Thomas slowed to a walk. Directly in her path was a rustic looking cabin, nestled away in the sparse forest. Kismet flexed her translucent claws, sliding off Thomas's shoulders and landing soundless on the mossy ground.
"This is it. This is where I'm feeling the magic," the illusory fox murmured, staring intently at the cabin. Just from the location, she had a good idea what they would find here. But this was one of the creatures that Thomas did know and had fairly strong notions about.
This is what? It's an old cabin, I don't even see an access road, thought Thomas wearily. All this traveling, and she had expected more. Mystic leylines, an ancient stone ring, crystalline caverns... not an old cabin.
"I don't know what it is yet. Let's sniff around." A moment passes, the two vixens staring at each other. "...I'm just an illusion, Thomas, I exist in your mind only. I only smell what you smell. You'll have to put your nose to the ground to get a good feel for the local markings."
With an abashed "Oh, right," Thomas knelt down, putting her hands among the forest mulch. Snout inches above the melange of twigs, leaves and bark, she closed her eyes and inhaled. The odors of the forest filled her mind, forming a tapestry of history and flavors in the instinctual part of her mind. In the periphery, animal scents wait for her attention... deer, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and foxes (that aren't her) had passed this way. Pairs, singly, herds, one day, a week, two months ago. So much information to untangle, but there's no time. The centerpiece of the smells around here is definitely human. Just from the scent, she can picture the frequent occupant of the cabin. A large male, over six feet tall and in shape, wears cotton and denim and other fabrics Thomas had not learned to associate the names she knew to their smells. But there's something special about his unique scent. Eyes still closed, her ears swivel towards a metallic ringing in the cabin. He's in there, somewhere.
"Like I thought. A werewolf," interrupts Kismet, before Thomas gets too lost in the world of senses.
Werewolf?! I-- We don't have any silver and-- "Keep your tail on! I have to briefly re-educate you on this. Get comfortable."
Thomas settles against the far side of a tree. The four-legged fox stretches her ghostly wait across the larger vixen's lap. "Okay. One, he isn't a werewolf yet. When the magic went, not everything outright died. Werewolves found it gradually harder to shift forms, eventually getting locked into either wolf or human. But with magic coming back, the descendants of these locked werewolves are going to find out their family tree has been marked by werewolf piddle. Two, werewolves aren't vicious like you imagine. They're a combination of wolf and man, and neither of those typically possess boundless rage. Three, they do heal fast but it's not what you'd call regeneration. And the silver thing has a lot to do with that."
Kismet yips laughter, enjoying an inside joke. "Silver is the moon metal, and werewolves treasure it above anything else. Moreover, it makes really for poor weaponry. The werewolves themselves started the 'weak to silver' rumor. Hunters would not only come after them with inferior weapons, the werewolves would collect their silver weaponry afterward. It also made identifying those who were out there specifically to hunt them really easy. The packs really put a lot of effort into propagating that misinformation if it's still around today," mused Kismet. Looking up at her co-inhabitant, feeling Thomas's mind, she was aware of one last reluctance. "What is it?"
What... what gives us the right to turn this man into a werewolf against his will? I mean, I want to be myself again, but..., thought Thomas, trailing off.
"It's going to happen sooner or later. I think he'll appreciate having someone there to explain why he's suddenly an alpha werewolf.
Dripping reluctance, Thomas nods and stands. Kismet flickers and reappears on her shoulders, resuming stole position. "Don't worry about the magic, it should be a cinch to trigger." Thomas needs several deep breaths before she walks over to the cabin's front door.