Adam awoke to the faint glow of dawn filtering through his curtains. The room was filled with an almost eerie stillness. As he shifted in bed, he felt a dull ache on his side, and the memory of the battle with the Spiral Dancer flooded back. The new scar, a claw mark running from left to right across his stomach, throbbed with a persistent discomfort.
His room bore the evidence of his hurried return, clothes strewn across the floor, dirtied and bloodied from the confrontation. Adam's mother, a woman who had grown accustomed to his unpredictable comings and goings, had checked in on him during the night. Her love was silent, expressed through a quiet acknowledgment that he had returned home safely.
The creak of the door had roused him from his uneasy sleep, and for a moment, he saw the concern etched on his mother's face. Adam rose from his bed, the ache in his side protesting the movement. He approached the mirror, his naked form reflecting the scars of countless battles. The claw mark, stretched across his stomach was the only scar he had got from all of the damage. Scars were spiritual for Garou, it was possible to heal them but since it was a sign of valor and glory, they would leave them.
As Adam dressed, he couldn't ignore the weight of the scar, both a physical reminder of the night's battle and a spiritual emblem etched into his being. It was a mark that set him apart, a testament to the eternal struggle against the forces that sought to unravel the fabric of the world.
Leaving his room, Adam made his way to the showers first. He took a quick shower, got dressed and went to the kitchen where his mother was preparing breakfast. The smell of coffee and bacon filled the air, a comforting contrast to the harsh realities he faced in the city's dark corners.
"Morning, Mom." Adam greeted, the weariness in his voice not escaping her notice.
"Morning, dear. You look like you've been through the wringer." Faith said.
"Through what now?" Adam asked.
"You look horrible." Faith corrected.
"Yeah, I do." Adam admitted, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "I had a fight with a spiral dancer. The spiral dancer was a Metis and I think was an old one."
"What? What happened?" Faith asked, her expression a mix of anger and concern.
"I really didn't want to start a fight with them." Adam said, his tone carrying a hint of exhaustion. "I found some Fomori snipers and started to kill them. When I was about to kill the last one, some guy came and killed the sniper. It turns out him and his people had escaped from PsyTech."
"When did the spiral dancer attacked?" Faith asked.
"After we got to a safe place." Adam said. "They said one of the psychics was hearing sniffing sounds. I sensed it a little to late and the Garou came out of the Umbra. I killed that thing and ripped his head off. I even told them to burn the body later and they agreed."
"It was a smart idea to remove the head." Faith acknowledged. She stood up, picked a plate of food, and placed it in front of Adam. "You yourself are a Metis and should know how hard it is to kill Garou of your breed."
"Yeah." Adam said as he started to eat.
"Did you find where the PsyTech offices are?" Faith asked.
"Yes, they gave me three office locations and a lab location outside of the city." Adam said.
"I don't have to tell you that they need to all die." Faith said in a serious tone. "They are a danger to Jessy. I will keep him informed and protected but destroying a danger is always better than defending against it. I will have some of my people deal with them while you create some distraction."
"I will deal with them later." Adam said. "I am really tired today and low on Gnosis. I also have to visit the spirit world soon, I have somethings I should do there."
"Sure take your time dear." Faith said with a warm smile. "As I said, I can keep Jessy safe and he is a smart kid himself. Don't rush this job, take your time, I will know when you make your move. Hell if you don't feel like it, I can always have people go after, I have a lot of supernatural connection after all."
"Okay, Mum." Adam said and continued eating.
Adam finished his food, helped clean up, and went back to his room before his siblings could wake up. It was seven in the morning and the others weren't awake yet. Returning to his room, Adam picked a book about alchemy and started to read. He immersed himself in the ancient knowledge, seeking some distraction from the challenges that awaited him. He kept reading until his mother, Faith, called him for lunch.
Adam could still feel some pain lingering in his body, but he pushed it aside and went down to the kitchen. To his surprise, he found all of his family gathered around the table, waiting for him. The atmosphere was strangely quiet, a stark deviation from their usual lively interactions. Adam couldn't help but comment on it.
"Oh my god, Lucy is quiet for the first time in her life, this is a sign of the apocalypse." Adam remarked with a wry smile.
"Shut up." Lucy replied, laughing.
Faith, his mother, spoke up, "I told them about your fight."
"Okay." Adam said, taking a seat
"Come here, have a seat." Faith said. "Even I want details of what happened, why don't start telling us what happened now that you feel better."
"Sure." Adam said.
On the table were dishes of Mexican corn salad and fried chicken. Those who knew Adam were aware of his love for food and it was a well-founded reputation. However, hunger often drove him, especially after nights when he didn't get the chance to eat much like after he fought black spiral dancer.
As he started to eat, Adam started to explained the events of the previous night. His adeptness at devouring food quickly gave the impression that he possessed two mouths, one dedicated to eating and the other to storytelling. Between bites and sips, he detailed the encounter with the Spiral Dancer, the confrontation with Fomori snipers and the unexpected people who had escaped from PsyTech. He also told them where they can find the labs and the psychics.
Adam's storytelling had a varied impact on his family. Lucy, with her eyes wide seemed thrilled as if she were hearing exhilarating war stories. Jessy, too, shared his sister's excitement, particularly intrigued by the revelation of other psychic individuals. However, Faith, their mother, displayed a starkly different reaction.
Throughout Adam's narrative, Faith's countenance remained grim and her concern deepened, especially when he broached the topic of balefire. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her, and the troubled lines on her face reflected the worries of a mother fearing for the safety of her children.
"Balefire, where did it hit you?" Faith inquired, her concern evident in her voice.
"My back." Adam replied calmly. "But don't worry, I focused my mind on healing and I resisted any attempts to mutate my body. I'm fine."
"I will make you a potion, you should drink it." Faith said. "Balefire is dangerous. I've seen even black spiral dancers get cancer after being hit by one."
"Cancer?" Lucy interjected, her voice now laced with concern.
"Yeah, but I can fix it." Adam assured them.
"How do you exactly fix cancer?" Jessy inquired, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"It is connected to my healing power." Adam explained. "It isn't easy, I have to focus a lot on the healing and it usually isn't enough. I have to go to rip off my flesh, usually with silver which even holding it will hurt me. There are also potions that mum makes but they aren't as good as cutting my flesh."
"Do you know all of that from experience?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, but it wasn't normal cancer." Adam calmly replied. "Balefire is a sentient fire that is also radioactive. I once made a mistake and stepped in a field of balefire and it burned my legs. I got this massive cancer like tumors on my legs. I had to rip flesh off of it for two weeks."
"Wait, I remember something like that." A moment of realization passed over Jessy's face. "I remember mum saying you had burned your legs, is it that time?"
"Yep, that is it." Adam said.
"You see kids, this is what I meant with the world being dangerous." Faith said. "Adam is a Metis, they have very powerful healing powers and even he is always in danger. This is only one of the dangers that can end his life, there are a lot more than that. You two are weaker than him so please stay away from danger."
"That is a fair point mum." Jessy said with a mischievous smile. "I think I should be very careful and train my powers. It is just a shame you guys can't help me with my psychic powers, only if there were a group of people that could."
"Yes, Jessy I agree." Faith said with a tired sigh. "I know you want to meet the psychics Adam met and truth be told so do I."
"Wait what? Why would you do that?" Adam asked. "I get Jessy wanting to meet them even if it is stupid but why would you want to meet them? This is a waste of time."
"You don't have to worry about it Adam." Faith said. "Me and Jessy will take a look, you just tell me where they are and we will take care of it."
"Sure, I mean it is your time." Adam said and then explained how they can find Elena's house.
"So Adam, what do you plan to do next?" Lucy asked.
"I am going to cause some problems for the wyrm in the city." Adam said. "Tonight I will go to the spirit world and destroy or lock every Bane I come across. There is this tribe of Garou that attack like that called the Uktena. We talked about them the other day, they have all forms of magic so the servants of the Wyrm really don't like them. Having these guys in town would scare them a little giving me or mum a chance to find a way to hit PsyTech."
After outlining his plan, Jessy's curiosity was piqued. "So, what's the spirit world like?" he asked.
"It actually looks a lot like the Skinland," Adam explained between bites. "The spirit world just has a dreamlike feel to it. A lot of objects and ideas have certain spirits connected to them and the world changes like you are dreaming. There are also stronger spirits that influence different parts of the spirit world, but they are all weird in their own way."
Excitement filled Jessy's eyes as he absorbed this new information. "Do you think you can take us with you?" he asked, a hopeful grin on his face.
"I actually don't know." Adam admitted.
"Older Garou can take others with them but Adam isn't powerful like them." Faith said.
Jessy chimed in, "So, it is possible?"
"It's possible but it's not an easy feat, Adam needs to get strong. I also know that some items can help with that." Faith said.
"Adam, you should totally get stronger! I really want to see the spirit world myself." Lucy exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"I'm pretty sure it's going to take a long time to reach that level." Adam replied.
As the family continued to enjoy their meal, the discussion about the supernatural gradually shifted into familiar sibling bickering. Adam, Lucy and Jessy exchanged playful banter and occasional teasing, their voices filling the room with a lively energy. Faith, accustomed to their dynamics, simply ignored the banter, letting the familiar sounds of family life wash over her.
After Adam was done with his food, he went directly to his room. In his room he moved his big human sized mirror he had on the ground. He then walked to the door and locked it.
Adam began to undress, peeling off layers of clothes until he stood naked. The air in the room seemed to shift as he focused his mind, tapping into the primal energy that coursed through his veins. Closing his eyes, Adam took a deep breath, the inhale resonating with a quiet determination. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his body started to change. Muscles shifted and bones realigned as his form contorted. Fur sprouted from his skin, covering him in a mantle of white. His limbs elongated, fingers becoming agile paws, and the once-standing figure now crouched low to the ground. His senses heightened, attuned to the world in ways his human form could never comprehend. This form was the farthest from human form so it took him a minute to shift.
As the last vestiges of change settled, Adam opened his eyes, revealing the keen gaze of his lupus creature staring back from the mirror. The white-furred Egyption Jackel stood in the room, a living embodiment of the wild, connected to the primal forces that flowed through the heart of the Garou. In the mirror he could see that just like his Crinos form, he had longer ears and longer, thinner jaw, just like all Egyptian jackals.
As Adam focused his mind on the spiritual aspect within, the mirror before him began to transcend its ordinary role. His reflection, underwent a metamorphosis. The glass rippled like liquid, and the room's ordinary confines seemed to blur into an ethereal realm.
The mirror became a conduit, a window into the mystical dimensions that coexisted with the mundane. Adam felt the energy pulsating, an otherworldly force that responded to the call of his Lupus form. The transformation had begun, and the mirror shimmered with an aura of ancient power.
With a sense of purpose, Adam stepped forward. As he did, a peculiar sensation of moving through spider webs enveloped him. This was the Gauntlet, the mystical boundary that separated the tangible world from the ethereal spirit realm.
In Los Angeles, the Gauntlet held a formidable presence. Its rippling force attempted to deter those seeking passage, but Adam, attuned to the spirits and fortified by his Garou heritage, pressed onward. The Gauntlet yielded to his will, acknowledging the inherent connection between the Garou and the spirit world.
Having traversed the Gauntlet, Adam found himself in the spirit rendition of his room, a place where the boundaries between the tangible and ethereal blurred. The room seemed to sway and shift, responding to the currents of spiritual energy that coursed through it. Weak spirits, embodiments of electricity and curiosity, through this spectral reflection.
However, an unsettling sight greeted Adam, a massive crystal-like spider web extended from what seemed like the wall of his spirit room. Fist-sized spider spirits, representatives of the Weaver, the cosmic force embodying society, traversed the web, moving in and out of his space. The Weaver, sibling to the Wyrm, fed on the growth of society and while it had both positive and negative aspects, Adam harbored no intention of allowing any celestial spirit to wield control over his life.
In his Lupus form, Adam pounced on the spider spirits, a flurry of bites and tearing motions ensuring their demise. He took care not to consume any of them, wary of the potential weaver corruption that could result. Weaver corruption, though not as dire as Wyrm corruption, represented a form of control that Adam was unwilling to give to any celestial entity, even one as balanced as the Weaver.
The spiders, feeble in comparison to Adam's Theurge abilities, attempted to retaliate, but their efforts were futile. His inherent connection to the spiritual realm endowed him with an advantage, making it easier for him to inflict harm upon these entities. Adam continued his assault, tearing at the crystal-like spider web that had infiltrated his spirit room. Each bite and rip served as a declaration of independence, a refusal to allow the Weaver's influence to gain a substantial foothold within his personal space. The spiritual threads unraveled under his fervent resistance, ensuring that, at least in this realm, the Weaver's control would be kept at bay.
After he was done with the weaver, Adam moved to his window. There in the area his plants were, he saw fragments of himself, they were small Garou made of light in Crinos form. Observing the fragments of himself in the spirit world, Adam couldn't help but feel a peculiar connection to these ethereal representations. Initially appearing fragile, they exhibited a growing strength but very slowly.
Adam jumped toward the window and moved through the glass like it didn't exist and left his house. Adam found himself in the spirit version of Los Angeles. Navigating the spirit version of Los Angeles, Adam marveled at the surreal transformation of the cityscape. The ethereal vibrancy painted the skyline with hues that defied the mundane spectrum. Buildings, infused with spiritual resonance, contorted and twisted, displaying a dance of otherworldly architecture. Symbols and auras adorned the skyline, narrating stories untold to the untrained.
However, the ominous presence of the Weaver could not be ignored. Massive spiderwebs draped over towering structures, a testament to the pervasive influence of the Weaver in this spiritual realm. Weaver spirits, colossal in their essence, traversed between these skyscrapers, enforcing the intricate control of society, growth, and structure.
Adam, low on Gnosis, found that the spirit world had a unique way of replenishing his energy. Engaging with the Weaver spirits seemed to infuse him with a modest amount of Gnosis, providing a subtle renewal of his spiritual vigor. Despite the allure of such energies, Adam knew that balance was crucial and he needed to choose his spiritual battles wisely in this realm.
As Adam walked around, the spirits of electricity crackled, technological entities hummed, and occasional weaver spirits manifested the ever-present influence of the Weaver. Fire spirits danced with ephemeral flames, adding an animated glow to the spiritual cityscape.
As Adam moved through the spiritual realm, he caught glimpses of various spirits belonging to the city, each embodying an aspect of its essence. Spirits of electricity surged like ethereal lightning, technological spirits pulsed with coded energy, and the occasional weaver spirits wove threads of reality. Amidst the spiritual landscape, he could sense the presence of fellow Garou and relied on the gift of blur of milky eye to remain unnoticed.
Adam's Lupus form was the fastest form, allowing him to swiftly navigate the spirit world, his paws making almost no sound as he moved with the fluid grace of a wolf. The city's energy buzzed around him, and the spiritual realm's resonance enhanced his senses.
Adam approached an area that he thought were factories before but now there were nests of different spirits and one was of the wyrm. As he approached the corrupted nexus, the once-familiar factory took on an eerie transformation. In the spirit world, the factory stood as a twisted monument to the corruption of the Wyrm. Gears and cogs adorned its spectral walls, constantly turning. Ghostly assembly lines snaked through the ethereal landscape, producing intangible manifestations of spiritual corruption instead of physical products.
The air hung heavy with an acidic scent, a spectral residue of pollutants that filled the spirit realm like a toxic fog. The spectral workers, distorted reflections of laborers, moved in like mechanical creatures. The ground beneath Adam felt like a shifting amalgamation of gears and ethereal machinery, emphasizing the corrupted nature of the node.
As Adam silently approached the corrupt nexus, his lupine senses heightened, detecting the presence of banes in the area. The ethereal machinery churned with an otherworldly hum and the air was thick with the acrid scent of spiritual pollution. Moving with a hunter's instinct, Adam kept his body low, to the ground, utilizing the shadows and spectral structures to conceal his presence.
Amidst the spectral assembly lines and cogwheels, Adam spotted the first signs of banes. Toxic emanations coiled in the air like dark wisps, and the shadows seemed to writhe with unseen malevolence. The Cog Wraiths, resembling human-sized machines with the lower bodies of tank-like mechanisms and upper bodies resembling horrible mechanical humanoids, moved around the nexus. Their movements were deliberate, and they seemed intent on spreading corruption throughout the spectral factory.
Spotting the shadowy serpent made of thick industrial smoke, the Soot Serpent, Adam knew he had found a key target. The Soot Serpent slithered through the spectral machinery, a manifestation of wyrm-tainted energy seeking to further pollute the spiritual fabric of the corrupted nexus. Recognizing the danger it posed, Adam moved away from its vicinity, carefully avoiding direct confrontation for the time being.
As he distanced himself, Adam's lupine senses led him to another significant discovery, a nest of weaver spirits situated in the vicinity of the corrupted nexus. It was obvious he was going to find weaver in an area with factories. The giant spiders, manifestations of the Weaver's influence, had woven an intricate web across another spectral factory. The nature of the spirits and their connection to the aspects of reality suggested a potential conflict between the weaver and wyrm entities.
Understanding the dynamics at play, Adam thought about the strategic advantage of pitting the weaver and wyrm spirits against each other. The conflicting forces, both to fight for dominance within the spectral realm, could create a diversion, allowing Adam to focus on the core of the corrupted nexus without drawing the full attention of the banes.
With focused intent, Adam initiated the transformation. The Lupus form gradually shifted, morphing into the Hispo form, a massive direwolf. The ethereal glow of the spirit world accentuated the transformation, casting an otherworldly radiance upon Adam's evolving figure. The Lupus form's features elongated and expanded, giving way to a larger and more imposing physique. Adam's limbs elongated into powerful, wolf-like limbs, and his fur took on an unearthly sheen.
His massive jaws revealed sharp teeth, and the spiritual aura surrounding him pulsed with primal energy. Adam's paws, now more robust and adapted for combat, still wasn't as powerful as his Crinos form but still good for slashing. This form was stronger than Lupus and faster than Crinos but it wasn't as strong as Crinos nor was it fast as Lupus, it had a balance situation between the two forms.
Adam, now in his Hispo form, a massive direwolf, rushed back toward the Wyrm nexus. His fur bristled with the anticipation of battle as he ignored every Bane that crossed his path. The stench of corruption filled the air, but his focus was unwavering.
Reaching the Wyrm nexus, he spotted the shadowy serpent, the Soot Serpent, made of thick industrial smoke. Without hesitation, Adam lunged at the serpent, his massive jaws clamping down on its head. The serpent writhed in response but Adam's primal ferocity prevailed.
Adam's massive jaws clamped down on the head of the Soot Serpent, his teeth tearing into the shadowy form as if it were flesh. With a powerful pull, he began dragging the serpent in the direction of the Weaver nest. The serpent, now rendered vulnerable by Adam's relentless assault, struggled against its inevitable fate.
The Cog Wraiths, witnessing the attack on the Soot Serpent, redirected their attention towards the direwolf. Harpoons shot towards Adam from their lower half, their tips burning with corruption upon impact. The mechanical wraiths, now sensing the threat, turned their hands into corrupted swords and rushed toward the Garou.
Despite the burning corruption searing into his fur, Adam pressed on. His massive claws swiped through the air, tearing through the metal frames of the Cog Wraiths. The clash of spiritual and corrupted energies resonated through the ethereal battleground as Adam continued his determined effort to cleanse the corrupted node.
As more and more Cog Wraiths surged toward Adam, they refrained from shooting harpoons, cautious not to hit each other in the chaotic melee. Adam, tapped into the primal strength of his rage, intensifying his efforts to pull the Soot Serpent.
Swiftly, Adam reached the Weaver nest and upon his arrival, the Weavers sensed the approaching threat of the Cog Wraiths. Abandoning their nests, spiders of diverse shapes and colors, rushed to engage the banes. The weavers bit and pierced the Cog Wraiths with long legs, disrupting their attacks.
Caught between Adam and the relentless assault of the Weaver spiders, the Cog Wraiths were forced to abandon their focus on Adam and retaliate against the unexpected threat from the Weaver spirits. The spirit world became a tumultuous battleground, with forces of the Wyrm clashing against the defenders of the Weaver in a dynamic and chaotic struggle for supremacy.
As the struggle unfolded in the spirit world, the battleground became increasingly crowded. A diverse array of banes, each with its own twisted form, joined the fray. Simultaneously, additional Weaver spirits manifested, each made of different concepts of society rather than taking the form of only spiders. The clash intensified, reaching new levels of chaos and ferocity.
Adam took his chance and shook his head violently, tearing the soot serpent apart. Adam, having successfully torn the Soot Serpent asunder, saw the fight escalating beyond his initial confrontation. Recognizing the mounting danger, he swiftly disengaged from the battlefield, seeking to distance himself from the ongoing turmoil. The echoes of the spiritual conflict reverberated through the spirit world as Adam made his strategic retreat.
Adam's body was still marred by wounds and his body slowly regenerating, watched the chaotic clash between the Weaver spirits and the Bane entities. Despite his formidable regenerative abilities, he sensed that he had reached his limit and was close to death.
As he observed the ongoing struggle, it became apparent that both sides would have been locked in stalemate, their strengths evenly matched. However, the advantage seemed to lean slightly towards the Weaver spirits. The weavers, having seized the initiative and gained an early advantage, pressed their assault with a bit more control and coordination, giving them a precarious upper hand in the fight.
As the Weaver and Wyrm spirits clashed, tearing into each other, Adam felt the essence of their destruction permeate the air. This essence, untainted by the corruption of either force, represented the unmaking of spirits. Sensing an opportunity, Adam allowed his form to shift back to the Crinos form, his birth form.
Adam absorbed the released essence, feeling it course through his veins and replenish his Gnosis. The air was saturated with the remnants of the spirit's destruction, and Adam, attuned to the flow of spiritual energy, absorbed it to restore his strength. There was so much essence there that by just standing there Adam felt most of his Gnosis replenished.
With his wounds healing, Adam wasted no time and charged towards the remaining weaker banes that lingered around the wyrm-corrupted node. These banes, feeble and barely sentient, were no match for the unleashed fury of the Crinos Garou. Adam tore into them with his claws, rending them apart effortlessly as the corrupted remnants dissipated into the spiritual ether.
After eliminating the remaining banes, Adam walked to the edge of the corrupt area, his focus shifting towards the upcoming ritual. Faith had shared stories of Garou from the Uktena tribe who utilized sorcery and Garou shamanism to cleanse wyrm nodes from the spirit world. Inspired by these tales, Adam had developed his own version of the ritual, blending his unique abilities with the ancient practices. It was a process of self-discovery and refinement, a path he had to tread carefully to complete the ritual successfully.
Adam slammed his claws into the ground, carving a path as he circled around the wyrm-corrupted node. With each step, he poured his sorcerous will into the intricate pattern he was etching, reinforcing the circle with his determination to cleanse the tainted spiritual ground. When the circle was complete, he stepped back, his gaze unwavering as he summoned Gnosis to manifest blue flames in his hands.
Directed by Adam's unwavering focus, the flames began to dance toward the circle, recognizing the Garou's will as they engulfed the area in purifying fire. Adam maintained his distance, summoning more Gnosis to conjure additional waves of blue flames. With each infusion, the flames extended inside of the circle, spreading with purpose as Adam directed them to consume the corrupted heart of the node.
As the flames grew, the spectral forms of laborers, once bound to the corrupted factory, fled in phantom-like haste. The blue flames, guided by Adam's intent, seared through the lingering corruption within their souls as they passed through the cleansing fire. The Garou continued to channel Gnosis, fueling the circle with more flames until every trace of the wyrm-corrupted node was incinerated. The banes, sensing the destruction, attempted to return, only to be met with the relentless onslaught of weaver spirits, leading to their swift demise. In the end, the purifying flames triumphed, leaving behind a cleansed spiritual landscape where the malevolent influence of the wyrm was extinguished.
With the wyrm-corrupted node now purged, the spiritual landscape shifted, drawing the attention of various spirits eager to reclaim the cleansed territory. Before these spirits could reach Adam, he swiftly tapped into the renewed spiritual energy of the purified node, replenishing some of his Gnosis. Sensing the arrival of other entities be it good or evil, Adam wasted no time and made a quick escape.
Running through the spirit world, Adam transitioned into his Lupus form, a sleek and agile wolf. His Lupus form allowed him to cover ground swiftly as he retraced his path, racing back towards his room through the shifting ethereal landscape.
Adam, having raced back through the spirit world in his Lupus form, arrived at his house and swiftly made his way to his room. Utilizing the mirror once more, he transitioned from the spirit world to the skinland. Shifting into his Homid form, he took a shower dressed in his clothes and settled onto his bed.
Adam's wounds were healed leaving no trace on his body as it wasn't a great battle but his body ached. Still Adam had a smile on his face, this was a good victory.