Note: Hopefully this chapter answers a few questions while making you ask a bunch more questions. This and the next chapter or two are some of the ones I'm most unsure of at the moment so any feedback would be awesome! Hope you enjoy it at least.
Chapter
3
Pure
agony pulsed through my left shoulder as I started awake. Opening my
eyes, I couldn't hold back a groan of pain. The light stung and I
quickly shut them again. Something soft tickled the bare skin of my
arms. The scent of wet dirt, earth, filled my nostrils. Opening my
eyes more slowly, giving myself time to adjust, I went to sit up. The
excruciating pain flared into agony and I stopped. I felt weak. What
happened? Why was I so weak?
"We
got another live one! Pretty too." A deep voice spoke from
nearby.
"You
know what Jaron said, no playing with the humans. We'll have some
bitches of our own soon enough." This voice was higher and
further away.
A
large bald man leaned over me and grinned showing yellow, slightly
crooked teeth.
"Hello
missy. I've got a feeling we're gonna get to know each other real
well."
His
eyes slid down my body. Revulsion washed through me and he must have
seen it on my face because his grin widened as he responded.
"Hah!
You'll change your tune soon enough little flower, and I'll be there
when it does."
What
was I doing with these men? Everything was so fuzzy and I couldn't
think through the pain. Actually, the pain was a good place to start.
Despite the flare of molten agony, I rolled my head to the side to
look at my shoulder. Even with the light stabbing at my eyes I
couldn't help but widen them in shock. I couldn't see much other than
my shoulder caked in dried blood and my shredded blouse streaked
crimson all the way down the left side of my torso. Suddenly I
remembered flashes of huge teeth and June screaming. June...Joe,
Pieter! Dad!
"Where
are my friends?!" My voice was urgent but filled with fear.
"Oh
they're around I'm sure. Most worse off than you though, you lucky
bitch-to-be!"
The
higher voice laughed from further away and I glanced towards the
source. A thinner, almost gangly man with long scars down his left
ear and cheek was rummaging through my pack.
"I
hear you got Jaron with a spear! He must have been in a good mood.
I'm surprised you're still alive and he didn't even ruin that pretty
face of yours." He shook his head side to side as though amazed.
"If it'd been anyone else you'd be in a lot more pain right now,
or perhaps, none at all if you catch my drift." He made a throat
slashing gesture. "That I guarantee. Anyway, it's 'bout time we
put you with the others." He grinned sadistically, "This is
gonna hurt."
Placing
a hand either side of my torso, he lifted me with apparent ease and I
shrieked as my vision swam with pain. I felt bones grinding together
unnaturally in my shoulder and after a few steps the pain grew
distant and everything went hazy.
"I
think you broke her. Look, her skins practically grey!" The
skinny man said.
"Naw.
She's just in shock is all. Surprised she didn't pass out t'be
honest."
A
yank on my hair pulled my head backwards and a scream from my mouth
as I was forced to look up into the bald man's eyes. I could see the
sadistic pleasure in them.
"You
go on back to the village. Jaron'll be searching for any stragglers.
I'll take her to the others."
Skinny
nodded with a grin.
"Is
that just an excuse to get a quick taste of the goods before anyone
else?"
"'Course
not! Jaron'd have my hide if I did an' you know it. 'Sides, she'll be
begging for it soon enough."
With
a sinister chuckle Skinny left the clearing.
I
knew I was in shock, but it was a distant knowledge, barely seen
through the fog in my mind. Bringing my legs up to my chest I wrapped
my good arm around them as great sobs shook my body and tears rolled
down my cheeks. Flashes of Joe being mauled, June's skin being
shredded by giant claws while her blood spilled across the road,
filled my mind's eye.
I'd
always played at adventure, listening to Old Joe's stories and
imagining myself in his place, exploring the world and fighting all
ruffians and bandits, even such farfetched things as a dragon or two,
but I'd never imagined what happened if I lost. Now I didn't need to
imagine.
I
must have inherited my sense of adventure from my mother. I'd never
met her, but dad said she was part of a travelling mercenary company
and although I was a happy accident to him, for her it was a
different story. Caring for a daughter would have meant having to
settle down and accept the simple life with my father. Apparently
brewing cider and picking apples wasn't exciting enough for her. As
soon as she recovered from my birth, she left us to rejoin her
friends.
I
don't know how long I sat there, sobbing into my knees in the near
darkness. By the time I came back to myself the light had just begun
to fade from the sky. My mouth felt like rough bark and I had a hot
aching sensation all over that mingled with the pain radiating from
my shoulder. Surprisingly, I hurt less than I expected, the pain was
still sharp but far less mind blanketing than before. Instead, a
tingling heat had replaced it, fizzing strangely inside my bones.
Wiping
my eyes against the short sleeve of my blouse that wasn't covered in
blood, I looked up. Glancing around, others from my village were
similarly placed against trees or just lying on the grass covered in
blood. About a score -twenty - of us in all. I guess we know what
happened to Jaksonsville. We're all going to die.
We
must be in the orchards. Apples littered the ground like a storm had
swept through. One nestled up against my right knee, close enough to
grasp without bending forward. Licking my dry, cracked lips I grabbed
it and took a bite, focused on sating my hunger for the moment.
"Ali!
You're back with us. Where are the others who went with you? Did they
get away?" Mayor Thompson spoke quickly from where he was
propped against the tree to my left.
He
was lacking a few fingers on his right hand with clear bite marks on
his forearm. One knee bent at an unnatural angle, swollen and bruised
and his spectacles were missing; he looked strange without them.
Suddenly feeling a little nauseous, I swallowed and shook my head
gently, placing the apple back on the grass.
"No,
we never had a chance. Did anyone get away from the village? What
about my father?" I asked anxiously.
Thompson
grimaced and I knew immediately dad didn't get away.
"He's
around somewhere. Damn!" he exclaimed, punching the earth with
his good hand. "We'll just have to hope that Pat and his caravan
get enough of a response to send some men as soon as possible."
He didn't look or sound at all confident of that. Probably because
small caravanners and peddlers don't exactly have a reputation for
accurate storytelling, more the opposite. Thompson looked like he was
debating something for a moment before he spoke up again, his voice
low, filled with grief.
"Ali...your
dad was on watch when the howling started. He and the other watchmen
are the worst off...most of them didn't make it, but I know Finn and
your dad were at least alive last I time saw them." I felt sick
at the thought of my father lying among the trees, dead or dying, the
grass stained red around him. "Brady's dead...and Serena...my
beautiful Serena." he continued, swallowing heavily as tears
filled eyes already red.
Old
Joe's pained voice sounded from the other side of my tree, out of
sight around the large trunk, "Thompson, there's no chance any
real help will arrive and you know it. Our only chance is to get our
message to the duke. I don't know why but it's clear they want us
alive; most of us at least. If I had to guess... Well, those teeth
aren't exactly made for eating vegetables."
"Joe!"
Relief washed through me at the sound of his voice before being
quickly replaced by concern. "Are you alright? Where's June and
Pieter?"
"I've
been better, but surprisingly I've also been worse. June was hauled
off somewhere closer to the village. Pieter's there too. I don’t
think he's woken at all since that blow to the head. They seem to be
taking the most injured over there." From his grave tone it was
obvious he feared the worst; especially after his earlier comment.
Glancing around once more I couldn't see any of the wolfmen. Perhaps
we could escape, before they killed the rest of us.
"Where
are they? What,
are they?"
"They're
around and I have no idea. Listen, we need someone to get our letter
to the duke, otherwise we might as well be dead already. Can either
of you walk? I've got a torn-up leg else I'd go myself."
"I
can't. My knee is completely broken. I don't think I'll ever be able
to walk again." Stated Thompson, distracted from his tears by
Joe.
I
bit my lip.
"I
can."
"Good."
Joes
calloused hand appeared around the trunk of the tree at my back,
holding a blood splattered letter.
"Grab
Finn and anyone else who can walk. Follow the road west until you
reach the city and give the letter to the captain of the guards at
the gate."
Deceptively
light footfalls nearby grew louder until a broad shouldered, raven
haired man with long jagged scars running down his left arm from
under his sleeve stepped into view. I quickly stashed the letter
underneath my thigh. He had on a threadbare shirt the colour of new
leaves and rough brown pants. I'd never seen him before and from the
looks the others were giving him no one else had either. He walked
right up to me hand outstretched.
"The
duke doesn't care about you. Trust me, I know." He voice was
firm and filled with authority. He motioned with his hand. "Give
it here."
Staring
at him, I was unsure what to do.
"Give.
It. Here. Now." His words took on a sharp edge.
A
sigh sounded behind me.
"Give
him the letter Ali. It’s ok." Came Joes voice.
Handing
over the letter, he tore it into pieces right in front of us before
walking to the clearing center.
"What
a Pitiful defense. Barely a fighter among you." He looked
disgusted, his voice dripped with scorn. "I honestly expected
hardy farm folk to mount some form of resistance." He looked
around at us once more and as his dark amber eyes met mine I could
see disappointment, like we had let him down. "Then again, it's
not like it's a surprise." He sighed and looked away. "Ah
well, at least some of you have the will to fight, unlike the last
town." Gaze turning back towards us he continued. "Those of
you that survive will serve me and you will learn. I am the alpha of
this pack. You may call me Jaron."
"This
pack?", Mayor Thompson spoke up, "You work with those
things?! Those monsters! You let them attack our village? And
Jacksonville?! People are dead because of you! You betray humanity to
these demons!" Glancing at Thompson I could see him practically
frothing at the mouth and gnashing his teeth in rage.
"Lives
are lost in war. If their lives must be paid for justice, for
vengeance, then gladly will I pay them. I would pay any price!"
Jaron's words grew steadily louder as he spoke. His face twitched,
clearly struggling with some deeper emotion and after a moment he
abandoned his failing attempt to hide his fury. His next words were
frenzied, steeped in rage, "I sacrificed everything. Everything!
Even my life and the lives of my men. My friends! All to protect his
son and he covers it up! I understood he needed to avoid a panic,
keep the faith of the people or they'd turn on him. Couldn't let them
know 'monsters' were loose in the lands. Couldn't let the fucking
Caprith know how close they came to capturing his son. He'd lose
face, seem vulnerable!"
Jaron's
rage red features twisted until they reflected nothing but grief, a
broken man. He continued quietly, almost as though he was talking to
himself. "I could've understood, could've went quietly into the
darkness for the best of reasons. But...but-" He paused to
gather himself, wiping the beginnings of tears from his eyes, taking
a deep breath and schooling his face before speaking again.
"Have
you ever been betrayed by a friend? Someone you trusted with your
very life and the lives of your loved ones? I have. We all have
whether you know it or not. His oath, his word and his honour are
empty. He owes me and mine a debt of blood. He owes all of us!"
He stared straight at Mayor Thompson. "I didn't betray humanity
to 'these demons', humanity betrayed me
to them!"
With
that Jaron gripped the collar of his shirt and slid it off in one
movement revealing his well-muscled arms and torso with raised pale
scars running in jagged lines until they passed out of sight. Gasps
of horror could be heard around the clearing. He looked like a man
who should be dead; one who had survived long hours of torture, being
flayed alive or worse. As I ran my gaze over the horror someone had
made of his body the crunching of bone broke the fearful silence.
Swiftly glancing around I saw others doing the same. It wasn't
immediately clear where the sound came from, only when Jaron groaned
did all eyes return to see his ribs straining stark white against his
skin, head thrown back towards the starlit sky beyond the treetops.
His skin seemed to slither and split, growing out from his frame. His
muscles following a moment later, bulging outward.
What
the fuck!? Never in any story had I heard of this!
With
a low grinding noise his jaw began to shift and push outward below
glowing amber eyes as his ears grew pointed. He appeared to grow
before my eyes as dark hair -fur- began to sprout from the new skin
until it covered him head to toe, eventually hiding even his myriad
of scars. Where before he'd been six feet tall now he stood at least
seven. With a series of cracks and pops his spine curved forcing him
into an almost hunched over stance and he dropped to all fours.
Freshly grown long black claws dug into the grass and dirt as he
stretched his new form towards the sky and howled through what was
now clearly a muzzle rimmed with inch long fangs.
Icy
fear shot down my spine, no longer postponed by disbelief as whimpers
and screams filled the night. Adrenaline flooded through me. Ignoring
the pain in my shoulder I lurched forward grasping the rough bark of
the apple tree behind me with my uninjured arm and shoulder, using it
to pull myself to my feet. Turning to flee I stopped before I'd even
taken a step as more of them stepped out from the trees, surrounding
the clearing. Each raised their muzzles to the sky, joining Jaron's
howl until it filled the valley. There was nowhere to run. The hot
ache I'd been feeling in the background ever since I awoke grew
stronger until it suffused my body and I broke out in sweat, suddenly
gasping for air.
Turning
back to Jaron I watched as he raised himself onto two legs, standing
hunched forward, knees slightly bent. Rolling his head, he took a
moment to breathe deeply. Was- was he savouring the scent of our
terror?! With something akin to a sigh his muscles went limp and he
began shrinking back to his original size with an orchestra of cringe
inducing cracks and pops. As his muzzle finished receding into his
skull his mouth took on a small smirk brimming with confidence,
arrogance.
"And
so, the sheep see that a wolf is among them. A wolf in sheep's
clothing just like all the stories say. You need not fear little
sheep, for a wolf you may yet become. You see, all it takes is one
bite and on the next full moon the sheep becomes both man and wolf. A
werewolf.
Or dies." His rage and grief vented for the moment Jaron smiled
at our terrified, disbelieving stares. "It's true and what's
more, the full moon is only one night away. Most of you will die, but
even a handful from every village will add to our numbers, until not
even the garrison of Lears or the mages in their vaunted academy can
offer that honourless cretin asylum. Those of you who survive will
join me and leave your traitorous humanity behind. You shall be my
soldiers. The instruments of my vengeance and we shall take
everything from him as he has taken everything from me!" The
aching heat faded into the background once more, seemingly in time
with his return to humanity.
"You're
even more of a musclebound oaf than you look if you think anyone will
join you after killing our family and friends. I'll join them before
I join you monsters!"
Instead
of anger at Joe's outburst, Jaron looked to my right where he was and
laughed with a sharp, sinister edge. "Oh, you'll join me. You
will find new purpose and pleasures. Your old lives will mean nothing
and as your alpha, you will
obey me." He smirked. "Just wait and see."
His
gaze shifted to meet mine and the dark amber of his eyes glowed, "You
too little spear-girl. A fine throw that was. I expect both you and
the old man to survive the first transformation. I could use your
fighting spirit."
I
realized it had been himon
the road! He
was
the one who bit me.
With
a final glance around the clearing Jaron began to make his way back
towards our village, grabbing his shirt from where it lay upon the
grass.
"Enjoy
your apples. It's all you'll be getting tonight."
Even
with Jaron gone the clearing was still silent. A darkness beyond
simple nightfall had fallen over it. From people's expressions most
were in shock.
I wonder if mine is the same. Just the prospect of becoming one of
those monsters, werewolves Jaron had called them...is it truly
possible? That a bite could do such a thing?
I'd never have believed it before, but after seeing a man transform
into a monster before my eyes I couldn't shake the feeling that it
was true. Old Joe and Mayor Thompson clearly didn't know as they were
just as silent as the rest of us. Finn was sobbing against a tree on
the other side of the clearing, clutching at bloody gouges in his
chest; a strip of torn, blood splattered fabric grasped in one white
knuckled hand. Finn! He was on dads watch shift! Pushing off from
where I still leaned against the tree I walked slowly so as to avoid
jolting my shoulder. Even so I could feel the bones grinding against
each other slightly and instantly felt nauseous.
Standing
over Finn I could hear his breath rattle. The bloody cloth he held so
tightly was clearly the ruffled sleeve of a dress and his sobs
resolved into faint whispers of 'Maria', the name of his
eight-year-old sister. Suddenly seeing through tears, I placed my
hand on his shoulder and his face turned towards me. It took a long
moment before recognition sparked in his eyes. "He- he said they
had no use for children. That- that it was a mercy to save them from
this world." His voice was choked, lips trembling.
Tears
filled my eyes as I thought of little Maria, Brady, Serena and all
the rest who's fates I didn't know and I fought back sobs of my own.
How
could this happen? We were a simple village who grew apples and made
cider. This is a nightmare. Finn
must have realized what I'd come over to ask as he continued through
his sobs, "Y- Your dads alive." He paused to gather himself
a moment, "He lost an ear and'n eye, but was alive last I saw
him."
Not
trusting my voice, I nodded my thanks and knelt next to him, cradling
his head with my good arm, back against the tree. I cried along with
Finn until finally he fell into sleep and I followed soon after.
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