78 New Me, New Family V

(Author Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence.)

I departed towards the cave with Jenassa in tow. We quietly made our way towards the entrance before I feel a strange sensation overwhelming me.

My blood begins pounding in my ears as I feel a call to hunt deep in my bones. I turn to Jenassa who attempts to steady me before I push her away with my enhanced strength.

"RUN!" I order in a bellowing shout as I feel the transformation take hold and the last thing I hear is her feet running further and further away as my transformation completes.

Though this time it is a lot less violent and painful of a transformation as I feel as if I'm sliding into a second skin.

I'm drawn deeper into the cave as I sense a primal enemy lying deep within, driving me to confront them and rid this world of their filth.

*Grrrrrr*

A deep growl claws its way out of my throat as I prowl deeper into the cave, the scent of fresh blood and death lingers in my nose.

I emerge from the mouth of the tunnel into a wide open cavern where nearly a dozen of the blood-sucking vermin are feasting on their latest victim. A no-name young peasant girl.

I feel my blood boiling as I rear up on my hind legs before howling, "AAAARRRRWWWWOOOOO!!!"

Breaking them from their meal as they hiss at my arrival, a vampiric fledgling lunges at me without reservation as I catch them midair.

Skewering them on my claws before slamming them into the cave floor and ripping their head from their shoulders with my razor-like maw and gorging them with my large tusks.

Driving the rest of the vampires back in hesitation as the gut-wrenching blood fills my mouth making me want to hurl.

Which I would have if my drive to slaughter wasn't surprising every other thought in my head.

Two more bloodsuckers approach me, though this time much more carefully, as they try to split my attention by attacking simultaneously from two directions.

I direct my full attention to the one attacking my right side. Tearing into their shoulder and flinging them into the cave wall with a loud *Crack* as I hear several of their bones break on impact.

The one I had ignored however, didn't waste a moment swinging their blade down on my unguarded back...

*Thump*

Instead of a piercing cut as they and I were expecting, it feels more like a children's plastic bat banging against me, stinging slightly but slightly more than an annoyance.

I turn myself around, tearing into this unfortunate leech, crushing their chest cavity by placing all my weight on my forelimbs as I pin them to the ground.

Once I'm certain that the leech is no more I turn my attention to the remaining prey.

This time the hesitation that had kept them in place was gone, replaced by a fiery desire for vengeance.

This time, six leeches cautiously approached me... Three hold themselves back, as the other three slowly advance onto my position.

Instead of waiting for them to attack first, I lunge at the leftmost one, slamming them to the ground before ripping out their throat and crunching what remains between my teeth.

I feel an immense draining sensation as a red light envelops my body and I feel several deep cuts and pierces on my back.

I struggle to get a grip on one of the leeches before tearing it off of my back by its neck, before shoving my claws down its throat and ripping its jaw clean off.

Using their still squealing corpse as a cudgel against the remaining casters, all while the other one stubbornly locks themself firmly onto my back.

I see a shadow dart out of the cave while I'm much too distracted with my current prey to give chase.

Using the leech to pummel the casters, I finally feel the draining feeling lessen but the remaining leech digs its fangs even deeper into my back causing me to thrash about wildly.

Until I finally crush it by repeatedly slamming my back into the cave wall before turning my attention to the last two leeches…

Alva… And Morvarth…

Alva isn't even worth mentioning as she practically radiates her terror and fear unlike Morvarth.

He exudes a strange pressure unlike the other pitiful leeches, I sense a great power coming from him as he draws a strange shimmering blade as the room goes still and we begin a battle of wills as we lock eyes.

"I'm going to avenge my children! And then I'm going to skin you and turn your pelt into a rug!" Morvarth shouts before darting toward me as quick as an arrow loosed from a bow.

I barely have time to jump backwards, but even still, I feel a piercing pain shot across my arm as his blade cuts across my arm.

"Grrr!" I growl in a pained response before bounding towards him as I bring up my hardened claws and begin to do battle as our weapons clash and sparks begin to fly.

Our strength and speed are evenly matched, but it's my size that has proven to be my greatest disadvantage, for every scratch and scrap I give him he's able to give two in turn and I feel the wounds building.

I know that if I don't take a risk this leech will bleed my dry.

I throw myself onto the blade and trap it in my stomach, a deep searing pain spreading across my chest before driving my claws through his head.

Drawing the blade from my gut I throw it to the ground before turning to the last leech cowering in the corner.

"No! Please! Don't-" The leech tries to beg and plead for mercy but I easily rip her head from her shoulders before my strength leaves me and I feel my adrenaline rush subsiding.

My wounds disappear as I morph back into my original form and collapse from exhaustion.