The Long Shadow of Goldie Copyright 2013 Soronel Haetir soronel.haetir@gmail.com Several of the larger arcans still in camp stood to present at least some protection for their smaller and more nervous cousins as a human soldier approached carrying his near to overflowing ration bowl. "What do you want, human?" a skunk arcan asked, his bushy tail waving back and forth advertising his own nervousness. "I'm hoping to trade these beans for meat." "We don't have any meat." "Please, I saw your hunters go out. This place'll be hip deep in the stuff before we know it, and I know they'll share with you." His attention turned to a pair of tiny mouse arcans, "If I give you this will you let the others know when they get back?" "Yes, mister." her voice was squeaky and almost hard to understand. The soldier knelt and held out the bowl, "Here, take it." The larger of the two girls darted forward and snatched the still hot bowl away then scurried back to the protective embrace of her group. She looked up at the soldier one more time as if expecting some sort of trick or to be attacked. "Go ahead, I won't hurt you. Do you have names?" "I'm Mina and this is Lisa," she said while giving the other mouse girl the first spoonful of beans. "I'm Nathan, I'll be over by the fire when you're done with the bowl." "Alright, we'll be done soon. Nathan? Thank you!" - Nathan wandered over by the banked fire. Logs had been pulled up to provide at least somewhat more comfortable seating than the trampled ground. He was watched by dozens of wary eyes. "Mind if I join you?" Several seconds later without any response he turned to leave, "Sorry I bothered you." The surprised arcans looked back and forth at each other, this day had simply been too much for most of them. Most had been freed from Loreguard control in Riyan by the human -- a human! shaman Kyven then guided to the army. Some of the Loreguard soldiers had managed to turn away from the diversionary attack to attempt stopping the breakout but Kyven had stayed at the rear and used his shaman magic to protect their escape by conjuring up the illusion of a blazing inferno and blocking the terrified soldiers before he collapsed from total exhaustion. Other arcans had been liberated from various farms and tobacco plantations by Kyven's close friend Clover. They had been given little help getting tents set up and then to top off that indignity the human soldiers bullied the army cooks into not giving out any food to the rescued arcans. A slender female ferret stood, "Please, join us. I have a question I want to ask." "Alright. By the way, name's Nathan. Nathan Linoer" "I'm called Fergie." A few arcans scooted to one side on the log making room for Nathan to sit. "Why do you fight the other humans?" "I can't tell you about why the other soldiers are fighting the Loremasters, for a lot of them it's just the chits I'm sure, I have a very simple motive: revenge," Nathan paused for a deep breath, "this won't be easy, I've never talked with anyone about what I'm going to tell you all, about why I hate the Loremasters." "My first lover was an arcan, a bitch we named Goldie." A gasp went through the crowd at Nathan's pronouncement followed by excited whispers. "My folks knew too, they were even glad, a little at least, glad that I wasn't out with some human girl getting her pregnant with neither of us old enough to support ourselves, not to mention a baby. I don't know how things are for you but for humans our first lover tends to be a very important memory even years later." "You didn't care that she was an arcan?" the crowd was thick enough by now Nathan wasn't sure who had asked. "Only that others didn't find out. The reaction of other humans around where I lived would have been .. very bad. And I always knew that. If it wouldn't have brought the entire town down on top of me, if it wouldn't have caused my folks so much trouble I'd have let the entire world know. Goldie was a very special woman, so caring and funny. She had this immitation of an utterly pompous human down so good that if you could have only heard her you would swear she must be a member of the High Circle of the Loremasters." Nathan wiped some tears away with the back of his wrist, "This was still before all the craziness started, back before Toby Fisher started buying every arcan that was to be had. Anyway, I was out getting some stuff from town for the farm one day, Goldie was there to help carry the load. The town's head Loremaster spotted us just as we were about to return home." Another long pause while Nathan collected himself to continue, "Dickson confiscated her, said he had something important to do with her." Nathan wrapped his arm around the slender ferret as she snuggled in to comfort him, the other arcans crowded closer as well, somehow knowing they just had to hear this human's strange tale. "I didn't make a fuss or anything, I mean what could I have done except get myself in trouble? I gathered up what part of the load I could manage and headed home. After telling my folks about what happened they agreed there wasn't shit to be done about it." "Later I was back in town getting the stuff I had left behind because I couldn't carry it by myself." Hunters, including Kyven, started coming in while Nathan continued talking. These larger more aggressive arcans were just a little suspicious about the human soldier who it seemed had captured the attention of everyone left back at camp. Their concerns about the lone human were soon set aside when soldiers came around trying to talk the hunters out of their just completed kills. It was the human soldiers' turn to grumble when Kyven suggested that the other hunters not share because they hadn't helped the arcans set up their camp and had argued against them getting fed. "Except this one, Shaman. He belongs with us, not them," Fergie said, pointing at Nathan. "I think we should keep him." Kyven looked the soldier over, "And who might you be?" "Name's Nathan, Shaman. I came over hoping to trade my beans for some meat. A couple little girls over that way have my bowl," indicating nearer the tents with a wave of one hand. "Here you go!" came Mina's high pitched voice as she held up the now empty bowl. "Thanks girls, did you get enough?" "Oh yes, there was enough for Mica too, even after Lisa and I were done." ""Good." Kyven reasserted control over the conversation, "I don't think we can keep him, little sister. A horse would just get in the way if he joined us as cavalry and he'd never keep up on foot. Besides, did you ever think he might not want to be kept like some arcan?" Fergie wilted a little hearing the honored shaman phrase it like that, but couldn't resist trying just a bit more, "He's been telling us about his arcan lover, Shaman." "Just keep it in mind, little sister, okay?" Kyven waved to someone trying to get his attention before leaving for his next minor emergency, Nathan turned back to the others, "Now where was I?" "You were telling us about going back for the supplies you had left in town." "Al .. alright, just give me some time if I need it, this next part is even worse. I was getting close to town when I started hearing screams of pain. The place it was coming from used to be a farm but that was years gone, the Masons had moved out when I was maybe ten years old. I went out to take a look thinking maybe someone ran into a monster sneaking out of the forest or some kid hurt themselves poking around seemed more likely." "Instead, Oh Spirits!, It was Dickson ; he had Goldie strung up to an overhead beam by her wrists. He was demonstrating what a pain stick can do for a couple Loreguard buddies of his. He would brush it along her side or stab her in the gut and she would cry out in such pain, the look on her face ... I'll never forget it, such pain .. and all three of them were just laughing like it was the most fun they'd ever had. I got a sideways look at Dickson partway through and it was turning him on to hurt her like that .. I've never seen anything like the look on Dickson's face." "Later the pain stick wasn't enough and they switched to clubs. They broke her arms first even .. even still holding her up, then her legs," Nathan let out a strangled cry then started sobbing, unable to stop reliving that hellish day. He almost crushed Fergie to his chest, one hand stroked up and down her back in an absent manner. A minute later and Nathan swallowed down the lump clogging his throat, "I .. I forced myself to watch as they beat her, my lover and best friend, to death. She knew I was there too, our eyes met a couple times and I could just tell she wanted me to come in and finish her. But there wasn't anything more I could do than when Dickson made me give her over. Maybe if it had been him alone but with the two Loreguard all I would manage would be to get myself killed too." "I still don't understand why Dickson used an arcan he had to pay for. Maybe that's just part of what excites him, to think he is doing that to an arcan someone cares for rather than just another pick from a kennel." "I found a shovel while waiting for them to finish getting whatever sick fun they could out of her and hauled her off into the forest then I went out to see if there was anything I could do. She .. she was still alive .. barely. She was so smashed up she couldn't speak, her muzzle was busted at some point. I raised the shovel and asked her if it was what she wanted, she nodded and closed her eyes. Oh spirits I couldn't do it, I just couldn't. I tried to get my nerves up to do it and every time I couldn't carry through. I sat down beside her and cried for I don't know how long. I don't think she lasted very long after I found her. spirits forgive me I pray that she didn't. And even while digging her grave I would have to stop and cry some more." "I went home long enough to drop off the supplies my parents had been waiting for and to gather up what few possessions I had and then I got the hell out of there. I just couldn't stay in that area knowing what a monster Loremaster Dickson is. Remember I hadn't reached anywhere near my full man's growth yet and there was simply no way I was going to get away with any sort of revenge on him alone. I spent the time wandering around being a farm hand here, a grocery clerk in another town, I worked on a stage road for awhile, helping care for the horses. Then I heard the call Danvers put out and joined up." Nathan gave his head a sad little shake and pushed Fergie out to arms length before reaching for the buttons at his collar, "There's something else, something you all should see. Before I buried Goldie I .. I cut away part of her skin, maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but I had to have something to remember her with." An angry swell went through the crowd, but no one moved to attack, not yet anyway. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done, slicing the broken body of someone I loved so much." "What did you do, Nathan?" Fergie asked in her soft voice. "I .. I cut a strip from her neck to her belly. Here let me show you." He finished fumbling with the buttons and pulled the shirt collar away to show a band perhaps four fingers wide, covered with fine golden hair, going completely around his neck much like an arcan control collar. "I've told the men who've seen it that it's armor -- which it is, I had it alchemically treated to be resistant to cutting, either stabbing or slicing. But But I haven't told any of them about why it still has hair or any of the rest." The mutterings drained away almost as quick as they had started, it was impossible to remain angry after the story the human had told and relating the meaning of the collar he now wore. To choose to wear a collar was an act whose meaning none of the recently freed arcans could deny. "I just wish this army were going to my home-town. I know we've been told civilians aren't our enemy and that even most of the Loreguard are just misguided, but Dickson is simply evil and his friends are no better. But I'm from Baltin and I'm pretty sure we're planning on staying south of Avannar." He reached up and ran his fingers over the band at his neck, a gentle relaxed look came over his features. Then a sudden new thought seemed to seize him, "So about why I came over here, can I get something to eat now?" A massive canine arcan, still blood splattered from the hunt and the followup butchering, came over carrying most of a rack of ribs from either a torin or very large bull, the hide still clinging to the outside. "I will share with you, human, you show proper loyalty to pack even when that pack is gone." "Thank you, name's Nathan in case you didn't catch it earlier." "Call me Strongjaw." Nathan blushed some as he looked over the assembled arcans and saw a pair of felines engaged in sex out in the open. No one else seemed to pay the pair any mind. - "Nathan." Nathan turned and smiled as Clover came up beside him on her own horse, it was impossible not to love the tall coyote shaman, even the rest of the human soldiers were coming around on that point. Danvers might be in command and Kyven their best all around sneak but it was Clover who kept the constant little tensions under control. She was the one who relaxed the nervous arcans after slights both real and perceived delivered by the human contingent, humans who might have reason to fight the Loremasters but whose views on arcans weren't that much better than the rest of Noram society for the most part. "Shaman! Would you bless me?" "Of course, of course," She reached out and rested her near hand on his shoulder before opening her eyes to the spirits, "May the spirits always watch over and guide you, Nathan Linoer Actually, it's the spirits or at least a spirit why I'm here for you. Brother Darkspot wishes to speak with you." Nathan whipped his head around as if the spirit would appear right that instant, "That was silly, I bet." "Only a little. Don't worry, I'll only use it against you every chance I get. I could embarrass Kyven the same way, but since he's not here that wouldn't be as much fun so I'll wait." "About this Brother Darkspot? Should we stop and talk somewhere or maybe wait for tonight?" "Let me go tell your sergeant,then we'll stop." Clover had no trouble convincing the human squad leader to detach one of his privates for her use. The coyote shaman was already well known for being able to out-stubborn a rock and this case just wasn't worth it at any rate. They stopped in a circular clearing in the forest. "Picket your horse well away an be sure to do it right. She is going to be terrified if she gets any sense of Brother Darkspot. You will be scared too, Remember, he is not here to hurt you." Nathan used both hobbles and a piece of cloth tied over his mare's eyes after moving her right up against the trees. He took a few deep breaths preparing himself before coming back to Clover. "Okay, I'm as ready as I'm gonna get." "Sit," Clover forced him onto a fallen log. And then maybe ten rods before him stood the biggest dog Nathan had ever seen. It made even the largest lupen travelling with the army look small. And it's coat! Nathan was never able to describe to his own satisfaction just how .. black .. Darkspot was, it went beyond not reflecting light and seemed to suck in the surrounding illumination making it a little bit darker all around. And then he saw its eyes, if Darkspot's coat were simply the absence of light then his eyes were the absence of anything at all, including anything to even be absent to begin with. They were like staring into the black pits of the abyss. Nathan swallowed hard, something in that void stare told him beyond any possibility of doubt that the creature could send him there, or some place even worse, were that its desire. Nathan's breath became quick little gasps and only Clover's firm hands on his shoulders kept him from getting to his feet and running, just as fast and far as he could go. "That's enough, Brother. I do believe he is impressed enough." The spirit chuckled then began to shrink as the magical blackness diminished somewhat. His coat was still an all consuming black, but at least now there was texture to be seen, and the eyes were no longer quite as much nothing as at least something. "You did well, human. I have had mortals pass out during a prepared meeting like this. As for those unprepared to meet me .. I will just say my personal favorite was the man who died of fright simply seeing me. I was there to kill him so it did save some work." "You wanted to tell me something, or probably ask something of me?" The spirit looked to Clover first, "You are not needed here any longer, sister. I thank you for bringing him." "It was as we bargained, Brother Darkspot, if only all tasks were so easily completed." Nathan glanced to the coyote, "Could you take my horse back? I've a feeling I won't need her." "No problem, I'll try to come back later to make sure you are okay." The massive canine's focus returned to Nathan Linoer, a fringe of the magical blackness coalesced back around him, "Yes, human. The shadow fox has her pieces out in the world, and with what they have accomplished I see it is time I put a paw in as well. I want you to form a new pack, to head it even. I want you because you can already love arcans and because you alone of all the humans in the army understand pack. For my children pack is everything, life begins and ends with pack, life _is_ pack. And I want you to kill Dickson," The last was followed by a rumbling growl that set every hair on Nathan's neck and arms on end. "That wouldn't be any sort of payment on my part, Brother Darkspot. Just the ability and blessing to do that would be a pure gift to me. I take it Am I right that you want to change me like Toby is now and I hear Kyven was for awhile? I might have passed out if it had been Sister Shadow Fox, even I've .. heard stories." "We spirits are all different, just like mortals are each their own being," Darkspot chuckled again, a low huffing sound, "But where Toby Fisher plans to be human again that won't be part of our bargain. I promise you that you honestly won't want to return to what you are now. Where the shadow fox prefers sly manipulations I choose the direct application of overwhelming force. The shadow fox rewards love with betrayal and counts dedication as merely her due. I return them in full measure. The more you believe in me, the more you put your trust in me the more I can do for you. I would ask nothing of you that you would not freely give." It didn't take long for Nathan to make up his mind, he gave his head a resolute nod before looking back to Darkspot, "I'll do it. What do you need me to do?" "Strip. You will grow and these will no longer fit." Nathan bent down and started working his laces. His shirt followed after getting out of the boots, the golden haired collar still around his throat. He stood and pushed down his pants and small clothes. He reached up and touched the collar, "This too?" "Definitely. Your neck will be much thicker when I am done." Nathan almost seemed more reluctant at baring his neck than he had been at showing his shrivelled penis, But after a moment's pause he worked the hidden hooks that held it closed, folding up this reminder of his dead lover and placing it on top of his piled clothes. "What now?" Darkspot reared and pressed Nathan down with one heavy paw so he was laying with his head on his bundled clothing, "This is going to hurt like nothing in your life has ever hurt before, and I do apologize for that, my pup, but it is necessary." "I . I understand. Thank you." "To care for pack _is_, it needs no justification." The huge spirit lunged forward with shocking swiftness and crushed Nathan's windpipe in an instant. Nathan's hand came up as if to push the spirit away but he was already far too weak to lift his arm more than a few fingers. Darkspot watched as the human's life force dimmed and was just about to expire before sending a burst of his own power coursing through the body in front of him. Already starved for breath and unable to scream the tortured visage of Nathan's changing face would have told any observer of the agony being felt by the young man. The smell of feces and the sound of liquid hitting the forest floor compounded the gruesome scene into one of macabre horror. Limbs strengthened, bones cracked and re-formed, growing and changing shape. His jaws distended and filled with the sharp tearing teeth of a true predatore. All over his body hair so black it almost hurt to look at grew out. The limp body was forced to roll to one side by the tail now growing out from its backside. The human ears were absorbed and new stiff canine ones emerged from the top of his skull. Blessed unconsciousness overcame Nathan linoer. he did not stir as Darkspot sat back and howled nor as two answering howls echoed from the forest beyond the clearing. The pair of monsters that emerged would have scared Nathan almost as much as Darkspot had. They were of a size with the lupins now aiding the army, but these two were not any of those six. Or even quite the same species. The pair approached and bowed before one of their race's spirits. It was a rare thing to get called on like this and both knew it. The howls started again and did not stop for a long time, they too experienced the soul wrenching dislocation of having their bodies reformed from the inside by magic. Later the two females would say it had been an eternity of pain and yet more pain and then new agonies on top of the still unrelenting pain. - Nathan woke some indeterminate time later to find Darkspot gone. He was covered in filth, both excrement from his involuntary voiding and dirt, leaves and other detritus from rolling around on the forest floor. He looked down his torso to see the same mass of black fur that Darkspot had chosen now covering his own body. Nathan struggled up to a seated position, amazed at how powerful his body felt now but also unsteady because everything was so different. He could hear things out in the forest that he knew there was no way he would have picked up on before. He raised one hand to examine it, happy to see he still had more than enough finger flexibility for fine manipulation, even if he only had three fingers along with his thumb now. And his claws! They were hard and very sharp, tapering to points perhaps two finger widths beyond his regular fingertips. He knew without even trying that he could get an almost unbreakable hold on just about anything now. One of the females stirred and Nathan's attention turned from his self-inspection. He liked what he saw, and ran his tongue over his lips in an almost unconscious manner. Or at least until the first time he caught his tongue on one of his new razor pointed teeth. She was sleek and powerful, and even over the smells of filth he could tell she would be coming into heat in a matter of days. The other female was smaller, still very large by normal arcan sizes, just not so large as the first female (or he suspected himself). Her coat was also a more mottled gray instead of the flat black that Darkspot had favor. He suspected it might have something to do with age, that this second female was younger, not yet grown quite to adulthood, and for some reason he suspected that explain why she was not the black on black shade of the sable-wulf. Or not, it did not matter, Darkspot had decreed that she was pack, that much Nathan Linoer was certain of, and so long as she was pack she could shave all her hair and go around in a human dress and he would not care. He would tease her of course, but he was also sure that neither was going to do anything like that. In all honesty he was sure they would be more concerned about him, there were some human things he would fight tooth and nail over before giving up, things like houses. The second female pushed herself upright before the first even though she woke afterwards. Nathan liked what he saw even more when she did, she might be an arcan but she was all woman and that was plain to see. "hel...," Nathan tried to speak but he got a painful reminder of just how sharp his teeth were now. The first female pushed herself upright so that each of the three could look back and forth at the other two. "Hello," Nathan tried again, this time going much slower and paying much more attention to the position of his tongue. The two females each got to their knees and rushed him, bowling him to his back in the process. "I'm .. I'm .. ow .. happy to see you too," Nathan couldn't stop laughing as the two filthy females hugged him within an inch of his life. He pushed himself back upright. "What .. damn .. ow, what are your names? I'm Nathan." He had to go so slow to make sure not to bite his new longer tongue. "I am .. ouch .. Nightstriker," the larger of the two females answered. The smaller female blushed all the fur on her cheeks standing straight before responding, "I was called Kitten." The other two laughed. "I know, I know, don't look ow .. me like that. I .. I hadn't .. ugh .. earned an adult name. And I can't turn all black and scary yet." "It's okay, I'm sure Darkspot had good reasons to choose each of you. Let's go clean up, we stink." Standing was its own adventure, but by working together for mutual support they had far less trouble than speaking seemed to be right then. Standing up his eyes were level with the top of Nightstriker's head but Kitten came only to his chin. They could hear running water to one side of the clearing and made their way closer with cautious steps. "I always knew walking on two legs is silly," Kitten complained. Nathan answered her, "We have the best of both now, we can walk on two legs for a higher vantage, to see what is going on around us, or we can drop to all four and go much faster. I might not have been one but I saw the arcans in camp do it many times." The water turned out to be a tiny stream, only a rod or two across and not even a hand deep, and it turned out the water was very cold. "Well, girls, I want to get cleaned up more than I want to keep looking." With only minor reluctance from Kitten the pair agree and all three tiptoed out into the frigid water. Nathan was the first to take the plunge, squatting down to get as much of his lower body immersed as possible. "Brrr," Nathan scrubbed at his fur, trying to dislodge the refuse that had dried stuck to his body. The two females followed suit and soon all three had chattering teeth and had to concentrate not to bite their own tongues. Nathan stood after getting as clean as he could stand under the circumstances. As soon as he was out of the water his keen ears picked up a noise coming from where they had been changed. Without even thinking about it he was down on all fours and creeping forward trying to find out who had found them. "Nathan!?" The tension drained away as soon as he heard Clover's voice. "It's a friend," he informed the other two, who had also finished cleaning and now came up beside him. "I'm going to call to her, though she could probably find us by smell. Don't be scared, she really is a friend. And she's a shaman." "Clover!" Nathan called out as loud as he could given the problems he was still having coordinating his tongue and teeth. He urged Nightstriker and Kitten to stand as he did the same. He turned and buried his nose in Kitten's hair and drew in a deep inhalation before doing the same to Nightstriker, "I want you to know, you both smell really good to me, I .. I can't explain it any better than that, you each smell unique yet you each smell of everything good in the entire world." "You smell pack, Mate, and you smell _of_ pack to us," was Nightstriker's simple answer. Clover stopped dead on seeing the trio, "Nathan, is that really you?" "Yep. The spirits, or at least Brother Darkspot, truly did bless me this day." "You look so much more handsome this way, Nathan. And these other two, oh my, they must be like Nightfall and Umbra, right?" Nathan had to place a calming hand on Nightstriker, "Relax, I told you, she's a shaman." "Forgive me, shaman. I am coming close to my fertile time and almost any outside familiarity makes me think threat." "Ah, I fully understand how that is, sister. Will you come up to the army?" "Only for tonight. I was given a job to do as partial payment for this and I am eager to get started." "What job, Pack Leader?" Nathan was a bit surprised by the serious manner Kitten used to phrased the question, as well as her acknowledging his role in their little band. "There are some humans that need to die, Kitten, Brother Darkspot bade that I make it happen. We will hunt them and we will capture them, but we will not kill them right away, do you understand me? These three need to know agony, they hurt someone very special to me when I could do nothing about it." "I understand, Pack Leader, catch first, then teach them what it means to hurt pack, then kill. Plus Father wants it, so it is what must be." "Wow, Nathan, you can do it too," Clover interrupted his dark thoughts, Kitten was jumping up and down in excitement and even Nightstriker was smiling. "What?" Nightstriker explained, "it's what Kitten called 'turning all black and scary', and you have done it. Look at yourself. It's actually a very important ability for us, Pack Leader, part of our becoming adult. When we do it black mana cannot harm us. Green can but not black. And who is going to think of using green mana in the few seconds they have left? When we are normal though we are just like other living things and black mana will kill us while green heals." Nathan jerked in surprise after seeing that Nightstriker was right, "You mean that thing Brother Darkspot did where all the light seemed to get sucked into him? That's something we can do too? I thought that was just a trick of being a spirit." "Exactly that." Clover coughed, "Hate to interrupt this wonderful little lesson, but these things could be accomplished just as easy as we catch up with the army." Nightstriker spun to face Clover, "Understand, Shaman, I only say so much in front of you because Father said that so long as we stay within the law that shamen are always to be trusted; Always. Not always obeyed but always trusted." "I suppose, I need to grab my clothes first." Clover gave Nathan an appraising look, "None of them are going to fit. You do look so much better now. Humans look silly with their skin showing everywhere." "That's okay, I'm not going to leave it behind." "What're you talking about, Mate?" Nightstriker asked in a low voice as they crossed the clearing. All three were adjusting to their new forms, but she seemed to be doing so a bit easier than the other two. "I'll tell you on the way, the story has everything to do with the humans we are going to kill. Clover offered a piece of rope from her pack which Nathan used to tie his no longer needed clothes into a tight bundle that he bound around his waist. He found telling the story of Dickson's perfidity a second time was not anywhere as hard as the first had been. Or maybe the need to still concentrate on moving his body kept his mind from returning to the darker aspects of the memories. He did a double take however after getting to the part where Dickson and his cronies had switched to using clubs and looking over to see how Kitten was holding up. Her coat was no longer the mottled light grey it had been when they first met, or at least not all of it. He watched and could see blackness spreading, almost seeming to suck the very light right out of the air around her. He nudged Nightstriker and motioned toward Kitten with his muzzle, his lips curled in a not altogether friendly canine smile. Nightstriker bounded over and wrapped the smaller woman up in a hug, followed moments after by Nathan encircling them both in his much larger arms. "You've done it, sister! Father will be so proud." "Done what?" "Look at yourself and see." "Oh wow! I was just listening to mate's story and thinking about how sad that is, an .. this feeling of terrible coldness came over me." "Yes, sister, that is how it almost always happens, at least the first time. It gets easier with practice." Kitten turned to Nathan, "The humans must hurt. Before I didn't understand why -- I didn't need to -- you said they must and that is enough, Pack Leader, but now I do and it is important to me that they hurt enough." "Good to hear, but we still need to get back and then on our way." "I suggest you relax, sister. It will tire you quickly at first, trying to hold onto the inner blackness." "I'm planning that we visit my parents before going after Dickson, get a scouting report if nothing else, you think they'll be a couple of scaredy cats seeing us?" Kitten hiccuped then started giggling and the ominous lack of color faded away leaving her almost the same light gray from before her transformation perhaps a little darker. "That's one hell of a trick you three have," Clover noted. - Nathan felt as though everyone in the entire camp were staring at their group. He knew that Clover was already taller than the typical arcan, yet even Kitten now topped her by half a head, while he and Nightstriker towered over her. Some places he could feel the soft ground sag under his increased mass. he could also smell fear on the humans, a rancid sick odor he wanted nothing to do with. And he was amazed at how the arcans looked on Clover, always before the arcans had felt it necessary to keep at least some attention on the human in their midst, even when in the company of one of the revered shamen. But now with that concern gone they could devote their entire focus to the shaman during the brief moments of contact. He spied a familiar face and forced the little group to detour, the diminutive ferret trembled when the giant canines stopped right in front of her. "I don't think we need you anymore, Clover, unless there's something else you need to tell us? I did want to say thanks for coming back to check on us," "No, I can see you are making the transition much faster than Kyven or Toby. Stay well,' Clover wagged her tail in a nearly lewd manner as she departed. "Hi, Fergie. Seems you got your wish and now the arcans get to keep me." "Nathan, is that you? Wh .. wh .. what happened?" "A spirit chose me to be his claws and fangs in the world. Chose us, rather," Nathan answered while pulling the two females in for a one-armed hug each, "so that we would always remember what is important." "Why is this one important, mate?" Kitten asked, her voice registering curiosity rather than hostility. "Fergie was the very first arcan in the army to be friendly to me, even before I told my story with most of the camp workers listening. After that they all were friendly unless they were just too scared of humans." Fergie stared up at the sleek dredadore, "I don't think any of us knew it was possible for a human to care about one of us so much. Even Kyven, the human shaman while he likes us well enough and his girlfriend is a human made arcan, and he can have sex with some of us, I'm not sure he cares so much about any of us as individuals. Kyven could if the circumstances worked out that way, they just haven't. But Nathan actually did really love one of us, completely love one of us without shame or remorse." Fergie pointed at Nathan's changed form, "This is just more proof." Nightstriker nodded, "We have already discovered that mate loves with his entire being. That love has not turned toward either of us just yet but we only met this day. I am confident that it will." On impulse Nathan bent down and scooped Fergie into his arms before tossing her high into the air and then catching her, "Take care of yourself, my friend. I'm going to be gone from the army." "You are going to kill the Loremaster?" "And the Loreguard who took part." "Just don't go making this some blazing trail of glory or anything, Nathan. You know it's perfectly alright if you're still alive afterwards." Nathan curled his lips showing off his new canine teeth, "There's a saying I heard a long while back, I forget where, it goes something like: The object of war isn't to die for your country, but to make the other poor bastard die for his. That is exactly what I intend to do with Dickson and any pals he has along. I have far too much to live for to plan on making this some suicide mission." "You just remember that!" Nightstriker wrapped her arms around both Fergie and Nathan and then buried her nose into the female ferret's hair and took a deep sniff, "Mate is also our leader, that he calls you friend is all the endorsement you need." "I should tell my sergeant that I won't be coming back, but I'm not sure there's anything else we need do. Maybe a little food in case it takes time for us to get good enough to hunt." "Bah, hunger will be its own motivation." "That reminds me, there is one other arcan we should see. He tried to show his dominance over me when I was still human. It was more or less friendly, so that's how I'd like to keep it if we do spot him." Nathan stopped a passing bull arcan he was somewhat acquainted with and asked if he knew the whereabouts of Strongjaw. "I'm pretty sure he left this morning with the scouts." "Oh, never-mind then. Thanks." "Have we met? I'm pretty sure I would remember someone as large as you, but you don't act like the recent releasees." "We did meet. I am Nathan and used to be human." The arcan almost tripped from surprise, "The spirits? You let .. that be done?" "More than let. I welcomed it, although I would have preferred it not hurt so much. I have pack again and we have a task to perform, one I look forward to." "I'm surprised you would tell about it, it might cause problems among the humans." "I wasn't well liked by the other soldiers anyway. And it's not a secret. There are other spirits who do things differently than the shadow fox. While I do respect her and I am amazed at the things Kyven can do, we sable-wulves are much more about applying direct force to the problem. As a human might say 'get a bigger hammer'." "Good luck with your job then." - Nathan's sergeant was one human who had the fear smell bad. "I just wanted you to know, Sarge, I won't be coming back." "Cl .. Clover already let me know, but this .. damn Nathan I always knew you liked the Trinity damned arcans .." his words trailed off as deep rumbling growls issued from three different throats. "Look I's sorry, such a surprise and all. You come back some other time and all three ye'll be welcome." "Just be careful what you say, Sarge. Something like that over the other side of camp there might not have been anyone quick enough to save you, even if they were of a mind to." "Tis' a lot of why I don't go there, even though I hear the food's better than here now." - It turned out Nathan's hunting concerns were ill-founded. Working together the three sable-wulf arcans could take down just about any prey that was left to be found in their path. Kitten would sneak up on their hapless dinner and flush it toward the other two where either Nathan or Nightstriker would catch hold and rip its throat out. Deer became their preferred prey, the deer east of the Smoke Mountains were large enough to provide enough meat for all three arcans without leaving much refuse behind afterwards. It had taken prodding by Nightstriker and Kitten but Nathan relented and soon all three were eating their meat raw direct from the carcass. They moved through the nights starting from sundown and running through forest and farms without much care, then finding some place to settle down for the day each morning. That was how the last week had gone. Nightstricker had entered the demanding part of her estrus while they were sheltered the third day away from the army, Nathan was glad they were already stopped when that happened. It had taken gentle coaxing but he had shown them both that there was something to be said for the human and arcan habit of mating for fun instead of doing it because hormones demanded. Nightstriker had seen how her pack alphas mated and had no greater expectations for her own joining. Nathan's cold nose buried in her crotch and his long supple tongue slurping over her clit had done much to change her mind. This evening was going to be different than those that came before. They had spent the day hiding close enough to his boyhood home to watch his parents go about their chores, to check that they alone were paying this single farm particular attention. It had taken both Nightstriker and Kitten to stop Nathan from just rushing in that morning. But as soon as the sun went down behind the mountains even they couldn't restrain him and all three hurried across the couple fields separating the Linoer farmhouse from the wild forest beyond. Nathan's heart pounded when he reached the single stair leading to the unadorned doorway and his hand trembled so much that he missed the first time he tried knocking. his second attempt landed with a heavy thud and he heard the occupants scramble around inside. "Who's there?" it was his father's voice, a voice he hadn't heard in three years, until that moment had not been certain he ever would again. "It's Nathan, Pa. I've brought company and we need to get inside. We don't want to be seen and you sure don't want to be seen helping us." "Alright, hang on. Gotta get the door." Nathan almost shoved Kitten inside as soon as the door opened before doing the same with Nightstriker and scuttling in behind then slamming the door closed. His father Attrico was staring at them in shock while his mother Matulla had sunk to the floor passed out. "Son? What in the Trinity happened to you?" "One of the spirits took a liking to my sense of loyalty." "You need to know, Dickson's still here and he's only gotten worse since you left." "Dickson's one reason why I'm here, Pa. He won't be alive when we leave." "Can't say's I'm sorry to hear that, Son. Now who're your lady friends?" "Go check on Ma first." "Maybe I should do that, not trying to say nothing bad but any of you three might scare her worse'n she already is." Nathan stood next to Kitten who was looking around the simple room with undisguised interest, "You doing okay?" "Oh yes, I've never been in a building before, Mate. It's wonderful, cozy and warm. You grew up right here, a special place." Nightstriker also seemed to have shed at least some of her usual serious attitude, for awhile anyway, "Sister's right, Mate. We must have something like this, Much nicer than a cave out in the wild. "That's good, houses were the human thing I would have the most difficulty giving up. Always before when I've thought about the future this place is what I've always pictured, although over the last few days the imaginary setting has become more .. rustic," Nathan whispered. Matulla sat up with the back of her arm pressed to her forehead. "Oh, that don't feel good." Her eyes locked with Attrico's, "Did I's finally break or's Nathan really home?" "They 'aven't offered any sort o' proof but seems a mighty peculiar claim ta make if't wasn't true." Attrico helped his wife to her feet, they both turned toward the three arcans. After a few seconds Matulla declared, "Don't just stand there son, get yer tail over here and give yer ma a hug." Simmering tensions melted away and the room seemed to become a few degrees warmer. Nathan realized that he had begun the unconscious shift toward the black mana form and had indeed been sucking warmth from the room. He vowed it was something he would pay attention to in the future. If his parents had noticed it could have given them yet another reason to fear what he had become. Nathan bounced over and wrapped his mother in a full hug, "Oh, Ma, I knew you'd understand." Attrico gave the three sable-wulf arcans an appraising look then shook his head with a rueful smile, "Dickson just don't know the shit he's in. Enough of that, son, spill, who are these ladies?" After giving her one more hug Nathan set Matulla back on her feet, "Ma, Pa,, These are my pack-mates. The tall dark one is Nightstriker, while the somewhat shorter and always playful one is Kitten." "Pardon?" Attrico couldn't help interrupting, "I mean, I'm really trying to not say nothing bad here, but ain't you's all some kind of dogs?" Kitten held up one hand while barking out a laugh, "I get teased about my name enough already, okay? When I was a sable-wulf I was never serious enough for my pack elders, when I was little I would chase butterflies and that sort of thing, they thought if they called me something like Kitten that I'd change, become more serious, like the rest of them." "I love her just like she is, Pa. When we're hunting she's plenty focused. But as soon as she doesn't need to be she's back to being playful." Nathan stopped speaking and whirled on Nightstriker, "Don't even think my saying I love Kitten's playfulness means I don't love you or that I want you to become like her. We are each different, but together those differences make us better because they are what make our pack stronger, far more than the things we have in common." "That's silly, Mate. I love sister's playfulness too." "I worry sometimes, I wasn't raised to love two women. I worry about competition and jealousness." "Oh, Mate, those concerns are mostly for sister and I to work out." - Nathan sat with Kitten on his lap and Nightstriker beside him, together the trio filled the only couch, it was also the only piece of furniture in the entire house large enough to seat them except for Attrico and Matulla's marriage bed. "Mister Linoer, where Nathan was born human, sister and I were born monsters. Sable-wulves are like lupins only more rare. Lupins are changed wolves, sable-wulves are changed lupins We are arcan sable-wulves.." "Should you really be telling them this, sister?" Kitten was almost whining she was so nervous at questioning the older female, and to do it in public made it even harder on her instincts. "Sssh, 'it's alright, sister. Come over here," The older female tugged her younger counterpart onto her lap. Nightstriker looked at the two humans over Kitten's head, "Forgive her, please, it hasn't been easy." Matulla waved it away, "Nothing to forgive, poor dear must be scared near death." "And enough with that Mister Linoer crap. If'n you two's family you better start acting like it, you can damn well call me 'Pa'." Nathan was amazed seeing Nightstriker break down crying from his father's declaration. He wrapped an arm around both of his furry loves before whispering "Will you two be okay?" "I .. I see where you get it from, your loyalty. Your .. your father doesn't .. doesn't even know us but ..." Nightstriker trailed off, unable to continue, she pressed her hands tight over her eyes trying to stop the tears. "Remember I told you my folks could be trusted. You see why I have such faith in them? Most humans I don't care about one way or the other, and that was before this happened," Nathan waved one hand up and down his body in a negligent manner, "But family, at least my family is special."What can you tell me about Dickson? You said he's been getting worse?" Attrico sighed, "He's practically made the county his own little kingdom inside Baltin. When he comes around collectin' you better give until it hurts or his Loreguard bully boys drop in for a little visit and deliver the message. There're rumors that he's started forcing himself on the younger single women, that's bad enough but the whispers say he's very rough, needlessly cruel even if the girl cooperates and that it's only a matter of time until he kills someone." "Too late for that, he killed Goldie the day I bugged out, you knew that. But people put up with this shit? The King puts up with it?" "There've been a couple o' attempts but Dickson has some kinda alchemical armor. Makes him immune to magic, leastwise that's his claim. And he's got at least one hand-held death device. That one's more'n just claim, uses it for 'is public executions he does. 'e always makes sure lots o' the folks sees those." "He's gonna need helluva lot more than that to have any chance against us." "Be careful, son, black magic ain't nothing to mess around with." "Lemme showya something," it took concentration but Nathan found the empty nothingness and beckoned it inside, welcoming it into his very being. The fireplace was all but extinguished, even the alchemical lamps were dimmed; Nathan seemed to loom larger in the darkened space. He held the cold blackness inside for a few seconds before relaxing, The lamp returned to normal with a bright flash and the fireplace roared back to life releasing several fountains of glowing sparks. "That's something we can all do, Pa. When we're like that black magic can't touch us." "That's good and all; But still, son. Don't get cocky." "Thanks, Pa. It's probably good that you remind me. I feel so much stronger like this that it's hard to remember sometimes." Nathan pushed himself away from the still hugging Kitten and Nightstriker and sat up straight so that he was staring down at his parents like they used to do when he was little and they wanted his undivided attention, "Ma, Pa, there's something else ... we'll be taking care of Dickson and most of the town Loreguard it sounds like. I don't know how long it's gonna take Avvannar to respond or what the Loremasters will do; I wouldn't be surprised if they use truth crystals. Even as bad as you say Dickson's been they're not gonna like how we handle him. But regardless of what happens here war is coming, it'll be here in Baltin this fall at the very latest. It won't be comfortable but I can make sure you're safe. Go to Atan, it's a mining village in the Free Territories portion of the Smoke Mountains. Arcans are holding it right now, tell them I sent you." "Ain't that the truth, son, it would go hard on Matti and I for sure if the Loremasters ever found out you three was here." Nathan rose, and gathered Nightstriker and Kitten to him, "We need to get going and do some scouting, see exactly where Dickson and his Loreguard are. It might be we act tonight, or maybe we have to wait one more day for some reason. But I was tasked with ending this evil and I mean to see it done with. You don't happen to know if he still uses the Mason's farm do you?" Attrico spit into the fire, "He uses it alright, made it into 'is own little fortress 'e has." "Be careful", Matulla was trying not to weep as the three giant canine arcans slipped into the night, "Just be careful, all three of you. I got my son back tonight and it would just break my heart to lose him again." - Dickson's 'fortress' might have seemed impregnable to the local farmers and townspeople but it appeared little more than a log palisade when Nathan and Nightstriker snuck up close enough to get a good look. Kitten had been left back where she could keep an eye on the road and guard their tails. The humans didn't even post a guard at night, trusting that the closed gate coupled with their well-earned reputation for violence would keep the local populace cowed. Unpleasant sounds and an even worse smell rolled out from the small compound. The pair crept unseen around the next side hoping to sense whether there were alchemy in play. They weren't able to detect any kind of shield or alarm but they also knew they weren't very sensitive to such things. Backtracking to Kitten brought a huge and welcome surprise. Darkspot was present and his bonding with the cold nothingness so all consuming, again so much the absence of anything rather than its presence, that Nathan only knew the spirit was present by some new sense that remained undiscovered by his concious mind. "Father!" Nightstriker knelt before the huge canine spirit, her features relaxing from the tension of scouting. "May .. may I call you Father as well?" Nathan knelt beside Nightstriker with his head bowed. "Why would you do such a thing." "Clover .. told me that the spirits .. requested to be addressed with the more equal sibling relation, that since you have .. other concerns besides just our world. But I .. feel .. much more than that .. for you at least." "Oh, my pup, my children, you all make me so proud. Yes, Nathan, of course." "Thank .. Thank you, Father, "Nathan reached out and drew first Kitten then Nightstriker to either side without looking toward either of them. "Was there something you wanted to tell us, Father? Or special you want us to do?" "Only to say remain safe and hold onto the shifted form until the humans are under control, if not dead. No one inside has a prayer in hell of slowing you down if you remain vigilant. This task was made first in part because it is no challenge, future hunts will be harder." "Thank you, Father. If there's nothing else? Nathan glanced toward Nightstriker and saw she was almost shifted, even Kitten had begun while he was still speaking with Darkspot. "Thanks for coming to see us, Father!" Kitten exclaimed, then had to reassert control as the inky blackness had already started to fade during her moment of lapsed concentration. The spirit chuckled as he faded from their senses, both sight as well as the new magic related sense. They all heard "Pay attention, child," just before he was gone. Kitten hung her head in shame but managed not to revert toward normal again, "Yes, Father." Nathan looked back and forth between his two females, "I have this growing urge to just tear down the gate, but I fear they've got hostages. Given a choice I'd rather we be a bit less dramatic if it means getting captives out alive." "Yes, Pack leader, there were noises earlier that made me think not everyone inside wants to be there." - Sneaking up to the wall could not have been any easier, there wasn't anyone on the inside watching for them. Together Nathan and Nightstriker boosted Kitten high enough to peer over the pointed log palisade. By lights in various windows it appeared that some of the humans were still awake even though it was now well past midnight, but no one was outside. The trio of sable-wulf arcans sprinted around the palisade wall until they were standing beside one gate edge. Rather than making noise breaking it down they each climbed to the overhead walkway in silence. They discovered the man who was supposed to be on watch. Nathan shook his head seeing the designated lookout was passed out drunk. Nathan motioned that they leave the drunk alone for the moment then looked over the inner rail. Nothing had changed so he dropped the fifteen spans to the hard packed dirt below. Kitten and Nightstriker followed moments later. They looked through the nearest lit window first and what Nathan saw made his blood run cold. It was Dickson, although the man had aged twenty years in the intervening span. He was naked right then with his back to the window showing off the enormous rolls of fat he had developed, his oily skin displayed numerous livermarks. It was the girl though that had Nathan so angry, She was literally the girl next door, Onilia from the farm next to his. Nathan remembered her as a happy girl five years his junior. Now though she was bound naked into a horizontal frame of some sort. Her skin showed many bruises and she was terrified. The entire frame was caked with blood, from the ropes holding her wrists to the trough which led to a bucket underneath. With a dawning realization Nathan understood just what was happening. Nathan could never describe just how he got from standing outside that window to towering over Dickson. He had .. flowed .. into nothingness and then poured back out into his normal shape. Dickson hadn't seen him but Onilia sure had, she screamed for a second or two before her mind refused to process the events around her. With almost contemptuous ease Nathan crushed the Loremaster's hand around the knife he had been about to use on his latest victim. The man was so surprised he wasn't even able to scream before Nightstriker came rushing through the doorway and hit him over the head from behind. "Who .. who're you?" Onilia croaked from where she still lay bound. "Friends, child," Nightstriker soothed as she worked to free the girl. "Trinity be praised! Bu .. but you're arcans .. why would you save me?" Nathan growled, a low menacing sound. Onilia shrank back even while still tied up, "I .. I'm sorry i said that." Kitten came through the door next and kept watch on the outside, "Don't worry human, we'll get you back to your pack before you know it." Onilia started sobbing, sitting up and covering her face as soon as Nightstriker finished with the ropes, "I .. I .. don't know who is family anymore. I heard him and my father talking," she pointed at Dickson with one hand, "I was sold, not taken. Do I have to go back?" "Kitten, watch our prisoner." "Yes, Pack Leader." Kitten moved over and stared down at the fat naked man, looking liked she'd rather kick his head off than guard him. Nathan knelt in front of Onilia, which put his head only a little above hers, "Onilia, look at me." "How do you know my name?" the girl sniffled. "I've known you your entire life, Onna-dilly," it was a nickname that Nathan had not used in years even before leaving. He had stopped using it about the time he began noticing that girls weren't so icky after all. Her forehead screwed up in confusion. Then Onilia looked up with amazed eyes, "Nathan?" When Nathan nodded in the affirmative Onilia launched herself at him, forgetting for the moment she was still bare. She let go as soon as his furry chest brushed her pink nipples. Nightstriker coughed, "Pack Leader, We still need to round up the other humans." "Good point." Nathan yanked Dickson by his greasy hair and forced the man onto the collapsible bleeding frame. Kitten stuffed Dickson's stained underwear into the man's mouth before Nathan secured their prisoner. The man's hands and feet were turning a very pleasing shade of purple by the time they continued the hunt. - Dickson was the only man they found awake, but Onilia was not the only person in need of rescue. When everyone in the compound was accounted for, including rounding up the drunk supposed-to-be lookout, there were eleven men knocked out cold then bound tight using a curious thin but very strong cord that Kitten found on one man's dresser. There were also eight young women in addition to Onilia (Nathan was thankful that Onilia was the only one he knew more than passing well). There were also four rather effete boys and half a dozen arcans -- two of whom were almost starved to death. Nathan shook his head trying to figure out how he was going to deal with the entire mess. His gaze wandered over as Onilia came out of Dickson's quarters wrapped in a sheet. He had to admit, if only to himself, he could still find the human female form quite appealing. "Father?" He called out on sudden impulse. "Yes, pup?" came the almost amused reply within his mind. Both Kitten and Nightstriker straightened as if jolted awake and turned to him with wild looks in their eyes. "I don't mind killing these, in fact I pretty much insist on it for Dickson, but do you maybe have some use for the others?" "Such a good pup, as a matter of fact I do have a use for three of them. Choose the strongest three and make sure the others can see, what I have in mind will serve your purpose nicely." At a motion from Nathan Nightstriker sorted through the bound men . She tossed her three selections against a wall facing the remaining eight. Onilia burrowed herself under Nathan's arm, she was the only unbound human willing to approach. "What's going to happen?" she asked in a whisper. "I'm not sure, exactly, but I promise it's gonna scare the pigs. Please don't be scared, Onilia." "I'll try." All the alchemical lamps lighting the courtyard dimmed and dogs began to howl. Darkspot's entrance was just as dramatic, a tunnel into nowhere formed that vanished straight away from every witness to the event, no matter what their angle to it or each other. The spirit stalked out facing the chosen sacrifices. "Wh .. what is that?" Onilia whispered while trying to cower still deeper into Nathan's protective embrace. "Sssh, he is our benefactor, he put Nightstriker, Kitten and I together." "He made you arcan and you don't hate him?" Any further questions were halted by Darkspot's chosen demise for the three men against the wall. First they began glowing, followed moments later by tortured screams. Nathan watched as the three Loreguard just sort of shrivelled into nothing. Their legs were absorbed first, then their arms, leaving nothing behind. It was about then the men lost the ability to scream, but the torture did not end. Their chests and heads shrank together for awhile before the last vestige of life was ripped from the corpses as the heads too shrivelled away, absorbed back into the remaining body. When Darkspot was done all that was left of each man was a hard round ball about the size of a walnut. Darkspot stalked over, looming over Onilia, "I would speak with you, child, of what you have seen this night." "Mmm .. me, Lord?" she looked up at Nathan with frightened eyes. "Sssh, it's okay, Onilia. If Father were going to hurt you he just would, he would ask beforehand." "My pup is correct, child, If you don't trust me trust Nathan." "Ye .. yes, mm .. my Lord" "Good, let us go some place quiet while my pups take care of these others." Onilia scurried out from under Nathan's arm when he raised it but before going with Darkspot she whirled around and flung her arms around Nathan's neck, "Thank you for saving me, Nathan. Whatever else happens, thank you." She let go and with just a slight hitch in her step followed Darkspot into Dickson's now empty room. Nathan stalked over and glowered over the captive men, the sky was just coming to early dawn indicating how long they had already been at this job. He looked over at the huddled girls and the freed arcans, "Did any of these men never hurt any of you? Or failing that, is there some reason that I should spare any of them?" One of the girls pointed at the man three down the line from Dickson, "That one beat my papa. I heard him say if papa wasn't careful he'd come back and kill papa and take mama too." Nathan hauled the man off the ground by his neck and held him aloft while crushing his windpipe. The man's eyes bugged out and he kicked trying to dislodge himself from the monsterous arcan's grasp but it was too late for anything but a healing bell to save him now. Nathan dealt with the next four in the exact same way, leaving just Loremaster Dickson and the two Loreguard who had helped murder Goldie so many years earlier. "Those men got off easy, you three will suffer. Nightstriker, strip those two." "Yes, Pack Leader." Nightstriker didn't bother with any of the buttons on the men's nightclothes, instead shredding the material with her claws and not caring very much whether she broke the skin underneath. "I'll be right back, I'm pretty sure I saw something useful in one of the rooms." The huddled girls watched as Nathan stomped by not daring to say a word to him. He came back moments later with what he had been looking for. "My hair curler?" one of the girls asked confused. "You can get another after this is over," Nathan's voice was ice cold and devoid of all emotion. One of the men tried to crawl away but Nathan stopped him by sinking one set of claws toe deep into his ass. He leaned over and pressed the now red-hot iron against the man's neck, the man screamed out incoherent then collapsed back into the dirt. "Not quite a pain stick but I think this'll work nicely."" Nathan ran the glowing tip back and forth in a serpentine fashion down the man's back, moving slow enough to see a line of welts form behind the alchemical device. Dickson and the remaining man each tried to escape, hoping the arcans were too busy dealing with their doomed compatriot. They were hindered by having their hands bound tight behind their backs and their wrists and ankles each bound together. Kitten took one slow deceptive step and kicked the Loreguard hard just below the ribs. Nightstriker sat on Dickson and started seeing just how sharp her claws were. Nathan looked up at the freed girls and arcans and a little warmth returned to his voice, "You should go somewhere else, this is going to be very ugly." The women and girls took the hint and moved off to one of the larger barracks type buildings, but instead of leaving the four arcans capable of it came closer supporting the other two. There were two small canines, a pair of felines and the two emaciated arcans appeared to be weasels of some kind. The larger of the canines spoke for the group, "Please don't make us leave, none of the other humans are any better than these were." "Some humans are much better, you will see. But we will definitely be taking you with us, I just have very personal reasons to hurt these three." "Wha?" the man under him groaned, "We've .. we've never met, I swear it." Nathan broke most of the man's front teeth with a casual backhand, "I was human then, my name is Nathan Linoer. Your friend Dickson over there forced me to sell my lover and best friend Goldie. Then you three killed her. You beat her to death, I watched you three. I couldn't do shit about it then but things have changed." "Oh .. oh shit," the third man mumbled, and drew himself up into as tight a ball as he could manage. Nightstriker bent down a little to speak into Dickson's ear, "Now you realize just how bad things will go for you." Nathan snatched the man's wrist then punched his arm in four distinct places, each punch accompanied by a sickening snapping sound as bones were subjected to far more stress than they were capable of enduring. The other arm received the same treatment. Nathan didn't bother breaking the man's legs, instead just ripping through both Achilles tendons with one powerful swipe of diamond hard claws. Two more punches followed, this time to the man's lower back, each inflicted massive internal injuries as kidneys were crushed beneath the rage enhanced strength of Nathan's arcan body. This latest pain was enough to make the man scream again. The smaller feline turned away, her breathing shallow and fast, Nathan suspected the arcan was trying not to throw up seeing his brutal treatment of the human. Nathan glanced at the arcans, "He did much worse to my lover, have you ever seen a pain stick used? When that wasn't enough these three used clubs." Nathan flicked blood from his claws while standing. He looked toward Nightstriker who was still cutting little bits off Dickson, "Make sure that one's still alive when I get to him." "Yes, Pack Leader," Nightstriker answered with almost dreadful eagerness. Nathan stared down at the man curled into a ball at Kitten's feet, "You know, I remember you, you didn't do nearly as much as the other two. I'm sure you've done nothing good since then but I just don't care as much about you." After his little speech Nathan tied a slip-knot in a piece of rope that had been piled next to the wall. The man struggled but Nathan had no trouble working the loop over the man's head then snugging it down around his neck. Nathan made sure to tighten the makeshift garrotte from the side so he didn't break the man's neck by accident or apply so much force that his windpipe would be crushed. Either of those two ends would be far too quick. The man's eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide as he tried to get enough air through his restricted airway. At last Nathan turned to Dickson. "You I have no mercy for. Kitten, cut his ankles free then hold one out that way," Nathan pointed with the hair curler he was still holding. "Yes, Pack Leader." Dickson tried to kick Kitten as she bent to perform this simple task but she put a stop to that by biting the meaty part of his calf while using her claws too cut away the cords. She yanked his leg as far out to the side in the direction Nathan had indicated as she could make the man stretch, then a little more using main strength just because she could. Nightstriker moved with fluid grace to pull Dickson's other leg well clear. She had an inkling of what her mate and leader had in mind and if so it was going to be plenty gruesome and very appropriate. Nathan stalked up between the fat naked man's corpulent thighs, his disgusting ass already stained brown where his butthole had leaked from fear. "I don't know what happened that made you enjoy hurting defenceless people that've done nothing to deserve it, Dickson, and frankly I don't care, I'm also not going to give you any sort of chance to learn from your mistakes but maybe someone else who hears about you will think before doing." With a single smooth motion Nathan bent to get a better angle then rammed the glowing hot curler into Dickson's puckered ass. Dickson shrieked when the red hot iron first touched his skin and only got louder when Nathan jammed it into the corpulent Loremaster's flesh. Dickson kept wailing as long as his breath lasted then fell into blubbering whimpers. Nathan turned the device up as high as it would go while hoping the crystal didn't burn out all that soon. A quick look over at the second man was all Nathan needed to know the garotte had done its job. Continuing to sweep his gaze to the first Nathan saw that the Loreguard soldier was still clinging to life but it was only a matter of time unless someone wasted a healing bell. And it would be very much a waste because if Nathan heard of it he would be back to finish the job and to add the foolish person doing the healing to his scorecard. Nathan kicked Dickson over wanting the man to see death before it claimed him. The still living corpse groaned more when the motion forced the burning hot metal deeper inside. It was then Nathan saw something that made him grab both Nightstriker and Kitten then point out his discovery. "Would ya lookit that, the man's got no balls!" Nathan just about barked he was laughing so hard, "What, some arcan you were set on raping it turns out her collar was busted and she did us all a favor and neutered you?" Dickson wasn't capable of answering but only groaned more. Somehow knowledge of this little indignity broke Nathan's rage. He spotted a stout metal prybar laying against the wall, gave it a single test swing to determine the balance then bashed first the remaining Loreguard then Dickson across the forehead almost hard enough to decapitate and more than hard enough to terminate the already injured men. The first rays of the new dawn lit the courtyard moments after Nathan completed the grisly task. He dropped the prybar then gathered Nightstriker and Kitten in for a group hug, the raw emotions he had nurtured for years given a chance to start healing at long last.