Open Chronicles The Shift

[Silver Romani]

The young gypsy was riding into a deep wood, her goal to become as lost and as far from any sign of civilisation as was possible, and she was running out of time. She stopped near a stream, pulling the cool air in through her nose, and finding only scents of pine, animals and flora. No smoke. No people. She took Raksha’s reins and tied her to a hanging branch, ignoring her discontented nickering at the matter. She left the mare close enough to the stream that she could drink, and there was enough grass to keep her from going hungry. “I’ll find you soon, Raksha. Hush..”

She felt as sick as she had during the few days leading up to the last four full moons. It wasn’t getting any easier. She seemed to have new muscles that lay dormant under her skin until the growing moon pulled at them and they swelled painfully, rippling under her skin, and faded again. It was the sensation, rather than the pain that turned her stomach.
Silver was usually warm, at least she had been since she had been mauled .. her blood ran so much hotter now. But her skin was clammy and pale with cold sweats, so much so that one might believe her to be dying of fever. Her bones ached with every step she took, as though they might snap at any moment. She could almost hear them thrum with energy, ready to shift and break and warp into something unnatural. She kept going, not only must she venture as far from people as she could, but also from her horse. Raksha was all she had, and she couldn’t live with herself if the horse came to harm by her hand, or more precisely, claw.

She cried hopelessly as she stumbled, quick as she could, deeper into the forest, until her ankle broke under her skin and quickly snapped back into place and she fell with an agonising scream. After another few tears, and a few deep breaths, she pulled herself to her feet, trembling and dizzy with pain, and continued, limping now through the trees, keeping her senses alert as she could for any sign of life. But the forest didn’t appear to have been frequented for some time, and she hoped it would be a safe enough place for her, with enough elk on offer to sate the hunger of the beast that roused inside her. So far – it had mainly killed livestock and deer, and one bear. She had managed to stay hidden well enough, but she didn’t know this land well enough to be sure. She had never been a murderer, not until recently, but at least she had been human and able to make that decision for herself rather than have all manner of human conscience taken from her. The memories of her hunts and kills were still ever vivid in her mind – another wave of nausea.

She had walked for hours before her spine contorted with a few, loud snaps, a sound that might have been mistaken for a falling tree if it hadn’t been for the curdling scream that came after it. Silver collapsed to her knees, and her bones continued to twist in and out of shape, muscles erupting here and there before disappearing again as she fumbled at her clothes, discarding them before they were no longer of use to her. Her hands searched the ground for a branch, which when found she clenched between her teeth and bit down on it like a stubborn dog. All she could do now was wait, her scarred body writhing naked on a bed of pine needles ready to break and shift. It was going to be a long night..

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's usually olive skin was white as a sheet, beaded with a fine layer of sweat that sparkled against the light as her body writhed and convulsed. Tears of pain had reddened the skin around her eyes, and her nails were thick with mud from clawing at the floor every time a bone twisted or snapped. Still, she remained in human form, she'd been at this for hours - when would it get easier? Would it ever?..

It wouldn't be until the sun sent it's golden light of dusk through the forest that her form started to change. The moon was full and rising. Some said wolves worshipped her as though she was a goddess - if that were so, then Silver despised her. At first, Silver had tried to hide from the rising moon, as though if it couldn't see her, it couldn't change her.. but it didn't matter. The beast knew, she felt it, and she wanted to hunt.

Silver's spine snapped more violently this time, and she bit down on the branch so hard that it shattered. Her canines had always been just that little bit sharper since she'd been turned, though now they were growing longer and sharper still, and her screams turned to yelps and growls. She rolled in the pine and dirt, her limbs, hands and feet growing in length as muscles erupted under her skin, without fading this time. Auburn red fur sprouted from her human skin, and it soon covered her entirely, thick around her neck and back. She yowled again as her skull physically morphed into it's canine shape, a maw filled with rows of dagger like teeth bared and snarling through her plight. The beast, eager to hunt, attempted to stand though she stumbled and sat on her haunches, panting with quiet little whines like an injured puppy as the pain was slow to ease.

It did ease however, and a new dread filled Silver's consciousness - which had always been entirely separate from the monster which now stood tall, stretching out her neck muscles and splaying her claws as she breathed in her first deep breath of air, searching it with a keen nose for any sign of life with the intent of ending it. The wolf was ready to hunt, and she threw her head back in a long, shattering howl to the moon, her goddess.

 

[Talus]

Talus' head slowly turned at the sound of a howling wolf, eyes narrowing for a brief moment as he attempted to gaze through the thick canopy of trees.

"Thought there weren't any wolves in the Falwood."​

One of his men made a nervous comment, the soldier visibly shaking with fear as he slowly swung around his torch. Talus frowned for a brief moment, shaking his head at the mans ignorance before quickly motioning for him to back up. "There's many things in the Falwood."

The Anirian Guardsmen glanced back, then took a slow step towards the rest of the men.

There were twelve of them, including Talus himself.

All of them had set out three days ago, their destination being the city of Vel Cirak. Their purpose was the delivery of documents, a set of orders meant for the Commander of the Anirian City. It was important, and thus all haste had been urged. That was why they were in the Falwood.

A straight line through the forest was only a weeks journey, while the path around it would be nearly a month.

Talus hadn't liked it, but orders were orders.

"Stay close, watch each others backs." The young Dreadlord said as he moved along the path.

 

[Silver Romani]

If there was one 'silver-lining' she could pull from her predicament, if she could see past the dread and fear of her human consciousness - it'd be how free she felt to run. She was fast - extraordinarily so, and her muscles coursed with a feeling of adrenaline as her paws pounded into the ground, propelling her forward in her hunt. She'd caught scent of a deer and tracked it, and the poor thing had met it's end swiftly in the wolf's jaws. The first taste of blood sent a shudder through her, and she drank it in, letting it pour over her in celebration of her freedom as she tore the buck's flesh from it's bones. It didn't take her too long to devour it, and Silver tried to shut her mind away from it, it a wasn't particularly pretty sight..

The scent of the blood might have masked the smell of human skin - but the torch smoke was different. She stood from her kill and turned, her nose twitching each time it pulled at the smell. They were a long way off, but her senses were keen, and heightened to full capacity. With another howl, her next hunt was on, and she took off in the direction of the men, claws tearing up the earth which trembled under her. As she ran, the smell of flesh grew stronger, until she ground to a halt in the darkness, with the reflection of torchlight flickering in her amber eyes as she watched them with a quiet growl.

"Fuck....fuck...No..fuck.." Silver's mind raced, but the beast ignored any semblance of sense. It had not one but two minds and yet remained completely mindless, her tunnel vision was purely on the hunt..on the men she carefully followed in the shadow, her teeth bared and ready to take their very first bite of human flesh. She stalked them from a distance, until the moment one of the men had his back turned from her and she sprang out from the trees cut across their path, a huge paw and curling claws swiping at the man in attempt to drag him off into the trees with her...

"Fuck.."

 

[Talus]

One of the Anirian Guardsmen turned just at the last second as a massive claw came and swiped across his chest.

There was a loud echoing scream, and then a sudden silence as the guardsmen was dragged from his feet and torn into the Jungle. Talus turned almost immediately, the sound of eleven swords being drawn ringing out.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"​

One of his men screamed in panic, quickly pulling his torch in front of him.

Talus' eyes narrowed for a brief moment, his fingers gripping his blade tightly as he glanced up into the trees. There was no movement, nothing. "Close formation!"

He called out to his men.

Elf? No. Too fast. The thought rang in his mind as the Anirians slowly moved together.

 

[Silver Romani]

It was a quick death at least, not that the beast was a merciful one, she was quite simply a fucking savage. Silver's poor mind was in turmoil, meanwhile her claws raked open the man's chest like a hot knife through butter, and her maw clamped down on his throat, ripping it clean out. It wasn't a sight she anticipated would be quickly forgotten. This was a new level of fury even for her - it was a challenge, one she was built for, and these targets could fight back, perhaps.

She didn't spend much more time on the soldier - though her amber eyes narrowed as they watched blood flow freely from the hole in the unfortunate man's throat, and she dipped a paw into the pool, and smeared it across her face, dressing herself up as it were for the next round. Her claws dug into the man's chest once more, and she turned to launch the mutilated corpse straight at the group, not as a warning, but instead as a diversion of their attention and formation - it was intended to scatter them. As mindless as she was in her blood frenzy, she was calculated, there was intelligence there.

As the corpse landed, she launched her second attack, charging straight for another two of the men with dagger like claws splayed aiming a deadly swipe at each of their throats. But she didn't intend on dragging them into hiding this time, she welcomed the fight. She rose haunches to hind, ten foot of predatory rage and pulled in a breath which she threw back at them in a violent growl, her face garishly dripping the blood of their comrade.

 

[Talus]

Talus was the first to move.

Whatever this thing was it had the advantage of speed of regular men, but thankfully he was no regular man. Magic was on his side, and as soon as he spotted the direction it flung his companions corpse from Talus was on the move.

His skin flickered a translucent blue, a ghostly after-image of his body shifting forward and dashing directly towards his men.

Blood sprayed from his men as the creature struck it's claws through their throats.

The monster whirled back, pulling in a breath to let out a grating roar. The Anirian Coward, some dropped their weapons, but Talus kept moving.

His ghostly form stepped in front of the woman with more speed than any man was capable. Talus' physical form seemed to snap forward, appearing within the ghost as his blade stabbed upward towards the creatures chest.

 

[Silver Romani]

It'd been a blur. A glowing, blue blur, and the wolf had no idea what she was seeing, only that she didn't like it, nor had she expected it. It was fast, perhaps faster than she was.

"Shit.." her mind reeled - this beast had picked a fight with a Dreadlord , and she was going to get her killed.

She had managed to take a step back, aiming back handed swipe at the ghostly figure, though she wasn't quick enough to avoid the blade entirely. It sliced upward, searing hot pain as it tore through her skin and muscle on her chest and shoulder. She yelped, and her dripping teeth bared in a warning snap at whatever her opponent was. But she had taken a warning too. She had heard the clattering of weapons behind him, and she knew some of those ones at least were now more vulnerable. Silver backed up a little before making a swift break for the other men, leaping at the dwindling crowd and aiming to drop on them with crushing blows to slam them into the ground. Her attention didn't leave the ghostly figure unattended for long however as she backed up from the group once more, dropping to all fours, ready to charge again.

Talus

 

[Talus]

More of his men fell, but Talus couldn't focus on them.

The beast could kill, and it could kill fast. The best he could do was try to bring it down, the rest of the Guardsmen would just slow him down.

His fingers tightened on his blade, and then he quickly dashed forward once more as the creature dropped down onto all fours.

Half-way between them the odd ethereal flesh once again began to crawl over his skin, and mid-step Talus' ghost suddenly pulled away from his physical form. Within three steps it shifted and moved besides the Lycan.

Then Talus' physical form snapped into his ghost once again.

His blade swept low, aiming to cut one of the creatures hind legs to at least slow it down.

 

[Silver Romani]

"Run...Fucking run.." Silver's mind screamed, but the beast was blind to reason, and seemed more sure of herself than Silver did. Dreadlords were mages she'd only ever seen once in her life, and it wasn't a memory she enjoyed thinking about. They were the only type of authority she'd feared being caught by, and now one was trying to kill her. Anyone who said they didn't fear death were liars in Silver's eyes, she did fear it, and here she was staring it in the face with no control at all in preventing it."Please just fucking run you stupid bitch!!"..there was nothing she could do but hope the beast came to her senses.

She was lifting her massive arms and readying her claws for his next attack when Talus’ blade found the back of her knee and it buckled to the ground, spilling hot blood onto the earth. Silver screamed and the wolf roared in pain and frustration as her arms came thrashing down hard, intending to drag him with her claws and pin him to the ground. Her attention was on him and him alone - he was a threat, and the other men appeared to be letting him get on with it. She was losing blood and she needed him gone to focus on the five or six that were left.

 

[Talus]

His sword arm flicked up just in time to catch the edge of the beasts claws, yet the strength overwhelmed him.

Even with a strong grip the jarring strike against the edge of his blade loosened his fingers and sent the sword flying onto the ground. It clattered to the floor, the momentum of the Lycan's strike sending Talus himself tumbling soon after.

A deep grunt escaped his lips as he crashed to the floor, his hand coming up. "DAMN YOU ALL!"

He shouted to the cowering guardsmen.

"TAKE IT DOWN!" His head turned towards them, rage filling his features. "KEEP IT ALIVE!"

The order would not doubt confuse them, but the anger in his tone seemed to imbue them with some courage still. Two of the men gathered themselves, and then wielding spears charged forward to try and tackle the best.

 

[Silver Romani]

She had risen to her full height once more, intending to chase after the Dreadlord - she wasn’t nearly through with him. Unfortunately her step reminded her of what would normally have been a fatal wound if left untreated. She was stronger in this form, granted, but she hurt and bled like any other creature sliced open with a blade. Her knee buckled hard into the dirt again and the beast snarled furiously. Even if she wanted to run, she wouldn’t outrun the mage in this state.

Her attention turned to the other guardsmen, her eyes fixed on their every move, and her monstrous paws curled, waiting for them to come to her this time. As they approached her, she waited until they were close until pouncing from her haunches, side swiping the spears and taking another slice to her bicep, to slam the men into the ground with a force that could easily snap spines and crush skulls. It was going to take more than two ordinary men to take her down.

She was clearly hurt however, and the pounce had not helped with the matter of her blood loss as the wound in her leg flowed freely.

The wolf backed away with an obvious limp, barely able apply even a little of her weight onto her right leg. Her hackles were raised as she stared between the last remaining men, who’s numbers were down considerably. But she was done, her wound was too bad to ensure her the win of this fight, but she wouldn’t turn her back to them for a moment, and she remained ready to maim any who attempted another approach.

 

[Talus]

Nine men had now died, nine good men slaughtered by this beast.

In his heart he wanted to slaughter it, cut it's heart out and be done with all of this before it had a chance to continue the slaughter. Yet Talus knew better. He had faced this beasts kind before, knew that beneath the veneer of a monster lay a person.

Talus wanted to see that person, wanted to show them the crimes that they had committed.

His fingers tightened in the earth, and slowly he pulled himself up off of the ground. Blood had splattered over his armor, though in truth he wasn't entirely sure it was his own.

Fingers tightened into a fist for a brief moment, a breath filling his lungs as he readied himself. The beast stood poised, ready to move at the slightest hint. Talus could see it, the way that it tensed it's muscles, the stance.

He moved.

This time two ghosts broke off from Talus' form, each splitting and moving in a different direction. One sprinted to the left, the other right. Each step was like three for an ordinary person, unleaded by air or weight.

They snapped forward, and then suddenly struck out with a grasping hand.

Talus himself shot forward into the ghost on the left, appearing besides the Wolf in an attempt to strike it hard and send it into unconsciousness.

 

[Silver Romani]

The wounds in her chest and shoulder dripped from her soaking fur and her leg left pools of dark blood in the dirt as she backed away. The wolf’s head tried to shake her fogginess away, but she was growing dizzier and she’d stumbled slightly as she applied weight to her wounded leg. She remained poised however, her lips pulled back over her teeth as she snapped another vicious warning at the air, amber eyes fixated on the Dreadlord as he rose to his feet, readying himself. Silver’s mind was wracked in pure panic. She’d have to kill him, it was that or be killed herself… Fuck..why hadn’t she just run?

She placed on paw on the ground, knuckles down in effort to give her a little more balance, her other paw ready with curled claws ready to swipe if the mage came close enough. But suddenly there were three of them, and she swung her claw blindly at the ghostly figure to her right, trying to smash it into the ground, and Talus’ trick had clearly confused the wolf. She did not like the magic, not one bit.

She’d turned to her left and realised her mistake, her claws aimed in a last effort to take the soldier’s face off as he struck her with a surprising force. The beast hit the ground hard, panting, paralysed and trying to cling to consciousness, but her vision of the dead soldiers on the ground in front of her blurred and faded into darkness and her eyes closed. The wolf was down.

 

[Talus]

Talus stood, his chest rising and falling as he panted heavily in an attempt to catch what remained of his breath.

Only three of the Guardsmen remained, though they rushed over to his side as quickly as they could. One carried his sword, quickly offering it. Talus grabbed him by the front of his armor, ripping him forward. "Next time I order you to do something, Do it!"

His features changed for a second, a ghostly visage dominating his face.

Terror flashed over the soldiers face, but Talus wrenched free of his armor and grabbed his sword.

"Tie this thing up." He gestured towards the unconscious beast. "And get a fire going."

They needed to make camp. "This thing will be changing back soon."

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's body was already starting to shift back, it was a slow but much smoother process than the transition to beast, one she never remembered as it always happened whilst she slept. Her fur seemed to slowly seep back into her skin, her limbs returning to their human length, and her muscles shrinking to fit them. Her pale skin and tangled, red hair remained soaked in blood, and her wounds continued to bleed, though the bleeding was already slowing in the more minor injuries.. and she had the addition of a lovely new wound on her temple. The tale of her own mauling was written in scars across her back and stomach, with puncture scars on her shoulder, but otherwise she was quite the opposite of her monstrous alter-ego, she was small, slender and pretty when her face hadn't been lathered with human blood.

She was completely out cold, thankfully, she felt pain much worse in her human form, it was much more fragile - and when she woke she'd have to face the men and the Dreadlord who'd survived her attack, and deal with the whole fucking mess she'd made. She'd rather remain in a blissful darkness as long as possible.

 

[Talus]

The three remaining Guardsmen were somewhat shocked when the monster who'd killed all of their friends turned out to be a rather delicate woman.

Talus himself remained unphased.

He had faced dozens of the monsters outside of Vel Cirak. He had known that Lyncanthropes could be anyone from the lowest peasant to the highest born noble. The sight of this one turning back into what might have passed as a noble in some places was hardly surprising.

"Dress the wounds." He told the Soldiers as the camp began to be set. "But don't loosen the ropes."

He paused for a second. "And get a blanekt."

They had plenty extra now.

 

[Silver Romani]

She had stirred only slightly as the men dressed her wounds, her brow knit into a frown of discontent as her mind raced, trying to rouse her back to consciousness. She felt the blanket being thrown over her, and her disorientation lasted only a moment before realisation hit and her eyes shot wide open in panic. Her breathing quickened as she tried to move but couldn't, and she struggled against her bindings, and as always the night's events hit her like a punch in the gut. She rolled forward a little and threw up a mixture of flesh and blood, and there was a lot of it. Some of it, this time, had been human. Her body trembled and curled into the foetal position, and she dared not lift her gaze to any of the remaining soldiers.

Pain quickly reared it's ugly head and she winced at the pounding headache the Dreadlord had dealt her, she'd never felt so weak. Her mind was trying to shut down again, it was all too much. What had she done? Why had he left her alive? She was sure, that whatever came next would make her wish that he hadn't.

 

[Talus]

"Ah you're awake." Talus said without much ceremony, his sword laying in it's scabbard just next to him.

The three remaining Anirian Guardsmen all watched the woman carefully, their eyes fixed on her just in case she was about to change back. Talus wasn't entirely worried about that fact of course, mostly because he'd cut her throat before she could fully transform.

With a slight grunt he pulled himself to his feet.

Already he could feel bruises forming on his body, mostly from being thrown halfway across the clearing when the Wolf had struck him.

He took a few steps closer, then gently put his foot against the girl. He gently shoved her, pushing her so that he would be able to look at her face. "Who are you?"

The Dreadlord asked plainly.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver frowned at another wave of nausea as the soldier spoke to her, her battered body tensing as she heard him get up. She refused to look up until his foot turned her to face him, and her chest rose and fell quickly under her blanket. He’d afforded her some modesty at least, perhaps he was kind hearted enough to understand her predicament.

Her amber eyes betrayed her fear as much as her quick breaths, and she looked over his face with the look of a plea. He was younger than she’d thought, perhaps as young as she was, but she struggled to look at him for more than a few seconds and she turned her bloodied face away from him, her brow creasing with another frown at his question. She thought about lying and claiming to be someone she wasn’t, but there was little point in lying, she wasn’t in a position to get away with much.

“Nobody of importance..A traveller, nothing more.” she spoke quietly. She didn’t know the lands well enough to know how far she’d been from the roads through the forest, she’d only hoped she was far enough from anyone to avoid something like this, but she kept her excuses to herself for now, she had almost felt the man’s rage radiating from him and she wasn’t about to prod at it and bring it back whilst he seemed strangely calm. Her gaze landed on the bodies of the soldiers she’d butchered, and her jaw clenched tightly as she tried desperately not to throw up again. Remorse filled her eyes and they pooled with tears, and she looked away from them too, closing her eyes tightly. The darkness was more comforting.

 

[Talus]

"Well, nobody." Talus said with a sigh slight.

He wanted to grit his teeth, slash this woman's throat and take what little revenge was left for him to take, but he knew that wasn't the right way to do this. The Falwood was technically under Elven control, but the murdered had been human.

"You will be coming with us." One of his men made a groaning noise. "To stand trial for murder in the courts of Vel Cirak."

Dreadlords technically had the authority to execute anyone without question, but Talus didn't want that.

He was trying to break the chain, to change things and how they were done. That meant he would have to start it, and that meant ensuring this woman got a fair trial.

Even if she was a monster.

 

[Silver Romani]

She looked back up at the man’s words, her confusion clear. “A trial?..” she looked at the dead men and back at him with a frown “Why?..” her head tilted and she tried to move to prop herself up against the tree she lay by, but with her bindings and her agony it was a little more difficult than she’d expected and she bit her lip rather than moan about the pain. She’d no right to.

“You and I both know it’s a death sentence regardless of the outcome. There isn’t a single smart person who wouldn’t want me dead - why draw it out?..” she frowned, what little chance she had of getting away with this, she’d have hunters chasing her down, and it had been exactly that she had been trying to avoid.

“I can’t ... control it..” she stated the obvious, and chewed on her lower lip as she thought, grasping at straws as it were. “Let me try to find a way, the human part of me, I’m innocent.” ..sort of.. “I tried to stay away from the roads..” she sighed deeply and settled back down, the face of the man who’s throat she’d torn out burning in her mind. She was new to feeling pathetic, but her life was in his hands and there was little more that she could do.

 

[Talus]

"I have killed many of your kind." Talus said as he leaned down in front of the woman, resting his hands on the pommel of his sword.

"I am well aware of your...affliction." He had educated himself on Lycans, though he was no scholar. He'd been sure to find what he could though, and even ended up asking the Anirian Templars for their knowledge on the subject. "It is why you are not dead."

Talus continued. "A trial might prolong things, but it would also allow you to argue your case."

It was probably not what the woman wanted to hear.

"Whether it was you or the monster inside of you, nine men are dead." He glanced around the clearing. "Justice must be done."

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver’s clammy brow lifted at him, she had never seen another of her kind other than the one who’d dealt her this extremely shit hand in life. Perhaps she had, and she just hadn’t known it, she hadn’t realised that she was a ‘many’.. she studied him as he leaned closer to her, her amber eyes flicking to the blade at his side and back. It hadn’t been what she’d been expecting at all, how could anyone be as understanding when three quarters of his men had just been torn apart. She appeared to be calming a little, since it seemed that she wasn’t facing imminent death, and her eyes grew a little heavier.

“To most it would be exactly the reason that I -should— be dead.“ she answered and glanced at the other, more irritated looking men. They wanted her dead now. She didn’t maintain eye contact with them for long.

“My case?..” she laughed under her breath and shook her head. “Well I hope the whoever makes the judgement suffers the same ’affliction’..” she frowned. He was condemning her to death anyway, and she had to bite her lip to stop her from telling him to get it over with, she didn’t want to tempt him, and she didn’t want to die.

 

[Talus]

Talus didn't seem to hold much sympathy.

Perhaps it was because of the nine men that now lay dead, or perhaps it was because of his past experience with these sorts of monsters. Either way he didn't seem too troubled by throwing Silver to the courts back in Vel Cirak.

"Cooperate." He told her simply. "And I will inform the Courts of your..."

The Dreadlord frowned, how did he put this? "Goodwill...in this form."

He knew from experience that Werewolves did not always see execution, sometimes they were sentenced to a life in Blackgate Prison.

Perhaps that would be her fate as well.

If she didn't try to escape.