Thirsty. Thirsty. Thirsty… "Bro are you, drooling?" My gaze snapped to Felix; he had just returned from gathering materials. My irises were blazing like miniature suns as my nose suddenly caught a scent. "Felix? Where is it?", I hissed rabidly. "Where the hell's the blood!" Hurriedly, Felix opened the duffel bag he returned with. Slowly, he pulled out a blood bag. My eyes were fixed on the blood. Felix didn't hesitate to chuck it at me.
With a feral growl, my image blurred. A few seconds later, all the blood bags were bone dry. Finally, My fangs receded into my gums. The scarlet glow of my eyes disappeared. My sanity had finally returned. "You okay, bud?", Felix asked. He still maintained a cautious distance from me. This made me chuckle. "It's cool, bro. I feel sane again." Shortly after, we used the materials to set up a camp. It wasn't much: two sleeping bags and a crackling pile of firewood.
After which, we sat by the fire and warmed ourselves. Curiosity was gnawing at me. I decided to go along with it. "Felix, do you know the exact details of what happens to a werewolf on a full moon?", I said while cracking my knuckles repeatedly. That was something I did when I was anxious. I could not believe I was going to shift in a few hours. Or maybe a few minutes. Felix shot me a look that had no-brainer written all over it. "It's simple: they transform or morph into a wolf. Jeez, Hayden, I bet even humans know that!"
"What kind of fool do you take me for?", I chuckled. "I'm a hybrid; an abomination of a being. What if something goes wrong? What if there are complications? Felix, what if…" Felix cleared his throat. "That's enough what-ifs for one lifetime; nothing is going to go wrong. Remember what I told you when we were kids?", he asked. Of course, I remembered. When the other kids and adults scorned me and called me various, belittling names, Felix thought he was cool. "Don't mind the stuff they're saying about you, bro. In many ways, your unquenchable thirst makes you more of a vampire than the rest of them. I think it's pretty cool." Those words stuck to me like adhesive; I would never forget them. "Besides, something as basic as shifting should be second nature", Felix replied. "I think", he added. Very funny, Felix.
"Precise, I should be worried about my vamp ass when you shift. You might use me as your next meal if I'm not careful." I threw my head back and laughed. "Me? Kill you? Bro, you're a royal guard, an elite of the elite vampires. I stand no chance." It was true; I was just a wimp with feeding issues while Felix was in an entire league of his own. "To some, I might be impressive, Hay. But werewolves are fucking monsters, stronger than oxen with the intellect on par with humanoid creatures. And you're a hybrid of both monstrosities. I would be lucky to survive this night", Felix sighed.
The mood was ruined by our talk about my predicament. "Nice clothes. Where did you get them?", I asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere. My best friend narrowed his eyes at me. "You're trying to tease me, aren't you?", he inquired. "Fuck off. I know my clothes are shit. That's how much Dracia cares about their security. He was wearing combat armor. Guards in Dracia had a dress code: combat clothes that consisted of a long-sleeve uniform with the coterie's crest that had layers of padding for protection, long, black trousers their weapon of choice(if they had any). If you were spotted wearing your casual clothes on duty, you would be considered a regular citizen, by both the people and other guards.
And may the gods help you if that happened; either you were arrested and stripped of your position or arrested and detained. Whatever the punishment was, dignity would be lost. Felix's armor, sorry to say, was a sorry excuse for combat armor.
I'm guessing it was used previously because it was very tattered. At least it could partially still serve its purpose. Felix handed me a bag that felt heavy. "Nice shoes, Hay.." "Oh fuck off", I chortled.
I took a glance at him. He was brooding over something. "Felix, is there something you are not telling me?" He heaved a great sigh and tugged at the neck of his shirt. Then he finally spoke up: "About the shifting... Since it's your first time, the pain will be excruciating." Suddenly, I wasn't relaxed anymore. What did he mean by that? Felix continued: "Every bone in, and I mean every bone in your body, would be broken and restructured to fit your new body. You could pass out and there are rare cases when people even die…" I glared at him intensely. That caused him to stop talking. "Thanks for lightening the mood. I'll keep all of this in mind while I'm shifting and trying not to DIE!", I yelled in frustration. "Just trying to prepare you for your challenge", he shrugged. "Or my death", I muttered.
Glancing at Felix, I'm surprised to see his hands fidgeting; he was scared too! Sighing, I realized I must have made him agitated because of my situation. "Bro, I'm sorry about how I've been treating you since we left the coterie. Because of me, you had to throw away your good life. You saved my weak ass for a matter that doesn't affect you in any way." Some of his previous words rang through my head. A smile crept up my face. "Also, thank you for saving me, Felix." As soon as I finished speaking, Felix's demeanor immediately changed. He became the cheerful knucklehead I grew up with. "Apology accepted, dude." I stood up to take a walk. Suddenly, I didn't feel so good. My entire being began to quake.
What the hell is going on now? Felix immediately rose from the ground. "What's going on? Do you need more blood?", he asked, worried. I slowly turned to face him. He gasped. "I think… I think it's happening", I whispered. My eyes were glowing with a frightening orange hue. An invisible force drew me to the ground, rooting me to a spot.
A bloodcurdling scream left my lips as I felt my bones starting to break and rearrange themselves. The pain was exactly as my friend described it: excruciating. I'm finally shifting! Fur broke out on my skin like an intense allergic reaction. My clothes suddenly felt too small. I ripped them to shreds."Holy shit, Hayden! Is there anything I can do to assist you?", Felix frantically asked. With my last iota of sanity, I looked at Felix. "Run. Stay away from me, Felix! I can't control what happens next!" His figure blurred and he was gone. I even felt my nose and mouth altering to form a snout! A few seconds later, my orbs glowed like neon lights.
I had become that which I was trained to fight, kill and despise. I had transformed into a werewolf. One instinct, my ears perked up and my nose sniffed. Prey. Prey. FEED! And with that, I released a spine-chilling howl into the night. The howl scared all the creatures dwelling in the forest to silence. I shot off the ground with my huge, powerful claws and chased after Felix. SHIT! Stop it or you'll kill him. I was watching the whole thing from the first person but couldn't do anything to stop myself. A sinister voice replied to my thoughts. FEED. DESTROY THE BLOODSUCKER!
The hulkish body of the monster I had transitioned to, burst through the forest, following the scent of my best friend.
It didn't take long for me to track him down. Felix was running so fast; I was surprised I could keep up with him. Then I remembered the words he told me before I transitioned: "…you're a hybrid of both monstrosities. I would be lucky to survive this night." Felix glanced at me as he ran. "Hey, Hayden, If you're still alive in there, then… PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!", he yelled. Meanwhile, I was trying to rein in my inner beast. Nothing seemed to be working. I was a hair's breadth from sinking my monstrous canines into his neck. As I pounced, Felix's figure blurred. He managed to vamp-sprint his way out of trouble.
FEED! FEED! FEED! DEVOUR THE BLOODSUCKER! My claws hit nothing but air. Landing with a hard thump, I snarled at Felix. Our little chase brought us to a large clearing in the middle of the forest. We began to circle each other like gladiators in a colosseum. My haunting eyes were trained on Felix, watching his every move like a guard dog. He was the beast I had become. "So it comes down to this: fighting my best friend for my survival", Felix sighed. "If you can see all this, then I hope you know I tried." Damn, you insolent beast! Control yourself! But all my wolf did was snarl menacingly. Slowly, Felix drew his sword from its sheath, the bronze shining in the moonlight. His pupils dilated and his irises turned scarlet. Felix bared his fangs at me, hissing loudly.
"What are you waiting for? COME ON!", he hissed. My wolf howled again and lunged. Felix's image blurred. Claws clashed with swords as we met. Felix had succeeded in blocking my first attack. He dashed backward, giving himself enough space for a counterattack. Then he lashed out again with a vamp-sprint. Despite my attempts to tame the beast, it launched itself off the ground with its powerful paws. Felix appeared directly beneath and slashed mine under the belly. I stumbled and landed violently, growling in pain. Of course; I'm not in control but I still feel the pain. Classic luck.
The beast was seething with rage. Blood stained the floor on which it (I) stood. My best friend was long gone from his position; he created enough distance between us after the attack. "Don't make me do more than I have, Hayden", Felix hissed. His scarlet eyes were trained on me, observing my movements like a hawk. Suddenly, my injury didn't hurt as much. I felt the pain slowly disappear; my wound was healing at an alarming rate. Well, that's new. In a matter of seconds, the gash was closed. My orange orbs landed on Felix and I growled.
"Wrong choice, Hayden!" Felix's image blurred for the umpteenth time today and he disappeared. Apart from the snarling of my wolf, the entire forest was silent. Suddenly, the ears of my wolf perked up. The distinct whistling sound of a projectile cutting through the air met my sharp ears. I leaped away just in time to see a bronze dagger impale itself in the ground, where I stood previously. I snapped my head angrily to the direction the dagger came but there was no sign of Felix. FEED! KILL THE BLOODSUCKER! The whistling sound came again; this time, from two directions.
I spun my body on instinct. The first dagger was missed by a hair's breadth. But I did not come out unscathed; the second dagger buried itself into my left, hind leg. The pain was agonizing; the blade was sharper than anything I'd ever been cut with. For the first time, my wolf and I shared the same feeling: as I cried out in agony, it howled with pain. Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived. The beast began snarling menacingly, sniffing the air for all it was worth. The primitive action seemed to be effective. My head snapped in that direction. Felix was crouching, gripping his sword in one hand and a dagger in another.
I growled and made a run for him. My leg throbbed as I ran but the monster I had become did not care. It was consumed by unimaginable rage. Rage that couldn't be quelled. Rage that gave monstrous strength. Rage that could cause endless destruction and death, if not controlled. Stop attacking him, goddammit. Once again, the beast did not heed my warning. The wolf pounced. Once again its claws hit nothing but air. Pain exploded in my right hind leg causing the beast to yelp. I felt a presence behind me. Before I could react, a blunt object slammed into my head. My legs wobbled, threatening to give way. "Go to sleep, Hayden!", Felix hissed. The blunt object slammed into my head once more. My tinted vision began to blur. I staggered and my 'powerful' legs finally gave up on me. Felix, you did it! Part of me was glad that my best friend survived and had subdued the beast. Another part was mad at him for inflicting his amount of damage on me. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar mantra: FEED! FEED! FEED! Felix no… My world benighted before I could finish the thought.
A/N: From here, it's Felix's POV
FELIX POV:
"It's finally over", I huffed as I walked away from Hayden's crumpled body. It was quite unfortunate that I had to go too far. Hayden had likely lost control of his body during the transformation. Hence, the beast took over. "I thought I was a goner…", What? My eyes were glued to the ground in horror. The spot occupied by the wolf was empty; the werewolf was gone. I didn't even see it move. Or hear it even! Dread had begun to set in as I frantically sniffed the air. Its scent trail had disappeared along with it. The scarlet tint of my eyes returned. "Show yourself, beast! I'm not afraid of you!", I hissed loudly.
The rustling of leaves met my ears. My eyes snapped to the direction of the sound. There it was, orange eyes glowing like miniature suns. "YOU'RE NOT AFRAID. WELL, YOU SHOULD BE, BLOODSUCKER. A small chill ran down my spine. There was suddenly a voice speaking in my head. I looked around, trying to find the source of the ominous voice. Then it dawned on me. I gazed at the werewolf."You can… You can talk?", I fumbled in disbelief.
"I CAN DO MORE THAN TALK, VAMPIRE." This entire situation was unbelievable. When werewolves transformed, they maintained sentience, being able to distinguish friend from foe. But there hadn't been any sightings of werewolves being able to use telepathy except pack links or mating links. I wasn't even a werewolf and I could hear the beast's ominous tone in my head. I tightened the grip on my sword. "You growing enough balls to speak won't change the outcome of this battle. I beat you once; I'll do it again", I hissed.
The beast began to growl menacingly. "HAYDEN HELD ME BACK THROUGH OUR FIRST BATTLE. BUT, THANKS TO YOUR SORRY ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT ME, YOU KNOCKED HIM OUT IN THE PROCESS." His words registered in my head. Because of me, Hayden had lost total control. I held back the urge to scream in frustration. Not allowing the wolf to see my distress, I hissed at him. "What are you waiting for…" The wolf's figure blurred. That was when I lost it. Werewolves were quick, in some cases, faster than even vampires. But this monstrosity just performed a feat similar to a vamp-sprint. And that wasn't possible, especially while it was transformed.
Something slammed into my back throwing me off balance. I broke my sudden fall with a skillful roll. Once again, the wolf was gone without a trace. Evasive fucker, aren't you? I had to think of something fast or I was going to die. Die without living a long fulfilling life, at the hands of the beast. I closed my eyes and stained my ears. If I can't see or smell you, I should be able to hear you. I took a deep breath. Nothing. Then another. The forest was awfully quiet. The sentience of the beast was terrifying. It moved like a phantom, not making a sound.
The hairs on my neck stood on end; the beast was near.! I swung my sword in an arc. My bronze sword was met with sudden opposition from the claws of the beast. The force flung the weapon out of my hand, temporarily disarming me. I dashed backward with a vamp-sprint, creating a suitable distance between us. Our images blurred as we lunged once more. Metal screeched as my dagger met with its terrifyingly-sharp claws. The wolf tried to rip my throat out but I grabbed my sheath and plunged it into its jaws. The bite force of the werewolf was immense; it gripped the sheath in its jaws like a vice. Big mistake on my part: The wolf reared its head and flung me into a tree. Pain exploded in my back as I made violent contact with its rough surface.
I hissed in pain. My back hurt like a bitch but now wasn't the time to rest. I forced myself to roll out of harm's way, dodging the wolf's pounce at the last second. The beast snarled and lunged for me again, relentless in its assault. I wasn't quick enough to evade its pounce this time. The sound of my ribs getting fractured due to their sheer weight and power filled my ears. I cried out in agony. "EMBRACE THE DARKNESS, BLOODSUCKER. SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE ON THE OTHER SIDE!" I coughed up a mouthful of blood. Panic was beginning to set in. The chances of me surviving the night were dropping by the second.
The wolf opened its mouth to reveal the worst set of canines I had ever seen in my life. My bones weren't going to last against such. Come on, Felix! Think! Then I remembered I still had the sheath in my hand. With a grunt, I forced the sheath into its mouth. "Why don't you chew on this motherfucker?", I hissed. "WHY DO YOU DELAY THE INEVITABLE? YOU WILL PERISH BY MY CLAWS!" The wolf snarled as it violently tugged on the sheathing. I held on with all the strength I could muster in my left hand. The saliva dripping from its jaws was a continuous reminder that my life was hanging by a strand. "ENOUGH!" With a violent tug, the monstrosity ripped my last hope out of my hand, dislocating my arm in the process.
My entire body ached but right now, there were more things to worry about than pain. I guess this is it for me. Sorry, Hayden. The wolf bared its horrible teeth at me. Before it could descend on me, a familiar sound met my ears. It was the distinctive sound of a blade plunging into flesh. "TREACHERY!" There was someone else in these woods? The wolf's figure blurred. But it didn't get far; strangely its legs gave way. How was this possible? I battled this beast to the best of my abilities, inflicting deep wounds on it. The werewolf had still managed to overpower me yet all it took was one stab. Then I smelt it: the familiar scent of wolfsbane. The wolf was reduced to a whimpering mess by the substance. Wolfsbane is the most potent poison created by vampires. I watched in awe as the orange hue of the beast's eyes faded. Its fur receded as its body shrank and morphed to reveal my best friend. It's finally over. A figure loomed over me, hand outstretched. "Need a hand, pal?"