Lycanthrope- Blood of Brotherhood

Five years. Both fighting, and running from such an evil as my greatest enemies was starting to take a toll on me. But I knew better than to give up...or to give in.

I could hear their crazed laughter as Marc and his friends chased after me. I turned, and plowed ahead; my legs pumping like pistons as my heart pounded, my muscles burned, and my veins pumped battery acid.

But I would not give up.

Arriving at the deserted highway, I headed across and went down the 321, not daring to look back, even though I no longer heard their voices. I had a feeling that they would pass by this way soon enough.

Travelling all the way to the end of the road, about 25 miles, over the next few days, I finally came upon the lonely road leading into the trees just as the sun was edging closer to the west. Judging by the freshness of the dirt, no one had been down this way for at least a few years. Hurrying down the path, I pushed my way through the tall corn, travelling about a mile, and soon coming upon a large open expanse at least as big as the yard of my old farm in Riding Mountain!

An old-looking ranch style house stood on the lot, silent and dark. Suddenly hearing their voices shouting in the distance, I ran across, and went into the house.

It was immaculate, yet seemed abandoned. The back room, which I was now in, was like a sunroom, with a smooth oak floor, a small couch, and a table with two chairs across from it. Going through the door, I found myself in the kitchen. It was completely empty, but had a couple cupboards, a small cooler plugged into the wall by the door, a counter with a small sink, and a wall clock opposite the counter, beside a window.

Heading into the living room, all I found was a small couch beneath a large blinded bay window, a few empty shelves, and a small area rug for the oak floor.

Heading upstairs, I found a small bathroom with a sink-toilet combo, a shower, shelves for towels, and two empty bedrooms that had naught but small mattresses facing windows overlooking the countryside, with small wall-mounted lamps.

Exhausted, I flopped down on one of the mattresses, kicked off my runners, and was out almost instantly. A few hours later, however, I woke up to grab a bottled water from the fridge, noticing it was just after dusk.

Just after I’d taken a shot, I stopped, certain I’d heard something. I capped the bottle, set it on the counter, then turned and walked quietly back toward the bedroom. There was a sudden creaking noise from one corner of the back room, making me freeze. I held my breath, not daring to move, and when I heard nothing else, I took a careful step forward...

A low sound, like guttural breathing, made me stop dead again. I kept my breathing as shallow as possible to remain undetected, but my heart was pounding. I was afraid that whoever, or whatever, was in here with me would hear it.

The sudden, gentle scrape of claws made me close my eyes.

”(It is no longer human, it's a beast, unmerciful, ferocious, fearless
You're a madman
Tampering with nature
Every man's vicious and raw)
Carry me through this world of lies
I feel no more, the suffering
Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin...”

The words to Breaking Benjamin’s ‘Feed the wolf’ flashed through my mind as I felt myself start to sweat.

A low growl made the hackles rise on the back of my neck, as I swallowed hard. The sudden feeling of something soft, warm, and leathery touching my back made my blood freeze!!

Tears involuntarily escaped my eyes even as they were shut. Then I felt the soft leathery thing move up my back to my right shoulder, before there was the sensation of a warm, wet nose in my ear!!

The beast softly growled as he sniffed me...but something about his growl told me he wasn’t angry or hungry. Instead, the werewolf (from how things were happening, I surmised he was a lycanthrope) seemed more curious than hostile.

I heard him step back, then very slowly turned to face him. I saw his hulking shadow standing there, about four feet from me, then he slowly stepped into the moonlight shining into the kitchen window, and the moment I saw his shorts and runners, my jaw just about hit the ground.

“W-will...?” I breathed. His ears perked up, as his tail started wagging.

I turned my head slightly, feeling the intense pulse of psychic static as I looked into his mind, exactly how Peter did to Nathan in the Heroes episode ‘I Am Become Death’.

The beastly instinct was gone. Will’s mind was clear. Smiling, I held out my hand. The werewolf cocked his head curiously, smiled, then grasped it.

The sudden creaking of the floorboards stopped us both, before a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder, as a knife came to my throat!! Will snarled, but then the unmistakable cock of a 12-gauge made him stop dead!

“Well, well, isn’t this perfect?” came an unmistakable voice. Marc stepped out of the shadows behind Will, slowly raising the weapon and keeping it trained on him. I didn’t dare move, but managed to shift my eyes to look at Will. He gave the subtlest nod, as I closed my eyes again.

Marc told Judas to take away the blade, as I slowly kneeled while placing my hands behind my head; the words once again running through my mind.

Will and I exchanged glances once again, before Marc proceeded to unlock the rifle’s safety. What happened next was a blur.

With superhuman speed, Will spun to grab and crush the barrel of Marc’s gun like it was paper, before I myself spun, sweeping my foot out to trip Judas as he yelled, then I spun behind him, grabbed his jacket to slam him down onto the floor, before grabbing the front of the man’s throat...and tearing his Adam’s apple right out of his neck; a bloodcurdling gurgling scream burst from Judas as he collapsed like an empty sack!!!!

I spun to grip the butt of Marc’s gun as he swung it like a baseball bat, before kicking him in the stomach; the man gasping and hacking as he stumbled back, although he managed to grab a poker that had fallen to the floor sometime earlier, and jab me in the chest; a gurgling scream bursting from me as Will roared in terror, lunging to catch me just before I hit the floor!

The werewolf spun to slash Marc across the face, making the man shriek in agony as the momentum threw him into the wall!!
“W-will...p-please...!!” I choked through blood, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. He whined sadly, leaning down to nuzzle me just as I collapsed, and lay unmoving!!

The werewolf whimpered, before throwing back his head and unleashing a bloodcurdling howl of sorrow!!

After regaining his composure, my friend cast a vicious backward glance toward Marc, who was just starting to regain consciousness. Quickly, Will leaned down while gently pulling my head back to expose my neck, then bared his fangs and sank them into my throat!!

Suddenly a hand grabbed the werewolf by the shoulder, and threw him across the room to slam into the wall, but thankfully did not knock him out!! Will jerked up to see Marc had gotten up and had lifted me clear off the ground by the throat; his eyes full of hatred!!

Will whimpered in fear as he watched, but then, his sharpened eyes caught the sight of my eyes changing!

They slowly appeared to blacken, like Michael Corvin’s did in ‘Underworld’ whenever he turned into a hybrid!! Marc’s face twisted in rage as he threw me right through the cabin window; I sailed two metres through the air to slam into and smash a large oak branch, as I backflipped, and landed face-down in the water of Fever Swamp!!!

Marc then spun on Will, who slowly looked up at him as his eyes blazed, and he snarled viciously!!

I slowly began to move as I rolled onto my side, and, just as my face cleared the water, I gasped in agony as my muscles seized, my black eyes suddenly glowing as they turned bright cobalt blue! A searing wave of pain then forced me onto my back as I tried to scream, but only a gasp emerged!!

The heat raced through my veins as I felt the enzymes in Will’s saliva bind with my blood. The heat abruptly ceased as I went limp, but managed to lift my left hand out of the water to look at it, watching as my knuckles swelled and cracked with horrible sounds; my human fingernails all splitting and falling off as bloody ivory talons pushed out of the ends of my fingers!!!

I gasped again as the pain hit like a truck, jerking my head sideways as my skin swiftly turned black, then I bared my teeth as they slowly lengthened into vicious fangs; my skull cracking and snapping horribly as it reshaped alongside my entire body, before I managed to roll over, and lift myself slightly with my forearms; my back broadening swiftly as herculean muscles swelled and rippled beneath the thickening flesh!!

A bloodcurdling snarl escaped me as the last of the changes occurred with a snap, and Will watched a new beast slowly lift himself from the waters of Fever Swamp.

The black flesh glistened like oil beneath the cold light of the full moon, as my eyes glowed like twin gas jets!! Marc was walking toward Will, but upon hearing a low, bloodcurdling snarl, spun to come face-to-face with an ‘Underworld’ second-generation Lycan!!!

My fangs glistened as I snarled viciously while staring down my enemy! Marc’s face twisted in rage, but before he could lift his weapon, he was flying ten feet back through the air after I’d double-punched him, slamming into the ground just as Will leapt and pinned him, slashing at the man savagely as he screamed in agony!!

One final swipe tore Marc’s throat out, before I grabbed my enemy’s corpse, alongside Judas, effortlessly hauling them both into the woods until I could throw them both down the slimy bog at the centre of the swamp.

Turning back, I raced toward the house, before leaping twelve feet and diving straight into the lake; the water boiling crimson as I washed away the blood of my enemies with a good swim!

Emerging a few minutes later, I shook off, as Will tossed me a towel, then he and I headed back up to the cabin, and after turning back, helped each other prepare a good hearty meal, before going for a swim, then crashing for an hour.

I woke up before my friend, and headed out, stopping at the lake edge, and glancing up at the moon. Grinning, I howled, as the change overtook me, in a similar fashion to my first transformation, only now the pain was easily bearable, and my deep, bloodcurdling howl woke Will from a sound sleep.

Seeing the moonlight shining into his window, he grinned; his eyes glowing as his molars slowly lengthened!!

Rolling out of bed, Will crouched on all fours as he let the curse overtake him, then raced through the darkened house with a growl, and out the open back door, before throwing back his head to howl exuberantly!! Catching my scent, Will grinned, racing into the forest.

As my scent strengthened in his nostrils, Will reminisced about the battle with our greatest enemy, and about how we both could now cherish freedom forever. Will howled again, and whined eagerly upon hearing my responding howl somewhere in the distance.

Soon, the Fever Swamp Wolves would reunite and roam in freedom, cherishing the power of the gift of the moon.

And also the blood of brotherhood.