Disturbance in the Forest

Manley woke up, naked and on the bare ground. He felt fear, overwhelming and crippling fear. The uncontrolled and wild nature of the last few hours left him feeling small and alone. This brought him back t o the moment he was born into this world, he curled up into a ball on the ground, ignoring the small rocks cutting his arms and legs. Manley, cried, he didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. Trying his best to keep his sobbing quiet, he laid there.

"I remember my first time, although it was the blood of my family that kissed my skin, rather than dirt," said Bill.

Manley slowly rose to his knees, dull vacant red eyes searched for the speaker. "So, what now? You've won, just kill me…please."

"You do not understand what has happened, but you wish for death?" asked Bill.

"I've had enough…I can't do this anymore. I tried, I fought it in the beginning, then I embraced it, I thought I could finally live this life, but now this, I can't anymore. My mind, I don't know if any part of me still remains, just kill me, please." Manley stumbled to his feet, and walked over to the log by the fire, where Bill sat.

"I do not know your struggles, but I've been where you are…tried ending it, but the beast…it won't let you. It will slowly consume your mind, till two become one."

"Just fucking kill me!" Manley slumped on the log; his bare backside chafed, turning his mood to white hot anger. The switch was so quick, even he felt it was unnatural. After multiple experiences with foreign emotions invading his mind, this one was more alien than any other.

"I wanted the same for myself, but as I had, you will find it will not work. The beast is tenacious, what would kill a man, will not work."

They sat in silence for an hour before anyone spoke again. Manley started to feel not only better, but different. The hypnosis by Orson, undone, just a little but he felt it. "So, care to explain, what happened to me?"

Bill looked over at him, nodding as if confirming something to himself. "I felt the changes in the forest, night has yet to descend but I have been cursed for a long time. I changed, to find the source, the beast must have found you."

"You were the wolf that attacked me and now, like you, I am a werewolf?"

"Wolf Cursed, the beast takes over when we change, and we change every night. It is why I live out here, you will too, if you want save others from this faith. You may think, if people found me, they will hunt, I will die…" Bill smiled, a huge, manic smile. "But you would be wrong, bullets, merely an annoyance, it can heal any damage by nights end, you will awake hale, covered in blood."

Manley lowered his head in thought, he started have some hope and thanked his luck for the mental defense skill. "What about that trick you pulled, with your voice and turning day into night?"

Bill looked confused, but then nodded again. "You must speak of the change, your body changes long before the first turn. You remain unconscious for the physical change but the change in your senses, you're awake for that."

"What?"

"Your senses are distorted and disorienting before that change is complete, the most notable is your hearing and sense of time."

"So, what, I lost track of time?"

"This is the fifth day since I sensed that disturbance in the forest."

"What? I…how long did I sit here with you when we first met?"

"Hours, you would speak some, but hours would go by before you spoke again. Night approached; I went to get undressed for the change."

"Well fuck…" Manley got up from the uncomfortable log. "I have to shower and get some clothes on."

"I would recommend bringing a bag with a change of clothing with you every night."

Manley went back to his cabin with his pants in hand. He took a bath, got dressed and contemplated the change in his life. This situation put a massive dent in his plans, not to mention a new level of mental issues he had to deal with. He had a foul taste in his mouth, deciding to brush his teeth, Manley then sat in silence.

Sitting at his kitchen table, Manley wasn't hungry, but he forced himself to eat anyways. The taste of food was off, it was still the same but less, something. He didn't know what was missing and planned to ask Bill about it.

"it's going to be okay…" Sinking into depression once more, Manley forced himself to embrace his anger and negativity. "On a positive note, I can use this…just need to control it."

Packing a bag with clothes and a container he could use to collect water, Manley set off to Bill's campsite. He walked up on Bill frying a rabbit on a stick over the fire. "I wanted to ask, what's missing from food? It tastes different."

"Blood," said Bill.

"Blood? You have to be fucking with me, come on!" said Manley.

"No, very serious." Bill reached over the side of his log and lifted up a metal bowl with blood, then put it back down. "Drain the animal, you can then cook the meat, then smother it in blood. Took me an embarrassingly long time to figure it out. The blood part was easy, but gamy meat…not good."

"That's not what I mean, we're not vampires right? This is…"

"No, I don't know if vampires exist but the blood thing, comes from the instincts of the beast. It's a sign of the merging, it gets worse. The anger, blood lust, I used to hate what I became but now…" Bill picked up the rabbit on a stick, purred blood over it then started taking aggressive bites out of it. He smiled at Manley, with meat and blood still on his lips.

"I am I going to be that creepy?"

"Ha, I've been alone for a long time, but I can assure you, you won't be the same by months end." Bill grabbed a water skin, took a drink then washed out his mouth. "I would advice you to remain calm, if you feel threatened, it can trigger the change. I will test your nerve as you will mine, but self-control aside, be careful."

"Good to know I can ruin my clothes when surprised, but I have to ask, is Bill your real name?"

"No, Its Running Wolf," said Bill.

"You're fucking with me," said Manley.

"No, afraid not, I am aware of the irony, so I go by Bill."

Manley sat down on the log, then dropped his bag next to him. "So, what now?"

"We wait, we change, do it over until you change, or people come looking for you, then they die, and we eat."

"You want to eat people?"

"No, it is what happens, I had friends…" Bill stoked the fire, mind lost in a memory as he looked into the flames.

"Do you retain your mind, when transformed?"

Bill shook his head, then looked over at Manley, then back at the fire. "No, nor would I want to, different business being a man compared to wolf. I wouldn't be able to move properly."

"I would rather be an uncoordinated wolf than lose half my day to a monster," said Manley.

"Mmm, night comes, be ready." Bill got up, already taking off his shirt.

"The hell, how did lose track of time again." Manley got undressed, then stuffed his clothes into his bag. He could feel the change coming now that he was thinking about it. taking a deep breath, Manley prepared to mentally fight off the wolf. He could feel his body changing, but this time there was no pain. His body felt malleable, like it could bend and reshape however it wanted.

His curiosity got the best of him, he tried to use scan, but the change in perspective caused him to fall to his knees. He switched to using mana manipulation, to get a sense for the change in his body. The moment his mana circulated and coated his body, the change stopped, then reversed. Manley couldn't understand what was going on.

Keeping the mana manipulation going, he looked over at Bill, now a huge wolf, just looking at him, tongue hanging out its mouth. Manley decided to check his status.

Manley "Buff" Hill Race: Human/Mutant/Werewolf

Age: 14 EXP. 346/4000 LV. 3

CLASS: Alchemist [Class Effect] +50% to craft(Alchemy) Skills

TITLE: Mutant, Wolf Cursed

[Title Effect] Reality Manipulator, Involuntarily transform into a wolf at night

HP: 300/300 MP: 200/250 STA: 160/160

ATTRIBUTES

STR 31 MND 16

AGI 34 PER 35

DEX 23 END 16

CON 30

WIS 18

INT 25

CHA 10

Manley stopped circulating and spreading his mana, the change started immediately after. His stomach felt like it was rolling from the inside out. He got taller before falling to all fours, this time he prepared his mind. The rush of emotions came but he gritted his teeth, growled, and mentally pushed back.

MENTAL DEFENSE BASIC LV4 Gained

The mental struggle went on for what, to Manley felt like hours but in reality, was only seconds. The wolf assumed control, shakes its head, then howls. The other one joined in, then they were off running once again. They chased prey all through the night, as the wolf got used to its increased speed, no prey could escape it.

RUNNING BASIC LV1 Gained

The knowledge invaded its mind, when it does, Manley would wake and peek through its eyes. He would retreat in discuss every time the wolf ate, so it kept hunting.

Manley woke in the morning, on the ground and naked. "This is getting old real fast, what the…" Looking around the campsite, Manley could see three, normal sized wolves. "What the fuck, Bill what's going on?"

Bill coming out from behind a tree, putting his shirt on. "This happens, because there is two of us, the beast must have decided to start a pack."

"Why are you so causal about this!"

"Why? We become beast at night, and this disturbs you?"

"No, me being a giant wolf, fucking a normal wolf and possibly having wolf children…fucking…disturbs me!"

"…"