Chapter 15 – Beneath the Skin

512 A.R. February 20, Volkov Residence, Early Morning

Something akin to an alarm clock went off inside my mind. It roused me from sleep, and I awoke to a sensation of being tangled up in the limbs of someone else. I could feel Peter’s warm breath on my chest, while my head was nestled up between my pillow and his neck. I moved my hand, felt something, and gave it a tentative squeeze that made me realize I was holding Peter’s tail. Peter murmured something as his snout nuzzled my fur and his claws trailed down my leg.

It was warm and comfy, but…

‘Stay…’ I heard Peter whisper in my mind.

‘I have to get going,’ I thought.

‘Where?’ Peter murmured, half awake, half asleep.

‘Jason,’ I thought.

‘Just five more minutes…’ Peter whispered over the link we shared.

‘You stay in bed, Peter,’ I thought.

Peter groaned, and part of me suspected he still hadn’t woken up.

‘I’ll be back,’ I thought.

A canine whimper escaped his muzzle as I shuffled back and eased myself out of his grip. Peter made another grumble as he settled his head against the pillow and pulled the thin cover over himself.

My paw felt something weird as I moved back. It was as if the floor was a lot closer to the bed than expected. It made me glance back, and I began to smirk as I remembered last night’s events.

Apparently, the bed couldn’t handle two wolves…

I stood up on the floor and looked toward the now-flattened legs of the bed. Peter’s eyes fluttered a little, and he glimpsed at me, ‘Good luck… with Jason.’

‘Thanks,’ I thought.

‘Do you see your shorts anywhere?’ Peter whispered over the link.

Somehow I had missed it at first, but I felt myself jump a little upon realizing that Peter was telepathically talking to me, without us touching one another.

‘Never mind, I see them,’ Peter murmured, as his hand stealthily reached out from the bed’s cover.

Moments later he pulled them back under the covers, and I caught a smile on his lips, ‘They’re mine now.’

I gritted my teeth and felt my ears wiggle as I loomed over him, ‘Do you realize that you’re talking telepathically, Peter?’

Peter blinked, glimpsed up at me, and opened his muzzle, “Huh?”

The connection between us blinked out of existence, and I sighed, “… Nothing. Rest up, Peter.”

Peter made a slow nod, and I could see him slip his muzzle under the covers as he sniffed a little.

I wonder if sniffing shorts could count as some kind of drug abuse for canines…

With a chuckle, I turned around and figured I'd have a quick shower before heading off.

512 A.R. February 20, Volkov Residence, Early Morning

I heard a loud sniff, glanced to the side, and watched as Father leaned into the kitchen.

He blinked in surprise and flashed his fangs, “You’re up early.”

“Mom told me about Jason,” I said.

Father stepped into view, revealing that he wore little more than a pair of gray shorts, and walked over to the window as he peered out, “Yeah, I heard about that… Don’t be surprised if he’s a bit out of it.”

“I remember,” I said as I flicked the teapot on.

Father chuckled as he turned to face me once more, “You’d fall asleep all over the place, and drool as well…”

I stifled a huff and grew a sheepish smile, “Yeah, I remember that as well…”

Moments later, he joined my side, leaned in, and nudged my muzzle with his own. The mere touch triggered what now felt like deeply seated instincts, and I nuzzled back as my tail began to wag.

It was short and simple, and Father was already stepping back, “That’s not the only thing your mother told me last night.”

I faced him and felt my tail sink, “Ah…”

“Felines,” Father whispered as he crossed his arms and his ears folded back a little.

It made me chuckle, and he threw me a glimpse as he resumed smiling.

“Anyway,” Father said, as his voice turned cheery once more, “It seems that you got to be the hero at the training camp?”

I wrinkled my nose, “Yeah, I get to hear that a lot these days…”

“Yeah, I'll skip the congratulations and simply ask if you’re okay instead,” Father said.

My ears perked, “Hmm?”

Father stepped closer, and motioned with his hand, “Wolves look upon the ‘Hero’ and assume it’s a point of pride. Something that you treasure and put on your wall as a diploma. Most Alphas who didn’t get to play the role are too thickheaded to understand that it’s not. The ‘Hero’ hurts people to resolve the situation, and they’re forced to face the worst of our weaknesses. The ‘Hero’ is forced to look upon his own pack, knowing that even they fell prey to corruption, and then he starts to wonder what other weaknesses might be hiding in the dark.”

I gulped, “Did you play the hero?”

Father nodded and motioned to me, “I did, but I couldn’t tell you anything about it until now, just as you can’t tell your pups in the future… If this ‘trial’ survives, that is…”

“I’m not planning to have pups anytime soon, Dad…” I said.

Father chuckled with a nod, “There’s no hurry, I'm just saying…”

“Mm,” I smiled and then turned to glance at the teapot, “But what did you mean, if it survives?”

“Well, by the time you decide to have pups, they’ll most likely be True Hybrids,” Father said.

I reached out and turned off the teapot as it started boiling, “Are you saying that True Hybrids won’t need to learn such lessons?”

Father inched closer to me and squinted as he looked me in the eyes, “If I had said yes, then you would have gone off on a tangent that being able to make the wrong choices is necessary for free will. Thus, the answer can’t be yes, since that would indicate a removal of free will.”

I made a sheepish grin, “I do wonder who taught me that kind of philosophy? Such a mystery…”

Father huffed as he leaned back, “I simply meant that True Hybrids may find a balance where they can be taught the same lesson with gentler, kinder means.”

I nodded, “Hopefully.”

“So, how are you, Vilkas? How did you feel after the Training Camp?” Father wondered as he tipped his head.

I grabbed the teapot and began to pour it, “It’s as you said. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, and I assume you’ve seen the video by now?”

“I have… Judging by your reaction times, you’re utilizing some kind of accelerant.”

I glanced at him in wonder, “… I can alter my perception of time at will, if that’s what you mean?”

Father nodded, “I do.”

“You can’t do it?” I wondered.

Father shook his head, “No, not without help. We had battle armors back in the Defense Force that had plenty of implants to help us do that kind of stuff. But the experience was…”

“Excruciating?” I wondered.

“Well, they did pump us full with drugs to manage the pain… Anyway, it was both painful and most unsettling. Not to mention the Mech suits, though I never got a chance to try one of those.”

“Mech suits?” I wondered.

Father made a wolfish grin, “Big and mean machines that swallow you whole. They work great in urban warfare but are less useful when there are tanks around that can shred armor.”

“Certainly sounds cool, but should people really get involved in that kind of fighting?” I asked.

Father’s brow tightened a little, “No, we shouldn’t. But when your base defenses and communications breakdown, you either hold the fort or end up as prisoners…”

I nodded, “Yeah…”

Father nodded, “So, what about the others? Can they keep up with you?”

I shook my head, “They don’t know how to do these things yet, but I'll teach them.”

“Don’t wait too long, Vilkas… Empower them and yourself as much as you can, because the field of battle is cruel,” Father whispered.

I looked at him, “You seem oddly intense today.”

Father leaned back a little, “… It’s not normal to push new packs like this, Vilkas. Even for Ares who likes to play rough, he’s throwing you into very dangerous situations. I’d ask you to stay here until things calm down in the world, but I suspect you won’t do that.”

“… I have things I must do, and answers I must find,” I said.

Father smiled back, reached up, and put his big hand on the top of my head, “… I understand.”

512 A.R. February 20, Jason’s House, Morning

Rather than take the APC, I decided to use the family car as I headed to Jason’s new home.

The car slowed to a stop in the outskirts of another residential area, much like the one I had come from. As I looked out the window, I could see a house that reminded me of Hannival’s home in the human Enclave—bay windows that stuck out, irregular roof, a tower built into the upper floor, brick walls offset by white framing and a black shingles.

I connected with the Archive and looked up the address…

Harold Wigburg…

Silvia Wigburg…

Jason Wigburg…

Jason changed his last name already…

I drew a deep breath and glanced in the mirror to make sure I was presentable. The uniform had grown on me; though I couldn’t help but feel a bit weird in normal clothes. Like a giant that decided to wear trousers and a dress shirt in order to fit in.

Why am I nervous like this?

With a sigh, I opened the door, stepped out, and pushed it shut as I set my sights on the house. I started walking and let my gaze wander the garden.

Plenty of evergreens… well taken care of by the look of it…

I reached the door, glanced at the doorbell, and gave it a push with my thumb.

It didn’t take long before I heard the door unlock. As it opened, I saw a canine that looked like a border collie. Slim and slender, with black and white fur that was long enough to give the wrists a few tufts. The scent that wafted up was male, and the short canine glanced up at me.

He grew a brief smile, and I caught him taking a quick glimpse at my neck. I could almost imagine what went through his mind: a wolf—the one who got an axe to the neck.

“You must be Vilkas,” Harold said as he pushed the door wide open, then offered his hand.

He wore what looked like a simple pair of black khakis and a gray dress shirt where the cuffs had been pulled back.

I smiled back as I reached out and grasped his hand for a shake, “You must be Harold.”

Harold squeezed my hand a little as he shook, “That I am.”

Another border collie walked up behind him and glanced at me. As Harold let go of my hand, he eased back and gestured to his mate, “This is Silvia.”

Silvia made a quick wave and motioned for me to step inside, “Please.”

I caught the door, stepped in, and pulled the door shut with a click.

“Jason has talked about you a great deal,” Harold said.

“… Good things, I hope,” I said, and eased my boots off, one by one.

Silvia nodded, “Yes, especially the rather dramatic rescue.”

“Ah,” I said.

I faced the two, and my nose caught something odd. Intermingled with the scent of canines was a surprising tinge of glue… wood glue, like Father had sometimes used in the garage.

Harold chuckled as he seemed to notice my sniffing, “I bind books as a hobby, thus the scent of glue.”

“Ah, it’s not an unpleasant smell. Almost a bit sweet,” I said.

“That could also be our collection of books,” Harold said as he stepped back, and motioned to a room on his right.

“You mean… real books?” I said and stepped closer as I glimpsed into the room.

I barely had time to glance into what looked like a large living room lined with old bookcases when a new set of scents hit my nose. It was distant but still managed to be intense due to what they implied. It was the scent of human sweat and puke, tinged with something strange. Something in the back of my mind knew what the odd smell was: an active Symbiont, bonding to a new host; an ongoing transformation where one form of life became another.

It was a familiar, but peculiar scent that filled me a sense of déjà vu.

My nose followed the scent, and I found myself looking at the stairs, “Jason’s upstairs, I take it?”

Silvia stepped into my view, “He is, be gentle… The Symbiont has taken a lot out of him.”

I looked at her and nodded, “Yeah, I can still remember the details of what it felt like.”

It was strange, but part of my subconscious found their presence weird. As if part of me hadn’t accepted their role as Jason’s new foster parents—Caretakers? Whatever one might call them.

Then again, maybe it was guilt that I hadn’t spent more time with Jason…

I motioned to the stairs, “Do you mind if I head upstairs and…”

Harold spoke up, “Not at all. Up the stairs, second room to the right, bathroom’s on the opposite side of the hallway.”

I looked to them and made a deep nod, “Thank you for welcoming Jason into your lives.”

Harold’s tail put on a simple wag as he nodded, “We’re happy to have him, and do tell us if you need anything.”

I smiled back for a moment, turned my attention to the stairs, and walked up to them. My mind pondered how to treat Harold and Silvia, let alone what role they’d play in Jason’s life. I hadn’t asked them, mostly because I wanted to hear Jason perspective of it all.

I ascended the stairs, stepped up to the second door to the right, and made a quick glance toward the bathroom of the left side. The smell was intrusive, sharp, and acidic. It mingled with chemicals that made it clear they had tried to clean it up, but puke had a tendency to stick around.

With a gentle sigh, I turned my attention to Jason’s room, grabbed the handle, and eased the door open. The room smelled of Jason, but it was so intermingled with other scents that it was being drowned out. The odd scent of the symbiont was stronger as well. It almost hummed in the air, and I could feel a presence in the back of my mind. The symbiont emitted some sort of chittering, echoed by a discordant whisper in the airwaves. It meant little to my mind, but my gaze was drawn to it like a homing beacon.

There was a bed on the right side of the room, and I could see Jason on top of it. He was facing the wall, and his blanket only covered his lower body.

I stepped in and gently closed the door behind me as I observed him. Jason seemed asleep, but his breath was rapid, and I caught a gentle tremor in his body. I walked closer and crouched down next to the bed.

The skin along his back was growing pale as a pigmentation change washed over him, and I could see a strip of short fur growing along his spine before disappearing down his buttocks. The fur had a rather uniform yellow-brown tinge to it. Not bright enough for a golden retriever, nor did it remind me of a German shepherd. For a moment I considered a coyote, but the fur lacked the patterns for it.

He was resting his right arm on the blanket, and I could see the spot where the Symbiont had been attached. Now it was little more than a big bump, and it had taken on the sheen of skin rather than something alien. The changes were more pronounced on his arm and seemed to have spread outward from there.

Hardy sinew made his hand appear more defined, and his arm had already developed more muscle than he’d ever had before in his life. A closer glimpse at his hand revealed that he’d already lost his nails and that canine claws had begun to grow. He wasn’t a wolf, but part of me felt happy that he had settled for a canine.

Jason let out a snort and gasped a little. It brought my attention to his face, and I could see his lips twitch. A dark undertone had already started to blossom in the flesh, and his face had pushed out into a budding proto-muzzle.

It triggered something within me as I saw it. Something primal, as if an itch had been scratched.

But there was also more than that. Relief. Lots and lots of relief. I wouldn’t have to watch him grow old and frail. I wouldn’t have to tiptoe around him in fear I might hurt him by mistake. We’d be able to spend time together as equals; no more stares and no more whispers. No longer would I be the wolf who took pity on a human, and he wouldn’t be someone who lived between worlds. His ears had started to grow pointed, and as he drew a deep breath, I could hear a soft rumble from his changing vocal cords.

“Jason,” I whispered, and gently poked his shoulder.

“Hrrnn?” Jason murmured while his foot slipped out from underneath the blanket.

I looked down, and I could see more changes. A sparse trickle of pigmentation changes had flowed down his leg, like paths made by the symbiont to seed the change throughout his body. Hints of dusty-brown fur had begun to grow where the change was most pronounced, and the underside of his foot was darkening to herald canine paw pads. The overall layout of his foot remained the same though. Domesticated canines didn’t end up with digitigrade legs like wolves.

For good and bad… They’re awkward at times, but I like the style and the way I can jump…

“Jason…” I whispered once more, and let my claws dance on his shoulder.

“Hrrmmn, who… wha-” Jason murmured, and his eyelids began to flutter.

As he lifted his head a little, I could see a trail of drool stick to his pillow.

“Hey there,” I whispered as our eyes met.

Jason’s eyes shot wide open, and he made a surprised gasp, “Ah!”

He tugged the blanket close to his chest, and his muzzle dropped open in fright. For a moment, the symbiont’s chitter in the room seemed to change.

I leaned back a little, “Remember me?”

Jason blinked as he stared at me. He’d always had a shotgun-blast of freckles in his face, but they seemed to be fading now. His ginger hair appeared sparse, and even his left eye had started to change. The pupil was larger than usual, and the color was shifting to a rich green hue.

“V- Vilkas?” Jason asked, with a voice that crackled and slurred as he tried to work his growing muzzle.

I felt my tail wag as I nodded, “I’m right here.”

Jason glanced around in confusion, “It’s you… I was just going to take a nap… I wanted to take a shower, and I got your message, and-”

“Relax, Jason,” I whispered, and waved my hand a little.

“It’s morning,” Jason whispered, as he shuffled back a little and eased himself into a sitting position.

Moments later he sniffed at the air and lifted his head in a surprisingly canine gesture, “You… You smell.”

I looked down at myself, “Oh?”

Jason sniffed repeatedly. Deep, huffing breaths, while inching closer to me, “You smell like… You smell like I remember you, but there’s so much more now… How do you-”

He reached up without warning and felt his nose as he grimaced and shut his eyes.

I tipped my head, “Don’t overdo it… What you’re experiencing is a sensory overload. Just relax, and it will ebb away.”

A bit of clear snot settled by the edge of his nose. He wiped it off as he opened his eyes once more, and his grimace faded. He looked at me once more, and I got the impression that his thoughts were racing.

“Hmm?” I whispered.

A faint smile grew on his lips, and he lowered his head a little, “I missed you.”

I eased myself up and tentatively put my hand against the bed. Carefully, I let my weight bear down on it. While it groaned a little, and the bedding flattened. It seemed sturdy enough to take my weight.

Jason shuffled to the side with the blanket in tow, and he smiled in wonder as I eased my rear down on his bed. Finally, I turned to face him once more.

“Do you know how to say hello yet?” I whispered.

Jason blinked, “To… say hello?”

I inched closer to him and angled my head in a canine greeting. As I watched, something began to pull on him; he angled his head as if to meet my greeting but seemed to hesitate at the last second.

“Relax. Just do what feels natural,” I whispered.

His nose and ears wiggled a little as if nascent instincts pulled on him, and I heard as he drew a deep breath. Carefully, he inched closer, reached out, and grabbed my shirt as he sniffed.

The blanket slipped from his upper body as he brushed his short muzzle along my own, and I reciprocated as I nuzzled his neck. He buried his nose against my cheek and traced his way down toward my shoulder as he leaned in.

“I missed you too,” I whispered.

Jason nodded repeatedly with his face buried in my fur, “You smell nice…”

“Tell me about it,” I asked, and realized that I could hear the steady swish of my tail.

Jason’s mouth hung open while his gaze wandered as if pondering it, “It’s like… I can pick the scent apart, and I have no clue what it means, but there’s something in the back of my head that’s feeding me answers. It sounds silly, but… I can smell that you’re male, that you’re a wolf, that there’s something… odd about you. You smell happy.”

The odd thing might be the Alpha portion of it…

I made a show of making a deep breath near Jason, “I can smell that you’re canine, but I'm not sure what appearance you settled for.”

Jason glanced down at his hand, and the subtle hints of fur that grew on his knuckles, “Do you like the color?”

I nodded as I lowered my nose to his hand, “A Shiba of some sort?”

Jason shook his head, “No…”

“Then?” I whispered and angled my head for a peek. Fur had started to blossom on his chest as well, and the flab that once covered his abdomen had begun to fade, no doubt as fuel for the transformation.

“I’m not sure I picked a breed at all. I spent days in the designer they have over at SYNE and kept pressing the ‘randomize’ button, until…” Jason whispered.

“Until?” I wondered.

Jason smiled, and his mostly human ears twitched a little, “I saw a mutt. Golden-brown and white fur. Simple and gentle, with green eyes. He looked kind of sad, but happy at the same time. I chuckled at it, and kept pressing the randomize button, but...”

I smiled back, “Something about him caught in your mind?”

Jason nodded, “I asked Athena if she could find it again, and I guess she had taken note when I stopped to look at the design. Something clicked inside of me the second time that I saw it, and… that’s what I settled for.”

He shifted his hands, and the blanket around his waist drooped. I didn’t mean to look, but even the shortest glimpse revealed that the changes had gotten to work on his nether regions as well.

Jason noticed, and I could see him twitch a little as he caught the blanket to cover himself once more.

I chuckled and pointed a claw at him, “So, a golden-brown mutt, with gentle green eyes.”

“Yeah,” Jason whispered, and tipped his head toward me.

I inched closer, “Well, based on your description, I think it’ll suit you perfectly.”

Jason glanced back for a moment, and his ears made a subtle wiggle.

“Something wrong?” I wondered.

Jason looked back at me, “Sometimes I feel things, like when we were saying hello a moment ago. A twitch in my muscles, a spooky sensation as if there’s a tail wagging behind me.”

“Instincts,” I whispered and met his gaze.

“Don’t they… get in the way?” Jason asked.

I shook my head, “I don’t think so… Not any longer, at least. Sure, they felt weird at first, but we are not human, and we don’t have to look at human culture to define us.”

Jason blinked as he peered at me, “… I remember asking whether you still considered yourself human. At the time you weren’t sure… human, but better?”

This question… It’s important, and I've changed my answer more than once…

After a few moments, I shook my head, “No. I may have been human, and it’s a heritage that will always be part of me, but I'm not human, not any longer… neither in body nor mind.”

“Do you… I mean, you’ve been away for a while, with the Defense Force,” Jason whispered.

“Yes?” I wondered.

Jason made something of a shrug, “… Has your opinion on humans changed? We haven’t really talked about the subject since the car crash, but…”

Has it? What do I think of humans these days? After seeing the Dyssian soldier die in the tank…

After talking with the Enclave humans, and the deaf ones at the temple?

Once more, I shook my head, “No, I don’t think my opinion has changed much. I’ve seen a bunch of things and faced new situations, but humanity remains what it is.”

“… Which is?” Jason asked.

I glanced toward the window in the room and saw the sun glimpse through the drapes as dust danced in the air, “Humans have so much potential. They conquered this world, built machines with true intelligence, and they were dreaming of colonizing the stars. As individuals they can be gems, but as a society they fall prey to instincts that are so deeply wired that they can’t escape the rot which grows from within.”

I paused for a moment, “Even worse is that once the rot has taken hold, there’s no easy way to untangle it. The system, the culture, and the environment they build… It ends up so toxic yet self-reaffirming in a way that people won’t dare confront it or even acknowledge the problems.”

Jason made a sudden chuckle, “In other words, nothing has changed.”

I glanced back at him and flashed a few teeth, “Yeah.”

Jason kept looking at me, specifically he seemed to stare at my fangs.

“What?” I whispered.

Jason reached out with his hand and gently flattened a few creases on the blanket, “There are so many things changing that I barely notice them. I just realized that you bared your teeth, yet I'm not afraid… If anything, I feel comfortable sitting like this. It’s soothing: the scents, the tingle within the back of my mind… as if something is whispering to me.”

“A whisper?” I wondered.

Jason looked up and motioned to his head, “Instincts, whatever… It feels like there’s something back there… Sure, it was scary at first, but the more I listen to it, the more it feels normal.”

“Mm,” I said and nodded.

“You don’t have it?” Jason wondered.

“Sure, I do… But I've been a hybrid for a few years now, so… I guess it’s pretty natural. Besides, the stronger instincts only come out when you’re either in danger, or you get very excited.”

“Oh, excited how?” Jason whispered.

I smiled back, “Like when you’re on a hunt or when it’s time for sex.”

Jason fidgeted with the blanket, “Oh, like that, huh…”

I made a quick huff and nodded, “So, how are you holding up?”

“The last few days have been… bad, but they’re also… incredible. At first it felt like something was eating my arm, and I don’t think I've ever been that sick before… delirious, feverish, puking my guts out. Then, it was as if something shifted.”

The moment when the human immune system is eradicated, when the body stops fighting…

“Yes?” I wondered.

“I still felt like shit—even now I feel like I have the flu or something—but there were good parts as well. The first hints of fur were the moment when it really hit me, that I can have a new life. After that, every little change became a welcome surprise rather than something alien.”

I pointed to his hand and the budding claws, “Like these.”

Jason looked at his hand and then focused on the claws on my own hand, “I’ve never told you, but I always liked the claws. They’re so… different.”

I held up my hand to look at the blunt black claws, “Different?”

Jason shrugged and scratched at the bed with a few of his budding claws, “I like them, and I finally feel like things can only get better from here on.”

You’ve changed… a lot…

From someone who saw the world as a hopeless abyss, to one where there’s hope…

I nodded, “Things will be better, and there’s so much for you to learn.”

Jason smiled back, “Like what? How to drink from a glass with a muzzle like yours? Or to sniff my own butt?”

Telepathy, the Virtual World, talking with machines…

I smirked back, “Among others.”

For a moment, Jason’s gaze drifted and seemed to settle on nothing. I glanced behind me in wonder at what he might have been looking at, but saw nothing. Upon looking back to him, he seemed so lost in his own thoughts that I had faded from his awareness.

I raised my hand, and waved it in front of his face. It took a moment, but he suddenly shuddered to life once more, and stared at me in shock.

“You zoned out for a moment,” I said and smiled back.

Jason’s shoulders slouched and he let out a deep sigh, “… It happens, sometimes. I just drift off.”

I nodded, “I know…”

Jason chuckled and motioned to himself, “So, how do I look?”

“Awful, to be honest,” I said and kept smiling.

Jason grew a big grin, “Yeah, the mirror isn’t exactly my friend right now. Everything hurts as well… My bones, my muscles, stuff that I didn’t even know existed ache.”

I poked his leg through the blanket, “Do you have a tail yet?”

Jason gulped, “Not really… Just a bump, or… it may have grown a bit overnight to be honest.”

“Can I see?” I asked and tipped my head to the side.

Jason pulled the blanket tighter, “… Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were rather private when you were changing.”

“Well,” I whispered and glanced to the side, “Only because I didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Oh,” Jason murmured and perked his brow.

I decided to shift the subject as I motioned to him, “I must say I was a bit surprised by you suddenly taking the leap.”

Jason shrugged as he reached up and pulled his hand through his hair. He froze for a moment as he pulled his hand back and noticed that a fair amount of his ginger hair had loosened in tufts. I reached out carefully, plucked the tufts from his hand, and hid it from his sight.

He looked at me for a few moments, shook his head, and kept talking, “You saved me from Hedwig… again, and I almost got both of us killed in the process. I’ve been in and out of therapy for a while now, but I guess that was the moment when I was forced to face every fucked decision I've made.”

“Jason…” I whispered.

Jason frowned as he lowered his gaze, “I was angry—not at the world, not at Sophos, not at you. Just myself… Part of why I went with Hedwig was because I gave up. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore, and in my stupidity, I did the thing which was the most selfish.”

I listened in silence.

Jason sighed and met my gaze, “I gave up, fell through the abyss, and something within me broke apart. No one has said anything about my mother, and I haven’t asked, because I don’t want to know.”

“… Is that wise?” I wondered.

Jason made a single nod, “My mother, the one I knew when I was little… The one who convinced my dad that we should move to the inner city, to live among hybrids rather than stick to the outskirts… she died a long time ago. Just like my dad was swallowed up by the cult and faced the consequences for it.”

Jason drew a deep breath and sighed, “I’m tired of it. I want a new life, the life I'm starting right now. Harold and Silvia were so careful, they told me they’d never replace or try to replace my original parents, that I could keep my name, and so on.”

“I noticed that you had taken their last name,” I said.

Jason’s gaze wandered to the wall, “I know it must sound and look weird, after all… I've known them for a month. But they’re nice people. They don’t have any children despite being a century-and-a-half old, but they said they wouldn’t mind a son… even if it took a long time to get to know him, or if he was a screwed up human, with more baggage than most people should ever live to suffer.”

I smiled a little, but held my silence.

Jason’s gaze drifted back to me, “Is it weird? I mean, they respect my private time, I respect theirs, and they’re slowly introducing me to their lives… I know that I don’t have a blood bond to them, and part of me thinks I should just live on my own, but…”

I reached out and gently caught his hand in my own, “I’m sure it will work out, with time and a bit of effort from both sides. I met the others of my pack just a few years ago, but these days they feel like family… I don’t know that much about them to be honest, but we’re growing together. Learning, trusting, sharing, bonding.”

Jason let out an exasperated sigh as if relieved, “… Do you think others will have the same understanding, or…”

I traced my pads along his hand and lowered my voice, “The past will be there, of course. But tell me this: at university… has a hybrid ever been mean to you?”

“No… They mostly looked at me, wondering, curious… some were scared, but no one ever said a thing. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s-”

I interrupted, “Tough and demeaning. That it makes you feel like an outsider, I know.”

Jason nodded, “Yeah…”

I turned Jason’s hand around and looked at his darkening palm, “I think you’ll find that most hybrids are understanding, and that once you look like one, you’ll find yourself as one among many. Invisible, if you want.”

“… You really think so?” Jason wondered.

I looked up to meet his gaze, “That said, invisibility shouldn’t be a goal. But yes, I don’t think anyone will hold your past against you, and if they do… then that says more about them than it does about you.”

Jason stifled a chuckle and nodded, “… I hope you’re right.”

“Anything you feel like doing?” I wondered.

“Doing… Oh, you mean like, right now?” Jason whispered.

I nodded, “I have all day... if you want?”

“And then you head back, to the Defense Force?” Jason wondered.

“We’ll see… I’m between missions right now,” I said.

Jason nodded and motioned to himself, “… I feel like my skin is all sticky, and based on what my nose is telling me, I don’t think I smell very good either…”

I wiggled my head back and forth, “… I’d say your nose is correct.”

Jason bundled up the blanket around his midsection, “I’ll take a shower, and try to make myself presentable.”

I tipped my head, “Want any help, or are you strong enough to handle it on your own?”

“I’m tempted to tell you off, but…” Jason whispered.

I perked my brow, “Yes?”

Jason glanced to the side, “I’ve already fallen once and almost killed myself in the process, so…”

“You’re as stubborn as ever,” I mused.

Jason squinted at me, and his ears wiggled once more, “… I’ll let you help me, but only because I don’t want to hassle Harold or Silvia.”

“That’s fine with me,” I said.

Jason nodded and reached up to scratch his flattening nose, “… Are you going to get naked as well?”

My ears perked in wonder, “Do you… want me to?”

Jason shrugged, “No… Well, I mean… You turned into a hybrid, and you didn’t show me once. Now we’re both hybrids, and they say that hybrids deal with nudity differently so, uh…”

Slowly, his ears were going red, and his face was starting to look like a tomato.

I stifled a chuckle and leaned closer to him. It made his eyes widen while his nostrils flared as he drew a set of quick breaths.

“You’re a silly mutt, aren’t you?” I whispered.

Jason mouth dropped open, and he seemed to struggle for words, “Don’t… don’t tease me.”

I nudged his leg, “Come, let’s take a bath…”

“… Okay,” Jason whispered.

512 A.R. February 20, Jason’s House, Morning

Fortunately, the bathtub was a surprisingly large one. It had started simple, with me sitting on the outside of the tub. But as Jason had nearly fallen asleep and drowned himself, I decided to join him. He was small enough to fit in the space between my legs, and I found myself looming over him.

He’d been tense from the start, but now he was like putty as I gently kneaded his shoulders. He arched his head back and let out a pleased groan as his back popped a little.

On the inside, a hybrid and human were similar to one another. Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, the usual… but that’s where the similarities ended. The spine of a hybrid was not a set of interlinked bones with a bundle of nerves running through it. It was bigger, more flexible, and was more like thick cartilage lined with processing clusters that supplemented the brain.

As I traced my hand along his neck, I could already feel the changes. The shifting musculature, the way his spine was growing at the same time as it was dissolving the calcified bone. No doubt his brain was already starting to come into contact with the budding processing clusters, even if it had no idea how to utilize it.

I slipped my hand to his front for support and worked the other against his lower spine. He panted as the tension in his muscles were loosened, and with another pop, something resettled.

I could imagine what he felt like: the odd ‘pressure’ that grew inside of him, the way everything ached, and the relief that came from something like this. His eyes fluttered as he looked up at the ceiling and drew deep, steady breaths.

Upon glancing down, I could see that he was indeed growing a tail. Just a short nub at this point, but the supporting structures were finished, and it would only be days before he could wag it at will.

“I’m hungry,” Jason whispered.

“We’ll get as much food as you want when we’re done here,” I whispered, and grabbed the shower head.

“Hmmrnn,” Jason murmured with a slow nod.

As I carefully rinsed the top of his head, the loss of his hair grew more evident. Entire lumps loosened as he was steadily going bald, and I did my best to make sure that the hair fell to the side, rather than within his field of vision. Jason didn’t seem to notice, but I couldn’t help but think back to the shock when he’d discovered tufts of ginger hair in his hands.

I remember feeling the same way, seeing as my haircut—a part of my identity—was washed away…

Fortunately, I could already see hints of that dusty-brown fur sprouting all over the top of his head.

With a mischievous smirk, I gently tickled the top of his pointed ear with a claw. Jason was quick to start snickering as he leaned his head back against my chest.

Jason’s attention seemed to drift as if he was on the edge of falling asleep again, “Vilkas?”

“Yeah?” I wondered.

“Tell me… what you’ve been up to?” Jason whispered.

“Well…”

Jason shuffled around enough so that he could turn his head to look at me, “Something fun.”

Something fun? Has there been something like that lately?

“Well…” I whispered.

Jason’s gaze drifted downward, and his head soon followed as he looked down at my crotch.

It made my ears twitch a little as I reached down, caught his cheek with a few fingers, and made him look up at me once more.

“Eyes up here,” I whispered and made a feral grin.

A cheeky smile grew on his lips as a bit of red blossomed in his cheeks.

I made a quick huff and shook my head, “How about I tell you about the time I visited Fenrir… A giant ice crawler, and then you can guess who I found inside of it?”

Jason made a slow nod, “That sounds fun.”

512 A.R. February 20, Jason’s House, Midday

“I’m not a pillow, you know?” I said.

Jason leaned his head back once more, perked his brow, and motioned with his hand, “Make me another sandwich, will you?”

“… And I'm not your butler either,” I said, looking down at him.

“Please?” Jason pleaded and smirked.

I looked over at the bed, and the big tray on top of it. Silvia had brought it upstairs shortly after we got out of the bathroom. Now I was sitting on the floor in front of Jason’s bed stuck in front of a gaming console. Jason seemed to have found a comfortable spot in my embrace, and while I may have acted a bit disgruntled, I couldn’t help but feel at peace with it all.

“What do you want on it?” I asked as I fetched another slice of bread.

“Butter, a lot of it, and meat… lots of meat,” Jason whispered.

“Right,” I said with a smirk and began to fill the sandwich.

I could hear Jason fidget with the controller in his hand, “So, have you heard from James since visiting Fenrir?”

“No, I've been busy,” I said.

“… Do you think she’s still alive?” Jason asked.

“Who?” I wondered, and reached down to hold the sandwich in front of him.

“Hedwig,” Jason said as he grabbed the sandwich.

“… Are you sure you want to talk about this?” I wondered.

Jason had a voracious appetite as expected, and he murmured while chewing a big piece, “I’m not made of glass, Vilkas… Besides, I'm more worried about you than me.”

I leaned forward and bent my head so that I could look at Jason from above, “Oh?”

Jason eyed me and began to smile, “… You’re awfully flexible.”

I nodded while viewing the world from my upside-down perspective, “I know… it has its perks.”

Jason stifled a chuckle and shook his head, “Anyway… You shouldn’t underestimate Hedwig.”

“I won’t,” I said and straightened myself.

“… You sure? Because you might think she has qualms about doing bad things, or a conscience of some sort, but she doesn’t.”

“I interacted with her a bit, but I never got the impression that she was a psychopath,” I said.

“… She’s not. I'd say she’s even worse. Hedwig is… obsessed with her vision of the world, and she will stop at nothing to harm you.”

“You, as in me, or do you mean Sophos as a whole?” I wondered.

Jason sighed, “I have to wonder. To her, you became a symbol of Sophos, a living representation of everything that was wrong with the world… Her goal may have been to disrupt Sophos, but she had a special kind of hatred for you.”

I tapped Jason’s shoulder, “Because I stole this precious mutt from her grasp.”

“Yeah,” Jason whispered and kept munching.

“Anyway, I have to wonder how much she’d be able to accomplish in those frozen wastes, at least against Sophos’ joint might,” I said.

Jason shrugged, “Whatever it was, she didn’t tell me.”

“Mm,” I murmured.

Jason reached up his hand and motioned at me, “Another sandwich… please?”

512 A.R. February 20, Jason’s House, Afternoon

It started slowly. Jason’s attention wandered, his eyes drifted shut at random, and at some point he lost track of the game we were playing. I asked whether he was tired, at which point he was adamant that he wasn’t, and that we still had plenty of fun to do.

The controller slipped from his hands shortly after. His gaze drifted from the console to my chest, and he leaned in close as if seeking the comfort of a pillow. I watched and listened as he struggled against the needs of his body, until he simply fell asleep. Now he was in a deep slumber, breathing slowly but steadily, while the console chimed in the background.

I poked him, and gently whispered in his ear, but he wouldn’t wake from his slumber.

A glance at the window revealed that the sun was already past its highest point and that it would soon be evening as the world descended towards darkness once more.

In just half a day, the changes across his body had progressed. His short tail made a bump in his t-shirt, hints of fur bristled all over his head, and he’d discreetly tried to hide the fact that he’d lost a few nails as more claws took their place.

Heat radiated from the intense transformation that coursed through his body, and there wasn’t even a scrap of food left from the steady deliveries that Silvia and Harold provided.

I gently lifted Jason’s lips, and I could see the way his gums appeared red and irritated. Within a day or two, he’d start losing his teeth, and a new set of canine fangs would take their place. A curious scent made me nuzzle his short muzzle, and I caught a hint of his budding scent glands.

Canine, male, young, in flux though healthy…

Even while unconscious, he seemed drawn to me as his hands dug into my fur, and his nose wiggled as he pushed against my chest.

Based on what I remembered of my own changes, he was unlikely to wake up for little more than a meal or to relieve his meals. Hell, it was impressive that he’d managed to stay awake for as long as he had.

Peter is probably wondering where I am, and Mom might be getting antsy…

I figured it wouldn’t hurt to sit around for a while, so I lifted my head, shut my eyes, and reached out with my mind, ‘Athena?’

Her presence descended on my shoulders, ‘Afternoon, Vilkas…’

‘Afternoon,’ I thought.

‘How may I help?’ Athena wondered.

‘I’m curious how things have played out since we last talked,’ I thought.

‘I was going to contact you eventually, but I figured you deserved a few days’ rest,’ Athena thought.

‘Has something happened?’ I wondered.

‘Unfortunately, yes…’ Athena whispered as her presence wavered.

‘Go on?’ I thought.

‘The sample you handed over to the Space Initiative facility has been analyzed, and it seems to differ from our earlier samples of the Glow Starter,’ Athena answered.

‘So you already had samples of it?’ I wondered.

‘Of course, Vilkas… Did you assume we didn’t?’ Athena wondered as her presence grew stronger.

I smiled to myself, ‘I assumed that you had samples; just wanted to check whether I was correct in my assumption. That being said, you mentioned that my sample differed?’

‘It does… Glow Starter usually produces nothing more than Glow and more Starter. This one has an additional module, a viral entity,’ Athena answered.

‘A virus?’ I wondered.

‘Yes, one specially made to infect humans. We are currently developing models for its purpose and have found that it alters the immune system in some subtle ways. What this accomplishes is still unknown to us.’

‘Could it be that the alteration opens up some weakness that another virus could make us of?’

‘At this time we dare not speculate, but we will know more in a matter of days,’ Athena said.

‘I see… Anything else?’ I thought.

‘Yes… We sent drones and another team to deal with the deaf humans by the temple. Unfortunately, someone got there before us,’ Athena answered.

‘What do you mean?’ I wondered.

‘They’re all dead. Slaughtered, as if torn apart by wild animals. The team we sent were ordered to withdraw, and droids are now examining the crime scene to figure out what happened.’

‘Lusus?’ I wondered.

‘No heightened spore levels were detected in the air. Lusus involvement is therefore unlikely.’

‘How come it took this long to act?’ I wondered.

For a moment, Athena was silent, ‘In order to allow you to operate independently, surveillance drones were ordered to give the area a wide berth. More than that, we were hesitant to resume surveillance until the trail to the Space Initiative installation had gone cold. To my knowledge, no one has made a connection between your activities and Lucas.’

Is it possible that the Space Initiative are responsible for this? But why? What’s their motive?

‘Troubling,’ I thought.

‘Yes, very much so… Though there is little point worrying about it until the investigations are concluded,’ Athena answered.

‘Anything else?’ I thought.

‘No, not at the moment, but we’ll be in contact if we have need of you,’ Athena said.

‘Roger that, thank you… Athena,’ I thought.

‘You’re quite welcome,’ Athena whispered as her presence withdrew once more.

I opened my eyes once more, and noticed that the room was starting to go orange from the setting sun. Jason was still nestled up along my chest, and he snored gently as a bit of drool dripped from his short muzzle.

Time to head back home…

I carefully lifted Jason into my arms, crawled over to the bed, and eased him into it. He murmured a little but did not wake as I put him on his side and made sure his pillow was comfortably nestled underneath his head.

As I was about to move away, I noticed that he’d caught the cuff of my shirt. He held on tight, and I could hear him sniff the air as if wondering where my scent had gone.

A rather weird instinct bubbled to the surface as I sat there. A parental urge of some kind, to make sure that my scent stayed with him and kept him comfortable. I resisted the urge, tried to tug my arm back once more, and saw as Jason frowned with a dismayed murmur.

After a few moments, I groaned to myself and unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing. Once done, I carefully eased myself out of it, bundled it up, and moved Jason’s hand so that the bundled shirt rested by his nose.

There, now he has my scent to keep him comfortable…

While it made my tail wag with joy, I had merely replaced one problem with another, as Harold and Silvia would no doubt have questions.

Questions regarding more than a missing shirt, none of which I feel like going over once more…

512 A.R. February 20, Vilkas’ House, Evening

While Harold and Silvia had sounded a bit surprised as I leaned into the kitchen and waved them goodbye, I don’t think they actually noticed. Afterwards I hurried to the car, and by the time I was back at my parents’ house, the sun had set to a point where my dark fur blended in rather well.

I hurried up the stairs to the front door, slipped inside with ease, and turned around to suddenly face Mother who was peeking out of the kitchen.

She blinked as if something didn’t make sense, then perked her brow with the hint of a smile, “… Welcome back, Vilkas.”

I raised both my hands and pointed at the door, “Jason wanted my shirt.”

The corner of her short muzzle twitched a little in amusement, “I see… makes perfect sense.”

I let my hands sink down and sighed, while my nose caught an interesting scent. Ham and apples, with a hint of honey in the air. It made me sniff around as I looked at her, “Apple… with ham?”

Mother stifled a huff as she motioned for me to follow and stepped back into the kitchen. I sauntered up to the kitchen entrance, glanced inside, and saw a big meal waiting on the counter. A still-steaming oven tray had plenty of ham, and sitting next to it was a big bowl filled with apples coated in a rich glaze.

“Honey mustard ham with Sautéed Apples,” Mother said as she motioned toward the counter.

My tongue dabbed my lips as I inched closer, and reached out to grab a sample, “This certainly looks appetizing.”

Mother walked up beside me and slapped my wrist with her hand, “Not until your father and Peter get back.”

“… Where are they?” I asked and looked at her in wonder.

Mother stepped back to the fridge and opened it up as she motioned for the big bowl on the counter, “They spent most of the day in the gym downstairs, now they’re in the garage… having a talk between wolves.”

I grabbed the big bowl, walked over to the fridge, and set it inside, “Oh?”

Mother smiled as she shut the fridge, “Your father is eager to share his wisdom as always, and Peter has a few things he needs to get off his chest.”

“Sounds like I should join them…” I said and glanced toward the exit.

As I was about to start moving, I felt her hand slip around my wrist. It made me stop as I looked back at her in wonder. Mother brushed shoulders with me as she perked her brow once more and gave me the kind of look she used to give Father when he was being stupid.

“Vilkas,” Mother said in a soft tone.

“… Yes?” I whispered.

“You’re Peter’s Alpha. He respects you for it, and he loves you as a person. But there are things he won’t be comfortable talking to you about, because of both those things. If Peter has the chance to get those things off his chest, then that is something you shouldn’t interfere with.”

I looked at her, and found it difficult to pin down what I was feeling.

Curious? Confused? Hurt? Uncertain?

“… Understand?” Mother whispered.

“… Not really,” I whispered.

She eased her grip on my arm, and faced me, “Wolves have pride, Vilkas… We all do, but wolves can be a bit stubborn about their pride, especially in their hierarchy.”

“… I know that part,” I said.

Mother clasped her hands, “Then do you think that Peter is at ease talking about his experiences as Alpha of the group, with you of all people, who handle it so much better?”

My muzzle, “… We have talked it about it a fair deal, but…”

Mother added, “But it’s restrained, sanitized, diplomatic. It’s not filled with the rage one might feel, the shame it carries, or the guilt hiding in its depths.”

I felt my ears fold back and nodded to myself, “A fair point. I think I understand.”

Mother stepped up and slipped her hands through the thick fur on my cheeks. She then lifted her head, and sniffed at the air, “Ah, I was right… Jason did get a Symbiont, and he settled for a domesticated canine of some sort.”

I nodded, “He’s changing, and his instincts are already blooming.”

“It’s a relief to see that he finally found his path,” Mother said with a slow nod.

My ears perked as I glanced to the rest of the kitchen, “… Are we making something else as well?”

Mother chuckled, “We have a lot of apples in the basement; I figured I'd make an apple pie as dessert.”

“Let’s get started then,” I said.

“It’s okay to relax for a moment, Vilkas… You know that, right?” Mother said as her hand slipped from my muzzle.

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

Mother stepped back as she made a big wave with her hands, “Relax. Let the world sink in for a moment… You’ve been moving non-stop for weeks on end, and it’s not good for you in the long run.”

“… I can deal with it,” I said.

“No, you can’t, dear… Sooner or later even the most patient ones snap. Take a run in the forest, scream at the trees, or just lay down in the garden for a while and watch the stars.”

“… A bit of fresh air would be good,” I whispered, and glanced toward the window.

Mother stepped back, “I’ll start with the pie in an hour, so don’t be gone for too long.”

My tail put on a swish as the idea took root in my mind, “… I’ll be back by then, just to be safe.”

“I promise we won’t start eating without you,” Mother said with a wink.

I stifled a chuckle, stepped out into the hallway, walked past the stairs, and made my way into the living room. The full-height windows of the living room faced the porch and garden at the back of the house, and I could see a hint of snow drifting in the dim lights outside.

Part of me wished I could bring Peter along, or even the whole pack… to hunt once more.

I stepped up to the large sliding glass door, unlocked it, and slid the door open by the handle. Cold air seeped into my fur as I stepped out, then pulled the door shut. With my paws tingling from the cold, I reached back, unlatched my trousers from the tail, and wiggled my way out of them in haste. With a flick of my paw, the trousers were discarded, and I eagerly let a wild shake rustle through my body as I let my fur air itself out.

With my heart suddenly pounding from excitement, I gritted my teeth, set off in a running sprint, and leaped high above the wooden fence.

512 A.R. February 20, Forest, Evening

The forest was surprisingly dark. While there was plenty of snow, the foliage was thick, and the sky was cloudy, blocking out most of the moon’s light. Color was non-existent, and the trees were little more than diffuse shapes. Figuring out where to put my paw down, when to jump, and planning a path was an instinctual blaze.

I held my breath for a split second, leaped over a hole in the ground, and landed with a thump that shook me to the core. My body felt numbed from the sheer rush, and I gasped for breath as my claws dug in. Sprinting like a maniac, barely able to keep my tongue inside my muzzle, legs aching, and my lungs burning.

It was as if I was willing myself to the edge, yet I couldn’t stop. My mind was focused, yet clear—no doubts, no hesitations, no annoyances to take into account.

Just me, the beast, and the thick forest.

For the briefest moment, I caught something odd. A red tinge in the snow, a subtle flash of some sort. It was gone the moment I had noticed it, and I threw a glimpse toward the sky.

Nothing, just dark gray clouds…

My senses focused on what was in front, and I saw what looked like a toppled tree. I forced my lungs to take a deep breath, readied myself for the jump, and-

The ground gave way without warning, and it felt like my paw pushed through a bit of ice. With a bit of panic, I let myself fall forward, pushed off the ground with my hands all my might, and hoped it would be enough to fling me over the toppled tree.

My hands caught the top of the fallen tree, but as I pushed down at what I assumed was a frozen log, I instead met an icy sludge mixed with moss, and bark that crumbled like soggy crackers. I felt a heavy thump as my knee hit the tree, and smashed through it with enough force to cause a plume of flying debris. It made me to topple forward, and the snow-covered ground came rushing closer at an alarming pace.

I hit the ground hard, plowed through the snow, and scrambled to at least remain on all four as I skidded to a halt. Everything grew still, and I focused on my senses.

There was a prickling sensation of pine needles underneath the paws. My maw was wide open, tongue dangling like a lead weight from my muzzle, and my chest was heaving as I gasped for breath.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I focused on the sensations rippling through my body. The tingling sensation of the muscles that made my body hum with excitement. The way that the cold felt like sparkles on my fur, while heat brimmed from the inside with the rapid thumps of my heart. It made my body feel like a rumbling engine, and I couldn’t help but feel it reverberate in my groin.

My knee ached a little, but everything else seemed fine as I eased myself down into the snow. I wiggled around to make myself a makeshift burrow, and let my head rest as I panted. Once done, I idly lifted my gaze to the trees, and decided to enjoy the moment.

As I was lying there, I caught another flicker of red. It seemed to flash across the gray sky, and for the briefest moment it made the forest light up with the presence of shadows. It made me perk up as I lifted my head in wonder.

My ears swiveled, and I stilled my breathing as I focused on my nose. There was a weird scent in the air, but as I sniffed it, I found myself drawn to my hands and knees.

The old tree that I had smashed through was oddly mushy, and I could scrape a bit of it off the fur on my knee. It was like a gelatinous mass with hints of bark mixed in.

Familiar, somehow… Rotting cellulose, maybe?

I can’t say I've dug around in old tree stumps very often, but…

Without warning, a wave of some sort pulled through the air. It made me shudder in surprise, and it felt as if part of the world had gone dark. I focused on the sensation, and realized that I had just lost network connection to the rest of Sophos.

Volkov’s presence bubbled up to my mind, ‘Vilkas…’

I sat up straight, ‘I know, we just lost network connection.’

‘Jamming… Coming from above. In the middle of the forest,’ Volkov thought.

I pushed myself up on two legs, and perked my ears as I held my breath for a moment.

Listen...

My heart thumped, my lungs screamed for air, but...

It was subtle, but I could hear what sounded like snow and ice being pounded by something. I slowly turned my head to focus on the noise, and stared into the darkness.

Slowly, but surely, the noise was growing louder. All the excitement I had felt just moments ago began to drain, and within a span of seconds I felt the fur along my back bristle.

Hunter… Becomes the hunted?

As I stared into the depths of the forest, I caught a hint of movement. It was little more than a speck at this distance, but it was darting among the trees as it headed toward me. Fortunately, the way home was behind me.

There was something about the encroaching creature that unnerved me, and I could feel goosebumps crawling over my shoulder. My own sprint through the forest had been far from silent, but I imagined they’d sound like dull thumps from a distance. In comparison, the noise coming from the creature was short and snappy, as if it was stabbing the ground with each step.

A human? No… A human can’t run that quickly…

A hybrid then? But why would someone rush like this?

A machine? One of those hunter-killer droids? Another fucking test?

Volkov whispered in my mind, ‘That’s not a hunter-killer droid.’

‘You know that for certain?’ I thought.

‘Yes, now turn around and start running,’ Volkov ordered.

My tail stiffened as I listened to what Volkov said, ‘Do you know something, because-’

‘No, I don’t… But whatever that thing is, it’s coming for us, and we’re at least 20 minutes from civilization,’ Volkov thought.

I looked back into the forest, and by now the moving fleck had become easier to see.

Humanoid, running on two legs, but not big enough to be a wolf...

The way it moved was odd, wild and violent in a way, as if enraged as it hurled itself forward. Instinct surged in my spine, and what had been a whisper in the back of my mind became louder.

Run! Flee!

I bolted. One moment I'd been standing still, and by the next my claws were digging into the snow with enough force to send dirt flying in the air. My legs felt heavy from the earlier strain, but I pushed hard, and leaped over the old log I'd encountered before.

20 minutes, as long as I keep up the pace, it won’t have a chance of-

I looked back for a glance, and saw a sudden plume as the old log burst into pieces. The creature emerged a split second later, and my heart leaped in fright.

Volkov whispered, ‘It’s gaining on us.’

‘I bloody noticed!’ I snapped back with a thought, and looked in front.

‘At this rate, it’ll barely be a minute before it catches up,’ Volkov whispered in my mind.

Faster… We need to go faster…

It felt as if something was reaching out for my tail, and I gave it my all. My paws pounded the ground in leaping steps, the trees hurtled by faster, and it was difficult to even breathe.

‘We need a better look at this thing,’ I thought.

‘Then do it,’ Volkov answered.

I made sure the path was free from obstacles, snapped my head back for another look, and slowed down my perception of time. The creature was about a football field away from me, and its appearance was… surprising.

The creature looked like a human with tattered clothing. A simple set of jeans covered the lower half, but the parts below the knees were little more than tattered remains. The legs themselves were like stubs, dark and gnarly as it stomped its way forward.

Its upper body was covered by a big hoodie with a top that had been pulled tight to obscure most of its head. No hands could be seen, but the arms of the hoodie fluttered as if torn to pieces as well.

What on earth is that!?

My perception of time returned to normal as I looked back in front and kept running.

‘Uh-oh,’ Volkov whispered in my mind.

‘What!?’ I thought.

‘I’m going to withdraw into my sanctum for a while, you’ll understand why in a few moments…’

‘Enough, Volkov! Stay here and tell me what the fuck you’re-’

With a blip in my mind, Volkov’s presence disappeared into the depths.

My lungs screamed, desperate gasps grew more frequent, and I was forced to slow down a little just to time my breaths. Another glimpse toward my rear revealed that the creature had continued to close the distance between us.

If I can’t outrun you, I'll fucking cut you down!

Fear turned to anger, and I could feel a twitch within the tendrils in my back as they began to activate. I was about to stop and face the creature, when I felt something.

A strange sensation began to loom above me. It was similar to the sensation of the AI’s as they settled on my shoulder, but this was a lot more intense. A heavy, overbearing sensation, as if the sky itself had been breached and a hand reached down to grab me. Time seemed to slow to a near halt, and my body seemed to freeze mid-sprint.

The sensation intensified as it curled around me like vines, and it seeped into my head as the rest of the world was drowned out.

It felt as if something had sucked my soul out, and I now dangled outside my own body. Suspended by wires in a dark void that hummed with the presence of something… alien.

- Your instincts are correct – You won’t be able to outrun it -

I recognized the booming voice. The way it echoed in my being as if a god had descended.

- You will die if it catches you -

A booming voice coming from far above, with the power to make me feel like this. In the back of my mind, I knew. Maxwell, the invisible hand of Sophos.

‘Sounds like I have to kill it,’ I thought.

- Alas, you don’t have the power to do that -

Here I was, talking with a being that was supposed to live in the Crystal Palace of Moonbase Alpha.

‘How do I kill it?’

- You can’t, but the forest knows how to do it -

‘The forest?’

- Do exactly as I say, no hesitation, and you will live to see another day -

‘I have questions.’

- Survive, and I will grant you one question -

‘Very well, no hesitation.’

It felt as if I should have been more doubtful, but I had been pushed into a corner, and I had no reason to doubt the danger as it was presented.

- Stop, and face the threat -

I committed myself to the agreement I had just made, and felt as the wheels of time began to move once more. My paws dug into the ground, a plume of snow rose around me. It hurt against my paws as rough ice scraped against me. As I came to a slow and grinding halt, I faced the monster which was hunting me.

It wasn’t far away from me now, but despite the close proximity, I could make out very little. Its face was cloaked in darkness, and the monster didn’t seem to care that I had stopped, if anything it reached outward as if grasping at straws in order to reach me, just a little bit faster.

- Use my gift – Let them become your blades -

It was already my intent to use the tendrils, but the booming voice felt like a command that made boosted my determination. The tendrils slithered out of from the sides of my body, and I could feel the chilly air touch their silvery surface.

I gritted my teeth in anger as I glared at the monster and felt a hum in the tendrils as they sharpened into deadly blades. They extended further than ever before, and I could feel the tension in my back as they charged up to strike.

- Lunge toward the right when I give the signal -

‘But…’ I thought.

- Slash at the creature from your left -

The creature was only a few trees away and it raised its arms as it lunged at me.

- One touch, and you will die -

There was a tree to my right, and a quick glimpse revealed that it was in range of the tendrils. As the creature mindlessly hurled itself at me, I ordered the tendrils on my left to swoop in front of me.

- NOW -

The tendrils on my right side hooked into the tree, while the ones near my chest swung back a little and lashed out. As the creature entered reaching distance, the blades began to glow with warmth. They hit the creature hard, while the tendrils who had hooked into the tree began to pull.

The resulting forces were considerable. I felt as my back was violently pulled to the side, while the blades in front hit the creature like knives through butter. A loud hiss was heard as the warm blades hit icy clothing, tore through it, and dug into the creature.

In that moment, as the glowing red blades cut deep, the light illuminated what was hidden within the hoodie. At first, I thought it was a human corpse. The eyes were missing, and in its stead were a couple of holes. The surrounding skin looked as if it had been torn apart by nails, and in the depths, a set of stalks, similar to cauliflower, stared out. Its throat appeared bloated, and the mouth had been violently ripped open as something as a set of large tubules had pushed their way out.

My paws lifted from the ground as I was flung to the right, while the creature was violently thrown toward the left. As I landed once more and skidded to a halt on my paws, a wave of unease washed over me. The tendrils had just touched something foul. Poison, toxin, corruption. I could hear a loud sizzle from the blades as the heat intensified in what I assumed was an attempt at decontaminating itself.

- It’s not over yet – Focus -

I looked toward the creature and saw as it tumbled to a stop in the nearby snow. A splatter of its blood had streaked the snow, and to my surprise… its blood was moving.

A sudden smell slammed into my nose. Metallic like blood, but stingy in the way that ammonia made you recoil. Whatever substance that had spilled from this creature had quite a smell.

The creature’s arm was laying in the snow next to it, and like the blood, it was moving as well. Most of it was covered in human skin, but the cut edge reached out like bloody tentacles. As I watched, the human skin began to split apart, as if the creature was dropping any pretense of what it was.

I began to step back as my focus shifted to the rest of the body, and I saw what the blades had done to it. The head was almost severed, but a set of blackish tentacles had already connected with the neck, and the two were pulling together once more.

The hoodie was starting to rip as something moved underneath. A moment later I heard a loud wet crack, followed by a spindly set of legs bursting from its chest. The creature seemed frantic in how it moved, and the head still had its focus on me.

*CRACK!*

The sudden noise tore through the air, and I jumped in surprise. Snow and debris began to fall from above, and I looked up in wonder. The tree which I had been standing beside was moving. Large cracks appeared in the thick bark, twigs broke apart, and a large split was being torn open in the tree trunk.

I moved back in haste, while the creature began to rise once more. The jeans were tearing, human skin sloughed off as it fell into the snow, and another pair of spindly legs were revealed as it stood up.

The last remnants of the hoodie fell to the ground, and I could see the real nature of the creature move underneath the skin it carried. Black and chitinous, yet it was filled with what seemed like a liquid core. What had once been the skin of a human’s chest and back was still wrapped around the creature’s midsection. It appeared surprisingly healthy, and that made it all the more disturbing. To see a fuzzy pleasure trail, the outline of abs, and a large tattoo covering the pecs, all of which were now being stretched to its breaking point. The areas that were wounded by my blades were the first to split. A number of sickening splats followed as the creature discarded the last of its human heritage.

‘What do I do?’ I thought, and tried to think of some way to fight the monstrosity in front of me.

- Observe -

The nearby trees were waking up, just like the one next to me. Bark fell away in massive piles, the thick tree trunks split, and something began to emerge.

A soft greenish glow began to illuminate the ground as a large, smooth tendril emerged from the tree next to me. It shivered as if waking up from a long slumber, and within moments the snow itself began to glow with the same hue.

The creature discarded the last remains of its human legs, set its sights on me, and began to move. It was fast, stabbed at the icy ground with its spindly legs, and lunged.

I was about to leap out of the way when the tendril of nearby tree acted first.

The glowing tendril moved like a whip, and it caught the leaping creature in midair. As I watched, the tendril squeezed hard, and with a wet crunch, the carapace of the creature split apart. Blood splattered on the ground below it, and the creature raised its head.

The human face on the creature grew distorted. It widened into a sickening smile, the nose flattened, and split apart with another wet splat. The tubules that had filled its mouth began to flutter in the air, and it’s stalk-like eyes flailed.

A sudden scream filled the air, and I winced in discomfort as my ears folded back. Even as I used my hands to clamp them shut, the sudden and screaming howl made me grit my teeth.

As the creature was crushed by the tree, it split apart in two. Both parts crashed to the ground, and the noise abated for a moment. Upon looking up once more, I began to realize that what I had heard wasn’t actually a sound, it was some kind of signal that I had picked up.

Now that I was aware of it, I could hear as the creature chittered in the air like static.

More of the trees were sending out tendrils of their own, and they all lunged at the now writhing parts of the creature. They grabbed parts like jackals, tore it apart, and the tree next to me began to pull parts into its heart. It swallowed and munched on the parts as if it was a feast.

The screams of the creature moved in waves, but it steadily diminished as each part was consumed. Small green roots began to emerge from the snow, and the blood of the creature was starting to fade as the forest fought back.

This… This is what the bear who was being interviewed talked about…

That the Lusus were no threat, since the forests would take care of them…

Obviously, it doesn’t work as intended…

Within moments, the chittering faded, and no trace of the creature could be seen. The trees seemed to relax in turn, and their large glowing tendrils began to pull back.

To my surprise, one of the tendrils turned toward me, the one which belonged to the tree next to me. It loomed closer, dangled in front of me in a way that reminded me of Etemenanki, and seemed to sample the air.

Carefully, it reached out with its tip and held it in front of me as if presenting its palm. With a gulp, I reached out, raised my hand, and put my hand against it.

A tickle danced over my palm, and I felt a connection being made. With a sudden shudder, I had connected with it, and I felt the world expand around me. This being which had just connected with me, it was the forest itself. It covered a massive area, it spread in the ground underneath us, and I could feel a distinct sensation of curiosity.

‘Mother?’ The being wondered.

I blinked in confusion, ‘Are you one of Etemenanki’s… offspring?’

‘We can feel her touch on you… Etemenanki, you say?’ The being whispered.

‘That’s our name for your mother… I think,’ I thought.

‘You should run,’ The being whispered.

‘… Why?’ I wondered.

‘What we just ate… It is poison…’ More voices chimed in, ‘We cannot fight it.’

A louder voice, more mechanical in nature spoke up, ‘This area will be sterilized. Evacuate at once.’

- Run -

Maxwell’s voice broke the spell. I disconnected from the green tendril, turned on my heels, and started running. As I picked up pace, the shock of everything settled to a point where I could actually think. Maxwell had promised me a question.

‘I have a question,’ I thought and directed my thoughts to Maxwell’s presence.

- One question – As agreed -

What question should one ask of the self-appointed lord and dictator of the world at large?

It took me a few moments as I pondered it.

Why me? Why not.

Why are you doing this? To create an alternative to humanity.

What are you? I am who I am.

What did you do with the equations you found on mars?

The last question was so very tantalizing, but part of me doubted that I would receive an honest answer, or at least, a complete answer. In the end, I settled for a simpler question.

‘How do I make you answer more of my questions?’ I thought.

- Make your way into orbit, and gaze upon the dark side of the moon -

- Do that, and I will answer all your questions -

A goal, a promise; it was worth something at least.

‘Fine,’ I thought.

- Don’t stop – The others will catch you -

‘Others!?’ I thought.

With a blip, Maxwell’s presence disappeared from my mind, and I was alone once more.