Cameron stood in the drizzle and damp of an early February morning in front of a historical building in Chinatown. At least he thought it was historic. It had the number 1920 written on it which didn't coincide with the address, so it must mean the date it was built.

It was a three story apartment building with metal terraces on each floor. The building was a shocking pink and white with jade accents strewn about its exterior and Chinese calligraphy above every door and window. Jade lanterns dangled from the overhangs above each terrace, and the ceiling of each terrace featured bright red Chinese tiles depicting golden dragons.

He was awestruck by the building. There were quite a few architectural features to take in after all, but he had to wonder if he was really admiring the workmanship that went into its construction or if he was just stalling. Where he was certain yesterday, self doubt crept in today.

What did he know about Mongolian Death Worms any way? He'd done some research on them in the Magical Library at school before Delphi had given him this address. He knew that they were considered mythical cryptids by the Unenlightened, like Big Foot and the Yeti, but that they were also considered to be the result of the overactive imagination of humans. No one had ever captured one or taken a decent picture or video of one in the desert in which it is rumored to inhabit. That could mean only one thing; they were smart enough to escape detection.

The library didn't have a lot of information on them either and what they did have was limited to a description of the being, which was frankly gruesome, and it's methods of killing its prey, which was even more alarming.

The worm is said to be about 2-5 feet long and has a bright red hue. It inhabits the south western part of the Gobi desert on the outer edge of Mongolia. It's said to live underground in hibernation most of the year until the rainy season of June and July when it comes to the surface to feed on Camels and lay its eggs in their carcasses. Mongolians think it kills at a distance either by shooting venom or by means of electrocution. They believe that touching any part of the worm will cause certain death with excruciating pain. It is reported as well that its venom is highly corrosive and can burn a whole through any type of metal, but the library made no mention of it being able to give a magical being their full powers.

In thinking about the creature he potentially faced he found it hard to convince his feet to move to the side of the terrace where an elaborate set of wrought iron stairs awaited him. But he wasn't here to admire the architecture he was here to change his life. So he took long loping strides that ate up the distance and didn't give him any time to chicken out.

And once there, he was greeted by a set of sculpted jade foo dogs. They sat on a pillar on either side of the stairs guarding the entrance. He took a moment to marvel at how real they looked, and he was just about to run his hand over their cold smooth surface, in hopes that they would bring him luck, when one turned its head menacingly toward him making him jump back in shock.

When the other let out a threatening growl, he started cooing to it like a small child saying, "Nice statue, good statue, you don't want to hurt little old me, do you?" According to his trembling voice he wasn't convinced of that himself.

The one that had turned said something in Chinese to him in a deep growly voice.

"S-s-sorry I-I d-don't speak Chinese," Cam stammered.

"What is your business here magic wielder?" the other grumbled out with a THICK Chinese accent.

Cam was about to correct him, he was no wielder, but he took one look at their very sharp teeth and thought better of it.

But what could he say? He couldn't very well say: I've come to see a man about a horse. A horrible thought struck him. What if they didn't let him in? To come so close and fail again would be devastating.

So he took a shaky breath and stood to his full height and said, "I'm her to become a fullblood."

This seemed to satisfy the magical beings, because they both just simpered and settled back on their haunches before opening their mouths again in a frozen growl.

Cam took a moment to bow and thank each statue before ascending the wrought iron stairs. He didn't know why he did it, but he felt he needed to give them the reverence they deserved.

With determination and confidence, he climbed each floor until he got to the top. On the way up he encountered no other supernatural beings only the myriad of smells that apartment buildings always seem to have, and the din of a crowded building. Even though it was early for a Saturday morning the building was already abuzz with activity.

Cameron made it to the top and knocked quietly on the pink door, but cursed himself for his timidity, and knocked louder. When there was still no answer, he hoped he wasn't too early, before knocking again, and just when he had decided to go in search of a coffee and to come back later, the door opened eerily on its own.

Ooookay . . . he'd seen this scenario play out in every horror movie he'd ever watched. When his arm reached out to swing the door wider, he asked himself, you're not really intending to go in there, are you? When his hand made contact with the knob, he told himself, you're on the fast track to getting ax murdered, and when he slowly started opening the door, he scolded himself, okay don't say I didn't warn you.

"Hello anybody home?" he called out in a weird little sing song voice the kind where you drag out the hello, strangely. He didn't know why he did it, but he had to chock it up to nerves.

When he heard a soft male voice call back, "Come in," from a distant room it stopped him in his tracks.

He took a moment to think: okay so he's home, so why didn't he answer the door?

The voice called out again, "Come in, come in, don't keep me waiting."

Cam took a few shaky steps towards the room and through the door to the back. It was darker in the room than the front entrance and he had to scrunch his eyes to make them adjust to the lack of light.

Once he could see, he sucked in a shocked breath. The thing before him stood erect, using its muscular wormlike body to stand straight out of the sandbox in which it balanced. He might have laughed at the playground like sandbox, but it also might have been the last thing he did, so he stifled the urge and stood dumbstruck instead.

He thought he'd been conversing with a magical being not creature. He didn't know what he was expecting when he got here, but it wasn't this. He expected to find an alchemist or wizard peddling the magical properties of the death worm; he had not fathomed that he would be looking at and conversing with the creature himself.

"Come in, come in don't be afraid," The creature cajoled.

"I'll stay right here if it's all the same to you," Cam knew he wasn't being very polite, but he felt safer at a distance. Fat lot of good it would do though if the creature could spit venom or electrocute him.

He just wanted to stay away from the hundreds of not so little teeth he could see in his mouth. The books had been right he was approximately 5-6 feet tall and a bright red color, and any alchemist worth a grain of salt knew what bright colored animals meant. It meant they were highly poisonous and you should keep your distance, so he did.

"My child do not worry, your actions do not offend me. You are not the first to stand in that very spot and you won't be the last."

Cam had to wonder if he was reading his mind, so he put up his mental wall that he'd practiced at school. He was pretty crappy at it, but some wall was better than no wall.

But the worm just chuckled, confirming his suspicions.

"I-I've come to become a fullblood," Cameron stammered nervously.

"I know why you're here my child. Did you bring the tribute?"

Cameron heart sunk into his stomach. He was supposed to have brought something and he didn't have it. What if he couldn't get his hands on it, what then?

"No matter," the worm wiggled its body like a human would have waved their hand to dismiss something of little consequence; "you can bring it next time you come."

"Next time," Cameron breathed as he furrowed his brows in consternation, "b-but," he stammered . . .

"Oh my dear child," the worm chuckled, "you didn't think a matter of turning a halfblood into a fullblood would take one visit?"

"No it will require a once a week visit."

"For how long," Cam asked dejectedly? He'd hoped he'd walk out of here today will his fullblood status. Now it was looking like it might take considerably longer.

"That depends on the halfblood. If you are relatively close to the potential of a fullblood selkie then it might be just a matter of weeks. If not, then it could be months."

Cameron's shoulders sagged in defeat. Given he was close to rejecting his skin he doubted he had much magical ability left. This could take years.

What did it matter anyway? He didn't even know if he could get his hands on or afford the tribute, or even, in fact, if he would be willing to pay it. Who knows he told himself: it could be after small children or something.

"What's the tribute?" He asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at the invertebrate.

The thing chuckled again like Cam had said something really funny, "relax my child I only ask that you bring me the leaves of a Goyo plant. It is a simple thing to find, but you see I am terribly shy," he bent his wormlike head in a downcast way affecting a cowering stance.

Cam didn't know if he was buying what this was saying, but what choice did he have?

"I prefer to have someone else do the shopping," he continued, "I believe it can be found in the Menagerie."

"But it is no matter for today. Today my services are free." The worm announced cheerily.

"What do I have to do," Cameron asked leery of what the hideous creature would say.

"Well you must let me bite you of course. I will suck out the human half of you, leaving only your fullblood essence (DNA I think you call it).

Cam was a scientist at heart. Even though he lived in the magical world he was still a rational pragmatic individual. He understood genes if this creature could actually remove his mitochondrial DNA he would indeed be a fullblood Selkie.

Cameron's hands were shaking he had a horrible knot in his stomach and his mouth felt like cotton. His legs were trembling as he advanced on the deadly worm. He wasn't really considering do this was he?

This could be a trick you idiot, he told himself, but I have to do it he argued. I have no choice.

Megan needs me, my sisters need me, the gang needs me, and hell . . . I need me.

When he got close enough to the worm thankfully it struck before he could lose his nerve. He spun him like a top and latched on to his back driving his sharp teeth into his spinal column. And the books had been right the venom was excruciating. It drove him to his knees in agony with the weight of the worm on top of him. He crumpled to the floor in a heap paralyzed with fear -- an immovable object. And still the worm continued to suck. He could hear the sickly slurping and gulping of his essence being extracted from his body. He started to convulse then and then the panic set in. And if the experience had only stayed horrifically painful and terrifying then he might have been all right, but it happened then the venom stopped feeling like acid running through his veins and mutated to the most pleasurable feeling he'd ever had. It was invigorating, it sent chills down his spine and all through his body, he felt more alive than he had ever felt before in his life. He was invincible and he could actually feel his blood shifting in his veins.

This is it?! He thrilled inside.

If this was what it feels like to be a fullblood, sign him up! Hell yeah he'd come back next week and the week after that. He was planning the bus route and trolley route in his head to get to the Menagerie -- while the worm continued to suck loudly.

He had some Goyo leaves to buy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of Saturday and Sunday he spent with Megan and they were the happiest days he'd ever spent.

They lounged in his room talking and laughing and horsing around on his bed all Saturday afternoon. It continued to rain, but it felt warm and sunny in her arms. That night they went to the movies to see a romantic comedy with Ryan Reynolds in it and he hadn't even cared that Meg drooled over him the entire time.

They'd lounged on the beach all Sunday it turned out to a bright and beautiful sunny day. And what do you know the seas didn't attempt to kill them this time. They played board games with his sisters and he and Meg actually made Sunday dinner for his parents. They washed up afterward and went for another walk on the beach. This time he took a blanket. He wanted to show Megan how much he appreciated her.

Megan fell asleep in his arms that night while he laid awake looking at her. How could he even be this lucky? He had a big beautiful family that loved him, a kick ass girlfriend that he loved to death and that loved him back, the best friends in the world, and soon he'd be a fullblood selkie.

He had no words to describe how he felt. He couldn't wait to tell the gang about the miracle he'd found, but he'd wait until he was a fullblood first that way they couldn't try to talk him out of going back. 

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter -- Wow Cam seems like a whole new person.

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