the night? That would be 105 dollars a night, breakfast included."

"Yeah... of course." Vansel paid the nightly fee as Alex handed him a silver cross, which Vansel took it, extremely confused. "What this for?"

"We have had rumors for generations that there are werewolves up this mountain, guarding the herb you seek. Of course there is no concrete proof whatsoever but as a precaution, just take it. It's like...a story passed down from the ancestors of this town."

-

Vansel set off early in the afternoon after finishing his lunch.

Looking up at Mount Diros, Vansel had never felt so small before. Literal forests were growing themselves around the gigantic rocky mountain and for all he knew, the Solar Leaf might just be a rumor and even if it wasn't, finding it would probably be like finding a needle in a haystack. He didn't know how long this would take him, but his mind was set on getting it done.

This wasn't his first time hiking, after all the military did drill him into learning and experiencing all types of things. Rock by rock, hill over hill, Vansel used every last muscle in his body to climb up as fast as he could with only the occasional breather he gave himself in order to conserve his stamina. What seemed like minutes turned into hours and before Vansel knew it, the sun was setting once more.

The warmth that the sunlight provided was slowly being taken away from him.

Vansel took out the silver baton that Lukas had passed to him and true enough, there was a faint golden glow at it's tip exactly like how Lukas mentioned. Vansel looked around himself, completely surrounded by gigantic trees and he himself, not even sure how close he was to the summit.

He knew he was high up and at least halfway up the mountain.

There were literal clouds in front of him and the town that he left was now merely little dots of light all the way at the bottom of the mountain. He could barely even see the individual houses. Vansel checked his watch: 7:30pm. He knew it was pointless to attempt looking for the herb in the middle of the night as the ex marine pulled out the tent that Alex had hooked him up with, setting his temporary campsite up and when he was done, the sky completely went dark.

Alex had given him a good amount of items.

A hiking knife, the tent, a lighter and a bunch of fire starters, a nicely stacked club sandwich, an MRE for his breakfast, a crossbow for self defense and the silver cross. Vansel stared at the items, grateful but unsure on how they will be utilized well. Exhaustion was slowly setting in and Vansel's eyes were getting heavier by the second.

With little choice, Vansel laid down in his tent, closing his eyes to get some sleep.

An eerie howl woke him up.

Vansel shot open his eyes in cold sweat as a terrifying shiver went down his spine. That howl was too close for comfort. Vansel quickly took out his flashlight, shining down at his watch: 2AM.

The leaves of the trees around him were rustling significantly more than usual and even from within his tent, Vansel could feel someone, or something looking at him. One thing was for sure, he was not alone. The former marine grabbed his crossbow, loading it up quickly and unzipped the entrance to his tent, shining his flashlight out into the darkness in front of him.

He could barely see anything with only the occasional moonlight showing him the shape of the trees in front of him. Remembering Alex's words, Vansel grabbed the silver cross and hung it over his neck, looking around again, trying to convince himself that he was alone.

A loud thump was heard as instinctively, Vansel turned to the source of the noise, aiming his weapon.

A loud boom was heard as Vansel turned around only to see his tent, completely smashed into pieces with no warning at all. Vansel grit his teeth, his finger ready to pull the trigger. Quickly, Vansel jumped to the side as the dirt he was standing on just a second ago exploded, just like his tent did and in retaliation, Vansel fired an arrow into the direction he believed the attack came from.

"You don't belong here."

A deep beast like voice growled. Vansel looked in front of him, reloading his crossbow and aiming it to see a shadow, a muscular giant humanoid one coming out of the trees and towards Vansel where the moonlight began giving a clearer look at the beast in front of him.

It was tall, at least twice the height of a grown man. It's eyes were glowing purple, it's head was that of a straight up wolf and it had coal black fur covering it's entire body and what seemed like a bronze like armored pants. It was just like what Alex had warned him about, the rumors of the werewolves were true.

"Stay...away." Vansel stood his ground despite the fear that was getting to him.

"I'd always knew we would be found one day." The werewolf growled, speeding at Vansel at inhumane speeds and the next thing Vansel knew was a sharp pain streaking across his chest, blood overflowing out of his torso.

The last thing Vansel could feel was falling face first into the muddy ground beneath him...

Next Chapter- Mountain of Wolves