Lions and Dragons and Bears, OH MY!Father Mikhail and Matushka Ursula Bloom have come to serve the small misison congregation of Saint Christopher Orthodox Church in Wolf Springs Illinois. Both of them are retirees from the Marine Corps, with their pensions and Ursula's contracted job teaching foreign languages at the local liberal arts college to support them. Certainly, the congregation is too small and too poor to support a priest.For Father Mikhail, Mick, this is the first full time clergy posting after seminary. The congregation been served by the occassional supply priest for all of its' ten year existence. So, Mick and Ursula knew life in Wolf Springs was going to be a challenge. But it was a challenge they were looking forward to.It's ironic beyond words that, as they are moving into their new home, a local elderly eccentric named Garrison Gray, shoots at Ursula, wounding her slightly in an effort to scare off Mick and Ursula. Gray asserts not only is he a werewolf, but also that the town is full of shifters of various sorts. Ursula tries to talk Gray into surrendering his rifle while Mick circles behind the armed elderly man, planning take down his wife's assailant. Before Mick can move against the armed old man, the local police and an ambulance arrive.Ursula would like to dismiss Gray's assertions as so much delusional rambling. But she is forced to reassess when she, while sitting on the ambulance's bumper, being treated for the relatively minor gunshot graze to her ear, sees an old wolf sitting in the back seat of the police cruiser where only moments before was her elderly assailant.Still, can she trust her eyes? Is insanity contagious? Does she dare speak of what she has seen?If Gray is really a werewolf, does that mean they've moved into a town of various kinds of shapeshifters? Are the members of their congregation shapeshifters? Is there anyone in town who is what he or she appears to be?
