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The Curse of Werewolf - Chapter 1.4 - Doctor
"The curse of Werewolf"
episodic horror story series following unfortunate fox named Thomas Miller
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NOTE: Miller’s first name Vincent has been changed to Thomas. Sorry for any confusions
Chapter 1.4 – Doctor
A carved wooden sign on the wall said “Medical doctor”. The wooden slider was revealing an red painted option “closed”. An injured fox and an irritated ram stood front of a traditional wooden house, two storey tall with white painted sides and black side edges. The windows were closed with lightly decorated wood panels. A faint candle light shine behind the shutters caught Thomas’ eye on a ground floor.
The quiet neighbourhood around them was dark in pitch-black night expect for the innkeeper’s travel lantern and sparse street burners. They had a long ride behind them to visit the only doctor within fifty miles. Through a forest and across the large town of Lendel, it was over two hours ride – Regrettably, the fox had a cap in his memory and it made Thomas worried in his mind. ‘Never heard anyone lose that much time while awake and standing. It has to be ‘cause of my grief and pain. It has to be.’ Anxious boy’s fingers were again wrapping around his wounds on this shoulder.
The ram knocked on the black oak door and walked back to the fox’s side. After seeing Thomas’ hand on his shoulder Barry grunted. The man shooed the boy to leave his arm that was wrapped in bandages from wrist to shoulder.
“You’re just making yourself worse, lad”
Thomas shamefully looked away. “I can’t help it. It just happens.”
“Listen to me.”, Barry put his hand on the fox. Fox saw the man being mad with him again.
”Do as the doctor tells you, and he’ll fix...”
The heavy oak door opened.
A slim, older man was standing on the door with his own candle and holder. His clothes were fitting of the doctor’s status as he wore a well-kept white collared shirt, a finer dark blue vest, and black straight trousers. He was a white-silver scaled eastern dragon. His wide eye frowns, chin’s buck beard, and long hair on his head going passed his horns that was tied in a ponytail were all white haired. There was also same kind of hair on the ends of his scaly whiskers and long narrow ears below his long. Thick bullish horns curving side and up from his head were mostly hidden behind the door frame.
Oddly, there was an expression on his face that Thomas didn’t expect from the man known to be emotionally very preserved and stoic. Was he worried? Sad even? Whatever it was, he’s face quickly changed to more disappointed and dulled look as he realised who knocked on his door. He closed his lips and pulled his longer neck back.
“Evening gentlemen.”, dragon greeted with a tire monotone and half-interested gaze.
The ram tapped fox’s shoulder.
“Let me do the talking – Doctor Mori! Good evening.”
“Barry.” Doctor responded and turned with a concentrated frown, “Miller? Yes, miller.”
“Evening Doctor”, Thomas shyly muttered and gave the man a polite bow, but he did not respond to it. Instead the dragon’s cold, hard gaze focused on his injured arm and the bloody bandages around it. Doctors mouth twists in disgust ever so slightly.
Barry stepped forward and spoke with tight nerves.
“That’s right – Thomas Miller. The lad had a bit of an accident.”
Doctor did not change his expression, nor turn his head from the injury. It made the suffering fox uncomfortable and worried to think about how bad his painfully aching arm must have looked.
“I can tell this is not a late night social visit.”, unamused doctor responded.
“Of course not.” Barry chuckled nervously. “It really is an emergency.”
“I guessed as much with your ’bit’ of an accident”, with a sigh doctor opened the door wider and invited them in. “Come inside. I’ll have a look.”
As they entered, Thomas avoided looking at the doctor. He could feel the dragon’s cold judging stare on his back. It made him feel unwelcome.
Coming from the main door was stairs going up, a long corridor going forward and an opening to the living room on the side. Except, the opening was blocked with multiple spread plain board covers that one uses to change clothes behind it. Seen between to caps of them was a massive intrusion of large moving boxes, all the open, ajared and shut containers made it feel more of a cramped storage than an enjoyable space. Thomas also noticed that the walls were also empty without any picture frames or decorations. Even their house had the symbols of the crop goddess Fread, and some mementos hanging in their house walls. ‘The room is so cramped up. It doesn’t look so comfortable to live here. What’s with the boxes too? Haven’t the doctor been living here for decades?’
Pass striding dragon cut Thomas’ view from the living room.
“We’ll go to the kitchen”, doctor said.
“Yes, as you say. Go along Miller.”
“Sure, but does these -?” Thomas wanted to ask about the boxes, but Barry notched him forwards.
“No a word, lad”
Fox saw ram shaking his head and had a finger on his lips. Maybe he was thinking the same about the doctor’s odd living arrangements. The host didn’t seem to pay attention to their words.
Passing two closed doors and empty walled corridor, they entered an impressively spacious kitchen. It was large enough for a big family sized table, a side full of tall cabinets, wide shelves of glass jars filled with grind spices and dried herbs over the shut window, and astonishing cooking heart with wide stone top and multiple fire pits under it. Not to mention all the huge selection of shiny copper pots and kettles, seasoned iron pans and rust-free cauldrons in the corner of the stone top. Poor, impressed miller had never seen such over-abundance of high quality cookware. ‘He had to be the wealthiest man in town, no – the entire province.’
The doctor had his candle on the table, and he kneeled under the stone hearts, digging his arm deep into one of the openings and taking out a dark scorched wooden lump with a deep hole in the middle. Blowing into it the dragon created smoke and fire into the round wood lump. [i]‘Was there an ember, or does he breath fire?‘ [/i],Thomas couldn’t tell. Regardless, the doctor waved the innkeeper closer and handed the smoking lump into innkeeper’s hands. Practically shoving it to his chest with a force that made the man’s travel lantern sway and flicker.
“Hey, watch it!”
“Boil me water, Barry. I’ll have a look at the boy.”.
“Excuse you?” Ram’s face turned sour as he snapped back with a sudden temper.
“You heard me. Boil me. Water.” Dragon was matching rams tension with his slow words and narrowed eyes. The two measured other’s patience with intense stares during a prolonger silence, while the fox stood awkwardly on the sidelines.
“A simple request. It’s no wood chopping or water carrying.” Doctor slowly said.
“It’s your kitchen. I know how bloody cranky you get with your stuff.”, Barry bitterly responded.
Doctor grunted quietly under his breath. Turning around he pointed at a large jug in the corner, pulled out on of the copper pot from the large pile, and dropped kindling into the pot.
“There’s water. Pot. Wood. Fire you have on your hand.”, dragon listed sharply, and looking down on the irritated ram. His voice lowered to more threatening tone.
“Let me do my job, and you’ll do yours. Make do, will you?“
“Bah.”, ram groaned, and passed the tall dragon.
“Ordering me like a damn dish boy”, Thomas heard Barry’s murmuring as he saw ram work on the stone top. Right before the two head measurers taller and menacingly towering dragon stood in front of the fox. Even if doctor was a mortal reptile, his presents emanated an primal aura and malice of an ancient race. It made fox’s neck fur stood up and his survival instincts told him to lean away from the man. He was reminding the injured fox too much of the other beast he had to face this same day.
“Now you. Have a seat.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Frightened Thomas managed to respond, and he quickly pulled up a chair to sit on the table. However, the dragon’s long fingers and sharply pointed nails came down on his shoulder before he could sit.
“No”, doctor said sharply.
Thomas’ shoulders tensed and he froze from fear. His eyes saw closely the claws that could easily ripped through any warm blooded fur’s pelt. He was visible shaking.
“s-s-sir?”
The fox couldn’t move his head to look at the man, but the hand lifted off his shoulder.
“No, I mean you’ll have to face the wall. I need room to work around.”, man’s voice turned to his slow monotone. It took scared Thomas seconds to calm down before he turned his head. Doctor had taken step back. He was rubbing his forehead. Fox wasn’t sure what the man was thinking. Slowly circling around the patient he moved the chair’s back against table to make it face the open space.
“Please. I’m here to help you. Have a seat and I’ll take a look at your arm.”
Doctor politely smiled and gestured towards the chair. Despite the man’s intentions, the fox wasn’t convinced his smile was genuine. But looking at his tired face, Thomas could make himself believe he wasn’t in immediate danger.
Despite what his gut was telling him.
"The curse of Werewolf"
episodic horror story series following unfortunate fox named Thomas Miller
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 50 x 50px
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