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Secret Origin Stories Featuring "Captain Leo" of the Super Stars By Darrel James Vanwinkle 02/11/2004-10/01/2004

Having just returned from a safari in the wilds of Africa, Lord Johnathan Selwyn Lochmond rode in the backseat of his private car while his chauffeur drove him through the streets of Carlisle, England. His head was still in a memorable haze from his encounter in Kenya and Tanzania within Africa. John, as he preferred to be called, again glanced down into the palms of his hands at the lion's paw imprints. He knew that no one would believe his story. John thought it best to mention it as little as possible. His sister, the Lady Mary Jessica Lochmond, would be the most inquisitive about his recent trip. Even though John would bring his sister fine and exquisite gifts from each of his journeys, explaining the paw prints would be very difficult indeed. John's heart beat with anticipation toward once again being able to walk the halls of Castle Lochmond.

The chauffeur, whose name was Edin Carduel, glanced up at the rear view mirror at his lord. "We are leaving Carlisle, sir."

John nodded his head, making an almost audible purring sound. "Good, Edin. On to the castle..."

Edin also nodded his head. "As you say, sir."

John then sat forward a bit. "Edin... what is today?"

Edin smiled a bit. A good chauffeur would strive to know a sufficient amount of information to better serve his lord. "Today is the 12th of August, 1930. Do you require anything further, sir?"

John sat back into his seat again. "That will be all, Edin. On to the castle."

Edin smiled and nodded his head once again. "As you say, sir."

The car continued its drive up the winding road to the large estate of the Lochmond family. Edin drove the car into the circular driveway and stopped directly in front of the castle itself. Edin got out first, then opened John's door and waited. John slipped his gloves back on his hands, then emerged from the car and looked around. It felt very nice indeed to be home in England again. Edin closed the car door, then proceed towards unpacking John's luggage from the car's truck space.

Mary emerged from the castle, looking as stunning as ever. She approached John and gave him a warm and firm hug. John returned the affection, hugging her in return.

Mary smiled as she released John. "So, what did you bring me?"

John smiled in return. He opened one of the suitcases and produced an ivory lion cub. "Beautiful, isn't it? I saw this little guy and said to myself... John, this is a keeper. Mary will love it."

Mary held the lion cub statuette in her careful, gentle hands. "It is a wonderful gift, John. Thank you. You are always thinking about me."

John grinned. "In truth, Mary, what I am always thinking is... when is Mary going to find a husband?"

Mary lightly swatted John's shoulder, playfully. "When I am good and ready. Don't rush me. Besides, every potential man I have ever met is more interested in the family wealth, than in my feminine charms."

John released a sigh. "This is, unfortunately, very true."

Mary kissed John's cheek. "Someone will come along someday. They all can't be brash boors. There has to be some non-wealth minded man out there."

John nodded his head. Then suddenly, the cargo truck arrived in the driveway. John had almost forgotten that they were following his car. They stopped the truck and unloaded two large cages. Mary's eyes alit with shock as she saw that the two cages contained live lions: a large healthy lion and a large healthy lioness. John paid the truck driver for making the delivery, then walked over and, to Mary's surprise, reached into the cages and petted the two lions, fondly. Mary finally found her voice, as she slowly approached.

"John, tell me that I am not seeing two large lions." Mary was very surprised. "Why are there two lions on our estate?"

John turned and looked to Mary. "This is King and his mate Cleopatra. They will be living with us from now on. I promised them both that they could live with me. You wouldn't want me to break a promise, would you?"

Mary had a semi-shocked expression on her face. "But... they're lions, John. What were you thinking?"

John came over and hugged Mary, then brought her closer to the two lions. "King? This is my sister, the lady Mary Lochmond. No harm is to come to her, ever." John looked to Mary. "Let King smell your hand. It's okay, I promise."

Mary extended her delicate hand, and King sniffed it. Then, to Mary's surprise, both lions nodded their heads and knelt to one furry knee.

"Oh!" Mary exclaimed. "They're tame! Why didn't you say so, John?"

John glanced up at Mary. "They're not tame. Let's get them into the castle, and I'll tell you what happened on my safari. I can scarcely believe it myself."

John and Mary proceeded toward escorting the two lions into the inner halls of the castle.

Once inside the castle, Edin wheeled the serving cart into the main chamber. From the cart, Edin served two platters of raw steaks, one each to King and Cleopatra. The two lions nuzzled Edin's face, licking him, then started on their raw steaks. Edin then served John and Mary glasses of wine. Edin spoke steadily, "Will there be anything else, sir?"

John smiled, patting Edin's upper arm. "You're a very good friend, Edin. I think that will be all. But remain close, just in case. Good help, such as yours, is hard to come by."

Edin smiled in return. "As you say, sir." Edin nodded to Mary, then wheeled the cart back toward the kitchen.

Mary waited until Edin was gone before she turned to John and said, "You have always treated Edin like your best friend, and on holidays, as one of the family." Mary placed the ivory lion cub on the mantle. Then, she turned to face John again. "I believe you promised me an explanation. You have never brought home living game animals before, from your safaris. What prompted you to do it this time?"

Before John could answer, King lifted his head from his platter, looking to Mary, and spoke in English. "He was asked to do so, of course."

That startled Mary. Her mouth dropped open a little, and she took a step back. "King spoke!"

Cleopatra lifted her head and also spoke in English, "This is good steak. Yes, we can speak. John will explain it all. He is a good boy." Cleopatra resumed dining on her steak.

Mary almost dropped her wine glass. She turned to John again. Mary's expression was questioning, yet in shock.

John could see that Mary wanted answers. "Mary, dearest sister. I had a rather bizarre encounter during this trip to Africa. Both spiritual and supernatural." John helped Mary to a seat, then he slowly walked over to the center of the chamber and turned to face his sister.

John began his tale. "I encountered a race of super-intelligent lion men and lion women. That's the short of it, but there is far more to the story than that."

John continued. "As you know, nearly every year, Lord Albert Henley requests that I accompany him on safari. Because it is important to keep good relations with the Henleys, I accepted the invitation. We rode on board the steam ship, King Henry's Smile, from England, down the coast of France and Spain, through the Straights of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, along the north African coast to Alexandria. From there, we traveled southwards, by steam ship, down the Nile River. How I wish I could've brought you the views I saw! The journey was long and tedious, but eventually, we reached the port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria. We checked into a hotel there and we both got a hot bath and a dinner. I was all too glad to be off of that boat."

Mary smiled. "I can imagine. You never really liked boats that much. What happened next?"

John said, "Albert and I attended a storytelling in the lobby of the hotel, then later, we both had a dinner. Afterwards, we both separated for a time. Time to ourselves, of course. I think a local woman caught Albert's eye. What caught my eye was a market stand that had the ivory lion cub. He looked so real, and at that moment, I thought of you."

Mary smiled, admiring the ivory lion cub on the mantle. "Please continue."

John said, "While I was admiring the cute little guy, a native warrior woman approached me. She told me that her name was Amonra, and she was hunting down the ivory thieves who had sold their prizes to local scultpers. I was appalled at that, of course, and I told her so. I had only just arrived, that day. I gave her my name and promised to let her know anything that I learned about this situation. Some lords, such as the Lochmonds, always honor our promises."

Mary grinned. "Damned straight. Then what happened?"

John sipped on his wine, then continued. "Amonra then warned me of an area in the outer lands that was considered taboo. No humans were allowed to journey there. No exceptions. Humans who went in were never seen again. I then pulled out a map of our usual safari routes in the area, and I asked Amonra to point out where this place was, for I had no intention of actually going there, and if necessary, I could steer Albert away from there, as well. Amonra revealed her own maps, and we compared notes. One band of our safari routes passed fairly close to the only way into that forbidden area. But Amonra could clearly see that the route passed it by."

Mary nodded her head, sipping her own wine. "Okay."

John smiled, as he continued. "After Amonra and I parted company, and I must admit how civil she was, too... I purchased the lion cub to insure that no one else mistreated him. After I returned to my room, it was a non-eventful night. When day broke, I had breakfast with Albert, and the two of us then teamed up with the porters and others who often safaried at the same time, and we were on our way. The safari itself was long and dull, for quite a while. Then, we finally reached the safari curve that was close to the taboo area, and to my surprise, we made camp on the outermost part of the curve. We had never camped there before. But one of our scouts told us that our usual camping location was occupied by dangerous animals, so we made camp on the curve. After an unappetizing dinner, I took a short walk."

Mary arched an eye. "That wasn't very bright, was it?"

John grinned. "At the time, I hadn't intended to go very far. But no, it wasn't very bright. I did take my compass, along with some food that I had prepared myself, and a bottle of wine. Albert would have been upset had he known that I was out there with no weapon. As I neared the entrance to the forbidden area, I stopped to admire the view. It was breathtaking. As I was admiring the view, I heard what sounded like a fight, just ahead. This was followed by something hitting the ground. It struck me odd that I didn't see anything, but it sounded as if it were literally straight out in front of me. I gulped, and after steeling up my nerves, I walked forward into the forbidden area. What happened next was that I seemed to pass through some sort of water-like illusion barrier. On the otherside was a view I had not seen before."

Mary said, "Please continue, John. What did you see?"

John walked over to King and Cleo, kneeling down to better scratch their necks, rubbing his face against their fur. "What I saw next was a lion man warrior lying on the ground, bleeding. I quickly rushed over to him, and began to give him what little medical treatment I could give him. He was conscious, fortunately, and smiled up at me, telling me that his people were in danger. They needed the help of the goddess and the greatest tribal shaman in their lands. The lion man's wound was bad, and there was poison present. I had to work fast to be able to save him. I treated it like a snake bite, and tried to suck the poison out of the wound. It was horribly nasty stuff, but I could tell that my new friend was thankful of my actions."

Mary made a face. "You rarely ever say anything is nasty. It must have been horrible."

John reached for a piece of King's steak, teasingly.

King growled, "Don't even think about it, John. Get your own plate."

John laughed, then slowly stood up and turned to Mary. "It was really bad. The lion man told me his name, but it's not something that I can even begin to translate. So I opted to call him Leo. He was okay with that. Leo still couldn't walk, but I offered to carry him, while he directed me toward the shaman's place. I wasn't even thinking about Albert and the safari, at that point. I just wanted to help Leo. For I knew that if his enemies found out that he was still alive, he'd be in real trouble. Our meeting was kismet, you might say."

Mary smiled, as Cleo came over and nuzzled Mary's leg. "So, you were on a real adventure. Then, what happened?" Mary reached down and caressed Cleo's head.

John grinned. "Cleo likes that, Mary. Yes, It was a real adventure. Leo directed me to a door in a solid cliff's base. I then knocked on the door. When the door opened, I saw an elderly lion man shaman holding a bladed cane. Of course, when he saw me and what I held, he ushered us inside immediately. Once inside, he asked me what was going on, and I told my part of the story. The shaman had me set Leo on a table as he checked out the wound. When he asked if poison was involved, I had to honestly say that it was. The shaman growled something vulgar. Evidently the use of poison is considered a cowardly act among their people. Leo then explained his role in this, and why he needed the shaman's help. The shaman continued to work on the wound, then he turned to me, with a pondering humming sound."

Mary arched an eye. "He had a weird idea, did he?"

John grinned. "Weird, but not unexpected, yes. The shaman told me that there was still poison in Leo's body, and in time, would kill him. Yet, there was a way I could help save Leo's life, by allowing myself to become the host body for Leo's soul. I was worried that I might lose who I was, but the shaman told me that we'd equally share the form, each being able to have time in the body. I didn't want Leo to die, so I agreed to the joining ceremony. I was stripped of my clothing, then the shaman had me lie on a table next to Leo."

John took a breath and continued. "The shaman then initiated the joining ceremony, as sparks and spiritual energies arose all around Leo's body, first. The glow of those energies seemed to lift a spiritual copy of Leo's brain, knowledge, and very lionman form and abilities above his now still unmoving body. This spiritual copy was then moved over directly over my body, and it literally settled down into my own body. It felt really bizarre, as my skin tingled all over, and my mind was flooded with knowledge and abilities that I had not known before. Then, as the glow subsided, these pawprints appeared in the palms of my hands." John showed the pawprints to Mary.

Mary examined John's palms. "A mark of the ceremony?"

John nodded his head. "Exactly. The key for accessing Leo's release."

Edin entered the chamber and refilled John's and Mary's wine glasses. Then, Edin turned to King and Cleo. "May I fetch you anything else?"

King replied, "I'd like another steak, please."

Cleo said, "No more for me, thank you. Though a nice soft bed to sleep on..."

Edin smiled. "Come with me, Cleo. King, I'll bring you back another steak." Edin picked up the empty platters and led Cleo off into the castle corridors.

Mary smiled. "Edin is so good to us. So John, what happened next?"

John sipped on his wine, then continued. "The shaman, whose name was Rheutan Spiritklaw, then began explaining the process of my new powers. In order to effect the switch from Lord John Lochmond into Guard Captain, and Royal Prince, Leo, I would close my hands into fists and call out the shaman's first name. This would initiate a transformation sequence which would replace the human with the lion man. Rheutan immediately had me do it, to make sure Leo joined with me safely. I did as instructed, then... I called out the shaman's name. Before I knew it, I was literally Leo. When I spoke, I was Leo, or rather, he was me. As Leo awoke fully, he knew all I knew, as well. As well as my promises and my titles. I think it pleased him that a noble man had come to his aid. Then, Leo and Rheutan talked while I sat in the back of Leo's mind. Shared existance, remember? Leo's main concerns were for stopping the evil lion man, Redfang Bloodstryker, from wiping out the old ruling family in his attempts to become the new king."

Mary oohed in excitement. "Go on."

John said, "I then began to have a concern, and I projected that thought forward into Leo. What if the bad guys tried to kill Leo again and used poison again? Now that Leo and I were one person, I couldn't readily save Leo's life a second time. Leo relayed my thoughts to Rheutan, and the elderly shaman hummed. He said that I was a wise man for thinking of that. The next thing that Rheutan did for Leo surprised even me."

Mary replied, "And what was that, John?"

John knelt to King again, and fuzzled King's mane. "Rheutan cast a spell on Leo that heightened his awarenesses, and gave Leo one more special quality: flight. Then, Rheutan gave Leo a special magical shield that would block any attack that the shield was positioned in front of. I then made a joke about Leo now being a real Captain Leo, and Leo mentally grinned, seeming to agree with me. The name stuck. Leo started calling himself Captain Leo. Yet... Leo was starting to feel bad that he sort of stole my life, and told Rheutan that while outside of Lion Valley, I should have control over both forms, but in any situation dealing with the people of Lion Valley, Leo should be in charge. Rheutan nodded his muzzle, and set about granting us that ability. Talk about a real nice lion man... Leo was fast becoming another brother to me."

Mary smiled. "So you have full control outside of Lion Valley. Please continue."

John got knocked over on his back as King flomped down on top of John. "King? You know you're heavier than you think."

King grinned, licking John's face, before getting off. "I know. But I'm sure Mary wouldn't allow me the same pleasure." King winked at Mary.

Mary ummed. "Not in the sitting room, please..."

King laughed.

John sat up and said, "With Rheutan traveling with us, our next stop was the chamber of the goddess. Only powerful shamans and chosen nobility were normally permitted to enter that place. We entered, and almost immediately, she appeared. She was gigantic! Think in terms of a country cottage, in size, Mary."

Mary exclaimed, "Good lord!"

John smiled. "The goddess was a gigantic white lioness with fantastic powers and unheard of knowledge and wisdom, and she could fight, if need be. She questioned why we had come, and the explanation we already know was revealed once again to the goddess. Needless to say, she was furious! She joined us, and for the first time in ages, she left her chambers. We then arrived in the palace of the King Lionlord. We were too late, unfortunately. Redfang had already killed Leo's mother and father. And Redfang was still there, his paws still coated in the blood of his victims. Talk about being caught red-handed!"

Mary replied, "How dreadful! Please continue, John."

John said, "Redfang turned and saw the not only had Leo lived, but he had Rheutan and the goddess in his party. The goddess growled loudly, saying that Redfang was a traitor to the people of Lion Valley, and in turn for his actions, would be exiled as far away from Lion Valley as one could imagine, for a course of fifteen years. Redfang was then teleported out of the palace, as the goddess sent Redfang directly to the bottom of the world. The South Pole. The goddess then proclaimed Leo as the heir apparent to Lion Valley."

Mary giggled. "The South Pole? Won't he freeze down there?"

John smiled. "The lion men of Lion Valley have an internal layer that helps generate warmth. I know this all too well. The next few days was spent honoring the dead. Leo and his younger sister, Lea is what I have been calling her, were the only remaining family members left alive. I mentally sighed, afterwards, as I began to think of how I might not never see you again, Mary. Leo sensed this, and my depression carried over to him. Finally, Leo broached the subject with Lea, explaining about me, and how I had saved his life, and where I was then. Lea proved to be very wise; she told Leo that he owed me his life, and thus, should honor his part of the bargain, no matter where in the world we happened to be. Thus, Leo appointed Rheutan, and a council of lion men, as rulers in Leo's absence. Anytime Leo had to be away from the valley, Rheutan and the council had governing rights, which only the goddess could overrule. Leo began to prepare for the trip out of Lion Valley. He was sad that he was having to leave it, but he did owe me his life. His sadness made me sad. We do share this body."

Mary hummed. "So, how do King and Cleo figure into this?"

John said, "I'm getting to that. The goddess thought it should be wise if representatives of Lion Valley accompanied Leo back to my home, and she chose King and Cleo to accompany us out of Lion Valley. Arranging for their travel was going to be interesting. I knew what Albert was going to say when he saw two lions. We emerged from the valley back into the real world, and I began to feel myself being shoved to the front of the mind and body. I then initiated the change back into my human form, which was still naked. King and Cleo laughed, then reminded me to get dressed from my clothing that Rheutan had remembered to pack for me. I got dressed."

Mary giggled. "So, clothing makes the change with you, is that it?"

John nodded his head. "That's right. But it was worth it, I think. Albert and the safari were in trouble. They had run smack into the ivory poachers, and were currently their prisoners. Because I had wandered off, I was the only one who could rescue my friends. Then, Amonra suddenly stepped out from where she had been lying in wait, and we compared notes once again. Amonra was surprised that I had been in the forbidden area and was allowed the leave. But she grinned widely when I told her about the ivory poachers. She agreed to help me rescue my friends. King and Cleo were going to help, too. Because the goddess had provided them, no harm could come to them, unless by magical forces."

Mary glanced over at King. "So, you're invulnerable. Is that it?"

King grinned at Mary. "You might say that."

John said, "Amonra and I made our way into the poacher's camp just after sunset, and the chaos almost immediately broke out, as the poachers tried to defend their camp. I was finally forced into a situation where I would either die or unleash the lion inside. That didn't take me long to decide over. I called upon the old shaman, and in a flash, Captain Leo had appeared! Then things really got interesting, as Amonra and I beat the crap out of every poacher."

King chuckled. "That was funny! I enjoyed that little outing! Tell Mary who saved Albert!"

John laughed. "I haven't forgotten, King. You were the one who actually approached Albert and freed him of his bonds. I've never seen Albert so afraid, but the moment he was free, he saw that King and Cleo were not attacking the prisoners; only the poachers. Then, I found a free moment to change back into my human self, and reapproach the others. I had to explain to Albert that King and Cleo were with me, and were returning to England with me. Albert about vetoed the idea, but I countered by saying that if he said no, then I'd stay behind in Africa, myself, and Albert would have to face Mary's wrath, alone! Albert gave in after that..."

Mary laughed! "And right he should! He knows how I can be!"

John said, "We escorted the poachers to the authorities in port of Mwanza, and that's the last time I ever saw Amonra. She went off with the authorities. We checked into our hotel, where I had to swear that King and Cleo were my..." John grumbled... "...tamed pets..." Then, John continued. "King and Cleo were given some steaks, while I went to a bar to have a drink. While I was there, I encountered a most interesting person. His name was Rudolph Szrashav. He was a Russian spy, I suppose that is the best thing to call him, but he wasn't working, he said, at that moment. I offered to buy him a drink and a meal, and he accepted the offer."

Mary hummed. "This Rudolph is important to this story?"

John nodded his head. "Yes, he is. After the meal, and a few drinks, we had gone outside of the town to a private spot under the open skies, where we both sat down, and Rudolph began hinting about his current problem. Rudolph told me that he was under a nasty curse, and he was searching the world for a cure. When I asked him what he did to receive such a curse, he told me that he had killed some Romanian gypsies. He then stole something of value that his superiors had sent him to retrieve, and the curse hit him almost immediately afterward."

Mary paled at this moment. "He killed gypsies? That was stupid."

John nodded his head. "That's what I told him. Curses are too real to ignore. Rudolph told me that he was sorry that he had killed them, but by then, the curse was already controlling his life. Then, I noticed that Rudolph's entire body was becoming more fur-covered. I quickly mentioned it to Rudolph, and he quickly glanced skyward. The full moon was in clear view. Rudolph quickly told me that he was cursed to be a werewolf. He didn't want to be a werewolf. I felt sorry for him, and I really wanted to help him, but before I could offer my help, the werewolf was loose, and I had no choice but to change into Captain Leo again. Then, we fought, all the while, I was telling Rudolph that I wanted to help him. I don't know if I got through to him, but I did learn one thing... werewolf claws can actually hurt Leo's body. Damned gypsy magic! After many moments of this fight, something happened to separate us, and after that, I never saw Rudolph again. I pray to God that Rudolph is still alive."

Mary hummed. "If he attacked you in the werewolf form, then it must be that Rudolph has no control over the form. Yes, his life is in God's hands, now."

John smiled. "The return trip after that was very uneventful. I am just glad to be home again. But there is another promise that I need to keep."

Mary said, "And what is that?"

John struck a pose, making his hands into fists, as he shouted, "Rheutan!!!" There came an immediate flash of light, as John's clothing vanished and his body seemed to grow a good foot. A halo like glow of light surrounded his head, as his tailbone grew out forming his lion's tail. Then, the rest of the lion man's body took hold, as the halo transformed into a majestic lion's mane. His lion's muzzle grew forth, as his ears moved to the top of his head. His claws then set into place on both hands and feet, while his feet became padded like a lion. Finally, the guard's armor of Lion Valley appeared, and affixed itself all over the lion man's body. John had transformed into Captain Leo, as he let loose a huge lion's roar!

Mary was on her feet immediately! "Oh my! I thought you were just making things up about you and Leo merging into one being! I am impressed, John."

Captain Leo glanced to Mary. "John is giving me some free time, as he promised. I am pleased that he is a human of his word, Mary. I am sure that you know fully well who I am."

Mary came over and hugged the lion man. "You're Guard Captain Leo, but if John calls you his brother, then so do I. Welcome home, Leo."

Captain Leo hugged Mary in return, then he released her. "John mentioned something about getting us a more proper costume. I'm not sure what he means. Perhaps you have some idea..."

Mary hummed, then smiled. "I think I do know what he means. John is pretty clever, you know. Let me make some private arrangements."

Captain Leo then said, "John also mentioned a secret part of the castle that was no longer in public use. Something about a Lion's Lair..."

Mary grinned. "That's a wonderful idea! John is so smart! That would be a perfect place for your lair to be placed! Here, let me show you!" Mary walked over to a torch sconce, and pulled it. The wall next to it suddenly slid open, revealing a hidden hallway, and other doors leading to unused rooms. "John and I used to play in there for hours and hours! Even Edin knows about that area! You can literally take over that part of the castle and make it into whatever you want! John is so right! It is perfect for you and the lions!"

Captain Leo smiled, then he turned to Mary again. "Thank you, my sister. Thank you for giving us this second home. My real sister Lea would like you, I am sure."

Edin walked back into the chamber and set the platter of steak in front of King. "Here you go, King. Will there be anything else?" Edin then saw Captain Leo standing there in front of Mary. "Oh my! Is this man bothering you, Lady Mary?"

Mary laughed! "Edin, this is Captain Leo! The lion man who John can change into!"

Edin then stood up, and shook Captain Leo's hand-paw. "It is good to meet you, m'lord! I am Edin, of course. If you ever have need of anything at all, please let me know."

Captain Leo smiled, hugging Edin rather suddenly, licking Edin's face. "You're a good friend to John. Don't worry, you'll be the first to know if I need anything, and I will need some things soon. I hope the requests aren't too weird."

Edin grinned. "Weirder than Lord John's requests? That's impossible!" Edin winked. Then, Edin headed out of the room.

Captain Leo sighed happily. "I like him, Mary. I see why John keeps him around."

Mary nodded her head. "Ever since Edin's parents were murdered, John has called Edin his brother. Edin is literally one of the family. Always will be. We both love Edin."

Captain Leo then said, "Come. Give me the tour of the secret part of the castle. There is much planning to be done."

Mary nodded her head and led Captain Leo into the closed off portion of the castle.

Several weeks passed while John and Leo, with the help of Edin and Mary, redecorated and cleaned the Lair part of the castle. It was quickly becoming very similar to Leo's homeland in Africa, Lion Valley. The final room to be staged was the chamber of the goddess, which would double as King and Cleo's sleeping chambers. Captain Leo then invoked the goddess' name, which, for the record, is even more non-translatable than Leo's real name was.

The goddess appeared, nearly filling the chamber!

Mary and Edin were still taken aback, even though they had prewarnings about the goddess' size.

The goddess sniffed over the scents of Edin and Mary, then she relaxed and exclaimed, "I like this place! You have all done extremely well! I convey my blessings upon this entire castle!" As the goddess said these words, the whole castle seemed to glow for a few moments before dissipating. "Any time you have need of my wisdom, please come to this chamber! That goes for you humans, as well! Also, you should plan to convert a portion of the castle's chambers into a meeting room for others who will someday join forces with you!" The goddess then vanished.

Captain Leo then changed back into John.

John said, "We've done extremely well. Something tells me that I'll have my paws full in the months to come. Others who will someday join forces with me? That sounds as if a greater threat to the world is about to occur. I only hope that we, the Lochmonds, and Captain Leo too, are prepared for such an event when it occurs."

Another few weeks passed without incident.

Perhaps the goddess' warning was simply that. A warning.

Then, one day, while John was finishing up with some business in Carlisle, he ran into someone who he thought he'd never see again.

It was Rudolph Szrashav.

John quietly said, "Rudolph?"

Rudolph nodded his head. "Can we talk somewhere private? Not at your castle. I need a good space, just in case of... well, you know..."

John nodded his head, taking Rudolph to an old cottage that he knew of. Once inside, the two had a seat, as John looked at Rudolph. "Are you still cursed?"

Rudolph sighed. "Yes, I am. I desperately need your help, John. You're the only one I can count on. And there's a new problem. The stupid werewolf somehow got it in his head that you're my enemy and that he has to kill you."

John hummed. "I was afraid that might happen. You see, if you actually get cured, it means the end of the werewolf's life, and that means anyone you seek for the cure becomes the werewolf's enemy. And I do want to help you. I was going to offer before the werewolf got loose the last time, but now... you should be asking yourself this... Is it better to seek a total cure or one that would allow the werewolf to live, yet not be a threat to others you may encounter? You do have to admit... with his strength and special abilities, when added to your own... make you an even more awesome agent than before. The only problem I currently see is that you don't control it. So, in my opinion, you should seek control over the werewolf, before seeking a cure. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you, Rudolph?"

Rudolph nodded his head. "I understand it..." Rudolph smiled at John. "There is one redeeming quality to the werewolf... he likes you enough to call you a special enemy... and not your human form... the other one... I saw you change forms... he saw you change forms... We know your secret... The werewolf likes you as long as the lion doesn't come out. I think it's a cat-dog thing... but he likes you. I have to admit, I like you too. I need your help, John."

John smiled, hugging Rudolph. "The next time you see your werewolf buddy, tell him that I like him too. I don't want to end his life, but I don't want you to keep suffering under this unequal curse, either. The werewolf can only truly live if he shares his life with you, instead of just taking over every night." John then held Rudolph's hand. "I promise to help you, Rudolph. The word of a Lochmond is like gold."

Rudolph hugged John back, whispering, "Thank you, John. You don't know how much this means to me. I appreciate your promise to help me. Thank you."

End of the Secret Origin of Captain Leo