Chapter 2
I waited for the monster to devour my body in one gulp of electricity, but the shock never came. I opened one eye tentatively and I realized that the beast, unable to penetrate my thick body with its relatively flimsy Umbral physical form, had split into a thousand tiny lightning bolts. Relief washed over me until it entered my mind that an army of electricity- shooting spirits were no easier a foe than one large Bane. I morphed into lupus, facilitating an escape between the hordes of buzzing masses of electricity. My now sleek, four-legged wolf form slipped under the swarm of creatures and away from the dangerously raging river. I turned around as soon as I had sprinted a few yards away from the river's edge. The mini- Banes were not to be fooled by this transformation---they were already chasing after me.
Now that I was safely away from the river, I morphed back into Crinos, believing that my war-form would save me from whatever Wyrm- creature crossed my path. As the spirits raged around me, they tried to peck my skin, each time giving me a minute shock, like a horribly painful mosquito bite. I roared as ten or fifteen of them attacked me at once, causing my insides to squirm as electricity shot through my body. I clawed at the sizzling balls frantically, but for each one that I destroyed, a new one appeared.
Without warning, the tiny bolts of electricity ceased to shock me and scurried away from my skin. I hardly had time to wonder what happened when they formed the sole Bane again. However, this was not the spirit I first encountered---It had given itself a monstrous physical form resembling an inbred gargoyle that mated with a hermaphroditic buffalo. (Don't even ask me how that happened; I guess it was the best battle form.) It seemed recharged by the conversion; it pulsed with energy as it readied itself for the fight. This time I charged it fearlessly, using the combination of wolf reflexes and human strategy to circumvent its attacks and deliver my own. Bolts of electricity flew out through the mouth of the Bane, burning my skin with a hissing, sizzling sound and the smell of putrid flesh. I howled furiously and dug deeper into the mass of fur and electricity, my claws slashing through currents as if they were water.
I soon became frustrated at the fact that the Bane was only minimally injured by my attacks, and decided to try a different method. I discovered my backpack thrown behind a snowdrift where I left it, objects strewn about the ground. A thought entered my mind. Aquafina. I nimbly unscrewed the cap to the water bottle and cast a stream of the cool liquid at the beast. As the splash of water hit the Bane in the face, infiltrating the sensitive skin of its eyes and nose, the creature emitted an inhuman screech that tainted the pure Umbral environment with its cacophony. Ignoring the displeasure to my ears, I advanced on the Bane, driving it backwards.
It took to the air, leaping over me onto the fluffy white snow blanketing the ground. I whipped around and growled, unsheathing my claws as I made deep marks in the spirit's physical form. It was not especially hurt, but showed displeasure at the attack. I circled around it and pounced before the creature had time to react. I spread my body around it, clenching my limbs around the quivering form in an attempt to confine it. It oscillated underneath me, trying to free itself from the hairy prison in which I had encased the beast.
I used my long Crinos legs to push off the ground I was barely touching, moving the creature closer to the icy river I had recently avoided. It squirmed uncomfortably as the Bane approached the water involuntarily, as if the noise of rushing rapids triggered bad memories. With all my might, I threw myself---and the Wyrm spirit---into the frigid river, attempting to remain in control of the tortured Bane. It shot lightning bolts at me in a last-ditch effort to stop me as it descended into the chilly grave of rushing water and swirling eddies.
Though my flesh smoldered briefly, the cool liquid around me soothed my wounds while it disposed of my enemy. My eyes smarted as droplets of half-frozen water splashed at my face, clouding my vision temporarily. I fought ferociously to stay atop of my opponent partially to keep the electricity spirit under the waves, and partially because my warrior form did not lend itself to swimming. An alert sounded in my mind as I realized that water is an excellent carrier of electricity, and being in the water may not be the best idea. I quickly shifted to lupus, hoping that my doggy- paddle combined with a light, nimble body could get me out quickly.
I reached the bank in a matter of seconds that seemed like years, but I eventually dragged myself exhaustedly out of the frigid depths, resting on the snow-covered bank. A spark caught my eye in the middle of the river as the Bane's physical form degraded and the electric core was left unprotected in the middle of a raging river. The water lit up with one giant explosion of energy as the Bane was obliterated, sizzling everything in the water and producing a fine steam rising above the surface. I summoned the little energy I had left and stood up, turning my back to the evil destroyed in the river. My muscles ached with fatigue, though I had not noticed any pain during the fight.
Transforming back to homid, I grabbed my backpack and retrieved my discarded, empty water bottle from the dirty slush, tossing it into my bag. I rustled through the front pocket of my backpack, and upon finding the shiny flip-up mirror among the other items, I quickly stepped out of the Umbra. I was back in Alaska---real, spirit-less, thank-Gaia-I'm-on-solid- ground Alaska. I glanced around, wary of potential predators, but spotted none, though I kept giving myself false alarm by catching the movement of an animal in the corner of my eye. Gazing through the seemingly endless forest of leafless trees, I squinted through my pathetic homid eyes to spot a figure standing a few hundred yards away.
It appeared to be a wolf, but for some reason, it seemed vaguely familiar to me---maybe as a werewolf you feel kin towards wolves, I thought. Just to be safe, I shifted to lupus again and strode towards the curious character through the woods. As I approached, the wolf stood calmly, watching me enter its territory with clear green eyes. Mentally wondering why the wolf wasn't either fleeing or acting aggressively, I braced myself for attack as I pondered the occurrence. Finally, though, my dense mind lit upon the answer: Riva! Of course she would come find me after my rite of passage was completed, though how she knew I finished I never understood.
The grayish wolf, flecked with even deeper gray specks, morphed to warrior form, and then melted down to homid. I did the same, and saw my mentor standing in front of me with a smile on her face. Riva placed on hand on my shoulder, congratulating me on my success. I accepted the praise, and then questioned her, "So, now what do I do?" Riva opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it, thinking better of whatever she had in mind. She said slowly, "Well…the elders will, of course, give you your formal rite of passage ritual at the moot, and then they will choose your course in life. They will send you off to a sept to become part of a pack, and then place your pack with the care of a certain goal or purpose."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" I asked playfully, cocking my head to the side in a most wolfish gesture. Riva grinned again and morphed into lupus, motioning for me to follow her. I dropped into my wolf form as well, galloping after her through the snow. She called back to me, "I was supposed to give you a riddle or something for you to decode, but the elders are getting restless---they don't want your future packmates twiddling their thumbs anymore. They sent me out here to get you and bring you back immediately after your rite of passage. I'm just lucky you were already done---I really didn't want to have to sit on the sidelines while you fought a Bane." Riva paused, catching her breath. She then continued, "We're going to the Sept of the Rising Sun, where you'll have a quick rite of passage ritual, and then we'll cart you off to the Sept of the Seven Suns, where you'll join your pack." I nodded in affirmation and the rest of our journey through the snowy landscape was relatively silent, save a few questions shooting from my direction that were briskly answered by the tired Riva.
I trotted quietly behind my mentor, pondering my future. Would the elders be satisfied with my rite of passage? Would they accept me as one of them? Would I like my packmates or would we fight endlessly? I sighed as well as wolf can, and resolved to make the best of whatever the werewolves decided to throw at me, even if it might not be what I had in mind for my life. I trudged on, making up scenarios in my mind of daring battles in which I triumphed and creatures of the Wyrm cowered in my presence.
I looked up as Riva stopped abruptly and stared at the looming figure in front of us. She bowed her wolf's head in deference to the broad, tall wolf in front of us. He was a sturdy, full-coated deep gray wolf with Native American accessories completing his dignified appearance. The wolf, obviously an elder, spoke to Riva, saying in the Garou tongue two brief words: "Come in."
I waited for the monster to devour my body in one gulp of electricity, but the shock never came. I opened one eye tentatively and I realized that the beast, unable to penetrate my thick body with its relatively flimsy Umbral physical form, had split into a thousand tiny lightning bolts. Relief washed over me until it entered my mind that an army of electricity- shooting spirits were no easier a foe than one large Bane. I morphed into lupus, facilitating an escape between the hordes of buzzing masses of electricity. My now sleek, four-legged wolf form slipped under the swarm of creatures and away from the dangerously raging river. I turned around as soon as I had sprinted a few yards away from the river's edge. The mini- Banes were not to be fooled by this transformation---they were already chasing after me.
Now that I was safely away from the river, I morphed back into Crinos, believing that my war-form would save me from whatever Wyrm- creature crossed my path. As the spirits raged around me, they tried to peck my skin, each time giving me a minute shock, like a horribly painful mosquito bite. I roared as ten or fifteen of them attacked me at once, causing my insides to squirm as electricity shot through my body. I clawed at the sizzling balls frantically, but for each one that I destroyed, a new one appeared.
Without warning, the tiny bolts of electricity ceased to shock me and scurried away from my skin. I hardly had time to wonder what happened when they formed the sole Bane again. However, this was not the spirit I first encountered---It had given itself a monstrous physical form resembling an inbred gargoyle that mated with a hermaphroditic buffalo. (Don't even ask me how that happened; I guess it was the best battle form.) It seemed recharged by the conversion; it pulsed with energy as it readied itself for the fight. This time I charged it fearlessly, using the combination of wolf reflexes and human strategy to circumvent its attacks and deliver my own. Bolts of electricity flew out through the mouth of the Bane, burning my skin with a hissing, sizzling sound and the smell of putrid flesh. I howled furiously and dug deeper into the mass of fur and electricity, my claws slashing through currents as if they were water.
I soon became frustrated at the fact that the Bane was only minimally injured by my attacks, and decided to try a different method. I discovered my backpack thrown behind a snowdrift where I left it, objects strewn about the ground. A thought entered my mind. Aquafina. I nimbly unscrewed the cap to the water bottle and cast a stream of the cool liquid at the beast. As the splash of water hit the Bane in the face, infiltrating the sensitive skin of its eyes and nose, the creature emitted an inhuman screech that tainted the pure Umbral environment with its cacophony. Ignoring the displeasure to my ears, I advanced on the Bane, driving it backwards.
It took to the air, leaping over me onto the fluffy white snow blanketing the ground. I whipped around and growled, unsheathing my claws as I made deep marks in the spirit's physical form. It was not especially hurt, but showed displeasure at the attack. I circled around it and pounced before the creature had time to react. I spread my body around it, clenching my limbs around the quivering form in an attempt to confine it. It oscillated underneath me, trying to free itself from the hairy prison in which I had encased the beast.
I used my long Crinos legs to push off the ground I was barely touching, moving the creature closer to the icy river I had recently avoided. It squirmed uncomfortably as the Bane approached the water involuntarily, as if the noise of rushing rapids triggered bad memories. With all my might, I threw myself---and the Wyrm spirit---into the frigid river, attempting to remain in control of the tortured Bane. It shot lightning bolts at me in a last-ditch effort to stop me as it descended into the chilly grave of rushing water and swirling eddies.
Though my flesh smoldered briefly, the cool liquid around me soothed my wounds while it disposed of my enemy. My eyes smarted as droplets of half-frozen water splashed at my face, clouding my vision temporarily. I fought ferociously to stay atop of my opponent partially to keep the electricity spirit under the waves, and partially because my warrior form did not lend itself to swimming. An alert sounded in my mind as I realized that water is an excellent carrier of electricity, and being in the water may not be the best idea. I quickly shifted to lupus, hoping that my doggy- paddle combined with a light, nimble body could get me out quickly.
I reached the bank in a matter of seconds that seemed like years, but I eventually dragged myself exhaustedly out of the frigid depths, resting on the snow-covered bank. A spark caught my eye in the middle of the river as the Bane's physical form degraded and the electric core was left unprotected in the middle of a raging river. The water lit up with one giant explosion of energy as the Bane was obliterated, sizzling everything in the water and producing a fine steam rising above the surface. I summoned the little energy I had left and stood up, turning my back to the evil destroyed in the river. My muscles ached with fatigue, though I had not noticed any pain during the fight.
Transforming back to homid, I grabbed my backpack and retrieved my discarded, empty water bottle from the dirty slush, tossing it into my bag. I rustled through the front pocket of my backpack, and upon finding the shiny flip-up mirror among the other items, I quickly stepped out of the Umbra. I was back in Alaska---real, spirit-less, thank-Gaia-I'm-on-solid- ground Alaska. I glanced around, wary of potential predators, but spotted none, though I kept giving myself false alarm by catching the movement of an animal in the corner of my eye. Gazing through the seemingly endless forest of leafless trees, I squinted through my pathetic homid eyes to spot a figure standing a few hundred yards away.
It appeared to be a wolf, but for some reason, it seemed vaguely familiar to me---maybe as a werewolf you feel kin towards wolves, I thought. Just to be safe, I shifted to lupus again and strode towards the curious character through the woods. As I approached, the wolf stood calmly, watching me enter its territory with clear green eyes. Mentally wondering why the wolf wasn't either fleeing or acting aggressively, I braced myself for attack as I pondered the occurrence. Finally, though, my dense mind lit upon the answer: Riva! Of course she would come find me after my rite of passage was completed, though how she knew I finished I never understood.
The grayish wolf, flecked with even deeper gray specks, morphed to warrior form, and then melted down to homid. I did the same, and saw my mentor standing in front of me with a smile on her face. Riva placed on hand on my shoulder, congratulating me on my success. I accepted the praise, and then questioned her, "So, now what do I do?" Riva opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it, thinking better of whatever she had in mind. She said slowly, "Well…the elders will, of course, give you your formal rite of passage ritual at the moot, and then they will choose your course in life. They will send you off to a sept to become part of a pack, and then place your pack with the care of a certain goal or purpose."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" I asked playfully, cocking my head to the side in a most wolfish gesture. Riva grinned again and morphed into lupus, motioning for me to follow her. I dropped into my wolf form as well, galloping after her through the snow. She called back to me, "I was supposed to give you a riddle or something for you to decode, but the elders are getting restless---they don't want your future packmates twiddling their thumbs anymore. They sent me out here to get you and bring you back immediately after your rite of passage. I'm just lucky you were already done---I really didn't want to have to sit on the sidelines while you fought a Bane." Riva paused, catching her breath. She then continued, "We're going to the Sept of the Rising Sun, where you'll have a quick rite of passage ritual, and then we'll cart you off to the Sept of the Seven Suns, where you'll join your pack." I nodded in affirmation and the rest of our journey through the snowy landscape was relatively silent, save a few questions shooting from my direction that were briskly answered by the tired Riva.
I trotted quietly behind my mentor, pondering my future. Would the elders be satisfied with my rite of passage? Would they accept me as one of them? Would I like my packmates or would we fight endlessly? I sighed as well as wolf can, and resolved to make the best of whatever the werewolves decided to throw at me, even if it might not be what I had in mind for my life. I trudged on, making up scenarios in my mind of daring battles in which I triumphed and creatures of the Wyrm cowered in my presence.
I looked up as Riva stopped abruptly and stared at the looming figure in front of us. She bowed her wolf's head in deference to the broad, tall wolf in front of us. He was a sturdy, full-coated deep gray wolf with Native American accessories completing his dignified appearance. The wolf, obviously an elder, spoke to Riva, saying in the Garou tongue two brief words: "Come in."