Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Fantasy

Chapter 4: Change
   Shocked, " There's no way that I'm in Wolfbane forest when I was just outside Ormkirk yesterday." How long was I really passed out?
   She sat down, "What I mean is that you would have to travel across the Bloodwood mountain just to get here. But what I want to know is how you made it all the way here, and why naked for that matter?" She continued to eat.
   How am I supposed to know, but before I could ask she dropped her spoon, "Wait there is no way you where there yesterday! That's like a full two months travel even over Bloodwood mountain."
   Stunned I sat there, its been over two months, I couldn't have been out that long. 
   She continued, "If you were, there would be no way they would have let you outside the gates for a while." She picked up her spoon, "At least not after what happened months ago." She stopped.
   Now this is new for me, "What do you mean they wouldn't let me out? What happened over there that they have to be on guard?" Was it what I did, there's no way.
   She thought of what to say next, "Well the king's son Lucas was found freeing a prisoner," I flinched. "Worse it was during the yearly celebration as everyone was in the town square." She ate some stew as I thought about this. "No one knows why he did it, but the king is still furious."
   Worried, "What did they do to the prince, do you know?" I asked.
   She swallowed, "Well they never mentioned anything about him afterwards, but they're still searching for the prisoner. Rumor is that the prince ran away after and was last seen in Barewater but that's just a rumor."
   No longer hungry I stared at my bowl, "What am I supposed to do now?" I muttered to myself.
   She got up to put the dishes in the sink, "Well you can't travel back with that arm if that's what you meant. I can let you stay here till your all healed up." 
   "Thanks but I'll have to think about that for a bit." I felt more drained after the meal, "I want to know why your helping me, someone you never met before." I carried my dish to the sink.
   She grabbed a rag to wipe the table, "Well I really have no real reason to, it's more of the need to." She pushed in my chair, "When you live your life as if it's your fault, you try your best to make amends." She sounded sad.
   Not wanting to pry, "Would you mind if I slept in the same bed?" I asked.
   She looked at me, "Sure as long as you put a towel under that arm," she pointed, "and if you need anything else let me know." She finished cleaning up.
   I nodded, almost tripping from exhaustion I was carfull from flopping on the bed straight away. I grabbed the towel she handed me before and layed it beneath my arm. I ended up falling asleep soon after my pillow.
   
   I was running past trees away from someone or something I'm not sure. The trees flew right past me as ran, where I was going meant nothing if I couldn't escape. I could hear the thumping of a something large right behind me. 
   When I tried to look back, I tripped over a small rock spraining my hand. I looked around for any place to hide. Finding nothing, I stood to fight whatever was coming at me.
   I grabbed a near by stick I put my sprained hand across my torso. The wind was blowing around me, as the creature came closer. It was huge as six solders, and probably just as strong.
   My stick gave me no protection, as this thing slammed me into a tree. I fell to the floor the wind knocked out of me. As I was gasping for air it lumbered over, my vision fading.
   It stopped close enough to touch, stood up high and roared. I tried to cover my ears still trying to breath, then the world turned black.
   Startled, I woke up a few hours later I didn't know where I was, slowly everything that happened started to sink in. I sat up, "Damn, what am I supposed to do now with the king hunting me down?" I got up to find the restroom.
   With a loud thump, I ended up falling face first into the floor. Groaning, I tried to stand up with no luck. Turns out my legs and hands where paws!
   "What the heck is going on?" She came running to the room, stopping when she saw me. "What th-" 
   I looked up at her, "I don't know, I woke up like this. What's happening to me?" I asked.
   Looking confused, "Well I don't know what you just said but if you don't change back your cuts are going to be open again." 
   "This isn't the time to be thinking about that!" I yelled.
   Now she was angry, "Stop barking and calm down this isn't the first time you changed this way." 
   What? Not the first time, them maybe I can try to change back! "How do you know this?" I barked.
   Holding up her hands, "I said to calm down and stop barking at me I still can't understand you." 
   I sat silently glaring at her.
   Satisfied, "There that's much better but I could do without the death glare, please." She waited.
   I sigh, fine I'll do it her way. For now at least.
   "Well you can change whenever you want it only takes a bit of concentration." She showed me her hand, "Like this." Her fingers slowly started becoming claws.
   Something inside me got scared, it happened so fast that I started to shake. Before I could stop myself the whimpers started, and I tried to back away from her. She noticed this and stopped her hand from changing and tried to calm me down.
   She hold up her hands surrendering, "Hang on I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just trying to show you how to change back!"
   How was no longer in control of my own body, I started to growl. She took a step back as I started forward with a  threatening pose. 
   She was startled at this new change, "Wait a minute, just calm down if you don't calm down you're going to do something that you will regret later on."
   I heard these words but they no longer processed and I'll leave that her teeth showing.
   She dodged to the side, "Woah!"I turned to her half concern half angry. She look more different she had horns and her claws were fully out. "Don't make me fight, we both know who will win." She warned me.
   I continue to growl, crouching lower ready to pounce at her. Fear of hurting her I tried to take control of my body. I could feel something holding me back, like an invisible bubble.
   A girls voice, 'Stop fighting' forcing me down.
   What was that? 'Whos there?' Silence, 'Hello, can you hear me?' more silence.
   I could feel my muscles tense up as Nico got into a tackle position. 'Wait, Don't do this!' I could feel a wave of anger wash over me.
   The voice, 'She is the enemy, I have to protect you.' My teeth began to show, the growling increased.
   'She never hurt me! What exactly am I being protected from?' I saw her body became covered in more scales, they now covered her shoulders.
   I could feel a slight confusion, it was quickly gone. 'She is in her evil form, I must protect!' The voice was very stubborn.
   I was ready to give up, 'Please,' I begged, 'dont hurt her I'll promise you that she isn't evil.' My body lunged.
   I could here a sigh, 'If you fail I will take over.' Her face became a blur, 'I swear to this.' my body was going limp.
   I began to float in my own mind as my body shut down in mid-jump. With no other choice I waited for my body to wake up. Then the memories of the past months came flooding in as if a door opened.