“Halt!” I bellowed, drawing my sword with a flourish and stopping the thieves in their tracks. Aine said the only thing I wasn’t lacking was confidence, so I focused on making it show in my voice and stance. Hopefully Aine would make up for the rest.
Behind me the small hybrid girl who had asked for my help cowered behind a tree, her owl-like eyes trained on me and her dual sets of speckled white wings folded up tightly against her back but trembling slightly.
One of the thieves barred his teeth at me but the other looked less sure of himself, taking a step back.
“Please, Sir, I’ve heard you’ll help anyone, no matter their race! You’re the only one I’ve got left!”
Since I had declared myself a hero, such requests came in occasionally, but not often enough to be considered a frequent occurrence. Few yet trusted me or my intentions, leaving only the most desperate of requests to actually make their way to me. But the young girl’s tears and shaking voice convinced me of her sincerity.
“Aine, let’s go.” I said, taking a step towards the thieves.
“You’re thinking about one of them again, aren’t you?” Aine asked, poking the top of my head and pulling me from my daydream.
“Are you jealous?” I asked instead, knowing her question was only a formality she preformed for my sake.
Aine pouted at my response, glaring slightly.
“You were more fun as a human,” she muttered before disappearing.
My slight happiness at the memory dissipated as I sighed, feeling the same unnatural calm swell through me once more.
For a second I had been my old self.
“Not like she’d remember me anyway, not in this form for sure,” I muttered to myself, standing up and stretching as I scanned the foliage surrounding me. Around me the forest was quiet, the soft sunlight streaming through the branches tempting me to rest my head once more rather than set off on my way as I should.
Today was the third day since I had made my transition from a human to a monster, a Shapeshifter in particular. But despite the changes I was still adjusting to, I couldn’t help but find the similarities which still paralleled my past situation. Once more I was not a part of any classified race in this world, and once more I was relying on someone else’s power.
Once more I didn’t fit in, ever the misshapen puzzle piece with no place to call home.
With no options left I made for the closest town of Arren, the same town where the request to defeat the Shapeshifter had originated.
That had gone well.
I knew in the back of my head that it wasn’t a good idea; I was, after all, in the form of the monster which had terrorized Arren for so long. But I couldn’t truly accept my new body as permanent until I faced those who should recognize me but would only regard me as another stranger. Besides, I could take on nearly any form I wished now so there was little chance I’d be called out for what I was.
With only minimal assistance from Aine I had quickly mastered form shifting, and now I walked in the closest form I could find to my old; a member of the magic-less race of Poague that the Shapeshifter had devoured and the closest in form to the humanity I had grown up with.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, forcing myself to focus on the small stream I was following that led to the base of the town. I could only bring myself to look at the sand and small pebbles that dotted the bank, afraid of what I might see reflected in the water.
“Ryou once hero, now Ryou of rue; Ryou turned traitor, hero became villain,” a dulcet voice sang softly.
“What do you want, Aine?” I asked, suddenly exasperated with her gaiety. Her uninspired lyrics, as everything, was only derived for her own benefit, and I knew she meant for the words to cut me.
“You really are less fun,” Aine commented, appearing before me with arms crossed and mouth tilted downward. “And here I thought to warn you. If I’m such a nuisance, I’m sure you’ll want to deal with this on your own.”
Aine’s smirk showed just long enough on her face before she disappeared to let me know that she meant what she had said and she was going to enjoy whatever chaos followed.
I could have analyzed her words for several hours easily, but before I could think long slimy fingers wrapped around my ankles and pulled me to the ground. My chin hit first, or at least it felt like it felt first; even my new immortal body was not completely immune to pain.
Just as the pain began to subside and I began to grasp my situation more clearly, the hands tugged forcefully once again and water began to lap at my feet.
A growl began to rub the back of my throat and I swung one of my hands toward the origin of the attack. A shrill yelp of pain rewarded my efforts, and the grip loosened as I pulled my hand back to attack once more. Only faintly did it register that my hand had once more taken the form of deadly claws, once more stained with another’s blood.
For the first time in several days I felt a strong emotion begin to surface deep within me: exhilaration. But before I had time to bask in the sensation, a voice cut me short.
“Forgive me, forgive me, my lord, Raseunn.”
The voice spoke with a pronounced lisp and thick accent, and while my grasp of much of the language here was still poor at best, I recognized that the work raseunn was only used by those in service to others. A term of respect that was now directed at me.
“Forgive me, forgive me, your scent was indistinct, but I see now my folly.” The grip around my ankles released completely as apology after apology was directed at me.
“Aine?” I asked, but as expected received no answer. I was still on my own, and perhaps even Aine hadn’t seen this turn in events coming.
Pulling myself from the water I rose to my feet once more, scanning the murky grey waves for my attacker. “What reason do I have not to end you here?” I called out to the water, my strong eyes finally picking out the camouflaged features of my cowering attacker.
“None, Raseunn, none my great lord. Kill me for my insolence, or let me serve you until I die. I forfeit my life. My life is yours.”
The creature’s reply took me aback; never before had I received an apology from someone who had tried to kill me. But something about the sulking, apologetic creature seemed vaguely familiar; perhaps not to me but to the Shapeshifter.
Even monsters had allies it seemed.
Of course, perceiving a monster as an ally was something I had a hard time accepting.
It was less than seventy-two hours ago that I had slain monsters on my journey to face the Shapeshifter; now I realized they could be counted among my allies, my flesh and blood even. Monsters which had taken countless innocent lives, lives I had sworn to protect and avenge as a hero.
“Very well. Serve me until you die and I’ll forgive you,” I answered, surprising even myself.
I was a Shapeshifter now, just another monster, albeit a powerful one. But it wouldn’t hurt to have an ally, perhaps a friend. And as a monster whose past was surely soaked in blood, I could hardly hold another accountable for deeds I had no knowledge of.561Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0JLo9tJvH
I held out my hand to the creature.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
